A Interview On High School - 890 Words

On April 18th at Greene Central High School, I chose to interview one of our phenomenal counselors, Chris Campbell. When I confronted him and asked to interview him, he immediately accepted the offer. I chose to interview him for many reason. One reason being that working as a high school counselor definitely doesn’t seem like it’d be the easiest job in the world. High school is a very tough time in a teen’s life. It’s all focused on preparing you for the outside world and if we didn’t have people like Mr. Campbell, students wouldn’t have as much motivation as they do to do well and graduate. I also chose to interview him simply because I knew he would tell me everything I would need to know and more! The first couple of questions that were asked was just the simple stuff, such as; what degree(s) were obtained, how and why this field was chosen and to describe his current job. He started off by explaining what he does as a whole. We already k now that he’s a school counselor, however, he’s so much more than just that. He shared that there are three different â€Å"branches† of counseling he works with. Academic, which is just making sure students pick the right classes. Career, which is helping students pick a career showing what they need in order to make that dream happen. Also, he helps individuals socially and personally, like many counselors do. Mr. Campbell has a B.S. degree in psychology and also a Masters in school counseling. He also informed me that he is a licensedShow MoreRelatedInterview With High School Age Children986 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The individual I chose to interview is Mrs. Felicia Colbert. She is a current assistant principal at my school. Mrs. Colbert’s experience familiarity extends from a classroom instructor to instructional educators as an assistant director. Her capability surpasses 15 years of service in and out the core content of science. Her experience in administration includes two years at middle school level and five years at a high school level as an assistant principal. I designated Mrs. ColbertRead MoreEssay on Interview with a High School Counselor1822 Words   |  8 Pages School counseling has evolved over the years into a significant component of the educational system. School counselors are taking on new roles in schools as leaders, working with â€Å"school administration and staff in developing student attitudes and behavior which are necessary to maintain proper control, acceptable standards of self-discipline and a suitable learning environment within the schoolâ €  (Secondary School Counselor 2012). Counselors work in â€Å"diverse community settings designedRead MoreHigh School Students : A Interview At Alain Leroy Locke1615 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation that I am potentially interested in working with, which are high school students. The first person I interviewed was a ninth-grade counselor at Alain Leroy Locke College Prepartory Academy. The second person I interviewed was a College Adviser, placed through USC, at Diego Rivera Learning Complex. While the first interview was conducted on site at Locke, the second interview was conducted on campus at USC. For both interviews, I came equipped with my questions already printed out and ready forRead MoreHigh School Students : A Interview At Alain Leroy Locke1616 Words   |  7 Pagespopulation that I am potentially interested in working with, which are high school students. The first person I interviewed was a ninth-grade counselor at Alain Leroy Locke College Prepartory Academy. T he second person I interviewed was a College Adviser, placed through USC, at Diego Rivera Learning Complex. While the first interview was conducted on site at Locke, the second interview was conducted on campus at USC. For both interviews, I came equipped with my questions already printed out and ready forRead MoreInterview With A Teacher At Elwood Junior / Senior High School1845 Words   |  8 PagesAfter being asked to choose an administrator to interview, I did not have to think twice about whom I would be interested in interviewing to speak on the terms of collaboration. After having Mrs. Kimberly Bernard as a teacher, I was extremely curious to learn about her experiences and opinions on this subject. Mrs. Bernard is an English teacher at Elwood Junior/ Senior High School, which is located in Elwood, Indiana. Additionally, she is the head of the English department, which consists of advocatingRead MoreHigh School Advertising Teacher : An Application Letter, And Schedule An Int erview1149 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Just try it. It couldn’t hurt to try,† my high-school advertising teacher constantly reminded me. Mrs. Panarelli wanted me to apply for a scholarship given by the business department in my school. I thought about all the other applicants; I had no chance whatsoever. I decided to express my feelings to her. In doing so I noticed a solemn look come across her face. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, â€Å"I don’t want you to be intimidated by the other students, their averages, or their SAT scores;Read MoreSummary of Jonathan Kozols, On Being a Teacher, and Botsteins Interview, Why High School Must Go1434 Words   |  6 PagesThe trivialization of high school in the present educational organization for teens has been posited in the public; however, it is one vital issue that is being debated. Is it really right for high schools to be abolished from the teen’s system of education? This question has been a vital issue in the present age educational structure. According to research carried out by many educational researchers lately, it was discovered that the two-year high schooling scheme is irrelevant and obsolete inRead MoreAcademic Barriers Of High School Students Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesAcademic barriers in High School The United States Census Bureau (2012), found that between 2006 through 2010, 14% of Hmong had their bachelor’s degree or higher. It was also noted that they â€Å"were below the national level of 28 percent† (2012, p. 5). Which is why it’s important to stress the importance of pursuing a higher education for Hmong high school students. However, academic barriers Hmong high school students face when planning their postsecondary plans, are financial hardships. HmongRead MoreThe Influence Of Sampling Methods In Schools1340 Words   |  6 Pagesare three school districts in Utah County with over 51 public schools including 18 high schools. The selected population was the Nebo School district because of the close proximity and access to the researcher. The population for this study was 4 public high schools in the same school district. The high schools participating in this study were classified as low, moderate, and high violence, according to the percentage of students who were expelled during the 2015-2016 school year. School expulsionRead MoreResearch Study On School And Prison Pipeline1409 Words   |  6 Pagesused â€Å"School to Prison Pipeline† to locate this research study. What database id you use? The database I used was ERIC. What was your rationale for selecting this particular study to analyze over the others identified in the search results? I have been interested in furthering my knowledge on this topic. I am interested in how this is current situation is affecting students’ attitudes and outlooks on school and how it is affecting their academic achievement. I am also interested in what school districts

Waiting for Godot Major Themes Free Essays

Ralph Waldo Emerson, famous literary writer, once inscribed, â€Å"Much of human life is lost in waiting† (Richardson, 24). Individuals cannot escape the waiting in daily life even if they wished so. Waiting is inscribed into society, from waiting for a bus ride, beverages at a favourite coffee house, items to be checked out at a grocery store or simply, arriving to a location too early for an occasion to occur. We will write a custom essay sample on Waiting for Godot Major Themes or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Samuel Beckett’s legendary play Waiting for Godot, the main characters Estragon and Vladimir obsess about waiting for the mysterious individual Godot to arrive. From this waiting, scholars have created many literary analysis of the play the most persuasive being political, religious and existentialist in nature. The Cold War took place over decades, beginning in 1947 and concluding in 1991. The word cold is not only used in the title of this war, but also inscribed deeply into it. The war did not feature guns, bullets and soldiers, instead the war was fought aloofly between communist countries in things like sport events, propaganda and technological opposition. The Cold War appears as a metaphor for many scholars in Waiting for Godot. The characters hold a lot of emotion but never seem to really do anything with it, except discuss it at length. More than once the word nothing is used. There is often â€Å"nothing to do† (Beckett, 13) and â€Å"nothing to show† (Beckett, 4) and the character’s world stays the same. Scholars also point to the play as being Marxist in nature. Godot is the Capitalist full of power and who separates himself from the working class, the other characters are the working class, without personal purpose or goals. Pozzo and Lucky serve as an example of the Marxism analysis as well, Pozzo illustrating that to the Capitalist to labour. â€Å"Pozzo is blind to what is happening around him and Lucky is mute to protest his treatment† (Hutching, 68) serves as evidence of this relationship. Political interpretations abound in this play as do religious ones. The character in which the play focuses on yet never makes an actual appearance is Godot. It is imperative for the religious examination of the play to note that the root word of Godot is God. Perhaps this is what spun the belief that Godot is a representation of God. Religious references are apparent in the play right from the beginning. Estragon asks Vladimir what he wishes from Godot and offers as a suggestion in his probing â€Å"A kind of prayer? † to which Vladimir replies â€Å"Precisely† (Beckett, 14). Estragon and Vladimir discuss religion and specific bible passages during their wait. For example, they speak about a biblical reference of two thieves. â€Å"Our Saviour. Two thieves. One is supposed to †¦ have been saved and the other . . . he searches for the contrary of saved) . . . damned† Vladimir states and when Estragon asks what the thief is saved from, Vladimir responds â€Å"Hell† (Beckett, 64). It is interesting to note that in the bible passage, both thieves are saved from hell and like the thieves, Estragon and Vladimir wish to be saved from what Estragon later claims is â€Å"hell† (Beckett, 89). God and Godot also share a physical attribute; both have beards. Lucky states that Godot has a â€Å"white beard† (Beckett, 43) and later, the character of the boy offers that Godot also has a beard. Beckett frequently disappeared â€Å"into a trance† (Knowlson, 401) when writing and many followers of the religious analysis have accepted this as evidence that Beckett was unaware of his attentions, thus influenced by a â€Å"higher power† (Knowlson, 232). Strong appointments to this are those who see the play as Existentialist in nature. Existentialism, as defined by Oxford English Dictionary is, â€Å"The individual’s unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices. † The central idea of existentialism is that humans are accountable for designing, implementing and adhering to their own destiny. Thus, destiny is not God made, it is person made. Estragon and Vladimir have decided to stay in the dreary physical setting of isolation and containment. Estragon seems to offer readers a deeper thought process then his quiet and reliant friend Vladimir. Vladimir states, â€Å"All I know is that the hours are long, †¦ under these conditions, and constrain us to beguile them with proceedings which – how shall I say – which may at first sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit†¦ you follow my reasoning? † (Beckett, 91). This quote is powerful, suggesting that filling one’s day with actions just to pass time such as removing a boot as Estragon did, is suitable for a short period but unacceptable for a long course of time. Although he states this, Vladimir does not leave the scene. Pozzo and Lucky, two of the three only people Estragon and Vladimir have contact with, have a slave and master relationship, but neither chooses to step outside this, instead the two characters grow deeply dependant on one another. Vladimir and Estragon go as far as to contemplate suicide, but do not proceed to do so. Thus, all the characters in Waiting for Godot, could live an altered life, with enhanced opportunities, but choose to stay frozen in the dark. under these conditions, and constrain us to beguile them with proceedings which – how shall I say – which may at first sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit. You may say it is to prevent our reason from foundering. No doubt. But has it not long been straying in the night without end of the abyssal depths? Academics have long linked Waiting for Godot and Beckett himself, to the existential movement. The greatest argument followers of the theory have is that Beckett never discloses Godot being a symbol of God, instead, he greatly declined the claim stating â€Å"that if by Godot I had meant God I would [have] said God, and not Godot† (Knowlson, 412). â€Å"Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse type of suffering†, Paulo Coelho, celebrated Brazilian author wrote. The internal and external suffering which Estragon and Vladimir seem spellbound in is dreadful yet alluring in the same instant. Dreadful because the characters and audience wait for relief and alluring because they are enticed about what could be but is not. The waiting in Waiting for Godot has long stood as a secrecy requiring solving and the theories of politics, existentialism and religion offer convincing analyses to this literary puzzle. No one but Beckett himself and perhaps not even him, comprehend the genuine significance of this play, thus, like Estragon and Vladimir, scholars and audiences alike are caught waiting for a conclusion that may never arrive. How to cite Waiting for Godot Major Themes, Essay examples

Based On Robert Gagne Learning Theoryâ€Free Samples for Students

Question: Discuss About The Plan Based On Robert Gagne Learning Theory? Answer: Introducation: To teach English as second language to students who are habituated to speak in their native tongue (TESOL) in an effective manner, it seemed quite appropriate to me to relate Robert Gagnes teaching theory to the TESOL teaching methodology that I have selected to apply. Gagne has spoken about the need of establishing necessary conditions for Management specific events and he has also conveyed how appropriate instructional designs come to the aid of a teacher in making the learning condition ideal for the learners (Becky Dave, n.d.). The learners are expected to be highly benefitted by the implementation of this theory in their learning process. Gagne, in order to enhance the model for design of instruction infused nine instructional events and its corresponding learning processes to guide the design of instructions, and the nine instructional events encompass gaining attention, informing learner of the objective(s), stimulating recall of prerequisite learning, presenting the stimulus material, providing learning guidance, eliciting the performance, providing feedback about performance, assessing performance, and enhancing retention and transfer (Becky Dave, n.d.). The table below depicts a lesson plan adhering to Robert Gagnes events of instruction: Example Lesson: How students of English as Second Language (ESL) can be benefitted using XYZ English Composition Software. Objective: Students will understand the use of the software and apply the knowledge in finding out the differences in the extent of different empires in different eras. Grade: 7 Event of Instruction Lesson Example Rationale 1. Gaining Attention Teacher instructs students how she has installed the XYZ English Composition software to prepare a lesson plan regarding the use of descriptive language in a particular essay. Teacher shows on the projection screen in the classroom how the software can provide a student with sets of vocabularies embodying descriptive words that render a sense of imagery. The teacher then asks the students to make choices for their own from the list of vocabularies in a way so that the selected words would fit to the essay topic of their. This would help students creating a pre-concept about the essay topic and about the approach that they must apply to starting and completing the essay. The teacher should provide background information about the software and its use, and this can help the learners to understand how to use the software to their benefit. The use of audio-visual aid will help the teacher to draw the attention of the students and get them engaged in the class activity. Asking questions in the class establishes an interactive atmosphere. 2. Conveying the lesson objective to the learners Teacher says, "Today I am going to show you how to use the XYZ English Composition software to find out the differences between descriptive words and non-descriptive words, and how the former can be used in infusing imageries in a particular descriptive essay. Making students aware of what benefits the use of descriptive words can render in terms of composing a descriptive essay can help them in getting more interested in using the software and in determining how descriptive words can be included in their compositions to reflect the genre of their essay more vividly. . 3. Stimulating students to recall what they have learned previously about descriptive words. The students have prior experience of composing informative essays in which they have used descriptive words. This lesson plan would help them in capitalizing on what they have learned previously in terms of importance of the use of descriptive words in an essay. Teacher associates this prior knowledge of the students with this particular lesson plan. Relating what they have learned in the past about descriptive words to what they are now learning strengthens the possibility for them to use the descriptive words more accurately in their descriptive essays. 4. Presenting the Stimulus Teacher gives students step-by-step instruction on how to use the XYZ English Composition software and how to make the right selection out of the sets of descriptive words generated by the software. The stimulus employed by the teacher here is the virtual box containing sets of descriptive words. 5. Providing learners with appropriate guidance Teacher demonstrates how a student can find out their chosen descriptive words from the lists of words depicted in the virtual box. Teacher shows students how to use XYZ English Composition software to click on the selected words and how to, after creating new folders with their names, move the words to the selected folders placed in the softwares panel. Teacher demonstrates the options provided in the XYZ English Composition software to help the students in enriching their knowledge about descriptive words and about their proper usage in descriptive essays in the long run. 6. Eliciting learners performance Teacher asks students to use the software in the classroom computer and to start drafting their descriptive essay on the topic of their choice. Providing students with opportunities to practically test what can be learned from the session and how the software can be used to find out more descriptive words. Students would also learn the right application of the right descriptive words in an appropriate manner. 7. Giving feedback Teacher gives immediate feedback to learners observing their word selection and the initial paragraphs of their draft essay. Regular feedback is necessary to foster strong learning in students, and the process must take place undisrupted. 8. Assessing learners performance Teacher should assign each student with a descriptive essay on topic of their choice. In this respect they should be given discretionary power, and this discretion is meant for empowering them. The assignment should help the students to learn more about the proper use of descriptive words in a descriptive essay. Assessing the practice process would help the teacher in determining if the learner is actually progressing in the course of learning the proper application of right vocabulary in written works. 9. Enhancing retention and transfer Teacher instructs students to help each other in selecting and using descriptive words in the draft essay. This process can make it possible for teachers to help students in the process of application of the lesson learned in real-life scenarios where collaboration becomes essential (like in the course of completing group assignments). (721 words) References Becky Dave (n.d.). Learning Theory. Retrieved July 12, 2013, from https://www.csulb.edu/~dkumrow/conference/learning_theory.html

Third Eye Blind free essay sample

From the beginning to the end of their self-titled debut, you find yourself sucked into the intoxicating music. The San Francisco Bay Area groups album contains 14 songs: 10 co-written by the multi-talented lead singer Stephan Jenkins and the guitarist Kevin Cadogan, and four penned by Jenkins, who also produced the album (a rarity for a debut album). If you like alternative music, you will certainly enjoy this album. The record contains in-your-face lyrics (all written by Jenkins) and a variety of rhythms. Their first single, Semi-charmed Life, stayed at the top of Billboards modern rock chart for ten weeks, winning them a Billboard Music Award. There are more songs like Semi-charmed Life on the album (for example, Losing A Whole Year), as well as four slower closing songs. These slow songs, I Want You, The Background, Motorcycle Drive-By and God of Wine give you a glimpse into Jenkinss past. We will write a custom essay sample on Third Eye Blind or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Motorcycle Drive-By, a favorite of mine, was written by Jenkins on his way home after breaking up with his girlfriend. It describes the story of a break-up and how the narrator reconciles himself. In the end, the narrator paddles out into the San Francisco surf. The album contains no throw-away songs, no filler, and is simply a terrific album. The band has appeared on numerous talk shows, including Conan OBrien, Keenan, and Letterman. Recently they appeared on the MTV show, Road Rules, in an episode about their song Jumper and teen suicide. If things continue this way, these four guys will be riding their wave of hard-earned success into the new millennium. For now, you can catch them on tour with Smashmouth as they hit major cities all over the USA. .

Concept of National and Transnational Entities

Concept of National and Transnational Entities This essay looks into national and transnational entities. The essay looks into characteristics of modern nation states and makes distinctions between nation, state and nation states. Further, the essay considers how the United States fits into the description of a nation state.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concept of National and Transnational Entities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The essay also discusses transnational entities with the European Union as a perfect example of such. Finally, the interrelations between the United States and the European Union are discussed to illustrate how nation states engage with transnational entities to achieve their interests A nation state is a defined territory occupied by people of a given cultural background. An example of a modern nation state is Portugal. Portugal is a nation state because the Portuguese; which is a distinct cultural group has occupied the defined te rritory over a long period of time. The Portuguese form nationhood while the territory that frames area of political jurisdiction frames the state. A nation differs from a state in the sense that a state refers to a political entity while a nation is characterized more by cultural and ethnic characteristics (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 343). A nation state therefore refers to a political entity or territory under the jurisdiction of a given political regime and is characterized by a people of certain distinct cultural or ethnic characteristics. Additionally, modern nation states have one common culture, a constitution, a currency system and a distinct national language. A nation can be described as a union of people who come together as one unit based on same language or culture. For example, England is a nation composed of English people. The English have distinctive language and cultural practices. A state is a territory manned by one government that controls all within the boundaries on behalf of the people in the territory (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 342). A state establishes a clear legal systems that governs or directs or operations. An example of a state is South Africa. As already discussed, the nation state is where people of same cultural characteristics or background are under one political entity or state (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 168). A good example of a nation state as already indicated is Portugal.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The United States of America has all the characteristics of a modern nation state. A modern nation state is characterized by a defined territory over which one government exercises jurisdiction and the people share in a common culture. The USA is a territory with defined boundaries over which the central government in Washington exercises jurisdiction. The boundaries frame the fixed territory that is USA. T he territory does not change and is recognized internationally. American is a sovereign nation state. Sovereignty refers to total jurisdiction over a territory that can not be interfered with by any outside force. The US government exercises sovereign power over all that goes on in the fixed territory that is recognized internationally. International recognition of a state is crucial because it provides for the mutual respect between nation states. The mutual respect guarantees sovereignty because any country or state that interferes in the operations of another risks aggression from other states. Common culture is a phrase that refers to values, beliefs, traditions that are shared by a given people (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 153). Americans are very distinctive people because of the common culture in which they share. Some of the characteristic cultural values or characteristics that Americans share are a strong belief in freedom, assertiveness, change oriented and casualness in thei r approach to issues. Some of these cultural values were either borrowed from other cultures e.g. in the course of colonization by the English. There are days recognized by the government I. e. the national holidays such as the veterans day, independence day, thanks giving day, memorial day and the labor day (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 185). United States is the most influential country in the world and wields a lot of influence on other countries’ foreign policies. The main objective of the US foreign policy is to promote democratic values for the benefit of Americans and all other nations. The second major objective is to safe guard the interests of the Americans in international engagement e.g. by ensuring American businesses in other countries are safe. A transnational entity refers to a political-economic and social entity composed of many nation states under a harmonized structure. The European Union is a good example of a transnational entity (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 463) . The organization was realized after a number of developments that have their roots in World War II. World War II had devastating effects on the political economy and social structures in many European nations. To deal with post WWII challenges, a number of unconsolidated bodies were formed among European nations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Concept of National and Transnational Entities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The unconsolidated bodies gradually transformed themselves in a number of European communities. In 1992, the Maastricht treaty augmented or set pace for the formation of a supranational outfit. The different pillars or the European Union took shape through the Amsterdam and Nice treaties. Finally in 2007 through the Lisbon treaty, the European Union with its current institutions and characteristics was established. The European Union has five institutions that run its affairs. The first institut ion is the EU parliament. This parliament has representatives elected from different EU countries. The members of the EU parliamentarians are elected directly by the citizens of member countries. The second institution is the EU presidency which rotates on a six month basis. Every six months, a new EU member takes over the chairmanship or presidency of the EU council. The EU council is a decision making body composed of ministers from member nations. The European commission is another institution that makes proposals with regards to legislation that is considered by parliament and council. The EU has a court of Justice which interprets EU legislation so that the different national courts do not hold different views on the same. The final EU institution is the Court of Auditors which ensures EU funds are spent appropriately. As currently instituted, the European Union facilitates closer relation among member countries and acts as a counter power to the influence of super powers like the US in the world. It consolidates the capacity of member nations into one capacity that is best placed to compete in the globalized world. The current foreign policy objectives of the EU are in tandem with ensuring world security and economic growth for its member nations through benefits that accrue from its increased market potential. National states and transnational entities aim at safeguarding their interests on the global scene through a number of ways. In international trade, USA and the European Union have engaged in either multilateral and bilateral arrangements or alliances aimed at better trading between them. The multilateral and bilateral arrangements aim at establishing favorable treatment of goods from given countries thus facilitating more trade. Through diplomacy, which is also called soft power, the transnational entities and nation states influence how decisions that affect the whole world are determined. For example, in recent talks about global warming, the U S came in strongly and diplomatically roped in a few allies to help pass some helpful resolution in relation to cutting on carbon emissions. Diplomacy is one key tool for both national states and international entities to safeguard their interests. Another tool that is used is threat of force. Countries like the USA have bullied some other smaller countries into towing the line or risk invasion. The European Union as a block is a huge military power. Through use of their collective security capacity i.e. organs like NATO have safeguarded both interests of member nation states and the transnational entities as a whole (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 485).Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The efforts nation states and transnational entities take to safeguard their interests directly impact on the balance of power in international politics. When nations form alliances or transnational entities take unilateral foreign policy decisions, they directly affect the balance of power in international politics (Perry, Perry, 1999, p. 487). The efforts make some countries sovereignty more compromised than others. When sovereignty is compromised, it means that such a country does not have much clout with which to safeguard its interests. In conclusion, the formation of transnational entities and alliances has made nationhood and state jurisdiction even more porous. Consequently, sovereignty of nations is no longer as sacrosanct as it was traditionally. With globalization and tendency towards more interrelation between nations, many states remain as merely territories but much that goes on within them is controlled internationally. The interaction between nation states and engag ements of transnational entities tilts international politics. Reference List Perry, J. A., Perry, E., (1999). Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science. 9th Ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon,

The easy way to boost your brain power - Emphasis

The easy way to boost your brain power The easy way to boost your brain power Step away from the keyboard and pick up a pen. Thats the latest expert advice for anyone who wants to study and remember more effectively. We learn better when writing by hand than when we type, according to Anne Mangen, associate professor at the University of Stavanger in Norway, and neurophysiologist Jean-Luc Velay. Senses working overtime This is partly, according to Mangen, an effect of the senses. The physical act of forming letters with a writing implement sends more varied feedback to the brain from the feel of the pen and paper to the motor function of shaping the words letter by letter than pressing identical keys to produce fully formed letters in one go. Indeed, research led by Velay shows that writing by hand leaves a motor memory in a part of the brain that links to visual recognition: the sensorimotor system. In safe hands On this point, Mangen refers to an experiment in which two groups of adults were tasked with learning a foreign alphabet. One group learned the symbols using a keyboard, the other by writing them out. When they were tested at three and six weeks into the experiment on their ability to recollect the letters and to recognise when the characters had been reversed, those whod been writing by hand outperformed the keyboard-users every time. The nature of business in the modern office may have made us all secretly proud of our words-per-minute scores, but if we want to remember what were writing, this speed is not our friend. Call it obvious, but the simple fact that writing by hand takes that bit longer also influences the learning process. Hardened technophiles may scoff and instead try typing in slow motion as they attempt to learn Mandarin or memorise the periodic table, but they still wont be stimulating the right part of the brain. The sensorimotor component forms an integral part of training for beginners, says Mangen.

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

International Business Strategy - Essay Example Every organization’s survival and success in the light of stiff competition hinges on the success of its main or flagship product. It is the ‘key’ that opens the door of success or profit. So, for an organization to survive in a competitive market in the global environment, and to increase its profits in an optimum manner, its products have to be marketed optimally. Toeing that line, this report will focus on the marketing strategy of General Motors in its global business, discussing about its competitors, marketing mix and finally will recommend improvements that would enable them to compete more effectively. General Motors Corporation (GM), a multinational corporation, was founded in 1908 as a holding company for a firm called Buick, then controlled by William C. Durant. Now, it functioned as a conglomerate manufacturing and selling, cars and trucks under the brands of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. Each of these brands has a number of cars and trucks under its division or arm. However, because of the major losses and bankruptcy proceedings, they decided to hold only the four core brands of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC, as well as two European brands of Opel and Vauxhall, selling Saab Automobile to Spyker Cars in 2010. Importantly, GM is winding down its Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands, the latter two remaining under the old GM, now known as Motors Liquidation Company. Even though, all these brands are manufactured in one unit, vehicles coming under each brand are most times marketed differentially and some times in unison. Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan (USA), GM manufactures automobiles in 35 countries, capturing a sizeable portion of the world market share. GM was thus acknowledged as the worlds largest automaker, based on global industry sales. GM was able to hold on to

Kindred Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kindred - Essay Example The book starts with the basic premise of controlling and protecting the kid’s life for her own existence. The initial relationship between Rufus and Dana is based on equality. Rufus although coming from white race, treats Dana with some respect and love. Rufus is dependent on her for his life and is in awe with her because of her sophistication and education. Rufus calls her ‘Nigger’ which he doesn’t realize or feel to be offensive. It is also an example how power was taken for granted by white men and the culture of the society. His compliance to Dana’s request that he would call her ‘black woman’ is a surprise considering this background. He grows up to be a violent, tyrannical and spoilt young man because he emulates his father. Weylins believe in the racial superiority and exercise through the power they have over their household and plantation. The physical brutality is exercised to keep the household in control and to demonstrate the centre of the power. Rufus also has this streak but feels that his people should also love him and think of him to be a good master, makes him spend for them. It is often noticed in the book that people who exercise power also feel the need of love they want in return. There are evident examples of this in the relationships between, Alice and Rufus, Dana and Rufus. In all of these one is dominant and the other submits to dominance against the will.

The impact of the Media on Teen Girls Body Image Essay Example for Free

The impact of the Media on Teen Girls Body Image Essay â€Å"Cosmetic makers have always sold (hope in a jar)- creams and potions that promise youth, beauty, sex appeal, and even love for the women who use them† (Postrel 125). Magazines are filled with digitally transformed images of models with amazing bodies, flawless skin and perfectly styled hair. Television advertisers push their products using the most attractive people with the perfect bodies. Television shows such as October Road and movies like Men or Shoes portray images of sexy, gorgeous woman who have it all; the handsome boyfriend or husband, the great job and amazing friends, while the chubby, not so attractive friend is usually there simply for comic relief. Also shows like the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency on the Oxygen Network, is another perfect example of media influencing teen girls negatively. On this particular show she holds auditions for aspiring models to come before her and audition in order to gain representation by her Modeling Agency. Instead about 97% of these young girls are harassed and ridiculed on National TV. On this show there is no such thing as constructive criticism or putting it nicely. She points out every flaw, every physical feature that she feels needs to be fixed with plastic surgery or dieting. She even has gone so far as to saying â€Å"I will never accept a plus size model into this agency† (Rotchford 72). She has been known to call girls ugly and send many on occasion crying and running for the door. â€Å"Her show is rated number 1 on the Oxygen Network† (Rotchford 72). This kind of message is sending young girls the impression that in order to be beautiful like a model and be accepted by society that you have to have a flawless face and thin perfect body and at any cost necessary. The music industry has followed this pattern as well. Music videos (especially of the Hip-Hop category) are usually filled with woman wearing next to nothing, dancing erotically, and having their body parts zoomed in on by the cameras. This kind of music is extremely popular in younger generations, so when these music videos are being seen by them, then these scenes are going to be viewed as being cool as well. Girls will think that that is the type of look I need to have in order to be popular and cool. Teenagers are conditioned to believe that advertisements and media reflect the world. Throughout time the ideal of beauty has differed. During the Renaissance, a beautiful woman was more full figured and pale skinned. â€Å"This reflected her station of rank in society† (Eco 212). Her size indicated she had enough to eat and her pale skin showed she did not have to work to sustain a living. During the 1920’s, the image of beauty changed. Woman wore their hair bobbed, had slender figures and preferred to have smaller breasts. â€Å"The 1950’s brought more changes with the introduction of icons like Marilyn Monroe† (Eco 306). Women wanted to be full figured, very curvy with platinum hair and plenty of sex appeal. As times changed and society’s ideals of beauty changed, one thing remained the same, the pursuit of beauty and perfection. The most obvious victim of the media stereotyping is young girls. Unrealistic images of beauty and perfection bombard these girls through television, magazines and movies. A study was performed to examine the effects of exposure of the media ideals of body image on women, and to determine if it would affect their self-esteem, body satisfaction, start eating disorder symptoms, and maybe change the level of internalization of the thin ideal. â€Å"Women in the experimental group reported lower self-esteem after being exposed to the thin-ideal images compared to the women who viewed neutral images† (Hawkins, Granley, Richards, and Stein 44). â€Å"Moreover, in some cases, feelings of body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem may lead adolescents seeking self-improvement to increase their media consumption—resulting in a vicious circle of media exposure, internalization of sociocultural ideals, social comparison with unrealistic images, and further erosion of body satisfaction and self-esteem. Indeed one 13 year old girl in the current study commented that â€Å"magazines are going to exploit the fact that teenagers are often unhappy with themselves† (Clay, Vignoles and Dittmar 473). The media dictates what is considered fashionable, the popular hair styles or trends. Images of thin, leggy models in short skirts, shorts and tiny swimsuits having fun, flirting and getting attention from men visually show what is considered to be beautiful. If a girl does not fit into the mold, she may begin to have self-doubt, or body satisfaction issues. â€Å"Idealized images are an influential source of pressure to meet the thin idea† (Monro and Huon 89). Society is obsessed with perfection. It is evident in the number of women choosing to undergo cosmetic surgery in the attempt to attain the perfect body, nose, figure and smile. â€Å"We found that girls who engage in more appearance-related discussions and imitation of others had lower appearance satisfaction† (Dohnt and Tiggean 9). â€Å"We found that girls who watched television shows with an appearance emphasis, such as Friends or Rage, we less satisfied with their appearance. Shows such as soap operas and music television slips that present women as thing attractive, and sometimes provocatively dressed, have also been correlated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in adolescents† (Dohnt and Tiggean 10). Advertisement Agencies have been questioned about why they only advertise their products with a certain types of models. The answer from each agency was usually almost always the same each time. â€Å"Sexy sells and everyone wants to be beautiful, so we sell our products to the world using beautiful people. This shows the population that beauty is within their grasp and that they too can obtain it† (Monroe 160). Janice Dickinson who is also in the media has stated that â€Å"she says no to plus size models in her agency† (Rotchford 72). â€Å"We live in America, aren’t we allowed to do what we want with our own businesses? I own this agency; if I don’t want fat ugly models representing it then that’s my right† (Rotchford 70). Miss Dickinson has a point, but she fails to realize what her actions and her show is reflecting on to young girls. Young girls live in an appearance-focused society, where images of perfection are broadcast in every form of media. Girls are developing low self-esteem, eating disorders, and are striving to obtain perfection and acceptance. And the kind of media that we have is doing nothing but fueling this fire that has been burning rapidly for a long time. If young girls are not offered a more realist image of beauty, they will continue to be dissatisfied with their appearance and suffer from low self-esteem. There have been some developments recently to try and change this pattern. â€Å"In the past few years marketers at Dove have added some new and improved enticements† (The Atlantic, The Truth About Beauty 125). The new campaign declares that every woman is beautiful and ignoring imperfections indicates self-esteem. â€Å"Oprah covered the story, and so did the Today show. Dove’s campaign, wrote Advertising Age, â€Å"undermines the basic proposition of decades of beauty-care advertising by telling women—and young girls—they’re beautiful just the way they are† (The Atlantic, The Truth About Beauty 125). Imagine, a beauty-care company selling their products not by enticing young girls with unrealistic images of women who achieved perfection by using their products, but by showing women and young girls they are beautiful to being with and can accentuate their beauty by using their products. Dove expanded the definition of beauty without losing the concept. This was a novel approach that seems to be catching on. Every girl deserves to feel beautiful, smart, important and secure. Another Dove campaign focuses on young girls insecurities about their appearance. â€Å"Every girl deserves to feel good about herself and see how beautiful she really is† (The Atlantic, The Truth About Beauty 127). Television shows are beginning to follow in the same example as the Dove campaign. One such show is Ugly Betty, which is about a young woman from Queens who doesn’t fit the standard media beauty and works for a fashion magazine where everyone is image obsessed. Instead of conforming to the standards of her co-workers, Betty maintains her integrity and shows that being a kind, smart, and caring person is what makes you truly beautiful. As time passes, people begin to see that Betty’s beauty does not lie in her physical appearance but in her spirit and compassion. If images like this continue, more girls will begin to see that their own inner strength, self-assuredness, and integrity are more beautiful than the images that you see splashed across any fashion magazine or TV show. These are real qualities that any girl can obtain. Society is always going to have its own opinion of what beauty is. And this will always be perpetuated through media. If we start recognizing the impact that the media has on the self-esteem of young girls, and instead present strong, confident, and capable women achieving their goals, then young girls will being to believe that the image of beauty has a new face—theirs.

Variations of the Ankle Slasher :: Personal Narrative Urban Legends Essays

Variations of the Ankle Slasher As I was growing up I remember my mom warning me about guys hiding underneath cars and cutting the back of the ankles to steal your car. She told me this so convincingly that I thought it just had to be true. I mean, why would anyone make something up like that. I have since learned that this was meant to scare me, and to help make me more aware of my surroundings. It made such an impression on me that to this day as I walk up to my car I pay attention to what is under it. I even find myself looking in the back seat as I unlock the door. I am not even aware that I do it until I get into my car and lock the doors. Through studying Urban Legends in class, I have become very interested in them. For this field report I decided to take this Urban Legend to see if there was anyone else who heard it, and to see if it was being passed on or if was just my deviant mother. My research consisted of two interviews. I interviewed a few of my friends that go to Indiana University and asked them if they would help me with my research. They agreed to an interview. With the interviews I compared variants of a single Urban Legend. I wanted to see how each individual. s story differed, even though they were the same story. This is what makes an Urban Legend. I asked two people about the Urban Legend, The Ankle Slasher. I asked them if they were familiar with the legend. I also asked whom they had heard it from and when. Then I asked them to tell me the story. After they told me their version of the story, I asked if they had heard another version from anyone else. The first person I interviewed was Brian. He told me how he was familiar with the legend, though he can. t remember whom he heard it from. He also told me the version he has heard. He began by telling me how guys hide under cars in a mall, and then when the owners come out they would cut the ankles, around the Achilles. tendon. Then the guys would steal their packages and the car. He also explained to me when he heard this legend. Variations of the Ankle Slasher :: Personal Narrative Urban Legends Essays Variations of the Ankle Slasher As I was growing up I remember my mom warning me about guys hiding underneath cars and cutting the back of the ankles to steal your car. She told me this so convincingly that I thought it just had to be true. I mean, why would anyone make something up like that. I have since learned that this was meant to scare me, and to help make me more aware of my surroundings. It made such an impression on me that to this day as I walk up to my car I pay attention to what is under it. I even find myself looking in the back seat as I unlock the door. I am not even aware that I do it until I get into my car and lock the doors. Through studying Urban Legends in class, I have become very interested in them. For this field report I decided to take this Urban Legend to see if there was anyone else who heard it, and to see if it was being passed on or if was just my deviant mother. My research consisted of two interviews. I interviewed a few of my friends that go to Indiana University and asked them if they would help me with my research. They agreed to an interview. With the interviews I compared variants of a single Urban Legend. I wanted to see how each individual. s story differed, even though they were the same story. This is what makes an Urban Legend. I asked two people about the Urban Legend, The Ankle Slasher. I asked them if they were familiar with the legend. I also asked whom they had heard it from and when. Then I asked them to tell me the story. After they told me their version of the story, I asked if they had heard another version from anyone else. The first person I interviewed was Brian. He told me how he was familiar with the legend, though he can. t remember whom he heard it from. He also told me the version he has heard. He began by telling me how guys hide under cars in a mall, and then when the owners come out they would cut the ankles, around the Achilles. tendon. Then the guys would steal their packages and the car. He also explained to me when he heard this legend.

Why Did Fascism Rise in Europe During the 1920s? Could It Have in the 1930s US?

What kind of economic environment would embrace Fascism? What kind of society would allow their country’s freedoms and future to be placed into one dictator’s hands? Germany was surrounded by perceived forces of evil. The exploitation of fear from the French to the West and the Russians to the East would break the spirit of the German people. The fear of these two forces against a nationalized Germany would be used by Adolf Hitler to gain power. In Italy, Benito Mussolini used alliances with the Catholic Church, unions, and industry bosses to gain political power. That, along with using brute force against his political opponents, Mussolini’s form of Fascism was gradually built with eleven years of severe political maneuvering. Both Hitler and Mussolini took advantage of a political environment to form a new lofty ideal, fascism, an ideal that would lead to a second escalation in the early 20th century. World War I ended very badly for the Prussians. They were broken into smaller nations. Lands were taken from them. Their methods of wealth gathering from previous investments were seized away from them. Any possible modes of financial stability were looking bleaker with the continuance of the reparations coming out of the Great War. Even when the new Germany did create wealth, the French would take it away from them because of overdue payments. There was no financial hope because the French were so relentless with their strict enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles. The enduring vengeance that the French leaders had towards Germany after WWI was eventually viewed by Germans as greed. The ruthless attitude of the French capitalists developed into an overall German distaste for the existing capitalist movement. To the East there was also a newly formed communist Russia that was growing in structure and power. There was an anxiety among the German people with what was going on in Russia. By outsiders, communism was understood as simply a loss of private property. The loss of private property was something that the new Furher, or leader, of Germany would claim to protect. Exploiting the people’s anxiety for a state-owned economic system was a main tool used by Hitler. Germany didn’t want to be like the greedy French capitalists, nor did they want to be like the War-Communist, Stalin-led Russians. These two forces to either side of Germany created a vacuum of ideas. Within this vacuum, Hitler forced his own ideas that in 1926 he laid-out in his work Mein Kampf . At this point of Germany’s economic disrepair, Hitler could have sold the German near anything especially because it was neither like the French nor the Russian respective economic futures. Hitler also used the Jews as his own capitalist scapegoats for why the country was in such economic peril. He used this as a rallying cry, a distraction for something to move against at home. All they had to do was to exterminate the Jews, follow Furher, and he would lead Germany back to being a reunified world power. Benito Mussolini in Italy went another route. After he was elected Prime Minister in 1922 he slowly used political force to gain and maintain power. He gained the support of the Catholic Church by mandating Catholic school for children. He somehow aligned himself with both unions and industry bosses by mandating an eight hour workday and freeing the industries of back payments from WWI. And in order to get his way in the elected government he would use his seemingly endless political power to dissuade the elected liberals. He would threaten or even assassinate anyone who opposed his rise to power. â€Å"I declare†¦. in front of the Italian people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that I alone assume the political, moral and historic responsibility for everything that has happened. Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary. † Peace via force? Somehow that doesn’t seem possible, but the fascist government led by its Il Duce, or leader, got its way. Exterminating, not Jews as Hitler was then doing, but liberals in Italian places of power. In the 1930’s America it was a dire time financially. People were voting with their stomachs and they were all ears in following the leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was a very popular American leader as he was voted into the highest office four times. America was not quite as broken as Germany was. America still had its ideals intact as evidenced by its strong opposition to FDRs attempted amendment to the Constitution adding six members to the Supreme Court. Despite the financial hardships that the American people were experiencing in the 1930s, Fascism was much too different for appeal to the Americans. They were too proud of their existing American democracy to ever be influenced enough to change the ideology from a capitalist democracy towards a fascist dictator. Americans were much more interested in FDR’s ‘tweaks’ than in a complete government overhaul as either Mussolini or Hitler would have advocated. With a thriving fascist government, when is enough, enough? When dealing with fascism there is never really a true stopping point. Whether it was someone within the nation, like the liberals in Italy or the Jews of Germany, or an outside threat, like the communists of Russia or the French Capitalists, there will always be an opposing party. It begs the question whether a successful WWII campaign by Italy and Germany would have eventually pitted them against each other?

Pepsico Diversification Essay

PepsiCo’s Diversification Strategy in 2008 PepsiCo was the world’s largest snack and beverage company, with 2007 net revenues of approximately $39. 5 billion. The company’s portfolio of businesses in 2008 included Frito-Lay salty snacks, Quaker Chewy granola bars, Pepsi soft drink products, Tropicana orange juice, Lipton Brisk tea, Gatorade, Propel, SoBe, Quaker Oatmeal, Cap’n Crunch, Aquafina, Rice-A-Roni, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and many other regularly consumed products. Company History PepsiCo Inc. was established in 1965 when Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay shareholders agreed to a merger between the salty snack icon and soft drink giant. The new company was founded with annual revenues of $510 million and such well-known brands as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Fritos, Lay’s, Cheetos, Ruffles, and Rold Gold. PepsiCo’s roots can be traced to 1898 when New Bern, North Carolina, pharmacist Caleb Bradham created the formula for a carbonated beverage he named Pepsi-Cola. The company’s salty-snack business began in 1932 when Elmer Doolin of San Antonio, Texas, began manufacturing and marketing Fritos corn chips and Herman Lay started started a potato chip distribution business in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, Doolin and Lay agreed to a merger between their businesses to establish the Frito-Lay Company. There are also so many other products and companies that merger with PepsiCo throughout the years. Once Quaker Oats’ food, snack and beverage brand merged with PepsiCo companies in the United States and internationally broadened it portfolio of the brands. Internationally Pepsi brought countries like the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Brazil and Canada. Marketing From the 1930s through the late ’50s, â€Å"Pepsi-Cola Hits The Spot† was the most commonly used slogan in the days of old radio, classic motion pictures, and later television. Its jingle (conceived in the days when Pepsi cost only five cents) was used in many different forms with different lyrics. With the rise of television, Pepsi utilized the services of a young, up-and-coming actress named Polly Bergento promote products, oftentimes lending her singing talents to the classic â€Å"†¦ Hits The Spot† jingle. Some of these Bergen spots can be seen on ClassicTVAds. com. Through the intervening decades, there have been many different Pepsi theme songs sung on television by a variety of artists, from Joanie Summersto The Jacksonsto Britney Spears. See Slogans) In 1975, Pepsi introduced the Pepsi Challengemarketing campaign where PepsiCo set up a blind tasting between Pepsi-Cola and rival Coca-Cola. During these blind taste tests the majority of participants picked Pepsi as the better tasting of the two soft drinks. PepsiCo took great advantage of the campaign with television commercialsreporting the results to the public. In late 2008, Pepsi overh auled their entire brand, simultaneously introducing a new logo and a minimalistlabel design. The redesign was comparable to Coca-Cola’s earlier simplification of their can and bottle designs. Also in 2008 Pepsi teamed up with Google/YouTube to produce the first daily entertainment show on Youtube, Poptub. This daily show deals with pop culture, internet viral videos, and celebrity gossip. Poptub is updated daily from Pepsi. In 2009, â€Å"Bring Home the Cup,† changed to â€Å"Team Up and Bring Home the Cup. † The new installment of the campaign asks for team involvement and an advocate to submit content on behalf of their team for the chance to have the Stanley Cupdelivered to the team’s hometown by Mark Messier. Pepsi has official sponsorship deals with three of the four major North American professional sports leagues: the National Football League, National Hockey Leagueand Major League Baseball. Pepsi also sponsors Major League Soccer. Pepsi also has sponsorship deals in international cricketteams. The Pakistan cricket teamis one of the teams that the brand sponsors. The team wears the Pepsi logo on the front of their test and ODI test match clothing. On July 6, 2009, Pepsi announced it would make a $1 billion investment in Russia over three years, bringing the total Pepsi investment in the country to $4 billion. In July 2009, Shag-me started marketing itself as Pepsi in Argentinain response to its name being mispronounced by 25% of the population and as a way to connect more with all of the population. In October 2008, Pepsi announced that it would be redesigning its logo and re-branding many of its products by early 2009. In 2009, Pepsi, Diet Pepsiand Pepsi Maxbegan using all lower-case fonts for name brands, and Diet Pepsi Max was re-branded as Pepsi Max. The brand’s blue and red globe trademarkbecame a series of â€Å"smiles,† with the central white band arcing at different angles depending on the product until 2010. Pepsi released this logo in U. S. in late 2008, and later it was released in 2009 in Canada(the first country outside of the United States for Pepsi’s new logo), Brazil, Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Dominican Republic, the Philippines and Australia; in the rest of the world the new logo has been released in 2010, meaning the old logo has been phased out entirely (most recently, Franceand Mexicoswitched to Pepsi’s current logo). The UK started to use the new Pepsi logo on cans in an order different from the US can. In mid-2010, all Pepsi variants, regular, diet, and Pepsi Max, have started using only the medium-sized â€Å"smile† Pepsi Globe. Pepsi and Pepsi Max cans and bottles in Australia now carry the localized version of the new Pepsi Logo. The word Pepsi and the logo are in the new style, while the word â€Å"Max† is still in the previous style. Pepsi Wild Cherryfinally received the 2008 Pepsi design in March 2010. PepsiCo and it’s THREAT According to Consumer Reports, in the 1970s, the rivalry continued to heat up the market. Pepsi conducted blind taste testsin stores, in what was called the â€Å"Pepsi Challenge†. These tests suggested that more consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi (which is believed to have more lemonoil, less orangeoil, and uses vanillinrather than vanilla) to Coke. The sales of Pepsi started to climb, and Pepsi kicked off the â€Å"Challenge† across the nation. This became known as the â€Å"Cola Wars†. In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company, amid much publicity, changed its formula. The theory has been advanced that New Coke, as the reformulated drink came to be known, was invented specifically in response to the Pepsi Challenge. However, a consumer backlash led to Coca-Cola quickly reintroducing the original formula as Coke â€Å"Classic†. According to Beverage Digest’2008 report on carbonated soft drinks, PepsiCo’s U. S. market share is 30. 8 percent, while The Coca-Cola Company’s is 42. 7 percent. Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi in most parts of the U. S. , notable exceptions being central Appalachia, North Dakota, and Utah. In the city of Buffalo, New York, Pepsi outsells Coca-Cola by a two-to-one margin. Overall, Coca-Cola continues to outsell Pepsi in almost all areas of the world. However, exceptions include India; Saudi Arabia; Pakistan(Pepsi has been a dominant sponsor of the Pakistan cricket teamsince the 1990s); the Dominican Republic; Guatemalathe Canadian provincesof Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island; and Northern Ontario.

Training and Developing Employees Essays

Training and Developing Employees Essays Training and Developing Employees Essay Training and Developing Employees Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Training and Developing Employees How is training different from development? Training and development are two different terms in terms of their definition, applicability and interpretation. Training and development is used for enhancing the employee skills and competencies for better execution of tasks, duties and responsibilities delegated to them by the management. Training is defined as the use of programs to enhance the skills and competencies of the employees in relation to the tasks, duties and responsibilities delegated to them by the management (York, 221). In talking to the city manager which would you highlight as having the capacity to deal with short-term problems? Training could be used to deal with both long-term and short-term challenges in the workplace. Training is used as an immediate as well as a forward-looking approach in enhancing the skills of the employees. The short-term challenges could be the need to replace individuals in various positions necessitating the need for quick training to employees to prepare them for new tasks, responsibilities and duties, which are associated with the new positions provided by the management. On the other hand, development of the employees is a forward looking approach and used in an organization to help personal development of the employees in their positions. Additionally, employees could gain knowledge and skills, which enable to develop in the organization as well as outside of the organization (York, 247). Which would require a more long-term approach? Development of employees requires relatively longer periods as the process aims at changing individual perception and skills of an individual in assuming a specific line of career. Hence, it focuses on the overall growth of an individual or employee in a given line of employment. Development focuses on the growth of an employee in terms of rise in hierarchy because of gaining experience skills and knowledge to suit a specific line of career of employment in an organization. In addition, the development of the employees focuses on helping them prepare for better opportunities in any organizational setting hence it is not restricted to a specific organization. Which would be more suited for helping address any problems related to succession planning among managers? Succession planning is usually based on the assumption of anew position by an employee within the organization. This is enhanced by the management through development of the employees in anticipation of assuming the new positions left vacant by other employees. In addition, the development of the employees enables them to use the skills gained in training in anticipation for the new positions in the organization (York, 253). Approaches such as coaching the employees in enhancing their capabilities to assume higher positions and more responsibilities are enhanced by adequate training of the employees for their presupposed new roles. At times, organizations assume that handing over new positions is automatic and that employees assuming new positions have the adequate knowledge and skills to execute the tasks, duties and handling responsibilities associated with the new positions. This is unfounded in that; there is need for developing employees over longer periods and molding them to assume higher positions or different positions in the organization Conclusively, training and development are intertwined activities in contemporary organizations. This is because they entail the use of resources in the organization to enhance the skills and knowledge of the employees. The differences between training and development are brought about by the goals and the achievements desired by the approaches (York, 256). The training of the employees is based on immediacy in terms of the need of qualified individuals with skills and knowledge related to a particular employee position in the organization. On the other hand, development usually relates to the use of training to enhance and enable individual development and growth in the organization. It essentially focuses on growth of the employee in the organization and preparing the employee for positions either within or outside the organization. Work Cited York, Kenneth M. â€Å"Training and Developing Employees† Applied Human Resource Management: Strategic Issues and Experiential Exercises. Los Angeles: Sage, 2010. Print.

Make a Slushy Instantly With Soda and Supercooling

Make a Slushy Instantly With Soda and Supercooling Cool off and amaze your friends by making any soft drink or soda turn into a slushy on command. Heres how to do this fun and refreshing supercooled science project. Instant Slushy Materials Soft drinkFreezer Any soda or soft drink works for this, but it works especially well with 16-ounce or 20-ounce carbonated soft drinks. Its also easiest to use a beverage in a plastic bottle. If you dont have access to a freezer, you can use a large container of ice. Sprinkle salt on the ice to make it extra cold. Cover the bottle with the ice. Make a Soda Drink Slushy This is the same principle as supercooling water, except the product is more flavorful. Heres what you do with a carbonated soda, such as a bottle of cola: Start with a room temperature soda. You could use any temperature, but its easy to get a handle on how long it takes to supercool the liquid if you know your approximate starting temperature.Shake up the bottle and place it in a freezer. Do not disturb the soda while it is chilling or else it will simply freeze.After about three to three and a half hours, carefully remove the bottle from the freezer. Each freezer is a little different, so you may need to adjust the time for your conditions.There are a couple of different ways to initiate freezing. You could open the cap to release pressure, reseal the bottle, and simply turn the soda upside down. This will cause it to freeze in the bottle. You could gently open the bottle, releasing pressure slowly, and pour the soda into a container, causing it to freeze into slush while you pour. Pour the drink over an ice cube to get it to freeze. Another option is to slowly pour the soda into a clean cup, keeping it liquified. Drop a piece of ice into the soda to initiate freezing. Here, you can watch the crystals form outward from the ice cube. Play with your food! Try other drinks to see what works best for you. Note that some alcoholic drinks dont work for this project because the alcohol lowers the freezing point too much. However, you can get this trick to work with beer and wine coolers. Using Cans You can make instant slush in cans, too, but it is a bit trickier because you cant see what is going on inside the can and the opening is smaller and harder to crack without jarring the liquid. Freeze the can and very gently crack the seal to open it. This method may take some finesse, but it works. How Supercooling Works Supercooling any liquid is chilling it below its normal freezing point without turning it into a solid. Although sodas and other soft drinks contain ingredients besides water, these impurities are dissolved in the water, so they dont provide nucleation points for crystallization. The added ingredients do lower the freezing point of water (freezing point depression), so you need a freezer that gets well below 0 degrees C or 32 degrees F. When you shake up a can of soda before freezing it, youre trying to eliminate any large bubbles that could act as sites for ice formation.

Northern Short Grass Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Northern Short Grass - Research Paper Example The common animals of the region are bison, cattle, pronghorn, sharp tailed grouse and dung beetle. The grassland soil is probably the richest in the world. The soil of the short grass land is an amalgamation of metamorphic and igneous outwash, limestone, sandstone, shale and loess. The important soil types are mollisols and alfisol. In the past few decades the shortgrass ecosystem has been declared as an endangered habitat due to human invasion. Some of the terms that will be frequently used in this research paper are defined below: Johnson (2001) defines the below mentioned terms in the book â€Å"A Walk in the Prairie†. Prairie: Prairie is a word used for grasslands in North America. The climate of the prairie habitat does not allow the growth of trees. It allows only the growth of small plants (Johnson, 2001). Grassland: A biome where only grass and small plants grow and where the climate is not suitable for the growth of tall trees (Johnson, 2001). Shortgrass: It is a typ e of prairie where the amount of precipitation is very low and because of which the plants in the region are not taller than a person’s knee (Johnson, 2001). Tallgrass: It is another kind of prairie where the amount of precipitation is sufficient for the growth of tall plants (Johnson, 2001). ... According to Malin prairies are the large area of grassland or natural meadows. They have their own type of vegetation which contains less tress and more grass, flowers and other herbs. The height of the grass in the grasslands varies depending upon the type of soil and the amount of precipitation. Grasslands are those areas which, on one hand, are too moist for the deserts and on the other hand are too dry for the growth of forest type of vegetation. They exist due to the seasonal droughts, continuous grazing by the herbivores and occasional fires. These three factors play an important role in preventing the growth of large trees and shrubs. The three types of grasslands are tropical, temperate and cold. However we will restrict ourselves to the discussion of temperate grasslands since shortgrass prairie of the Northern America falls in this category. The aim of this paper is to discuss the shortgrass prairies in North America. The methodology of the research is based on exploration of the relevant literature for a detailed understanding of the topic. Authentic websites and peer reviewed articles and books have been consulted. Several problems related to the area under discussion have been brought into light for a better future of the short grasslands of North America. Maps, diagrams and charts have been included for a detailed understanding of the topic. Pic. 1: Map of grasslands in North America (Source: FAO. 2005) http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y8344e/y8344e0d.htm Tinker and Hild (2005) describe the location of the grasslands in North America which are found in the east of Rocky Mountains from Nebraska and Wyoming southward through the high plains. The North American grasslands spread in the east between the Great Lakes and Ohio River going as far as Indiana

Case Study Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study Report - Essay Example alue of the Napster brand, and our revenues could suffer if we are not able to maintain its high level of recognition in the digital music sector and c) We may not successfully develop new products and services† (Napster, 2010). These have been chosen from the list as provided in the case. A set of recommendations have been set out for the company based on the above mentioned risks. Firstly, to improve the customer retention and to use churn models along with customer relationship marketing to reduce the customer attrition to a great extent. Secondly, it is advisable that the company considers a brand extension to be able to keep up their market position and brand image. Napster has brought about a new brand and a very useful programme for friends and family to share music online in a simpler and effective manner. The company was started in 1998 and 1999 by a young Shawn Fanning and the system was then known as Peer to Peer. Although the company only operates within United States, the company was a big hit among the customers and there was a clear interest in people across the world as this was a very effective way of sharing music online. However, the success of the company was short lived and the company was faced with a number of lawsuits by the recording companies and others. The main aim of this paper however is to focus on the marketing techniques and marketing mix of the company and to assess the company’s marketing mix. The paper will deal with each of the 7 P’s of marketing and will evaluate the company’s performance based on the same. Also the paper will develop strategies for the company to be able to deal with the perceived risks and will help provide recommendations to the company. The next section will deal with the evaluation of the marketing mix used by the company. The aim of this section is to discuss the 7 P’s of marketing and the position of Napster in the markets based on the 7 Ps. The section provides a clear analysis of the

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Quality management - Assignment Example The team proposed the company to create two collaborative teams, which were quality control and quality assurance teams, to work for ensuring the quality of the products. â€Å"Quality control is concerned with examining the product or service — the end result† (Madison, 2014). The main aim of a quality control team is to examine and verify the products to ensure that the products meet the quality standards set by the company. On the other hand, â€Å"Quality assurance verifies that any customer offering, regardless whether it is new or evolved, is produced and offered with the best possible materials, in the most comprehensive way and with the highest standards† (Kietzman 1). The quality assurance team examines the product manufacturing process to ensure excellence in each stage of the process by identifying the defects and taking necessary steps to remove those defects. The quality management team used the fish bone diagram to sort out the issues that the company might have been facing. Given below is the step by step use of fish bone diagram which helped the team get into the causes for the problems concerning the company. The managers made the team aware about the issues related to the company. The problems identified and communicated to the team were steady growth, less customer preference, decreased customer satisfaction, decreased graph of sales, and less profits. The team summed all problems under the category of ‘poor company performance’. The quality management team went through the process of identifying the causes and came out with three main reasons which included less focus on quality by employees, less awareness in employees regarding the use of quality management system, and lack of any proper quality management system in the company. The team provided the company with a solution that was supposed to

Supremacy of the US Dollar

Supremacy of the US Dollar ABSTRACT This assignment briefly discusses the supremacy of US Dollar. It includes suggestions and recommendations to its near future position, internationally. The proponents of the assignment are divided into the history of the US Dollar and its role as the dominating currency in the world. Ever since other currencies began to take part actively in the foreign exchange markets, they began to challenge the role of US Dollar. Arguments were put forward that the US Dollar would have to compete with the various emerging currencies to maintain its position as the most influential money dominator. The paper intends to discuss the currency contenders, which are the Euro, Japanese Yen Chinese Renminbi and the Russian Rouble and why are they the nearest competitors to challenge the US Dollar. Chapter 1 HISTORY The United States emerged from World War II not only as military victor but as an economic victor as well. It was by far the strongest economic power in the world. Under the Dollar standard, the Dollar standard, agreed to make the Dollar â€Å" as good as gold† redeemable on demand by any central bank at the rate of $35 an ounce in 1933. This meant that the dollar became the accepted medium of exchange for international transactions. This seemingly routine event was to have far reaching implications for the international financial system, certainly beyond what anyone would have imagined. According to James Grant the US dollar is the greatest monetary achievement in the history of the world. In year 1792 the first US dollar issued by the United States Mint which same in size and composition to the Spanish dollar. The US dollar was created and defined by the Coinage Act of 1972. The Coinage Act 1792 set the value of at 10 dollars, and the dollar at 1/10th eagle. It also called for 90% silver alloy coins in denominations of 1,  ½,  ¼, and 1/10. The timeline of US dollar currency will be discussed which as follows: I. Colonial Bills 1690 The Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the Thirteen Original Colonies, issued the first paper money to cover costs of military expeditions. The practice of issuing paper bills spread to the other Colonies. II. Franklins Unique Counterfeit Deterrent 1739 Benjamin Franklins printing firm in Philadelphia printed colonial bills with nature printsunique raised impressions of patterns cast from actual leaves. This process added an innovative and effective counterfeit deterrent to bills, not completely understood until centuries later. III. British Ban 1764 Following years of restrictions on colonial paper currency, Britain finally ordered a complete ban on the issuance of paper money by the Colonies. IV. Continental Currency 1775 The Continental Congress issued paper currency to finance the Revolutionary War. Continental currency was denominated in Spanish milled dollars. Without solid backing and easily counterfeited, the bills quickly lost their value, giving rise to the phrase not worth a Continental. V. The Bank of North America 1781 Congress chartered the Bank of North America in Philadelphia as the first national bank, creating it to support the financial operations of the fledgling government. VI. The Dollar 1785 Congress adopted the dollar as the money unit of the United States. VII. First Central Bank 1791 Congress chartered the Bank of the United States for a 20-year period to serve as the U.S. Treasurys fiscal agent. The bank was the first to perform central bank functions for the government and operated until 1811, when Congress declined to renew the banks charter. Recognizing that a central banking system was still necessary to meet the nations financial needs, Congress chartered a second Bank of the United States in 1816 for another 20-year period. VIII. Monetary System 1792 The Coinage Act of 1792 created the U.S. Mint and established a federal monetary system, set denominations for coins, and specified the value of each coin in gold, silver, or copper. IX. Greenbacks 1861 The first general circulation of paper money by the federal government occurred in 1861.Pressed to finance the Civil War, Congress authorized the U.S. Treasury to issue non-interest-bearing Demand Bills. These bills acquired the nickname greenback because of their color. Today all U.S currency issued since 1861 remains valid and redeemable at full face value. X. First $10 Bills 1861 The first $10 bills were Demand Bills, issued in 1861 by the Treasury Department. A portrait of President Abraham Lincoln appeared on the face of the bills. XI. The Design 1862 By 1862, the design of U.S. currency incorporated fine-line engraving, intricate geometric lathe work patterns, a Treasury seal, and engraved signatures to aid in counterfeit deterrence. Since that time, the U.S. Treasury has continued to add features to thwart counterfeiting. XII. National Banking System 1863 Congress established a national banking system and authorized the U.S. Treasury to oversee the issuance of National Banknotes. This system established Federal guidelines for chartering and regulating national banks and authorized those banks to issue national currency secured by the purchase of United States bonds. XIII. Secret Service 1865 The United States Secret Service was established as a bureau of the Treasury for the purpose of controlling the counterfeiters whose activities were destroying the publics confidence in the nations currency. XIV. Bureau of Engraving and Printing 1877 The Department of the Treasurys Bureau of Engraving and Printing began printing all United States currency. XV. Paper Currency with Background Color 1905 The last United States paper money printed with background color was the $20 Gold Certificate, Series 1905, which had a golden tint and a red seal and serial number. XVI. Federal Reserve Act 1913 The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created the Federal Reserve as the nations central bank and provided for a national banking system that was more responsive to the fluctuating financial needs of the country. The Federal Reserve Board issued new currency called Federal Reserve Notes. XVII. The first $10 Federal Reserve Notes 1914 The first $10 Federal Reserve notes were issued. These bills were larger than todays bills and featured a portrait of President Andrew Jackson on the face. XVIII. Standardized Design 1929 The first sweeping change to affect the appearance of all paper money occurred in 1929. In an effort to lower manufacturing costs, all currency was reduced in size by about 30 percent. In addition, standardized designs were instituted for each denomination across all classes of currency, decreasing the number of different designs in circulation. This standardization made it easier for the public to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit bills. XIX. In God We Trust 1957 The use of the National Motto In God We Trust on all currency has been required by law since 1955. It first appeared on paper money with the issuance of the $1 Silver Certificates, Series 1957, and began appearing on Federal Reserve Notes with the 1963 Series. Chapter 2 Characteristic of US Dollar Currency Introduction The U.S. dollar is the currency most used in international transactions. It is also used as the standard unit of currency in international markets for commodities such as gold and petroleum. There are also some Non-U.S. companies dealing in globalized markets, such as Airbus, list their prices in dollars cause of the international acceptance and the value of the dollar. At the present time, the U.S dollar remains the worlds foremost reserve currency. In addition to holdings by central banks and other institutions there are many private holdings which are believed to be mostly in $100 denominations. The majority of U.S. notes are actually held outside the United States. All holdings of US dollar bank deposits held by non-residents of the US are known as Eurodollars (not to be confused with the euro) regardless of the location of the bank holding the deposit (which may be inside or outside the US). Economist opinion said that demand for dollars allows the United States to maintain pers istent trade deficits without causing the value of the currency to depreciate and the flow of trade to readjust. Strong arguments do exist for why the dollar remains strong and still remain for world currency. There are (at least) three sources of demand for dollars that exert an exogenous force on normal balance of trade dynamics: * A demand for dollar liquidity for transaction needs; * A foreign desire for asset security found in the dollars role as a reserve currency; and * Developing country attempts to accelerate economic growth through an export dominated economy. To date all three factors have increased the incentive for foreigners to collect dollars (by selling goods and services in exchange for dollars) and decreased the incentive to dishoard dollars (by buying goods and services with the dollars). If these dynamics were to reverse, they would exert pressure to devalue the dollar above and beyond pressures exerted by the balance of trade dynamics. Before discuss further about the characteristics of US Dollar that makes it the worlds foremost reserve currency, a better understanding regarding the basic function of money is crucial. The main basic functions of money are: a) Medium of exchange When money is used to intermediate the exchange of goods and services, it is performing a function as a medium of exchange. It thereby avoids the inefficiencies of a barter system, such as the double coincidence of wants problem. b) Unit of account A unit of account is a standard numerical unit of measurement of the market value of goods, services, and other transactions. Also known as a measure or standard of relative worth and deferred payment, a unit of account is a necessary prerequisite for the formulation of commercial agreements that involve debt. c) Store of value To act as a store of value, money must be able to be reliably saved, stored, and retrieved. The value of the money must also remain stable over time. In that sense, inflation by reducing the value of money diminishes the ability of the money to function as a store of value. d) Standard of deferred payment Standard of deferred payment is distinguished as an accepted way to settle a debt a unit in which debts are denominated, and the status of money as legal tender, in those jurisdictions which have this concept, states that it may function for the discharge of debts. When debts are denominated in money, the real value of debts may change due to inflation and deflation, and for sovereign and international debts via debasement and devaluation. Based on the explanation above, there are some main characteristic of the currency shall have to be the main player. In this paper, we will discuss from the various aspects. a) Currency and asset substitution Currency and asset substitution are typically induced by past inflations, devaluations, currency confiscations and the growth of underground economies. The effective money supply is much larger than the domestic money supply and is, moreover, less easily controlled by the monetary authority because of the publics propensity to substitute foreign for domestic currency. To peg the exchange rate to the US dollar, authorities have to intervene and purchase foreign exchange, hence the accumulation of holdings of US foreign exchange reserves, US currency has many desirable properties. It has a reputation as a stable currency, and is therefore a reliable store of value. It is available in many countries, is widely accepted as a medium of exchange, and protects foreign users against the threat of domestic bank failures, devaluation and inflation. Cash usage preserves anonymity because it leaves no paper trail of the transaction for which it serves as the means of payment and is therefore the preferred medium of exchange in underground transactions. Indeed the very characteristics that make the US dollar a popular medium of exchange also makes it difficult to determine the exact amount and location of US notes circulating abroad. Nevertheless, there is a direct source of information that can be used to determine the approximate amounts of US cash in circulation in different countries. Currency substitution also has fiscal consequences that are particularly salient for transition countries. Foreign cash transactions reduce the costs of tax evasion and facilitate participation in the unreported or â€Å"underground† economy. This weakens the governments ability to command real resources from the private sector and deepens fiscal deficits. The shifting of economic activity toward the underground economy distorts macroeconomic information systems (Feige, 1990, 1997), thereby adding to the difficulty of formulating macroeconomic policy. b) International Reserve Currency Furthermore, another characteristic of US dollar as world currency is because of the international reserve currency. Over the past three decades, academic and financial analysis that argued the US would suffer dollar devaluation due to national consumption exceeding national production has been largely wrong. That such an intuitive argument has been so consistently wrong is the source of much frustration and consternation. What has become clear is that when discussing exchange rates and determinants of exchange rates, there is a necessary delineation between the dollar and the rest of the world currencies. Because the dollar is the world reserve currency, special dynamics exist for it in addition to the normal trade and monetary dynamics one would expect. The euro inherited this status from the German mark, and since its introduction, has increased its standing considerably, mostly at the expense of the dollar. Despite the dollars recent losses to the Euro, it is still by far the major international reserve currency; with an accumulation more than double that of the euro. In August 2007, two scholars affiliated with the government of the Peoples Republic of China threatened to sell its substantial reserves in American dollars in response to American legislative discussion of trade sanctions designed to revalue the Chinese yuan. The Chinese government denied that selling dollar-denominated assets would be an official policy in the foreseeable future. c) Usage of the US Dollar Other characteristic of US Dollar as a main currency is when there are a few nations besides the United States use the US Dollar as their official currency. For example, Ecuador, El Salvador and East Timor all adopted the currency independently; former members of the US-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (namely Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands) decided that, despite their independence, they wanted to keep the U.S. dollar as their official currency. Additionally, local currencies of several states such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, Panama and a few other states can be freely exchanged at a 1:1 ratio for the U.S. dollar. d) Secure the Safety Trade As the so-called â€Å"safety trade† turn into dollars that occurred in the second half of 2008, made ironic event in two ways. The dollar represents security to foreign entities is partly due to historical good behaviour and partly due to wishful thinking on the part of foreign entities. Certainly through 1960, the US had a virtually unblemished record in paying its debts and honouring its obligations. This historical precedent combined with geopolitical considerations and force of habit has created the foreign perception that exists to this day that the US dollar is â€Å"as good as gold.† Thus, historically when a country suffered from a balance of payment crisis, the most common alternative to the home currency was the dollar. The list of countries whose private citizens hoard dollars as an alternative to the home currency is long. The reason for this hoarding is fairly easy to understand. If a country pegs its currency to the dollar and the peg is kept too high, citizens of the country will consume more than they produce and the country will run a current account deficit. Mirroring this current account deficit, a country will run a financial account surplus which decreases its supply of dollars. As the supply of dollars approaches a critical point, citizens will speculate that the peg cannot be maintained and will â€Å"make a run† on the currency, trading all of their domestic currency for dollars in anticipation of the devaluation. This is referred to as a balance of payments crisis, and results in a devaluation of the national currency. Examples of recent balance of payment crises include the Argentine economic crisis (2001-2002) and the Asian financial crisis (1997). Citizens in countries who have suffered balance of payment crises will often hold a portion or even a majority of their wealth in dollars in anticipation of currency devaluation. As an additional demand, it is commonly considered good practice for a developing country to carry reserves in excess of what is necessary for transactions as a preventative measure against balance of payments crises. Thus, there is actually an incentive to peg a currency too low, as a method for accumulating a protective supply of dollars to prevent balance of payment crises. e) Exchange Rate Dynamics While all other countries have two primary mechanisms that determine their exchange rate, the US dollar has five. The two mechanisms present for all currencies are: the relative supply of the currency (determined by the central bank); and the terms and attractiveness to foreigners of domestically produced goods and services. All else equal, the greater the supply of currency the higher the exchange rate (depreciated), and the more attractive the terms of domestically produced goods the lower the exchange rate (appreciated). Both of these mechanisms are reflected in the current account: if a country devalues its currency through an increase in money supply, it will have higher interest payments on foreign denominated assets. In this circumstance, a net debtor will generally see a deterioration in the current account, and a net creditor will see an improvement. If a country increases the attractiveness of terms on its production to foreigners, it will improve the current account. f) US Role As Most Develop Country In The World Financial and currency news are not just the only stories of news but interests to all. As for example, Foreign exchange (Forex) traders also have a lot of interest in political news that may have an impact on different countries currencies. Political events, such as the U.S. presidential election cycle has substantial consequences on the valuation of currency. The essence of money is purchasing power and power is at the heart of politics. Power goes to those who create money, those who receive it, those who spend it, and most of all, those who control it. Money, in other words, is anything but neutral. Money can be controlled or governed in very different ways; these systems of governance are described as monetary regimes. Chapter 3 BENCHMARKING THE US DOLLAR In order to understand the current international monetary system and its problems, one must realize that, for practical purposes, all international financial transactions are inextricably linked to the US Dollar. As the dollar goes, so goes the international financial system. Recently, as been mentioned earlier, the US Dollar remains the worlds foremost reserve currency. The US Dollar has been referred as the standard unit of currency in international markets for commodities such as gold and oil. Some non-U.S. companies dealing in globalized markets, such as Airbus, list their prices in US dollars. US Dollar has a value based on supply and demand of the market. As demand of US Dollar increase and more people willing to pay more to buy the US Dollar, then US Dollar will increase the value. We can also know the performance/value of US Dollar by using the benchmark in US Dollar. Benchmarking of the US Dollar means that we measure or evaluate the performance/value of US Dollar with another similar item in an impartial scientific manner. The US Dollar Index (US Dollar X) is type of index used as a benchmark in US Dollar. US Dollar Index is an index (or measure) of the value of the United States Dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies. It is a weighted geometric mean of the dollars value compared only with Euro (EUR), 57.6% weight Japanese yen (JPY), 13.6% weight Pound sterling (GBP), 11.9% weight Canadian dollar (CAD), 9.1% weight Swedish krona (SEK), 4.2% weight and Swiss franc (CHF), 3.6% weight. (Source: Wikipedia) Like declining real estate or stock prices, the diminishing dollar is neither uniformly beneficial nor harmful. In an article written by Karen (2008), the author provided an example of Accor North America, Inc., a division of Paris-based Accor, a global hotel operator. She added that when the company needs extra funds, perhaps to make an acquisition, the declining dollar comes in handy. Taking advantage of the dollar devaluation means that its cheaper to borrow from our parent than a bank, says Stephen Manthey, senior vice president and treasurer with the Carrollton, Texas-based firm. This is because the parent companys Euros now are more valuable than they were a year or two ago (Karen, 2008). Animesh Ghoshal, a Professor of Economics at DePaul University, Chicago, once mentioned that exporters typically do well when their currency drops, as their products become more competitive outside their home markets. Conversely, importers take a hit, as the costs of their goods or materials rise. Karen (2008) also quoted a statement from Dean Baker, a co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Reseach, an independent research group in Washington, D.C. Dean mentioned that people think of a strong dollar like a strong body, but, theres no particular virtue in having a strong dollar. In November 2007, prices for imports from the European Union rose for the seventh consecutive month, increasing 0.2 percent, while prices for goods coming from Canada jumped 4.7 percent. For the year ending in November, the prices of imports from Canada were up 12.9 percent, while imports from the EU were up 3.3 percent. The rises can be attributed to higher fuel prices and the declining dollar, rep orts the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From 4 below, we can see that the US Dollars relative strength compared to Euro had been declining over the 2007. The declining US Dollar may bring more harm than benefits to the US importers. Chapter 4 Factors Affecting US Dollar Currency a) Trade Deficit A trade deficit occurs when a country imports more than the exports. This leads to a net outflow of a countrys currency. Countries on the other side of the transaction will typically sell the importing countrys currency on the open market. As supply of the countrys currency increases in the global market the currency depreciates. As a net importer, the US has seen its trade deficit grow rapidly over the last decade. In last year (2008), the United States had a record of trade deficit of $816 billion dollars. This trade deficit weakens the US dollar relative to other currencies since foreign goods are denominated in foreign currency. Thus raising of demand for foreign goods increases the demand for foreign currency and decreases the demand for US dollars. This causes the US dollar to depreciate. b) Budget Deficit Chart below show that US Public debt has grown substantially over time. When a countrys government spends more than it earns from taxes or other sources of revenues, it is forced to borrow from its citizens and/or from foreign entities. As a countrys debt load increases, the value of its currency may decrease as result of fears within the international community over its ability to repay the debt. In addition, by borrowing money from foreign countries, the US increases the demand for foreign currency in exchange for US Bonds. The US is the worlds largest debtor with approximately $12 trillion dollars in debt in total debt. Over half of this debt is owned by foreign countries and lenders. (Source: Wikipedia) c) China, Japan, and India may stop holding large US Dollar Reserves Japan ($349B) and China ($643B) are two of the largest purchasers of US debt. China in particular has exhibited a voracious appetite for US debt. Its rapidly growing economy is heavily dependent on exports, and the US is one of its largest trading partners. In any given year, the US imports much more from China than it exports to China. As a result there is a net flow of dollars to China. Normally, one might expect China to sell these dollars on the global market, causing the dollar to weaken. Instead China reinvests its dollars in US debt. In doing so, China strengthens the US dollar and limits the appreciation of its own currency. Chinese exports remain cheap to American consumers. However, due to large deficits many countries, China and India in particular, have begun to reconsider diversifying their reserves to protect themselves from a devaluation of the US Dollar. In November 2009, the Indian Central Bank announced that it would purchase $6.7B worth of Gold to diversify its reserves. China, which is the single largest purchaser of US Securities, has similarly increased its reserves of gold by 76% since 2003 and has hinted at further purchases. The decision of these large countries to shift increasingly towards Gold as a reserve currency greatly decreases the demand for US Dollars and weakens the US Dollar. d) Monetary Policy Inflation Demand for a countrys currency is highly dependent on the relative value of holding it, ie. the real, relative return of U.S. government bonds. Fear over higher inflation erodes the real value of bonds, which in turn decreases demand for US dollars. Similarly, tighter monetary policy raises the real interest rate on U.S. Gov. bonds, at which demand for US dollars increases until the relative, risk adjusted return on those bonds is equivalent to the return on bonds for another country. e) The Federal Reserve Rate The Federal Open Market Committee, comprising of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and three other members, along with the chiefs of the regional branches of the Federal Reserve System, come together regularly to determine the Federal Funds Rate, which is the rate at which financial institutions with deposits at the Federal Reserve lend to each other. The release of the decision is usually accompanied by much media fanfare, analysis and commentary, and with good reason. Lending at the federal funds rate is the normal channel for banks with financing needs, and it represents the wholesale market for large financial institutions. The Federal Reserve Rate also determines the Dollar Libor rate which is the basis of many different types of financial transactions from complex derivative contracts, to credit card and mortgage interest rates. Libor is the cost of short-term unsecured interbank lending (where theres no collateral exchanged between counterparties). As such, it is one of the building blocks of the modern financial system. Although most transaction in the unsecured market are limited to a single month at most, the benchmarks themselves are regularly quoted and taken as a basis for contracts and agreements. f) Equity Market The equity market can impact the currency market in many different ways. For example, if a strong stock market rally happens in the U.S., with the Dow Jone and the Nasdaq registering impressive gains, we are likely to see a large influx of foreign money into the U.S., as international investors rush in to join the party. This influx of money would be very positive for the US DOLLAR, because in order to participate in the equity market rally, foreign investors would have to sell their own domestic currency and purchase U.S. dollars. The opposite also holds true: if the stock market in the U.S. is doing poorly, foreign investors will most likely rush to sell their U.S. Equity holdings and then reconvert the U.S. dollars into their domestic currency which would have a substantially negative impact on the greenback. Chapter 5 The impact of US Dollar a) Dollar Hegemony (Domination of the Dollar) The Bretton Woods negotiations at the end of the Second World War paved the way for establishing the dominance of the dollar as international money. This role was sustained by the confidence that the United States with its vast reserves of gold would honor the commitment to provide gold to foreign central banks in exchange for dollars at a fixed rate of $35 per ounce. By the end of the sixties, the growing trade deficit and the burdens of its military interventions in Vietnam created a huge dollar overhang abroad. In the face of increased demands for gold in exchange for dollars the United States unilaterally abandoned gold convertibility. This, however, did not lead to the dismantling of dollar hegemony. Instead, the refashioning of the international monetary system into a â€Å"floating dollar standard† in the post-Bretton Woods period was associated with the aggressive pursuit of liberalized financial markets in order to encourage private international capital flows denomin ated in dollars. In the 1970s the Eurodollar markets served as the principal means of recycling oil surpluses from the oil exporters to developing economies, particularly in Latin America. This process became a tool of resurgent U.S. political dominance. The 1970s military dictatorships in Chile, Indonesia, and Argentina, and the â€Å"Chicago School† free market regimes that followed, were bolstered by repression and supported by the readily available loans from U.S. banks flush with oil funds. Once this cheap bonanza of credit came to an end with the debt crisis in 1982, a new wave of neoliberal reforms and financial liberalization was imposed through the IMF-World Bank rescue packages. The crisis was deployed to further entrench the dominance of the dollar and U.S. imperialist agenda. In country after country the IMF and World Bank imposed â€Å"structural adjustment† policies during the crisis phase that destroyed all attempts at independent economic development while engulfing thei r financial systems in the ambit of dollar hegemony. This set in motion another surge of dollar denominated private capital flows to emerging markets and a fresh round of crisis in the 1990s when capital flowed back to the United States From 1973, up until about 2003 (the run-up to the present crisis) the periods when flows to emerging markets surged were also periods with a net efflux from the United States. As the surge comes to an end in the wake of capital flight and crisis, as in the Latin American debt crisis in 1982-83 and the Asian crisis in 1997-98, private capital flows are sucked back into the United States (see chart 2). The privileged role of the dollar provided the United States with an international line of credit that helped fuel a consumption binge. Cheap imports allowed consumption to be sustained despite stagnant or declining real wages. The export-led economies of Asia (first Japan, later East Asia and China) in turn depended on mass consumption in the United States to drive their economies. But the dependence on cheap imports precipitated growing trade de