Iran’s Misty Wonders Essay

In Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, both the movie and the book were able to portray the main idea of Marjane Satrapi â€Å"Marji’s† life. The main idea being for us to look at how Marji evolved into a grown women with struggles along the way. Throughout both we were able to clearly understand what a difficult childhood she lived and we were able to get a sense of what her life was like back then. Like in many cases, the book informed us of every detail possible in order to get a clearer message across. When it came to the movie, it lacked many details that were included in the book and if you would not have read the book it would cause you to be confused and lost. There are a couple scenes in the movie that seem to just happen, there was no type of development or leading actions involved. There was a specific scene in the movie where Marji and her mother walk past a conversation that her father and neighbors are having, the female neighbor seems to have some type of sca r in her cheek but we are not sure what it is and if it even matters. If we take a look at the book we see that the scene is different. Marji and her family briefly talk with their neighbors, a husband and wife, and the husband tells her father â€Å"Look! A bullet almost hit my wife’s cheek,† (44). This was a piece of information that could and should have been briefly added because it gives us a bigger picture of how dangerous their lives were during the revolution. This would only help us, the viewers, have a bigger reaction to the plot. Another example that comes to mind was the absence of certain characters. The family’s maid, Mehri, as well as Marji’s good friend, is never mentioned in the movie. This was an important factor because throughout an incident that is described in the book we are able to learn the big issues with social class and in the movie it is something that we miss out on since it is not mentioned at all. The incident was that Mehri falls in love with the neighbor’s son and once Marji’s father knows of this he tells Hossein, the neighbors son, that she is a maid therefore Hossein decided to stop seeing her. Marji’s Father explains to Marji, â€Å"You must understand that their love was impossible.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Becau se in this country you must stay within your own social class,† (37). Many of the characters are also lacked full description, for instance, Mohsen, and Anoosh. From the movie all we hear about Mohsen is that he is found drowned in a bath tub and it leaves many unanswered questions such as why did it happen and who was he. In the book we know that he visited the Satrapi family the same day that Siamak visits but that is never portrayed in the movie. When it comes to Anoosh, in the movie towards the end of the story he is telling Marji, she asks if he has any family, and ends the conversation. On the other hand, in the book he tells Marji â€Å"†¦I married and had two children, two girls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And we are also able to learn that his marriage did not turn out very well. Although, there were many details missing in the movie that were included in the book, I do not think that it takes away the intention of the book. A message is clearly stated throughout the movie as well as the book. In both resources we are able to see how the main character grows up and how her surroundings, and everything she has experienced, influence the person she became. In my personal opinion I feel as if the book was more appealing than the movie. The movie was short and brief and got to the main points of the story and was still able to get a message across. I feel as if the book was more detailed which made the plot clearer. Every character was described perfectly and every scene made sense and fell into place with the other scenes, so that they could all make sense. The details that are included in the book make the story bring more emotion to the reader for the fact that everything is explained, even the smallest details. The visual style for the movie was the same as the book, both were comics. The movie is all cartoons, which is something that I found interesting. I feel that making it into a cartoon was a smart decision because it makes it so simple and easy to follow. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to understand the movie very well, although it was in French, because many of the scenes were similar to the book. In the end, I think both the book and movie were enjoyable. What helped was that I had read the novel, before watching the movie. The lack of details and description of characters could have easily confused someone. On the bright side, a message was still able to get across through both sources.

“Sleep Improves Memory: the Effect of Sleep on Long

Journal Article Critique of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† Comprehension Purpose The Purpose of â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Long Term Memory in Early Adolescence† by Katya Trudeau Potkin, Willsiam E. Bunney, JR was to assign the selected students to sleep and no sleep conditions and compare tested results about adolescents on how getting sleep and not enough sleep could affect the memory. The results were an increase of 20. % in long-term memory (Figure 1) was found as measured by the number correct in the paired-associate test following sleep, compared to the groups which was tested at the same time interval, but without sleep. Results/Conclusion The study showed that older adults performance did not improve following sleep. Sleep dependent memory consolidation decreases with age. Lack of sleep can cause the subject to not be able to reach his or her full potential on â€Å"cognitive p erformance† which was not observed in the sample (4). Analysis and EvaluationStrengths One of the strengths was that the groups tested were divided into two groups, â€Å"Twenty females and twenty male adolescents† (1). I feel that it was evenly distributed to find out if it affected male or female differently. Each subject had a better experience of testing with the comfort of his or her home and was able to eat a good meal before testing. Subjects were asked about how good of nights rest did they get and most of the answers were good to very good which made the testing a little bit more accurate.The students were also given the test over the weekends and school breaks inside a quiet room, away from all distractions. The sleep group’s mean age was 12. 9 compared to 12. 4 for the non-sleep group (t= (1. 52), df (1,38), p =0. 14). (See Table 1 for demographic characteristics and performance scores). There was no statistically significant sex difference in performa nce for either task (2). The test used to test memory on the subjects is called the paired-associate test. This test is the standard way to monitor memory. The memory is measured by using this scale (2).The results that were given were compared to another outside study group and after comparing the two, the outcomes were consistent. The studies showed that it didn’t matter what time of day, but periods of sleep helped enhance the declarative memory. Taking a nap at different times of the day is just as good as getting a full nights rest, not saying that its better than a full nights rest but it helps to build and repair memory. Weaknesses The author stated that â€Å"It is important to have data on the effects of normal sleep† (4). There are so many different types of sleep disorders that can keep someone from getting a good night’s rest.One paragraph states â€Å"Sleep disorders are even more prevalent in adolescents with psychiatric disorders and developmenta l disabilities† (4). Twenty five to forty percent of adolescents have sleep disorders. It’s very important to get data on the effects of normal sleep. There are consequences from having lack of sleep and bad sleep patterns, none of these things were talked about in the studies of the subjects. All of the subjects that were chosen were healthy and didn’t have any health issues. If there were to be someone with these issues, then the numbers would be different.Some other studies of sleep that effects other types of memory wasn’t used in this article, for example visual, procedural and emotional memory. The chart used in this article is very hard to understand but this is the standard chart to use for documenting memory. This chart is hard to understand when looked at for the first time; it just looks like numbers on a page. Another issue that I had with the article is the studies ended with using adolescents. Synthesis and Evaluation One of the major changes that I feel should be done is to create a longer sample. One paragraph stated â€Å"Our study was limited as the sample was pportune† (4). There were a lot of sources that could have been used but wasn’t. Memory would be more understandable if there were more included. People with sleep disorders could have been included to show how that affects memory. Another thing that could help understand memory is if adults, middle age and the elderly were used. The older you get, your memory starts to taper off and remains the same then it declines as you grow even older. Memory is at its greatest when you are an adolescent and memory is at its worse when you are elderly. Alzheimer is a big factor when dealing with the elderly.The mind can deteriorate if rest is needed over a long time period. If the body continues to go without rest over the years then it will be hard for the mind to repair itself. This topic would have been something to help us understand memory as we age. I would have added a formula to the chart to show how the numbers come about. The bar graph was something good as a visual but how did we get those numbers? I would have shown step by step process on how to make these calculations. The research results were compared to another study from an outside source, on the same subject and the outcomes matched.We can’t come to conclusion that these answers are right because it is simply not enough information to say these results are true. I think that if the results were compared to even more outside sources to see how the results compare would give us a wider range and more accurate results. These are just a few ways that I think would have made this article stronger and better to understand. Works Cited Potkin KT, Bunney WE Jr. â€Å"Sleep Improves Memory: The Effect of Sleep on Longterm Memory in Early Adolescents†. Plos one 7. 8 (August 2012): 1-4. Academic Search Complete PsycINFO. EBSCO. Wake Technical Community College, Ra leigh, NC. 28 Feb 2013

A Review Of Inequality And Globalization Case Studies Economics Essay

A Review Of Inequality And Globalization Case Studies Economics Essay Globalization is defined as the worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade, and communications integration according to www.businessdictionary.com. Globalization has been evolving for thousands of years; countries have been buying and selling goods to each other from great distances since the Middle Ages. The recent trend of globalization has been motivated by policies that have opened economies both domestically and internationally. Technology has been another driving factor for globalization. Information Technology has given the world a means of pursuing economic opportunities. There are multiple issues that have arisen due to the globalization of markets from around the world. International trade and transport are hindered by complicated, lengthy and frequently altered procedures and documentation, different requirements in different countries, duplicated inspections, high charges, the lack of effective interagency coordination and cooperation among ministries and agenc ies involved in trade and transport facilitation, overlapping and conflicting conventions for trade and transport facilitation and the absence of effective information and communication technology applications for trade and transport facilitation. These situations create high costs in trade transactions and delays in the cross border movement of goods and services. Globalization has caused the conditions of inequality and discrimination to deteriorate. Women in society have seen a significant impact as a result of globalization. A demand for cheap labor, combined with a loss of jobs held by men which reduced the customary family income has lead to an increase is the number of women in the labor market. Women who either cannot find factory work or whose family situation prevents them from working in a factory, have had to seek work in the informal sector under some of the worse labor conditions in existence. This had lead to inferior quality labor opportunities and puts underemployme nt just as big a problem as open unemployment. â€Å"Labour market deregulation has been an important issue that has arisen. Formal regulations have been eroded or abandoned by legislative means; and implicit deregulation, whereby remaining regulations have been made less effective through inadequate implementation or systematic bypassing. Such deregulation has been based on the belief that excessive government intervention in labor markets – through such measures as public sector wage and employment policies, minimum wage fixing, employment security rules – is a serious impediment to adjustment and should therefore, be removed or relaxed. Deregulation might mean more employment for women, but the danger is that such employment would tend to be on less favorable terms. The question is whether the market can be left almost entirely to determine the price of female labor and the conditions of female employment† (Lin, 1999, p19-20). However, the biggest issue arisi ng from globalization appears to be in human rights violations. The enjoyment of fundamental aspects of the right to life, freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, freedom from servitude, the right to equality and non-discrimination, the right to an adequate standard of living (including the right to adequate food, clothing and housing), and the right to work accompanied by the right to just and fair conditions of labor, There is the concern that countries cannot fulfill their international human rights obligations.

Public Transport Systems and Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public Transport Systems and Pollution - Essay Example Due to the interference with national balance, production of different raw materials that are used in the manufacturing industry are affected, which consequently constraints the industry. The issue of pollution, which is global and not regional is evident in all states across the globe, although some have taken significant steps to address the menace. This essay will deeply examine the issue of pollution laying special focus on the effects of pollution on the on human health and environment, fish stocks, forestry sectors of the economy. This essay will also discuss the relationship between public transport systems and pollution as well as focus on the cost of climate change. Air pollution has led to various adverse effects to forestry department and the industries in the sector. Pollutants that are known to cause much harm to trees are oxidants, fluorides, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile hydrocarbons (Gifford, 2006, p. 60). Oxidants react with the sunlight to produce toxins such as peroxyl acetyl nitrate (PAN) and ozone that are harmful to the trees. Ozone is commonly found in the upper strata of the atmosphere but, is considered to be highly harmful once found near the ground. High levels of these greenhouse gases easily damage trees and can easily wipe out an entire forest, which poses a threat to the industries in the field. Pollutants resulting from sulfur dioxide arise as a result of burning oil or coal to produce energy. They are also formed during the extraction of ores and when manufacturing products. Other manmade chemicals such as herbicide, pesticides, and fertilizers do detriment trees. Public transport systems have contributed to air pollution in a great way. Fuels used by the current means of transportation emit harmful chemicals once combusted with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide being very common. Mining undertakings are similarly key players in the issue of pollution.  

Linear Programming . Optimal Output and Calculation of Shadow Prices Essay

Linear Programming . Optimal Output and Calculation of Shadow Prices Using Graphical Approach Manually - Essay Example manage its operations well. Brass Ltd. manufactures two types of products – Masso and Russo which incur machining and assembly costs in their production. There are constraints on the availability of machining and assembly hours which are 700 hours and 1000 hours respectively. The capacity is fixed and the cost on the same is incurred irrespective of the usage. The maximum allowed production of each product type is 400 units. The selling price and costs incurred for the two products are available. The time spent on each machine for each product is also available. The company needs to know the optimal production of each product type to maximize profit. It also needs to gauge the impact of increasing production marginally on the profitability. There are certain inherent assumptions involved while formulating the above Linear Programming Model. The first assumption is that the constraints and the objective function can be represented through linear equations. In other words, the constraints on machining hours, assembly hours and the maximum production are directly proportional to both the number of Masso and the number of Russo. The second assumption is that the production of Masso is independent of the production of Russo and hence the impact of their production on the constraints as well as the objective function is perfectly additive. The third assumption is that the immediate objective of the firm is to recover the variable costs on the manufacturing of the two products and therefore fixed costs of machining and assembly are not considered for model formulation. Ideally, these fixed costs are distributed over the number of products manufactured. For obtaining a solution to the above model, the 6 inequalities shown above are plotted on a graph as shown in Figure 4.1 (www.maths.unp.ac.za). The two constraints regarding machining and assembly hours are plotted as straight lines. The two constraints on the

Case Study -- Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Case Study -- Report - Essay Example Finally, a link has been brought out to bring out the relationship between training and other aspects of human resource management. Most importantly, training was found to have a direct relationship with motivation of employees. Training is effective in identifying the requirements in employees’ performance and by motivating him to do so. The project is primarily based on secondary research. Finally the project recommends the implementation of different techniques of training, namely on-job and off-job training. In this context, both the advantages and drawbacks are discussed at length. Introduction This project aims to bring forth the importance to training and development programs in organisations for uplifting individual as well as organisational performance. The Sing Tel Optus case study is chosen for the purpose of identifying the above requirements. The case speaks of a new training and development program introduced by the company to train its employees. This training i s not only meant to enhance the existing skills of the staff, but is also aimed at rewarding the employees for successful completion of the program. The main purpose of this case study is to bring out the impacts that this program has had on the employees and the organisation. In this context, the project tries to discuss how the program adds to the skills and productivity of the employees. It brings out the results that the program has generated in uplifting the market image of the company as being a favourable employer. The different kinds of training methods, namely, on-the-job and off-the-job training methods have been discussed. The advantages and drawbacks of each method have been discussed. This has been done in the context of Sing Tel Opus’s training strategies and the benefits and loopholes of the same. A relationship between such training and development strategies and the various human resource management practices have been brought to focus in the project. Concept s like motivation and performance appraisals have a direct relation with the system of training and development in organisations. The interdependencies between these concepts have been highlighted in the project. Importance of Training and Development (T&D) There is a common phrase said by Confusius in 5th century BC, â€Å"Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed him for a lifetime† is still valid (McClelland, 2002, p.7). In the early days, businesses considered the workers similar to other factors of production. Therefore, the main aim was to get maximum utilisation of the labour force. However, with time the corporate people realised that human resource is quite different from the other resources. To improve the productivity of this particular resource, it should be trained. This through process motivated businesses to plan different types of training and develop programmes for its human resource so that it can acquire required s kill and knowledge to fulfil the job responsibility in best possible manner. Scholars such as Knowles (1989), Noe (2008) & Blanchard and Thacker (2007) pointed out that the motivation to learn is influenced by two major components; these are

Healthcare Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthcare Communication - Essay Example Some of them also face a lack of proper attention given by a health care professional as a result they seek some other nursing services at a very low cost.â€Å" According to Chronic Care in America [Institute for Health and Aging, University of California San Francisco for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation], â€Å"more that one half of the United States has a chronic condition. Out of those, 412 million were limited in daily activities, and 12 million are unable to live independently†. [Strengthforcaring.com. 2006]. It this being the case it appears that the health care industry does not really consider the needed, or they simply function on a profit based level. Most of the reforms brought out in the health care industry prove to be convenient for the health care professionals and service providers rather for those who are in need of a health care service. For example that computerised health care system has brought several innovative trends in providing a health care services. However, It is very useful for the Physicians and health care services to maintain patient details and the treatment undergone by the patients. Immediate access to patient data could maintain the records confidentially and more privacy and security can be expected from computerised health care services. The lack of financial development plays an important role in determining the health care opportunity for an American citizen. The tax system depends more on the individual and consumer items as a result people with a very moderate income and those without that struggle to pay either for health care or for insurance. â€Å"Between 2000 and 2005, 7.2 million Americans lost their health coverage according to the US Census Bureau. Americans typically lose health coverage when they lose their jobs, or get a job with an employer that does not offer coverage,† observes. Favro. [2006]. The health care system seems to have become a profit based one a more

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

Human resources Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Human resources - Assignment Example He also stated that he often interacted with HR whenever he had a problem with another employee or wanted a bonus or a leave. My brother stated that his HR department recorded all information about employees starting from recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, leaves, increase in salaries, promotions, and the like. He stated that his HR mainly focused on administrative role which included recruitment and selection of employees. He did not have to interact with the HR much too often but planned to in case of any problem in future. My neighbor asserted that his HR not only kept all record of employees but also focused on assigning tasks and responsibilities to individual employees by considering the scope of project, deadline and the competency of employees. I agree with all three participants in positively perceiving about HR and its roles because HR is the most important department in a company that works to increase job satisfaction. I believe that a company should have a strong HR management system if it wants its employees to be stress free, happy and satisfied with their job status. Employees frequently enter into troubles and even if not, still they constantly need motivation to work harder while knowing that their needs will be fulfilled properly. HR takes care of that employees do not have to suffer from any prejudice (racial or gender) during and after selection; they receive rewards when they perform well; they receive enough vacations; they get enough benefits and allowances that they require; they are not bullied; and, the like. As for me, I believe that I can be a good employee advocate because I am very much interested in understanding the nature of conflicts that happen at workplace and resolving them through mediation strategies. I am also interested in assigning project tasks to individual employees since I like to learn about employees’ skills and

International Trade Simulation Essay Example for Free

International Trade Simulation Essay In jumping into international trade a country would ideally want to maximize profits and maximize the impact of opportunity costs associated with importing and exporting goods and services. The ideal situation for a country involved in international trade would be the exportation of specialized goods that can be efficiently produced and the importation of goods that are produced elsewhere that are produced under similar conditions. Doing so creates reasonably priced goods that are desirable to other countries. The contents of the paper will discuss the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and will indentify four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there will be a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there will be a summary of results from this assessment. Rodamia International Trade Advantages and LimitationsOne major advantage of international trade, as pointed out in the simulation, is that by importing certain goods that a country does not have an advantage over means that the country will be able to optimize the production of the products that they do have advantage over. In this type of situation a country exports an efficiently made, high quality product. For example in the first scenario Rodamia the best products for export were cheese and DVD players. Due certain choices along with availability of technology and resources those commodities were the best choices to produce and subsequently export. Importing corn from Uthania was another good choice because corn is produced at a lower opportunity cost which passes that savings along to Rodamia. In addition importing corn allows Rodamia to put a large amount of its resources into producing cheese. Suntize has a comparative advantage in electronics so importing watches from them was a good decision as well. In trading with Suntize and Uthania this made Rodamia in line with opportunity costs of production in each country. The limitation is that comparative advantage does not stay the same because over time as technology develops and skill level adapts the advantage changes as well. Scenario 2 3Another advantage is that in order to stabilize international conditions countries can decide to or not to impose tariffs to equalize the  market. In the second scenario Suntize exported watches to Rodamia at a lower price than the watches Suntize was selling domestically. Placing a different price otherwise called dumping, causes the international market to become unstable. Rodamia decided to place a tariff so that the price imported can equate to the market value of the watches. The dumping margin was calculated at 25% which would raise a tariff of $40 per unit or 25% of the export price. The tariff also proves to help protect the domestic producers. This is so because the number of imports starts to decrease and domestic production numbers raise because of it. In Rodamia the tariffs caused imports from Suntize to drop to 2.00 million units and increased domestic production to 6.00 million units. One of the limitations is that imposing tariffs means that consumers will no longer be able to reap the benefits of a cheaper imported product. High tariffs can mean that consumers may have to pay for higher priced domestically made goods. In scenario three not imposing a tariff proved to be an advantage because not imposing a tariff on Uthania and Suntize caused them not to impose tariffs on the cheese that is imported from Rodamia. A tariff would also harm goods producers in Uthania and Suntize. The limitations are that in Rodamia the corn industry is in its beginnings and imposing a tariff would protect the domestic industry from cheaper produced corn. A tariff would foster the potential for Rodamia to be a large corn producer. Scenario 4Free trade improves domestic market competition. What this means for the consumer is better quality goods and for producers an expanded market in which to export their goods. Countries involved in free trade benefit from all the other countries involved as once a country determines their competitive advantage other countries can reap the benefits of having quality goods. Rodamia has decided to negotiate free trade agreements with both Uthania and Suntize. In doing so free trade negotiation lowers trade barriers which allow countries to explore other markets. This can provide consumers with a larger variety of products. In addition opening the country to other markets increase production leads to an increase competition and consumers benefit from this. The limitations are that free trade negotiations do not affect countries that are not a part of the FTA. Countries outside of the FTA will have high trade barriers. Four Key PointsFour key points that were emphasized in the readings and in the simulation were comparative advantage, consumer surplus, opportunity costs, and trade restrictions. Comparative advantage is when a country possesses the technology and resources to produce at good at a lower cost compared to another good and another countries production. Since Rodamia could produce cheese efficiently their comparative advantage would lay in cheese production. The comparative advantages in the simulation determined Rodamias exports and imports from the neighboring countries. Consumer surplus is when a country can produce goods at a lower price than another country. The country of Suntize may have had a consumer surplus with its production of electronics. The decision to choose Suntize to import watches was based upon the fact that Suntize had an advantage in producing electronic goods. Opportunity cost is the benefit foregone by producing a certain good (Colander, 2004). Opportunity costs were weighed heavily in Rodamia choosing goods to export. Rodamia was encouraged to export the commodity that had the lowest opportunity cost which turned out to be cheese. Giving away 2000 tons of corn cut cheese production in half where as if no corn was exported and imported instead, yields 8 million pounds of cheese. The last key point involves trade restrictions. Some types of trade restrictions include tariffs, quotas, embargos, and licenses. Tariffs were imposed upon Suntize for creating an unbalanced market. The tariff helped to equalize the imported price with the market value. Not imposing trade restrictions can also help not to harm foreign producers of goods and in return they may not decide to place tariffs on imports. Application of SimulationAs a frequent traveler to foreign Asian countries I now know why some countries produce the goods they produce. For example Jasmine rice is widely known as a Thai commodity but their number one export is computers and computer parts. This is so because Thailand has a comparative advantage in producing those goods and exporting them. Because of the lowered price of production Thailand will be able to export units at a reasonable price making those products desirable to countries that are in need of them. In addition I also see the major disadvantages of being a country that does not have any sort of comparative advantage. This would  make it difficult to trade with other countries that will look for products that can be produced efficiently and less costly. Summary of Results Scenario 1:Exports: Cheese and DVDsImports: Corn/UthaniaWatches/SuntizeScenario 2:Level of Tariff (%/unit): 40Imports from Suntize (million units): 2.00Domestic Product (million units): 6.00Scenario 3:Tariff level: 0%Imports from Uthania Alfazia ($ in million): 37.29Exports from Uthania ($ in million): 32.48Exports to Alfazia ($ in millions): 8.86Rodamias Balance of Trade ($ in millions): 4.04Scenario 4Weather to Negotiate FTAs: YesCountry to Negotiate FTAs with: Alfazia and Uthania Conclusion In summary international trade does not come without issues of creating optimal exports and importing the most cost efficient goods. International trade seems to expand the variety of goods that consumers want and for a country and its producer it seeks out new consumers and markets. The contents of this paper has discussed the advantages and limitations of international trade as identified in the simulation and indentified four key points from the reading assignments that were emphasized in the simulation. In addition there was a discussion on the application of what was learned in the simulation to a familiar organization. Lastly there was a summary of results from this assessment. References: Colander, D.C. (2004). Economics (5th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin/McGraw-HillUniversity of Phoenix. (2007). Applying International Trade Concepts. Retrieved on October18, 2007 from, University of Phoenix, rEesource, Simulation,ECO360- Economics for Business I Web site.

Margaret Atwood, The Circle Game

Margaret Atwood, The Circle Game Her first publication was a book of poetry, The Circle Game 1964, which received the Governor Generals Literary Award for poetry (Canada), Several other poetry collections have followed since, including Interlunar (1995) , Morning in the Burned House (1995) and the latest, Eating Fire: Selected poetry, 1965-1995 (1998). She was also as a short story writer and her books of short fiction include Dancing Girls and Other stories (1982), Wilderness Tips (1991) and good Bones (1992). Margaret Atwood is best known for her novels, in which she created strong and puzzling women characters. Her first novel was The Edible Woman (1969), which is about a woman who cannot eat and feels that she is being eaten. Surfacing (1973); Lady Oracle (1977); Life Before Man (1980); Bodily Harm (1982 and The Handmaids Tale (1986) is a futuristic novel describing a womans struggle to break free from her role. Her latest novels have been; Cats Eye (1989), dealing with the subject of bullying among young girls; The Robber Bride (1993); Alias Grace (1996); The Blind Assassin (2000); and Oryx and Crake (2003), a version of a scientific dystopia. These novels have received many awards. The most vital crisis in the life of a modern man is that of identity. Twentieth century literature reflects this very accurately. The important issue dealt in modern literature is the search for identity or the quest for self. The strength of todays literature is found in its evocation of the individuals predicament in terms of alienation or exile or quest for identity. (Srivastava 130) In fiction, the attention has shifted from the society in the century to the individual in the twentieth century. The individual is given more important and man is seen as one who creates societies rather than one who is created by it. The subject of the self has gained universal importance and it, is most dominant in Common Wealth countries. The Common Wealth countries in the twentieth century feel that they do not belong anywhere as they were under the rule of the British for long time and the suddenly let free. These countries strive to seek a separate identity of their own new and the same is seen in their literature. The Common Wealth writers feel that they have a responsibility in giving a unique identity to their countries. The question of identity first started with the nationality and slowly it narrowed down to the individual itself. Canada being a Common Wealth country faces both the problems of national and individual identity. The very word Canada gives the meaning. It is derived from the Spanish word Canada-aca-nada which means nothing here. 3 The search for a recognizable and meaningful Canadian has been a main Pre-occupation in Canada. M.F. Salat says that the Pre-occupation with self-definition and the search for a distinctive Canadian identity has been such a central aspect of Canadian imagination, it can be said , the discourse on identity is the Canadian discourse. (salat 62) What distinguishes Canadian predicament from other Countries is the continuation of the identity crisis is the continuation of identity crisis over a long period of time. This is because Canada has never been free of what is called the Colonial identity. In the beginning it was under the influence of the British culture and lately it suffers from the psycho- social and economic colonization by the United States of America. The issue of the Canadian identity rose up most vehemently in the post 1960. It was mostly dealt by women writers as it was the period of the womens Liberation Movement. The women writers also had a personal reason behind it as they wanted to establish their identity as writers without any prejudice on gender. The Womens Liberation Movement helped to release Canadian Women from many of the restrictions and inhibitions of the society. It helped to create the new women. This, says Barabara Godard, astonished, amused and frightened Canadians in the period before the First World War. (Janeja 172) 4 Many women took to writing as a profession and portrayed their ambitions and aspirations of the new women Their writings portrayed their yearning for freedom from the limited constrains of a conventional society. In Canada women began to assert consciously and confidently their potential as writers in the post- 1960s. The wide spread preoccupation with the quest for a distinctive cultural identity in Canada in the post 1960s, was responsible for strengthening the desire to assert a distinctive feminine identity comparable to and compatible with the male, in culture as well as in literature. (salat 78) The most important women writers of this period are Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence, Ruby Wiebe, and Alice Munro. A among these writers the most noticed and appreciated. Women writers is Margaret Atwood. Atwood has implicit and successfully problematised Canadas quest for identity in her novels by making her women protagonists undergo a similar crisis. She has a predominantly feminine search for a distinctive identity. Atwoods reaction to this sensitive issue of identity has been the most articulate and she has deliberately set out to create all her novels in such a way that towards the end, each of her protagonists emerges as a woman who knows her own self. Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, short-story writer and also a well established critic. She was born in Ottawa in 1939. She spent a 5 Considerable part of her early life in the northern Ontoria and Quebec bush country. She started writing at the early age of five. Her father who is an entomologist often took his family on field trips. This produced in Atwood an early and an avid interest in the wilderness. In 1946, the family went to Leaside, a suburb of Toronto and settled there. This change is also reflected in her writing. The contrasts beween its Christian, middle-class morality and its blatant materialism define the spiritual wasteland through which many of Atwoods characters pass on their way from childhood to maturity.(75) Atwood is a graduate from the University of Toronto, where she won a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. She took her Masters Degree from Radcliffe College. Since 1973 Atwood has live with Graeme Gibson a Canadian novelist and Cultural activist. They have a daughter, Eleanor Jess. They now live in Toronto. Atwood has been a write- in residence at Universities in Canada, the USA and Australia. She has taught in several Universities such as the University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta, Sir George Williams University, Montreal and at York University Toronto. She was the founding member of the writers Union 1984-86. She is still an effective spokesperson, and activist on behalf of Canadian writers and of womens right, Native rights and the environment.

Hiring Police Officers Essay -- Security Safety Law Enforcement Essays

Hiring Police Officers Hiring police officers to perform private security work has positive aspects and potential pitfalls. Business owners vary in their opinion on hiring police officers. Liability and cost are reasons some prefer to hire private security guards or take other security measures. Other business owners prefer the training, professionalism, deterrence, and authority that come with hiring a police officer. Due to lawsuits involving off-duty police officers, the Courts have had to develop tests to determine when a moonlighting police officer is working under the authority of the private company or in the role of a peace officer. Issues have arisen about the difference in police mentality and retail service. Some argue that police officers are not trained in the motto that the ‘customer is always right’. Others believe additional training can bridge the gap. Hiring off-duty police officers is big business and a growing field that benefits the community and the officer. Pros and cons of hiring police officers to engage in private security work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The employment of off-duty officers in private security is a big business. An estimated 150,000 law enforcement officers engage in private security work on off-duty hours, and their combined income reaches $1.8 billion annually. The combined revenue of secondary police officer employment exceeds that of the combined top four security companies in 1988 (Trimble 1993). There are many positive aspects of the program that benefit the community and the officer. But to some the positives aspects do not outweigh the negative consequences of hiring police officers. In this paper, I will discuss the positive and negative aspects of hiring police officers for private security details, as well as, my personal experience, case law, and the polices of different police departments. HIRING OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS Why would a company want to pay for a police officer to work a security detail at their store or facility? Police officers generally cost more to hire than a traditional security guard. What are the advantages that justify the cost? First, let’s define what is an off-duty police officer? Police are traditionally thought to be on-duty 24 hours a day. When officers are not actually working at the department, their law enforcement authority is in a type of reserve status. It is not necessary fo... ...NCES Beaver, D. When police walk the security beat. Retrieved November 14th, 2004, from http://www.amguard.com/featured_article.htm Brooks, B. Off duty police patrol shops along US 78. Gwinnett Daily Post Online Edition. Retrieved on November 14, 2004, from http://www.gwinnettdailyonline/GDP/archive/article78D9E0F872E44EBB9F88 Eiserer, T. (2001 October 28). Retailers face criticism over use of off duty police officers for security. Forth Worth Star – Telegram. Malcolm, A. (1989, February 26). When private employers hire public police. New York Times, p. 1 O’Leary, C. (1985, December 1). Minyard insisting on off duty police for security. Supermarket News, v. 46 n. 30 p. 18 Peck, D. (1999, October). When police walk the security beat. Security Magazine, v. 43 i. 10 p. 38 Scarlett, T. (2001, April). Private employees of off duty police may be liable in Tennessee. Trial, v. 37 i. 4 p. 32 Spain, N. (2002 October) Debate over using off duty police: Which argument rings true for you? Security Management, v. 37 n. 2 p. 65 Tolchin, M. (1985, December 1). Off duty officers doubling as private guards, but the system draws criticism. New York Times, v. 135 p. 41

Comparative Analysis of Cultural Ideologies in Norway and the United St

Comparative Analysis of Cultural Ideologies in Norway and the United States The intent of this paper is to examine individualistic and communitarian cultural ideologies within two distinctly different political environments. The first challenge in comparing two nations is deciding which approach is most appropriate. There are several approaches in political science that have proven most beneficial when making comparisons. This study will use a comparative government approach to examine the political institutions, processes, constitutions, and functions of government within each of the two countries selected. The countries that have been chosen for this study are United States and Norway, respectively. Gregory Scott believes that the fundamental aspects of human interaction in society are the need for community (unity) and the need for individuality. The argument is that the entire history of politics is largely the story of how communities and nations resolved the inherent conflict between the universal needs for community and individuality. With that, the topic that this paper tends to address has emerged, within the study of politics in this class and others, as the single most dynamic in scope and in implication. Freedom, equality, and justice combine to build a substantial argument for the individualistic ideology. Authority, order, and democracy are all building blocks for the argument of the communitarian. Scott notes that much of what motivates individualist is a strong desire for freedom. This author also argues that we are all interdependent and authority is justified by the need to bring order to societies competing values and thoughts. In studying the history of humanity, the battleground that has been formed between the need for individuality and unity is undeniable. A person’s view of the nature of humanity is fundamental to their view of government, and its scope. If people are seen as dangerous, then a government to protect people from that danger is most appropriate. If people are viewed as capable of fulfilling their own creative potential, you may want a government that protects individual liberties (Scott, 47). These are all examples of core values for the entire foundation of government and of politics. This argument, for the use and scope of government, is divided into many different arguments that address basic issues o... ...hild benefit scheme, and the increase of taxes in electricity and heating oil consumption. Community Statistics v Official Name: The Kingdom of Norway v Population: 4,504,000 as of Jan. 2001 v System of Government: Constitutional Monarchy v Geographical Area: 385,155 sq. km. v Monetary Unit: Norwegian kroner, NOK v Coastline Length: 21,192 km. v Economic Indicators: Inflation rate (2000) 3.1%; Gross Domestic Product (1999) 1,192,826 million NOK; Gross Domestic Product per capital (1999) 267,328 United States of America According to political scientists, the United States is considered and â€Å"individualistic† society. A society that is quite capable in operating on its own, and not really relying on others to instruct them in ascertaining the very essentials of having a functional, independent, way of living. To fully understand the depths of the United States’ individuality, several ideas must be explained. First, one must understand the role of government in the United States. Secondly, there has to be an understanding of the evolution of the United States as a society, and the formation of its political structure and ideologies. Next, an

John F. Kennedy :: essays research papers fc

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in the Boston suburb of Brookline. Kennedy was the son of Joseph P. Kennedy a formerambassador to Great Britain. Kennedy was much like his father, possesing a delightful sense of humor, a strong family loyalty, a concern for the state of the nation, endless vitality and a constant air of confidence no matter how dire the situation (Kennedy, Sorensen, Harper & Row, New York 1965, Page 18). Growing up in a priviliged household and graduating with honors from Harvard. He served as an assistant to his father (1938), naval officer (1941-1945), journalist (1941 and 1945) and Congressman (1947-1953), he had traveled to every major continent and talked with the presidents and prime ministers, of some thirty-seven countries. In 1952 he was elected to the United States Senate and in 1953 he married Jaqueline Bouvier. However one year later a spinal operation brought him to the edge of death's door, causing him to deeply reflect on his character (Sorensen 28). After his dangerous operation he researched and wrote a book, about democracy. The next year narrowly missing the Vice Presidential nomination of his party, Kennedy emerged as a national figure in large demand. "John Kennedy was not one of the Senate's great leaders" (Sorensen 43). Very few laws of great importance bear his name. Even after his initial â€Å" traditionally' inactive freshman year in the Senate, his chances for major contributions to the Senate excluding his stances on fair labor reform and against rackets, were constantly diminished of his Presidential campaign. His voting record reflects his open minded views, and strengthed beliefs. He was well liked and respected by many Senators. Kennedy was regarded for his eagerness and cool logic in debate situations His only real â€Å"enemy† was Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin (Sorensen 45).McCarthy's rough and wide-ranging hunts for Red, "pinks" and headlines had stomped on the freedoms of people who had not committed a crime, and Kennedy was too rational and reasonable a man to remain indiferent to the extremism known as Mcarthyism. Kennedy often was a thorn in McCarthy's side obstructing many of McCarthy's personal choices for various offices and by serving on certain committies of which McCarthy was chairman, such as the Government Operations Committee (Sorensen 46). Kennedy's political philosophy revoloved around the idea that one could not allow the pressures of party responisbility to cloud ones personal responsibility. Meaning after all was said and done that the decision falls upon yourself to make the choice regardless of what your party platform was. Of course the platfrom had significant merit, nevertheless it still came down to

Argumentative Essay on Legalization of Marijuana Essay

Ever since marijuana’s first recorded use five-thousand years ago, it never had much popularity until the last century with prohibition and anti-war movements. The legalization of marijuana has recently been a rather controversial issue, although there should be no issue at all. Marijuana should be legalized. Prohibition was once tried with alcohol and it was a proven failure, and it should be soon proven again with marijuana. Marijuana is a relatively safe drug, especially when compared to other illegal drugs and even some legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. There are many reasons marijuana is illegal and frowned upon today; most of which are irrational or ill-informed, while the rest are underlying reasons and irrelevant to the actual safety of marijuana and its users. There are many obvious benefits to society if marijuana were to be legalized. This includes the elimination of a large portion of underground drug dealers and their consumers. Financially, the common taxpayer would also be positively impacted. More than 300 economists, three of them well known, have estimated that the US government could save as much as $13.7 billion per year; $7.7 billion saved by not having to enforce the current prohibition, and $6 billion if the government taxed marijuana similarly to alcohol and tobacco (1). Not to mention the many jobs that would be created for American citizens in order to actually produce and market the marijuana. Medicinal reasons should also be accounted for, which include the need of medical marijuana for patients to live without pain. To put it simply; ill and ailing people are denied life-altering medicine because marijuana is illegal. Marijuana is a proven, effective, medicine. The Institute of Medicine’s report on marijuana, published in 1999, states, â€Å"In conclusion, the available evidence from animal and human studies indicates that cannabinoids can have a substantial analgesic effect.†(2). Included in this report is evidence supporting, to a lesser extent, marijuana relieving clinical depression, and was also shown to suppress  nausea and vomitting commonly associated with chemotherapy. Marijuana can also be especially effective in improving the appetite of AIDS and cancer patients. It is completely irrational to have such a potentially beneficial drug illegal, while thousands of American’s die each year from legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. Marijuana is, in every way possible, safer than alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to healthy cells and organs, a side effect that results directly in about thirty-five thousand deaths in the US annually from resulting illnesses. Heavy alcohol consumption can depress the central nervous system, inducing unconsciousness, coma and death. Worldwide, alcohol consumption causes a staggering four percent of all deaths worldwide; more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence (3). By contrast, the active compounds in marijuana, known as cannabinoids, are relatively nontoxic to humans. Unlike alcohol, marijuana is incapable of causing a fatal overdose, and its use it inversely associated with aggression and injury. The difference between marijuana and tobacco is even more evident. There is a common myth floating around claiming that one marijuana joint is equal to five cigarettes. This false conclusion is originally derived from a study by Dr. Donald Tashkin in which the researcher examined airflow resistance in the lungs of tobacco smokers compared to that in the lungs of marijuana smokers (4). He did find that daily pot smokers experience a â€Å"mild but significant† increase in airflow resistance in the large airways, greater than that seen in people smoking sixteen cigarettes per day. But what is not usually told is that, ironically, Dr. Tashkin also found, in the largest study ever of its kind, other, more important markers of lung health, in which marijuana smokers did much better than tobacco smokers. It is also rarely mentioned that the researcher’s study unexpectedly found that smoking marijuana, even regularly, does not lead to lung cancer. Zero people have died from the use of marijuana, nor has there been a case of marijuana causing any form of cancer. The fact that marijuana is illegal today is sufficiently caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the war on drugs. The government simply cannot turn back. They make a concerted effort to inform  American citizens that marijuana is bad for the taxpayers. Billions of dollars have gone towards fighting the war on drugs – marijuana specifically -, which would seem wasted if all this money was spent on something that was legalized anyway. The US government, as an investor, is in a relatively unique situation. It just wouldn’t be logical for the government to throw away their money, jobs, and pride without extreme pressure from an outside force. They would never abandon such a huge investment, unless they had to politically. Of course, there are many voices to be heard when concerning counter-arguments to the legalization of marijuana. Unfortunately, many can be disproven logically. For example, a common argument is ‘It is morally wrong to get high.’ The people who say this are usually theists of some sort, and don’t fully realize that morals vary from person to person, or religion to religion. Without a set standard of morals, the government or anyone else for that matter should have no right enforcing one set of morals onto another, especially if no one but themselves are affected. Then there is the classic, ‘Marijuana is addictive.’ This is true, but not in the way implied. Marijuana is not physically addictive in any way as are cigarettes; you can get addicted to marijuana just as you would get addicted to food, sex or anything else in life, for it is only psychologically addictive. There are those that claim that marijuana is a gateway drug, and therefore, should not be legalized. Well, if marijuana was a gateway drug, it would be far less effective as such if it were legalized; being forced into an underground market to buy an illegal drug would unavoidably serve as a ‘gateway’ to more illegal drugs, and can only be prevented by either getting rid of the entire market of illegal drugs, or simply legalizing marijuana. The use of marijuana is not as harmful as the government wants its people to believe, but nevertheless the government sponsors scare tactics on TV, using misleading or wrong information. Renowned scientists around the world have agreed that marijuana’s ability to play a significant role in medicine is more evident now than ever. Marijuana causes absolutely no long term health issues and can improve the quality of life of millions of sick, ailing people. Harmless and innocent people will continue to be harrassed,  arrested, and forced to suffer until this ‘horrible’ drug is legalized.

Conrad vs Holden

Ordinary People and The Catcher in the Rye: Reckless Actions In current day society, people strive for the untangible feeling of happiness. Genuine happiness can develop a person to become lovable; however, the nonexistence of happiness may do the complete opposite. Holden a protagonist from the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and Conrad the main character from the movie, Ordinary People, are searching for this happiness within their own lives. However, they are unable to find it because of the solidarity that they feel between their friends and families.The loneliness and the decreasingly lack of joy in Conrad’s and Holden’s lives triggers them to make decisions that would lead to consequences which would negatively affect their surrounds in the future. The absence of happiness within the lives of Holden and Conrad causes them to act reckless in different ways that ultimately harms himself and people around him. Throughout the movie Conrad makes many i mpulsive decisions that harms his friends, family members, and also himself.The first wrong decision that started the domino effect on the other wrongful decisions that he makes, is the fact that he didn’t come back to shore when he and his brother, Buck, saw â€Å"how bad the weather was becoming† while they were sailing. This decision results to the death of his brother and the event stays in his mind leading to the reckless behavior that begins to engulf his mind. Following, this decision is Conrad’s suicidal attempt by cutting his wrists vertically in his bathroom sink.Although this act puts pain on his family, it mostly affects Conrad physically and emotionally because he has to endure the pain of the slits and the depression that had caused him to make the decision to begin with. Even after Conrad returns from the hospital he continues to feel the lack of happiness within his own life. The depression causes him to not want to eat the breakfast that his mot her makes just for him. Hurt by the rejection, Conrad’s mother dumps the meal into the drain and leaves in an abrupt manner.In addition, much of the bottled up emotions that Conrad keeps causes him to become quite distant with his own family and his friends. This solidarity eventually leads Conrad to lose his past close relationships with them. These impulsive decisions allow Conrad to expand upon his emotions, since in the beginning of the movie he bottles it up and allows it to accumulate over time. Within the novel, Holden displays reckless attitude that results in harming both himself and those around him.The factor of his reckless behavior begins when Holden runs away from Pency Prep due to the fact that he gets kicked out and is afraid that his parents would be upset. In turn, Holden decides to live in the city and waits till he is expected to come home. This act eventually leads him to hurt himself mentally because after a time spent in the city, Holden begins to †Å"feel more depressed.. † and lonely (95). In an act of desperation, Holden tries to fill in his loneliness and sorrows by finding company with a girl named Sally that he â€Å"wasn’t too crazy about† (105).However, as Holden and Sally are still on their date, Holden displays his reckless behavior when he insults Sally calling her â€Å"a pain in the ass† (133). Sally is thus deeply hurt by the insult and â€Å"she was even crying† (134). This act in turn leaves Holden to become lonely and depressed once again. With the feeling of depression weighing on his shoulder, Holden decides to leave town and head for the west. Phoebe, Holden’s kid sister, hearing his plan also wants to tag along as well bringing along her suitcase that contains her personal items.Even though Holden doesn’t want to be alone, he refuses his sister’s plea to run away with him and in turn results him to display another act of recklessness. Holden yells at Ph oebe telling her to shut up which triggers her to â€Å"start to cry† (206). Holden’s consideration of leaving Phoebe hurts Phoebe because she really cares about her brother’s well being. Since Holden’s siblings Allie and D. B are no longer currently living in the household, if Holden were to run away, Phoebe would feel lonely having only her parents as companions.Holden and Conrad are similar types of characters because they both act recklessly and unintentionally hurt themselves and the people that surround them. Both of the characters punch one of their good friends due to immature decisions. Holden gets into a fist fight with Stradlater since Holden continues to invoke Stradlater about his date with Jane, knowing that a punch to the face would follow the dispute. This act displays that Holden makes wrongful decisions knowing the consequences of the act, however still continuing with the act.In addition, Conrad also displays reckless behavior by contin uingly punching Stillman out of the remark that Stillman makes of Jeannine. Conrad punches Stillman out of anger and frustration since Dr. Berger, Conrad’s psychiatrist, unlocks his emotions; it begins pouring out uncontrollably. With this act of violence, Conrad loses many of his once close friends because his friends now perceive him as â€Å"crazy† after the punching incident. Both Holden and Conrad displays thoughtless decisions by punching their friends in an act of rage which results in the consequences of more hurt.Even though Holden and Conrad may be similar they are more different than alike because they exhibit different acts of recklessness. While Holden may use strong words and loud voices to harm others, Conrad uses physical actions to harm the ones around him. When Holden was on his date with Sally in the restaurant, he begins to ramble about the future that Sally and Holden could have together. Holden suggests that Sally runs away together with him howev er Sally rejects his proposal causing Holden to become upset.This urge that is raging inside of him impulses him to say things that he didn’t think through therefore enabling him to insult her. However, this is not the only case in which Holden says things without thinking. In another scenario where he is speaking to Phoebe, Holden tells Phoebe to shut up, he â€Å" didn’t mean to tell her to shut up †¦Ã¢â‚¬  but the impulse enabled him to do so (206). On the other hand, Conrad uses his non-thought out actions to affect the people around him. Having Conrad attempting suicide by cutting his wrists vertically harms his family because it causes them to have to worry about their son.Conrad’s parents have already lost a son and if they were to lose another one then it would further devastate their family’s reputation and the family would thus fall apart. In addition, due to Conrad’s depression it causes him to not have an appetite when eating. Th us, when Conrad’s mom makes him breakfast and he refuses, this act causes his mother to become hurt from the rejection and therefore dump the meal in the garbage dispenser. Even so the slightest of actions of Conrad should effect and hurt the people around him.In conclusion, even though both Holden and Conrad are unintentionally hurting their loved ones, they differently act out recklessly when making out a decision. Both Holden and Conrad are both misunderstood teenagers that are trying find a way to get through the day. This is caused by the fact that their life is missing the genuine happiness that everyone in society searches for. However, at the end of both stories, they eventually achieve their idea of true happiness and therefore can live through the day knowing that they are truly happy.

Cap and Trade Policy Paper Essay

Introduction: The issue of carbon emissions is an important one not only from an environmental perspective but also an economic one. While reducing carbon emissions is an important one for the health of human beings as well as that of the environment, the larger question is what type of policy strategy is best for both reducing such emissions which might have an impact on efforts to mitigate the effects of pollution on climate change. While ther are options to consider which does not rely on economics– technological or output standards achieved by command and control regulations–they are often fraught with political resistance by industry because they do not allow industry to make any choices or play a role in solving the problem of excessive emissions and the burden that these emissions place on others. Instead of such draconian measures based on fiat, the preferred options rely on economic tools instead to provide incentives to industry to police itself by either incenting investment in emission-reducing and/or energy saving technologies or to reduce production in line with the total/social-costs rather than just the private/ producer-costs of production. Two such economic policies to consider in this regard are emission taxes and cap-and-trade policies. Overview of Policy Problem: Carbon emissions reduction Consider a company that faces an increasing marginal pollution abatement cost curve as in the Figure 1. Left unregulated it will choose not to reduce its carbon emissions (a.k.a abate carbon emissions) and avert facing the costs of abatement represented by the area underneath the marginal abatement cost curve represented by area (B + C + D) in the diagram below. Figure 1: Marginal Costs and Marginal Benefits of Reducing Carbon Emissions [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. Suppose that policy analysts have determined that the economically efficient level of pollution abatement occurs at the point where marginal benefits of abatement equal the marginal cost costs of abatement as is suggested in economic theory. The resulting level of carbon emissions is e* (reduction in emissions is measured from the far right in the diagram above to the pointe*). The question is what policy to follow to achieve e*: either some type of fiat policy involving either some type of output restriction or requiring use of a particular pollution-control technology or some type of policy that involves financial incentives to reduce emissions. This paper hypothesizes that policy options involving economic incentives are preferable to those options that involve regulatory fiat. Specification of Economic Policy Models: 1) A Carbon Emissions Tax: One policy instrument that can be used to achieve this level of abatement is to set a tax where marginal benefit equals marginal cost — represented by the horizontal â€Å"tax† line in the Figure 2 below. Under such a scheme, the polluter will find that it is cheaper to reduce carbon emissions so long as the marginal cost is lower than the tax. Since the tax bill (A + B) is great than the marginal abatement cost bill (B) to the left of the point e*, the firm will choose to reduce emissions up to the level of C with the remaining emissions level indicated in figure 2 measured from the right in the diagram. To the right of e*, the marginal abatement costs, represented by areas C + D, are greater than the tax bill (area D) so the firm will choose to pay the tax and continue to emit pollutants beyond e*. Figure 2: The Carbon Emissions Tax [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. So long as the marginal costs and benefits of abatement can be known with certainty, an emissions tax can be set at the point of intersection of these two measures resulting in an efficient level of pollution emissions at e* with total abatement costs (including taxes paid) to the polluter of area B+D and providing the government with revenues represented by D (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). It is when these marginal costs and marginal benefits are either not measurable in their entirety or when there is uncertainty about the figures obtained that leads to added questions as to whether this would be the best policy to follow. 2) A Cap Policy: An alternative policy to an emissions tax to achieve reductions in emissions through the tools of economics is to set a cap at the point where marginal social benefit equals marginal social cost of reducing emissions/abatement — represented by the vertical â€Å"cap† line in Figure 3 below. The polluting firm must reduce its carbon emissions to e* where the marginal social cost of reducing emissions equals the marginal social benefit of the products produced by the polluter. Such a policy–if the social costs and social benefits can be measured accurately—results in an efficient level of emissions produced/reduced at e* with an abatement cost borne by Figure 3: Cap Policy for Each Firm [pic] Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. the polluter equivalent to area B (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). The issue is whether total social costs can be measured and measured accurately in order to set such a policy at the correct or efficient level of emissions for each firm. Normally such policies do not result in efficiency even though an efficient level of overall emissions can be attained since it does not account for different costs of abatement in different firms. That is, a level of emissions can be attained that is equivalent to that achieved under an economically efficient policy but the level is not achieved at the lowest overall cost. One way of obtaining individual caps is for the government to auction off emission permits that total the pre-set amount of emissions that it feels is optimal. Firms with higher costs of reducing emissions will bid higher than firms with lower cost structures. Again, the only problem is determining what the total amount of emissions should be reflecting all social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. 3) A Cap-and-Trade Policy An added twist on the cap policy allows firms to trade emission allotments between themselves based on the buyer of allotment bargaining with the seller over the proper price to pay for the extra allotment. A two-panel diagram is needed to better understand the logic of trading emission allotments. Figure 4 illustrates the marginal cost of reducing emissions of two firms. One firm is run on older technology with high abatement costs that goes from right to left with zero costs represented at the lower right-hand corner of the diagram. The other firm has newer technology in its plant with lower abatement costs that goes left to right with zero costs represented at the lower left-hand corner of the diagram. The width of the horizontal axis is the reduction in emissions that must be achieved overall to an efficient level. The intersection of the two marginal cost curves is where economic efficiency is achieved. That is, the value achieved Figure 4. Cap-and-Trade Between Firms Policy Source: Econ 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade, 2012, n.pag. from the last dollar expended on abatement must be the same across all firms in the market. This is known as the equimarginal principle (Boyes and Melvin, 2011,122). The total cost of attaining the efficient abatement/emissions level is equal to the area C + G + K. At the efficient level of emissions, e*, the low cost (of reducing emissions) firm should reduce more emissions than the high cost (or reducing emissions) firm. Such a policy can be implemented by issuing carbon permits to different firms and allowing them to buy and sell their permits in the open market. Normally, equal amounts of permits are issued to each firm since it is difficult to assess the true abatement cost a priori. In the end, the marketplace will help determine the differences in cost structure depending on how high a firm is willing to bid for an extra permit or two (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). As with the individual firm cap policy, the cap-and-trade policy is predicated on the government being able to determine the optimal level of total emissions desired reflecting social costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions. Combining the different economic policy options together, it is obvious that it is possible to achieve the same level of reduction in emissions by setting a tax at the same level as where the marginal costs of reducing emissions is the same between firms which is at the level represented by the horizontal line in Figure 4 above. As above, the polluting firms will notice that it is cheaper to abate carbon emissions as long as the marginal abatement cost is lower than the tax. The firms with the higher cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from right to left and incur abatement costs equivalent to area K and pay taxes equivalent to area B+C+F+G. The firms with the lower cost structure will reduce emissions to e* when measured from left to right and incur abatement costs of C+G and pay taxes equivalent to areas J + K in Figure 4. Setting a cap on each individual firm will produce the same level of reduction in emissions, but given that it is difficult, if not impossible, to individualized caps based on different cost structures of abatement, an efficient outcome is difficult to achieve under such a policy even though emissions are reduced to the same overall level. Regarding the market failure due to the negative carbon externality, both a carbon tax and carbon cap-and-trade will achieve the same level of increased efficiency–assuming that measurements of costs and benefits can be measured accurately– by reducing emissions to the optimal level at minimum cost. The real difference in these policies is due to differences in the distribution of costs. In the carbon tax policy, the government receives added revenues while in the cap and cap-and-trade policies when permits are simply handed out to firms, the firm has no additional outlays other than the cost of abatement to stay within the cap or to purchase additional allotment from other firms. If the permits are initially auctioned off by the government, the additional revenues to the government should be nearly the same as with a tax scheme if marginal social costs and benefits have been measured accurately. However, the economics-based policies are preferable to policies based on fiat where specific technologies (e.g., smoke-stack scrubbers) or a uniform cap on emission outputs across all firms since these other policies fail to take into account social costs and benefits. With regard to the economics-based policies, the following added impacts may also occur. First, in addition to static efficiency–efficiency occurring within a single period of time–there may also be dynamic efficiency within these policy schemes whereby firms have an incentive to adopt new technology over time to reduce their marginal costs of reducing carbon emissions (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Secondly, carbon emission taxes and/or auctioning permits will generate additional government revenue that might be used to offset various distortionary taxes on labour and/or capital (Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade, n. pag.). Evidence and Analysis: There are various problems associated with the design of emissions tax regimes warranting discussion. First, if such a tax were placed on individuals rather than firms without any offsetting changes in other taxes or government transfers, a carbon tax might be regressive suggesting that the highest tax burden would be placed on the poor (Poterba, 1991, 11). This is mostly applicable to gasoline taxes where a flat emissions tax would make up a higher percentage of the income of poorer over wealthier taxpayers; thus, an issue of equity arises here. Likewise, firms with higher profit margins would shoulder less burden from the tax than firms with lower profit margins given a similar costs of pollution abatement. Poterba (1991) suggests that this regressiveness could be offset by changes in either the direct tax system or in government transfers. Second, as the population grows and production totals continue to increase to meet the demands of this growing population, emission taxes will need to rise to keep emissions at a particular level; this may lead to a set of distortions in terms of domestic vs. foreign production whereby firms can transfer production to other jurisdictions that do not have such taxes in place. Thus, international trade leads to an opportunity to get around the tax scheme and the higher the taxes instituted, the higher the incentive to engage in such behaviour. Thus, if emission taxes differ significantly between two neighbouring jurisdiction–for example, the State of New York and Connecticut or even New York and one of its neighbouring Canadian provinces–there is an inherent incentive to move production outside of the jurisdiction with the highest taxes and import products from elsewhere. Third, a central issue regarding the design of carbon emissions taxes to harmonize such polities with other fiscal instruments designed to mitigate the effects of climate change. For instance, it is important to ensure that taxes on chlorofluorocarbons and emissions from fossil fuels are comparable to avoid distortions in consumption that may lead to a worse outcome for the environment than in the absence of such policies (Poterba, 1991, 27). Bosquet (2000) conducted a review of the evidence regarding the impact of carbon emissions taxes on the environment and the economy. She claims that environmental taxes involve the shifting of tax burden from employment, income, and investment to resource depletion and waste. She asks the general question of whether such tax reform can produce a double benefit by helping the environment and the economy simultaneously. Based on her reviews of the literature and available evidence, she concludes that when emissions taxes are instituted, they are generally associated with reductions in payroll taxes, and–if wage-price inï ¬â€šation is prevented–they often result in signiï ¬ cant reductions in pollution and small gains in employment (Bosquet, 2000, 19). Also associated with the implementation of such environmental taxes are also marginal changes–gains or losses– in production in the short to medium term, while investments decease marginally and prices increase. However, she cautions that the results of such environmental taxes in the long-term are less certain (Bosquet, 2000, 29). With regard to cap and cap-and-trade policies, the evidence is also available regarding the effectiveness and consequences of such policies. Stavins (2008) describes a graduated cap-and-trade scheme that involves initially just Carbon gasses with 50% of permits issued to polluters in the market free of charge and other half auctioned off. Over 25 years, the percentage auctioned off annually will gradually increase to 100% and other greenhouse gas emissions will be included over this time span. The idea is to implement a gradual iterative policy with a slow trajectory of emission reductions. As time goes on, other emissions are included in this scheme and the system provides for harmonizing this scheme over time with effective cap-and-trade systems and other emission credit reduction programs in other jurisdictions. This harmonization effectively addresses the issue raised with emission tax policies that are unilaterally established in one jurisdiction without consideration for the po licies in neighbouring jurisdictions. If there is an effective way to dovetail policies in different jurisdiction, then this would level the playing field between domestic and imported products. Regarding actual cap-and-trade policies already in place, Colby (2000) analyzes a cap-and-trade policy for limiting Sulfur Dioxide emissions. The changes stemmed from the Clean Air Act of 1990 which allowed for a nationwide cap-and-trade policy for industrial firms emitting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Marginal costs of reducing emissions fell substantially duringn the 1990s due to reduced costs of installing scrubbers, reduced costs of flue gas desulfurization, and falling costs for low sulfur coal all due, to a large extent, to an active program of trading/buying allowances between firms that emerged after a few years of experience after the program was initiated. As Colby (2000) states, â€Å"The allowance trading market enhanced competition among the different methods that firms use to control emissions, adding impetus to cost reductions† (Colby, 2000, 642). Low allowance prices and falling marginal costs associated with reducing emissions produced earlier-than-predicted cutbacks in sulfur dioxide emissions. Allowance prices rose from lows of $80-90/unit in 1996 to about $215/unit in mid-1999 spurring further conservation efforts. Colby (2002) does mention that design and implementation of cap-and-trade schemes involves some important policy tradeoffs: equity among the players, balancing use levels with resource conditions, facilitating transactions between firms wishing to trade allowances, accurate accounting for externality costs, assuring adequate monitoring of emissions levels, and documenting welfare gains due to the policy. She says that efficient trading mechanisms can be more easily implemented when there is a strong political or legal mandate to cap resource use and trading allowances are sensed by all parties involved to be a way to ease adjustment to limits on emissions (Colby, 2000, 638). In choosing between the various policies, it is inevitably important to sense the level of uncertainty over measuring the items of interest. With regard to emissions taxes, it is important to have fairly accurate estimates of marginal social costs and benefits and with regard to cap-and-trade schemes, there needs to also be a fairly accurate means of estimating the optimal level of emissions given all the costs and benefits involved in reducing emissions. If it becomes difficult to measure these items accurately, then the expected deadweight loss and associate probabilities of various miscalculations needs to be assessed and compared across the different strategies to determine the policy that produces the smallest expected deadweight loss which is key from an economic perspective. Since policies based on fiat, such as technology mandates and non-economically based output standards, are not set with regard to these types of measures, it is likely that the deadweight economic loss associated with these policies will be greater than for either emissions taxes or better yet, cap-and-trade policies. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that economics-based emissions policies are preferred over policies based on fiat. Moreover, the strongest evidence for promoting investment in pollution control equipment and reducing emissions that mitigate the effects of climate change appear to involve cap-and-trade policies. Partially, this might be due to the flexible design of such policies which—through the auctioning and/or trading of allowances—account for changing market conditions. This policy, even more so than emission taxes, forces the industry to face current market conditions through the use of auctions and trading for emission allowances. As a result, the parties are forced to make choices based on strong economic criteria to obtain efficiencies over time. Works cited: Bosquet B. 2000. Environmental Tax Reform: Does It Work? A Survey of The Empirical Evidence. Ecological Economics. 34, 19-32, Colby G. 2000. Cap-and-Trade Policy Challenges: A Tale of Three Markets. Land Economics, 76, 638-658. Econ. 101: Carbon Tax vs. Cap-and-Trade. 2012. Website. Retrieved on June 5th, 2012 from http://www.env-econ.net/carbon_tax_vs_capandtrade.html Melvin W. Boyes M. 2011. Microeconomics. 9th ed. Marion, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning, Poterba JM. 1991. Tax Policy to Combat Global Warming: On Designing a Carbon Tax. NBER Working Paper. MIT-CEPR 91-003WP. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/50159/28596145.pdf?sequ Stavins RN. 2008. Addressing Climate Change with a Comprehensive U.S. Cap-and-Trade System. Nota Di Lavoro 67.2008 Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei. Retrieved on June 7th, 2012 from http://www.feem.it/userfiles/attach/Publication/NDL2008/NDL2008-067.pdf

Business, society and government Essay

Business, society and government are placed in different situations depending on what the conflict may be. According to the case â€Å"Dickinson’s needle sticks†, all three different sectors were placed in a different position where society was seen to have no voice or empowerment. The society in this case were the nurses, patients and any health care workers using Dickinson’s needles. These sectors solved their conflicts through interacting with each other and finalise a resolution through many negative and positive outcomes which could be ethical and unethical. But then again, each sector strive for the position of power. The major issue in the case â€Å"Becton Dickinson and needle sticks’ is the brand of syringes hospitals are using. These syringes had caused large amounts of patients, nurses and civilians infected with traumatic diseases such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV aids. Hospitals during the year 1990 was highlighted as one of the highest percentage of people be infected with diseases from syringes. In this case, Dickinson’s needle sticks were the reason to this health crisis. Dickinson’s needle sticks where known to be the top selling needle sticks in the market aiming at a reasonable price where hospitals were not reluctant to purchase. Through this major issue from the safety of Dickinson’s needle sticks had arise this issue through the relationship between business, society and government. Each sector has its own purpose, interests, values and ideologies within this case. From the society’s point of view, it could be seen that their minor role and power within the needle stick case dims the empowerment to execute the uses of Dickinson’s needles. Each sector stated and contributed their opinions to this conflicting interest where each sector fight for power through ethical and unethical ways to solve this problem. The notion of ideologies and policies come from the perspectives of business, society and government. The relationship between these sectors affect each other in ways to ‘impose power over each other’, where each position introduce the concept of ethical dilemmas when a conflict arises. In this case, according to the case â€Å"Becton Dickinson and needle sticks† shows the  perspective of society where the relationship with business and government underlies the position society has in this case. Although society is seen to be the minority, but the domination of certain ideologies in society promotes the acceptance of beliefs that benefit those in power (University of Western Sydney 2014, p.4) These societies were known to be the secondary stakeholders which include social activist groups and business social groups. The secondary stakeholders interact with businesses in relation to their interests and concerns. Within the case study, â€Å"Dickinson’s nee dle sticks† agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) trained and guided nurses through the step and process of using the Dickinson syringes. The society has decided to take part and help avoid increasing the number of accidental infection through the process of using syringes. Therefore having nurses being under pressure within the health department, could cause stress in association with the functionality of the Dickinson’s needle process. The ethical issues and the aftermath of the needle sticks will then be associated with the government. With these diseases, people, patients and health care workers could possibly suffer harshly and lead to possible death; this is known to be an ethical dilemma. Families whom by stand loved ones with diseases, could also suffer through grief. The society would question and reflect how this situation could have been avoided. For the government to take some responsibility and the Dickinson’s business admit to their ‘unsafe’ syringes causing diseases would be morally and ethically right. The moral imagination of these family members would solve a part of their mourning and put aside to the conflicting issue. In relation to ideology theories, classical liberalism would suit society in the case ‘Dickinson’s needle sticks’. According to Adam Smith, classical liberalism emphasised the value given to individual freedom and promoted individual initiative and self-interest, providing the greatest utility to society (University of Western Sydney 2014, p.11). Linking to the case with the classical liberalism theory, in 1992, a nurse, Maryann Rockwood was infected with AIDS due to the process of drawing blood using Dickinson’s needle. Maryann Rockwood had then sued Becton Dickinson for the ignorance of  providing and manufacturing the safety syringe in different sizes, which had contributed to her injury. Therefore with the classical liberalism ideology, this had allow individuals to have a voice in issues that are connected to business and government. By having Maryann Rockwood propose to this conflict, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had required hospitals and clinics free hepatitis B vaccines and provide safety needle disposal boxes, protective clothing, gloves and mask. The government had intervened and ethically solve this on behalf of the society. Therefore based on a societies point of view, their sociological imagination in relation to spreading preventable diseases allows the society to consider the complication is at ease and is avoided. Businesses volunteer and associate themselves with charity and fundraising; this is known to be an ethical responsibility. Government is suppose to protect the society in which health would be classified as the top priority. In the case â€Å"Dickinson’s needle sticks† contradict the action of the government not demanding hospitals and health workers to use the most safest syringe in the market where it would prevent any diseases. Inclusive to the business, Dickinson attempted to market a ‘safer’ syringe, but unfortunately this did not meet the government and society’s expectation. Dickinson had released a newly engineered syringe where there was only one size, which was the 3-cc. Hospitals and health workers use more than one size of syringe, in this case the most used syringe was the 5-cc and 10-cc model. Having Dickinson’s business venture this, it could again lead to another uprising conflict. The sociological imagination of society would continue to uphold petitions in erasing risk that would affect health. In this way, parts of the three sectors have compromised a slight resolution referring back to the case study, â€Å"Dickinson’s needle sticks†. From a business’ perspective, manufacturing a new and safer model of syringes to decrease the amount of conflict from the society and government. Changing and manufacturing a new and innovative product could cost the business a large sum of expenses. It can be said that business attempted to solve an issue yet it has not fully satisfied society in this matter. Government contributed through agencies such as the Health and Human Services, the Food  and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI). It can be evident that government endeavoured to adapt to the Dickinson’s needle sticks to prevent such diseases by providing proper guidelines. Through the actions of the business and government sector, it can be said that it was an ethical act to adapt to any current problems. The concept of capitalism refers to the importance in considering the rise of social struggles between those who can find work, who find work as long as their labour can increase capital and the owners of the means of production (University of Western Sydney 2014, p.5). On the contrary, having an increasing number of people infected with diseases, a high demand for employment within the health sector is needed. With the introduction of capitalism, this allowed individuals a chance of employment and benefits government to assist those in needing medical help. Colonialism has influenced the governments role in the case â€Å"Dickinson’s needle sticks†, where providing free vaccines and giving health care workers protection clothing will benefit the society in the long run where the risk of getting infected with a disease is minimal chance. Considering the diversity of global business situations, the interaction between business, society and government become more available in solving a conflicting issue of interest. With the freedom of voice, due to the introduction of capitalism from colonialism, society is allowed some sort of power when it comes to delivering satisfaction and benefits such as social welfare system. Therefore, the interrelationship between these sectors allow the conflict of interest to be resolved through continuous petitions, debates and many law cases. Based on societies perspective relating to the issue raised throughout the case, â€Å"Dickinson’s needle sticks†, it can be said that society was seen to be the minority against business and government. It could be seen that society was the underdog against business and government, but society was the main lead in this clashing case.The society in this case, were the nurses, patients and health care workers where they were affected most through this conflicting issue. It could be said that government had the most power by avoiding the increasing percentage of people being affected with inimical diseases. In association to this, business did have an unethical perspective based from the society, where they could have quickly avoid and adapt to the issues being afflicted upon society. Hence, it would have been a social responsible act if the government immediately extracted this type of syringe and replace a safer needle stick. __________________________________________________________________________ REFERENCES Crossman, A 1991, The Sociological Imagination, Introduction to Sociology, viewed 20 April 2014, . Fan, Q 2014, The Role of the State: Ideologies & Policies, lectures note distributed in Business, Society and Policy 200158 at the University of Western Sydney, Parramatta on 21 April 2014. Fan, Q 2014, B-S-G Context: Development of Capitalism from Colonialism to Global Capitalism, lecture note distributed in Business, Society and Policy 200158 at University of Western Sydney, Parramatta on 20 April 2014. Fan, Q 2014, Sociological Imagination & Ethical Reasoning, lecture not distributed in Business, Society and Policy 200158 at University of Western Sydney, Parramatta on 25 April 2014. Lau, S A 2014, Moral Imagination, College of Engineering, viewed 23 April 2014, . University of Western Sydney. 2009, Business, society and policy 200158, 2nd edn, Pearson Custom Publishing and the University of Western Sydney, French Forest, NSW.