European Union Essays (612 words) - G20 Nations,

European Union Turkey and the European union Let us begin this by looking at what the EU wants from Turkey. The criteria for EU membership adopted by the Copenhagen European Council in June 1993 require that a candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for and protection of minorities; has a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union; and has the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union. Thus we can look at what Turkey is facing now. The main problem that faces Turkey is that it is still not a functioning and stable democracy that has the rule of law, that is respecting human rights and protecting minorities. The sporadic disappearances of people in the custody of the authorities and also the suppression of the right of free press and expression in connection with the Kurdish problem has been a stalemate. Also the EU's concerns about the role of the army in political life have to be addressed. Furthermore, under the democracy and human rights agenda Turkeys not so disturbing actions towards its own Kurdish citizens and their rights in a modern democracy is another tripping stone for it, So a solid problem in connection with government and rule persists. A growing Islamist movement and the continuing gain in popularity of the pro-Islamic political parties is another problem that Turkey faces at home, the European Union not taking too kindly to such orientation inside Turkey. Radicalism of this sort is definitely a minus point in their bid for membership. Here too we see the connection with government and law. This growth of support for such movements may be attributed to the blatant European rejection of Turkey at the Luxembourg summit. People have grown weary of continuous rejection and probably the growth in popularity for the alternative parties an be attributed to such matters. Finally the Turkish economic burden on the EU's budget represents the greatest obstacle for its membership in the union. Once a member Turkey would qualify for assistance from the EU funding bodies and could bankrupt the EU funds for such areas as economic improvement and structural growth. The admission of Turkey would release a flood of economic refugees into the other member states. This is not something that Europe would look forward too. Turkey still has to cope with, such as high inflation rates and rising public debts, which have remained comparatively static. High unemployment within Turkey have meant that the government has been reluctant to continue its privatization policies until the employment situation improves. Therefore, as a result of Turkey's weak economic infrastructure, it will become a loss rather than gain to the EU were it to become a member. In conclusion I think Turkey will not be admitted to the EU in the near future but a definite possibility in the long run. On the political side its democracy still fails to meet Western standards in terms of individual civil and political rights, it is clearly more developed than most of the other current candidate countries' political system. Also key to the improvement of candidacy status have been the abatement of repression on the Kurds. A further positive sign has been the, for a revision of the constitution, and such legislative action as well. It only remains to wait and see. Bibliography Sources 1.Readings from course packet 2. Moustakis, Fotis, Contemporary Review v. 273 no1592 (Sept. 1998) DePaul lib databases. 3. European Union Country Report (EIU), 1999 4th Quarter, p16, 4p, DePaul lib data bases Political Science

Review of the Movie essays

Review of the Movie essays John Borman directed the movie "Excaliber" in 1981. This is a movie that the entire family could probably enjoy, were it not for the "R" rating. The ranking is deserved because of the sexual situations, nudity and violence it contains. This is not another "Harry Potter." The movie is visually awe-inspiring with excellent special effects and won an Oscar for them. It depicts the legend of King Arthur and his famous mystical sword, Excaliber. The cast maintains your interest from beginning to end, providing very believable examples of the chivalric Arthurian legend, while providing plenty of wit. Nigel Terry is very good in the role of Arthur. Fortune thrusts him into the position of becoming a king and he is slow in trusting those around him. His convincing portrayal of a naive youth in the beginning of the movie, causes you to ache for him, especially when his life begins to unravel. The love of Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi) betrays Arthur for Lancelot (Nicholas Clay) and these three actors are very believable in their parts of the love-tossed trio. Merlin (Nicol Williamson) is another outstanding actor you don't want to miss, and your eyes are glued to his every move. This is an outstanding movie, just remember, it is strictly for adults. ...

Research paper over positives and negatives of war bonds during world

Over positives and negatives of war bonds during world war 2 - Research Paper Example However as with regular bonds the purchaser always has the option of redeeming the bond for its face value at a later date. Typically war bonds tend to have a yield which is below market value and are usually sold in different denominations to suit different purchasing power of prospective buyers. All things considered these government issued bonds are considered as steady and reliable investments (Altius directory). War bonds were issued by many countries, including United States and Germany during World War I and II. The role of War Bonds During the Second World War, a number of companies encouraged citizens to buy war bonds. In addition to funding the government, war bonds also reduced the amount of currency on the  open market, with the hope of keeping inflation rates down. Many Americans think of the Series E Bond when they hear the term â€Å"war bonds.† This bond was initially marketed as a â€Å"defense bond† in 1935, and with the outbreak of war, the Treasury switched to calling it a â€Å"war bond.† Series E Bonds were available from the Treasury until 1980. The funds from the sale of war bonds are used to finance the military. American Patriot Bonds may seem like war bonds, but the sale proceeds actually go into a general fund, rather than supporting the military specifically. For people who dislike the idea of supporting military action but want the safety and stability of government securities, other Treasury securities are available for sale, including treasury bills, notes, and general bonds. War bonds during World War 2 United States Initial offerings The last time it was seen that the United States issued war bonds was during the World War 2. This was in the event when full employment clashed with rationing, and the only way money could have been removed from circulation in order to reduce inflation was through the introduction of war bonds. These bonds were issued by the U.S Government, and they were initially called Def ense Bonds. However post the attack on Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941; they were renamed to War Bonds. War bonds were primarily debt securities issued for the purpose of financing military operations in the war period, these bonds yielded a 2.9 percent return after a 10 year maturity. If you analyze the median income of a resident of the United States during the World War 2 phase, annual earnings equaled to a total of $2000. It was during this period that regardless of the hardships the American citizens were facing 134 million Americans were asked to purchase war bonds to aid in financing the war. Another option was to purchase stamps, costing 10 cents each, these could be saved towards the future acquisition of a bond. The first series labeled as the ‘E’ U.S. Savings bond was purchased by President Franklin. D. Roosevelt and it was sold to him by Henry Morgenthau, the Treasury Secretary. These bonds served as a loan to the government so that the war could be financ ed. The E Series bonds were sold at 75% of their face value in denominations of $ 25 up to $ 10,000, with some limitations. Promoting the War Bonds The voluntary promotion of the War Bonds was the key responsibly of the War Advertising Council whereas the sales were supervised by the War Finance Committee. Together the work of these two agencies resulted in the

Management Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Management Issue - Essay Example In this study we would be including issues related to organizational culture, communication, motivational factors for the employees, performance appraisal policies of the company, the diversity and change management aspects of Vodafone, preference of leadership styles or traits in the company, team-works, group goals of the divisions, decision-making process, conflict management and negotiation techniques utilized by the management of the company, company politics, and survival kit of Vodafone in times of crisis. Vodafone employs around 83,900 people around the world, in which about 16.5 percent senior positions are occupied by women. Vodafone carries out internal survey to acquire feedback from its stakeholders regarding the organizational process and functions of the company. In a survey conducted in 2010, the company found that 90 percent of the employees were proud to be a part of Vodafone, motivated by the company at every step and loyal towards their responsibilities and the company. The company received 75 out of 100 in employee engagement, which is a really high score. Communication is the core service or product that the company offers, so their global intranet system is actively utilized by the employees to access and transmit information within the organization. The Chief Executives of the company is directly communicated all the information through online team meetings, video conferencing, and emails. The information and change decisions are discussed with the employees through t eam meetings. The culture of the company is based on The Vodafone Way. There is a separate leadership team of 230 people would have been the cornerstone for the project The Vodafone Way. They conducted workshops and presented how the culture of the organization under this new program would be. Changes in structure, accountabilities and governance of the company were made to maintain its position in the stiff competitive telecom

Case Analysis on Product Design or Process Design Term Paper

Case Analysis on Product Design or Process Design - Term Paper Example In order to understand better product design, this essay, will be looking at the case analysis of product design at the shipper manufacturing company. Company Overview The Shipper Manufacturing Company started in the aerospace business in the 1960s. In the early years, the company developed and produced the Echo weather satellites, which were launched into space. More recently, the Shipper manufacturing company had diversified into three divisions a) the materials division b) electrical products c) advanced products division, located in Faribault, Minnesota. Over the years the advanced products division has not been consistent with sales and profits as a result of this the divisions corporate strategy was changed. The Advanced product division manufactured the company’s specialty products for custom orders such as helicopter blade liners and mine stoppers. To produce these, the APD relies on the Materials Division production of laminate plastic materials. The Electrical Produc ts Division is responsible for producing the circuit boards and other electrical products. The company focuses on providing low volume specialty products to individual short run customers assuring the quality of their products. Strengths According to scholars (Ayres, 1984), in an industrial nation’s economic future may lie in the so called flexible systems of production, technically advanced and skill intensive industries which make customized products. In order to exhibit its strengths the company has to consider criteria’s such as its competitive strengths and its innovative aspects. The Shipper manufacturing company being based in the United States has an advantage to be in the centre of technology with a higher access to information technology systems that could ease its product design without compromising the customer’s demands. It should also respond to individual customer design demands and adapt new products to the unique requests of the customers; this has been something the shipper manufacturing company has done without equal whilst maintaining high quality standards. Weaknesses The manual system used at the Shipper manufacturing company incorporate the human component. Frequently, this human component may lead to a muddle or inefficiency mostly caused by delays in production due to negligence or an operative’s error. In addition a manual system of record keeping is used, these records are not transparent and no backups are available in case of an emergency. Opportunities The Shipper manufacturing company will restrict its market development resources to certain market divisions of growth and to shrewd industries where there is a realistic opportunity and presumption of inhabiting a presiding or strong competitive position Threat In measuring threats, the change in business strategy will require a corresponding change in manufacturing strategy. The business unit is growth oriented with substantial resources directed to new product or new market strategies, making it a medium-to high-risk operation. Recommendation Voice of the customer exercise - The Shipper manufacturing company should hold this exercise to brainstorm and communicate external and internal demands and expectations by customers. In addition the company should ensure that its customers are satisfied. This can be achieved by quality function deployment, define by Akao (1990) as the specific method for ensuring quality thought out at each juncture of product development process. The author claims that the use of quality function

Korsgaards Position About Lying To The Murderer

Korsgaards Position About Lying To The Murderer In this paper I will discuss Christine M. Korsgaards position about lying to the murderer at the door in response to Immanuel Kants view regarding the matter. I will then give two objections to her view and explain why I dont find her account to be very persuasive. Then, I will argue why I believe that lying to the murderer at the door is permissible in my opinion. I will start off by explaining Kants view. Kant believes that his moral theory forbids lying under all possible circumstances, even those where there is a murderer at the door wondering if an innocent victim is hiding in your house. After all, if everybody lied, even just to murderers at the door enquiring about the whereabouts of their victims, then the lying could not succeed since no murderer would believe what one says, and therefore lying violates the first form of the Categorical Imperative, which Kant calls the Formula of Universal Law. Similarly, the lie violates the second form of the Categorical Imperative, which Kant names the Formula of Humanity. The lie fails to respect the rationality of the murderer, since by lying we manipulate the murderer into actions directed at our own intensions and ends. Since the liars end is opposed to the end that the murderer has willingly chosen for themselves, the liar fails to treat the murderer with respect and dignity and therefore trea ts the murderer merely as a means to get what they want. Lying even in such an extreme case as the murderer at the door is a Imperfection violation of the Categorical Imperatives according to Kant. Korsgaard goes against Kants assertion that it is wrong to give the murderer at the door the wrong answer arguing that it does not violate the Categorical Imperatives to lie in these circumstances. She further discusses that it is a duty to lie to the murderer at the door and expands on her reasoning. Korsgaard comes up with a two level theory on which the first form of the Categorical Imperative would apply under all circumstances and the second only when one is defending oneself or another against evil. In order to defend Kants first Categorical Imperative, Korsgaard argues that it is in fact permissible from a Kantian point of view to universalize the maxim, or principle that governs action, when lying to the murderer at the door. She argues that the first form of the Categorical Imperative is not violated in the case where the murderer makes a secret of their murderous intensions. She explains that if the murderer at the door does not know that the recipient knows they are murderers, that the murderer will think that the recipient will believe that they are just a friendly neighbor trying to find out where their friend is for example. In other words, she believes you can universalize a maxim in which you respond to evil with an effort to frustrate evil through deception, where the evil person is unaware that you are aware of his plan. The evil person, or murderer, does not realize that you are in the position in which you would use this maxim; therefore you would be able to use th is without frustrating your purpose to successfully get away with your lie. Imperfection In order to defend Kants second Categorical Imperative, which explains that we must respect each others rational nature by always treating others with respect and dignity and never merely as a means, Korsgaard argues that it is permissible to not abide by this formula due to the fact that the murderer is not respecting your rational nature by lying to you in the first place. Korsgaard argues that we are permitted and also have a duty to mutual aid one another and lie to the murderer at the door out of self-defense. She believes that in order to protect yourself you may respond to a lie with a lie. The murderer is not offering you the grounds to consent to his activity with him, so Korsgaard believes that you are not obliged in response to offer transparency. Part of her argument is that you are being lied to, and you have a duty of self-respect, not to allow yourself to be used as a tool for evil. Korsgaard explains that this makes it possible to lie back to the murderer. She also ma kes a point that we must protect one another, especially if the person you are protecting is innocent. Korsgaard also believes this in this case you would not be abusing communication by the lie. Korsgaard relates more with the non-ideal Kantian view versus the ideal Kantian view in which Kant takes. Ideal Kantian theory is how we are permitted and obliged to behave if we lived in a society where we all followed the rules and we were of good will and good faith. This theory explains how flawed and imperfect but good human beings would be required to behave in respect to one another. Non-ideal Kantian theory on the other hand is relevantly different. It explains how we are required to behave when many of us are of good will but Imperfection many of us are also not of good will. Korsgaard relates non-ideal Kantian theory to this case, the murderer is not acting on a good will. She believes that in non-ideal circumstances we have justifications for treating each other in such ways that we wouldnt treat each other in ideal circumstances. Although I think Korsgaard has made some interesting claims, I believe her arguments have not been fully persuasive. My first objection to Korsgaards argument is that I believe she misunderstands how Kantian universalization is supposed to work. Korsgaards account will not defend Kant successfully because it only works under certain circumstances. This is Korsgaards main flaw in her assertion Universalization does not work when the murderer is transparent about their evil intensions. Korsgaards argument only works when the murderer does not know that you know of their intensions. Lying maxims fail to be universalized when both parties know the situations they are in causing a major gap in Korsgaards argument. I believe that regardless of whether you can universalize lying to a murderer, it should almost always be permissible to do so in order to save a life. For example, if you were hiding Ann Frank in your basement and the Nazi Police came to your door and asked you if you were hiding any Jews, you would have to tell the Nazis the truth under Korsgaards universalization claim. The Nazis know that everybody knows of their murderous intentions, so they know that you know that they will kill Ann Frank if you told them where she was hiding, therefore the Nazis will know that you will lie to them in order to save her life. So you will not Imperfection be able to universalize this maxim and get away with lying in this particular situation. This example proves that Korsgaards assertion is in very weak, since it only works under a certain scenario. After discussing this material with my partner, Corine Machalani, we went over some objections that Korsgaard might offer to this assertion. I believe Korsgaard would argue against this claim by stating that in a scenario where the murderer is not trying to deceive, the only thing you could do is refuse to answer his question. This is absolutely ridiculous because I think if you told a murderer that you would be putting your life in danger. By telling someone that you are not going to tell him, you have practically admit that you are hiding something from them. So in the case of the murderer you are admitting that you know the whereabouts of their victim but refuse to tell them. This would be a very dangerous situation that I would altogether try and avoid. When dealing with an evil person such as a murderer, you must protect your life. I believe lying to the murderer at the door is permissible out of self-protection and because it is the morally right thing to do. You know that by hiding Jews in your house you are breaking the law, so in order to protect yourself against the Nazis you should be allowed to lie out of self-defense. Even where the Nazis tell you that if you tell them the truth that you will be rewarded instead of personally prosecuted or injured, I still believe you should lie. You should help one another and to protect an innocent persons life because it is the right thing Imperfection to do. Life is the most precious thing and should be guarded in any way possible, whether your life or another individuals. Although I believe Korsgaard has made a good point regarding the duty to aid an innocent person against evil, I believe some of her reasoning is incorrect. Korsgaards argues that if someone lies to you, you can lie back to them. Korsgaard argues that since the murderer is lying to you about their motives, you may respond to a lie with a lie. I believe this is not a strong argument. A lie is an intentional invitation of trust and a breaking of faith, and the fact that the murderer is lying to you doesnt justify you lying to them back, and it definitely is not a reason that makes lying moral in any way. My reasoning regarding this matter is the eye for an eye argument, I believe two wrongs dont make it right. Just because someone lies to you doesnt make it right to lie back, and if our world operated this way there would be nothing but chaos. I believe when deciding whether lying is right or wrong, it all comes down to the intensions of the parties involved. The Nazis have evil intensions of murdering innocent people for no reason, and you have good intensions of protecting yourself and others. Even though in Germany back in those days it was the law to hand over the Jews, that society was corrupt and flawed. The only time I would argue that it is permissible not to lie to the murderer at the door would be if the person you were hiding in your house were also a murderer. I believe lying is acceptable when saving an innocent life. Korsgaard has not successfully justified in pointing to Kants view of lying Imperfection as a refutation of the Categorical Imperatives. I believe a Kantian needs to bite the bullet and agree that there are some serious flaws in their argument. There are lies that Kantians believe are impermissible even though such lies are actually a duty in my eyes. Korsgaard has not successfully proven that Kants Categorical Imperatives actually work in difficult situations concluding that her argument is not very strong.

Learning the Writing Business from Book Agents and Editors :: English Literature Essays

Learning the Writing Business from Book Agents and Editors So, you just wrote your first science fiction novel. Your friend read it and told you that you were the next Ray Bradbury or Gene Roddenberry. Your fertile mind fantasizes your name up there on a Borders’ wall poster right next to images of Isaac Azimov and Jules Verne. Before going off the deep end and equating yourself with Hemingway and Steinbeck, give your ego a stiff reality check. Few of us mortals are literary Mozarts that can plop down in front of a computer screen and author a perfect manuscript the first time around.. Let’s get one thing straight right now. You wrote a manuscript and not a book. After an author takes the time and care to read, edit and rewrite the manuscript at least five times, the work has finally evolved into a publishable book’ manuscript. Literary agents have represented my books. Truthfully, I never learned too much from literary agents except that they will show a strong interest in you and your work only if publishers and film producers do. If the power brokers in the literary world think your work is marketable, then you are a viable commodity. If you have no track record in the publishing industry, then forget all about your friend’s praise and about your inflated ego. You’re going to have to accept criticism from your agency’s editors, compromise ideas and plots in your artistic masterpiece, rewrite paragraphs, sentences and pages to conform to editorial evaluations, admit making errors, learn from these â€Å"mistakes† and avoid them when constructing future â€Å"manuscripts.† Although I never learned too much from my literary agents, I absorbed plenty from editors I had worked with. It took me three years to finally master what the editors considered the â€Å"mechanics of the writing craft.† I reluctantly learned that good writing involves much more than the demonstration of grammar, spelling and punctuation skills. I picked up a hundred or so suggestions from my â€Å"literary editors,† and I will share some of them now. To facilitate good transitions and chapter’ integrity, don’t begin sentences and/or paragraphs with pronouns (when writing in the third person). Stay away from â€Å"lazy sentence patterns† such as starting out with â€Å"There are† or â€Å"There is.† And above all else, if you plan to be original and creative, stay away from using stereotypical’ cliches and hackneyed idioms. A good sci-fi’ novel or any other genre’ novel should first be a â€Å"love story† at its core’ construction with the genre’ decoration adroitly wrapped around that core.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

If you have read the books you will be glad to know that major key moments are intact. Much is missing however I will not dwell on that. The focus is on how well the movie plays out and for me it rolls wonderfully through thrills, excitement, drama and need I not forget romance: towards a satisfactory (though slightly rushed) conclusion. ‘It All Ends’, says the poster slogan, this may be a fairly miserable title for the bloodshot-eyed fans that have followed Harry Potter on his journey to defeating He-who-can-not-be-named. However, in my opinion, the film could not have ended on a better note. With the efforts of director David Yates and those involved in the production of the movie, a truly aesthetically amazing and visually captivating movie was created. Part two of the Deathly Hallows chapter has given David Yates justification on the decision to split the chapter into two films. The movie begins where part one left off, with Voldemort stealing the ‘elder wand’ from Dumbledore’s coffin. For those who have watched part one, the beginning is a smooth transition to part two, however for those interesting individuals who have watched the movie as a stand-alone may be left quite confused. Never-the-less in this episode Harry Potter (Danielle Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasely (Rupert Grint) continue their strides to destroying Voldemort’s ‘Horecruxes’ which are the vital objects that are keeping him alive and living for eternity. Harry and his companions find most of the Horecruxes, however the last two, one of which Harry later finds to be himself and the second being Voldemort’s snake Nagini become very tricky. Once Potter finds out that he is the final Horecrux, he confronts Voldemort for which the non-book-readers assume is the final time. Throughout this scene, a combination of emotions are portrayed, anger and disappointment from Potter’s career Hagrid, Self-fulfilment from Voldemort and grief from Draco Malfoy’s mother. Whereas the viewer’s feel mainly aghast from the fact that ‘the boy who lived came to die? – One of my favourite quotes from Voldemort himself. Throughout the Harry Potter saga we are revealed to new characters and new clues where it is almost all revealed in this film although the more in depth areas of the saga is left to be known to the elite book readers. The portrayal of Severus Snape has always been a joy to watch but in this movie we are left with a dramatic engraving in our memory. He elevates his portrayal as one of the most complex characters in young adult literature to an unforgettably piercingly emotional one. One of the most spectacular moments is when Severus Snape, played with magnificent disdain by Alan Rickman, is attacked by Voldemort’s snake Nagini, and we witness this only from behind a frosted glass screen – a nice touch from director David Yates. Even though the film ends with a classic villain verses hero face-off, the material is handled considerably well. Fans will know how it is going to end though Deathly hallows part two still has that rare ability to cause viewers to question the outcome of the film even though it was long ago decided. With JK Rowling’s final chapter being split into two, the first part was sombre, very long and deeply tedious. However the second part is exact opposite, it is concise, rousing and deeply moving, and of course answers many of the mind-boggling questions we have all been waiting to learn. For new-comers the movie may strike them as mystifying but for the committed and semi-committed fans the movie will definitely be a worthy climax to the end of the most successful film franchise in history. It’s surely as good as gold.

THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK ON TEENAGERS Essay Example

THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK ON TEENAGERS Essay Example THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK ON TEENAGERS Essay THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK ON TEENAGERS Essay THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK ON TEENAGERS Advances in technology enhance our lives in healthy, positive ways. These days, shopping, education, communication and entertainment are only a few clicks away. Social networking, especially Facebook- the most popular social network site currently, enriches our lives by helping us to connect and share with colleagues, clients, family and friends in ways that wouldnt otherwise be possible. Spending too much time on this site, however, can have negative impacts, especially in the lives of eens. Everyone from the young to the old is using Facebook as an efficient way of communicating and finding old friends. Apart from Facebook being a new and interesting way to interact with friends and family, there is a lot more things to do while logging on to the site. Users could play games, use other fun applications such as horoscopes, love tallies and typing challenges, find new friends and hunt crushes. For all its ease and intent of providing a means of keeping people connected, ntertaining user, Facebook could not have imaged that its conception would emerge one of the biggest worldwide phenomenons that has ever seen. There is a lot to be said in support of this, but there are some sad truths involved too. According to the American Psychological Association, too much Facebook time can negatively impact teens mental health. Excessive use of Facebook has been associated with greater narcissism in teens, as well as other psychological disorders such as mania. In addition, too much time spent on Facebook can cause anxiety and depression in eens. Excessive Facebook time can also increase a teens likelihood of experiencing cyberbullying, which can lead to depression, anxiety and even suicide. There is also a very high chance that excessive use of Facebook leads to the users becoming obese as they would be sitting most of the time in front of the computer, eating snacks and without any physical activities. Poor academic performance is another problem associated with too much Facebook time, according to the American Psychological Association. A recent study referenced by the association showed that students in all grade levels who checked their Facebook accounts at least once during a 15-minute study period exhibited lower academic grades than those who did not check their Facebook accounts over the same period of time. Researchers believe this is due to distractions caused by constant Facebook use. Obviously, Facebook has become the biggest distraction for students when trying to get homework done. Paul Kirschner, author and professor at the Center for Learning Sciences and Technologies at the Open University of the Netherlands said that The problem is that most people have Facebook or other social networking sites, their e-mails and maybe instant messaging constantly running in the background while they are carrying other tasks. Overall teenage behavior is also negatively impacted by too much time spent on Facebook. According to Larry D. Rosen, Ph. D. , Professor of Psychology at California State University, too much Facebook time is associated with antisocial and aggressive behavior in teens. In addition, teens who overuse Facebook on a daily basis are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, drug use, drinking and promiscuity. Too much Facebook time has also been correlated with poor spending habits among teens, who are often unaware of how they are targeted by advertisers while on Facebook. Facebook is a double-S blate, a smartly-used person would certainly know how to make the most of Facebooks convenience. Whether being addicted to Facebook or not depends mostly on the ability to restrict the amount of time using it

Confusing Spanish Words and How To Use Them Correctly

Confusing Spanish Words and How To Use Them Correctly Partly because Spanish and English have so many similarities, its tempting to think youll seldom find Spanish vocabulary confusing. But in fact, there are plenty of words that trip up Spanish students repeatedly. And they arent all false friends, words similar to their English counterparts that dont mean the same thing. Some are homophones (two or more different words that sound alike), some are words that are closely similar, and some can be blamed on the rules of grammar. If you want to avoid embarrassment or unnecessary confusion, here are some top candidates for words to learn: Ano vs. Aà ±o Ano and aà ±o dont sound alike. But those who dont know how to type an à ± (or are lazy) are often tempted to use an n instead in aà ±o, the word for year. Dont succumb to the temptation: Ano comes from the same Latin root as the English word anus and has the same meaning. Cabello vs. Caballo English speakers tend to be imprecise in their pronunciations, partly because some sounds, such as the ai in fountain, can be represented in writing by any vowel. But Spanish speakers, although they tend to pronounce consonants softly, are usually distinct with their vowels. So words such as cabello (hair, but collectively rather than as a single hair) and caballo (horse) arent thought of as sounding much alike. Caro vs. Carro Its easy for foreigners to mix up the r and rr - the former is usually a  flap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth, while the latter is a trill. Usually, reversing the sounds wont cause misunderstanding. But the difference between caro and carro is the difference between something expensive and a car, respectively. And, yes, you can have a carro caro. Cazar vs. Casar While there may be some who have gone hunting for a spouse, cazar (to hunt) and casar (to marry) arent related to each other even though they sound alike in Latin America. Cocer vs. Coser Another pair of verbs that sound alike in Latin America are cocer (to cook) and coser (to sew). Although they can both be homemaking tasks, they arent related. Dà ­a Although there are dozens of words ending in -a that break the main gender rule and so are masculine, dà ­a (day) is the most common. Embarazada If youre embarrassed and female, avoid the temptation to say youre embarazada, as the meaning of that adjective is pregnant. The most common adjective of embarrassment is avergonzado. Interestingly, embarazada (or the masculine form, embarazado) has been so often used as a mistranslation of embarrassed that that definition has been added to some dictionaries. Éxito Éxito is a word youll come across frequently- but it nothing to do with an exit. Its the best translation for success and can be used in many contexts. For example, a hit song or movie can be called an à ©xito. An exit is a salida. Gringo If someone calls you a gringo (feminine gringa), you might take it as an insult- or you might take it as a term of affection or as a neutral description. It all depends on where you are and the context. As a noun, gringo most often refers to a foreigner, especially someone who speaks English. But at times it can refer to any non-Spanish speaker, a British person, a resident of the United States, a Russian, someone with blond hair, and/or someone with white skin. Inhabitable In a sense, the Spanish inhabitable and the English inhabitable are the same word- both are spelled alike, and they come from a Latin word habitabilus, which meant suitable for habitation. But they have opposite meanings. In other words, the Spanish inhabitable means uninhabitable or not inhabitable. Yes, thats confusing. But its confusing only because English is confusing- habitable and inhabitable mean the same thing, and for the same reason flammable and imflammable have the same meaning. The situation came about because Latin had two prefixes spelled in-, one meaning inside and the other meaning not. You can see these meanings in words such as incarcerate (incarcerar) and incredible (increà ­ble), respectively. So with inhabitable the prefix in English has the inside meaning, and the identically spelled prefix in Spanish has the not meaning. Interestingly, once upon a time the English inhabitable meant not habitable. Its meaning shifted a few hundred years ago. Ir and Ser in the Preterite Tense Two of the most highly irregular verbs in Spanish are ir (to go) and ser (to be). Although the two verbs have different origins, they share the same preterite conjugation: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. If you see one of those forms, the only way to know whether it comes from ir or ser is by context. Lima and Limà ³n You may have been taught that limà ³n is the word for lime and lima is the word for lemon- the opposite of what you might expect. While that is true for some Spanish speakers, the truth is that, depending on where you are, either Spanish term at times is used for  either fruit. And in some areas, limas and limones are seen as two similar fruits, both of which may be called lemons in English. In some places, limes arent commonly eaten (theyre native to Asia), so theres no universally understood word for them. In any case, this is one word that you are likely to have to ask the locals about. Mano Mano (hand) is the most common feminine noun that ends in -o. In fact, it is only such word in everyday use if you exclude occupational names (such as el piloto or la piloto for pilot), proper nouns, and a few shortened words such as la disco (short for la discoteca) and la foto (short for la fotografà ­a). Two other feminine nouns ending in -o are seo (cathedral) and nao (ship), but they get almost no use. Marida Most nouns ending in -o that refer to people refer to men, and the ending can be changed to -a to refer to women. So, of course, it makes sense that esposo, a common word for husband, has the feminine form esposa, meaning wife. It would be just as logical to assume that another word for husband, marido, would have corresponding term, marida, for wife. But, at least in standard Spanish, there is no noun marida. In fact, the usual phrase for husband and wife is marido y mujer, with mujer also being the word for woman. Although there may be some limited colloquial use for marida in some areas, its most common use is by foreigners who dont know better. Molestar and Violar To molest someone is a serious offense, but to molestar someone is merely to bother that person (although the phrase molestar sexualmente can have a meaning similar to the English word). An similar situation occurs with violar and violate, but in the other direction. Violar and violacià ³n typically refer to rape, although they can have a less severe meaning. In English violate and violation usually have a mild meaning, although they can refer to rape. In both languages, context makes all the difference. Papas and a Pap Spanish has four types of papa, although only the first two below are widely used. The first papa comes from Latin, while the others come from indigenous languages: A pope (the head of the Roman Catholic Church). The word normally shouldnt be capitalized except at the beginning of a sentence.In most of Latin America, a potato, which can also be a patata.In Mexico, a type of baby food or bland soup.In Honduras, a foolish woman. Also, pap is an informal word for father, sometimes the equivalent of daddy. Unlike the other papas, its stress or accent is on the second syllable. Por vs. Para There are perhaps no prepositions more confounding for Spanish students than por and para, both of which are frequently translated to English as for. See the lesson on por vs. para for full explanation, but the way-too-short version is that por is typically used to indicate the cause of something while para is used to indicate a purpose. Preguntar vs. Pedir Both preguntar and pedir are usually translated as to ask, but they dont mean the same thing. Preguntar refers to asking a question, while pedir is used in making a request. But dont feel bad if you get them mixed up: Spanish speakers learning English often get mixed up with question and doubt as nouns, saying I have a doubt rather than I have a question. Thats because the noun duda has both meanings. Sentar vs. Sentir In the infinitive form, sentar (to sit) and sentir (to feel) are easy to tell apart. The confusion comes when theyre conjugated. Most notably, siento can mean either I sit or I feel. Also, the subjunctive forms of one verb are often the indicative forms of the other. So when you come across verb forms such as sienta and sentamos, youll have to pay attention to the context to know which verb is being conjugated.

Economy in India Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economy in India - Term Paper Example I, in this paper, discuss the economy of India through exploring the country’s macroeconomic indicators. Economic indicators Macroeconomics defines larger aspects of an economy. The factors are comprehensive and affect overall state of an economy with diversified effects on all stakeholders in the economy. Examples of macroeconomic factors that offer a basis to reviewing the economy of India are domestic gross product, unemployment, inflation, consumer price index, foreign direct investment, and international trade (Dwivedi). Gross domestic product Gross domestic product is the monetary value of the amount of goods and services that a country produces within an economic period, normally a year. It indicates productivity level of an economy and shows derivable benefits from the output. An economy with high gross domestic product can therefore be associated with positive prospects and increasing trend in the value identifies a growing economy that can offer investment opportunit ies and utilities among its citizens (Dwivedi 55). India’s gross domestic product is estimated at about $ 1867 billion, a value that is comparatively high. Prospects in the gross domestic product can however be understood from its trend. ... By April 2013, the country’s gross domestic product was estimated at $ 1867.4 billion, more than twice its value in 2005 and the constant trend predict continued expansion. This means that India’s economy has growth potentials and is therefore a viable economy for investment. The increasing productivity also means availability of commodity for utilities and employment opportunities (Exim Bank, 1). Closer evaluation of the country’s gross domestic product by the economy’s major sectors identifies service industry as the major contributor of the country’s output as it accounts for more than 50 percent of India’s gross domestic product. Industrial sector follows it before the agricultural sector and its associated activities. A time series trend in the sectors over the past eight years also offers significant insight into India’s economy. The percentage contribution by the agricultural sector has been decreasing while percentage contribut ion from the service sector has been increasing with significantly constant percentage contribution from the industrial sector. The agricultural sector and its allied activities generated more than 18 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in the year ended 2006 but the value reduced steadily to record about 14 percent in the year 2013. Contribution from the service industry however increased from less that 54 percent in the year ended 2006 to 58.4 percent in the year ended 2013 and this shows a shifting trend from agricultural activities to the service industry (Exim Bank, 1). Another significant feature of the economy’s gross domestic product is the consumption and its trend. Private sector is the major consumer of the economy’s output and its consumption rate has a steadily increasing trend.

Planning Science Lessons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning Science Lessons - Essay Example Students must also do the following: ".demonstrate an awareness of how scientific evidence is collected and are aware that scientific knowledge and theories can be changed by new evidence" "describe how and why decisions about uses of science are made in some familiar contexts" "demonstrate good understanding of the benefits and risks of scientific advances and identify ethical issues related to these." Students should be able to address these issues better if they are able to argue and support their points. While learning how to do this, students must be aware that their arguments must have a clear goal. Thus, the teachers need to make sure the students are taught how to approach this when doing argument lessons and combining them with science lessons. Using argument to teach science should also help to effectively stimulate the students since most students enjoy debating, and this enjoyment usually makes the learning much easier. Learning how to argue scientific concepts is an impo rtant concept for students to learn because science is based on facts; therefore, students must use facts to back up their arguments and prove their points. ... In order to stimulate thought-provoking questions that have to do with science, teachers need to make sure that they use open-ended questions or statements while allowing the students to interact in groups. Therefore, Shakespeare's book demonstrates fantastic concepts and lesson ideas that will help get students interested in learning about science, and to help them adequately learn science so that they can meet and pass expectations in the subject. The lesson plans and ideas offered help to stimulate student thought and critical thinking. In the researcher's opinion, this is a very effective book, and can greatly assist teachers with getting their students interested. Science has always rated as one of the more difficulty subjects for teachers to teach, simply because of lack of resources, and many times, because of lack of student interest. However, by using Shakespeare's approach of asking questions and getting the students ready to participate in a discussion by argument, it should be easier for the teacher to both capture and retain the attention of the students. This book is well formed and would help the UK science student gain a better understanding of the concepts of science t hrough critical thinking and argument. These lessons could truly help many UK secondary students prepare for the debates and other arguments that may come to light when they are in college. Thus, this practice will not only help to develop their understanding of science, but it will also help to develop their critical thinking skills. Rosalind Driver Rosalind Driver's book Making Sense of Secondary Science was inspired by the fact that she understood many students had a lack of understanding regarding the