Economic measurements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economic measurements - Essay Example Negative real gross domestic product indicates lower incomes, lower consumption and poor standard of living (Brezina 24). Largely, gross domestic product is a better economic indicator than its alternatives despite its shortcomings. Production is one of the ways of estimating a country’s gross domestic product. Using production in estimating the gross domestic product requires the subtraction of inputs used in the production process from the value of the final output. The value of the final good incorporates the value of inputs and the expertise used in manufacturing and caution is needed not to overestimate the gross domestic product. Overestimation of the gross domestic product happens when outputs are double-counted. Double counting is avoided by calculating and aggregating the value-added at different stages of production. The aggregate is called gross value added, it needs adjustment for taxes, and subsidies in order to derive a gross domestic product estimate (Stiglitz et al 112). Gross domestic product is an applauded economic indicator because it factors in inflation. This allows investors and firms to compare incumbent trends with previous periods. It does well in capturing the heath of an economy and it has a significant influence on markets (NAS 25). Gross domestic product is able to mark the beginning and the end of an economic recession. Gross domestic product is limited by its periodical release because its data may not be timely in capturing some changes in the economy. Its sensitivity to revision is a limitation as it can have significant changes in historical figures (Fioramonti 85). Alternatives to gross domestic product in measuring the economic growth and health of a country include green accounting that factor in the environmental impacts of production. There are alternatives that take into account leisure. Index of sustainable

The Importance of a College Degree Essay Example for Free

The Importance of a College Degree Essay Your education is the single greatest gift you can give yourself. While there are educational opportunities all around us, some of them come at a greater cost than others. A college education might require a hefty investment of time and money upfront but the payoff is much better over time than if you used your life experiences in order to achieve the same level of education that you can pack into 2, 4, or 5 years of an undergraduate education on the college level. In other words, over the course of your lifetime you are likely to pay far less for your college education than you would pay (in earning potential) for not having a college education. At the same time, each level of college education you receive increases your overall earning potential. This means that a one-year degree in a technical field will provide a modest boost from a high school diploma when it comes to earning potential but an associates degree will provide an even better boost. You will see an even more significant improvement in earning potential when you increase from an associates degree to a bachelors degree. The vast majority of students enter the work force upon completion of a bachelors degree. Those students, however, who remain in school for graduate studies often, find that a masters degree even further improves their lifetime earning potentials. The problem for most when it comes to making the jump between degrees and educational levels is cost. There are times in life when we simply need to get out of school and get to work. The good news is that it is gradually becoming easier for those with careers to further their education without sacrificing either their careers or their family during the process. Of course there will be some sacrifices along the way but it isnt an all at once or nothing endeavor. You can work towards your degree by taking online classes. The information age has made it easier than ever before to achieve the educational goals you need to meet in order to satisfy your dreams for the future. Your level of education will get your foot in the door when it comes to  certain jobs and your lack of education will limit you far more than a lack of experience will limit you in many cases. As time grows on, more and more companies are seeking employees that have degrees rather than those who have experience in the field. If you hope to remain competitive in the business world you need to arm yourself with the proper education. The following chart demonstrate the idea of how college can impact your personal financial goals. Check with your company to see if they offer any sort of incentives for employees continuing their education. You might be surprised to find that your company offers to match your tuition funds or even completely reimburse them if you are working towards a degree that will assist you in your job functions. There is no wrong reason to get an education. Even if you are applying for a job that wont use your specific degree, you might find that having a degree at all gives you a boost over other applicants for the same position. A college degree is becoming more and more necessary in todays business climate. You need to take every opportunity that is available to you in order to get your college degree.

Media Violence Essays -- essays research papers

Kenny Fuller Health The Impact of Media Violence I was reading in some of my information and it was talking about how â€Å"monkey see, monkey do† is a popular saying now days. Sixty years ago the television was invented. People looked at it as a technological curiosity (I got that part from the info). For some people now days TV is there best friend. Most of them are little kids. TV shows the news, tries to make us buy certain things, and it also shows violence. The only thing that it can do is replace written materials (Got that to). The bad thing is that these violent shows are dangering our society. Certain things on TV and movies have inspired people (I could think of any other word to use so I used theirs) to set their wives on fire, lie down in the middle of the roads, rape, steal, murder, and to do shootings. Out of 1,000 studies it is proven that media violence can have a negative affect on adults and even children. When people watch these shows it makes them more ag gressive and anti-social. After a few days of watching these shows people become less sensitive to violence and to victims of violence. After that happens they begin to have a hunger for more violence in entertainment and in real life. Media violence is especially damaging to young children between ages 8 and under. The reason for that is because they cannot tell the difference between the real life and their dreams. Some images on the TV and movies may seem so real to them that is might traumatize them (I go...

The Collapse of Ronan Point

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to consider the perceived failures associated with the famous collapse of Ronan Point on 16 May, 1968. Following a gas explosion, an entire corner of the 22 storey tower block in East London collapsed, killing 4 people and injuring 17. In order to analyse the failures that occurred, the paper will firstly look at the history of the building, its design and construction, before looking at the collapse itself and the perceived failures that were identified after the event. The building was named after the chairman of the housing committee of the relevant London Borough, Newham, and was one of many tower blocks built during the 1960s in a budget-driven and affordable way to deal with the growing demand for affordable housing in the region (Levy and Salvadori 1992). The very ethos of this affordable housing and the use of cheaper materials and cheaper construction approaches is arguably one of the first and fundamental contributory factors to the disaster (Griffiths et al 1968). Design and Construction The actual design and construction of the building was mooted as far back as the end of World War II, when much of the housing available in the London region was destroyed as a result of the war and there was a rapid demand for a large amount of housing. Other factors such as a lack of skilled labourers, as well as the changing housing policy which enabled multi-stories to be established, created a demand for the design and construction of buildings such as the one in question here. A prefabricated construction technique was used which involved the creation of much of the high-rise building which was then transported to the area for final construction (Cagley, 2003). The actual construction approach that was used here was that of the Larsen-Nielsen system which was composed of factory-built, precast concrete components designed to minimise on-site construction work. Walls, floors and stairways are all precast. â€Å"All units, installed one-story high are load bearing† (ENR, 1968 at p.54). Although this system was tried and tested, the approach was not designed to be used in a building of more than 6 storeys high. However, the building of this tower block was 22 storeys high and there was no recognition, at the construction phase, that this could potentially jeopardise the validity of the construction technique. The basic construction approach involved a precast concrete structure frame, with each floor of the multi-storey building being supported by the load-bearing walls directly beneath each other, floor upon floor (Bignell et al 1977). Collapse The collapse itself happened at 5:45 am in the morning when the tenant of one of the apartments on the 18th floor lit a match, unbeknownst that there had been a gas leak overnight. By lighting the match, an explosion took place and this ended up damaging the load-bearing wall which was present on the 18th floor and was acting as the only support for the corner of the 19th floor. When the corner of the 19th floor collapsed, this had the effect of the 20th floor collapsing. Once the floors above had already collapsed the pressure on the floors became unbearable and the domino effect continued downward, destroying the entire corner of the building (Delatte, 2009). The way in which the collapse took place meant that, essentially, it destroyed a portion of the living room all the way down the building, but left the bedrooms intact in most cases, with the exception of floors 17 to 22 the room which were in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. It was on these floors that all of the fata lities happened and due to the fact that the explosion had taken place early in the morning, the majority of the individuals who were in their bedrooms were unaffected (Delatte, 2009). Perceived Failures When looking at the perceived failures and causes of failure, it can be seen that the analysis is largely split into two distinct areas: first, considering the immediate cause of failure; the second looking at the fundamental flaws in the design and construction of the building that allowed such a dramatic reaction to the immediate event (Griffiths et al 1968). The actual investigation into the event which took place involved a government panel which was formed in order to look at the causes of failure and to consider whether or not there were other buildings which potentially could suffer from a similar eventuality, in the future. As stated previously, the construction approach taken for Ronan Point was replicated in many other buildings, with eight other exact replicas in occupation. Therefore, establishing the reason for the collapse is crucially important (Pearson and Delatte, 2003) One of the key factors that took contributed in the immediate event itself was found to be a substandard connection used in order to connect the gas stove in the relevant apartment. Whilst this meant that the gas leak had presented itself in a way that would not have been likely, had they used a different connection, as well as having the incorrect connection, it was found that over tightening had occurred during installation. This probably weakened the connection and allowed gas to leak out. Despite this, the evidence gathered suggested that the explosion itself was not substantial, as there was no permanent damage to the hearing of the individual in the apartment. This suggests that relatively little pressure was involved, although there was sufficient pressure to move the external walls of the building and to create a progressive collapse within the building (Levy and Salvadori, 1992). Broadly speaking, the progressive collapse is thought to have occurred due to the fact that there was a lack of alternate load paths available and there was no support for the structural frame available on the higher floors (Wearne, 2000). This meant that when there was an explosion on level 18, this took out the only support so that the floors above level 18 failed and this placed excessive pressure on the lower floors, until it ultimately collapse to ground level. Perceived failures, can be split into two distinct categories, the first being the cause of the explosion itself; the second looking at the repercussions of the explosion, which were extensive, given the magnitude of the explosion, which was relatively low. Procedure and Project Management Unsurprisingly, as a result of the collapse here, building codes, guidelines and regulations were advised not only in the United Kingdom, but across the globe. The building regulations, changed in 1970, state that any building with more than four storeys needs to have a design structure in place that would resist a progressive collapse of this nature (Pearson and Delatte, 2005, pp. 175). Apart from the construction mechanisms themselves, there were also concerns that failures had occurred in the project management, as well as failures to check procedures. The gaps between the floors and in the walls meant that the building had not been established in a way that was part of the original design and planning. In addition to the actual failure in the design of the property, concerns were also raised in the report in relation to the need for quality control of the construction processes taking place. For example, it was proven that during the construction, certain design factors had been ignored, with unfilled gaps between the floors and walls, throughout the premises, which meant that the building had little in the way of separation between the flats. Furthermore, in high rise buildings of this type, a relatively narrow staircase is acceptable, as there is thought to be enough fire protection between the floors. In the absence of this fire protection, narrow staircases w ould be unacceptable, in the event of a fire or explosion of this nature. Key Failures The analysis above indicates that there are several failures which together created the dramatic collapse at Ronan Point. These are: social pressures on the construction company to establish a large amount of housing accommodation, rapidly and cheaply; the use of constructions not aimed at high storey buildings of this nature; failures to put in place methods whereby there was no secondary support structure in place, in the event of a failure with any of the load-bearing walls; failures with the processes being followed, which resulted in the wrong processes being followed in the connection of the gas pipes, as well as other omissions during the construction process, with the failure to follow the design provided. It can be seen, that the project management would have, at least in part, dealt with many of these failures and would have either prevented the explosion, in the first place, or would have seriously reduced the impact of the explosion, once it did take place. The crucial factor in this analysis is that the explosion itself was relatively minor, yet the repercussions were large and it is this chain of events that requires attention when it comes to better project management, in the future. Recommendations for Better Project Management Certain failures took place at the design phase, when the design construction of the premises was selected, yet was not entirely suitable for a 22 storey building. This was arguably the first and crucial failure which could have been avoided with further research into the limitations of this design. However, the main focus of the recommendations presented here is in relation to the project management process, from the point at which the design was presented for the construction, to the point at which the building was completed (Pearson and Delatte, 2005). At the outset, when the project team came together, there was an opportunity to run scenarios and to check the validity of the chosen construction, given the design that were being presented and the need to establish a 22 storey building. By running these types of scenarios, it is likely that it would become apparent that the chosen construction design was simply inappropriate. Even without this element of the project management being undertaken and risk assessments being carried out, the next stage of the project management should have involved a strong quality control check for every aspect of the work. The fundamental design of the building was proven to be flawed; however, there were also errors during the actual construction phase, for example the use of the wrong connections when it came to the gas pipes installed. Although this, in itself, did not lead to the catastrophic collapse of part of the building, it did create a minor gas explosion which started the chain of events. Quality control processes at every phase of construction and fitting would have potentially prevented the chain of events from emerging, in the first place (Shepherd and Frost, 1995). Next Steps and Conclusions Bearing this in mind, there are several proposed changes and next steps which could be taken to prevent a similar failure happening in the future. Firstly, although the design used was accepted during this era, it was known that it would simply not be appropriate for the type of building which was being planned. This should have been noted, at the outset, with additional safety structures then planed so as to prevent this type of progressive collapse from taking place. Secondly, worst-case scenarios should be run, at the outset, to enable the project managers to ascertain whether any weaknesses existed. Moreover, although the rest of collapse in this case resulted in the building being destroyed, it was also not able to withstand strong winds and this also, ultimately, could have resulted in the building becoming uninhabitable. By running scenarios, such as high winds or explosion, these issues would have been highlighted and changes in the design could have been incorporated, from the outset (Pearson and Delatte 2003). Finally, quality control during the construction process was also not suitable. This should have been done with much greater consistency, to ensure that the smaller processes, such as the fitting of connections, was carried out to an appropriate standard, thus preventing the minor incident that ultimately led to the overall disaster. By following these clear project management approaches and ensuring that an individual was put in place, in order to manage quality and control, as well as any variables in this area, the collapse of the building could have been avoided, or at least the cause of the collapse mitigated against, so as not to cause loss of life and injury. References Bignell, V., Peters, J., and Pym, C. (1977). Catastrophic failures. Open University Press, Milton Keynes, New York. Cagley, J. R. (2003, April). The design professional’s concerns regarding progressive collapse design. Building Sciences, 27, 4-6. Delatte, N. J. (2009). Beyond failure: Forensic case studies for civil engineers. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, Virginia, 97-106. Engineering News Record (ENR). (1968). â€Å"Systems built apartment collapse.† ENR, May 23, 1968, 54. Griffiths, H., Pugsley, A. G., and Saunders, O. (1968). Report of the inquiry into the collapse of flats at Ronan Point, Canning Town. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London. Levy, M., and Salvadori, M. (1992). Why buildings fall down: How structures fail. W.W. Norton, New York, 76-83. Pearson, C., and Delatte, N. (2003). Lessons from the Progressive Collapse of the Ronan Point Apartment Tower. In Forensic Engineering, Proceedings of the Third Congress, edited by Paul A. Bosela, Norbert J. Dellate, and Kevin L. Rens, ASCE, Reston, VA., pp. 190-200. Pearson, C.,and Delatte, N. J. (2005) Ronan Point Apartment Tower Collapse and Its Effect on Building Codes. J. Perf. of Constr. Fac., 19(2), 172-177. Shepherd, R., and Frost, J. D. (1995). Failures in Civil Engineering: Structural, Foundation, and Geoenvironmental Case Studies, ASCE, New York. Wearne, P. (2000). Collapse: When Buildings Fall Down, TV Books, L.L.C., New York, 137-156.

Analysis of a Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Honesty in Marriage In A Doll’s House, Ibsen uses role reversal between Nora and Christine to show the importance of honesty in a good marriage versus dishonesty. Nora and Torvald have the dishonest marriage and that proves to turn out badly for their relationship in the end. Christine remained an honest person and ended up with a rekindled relationship with her old love. At the very beginning, everything seems fine with Torvald and Nora if Nora’s initial act of dishonesty is ignored. Torvald calls to her first. â€Å"When did my squirrel come home? (Act I) Right after answering him, Nora does her best to hide the macaroons she had eaten against Torvald’s wishes by stuffing the bag in her pocket and frantically wiping the evidence from her mouth. All is seemingly well between them besides Nora’s lack of willpower against cookies. When Christine comes on the scene, she is alone. She has come to where Nora lives to find work (even though she feels overworke d). She is completely honest about her situation with Nora though. From the beginning Christine seems to have nothing to hide.She explains how she spent her life taking care of her family and how she no longer has someone to care for other than herself. Later in the play, when Nora and Torvald go to the party, Nora’s mind is less on dancing the Tarantella and more on the letter Krogstad had written for Torvald. In the letter was the truth about how Nora was able to pay for Torvald’s treatment in Paris. All this time, Torvald was thinking the money came from Nora’s father when in reality, Nora illegally forged her father’s name in order to obtain a loan from the bank at which Krogstad was employed.Nora broke to law by doing business without a man and had not notified her husband. Now Nora is doing her best to stall Torvald in hope of not letting him read his letter from his letterbox. She does her best to be subtle by begging to stay at the party longer. T orvald refuses to give in to her pleas and eventually reads the letter. The result is not pretty. Torvald becomes furious, â€Å"And as for you and me, it must appear as if everything between us were just as before–but naturally only in the eyes of the world. You will still remain in my house, that is a matter of course.But I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you. To think that I should be obliged to say so to one whom I have loved so dearly, and whom I still–. No, that is all over. From this moment happiness is not the question; all that concerns us is to save the remains, the fragments, the appearance—† (Act III) Torvald’s idea of a solution is to do his best to hide the situation as best her can by trying to appease Krogstad. Then he wants to keep Nora as a prisoner in her own home while simultaneously isolating her from her own children indefinitely.All this time, Nora’s lies has cost her the relation ship she thought she had with her husband. At the same time, Torvald has been hiding his true self from Nora. She never expected him to react in such a way and this lead her to make, more than likely, one of the hardest decision’s she’s ever had to make. While Nora stresses about Krogstad’s letter, Christina decides to pay him a visit and does what Nora should have done with Torvald. Christine tells Krogstad the truth. She explains to Krogstad why they could not be together in the past.She explains how much she needed money to care for her helpless mother and two brothers. She could not afford to wait around for Krogstad. That much, Krogstad can understand. Notice how, their conversation does not involve any talk of shunning the other in anyway. Because Christine is honest with Krogstad, he accepts her the way she is, flaws and all. In the end, Nora feels it is best for her to be on her way even after Torvald changes his mind. Krogstad decides to forget the debt and not hold it over Nora’s head as blackmail any longer.Torvald gets really happy and tries to act as if everything can go back the way it was, â€Å"Listen to me, Nora. You don't seem to realise that it is all over. What is this? –such a cold, set face! My poor little Nora, I quite understand; you don't feel as if you could believe that I have forgiven you. But it is true, Nora, I swear it; I have forgiven you everything. I know that what you did, you did out of love for me. † (Act III) He wants to believe that since Krogstad has relinquished the bonds, the situation is all over and everything her said before is in the past.Unfortunately for him, Nora is not so sure. She thinks about how he was so ready to shun her and put her away like a common criminal. She realizes that Torvald is not the noble man she thought he was and she is not the woman for him. She is tired of living like a man’s plaything all her life. Torvald is the one who helps her realize it and she leaves. Christine and Krogstad decide to revive their lost love and live together as a happy couple. So in the end, Nora and Torvald go through their marriage and lying to themselves and each other.As a result, the marriage falls apart and Nora makes the decision to walk away. She hopes to find herself in the world by allowing herself to be honest. Christine walks in with no one. She hides nothing and stays honest with herself. This gives her the freedom to be honest with her long, lost sweetheart, Krogstad. Her honesty gives them both the ability to truly love each other, unlike Nora and Krogstad. Nora and Christine have essentially switched places all because Christine was honest and Nora was not.

Hohokam essays

Hohokam essays As a member of the Hohokam nation there are many things that we need to do daily in order to keep the nation successful. Every member in the nation has a job and specific duties the main part of the nation that keeps it successful is the irrigation system that we use. This system transports water through out the land that belongs the to the tribe. The irrigation system helps transport the water to the crops throughout the land and help the Hohokam become prosperous. Great agriculture leads to trades with other Indian nations, especially trading with the Anazasi nation our main trading partner for the esensials that we need. This is the way the Hohokam nation worked together to become prosperous. The disappearance of the Hohokams is a mystery today. The theory that I believe that led to the disappearance of the Hohokams is that there was a drought that led to many problems. First the lack of water itself killed many people. Second, the drought killed off most of the agriculture and led to a lack of food. Due to the loss of agriculture the nation could not trade with other nations and could not feed its people. During this drought there was some internal problems because of the lack of food causing some members moving to other nations or forming there own nations. This theory has many stages but I believe without the drought the other problems would not occur. Ruth, Gail, "Hohokam Indians", Wilshire Publishing, 1965 ...

Overwhelmed Heres a Great Way to Take Control of Your Job Search

Overwhelmed Heres a Great Way to Take Control of Your Job Search I have a confession to make: I am not naturally an organized person. If left to my own devices, I generally do whatever comes into my head to do at the moment. I am easily sidetracked and have a tendency to think I can do everything without regard to priorities. Sound familiar? If so, and if you are a job seeker, you might be experiencing some overwhelm as you conduct your search. Thankfully, there are tools available that can help. To tackle my lack of focus, for example, I have chosen to participate in a business coaching group where I am forced to create priorities and follow them- at least to some extent! You might benefit from some prioritization tools as well. Let’s say you decide to research companies you might want to work for. First, you’ll read my blog from last week, Top 5 Web Sites for Your Job Search Over the Holidays, and start listing companies that interest you. What’s next? The answer is not Apply to all the jobs and accept the first one that will take me. The answer isn’t even, Do extensive research on the 50 companies on my list. Instead, take some time to prioritize. First, make a list of your top 20-30 companies based on your research. Then get clear about what’s important to you so you can gather further information on the companies that best meet your requirements. Factors to consider: Job Function/Title Industry Commute Salary Benefits Opportunity for Growth Travel Company Reputation Size of Company Products I Resonate With Pick 5-6 of these items that are most important to you and score each of the companies in your list from 1-5 (1 = bad/low, 5 = good/high) on how they match up on each factor. You can make a simple chart to do this: Â   Factor #1 Factor #2 Factor #3 Factor #4 Factor #5 Factor #6 Total Company #1 Company #2 Company #3 Company #4 Look at the total scores and rank the companies from highest to lowest. Then start your information gathering, such as finding contact people at the organizations, with the highest-scoring companies. Concentrate on finding the hiring managers at those top companies and start to discover what challenges the companies are facing and how you can add value. Once you know your first choice, second choice, third choice, etc. you will be in a much stronger position as you approach the companies. You will know what you want so you can focus on that, rather than let the job market dictate your search. And you will reduce overwhelm by taking things one step at a time in a clear, organized way. Do you have methods you use to stay focused in your job search? Please share in the comments! Category:Job SearchBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 27, 2014

Zack de la Rocha Biography of the Musician

Zack de la Rocha Biography of the Musician The 1990s music scene was unique in that the two genres that dominated the charts- alternative rock and rap- seemed to have little in common. But that perception would change in 1991 when a Los Angeles Chicano named Zack de la Rocha melded the two art forms together in the rap-rock outfit Rage Against the Machine. Influenced by punk bands such as Minor Threat and militant rap groups such as Public Enemy, de la Rocha delivered angry rhymes about social injustice over heavy metal riffs as front-man of the group. His biography reveals how personal experiences with discrimination led de la Rocha to pen raps that challenged racism and inequality. Early Years Zack de la Rocha was born Jan. 12, 1970, in Long Beach, Calif., to parents Roberto and Olivia. Because his parents parted ways when he was very small, de la Rocha initially split his time between his Mexican-American father, a muralist in the group â€Å"Los Four,† and his German-Irish mother, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Irvine. After his father began to exhibit signs of mental illness, destroying artwork and praying and fasting nonstop, Zack de la Rocha lived exclusively with his mother in Irvine. In the 1970s the Orange County suburb was nearly all white. Irvine was the polar opposite of Lincoln Heights, the predominantly Mexican-American community of Los Angeles that de la Rocha’s father called home. Because of his Hispanic heritage, de la Rocha felt racially alienated in Orange County. He told ​​​Rolling Stone magazine in 1999 how humiliated he felt when his teacher used the racially offensive term â€Å"wetback† and his classmates erupted in laughter. â€Å"I remember sitting there, about to explode,† he said. â€Å"I realized that I was not of these people. They were not my friends. And I remember internalizing it, how silent I was. I remember how afraid I was to say anything.† From that day forward, de la Rocha vowed never again to remain silent in the face of ignorance. Inside Out After reportedly dabbling in drugs for a spell, de la Rocha became a fixture in the straight-edge punk scene. In high school he formed the band Hard Stance, serving as vocalist and guitarist for the group. After that, de la Rocha launched the band Inside Out in 1988. Signed to the Revelation Records label, the group came out with an EP called No Spiritual Surrender. Despite some industry success, the group’s guitarist decided to leave and Inside Out disbanded in 1991. Rage Against the Machine After Inside Out broke up, de la Rocha began to explore hip-hop, rapping, and break-dancing in clubs. When Harvard-educated guitarist Tom Morello spotted de la Rocha performing a freestyle rap in a club, he approached the budding MC afterward. The two men found that they both espoused radical political ideologies and decided to share their viewpoints with the world through song. In Fall 1991, they formed rap-rock band Rage Against the Machine, named after an Inside Out song. In addition to de la Rocha on vocals and Morello on guitar, the band included Brad Wilk on drums and Tim Commerford, a childhood friend of de la Rocha, on bass. The band soon developed a following in L.A.’s music scene. Just a year after RATM formed, the band released a self-titled album on influential label Epic Records. While promoting the album in 1992, de la Rocha explained to the Los Angeles Times his mission for the group. â€Å"I wanted to think of something metaphorically that would describe my frustrations toward America, toward this capitalist system and how it has enslaved and exploited and created a very unjust situation for a lot of people,† he said. The message resonated with the public. The album went triple platinum. It included references to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, South African apartheid, a Eurocentric educational curriculum, Fand other social issues. The band’s sophomore album Evil Empire, a reference to a Ronald Reagan speech on the Cold War, touched on de la Rocha’s Hispanic heritage with songs such as â€Å"People of the Sun,† â€Å"Down Rodeo† and â€Å"Without a Face.† Evil Empire also achieved triple platinum status. The band’s last two albums the Battle of Los Angeles (1999) and Renegades (2000), went double platinum and platinum, respectively. Although Rage Against the Machine was undoubtedly one of the most influential bands of the 1990s, de la Rocha decided to leave the band in October 2000. He cited creative differences but stressed that he was pleased with what the band had accomplished.​​​ I am extremely proud of our work, both as activists and musicians, as well as indebted and grateful to every person who has expressed solidarity and shared this incredible experience with us, he said in a statement. A New Chapter Almost seven years after the breakup, Rage Against the Machine fans received some long-awaited news: the band was reuniting. The group performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., in April 2007. The reason for the reunion? The band said it felt compelled to speak out in light of  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Bush administration policies they found intolerable. Since the reunion, the band has yet to release more albums. The members are involved in independent projects. De la Rocha, for one, performs in the group One Day as a Lion with former Mars Volta member Jon Theodore. The band released a self-titled EP in 2008 and performed at Coachella in 2011.​ Musician-activist de la Rocha also launched an organization called Sound Strike in 2010. The organization encourages musicians to boycott Arizona in light of the state’s controversial legislation targeting undocumented immigrants. In a Huffington Post piece, de la Rocha and Salvador Reza said of the strike: â€Å"The human impact of what is happening to immigrants and their families in Arizona calls into question the same moral and ethical imperatives that the civil rights movement did. Are we all equal before the law? To what extent can states and local law enforcement officers engage in human and civil rights violations against an ethnic group that has been completely vilified in the eyes of the white political majority?†

MGT 4880 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT 4880 - Essay Example It is much easier to work on a single aspect of corporate operations if you understand how that one role fits in to the larger picture of the corporate goals. By taking a class on Business Strategy and Policy, I will be able to understand the processes central to operational success and apply those principles to my current duties. In that way, the grand strategy of the organization can be gainfully supported by my own actions. Further, as I gain understanding of the interrelationships between departments, functions, stakeholders, and employees, I will be empowered to be a part of the solution at whatever company or level I am working. Such a class will assist me in selecting future positions. Beyond my current employment, a class in Business Strategy and Policy will equip me to make good career decisions in the future. The reason for this is that I will know my own strengths, weaknesses, and plans for my future; I can match those personal items with the needs and processes of any organization I am considering for employment. For example, if I know that I am interested in operations management because I am a dependable person, pay attention to small details, and have the discipline to carry out day-to-day requirements in order to bring efficiency and profitability, then an organization which has no strategic plan at all would not be a good fit for me. Understanding this fundamental principle of good management will allow me to recognize corporate security when I see it. Once the class on Business Strategy and Policy has taught me a solid basis for how to strategize, plan, and execute those plans in the modern work place, I will be able to know when a potential employer is deficient in their processes. Taking a position with such a company would only lead to personal frustration and a stagnant career. Therefore, such a class could prevent me from making a terrible mistake. Such a class will assist me in choosing wise investments. The reason for this is clear; I will be able to recognize those organizations which have engaged in the proper planning of their business-as well as the appropriate execution of policy to support that plan-and invest accordingly. Like any other stakeholder or shareholder in a company, I want my investments to perform well. For that to happen, the companies I choose to invest in must be competitive within the marketplace, efficient in their operations, and innovative in their marketing and product development. Utilizing the things I learn in the Business Strategy and Policy class, I will be able to see the evidence of such sound management before I ever commit a penny of my money to the company. If I can deduce that management has a good plan and has paired that with an innovative product and efficient operations, I can invest with peace of mind. Such a class will help me plan my career. Finally, a class in Business Strategy and Policy will allow me to understand where my own interests lie, and where those interests may best fit within the current workplace. I can utilize the basic principles of planning a business and then focus the wisdom of those lessons on my own career as though it were, itself, a business. In this way, I

The rules on the deduction of expenses for employed and self-employed Essay

The rules on the deduction of expenses for employed and self-employed persons are different and create inequity in the tax syste - Essay Example Then, on the behalf of the employees, the employers are required to pay the deducted amount to the treasury. ITEPA 2003 provides for the taxation of employees who are resident and ordinarily resident in the UK. According to Section 18, all general earnings are subjected to tax that are received in the form of money. Section 19 deals with the general earnings received in non-monetary forms. The self-employed are those taxpayers who have their own businesses and act as sole traders. They are required to pay their taxes through self-assessment. The extent to which deductions are allowed for the self-employed tends to be more than they are for the employed taxpayers. As a general rule, all amounts that are given to the employees are taxable regardless of the fact whether the taxpayers hold the employment or not. This rule has a few exceptions though. For instance, Section 85 and 93 provide that provision of a non-cash voucher or a credit token --which is of a kind made available to the p ublic generally-- to an employee, or a member of his family, is not taxable if it is provided on no more favorable terms than to the public generally. There is a reduction in meal vouchers u/s 89. ... The income of a self-employed taxpayer is regarded as income from trade and is taxed under ITTOIA 2005. All the profits from trade are taxed after deducting all the deductible allowances. The deductible expenses include all those expenses that are incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade and all those losses are allowed to be deducted that are connected out of the trade. Section 34b provides that for any expense that is incurred for more than one purpose, only that part or portion shall be deductible that can be identified as incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade. In the same way, expenses that are incurred by the employees wholly and exclusively for the purposes of employment are also allowed as deductions. For instance, s 390 of Income Tax Act 2007 grants relief for loans that are sanctioned for buying plant or machinery for employment use. There are certain expenses which are of such a nature that it becomes very difficult to ascertain whether they should be allowed as deductions or not. This difficulty not only arises in the cases of employees but also extends to the self-employed. In this regard, case law is very helpful. For instance, s.337(1) of ITEPA 2003 provides that for a travelling expense to be regarded as an allowable deduction: i. â€Å"The employee is obliged to incur and pay them as holder of the employment†; and ii. It must be an expense â€Å"necessarily incurred on travelling in the performance of the duties of the office or employment†. This section was created after the judgements in three landmark cases of Ricketts v Colquhoun (1925) 10 TC 118, Owen v Pook (1969) 45 TC 571 and Taylor v Proven (1974) 49 TC 579.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 58

No topic - Essay Example This is not healthy at all, since the missionaries should only do their part of spreading the gospel and leave the rest for the recipients to accomplish. He indicated that provision of external financial help is not self-sustaining and it could only lead to more problems than solutions. Jean indicates that missionaries premeditate their strategies for attaining their goals. The reason is that missionary works are motivated by a hero’s mentality where people assume that missionary is going to bring the desired salvation to the masses in terms of money and resources. As a result, missionaries have to premeditate how to achieve this goal already in the mindsets of the masses for them to achieve their goals. This leads to unsustainable organizations that are not capable of cultivating indigenous resources. These organizations are often vulnerable and when the missionaries withdraw or reduce their external support, these organizations are doomed to fail. Thus, he argues for the cultivation of a sustainable and indigenous church that thrived on local resources but not from missionary

Brief a case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brief a case - Coursework Example The defendant had stipulated that if the component were brought by noon any day, it would be taken to the manufacturer the next day. So the Plaintiff’s clerk took it to the defendant the next day before noon and paid 2 pounds for the services. However, because of the defendant’s negligence, the component delayed before delivery to the manufacturer and the plaintiff received it after several days (Crompton 1). The issue was entitlement of damages to the plaintiff due to loss of profits and what amount of damages he or she would get. The court determined that the plaintiff was eligible for damages for the amount he would have received if the breaching party had performed (Crompton 1). This implies that the plaintiff would only be put back to the position he would have been if the contract was not breached. However, the court held that the defendant would not have known that the delay would cause a long closure of the mill and the loss of profits because there were no special circumstances underpinned on the contract (Crompton

World Literature Phase 4 DB 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Literature Phase 4 DB 2 - Essay Example unchaste action, or dishonoured step,/That hath deprived me of your grace and favour;/But even for want of that for which I am richer,/A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue/As I am glad I have not, though not to have it/Hath lost me in your liking†. In sharp contrast to this poetic statement is this coarse dialogue from King Lear in Act IV, Scene VI: And the creature run from the cur? There thou/mightst behold the great image of authority: a/dogs obeyed in office./Thou rascal beadle, hold thy bloody hand!/Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thine own back;/Thou hotly lustst to use her in that kind/For which thou whippst her. So, in short, Shakespeare is real. And it is in this sense of reality, the frankness of portrayal of human nature which can be lyrical at times, and rude and brutal at others, that Shakespeare has triumphed over time. Shakespeare’s themes are universal: they strike a chord in people of the twenty-first century, and interestingly, some or the other versions of King Lear, Regan, Goneril, Edmund and Cordelia exist in the modern times. For instance, there are many people in today’s capitalistic times, who like Edmund, strive to rise above their circumstances, "Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit; / All with mes meet that I can fashion fit", More importantly, Shakespeare does not make King Lear a morality play where the good get rewarded and the evil punished. While those that are evil meet with their deaths, the innocent die too: Lear, Gloucester and Cordelia die despite not having done much to deserve it. Shakespeare seems to say that evil is a part of human existence, and that the world is not a just place. Death takes those that are evil and those that are innocent with a grand indifference and seemingly without reason, a distinctly post- modern or existentialist way of looking at things. What is more, Shakespearean plots are well-structured and undiluted. Full of drama, vivid imagery and iridescent language, Shakespeare

Brief a case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brief a case - Coursework Example The defendant had stipulated that if the component were brought by noon any day, it would be taken to the manufacturer the next day. So the Plaintiff’s clerk took it to the defendant the next day before noon and paid 2 pounds for the services. However, because of the defendant’s negligence, the component delayed before delivery to the manufacturer and the plaintiff received it after several days (Crompton 1). The issue was entitlement of damages to the plaintiff due to loss of profits and what amount of damages he or she would get. The court determined that the plaintiff was eligible for damages for the amount he would have received if the breaching party had performed (Crompton 1). This implies that the plaintiff would only be put back to the position he would have been if the contract was not breached. However, the court held that the defendant would not have known that the delay would cause a long closure of the mill and the loss of profits because there were no special circumstances underpinned on the contract (Crompton

One area of my business that I would like to change. The necessities Essay

One area of my business that I would like to change. The necessities of staff change - Essay Example In order to stay in a competitive market, fine tuning of business strategies or implementation of changes are necessary. I am running a Honda cars sales outlet at present and I would like to change the sales staff completely to promote more sales. My existing sales staffs are not competent enough to capture more business in this ever changing competitive market. Majority of them are more than 45 years of age. This paper describes why I want to implement a staff change in the sales department. The necessities of staff change Traditional Sales Mind-set always delivers a strong sales pitch. New Sales Mind-set stops the sales pitch -- and start a conversation. Traditional Sales Mind-set always looks for closing the sale. New Sales Mind-set is always to discover whether you and your potential client are a good fit (Galper, 2011). Relationship building is accepted as the core of every business activity at present. In other words, building strong relations with the customers is necessary fo r the benefit of a company. In this extremely competitive world, the value of customers is increasing rapidly. No organization can sustain its operations if it fails to attract a substantial volume of customers. My sales staffs are following the traditional patters of sales management. They are more interested only in capturing business than servicing the customers after the sales. In their opinion, their duty is over once they bring enough sales to the company. I got many complaints from different customers about the reluctance of my sales staff in servicing them after the closing of sales. The mind-set of my existing staffs needs to be changed completely. Even though I tried to empower them with the help of modern training methods, it is difficult for them to change their traditional methods and attitudes. A new sales team with ample knowledge in modern sales management techniques may serve better than my existing sales team. With superior knowledge in modern communication channel s and technologies, a new sales team would

Animal Cruelty Essay Example for Free

Animal Cruelty Essay Animal cruelty is the crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal. Society has become a dreadful place for animals where humans can no longer be trusted because of their incongruous behaviour. The animals of the world exist for their own reasons; they were not made for humans to abuse and experiment, however, society has become decayed and inhumane. In the poem ‘Foxes among the lamb’ Ernest G. Moll demonstrates how the farmer poisons the foxes and leaves them to suffer and eventually die. When individuals glance at an animal they judge them as aggressive creatures. The visual poster portrays how animals are innocent and vulnerable creatures to society. ‘The Panther’ by Rainer Maria Rilke displays how animals should not be locked up in cages. Animal cruelty, the abominable way humans treat animals, reflects our decaying society, one that seems to be losing its humanity due to the sadistic nature of humans who lack empathy for others. The poem ‘Foxes Among the lamb’ portrays how foxes eat the lamb and how the farmer acts in an inappropriate abhorrent way. This behaviour is illustrated through the metaphor ‘gift’ which demonstrates the poison that the farmer gives to the foxes to die in a beastly bloodcurdling death. Furthermore the personification ‘Half-frightened eagerness of hate’ presents how the farmer is anxious and determined to kill the foxes and how eager the farmer is to manipulate the foxes. The composer’s use of alliteration â€Å"this time then † this proves how the farmer had to pause and pay attention to make sure that the fox had died. Therefore, humans can no longer be trustworthy among animals because of their antagonistic behaviour which imitates our society. Recognising animal rights will result in an individual having deep respect for animals. The visual poster indicates the innocence of animal and why humans should look after them as well as treat them in a respectful way. The background of the poster represents the manifestation of the dog delighted to be free and not stuck in a cage. It also reveals the dog in a park where he could run around and not locked up. The first thing an observer sees on the poster is the salience of the dog that looks harmless, healthy and blithe. When the audience beholds this, their first impression would be to save these helpless animals. The only thing that animals have done to humans is becoming man’s best friend. Finally, close up shot of the dog has been used to show the guiltlessness and exploitation of animals. This effect makes the audience focus their attention on the animal’s expression, to show the significance of animals and the way society has become an appalling place for them. Hence, humans have to earn the respect and treat animal just like the way they would like to be treated because animals too have a soul and emotions. Animal cruelty is locking animals in cages and keeping them as captives to satisfy and amaze people that are sadistic. The poem ‘The Panther’ conveys how a panther is locked up in a cage in the zoo to astonish people and how the panther feels about having no freedom. The use of imagery in the first stanza â€Å"his weary glance from passing by the bars,† portrays how the panther is tired of looking outside and exhausted of waiting for his liberty. Moreover, hyperbole is revealed in â€Å"only to sink and die within his heart. † This emphasis the sadness and reaction of the panther’s being lonely. In stanza two the simile â€Å"The iron bands is like a dance,† this emphasis how the panther is aware of everything around him but he just really wants to get out of the cage and be free. Thus, humans should not steal the freedom of animals because they too have the right to live their own life. In conclusion, humans have become violently atrocious and antipathetic that they no longer can be reliable in the animal world. This is evident in the text ‘Foxes among the Lamb,’ ‘The panther’ and the visual poster. Continuing to abuse animals and trying to manipulate them will only lead to a decayed society because of our irresponsible actions.

The Monopolist And Profit Maximization Economics Essay

The Monopolist And Profit Maximization Economics Essay Monopoly is a single seller and many buyers. There is no difference between firm and industry and monopoly form as imperfect market. Besides that, monopoly is the sole provider of goods and services. 2.1 Characteristics of Monopoly There are some characteristics of monopoly market. One seller and large number of buyers The one of monopoly characteristic is one seller and large number of buyers is large and the size of each firm is very small. The number of buyers also large and this firm cannot influence the market price. So basically, individual firm does not bother about the reactions of the firm. Besides that, adjusts its sale to earn maximum profits and the price given under perfect competition. The demand of individual buyers relative to the total demand. And so small that cannot influence the price of the product by his individual action. Product has no lose substitutes The second characteristics is, product differentiation, there is product are close substitutes but not perfect substitutes. Its means, products are alike but not equal. For an example, Colgate toothpaste is slightly different from Darlie toothpaste. Otherwise, similarly dettol soap is different from life buoy soap. But if the buyers can find any substitutes for toothpaste and soap means, may be the differences is real or imaginary but its create attachments. Consumers prefer one product to another, under monopolistic competition. Monopoly cannot exist if there is a competition or any substitute product because consumers or buyers could not find any replacement for the product. Restriction on the entry of new firm. The third characteristics of the monopoly are, firm under monopolistic are easy to entry and leave the industry. Barriers are not entry is natural or legal restriction that restricts the entry of new firms into the industry. Hence, a firm has legal control over other firms. There is restricting competition in the market. Advertising In monopoly market, advertising is depends to the product sold. If the product is good and services means, the monopoly needs make advertisement to inform consumers on the goods. So that, its try to establish goods of its own products. By the advertising, consumers can know their selling costs. However, if the products are not luxury goods such as water service, electricity service, and local telephone service, then the seller no need to create any advertisement. This is because a lot of the buyers know that where are the places and locations to get and purchase these few products. 2.1.1 Diagram The Monopolist and Profit Maximization In the diagram, the quantity of produced and price charged has own control for both of it. That also, entire demand curve for goods and services produced. So that, it will facing a downward slopping demand curve in the diagram. Equivalently, a monopoly never operates in the inelastic portion of its demand curve. Monopolist Profit Maximization http://i.investopedia.com/inv/articles/site/micro3.12.gif What happens if the monopolist later faces a demand curve such as D1? In that case, the monopolist cannot cover costs and will go out of business. 2.1.2 Demand, Marginal Revenue, and Elasticity http://cyro.cs-territories.com/asa2_economics/unit4/images/monopolisticcompetitionlongrun1.png In the diagram, demand curve is elastic as there many firms. So that, there is lack of close substitutes. The profits shown as abnormal where the shaded area and competitor the short run. As shown in the graph above, a monopolist facing demand curve D0 will produce quantity Q0 and the price charged will be equal to P0. 2.1.3 Conclusion All in all, monopoly have four characteristics of structure. Besides that, monopoly is the sole provider of goods and services. The monopoly market is still solely by mutually beneficial exchange of firm exist and many. 3.0 Difference between Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly Perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly have their own respectively features. Their characteristic of their four markets is not same. In monopoly, the market structure in which there is only one producer and seller for a product. Oligopoly is only few firms that make up an industry and select group of firms has control over the price. Monopoly and oligopoly has high barriers to entry. Then, monopoly structure is opposite for perfect competition. Perfect competition are has many buyers and sellers, many products that are similar in nature and there are many substitutes. 3.1 Differentiate between perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly 3.1.1 Perfect competition Perfect competition is a market is a possible market where competition is at its greatest in possible level. The products are homogeneous and seller can easily enter and exit from their market. Number of seller and buyers Perfect competition is very large numbers of firms in the market. Perfect competition also existence of large number of buyers and sellers. There is no dominating firm and all firms are usually small and are price takers, because the individual sales volume is relatively small compared to market volume. The price does not change and there is no discernible change in the quantity exchanged in the market. Unrestricted to entry and exist The second characteristics of perfect competition is there are unrestricted on the entry and exist of both buyers and sellers. A firm can easily enter into perfect competition market and leave the market at any time, if that firm cannot continue the firm. The absence of such barriers does not affect the prices, and there is always a substitute for suppliers, who enters and leaves if, wants. If any losses occur the firm will exist the industry without any reason. This is important to understand the free entry and free exist is possible in the long-time firm. Homogeneous product There another condition of perfect competition is homogeneous product that is a product offer for sale by seller. It must be goods offers for sale and perfect substitutes of one another seller. One firm cannot differentiate the same products sold in the industry because buyers can identify the difference in terms of colors, quality and packing. There is mean, even though the products are same in nature but there is difference in terms of quality. Seller cannot raise the price above the prevailing price or lower the price. Homogeneity of product has an important implication for the market if products of different seller. Besides that, buyers not care who they buy from, as long as the price is same. Maximum profits In the perfect competition, profit maximization determine by the quantity of product they sell. The marginal cost by the product of a single unit of the product is equal to the marginal revenue. Total revenue and total cost approach are the profit maximization. When the cost is lowest, and then only can be maximum profit. 3.1.2 Monopolistic competition The concept monopolistic competition is more realistic than perfect competition. Monopolistic competition market each firm has its own price policy. The most things from another thing feature of monopolistic competition are the products of various firms are not identified. But they are close substitutes for each others. In the case, monopolistic and perfect competition is characteristic by the existence of sellers. The firms do not produce perfect substitutes. Otherwise, each firm has a small percentage of the total monopolistic market and thus has limited control over market price. Product differentiates. Under monopolistic competition, product differentiation may entail physical or qualities differences in the products by their selves. There output product are differentiated between which are relatively close substitutes for each other. So that, that product prices cannot be very much different from each other. Product differentiated by location, services, designs, and brand names. The firms in monopolistic competition will differentiated their products and make them more appealing to the customers in order to maximize their profits. 3.1.3 Oligopoly In an  oligopoly, there are only a few firms that make up an industry. This select group of firms has control over the price and, like a monopoly; an oligopoly has high barriers to entry. Main characteristic of oligopoly is interdependence of firms in the industry. Sum more, in the oligopoly market, all firms can earn abnormal profits in the long run because, the entry of new firms are difficult. Oligopoly is not like monopolistic market, because if firms change the prices or output, it has noticed effects on the sales and profits of its competitors. Small number of large firm Approaches from small number of large firm are each which is relatively large compared to the overall size of market. Under oligopoly, few firms control the overall industry and there is no specific number of firms that must control the market. Homogeneous of differentiated product Under oligopoly, when a product sold that can be either a homogeneous or a differentiated product. For example, petroleum, steel and etc. and also, oligopoly focus on goods sold. Basically, people have different wants needs and thus enjoy variety. Such as, automobiles and computers. Barriers no entry Barriers no entry is similar to monopoly market. The oligopoly firms will restrict new entry into the market. In this industry, a few huge firms own most of the available iron ore, a necessary raw material for steel production. Once the new firms are out of the market, there large firms reduce the production will increase the price. In these cases, barriers to entry are low, and it also as small investment may be required to enter the market structure. 3.1.4 Monopoly Monopoly can be considered opposite of perfect competition. It is a market form in which there are only sellers. Even though, there are many factors to rise up monopoly market. There is only one supplier; and the demand curve that individual firms face is the market demand curve. A monopoly firm is deemed to have considerable control over the price of its product. In the case a monopoly can also arise if a company owns the entire supply of a necessary material needed to produce a product. 3.1.5 Conclusion Characteristic Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition Oligopoly Monopoly Number of firms Very Many Many Few One Type of Product Homogeneous Differentiated Homogeneous / Differentiated Only product of its kind (no close substitute) Ease of entry Very easy Relatively easy Not Easy Impossible Price Setting power Nil (Price taker) Somewhat Limited Absolute (Price Maker) Non Price Competition None Considerable Considerable for a differentiated oligopoly Somewhat Productive efficiency Highly efficient Less Efficient Less Efficient Inefficient Long run profits 0 0 Positive High Examples Doesnt Exist; agriculture close Fast Food, retails stores, cosmetics Cars, Steel, soft drinks, cereals Small town newspaper, rural gas station 4.0 Conclusion and recommendations In the whole assignments, I learned about microeconomics subject ant it is a very important subject to whom taking business course. The subject teaches every student about business skills and helps to learn about business knowledge of economics. In first question, I know the characteristics of monopoly. I also learn the differentiated of monopoly in the markets. The second question is about the differentiate between perfect competition, monopolistic competition, monopoly and oligopoly markets. From this question, I learned about the four characteristics of the markets such as the four markets are not same all the times. In spite of this assignment, I thank to my lecturer and coordinator for guide us to do this introduction to business. I appreciate from this assignment that I can know well about the business chapters. Appendix

Interest Groups :: Political Special Interest Groups

Interest Groups Interest Group is defined as "an organized body of individuals who try to influence public policy." This system is designed so that interest groups would be an instrument of public influence on politics to create changes, but would not threaten the government much. Whether this is still the case or not is an important question that we must find out. Interest groups play many different roles in the American political system, such as representation, participation, education, and program monitoring. Representation is the function that we see most often and the function we automatically think of when we think of interest groups. Participation is another role that interest groups play in our government, which is when they facilitate and encourage the participation of their members in the political process. Interest groups also educate, by trying to inform both public officials and the public at large about matters of importance to them. Lobby groups also keep track of how programs are working in the field and try to persuade government to take action when problems become evident when they monitor programs. The traditional interest groups have been organized around some form of economic cause, be it corporate interests, associates, or unions. The number of business oriented lobbies has grown since the 1960s and continues to grow. Public-interest groups have also grown enormously since the 1960s. Liberal groups started the trend, but conservative groups are now just as common, although some groups are better represented through interest groups than others are. There are many ways that the groups can influence politics too. The increase in interest group activity has fragmented the political debate into little pockets of debates and have served to further erode the power of political parties, who try to make broad based appeals. PACs also give money to incumbents, which means that incumbents can accumulate large reelection campaign funds, that in result, discourages potential challengers. As a result, most incumbents win, not because they outspend their challengers, but because they keep good potential opponents out of the race. Conservatives are one of the big groups that influence politics and for many reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conservative thinking has not only claimed the presidency; it has spread throughout our political and intellectual life and stands poised to become the dominant strain in American public policy. While the political ascent of conservatism has taken place in full public view, the intellectual transformation has for the most part occurred behind the scenes, in a network of think tanks whose efforts have been influential to an extent that only five years after President Reagan's election, begins to be clear.

A Concerted and Cogent Effort Needed to Establish Equality in Society Essay

The concept of establishing equality among all members of the society is as old as the history of civilization – the list of do’s and don’ts of several cultures also emanate out of that, before the dominant groups of the societies convert them as doctrines to maintain their dominance over the minorities. However, the voice of the concerned humans also rise from time to time, like what is now being heard under the titles like â€Å"human rights† or â€Å"living wage†. Though usually dubbed as a means of meeting the basic living requirements, living wage aims at facilitating humans to earn their lives to fulfill what Maslow (1943) described in his â€Å"hierarchy of needs,† which comprises of five sets of needs such as basic needs (air, water, food, clothing and shelter), safety and security needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. Thus the concept of living wage raises issues of human rights with special emphasis on the right to survival and dignity. This article thus explores three situations depicted by three researchers to underpin the drivers of inequality in general. India is Plagued by Caste-concept and Exploitative Colonial Ruling Style In spite of being officially a staunch supporter of human rights with a clear backing from its constitution, India is still plagued by the legacies of the Hindu caste system and exploitative format of British ruling style, if the findings of Channa (2010) have anything to go by. He points out with evidence that there is a huge gap between the constitutional vision and the ground-level realities regarding the social and economic situation in India, where it clearly fails to reason why the majority of its population still reels under â€Å"below poverty line†, save providing living wage. Channa points out that legislation or legal strictures prove insufficient against the power of social will in India, which needs to be transformed to a state where the dominant groups of the society will unlearn the caste and exploitative colonial ruling concepts and perceive the real-time need of restoring the human status of its fellow countrymen. South Carolina Suffers from Contradictory Legislations The issue of living wage gets another dimension when it is seen from interpretive and political economic anthropological perspectives, where Kingsolver (2010) comes up with the instance of South Carolina, the area which tops in the number of people living in poverty due to high unemployment rate. Here the solution lies in enforcing legislated living wage that would prioritize human needs over the issue of earning profit. Kingsolver argues that the elimination of contradiction in the laws on tax or ‘right to work’ appears to be the first step towards achieving a legislated living wage, otherwise the age-old conflict between the logics of social welfare and the welfare of capital will continue to be at loggerheads in this region. Exploiters in the Avatar of Corporate Giants Bensen (2010) shows how ‘biocapitalism’ of the corporate giants like Philip Morris is actually a veiled threat to the normative functioning of the society, where it violates not only the ethical standards of living, but also carries on with the tendency of exploiting the human capital, let alone ignoring the issue of social equality. For example, the placement of tobacco auction warehouses as well as the leaf-processing plants in North Carolina are strategically placed in predominantly Black residential areas to get low-skill workers at a minimum rate and to profit more by saving the expenditure on workplace conditions. Conclusion All the three papers reviewed above analyze social dynamics of stigmatization under different contexts, where India suffers from the legacies of age-old caste system and exploitative British ruling strategies, while North and South Carolina suffer from racial discrimination and corporate manipulation. Such state of affairs only consolidates the impression that rules to establish human rights cannot be effective unless the mindset of the dominant groups are transformed, and for that matter, UN should steer a cogent and cohesive campaign across the globe on establishing human rights. References Benson, P. (2008). Good clean tobacco: Philip Morris, biocapitalism, and the social course of stigma in North Carolina. American Ethnologist, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 357-379. Channa, M. S. (2010). What do people live on? Living wages in India. American Anthropological Association, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 15-28. Kingsolver, A. (2010). Living wage considerations in the right-to-work state of South Carolina. American Anthropological Association, Vo. 31, No. 1, pp. 30-41. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, pp. 370- 396.

Siddhartha

Many novels and other pieces of literature, contain a main character that has difficulty finding happiness and solutions to their problems. In Siddhartha, the main character Siddhartha, is born into his fathers social class but finds himself not pleased with his religion nor happiness, so he goes on a journey hoping to find comfort within himself. Like Siddhartha the main character in the Razors Edge, Larry Darnell questions his religion, and everyday decisions. Both Larry Darnell and Siddhartha break off from their original society to go on expeditions in hope to find answers to their unanswered concerns, and to find enlightenment. Both characters willingly give up things in order to reach their goal. Siddhartha leaves his father and his father’s power in their community.†¯ Siddhartha’s father, a Brahmin leader, has much power which makes him able to provide for Siddhartha well.†¯ Siddhartha does not like the ways his father is living and is dissatisfied with his father’s religious beliefs because he sees that his father and his followers are not reaching enlightenment so he feels that it would not make sense to follow a method that obviously is not working.†¯ He and his best friend, Govinda, decide to commence on a journey to find a way of life that is satisfying to them. Making the decision to leave his family and home must have been a very hard choice to make for such a young man to make. Later on in the book, Siddhartha leaves even more of his loved ones behind in his exploration for enlightenment.   He departs from his friend Govinda when Govinda feels that he is content with the samanas and their teachings and Siddhartha feels that he must experience life for his own in order to find inner happiness.   Govinda is Siddhartha’s best friend and was with him through the toughest of times. Siddhartha loves Govinda, but knows that it was in the best interest of both of them to part ways. Additionally, Siddhartha feels the need to let his only child, whom he loves dearly, to go off on his own and experience life’s qualities for himself just like how Siddhartha did during his own childhood. Although he knows it is the right thing to do, Siddhartha feels a natural love towards his newly discovered son and is dreadfully heartbroken by his absence.   Likewise, Larry Darrell willingly gives up a lot of things for his hunt towards world knowledge and inner happiness. Larry gives up Isabel, the woman he’s known and loved since he was a child with no parents, because she wanted a life of luxury and wealth.   Larry did not want that because he wanted to live a modest life where he lives off of the rush that comes with learning and living freely and not trapped in a life full of materialism and capital gain.   He believes that money is not necessary and even goes to the extent of declining a lavish job offer from his best friend’s father. He would have been one of Mr. Maturin’s stock brokers and he would have been practically guaranteed huge sums of money and would have been able to support Isabel to the standard of living that she is used to.   Also, Larry gives up his friend Yosti to focus on his goal.   He and Yosti become great friends when they room together at the mines and go looking for farm work together.   Larry feels that it is his time to move on and abandons Yosti at a farm.   Though in the end it paid off, both characters willingly gave up things in order to reach enlightenment. Both characters gain knowledge while on their quest.   Siddhartha learns a lot from his young son. His son taught him about the true meaning of love. Siddhartha started out on his journey with the thought that you do not need to love everything because some things just are not lovable. His son taught him that you must love everything and yourself to respect the world and everything inside of it.   Siddhartha feels a natural love toward his son and was utterly heartbroken when the time came when he had to let his son go. His son is not the only person that affected him, for the river also had quite an impact on Siddhartha.   The river showed him that time does not really exist and that everything always comes back around. Siddhartha is relieved by this idea because the stresses that time brings are now suddenly lifted off from him.   The idea that everything comes back around is paralleled to Siddhartha’s life because he left his father to go and explore life on his own and now his own son does the same. Siddhartha also learns the difference between knowledge and wisdom and the difference between seeking and finding.   He comes to the conclusion at the end of the novel that â€Å"Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom† (Hesse 142) and that â€Å"Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal† (Hesse 140).   Correspondingly, Larry is affected by people as well. He meets a yogi and brings him questions about god and evil. The yogi teaches him about the Hindu religion and explains to Larry that â€Å"evil is as a direct a manifestation of the divine as the good† (Maugham 114).   Larry is greatly affected by the yogi and takes the information that the yogi shared with him for the rest of his journey. He is also influenced by reading books. He gains worldly knowledge from reading and uses it to his advantage.   He reads about all kinds of philosophies and ideas that bring him to question religion and God.   Larry also learns from experiences.   He decides to leave his friends in Chicago and live in Paris to simply clear his mind and get his thoughts straight.   He also goes to work in a coal mine, a job of which many people would despise having, just to see what it’s like to have some manual labor under his belt.   Most â€Å"people would think [he is] crazy† (Maugham 46) for doing unnecessary hard labor like Larry does, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.   He later went on a 5 year expedition starting in a monastery in Germany and ending with a Hindu yogi in India where he lived â€Å"with calmness, forbearance, compassion, selflessness, and continence† (Maugham 279). This makes him decide to ditch Christianity and makes him very open to Hindu beliefs.   Larry also learns a lot from his time served in World War I.   He was a pilot and him and his best friend, Patsy, got into a dogfight in the air and Patsy literally took a bullet for Larry and died. This event is truly when Larry begins to question religion and God.   Overall, Larry and Siddhartha are greatly influenced by others while going through his journey and learn a lot along the way. Siddhartha and Larry have great effects on other people on their path to enlightenment.   They never seem to shy away from sharing their knowledge with those who will listen. Siddhartha influences his longtime friend Govinda by explaining to him all that he has learned on his voyage. He tells Govinda the meaning and importance of love, seeking and wisdom. When Siddhartha goes in depth about love he describes how a person must love themselves in order to be grateful for anything else that exists in the world. Siddhartha picks up a rock acknowledging how he loves this rock: â€Å"it is a stone, because today and now it appears to me a stone. I see value and meaning in each of its fine mark ings and cavities in the yellow in the gray in the hardness and the sound of it† (Hesse 145).   This lesson has a huge impact for Govinda, and he â€Å"bow[es] low. Incontrollable tears trickl[e] down his old face† (Hesse 151).   Govinda is truly inspired by the teachings and his knowledge about the world. Govinda is just one of the people that he influenced. Siddhartha has an effect on his friend Kamala. Kamala is a very materialistic person and Siddhartha opens her eyes to the idea that material goods are not the most important things in life. She is inspired by this thought and takes a page from his book to further her learning.   She then becomes pregnant with Siddhartha’s son and raises him under Buddhist beliefs and eventually dies in an attempt to travel to meet Buddha himself.   In general, Siddhartha has a positive effect on people that he has encountered with along his journey. Equally, Larry has positive effects on several people along his journey. Larry affects Isabel when she sabotages her own plan to make Larry think that she was pregnant. She thinks of him as being too innocent and sweet to do anything menacing to him. He also makes her question her marriage with Gray because she still loves Larry.   Furthermore, Larry makes a strong attempt to change Sophie.   After her husband and child’s sudden death, Sophie turns to drugs and alcohol to ease her pain. Larry puts Sophie’s problems on his back and helps rehabilitate her and even asked for her hand in marriage.   She accepts his proposal but then relapses and goes back to her bad habits. Although he ultimately failed, Larry still put in a great effort in helping Sophie.   Larry also affects Suzanne by taking her off of the streets and taking care of her when she needed it the most.   Larry finds her and feels that he is obligated to help her so he briefly gives her and her young daughter a home to live in, money and accompanies them through all of this to ensure that they are all right. Larry gives Suzanne hope and the two of them become very close, close enough that Larry tells her about his scarring experiences in World War I. Towards the end of their relationship they have sex and then the next morning Larry decides that Suzanne is ready to get back on her feet and leaves her with money and good people to surround herself with. He leaves her with a pleasing life which she greatly appreciates. As a whole, Larry and Siddhartha are influential in many people’s lives and truly become teachers. People reach enlightenment in different ways.   Siddhartha reaches enlightenment by experiencing all aspects of life and being very open minded so he is not a seeker and is a finder.   Larry Darrell reaches enlightenment by reading, loafing, helping others, questioning religion, and keeping his personal space.   Both characters learn, teach, and sacrifice during their journey towards happiness and both characters evidently reach their goal in the end.

Cost Benefit Analysis Essay

When operating a business or managing a project, there are many moving parts that need to be discussed, evaluated, and/or implemented. A very effective tool that can help that can help in a business decision or project is running a cost benefit analysis. Running this analysis will help a project manager determine how well, or how poorly, a planned action will turn out (John Reh, 2014). This type of analysis relies on the addition of positive factors and the subtraction of negative ones to determine a net result (John Reh, 2014). When putting a together a cost benefit analysis for a big production company like Bubble Films, it is a big project to own. Having 150 employees spread out into multiple states makes it difficult to get all the information needed. There are many factors when you are dealing with multiple areas of operation to provide an accurate cost benefit analysis. The cost of networking equipment and the power it takes to operate them. The amount of cloud space and the security used to protect it and the power to operate. Once you start operating outside of the office, conducting an accurate cost benefit analysis. With the employees working at home, are they working the full day or a few hours here and there? Do you have to pay for their use of electricity and internet, per diem? Is it more cost effective to put everyone in an office rather than work at home? Many questions have to be answered to create and effective analysis. Cost benefit analysis is a very important tool to use when pitching a new idea or project. This will show the investor, project manager, or CEO’s exactly where their money is going to go and how they are going to make a return. It also helps identify flaws in the budget and whether a company can expand or downsize. References John Reh, F. (2014). Cost Benefit Analysis. Retrieved from http://management.about.com/cs/money/a/CostBenefit.htm

Academic Voice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Academic Voice - Essay Example Hence, it is critical that each student's "academic voice" come across in their writings. Voice can be defined as the way in which an argument is presented, supported, evaluated and conclusions drawn from it for practical applications (Demetriou, Goalen & Rudduck, 2000). This begins with the way in which a topic is introduced, and then the structure of the student's interpretation of the topic and accompanying supportive data to justify their point of view. It is important to distinguish academic voice from paraphrasing and direct quoting of other authors, which is used as the evidence to support the writer's conclusions (Brearly, 2000). It is clear that academic voice is essential to the concept of analyzing other writer's non-fiction text. This paper will critically review the use of academic voice with regard to mature age students taking psychology courses. Firstly, academic voice will be more fully described. Secondly, how academic voice can be used will be outlined, with reference to mature aged psychology students. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesize the main points of the paper to demonstrate the important benefits of cultivating academic voice and the contributions of mature aged students to the discipline of psychology. Describing Academic Voice Voice can be classified into three general forms; 1) audible voice, as in how much a reader will "hear" the text; 2) dramatic voice, to determine what type of writer is implied by the text; and 3) one's own voice, which is the relationship of the text to the actual writer of the text (Eisner, 1998). It is evident that the written word is more likely to be heard when the writer's syntax, rhythms and word-choices are characteristic of their own speech patterns. Textual cues, for example, simple sentences that are not wordy, and those which communicate a sense of mental activity, will draw the reader's attention to the audibility of the material. A dramatic element of a text can be cultivated from the former audible voice. As to a writer's own voice, it is comprised of three key elements; there is a distinctive recognizable tone; the impression of actually "having a voice" or "having the authority to speak"; and the "authentic voice" which is the resonance or meaningful relationships b etween the text and the actual writer of the material, in contrast to the implied author (Demetriou et al., 2000). So that a writer who is aware of the persona or image of themselves that is projected in their writing will be able to practice promoting and muting this voice, depending on the context of their composition.In general, new writers who are inexperienced are not aware that they can create their own persona within their writings (Demetriou et al., 2000). Often, due to their lack of experience new writers will use an inappropriate voice, for example using lengthy sentences comprised of jingoism in an attempt to portray themselves as knowing more about a topic than what they actually do. Sometimes, their writings may be overly casual, which is usually completely inappropriate for academic writing, and subsequently their text is not taken seriously by the reader, and so respect and authority is not fostered by their compositions. By way of learning about academic voice a stud ent writer can develops an understanding of the different types of voice, becoming aware of their own voice and of techniques that can be used to change their voice.Undergraduate writers

Performance Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance - Lab Report Example The other factors which help in motivating the employees of the facility are abstract to say the least but a sense of duty and the positive feelings associated with doing something that matters seem to play a big part there. However, this does not meant that the people working there do not need rewards or recognition since that is an important part of working and remaining motivated to work. To handle this aspect of motivation, the presentation moves towards discussing a leadership program at the facility which is presently non-existent. The presentation highlights why this is important for motivating and getting more productivity out of the employees working at the facility by extolling the values of training and knowledge management. The issue of knowledge management comes from the idea that there are four generations of individuals who are present in the facility and they have very different knowledge bases which come with different approaches to the management of the organization. These differences in approaches are then discussed in detail with regard to the leadership program that could be created at the facility. DDI Leadership is one organization which could help in the development of a good system for the leadership program which is based on a performance appraisal system created by the company. Performance appraisal would have its own criteria for various departments and various aspects of the work which is performed at the facility but the overall objective of the performance appraisal system would be to spot and earmark those individuals who can come up as the future leaders of the organization. Individuals can also respond to the performance appraisals given to them and appraise their managers based on their own opinions of their leadership abilities and performance. Finally, the presentation gives some key

Human right abuses in Ahwaz, south Iran, racism and genocide Essay

Human right abuses in Ahwaz, south Iran, racism and genocide - Essay Example First of all, it should be noted that in the epoch of human right protection, genocide is positioned as one of the most cruel violations and abuses imposed on humans. People of Ahwaz are subjected to genocide, though they are indigenous nation of Iran. These people are Arabs and the Iranian regime is intolerant to them and these people are often imprisoned for their beliefs or for their nationality (Security Council Meeting). Imprisonment of people from Ahwaz is another challenge, because they are cruelly treated, do not have attorney and visits of doctors or family members are forbidden. Moreover, people in Ahwaz do not have a fair opportunity of education. People of Ahwaz are deported to other cities, because the Iranian regime wants to change demographic population of this nation. Natural resources of Ahwaz are intolerantly used by Iranians and Ahwaz became the most polluted city in the world in 2009. There is a lack of water and the World Health Organization is on alert concernin g a high level of pollution of Ahwaz (Iraqi refugees). Thus, the Iranian regime is on the way of genocide extension against people of Ahwaz. They do not provide them with required conditions for life; they imprison and even kill representatives of Ahwazi nation. Conditions of life of Ahwazi nation are dreadful and there is a direct and intentional physical destruction of this nation. There is a prevention of childbirth giving. Moreover, the Iranian regime is transferring people from one group to another forcibly. Therefore, there is a direct intrusion in all spheres of life of the Ahwazi nation. Fortunately, the international community is interested in the interests’ protection of Ahwazi Arabs. There is a great shift in prevention of genocide against this nation in comparison with 2005, when the ethnic genocide of Ahwazi Arabs by the Iranian government was confirmed by the international committees. Unfortunately,

Critically evaluate and discuss Balanced Scorecard Essay

Critically evaluate and discuss Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example customer issues, internal business processes, employing activities and share holders concern. Kaplan and Norton labelled the new tool the balanced scorecard. Many organizations have started using balanced scorecard in order to attain efficiency in their processes. Since it considers all the major components in an organization a total efficiency management is possible in an organization. The four components of balanced scorecard are properly managed in order to create a total efficiency. Balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system, which is extensively, used in business and industry, government, and non profit organizations for doing the business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization. Balanced scorecard is using for improving the internal and external communications and monitoring the organizational performance against the strategic goals of the organization. In earlier stage it was used for the measuring the simple performance of the organization to a full strategic planning and management. New card is focusing not only the performance measurement but also helping the managers what should be done and what should be measuring for attaining the organizational objectives in competitive basis. ... overall business strategy into specific, quantifiable goals and to monitor the organization's performance in terms of achieving these goals." (Balanced Scorecard Methodology, 2005). Competitive Advantage enables the company to operate in a more efficient manner and higher quality manner than the companies to compete with and which helping the company for getting higher more profit. "A competitive advantage is an advantage over competitors gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices." (Strategy -competitive advantage). Balance score card is focusing the strategy and its results and improving the organizational performance through measuring the measures in a competitive basis, Focusing on a basis of future performance and also which is used as prioritize projects and initiative basis. Kaplan and Norton described in the following manner, "The balanced scorecard retains traditional financial measures. But financial measures tell the story of past events, an adequate story for industrial age companies for which investments in long-term capabilities and customer relationships were not critical for success. These financial measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation." (Gnanapoo, 2008). According to his perspective Balanced scorecard having the following areas, Learning and growth perspective Customer Perspective Financial Perspective International Business perspective (What is balanced scorecard 2007). The learning and growth perspective is related to the learning and development

It's Beginning to Hurt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

It's Beginning to Hurt - Essay Example He gets astonished to see a young woman that his father was marrying. Although he lacks authority over his father’s choice in marriage, he commands to a great extend through his facial expression that the woman was not the best for his father. The father is the most authoritative person in the setup. He cautions his son not to send a message that can instigate his wife to leave him for his son. The father who is now a widower had earlier been a victim of infidelity in his marriage and were not ready to face the situation again. The newly wedded wife also shows some authority when she offers to embrace her stepson. The son had missed the nuptial, but heads to the reception. He was dressed in a muddy clothes after getting stuck into the mud on his way to the wedding. The mud he got stuck in acted as a cleansing agent for the admiration of his father’s wife. His stepmother embraces him in his muddy clothes as a way of showing him love and as an authority that she will love him just like her son. The three characters best demonstrates the authoritative personality in the

How Ruth Portrays Herself From Never Let Me Go Essay Example for Free

How Ruth Portrays Herself From Never Let Me Go Essay In the novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Ruth wants to portray her as being better than other clones. Ruth portrays herself in this matter because she does not want to be a typical clone. This is because a clones’ only purpose is to donate organs. For example in the text it states â€Å"what you’ve got to realize,† she said to Chrissie, â€Å"is that even though Tommy was at Hailsham he isn’t like a real Hailsham student. He was left out of everything and people were always laughing at him. So there’s no point in asking him about anything like this† (Page 155). With this quote one can see that Ruth is trying to down grade Tommy and make her seem special by inferring that she is qualified for deferrals and Tommy is not. Also in the novel Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro it states â€Å"For the first weeks after we arrived, she made a big deal of it, always putting her arm around Tommy, sometimes snagging him in the corner of a room while other people were still about† (Page 120). With this quote one can see that Ruth is trying to make herself feel superior because she is in a couple and the others are not. Another example that’s Ruth wants to better then other clones is in the novel when if states â€Å"She was the one always pretending to have finished anything anyone happened to be reading; and she was the only one with this notion that the way to demonstrate your superior reading was to go around telling people the plots of novels they were in the middle of† (Page 123). With this quote one can see the effort Ruth puts in to try to be better than the other clones by reading books before everyone else to be able to rub in their faces that she knows the plot already. Also in the text it states â€Å"Ruth came a step closer.†My best horse,† she said,† is thunder. I can’t let you ride on him. He’s much too dangerous. But you can ride Bramble, as long as you don’t use your crop on him† (Page 46). With this quote one can see that Ruth is trying to be special by stating that only she  can ride the best house and Kathy cannot. Last but not least in the novel Ruth states â€Å"I know how it worried you,† she said. â€Å"I should have told you, I should have said how it was the same for me too. Just the way you described it. You realise all of this I know. But you didn’t back then, and I should have said. I should have told you how ever though I was with Tommy I couldn’t resist doing it with other people sometimes† (Page 231-232) with this quote one can see that Ruth is confessing that she was trying to be better than Kathy because Kathy once told Ruth that she had desires about sex and Ruth acted as though Kathy was weird because she never had feeling such as the ones Kathy described. With these quotes from the passage it is clear that Ruth wants to portray herself as special among other clones.