The Theories from the Movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Instances with cultural dimension are everywhere. The very normal everyday affairs that relate to cultural field could intricately stand on behalf of, or are shaped by, wider social and cultural forces (Miller, McHoul, 1). For instance, in the movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), fashion as a significant element, including the appearances of projection, consumption and aesthetics, as well as the status of upper class, determines self-identity and expresses one’s personality and discourses. This essay will first briefly introduce the movie, followed by defining and elaborating two theories. Subsequently, two of the movie clips deemed as culture examples, each exemplifying the key notions from two scholars will be analyzed. Ultimately the essay would draw the conclusion with cultural lead ideas. According to the introduction of Metacritic (2009), the movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) mainly describes a girl named Rebecca Bloomwood who is absolutely a shopaholic. In order to achieve the dream of working for her beloved fashion magazine, she snags a job of being an economic columnist for a financial magazine, which is published by the same company. Ironically, she guides people to effectively manage money on the one hand and has loads of debts to pay off on the other hand. She has to make up lies to evade creditor’s tracking. Eventually, the comedy ends with Rebecca turning over a new leaf and celebrating both career and love after harsh introspection and self-reflection. The movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) is occupied by fashion, glamour and shopping. This refers a person with a compulsive desire to shop. This movie lightly involved gender bias and stereotypes with the terms. For instance, women who love buying are called â€Å"shopaholics†. While, occasionally, men are called â€Å"collectors† which have the same situation as women. However, the movie principally illustrates people’s desire for consumption and self-expression through styling and taste, which will be detailed by theories as following. In the movie, the view of simplified consumption is widely and reasonably acknowledged. Shopping, an approach of leisure and consuming time, offers people happiness and enjoyment. Due to the reports and evidences from Carlson (2008), it can be powerfully argued that people consume for the sake of consuming in real life. The Polish sociologist, Zygmunt Bauman (1925- ) illustrates the modern consuming in the theory of â€Å"consuming life†, based on his theory of consumerism and liquid modernity. With the heuristics understanding of consumers and â€Å"consuming life†, he discovered three ideal categories, namely consumerism, the society of consumers, and consumer culture, to demonstrate consumers as a part of the society as well as the possible relationships among them. (Patterson 4). Bauman chiefly addresses consumerism about the subjectivity of individual consumers and states the motivated role of the unfulfilled desires and unsatisfied needs. As for the second ideal type, Bauman argues the inevitable relationship between individuals and the world. In addition, ‘salability’ is coined to define the cause of social membership raised by individual’s consumption. The third ideal type, notably consumer culture, is claimed to â€Å"moves to a mes-olevel discussion of the social networks and interactions that exist within liquid modernity. †(ibid. ) In Bauman’s theory, people are believed live in the postmodern consumer society and consumption is increasing in volume. Consumer’s satisfaction is instant and delayed. As the report of Miller (33), at the moment of purchase, women are hardly satisfied in situations of purchase. The satisfaction brought by consumed goods is limited and short-term, the length of which normally should be reduced to bare minimum. However, Bauman (17) argues that the impatient, impetuous, and restive consumption would be more likely and much easier to fade off and lose interests as well, which reverses the traditional relationship between satisfactions and instant needs. At the beginning of the movie, Rebecca Bloomwood, who already has a debt of $900, is still fascinated by the green scarf that she does not really need. Finally she buys it due to her immediate desire even it is not necessary. Throughout the movie, there are numerous scenes in which she regrets for her impetuous perchance. â€Å"Do we really need another chair? † as David Report asked. They claim that things that are not really necessary cram people’s homes and people purchase them because of imputation and short time self-satisfaction (Carlson 4). Moreover, Bauman clarifies ‘consumer game’ as the excitement of sensation, which excludes the greediness of obtainment as well as the tangible sense without wealth. Consumers ought to consume rationally and in control. Desire, is regarded could be reproduce by itself, and has self-perpetuating motive. As Mark C. Taylor and Esa Saarinen once said, â€Å"Desire does not desire satisfaction. To the contrary, desire desires desire. † (Bauman 5). The movie of Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) presents numerous and various scenes of fashion judgments. For instance, one of the clips depicts the astonishment of Rebecca, who discovers the illustrious background of her boss, whom she thought was nonentity and nobody. When asked why wearing these low-priced clothes, he answers that he does not want to be labeled by his clothes and the appearance, which says the underlying tastes and sense of fashion. Pierre Bourdieu (1990-2002), who was born in an out-of-the-way corner of southwest France, illustrates and clarifies these situations with the conception of †habitus† and the class taste. In his youth, He was cultivated in philosophy. However, after the experience of participation of the Algerian War, he transformed to be a social scientist. Nevertheless he had philosophic logic and accuracy (Grass 1) as well. In Bourdieu theory, drawn from a long-term scientific observation, cultural needs are demonstrated to be the product of upbringing and education. Cultural practices, including literature, painting or music, are closely attached to the educational level and subsequently to social origin. According to both the influence from the strongest ‘extra-curricular’ culture and the extent of the cultural practices, which are recognized by the educational system, the background and formal education could change. Therefore the manner of tastes and ‘class’ forms within the discourses as well as structures (Bourdieu 2). The different lifestyles associated with them (Wacquant 7) could be understood as the approach to categorizing and distinguishing people. In addition, the theory shows how individuals characterize and reversely define themselves to others. For instance, the upper class makes adjudication based on the mannerisms, interests and tastes (Bourdieu 2). Habitus, meaning the way that the body is shaped by discourses as well as the environment, is clearly visible through taste. Through the process of which people recognize, judge, and operate in the world, habitus successfully assigns the system of ispositions, which is shared by countless people who have similar experiences and ideas. Habitus, the mediation between both the past and present stimuli, is socially structured and is simultaneously structuring the society. The reason for Bourdieu’s exemplification of the â€Å"unchosen principle of all choices,† as well as â€Å"the product of structure, producer of practice, and reproducer of structure† to hibitus is that it provides form and unity to a range of activities of an individual by crossing the separate spheres of life. Moreover, habitus is a principle of both social continuity and discontinuity. It is social continuity because of its ability to store social forces in individuals and transport them across time and space. Furthermore, It is discontinuity in that it could â€Å"be modified through the acquisition of new dispositions and the reason† that â€Å"it can trigger innovation whenever it encounters a social setting discrepant with the setting from which it issues†. Wacquant 7). All in all, the comedy of Confessions of A Shopaholic (2009) could be intensely analyzed by culture theories. After the briefly introduction of the movie, Bauman’s theory was introduced to illustrate the conception of consumption. Moreover, the three ideal categories detail the conception and the hypothesis of satisfaction of desire, suggesting the impetuous purchase would fade off yet the desire never would. Subsequently, Bourdieu’s theory of taste classifies and categorizes people with respect to taste and education. The dissimilar manners are closely linked to the dissimilar positions in social factor, which possibly bound up with the systems of habitus of the different classes (Bourdieu 2). In fact, despite the fact that the cultural studies about â€Å"desire† as well as â€Å"habitus† has been already made progresses, it is obvious and plain that they would still be discussed and argued within a long period of time.Reference http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/paleopsych/2006-January/004927.html http://www.metacritic.com/movie/confessions-of-a-shopaholic

A Review of Margaret Wente’s “Inside the Entitlement Generation” Essay

Margaret Wente’s Globe and Mail article on the existence and characteristics of the entitlement generation in Canada is both opinionated and thought provoking. The author strongly supports that the entitlement mindset is quite prevalent in Canada’s universities, has been nurtured by its preceding generation and has led to students’ unrealistic work expectations. Although Wente effectively communicates her opinions regarding the entitlement generation, her arguments are compromised by poor use of appeal to authority and a polarized approach to the topic. Those who have stepped onto one of Canada’s many university campuses may have noticed the student mentality encompassed by its definition. Wente credits Dr. Ken Coates, a professor of history and former Dean at the University of Waterloo, with elucidating the mindset of the entitlement generation— â€Å"the kids who’ve always been told they’re smart, and never pushed too hard† (par. 3). With the assistance of Dr. Coates’ expertise, the author argues that the development and existence of this generation of students has led to their unrealistic work expectations and disappointment post-graduation. She contends that this mentality is derived from student disinterest and laziness, yet nurtured by a former generation. Wente makes her opinion on the topic of the entitlement generation very clear by using a firm tone, which may be misinterpreted as condescending by the wrong audience. She makes implications regarding the entitlement generation and t heir work ethic. Applying these implications to a sizeable population is Wente’s fundamental flaw. Moreover, she bases many of her arguments on the shared opinion of Dr. Coates and does not deviate from this source. Implications that apply to large populations and the use of only a single source leads to generalizations that consequently contribute to error in appeal. These characteristics of Wente’s writing make many of her claims questionable and open to criticism, even though they may be valid arguments. The author uses Dr. Coates’ apparent expertise on the entitlement generation to support her arguments. She reassures her reader that Dr. Coates is an expert on the entitlement generation by indicating that his book, Campus Confidential is â€Å"a guide to the mindset of the entitlement generation† (par. 3). Wente presents Dr. Coates’ opinions as if they were her own, demonstrating her concurrence. Her agreement can be seen in her support of Dr. Coates’ statement that â€Å"[students] bring assignments in late and think that [professors] will mark them without penalty† (par. 4). Wente claims that this attitude is predictable because â€Å"that’s the way it’s been all their lives† (par. 5). Wente’s editorial is riddled with this type of accord, which may be criticized by the reader. The author only introduces the audience to Dr. Coates who is assumed to be the expert-on-the-topic and lacks an indication that there is adequate agreement among other experts. Additionally, there is no mention of the opinions held by Dr. Coates’ students regarding his credibility and competence in his role as a professor. It is possible that his opinion of the students he has encountered during his career has been shaped by their attitude towards his teaching ability, popularity or subject of expertise. Finally, Wente adopts a polarized approach to the topic by implying that students are either a part of the entitlement generation or the top 15 to 20 per cent of their class (par. 10). Wente argues that only the top of the class, can realistically anticipate jobs with a starting annual salary that exceeds $50 000 (par. 11). She implies that the remaining students are encompassed by the definition of the entitlement generation and are considered both uninterested and lazy. Furthermore, the author suggests that only the entitlement generation expressed their desire for unrealistic work/life balance, vacation time and a starting annual in the recent survey of university students (par. 11). She fails to acknowledge the possibility of a group of students who do not achieve a GPA that reserves them a spot at the top of the class yet possess a genuine desire to learn and be challenged. These are the students who might â€Å"[devour] the works of Frantz Fanton, Karl Marx and Gloria Steinem† (par. 7), but may also be involved in extracurricular activities, which take time away from their studies. Dr. Coates and Wente, do not recognize important attributes that students gain from being involved in clubs, sports or organizations. This lack of consideration contributes to the polarized approach adopted by the author. Wente’s holds a firm opinion regarding the entitlement generation and their characteristics. Her article brings public attention to a common mindset of Canadian students, which may help to explain the unrealistic work expectations of the current generation. This information may help employers who draw from Canadian institutions hire candidates that will integrate well into their organization based on their attitude. Employers should be wary, though, of the information presented in Wente’s article as it adopts a polarized approach to the topic of the entitlement generation with poor use of authorities. Works Cited Prinsen, Jean. â€Å"Mind Wide Open: Critical Reading.† Kingston: Queen’s University, 2011. 1-6. Wente, Margaret. â€Å"Inside the Entitlement Generation.† Toronto: The Globe & Mail division of Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc., 17 September 2011. F9.

Peanut Butter As A Healthy Food Choice Health Essay

These words might remind you of the celebrated quotation mark from ‘The Godfather ‘ , but trust me friends, these are genuinely my feelings when I talk of the benefits of doing insignificant butter A a portion of your day-to-day diet. Peanut butter has ever been into our kitchen either doing its manner through the yummilicious peanut butter sandwiches or through more sophisticated dishes like pasta or salad. The nutritionary value of the peanut butter can be estimated by the fact that it is even used as a base exigency nutrient for dearth afflicted states due to its high fat and protein content. But you have heard about it incorporating concentrated fats.Then how precisely does peanut butter tantrums into the class of a healthy nutrient pick, you may inquire! Well, here are some of the facts listed about the nutritionary value of peanut butter that will turn you intoA an devouring fan of insignificant butter:Ai Peanut butter is a really high caloric, yet really healthy nutrient. One helping ( about 2 tablespoons ) of peanut butter contains: Protein ( 8 g ) , Fiber ( 2g ) , vitamin ( 2mg ) , Ca ( .04g ) , thiamen ( .04g ) and Cu ( .17mg ) .AAi Protects against high hazard of cardiovascular disease due to high degrees of monosaturated fats and resveratrol.Resveratrol is said to incorporate the antibacterial and antimicrobic qualities in it. i Over the old ages, many surveies done have shown that people with regular consumption of A peanut butter in their diets are less likely to develop bosom disease or Type2 diabetes.Ai When taken on a regular footing, helps protect against Alzheimer disease and formation of gallstones.In add-on to it, peanut butter contains higher degree of antioxidants than present in A apple or carrots. i A Contains dietetic fibre upto 8 % which is known to cut down the blood sugar degree and besides reduces the hazard of colorectal malignant neoplastic disease ( one of the deathly diseases doing many A deceases in states like U.S. ) . i Vitamin B3 contained in it is known for its benefits such as helping in the recovery of cellA DNA harm and proper operation of sex variety meats by doing the proper secernment of sexual endocrines. i Rich beginning of K and Ca supplying benefits like high blood pressure decrease, healthy castanetss and decrease of musculus cramps. Ok, I know, now you can barely resistA yourself from ingurgitating into all types of peanut butter dishes! ! But do one thing sure, that if you are allergic to the peanut butter, so confer with your physician before doing it a portion of your diet. So, as Channing Pollock has said â€Å" No adult male in the universe has more bravery than the adult male who can halt after eating one peanut â€Å" , I guess it would be better to state now that no adult male can halt himself from doing insignificant butter a portion of their day-to-day diet! ! Article No-2— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —Title A -A A A A A Best vegetarian beginnings of omega3 fatty acids â€Å" All animate beings are my friends and I do n't eat my friends! † George Bernard Shaw. Yes, you are a true truster in these ideas on vegetarianismA and you should be proud of yourself that you have adopted a healthy nutrient wont. But you fear that you might be devoid of the indispensable minerals that are an built-in portion of a non vegetarian diet. If u are a freshly converted vegan, so many perceptual experiences might be at that place in your head about the nutritionary value of a vegetable diet. One of the most wrongly sensed impression being that aA vegetarian diet can non supply you with the addendums of minerals asA of import as omega 3 fatty acids. Now the inquiry arises as to what precisely are omega 3 fatty acids and why are they so of import to human wellness? Well, to get down with, omega 3 fatty acids are the indispensable fatty acids necessary for human wellness but the organic structure is unable to synthesise them.You have to acquire them through nutrient beginnings. Omega 3 fatty acids cut down the chance of bosom disease, malignant neoplastic disease, arthritis and other deathly diseases. They are of import for cognitive ( encephalon related maps ) and behavioral maps. Two types of omega 3 fatty acids are present: Ala and DHA.The organic structure basically converts ALA to DHA. Lack of omega 3 in our organic structure can do weariness, hapless memory, bosom jobs, dry tegument, depression And other wellness jobs. Is vegetarian diet deficient in omega 3 fatty acids? A Fish and other non veg diets are supposed to be rich in these type of fatty acids which makes the premise stronger that vegetarian diet is lacking in these acids. One thing has to be made clear in your head that there is no such food which isA indispensable for human wellness and is non present in a veg diet. Infact, vegetarian diet is the richest beginning of omega 3 fatty acids. A A A A A A A A A A A Vegetarian beginnings of omega 3 fatty acids: : 1.A A A A A A Flaxseed oil contains great sums of omega 3 fatty acids. In add-on to it, it besides contains the advantages of fibers and lignans good for wellness. 2.A A A A A A Hemp seeds contains good balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and important sums of GLA already. 3.A A A A A A Organic milk is said to incorporate 60-70 % higher degree of ALA ( type of omega 3 ) in it than an ordinary milk. 4.A A A A A A Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in smaller measures in nuts, seeds, and soy merchandises, every bit good as beans, veggies, and whole grains. 5.A A A A A A Walnuts and soyabeans besides contain good sum of omega 3 fatty acids necessary for wellness. 6.A A A A A A Leafy green veggies contain right sum of omega 3 every bit good as omega 6 in them.Regular consumption of green leafy veggies ensures supply of omega 3 in your organic structure. 7.A A A A A A Pumpkin seeds and nutrient cooked in olive oil besides are good addendums of omega 3 fatty acids.AIt is reasonably easy for everyone devouring a balanced diet to run into the Institute of Medicine ( IOM ) recommendations for Omega 3 acids consumption. A typical grownup devouring 2000 Calories per twenty-four hours would necessitate about 1.3 – 2.7 gms ALA per twenty-four hours ; bing about one-fourth of a teaspoon of flax seed oil, less than a tablespoon of walnuts or 1.3 tablespoons of soybean oil.ATherefore, a healthy balanced vegetarian diet is really improbable to be lacking in omega 3 fatty acids.ASo following clip when you are eating your vegetable nutrient and person points out that it is non as rich in foods as a non vegetarian diet, give them an penetration into the benefits of the vegetarian diet and experience proud to be a vegetarian!AArticle No-3— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — â⠂¬â€ — — — — — — — — — — — — — –Title A -A A A A A A Taking multivitamins without a prescription can take to wellness jobs. â€Å" All drugs are toxicants, the benefits depends on the dose. † History has ever taught us that the best medical specialty is to take no medical specialty, but as the human inclination is, we do n't larn anything from our past.The same thing applies when we look at the current tendency of trusting on the multivitamins and external addendums by common people.AWhy multivitamins are of import? ?AIdeally, worlds should A acquire A entirely alimentary diets rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. A A But the fact is, most people do non run into all A ofA their nutritionary demands through their nutrient. A As a consequence, many of us rely on multivitamins and addendums to accomplish A complete nutrition. No affair how unhealthy our diet is, we ever try to do up for it through external supplements.We think that we can get away the illeffects caused by debris nutrient through these addendums. The large inquiry arises that can we jump our day-to-day helpings of fruits and veggies And take a vitamin addendum alternatively? Unfortunately, the reply is, no. Although a limited sum of multivitamins within the prescription of a physician can assist you derive the benefits of these addendums but the existent danger arises when people play with their life by taking these multivitamins without any prescription.ATaking multivitamins without prescriptionAThe worst thing you could make to your organic structure is to do it accustomed of external addendums. Unfortunately, these yearss most of the people around the universe are making the same in the name of better wellness and alimentary supply to the organic structure. Even the makers of these addendums make false claims about these multivitamins being without any sideeffects but the image is non every bit rose-colored as they claim.AWhile they contain good ingredients, the truth is when taken in extra, these multivitamins are non absorbed by the organic structure and therefore lead to assorted complications. Besides, assorted inexpensive multivitamins present in the market contain toxic substances in them which can be unsafe for your wellness. If you think that by taking these multivitamins without any prescription, nil harmful is done, so you are mistaken. Taking them in surplus or without being prescribed leads to decelerate decease. Every organic structure has different demands of these foods and merely your physician has the proper cognition and authorization as to what type and sum of multivitamins are best for you. Do non seek to go your ain physician and take them in sums you feel right.The best manner to avoid the sick effects of these multivitamins is to ever confer with your physician about their ingestion. While the best option is to choose for organic nutrient to fulfill the bodily demands of of import minerals and vitamins.Organic nutrient is said to incorporate high sums of foods in it which can fulfill the alimentary demand. Add high quality addendums which provide your organic structure with bio-available vitamins and minerals, and it becomes easy to populate a long, healthy life while devouring fewer Calories and still obtaining the foods you need to work optimally.AArticle No-4— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –Title A -A A A A A A Excess of proteins can take to joint strivingsAâ€Å" One one-fourth of what you eat supports you alive. The other 3 one-fourth maintain your physician alive. †AWe worlds pretend to take so much attention of our wellness that sometimes we forget the sideeffects of these measures.As in this instance, we all are cognizant of the importance of protein for our wellness but we hurriedly consume so much protein that it becomes a load for the organic structure. What, do n't state me! ! Even proteins consumed in surplus have ill effects associated with them? Unfortunately, the reply is yes.Proteins when nowadays in surplus can take to serious complications in the organic structure like joint strivings and other diseases. Here in this article we focus on how extra proteins are responsible for that terrible hurting in your articulations you feel everytime you wake up in the forenoon.AWhat are proteins and why are they so of import? Proteins are one of the basic foods needed by human organic structure being about 16 % of the entire organic structure weight.Most of the organic structure tissues, tegument, musculus, hair need protein for their well being. Even the of import chemicals like enzymes, endocrines, senders and deoxyribonucleic acid which constitute our organic structure are made up of protein. What sum of protein is needed? Protein demands vary harmonizing to your age, size and activity level.Sportspersons and atheletes need greater sums of protein than an mean individual.AA proportion of 0.5 to 0.8g/pound of protein is recommended for active people by the physicians.AWhat does extra protein make?AProteins take a long clip to digest ( about 4 to 6 hour. ) by our body.Too much protein in the diet can take to high cholesterin or Ca loss from bone.It besides puts a high strain on kidneys and the liver. But the most unsafe effect of a high protein diet is loss of Ca which leads Ro articulation strivings. When amino acids nowadays in the proteins are ingested in the blood, the organic structure uses Ca to buffer this addition in blood sourness which leads to elimination of Ca from the castanetss. Protein degree in the fluids environing painful articulations is twice every bit high compared to trouble free articulations.AReduce protein degree in your diet if you suffer from joint hurtingATry to avoid high protein beginnings of nutrient like ruddy meat, nuts and leguminous plants if you are one of the victims of a high protein diet. Taking protein harmonizing to the right degree is really of import to protect against the loss of Ca in the body.Avoid carnal beginnings of protein because they are known to incorporate extra sum of proteins. Consult your physician to cognize more about the right mix of protein in your diet.ATherefore, while it is nice to hold protein in your diet but do non seek to turn it into the instance of â€Å" excessively much of a good thing † exactly! !AAArticle No-5— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — –Title A -A A A A A A Increase your fibre consumption to take down the hazard of wellness jobs. We have all heard about fibers and their benefits in maintaining the organic structure healthy and fit. But frequently we think as to why the ingestion of fibers is so much of import. Here is why: Fibre is mostly a saccharide. The edifice blocks of all saccharides are different types of sugars and they can be classified harmonizing to how many sugar molecules are combined in the saccharide: Simple sugars – consist of 1-2 sugar molecules ; for illustration glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and lactose. Oligosaccharides – consist of 3-10 glucose molecules joined together. Starch polysaccharides – have more than 10 glucose molecules joined together.AAAssorted wellness benefits are associated with the fibers. So it is really necessary to cognize more about them.Keeps the digestive system healthySoluble fiber absorbs H2O like a sponge and allows elimination of waste stuffs from the organic structure easy maintaining the digestive system working decently.Good for DiabetessA Eating a diet high in fibre slows glucose soaking up from the little bowel into the blood. This reduces the possibility of a rush of insulin, the endocrine produced by the pancreas to brace blood glucose degrees.Lower berths blood cholesterin degree to protect from bosom complaintsRecently, there has been a great trade of involvement in oat bran, since some surveies showed that regular consumption of nutrients high in soluble fibre – such as oat bran, adust beans and soya beans – reduced blood cholesterin degrees. When blood cholesterin degrees are high, fatty runs and plaques are deposited along the walls of arterias. This can do them perilously narrow and lead to an increased hazard of coronary bosom disease. It is thought that soluble fibre lowers blood cholesterin by adhering bile acids ( which are made from cholesterin to digest dietetic fats ) and so egesting them. – & gt ; When eaten on a regular basis as portion of a diet low in concentrated fat, transA fatA andA cholesterin, soluble fibre has been associated with increased diet quality and decreased hazard of cardiovascular disease. – & gt ; Soluble or syrupy fibres modestly cut down LDL ( â€Å" bad † ) cholesterin beyondA degrees achieved by a diet low inA saturatedA and trans fats and cholesterin entirely. – & gt ; Foods high in soluble fibre include oat bran, burgoo, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrous fruit fruits, strawberries and apple mush. – & gt ; Insoluble fibre decreases cardiovascular hazard and slows patterned advance of cardiovascular disease in bad persons. – & gt ; Foods A incorporating indissoluble fibres such as A wheaten staff of lifes, wheat cereals, wheat bran, rye, rice, barley, most other grains, chou, Beta vulgariss, carrots, Brussels sprouts, Brassica rapas, cauliflower and apple tegument are readily available. So if you want to maintain your bosom immature and beating increase your day-to-day consumption of fibers through the natural souces of fibers present and remain off from all bosom complaints.

Congruence Model on Palm Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Congruence Model on Palm Inc - Assignment Example The marketing infrastructure is more responsive to Apple’s iPod and Blackberry products.   Palm is going up against some pretty fierce competition. The two major players are Research In Motion (RIMM) and Apple, Inc. (AAPL). To simplify the landscape, let’s say that RIMM’s BlackBerry products dominate the corporate market and Apple’s iPhone line dominate the â€Å"cool† or consumer market.   Smartphone Pre was positioned to be more of a consumer device like the iPhone rather than the corporate space. Although the Palm Pre is a great product the problem is that so is the iPhone. Apple marketing machine, the ecosystem of Apple products and iPhone integrate seamlessly. The iTunes and App Store allow the simplest and most robust media distribution to the iPhone. The result is not a good head to head matchup for the Palm Pre.   Comparing Palm as a company to Apple is not even close. Apple has multiple, fantastic product lines that are thriving and feeding each other (halo effect), where Palm has a single (for the most part) product that is going against the enormous challenging competition.   The Environment variable that has an impact on the organization is two competitive products in the market iPod and BlackBerry.

Causes and effects of teenage pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Causes and effects of teenage pregnancy - Essay Example The daycare authorities did feed him with bottled milk; however, David insists that he needs his mother more than food. Unfortunately, the daycare management people are not calling his mother but trying to divert David’s attention towards other stuff and until yet they have been unsuccessful since David seems to be seriously stubborn and is ready to compromise. Daycare authorities cannot call his mother despite the fact that Michelle is in the first building from the right on the next street. Michelle is actually busy giving her algebra exam for which she has been preparing for the past few days. If all goes well then she would end up getting a B in algebra and would become the first one in her family to hold a graduate degree in her hand but she would also have to hold David in the other hand as well. No one knows what would be the future of Michelle and David. However, a couple of things are for sure. Firstly, the upcoming years would not be a piece of cake for both of them. Secondly, David and Michelle are not the only ones who are such a situation but there are many reported cases of teenage pregnancy everyday all around the world. This paper focuses on the causes and effects of teenage in attempt to examine it with a boarder perspective. Since teenage pregnancies is a growing trend, happening in almost all parts of the world, more prominently in western societies, therefore there are several and diverse reasons that lead to the occurrence of teenage pregnancy. However, before discussing that, it is important to understand that this paper does not regard teenage sex as the main reason since not all teenagers have sex and even if they have sex does not always result in pregnancies. In fact, to prove this point, a study conducted in the United Kingdom reveals that more than two third of young people under the age of 16 do not have sex (Gillham, pp. 64-79). It is important here to note that

Case study ( community nutrition) child nutrition program Essay

Case study ( community nutrition) child nutrition program - Essay Example Recent studies have shown that 40% of calories taken by the children in school lunch come from fats, which is highly undesirable as fats should not contribute more than 30% of total calorie intake, and of that less than 10 percent should be from saturated fats. Such eating habits coupled with lack of physical activity have invariably led to increase in incidence of obesity among school children with 12 percent high school students and 14 percent elementary school students falling prey to obesity, considering students with weights greater than 85th percentile for their age. The decrease in physical activity has mainly been due to reduction in number of physical activity periods from once a day to twice a week due to increased burden of studies, which eats into the time that should ideally be left for allowing school children to play or exercise. So the solution lies in making students more aware of usefulness sports and exercises play in their lives, promoting healthy eating habits, i ncreasing incentives to eat healthier foods, banning fried or fast foods from school canteens and organising programs aiming at correcting false eating habits. As the director the Child Nutrition Program I have identified elementary school going children as the ones with the greatest risk factors. They have levels of obesity standing at 14 percent. Considering the importance of inculcating the right habits at a early stage with regards to eating and physical activity they should be the prime focus group. Also these children are very impressionable but not exposed to the latest findings and research on healthier and better ways of living, therefore, they can easily be mislead by the marketing world who target children of this age group as their prime consumer base. The approach for such a pilot program should be multifaceted. There is a need to create a general

Tourism and France Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism and France - Research Paper Example The international tourists provide importance to rich natural vegetation, cultural and historical heritage of a tourist destination. Within this context, France is one of the best examples for the rapid growth and development of tourism as a profitable business. Thesis statement: The economic, cultural and social impacts of tourism in the French society prove that tourism is a business, which is interconnected with the process of development. The glory of France as an international tourist destination is interconnected with Charles VIII, because he conquered Mont Aiguille in France (say, in the year 1492). This incident is important in the history of tourism in France because the same deeply influenced the development of mountaineering as an adventure sport. Hudman and Jackson stated that, â€Å"France has a long history of tourism and well-established reputation of being the playground of Europe† (p.200). In the field of beach tourism in France, the inauguration of seaside resort in Dieppe in the year 1822 is another development. Within the context of infrastructure development, especially the development of railroad network in 1850-1850 is another initiative, which accelerated tourism. One can see that resorts and casinos play an important role in the development of tourism. For instance, the launching of Monte-Carlo Resort and the casino attached to the same is another development in the field of tourism in Fra nce. Most of the international tourists are interested in music and entertainment. In the year 1867, the French authorities in Orange, which deeply influenced the tourism sector, organized a music festival. The opening of the first tourist office in the year 1889 and the opening of the National Tourist Office in the year 1910 are other historical developments. Besides, the establishment of the Vanoise National Park (say, in 1963) in France initiated the development of sustainable tourism. The creation of French Conservatory for Coastal

3.Using an extended example critically discuss the view that a sector Essay - 2

3.Using an extended example critically discuss the view that a sector matrix gives a better strategic understanding of product markets than the concepts of product or commodity chains - Essay Example the incorporation of both value chain analysis and commodity chain analysis, sector matrix analysis stands out as the most effective tool for businesses to generate better strategic understanding of product markets (Froud, Johal, Leaver and Williams, 2006). The sector matrix offer information about complex product markets unlike commodity chain analysis that is based on a linear analysis. This study will first expose the inherent weaknesses in the commodity chain analysis that makes the model ineffective in the modern product markets before embarking on suitability of sector matrix as the preferred tool that should be used to determine business policies. A commodity chain for any given product covers the necessary processes that take place to ensure at the end of the undertaken activities is a finished product. Since the development of commodity chain analysis, researchers have identified number of issues that limits the ability of the concept to provide an up to date analysis of product market situations (Kutting, 2004). This criticism has not only been from scholars outside the commodity chain perspective, but also from within. For instance, the different perspectives by scholars who use the commodity chains concept has resulted in the presence of two schools of thought where there are those in favour of the traditional world systems approach who are attributed with the introduction of commodity chain concept. The other school of thought that includes scholars such as Gary Gereffi and colleagues are in favour of a more encompassing tool for analysis and are therefore credited with the introduction of the global commodity chain (Ba ir, 2005). For instance, the transformation brought by globalization can be experienced when in the clothing industry the raw material is harvested in India but manufactured into yarn in Portugal. The yarn is then transported to Taiwan for colouring then to Poland where it is weaved. The other parts like buttons and rivets are

Tambour embriodery work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tambour embriodery work - Essay Example The origins of tambour work are traced to the 18th Century where it grew into a favourite pastime for women. Being a new form of embroidery, the technique was preferred due to it being an exotic form of stitchery (Embroiderersguildwa.org, 2014). The finest attires stitched through this technique were traded all over Europe from Britain to France and in Asiatic countries such as India and Persia. In Turkey and India, tambour embroiderers used metal threads to stitch their fabric. Turkey, specifically, used tambour work to make covers used in ceremonial household events, as it was a status symbol (Embroiderersguildwa.org, 2014). The Indians of Peru, on the other hand, developed their work without the use of a frame; also known as coarse chain embroidery. The popularity of tambour work grew in leaps and bounds because of the Napoleonic wars. These wars made it difficult for people to obtain fashionable French laces and they had to settle for tambour laces. It was further adopted in Britain after an Italian established his tambour embroidery shop in Edinburgh (Thetextileblog, 2014). Its popularity grew further after the invention of a machine that would manufacture tambour fabric on a larger scale. There was massive production of ‘sprigged muslin’ and other tambour

Amazon.Com in Business Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amazon.Com in Business Plan - Research Paper Example To sustain this new venture, Amazon Inc. has a good start off, as its traffic is attractive to buyers and sellers into Amazon market place. Firms likely to be acquired in this endeavor include Diapers.com, Zappos and Soap.com. Amazon intends to buy Quaidis, the parent company to Soap.co and Diapers.com for $540 million. The capital that was collected to fund this acquisition amounts to $78 million. In another strategy for up its competition with CPG companies, Amazon Inc. intends to acquire Zappos at a projected price of $1.1 billion. To compete with Google and Apple, Amazon Inc. intends to upgrade its Kindle to support mobile phone applications and functions. This will enable the incorporation expand from just providing physical goods to digital goods. The low margins strategy has been employed by Amazon regardless it is downcast by other companies. Amazon is offering its products and services at low prices as a strategy to attract more customers and increase its market share. This is a strategy aimed at increasing value to customers rather than increasing its value through high prices and high profits. Increased market share will see Amazon reduce its costs through economies of scale, as the costs will b e spread through many customers. For instance in 2011, Amazon had operating expenses of 91% expressed as a fraction of revenues. This demonstrated its big market share compared to Walmart. Amazon had revenue streams of up to $48 billion. Most of this is attributed to online retail store where it has managed to attract millions of shoppers and sellers to its website. This has led to a cost advantage for Amazon in relation to Walmart and Costcos. Amazon has grown from just a book retailer to be the largest online retail shopping for physical and digital goods and services. This has not stopped the company from further growth and development. The company is seeking to contract Google, which will see it use the Android technology. Although Amazon and Google are market rivals, Amzon seeks to cross the gap between the two and build its new devices on the Android operating system. 8. Implementation strategy: From a range of reasonable options (build or â€Å"go it alone† strategy, p artner via a joint venture or less formal business alliance, license, minority investment, and acquisition), indicate which option would enable the acquiring firm to best implement its chosen business strategy. Because of the nature of the course, you must indicate that an implementation strategy involving an acquisition is preferred to the other options and why. An acquisition is the best strategy for implementation. The acquiring firm’s stands an advantage of running a business that is well established compared to building up a new business. With an established business, the acquiring firm can use the existing financial records to forecast future performance to determine if the new firm to be acquired is profitable. This is not the case with a new firm being set up. Setting up a new firm may require more capital and time. The business’ future performance may not be correctly forecasted because there are many unseen occurrences, as the business has no experience. Part nerships on the other had result in legal disputes, as the partners are likely to disagree on decisions and business issues. Acquisition remains the

Attachment and Parenting Styles Essay Example for Free

Attachment and Parenting Styles Essay Everyone has had some type of caregiver some point in his or her life. The only difference is the type of method used for parenting. â€Å"Parenting styles have been grouped into four different styles: indulgent, authoritarian, authoritative, and uninvolved† (Darling Eric, 1999. para. 3). With each kind of parenting style, there are pros and cons that help or disrupt a child’s well-being. Parents should make sure the type of parenting style they expose their child to will be positive and not negatively affect the child. A negative impact could hinder a child’s current behavior and future behavior. Parenting Styles The authoritarian approach provides children with a set of rules that must be followed without questioning. There is a â€Å"do as I say not as I do† attitude. The authoritarian parenting style is the stricter style. According to the textbook, â€Å"The authoritarian child-rearing style is low in acceptance and involvement, high in coercive control, and low in autonomy granting† (Berk, 2010, pg. 279). Parents who use this method set strict limits and show little or no love appearing to be cold. If a child resists the parent, the parent will result into a forceful punishment. It is not uncommon for a parent with this approach to shame, blame, punish, and tease his or her child. The most common reason for parents using this method is that they do not want their children to become failures. The uninvolved approach rejects and neglects a child. According to the textbook, â€Å"the uninvolved child-rearing style combines low acceptance and involvement with little control and general indifference to issues of autonomy† (Berk, 2010, pg. 280). A parent will usually make few to no demands from the child. It is not uncommon for a parent to be overcome with his or her life that he or she express’s little or no interest in the child causing neglecting. A child who is around this type of atmosphere may have several problems that include antisocial behavior and developing a low self-esteem. It is possible for a parent to focus on his or her own problems that they do not realize how separate he or she is with the child and the lack of emotional support given. Types of Attachments A child who may have a parent whose parenting style is authoritarian may have a resistant attachment. â€Å"Resistant attachment affects about 10 percent of infants† (Machteld, 2011, para. 7). With resistant attachment a child is likely to be clingy, angry, and distressed. A child may cry for longer periods and cannot feel comfort as easily as other children. An uninvolved parent may have a child who expresses avoidant attachment. â€Å"This attachment affects about 15 percent of infants† (Machteld, 2011, para. 9). During this attachment a child may show a lack of interest when the parent is around. He or she will not be distraught when the parent leaves. They are not going to be clingy and will treat strangers the same as they do his or her parents. The reasons for choosing these attachments are because they go hand-in-hand with the type of parenting styles chosen. If a child has a parent with the authoritarian style of parenting he or she is likely to go through the resistant attachment. A child who has a parent uninvolved is likely to go through the avoidant attachment. Each type of parenting style will have a different type of attachment. Culture Impact and Examples Different cultures vary in the way they raise children and what is thought to be the right or wrong way. Culture can play a role in the impact of raising a child. What may be satisfactory in one culture may be wrong in another. The textbook provides several examples of culture impact and attachment patterns. â€Å"German infants show considerably more avoidant attachment than American babies do. But German parents value independence and encourage their infants to be non-clingy† (Berk, 2010. pg. 199). In one culture independence is encouraged and a child with avoidant attachment is not seen as a negative impact. In another culture a parent may believe this attachment is neglectful and not want his or her child to express this type of attachment. â€Å"Infants in Africa showed no avoidant attachment to their mothers. Even when grandmothers are the primary caregivers† (Berk, 2010. pg. 199). It is common for a Japanese baby to show resistant attachment. This is not because of any insecurity, but because a Japanese mother will normally not leave her child in anyone else’s care. Japanese parents see this as normal. Conclusion Each parent must figure out which type of parenting style works best for him or her. The type of parenting style not only affects the parent but also the child. As a responsible parent it is his or her job to make sure that the obstacles of everyday life does not hinder him or her from being a good parent. With the authoritarian style or uninvolved style a child will be shown and acquire his or her morals. It is not right to neglect or over discipline a child. A parent can be strict and loving at the same time. A child needs to have both discipline and love to be well-rounded. Too much discipline can force a child to have problems just as neglecting a child will also. There has to be a middle where the parent can realize when enough is enough. References Berk, L. E. (2010). Development through the lifespan. (5th ed., pp. 119-215). Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon. Darling, N., ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, C. L. (1999). Parenting Style and Its Correlates. ERIC Digest. Machteld, Hoeve (2011). Maternal and paternal parenting styles: Unique and combined links to adolescent and early adult delinquency. Journal of Adolescence, 34813-827. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.02.004

The Character of Achilles Essay Example for Free

The Character of Achilles Essay Achilles is the main character in Homer’s The Iliad translated by Robert Fagles. The Iliad is the story of the battle of Troy, in which Greek heroes fight and die, with much interference from the various gods and goddesses. The story ends when Achilles gives Hector’s body back to King Priam and Hector is buried. Homer uses a number of different literary devices to illustrate Achilles’ character development, such as his actions, what other characters say about him, and his appearance. Throughout this epic poem, Achilles must deal with his conflict of free will versus fate. Achilles’ first encounter with his ongoing conflict occurs in Book 1 when he is deciding whether or not to kill Agamemnon for insulting him (84). Athena almost immediately arrives and says, â€Å"Down from the skies I come to check your rage if only you will yield,† thus implying that Achilles has a choice (84). He can either obey Athena’s orders and earn more treasures in the end or he can go against her orders and suffer the consequences. In the end, Achilles determines that it’s not a smart idea to go against godly orders and submits. Other characters do not have choices like Achilles does. In Book 3, Aphrodite rescues Paris from Menelaus and puts him in the bedroom. Then she goes to Helen and orders her to go to bed with Paris. When Helen protests, Aphrodite becomes irritated and threatens her. This shows that Helen doesn’t have a choice, nor do the other characters, with the exception of Achilles. Also, in Book 20, Zeus says, â€Å"If Achilles fights the Trojans—unopposed by us—not for a moment will they hold his breakneck force. Even before now they’d shake to see him coming. Now, with his rage inflamed for his friend’s death, I fear he’ll raze the walls against the will of fate.† (504). Zeus’ statement shows that Achilles is, in some ways, above fate and will destroy the Greek concept of fate unless someone interferes with his plans. Unfortunately, although Achilles is able to have free will in some aspects, fate still triumphs over him in others. In Book 9, Achilles tells Odysseus, Phoenix, and Ajax what his mother has told him his fate will be. According to Thetis, Achilles can either choose to go home without glory and live to a ripe old age or he can stay to conquer Troy and earn everlasting glory, but he will not leave Troy alive (265). Consequently, Achilles is presented with two fates; however, unlike others, he is able to choose whichever fate he wants. At this point in the story, Achilles is actually considering going home; thus he is choosing to die old, but without undying glory. This completely changes in Book 18 when Achilles learns that Patroclus has been killed by Hector. Now, Achilles will stop at nothing to get his revenge on Hector; therefore he is now choosing the fate in which he will never return home, but he gets eternal glory. Achilles’ new choice of fate is emphasized in Book 19 when Hera gives his horse the ability to speak. Roan Beauty says, â€Å"Yes! We will save your life—this time too—master, mighty Achilles! But the day of death already hovers near, and we are not to blame but a great god is and the strong force of fate†¦ Our team could race with the rush of the West Wind, the strongest, swiftest blast on earth, men say—still you are doomed to die by force, Achilles, cut down by a deathless god and mortal man!† (501-502). Yet another way in which Achilles is bound by fate appears in Book 22 when he is chasing Hector around Troy. Homer writes, â€Å"But once they reached the springs for the fourth time, then Father Zeus held out his sacred golden scales: in them he placed the two fates of death that lays men low—one for Achilles, one for Hector breaker of horses—and gripping the beam mid-haft the Father raised it high and down went Hector’s day of doom, dragging him down to the strong House of Death—and the god Apollo left him.† (548). Zeus’ decision sets in stone that Achilles must be the one to kill Hector before his own death. Before Book 22, other characters had only alluded to Hector’s fate of death at the hands of Achilles.   One of the main characteristics Achilles exhibits is pride. In Book 1, Achilles is insulted by Agamemnon. Achilles replies, â€Å"Staggering drunk, with your dog’s eyes, your fawn’s heart! Never once did you arm with the troops and go to battle or risk an ambush packed with Achaea’s picked men—you lack the courage, you can see death coming. Safer, by far, you find, to foray all through camp, commandeering the prize of any man who speaks against you. King who devours his people! Worthless husks, the men you rule—if not, Atrides, this outrage would have been your last.† (85). This passage shows that Achilles is proud to battle and finds it shameful when men who claim to be the agathos, or the best, do not prove themselves in battle. In Achilles’ culture, being â€Å"good†, or arà ªte, means that you are good at fighting. Achilles is concluding that since Agamemnon is too scared to fight like his inferiors, he must not be arà ªte. Instead, Achilles believes that he is the agathos rather than Agamemnon, since he has proven his arà ªte and Agamemnon has not. However, Achilles’ pride is his downfall up until the point when he learns that his brother-in-arms, Patroclus, has been killed by Hector. The reason Achilles’ pride was his downfall is because Agamemnon would not give him the respect he deserves; therefore he refused to fight due to his pride and anger. When Patroclus is murdered, Achilles wants his revenge on Hector. Before, in Book 9, Odysseus, Ajax, and Phoenix are sent by Agamemnon to beg Achilles to save the Achaeans from the Trojans and Hector’s rampages. Achilles refuses to budge because his pride will not allow him to take orders from Agamemnon. He also believes that there is no hope for the Achaeans since Zeus is protecting and urging the Trojans on to victory (259-266). Achilles could have been honorable and chose to help the Achaeans out, but his pride and anger against Agamemnon over Briseis won’t allow him to do the right thing. In fact, his pride and anger cause him to make minimal appearances throughout the middle books of The Iliad. Achilles’ pride directly relates to his ultimate conflict of fate vs. free will. His pride and lust for glory play a large part in his decisions, predominately during his choice of a long life with no glory vs. a short life with everlasting glory. Throughout The Iliad, Homer and the other characters describe Achilles as being â€Å"god-like†. The gods in Greek culture are all powerful and immortal, but also extremely selfish like egocentric children. They typically do not care about others; they act only to protect their self-interests, such as their favorite cities and their demigod children. Achilles is selfish like the gods and goddesses. When Achilles failed to cease his anger against Agamemnon, he was protecting his own self-interests and not caring about the deaths and struggles of his Achaean allies; thus him being selfish like the gods is a weakness. Also, part of the reason why Achilles is so selfish is because he is trying to act in a way that will prevent anyone from tarnishing his honor. Likewise, Achilles is trying to prove that he has a legitimate reason to be called the aristos more than anyone else, especially Agamemnon, who Achilles views as a disgrace for a man. On the other hand, in Book 1, Agamemnon says, â€Å"Not so quickly, brave as you are, godlike Achilles—trying to cheat me.† (81). Agamemnon is taking note of the fact that Achilles is brave like the deathless gods and goddesses who know no fear. Achilles’ bravery is also shown by the fact that he doesn’t back down from a fight, not even if it’s against a god, like when he battles the river god Scamander in Book 21. Achilles’ bravery certainly benefits him during the Trojan War, and probably earlier wars too, because he was the only mortal man who wasn’t afraid to stand up to Hector, or anyone else for that matter. Another way in which Achilles is godlike is his appearance and strength. In Book 21, Achilles is talking to King Priam’s son, Lycaon, just before he kills him. He says, â€Å"Even Patroclus died, a far, far better man than you. And look, you see how handsome and powerful I am? The son of a great man, the mother who gave me life a deathless goddess. But even for me, I tell you, death and the strong force of fate are waiting.† (523). Here, Achilles is noting that he is as attractive as a god. The fact that Achilles isn’t like other mortals because he can do certain things that only gods and goddesses can do is yet another way in which Achilles can be described as being godlike. Agenor says in Book 21 that â€Å"Achilles is far too strong for any man on earth.† (538). In Book 16, Homer says, â€Å"And Achilles’ only weapon Patroclus did not take was the great man’s spear, weighted, heavy, tough. No other Achaean fighter could heft that shaft, only Achilles had the skill to wield it well: Pelian ash it was, a gift to his father Peleus presented by Chiron once, hewn on Pelion’s crest to be the death of heroes.† (417). Homer’s words emphasize the fact that Achilles has the strength of the immortal gods. Furthermore, in Book 10, Odysseus and Diomedes have just captured the Trojan spy Dolon and are talking with him. Odysseus says, â€Å"By god, what heroic gifts you set your heart on—the great Achilles’ team! They’re hard for mortal men to curb or drive, for all but Achilles—his mother is immortal.†, again showing that Achilles has strength greater than that of any mortal man (290). One of Achilles’ most obvious characters traits is his defiance and opposition to orders. In Book 1, Achilles says to Agamemnon, â€Å"What a worthless, burnt-out coward I’d be called if I would submit to you and all your orders, whatever you blurt out. Fling them at others, don’t give me commands! Never again, I trust, will Achilles yield to you.† (87). Achilles’ dialogue is a classic example of the fact that the most important thing to Achilles is his honor and thus he strives to prove that he, above all other men, is the agathos. Although Achilles has a few character flaws that ultimately influence his fate, he can still be called honorable in a sense. In Book 1, the seer Calchas tells Achilles that if he reveals Apollo’s prophecy, he will anger a very powerful Achaean. Achilles reassures him, â€Å"Courage! Out with it now, Calchas. Reveal the will of god, whatever you may know. And I swear by Apollo, dear to Zeus, the power you pray to, Calchas, when you reveal the god’s will to the Argives—no one, not while I’m alive and see the light on earth, no one will lay his heavy hands on you by the hollow ships. None among all the armies. Not even if you mean Agamemnon here who now claims to be, by far, the best of the Achaeans.† (80). Achilles has now sworn to protect Calchas from anyone who may try to harm him as a result of Apollo’s prophecy; thus Achilles is demonstrating honor. Even when Agamemnon becomes angry with Calchas for the prophecy, Achilles defends Calchas to the end, which in turn creates the extensive conflict between him and Agamemnon. Achilles’ actions prove that he is a man who keeps his word; therefore he is honorable by modern-day standards. Achilles’ trait of honor is a strength that works to his advantage and certainly influences his outcome of his definitive battle of fate versus free will. Achilles’ battle of free will versus fate is the central conflict of The Iliad. The many character traits that Homer makes apparent throughout the narrative ultimately influence Achilles’ actions and choices. Homer just doesn’t base Achilles’ personality traits on his actions. Rather, what other characters say about him gives the reader a clear understanding of who Achilles is and what his motivations are all the way through. Furthermore, Homer has proven that Achilles truly is the agathos. Works Cited Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 1998. Print.

Williams Syndrome A Genetic Disorder Psychology Essay

Williams Syndrome A Genetic Disorder Psychology Essay Williams Syndrome is a genetic disorder that is caused by a deletion of genes on chromosome seven. It is a rare disorder, occurring in about every 1 in 20,000 births and affects males and females equally. Small upturned nose, wide mouth, full lips, small wide-spaced teeth, a relatively low IQ, cardiovascular disease and an irregular cognitive profile are some classifications of Williams Syndrome. (Laing, Butterworth, Ansari, Gsodl, Longhi, Panagiotaki, et al., 2002). Many of the physical features of Williams Syndrome are due to the deletion of the gene elastin on chromosome seven. There are some aspects of language that appear to be intact for those with Williams Syndrome including social interaction, however, spatial language, number, planning and problem solving appear to be impaired in most individuals (Laing et al., 2002). Not all features of language are affected in children and adults with Williams Syndrome. Williams Syndrome has a characteristic language delay and there is evidence to suggest that language development follows an alternate pathway than what is seen in language development of a typical child (Laing et al., 2002). Laing et al. performed three experiments in order to assess joint attention, pointing and precision grips. The same children were used over the course of all three experiments and mental age of typically developing children was calculated to match those in the Williams Syndrome group. In the first experiment it was found that the children with Williams Syndrome performed atypically on tasks set to deduce the level of joint attention these children were providing. The second experiment administered was used to establish credibility findings of the first experiment. The researchers are observing if the children with Williams Syndrome can establish reference and therefore test t heir ability to point in response to specific stimuli. Laing et al. found that children with Williams Syndrome produced few pointing behaviors. The third experiment determined if the reason for the difference in pointing between the control group and the Williams Syndrome group was due to impaired motor skills. This was found to not be an issue as the children with Williams Syndrome and those in the control group were relatively similar in their motor skills. These issues in joint attention are thought to be part of the reason there is a language delay among children with Williams Syndrome as joint attention and pointing are both critical in language development (Laing et al., 2002). A study performed by Mervis and John (2008) was designed to tests strengths and weaknesses of children with Williams Syndrome with their vocabulary abilities. Mervis and John performed three experiments in order to determine the specific strengths and weaknesses in abilities of Williams Syndrome children in relation to vocabulary. The first experiment used the following standardized tests; the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (vocabulary and matrices) the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-third edition (concrete vocabulary, including object names, action words, and descriptors) and the Test of Relational Concepts (conceptual/relational language). The first experiment compared typically developing children against Williams Syndrome children in two assessments of vocabulary: concrete vocabulary and conceptual/relational vocabulary. Mervis and John found that the Williams Syndrome group performed better on concrete vocabulary than conceptual/relational vocabulary. Even though the scores fo r children on concrete vocabulary were high for children with Williams Syndrome, performance on these tests showed signs that even this area of language is not completely undamaged. The second experiment took the results of the first three standardized tests and included the Differential Ability Scales Pattern Construction subtest. Mervis and John examined the relation between conceptual/relational language comparative of visuospatial construction. The children with Williams syndrome performed better on tests related to conceptual/relational language as compared to scores on the visuospatial construction tasks. Mervis and John (2008) note that Williams Syndrome is distinguished by strengths and weaknesses within the vocabulary element of language. The third experiment used the formulated sentences subtest on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-fourth edition (CELF-4), in order to evaluate a variety of relational concepts. This experiment measured the knowledge of some m ore evolved relational concepts using the CELF-4. It was concluded that not all, but most children with Williams Syndrome have difficulty in simple relational words and it encompasses both relational terms meant to link two words or short phrase and also to relational terms meant to connect simple sentences into one complex sentence (Mervis and John, 2008). Mervis and John determined that children with Williams Syndrome do seem to have strength in vocabulary in general but rather concrete vocabulary. Laing and Jarrold (2007) sought to determine the spatial language skills of children with Williams Syndrome as compared to typically developing children. While noting that some aspects of language are usually intact for children with Williams Syndrome, spatial skills and non-verbal skills are usually the most impaired. In this experiment, the sample included 17 children with Williams Syndrome and 17 children that were classified as typically developing. There were several tests administered: Picture matching tasks, semantic picture matching, Spatial picture matching, grammatical knowledge task, perception task, naming task, and animal knowledge task. The test was given on a computer that displayed 4 pictures at the same time. There was a target sentence presented for each trial, which appeared on the screen and changed depending on the task. Results found that the Williams Syndrome group and the typically developing group performed with no significant differences on any measure excep t perception scores. There was also found to be a significant difference between the groups on the spatial picture-matching task. Due to the problems with understanding the semantics of spatial skills, it was hypothesized that this lends to problems in language processing in general (Laing Jarrold, 2007). For those with Williams Syndrome, there may be a great effort to form appropriate spatial mental models that may form the foundation for the production and comprehension of verbal descriptions of space (Laing Jarrold, 2007). Research performed by Laws and Bishop (2004) studied social communication, which is normally thought of as a relative strength for the Williams Syndrome population. Laws and Bishop performed a study on the different pragmatic facets of language. Groups of 19 children with Williams Syndrome, 24 with Downs Syndrome, 17 with specific language impairment and 32 typically developing children were studied. The Childrens Communication Checklist (CCC) was used in order to obtain data on social interaction for these four groups. On the checklist, there are two subscales that describe speech production: speech output and syntax. There are five subscales that describe the childs communication behaviors: inappropriate initiation, coherence, stereotyped conversation, use of conversational context conversational rapport. Two more subscales assess aspects of development: social relationships and interests. The raters were asked to respond to these items and rate them on a scale of four possibilitie s: does not apply, applies somewhat, definitely applies and unable to judge (Laws Bishop). When analyzed, experimenters found that individuals with Williams Syndrome had pragmatic impairments. The areas that were found to be the most impacted were the inappropriate initiation of conversation and the use of stereotyped conversation (Laws Bishop, 2004). The children do however have very strong expressive language skills and tend to be very social individuals (Laws Bishop, 2004). Since Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder occurring in every 1 in 20,000 live births more information is needed regarding their communicative abilities. There is evidence to suggest that their language delay is due information traveling through a different pathway than with typically developing children. Spatial language is also a problem that with intervention can be improved along with conceptual and relational vocabulary. Pragmatic language is an issue, however the Williams Syndrome population tends to be overly friendly and very strong expressively. It was found that as these issues seem to dissipate in adulthood as well as the Williams Syndrome population, depending on the severity level, these children can live independently or with support.

Macbeth: Dark, Evil, and Tragic Essays -- Macbeth Character Analysis

â€Å"Macbeth†- A revered play written in the 16th century by the famous playwright: William Shakespeare. The theme of â€Å"Macbeth† is centred on how power and the thirst for it can corrupt a person and lead to their insanity. Power-hungry and manipulating Lady Macbeth, with the help of the prophecies of the three malevolent witches, persuades the eponymous Macbeth to kill his king, so that she can be the queen. But unfortunately, for her, her plans do not ultimately run smoothly. Both Macbeth’s guilty conscience and his wife’s insanity give them away and eventually lead to their down fall. The purpose of this essay is to discuss to what extent Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as a truly evil character throughout the play. From her very opening scene Shakespeare depicts Lady Macbeth as being cold and full of evilness. In act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth is introduced reading a letter from Macbeth. Already the audience can see she has evil plans. â€Å"Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valour of my tongue.† (Act 1 scene 5) This exhibits that she wants Macbeth to come back home so she can persuade him to do the evil deed. Later in the scene, Lady Macbeth is afraid that Macbeth is too weak and too compassionate to be a murderer, therefore she asks the gods to replace all her goodness and femininity with cold haunted evilness. This is clear when she calls the evil spirits; â€Å"...Unsex me here, Make thick my blood, Stop up th’access and passage to remorse... Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall...† (Act 1 scene 5) So that she can poison her husband’s mind. The audience’s first impression of her is as a remorseless, cold evil wife. This prepares the audience for the evilness sh... ...5 scene 5). Power has watered down all his love and kindness. Shakespeare portrayed Lady Macbeth as evil and in the end was driven to death by her own guilt because ultimately she was a human and not a complete monster. Lady Macbeth is thought of being a truly evil character because of the way Shakespeare portrays her character. Her malevolent influence on Macbeth, her trying to hide her humanity to help her have more power over her husband, then her trying very hard to hide her guilt are all examples of the evil she had done. Her dark and sinister nature gradually gave way to insanity and a suicide. Lady Macbeth’s character is a proof that power and thirst for it can lead to insanity and a person’s ultimate down fall. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1915. Google Books. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.

Hamlet Insane or Sane :: essays research papers

Hamlet- Sane or Insane   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet the main character Hamlet experiences many different and puzzling emotions. He toys with the idea of killing himself and then plays with the idea of murdering others. Many people ask themselves who or what is this man and what is going on inside his head. The most common question asked about him is whether or not he is sane or insane. Although the door seems to swing both ways many see him as a sane person with one thought on his mind, and that is revenge. The first point of his sanity is while speaking with Horatio in the beginning of the play, secondly is the fact of his wittiness with the other characters and finally, his soliloquy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After talking with the ghost, Hamlet, comes back to Horatio and Marcellus and tries to explain to them never to let anyone know what has happened. Both are very scared but agree to the prince’s, but both are still looking to find out what happened between the ghost and him. Further on in the evening Hamlet takes Horatio to the side and explains to him that no matter how odd he acted that Horatio say nothing. (And therefore as a stranger-you most need help you Act1 sc5 line 187-202) He basically explained to Horatio that he was going to be acting much differently than normal, and he told him not to ask questions. This here proves he knew what he was going to have to do. It shows that he was willing to get his revenge by any way possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second point showing his sanity is the fact that he was able to match wits with the other characters in the play. If he was an insane person why would he plan a way to let Claudius know that he knows about the death of his father. Most insane people don’t have the mind for that type of thing, but he was able to do it. He was able to let Claudius know without saying a word. He had the players act it out for him and what a job they did to let him know. He even knows when his good friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, show up that they are they to spy and find information about him to give to the king. (Act2 sc2 Line293-298). If he was insane why would he recognize the fact that his friends are turning on him.

Admiral Jarok as a Traitor Essay examples -- Star Trek Essays Papers

Admiral Jarok as a Traitor Although a somewhat tacky and predictable program, Star Trek: The Next Generation, succeeds where other television shows don't. Beneath all the glitz and glamour, a very straightforward theme arises in each episode parallel to our own society. One such episode is "The Defector," wherein the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise happens upon a Romulan renegade requesting asylum in Federation space. The Federation, (protected by its military organization Starfleet), and the Romulans, (governed by the Romulan Star Empire), are long-time foes. Throughout the episode the Romulan, (initially calling himself Cetol), skates around the truth before revealing his true identity as the notorious Admiral Jarok, and further explains his motivations for defecting to the Federation. Here one must ponder the fine line between vengeful treason and inspired salvation. Jarok is a traitor of the Romulan Empire, but not of his people; he reluctantly betrays state secrets to save Romulus from the bitter c onsequences of war. Jarok's betrayal commences when he flees into Federation space to inform Starfleet of the impending completion of a secret supply depot within the Neutral Zone, a "no-man's" boundary between Federation and Romulan space. Jarok claims that this depot, orbiting the planet of Nelvana III, will undoubtedly serve as the inception point of the Romulan Empire's invasion into Federation space. Convinced he is still loyal to the Empire, Jarok lies about his identity and his true intentions. Jarok attempts to act both as an Admiral of the Romulan Empire and a champion willing to abandon his rank for the sake of his race. Jarok destroys his shuttle, insisting that he will only reveal the bare minimum of Romulan... ...flicting administrative policy and wonder why nothing is ever resolved. Perhaps in a sudden epiphany, we will realize the same truth Jarok did on the holodeck: genuine peace is not possible without compromise and sacrifice. Works Cited Achim, Jo. "The Romulan Empire." TOS TrekMUSE - Romulan Empire. 1994 http://tos-www.tos.net/tos/romulan/romulan.html (1994) Tong, Andrew. "NCC-1701 Destroyed, Constitution Class Starships Withdrawn." The Star Trek Chronology. May 27, 1994. http://cruciform.cid.com/~werdna/sttng/trek6/trek6-3b1.html (15 Jan. 1995) "The Defector." Synopsis from The Vidiot's TNG Program Guide. (date unknown) http://cruciform.cid.com/~werdna/sttng/synopsis/defector.syn.html (15 Jan.1995) "The Romulans." The Starlog ST:TNG Official Magazine Technical Journal. (Date unknown). http://www.cms.dmu.ac.uk/AUG/StarTrek/romulan.html (12 Jun. 1995)

Is Tv the Cause of Violence in Today’s Society? Essay

TV has bad Impacts As we all know some TV programs are educational, they open our minds by providing information that are unlikely to be taught in schools and other places such as home-schooling But there are also some TV programs that are not so educational, which could affect us physically and emotionally. According to some research it was said that Television has a higher level of violence, in most of the cases these programs are being watched by young children which can be a negative influence and it could affects the children’s grades, sleep and daily activities. Kids are small and their minds haven’t developed yet, so when a child watches a show or a movie they usually copy everything that is being done on the screen, not even caring whether it’s good or bad. AS I said, when a child watches violence on TV they repeat what is being done, thinking that their action will not be punished, which means they are being persuaded that crimes, and violence don’t cause any harm. For example 47% of violent television programs show the victim being unharmed, especially in cartoons. Characters in cartoons and television shows get blowed over by another character and they get back up without being harmed, this makes children believe that violence doesn’t really hurt anyone. TV and Violance Television shows that allows the character who commits the crime to receive no punishment, allows children to learn that it is alright to commit a crime because nothing will be done. Television has no significant influence on an adult’s mind, but it has a major impact on children, and on their brain’s development. Most important of all, if children catch the idea of violence in childhood from TV, then their ideas and thoughts about crimes, murders, etc. can’t be changed. If we Watch too much television We begin to ignore the outer world, we become less social, our personality slightly begin to change negatively, and most of all we begin to have diseases such as refractive error of the eyes (especially near-sightedness), obesity, heart attack, spine disease, mental disorder, etc.,

Homlessness in the US

In the two studies I reviewed, both pertained to school aged homeless children. Both studies were conducted to determine the need for a better education for these children. The first study I reviewed was called, Sheltered homeless children: Their eligibility and unmet need for special education evaluations. This study focused on the exploration of unmet need of special education evaluations for homeless children in Los Angeles, California. The second of my studies was called, Cognitive and academic functioning of homeless children compared to housed children. The analyzation focused on the effects of being homeless to a child's cognitive and academic functioning. Both of the above studies brought about the same basic issue of homeless children having the right to a better education. In both studies it was determined that homeless children, when tested, perform rather poorly in the area of academics. In the first study (Sheltered Homeless Children: Their Eligibility and Unmet Need for Special Education evaluations) homeless shelters were selected randomly and from these families were selected that consisted of one child aged 6 to 12 years. Testing was performed in a quiet place. There were 118 parents and 169 children involved in the study. The parents were asked questions pertaining to the how and why of homelessness. The homeless children were tested with questions from the RAND Course of Homelessness Study 3. 9, a Behavior Checklist, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the National Health Service, and the Woodcock-Johnson Language Proficiency Battery Assessment Test. The Peabody Vocabulary picture test was also used in the second study. In the second study (Cognitive and Academic Functioning of Homeless Children compared with Housed Children) the homeless children and their mothers selected for the study were from the Bronx in NY. There were 102 homeless children in the study. They were between the ages of 6-11, around the same age group as the first study; they were sought out of public schools. The housed children were selected randomly for the study. The mothers were asked how and why they became homeless and how long they had been homeless, and if they had a job, as in the study before. The children were all tested with numerous tests pertaining to their academic and cognitive functioning skills. The Raven's Test, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the Wide-range Achievement Test, a Child Depression Inventory test, and A maternal Anxiety test were issued to the children. Both of the studies focused on the same issue, that homeless children were not being assessed for their need of assistance with their academics. The first study did not involve children who were not homeless but the second study used them as a control. The second study also focused more on the effects of being homeless leading to anxiety and depression. Both of the studies had determined that homeless children have poorer scores compared to those that are non-homeless, and that they are more developmentally delayed. Both the studies also found that they have a higher rate of learning disabilities. There is also a higher need to assess children who might be eligible for special education services. The findings of the first study imply that there is a high level of unmet need for special education evaluations for homeless children. There should be more procedures conducted to determine one's eligibility for special education services for the homeless. Also, interventions should be provided for school-aged homeless children from special education professionals, general health care providers, and housing services. The second study suggests that there needs to be more of an effort to educate those that are homeless by academic professors. There needs to be more assessment of special education for these children. The study also touched on the fact that these children are often depressed and have a high rate of anxiety, this should be assessed through counseling services. In both of the studies, society needs to take an interest in helping get these children off the streets in the first place. The main purpose for both of the studies was to examine the impact homelessness has on a child's academic functional level. In both of the studies it was found that homeless children between the ages of 6-12 scored lower on achievement tests. They also had a higher level of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, they also had an increased rate of learning disabilities and the need for special education evaluations. Society needs to put more of an effort in getting these children off the streets and into a proper home so they can grow more academically and to develop at a typical rate. Academic professionals need to assess their need of assistance with their work and assess a higher need of special education evaluations. Professionals need to understand that these children have a harder time concentrating on their academic material because they are faced with issues like where they are going to sleep tonight instead of 4+3.

Geoecology-Human Impact on Biomes

Humans have impacted on natural activities in the Sahel region and the desert biome region by over-cropping, overgrazing and deforestation. The Sahel is a narrow strip of land between the Sahara to the north and the Savanna and equatorial rain-forest to the South. It is a dry (Semi-Arid) region receiving rain in the wet Season from June to September. The Sahara desert is growing South by up to 5-10 Kilometers each year. Which is mainly due to human activity. Overgrazing: the people of the region were traditionally Nomadic. They moved following the rain and pasture- land. Wealth was defined by animal ownership by the tribes of the Sahel. As the number of cattle and goats increased so did the competition for grazing land. They allowed the animals to graze the land more than it could sustain. Young trees were also grazed. Herders also moved animals onto marginal grazing land until there was little or no vegetation remaining. Wells were sunk to provide water for all the animals. This made herders remain longer in the one area applying more pressure on the land. The wells used up all the ground water causing the water tables to fall. Eventually the wells dried up along with the land around it. As the human population increased farming methods changed, Nomadic herding was replaced with a more settled style of herding. Farmers began to fence in land and work it more intensely. Leading to soils being overused an d exhausted. Soils began to lose structure an minerals. Vegetation was lost due to the large numbers of animals grazing and trampling the land. It was also unable to grow back because the soil was now drained of all its nutrients. This in turn has a knock on effect, when the vegetative cover is lost it leaves the soil exposed to erosion by wind and heat. It leaves an easy job for heavy rain to wash away the topsoil. Over-cropping: The population of the region grew rapidly and this led to an increased demand in food. Grazing became replaced by growing food crops. The increased demand for food meant that the ‘Fallow Year' was abandoned. Farmers were also put under pressure by the Government to grow ‘Cash Crops' to help repay their International debt. this continuous usage of the grassland robbed the land of its nutrients and minerals. Soon this land became sterile and worthless. Farmers now needed more land in order to achieve the same return. ue to the shortage of wood people burned dried manure for heat and cooking, instead of using it on the land as a fertiliser. As the vegetation cover was reduced the amount of humus available was also reduced. Crops began to fail and again soil has lost its cover and was now vunerable to wind erosion. Deforestation: Wood accounts for around 90% of the energy requirements in the Sahel. Deforestation is ‘the loss of forests due to th over-cuttingvof trees'. Trees slow down the wind and their roots help to bind soil, they also absorb moisture during heavy rainfall. The removal of trees leaves soil exposed to erosion. The land which had been shaded by trees becomes dried out and burned by the sun, resulting in desertification. There are methods to solve the problems of over-cropping and overgrazing . Crop rotation is one way in which the soil is not exhausted, and so stop desertification. Farmers can also place lines of small stones acroos the land to act as dams. Here the water has no where to go but to be absorbed by the soil.. This reduces run-off and increases soil fertility. Contour ploughing is when the land is ploughed across rather than vertically. This to in the same way as the stones act as a dam and prevents run off and stops the topsoil being washed away in heavy downpours. Farming methods such as strip farming, where crops are planted widely spaced then a different plant is planted in the gap. This ensures the land is not being depleted of nutrients and the fact the crops are harvested at different times means both plants will be using different minerals. Shelters belts (trees) are also planted to prevent soil from wind erosion. Also shelter belts are normally friut producing trees which also provides a source of food.

Poland Business Cycle

This Country Focus analyses and interprets the statistical characteristics of the Polish business cycle. It also identifies leading and lagging variables and shows that the economic fluctuations in Poland differ to some extent from those in other emerging and mature economies, with Polish growth notably more volatile and government expenditure highly erratic. The available data on GDP growth suggest that the Polish economy is approaching the peak of the second business cycle since the start of economic transformation from a centrally planned to a market economy.The current upswing is to some extent similar to the one of 1995-1997 which ended in large macroeconomic imbalances (increasing unemployment, spare capacity, widening fiscal and current account deficits). However, Poland now appears to be better positioned than after the last cycle and should be able to avoid a repeat of that outcome. Business cycles in emerging market economies Although the economic literature on business cyc les is vast, only recently have some papers on business cycles in emerging market economies appeared.Usually they analyse economic fluctuations within particular countries (e. g. Benczur and Ratfai, 2005) or make some cross-country comparisons (e. g. Aguayo et al. , 2004 or Carmignani, 2005). A common methodology used in the analysis of business cycles (based on observations of mature economies and economic theory) distinguishes pro-cyclical, counter-cyclical and a-cyclical variables. Pro-cyclical variables fluctuate together with GDP (e. g. industrial production, investment, employment, inflation), countercyclical variables against GDP (e. g. nemployment, net exports) and a-cyclical variables independently of GDP (e. g. real interest rates). 1 With respect to timing, the ‘stylised facts' of the business cycle identify leading, lagging and coincident variables: leading variables move ahead of GDP (e. g. average labour productivity, inventory investment, money supply), lagging variables follow GDP (e. g. inflation, nominal interest rates) and coincident variables, as the name suggests, move coincidentally with GDP (e. g. industrial production, consumption, employment) (Snowdon & Vane, 2005, p. 306).Overall, business cycles in emerging market economies (Carmignani, 2005)2 are not much different from those in mature economies (Snowdon and Vane, 2005, p. 306), By Michal Narozny* The business cycle in Poland: where do we stand? Highlights in this issue: †¢ While on the whole not different from mature economies, the properties of the business cycle in Poland display some special characteristics †¢ The current cycle seems to have reached a peak but the slowdown is likely not to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle Volume IV, Issue 9 03. 08. 2007 ECFIN COUNTRY FOCUS Directorate for the Economies of the Member States. The views expressed in the ECFIN Country Focus belong to the authors only and do not necessarily correspond to those of the Director ate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs or the European Commission.Economic analysis from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs Identification of direction and timing is key in business cycle analysis ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 2 but economies in transition (though they do not constitute a homogeneous group) display some specific characteristics: overall, the economy is much more volatile than in the euro area, which is the consequence of structural changes and catching-up, †¢ shocks are slightly less persistent than in the euro area, and fluctuations consequently more frequent, †¢ government consumption is more erratic than in the euro area, suggesting a significant discretionary element in fiscal policies, but not one that is necessarily aimed at cyclical stabilisation, †¢ employment is a-cyclical in some, but pro-cyclical in other emerging economies, †¢ inflation in emerging economies is volatile and not clearly pro-cyclical.Table 1 shows some tentative analysis of the key macroeconomic variables in the Polish business cycle. All variables (except for inflation and net exports) were logtransformed, de-seasonalised by means of the X. 12 method and later de-trended using the HP filter. Net exports were expressed as a ratio to GDP and deseasonalised by means of the multiplicative X. 11 method before being de-trended. Volatility of cyclical fluctuations, and hence the magnitude of the business cycle, is measured by the standard deviation. Polish GDP volatility is about 0. 015, compared to 0. 08 for the euro area. The persistence of cyclical fluctuations is measured by the auto-correlation coefficient: the closer to 1, the more persistent the shock (and the longer it takes to absorb it) and therefore the less fluctuation in the business cycle. Testing for the Polish business cycle persistence yields a coefficient of 0. 55 compared to 0. 85 for the euro area. Table 1. Su mmary statistics of business cycle fluctuations in Poland Correlations with the cyclical component of GDP Poland Standard Autodeviation correlation -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 GDP 0. 015 0. 550 1Industrial production 3. 317 0. 730 -0. 018 0. 154 0. 314 0. 515 0. 771 0. 599 0. 444 0. 229 0. 113 Private consumption 0. 013 0. 269 0. 015 0. 079 0. 283 0. 433 0. 434 0. 385 0. 463 0. 380 0. 037 Government consumption 0. 020 0. 001 -0. 200 0. 007 0. 230 0. 022 -0. 211 0. 175 0. 282 0. 199 0. 051 GFCF 0. 070 0. 717 0. 357 0. 399 0. 403 0. 484 0. 824 0. 585 0. 371 0. 313 0. 344 Inventories 1. 189 -0. 072 -0. 139 0. 044 0. 021 0. 074 0. 199 0. 187 0. 150 0. 177 0. 230 Net exports 0. 012 0. 574 -0. 061 -0. 174 -0. 386 -0. 373 -0. 326 -0. 513 -0. 497 -0. 389 -0. 452 Exports 0. 58 -0. 005 0. 098 0. 199 0. 177 0. 225 0. 594 -0. 018 0. 030 -0. 016 -0. 193 Imports 0. 063 0. 378 0. 097 0. 252 0. 350 0. 408 0. 672 0. 377 0. 384 0. 258 0. 175 Employment 0. 017 0. 857 0. 291 0. 372 0. 411 0. 452 0. 545 0. 40 9 0. 333 0. 355 0. 344 Labour productivity 0. 354 0. 512 0. 120 0. 090 0. 056 0. 070 0. 133 0. 257 0. 109 0. 026 -0. 142 Money supply (M1) 0. 041 0. 776 -0. 078 -0. 060 0. 092 0. 260 0. 475 0. 472 0. 535 0. 505 0. 432 Inflation 1. 819 0. 779 0. 092 0. 321 0. 511 0. 596 0. 473 0. 290 0. 082 -0. 082 -0. 146 CPI 1. 737 0. 777 0. 086 0. 255 0. 411 0. 422 0. 00 0. 082 -0. 075 -0. 167 -0. 184 Real interest rate 0. 655 0. 942 0. 226 0. 279 0. 302 0. 263 0. 135 0. 132 0. 120 0. 092 0. 088 Source: Own estimates. Data source: Eurostat. Sample: 1995Q3 – 2007Q1 Summary statistics Lags Leads Business cycles in Poland – what is different and what is alike The analysis of the Polish cycle yields a number stylised facts, which are to some degree typical for emerging economies. Table 2 summarises a number of stylised facts on business cycles in mature economies and in Poland (bearing in mind the relatively short time span for the latter).It shows that some of the usual characteristics of business cycles in mature economies (or even in emerging economies) are not seen in Poland. Where this is the case, some interpretation is offered. Industrial production is usually pro-cyclical and coincident in both mature and emerging economies, but in Poland it has a slightly leading property, which indicates the importance of industrial production as a driver of the business cycle. In the aggregate demand components, private consumption seems to be procyclical in Poland.However, it is not coincident as in mature economies, and has a lead-lag profile that is not typical: it is almost flat over four quarters with some lead. Hence, although private consumption is the largest component of GDP, the dynamic relation over time between the two variables is erratic, possibly indicating consumption smoothing, which is characteristic of low-income economies. However, the ratio of the standard deviation of private consumption to the standard deviation of GDP (by which consumption smoothi ng is usually judged) is estimated at 0. 8, i. e. higher than the upper bound of the normal range reported in the literature. 3 This suggests that consumption smoothing is not present in Poland, which might indicate lower risk aversion and/or underdevelopment of financial markets. The Polish business cycle displays some characteristic properties Business fluctuations in Poland are highly volatile and persistent ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 3 Table 2. The ‘stylised facts' about business cycles in mature economies and Poland Variable Mature economies* Poland** category VariableDirection Timing Direction Timing Supply side Industrial production pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/leading Private consumption pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical erratic Government consumption pro-cyclical erratic counter-cyclical /erratic erratic GFCF pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Inventories pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Net exports counter- cyclical coincident/ lagging counter-cyclical erratic Exports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Demand components Imports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincidentLabour Employment pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/lagging market Labour productivity pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Money supply pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Monetary Inflation pro-cyclical lagging pro-cyclical lagging variables Real Interest rates a-cyclical erratic pro-cyclical lagging * Features commonly found in the literature. Main source: Snowdon ; Vane (2005) ** See Table 1 Source: Own calculations (see Table 1) and Snowdon ; Vane (2005) Government consumption seems to be neither systematically counter- nor procyclical.High volatility and a very low persistence (i. e. frequent fluctuations of sizeable magnitude) point to an irregular pattern of government consumption, suggesting an important role of discretionary fiscal policies, which is a distinctive feat ure of emerging economies (Carmignani, 2005) and possibly related to the existence of a political cycle in public finances. Gross fixed capital formation appears to be coincident, highly pro-cyclical and persistent (auto-correlation of 0. 2) and inventories behave according to the ‘stylised facts': they are pro-cyclical and leading (though less so than in mature economies). Finally, both exports and imports can be seen as pro-cyclical, but imports slightly more so than exports, which is in line with the features of mature, but not emerging economies where exports are a-cyclical on average. Moreover, imports seem to be quite persistent (following persistent GFCF), unlike exports (which depend on external demand); both variables are highly volatile (standard deviations are more than the double of the euro-area).Net exports are moderately counter-cyclical with an erratic pattern over time (due to persistent imports), whereas in mature economies net exports are also counter-cyclic al, but usually coincident or lagging. With respect to the labour market, employment shows up as pro-cyclical and coincident, with some evidence of lagging, which places Poland somewhere in the middle between mature and emerging economies in this respect. Labour productivity appears to be pro-cyclical and leading, in line with the ‘stylised facts', though the leading property is less pronounced than in mature economies.Pro-cyclicality of employment with its smooth and slightly lagged correlation profile suggests labour hoarding (Burnside et al. , 1993). Among the monetary variables, the money supply apears to be pro-cyclical and leading. Inflation seems to be pro-cyclical and to follow GDP as in mature economies, which is not the case in most emerging economies (where inflation is acyclical – see Carmignani, 2005). This is probably due to the fact that at the beginning of the transformation process all emerging economies had very high inflation rates that systematically decreased.Thus, it is hard to discern a clear cyclical pattern. Poland managed to achieve relatively low inflation sooner than other emerging countries, allowing this pro-cyclicality to be revealed earlier. Contrary to the ‘stylised facts' for mature (but also emerging) economies, where real interest rates are a-cyclical with no clear pattern with respect to timing, real interest rates in Poland show up as being pro-cyclical and lagging, implying a countercyclical monetary policy (coefficient of correlation with GDP is 0. 4 and there is a clear lagging pattern). Smooth and lagged correlation profile of pro-cyclical employment suggests labour hoarding The irregular pattern of government consumption suggests that discretionary fiscal policies play an important role ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 4 Troughs, peaks and the drivers of growth The first economic cycle since the beginning of economic transition lasted about 10 years, with the expansion and slowdown phases each spanning about 5 years; the cycle ended in the second quarter of 2001.The current upswing has already lasted 6 years, which suggests that the peak is imminent if the length of the current cycle is similar to the previous one. Decelerating leading variables (industrial production, net exports and labour productivity) may also be signs of a turning point. Chart 1. Developments of basic economic variables in Poland in 1991-2008 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 % CA deficit (% of GDP) Unemployment rate (rhs) CPI inflation (rhs) GDP growth Fiscal deficit (lhs)Source: Commission services In both the early 1990s and in 2001, when the economy was at its trough, there was a large unutilised labour supply and substantial reserves in enterprises’ capacity utilisation. The fiscal deficit was also substantial. In the first cycle, ample supply of resources was a consequence of t ransition to a market economy which caused a recession in 1990-1991. In 2001-2002 it followed from the world economic slowdown and a restrictive monetary policy, which forced Polish enterprises to reorganise to raise their competitiveness and efficiency. Poland got out of the trough twice hanks to exogenous impulses to investment: the restructuring of the London Club debt in 1994 (which brought the first major wave of FDI) and entry into the EU in 2004 (which led to an inflow of EU funds). The external circumstances were also favourable as the world economy expanded in the nineties until 1998 and has been on a stable growth path since 2003. Chart 2. Contributions to GDP growth in Poland in 1991-2008 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % total consumption GFCF Inventories Net exports GDP growthSource: Commission services The main factor that drove real GDP growth in 1995-1997 to about 7% was dynamic domest ic demand growth of 8? % on average, supported by robust consumption (about 5 percentage points contribution to GDP growth on average). Despite the fact that the economy was growing above potential and domestic demand was growing significantly faster than GDP, a strong zloty appreciation (with a temporary blip in 2000) ensured that the disinflation process was not disturbed. However, this There are indications that the Polish business cycle has approached a peak Large acroeconomic imbalance during the troughs ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 5 situation led to a fast-growing imbalance on the current account: the 2% of GDP surplus in 1994 fell to a deficit of 6% of GDP in 1999 (to which the Russian crisis also contributed). Growth outlook based on solid foundations for now It is estimated that the Polish economy is currently expanding at a pace close to its potential (approximated at 5. 9% in 2007), on the back of rising domestic demand, which is likely to be followed by i ncreasing imports and a deteriorating current account balance.The growth of gross fixed capital formation accelerated to 17% in 2006 and to nearly 30% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007. Private consumption increased at 5. 2% in 2006 and stepped up to 6. 9% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007, which is significantly higher than the 2. 7% average growth in 2000-2003. So far, this expansion of consumption has not led to a rapid increase in the current account deficit (which rose from 1. 7% in 2005 to 2. 3% of GDP in 2006) or a rise in inflation (which has come in below the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. % for eight quarters in a row), mainly thanks to moderate real wage growth. However, with a tightening labour market, emerging skill mismatches and workforce emigration the pressure on wages is expected to become more significant, contributing to a further increase of consumption. In consequence, it might lead to an escalation of the external imbalance and/or increase d inflation. Nevertheless, GDP growth in the current phase seems to be based on more solid foundations than in the late 1990s: †¢ Firstly, the share of exports in GDP has nearly tripled in 1992-2006 to about 40%; the number of exporters has also increased considerably.The structure of exports has improved, with a bigger share of processed goods and a higher value added. Foreign direct investment has helped increase the production capacity of the Polish economy, which enables the domestic market to better meet increased private demand, and makes the balance of payments less prone to fluctuations in domestic demand. In addition, increased investment-driven imports are largely balanced by increased exports on account of a good situation in the external environment. †¢ Secondly, the floating exchange rate is likely to act as a buffer against imported inflation.However, even without a strong zloty appreciation, inflation in Poland during the coming years is expected to stay rel atively low: below or around the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. 5%. As the Polish economy is now more open than 10 years ago, inflation is more influenced by global factors. Increased exposure of Polish enterprises to international competition limits their ability to freely increase prices and wages. They are forced to increase labour productivity faster than wages to maintain their market position. Thus, even with growing wage demands, enterprises are more willing to decrease mark-ups than to raise prices. Thirdly, increased household incomes acquired as a result of higher wages and an improved labour market situation may not translate into consumption to the same extent as in the previous economic cycle. There is evidence that households are now more saturated with basic durable and consumption goods which they lacked before4 and are more eager to spend additional income on holidays abroad owing to a more mature service sector. Financial markets are more develop ed than 10 years ago, giving an opportunity for financial investments. ConclusionsThe business cycle in Poland exhibits similar properties to cycles in mature economies, but there are some notable differences for government consumption, net exports and real interest rates (although for the last variable the picture may be blurred by its very high level at the beginning of the transformation process). However, because the data series are short, the results should be interpreted with caution. The irregular behaviour of government consumption in Poland with respect to influence on the business cycle could be related to a discretionary fiscal policy implemented within a political business cycle.GDP growth is based on more solid foundations in the current cycle ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 6 The analysis of the previous upswing in Poland, the identification of variables with leading properties with respect to GDP, and the latest developments all seem to suggest that the Po lish economy might have reached the peak of the current cycle in the first quarter of 2007. Nevertheless, thanks to the ongoing process of restructuring of the economy, the slowdown phase is not likely to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle and should not lead to major imbalances.