Alcohol, Alcoholism, and the American Indians

Native Americans or American Indians had a particularly strong sense of identity.   Their clothes were special, their languages irreplaceable.   Besides, their tribal dances such as Kachina; traditional spirituality; stone weapons; strings or belts known as wampums; sand painting; and the habit of hunting the bison were all parts of their roots imbedded deep into their consciousness (Nichols, 1998).When the Europeans came to dislodge these roots by occupying the land that the Indians had believed to be theirs alone, the lives of the latter changed dramatically.   This was a time of cultural demise for the Indians, in fact.To drown out the pain of humiliation felt due to their roots being pulled out – the Indians found relief in alcohol.   Thus, Sherman Alexie (1993), a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, writes in The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven: â€Å"’Go ahead,’ Adrian said.   ‘Pull the trigger.’   I held a pistol to my temple.    I was sober but wished I was drunk enough to pull the trigger.†Alcoholism becomes a means of drowning out the humiliation felt by the Indians.   By attempting to drown out the pain of cultural demise, the Indians are also making an attempt at self-renewal.   They have been forced to move to the West by the armed Europeans.The new government wants to assimilate them, and destroy the Native American culture in the process, seeing that the government is afraid of being overthrown by the natives.   Alexie uses Victor’s father as a metaphor for the Native American culture.   He writes: â€Å"†¦ your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge†¦ He will rise, he will rise.†Ã‚   The continuation of the American Indian culture is similar to the revolving life cycle.  The author asserts that the Native American culture could keep on going like ashes flowing along the river.   The culture may also rise one day like salmon rise in the riv er all of a sudden.   The Native American culture could pass from generation to generation continuously.   However, many of the Indians have no faith in the restoration of their culture. Countless Native American people are, therefore, hopelessly drinking their lives away because they feel no motivation to live a better life.The Native Americans do not see a way to improve their lives despite the faint hope of cultural restoration.   Alcohol to them is a painkiller.   As the Indians have lost faith in recovering the Native American culture, Alexie also shows that there is no way for the Indians to get back their tradition and culture.   He writes: â€Å"With each glass of beer, Samuel gained a few ounces of wisdom, courage.But after a while, he began to understand too much about fear and failure, too† (Alexie 134).   At first, the Indians believe that alcohol may help them escape from the reality and relieve the pain of losing their rich culture.   But then, the y realize that the loss of their culture makes them afraid and worried.   They feel sad as a new culture takes over their spiritual traditions and dear customs, seeing that they have already failed in preventing their culture from being taken over by a new culture.   Hence, Samuel neither forgets his tribe’s culture nor accepts the new customs.Though his tribe’s culture is being exterminated, he has no way to stop this from happening.   All his life he has watched his brothers and sisters, and most of his tribe folks, fall into alcoholism and surrendered dreams.   So, now, Samuel, the one who never drank, also wants some drink to relieve his pain of roots being pulled out.   Moreover, he picks up the pieces of a story from the street and changes the world for a few moments in his mind to show how he truly can escape the world.

Fact or fiction Essay

Overtime, tales of the most miniscule historic characters have been slowly distorted into tales of gigantic warriors and near perfect individuals. For instance, stories of Jesus Christ from the bible have always caused people to necessitate an image of purity and selflessness, however, newly discovered testaments are beginning to establish a love affair with a women, whom produced children: living descendants of Jesus Christ. This is just one of many examples that have been continually misrepresented throughout history. Additionally, this raises questions as to whom are the real iconic figures that have shaped our memoirs. One of the model Americans is Robert E. Lee, a timeless figure of American history that has widely been altered in various publications, however, what will remained unchanged is that Robert E. Lee is the true symbol of southern Americanism of his time. BACKGROUND Son of Ann Hill Carter, a wealthy successor of Scottish Royalty, and Harry Lee, an attractive commander in the Revolutionary War, Robert Edward Lee was born in Virginia’s Westmoreland County on January 19th, 1807. Ann Hill Carter married Harry Lee and produced 5 children during their marriage while Harry was governor of Virginia. Throughout the course of their marriage, Harry began drowning the family in debt, thus rendering Robert to take on as head of the household while his father remained unwilling to stop his overzealous spending habits and relentless affairs with other women. It is undoubted that Robert was the favorite of his mother’s children, thus giving him the authority to make decisions as head of the household and care for his mother. â€Å"As sometimes happens, the good son strove to be all that his father was not. When Anne was lonely he kept her company; when she was sick he nursed her; in his teens he helped manage the household. His father had been reckless and unfaithful† (Epstein 23). After years of frivolous spending, thus spiraling the family into debt, Harry Lee fled the country and settled in the West Indies where he lived out the rest of his days. Nonetheless, Ann Carter continued to use the remainder of her bequest to support her children. Lacking the money needed to attend a university, Robert applied to West point and was granted admittance in 1829. Shortly thereafter, Lee also attended the U. S. Military Academy and graduated with honors. Due to various scandals that surrounded Roberts family, such as his father’s abandonment and his older brother Henry’s murderous scandal involving Henry’s sister-in -law, whom he seduced and produced a child with thus giving him the nickname ’black horse’, it was not easy for Robert to find a companion for himself. Nonetheless, Robert married Mary Anna Randolph Custis in 1831 and together they produced 7 children. From thereon, Lee earned recognition for his role as engineer in the construction of the St. Louis Harbor, as well as his is prevailing military operations in the Mexican War. As a Virginian aristocrat, Robert Lee was already accustomed to the ethics behind slavery, consequently, when his father-in-law, George Washington Custis became ill, Lee took leadership in the distribution of slaves to corresponding plantations. It was Lee’s understanding that slaves were the foundation of the south, in which many products of labor were necessary for financial survival. This stance was the drive in Robert Lee’s struggle to maintain the south that he had become habituated to. Although the Lee-Custis families remained relatively respectful and kind to slave families throughout the years, during his leadership in the Civil War, his comportment turned from reverential to malicious. Elizabeth Brown Pryor states that â€Å" Lee rented out so many hands that the black community at Arlington was badly fragmented. The youngest and strongest were chosen to be hired away because they brought in the greatest revenue†¦. Worst of all, Lee ruptured the Washington and Custis tradition of respecting slave families. By 1860 he had broken up every family but one on the estate† (Nolan 24). In addition to this testimony, there are scores of other attests to Lee’s brutal violence towards slaves as well. Although modern Lee patriots have highly scrutinized these testaments, they have been corroborated with consistent authentic eye witness accounts found in various writings. Nevertheless, Lee has been noted for his leadership during the Mexican War in as well as his achievements and calamities during the Civil War. Well educated, yet incapable to produce a strategic victory, Lee is doubtless renowned for his defeat at Gettysburg. â€Å"The disaster at Gettysburg highlights Lee’s chief shortcoming as a strategist, his lack of the political instinct–in the strictest sense, a sagacity in working with men. Lee was so rigid in his devotion to a hierarchy that he held most of his generals at a distance, often keeping them in the dark or ignoring their advice. Meanwhile he went groveling to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government for guns, food, and uniforms–as if he were scarcely worthy–when he should have demanded the essential materiel, without which his soldiers stood in peril† (Epstein 23). After his military command, Lee retreated back to his home in Virginia, where he died in 1870 at the age of 63. LITERATURE REVIEW Rationalizing realism versus simulated characteristics of Robert Lee begins with previous analysis. Robert E. Lee was born in1807, thus leaving the impossibility of retrieving factual information from the primary source. Consequently, interpretation of fact from fiction lies within previous texts and comparison of those texts against each other. Many contemporary authors such as Carl Moneyhon report that â€Å"In his foreword, the editor of this collection of articles justifies this volume as an effort to break away from the paradigm of scholarship that has produced what he considers to be a stale rehashing of arguments over the merits of the generalship of Robert E. Lee. The core of the interpretive problem, in Peter S. Carmichael’s view, is the tendency of many recent studies to begin with assumptions based upon generalizations made over seventy years ago in Douglas Southall Freeman’s works, then to use Freeman’s own evidence to challenge his conclusions Carmichael suggests that a new scholarship might emerge if scholars return to primary Lee-related manuscript sources. The six articles that follow are unified by that effort, beginning with the contemporary Lee rather than the Lee created by Freeman† (777). Moneyhon’s elucidation of other author’s works display the bias between authors, most of which erratically render Lee as the patron saint of the south. Many publications regarding Lee have rendered him as somewhat mythological, while others have painted him as a failing general, one whom orchestrated many mistakes. According to Alan T. Nolan, â€Å"There is little need to belabor the fact of Lee’s heroic, almost superhuman, national stature, which has steadily enlarged since the war years. Writing in 1868, Fanny Dowling described Lee as ‘bathed in the white light which falls directly upon him from the smile of an approving and sustaining God† (4-5). Many Lee loyalist have portrayed him as a god-like creature, attaining purity and perfection, however, others deemed him anything but. Regarding the issue of slavery, despite its unethical perspective, as a Virginian aristocrat, Lee was accustomed to slavery for all of his life, however, considering his reverential conduct towards slaves before the war, it is alarming that Lee’s behavior took such an impulsive change during and after the war. For instance, despite praises of loyalty and kindness in respect to slaves under Lee’s orders since his attainment of George Washington Custis’s estate, narratives of harsh lashings and slave separation from their families are mottled through historical accounts of Lee’s alleged generosity and empathy. Epstein states that â€Å"Because the Custis will entailed that land should be sold to pay debts and legacies, and did not state that such obligations should take precedence over freeing the slaves, Lee’s conduct is disturbing. Even more chilling is the 1859 testimony of one Wesley Norris, a slave who ran away from Arlington with his sister Mary to Westminster, Maryland. They were caught and imprisoned, and returned in chains. When Lee asked why they had run away, Norris said that they believed they were free. Lee replied that ‘he would teach us a lesson we would never forget. ’ Leading them to the barn, he gave orders to his overseer McQuinn to strip the slaves to the waists, tie them to posts, and apply fifty lashes to the man and twenty to the girl. When McQuinn refused to take up the lash, ‘Dick Williams, a county constable was called in, who gave us the number of lashes ordered; Lee, in the meantime, stood by, and frequently enjoined Williams to ‘lay it on well. ’ When Williams was done, Lee ordered the overseer to wash the bleeding slaves with brine (24). Many Lee scholars do not like to explore the possibility that Lee was cruel towards slaves as this attribute disrupts the harmony of assimilated perfection of Lee’s character, however, these accounts of vindictiveness reassure Lee’s less god-like capabilities. Additionally, in with regard to military expertise, Lee scholars are divided as well on this issue concluding that most of Lee’s military career is focused around the failure of Civil War expeditions, while others concur that Lee exerted the symbol of a genuine confederate liberator. It is undisputed that Lee was very well educated and skilled in military delegations, however, most of Lee’s military career is focused around the failure of thus overshadowing the more positive aspects of his military career. In the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee was very careless thus ruining the lives of the men in his regime. Ballard states that â€Å"Lee could have and should have won† (948). Lee carelessly destroyed his regime during the Battle of Gettysburg, by not waiting for incoming supplies that were to be given to his regime’s depleted arsenal. His soldiers were starved and malnutrition and did not have the proper weaponry for combat, thus presenting an easy victory for the union. (Adams 66). Moreover, despite how conflicting accounts represent Lee, most scholars such as Gallagher agree that â€Å"In a conflict often characterized, whether accurately or not, as the first great modern war, the Confederate commander frequently appears as a soldier of considerable martial gifts who harkened back to an earlier time. Lee is cast as a man who thought of the struggle in terms of protecting his own state rather advancing the cause of the entire Confederacy, forged a personal bond with his soldiers reminiscent of feudal relationships, focused on winning set-piece battles without taking in the broader political and social landscape of a modern war, and failed to understood the implications of new weaponry such as the rifle-musket† (295). Most importantly is to include the feelings of others that admired Lee from enemy lines as those of the North. Although commonly, enemies do not sing the praises of each other, this is not the case in those towards Lee. In fact, many northerners admired lee for a number of reasons as is told as such: â€Å"He possessed every virtue of other great commanders without their vices. He was a foe without hate; a friend without treachery; a soldier without cruelty; a victor without oppression; and a victim without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices; a private citizen without wrong; a neighbor without reproach; a Christian without hypocrisy and a man without guile. He was a Caesar without his ambition; Frederick without his tyranny; Napoleon without his selfishness; and Washington without his reward. He was obedient to authority as a servant, and royal in authority as a true king. He was gentle as a woman in life; modest and pure as a virgin in thought; watchful as a Roman vestal in duty; submissive to law as Socrates; and grand in battle as Achilles† (Warrior and Gentleman’s Gentleman 39). Although this excerpt seems a little over dramatized, it does reflect Lee’s impinge on realistic people versus overly inflated scholarly accounts, thus rendering Lee as a true individual of his time. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Robert Edward Lee, born in 1807 to Ann Hill Carter, wealthy Scottish heiress, and Harry Lee, the former Virginia Governor. Whilst his family endured many problematic episodes, including financial hardships despite their mother’s dwindled fortune due to his fathers erratic spending habits, and his brothers Henry’s alleged murder of his illegitimate child, Lee prevailed in most of his endeavors, including his role in the Mexican War. However, undisputable evidence exhibits the differentiating portrayals of General Robert Edward Lee. Many scholars initiate depictions of a true southern liberator to maintain the south as it was during the early 1800s, whilst others disagree as to the true characteristics of Lee as much less than pure and holy. Nonetheless, both portions of testaments enable the true disposition of Robert Lee as he was. For instance, as a Victorian aristocrat, Lee understood the ethics of labor that slavery entailed, however, Lee’s attitude changed throughout the course of the war. Instead of maintaining the healthy relationships between slaves and Lee, he separated the families and also assisted in harsh beating of slaves, thus severing the once tight-knit relationship between the two. Also, in terms of Lee’s military endeavors, Lee was skilled, however, mostly unprepared for his battles in the Civil War. For example, in the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee was strategically unprepared for the battle, consequently costing the confederate army its most important mission. However, this did not deterred Lee from admitting his faults for his role in losing the battle, which shoes humility for his wins and losses. Finally after many interpretations of literary works, the true formation of Robert E. Lee is quite clear. A Victorian aristocrat he was, accustomed to the south as it was and its dependence on slavery, he maintained humility, strength, and most of all, leadership. Lee was not pure, nor holy, however, he was a man of God, family, and campaign for the southern beliefs, and he preserved those relationships simultaneously. WORKS CITED Adams, Michael C. C. :Review Essay: Robert E. Lee and Perspective over Time. † Civil War History. 49 (2003): 64-70. Ballard, Michael B. â€Å"Robert E. Lee: Icon for a Nation. † Journal of Southern History. 76 (2006): 947-949. Epstein, Daniel M. â€Å"Who Cares about Robert E. Lee. † New Criterion Sept. 2007: 22+. Gallagher, Gary W. â€Å"An Old-Fashioned Soldier in a Modern War Robert E. Lee as Confederate General†. Civil War History. 45(1999): 295. Lee, Robert E. Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee . Westminster, 1904. Moneyhon, Carl H. â€Å"Audacity Personified: The Generalship of Robert E. Lee† The Historian. 67 (2005): 777-780. Nolan, Alan T. Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History. North Carolina: North Carolina Press, 1991. â€Å"Robert E. Lee. † UXL Newsmakers. (2005): Find Articles. 28 Feb. 2008 `. â€Å"Warrior and Gentleman’s Gentleman: Despite Being a Battle-Hardened General, Robert E. Lee Never Lost His Most Admirable Trait His Devotion to God, Friends, Duty, and Honor. † The New American. 23 July 2007: 33- 39.

Inflation in Indonesia

Article about Inflation Subject: Economy Submitted: Thursday, 29 November 2012 By: ID: 014201000039 Name: Joseph Amos P President University, Cikarang Baru, Bekasi, Indonesia 2012 Economics is the most important aspect of a country. The reciprocation of a country is seen in terms of economy. Economics also become a benchmark of development and prosperity in a country. Why does the economy become vitally important in a country? The word â€Å"economy† you hear about in everyday life and are never separated from our activities. Everything we do from opening the eyes to close my eyes again is inclusive of economic activity.Someone who is able to manage the economy well, it will be seen by other people because of management's ability. Likewise with a country, a country will be seen by other countries through the economy. So what about the Indonesian economy itself? Definition of Inflation Inflation is the tendency of the general prices for general ascending and continuous or sympt oms can also be said of a continued rise in the prices of goods and factors of production general continuously within a certain period. Keep in mind that the increase in the price of one or two items not called inflation.Causes of Inflation, can be divided into Demand Side Inflation, which is caused by an increase in aggregate demand exceeds aggregate supply increases Supply Side Inflation, which is caused by an increase in aggregate supply exceeds aggregate demand Demand Supply Inflation, inflation is caused by a combination of an increase in aggregate demand which is then followed by an increase in aggregate supply, so prices rise higher into Suppressed Inflation or a cover-up, the inflation at a time will arise and show themselves as the official prices increasingly irrelevant in reality Classification of Inflation . Based on the Presence of Severe Inflation Inflation Lightweight (under 10% a year) Inflation Medium (between 10-30% a year) Inflation weight (between 50-100% a year) Hyper inflation (over 100% a year) 2. By The reasons for the beginning of Inflation Inflation demand, because the demand for various goods too strong Cost Inflation, due to rising production costs 3. Based on the origin of inflation Domestic Inflation, inflation stemming from domestic Imported Inflation, Inflation overseas Impact of Inflation PositiveIf inflation is mild, it has a positive effect in terms of stimulating the economy could be better, which is to increase the national income and get people excited to work, save and invest. People who rely on income based benefits, such as employers, are not harmed by the inflation. So it is with employees who work in companies with payroll following the rate of inflation. For people who borrow money from the bank (debtor), inflation is beneficial, because when debt payments to creditors, the value of money are lower than at the time of borrowing.Instead, the lender or the lender will lose money because the value of the refund is lower than at the time of borrowing. For producers, inflation can be profitable if the income is higher than the increase in production costs. When this happens, the manufacturers will be forced to double its production (usually occurs in large employers). Negative Impact of Inflation In the event of uncontrolled inflation (hyperinflation), the state of the economy went into chaos and felt sluggish economy.People become excited about work, savings, or investments and production as prices rise rapidly. The fixed income earners such as civil servants or private employees, and the workers will also be overwhelmed bore and offset the price so that their lives are wasting away and fell from time to time. For people who have a fixed income, inflation is very detrimental. Let's take the example of a retired civil servant in 1990. In 1990, his pension is enough to meet their needs, but in the year 2003-or thirteen years later, the purchasing power of money may only live a half.That is, retiremen t is no longer enough money to make ends meet. Inflation also causes people reluctant to save because the value of the currency goes down. Indeed, savings earn interest, but if the inflation rate on the interest, value for money is still declining. If people are reluctant to save money, businesses and the investment will be difficult to develop. Due to growing business needs of the bank's funds earned from savings. Conclusion Indonesia's economy had experienced the ups and downs of the early proclamation to the reform era as it is today.Various strategies have been adopted by the Ministers of Indonesia's economy in order to build a strong economy. Peak, Indonesia experienced a dramatic decline during the economic crisis that caused the inflation rate rising so rapidly at the end of the New Order era. The unemployment rate increased rapidly causing poverty increased rapidly as well. However, with each passing era into the era of economic reform Indonesia gradually showed improvement. Nurfaidah, R (2010). â€Å"Perekonomian Indonesia 2010. † http://kandankilmu. blogspot. com/search/label/Articles [Accessed 27 November 2012] Sadli, M (2006). Inflasi dan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi di Indonesia† http://kolom. pacific. net. id/ind/prof_m. _sadli/artikel_prof_m. _sadli/inflasi_dan_pertumbuhan_ekonomi_di_indonesia. html [Accessed 27 November 2012] Bayutube86 (2009). â€Å"Makalah Tentang Inflasi dan Dampaknya† http://cafe-ekonomi. blogspot. com/2009/05/makalah-tentang-inflasi-dan-dampaknya. html [Accessed 27 November 2012] Aryati, S (2010). â€Å"Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Indonesia Sangat Kuat† http://fararirureroduty. blogspot. com/2010/11/pertumbuhan-ekonomi-indonesia-sangat. html [Accessed 27 November 2012]

The Quality of Service and the Determining Factor of the Success Essay - 5

The Quality of Service and the Determining Factor of the Success - Essay Example The quality of service the customer gets is gauged by the relationship between customer expectation and the performance. Each business aims at fully satisfying the customer needs as well as making profits. The transaction between the customer and the company starts right from when the customer enters the shop to when he gets home with the purchased product. Before the customer asks for the commodity, the employee should welcome them, talk to them politely and make them feel appreciated. This first step motivates the customer to buy whatever product they have in mind (Weinstein, 2012). The proper explanation should be given to the customer on any enquiries they make. The service provider should inform the customer of all the advantages of the product and the other substitutes that the company is offering. No matter the kind of questions asked by the customer, the service provider should always understand that the customer is always right (Weinstein, 2012). After the customer has succe ssfully purchased the product, any enquiries he/she makes either on call or in person should be taken seriously and with utmost care. Make the customer feel like you still care about them and the kind of service they are getting from the commodity purchased. The following table analyses the ABX airline and the Everts airline, which are both cargo airlines in the USA. Everts provide quality service but in terms of the image they have to the customers, they are far below the expected standards. Their prices are very high as compared to the quality of service they provide.

Write a reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write a reports - Essay Example The audience should enjoy the event, be on the lookout for the most creative and interesting aspect of the performance (Bay-Cheng 67). Most importantly, they should be able to reflect on the performance as a whole. When criticizing the live performance the critic should always give proof of their approval or disapproval by backing it up with facts and evidences from the performance. When reviewing the performance there are points to be noted such as, the production team, the time and place of the production’s presentation. The lighting and sets should be discussed and how they contributed to the theme or mood of the performance (Bay-Cheng 65). One should mention the make-up and costumes used as part of the general design for the performance. The characters and the actors’ display of the costumes are important. They should be considered to assess if they were believable and if the actors’ analysis fits the theme. A check on the blocking and stage movement should be made as well as on the tempo and pacing of the production. How the performers use their voices, work together and interpret the script matters. An observation is made of the effect the performance had on the audience and discussion of highlights of the memorable parts of the

International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

International law - Essay Example International law sets the limits on and relations between and among states. International law is not a new concept. Keep in mind that rudimentary international law was evident as far back of the fourth millennium B.C, when belligerents consented to observe truces for holidays and other similar situations. Homer\s The Iliad and Thucydides\s The Peloponnesian Wars are abounding with references to armistices, acceptance of heralds in addition to other customary standard behaviour connecting peaceful or warring parties. But is should also be remembered that such references are equally filled with instances of agreements being dishonoured. Modern international law, customary international law being part of it, gradually evolved as states gained status. Denial S Papp1 states that Hugo Grotius is usually taken note of as the father of modern international law with references to his work, On the Law of War and Peace, published in 1662. His publication paved the laying of the foundations of the rights and responsibilities that states are obligated to each other. It is on the writings of Grotius that the entire systems of treaties, tribunals as well as similar codes of international conduct take their extraction. From the readings of Grotius’s publications, at least four separate interpretations of what international law is, exist.2 These include: the naturalist school of law exemplified by Samuel Pefundorf (The Law of Nature and of Nations, 1672); the positivist school of law, led by Cornelius van Bynkershoek (Forum for Ambassadors, 1721 and On Questions of Public Law, 1737); the eclectic school of law led by Emmerich de Vattel (The Law of Nations, 1758) and finally the neorealist outlook. The more general view is that states interpret and adopt whatever view of international law that best shores up the most preferred course of action. There are various sources of international law to which states can tie

Should we shop until we drop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Should we shop until we drop - Essay Example Victor Lebow gave the solution that â€Å"Our enormously productive economy†¦demands that we make consumption our way of life that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption†¦we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate† (Leonard and Conrad, pp. 215). Therefore, the current wave of materialism and consumerism is not natural but something, which was planned. According to a research conducted in the start of the century, American households are currently spending 1.22 US dollars for every 1 dollar earned. There is all the probability that this difference, considering the historical and currents trends in consumerism, would have increased (Woolf, pp. 124-125). Therefore, the point here is that there are no doubts that with a systematic and strategic process, Americans have become a nation who have lost their inner self worth and the only way to gain the same has become through publicizing our ownership of goods and materials. Everyday, we find ourselves in a silent war with ourselves, forcing us to buy more, consume more and stock more so that our neighbors could see our superior lifestyle (Kukathas, pp. 85-89). Deeds, ethical norms, morality, dignity, achievements, intelligence and others are quickly fading away as the measures for one’s identity and social status. We do not know or picture others with their names and achievements but with what they own and what they have the potential to buy, the boy with iPhone 4, the woman with Porsche, the man with limo and so on. Therefore, we are not we are but we are what others think we are. As Leonard and Conrad mention in their book, â€Å"That is why, after 9/11, when our country was in shock, President Bush could have suggested any number of appropriate things: to grieve, to pray, to hope. NO, and He said to shop.43 TO SHOP† (Leonard and Conrad, pp. 215). Que stion # 2 – Consequences of our love for consumerism If our love for consumerism was only destroying our disturbing our own lives then this should never have been a problem at all. However, the problem here is that this is not only we are destroying our selves, our societies, communities and nations but the entire planet (Woolf, pp. 124-125). Leonard and Conrad in their book come up with a few examples on how the entire planet is paying the price for our love of products and materials. For making products such as rubber, furniture, paper and others, we have destroyed more than 80 percent of the world’s forest. More importantly, we are losing our rainforests. Once, rainforests covered more than 16 percent of the total land but today that percentage is less than six. Furthermore, the destruction rate is so high that we are losing 75 acres of rainforests every minute (Woolf, pp. 124-125). More than 25 percent of the current drugs sold in the America and Europe come from t he ingredients derived from rainforests. The loss that we are incurring to the human king becomes clear examining the statistics. Leonard and Conrad quote, â€Å"And the plants and other life we have discovered so far are just the beginning; most scientists estimate that only 1 percent of the species that exist in the rainforest (and only there) have been identified and examined for their beneficial properties†

The Use of Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient by Messina and Coyne Term Paper

The Use of Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient by Messina and Coyne - Term Paper Example From this research it is clear that in statistics the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (SRCC), also known as the Spearman’s rho, is greatly used. This provision derives its name from Charles Spearman and may be denoted by symbols rs or P. Maturi and Abdelfattah clearly explain that as a non-parametric measure used to gauge statistical independence that may exist between two variables, the Spearman’s rho is used to assess the most appropriate way of describing two variables through the use of a monotonic function. The Spearman’s rho is used mostly when both independent and dependent variables are ordinal, or when one of the variables is a continuous one, and the other an ordinal numeric. Conversely, Spearman’s rho may be used when the variables being measured are both continuous. In the article by Messina, Scott, Ganey, Zipp and Mathis it is clear that the use of the Spearman’s rho is very plausible. This is because patient satisfaction is not only the independent variable in Messina’s research analysis but also a continuous variable. At the same time, patient admission across teaching and nonteaching hospitals acts as both a dependent and continuous variable. Thus, in this work by Messina et al. the Spearman’s rho is used to study the relations that exist between the dependent variable and independent variable, and these variables are being represented by the volume that has been measured by admissions and the patient contentment mean score respectively. The use of Spearman’s rho’s correlation analysis is seen in the fact that Messina and his companions carried out the analysis on a pooled sample of seven nonteaching and seven teaching hospitals. It is from this development that the differences between the subsamples in teaching and nonteaching hospitals are analyzed through the use of Mann-Whitney U-Test. From this juncture, it became possible to determine whether or not there is an e xplicit association between admissions and patient satisfaction mean score in respect to the two variables. As one reads the study, it becomes clear that the mean for all admissions in teaching and nonteaching hospitals is 19,111 within the time frame of 1999-2003. The range is from 4,513 to 70,465. The mean score for the aggregate patient satisfaction is 82.57 within the five-year timeframe. The minimum aggregate is 79.0 while the maximum is 86.18. The use of Kurtosis as a form of descriptive analysis indicates that the mean score for patient satisfaction was normally distributed. In a nutshell, the use of the Spearman’s rho indicates a strong negative correlation between hospital admission within a given sample and patient satisfaction (rs = -.287, P = .018). The import of all these results is that lower inpatient volumes (in both teaching and nonteaching hospitals) are compatible with or relatable to higher patient satisfaction mean scores. 2) Comments on the Variables Use d and Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient It is a fact that the variables that have been used by Messina, Scott, Ganey, Zipp and Mathis (2009) are very appropriate and applicable to the determination of the Spearman’s rho. Spearman’s rho determines the statistical independence between two variables, and it is a fact that Messina and his group use two variables: patient satisfaction and inpatient admissions in teaching and nonteaching hospitals. Again, just as Maturi and Abdelfattah (2008) explain, the Spearman’s rho is applicable in an area where one variable is continuous and the other an ordinal numeric, or where both variables are continuous in nature. Messina’s et al. (2009) independent (patient satisfaction) and dependent (inpatient admissions in teaching and nonteaching hospitals) variables are both continuous. These characteristics make the variables used qualify for Spearman’s rho analysis, so that, in light of the specific requirements o f SRCC, there is

Satanism and Suicide in the School Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Satanism and Suicide in the School - Case Study Example For this case study, the potential positive consequences include agreeing with the parents that the Halloween holiday has no place in the school. Negative consequences include disagreeing with the parents and allowing the pupils to attend the Halloween party. The risk here will be discontentment from parents who might decide to transfer their pupils and as a result, be fired by the school’s board (Callison and McAllister 84). I will evaluate the outcome of my decision/the school’s decision based on the pupils performance, parents and boards approval or support, and the number of pupils who joins the school. Reach a compromise agreement with the parents will enhance learning, and improve the school’s performance. In this case study, the problem that needs to be resolved is that of a pupil in the school who has thoughts of committing suicide, and as such, as the principle I need to decide what to do. This process should involve the pupil, his/her parents, his/her immediate teacher and a counselor. I will need to communicate to the pupil, his/her parents, and his/her immediate teacher. The potential positive for this case is getting the pupil to change his attitudes and help the pupil to give away that disturbing wish and thought of wanting to die; simply keeping the pupil alive (Callison and McAllister 106). For this case, a negative consequence will be to fail to get the pupil some substantial help, thus resulting in the pupil committing suicide. I will evaluate my decision based on whether the pupil is able to fend that suicidal feeling and stay alive or not. In case, the pupil does not get help and ends up committing suicide, the other pupils and the entire school community will be devastat ed.  

Rise in Standards of Living Essay Example for Free

Rise in Standards of Living Essay Australian business centers, stock markets, economic revenues and different economic sectors from the latter centuries have always been striving to improving the economy channeling as well the improvements of society’s standards of living; however, with the current progression of such trends, standards of living have gone so far ahead from the average people coping up to the demands of the prevailing society. Consequently, imbalance, strain and economic disproportion occur as the primary results of the high standards of living and the coping average public. b. Australia: Economic Overview . Due to the great transition of United States, Canadian and Australian economies from the agricultural-based setup of 19th and 20th centuries to an economy based on industries in the current 21st century, living standards have indeed increased. Consequently, the shift of living standards have greatly affected crucial economic and societal elements, such as (a) laborers, (b) supply-demand chains, (c) purchasing power of the market, (d) social class and standards of living, and (e) general economy equilibrium . High labor costs, high taxation fees, crowded population, strict-regulatory boards on business establishments and small domestic market have consequently become the adverse effects of Australia’s high standards of living . Last 2004, Australian standards of living was ranked third place by the United Nations surveillance report. Currently, Australian economy, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), is experiencing GDP growth of 2. 7% quarterly as of 2008, GDP rate of approximately $1 trillion Australian dollar and GDP per capita of $33,000 as of 2006 statistics. Markedly, economic growth of Australia is slowly beginning its decline due to various economic components (e. g. high wage employment versus high standards of living, expensive supply versus average-earning market, etc. ) . Economic advancements may well influence the standards of living positively; however, high standards of living may negatively result to social tensions in areas of income balances . Australian economy is now experiencing a series of imbalances, especially in the relationships of market and suppliers, income generation and employment brought by high living standards. II. Discussion a. Living Standards of Australian Economy . Australians have always enjoyed the benefits of their country’s growing economy and high standard of living; however, continuous increase in the area of living stands may threaten the stability of their economy. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate obtained by a given economy commonly evaluates the country’s economic performance and growth. GDP assesses the level of supply-demand conditions, economic output capacity and welfare growth. GDP, together with household surveys on income – expenses, consumption-production and other associated components, measures the condition of economic welfare, which is viewed as an important indicator of standards of living . Currently, Australian GDP according to the Internal Monetary Fund has reached from the 2007 estimate of U. S. $ 718. 4 billion to U. S$ 1. 04 trillion nominally this year. In addition, annual GDP growth has always been maintained from 0. 4% to 1. 3% according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS); although, nominal records this year show a huge drop on GDP growth from 1. 2% in 2006 down to 0. 5%, which can still progress downward (max: approximately 0. 25% GDP growth) due to seasonal variations. On the other hand, according to ABS, employment statistics have increased dramatically from 10. 5 million in 2007 to 10. 73 million employed in 2008, while decreasing as well the unemployment rate from 4. 3% in 2007 to 4. 2% this year . . . Economic trends of Australia are in no question boosting and improving more evidently compared to the United States. These statistics relevantly show the increasing economic welfare of the country, which eventually may further increase in the standards of living. In the study of Gregory (2007), following the increase of living standards in the 1970s evidenced by the approximate 30% increase in Australia’s employment wages is the latter drop (approximately 25%) on employment earnings and rapid rise of employment offering low compensations . Evidently, the similar impact is slowly but progressively occurring based on the statistical input of Australian employment, inflation and household surveys under ABC statistical surveillance . Based from statistics, full-time employment earnings have dropped from 2003 to 2005 record of 1. 8% to 0. 9% only last May, while private sector earning trend has changed from 2% in 2005 down to 1% this year and public sector declines from 1. 5% last 2005 to 0. 5% for this year. Nonetheless, employment-earning trends are currently recovering from its great downfall last May 2006 to early 2007. On the other hand, salary sacrifices of Australian surveyed households have also increased from U. S $580 weekly in 2005 to U. S. $644 weekly last 2006 due to increased taxes, increased in Consumer Price Index and most factors attributed to high standards of living (e. g. costs of supplies, increase costs of services, etc. ). With the increasing level of living standards, initial employment decline in response to high level of living standards is motivated by higher compensations. Continuing employment with higher compensation results to increase in employment rates, which consequently reduces level of average earnings of these employed. Meanwhile, as the rise of living standards continues, another important consideration is effect of inflation rates towards the purchasing power of the people living in the high standard Australian environment . According to the general inflation rate of Australian economy, rate has indeed increased from 0. 7 to 0. 8% in 2005 to 1. 5% last June 2008, which consequently results to an average of 4. 5% price increase on all groups of products and services. Based on ABS inflation breakdowns, products and services most commonly affected by high living standards are also affected by the high inflation rates, such the increase of deposit and loan facilities to 9. 5%, rise of rents to 2. 2%, increase in health care costs of 4%, house purchases by 3. 1% and one of Australian delicacies, spirits, which increased to 6. 1%. High standards of living implicated by economic growth and expansion of economic welfare do not always provide significant benefits for majority of the economy’s recipients. With this analysis, the most affected individuals are the average employees striving hard to cope-up with the increasing prices of commodities brought by the rise of living standards b. Impacts of High Standards of Living Considering the high living standards of the Australian economy, an average household earning an income increasing only to 0. 9% per quarterly may not be able to accommodate the inflation increased commodities and supplies, which, if applied to the general average population, dramatically implies huge reduction of purchasing power among the average members of society . Following the rise of society’s standards of living is the extensive rise of financial expenses among households due to the market value increases brought by increased standards of available supplies offered (e. g. education fees, food expenses, etc. ) . The impact of price variations and economic adjustments are assumingly experienced more prominently by the average people living the high standard society. As the basic commodities and services increase due to inflation rise, average people employed with an average job may commonly find their earnings sufficient for their daily requirements. However, if economic welfare continuously grows and expand, as shown by the increasing trends of GDP from International Monetary Fund statistics, these average-working groups, despite of their high compensations, may find their income insufficient to supply their needs and cope up with the increasing requirements of their society. Relationships between employment – working members of society – and the actual high standard society are more direct compared to other economic elements; since, these average people are the general population acting as the prime recipients of the economic change . As supported by the survey study of Gaston (2002), employment levels have progressed downward during the early 21st century; hence, economic growth has surged to cope up leading the restoration of employment level . However, the advent of employment surge brings forth increase in manpower supply enabling reduction in levels of manpower, while increasing manufacturing levels. In the end, economic growth shall continue to progress leaving the average working people coping with the increasing living standards of the Australian society   c. Implications and Potential Problems Associated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If the economic trends on Australian employment continue in relation to the high living standards of the society, average working groups may fail to cope up reducing the markets purchasing power; thereby, affecting chains of economic elements, such as inflation rates, consumer price index, etc . If these economic elements change, imbalance in the economic growth might occur unless wage increase is implemented to cope with the increasing living standards. Economic investments and purchasing power of the available market are considered at-risked if these trends continue. Since reduction on the living standards is not a considerable option, the best resolution is to keep track on all the changes in these elements and implement balanced raise and reduction depending on the economic variations and adjustments   III. Conclusion Economic trends in a high standard living society must be well monitored and tracked due to the many risks associated to the variations, element adjustments and fluctuations. As economic elements, such as GDP, GDP growth and overall economic welfare, increase, living standards in a given society are also expected to increase. If this happens, the demographics most commonly affected are the average people earning only the average income. If economic trends, such as employment rates, compensation levels, inflation rates, etc. , are not carefully monitored, this can immediately result to an imbalance in both economic growth and the capacity of employed recipients to cope up with the high living standards being imposed by the society. Consequently, long-term results, such as increase in poverty levels, etc, may occur affecting dramatically as well the living standards of the area. IV. Bibliography Anderso, K. and Pomfret, R. â€Å"Living Standards during Transition to a Market Economy: The Kyrgyz Republic in 1993 and 1996,† Journal of Comparative Economics 28, no. 3 (2000): 502-523 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008), Statistics, retrieved October 2, 2008 from: http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[emailprotected] nsf/web+pages/statistics? opendocument Brown, C. American standards of living, 1918-1988: 1918-1988. New York, London: HarperCollins. 1994 2-3 Campbell, I. and Burgess, J. â€Å"Casual Employment in Australia and Temporary Employment in Europe: Developing a Cross-National Comparison,† Work, Employment and Society 15, (2001): 171-184 Easterlin, R. A. â€Å"The Worldwide Standard of Living Since 1800,† Journal of Economic Perspectives 14, no. 1 (2000): 7-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gaston, N. â€Å"The Impact of International Trade and Protection on Australian Manufacturing Employment,† Australian Economic Papers 37, no. 2 (2002): 119 – 136 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harding, A. â€Å"The Suffering Middle: Trends in Income Inequality in Australia, 1982 to 1993–94,† Australian Economic Review 30, no. 4 (2002): 341 358 Maglen, L. â€Å"Globalisation of the World Economy and Its Impact upon Employment and Training in Australia,† Australian Bulletin of Labour 20, no. 4 (1994): 298-319 McLean, I. W. , â€Å"Australian Economic Growth in Historical Perspective,† Economic Record 250, no. 80 (2004): 330-345 Mishra, R. , Kuhnle, S. , Gilbert, N. , and Chung, K. , Modernizing the Korean Welfare State: Towards the Productive Welfare Model. S. Korea, New York: Transaction Publishers. 2001 11 Nolan, J. , Hinkelman, E. G. and Shippey, K. C. Australia Business: The Portable Encyclopedia for Doing Business with Australia. New York, Australia: World Trade Press. 1996 8 Pusey, M. and Wilson, S. The Experience of Middle Australia: The Dark Side of Economic Reform. Cambridge, U. K: Cambridge University Press. 2003 8 R. G. Gregory, â€Å"Aspects of Australian and US Living Standards: The Disappointing Decades 1970–1990,†Economic Society of Australia 69, no. 1 (2007): 61-76 Simpson, M. , Dawkins, P. and Madden, G. â€Å"Casual Employment in Australia: Incidence and Determinants,† Australian Economic Papers 36, no. 68 (2008): 194-204 Sinn, E. The Last Half Century of Chinese Overseas. Hong Kong; Hong Kong University Press. 1998 356 Travers, P. and Richardson, S. â€Å"Living Decently,† Australian Economic Review 25, no. 3 (2008): 29-42

Nursing Research Improve Patient Outcomes Trans Cultural Nursing Nursing Essay

Nursing Research Improve Patient Outcomes Trans Cultural Nursing Nursing Essay Art and science (2009) claims the five steps of EBP are: asking an important clinical question, collecting the most relevant and best evidence, critically appraising the evidence, integrating the evidence with ones clinical expertise and patient preferences to make a practice decision, and evaluating the outcomes of that decision. Some barriers to incorporating EBP to improve patient outcomes include funding sources, poor access to quality information, lack of leadership, motivation or strategy. From an education perspective found that 83% of participation from various professions in primary care had never undertaken a research course, indicating that only 17% of participants had done so. This suggests that critical appraisal skills and discernment in applying research findings are likely to be lacking in this group. (37) Education is essential for research to improve patient outcomes and to help generate more EBP. Nursing Research to Improve Patient Outcomes through Evidence Based Practice and Trans-Cultural Nursing Globalization has transformed the workplaces around the globe including the health sector and health profession like nursing. Such phenomenon significantly led to the emergence of trans-cultural nursing. Trans-cultural nursing as study and practice in nursing that focus on differences and similarities among cultures with respect to human care, health, and illness based upon the peoples beliefs, practices and cultural values wherein such knowledge and skills , are utilized by the professional nurse to provide cultural specific or culturally congruent nursing care to people. Trans-cultural nursing is applicable in nursing homes and hospitals of culturally diverse patients and colleagues. It addresses the issue intertwined with cultural diversity in the nursing field in different venues of which the professionals are guided on how to deal with the complexities associated in providing nursing care to culturally diverse elderly patients as well as their colleagues as implied by the article research Leiningers Transcultural Nursing Model by C. Cameron and L. Luna. It implies the complex ways of different ethnic groups expression of their respective cultures and societies to find expression as they merge in a healthcare venue like the nursing homes of the elderly of which I experienced working. From the diverse forms taken by culture over time and space stem the uniqueness and plurality of the identities and cultural expressions of peoples and societies that make up the healthcare patients of today. It is a fact that cultural differences naturally produce conflicts in a culturally diverse healthcare firm like the nursing home composed of culturally diverse patients especially when tolerance and mutual respect are not present or there is prevalence of racism or any forms of bigotry. Healthcare Institutions or organizations and communities that are composed of divers e members or population/patients have innate individual differences and opposing paradigms peculiar to their counter parts/each other entwined with communication and language barriers, political beliefs, different sets of values, religion, personal-moral-ethical and philosophical paradigms. Such conditions are fertile grounds of misunderstandings that eventually lead conflict if not cope up or proactively addressed by the leaders or the administrators of the healthcare firm and the culturally diverse members themselves and their patients who are also came from different ethnic groups which makes the knowledge of trans-cultural nursing very important to make ones profession efficient and productive in providing the healthcare needs of culturally diverse patients (Cameron and Luna, 1996). As this research article utilized the survey and research method in formulating this study that would help nursing profession more productive, efficient and innovative in todays workplace entwined wi th culturally diverse patients, and colleagues. This also implies that nurses today must find the ways and means to adapt to the increasingly culturally diverse patients and must know how to utilize the known tools of transcultural nursing in order for them to be effective in giving the best service for their patients that consequently make their firms competitive in the market. It is a major challenge facing the nursing profession is to educate and assist nurses to develop the skills to provide culturally relevant care (Hughes, 2007, p. 57). The knowledge and experience I gained with the said patients have shown how complex the nursing profession is especially in this age where cultural divergence is becoming a norm intertwined with the healthcare firms and system. Such present condition creates the need for nurses to be constantly updated with the latest trends in transcultural nursing and utilize tools like Gibbs model of reflection (Gibbs reflective cycle) and Giger   Davidhiz ars models as the very sources on how to innovate ones profession, skills and interaction with patients and elements in the workplace proactively, efficiently and productively as nursing professional. As these kind of tool emphasized the importance of reflection. Reflection in the nursing profession is very important in helping improving the quality of nursing care towards the culturally diverse patients. Transcultural Nursing significantly conforms to the ethical principles of utilitarianism (which emphasizes the importance of giving happiness to the greatest number of people) as it would empower professional nurses to analyze their own selves and professional performance particularly on their respective strengths and weaknesses. It enables them to mitigate their weaknesses through acquisition of more in-depth knowledge derived from the implications of trans-cultural nursing and latest trends of nursing profession, new skills through profession empowering workshops and new work ven ues that cater diverse patients and retraining if necessary. With regards to their individual strengths trans-cultural nursing will help improve their way of caring the culturally diverse patients as well as their interpersonal skills with their colleagues, superiors and other people in the workplace. The knowledge and application of Trans-cultural nursing definitely change their behavior towards their profession and towards their patients which would positively impact their cognitive, affective and psycho-motor functions in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities as a professional nurse confined in the culturally diverse workplace. Acquiring skills and knowledge through job exposure or experience are the most concrete form of learning, so professional nurses must find the ways and means to acquire it from such venues as much as possible. To end, Experience and training in intercultural nursing are very important elements in nursing profession and providing healthcare service t o the elderly with multicultural backgrounds wherein lack of it makes them incompetent. Because of the lack of skills on how to utilize it on the field which makes tools like Gibbs model of reflection and combined exposure on the highly diverse field necessary. It is important for me to understand the dynamics of nursing profession to assist the culturally diverse patients and to retain, attain, or maintain optimal system stability particularly in providing their healthcare needs whether in nursing homes or in hospitals. As inadequacy of cultural and care knowledge are the missing link to nursings understandings of the many complex variations required in patient care who have different cultural backgrounds to support compliance, healing, and wellness. Therefore, it is a must that every nurse should be equipped with the skills and knowledge of trans-cultural nursing. Cameron, C., Luna, L. (1996). Leiningers transcultural nursing model. In J. J. Fitzpatrick A. L. Whall Ed. Conceptual models of nursing: Analysis and application. Stramford, CT: Appleton Lange. Hughes, K. H. and Hood, L. J. (2007). Teaching Methods and an Outcome Tool for Measuring Cultural Sensitivity in Undergraduate Nursing Students. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, issue 18, pp. 57-62

Impact of the Recession on Innovation and Technology Growth

Impact of the Recession on Innovation and Technology Growth 1. Introduction Entrepreneurs cause Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a function of the entrepreneur E + f(e). Entrepreneurship is the interaction of skills related to inner control, planning and goal setting, risk taking,  innovation, reality perception, use of feedback, decision making, human relations and independence. Creating a new enterprise model involves considerable change in virtually everything to do with peoples working  lives starting with the future model of Entrepreneurship. A model for entrepreneurship that explains in industries  employment change by combining technology with innovation demand, it is proposed in this article. This article explores the way economic cycles influence the relationship between innovation and human relationemployment  in manufacturing industries. The article investigates whether the ups and downs of cycles alter the possibility of exploiting innovation,  technological opportunities which can affect patterns of job creation. Human resources the employment dynamics  have always followed cyclical patterns expansions of production; bring new jobs when recessions lead to job losses  (Mastrostefano and Pianta, 2009). A large macroeconomic literature, has investigated employment dynamics in their relationship to the cyclical  patterns of economic growth. Labour economics perspectives; have focused on the role of knowledge wages in  affecting employment and the economical periods of high cyclical unemployment (Pisarides, 2009, Pianta, M.  2005). Distinctions have been made between the determinants of employment in business cycles and in long-term  growth, capital-labour complementarities, and the evolution of labour supply and, more recently, the diversity of  labour skills. ( Lucchese, M and Pianta, M., 2012) . * Corresponding In order to summarize the diversity of industry patterns in innovation and employment over the cycle, it is  necessary to take in consideration the well-known Pavitt taxonomy. It provides a relevant conceptualization of the  differences in the process of technological change by classifying firms and industries on the basis of their dominant  sources of innovation, the forms of appropriation of technology and market structure. In his taxonomy, Pavitt (1984)  identifies four groups that describe the level of technological opportunities of each industry: (a) Science-Based industries include sectors based on advancements in science; (b) Specialized supplier industries create specific products for users-industries, and these typically include  machinery and equipment, with an active role for human capital; (c) Scale intensive industries include sectors characterized by large economies of scale, high capital intensity and  strong relevance of organizational improvements such as motor vehicles; (d) Supplier dominated industries include traditional sectors including food, textiles, clothing. Along the article, the author generally assumed to operate and established the relationship between labour and how  innovation can influence the employment as a final solution for economical development. 2. Methodology The sample was draw for people involved in business activity in Baia Mare city. A total of 250 respondents were  contacted. Respondents were surveyed using a forth part structured questionnaire. Part 1-measured variables using single items such as educational background, type of business activity, type of  organization. Part 2 measured the factors, which were classified into entrepreneurial core, work core, individual and social core  relevant for leadership style of the respondent person. Part 3- measures the profile of leadership, the attitude in different situation of the manager, and identify the type of  leader. Part 4- measure the perception for new development and new orientation into organization, identify some individual  suggestions. The surveyors have been questioned about their business and the opportunity to implemented change management  and introduce innovation in their organization. The internal consistency of the measure and the results indicate that  the items in measuring the organizations activity dimensions are reliable. Also the survey make a radiography upon  the economic activity of the city Baia Mare and give an answer to economical and employment problems. 3. Results Traditional industries such as supplier-dominated sectors are characterized by a long-term decline in employment  associated with the broader patterns of structural change and demand dynamics. The number of individual business  organizations reflects the engine of economy structure especially on small business in a miner region like Baia Mare  city, where ‘’old factories’’ are just a memory for 50’ generation. From the survey dates obtained, I identify that  major activity are non productive sector, as a matter of fact the production it is not developed yet in our region,  organizations are under the discovering faze of the miracle products which can be produce. The diversity of  activities structure is special in the commerce retailer and wholesaler fields and the employers number its low. This paper offers the opportunity to step outside the normal organization day-to-day experiences and mentally  travel a brain road toward people tomorrows—in a world moving toward unimagined futures. Day-to-day experiences tend to trap people in yesterday. I think it is necessary to count also the rapid technological  change, increasing competition because of globalization, and tremendous innovation. At the same time knowledge is  constantly making itself obsolete. Its not possible to invest time in something thats not on your radar. Some kind of  valuable radar enhancement is needed: Results, Approach, Deployment, and Assessment, Review. Unfortunately there are no answers just alternatives and a constantly receding horizon. Entrepreneurs should  establish and maintain an environment within the business to encourage efficiency among employees. Based on thesurvey, I concluded that not in every organization management the manager leader, understand the managerial  competency in the some connotation. Archibugi (2001), Bogliacino and Pianta (2010) identify Pavitt’s groups that describe the level of technological  opportunities in industry and the influence of innovation and new technology for future development and  harmonization with market customers needs. Taking in consideration the survey results a classification can be easy  done, the economical activities can be structure in the category of supplier dominated industries here we include  traditional sectors food, textiles, clothing, hand makes products, training and other activities. Evangelista and Savona (2003) present the same importance of the relation between innovation and skills in  services and the direct relation between the necessity of structural change and economic dynamics. Desire for greater life flexibility, seeking challenges, fulfilling a long-felt desire or escaping from organizational  glass ceiling is also among the motivation factors especially for women to start-up their own business (Figure 1). The diversity in the patterns of employment in the manufacturing sector is documented in this paper also where the  dynamics of employment depends of economic cycle. The ups and downs of aggregate demand have been shown to  affect changes in production and demand for labour. It is not surprising from the survey dates that the number of  women entrepreneur gas increased and growing because of their interests in privatisation, self-employment and  business oriented employment. All this facilitated by the growth in various sectors such as general commerce,  personal and public services, training and consultancy and other reflect the cycle from market in a continuing  fluctuation for an unfavourable miner area. The productive sector doesn’t exist anymore because of technological adaptation and missing innovation, which is  the future provocation for our market. The organization must deal with the practical impact of unpleasant change,  but more importantly, must labour under the weight of employees who have given up, have no faith in the system or  in the ability of leaders to turn the organization around. Leadership before, during and after change implementation is the golden key to getting through the swamp. Out of  250 respondents, majority of them are aged educated that’s the motive of involvement in his own business (26%  baccalaureate and 57% academic studies) as a solution of adaptation on actual market. Management refers to the  ways of the personnel in charge of directing the organization, which in this instance is an entrepreneur. In the  context of demand shortage, an increase of the quality and variety of goods cannot be associated with value added  growth, while productivity growth and a higher competitiveness can be obtained through lower employment. Figure  2 plots the change of the manager mentality groups as the first evidence of the diversity in the relationship between  innovation and employment during the economic cycle and their organization new orientation on market. Blackburn and Pelloni (2004) combines the lessons from the macroeconomic analysis of business cycles with an  attention to the nature of technology and the patterns of structural change in manufacturing industry. A model that explains industries employment change by combining technology and demand is proposed also in this  article. High technology sectors, especially science-based industries, are affected by the ups and downs of the  economy, although they traditionally devote more resources to innovation and new products. As time goes from industrial revolution to the information revolution confirm by Freeman and Louca (2001)  innovation perspectives is the best solution for increasing the employment and reoriented the entire management  economy. The part 4 of survey measures the perception for new development and new orientation into organization and  identifies some individual manager suggestions. The target of survey was to capture the human resources attitude in  front of new orientation for organization perspective. The new generation encourages the implementation of new  trends from the market and push the manager and staff organization to be open for new changes. They suggested some ways to be followed in future: organized training and inform the staff 76%, implement a total  controlling knowledge process to avoid the appearance of different mistakes 45%, a new orientation for  organization, management change and a mentality change in a good direction 41.5%. An open innovation seems to be the best solution for the youngest organizations. Management realizes that the only  education organization aware of the need for change and provide a means by which change and development can be  achieved. This situation show that the enterprise performance depends on the level of personnel incentive and are some  imbalances in the operating activity of the company, because the share of staff costs in value added is higher than it  should be. We can complete the f (e), with the others factors which are variable and dynamic along the economical cycle,  technological and cost competitiveness strategies have a contrasting effect on employment, employment growth  emerges in product innovation oriented sectors, while new processes generally result employment losses. The missing factors present in fact the real situation not only from our region but it is necessary to take in count the  global situation. Boglacino and Pianta (2009) present also this particularly view relevant in the context of the economical crises that  has hit most of organizations in the shadow of the financial crisis of 2008 and of the European debt crisis of 2011. Does innovation stimulate employment? To that question answer Harrison Jaumendreu, Mairesse and Petres  (2008), Greeman and Guellec (2000), that technological innovation and employment reallocation is a solution. Barbuta Misu (2012) reflect about the inverse relation between staff costs rate and probability of bankruptcy, we can  argue that is an unusual situation that the share of staff costs in added value to be high to the enterprises with no risk  of bankruptcy, especially because the high value of personnel expenses diminishing the profit. During industry growth, as well as productivity increases appeared to be supported by both new products and new  processes as both technological and cost competitiveness may lead to output or efficiency improvements. 3. Conclusion This article has shown that recessions disrupt the mechanisms of innovation-based growth and push firms toward a  technological trajectory based on labour-saving new processes that increase efficiency but destroy jobs. Results show that, new products, exports and wage growth affect employment change, while new processes  contribute to restructuring and job losses. Along with jobs, competences, skills and production capacity are lost  during recessions, with the risk of setting the engine of growth on a lower path of development. Employment has  always been affected by business cycles and the economic literature has long explored the macroeconomic and  demand determinants of this relationship. The originality of article perspective is that in investigations by innovation and economical management cycle, the  conclusion shows that employment outcomes are affected by the nature of technological change. Since 48% entrepreneurs are focus on retailer activity and services, and only 24% it is involved in productivity  activity, a new orientation it is necessary to encourage the economical growth of the city. This article investigates whether the ups and downs of cycles alter the possibility of exploiting technological  opportunities and affecting patterns of job creation. Technological competitiveness is expected to have a positive  effect employment but it could play a minor role in a downswing because of the lack of demand. The impact of a  technological innovation will generally depend not only on its inventors, but also on the creativity of the eventual  users of the new technology. A clear difference emerges between new products that support job creation in times of  growth, and new processes that are instrumental in job destruction in times of recession. These differences in the nature of innovation are visible in the diversity of industries, characterized either by a  dominance of product-oriented efforts at technological competitiveness. The article conclusion is to argue and sustain the relationship between specific innovative strategies and their  employment when new products may open up new markets and offer new jobs, when new processes may come to  dominate technological change, leading to restructuring and job losses. The Matrix factors for entrepreneurship leadership profile examines the personal background, stage of career, early  life experiences and growth environment, indirect benefits, opportunities in the carrier prospect and the impact of  market conditions. Specifically, the 4R are: research, relationship, reputation and recognition, each R category is  discussed in light of the contemporary economical situation on Romanian market. The benefits of the 4R are explored and present the real situation on economical and management production like a  problem or a false fake? From research work perspective various attempts were undertaken to identify factors that  support the growth of economy and comprehensive list of factors are identified and put in evidence the object of this  study.

Fusion: Harnessing the Power of the Sun Essay -- physics fusion

History It has been a well-accepted fact that the sun is a source of great power since the early part of this century. In 1929, scientists first theorized that the energy production in stars was created by fusion: nuclear reactions involving light elements reacting to form heavier elements. By the late thirties, H. Bethe had analyzed most of our sun's nuclear fusion cycle. Fusion in our sun is caused when deuterium and tritium, both Hydrogen isotopes, react (in the presence of large amounts of heat) to form Helium, energy, and an extra neutron. Man-made fusion reactions were thought to be impossible until the first uncontrolled fusion reactions were witnessed when nuclear bombs known as "George" and "Mike" were detonated in 1951 and 1952, respectively. Efforts to control fusion energy began in the 1950s. By 1955 scientists had witnessed the enormity of the task. A successful fusion reaction would not only require temperatures in excess of 50x106 K, but would also need to be isolated for a long enough time so the reaction could produce more energy than required to begin the reaction. The most promising fuels for fusion reactions are deuterium, and tritium. Deuterium and tritium both are hydrogen isotopes. Deuterium is a stable isotope and is naturally found in water, while tritium is very unstable, radioactive, and must be man-made. Several methods for containment exist. They include the Tokamak generator, inertial containment, and mirror confinement. The Tokamak Problems with early power plants led to the development of the Tokamak. An old design, known as the linear pinch method, suffered from large energy losses at the ends of the plant and macroscopic plasma instabilities. To overcome these problems, a new design ... ...llion degrees, the fuel ignites and fusion occurs. The reaction then spreads through the compressed capsule, producing energy several times greater than what was deposited by the beams. The majority of research so far involving this type of fusion has dealt with laser beams. These powerful flashes of light, with varied wavelengths and duration, are focused on the capsule to initiate fusion. However, our modern lasers are very inefficient. To be used in a commercial fusion plant, laser technology would first have to greatly improve. Another option in Inertial Confinement is ion beams instead of lasers. The ion beams are much more efficient, but are still very experimental. The biggest problem is the beam's short span. An intense enough beam to cause the reaction only lasts about 10 nanoseconds. To compensate, scientists must compress the beam and make it stronger.

Disney :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Final Copy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a girl was going to search for her Prince Charming, the first place she should look is in the world of animation. Animation has probably been around since the beginning of time. Although, the artwork that originally resembled animation was only one or two cels, animation today is made up of hundreds or thousands of cels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The early animated movies were black and white, did not have a plot, and were mostly a series of little gags. Then came ... COLOR. To make an animated movie popular, color was needed to give it style. Walt Disney and his technicians created color to make the movies more enjoyable for the viewers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What was the first Disney Movie to come out? It was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. To make this movie Disney ran into a slight problem. Sure, it was easy to animate animals, but humans? To solve the problem, they filmed live actors doing exactly what the characters would do. This would work, but there was still a problem with the size of objects and losing things in the foreground when the camera zoomed. The solution ... a multiplane camera. In this camera, instead of many layers of artwork, there would be two, the foreground and the background. This made zooming in and out easier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1940's there were four classical Disney feature animated movies to come out: Pinocchio, Dumbo, Fantasia, and, Bambi. Little did Walt Disney know that the five movies that he made would be the base for many more Disney movies. In the movie Pinocchio for example, a toy maker creates a puppet and when he makes a wish upon a star.....the puppet turns into a real boy. Dumbo was the next movie to come about from Disney. Dumbo is a movie that teaches, you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Now Fantasia on the other hand is a totally different kind of movie. It's a cartoon musical. Bambi was the next movie to come out. To some it might be called a tragedy. But to others it might be called a happy and joyful movie. It teaches you to fend for yourself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After World War II Disney came out with a few more feature animated movies such as: Cinderalla, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty. One thing that Snow White, Cinderalla, and Sleeping Beauty all have in common is that they are all stories about princesses who live happily ever after with their prince.

Cry of the Kalahari

Cry of the Kalahari Mark and Delia Owens were two students that studied biology at the University of Georgia. They both shared a dream of saving part of Africa's wilderness that is endangered or going extinct. They researched and made conversation projects based on the endangered wildlife in Africa for twenty-three years. They got married then shortly after they sold everything they owned and used the money to buy tickets and supplies and headed to Africa. They lived in tents for seven years in â€Å"Deception Valley,† in the Kahalari Desert of Bostwana studying black-manned lions and hyenas.In their book â€Å"Cry of the Kahalari,† published in 1984, the Owen's said they had bad living conditions. A quote from them says: â€Å"We rationed ourselves to seven gallons of water per week, for bathing, cooking, and drinking. The water from the drums tasted like hot metallic tea, and to cool it for drinking, we filled tin dinner plates and set them in the shade of the acacia . But if we didn't watch it to closely, the water would quickly evaporate or collect bees, twigs, or soil. After washing the dishes, we took sponge baths in the dishwater, and then strained the coffee-colored liquid through a cloth into the trucks radiator. They built a research station and over several years they gained the trust of the different lions and brown hyenas. Mark Owens later went to South Africa to learn how to pilot small airplanes. The Frankfurt Zoological Society became the Owen's main sponsor granted him with the money to get a single-engine plane called a Cessna. He used the plane to take surveys of the wildlife. Him and his wife did very close observations of the social life and behaviors of the brown hyenas. People were attracted to their work, which funded for their observations.In 1997, they returned the United States to work in the North-West of the United States and to record their data from their years in Africa. Mark and Delia Owens stayed in a country name d Bostwana. Bostwana is located in the lower-center portion of Africa (22 00 S, 24 00 E) . The capital is Gaborone and Bostwana is about 600,370 square kilometers. The national language in Bostwana is Setswana but the official language is English. The currency is the Pula (P) which is made of one hundred Thebe. Bostwana is in the Central Africa Time.The climate there in the summer is from November to the end of March and usually very high temperatures, also very rainy and cloudy. In 1974, many parts of the country flooded. It was the heaviest ever recorded in Bostwana. The winter season begins in May and ends in August. This is the dry season when there is none to very little rainfall. It is very sunny, however, evening and night temperatures can drop below freezing point. In between April and May, and September and October it is still dry and the days are cooler and nights are warmer. The African lions are the largest of Africa's cats and are active at night.The Lion has excellent binocular vision and is able to see very well in low light. The lions can usually be found lying under shade trees. Lions are very social animals and they team up to hunt their prey. They form in groups called prides. The pride is two groups, one of four to twelve females and cubs, and one of one to six males who mate with the females. The prides are few in places like the Kalahari because of the small abundance of prey, but are larger where there is more prey. Lions are capable of catching a wide variety of prey. They will attempt to catch any animal.They have been known to kill anything from small rodents to elephants but they do usually kill large to medium size ungulates. They may split up into smaller groups to roam free for a few days to weeks. The female lions are much faster than the males because the females hunt more than the males. After the females kill an animal for food the males get their share first because they defend the pride and their territory. A female lion has a pregnancy period of around one hundred and ten days and shortly before she is due to give birth she will leave the pride and find a safe place where she can give birth and raise the young cubs.Lions usually give birth to between one and six cubs, but usually they give birth to only two or three. The female remains away from the pride to protect the cubs from danger until they are four to eight weeks old and until the larger cubs in the pride have been weaned so they are eating meat and won't be in competition against her baby cubs. The Brown Hyenas are a main predator in the Kalahari. They are nocturnal hunters, and will stay active for about eighty percent of the night. They are often killed by lions and spotted hyenas. The Brown Hyenas are less aggressive than the spotted ones.Brown Hyenas has very strong and powerful front legs and smaller back legs. Brown Hyenas have very good senses, they are able to smell a carcass from long distances, and are able to run at high speeds for long distances to get to the carcass before other predators. As well as eating off carcasses, they will also eat fruit, insects, eggs, and will prey on small animals such as rodents, lizards and poultry They mark out territories as large as four hundred and eighty square kilometers. They are also a lot more rare than spotted hyenas.Unlike the Spotted Hyenas, Brown Hyenas will usually not try to take other predators kill. Brown Hyenas usually hunt for food by themselves and cover large distances. Brown Hyenas are sexually mature by three years. Brown Hyenas have pregnancy periods of about ninety-seven days. They give birth to between 1 and 4 babies and it is normally the dominant female that breeds, other females can give birth and use the same den. The young are kept in a den with a narrow entrance to try and prevent predators killing the cubs while the adults are away searching for food.All of the pack help out of the diet of the cubs by carrying food back to the den for them. The members of the pack spend a lot of time at the den playing with the cubs, which helps them learn social behavior. Ungulates are animals that have four legs and that use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to hold their whole body weight while moving. There are two types of ungulate animals, odd-toed ungulate and even-numbered ungulate. The odd-toed ungulate is an animal with hooves that have an odd number of toes. Some examples of a odd-toed ungulate include: zebra, wild donkeys, rhinoceros.A even-numbered ungulate is an animal with hooves that have an even number of toes, which include: aadvarks, hippopotamus, pigs, warthogs, giraffe, nyala, kudu, eland, antelopes, sheep, and goats. These animals feed on different types of plants and grasses for food. A predator is an animal that kills and eats another animal. The animal which is eaten is called the prey. Predator and prey evolve together because most of them live in the same habitat. The prey is part of the predator's environ ment, and the predator dies if it does not get food, so it adapts to whatever is necessary in order to hunt down and kill the prey.The predator needs speed, stealth, camouflage, a good sense of smell, sight, and hearing. Predators may hunt actively for prey, or sit and wait for prey to approach within striking distance. The two main predators in the Kalahari would be the lions and the brown Hyenas. The introduction of fences and drilling of bore-holes to make ground-water available, has made possible farming in the Kalahari, but this also holds the key to destruction. Extensive fencing began in Botswana in the fifties. Beef had became an important industry and the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease arose.European countries refused to accept meat products from Botswana because of fear of contamination. Today, Botswana has more than eight hundred miles of cordon fences through the wilderness and construction of another seven hundred is under way. The fences were made to seperate the country's population of livestock so it could be closed if a bad outbreak occurred. The fences have became a debate because veterinarians do not think it's very effective. Veterinarians have said through different experiments foot-and-mouth disease had not been spread to domesticated livestock. Also, they said no one really knows how it is spread.

Airstar Case Study

Abstract: Airstar’s organizational design is outdated. Former president and actual president have been managing the company under the assumptions of a predicable environment. Airstar is having problems with communication and job-description along the company. Tasks have been assigned superficially and job responsibilities are not descriptive enough. The cross-functional communications among managers is not working effectively and employees have been working up their own job description. Because of that, goal accomplishment is fast becoming obsolete and decisions are being made on the basis of practicality. Also, the company is facing external threats from major competitor such as General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. The stagnation from top managers is causing chaos internally, because business environment is constantly changing and most managers have been in the company for more than twenty years. So, for maximum efficiency, Airstar needs to guide their employee with standards and written guidelines in order to succeed and move forward. Introduction: Airstar Inc. manufactures, repairs, and overhauls pistons and jet engines for smaller, often previously owned aircraft† (Daft, 2008, p. 84). It has a solid history and its strength comes from the fact that it is well known in the market and employee loyalty. However, the rapidly changing industry parallel with the change in the presidency is causing problematic factors for Airstar. A company that has been in the market for twenty years producing customer and employee loyalty now has threat with new arriving business competition and the ever-changing business environment. Unfortunately, Roy Morgan, the president, assumes that he could continue to run the company as it had been twenty years ago. In the past, decisions had been made on the basis of practicality. However, the current environment is in need of changes in duties and management practices. The lack of ample communication concerning duties and how to restructure them for better efficiency is causing internal chaos. So, communication appears to be the Aquiles problem of Airstar. Problems The first significant issue for Airstar is the threat of the changing environment. As Walmart founder Sam Walton said once that advantage competition is not just continue to develop but to stay ahead of competition and the learning curve of its environment (Walmart, Inc. , 2010). To continue to exist, the organization needs to not merely adjust to, but also to influence the changing environment, and in consequence, creating a company worth for its stakeholders. According to the case study, there is a major lack of leadership and coordination. The second significant issue for Airstar is that the current system is neither cooperative, nor strategic intent. Strategic intent means that â€Å"all the organization’s energies and resources are directed toward a focused, unifying, and compelling overall goal† (Daft, 2008, p. 60). It shows that the values established by the founder were never reviewed for the purpose of internal and external changes. The company vision and mission statement are worthless if there are not communicated throughout the various hierarchies of the company. Also, Airstar current system has shown overlap responsibilities between employees. Specific tasks should be assigned to employees that are better suited for these tasks. Another significant issue for Airstar is the instability of its external environment. This problem could provoke stressed employees and in consequence, a less effective performance (Rolfe, 2005). Managers should not only communicate effectively, but also listen to employees and be responsive of the way they experience different factors within the company. Such consideration will bring better management strategies not only in assigning the most appropriate duties, but also in managing the stress factor related to required structural adjusts. The last significant issue is the threat created by new competitors. Competitors, who are new to the market, will make every effort to follow solid business principles to attract value customers and gain market share. Airstar is no longer the sole service provider of its industry, and finds itself in an environment that is quickly changing. Here is where the mature organization comes to play. Airstar has been known for its safety, superior quality, and customer service. These are strengths that can be hard to conquest and could possibly allocate Airstar ahead of its competitors. Interventions Jim Robinson, vice president of manufacturing, pointed it out six principles that appear to focus on internal changes and could provide Airstar with a better position to handle external environmental changes and a stronger internal structure. First, formalization is lacking because of the long lifetime of the company without written rules and regulations. It is recommended that Airstar begins its internal renovation process by creating a list of recommended rules, regulations, and policies. Second, these initiatives are communicated in writing, so it can provide managers and employees with the opening to comment. Then, after being implemented in writings takes place, meetings could be held to discuss comments. Third, it is recommended that Airstar creates a mission statement, a number of goals for future that relate to it, and strategies to arrive at these goals. Then, after implementing the goals and tasks to achieve internal productivity, Mr. Morgan should assign appropriate personnel members to avoid the overlapping that has been occurred in the past. Furthermore, the external environment requires to be monitored on a frequent basis so that indispensable responses can be implemented in a timely manner. The monitoring procedure can also be allocated to specific personnel members, who should communicate with top managers via meetings. Fifth, the hierarchy of authority should be established and updated according to the variety of tasks and strategies within the company. As Robinson refers, Airstar’s internal structure should be kept to a minimum. It is a sound standard keeping the internal structure of the company as simple as possible in order to center on goals rather than on endeavoring to manage extensive personnel members and their many duties. Conclusion Airstar has proven to retain a quite considerable, although somewhat lesser, customer base. I believe the company has the potential to recover itself with internal structural changes, as recommended above. Mr. Morgan attitude is very optimistic towards implementing adjustments for the benefit of his company. His willingness to hire a consultant and put into operation suggestions shows that he is serious about fetching his company up to date with the external environment. However, it is important that Mr. Morgan and his entire management team do not make these decisions on an isolated foundation, but that employees should be incorporated in implementing some of the changes. References Daft, R. (2008), Organizational Theory and Design, 10th ed. Mason Ohio, South-Western Cengage Learning. Rolfe, Foreman and Tylee, 2005, Welfare or Farewell? Mental Health and Stress in the Work Place†, Issue 268. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete Walmart, Inc. (2010). Walmart Corporate. Retrieved November 16, 2011, from Walmart Annual Report: http://walmartstores. com/sites/annualreport/2010/

Psy-Trance in the Realm of Disco Essay

Admittedly so, being myself no less a stranger than a fan of the latent psychedelic rave culture of the last decade, with its steady pounding trance-inducing techno-grove, I was altogether rather curious to discover just what kind of a picture that Richard Dryer had to present in his famous essay (Dryer, 1979). For years, before they lost most of their covert appeal, stealing away to a Rave was somewhat popular for my generation; at least in the places where I grew up. So there was just something exciting to me, anticipating what he was about to relate of this earlier pop culture often rumored to share the same DNA of the psy-trance music of today’s Technocratic Age. It seems as if disco, understandably at its time a more readily accessible form of escapism had also quickly spread to far off distant lands overseas. It was probably the anticipation of some new and exotic twist that I was about to discover of the past that suddenly had my head inadvertently bobbing back and forth to some memorable however invisible beat. It seems to happen almost instinctually that way. Somehow, even before I turned the first page, my mind wandered to that pounding ecstasy-driven scene at the very beginning of the movie Blade, 1 where the music intense as it is drives the scene so powerfully that you just cannot stand still. There is just slightest sense of horror though, because everybody including the audience knows the inevitable; except that careless fool who has allowed lust to direct him into a den of vampires. The strobe lights pierce the atmosphere bouncing off the ceiling and all over the walls; forcing a familiar rush of anxiety. Soon, he is set to become their latest entree. It’s that environment of undisputable cool, the fashion, and the excitement that I love, but you can keep the blood. Dyer employs the analysis of a socialist and goes to great lengths to dissuade any notions that disco is just some crude form of capitalist production. He then launches into his narrative charging disco with three distinct characteristics: egotism – romanticism – and materialism. Although he somewhat claims that his argument is not as simple as capitalism is evil, in time you get the sense that Dyer really believes that all music is created with some measure of subversive super-sexual intent in mind. Disco he calls â€Å"naked eroticism† (Ibid). However, he sees it in a better light than the simple patriarchal rhythms of rock and roll, — â€Å"rock’s eroticism is thrusting, grinding – it is not whole body, but phallic†¦ even when preformed by women – rock remains indelibly phallocentric music† (Ibid). The movement and the culture which would grow up around this musical genre are shown in light of a powerful force that would ultimately come to influence the future of gay politics in the United States. Suddenly, I had found that unexpected nuance from out of disco’s past that I was searching for. In the end, he states his case. Disco he believes has an ability to celebrate the intensity of romantic adoration and the lament of being let down at the same time. It is the tension between the two that he seems to be reaching for. All that I know, is that when I used to hit those clubs late at night, I just wanted to dance. If Dyer seems to take a hatchet to this subject, in Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied): Repetitive Musics and Recombinant Desires, Susan McClary employs a scalpel. However, her unique intellectual dexterity makes her tool that much more devastating. She neatly deconstructs old arguments that she seems to believe were built upon over-wrought modalities of Western tradition; that have today simply gone astray. Disco is placed along the side of other â€Å"repetition-driven [pursuits] of ecstasy(p7)† along with the avant-garde minimalist schools of thought coming out of the 1960’s. 2 McClary dives into a narrative that focuses upon stripping away illusions. She gives us a nice panoramic view of the minimalist history and the creative motives that evolved into the psy-trance music that became known as disco. At the heart of her prolonged study is a reliance upon what she calls an â€Å"analytical argument (p7) †¦ built around an in-dept comparison of form and process in Steve Reich’s Music for Eighteen Musicians (1999) and Donna Summers [and Moroder’s] Love to Love You Baby (1975). She naturally rejects the argument that disco is solely a minimalist form which is inherently non-teleological (without design or purpose). This may appear to be a neat stretch for those in the know. But, I was just happy to be along for the ride. As with Dyer, McClary argues against â€Å"traditional hierarchies of musical value† (p9). To her, Reich is the minimalist reaching for the edges of a musical trance-like state, and Summer is the erotic practitioner who belts out a classic vamp that surprisingly simulates an amazing 22 orgasms (p11). At last, she reaches just that much closer to what I have come to believe that the great body of psy-trance music is really all about; even thought she quickly abandons it. However, it is here that she poses her most salient point: â€Å"Teleological music’s ‘climax mechanism’ is akin to the [Western male] orgasm; teleology is thus the drive to orgasm; banishing teleology must mean banishing orgasm. Minimal music is anti-teleological, and is thus akin to trantric [‘Oriental’] sex, where the ability to put the [male] body into orgasm-defying stasis even as it engages in what for most humans is the most goal-directed activity imaginable is the sign of profound yogic accomplishment†(p12) Both of these authors seem to be seeking the same thing; just going about it in their own separate way. Yet, they both seem to miss the point as far as I am concerned because the aim of this psy-trance music is the same wherever it may be found. It is the search for that endless climatic moment that leads to a higher spiritual purpose. This same search for heavenly escapism can be found in many of the native Indian dance rituals that can be found right here in America. Even thought this spiritual quest has so often been obscured by the popular use of hallucinogenic drugs, still the psychedelic-techno music, the dark covert meeting places, and the strict social boundaries often found together in the mix wherever this type of pure eroticism abounds; all of it has a purpose. Even when the ‘raves’ were popular just a few years ago, still it seemed that even this generation could find some higher meaning in the heat of the dance. The pounding repetitious beat that always seemed to somehow naturally marshal the entire crowd into a circle; why does this always seem to happen? It is all a part of that necessary escapism just like that which draws thousands of young Israeli men to travel each winter far away from their homes and to a place called Goa in southern India. They are called Goa freaks (Saldanha, 2006), because they live a solitary existence almost like zombies forever strung out on ecstasy. However, it is the abandonment to the music that draws them there in order to find a solitary refuge, while being seduced into a trance-state that perhaps will help them to forget the anguish of their shattered lives.