Monday, September 30, 2019
Comparing and Contrasting Economic Ideas Essay
Introduction – As individual leaders in modern economic thinking and attitude, economists Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes was hailed and criticized by many different individuals and institutions because of their contribution to global economy attitudes as well as because of the sometimes very radical ways that the two required of economic leaders to resort to so that they can follow the economic model that either Friedman and Keynes designed. Both are right and wrong when it comes to understanding economy and providing a solution which can be used to unlock the mysteries of the changing economic dilemma that the world experiences which requires the input of economists. And during their time, Friedman and Keynes enjoyed the god-like loft from which they stood, one at a time, when the world was bowing to the economic thoughts that they made. Similarities: Friedman and Keynes economic thoughts meet in the middle – While Friedman’s and Keynes’ thoughts and focus on economics have inherent differences, some observers believe that the two economic ideas espoused by Friedman and Keynes also have some similarities. For one, the two economists and their ideas are in agreement when it comes to the stable growth rate of money supply and its role in fluctuation and employment[1]. Also, the two were inherently economist in inclination – they stand on similar grounds even if it means digging and building that ground using different shovels and different strokes. Second, the economic ideas of the two individuals share the similar characterisitcs of being popular and widely used and regarded before the ensuing change in political landscape made the idea of obsolete and useless; for Keynes and his economic idea about the role of the state in economic leadership, the flowering of his idea came after the world, particularly the US, felt the squeeze to the economy after the two world wars and the occurrence of the Great Depression, his idea ultimately subsiding by the time the world came closer and closer to the 80s. For Friedman, his economic idea got its turn after it proved having the solution to the problem the Keynes model cannot answer, and after enjoying his moment in the spotlight for some years, the global crisis that engulfed the world pushed Friedman’s ideas closer and closer to the trash bin. Friedman and Keynes and their ideas share the similar pace when it comes to public acceptance, as well as the same characteristic that their ideas each are pets of US presidents; former US president Richard Nixon was a Keynesian while another former US president, Ronal Reagan implemented a Friedman approach in economics[2]. Another similarity in the economic idea of Friedman and Keynes is that their ideas allowed for the identification of an entity or institution or idea that was the reason for the failure of the economy. Take for example the Great Depression, for those adhering to the Keynesian belief in economics, they are inclined to believe that there is someone or something at fault why such occurrence happened, and that is the idea of free market. Friedman thinking will also lead the individual towards the same belief of having someone or something at fault, and that is the Federal Reserve, so far as Friedman economic thinking is concerned. Another similarity shared by Keynes and Friedman and their attack and pattern in developing economic thought and assuring the audience needed for the establishment of the popularity and acceptance of their particular economic thought is the manner by which their economic thoughts and ideas were built and spread around those who will either criticize or embrace it. Wood (1991) explained, â€Å"The most surprising aspect of Friedman’s achievements is that he has not to a greater extent earned the gratitude of the profession. To a large degree this is due to the sharply critical form in which he has presented his ideas.†[3] In his attacks on the positions of other he has at times tended to depart from the more careful and guarded way in which he typically presents his own results. This has assured him of a wide audience, because it is often easier to attract adherents to a revolution in thinking – even a counter-revolution – than to a less dramatic evolution of a hypothesis. This is a characteristic which Friedman shares with Keynes and explains why both have been at the same time highly controversial and highly successful in the development of economic thought. Economists in a head-on collision – Despite the similarities found in Friedman and Keynes and their thoughts and the pacing and social acceptance lifespan of their ideas, Friedman and Keynes and their ideas in economies are more accepted, criticized and reviewed because of how the two ideas find contrasting points against the other. They and their ideas have significant differences that they are described sometimes as the great polarizers of the economy and the economic belief and attitude. For Friedman, Keynes was incorrect about the idea of the state and its active role in dictating the economy. For Friedman, the more suitable solution is for the state to know that its role in the economy is focused on ensuring the growth of money supply. Friedman stressed the importance of monetary policy versus the idea of Keynes and the role of state spending. Friedman also challenged the manner by which Keynes explained the behavior of the consumer especially during the cases of inflation and the ensuing unemployment[4]. The Keynes-Friedman Showdown – While it is understandable how there will be purely separate groups that support the thoughts of Keynes and the economic thinking of Friedman, there are instances that the two modern day economic thinkers figure in colossal showdowns (which is not of their doing, of course, but the doing of other people and institutions particularly award giving bodies that set out to identify who is the best between the two). An example of these instances is the during the time globally popular and highly respected weekly glossy magazine TIME undertook the task of naming the recipient of the Economist of the Century honor to wrap up the end of the twentieth century[5]. Skousen (2001) wrote about how the members of the selecting group were torn between Friedman and Keynes, and how Friedman ultimately bested Keynes despite the fact that some TIME magazine staff, including editor in chief Norman Pearlstine, believed that the award should go to Keynes. Pearlstine believed that the manner by which Keynes articulated the importance of free markets as well as the significance of the undue government intervention that will resort to the creation of danger in the economic landscape[6] is an important modern day economic idea that will benefit not just one country but the world, especially now that the world is experiencing global trade and economics. Cambridge University in 1970, during the time Friedman faced a highly partisan, pro Keynes crowd who rooted for their favorite Nicholas Kaldor which Friedman soundly defeated during the debate[7]. Some would say that the surprising Friedman win in that particular debate (which silenced the murmuring crowd of infidels) was due largely because of the absence of Keynes himself, but it may also point to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideals holds true in some aspects. Conclusion – Many scholars, critics, new economists, political analysts and historians until now continually debate about the similarities and differences of Keynes and Friedman and their economic ideas. More importantly, they debated about how each economist and each idea they gave to the world helped in shaping world economy as it is today. Some say that Milton was unlike Friedman, while some think they are the same. Some believe that Friedman was better than Keynes, while others feel otherwise. Others go to the extreme, considering that the two lived in an interconnected life, that one completes the other, as DeLong believes that Friedman was not a competitor to Keynes, but more of the man that completed Keynes[8]. The issues and points arising in the debate focused on the person and their ideas bring about immense complexity that the end is always hard to see, predict and achieve. But for the differences of Friedman and Keynes, it is no doubt that both economist contributed immensely in the field of economics, and because of that, they were showered not just with official honors but with very flattering commentaries by critics and observers. Mark Blaug was quoted by Skousen in his book as attributing to Friedman and his great ability for debating and fighting for his position in economic ideologies[9] that resulted to his earning the respect of even his most critical and previously unimpressed adversaries. Skousen (2001) believes that Friedman is the most famous economist alive, but he was quick to counter his proposition by reminding the readers that Friedman was not a giant at first in the circle of economic thinkers, owing largely to the fact that Friedman and his economic ideas (i.e. his monetarism beliefs) were heavily criticized early in his career as an economic thinker. [10]       Truly, both Keynes and Friedman created such economic ideals that went to the extent that it became antagonistic with each other. But professionals knew that underneath it all, the more important thing to consider is the fact that the differences and similarities found in Keynes’ and Friedman’s works gave the world what it can used to manage changing economic difficulties. Works Cited: DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.†Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008            . Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.            23 May 2008 . Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.†Greenwood Publishing Group,            Incorporated, November 1997. Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great            Thinkers.†Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments†Vol. 14. Taylor &            Francis, Inc., August 1990. [1] Macesich, George. â€Å"World Economy at the Crossroads.†Greenwood Publishing Group,                Incorporated, November 1997. p. 12. [2] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.                23 May 2008 . [3] Wood, John Cunningham. â€Å"Milton Friedman: Critical Assessments†Vol. 14. Taylor &                Francis, Inc., August 1990. p. 465. [4] Heuser, Uwe Jean. â€Å"The Underrated Power of Economists.†Indymedia.org.uk. 28 June 2007.                23 May 2008 . [5] Skousen, Mark. â€Å"The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great                Thinkers.†Sharpe, Me., Inc., March 2001. pg 379. [6] Ibid. [7] Skousen. pg 380. [8] DeLong, J Bradford. â€Å"Friedman Completed Keynes.†Project Syndicate. 2006. 23 May 2008                . [9] Skousen, p. 380 [10] Ibid.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
“The Kiss” by Anton Chekhov
â€Å"The Kiss†by Anton Chekhov After reading Anton Chekhov’s â€Å"The Kiss†, it is apparent that several elements of fiction were incorporated into his story. The story included interesting characters, a descriptive setting that effectively reflects the mood of what is going on, sufficient amount of irony. And a well developed plot and structure. Out of all of these components that help to build a successful fictional story, the element that was most effective was the element of plot. The plot of â€Å"The Kiss†is an excellent arrangement of events that fulfills every aspect that is expected to be incorporated into a fictional plot. It includes interesting twists, admirable characters, and most importantly, a subject that almost everyone can easily relate to. â€Å"The Kiss†, is about a man named Ryabovitch that is completely unsatisfied with his life until one night, he takes part in an â€Å"adventure (288). †In an unexpected series of events, Ryabovitch, who has never experienced female interaction, finds himself mistaken by a mysterious woman for her lover. As a result of the mix-up, Ryabovitch experiences his first kiss. The kiss puts a new spin on his life and Rybovitch becomes more bold and confident than ever. Even though most would view the incident as a simple misunderstanding, Ryabovitch takes it for more than that. He becomes convinced that he is in love with someone that he does not even know. At the end of the story however, Ryabovitch realizes that the situation was simply exaggerated and he goes back to his normal life. This first reason that the plot stands out so much is that it is relatable. In â€Å"The Kiss†Ryabovitch exaggerates the meaning of the kiss beyond recognition. In the story Ryabovitch is â€Å"†¦surprised dreadfully by the time it took him to tell his story (294). He overreacted so much that he did not even recognize how simple and insignificant that his incident was. Everyone has been guilty of this as one time or another. â€Å"The Kiss†, was written based on and overreaction and everyone is able to relate to what Ryabovitch is going through. Another reason that the plot stands out is that Chekhov writes in a way that makes the reader want to read on. He makes the reader care about what happens to Rybovitch by vividly describing everything that he goes through. Chekhov forces the reader to want to read on by making them feel sympathetic for Ryabovitch. The plot is set up to keep the reader interested and it stands out because of it. Without this incorporation of getting readers into what is going on with Ryabovitch, the effectiveness of the element of plot would be severely weakened. After reading â€Å"The Kiss†, it is obvious that Chekhov incorporated the element of plot into his story effectively. By writing about a subject that can be easily related to, the overall value of the plot drastically increased. Chekhov did a great job of getting into the readers mind; he made them want to read attentively and continue the story by using the element of plot.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Ethnic Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1
Ethnic Studies - Essay Example xed ancestry, she never hid the fact that she is black and none of this mattered to Bea as she still took Delilah in and treated Delilah and her daughter as family. The two even started a business and became wealthy. Bea functioned as the manager of the business where Delilah’s recipe is used to make the business successful. The two prospered and was able to overcome the racial divide which was prevalent during the time was shown in 1939. There is something however another angle in their relationship that tells how a black person relates to a white person during the 1930s. It has to be remembered that Bea did not discriminate or treated Delilah harshly even if she was black. Bea even treated Delilah as family to the point that they started a business. Despite this relatively equal treatment of Bea towards Delilah, Delilah was always subservient to Bea that Delilah still acts as Bea’s maid even if she is already wealthy from the business that Bea and Delilah started. This reflects the mindset of the black people during those times that they thought to be inferior or just servants to the white people. Of course it could also be interpreted as Delilah’s gratitude towards Bea but nonetheless, the film still reflects Delilah’s mindset of not thinking as Bea’s
Imperfection Markets and Unemployment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Imperfection Markets and Unemployment - Essay Example Joblessness is experiential in any kind of inflationary economies where the restriction on take-home pay was not lessening is most probably not compulsory and certainly, there is little persuasive confirmation that industries with better wage and cost flexibility (for example construction) display less unpredictability in service (Keynes, 1973). This article helps us understand that the arrangement of defeatist in the last analysis is indefensible. As per the authors in the actual world there is hardly any perfect competition in the markets and thus this causes unemployment. Murray Milgate and John Eatwell range extensively across the backdrop which describes their subject matter. Both are globally well-known authors famous for their inscriptions on Keynesian economics. A unique characteristic is the argument which Keynesian imminent into the procedure of present market economies offer a rich seam of wherewithal that can help build a more reliable, effectual and pragmatic explanation of today’s multifarious economic with regards to imperfect market and unemployment. They believe in the powerful Keynesian ideas which could be applicable to present as well as past economic problems. They demonstrate how supportive these ideas are when it comes to explaining the link between imperfect market and unemployment and how these are correlated to one another. They embark a blueprint for a substitute which offers an obvious, more reliable, and more appropriate approach to recognizing how the markets work. Besides they also emphasize the interpretive inadequacies which typify Keynes erudition itself. They carry out every single aspect of this in the context of a stimulating re-examination of a number of the most vital economic tribulations which confront financial markets and the worldwide economy today. Finally they wrap up that
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Athletes and The Use of Drugs and Performance Enhancing Supplements Research Paper
Athletes and The Use of Drugs and Performance Enhancing Supplements - Research Paper Example Any substance that boosts performance by bringing about alterations in an individual’s behavior, a perception of pain and/or arousal level ought to be considered as performance-enhancing (Kissinger and Miller, 2009). This paper discusses the use of performance enhancement drugs among athletes and holds the position that anything that enhances athletic performance unnaturally should be banned from seeing that it perverts the integrity of competition. Maximizing an individual’s athletic performance abilities is not only arduous, but also a time-consuming undertaking that calls for among others, proper hydration, good nutrition, sufficient sleep, avoidance of supplements, moderate use of alcohol, and quality coaching and practice. Unluckily, in their efforts to attain peak athletic performance levels, some athletes do not rely on natural resources. They instead perceive a need for something that will facilitate and speed up the natural route to an optimal athletic performance. They, therefore, end up giving in to the urge of using performance-enhancing drugs in order to achieve their goal of emerging the very best athlete that they can possibly be. It is important to point out that nearly always, media reports on some alleged incident of the use of performance enhancement drug in the National Football League, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, or among Olympic track-and-field high profile participants (Kissinger and Miller, 2009).
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Maastricht Treaty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words
The Maastricht Treaty - Essay Example The treaty, according to Europa (2007) came about as a result of the impetus provided by the collapse in communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany. It caused Europeans leaders to feel that they should reassert themselves once more on the international scene. Internally also, there was the feeling that the timing was right to capitalize on the gains made by the Single European Act, by adding more reforms (Europa, 2007). In order to qualify for membership in the Union, two sets of requirements referred to as convergences and stability criteria, has to be achieved in their respective economies of prospective applicants, and the attainment will ensure the European Union achieve and maintain an optical currency area, according to Euro Economics (2009). Inflation was high on the convergence and stability agenda, as applicants were mandated to have no more than 1.5% above the lowest three members of the union. This performance enables all members to have similar monetary policies and prevents the development of asymmetric shocks within the financial operating system (Euro Economics, 2009). In terms of the deficit, the Maastricht Treaty requires prospective Member States incur a maximum of 3% of their GDP, while for the debt load they had report figures below 60% of the Gross Development Product, according to Euro Economics, (2009).
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Relation between speed and weight of cars Speech or Presentation
Relation between speed and weight of cars - Speech or Presentation Example Ideally, the speed of the vehicles will be the dependent variable while the weight of the vehicles will be the independent variable. The first step in examining the relationship between the two variables is use a scatter plot. The aim of this step is to form a general pattern and establish whether there is any deviation from this general pattern. The next step will be taken if we shall establish the existence of a linear relationship between the two variables. Figure 1 above shows how the weight of cars correlated with their speeds. A clear inverse linear relationship is evident, though not very strong as evidenced by large variation. This means that, generally, as the weight of the car is increased, the speed is reduced. Figure 2 above shows how the weight of trucks correlated with their speeds. A clear inverse linear relationship is evident, which is very strong since variation is relatively low (Vining et al. 15). This means that, generally, as the weight of the tricks is increased, the speed is reduced. To supplement the graphs, a numerical measurement will be conducted through correlation. This technique measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between the two variables. To do this, more columns are added to the raw data in the same manner that is done when calculating Pearson coefficient of correlation, as shown below: Incidentally, the close r is to 1, the better the model since it is considered to be less subject to sampling errors. Therefore, the two models are relatively fit for performing the predictions because they are not too far from 1, but model one (cars) is stronger because it is nearer to 1 than model two. Although it has been established that there is an inverse relationship between the variables in the two models, there is no evidence to show that these relationships have not resulted from other variables that have not been factored into the study (Vining et al. 15). Ideally, the heavier an object
Monday, September 23, 2019
To Impeach or not to Impeach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
To Impeach or not to Impeach - Essay Example It is a legal proceeding founded against a government servant by a governing body. It is applicable for the President, Vice President, and other central officers in addition to judges in United States of Representatives. Impeachment is enacted on the basis of regular court reports. Impeachment is executed by the Senate in the United States. Impeachment can be voidable automatically a charged official is able to establish his/her innocence in front of the Senate. The Top most judicial organizations are resolute that they cannot review such proceedings. Impeachment may be conducted by a member of legislatures. The impeachment may be activated by non-member, when the conferences of judicial committee suggest that a federal judge liable to be impeached. Impeachment process generally is based upon a two-step approach (Shanks, 2002). The main objective of this study is to gather comprehension about the impeachment process with particular reference to the scenario prevailing in the United S tates. The study would facilitate to find out if impeachment of federal officials is a common occurrence in the United States. ... From the analysis of the history related to impeachment, it can be said that impeachment is a common occurrence for the federal officials. It is a very common occurrence for the federal officials not from now but from early history. In recent history, there have been frequent instances of federal officials being impeached in the United States. Since the initial impeachments in the year 1986-1989, a number of cases had been reported and executed impeachment of federal officials as well as judges. Consequently, many of these federal officials were forced to resign from the official position or they were punished under the court of law. In the year 2003, there had been 61 federal officers who were investigated due to their impeachment (Bazan, 2010). Who Was The Federal Official Who Was Most Recently Impeached? Gabriel Thomas Porteous, Jr. was the federal official who was most recently impeached after completing sixteen years of judgment in Federal court in United States. His impeachment was performed in 2010 and subsequently he was ejected from his position in the United States District Court (Memoli, 2010). Why Was He Impeached? On 8th December 2010, the Government of America found Judge Gabriel Thomas Porteous Jr. of Federal District Court to be guilty under at least one of the four related articles of impeachment and subsequently detached him from his position. Judge Porteous was the eight magistrate of federal court to be removed from his position under the charges of impeachment. He was impeached by the Senate in March 2010 on a charge of accepting money from business people along with assuming other favors from them. Moreover, he was charged on the grounds of intentionally deceiving the Senate as well as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he
Sunday, September 22, 2019
A Sick Medicaid System Essay Example for Free
A Sick Medicaid System Essay They received two offers. DHS chose the lowest bid from a company called CNSI. CNSI had no experience with a Medicaid system. When trying to build this new system there was very little communication between CNSI and the medical experts. In 2003 the new governor John Baldacci merged the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services with the Department of Human Services in the new Department of Health and Human Services (Oz, 2009). In doing this the new system was a disaster. The claims were being denied and medical providers had to take out loans and some had to close their businesses because of no payments. DHHS fell so far behind due to the system they had to hire more experts. Instead of the system costing $15 million they had to pay out $70 million and they were six years behind. Were there any factors that contributed to the project failure which were not the fault of the project team and its leaders? There were several factors that played a roll in the project failure. The first issue was the fact that they only had two RFP’s and the states head of procurement that chose the lower of the two bids. When making the decision he/she didn’t hold in account that they didn’t conduct any type of research for either company, they checked no references, they checked no past projects of CNSI, and left no room for negotiations for the more experienced company. By choosing CNSI because of the lower bid they took a very big risk. The project team and leaders weren’t the biggest factor in this disaster. The new governor was. When he chose to merge systems from several departments in the attempt to save money he made the project cost go from $15 million to $22 million because the project team had to go back and rework the project they had already started for only DHS. Some critics said that the fact that only two bidders made offers, and that the price quotes were so different, should have alerted DHS that either the RFP was unrealistic or that the low bidder could not develop the system properly. What is your opinion? They totally could have taking the additional measures in submitting more than two RFP’s. It is very important to â€Å"avoid nebulous, unprioritized requirements, and never used canned RFP’s†(Byrne, 2010). RFP’s are sometimes not cost effective for vendors where they may not make the profit margin they hope to, so not as many are responding to them as in the years past (Byrne, 2010). DHHS should have made sure that listed all requirements they needed very clear so that potential companies could have offered up bids. They may have received bids from companies that had the experience and knowledge needed to make sure the system was correctly. In actuality DHHS paid twice the amount of the bid from Keane. Some states decided to continue to use their old (legacy) Medicaid claim systems, update them, and provide a Web link to the system, instead of developing a new system. What are the advantages of this approach? There are several advantages that this approach would have shown such as: †¢ The legacy system will still contain all the old medical information. †¢ Old claims are still able to be accessed and researched with the legacy system. The legacy system is not likely to have the same problems occur that a new system is expected to. By updating the legacy system can cut down on the cost and time that it would take for a new system. †¢ â€Å"Investment in a new system would not justify the improved features because the old systems have some advantage that cannot be obtained from newer systems†(Oz, 2009) In many cases organizations decide to convert to a new IS by cutting over. In what sense was the cutover in this case riskier than in other such conversions? As for DHHS they chose to build a new system unlike most states that chose to only integrate their systems so they met HIPAA requirements. By choosing to build a new system they would have no access to the legacy system and all information would now become extinct once the cut over occurred. By DHHS rushing the conversion they in turn were not ready for the cut over and in turn also fell behind on the agreed schedule. By this occurring and the merging of departments the IT department was cut in half and no one discussed what the other was doing. Also, there was no one from HIPAA on the committee to begin with to approve and assist with all programming rules and regulations (Oz, 2009). Recommendations: There are several ways that DHHS could have conducted this conversion. My recommendations are as follows: (1) A project team should have been selected before the RFP’s were to be processed. (2) DHHS should have made some efforts to negotiate with Keane seeing that they were more qualified out of the two. (3) DHHS should have conducted more research on the companies that offered the bids. (4) DHHS should have conducted research on other states that just integrated their system to see if it worked for them. 5) DHHS should have used the agile project management model so that there could be open lines of communication and room for any changes that needed to be made. They would have been able to test their work every two to three weeks to see what worked for them and what didn’t. (6) The project teams should have worked together and shared all ideas instead of working separate. These are my recommendations. As of today DHHS no longer uses the CNSI systems. â€Å"As a result of certification, MIHMS has been found to meet the standards of CMS for a certified claims management system.This will allow Maine to claim 75% reimbursement for ongoing operations retroactive to Sept 1, 2010-the date that the system began processing claims.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Wal-Mart Case Analysis Essay Example for Free
Wal-Mart Case Analysis Essay Wal-Mart is the largest retail store in the United States today and it has remained that way for several decades now. In order to stay ahead of the competition Wal-Mart employs different kinds of strategies and campaigns. One of its strategies is to dominate the retail market through its philosophy â€Å"Everyday Low Prices. †The essence is this philosophy is to cut the price of an item to the minimum, lower the markup and earn profit on the increased volume of sales (Patrick Hayden, Seung Lee, and Kate McMahon Mike Pereira 4). Though this has generated a huge amount of profits for its shareholders, the company has to sacrifice two things: the quality of their products and the welfare of its employees (Scott Dalgleish 1) This company philosophy has been a success for Wal-Mart. According to Jim Hightower, the Waltons, owners of Wal-Mart are some of the richest people in the world. S. Robson Walton is ranked by London’s â€Å"Rich List 2001†as the wealthiest human on the planet having more than $65 billion surpassing Bill Gates. (1) This does not mean that things will continue the way they are. In the future, the public will eventually discover that sacrificing quality over cost is not worth the penny they save from buying at Wal-Mart. With all the bad publicity and reputation Wal-Mart has earned because of this company policy time will come that the public may no longer patronize Wal-Mart’s retail stores which may cause tremendous losses for its existing and future stockholders. According to Allen Long, Wal-Mart’s stocks has fallen by 11% over the last five years perhaps due to the bad publicity the company has been getting over the years. 2) If the company seeks to avoid this disaster, it must first give respect to its hundreds of thousands of employees who work for them. They must be given adequate wages, health-care benefits and must comply with existing labor laws. As the larges retail store in the United States, it is possible for the company to give proper wages and benefits to its employees while at the same time maintaining the price of its products low. Foreign Supplier Initially, Wal-Mart advertised its â€Å"Buy American†campaign. But over time it became clear that this was just an advertising gimmick rather than a company policy. As it is important for Wal-Mart to maintain its prices very low, they had to turn to foreign suppliers which can deliver to them goods at lower prices compared to their US-based suppliers. According to Jim Hightower, Wal-Mart is the largest importer of Chinese-made products in the world, buying $10 billion worth of merchandise from several thousand Chinese factories. (2) For the foreign suppliers, it became necessary to resort to different means in order to meet the price requirements of Wal-Mart. Some factories in Bangladesh had to employ child labor to keep its production costs down. Some companies have failed to comply with certain environmental laws while some companies in Hong Kong had to mislabel their products to make it appear that they are from Malaysia to avoid taxes. This has only resulted to further reduction of the quality of the products being sold by Wal-Mart in its retail stores (Thomas C. Hayes 2). The resort to foreign suppliers has seriously affected several companies in the United States. Jobs have been lost in the United States as a result of this company practice. For the foreign suppliers, the business may be good for one to two years but these foreign suppliers must realize that they too have been affected by the Wal-Mart Effect. They have violated their own country’s labor laws. They have deceived the US government. Eventually however, their labor laws violations in their own country will be discovered and their resort to mislabeling to avoid taxes here in the United States will be found out by the US Coast Guard. In fact, a number of these products by Sino Overseas, a Hong Kong based company, has been caught smuggled in the United States. This loss is disastrous for any business. If these foreign suppliers will calculate the risks involved in engaging in these operations just to meet Wal-Mart’s price requirements for its products, it is possible they will discover that its not worth the business risks they are taking. Local Retailing Stores One of the strategies of Wal-Mart is to dominate the retail industry. In the past decades, it has succeeded in doing the same as it has been ranked as the world’s number one retail store and the number one company in the world in terms of sales on the Fortune 500 list. Also, Wal-Mart is currently ranked as the worlds number one retailer and the number one company in the world in terms of sales (over $200 billion) on the Fortune 500 list (Patrick Hayden, Seung Lee, Kate McMahon, and Mike Pereira 4). When a Wal-Mart retail store opens in a community, other retailers in the community suffocate because Wal-Mart is capable of reducing the price of its products down to the barest minimum (Abigail Goldman and Nancy Cleeland 2). This is confirmed in a study conducted by David Neumark. He said that â€Å"The employment results indicate that a Wal-Mart store opening reduces county-level retail employment by about 150 workers, implying that each Wal-Mart worker replaces approximately 1. 4 retail workers. This represents a 2. 7 percent reduction in average retail employment. (1) This race to the bottom strategy employed by Wal-Mart may have generated made it number one in the retail industry. It may have generated a lot of employment. It has, however, also created unemployment insofar as the employees of its competitors are concerned. When its competitors close their business other employees lose their jobs also. I believe this destructive force of Wal-Mart may someday come to an end as the public will eventually realize that sacrificing quality over a few pennies of saving is not worth it.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Concept Of Kesban Be Still
Concept Of Kesban Be Still TO WHICH EXTENT WOULD THE CONCEPT OF KESBAN BE STILL RELEVANTIN THE YEAR 2020? DISCUSS INTRODUCTION The acronym KESBAN is the combination of two Malay words which is stand for ‘Keselamatan dan Pembangunan or security/defence and development. KESBAN defined as the sum total of measures undertaken by all government agencies to protect and strengthen the society from subversion, lawlessness and insurgency.It was introduced officially by the late Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein in 1971 when the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) became a major source of concern and exasperation to the government due to insecure environment created by the CPM. Subsequently, KESBAN Belt introduced by National Security Council Directive No 11 on 5th Feb 1980 included area of 24km south of Malaysia-Thailand border with the length of 580km. BACKGROUND Concept of KESBAN KESBAN concept emphasize on two most important aspects, Internal Security (IS) and internal development (IDEV). The IS aspect is the province of the armed and uniformed (military and police) whereas the IDEV mainly involves all the civil governmental agencies responsibilities towards the development in the country. IS emphasizing on full range of measures taken by the security forces to protect the society from subversion, lawlessness and insurgency through the conduct of tactical operations to destroy the Communist Terrorist (CTs) and their entire network.IDEV emphasizing on the activity that leading towards the attainment of balanced social, political and economic development as part of nation building.The tactical operations conducted by the security forces designed to establish control of the contested areas and will assist the implementation of IDEV activities by the others government agencies. Strategy of KESBAN KESBAN, as discussed in conceptual terms, may be placed in useful perspective by viewing KESBAN strategy as being composed of three interdependent components, balanced development, mobilization, and neutralization. Balanced Development. Attempts to achieve national goals through balanced political, social, and economic development. It includes activities to alleviate frustration by providing opportunities to individuals and groups within the society. Mobilization. Includes all activities to motivate and organize the populace in support of the government through KESBAN programmes as well as activities to protect the populace from insurgent actions. Neutralization. Includes all lawful activities to disrupt, disorganize, and defeat an insurgent organization. Vision 2020 Vision 2020 was introduced by Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia) in 1991. The ultimate objective that aimed is to transform Malaysia from developing country to fully developed country by the year 2020. There are nine challenges that need to overcome in order for state to achieve the mission. DISCUSSION The Communist Party of Malaya has surrendered on 2nd Dec 1989 due to the lack of support from the people who are not confidence with their struggle.The CPMs surrendered also signed the success of KESBAN concept in fighting the insurgency. The fall of CPM in Malaysia draw the KESBAN concept towards the new dimension. However the concept was still remained in term of responsibilities by all of the government agencies involved. It is impossible to achieve development without stability internally. It only can achieve with the national unity. The military primary roles currently is to protect our sovereignty from external threat while the others government agencies concentrated to develop the country. The secondary roles of military are to assist the Royal Malaysian Police and other civil authorities in the maintenance of public order. In time of national disaster, the military would continuously contribute and assist the civil authority in national development. THE RELEVANCE CONCEPTS OF KESBAN The relevance concept of KESBAN will be look and discussed into two aspects , which are Internal Security and Internal Development. Internal Security Factor will cover under Internal Security as follows: Intelligence. The continuous gathering intelligent information is very essential in Internal Security. Even though the CPM has been surrendered, the new type of terrorist could exist such as Jemaah Islamiah and Al Maunah in year 2001. The establishment of Military Intelligent Officer and Police Special Branch within the area of responsibility was the best precaution. Tactical Operations.The tactical operations by the military especially within Malaysia-Thailand Border are still remaining until today. However the regular forces only deployed in inaccessible area in the deep jungle such as in Kedah and Perak. The rest of the area within the KESBAN Belt manning by the Border Security Force which was introduced in 2007. Right now the threat is changes from CPM to non traditional threat like drug smuggling, human trafficking, rice smuggling and others. Psyops/Psywar. Those days CPM was conducted physically operation using printed leaflet in order to win support from the supporter. Right now the millennium threats will be more complicated, the will use informations and technology such as internet and blogs as a platform for spread their propagandas. To overcome this problem government use a mass media such as television, newspaper, billboard and create some act like Information Act in order to prevent the new technology has being manipulate by the threat. Civic Action. Civic action is a major contributing factor in developing a favourable image of the government in the eyes of people. The military roles currently implemented through the programme TenteraMasukDesa or GerakanJiwaMurni under the Military Civic Action project which focusing in rural areas. They use concept gotongroyongto built up the house, clean the mosque and the beach. More than that, military medical department also play their role when go to rural area and give a free treatment to the poor villagers. All this action actually can give a good perception for the government and strengthen their support from rural area. Internal Development Factors under Internal Development as follows: Political Stability.The concept of national front which encompasses the three main political parties has been evolved through maturity and pragmatism of the political development. Political stability affects national security in Malaysia since any instability will bring about internal insecurity and a host of other factors that will weaken the state, such as investor confidence and unemployment thereby causing an economic slowdown. Social Development.Social development is based on attitude and value changes to a greater degree than is necessary in either political or economic development. Introduction of 1Malaysia concept by current Prime Minister, Dato Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Hj Abdul Razak in 2009 was the first step taken to attain the first challenges towards vision 2020 strategy. This concept required the effort from all government agencies to implement it. Economy.National unity remains the ultimate goal of socio-economic development because the government realized that a united society is fundamental to the promotion of social and political stability and sustained development. Vision 2020 will not be achieved if the development of economy stagnant. However, National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) appointed by the Prime Minister was the most important council to monitor the economic development. CONCLUSION After communist insurgency consider eliminated on Dec 1989, internal security and internal development must be continuously progress. All security aspect (internal security) must be maintained and enhancing accordingly in order to facing the threat in this new globalization era. Development is a continuous agenda of the government to transform Malaysia from developing country to developed country in the year 2020. Development cannot be realized without the guarantee of security. So, base on the concept of security mentioned above, concept of KESBAN is still relevance in the year 2020 but with the difference approach. The difference is only the aim of the approach where during first initiated, KESBAN was to counter the communist insurgency, whereas now it is part of counter measure to maintain the cultivate the progressive development of the nation.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Malcolm X and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero Essay -- Othello Hamlet Sh
Malcolm X and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero           Aristotle defines a tragic hero as â€Å"good but flawed, must be aristocratic, must be believable, and must behave consistently.†The Muslim leader Malcolm X can be compared to such tragic heroes such as Othello and Hamlet. Malcolm’s life and his personality have similar traits from both of the famous Shakespearean heroes. In this paper we will look deeper into the life of Malcolm X and find the similarities between him and the tragic heroes, also we will prove that Malcom X can also be referred to as one of the great tragic heroes.           Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little. He grew up in the streets of Boston and New York where he was known as â€Å"Red†. Malcolm became what most young black youths with no direction became â€Å"lost†. He became a thief, a hustler, Drug dealer as well as user. He was going down a one way street the wrong way. Malcolm was unstoppable! â€Å"I was a true hustler - uneducated, unskilled at anything honorable, and I considered myself nervy and cunning enough to live by my wits, exploiting any prey that presented itself I would risk just about anything. Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterdays and today's school drop outs are keeping body and soul together by some form of hustling in the same way I did And they inevitably move into more and more, worse and worse, illegality and immorality. Full time hustlers never can relax to appraise what they are doing and where they are bound. As is the case in any jungle, the hustler's - every waking hour is lived with both the practical and the subconscious knowledge that if he ever relaxes, if he ever slows down, the other hungry, restless foxes, ferrets, wolves, and vultures out there with him won't hesitate to make him their prey. (Autobiography, pp. 109-110) Until his reckless ways landed him in prison. For a while Malcolm was still â€Å"lost†he couldn’t wait till he was released so he could start up again where he had been abruptly stopped.           At 21 Malcolm was sentenced to prison for 8 to 10 years. Malcolm had become angry with everybody cursing out all that came into his view he even cursed out God. Which ultimately gave him another name â€Å"Satan†which he was called by fellow prisoners and guards alike. In prison is where Malcolm met Bimbi a brother of Islam and also a convict. Bimbi introduced along w... ... also a procrastinator and this is demonstrated many times in the play. He knows that he must kill Claudius but he postpones when he says, "Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge" (III, 3, 79). Hamlet also procrastinates in act two-scene two, line 594 when he convinces himself that his plan to add lines to the play and watch Claudius’ reaction, rather than completing his task, is the best plan of action. Although in the end he postpones the murder of Claudius, â€Å" like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of [his] cause†(II, 2, 576) Malcolm is just as much of an over-analyzer as Hamlet. Malcolm over-analyzed the situation between him and although he knew that he would eventually die he didn’t know it would be at the hands of some of his own brethren. Malcolm became a member of the religion Islam to begin his own movement powered by his own words and by not confronting the nation he had doomed himself. Also just as Othello he did not realize his own mistakes till it was too late. Leading himself to an untimely death, that is why he is our tragic hero. Work Cited Haley, Alex, and Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley.) New York: Ballantine Books, 1964. Malcolm X and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero Essay -- Othello Hamlet Sh Malcolm X and the Shakespearean Tragic Hero           Aristotle defines a tragic hero as â€Å"good but flawed, must be aristocratic, must be believable, and must behave consistently.†The Muslim leader Malcolm X can be compared to such tragic heroes such as Othello and Hamlet. Malcolm’s life and his personality have similar traits from both of the famous Shakespearean heroes. In this paper we will look deeper into the life of Malcolm X and find the similarities between him and the tragic heroes, also we will prove that Malcom X can also be referred to as one of the great tragic heroes.           Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little. He grew up in the streets of Boston and New York where he was known as â€Å"Red†. Malcolm became what most young black youths with no direction became â€Å"lost†. He became a thief, a hustler, Drug dealer as well as user. He was going down a one way street the wrong way. Malcolm was unstoppable! â€Å"I was a true hustler - uneducated, unskilled at anything honorable, and I considered myself nervy and cunning enough to live by my wits, exploiting any prey that presented itself I would risk just about anything. Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterdays and today's school drop outs are keeping body and soul together by some form of hustling in the same way I did And they inevitably move into more and more, worse and worse, illegality and immorality. Full time hustlers never can relax to appraise what they are doing and where they are bound. As is the case in any jungle, the hustler's - every waking hour is lived with both the practical and the subconscious knowledge that if he ever relaxes, if he ever slows down, the other hungry, restless foxes, ferrets, wolves, and vultures out there with him won't hesitate to make him their prey. (Autobiography, pp. 109-110) Until his reckless ways landed him in prison. For a while Malcolm was still â€Å"lost†he couldn’t wait till he was released so he could start up again where he had been abruptly stopped.           At 21 Malcolm was sentenced to prison for 8 to 10 years. Malcolm had become angry with everybody cursing out all that came into his view he even cursed out God. Which ultimately gave him another name â€Å"Satan†which he was called by fellow prisoners and guards alike. In prison is where Malcolm met Bimbi a brother of Islam and also a convict. Bimbi introduced along w... ... also a procrastinator and this is demonstrated many times in the play. He knows that he must kill Claudius but he postpones when he says, "Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge" (III, 3, 79). Hamlet also procrastinates in act two-scene two, line 594 when he convinces himself that his plan to add lines to the play and watch Claudius’ reaction, rather than completing his task, is the best plan of action. Although in the end he postpones the murder of Claudius, â€Å" like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of [his] cause†(II, 2, 576) Malcolm is just as much of an over-analyzer as Hamlet. Malcolm over-analyzed the situation between him and although he knew that he would eventually die he didn’t know it would be at the hands of some of his own brethren. Malcolm became a member of the religion Islam to begin his own movement powered by his own words and by not confronting the nation he had doomed himself. Also just as Othello he did not realize his own mistakes till it was too late. Leading himself to an untimely death, that is why he is our tragic hero. Work Cited Haley, Alex, and Malcolm X. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley.) New York: Ballantine Books, 1964.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Technology Enhanced Classrooms Essay -- Internet Learning Papers
Technology Enhanced Classrooms The era of The Information Age is upon us as educators to access, explore, utilize, and implement the use of the Internet. as a wonderfully innovative and valuable tool to use in the classroom for the purpose of teaching our students through the exploration of a vast territory of endless information, experiences, interactions, and unlimited ideas known as the Internet. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a variety of computer and Internet techniques that can be utilized into the Information Age classroom and curriculum as a tool for teaching and learning in modern educational systems. Technology Enhanced Classrooms The era of The Information Age is upon us as educators to access, explore, utilize, and implement the use of the Internet as a wonderfully innovative and valuable tool to use in the classroom for the purpose of teaching our students through the exploration of a vast territory of endless information, experiences, interactions, and unlimited ideas known as the Internet. The purpose of this paper is to present a variety of computer and Internet techniques that can be utilized into the Information Age classroom and curriculum as a tool for teaching and learning in modern educational systems. In order to effectively use the Internet, one needs to grasp basic computer techniques that will enable the transition from traditional classroom practices to that of technology enhanced methods that will be exciting for educators and students alike. As educators endeavor to follow standards, core content, lesson objectives, and the like, we often get caught up in the routine methods of presenting lessons. The Internet offers more data than could ever be obtained... ... continue to be presented concerning Internet skills. Using the Internet to enhance your classroom is a direction that will create an entirely alternate method of teaching. Utilizing the implementation of Internet skills into subject plan will increase the interest atmosphere within the classroom thus resulting in a higher-level of comprehension as a result of students actually being a part of their educational experience. References Barksdale, K. (1999). Internet concepts & activities. Cincinnati: South-Western Educational Publishing. Cashman, T. J. (1995). Learning to use microcomputer applications. Danvers: International Thomson Publishing. Maran, G. (1995). Internet and World Wide Web simplified. Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. Weixel, S. (1997). Personal computing essentials. Indianapolis: Labreque Publishing Services.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Letting Go of Old Friends…
Village of Schaumburg Sex, Age, and Employment Demographics The village of Schaumburg is a large village located in Cook County in Northeastern Illinois. The village is a northwestern suburb of Chicago and is part of the Golden Corridor. Schaumburg has the reputation of being the model community of Cook County. Schaumburg is located roughly 28 miles (45 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop and approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of O’Hare International Airport. As of the 2011 community survey the Village of Schaumburg had a total population of 49. 0% of males and 50. 10% of females. It can be determined by the chart below that the populations of females in the village of Schaumburg make up approximately 37,160 while males come in at 37,038. These estimates were based on a total population of 74,198 people. For this paper the focus will remain on the population of males and females in two separate subgroups of 18years of age and over and 65 years of age and over. I will also discuss the emphasis that is associated with these age factors and the employment rate in Schaumburg.According to the 2011 American Community Survey for the village of Schaumburg, the total provisional population of males and females 18 years and over stood at 59,489. The percentage break down of the population of males 18 years and over has a percentage of 48. 10%, while the percentage for females 18 years and over consist of 51. 90%. In contrast, the percentage of males ages 65 years and over is 39. 20% while females 65 years and over maintains a percentage of 60. 80%.Based on the information provided it can be determined that the village of Schaumburg has an increased population of males and females over the ages of 18. My theory is that the Village of Schaumburg is heavily populated with younger adults due to the opportunity of jobs the village has to offer. Major corporations like Motorola, IBM, and Comcast hold company headquarters in the Village of Schaumburg. Wor king class adults are more willing to live in communities that are abundant with job opportunities.According to the economic characteristics for the Village of Schaumburg the overall employment status stood at 61,311. The breakdown of the populace in the work force outweighs the total number of unemployment citizens in the village. The percentage of employed citizens is right around 66. 30%, while the unemployed come in at a low 4. 90%. It is evident that the Village of Schaumburg maintains a steady employment rate due to the numerous employment options available in the area. I found the low 2011 unemployment rate in Schaumburg surprising, considering that the overall economies unemployment rate was at 8. %. Based on the information provided it can be determined that the Village of Schaumburg is a community that has a population that is heavily populated by young adults. The influx of adults can be contributed to the accessibility and variation of jobs in the area. Also, the notable changes that were brought about in the year 2000 with attractions such as Streets of Wood field, Game Works, and the Convention Center attributed to the increase of young adults and the working class citizens in the Village of Schaumburg.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Creation of a pop video or short film lasting approximately 5 minutes
Our brief this year was to create a pop video or short film lasting approximately 5 minutes. The AS brief was to create billboards or posters about health. They differ in that one concentrates on moving image where the other concentrates on print. However they both require strong visual images that provoke thought. New skills I have developed in creating a pop video are, how to create a storyboard and shooting scripts as well as how to use the cameras and editing equipment more efficiently. (Our treatment describes our A2 brief in more detail.) I decided I wanted to create a music video, as audio is 50% of the media experience, so teamed up with others who also wanted to make a music video. We then decided on which song we wished to create the video for. We did this by brainstorming ideas (in our creative journals) and then choosing a song that we all liked and the creative ideas we wished to include in the video (type of shots, characters etc). At first we were producing a video for Jackson Five ‘I want you back' but this proved to be harder than we originally thought and in addition it had already been created. So this is when we decided to change the genre of music from Pop to Indie and chose to create a video for Feeder's ‘Yesterday went too soon.' This song has never had a video created for it and therefore our audience would not have any prior expectations of what the video should look like and include. The only major issue we had with creating a pop video for this song is that we could not conform to all conventions of a music video; in this case we could not include the band Feeder, as we do not have access to them. We looked at various indie videos before we began to storyboard. This was done to get ideas for our own video and to make sure it fitted in with the genre. There are two things that I believe influenced our film to a great extent, one is a video by Cold Play that uses reversing within the video like we do and the other is not a music video but a film, Sliding Doors. The element we took from this video was what if one minor event did/or didn't happen how would the story turn out? This creates interest as the audience is left wondering for a while what is going to happen next? What will change? (why might these ‘themes' be more appropriate for an indie music video?) To organize ourselves, the time we had and the equipment we needed to use; we each decided on roles depending on what our strengths and weaknesses were. Jess was Director, James was Producer, Beth was Camerawoman and I was Location Researcher and Editor. However because we worked as a team these roles were not as defined and we helped each other with the tasks we found difficult. To organize our selves and get the best out of the time we had with the equipment we planned each day thoroughly. We created shooting scripts, storyboards and treatments (all of which are in our appendix) to enable us to get each shot correct virtually first time as in industry we would not have unlimited, free access to the props, actors and equipment. We learnt about scripting, shooting schedules and treatments by looking at other peoples work for inspiration and to see what worked for them. We then adapted what we found out to suit us and created our own video. To create the storyboard we took the best ideas from everyone and the most influential ideas from music videos. (you could say a bit more about specific music videos that you used for inspiration, and also on how you defined the generic conventions of indie music video in particular) The storyboard was created while we listened to the song so that we could match the visuals to the sound. I believe our treatment and storyboard are good as we can understand them and if we were to give them to another group to create I believe they would be able to produce the pop video, as we want it. We developed them by first deciding on the major points we wanted to include and then showing them to our teacher and changing and adapting them accordingly. Section Two – Analysis of finished product Music videos are primarily used to promote the song of a band. (although they can be a bit like adverts, indie music videos in particular are also often trying to reinforce a particular image of the band) The benefit with a music video over say live performance is that it can reach parts of the world that the band may not be able to. Music videos can generally be split into three categories; Narrative videos (ones which tell a story), Performance clip (ones that focus on band performance) and (non)Narrative video (ones that concentrate on the rhythms and moods of the song). We chose to concentrate on a narrative based video as it fits with the genre we had decided upon. (Why?) The genre of our music video is Indie. It was important when making our music video that we best matched the editing of our film with our chosen song. This is to make the video easy and comfortable to watch and to create a professional finish. Typical conventions of this style of music video include a storyline and maybe some band members featuring within the video. (you need to say more about this, and how these elements help to develop an image of the band) We conformed to as many conventions as we could without making the video looking artificial or amateur. We especially conformed to the convention of editing being faster with shorter shots than normal. We did this to keep up with the pace of song and to keep the viewer from getting bored. To make sure that the video flowed smoothly we used straight cuts most of the time with dissolves and fades where we felt appropriate. (Why?) Indie music does not have the bright upbeat cheer as a pop video does but it is not dark and sinister either so to convey realism we used natural light so that the video doesn't look like an over dramatic piece of work. Music videos are often playful, experimental and usually about stretching the boundaries of ‘realist(ic)' style. In a way we have done this by using the rewinding shots and the slowing down of the falling orange juice glass. The narrative of our video is about a guy who has a regular, mundane routine of waking up, getting dressed and going to catch his bus, we look at what would happen should this vicious circle break and as it turns out his life become better because of it (He meets up with the love of his life). This is parallel to the music as the song is of similar content where its lyrics can be interpreted in many ways. For this video to work we needed to capture the audience's attention to do this we used another convention of music video which is the visual hook. This is where a close up of the band is used to keep the audience's attention. In our case we used the extreme close up of the guy's eyes right at the beginning of the video. It goes on longer than a normal video clip would to establish the fact that he had just woken up and so essentially throws the audience right into the video. (Do we see him again? How does this develop image?) A variety of styles ranging from realism to symbolism have been used within our film, for example when the glass breaks. This is a key moment in the video as the glass breaking symbolises the vicious circle of daily routine breaking. This dramatic event is emphasized by the image being slowed down making the audience notice the importance of it. Another example of symbolism is the routine as a whole being shown then re-wound back to be re-shown again, this emphasises the unexciting, everyday life that the guy leads. The ideology of our video is that something so small can change the route in life you take forever; i.e. because of the glass breaking he has met up with his old girlfriend and is now happy. (It is fairly conventional heterosexually romantic – how does this relate to target audience, and the image you are trying to create of the band? How do you want male and female audiences to feel about them? You can cover that in the next section) Section three – Institutions and Audiences Our music video has been created for the mainstream audience and therefore hopefully appeals to most people, however we understand that not everybody likes the indie style of music and therefore will not appeal to all. Our target audience is for young teenagers, but as our song is a ballad we could expect some older listeners. We have tried to aim the video at all genders as the music industry is now strongly supported by both. We have also aimed the video at all social classes but predominantly middle – working class people (that's quite a diverse range†¦.) as they make up the larger proportion of our population. We have enforced this by not using any obvious branded clothing or objects. We tried to aim the video at all races but did not have access to them to use within our video, so instead tried to produce a video that would not offend anybody. (anyway indie music has a predominately white audience) I believe an independent record company or the band itself would fund the making of this video, as that is how it is generally done in industry. Music videos are created to promote a song and to create awareness of the artist so the best place for them to be seen would be on 24hr music channels like MTV or on music shows like Top of the Pops or CD:UK, by putting the video on these sorts of programs people who are interested in music will purposefully watch them and tell friends about the songs and so forth so that by the time the single comes out everyone knows about them and the band should get good record sales. Our music video reflects generic conventions through the use of narrative and visual hooks. From the movie sliding doors we have taken the theme of something so little can change your life forever and we have shown how it can go either way. We have also taken influence from Cold Play's recent music video; from this we used the use of rewinding to keep the audience interested. (why is Coldplay a good reference point?) To find out if our video had achieved its aims we asked a focus group to watch the video and then answer some questions on it to see how they would respond to the text. When asked about the genre of this piece the entire group got that it was an indie music video. Therefore fulfilling that part of the requirements. We then asked about more complicated issues like the Ideology of our video. Ours being based on the theory that can something so small change your life forever and if it can is there such a thing called fate? Again everybody understood this with a main answer being ‘How little things can change the fate of a day, love as well,' and ‘how easily it can be changed.' To see if our video fitted in with conventions of music videos in general and in particular indie music videos we asked our focus group about them. A major point that came up was the fact music videos usually include the band, which in our case was not possible because we did not have access to them. However on a brighter note our mise-en-scene and lighting was suitable and appropriate for the video and created the realism need to fit in with the conventions of the genre. A key point to making a good pop video is the length of shot and how well the video has been edited. So to see if we had taken these points into enough consideration we asked the focus group about them to see if they matched our own views on various elements in the video. For example the length of the rewinding shots, most people found it got tiring after watching it twice through and so felt that the rewinding shots could have stop at where the orange juice was being poured. Also they felt that they liked the repetitive effect, but it could have been a bit faster, as not to drag on. We next wanted to see if people could see where our influences had come from. Although no one in the focus group figured it out they came up with their own they we felt were just as appropriate. Some of them include the film; Run Lola Run and Craig David's single 7 Days. Another point we could not agree on as a group was whether or not to have more shots of the girl in the video to establish her character and the focus group it seems had mixed views as well. Some said there should be more of her to enable the viewer to understand the narrative more yet others said that the video worked well just concentrating on the one character, so that issue is left unresolved. In addition to the above problem our group could not decided whether to leave the sound effects (that appeared by accident) or to cut them out so we decided to leave them in and see what our audience thought of them. Most thought that they should have been left out because they didn't really fit in and I am inclined to agree. (Also they take away the focus from the music) To finish off the feedback session we asked for people's general opinions on our video. For example whether they liked it or not and why they did or did not like it. Most found the idea interesting and original with a play on the essentially simple narrative.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
“Rain†by Edward Thomas Essay
On the brink of joining World War I, the United Kingdom set up a draft system to recruit young men into the military. This system set limits on sex, physical disabilities, marital status, and of course, age. Although Edward Thomas fell outside of these restrictions, therefore saving him from ever having to dress in uniform, a patriotic Thomas still wanted to serve his country, so he enlisted. However, before fighting his battles in Europe, Thomas wrote the famous poem, â€Å"Rain,†in which he discusses the pains of death and war. Thomas creates a speaker with whom he can relate and uses this speaker to represent the possible scenarios and feelings that he may face in any future warlike situations. In â€Å"Rain,†Thomas’ diction, organization, and punctuation all paint intense, disturbing images, which in turn convey the poem’s main theme of war and death. Thomas’ diction plays an essential role in reaffirming the poem’s main theme. This is evident in the first lines of the poem when he writes, â€Å"Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain / On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me / Remembering again that I shall die†(1-3). The word â€Å"rain†is repeated three times in the first line, initially alone, then with the preceding adjectives â€Å"midnight†and â€Å"wild.†All of these words describe the Thomas’ surroundings and symbolize his loneliness. The first â€Å"rain†stands alone with no adjective, just as Thomas is alone, while the second and third â€Å"rain†are described by midnight and wild, which describe his surroundings and state of mind. These ideas become more obvious in the second line, as Thomas uses the word â€Å"solitude,†reiterating his aloneness. In terms of diction, Thomas additionally incorporates several similes into his poem. In line 13, he writes, â€Å"Like a cold water among broken reeds,†referring back to a supposed loved one hopefully not being â€Å"helpless among the living and the dead†(12). This simile paints an extremely morose picture, further illustrating Thomas’ inner feelings and pain. The adjectives cold and broken in this simile particularly emphasize these feelings. Another simile is found in lines 15 and 16 where Thomas writes, â€Å"Like me who have no love which this wild rain / Has not dissolved except the love of death.†Now, Thomas is saying that he lacks love because the rain has melted away whatever love he had. Now, he is only left with love for death because he feels so tortured in his situation in the cold, â€Å"wild rain†(15). Essentially, this poem can be divided into two parts; the first of which, Thomas is writing in first person, sharing his inner feelings about himself; the second part in which he still discusses his inner feelings, however this time, those feelings are about others, not himself. These parts divide at the end of line 7, where a colon clearly marks the spot. Ultimately, the Thomas is frightened by death, and perhaps is envious of those who have died. He wants to free himself of the torture he suffers waiting for his death and just wants to get death over with, as he says, â€Å"Blessed are the dead that rain rains upon†(7). Here, the dead are blessed because they no longer have to endure the angst and torment of wondering when death will happen. Death is not an option; there is merely a matter of time before it does happen, but it is sure to happen in this war. Notice the â€Å"rain†only â€Å"rains†upon the dead – it does not torrent or downpour, thus, i t paints a more peaceful image. These dead are deservingly being cleansed and washed of all bad that has happened to them as the rain patters serenely on their lifeless bodies. In the second part of this poem, Thomas is thinking about his loved ones and hoping that they are not listening to the rain as he is – awaiting death â€Å"or thus in sympathy†(11). His loved ones are most likely his fellow comrades, friends, and family. He hopes that none of his comrades are lying in the alone in this rain, experiencing a painful death, and he hopes that his friends and family are not lying awake in their beds worrying about him. And should his comrades be dying on the battle field, he further hopes that they are not â€Å"helpless among the living and the dead†(12). The speaker envisions dead bodies all around him – â€Å"Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff†(14), and he feels very alone, as he repeats the word â€Å"solitude†twice in lines 2 and 6 and â€Å"solitary†in line 10. He does not want his loved ones to feel this same way. In the last two lines of the poem, Thomas steers away from his thoughts about his loved ones, as he creates a more personal tone than the preceding lines in the second part. In these final two lines, Thomas discusses how he may have to disappoint his love in order to do â€Å"what is perfect†(17). In this sense, â€Å"what is perfect,†may actually mean what is right or what his heart tells him – enlist in the war and fight for his country. Here, the tempest, or rain, is telling him not to disappoint himself and do what he feels in his heart. Throughout the entire poem, Thomas has struggled with these images of war – being in the darkness, alone – but in the end, he knows his fate will be death. It is just a matter of how he chooses his death, whether it is in battle or growing old at home with his family and friends, so long as he doesn’t disappoint himself. Thomas’ ideas about death are reinforced by the poem’s punctuation and caesura. This poem is comprised only of two sentences, the first ending at the end of line 6. Line 7 serves as a transition line into the next sentence, which begins at line 8. All of the poem’s caesura can be found at the end of these sentences. In all other lines, except 6 (the end of the first sentence), 7 (line ends with a colon), and 18 (the end of the second sentence and poem), enjambment occurs. Thomas utilizes this sentence structure as a metaphor for his feelings, which he expresses throughout the poem. Effectively, the speaker’s thoughts are scattered, but continuous – reflecting on his current physical situation in the rain storm, dreaming about his loved ones, and eventually facing his fears of death – just like the sentences in this poem. These sentences are somewhat run-ons, symbolizing the continuous thoughts of Thomas, but eventually, and sadly, Thomas†™ life must end, just like the poem. Death is, unfortunately, an occurrence that we must all ultimately face. Since Thomas wrote this poem before he joined the war effort, he did not actually know what it was like to fight in battle. However, through this poem he was able to articulate his thoughts and anticipate the feelings of being a soldier in war. The imagery that Thomas is able to create through his word choice and punctuation is dark and distressing, yet very real. Thomas’ use of similes further exaggerates his inner feelings as a soldier. The only love that Thomas possesses by the end of the poem is â€Å"the love of death†(16). How unbearable it must feel to be so desperate that you await death to put you out of your misery. Work Cited: Thomas, Edward. â€Å"Rain.†The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Comp. Margaret Ferguson, Jon Stallworthy, and Mary Jo Salter. 5th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2005. 1255.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
The Associations Anxiety
The Associations between Anxiety and Psychological and Biological Factors Many people believe that anxiety exists in the occasions that give you a lot of stress. Presence of anxiety is mainly due to the environmental elements. In my opinion, anxiety is a result of imbalance of internal states of human being rather that purely caused by environmental factors. The external environment only triggers the disequilibrium of mental status but not all the person will experience anxiety under a same stressful situation. But first, we must understand what anxiety is and how it is formed.In this report, some case studies in General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) help to illustrate my point. First of all, anxiety is a combination of different emotions like nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. It is different from stress. Stress is only an unpleasant state in our body and leads to some biological arousal such as increase in heart beat rate and breathing rate. Stress can be caused by several kin d of emotion like nervous, embarrass or fear which is usually caused by external stimulus. Stress will disappear without the presence of the stimulus. However, for anxiety, formation of tress is more than environmental irritation.Under the same situation, some people will feel anxious but some may not. Different person have different level of stress and anxiety towards same stimulus. Thus, there must be something other than external causes in appearance on anxiety. It may be more related to the cognition of the person which is how the person Judge and value an object or issue as different people have various perceptions and determinations. In understanding which type of person with certain kind of Judgment tends to experience anxiety rather than Just tress, psychological factor including ego and personality can give an explanation to this phenomenon.Other than psychological aspect, some biological factors also lead to creation of anxiety in GAD patients. First of all, anxiety tends to associate with ego. A person with a weaker ego tends to experience stronger anxiety in high frequency. It can be explained by the model proposed by Sigmund Freud. Ego is to please the id which is referred to humans basic instincts, sex and aggressive, and at the same time it also mediate id with superego which is the moral of human beings. Ego helps maintain a healthy and stable psychological state and solve the internal conflicts between id and superego.When the internal conflicts cannot be solved, anxiety will appears which is an unhealthy emotions affecting people's behaviors. There are several factors leading to a weak ego but the main concern is the childhood development of the person which is further illustrated by a Neo-Freudian psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan. In Sullivan findings, person with unhealthy growth in childhood block one in building a healthy ego and hence affecting the developing healthy personality. People have unpleasant experience in childhood may result in stronger id or weaker superego.So, ego is not able to balance them and affect the development of healthy personality. Their behaviors may deviate from social norms which make them feel anxious when receiving negative consequences. Also, when people receive condition parental love, they tend to have weaker ego and lower self-esteem. Since their parents only express their cares to the children when they have good performance, they cannot accept their faults and always attribute the reason of failure towards homeless. Once they cannot fulfill their expectations or goals, they will suspect their own abilities and afraid of being blame by others.They overlook the environmental factors and overestimate personal factors. Ego is being destroyed as the central value has been doubted or even denied. This can explain the reason of people having weak ego and unhealthy personality tends to experience intense anxiety in higher frequency and thus proving the association between ego and anxiety . In a recent research done by Assai and her group mates (201 1), it reveals the relation between psychological and behavioral control and self-reported GAD symptoms. It is found that children's behaviors are greatly influenced by parents.Conditional love is actually a kind of parental control that love will be given only following parents' instruction. Under this circumstances, children do not receive chance to develop ego and understand who they are and what they really want to do. They over-rely on their family and thus cannot bearing risk. When they step out into school or society, they have to deal with different challenges individually. Therefore, heir ability to handle problems will be lower and thus experience higher stress level. Some of them may even anxious about things do not have to worry.It shows that excessive parental control which is an unhealthy childhood development leads to the symptoms of over-reaction toward a minor issue. Even though the object or event is sti ll ambiguous and not imposing direct danger to the person, (s)he is daddy interpret it as a threat and (s)he cannot adore anymore. Anxiety arouses and interfere the normal behaviors. In the studies carried by Boston Children's Hospital, children with GAD will anxious in true events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family matters, personal abilities and perceived personal.It has no â€Å"on-off' switch for the worries and they tend to get extreme perceptions. For normal children, they will still have these worries but it usually appears in the present of certain stimulus or occasions which trigger your thought. Stress on them is specified on targeted issue and will disappear after all. However, children with GAD are not easy to relax and concentrate since the stimulus for their worries refer to lower self-esteem and weaker ego which permanently exists before any changing to improve it. In the world, most of people have healthy and happy childhood period.Nevertheless, some of them still get anxious frequently. The appearance of anxiety seems not only associated with ego. In biological field, scientist studied the heredity of which characteristics, both superior and inferior, can be carried down to next generation. Personality can also be inherited by parents. People with type A personality is ambitious, rigidly, sensitive, impatient. They cannot easily accept failure. A little setback will trigger their nervousness and take precautions in order to turn the thing back to correct track. In there words, they have low adaptability and over-react to changes.They will have relatively higher stress level than normal person. Type A personality can be genetically inhered by last generation but also be shaped by environment. People staying at the high tension state over a long period of time, they will more likely feel anxious. For example, people work in the company which required high accuracy and stable performance with long working hours. They will experience extr emely high level of stress for long time. They afraid of the consequences of making a mistake and thus need to double check and make sure everything is competed and correct before submitting to boss.Those people may have chance to become perfectionism which they will force themselves act perfectly at any moment. They may be rigid that they cannot handle problem in a more flexible way. They will be impatient and try to finish all the cases as fast as they can. They are not able to relax and anxious of something that does not need to worry about at that time. Moreover, the deficiency of brain may also leads to anxiety. Some of GAD patients are diagnosed that part of the brain component or levels of neurotransmitters are abnormal. In psychological studies, neurotransmitters are important in regulating humans behaviors and mental health.Especially for GAB, serotonin and endorphins, they are relatively significant in maintaining emotions. GAB is an inhibitory neurotransmitter which contr ibutes to canceling the effects of the excitatory SSP. Decrease in level of GAB leads to anxiety as the person will always has high activity level in brain transmission and keep him at a relatively high tension state. Serotonin involves in regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating and aggression. Abnormal amount of serotonin leads to difficulty in getting sufficient rest and become aggressive. Endorphins help to relief pain and some pleasurable emotions.Lacking of endorphins make the person hard to neither enter into positive emotions nor eliminate the negative moods. The person will become irritable and sensitive and thus not able to relax. A GAD patient, James, whose brain was not functioning well and having imbalance level of various neurotransmitters, turned him into an anxious person. He was easily distracted by minor thing and often nervous. He could not sleep well and complained of headache. It serious disturbed his cognition and he could not have clear mind to make Judgmen t. He might than always has bad performance which brings him stress again.Other than neurotransmitter, defective in brain also cause the instability of emotion. Other than abnormal level of neurotransmitters, James also suffered from malfunction of temporal lobe located in cerebrum which processes and coordinates stimuli received for learning, thinking, remembering and conscious awareness. Temporal lobe is responsible in process of various sounds and sights stimuli and managing the long term memory storage. As a result, he had difficulties in memorizing instructions and recognizing the work. He always forgot simple procedures.By comparing to normal person that can finish targets, James tends to have weak self-esteem and thus give a lot of pressure and blame himself of the failure. Besides, malfunction of some emotion centers such as magical also lead to GAD. Researchers have found that some GAD patients have larger volume of magical. Magical plays a central role in the fear response and aggression. Also, it promotes the fight or flight response which they person will either attack or escape hen facing dangerous. The enlarged magical is easier be triggered to alter people and hence creating fear and aggression.It can explain why the patient will feel anxious to stimuli which do not carry any threat. Brain activity is influenced by the magical so that they always get nervous. Therefore, existence of anxiety is affected by the brain structures. All people experience stress but people with psychological or biological problems tends to develop anxiety over same level of pressure. People act differently towards under the same environment the aforementioned evidence and studies suggest a utter way to understand anxiety that psychological and biological factors may have greater association with anxiety.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Argumentative Essay : Bullying Among Teenagers -- Adolescence, Puberty,
In recent times, there is no doubt that there has been an upsurge of disrespectful manners among teenagers. Today, teenagers are completely unpredictable with what they can and cannot do in regards to their behaviors. Many people do not want to deal or try to figure out what is going on in the minds of teenagers as they feel it is just easier to view all incidences of this way of life with a blind eye. This occurrence has escalated to the point that everywhere you go, it is likely to find yourself amongst one or two rude teenagers. They treat people with no respect and the shocking part of it is that they show no remorse for their actions. Primeval cultures upheld respect as one of the important traits kids should have when dealing with adults. Although cultures have many contrariety, but at the same time, had elements that united them through time and geographic region. Many of these elements were included in religious, social and moral laws. In religions and western philosophy the element of respect is held with topmost importance allowing a clear boundary between those who are young and naive and those who are experienced and mature. The view that kids has to show respect when dealing with people that are significantly older than them has gradually diminished over the years. Emergence of new cultures has affected the rate of discipline we give to young ones. High school students are popularly known for their notorious disrespect for authority and adults in general. Many continually wonder how children change from been respectful at a very young age to been disrespectful at their teenage years. This led to various research and studies into teenagers and their disrespectful attitudes. Studies and researchfilled with optimism, hopefulness and encouragement, not disrespect towards other people in the society.According to the Bible in the book of proverbs 22:6 (New International Version) states that â€Å"train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he would not depart from it.†parental and societal failure to inculcate good manners into children has led to the various societal severities. If your child is showing signs of disrespect to you, their teachers or other family members it is important that you do not wait until it gets out of hand before seeking help from a therapist who can make recommendations depending on the situation. Teamwork of all social institutions is the only way the problem of bad manners can be stopped. When the family, the media and schools come together with determination to tackle this issue, then America will be a better place.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
The Brain All You AreIs Here Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
The Brain All You AreIs Here - Essay Example The hippocampus stores our long-term memories, and emotions are believed to be stored in the amygdala. The prefrontal cortex controls our judgments and helps moderate our behavior and rein in our impulses. It is also the region associated with future planning. As our judgment power has not reached maturity throughout puberty and in our early adulthood, we do not know how to control our impulses, therefore, our decision making is quite faulty, based on bad judgment. Talent and creativity also depend on our brain’s activity. The frontal lobe gives us the ability or talent, the temporal lobes and limbic system give us determination and incentive to express it. If the latter part of our brain is impaired, the former is bound to be affected adversely. Temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with symptoms of manic depression and mania. A study done on Buddhist monks showed that meditation can help alter our brain activity by causing more activity to occur in the left prefrontal cortex. The study also showed that meditating subjects showed a better immune response to flu shots than others. The brain continues to adapt and change throughout our adulthood. The brain has been shown to adapt to injury, molding itself to compensate for the damaged area of the brain. The hippocampus and grey matter have been also been found to grow and increase in size in response to our activities. Basic emotions can be recognized by the brain regardless of cultural differences, as was shown by a study done by Paul Ekman (in Shreeve 2005). The amygdala in our brain receives the sensory responses from environments that trigger fear responses and reaction to dangers, which, in turn, processes the stimuli, setting the less urgent information aside. Sometimes the basic emotional responses are based on our â€Å"nurture†, these can be unlearned; however, responses like turning our heads suddenly when we feel something moving on our side,
Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Law - Essay Example However the manner in which such transactions are to be handled often depends on the laws of country A since it was the mother country and the constitution was laid out by both of the two conflicting sides. Controversies will arise and this is why a compromise between the two sides has to be struck in order to settle the dispute amicably. b) Before the war, State A had granted a mining concession to Dee Company for a 50-year period on land that is now within the territory of State B. That concession still has 20 years to run. State B claims that it is no longer valid. The mining concession awarded by state A to Dee Company for a 50-year period on land that is now within the territory of State B is not valid after the secession. Although the concession still has 20 years to run, State B’s claims that it is no longer valid is justified. If Dee Company is interested to continue mining on the territory of state B, then it has to sign a different concession with them. The two state s then have to strike an agreement on how to compensate Dee Company for the remaining part of the concession since by virtue of stopping the mining, they will have violated the terms of the contract. The mining company should also understand that the circumstance under which the contract was violated was beyond anybody’s control and that its renewal is the only way forward. (c) Before the war, State X had concluded a treaty with State A in which State X granted State A â€Å"most favored nation†trade status. State B now claims that it is entitled to the same treatment. State B is not entitled to the â€Å"most favored nation†status awarded by state X to A since it may not be able to fulfill certain conditions of the status. Additionally, it is a new country and should start looking for trade partners and not rely on the contracts made by state A because they are now two different
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Why Fast Foods Can Be Bad For Your Health Research Paper
Why Fast Foods Can Be Bad For Your Health - Research Paper Example Another issue with fast food is that it is easily available and can be much easier than trying to cook or provide a more nutritious meal for your family – meaning that people often each much more fast food than they should (French et al, 2004). This type of problem has led fast food to become a victim of much controversy in the media as well as getting many analyses in the scientific literature that has led it to become a dangerous topic. The purpose of this essay is to explore the literature on fast foods and examine why it can be bad for your health, as well as completing a discussion and analysis of the research available. It will become evident that there are many reasons why fast food can be bad for your health, and these claims are backed up by evidence that supports this claim. The term fast food was popularized in the United States in the middle part of this century. The term is used to refer to any food that can be prepared and sold extremely quickly, making it easy t o access and available to many. The fact that many fast food restaurants do not have typical waiting staff (preferring to rely on a collection or takeaway method) means that it can be even quicker and sold at an extremely low price. All of these have led to the popularization of fast food across the Western world, with many chains having outlets in many countries. There are many different types of fast food, although the most popular types include hamburgers, fries, pizza and other foods which are high in fat and many contain a high level of additives and addictive substances (French et al, 2004). One of the main reasons that fast food is considered to be so dangerous is that it is linked to the main health problem in the United States – obesity (French et al, 2004). Because fast food is so easy to obtain and can be bought for relatively low prices, those who are on low incomes or who work long hours are more susceptible to obesity (Block, Scribner & DeSalvo, 2004). Additiona lly, Jeffery & French (1998) have shown that there is a strong association between eating fast food and watching television, and together these two activities are strongly linked to obesity – particularly because they reduce activity levels in many people. Kwate, Yau, Loh & Williams (2009) also did a study considering whether the high availability of fast food makes it bad for your health. The study found that those who lived in areas with a high density of fast food chains were more likely to be obese and have related health problems. The reasons for this were multiple. For one, those who merely had to order food to get it delivered were likely to do less exercise to get to their food. Secondly, the content of the food was much higher in fat than meals that had been prepared in the home, leading to weight gain. As we will see, weight gain can lead to health problems such as type II diabetes. Pereira et al (2005) did a study examining the links between fast food habits, weigh t gain and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is important because it is an early indicator of type II diabetes, and therefore any sign of increased insulin resistance can be considered a health risk. There was found to be a strong link between fast food eating and a resistance to insulin, particularly because many of the foods have a high level of sugar and carbohydrates. This is what makes the foods more appealing and taste nice, but consuming sugar in high levels can lead to obesity and type II diabetes in later life. In this sense, eating a lot of fast foods is definitely bad for your health. Another major concern with fast food is that they contain some additives, not all of which have been fully tested
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