Accounting: Costs and Learning Objective

econonmMicroeconomics Review Quiz Test 2 1. When is marginal utility equal to zero? A. When TU is zero. B. When MU is at its maximum. C. When TU is at its maximum. D. When MU is at its minimum. The following table shows Mia's $ marginal utility for litres of soya milk: 2. Refer to the above table to answer this question. Suppose that Mia has a budget of $7 and the price of a litre of soya milk is $1, what is the maximum quantity that Mia might purchase? A. 0. B. 4 litres. C. 5 litres. D. 6 litres. E. Cannot be determined. 3. What is the correct formula for MCS (marginal consumer surplus)?A. $MU-price. B. Price-$MU. C. $TU-price. D. TU/price. E. TU/quantity. 4. What is the term for the difference between the consumer's evaluation of a product and the price which is paid for it? A. Price discrimination. B. Price elasticity of demand. C. Consumer indifference. D. Consumer surplus. 5. Refer to Table 5. 13 to answer this question. With the consumption of what quantity is marginal utility equal to zero. A. 1. B. 5. C. 7. D. 8. 6. You have just spent two hours studying microeconomics and this has made you very hungry. You have $10 to spend on a snack and decide to go to Taco Bell.Putting your newly acquired economics knowledge to use, you have developed the following table to assist with your purchase decision: (a) Fill in the missing values in the table above. (b) If you bought 6 tacos and 2 burritos are you maximizing your utility? Explain. Below are some financial data for the Do Drop In convenience store. The owners have put $40,000 into the business and they worked a total of 80 hours during the week. Savings accounts are currently paying 5. 2% interest and the going wage rate is $8 per hour. 7. Refer to the information above to answer this question.What is the week's economic profit for the Do Drop In? A. -$320. B. -$40. C. $280. D. $320. E. $1,050. 8. Which of the following statements about the marginal product of labour is correct? A. It may either rise or fal l as more labour is used. B. It always rises as more labour is used. C. It always falls as more labour is used. D. There is no relationship between marginal product and labour. 9. What causes marginal cost to increase? A. The advantages of the division of labour. B. The fact that ATC increases. C. Raising marginal product. D. The law of diminishing returns. 0. Which of the following statements regarding average fixed costs is correct? A. They are constant since fixed costs are fixed. B. They are equal to average variable cost less average total cost. C. When graphed, they are a horizontal line. D. When graphed, they are a straight line which comes out of the origin. E. They fall continuously as output increases. 11. Which of the following is a variable cost? A. The leasehold cost of a building. B. Insurance on the factory's physical plant. C. Raw materials. D. The cost of a marketing research report. 12.What is the sum of total variable costs and total fixed costs? A. It is equal to the sum of average product and marginal product. B. It is the sum of all marginal costs. C. It is total cost. D. It is AVC times the quantity of output. 13. Can a firm earn an economic loss and an accounting profit at the same time? Explain. 14. What is meant by the term economic capacity? A. An output level where the firm is physically unable to increase output. B. The output level where average variable cost is at a minimum. C. The output level where average total cost is at a minimum. D. Total fixed costs are at a minimum. 5. Which of the following statements is correct if a firm's capacity output increases from 300 to 600 and its total costs rise from $40,000 to $78,000? A. The firm is experiencing constant returns to scale. B. The firm is experiencing decreasing returns to scale. C. The firm is experiencing increasing returns to scale. D. The firm's long-run average cost must have decreased but its short-run average cost could have either decreased or increased. 16. The existe nce of both economies of scale and diseconomies of scale would have what effect on the LRAC curve? A. It would make it upward-sloping. B.It would make it downward-sloping. C. It would give it an inverse U shape. D. It would give it a U shape. E. It would make it horizontal. 17. All of the following, except one, are examples of pecuniary economies of scale. Which is the exception? A. A lower interest rate paid on money borrowed. B. The ability to sell the by-products of production. C. The ability to use specialized inputs such as a robotics assembly line. D. The ability to obtain lower prices by buying in bulk. 18. What is the shape of the LRAC curve for a firm enjoying diseconomies of scale? 19. Which of the following refers to the perfectly competitive firm?A. It is a price-maker. B. It is a price-taker. C. It might be either a price-maker or a price-taker. D. It is neither a price-maker nor a price-taker. 20. What is the term for the extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit? A. Average revenue. B. Marginal revenue. C. Net revenue. D. Total revenue. 21. What is average revenue? A. The price multiplied by the quantity sold. B. The total revenue divided by the price. C. The extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit. D. It is equal to the price in perfectly competitive markets. 22. What is break-even output? A.The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's total fixed cost. B. The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's total variable cost. C. The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's fixed and variable costs including normal profits. D. The output at which the firm is making zero normal profits. 23. Which of the following is the correct sequence of events following a decrease in demand for a product in a perfectly competitive market? A. A decrease in the price and in the total profits of the representative firm which causes new firms to enter the industry. B.A decrease in the price and in the to tal profits of the representative firm which causes firms to leave the industry. C. A decrease in the price but an increase in the total profits of the representative firm which causes new firms to enter the industry. D. An increase in the price but a decrease in the total profits of the representative firm which causes firms to leave the industry. 24. How is average revenue defined? A. It is the extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit. B. It is the total revenue divided by the number of units sold. C. It is marginal revenue divided by the number of units sold. D.It is the sum of the marginal revenue of all units sold. 25. Which of the following markets provide the best example of a perfect competition? A. Automobile manufacturing. B. Restaurants. C. Oil refining. D. Wheat farming. 26. Explain why a perfectly competitive firm faces a horizontal demand curve? 27. Explain why average revenue is equal to marginal revenue for a perfectly competitive firm? 28. The supply cur ve for a perfectly competitive firm is that portion of its marginal cost curve that lies above its average variable cost curve. Explain why? Micro Review Quiz Test 2 Key 1. (p. 143)  When is marginal utility equal to zero?A. When TU is zero. B. When MU is at its maximum. C. When TU is at its maximum. D. When MU is at its minimum. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 05-01 Explain the law of diminishing marginal utility. Sayre – Chapter 05 #11 Source: Text Topic: Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup The following table shows Mia's $ marginal utility for litres of soya milk: Sayre – Chapter 05 2. (p. 151)  Refer to the above table to answer this question. Suppose that Mia has a budget of $7 and the price of a litre of soya milk is $1, what is the maximum quantity that Mia might purchase? A. 0. B. litres. C. 5 litres. D. 6 litres. E. Cannot be determined. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 05-04 Provide a theoretical rationale for dow nward-sloping demand curves. Sayre – Chapter 05 #54 Source: Text Topic: Marginal Utility and Demand Type: Computation Type: Pickup 3. (p. 154)  What is the correct formula for MCS (marginal consumer surplus)? A. $MU-price. B. Price-$MU. C. $TU-price. D. TU/price. E. TU/quantity. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 05-05 Understand why consumers generally value a product more than the price they pay. Sayre – Chapter 05 #62 Source: Text Topic: Consumer Surplus Type: DefinitionType: Pickup 4. (p. 154)  What is the term for the difference between the consumer's evaluation of a product and the price which is paid for it? A. Price discrimination. B. Price elasticity of demand. C. Consumer indifference. D. Consumer surplus. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 05-05 Understand why consumers generally value a product more than the price they pay. Sayre – Chapter 05 #63 Source: Text Topic: Consumer Surplus Type: Definition Type: Pickup Sayre – Chapter 05 5. ( p. 162)  Refer to Table 5. 13 to answer this question. With the consumption of what quantity is marginal utility equal to zero.A. 1. B. 5. C. 7. D. 8. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 05-02 Derive a consumers purchasing rule that ensures satisfaction is maximized. Sayre – Chapter 05 #91 Source: Study Guide Topic: Optimal Purchasing Rule Type: Computation Type: Pickup 6. (p. 145-148)  You have just spent two hours studying microeconomics and this has made you very hungry. You have $10 to spend on a snack and decide to go to Taco Bell. Putting your newly acquired economics knowledge to use, you have developed the following table to assist with your purchase decision: (a) Fill in the missing values in the table above. b) If you bought 6 tacos and 2 burritos are you maximizing your utility? Explain. (a) The completed table: (b) By purchasing 6 tacos and 2 burritos you are not maximizing your utility. At this level of consumption you have put yourself into the following po sition: MU/P for tacos = -6 ; 9 = MU/P for burritos. You can use the rational choice rule to reallocate your $10 and increase your total utility. Rather than the above allocation, you should purchase each item until your MU/P is the same for both munchies. Doing so will result in the purchase of 4 double Decker tacos and 3 chicken burrito Supremes.To see why this is the case, think about each purchase individually, and pick the item that will give you the highest MU/P. Reasoning in this way, you would make the following decisions: First dollar spent on a taco Second through fourth dollars spent on one taco and one burrito Fifth dollar spent on a taco Sixth and seventh dollars spent on a burrito Eighth through tenth dollars spent on one taco and one burrito After this allocation, the MU/P for each item is the same (and equal to 4). Difficulty: Difficult Learning Objective: 05-02 Derive a consumers purchasing rule that ensures satisfaction is maximized.Sayre – Chapter 05 #130 S ource: Text Topic: Optimal Purchasing Rule Type: Computation Type: Pickup Below are some financial data for the Do Drop In convenience store. The owners have put $40,000 into the business and they worked a total of 80 hours during the week. Savings accounts are currently paying 5. 2% interest and the going wage rate is $8 per hour. Sayre – Chapter 06 7. (p. 182)  Refer to the information above to answer this question. What is the week's economic profit for the Do Drop In? A. -$320. B. -$40. C. $280. D. $320. E. $1,050. Difficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 06-01 Understand how and why economists measure costs differently from how accountants do and distinguish between the accountants and economists views of profits. Sayre – Chapter 06 #10 Source: Text Topic: Explicit and Implicit Costs Type: Computation Type: Pickup 8. (p. 185)  Which of the following statements about the marginal product of labour is correct? A. It may either rise or fall as more labour is used. B. It always rises as more labour is used. C. It always falls as more labour is used. D. There is no relationship between marginal product and labour.Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-02 Understand the crucial relationship between productivity and costs. Sayre – Chapter 06 #23 Source: Text Topic: Theory of Production Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 9. (p. 194)  What causes marginal cost to increase? A. The advantages of the division of labour. B. The fact that ATC increases. C. Raising marginal product. D. The law of diminishing returns. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-04 List and graph the seven specific cost definitions used by economists. Sayre – Chapter 06 #75 Source: Text Topic: Total Costs and Average Total CostsType: Comprehension Type: Pickup 10. (p. 193)  Which of the following statements regarding average fixed costs is correct? A. They are constant since fixed costs are fixed. B. They are equal to average variable cost less average total cost . C. When graphed, they are a horizontal line. D. When graphed, they are a straight line which comes out of the origin. E. They fall continuously as output increases. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-04 List and graph the seven specific cost definitions used by economists. Sayre – Chapter 06 #84 Source: Text Topic: Total Costs and Average Total CostsType: Comprehension Type: Pickup 11. (p. 190)  Which of the following is a variable cost? A. The leasehold cost of a building. B. Insurance on the factory's physical plant. C. Raw materials. D. The cost of a marketing research report. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-03 Understand the important difference between fixed costs and variable costs. Sayre – Chapter 06 #86 Source: Text Topic: Marginal and Variable Costs Type: Computation Type: Pickup 12. (p. 202)  What is the sum of total variable costs and total fixed costs? A. It is equal to the sum of average product and marginal product.B. It is the sum of a ll marginal costs. C. It is total cost. D. It is AVC times the quantity of output. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-04 List and graph the seven specific cost definitions used by economists. Sayre – Chapter 06 #119 Source: Study Guide Topic: Total Costs and Average Total Costs Type: Definition Type: Pickup 13. (p. 182-183)  Can a firm earn an economic loss and an accounting profit at the same time? Explain. Accounting profit is equal to total revenue less explicit cost and economic profits is equal to total revenue less implicit cost and explicit cost.Suppose the firm is earning an accounting profit. If implicit cost is greater than accounting profit, there will be an economic loss. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 06-05 Explain the meaning of increasing productivity and cutting costs. Sayre – Chapter 06 #158 Source: Text Topic: Explicit and Implicit Costs Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 14. (p. 210)  What is meant by the term economic capacity? A. An ou tput level where the firm is physically unable to increase output. B. The output level where average variable cost is at a minimum. C. The output level where average total cost is at a minimum.D. Total fixed costs are at a minimum. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 07-02 Understand why medium-sized firms are sometimes just as efficient as big firms. Sayre – Chapter 07 #3 Source: Text Topic: Constant Returns to Scale Type: Definition Type: Pickup 15. (p. 213)  Which of the following statements is correct if a firm's capacity output increases from 300 to 600 and its total costs rise from $40,000 to $78,000? A. The firm is experiencing constant returns to scale. B. The firm is experiencing decreasing returns to scale. C. The firm is experiencing increasing returns to scale. D.The firm's long-run average cost must have decreased but its short-run average cost could have either decreased or increased. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 07-03 Understand why big firms sometim es enjoy great cost advantages. Sayre – Chapter 07 #17 Source: Text Topic: Economies of Scale Type: Definition Type: Pickup 16. (p. 218)  The existence of both economies of scale and diseconomies of scale would have what effect on the LRAC curve? A. It would make it upward-sloping. B. It would make it downward-sloping. C. It would give it an inverse U shape. D. It would give it a U shape. E.It would make it horizontal. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 07-06 Explain what is meant by the right size of firm. Sayre – Chapter 07 #46 Source: Text Topic: What is the Right Size of Firm? Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 17. (p. 224)  All of the following, except one, are examples of pecuniary economies of scale. Which is the exception? A. A lower interest rate paid on money borrowed. B. The ability to sell the by-products of production. C. The ability to use specialized inputs such as a robotics assembly line. D. The ability to obtain lower prices by buying in bulk. Dif ficulty: EasyLearning Objective: 07-03 Understand why big firms sometimes enjoy great cost advantages. Sayre – Chapter 07 #75 Source: Study Guide Topic: Economies of Scale Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 18. (p. 215)  What is the shape of the LRAC curve for a firm enjoying diseconomies of scale? The long-run average cost curve is upward-sloping when the firm is experiencing diseconomies of scale; an increase in output will lead to an increase in the average cost. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 07-04 Understand why firms can sometimes be too big. Sayre – Chapter 07 #120 Source: Text Topic: Why Firms can be too BigType: Comprehension Type: Pickup 19. (p. 232)  Which of the following refers to the perfectly competitive firm? A. It is a price-maker. B. It is a price-taker. C. It might be either a price-maker or a price-taker. D. It is neither a price-maker nor a price-taker. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-02 Explain what is meant by perfect competition and the market system. Sayre – Chapter 08 #6 Source: Text Topic: Perfect Competition and the Market System Type: Definition Type: Pickup 20. (p. 239)  What is the term for the extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit? A. Average revenue. B. Marginal revenue.C. Net revenue. D. Total revenue. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits. Sayre – Chapter 08 #12 Source: Text Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Definition Type: Pickup 21. (p. 238)  What is average revenue? A. The price multiplied by the quantity sold. B. The total revenue divided by the price. C. The extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit. D. It is equal to the price in perfectly competitive markets. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits.Sayre – Chapter 08 #13 Source: Text Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Defi nition Type: Pickup 22. (p. 239)  What is break-even output? A. The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's total fixed cost. B. The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's total variable cost. C. The output at which the total revenue just covers a firm's fixed and variable costs including normal profits. D. The output at which the firm is making zero normal profits. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits. Sayre – Chapter 08 #26Source: Text Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Definition Type: Pickup 23. (p. 254)  Which of the following is the correct sequence of events following a decrease in demand for a product in a perfectly competitive market? A. A decrease in the price and in the total profits of the representative firm which causes new firms to enter the industry. B. A decrease in the price and in the total profits of the representative firm which causes firms to leave the industry. C. A decrease in the price but an increase in the total profits of the representative firm which causes new firms to enter the industry. D.An increase in the price but a decrease in the total profits of the representative firm which causes firms to leave the industry. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-06 Explain the effect of a change in market demand or market supply on both the industry and the firm. Sayre – Chapter 08 #100 Source: Text Topic: The Industry Demand and Supply Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 24. (p. 260)  How is average revenue defined? A. It is the extra revenue derived from the sale of one more unit. B. It is the total revenue divided by the number of units sold. C. It is marginal revenue divided by the number of units sold.D. It is the sum of the marginal revenue of all units sold. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits. Sayre – Chapter 08 #1 06 Source: Study Guide Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Definition Type: Pickup 25. (p. 261)  Which of the following markets provide the best example of a perfect competition? A. Automobile manufacturing. B. Restaurants. C. Oil refining. D. Wheat farming. Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 08-02 Explain what is meant by perfect competition and the market system.Sayre – Chapter 08 #111 Source: Study Guide Topic: Perfect Competition Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 26. (p. 237)  Explain why a perfectly competitive firm faces a horizontal demand curve? In a perfectly competitive market, the individual firm has no control over price. Furthermore, the individual firm only produces a tiny fraction of the total market supply. If the individual firm sells at a higher price, nobody will buy it; nor would the firm sell it at a lower price. Therefore there is only one price: the market price, at which the firm can produce as much or as little as it wishes.Difficulty: Moderate Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits. Sayre – Chapter 08 #170 Source: Text Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 27. (p. 239)  Explain why average revenue is equal to marginal revenue for a perfectly competitive firm? A perfectly competitive firm faces a perfectly elastic demand curve. It may sell as many units as it wishes at the prevailing market price, thus the revenue from the incremental sale (MR) and the revenue per unit (AR) is equal to the price.Difficulty: Moderate Learning Objective: 08-03 Use two approaches to explain how a firm might maximize its profits. Sayre – Chapter 08 #171 Source: Text Topic: The Competitive Industry and Firm Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup 28. (p. 248)  The supply curve for a perfectly competitive firm is that portion of its marginal cost curve that lies above its average variable cost curve. Explain why? If the price is below average variable cost, the firm could not cover all of its variable cost. It would therefore shut down and produce nothing.If the price is equal or greater to the average variable cost, the firm will cover all of its variable cost, thus the firm will operate. Difficulty: Moderate Learning Objective: 08-05 Explain how a firms supply curve is derived. Sayre – Chapter 08 #173 Source: Text Topic: The Firms Supply curve Type: Comprehension Type: Pickup Micro Review Quiz Test 2 Summary Category| #  of  Questions| Difficulty:  Difficult| 1| Difficulty:  Easy| 24| Difficulty:  Moderate| 3| Learning  Objective:  05-01  Explain  the  law  of  diminishing  marginal  utility. 1| Learning  Objective:  05-02  Derive  a  consumers  purchasing  rule  that  ensures  satisfaction  is  maximized. | 1| Learning  Objective:  05-02  Derive  a  consumers  purchasing  rule  that  ensures  satisfaction  is  maximized. | 1| Le arning  Objective:  05-04  Provide  a  theoretical  rationale  for  downward-sloping  demand  curves. | 1| Learning  Objective:  05-05  Understand  why  consumers  generally  value  a  product  more  than  the  price  they  pay. | 2| Learning  Objective:  06-01  Understand  how  and  why  economists  measure  costs  differently  from  how  accountants  do  and  distinguish  between  the  accountants  and  economists  views  of  profits. 1| Learning  Objective:  06-02  Understand  the  crucial  relationship  between  productivity  and  costs. | 1| Learning  Objective:  06-03  Understand  the  important  difference  between  fixed  costs  and  variable  costs. | 1| Learning  Objective:  06-04  List  and  graph  the  seven  specific  cost  definitions  used  by  economists. | 3| Learning  Objective:  06-05  Explain   the  meaning  of  increasing  productivity  and cutting  costs. | 1| Learning  Objective:  07-02  Understand  why  medium-sized  firms  are  sometimes  just  as  efficient  as  big  firms. | 1| Learning  Objective:  07-03  Understand  why  big  firms  sometimes  enjoy  great  cost  advantages. 2| Learning  Objective:  07-04  Understand  why  firms  can  sometimes  be  too  big. | 1| Learning  Objective:  07-06  Explain  what  is  meant  by  the  right  size  of  firm. | 1| Learning  Objective:  08-02  Explain  what  is  meant  by  perfect  competition  and  the  market  system. | 2| Learning  Objective:  08-03  Use  two  approaches  to  explain  how  a  firm  might  maximize  its  profits. | 6| Learning  Objective:  08-05  Explain  how  a  firms  supply  curve  is  derived. | 1| Learning  Objective:à ‚  08-06  Explain  the  effect  of  a  change  in  market  demand  or  market  supply  on  both  the  industry  and  the  firm. | 1| Sayre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chapter  05| 8|Sayre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chapter  06| 8| Sayre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chapter  07| 5| Sayre  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Chapter  08| 10| Source:  Study  Guide| 5| Source:  Text| 23| Topic:  Constant  Returns  to  Scale| 1| Topic:  Consumer  Surplus| 2| Topic:  Economies  of  Scale| 2| Topic:  Explicit  and  Implicit  Costs| 2| Topic:  Law  of  Diminishing  Marginal  Utility| 1| Topic:  Marginal  and  Variable  Costs| 1| Topic:  Marginal  Utility  and  Demand| 1| Topic:  Optimal  Purchasing  Rule| 2| Topic:  Perfect  Competition| 1| Topic:  Perfect  Competition  and  the  Market  System| 1| Topic:  The  Competitive  Industry  and  Firm| 6| Topic:  The  Firms  Supply  curve| 1|

Foundation and Empire 12. Captain And Mayor

Captain Han Pritcher was unused to the luxury of his surroundings and by no means impressed. As a general thing, he discouraged self-analysis and all forms of philosophy and metaphysics not directly connected with his work. It helped. His work consisted largely of what the War Department called â€Å"intelligence,† the sophisticates, â€Å"espionage,† and the romanticists, â€Å"spy stuff.† And, unfortunately, despite the frothy shrillness of the televisors, â€Å"intelligence,† â€Å"espionage,† and â€Å"spy stuff† are at best a sordid business of routine betrayal and bad faith. It is excused by society since it is in the â€Å"interest of the State,† but since philosophy seemed always to lead Captain Pritcher to the conclusion that even in that holy interest, society is much more easily soothed than one's own conscience – he discouraged philosophy. And now, in the luxury of the mayor's anteroom, his thoughts turned inward despite himself. Men had been promoted over his head continuously, though of lesser ability – that much was admitted. He had withstood an eternal rain of black marks and official reprimands, and survived it. And stubbornly he had held to his own way in the firm belief that insubordination in that same holy â€Å"interest of the State† would yet be recognized for the service it was. So here he was in the anteroom of the mayor-with five soldiers as a respectful guard, and probably a court-martial awaiting him. The heavy, marble doors rolled apart smoothly, silently, revealing satiny walls, a red plastic carpeting, and two more marble doors, metal-inlaid, within. Two officials in the straight-lined costume of three centuries back, stepped out, and called: â€Å"An audience to Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† They stepped back with a ceremonious bow as the captain started forward. His escort stopped at the outer door, and he entered the inner alone. On the other side of the doors, in a large room strangely simple, behind a large desk strangely angular, sat a small man, almost lost in the immensity, Mayor Indbur – successively the third of that name – was the grandson of the first Indbur, who had been brutal and capable; and who had exhibited the first quality in spectacular fashion by his manner of seizing power, and the latter by the skill with which he put an end to the last farcical remnants of free election and the even greater skill with which he maintained a relatively peaceful rule. Mayor Indbur was also the son of the second Indbur, who was the first Mayor of the Foundation to succeed to his post by right of birth – and who was only half his father, for he was merely brutal. So Mayor Indbur was the third of the name and the second to succeed by right of birth, and he was the least of the three, for he was neither brutal nor capable – but merely an excellent bookkeeper born wrong. Indbur the Third was a peculiar combination of ersatz characteristics to all but himself. To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was â€Å"system,† an indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was â€Å"industry,† indecision when right was â€Å"caution,† and blind stubbornness when wrong, â€Å"determination.† And withal he wasted no money, killed no man needlessly, and meant extremely well. If Captain Pritcher's gloomy thoughts ran along these lines as he remained respectfully in place before the large desk, the wooden arrangement of his features yielded no insight into the fact. He neither coughed, shifted weight, nor shuffled his feet until the thin face of the mayor lifted slowly as the busy stylus ceased in its task of marginal notations, and a sheet of close-printed paper was lifted from one neat stack and placed upon another neat stack. Mayor Indbur clasped his hands carefully before him, deliberately refraining from disturbing the careful arrangement of desk accessories. He said, in acknowledgment, â€Å"Captain Han Pritcher of Information.† And Captain Pritcher in strict obedience to protocol bent one knee nearly to the ground and bowed his head until he heard the words of release. â€Å"Arise, Captain Pritcher!† The mayor said with an air of warm sympathy, â€Å"You are here, Captain Pritcher, because of certain disciplinary action taken against yourself by your superior officer. The papers concerning such action have come, in the ordinary course of events, to my notice, and since no event in the Foundation is of disinterest to me, I took the trouble to ask for further information on your case. You are not, I hope, surprised.† Captain Pritcher said unemotionally, â€Å"Excellence, no. Your justice is proverbial.† â€Å"Is it? Is it?† His tone was pleased, and the tinted contact lenses he wore caught the light in a manner that imparted a hard, dry gleam to his eyes. Meticulously, he fanned out a series of metal-bound folders before him. The parchment sheets within crackled sharply as he turned them, his long finger following down the line as he spoke. â€Å"I have your record here, captain – complete. You are forty-three and have been an Officer of the Armed Forces for seventeen years. You were born in Loris, of Anacreonian parents, no serious childhood diseases, an attack of myo†¦ well, that's of no importance†¦ education, premilitary, at the Academy of Sciences, major, hyper-engines, academic standing†¦ hm-m-m, very good, you are to be congratulated†¦ entered the Army as Under-Officer on the one hundred second day of the 293rd year of the Foundation Era.† He lifted his eyes momentarily as he shifted the first folder, and opened the second. â€Å"You see,† he said, â€Å"in my administration, nothing is left to chance. Order! System!† He lifted a pink, scented jelly-globule to his lips. It was his one vice, and but dolingly indulged in. Witness the fact that the mayor's desk lacked that almost-inevitable atom flash for the disposal of dead tobacco. For the mayor did not smoke. Nor, as a matter of course, did his visitors. The mayor's voice droned on, methodically, slurringly, mumblingly – now and then interspersed with whispered comments of equally mild and equally ineffectual commendation or reproof. Slowly, he replaced the folders as originally, in a single neat pile. â€Å"Well, captain,† he said, briskly, â€Å"your record is unusual. Your ability is outstanding, it would seem, and your services valuable beyond question. I note that you have been wounded in the line of duty twice, and that you have been awarded the Order of Merit for bravery beyond the call of duty. Those are facts not lightly to be minimized.† Captain Pritcher's expressionless face did not soften. He remained stiffly erect. Protocol required that a subject honored by an audience with the mayor may not sit down – a point perhaps needlessly reinforced by the fact that only one chair existed in the room, the one underneath the mayor. Protocol further required no statements other than those needed to answer a direct question. The mayor's eyes bore down hard upon the soldier and his voice grew pointed and heavy. â€Å"However, you have not been promoted in ten years, and your superiors report, over and over again, of the unbending stubbornness of your character. You are reported to be chronically insubordinate, incapable of maintaining a correct attitude towards superior officers, apparently uninterested in maintaining frictionless relationships with your colleagues, and an incurable troublemaker, besides. How do you explain that, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I do what seems right to me. My deeds on behalf of the State, and my wounds in that cause bear witness that what seems fight to me is also in the interest of the State.† â€Å"A soldierly statement, captain, but a dangerous doctrine. More of that, later. Specifically, you are charged with refusing an assignment three times in the face of orders signed by my legal delegates. What have you to say to that?† â€Å"Excellence, the assignment lacks significance in a critical time, where matters of first importance are being ignored.† â€Å"Ah, and who tells you these matters you speak of are of the first importance at all, and if they are, who tells you further that they are ignored?† â€Å"Excellence, these things are quite evident to me. My experience and my knowledge of events – the value of neither of which my superiors deny – make it plain.† â€Å"But, my good captain, are you blind that you do not see that by arrogating to yourself the right to determine Intelligence policy, you usurp the duties of your superior?† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my superior.† â€Å"Fallacious, for your superior has his superior, and that superior is myself, and I am the State. But come, you shall have no cause to complain of this justice of mine that you say is proverbial. State in your own words the nature of the breach in discipline that has brought all this on.† â€Å"Excellence, my duty is primarily to the State, and not to my living the life of a retired merchant mariner upon the world of Kalgan. My instructions were to direct Foundation activity upon the planet, perfect an organization to act as check upon the warlord of Kalgan, particularly as regards his foreign policy.† â€Å"This is known to me. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, my reports have continually stressed the strategic positions of Kalgan and the systems it controls. I have reported on the ambition of the warlord, his resources, his determination to extend his domain and his essential friendliness – or, perhaps, neutrality – towards the Foundation.† â€Å"I have read your reports thoroughly. Continue!† â€Å"Excellence, I returned two months ago. At that time, there was no sign of impending war; no sign of anything but an almost superfluity of ability to repel any conceivable attack. One month ago, an unknown soldier of fortune took Kalgan without a fight. The man who was once warlord of Kalgan is apparently no longer alive. Men do not speak of treason – they speak only of the power and genius of this strange condottiere – this Mule.† â€Å"This who?† the mayor leaned forward, and looked offended. â€Å"Excellence, he is known as the Mule. He is spoken of little, in a factual sense, but I have gathered the scraps and fragments of knowledge and winnowed out the most probable of them. He is apparently a man of neither birth nor standing. His father, unknown. His mother, dead in childbirth. His upbringing, that of a vagabond. His education, that of the tramp worlds, and the backwash alleys of space. He has no name other than that of the Mule, a name reportedly applied by himself to himself, and signifying, by popular explanation, his immense physical strength, and stubbornness of purpose.† â€Å"What is his military strength, captain? Never mind his physique.† â€Å"Excellence, men speak of huge fleets, but in this they may be influenced by the strange fall of Kalgan. The territory he controls is not large, though its exact limits are not capable of definite determination. Nevertheless, this man must be investigated.† â€Å"Hm-m-m. So! So!† The mayor fell into a reverie, and slowly with twenty-four strokes of his stylus drew six squares in hexagonal arrangements upon the blank top sheet of a pad, which he tore off, folded neatly in three parts and slipped into the wastepaper slot at his right hand. It slid towards a clean and silent atomic disintegration. â€Å"Now then, tell me, captain, what is the alternative? You have told me what ‘must' be investigated. What have you been ordered to investigate?† â€Å"Excellence, there is a rat hole in space that, it seems, does not pay its taxes.† â€Å"Ah, and is that all? You are not aware, and have not been told that these men who do not pay their taxes, are descendants of the wild Traders of our early days – anarchists, rebels, social maniacs who claim Foundation ancestry and deride Foundation culture. You are not aware, and have not been told, that this rat hole in space, is not one, but many; that these rat holes are in greater number than we know; that these rat holes conspire together, one with the other, and all with the criminal elements that still exist throughout Foundation territory. Even here, captain, even here!† The mayor's momentary fire subsided quickly. â€Å"You are not aware, captain?† â€Å"Excellence, I have been told all this. But as servant of the State, I must serve faithfully – and he serves most faithfully who serves Truth. Whatever the political implications of these dregs of the ancient Traders – the warlords who have inherited the splinters of the old Empire have the power. The Traders have neither arms nor resources. They have not even unity. I am not a tax collector to be sent on a child's errand.† â€Å"Captain Pritcher, you are a soldier, and count guns. It is a failing to be allowed you up to the point where it involves disobedience to myself. Take care. My justice is not simply weakness. Captain, it has already been proven that the generals of the Imperial Age and the warlords of the present age are equally impotent against us. Seldon's science which predicts the course of the Foundation is based, not on individual heroism, as you seem to believe, but on the social and economic trends of history. We have passed successfully through four crises already, have we not?† â€Å"Excellence, we have. Yet Seldon's science is known only to Seldon. We ourselves have but faith. In the first three crises, as I have been carefully taught, the Foundation was led by wise leaders who foresaw the nature of the crises and took the proper precautions. Otherwise – who can say?† â€Å"Yes, captain, but you omit the fourth crisis. Come, captain, we had no leadership worthy of the name then, and we faced the cleverest opponent, the heaviest armor, the strongest force of all. Yet we won by the inevitability of history.† â€Å"Excellence, that is true. But this history you mention became inevitable only after we had fought desperately for over a year. The inevitable victory we won cost us half a thousand ships and half a million men. Excellence, Seldon's plan helps those who help themselves.† Mayor Indbur frowned and grew suddenly tired of his patient exposition. It occurred to him that there was a fallacy in condescension, since it was mistaken for permission to argue eternally; to grow contentious; to wallow in dialectic. He said, stiffly, â€Å"Nevertheless, captain, Seldon guarantees victory over the warlords, and I can not, in these busy times, indulge in a dispersal of effort. These Traders you dismiss are Foundation-derived. A war with them would be a civil war. Seldon's plan makes no guarantee there for us – since they and we are Foundation. So they must be brought to heel. You have your orders.† â€Å"Excellence-â€Å" â€Å"You have been asked no question, captain. You have your orders. You will obey those orders. Further argument of any sort with myself or those representing myself will be considered treason. You are excused.† Captain Han Pritcher knelt once more, then left with slow, backward steps. Mayor Indbur, third of his name, and second mayor of Foundation history to be so by fight of birth, recovered his equilibrium, and lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. It was a report on the saving of funds due to the reduction of the quantity of metal-foam edging on the uniforms of the police force. Mayor Indbur crossed out a superfluous comma, corrected a misspelling, made three marginal notations, and placed it upon the neat stack at his fight. He lifted another sheet of paper from the neat stack at his left. Captain Han Pritcher of Information found a Personal Capsule waiting for him when he returned to barracks. It contained orders, terse and redly underlined with a stamped â€Å"URGENT†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ across it, and the whole initialed with a precise, capital â€Å"I†. Captain Han Pritcher was ordered to the â€Å"rebel world called Haven† in the strongest terms. Captain Han Pritcher, alone in his light one-man speedster, set his course quietly and calmly for Kalgan. He slept that night the sleep of a successfully stubborn man.

Impact of Eve Teasing in the Society of Bangladesh

Impact of Eve teasing in the society of Bangladesh: By: S. khan joy Email: [email  protected] com Now Eve teasing is one of the main threats for Bangladesh because it is destroying the social balance. Eve teasing might seem harmless ‘fun' to some, but gets the nerve of the victims. The severe impact of eve teasing is taking away the lives of young girls as Bangladesh has witnessed recently.Based on empirical study (2008) the Hunger Project has identified some impacts of eve teasing in the society of rural Bangladesh. These are: a) Curtailed education: Sexual harassment increases girls' drop-out rate from school. Parents concerned about their daughter's honour or safety sometimes keep their daughters home and/or marry them off at an early age. b) Early marriage: Girls who are teased or harassed are also pushed into marriage, before they are physically or mentally prepared. ) Hindered development: Eve teasing contributes to maintaining the low status of women. It also hinders w omen in participating in the formal employment sector. As nearly half of the population of the country are women, for the economic development of the country their participation in employment is a must. d) Eve teasing† leads to young woman’s suicide in Bangladesh: RVEYING the newspapers over the last few months we must have to be shocked realising the unprecedented rate of suicide cases among the young girls due to eve teasing.As reported in the newspapers in the recent past Nurina, Elora, Simi, Trisha, Tonni, Swapna, Tithi, Rumi committed suicide to escape the cruelty of stalkers' repression. Over the last four months, as reported in The Daily Star, fourteen girls, due to repression of stalkers, opted for ultimate destiny of their lives finding no other alternatives. Apart from suicide, one statistics has revealed that during January-July 2008 period only, about 13,000 women became victims of eve teasing of different forms across the country.This figure counted only th e reported cases. Many occurrences remain unreported as the majority of the victims of eve teasing prefer to ignore this out of fear or not to be ‘disgraced' or part of a social ‘gossip'. The situation has become so alarming that, in general, it can be argued that at present no girl has been spared from being a victim of eve teasing in one form or another.

British American Tobacco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

British American Tobacco - Essay Example It is documented that the company was formed in 1902 by joining Imperial Tobacco Company of United Kingdom with American Tobacco Company of USA. The resulting company was then referred to as the British-American Tobacco Company Ltd. The name later changed to British American Tobacco plc which immediately began earnest diversification in countries all over the world except the United Kingdom and USA, the parent countries. This essay attempts to present a critical appraisal of the strategies adopted by BAT since 2003, an analysis of its environment of operation as well as an evaluation of its potential to remain a major player in the global tobacco business. There is also a brief conclusion given at the end of the essay. Since the year 2003, British American Tobacco Company put in place significant strategic initiatives which saw it grow from a regional company to a global conglomerate. To attain its current status, BAT employed a myriad of strategies. At the outset, the tobacco company decided to grow organically by increasing its market share in existing markets and also through entering new markets. This strategy required BAT to increase its market penetration in the tobacco industry while at the same time observing cost efficiency. Interestingly enough, organic growth was reportedly very successful though with enormous cost implications. To this effect, BAT managed to increase organic sales volumes of its four main brands namely Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike (as cited in Lee and Collin, 2006). Additionally, these top brands are reported to have seen an increase of 8% in volumes in 2003 as indicated in Lee and Collin (2006) with further expectations of even better performance in 2005. This projection in growth by volume was indicative of some organic growth especially in the face of difficult situations in some key markets (Lee and Collin, 2006). On the other hand, to enhance its diversification programme, British American Tobacco went into partnership with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company on 11 June 2006 to manufacture Camel brand of cigarettes in Sweden. This marked part of the company's strategy of growth through careful acquisitions as well as some organic growth and share exchanges in the long term to realise high single figure earnings (Glantz, 2000). For this reason financially attractive mergers and acquisitions were concluded in close succession to provide BAT with growth opportunities. A land mark acquisition came in 2003 when BAT acquired Ente Tabacchi Italiani, Italy's state tobacco company, thereby elevating BAT to the number two slot in Italy. This acquisition had come on the heels of an earlier one of Rothmans International in 1999 which had some presence in Burma (Glantz, 2000). Finally, in 2008 BAT acquired Turkey's state-owned cigarette maker Tekel (as cited in Glantz, 2000). In my commends about organic growt h for BAT, its veracious appetite for market penetration raised a lot of criticism from human rights groups particularly with the Rothmans International hence forcing BAT to sell its share of the factory in 2003 purportedly after an exceptional request from the British government (Mackey, Mackey and Barney, 2007). Advertising and promotion also marked another strategy employed by BAT since 2003. This strategy was

Creative manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creative manager - Essay Example Several financial institutions are most affected by the crisis, of which HSBC Bank is one. This paper would present pertinent issues resulting to the breakdown of the financial markets of the world and propose strategies to enable HSBC to achieve its organizational goals by: (1) briefly explaining the factors that brought about the breakdown of the global financial markets (2) determining the possible effects on the operations of HSBC in UK utilizing SWOT analyses; and (3) presenting the strategies that HSBC should adopt to achieve her vision and restore public confidence HSBC Bank has been operating in England and Wales at the registered office located at 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ. It offers a diverse portfolio of financial instruments including savings and current accounts, investment accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, insurance and international services. It supports a wide range of education projects and initiatives throughout the communities where they do business. In addition, â€Å"HSBC supports a wide range of projects and initiatives that underline their commitment to UK businesses.† (HSBC 2009) The management of HSBC promotes diversity and equality of opportunities through programs where they establish partnerships with other business organizations. Accordingly, â€Å"representatives of HSBC Bank plc can provide advice on investment and pension products from selected providers, including companies within the HSBC Group, and on life insurance products from HSBC Life (UK) Limited.† (ibid.) Jarvis (2009) gives a concise and easy to understand presentation of the credit crisis in his video The Crisis of Credit Visualized. According to Jarvis, â€Å"the credit crisis is a world wide financial fiasco involving terms you probably heard such as: sub-prime mortgages, collateralized debt obligations, frozen credit markets and credit default swaps

Media, Culture and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media, Culture and Identity - Essay Example The media therefore plays an important role in the formation of a cultural identity because of the vital role that it (the media) plays in the communication process. It is seen that communication is an important part in the formation of a cultural identity as it is the means through which people interact and through the interaction, the culture is transmitted. The media is therefore seen to play a vital role in the formation and in the transmission of cultural identity for different people. The media is important in that it facilitates the process of communication between the different people in a community. By facilitating the process of communication, the media makes a major contribution in the creation and in the spread of culture. The media also has an important role in the evolution of the different cultural practices. The media can be said to extend the human capability to create, spread, and store messages. By extension, the media also enhances the human capability to engage i n activities that are relevant to the different aspects of culture. When the process of communication is facilitated, the cultural practices can be spread. What is seen in the media is also a reflection of the cultural activities that are being engaged in by the people in the society (Gentz and Kramer 2). The increase in the consumption of media has been instrumental in the formation of identity. The introduction of new media and new media technologies has been linked to the formation of new patterns of identification. The cultural orientation of a given group of people and the way that people identify themselves change when they begin to consume the different kinds of new media and new technologies that are available to them. An example of the new media and media technology that has influenced the way people identify themselves and their cultural identity is the increased uptake of satellite television and the increased use of the internet. This is because of the interconnectedness and the high level of interaction that is offered by the new media. Media plays an important role in the formation of culture and identity in that it has increased the level of mobility that the community has access to. The mobility that the media offers is from the increased access to symbolic world that is enabled by the media. The media technology also brings change in cultural identity in that it increases the level of self sufficiency among the members of the given community. The interdependence that is offered by the media has led to a situation in which the global events and happenings have a major impact on the local culture. The local cultures of those who consume the media assimilate the culture of those that they watch and read about from the different media sources. The media is a major source of information as well as a source of cultural information. When it comes to transmitting cultural information the different actors and events in the media are typified into the d ifferent codes. They (actors and events) are also made to generic forms that are in line with the culture of a given society. The media through the different actors and events recreates the codes through which the events and actors are interpreted. The physical and social institutions as well as the cultural spaces have been reconstructed by the media, through the introduction of unlimited access to events and actors that are not physically

SUMMARY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

SUMMARY - Essay Example author then focuses on the support of the legislation and the author figured out that the legislation had not met with any form of criticism and no criticism is very rare. The author then focuses on the incompleteness of the legislation and states that the legislators have not provided advice regarding where the food waste was supposed to be dumped. He cites an individual belonging to the organization of The National Waste and Recycling association who believes that the food waste can be dumped in anaerobic digesters that churn this kind of waste in the same way food is churned in the stomach of a cow. The author states that the food waste can even be dumped at composite sites where this waste along with other waste is transformed into compost and the compost does not smell as bad as raw waste. The author states that companies that are involved in the production of compost will gain some new business due to this legislation and the author even states that similar legislations are gai ning popularity in other states. NPR.org,. Massachusetts Food Waste Ban Gains Broad Acceptance. N.p., 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.

Human Memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Memory - Essay Example e details of a story that had occurred a long time ago, the flow of complicated phrases of long songs, and many other such features, is because of memory. This occurs as a process of information retention in which one’s experiences are archived, and these can be recovered when recalled. Memory and learning are mutually and closely interrelated. Learning is the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, and memory is the retention of this knowledge. Ability to consider the past, think in the present, and predict the future, as well as the use of language are all based on learning and human memory. Memory is also understood as a comprehensive term ranging from memories of childhood and autobiographical memory, to the stream of facts recalled as a result of a trigger. It includes the memory for faces, both familiar and those that require concentration to recognise. â€Å"The memories for taste and smell, sounds and shapes as well as the feel of things are directly related to the senses†, and can trigger off a flood of nostalgia (Samuel, 1999: 49). 1) Information flows through the brain: Sensory iinformation is stored in the sensory store in the cortex. Then some of the information is quickly transferred before it is lost, into the short-term store, and then the rehearsal buffer, and finally into long-term memory storage in the sensory cortex, state Loftus and Loftus (1976). The Papez circuit travels from the hippocampus, around the limbic system and cortex, back to the hippocampus. The strengthened memory paths become a part of long-term memory (Squire, 1991). 2) How neuron networks store and retrieve memories: Neuron networks such as the Papez circuit entrenches temporary connections between visual, hearing and limbic neurons to form a new lasting memory. A network in the cortex that contains a particular sensation forms a path defined by its synapses. This is the firing path for nerve impulses that stores and invokes the particular sensation to evoke a related

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Research Paper Example Often, online reviews and responses are invaluable promotional resources for most companies. Streitfeld, 2013, addresses serious questions on the credibility of promotional strategies applied by companies based on online review rankings. The article addresses most pertinent issues to online marketing and promotions based on review ratings. First, it addresses challenges of an increase in online retail purchases prompted by increase in cases of industry of fibbers and promoters focused on buying and selling raves for a pittance. Streitfeld, 2013, maintains that there increasing instances of falsified online reviews to help companies promote their goods and services. High necessity for positive reviews by businesses and companies rendered the review system a struggle of superiority because no corporation accepts low ratings. The article highlights challenges of a high demand for positive reviews by businesses and companies as a struggle of supremacy in which every enterprise intends to ensure favorable competition. Streitfeld, 2013, uses an example of Sandra Parker, who served under contract by a company to fabricate Amazon reviews for $10 each. Parker’s role was to neutralize the effects of insincere reviews posted by customers for various companies to with favor and expand market dominance. According to Streitfeld, 2013, reviews lose meaning if illegitimate reviews get the same prevalence similar to those that are honest. The algorithm was successful because it was possible to distinguish honest reviews and fake reviews. According to the algorithm, false reviews are narratives addressing their experience at the firm using many superlatives without a vivid description of the facts. There is a high prevalence in the use of illegitimate and misleading reviews on company or business websites. Consequently, it is misleading for consumers and influences their product choice. Relevant regulations should be in place to regulate misleading reviews set

Population Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Population - Research Paper Example Countries Rank by Total Fertility Rate (TFR) Rank Countries Children Born /Woman Date of Information 1 Zambia 5.81 2013 2 Nigeria 5.31 2013 3 Tanzania 5.01 2013 4 Senegal 4.61 2013 5 Ghana 4.12 2013 6 Cameroon 4.00 2013 7 Kenya 3.76 2013 8 Zimbabwe 3.58 2013 9 Egypt 2.90 2013 10 Kuwait 2.56 2013 11 South Africa 2.25 2013 12 United States 2.06 2013 13 United Kingdom 1.90 2013 14 Brazil 1.81 2013 15 China 1.55 2013 Source: (3Central Intelligence Agency 2013). ... For example, developing countries such as Zambia and Cameroon rank higher in terms of TFR and MMR than developed countries such as the US and the UK. Correspondingly, it can be stated that there exists a direct relationship between TFR and MMR. Evidently, the decline in fertility leads to decrease in the exposure of risks associated with maternal mortality and vice versa (1Central Intelligence Agency 2013; 2Central Intelligence Agency 2013) Rank the Countries by Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Rank Countries Death/1000 Live Births Date of Information 1 Nigeria 72.97 2013 2 Zambia 68.58 2013 3 Cameroon 58.51 2013 4 Senegal 53.93 2013 5 Tanzania 45.10 2013 6 Kenya 42.18 2013 7 South Africa 42.15 2013 8 Ghana 39.70 2013 9 Zimbabwe 27.25 2013 10 Egypt 23.30 2013 11 Brazil 19.83 2013 12 China 15.20 2013 13 Kuwait 7.68 2013 14 United States 5.90 2013 15 United Kingdom 4.50 2013 Source: (Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Rank by Life Expectancy at Birth Rank Countries Years Date of Information 1 United Kingdom 80.29 2013 2 United States 78.62 2013 3 Kuwait 77.46 2013 4 China 74.99 2013 5 Egypt 73.19 2013 6 Brazil 73.02 2013 7 Ghana 65.32 2013 8 Kenya 63.29 2013 9 Tanzania 60.76 2013 10 Senegal 60.57 2013 11 Cameroon 55.02 2013 12 Zimbabwe 53.86 2013 13 Nigeria 52.46 2013 14 Zambia 51.51 2013 15 South Africa 49.48 2013 Source: (1Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Population Growth Rate (Measured By Total Fertility Rate) Varies With Infant Mortality Rate and Life Expectancy at Birth It has been determined from the above presented charts that infant mortality rate is higher in developing countries than developed countries. On the contrary, life expectancy rate at birth is higher in developed countries than developing countries. Correspondingly,

The Things They Carried Essay Example for Free

The Things They Carried Essay Tim O Brien develops the theme of identity in The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong. He uses the character of Mary Anne in order to bring about this theme. In Milan Kundera s Identity, the theme involves a character losing her identity and finding it later on in the story. But in Tim OBriens The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong, Mary Anne finds her lost identity once she travels to Vietnam. OBrien describes Mary Anne as the typical American white girl. A tall big boned blonde. At best, Rat said, she was seventeen years old, fresh out of Cleveland Heights Senior High. She had long white legs and blue eyes and a complexion like strawberry ice cream. Very friendly too. It can be seen that even the colour scheme matches the colours of the American flag. Shes got on culottes and this sexy pink sweater. She is also described as to having a bubbly personality and a happy smile. This description of Mary Anne fits the perfect image of a girl, which is expected by society. In other words, the identity of Mary Anne was no different from the typical female image. She can be seen as a conformist. Due to this conformity, we cannot see anything unique about Mary Annes character in the first part of the chapter. The fact that Mary Anne is highly curious also matches the personality of any ordinary girl. But this personality trait leads her to undergo many changes in her life. No cosmetics, no fingernail filing, she stopped wearing jewellery, cut her hair short and wrapped it in a dark green bandanna. These were some of the physical changes Mary Anne underwent after spending time in Vietnam. But the change is dramatic once she moves to the Green Beret hooch. In part it was her eyes: utterly flat and indifferent. There was no emotion in her stare, no sense of the person behind it. But the grotesque part, he said, was her jewellery. At the girls throat was a necklace of human tongues. This dramatic description of Mary Anne differentiates shockingly from the image of a teenage female, which is accepted by society. It would most certainly be considered taboo. But we can see that Mary Anne does not find this disturbing. In fact she enjoys it. I know what you think, but its not bad. I feel close to myself. When I am out there at night, I feel close to my own body, I can feel my blood moving, my skin and my fingernails, everything, its like I am full of electricity Here Mary Anne justifies her change. It can be seen that Mary Anne has found her true identity. This is implied when she herself states, I feel close to my own body. In the past Mary Anne was tied down from finding her true identity due the conformities. But once she came to Vietnam, she was given the opportunity to gain her individuality. Tim OBrien uses strong, and vivid imagery to show how different a person can really be when not tied down by social conformities. In the beginning, Mary Anne did not appear to have any uniqueness. But once the conformities were taken away, she had the opportunity to be herself and in fact enjoy being an individual. When considering Milan Kunderas Identity and Tim OBriens The Things They Carried. Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong, both texts deal with the issue of personal identity in different perspectives. The character of Chantal in Milan Kunderas Identity, loses her identity, and then under the influence of another character- Jean Marc, regains her identity. The character of Mary Anne in Tim OBriens The Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong, finds her true identity once she comes to Vietnam, where social conformities do not exist. The common factor in both texts being that the personal identity is lost due to social conformities, the two characters in the two texts have two different approaches regarding the issue of ones identity.

The case Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co Essay Example for Free

The case Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co Essay 1.   In light of these facts, what are the chances of successfully bringing an antitrust suit against these manufacturers? Assume that there are no conflict-of-law or other procedural problems due to the manufacturers being in another country. According to, the District Court decisions it shows that there should be considerable evidence showing that one manufacturer had signed an agreement with respect to the goods sold in a way that it injured the other firm. In Powell, J., Burger, Ch. J., and Marshall, Rehnquist, and OConnor, JJ judgment the court should have relevant justification to bring an antitrust suit, before coming up with a lasting solution. The lawyer’s edition head notes suggest that the Court of Appeals can find a way out to determine the reality of the conspiracy. For one to bring antitrust suit against these manufacturers there should be an expertise testimony to be offered by the American companies to generate realistic reasons to base their judgments and material fact for instance their opinion should be   based on a mathematical construction that depends on assumptions concerning the petitioners costs ( Brennan ,Kennedy Stevens 1999). The fact that Japanese manufacturers charge lower prices than American manufacturers in the American market and by lowering its export prices in collaboration with its government is not a guarantee that they recover antitrust compensation from them.   The claim made should make an economic sense in that the assumption of conspiracy is sensible and more persuasive with the view of competing implication 2. What if, instead of discussing the topics listed above, the manufacturers discussed the detail of individual sales, production, inventories, current price lists, and future price trends? They would have solved their disagreement by coming up with proper price range, furthermore they would have obtained the relevant data concerning their businesses and share ideas on either management of sales, how to improve production, inventories and compare their current price in order to determine a relative range. They would have improved their quality of businesses as they avoid the time and money wasted in suing one another in court. They would do an assessment of price and output effects and would have avoided the injury caused by predatory conduct in markets. The would have negotiated on the terms of the sale in response to rates set by the manufactures, thus avoid being victims of an antitrust violation ( Injury to competition 2009). 3. What if they discussed average costs, freight rates, and terms of past transactions without identifying buyers or sellers.   They would have conducted confidential analysis to determine their current freight rates and expenses and operational requirements. Also, they would have realized their average costs and improve control and access management information, project on their savings, check on time performance. 4.   Should a court considering this case conclude that there has been an antitrust violation? Why or why not? No, because there was small evidence that was of importance to the claimed predatory pricing conspiracy. , there was no established realistic material fact to determine whether the company was involved in illegal conspiracy which led to American companies to suffering injury.   It was difficult to determine the maximum-price-fixing agreements and market forces alone determined the kind of goods and services offered, their prices, and the success or fail of particular sellers. The other reasons are that the opinions they used were not based on economic factors as there was no mathematical analysis to determine whether the petitioners were involved in long-term, below-cost sales or not. (Supreme Court, 1986) Lastly the two manufacturers were competing to be the best ,so the like hood of having a winner or a looser was there, consequently making one of them to be demoralized hence rising to fight back.

Categorising Hamlet as a Tragedy

Categorising Hamlet as a Tragedy Shakespearean scholar A.C. Bradley states that tragedy concerns itself with one person, the hero. The second key aspect of tragedy is the death of a hero. As Bradley points out, tragedy is essentially a tale of suffering and calamity conducting to death. Hamlet by William Shakespeare closely follows the dramatic conventions of a revenge play in Elizabethan theatre. Plays belonging to this genre are typically centred upon a protagonists attempt to avenge an evil deed, often including prompts from the supernatural. Mental instability of the hero, scenes of carnage and mutilation and an eruption of general violence towards the denouement are elements common to this genre. Thomas Kyds The Spanish Tragedy and William Shakespeares Titus Andronicus are classic examples of revenge plays, often being classified as tragedies of blood due to their explicit presentation of premeditated violence. Hamlets focus is primarily on the fall of a hero rather than on the execution of a pledge to revenge, therefore, it is more a tragedy than a revenge play as Prince Hamlet just doesnt avenge his fathers murder, he contemplates it before hand. In Hamlet, Shakespeare complicates the theme which makes the play difficult to compartmentalise, giving the play psychological depth, whereas Titus Andronicus is the straightforward narration of a pledge to revenge. The play narrates how Prince Hamlet gains revenge on his uncle Claudius, who is responsible for the foul and most unnatural murder of the late King, Hamlets father. Hamlet vividly charts the course of feigned madness, overwhelming angst and seething rage; whilst exploring themes such as regicide, treachery, reprisal, incest and moral corruption- the classic conventions of an Elizabethan tragedy. The setting of the play is crucial in determining the plays genre, thus, Shakespeare uses Castle Elsinore and its environs to depict a sordid, depressing place where alleged incest and murder are a part of everyday life, where revenge is commonplace motivation, and where the feigning of madness is a normal strategy to dissemble ones feelings. As I previously said, the multiple subplots and psychological depth Shakespeare adds to characters give context to the events taking place within the play, taking it beyond the realms of a mere revenge play. In Hamlet, Shakespeare takes the theme of reve nge beyond the hero of the play. He adds several sub-plots (Fortinbras of Norway is getting ready for possible combat with Denmark and Laertes seeks to avenge his fathers murder), making the genre of revenge consistent throughout the course of the play whilst also adding to the atmosphere of anxiety and doom already created. Shakespeare employs the use of certain gothic conventions which are typical of tragedies, thus, establishing the plays genre. The curtain opens to a bitter cold night, instantly creating a dark, chilling atmosphere. Conversely, Shakespeare could have employed the use of this metaphor to symbolize the political unsettlement in the state of Denmark as their King has just died. The plot itself is complicated but Shakespeare adds further depth to the atmosphere of chaos and unease by employing the use of conventional aspects of Elizabethan tragedy such as the clock that has struck twelve, opening the play in a sinister, perilous hour usually associated with the supernatural, a dead hour. We are also told that the spirit of the late King is roaming the walls of the castle, creating a sense of foreboding within the audience. I have established the conventions of Elizabethan tragedies, but to ascertain the generic conventions of Revenge plays, we must look at some paradigmatic examples such as Shakespeares Titus Andronicus or Thomas Kyds The Spanish Tragedy. Critic S. Clarke Hulse describes Titus Andronicus as a play with 14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3, depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity and 1 of cannibalism- an average of 5.2 atrocities per act, or one for every 97 lines. The play narrates the story of a Roman general who by the end of the play has taken his revenge by murdering his enemy Tamoras sons and then cooking the deceased in the form of a pie, which he later feeds to their mother. The play is by far Shakespeares bloodiest work and is undoubtedly classified as purely a revenge play. In Hamlet; Hamlet, Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all die within the course of the play, which is possib ly why it is often categorised as simply a revenge play. What distinguishes Hamlet from most revenge plays is that the action we expect to see, particularly from Hamlet himself, is continually postponed. We must keep in mind that in this play, it is Hamlets own conscience that leads to his procrastination, acting as his hamartia. S.T Coleridge states that Hamlet procrastinates from thought, and loses the power of action in the energy of resolve. The audience of a revenge play expect a fast pace that gives them an adrenaline rush, thus keeping them engaged. Procrastination is a highly uncommon trait amongst the protagonists of revenge plays as can be seen in the character of Titus Andronicus who seemingly has no ethical values, Titus Andronicus being a play that is described as Shakespeares bloodiest work. Instead of killing Claudius when he is in prayer, Hamlet delays the action further, preferring to murder him when he is drunk or in the incestuous pleasures of his bed. Although, Hamlets hesitation to kill Claudius can also be seen as a p lot device used by Shakespeare to prolong the action of the play, hence, increasing the tension within the audience. As Aristotle said, the tragic hero is a man who is a mixture of good characteristics and bad characteristics and by exposing Hamlets tragic flaw, (teamed with his pardon to Laertes), Shakespeare makes him seem righteous to the audience, allowing us to empathise with the character despite his bad characteristics, a feeling that is definitely not associated with most revenge heroes. Critic William Hazlitt says that we can relate to Hamlet if we have had sadness in our lives as he is open with his emotions and allows the audience an insight into his feelings. Aristotles definition describes tragedy as an imitation of an event that is serious, complete, and possessing magnitude. Hamlet is undeniably a play that is of great enormity as we consider the scale and scope of the play. Keeping in mind that the protagonists of the play are in fact the rulers of Denmark in whose hands lies the fate of millions of people simply elevates the tension created even further. Aristotle also states that the character has the second place in importance meaning simply that the character should support the plot i.e. personal motivations will be intricately connected parts of the cause-and-effect chain of actions producing pity and fear in the audience. Hamlet fits into this description of tragedy as it is Hamlets desire to avenge his fathers murder that drives the plot forward and leads to the unfolding of events that form the play. Shakespeare adds unexpected depth to the character of Claudius, which is not common for the antagonist of a revenge play. The playwright makes Hamlets contempt towards his uncle apparent as he claims they are a little more than kin and less than kind. Claudiuss soliloquy in Act III scene III relays his stronger guilt on a brothers murder, showing a possible good characteristic (as said by Aristotle) of his character. My fault is past. But O, what form of prayer can serve my turn? Claudiuss apparent desire for retribution defers from the preconceived notion of a villain in Elizabethan theatre as it evokes sympathy within the audience. In a stage production of the play, this scene could be played with Claudius on his knees with his hands folded before him, maximising any sympathy the audience feels towards him. However, Shakespeare keeps his antagonistic manners consistent as [Claudiuss] crown, [his] own ambition, and [his] queen win over his guilt. Conversely, this soliloquy could be used to show that despite his villainous nature, Claudius is a character suffering from the heavy burden of guilt. Even though Claudiuss character is not developed to its full potential, Shakespeare has crafted a full rounded human being out of the adulterate beast, making even his character psychologically plausible. This fact in itself defers Hamlet from being merely a revenge play. Reviewing all the points I made during the course of this essay, I would like to conclude that to categorise Hamlet as a revenge play would do the play great injustice. The plays dramatic structure and in-depth characterisation allow the play to be interpreted from many perspectives. In my opinion, Hamlet is not more a tragedy than a revenge play as it contains elements of both genres, but it is a revenge tragedy. Professor Kiernan Ryan remarks on Hamlet being subcategorized into a category of its own as it problematizes the whole revenge tragedy form and the assumptions and values about life, which a revenge tragedy would smuggle through unchallenged.

A Bond between Sisters :: Personal Narrative

A Bond between Sisters The kitchen is sweltering, like everywhere else in the house, so the ice melts quickly as I drop it into the pitcher of freshly brewed mint tea. A fly buzzes around my head, and I try not to flinch as I pour five glasses of the light green liquid. One is for dad, who is in the garden picking tomatoes, another for mom who is diligently preparing for tomorrow's birthday party, and one is for my youngest sister Rachel who is running around the neighborhood with her dog. I take a sip from one of the remaining cups and carry the last to my other sister, Anna. Though I have not heard from her in hours, I know she will be sitting in the same position I last saw her: reclined on the porch chair, feet rested on the railing, and mind deeply lost in her newest science fiction or fantasy novel. "Anna, would you like some tea," I offer as the screen door slams behind me. She doesn't move. "Anna," I try again, this time touching her shoulder with my elbow. She turns her chin towards me, but her eyes continue scanning the page until she has reached an appropriate stopping point. She lifts her slightly glazed, hazel eyes towards mine, unwilling to disengage from the world created by Anthony Piers or Terry Brooks. The corners of her mouth curl upwards, eyes slightly squinting from the bright sunlight, and she reaches out her empty hand, decorated with an intricate henna design, to grasp the sweating glass of tea. My sister and parents have settled on henna as an acceptable form of body art, as opposed to piercings, tattoos, or even hair dye. My sister's artistic talents and desire to decorate herself have been evident since she was little when she longed for the day she could wear the makeup that mom donned every Sunday. One morning, my sister's desire and daring five-year-old spirit got the better of her, and she snuck a tube of bright red lipstick to church. Our mother was mortified, but most of the congregation thought it amusing to see Anna's crimson lips. Anna's artistic side has manifested itself in many other ways. She carried a sketchbook, making drawings of the various churches we visited, our family, or the creatures in her imagination. In her late elementary school years, Anna discovered the joy of using beads to make jewelry.

Essay --

Islamic Banking system is banking system that guided by principles of Islamic laws (Sharia). In Islamic banking system, the most important feature is prohibited of interest (Riba), no matter what type of form or source it is. Riba is the fixed increase on the capital, collected against a fixed period. According to Qur’an, in all type of transactions, both receipts and payment of interest is prohibited. People who dealing of lending money in three conditions which are addition in the principal amount or capital, increment to the additional amount fixed in advance and the dealing made conditional to the two mentioned clauses are consider dealing of Riba. It is regardless of its usage whether it is a personal need or for a useful purpose or either the borrower is poor or rich. However, mark-up for delayed payments and trade-financing commissions are allowed. The prohibited of Riba is to avoid the unbalanced distribution of income in society if interest is involved in credit system. Risk sharing is another principle for Islamic banking system. Although interest is prohibited in Islamic banking system, they still can operate by the concept of profit and loss sharing which is utilizing the funds at risk. When there is no guarantee of return, people will be encouraged to involve in maximize their exertion to contribute justify into production process. Mudarabah and Musharakah are two types of forms which are most desirable in profit and loss sharing concept. Under these two forms, financier makes the funds available as an investor instead of as a lender. The funds they invest do not guarantee will bring them income, they might need to share the loss in proportion to his share. Under Mudharabah, that will be two parties involve who are ... ...s creditor and debtor. However, no matter what type of dealing a client with an Islamic bank, their relationship will never be debtor and creditor. For example, under Mudharabah basic, the relationship between a bank and a client is investor and entrepreneur only. Moreover, when doing investments in conventional banks for example doing an savings in conventional bank for a certain period, the bank has to guarantee all its deposits when maturity, regardless the bank is loss money in an unexpected business failure. However, for Islamic bank, if based on al-wadiah principle, Islamic bank will only guarantee deposits for all deposit accounts but if under mudharabah principle, client have to share the loss if loss exist. Therefore, both Islamic and conventional banks have a totally different way in their operation although the service they provide is almost the same.

Entrepreneur Observation Report Essay -- essays research papers

This report outlines a very small business of my brother’s. It describes his business, target market, financial plans, and marketing plans. I have tried to keep a neutral opinion about his opinions as much as possible. I have tried to keep my inputs and thoughts in the conclusion only. The whole idea of my brother, insert name here, owning a business started in early March of 1998 when one of the neighbors jokingly suggested he should raise chickens and sell them to people. A few days later he realized it could be easily done, and with a profit. From mid-March to September, he and I raised, and easily sold 600+ chickens, we only wished we could have raised more. When March of 1999 rolled around we were contemplating how many chickens to buy, when the person we bought the chickens from told us about the possibilities of rabbits. Because rabbits are a yearlong project, and we knew I would be leaving in the fall, it became his decision and ultimately his project. He started out with 20 baby doe (females), 3 baby bucks (males), and a small-borrowed hutch (cage) with all 23 rabbits jammed in tight. His investment in rabbits, although considerable, was still to be outdone by the ones in hutches and feed. He essentially spent all profits from chickens the year before and then some. His project now consists of 20 mature doe, 3 mature bucks, and approximately 60 babies. He has taken over a section of a large barn and turned it into a 30+ hutch rabbitry system with a circulating automatic watering system., and recently acquired a large weaning cage. I asked him how he felt when he was getting started and he said he didn’t like spending all that money but he knew he would get it all back someday. I then asked him if he was afraid of competition, or of there not being a big enough market. He said he knew of nobody else selling rabbit meat in the area on any scale, and that because rabbit meat is practically thee healthiest meat, he couldn’t see any problems in the market. He then said that if personal selling fails he can sell them through his "chicken provider" on a per pound basis. One thing I have always known about my brother and his rabbit business is that he is very confident in its success and that even though he knows there will be small problems he is very sure of overall success. When I asked him who he sees as his typical customer he said that... ...re rabbits to have babies within a couple days and must check them constantly to make sure every think is ok. He plays the role of technician when he builds cages, and maintains cleanliness. I don’t think this business could ever become a franchise although it could become a very large company with thousands of rabbits, and several employees. If it were to become a franchise I think it would best be managed by the franchisees. I think this would eliminate any hierarchy or bureaucracy involved in most franchises. Of course there would be a main office to coordinate advertising and to offer help to franchisees with questions or problems. I don’t have too many suggestions except to attempt all of the plans he has thought of. I also think that he needs to make a profit before he starts expanding any more. Once he gets into the cycle of raising and selling the rabbits he can then begin to expand, but not before then. This is really a business that has a lot of potential, and had a lot of things going for it. It is proof to me that the only successful entrepreneur is the guy that gets the idea and does it, not the guy that just thinks it would be a good idea for someone else to do. Entrepreneur Observation Report Essay -- essays research papers This report outlines a very small business of my brother’s. It describes his business, target market, financial plans, and marketing plans. I have tried to keep a neutral opinion about his opinions as much as possible. I have tried to keep my inputs and thoughts in the conclusion only. The whole idea of my brother, insert name here, owning a business started in early March of 1998 when one of the neighbors jokingly suggested he should raise chickens and sell them to people. A few days later he realized it could be easily done, and with a profit. From mid-March to September, he and I raised, and easily sold 600+ chickens, we only wished we could have raised more. When March of 1999 rolled around we were contemplating how many chickens to buy, when the person we bought the chickens from told us about the possibilities of rabbits. Because rabbits are a yearlong project, and we knew I would be leaving in the fall, it became his decision and ultimately his project. He started out with 20 baby doe (females), 3 baby bucks (males), and a small-borrowed hutch (cage) with all 23 rabbits jammed in tight. His investment in rabbits, although considerable, was still to be outdone by the ones in hutches and feed. He essentially spent all profits from chickens the year before and then some. His project now consists of 20 mature doe, 3 mature bucks, and approximately 60 babies. He has taken over a section of a large barn and turned it into a 30+ hutch rabbitry system with a circulating automatic watering system., and recently acquired a large weaning cage. I asked him how he felt when he was getting started and he said he didn’t like spending all that money but he knew he would get it all back someday. I then asked him if he was afraid of competition, or of there not being a big enough market. He said he knew of nobody else selling rabbit meat in the area on any scale, and that because rabbit meat is practically thee healthiest meat, he couldn’t see any problems in the market. He then said that if personal selling fails he can sell them through his "chicken provider" on a per pound basis. One thing I have always known about my brother and his rabbit business is that he is very confident in its success and that even though he knows there will be small problems he is very sure of overall success. When I asked him who he sees as his typical customer he said that... ...re rabbits to have babies within a couple days and must check them constantly to make sure every think is ok. He plays the role of technician when he builds cages, and maintains cleanliness. I don’t think this business could ever become a franchise although it could become a very large company with thousands of rabbits, and several employees. If it were to become a franchise I think it would best be managed by the franchisees. I think this would eliminate any hierarchy or bureaucracy involved in most franchises. Of course there would be a main office to coordinate advertising and to offer help to franchisees with questions or problems. I don’t have too many suggestions except to attempt all of the plans he has thought of. I also think that he needs to make a profit before he starts expanding any more. Once he gets into the cycle of raising and selling the rabbits he can then begin to expand, but not before then. This is really a business that has a lot of potential, and had a lot of things going for it. It is proof to me that the only successful entrepreneur is the guy that gets the idea and does it, not the guy that just thinks it would be a good idea for someone else to do.

Sex Education Taught to 8 Year Olds

Eight-year-old children are being targeted for more detailed sex education in schools. In Christchurch today, Family Planning is launching a new resource for teachers of late-primary and intermediate-age children. The launch has upset the conservative lobby group Family First, which is urging Family Planning to â€Å"butt out† and leave sex education to parents. The resource, called The Sexuality Road, is aimed at younger children because research shows that they are now entering puberty earlier. Young people have a right to understand what is happening to their bodies and their emotions,† Family Planning director of health promotion Frances Bird said. â€Å"Sexuality education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty, and before they have developed established patterns of behavior. † The Sexuality Road provides teachers with a programme of 10 lessons and evaluations per year. Each year comes with lesson plans, activity worksheets, and resources. Year 5 and 6 (nine and 10-year-old) pupils look at pubertal change, friendships, gender, families, menstruation, fertility, conception and personal support. Year 7 and 8 pupils focus more on changing feelings and emotions and their effects on relationships, sexual attraction, decision-making around sexual attraction, conception and birth, contraception and support agencies. Bird said international evidence showed children were entering puberty earlier than had been seen in decades. The average age of puberty for girls in New Zealand had fallen to between nine and 14 and for boys, it was between 11 and 16, Bird said. â€Å"Some people are concerned that providing information about sex and sexuality arouses curiosity and can lead to sexual experimentation. There is no evidence that this happens,† she said. New Zealand teenagers rate second-highest in the developed world for teen pregnancies. The Press last month revealed research showing more than a third of 16-year-olds have already had sex and half say they have been in love. An Education Review Office report, commissioned by the ministries of Women's Affairs, Health and Education, found at least half of all sex education in schools was presented by teachers with no qualifications in the subject. Liggins Institute director, and newly appointed chief science adviser, Professor Peter Gluckman has earlier called for action to address the â€Å"emerging national crisis,† in sex education for younger children. â€Å"Sex and health education has to become mainstream and away from the idea that it's only for the physed teacher who is least equipped to deal with it,† Gluckman said. Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said children should be taught sex education by their parents when they were ready. â€Å"The simple message to Family Planning is `butt out and leave it to parents',† McCoskrie said. Parents know their kids the best. They know their emotional and moral development best and have their own values. Family Planning should not be interacting with kids of that age. † McCoskrie said schools had become â€Å"one-stop shops† for dealing with social problems in the community. Some parents felt overawed by â€Å"the sex talk† with their children, so resources should be put in to helping them better understand what was required, McCoskrie said. â€Å"It needs to be values-based and we think parents are the ones who determine the values. Bird said children should be exposed to a range of values, attitudes and opinions. According to a survey run on the Netmums parenting website, the majority of parents believe children should start learning about sex and relationships when they are eight years old. I can hear them already. The shocked and outraged tones of the other â€Å"moral† majority reacting to yet another progressive plot to corrupt children. â€Å"We'll have no sex education here! † Or if we must, let them wait until they're actually doing it. That is sad, because such views are themselves transformative, turning sex from a natural and evolving topic to a dangerous threshold, making childhood sexualisation more, not less, likely. Talking about sex starts much earlier transforms the likelihoods that children will be better informed. Children use sexual terms long before they reach the age of eight (year 3). Listening recently to year 1 conversations, I overheard boys talking about â€Å"having sex† (they mean â€Å"cuddling†). They insult each other using terms such as â€Å"gay†. Discussion of sex runs through the playground discourse like Blackpool through a stick of rock: it's just very badly formed. Talking about sex needs to start earlier so that children will not be confused at a leter time when it is learned thru their peer group. A straw poll of local school kids suggests little useful sex education is received before the age of 13. That's two years after the average age at which girls begin their periods – five years after some. If you're not told about such stuff at home, how terrifying to be eight and suddenly bleeding. A range of studies report puberty starting earlier in western societies – and while the reality of sexual experimentation may not be as graphic or extreme as the tabloids would have us believe, that, too, can begin long before 13. Sexual orientation and identity, too, can be obvious at a very early age (from six onward): once more, how scary to grow in an atmosphere that makes â€Å"queers† always the butt of jokes with no balancing official information. Sex doesn't have to be sexual in nature. Many of the dirtiest, smuttiest most adult things about sex are just that: adult. There is a depressing read-across from adult values to child: many people assume that a child doing something â€Å"sexy† understands their behavior and intends the result. Children learn through play. Girls dress, use makeup and dance in ways that would be erotic if their mums did them – but absolutely aren't when they do. Children can be educated about sex without focusing on the erotic. It's never too young to learn respect for the beliefs of sexually actions. The most misleading thing about this debate is that opponents caricature sex education as being about just one thing. In fact, broad and structured sex education will provide grounding in relationships, biology, safety, health, respect for others and consent. These will be introduced at the appropriate point using language appropriate to the age discovering them. In a world in which many adult relationships continue to be conducted through the emotions of childhood – and one in four women (and one in five men) are still suffering domestic violence – early sex ed is as much about learning the most basic of lessons – the right to say no – as anything else.

Much Ado About Nothing

‘The Jokes which society tells are a significant index of that society's concerns and anxieties'. (M. Mangan, A preface to Shakespeare's comedies, 1996) If this is the case what can we learn from ‘Much Ado About Nothing' about the ‘concerns and anxieties' of the society in which Shakespeare was living? Sir H Walpole once remarked that ‘a comedy should make us think', Shakespeare exploits this function of comedy by utilizing jokes on the themes of cuckoldry, infidelity and honour to permit the audience to think about the ‘concerns and anxieties' associated with these jokes within Shakespeare's society and what can be learnt from these jokes told. The figure of the Cuckold in ‘Much Ado About Nothing', a husband of a woman who commits adultery, is a running joke throughout the play. In the play, the character Benedick, who carries a misogynistic view of women, is the main instigator of these jokes, he says that being a cuckold is what happens when you get married and you would have to ‘hang' his ‘bugle in an invisible baldrick' and he vows never to allow the plucking ‘off' of ‘the bull's horns and' setting ‘them' on his ‘forehead', meaning he does not want to get married. Even though Benedick may be slightly bestial, it is clear there is a fear of getting married in Benedick's opinions. As Michael Mangan2 comments in ‘Huddling jest upon jest', the jokes made in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' about husbands and cuckolds indicate to the audience ‘the underlying anxieties about gender roles' and ‘about women's possible sexual licence' common in Shakespeare's society. The cuckold theme was the subject of many ballads and pamphlets in the Elizabethan Era. An Elizabethan Audience would have been familiar with cuckold jokes and would even probably know the place in London known as ‘Cuckold's Haven'. However, they would also relate to the concerns of infidelity amongst women, especially the men and some would share these misogynistic views and fears of women. These fears were so strong as a result of the male honour and pride which most men had and also the accosted idea of being the natural heirs. A modern-day audience would be able of relate to the ideas of adultery, as often portrayed in Serial Dramas such as ‘Eastenders' or ‘Coronation Street', nevertheless, they would probably not have the same fears as the Elizabethans as more people cohabit rather than marry and are more aware to such problems as adultery and that husbands are involved adultery as much as women. In most of Shakespeare's comedies there is a ‘shrew', an outspoken, independent, strong, female stock character, in ‘The Taming of The Shrew' this is Katerina and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' there is Beatrice. The strong female character or ‘shrew' is one of the comic conventions that feature in all of Shakespeare's comedies and moreover it, is not unusual that there are jokes aimed towards the stereotype. In the play, the men refer Beatrice as ‘Lady Disdain! ‘ and that she has a ‘shrewd †¦ tongue' being ‘too curst'. It can be acknowledged that as the men make light of Beatrice's outspoken, shrewish behaviour, underneath it, they are intimidated by her intelligence and strength. An Elizabethan Audience would recognise the stock character but also correlate themselves with the anxieties of strong women. The social hierarchy was of common knowledge; where God came first, then the king or monarch who would be appointed by God, the man, the women and then beast. The Elizabethan men were just accepting Queen Elizabeth I, and would find it hard to adjust to women becoming strong and independent, feeling intimidated as a strong female character placed a threat to the social hierarchy. On the contrary, a modern audience would be accustomed to the idea of the strong woman as of the female rights campaigns throughout the Twentieth Century, women now occupy a more central and public role in society. Nevertheless, sexism does still exist in all spheres of society even after women's rights In ‘Much Ado About Nothing', Shakespeare applies sexual innuendos as jokes to comment subtly, on the freedom sexuality in his society and the limits. In the play the sexual innuendos were remarked by women, which would appear strange to an Elizabethan audience. In Act 1 Scene 1 Beatrice remarks whether ‘Signor Mountanto' has ‘returned from the wars' meaning ‘Signor Benedick' and the word ‘Montanto' meaning the thrust of male genitals and the ‘mounting' of a partner. Margaret also uses a sexual innuendo by commenting on ‘the weight of a man' making Hero's heart ‘heavier'. It was common in Shakespeare's comedies to use lower status characters to make such commons as not to offend any of the higher status audience and appeal to the lower status. Furthermore, Shakespeare has not only used these sexual innuendos to entertain the more bawdy members of the audience but also, to convey the concerns and anxieties on sexuality in the Elizabethan era, as even though, illicit sexual behaviour was not heard of in the courts and upper classes of society, it was extremely common among the lower classes and Shakespeare was trying to inconspicuously, portray his concern that the Upper classes ignored such behaviour and places such as brothels. An Elizabethan audience, would be able to relate, however, a modern day audience would be used to sexual innuendos as jokes as modern day morals are less religious and restricted. Love as a disease is another joke used in ‘Much Ado About Nothing', to highlight the concerns and anxieties in Shakespeare's society over love. In Act 3 Scene 2 , after Benedick has apparently fallen in love with Beatrice he claims to have ‘the toothache' and Don Pedro and Claudio tease him suggesting he ‘draws it' or ‘hang it' and in Act 3 scene 4 after Beatrice has supposedly fallen in love with Benedick she claims to be ‘sick' and Margaret and Hero suggest ‘cardus benedictus', a holy thistle and a clever pun on Benedick's name. Shakespeare discreetly portrays how Benedick and Beatrice's alliance with their honour provokes them to fear being reliant in another person and this explains Benedick's fear of marriage. Shakespeare is vividly commenting on the fears of love and its effects in Messina as a microcosm of Elizabethan England. An Elizabethan and a modern day audience could relate to this concern, as there are many pressures and problems that come with falling in love such as suitability, personality, appearance and many more. They could also make a connection to the effects love has on a person where it makes them a victim, oblivious to all things around them, gives them a loss of their sense of reality and a blindness to their lover's faults. In Shakespeare's society fashion was very topical and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' he addresses this with jokes about fashion. In Act 2 scene 3 Benedick ponders to himself why Claudio is interested in the ‘fashion of a new doublet' remarking that love has changed Claudio and yet, ironically, in Act 3 scene 2 Claudio and Don Pedro teasingly comment that Benedick now has the ‘appearance of fancy in him' and that he ‘rubs himself with civet' a perfume. Furthermore, being interested in fashion was a sign of a loss of dignity and honour and a person without substance, also the theme of fashion exposes the superficiality of the male code of honour. An Elizabethan audience would appreciate the connection between fashion and a loss of dignity, whereas, in a modern day audience's society, appearances are the threading that holds together all impressions of a person and wearing the latest style or fashion has become a great necessity for most people. Subsequently, they would not comprehend the concerns and anxieties over fashion. In the Elizabethan era, the Male Code of Honour was a foundation established and seen of great importance, however, in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' Shakespeare exposes this code of honour, by means of jokes, to depict how shallow it was. In the play Beatrice mocks this code of honour by calling Benedick ‘a stuffed man' and ‘a very valiant trencher man'. She also remarks less humorously, ‘manhood is melted into curtsies' and that ‘men are †¦ turned into tongue and trim ones'. Therefore through Beatrice, Shakespeare discloses the concerns and anxieties of the male code of honour and how it is superficial and lacks substance in the behaviour and speech which is always very fanciful and uses a lot of hyperbole; Shakespeare shows this by having the men speak in verse in iambic pentameter to demonstrate them as one-dimensional. Especially, in the scene after Claudio has seen Hero and is professing to be in love with her. An Elizabethan audience would be able to network with this theme as they would have held this code in high esteem, on the other hand, a modern day audience would not identify with why the male code of honour would be so highly valued and they would be concerned with matters such as money, status, fashion, love and others. In ‘Much Ado About Nothing', Shakespeare discreetly uses the malapropisms of the Police Constable Dogberry as a joke to unmask the concerns and fears over the law in Shakespeare's society. In the play, Dogberry says such things as ‘senseless' instead of sensible, ‘tolerable' instead of intolerable and many more. These malapropisms appeal to the audience showing the humour of Dogberry's behaviour and the stereotypical behaviour the police and authorities in Elizabethan society, who were not taken seriously and often laughed at, which proved to be a major concern in that society. An Elizabethan audience would find the joke humorous but also be aware of the serious undertone, that there is an anxiety over the incompetence of the police force not keeping society safe and secure. A modern day audience would not shoulder the same fears, as the police authorities are respected and feared by law abiding citizens. Out of all the several factions of humour, incongruity of practical jokes are used the most in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' as forms of deception. This conveys the anxieties and concerns that Shakespeare was trying to demonstrate. All of the deception is plotted by men which parallels back to Balthasar's song ‘men were deceivers ever' and deception comes naturally to men. In Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of ‘Much Ado About Nothing' Balthasar's song is implemented with all the men listening to the song and paying particular attention to it, this places the importance on to how relevant the song is to the men of the play. In the famous gulling scenes Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, Hero and Ursula try ‘to bring†¦ Benedick and †¦ Beatrice into a mountain of affection' with them fashioning ‘it'. As well, Don John and Claudio try to ‘cross' the ‘marriage' of Claudio and Hero and they ‘misuse the prince, to vex Claudio'. As the deception of these practical jokes may appear comical, they underline the concerns, in Shakespeare's society, of deception, as Shakespeare uses it in all of his comedies; ‘Twelfth Night', ‘The Taming of the Shrew', ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', ‘As you like it' and ‘Much Ado About Nothing' this illustrates that deception was not only an entertaining comic convention but a serious and sever anxiety within his society because in that period of time there were many who tried to deceive others, however, the deception was well hidden. A modern day and an Elizabethan audience would be able to connect to this as deception was and still is a very common occurrence witnessed by many in societies. In the title of 3Peter Holindale's essay on the subject of comedy remarks that there are ‘serious voices in a Comedic world', this is viewed in Messina and paralleled to Elizabethan England. The jokes crafted and exploited by Shakespeare in ‘Much Ado About Nothing' elaborate and reiterate the anxieties that not only the Elizabethan era faced but every generational society faces and adds to as each day passes and furthermore, make each new generation of audience laugh at these anxieties. Much Ado About Nothing In the book Hero & Claudio love is the main plot. the whle story line is based on Hero and Claudio. When one reads the book it may bring up many questions do they or dont they love each other? There are many situations when in the book when you say â€Å"there is no way they love each other. † For example when Claudio returns from war, and he first laid eyes on Hero he insisted that he was that he was in love with her; because he was with Benedick and he says â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel? † he then goes on and says † I would scarce trust myself, though i had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. I think it was abit too fast for Claudio to say or to conclude his already in love with someone he has just seen. To make things worse Claudio allows his very good friend Don Pedro to woo the woman that he insists he loves, Don Pedro tells Claudio † I know we shall have a revelling tonight I will assume thy part in some disguise, and tell fair Hero I am Claudio,† i think if Claudio loved Hero as much as he says then he wouldnt let another man go woo her; he would r he should confidently tell her how he feels. Even after Don Pedro woo's Hero, there is never a point when Hero and Claudio talk or express their feelings for each other . Like Benedick and Beatrice who's love story is the sub-plot of the story. Beatrice and Benedick fight alot but ina way its inderstandable: but after they were ttricked they actually admit their love to each other Benedick tells Beatrice † I do love nothing in the world so well as you† Benedick even allows to kill his own friend just to prove his love for Beatrice he says, † enough, I am engaged, i will challege him, Claudio shall render me a dear account. That to me is true love. I dont see or feel any of this passion with Claudio and Hero. Another point is when Claudio sees Margret in the window with Borachio and thinks its Hero. His reaction at first is justified, but in my opinion he should have taken time to calm down and go confrim the story for himself. It was stupid to trust Don John again: because when Don Pedro was wooing Hero, Don J ohn went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro swear his affection to her. Borachio then adds fuel to the fire by saying â€Å"so so did i too, and he swore he would marry her tonight. † After he hears this immediately gives up on her because he says † farewell therefore, Hero. † And at the wedding his reaction was too exaggerated if he really loved her, he would not have publicy mistreated and embarassed Hero the way he did, and all these actions just proves how much Claudio does not trust Hero. Another strange event is when Hero's name is cleared and Claudio realises that it was his fault that she's dead. At first his reaction is exactly what you would except what you would except; but after he told Leonato to take revenge, Leonato told him he would marry Antonio's daughter and he immediately agree's to marry her. Hero the woman he claims to love just died and it was his fault, and his already agreed to marry another woman. If he truly loved her he would have told Leonato with all due respect i need time to mourn but he didnt he just agreed to it. but at the same time maybe Claudio wanted to punish himself, because Leonato would remained him of what he did to sweet Hero. With all these poits we cant ignore that there were also some signs that indicated that they were in love. Like in the end when Hero is revealed we could tell also Hero's reaction when she started crying it showed that they definetly had feelings for each other. If i was in Hero's position i would definetly not take Claudio back because he humiliated me infront of my family and friends at my wdding and two he has caused my death . So there is a possibility that they loved each other. This could be an I can live with you and can't live without you relationship. Much Ado About Nothing To what extent is ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ a dramatic representation of the comedy of deception? The title of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ indicates that there is a lot of fuss over topics which have little importance in the play-for example if Claudio wasn’t rash and hot headed then Don johns ill deceived plan would not of worked at all. The use of deception throughout makes the plot so complex.An evident example is when Don John who operates as a plot-device falsely slanders Hero for his own mischievous behaviour, â€Å"the lady is disloyal† (Act 3 Scene 2, 87-88), (he is not one of Shakespeare’s most complex villain which reminds the audience that ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ isn’t supposed to be a tragedy), countered by Friar’s deception who pretends Hero is dead to get back at Claudio for publicly humiliating Hero. Alternatively, the Friar’s plan to pretend that Hero is dead is yet another illusion created to prevent the truth being told.He knows of the ‘strange misprision in the princes’ yet recommends further plotting. Hero becomes a passive character throughout the play as she does little in the play but becomes an interesting character through the other characters deceptions. Hero is supposed to be the main female character in the play though she has the fewest lines, she only reacts to the actions and commands from the other characters, she hardly acts herself.Even when Claudio publicly humiliates Hero at their wedding she doesn’t defend herself at all meaning the audience won’t question Claudio’s accusations and believe him. Even when the accusations against her are cleared and after she’s witnessed Claudio’s reckless behaviour, she accepts him back into her life without asking for an apology. This exposes Hero’s vulnerability to circumstances and the minimum distinguishing characteristics she has. Though deception is known to be bad it is used to bring out positive results in the play of which are actually artificial and easily undone.An example of a positive result is in Beatrice’s and Benedick’s gulling scenes. The deception in these scenes is used in a comic style; manipulating Beatrice and Benedick into falling ‘in love’ with one another. The use of deception in these scenes is needed as it’s the only way to convince the other characters to allow in their lives. In ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, all of the characters seem to be willing to be deceived; for example Claudio doesn’t think to suspect that Don John may be lotting against him; Benedick and Beatrice seem to change their views on love in both of their gulling scenes; Claudio is willing to marry Hero whom he doesn’t appear to know that well to appease Leonato. Deception is so closely linked into the play that it becomes too familiar to the characters of ‘Much Ado about Nothingâ⠂¬â„¢. Shakespeare shows that deception does not have to be evil in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’; he reveals that it can be used for positive and negative results.However, in the play it is difficult for the audience to differentiate between good and bad deception; During the masked ball, Claudio declares his desire to woo Hero but he’s too nervous, Don Pedro woos Hero claiming its for Claudio’s benefit, Don John uses this opportunity to convince Claudio that he’s being deceived, similar to how the audience temporarily believe. The theatre creates illusions for the audience and also for the characters, which become caught up in these illusions of which they help create for each other.The illusion of Hero’s honour is debated in public by Claudio-she is the ‘sign and semblance of her honour’- for Claudio’s appearances are not only deceiving but amount to honour itself. Furthermore, in the masked ball Benedick and Beatrice flirt with one another, pretending not to know who is hiding behind the mask but in fact are aware of each other’s presence. Another example of masking is when after ‘Hero’s death’; Claudio is made to marry Leonato’s niece (who is actually Hero wearing a mask), Claudio must wed blindly. Hero assumes the mask of passive victim, the masking of Hero exposes how marriage has little to do with love.Claudio’s willingness to marry an unknown person relates to his guilt of slandering the innocent, and the fact he was deceived by male passions not by women, he cares more about appeasing Leonato then marrying for love. Shakespeare uses deceit for neither a positive or negative effect, it is a means to an end. In the period of time of which the play is set, ‘nothing’ was a homophone of ‘noting’. There are various examples throughout the play of ‘noting’ type statements, for instance Claudio notes the scandal with his own eyes.The characters see what they want to see and take note. In the play there is ‘much ado about nothing’; lots of things happen and by the end nothing has changed really. Though Benedick and Beatrice declare their love for each other and they get married, perhaps they already loved each other, but just know it now. Deception is not the result for the mishaps in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, the main plots in the play occur by the characters susceptibility to suggestion. The characters see what they want to see, they’re no more mislead then which they allow themselves to be.