Wednesday, July 31, 2019

A modern audience Essay

But her marriage to will is all a practical arrangement as she is good at her job and Will is a skilled craftsman. As this partnership moves on the pair become more successful, they manage to pay back Mrs Hepworth the loan she gave then to get started and we see a more romantic side to Maggie as she saves a flower from her wedding day bouquet.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I thought I’d press it in my bible  For keep sake† A factor about Maggie that would appeal to a modern audience is that she is very intelligent. She controls the accounts and organises everything at Hobson’s. She taught Will to read and write, because Will was born into the lower class she was not properly educate and so he was illiterate but Maggie changed that by educating him herself:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’ll just set you a short copy, for tonight.†Ã‚  Maggie is honest and fair, when Albert and Freddy are trying to get more money than they agreed out of Mr Hobson, she knows he cannot afford what they are asking and so she gets them down to a more realistic price:  Ã¢â‚¬ËœI know perfectly well what father can afford to pay, and it is not a thousand pounds nor anything like a thousand pounds.’ Maggie is also humble because she is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. She asks Mrs Hepworth for money as her and will haven’t got any from their previous jobs because Hobson didn’t pay Maggie and Will came from a lower class and had little pay, all to get married and start up a good business  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We’ve paid back Mrs Hepworth what she lent us for our start and made a bit o’ brass on top o’ that.†Ã‚  At the beginning of the play Will lacked self-confidence and he was poor. He was also a victim of Hobson’s exploitation:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What does she want to praise workmen to his face for?† But Will is a talented craftsman and a skilled worker which is why Mrs Hepworth complimented him and asked that he makes her shoes in the future:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"These are the best-made pair of boots I’ve ever had. Now, you’ll make my boots in future.†Ã‚  This is a great compliment for a working class man because they were not often praised for their work and didn’t often do so well. This is a point about Will that would appeal to a modern audience.  Will, like many other working class in the 1880’s could not read at the start of the play but due to Maggie’s help he learns how to read and write. By starting up his own business shows he is a good business man and he pays off Mrs Hepworth the money back she lent the couple to get the business started. â€Å"We’ve paid off Mrs Hepworth what she lent us for our start.†Ã‚  Will is from a working class background; he is one of Hobsons boot hands and suffers social prejudice from Maggies sisters Alice and Vicky but now is near equal class to them but they still see him form a lower class and treat him with a lack of respect  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Will Mossop do you know who you are talking to?†Ã‚  As the play progresses Wills confidence increase as he now dares to stand up to Hobson, Alice, Vicky and Maggie  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’ll take you into partnership and give you a half share†. The Audience may find Wills character comical due to his sayings â€Å"Well by gum†Ã‚  And make the viewers laugh. When Maggie tells Will she wants to marry him he is a bit worried at tries to back down from the proposal because he did not love her, but they get their partnership up and running and as the story continues he realises that he can learn to love and give Maggie the respect she needs to create a successful business. From the start to the end of the play Will Mossop changes a lot. He went from working in Hobson’s cellar to owning his own successful business and being married to Maggie. His main change was that he went from poverty to being a member of the working/middle class. By doing this he has made his way up the social ladder, which was very hard to do in the 19th century. Wills struggle could be compared to a dream going from rags to riches. In my opinion this would be the most important factor about Will that would appeal to a modern audience.  Maggie’s determination to make a success of hers and Willie’s marriage and the business that they start would make her popular with a modern audience because she did not really love Will when they were married, but she had to do something to get away from Mr Hobson, her authoritarian father and she also managed to get her sisters married.

Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht Essay

This extract from Mother Courage and Her Children, by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Michael Hofmann and John Willett, is located in the prologue and the opening scene of the play, at a point where the author dispels the myths of chivalry and honour we have about war. The play is set in the thirty years war but was written at the beginning of World War II. The beginning of the play is set in Poland, where a sergeant and recruiting officer are on the outskirts of town standing in the bitter cold. In this extract, we are able to observe a recruiting officer’s troubles in enlisting new soldiers and the lengths in which he will go to gain new recruits. He then complains that there is no honour and upstandingness among humanity. This establishes the character as hypocritical and desperate. The prologue of the play begins with a song telling us of the daily hardships war can bring, not excluding death. The song lacks adjectives, taking a very brief blunt view. It also takes a very disapproving view of war and this is shown through the choice of words. However, the song is delicately laced with humour that lessens the impact the song may have given. It describes the soldiers very impersonally, referring always to them as one group, one army. Small, dispensable objects with no name – joined together. Their belongings are described as ‘lumbering’ and ‘straggling’ which gives the image of a strong animal (bear?), with more brawl than brains. This image is intensified by the next line How can you flog them into battle as you usually flog large animals. This gives the impression that soldiers are mindlessly following the commands of their superiors because loyalty demanded it of them. The second stanza of the prologue talks about soldiers and their empty stomachs before war. It does not specify whether this is because of lack of food or because war is so desolate that they cannot hold their food down. The line Courage has rum with which to lace it talks of giving rum to soldiers so they will not feel anything and since courage is defined as the absence of fear, the soldiers are therefore courageous. The line marching to death is also used. This links with the soldiers being courageous because you have to be courageous to march, knowing that at the end awaits death. The speech by the Recruiting Officer consists of mainly one long rambling sentence. This implies that the brawl is spoken by an uneducated soldier. It also suggests that the military cannot find enough recruits to enlist that it has to put soldiers in positions that they have neither the ability nor motivation to do well. Also, the soldiers may not` have acquired enough training to know how to do their job well. The second half of the speech speaks of the recruiting officer dulling the wits of a potential recruit by alcohol so that he would sign on to become a soldier. The recruit then runs away and the recruiting officer complains of the lack of honour and upstandingness among humanity. This speech speaks of the difficulty of recruiting people to die for their country and because of the lack of availability, they settle for standards well below normal. In the prologue, a rhythm of ABAB CDCD and so on is used. The set rhyming structure is used to capture audience’s attention and to give a rhythm by which to read the poem. This provides a flow from one line to another that keeps the reader interested. The last four lines of each stanza are indented, drawing the reader’s attention and marking it as significant. The author’s choice of diction creates a vivid scene of imagery where soldiers are fighting disease and starvation rather than the enemy. The line With crawling lice and looted cattle shows the poor state of hygiene and health the troops are in. This immediately dislodges the myth that war is all fame and glory. Instead, a vision of unhygienic environment that many soldiers live in during war is created. This extract, especially the prologue, spares no time in easing the reader into the reality of war. Instead, it plunges them into one of the worse aspects of war. The recruiting officer’s speech reveals much about human behaviour which the reader can relate to and this entices them to read on. The extract provides a very good introduction to the book for the reader and effectively summarises the hardships of war. The purpose of this extract is to introduce the reader to various parts of war in a way that will neither alarm nor bore the reader. This is achieved by various literacy features such as imagery, diction and repetition and by the hypocritical speech made by the recruiting officer.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Different Between Adaptive and Rational Expectation

Working Paper No. 00-01-01 Are Policy Rules Better than the Discretionary System in Taiwan? James P. Cover C. James Hueng and Ruey Yau Are Policy Rules Better than the Discretionary System in Taiwan? James Peery Cover Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies University of Alabama Phone: 205-348-8977 Fax: 205-348-0590 Email: [email  protected] ua. edu C. James Hueng Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies University of Alabama Phone: 205-348-8971 Fax: 205-348-0590 Email: [email  protected] ua. edu and Ruey Yau Department of Economics Fu-Jen Catholic University Taiwan Phone: 619-534-8904 Fax: 619-534-7040 Email: [email  protected] csd. edu Correspondence to: C. James Hueng Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies University of Alabama, Box 870224 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Phone: 205-348-8971 Fax: 205-348-0590 Email: [email  protected] ua. edu Are Policy Rules Better than the Discretionary System in Taiwan? ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether th e central bank of Taiwan would have had a more successful monetary policy during the period 1971:1 to 1997:4 if it had followed an optimal rule rather than the discretionary policies that were actually employed.The paper examines the use of two different instruments—the discount rate and the monetary base—with several different targets — growth of nominal output, inflation, the exchange rate, and the money growth. The results show that most of the rules considered would not have significantly improved the performance of the Taiwanese economy. The only rule that is clearly advantageous is one that targets inflation while using the interest rate instrument. Keywords: monetary policy rule, small open economy, dynamic programming JEL classification: E52, F41 1.Introduction How well has the Central Bank of Taiwan implemented monetary policy during the past three decades? With the exception of two inflationary episodes during periods of oil-price shocks (1973-1974 and 1979-1981), as far as inflation is concerned, the historical record suggests that monetary policy in Taiwan has been very successful. Figure 1 shows that during other periods the rate of inflation in Taiwan typically has been relatively low, nearly always being between 2% and 7% per year. But could the Central Bank of Taiwan have performed much better than it actually did?That is, could it have achieved a lower and less variable rate of inflation at little or no cost in terms of lost output? Because Taiwanese monetary policy has been discretionary, rather than based on a formal rule, there is a strand of macroeconomic theory that suggests the answer to this question must be yes. If the structure of the Taiwanese economy is such that an unexpected increase in the rate of inflation causes output to increase, then policy makers have an incentive to increase inflation. This implies that a discretionary monetary policy will have an inflationary bias [Kydland and Prescott (1977) and Barr o (1986)].The existence of this inflationary bias makes it difficult for policy makers to lower expected inflation without first earning a reputation for price stability. If the only way to earn this reputation is through actually achieving low inflation, then the cost of reducing inflation is a significant loss of output. A solution to this reputation or credibility problem is for the monetary authority to follow an explicit formal rule that eliminates its discretion to inflate. It therefore follows that a monetary policy implemented according to a rule will achieve lower inflation than a discretionary monetary policy.For example, Judd and Motley (1991, 1992, 1993) and McCallum (1988) have examined the empirical properties of nominal feedback rules and find that the use of simple feedback rules could have produced price stability for the United States over the past several decades without significantly increasing the volatility of real output. 1 This paper examines whether the cent ral bank of Taiwan would have had a more successful monetary policy if it had followed an explicit rule rather than the discretionary policies it actually implemented.Of the rules considered here, only one yields both an output variance and an inflation variance appreciably lower than those actually realized by the Taiwanese economy. Hence this paper concludes that the discretionary policies implemented by the central bank of Taiwan were very close to being optimal. Svensson (1998) divides proposed rules for monetary policy into two broad groups, instrument rules and targeting rules. Instrument rules require that the central bank adjust its policy instrument in response to deviations between the actual and desired value of one or more variables being targeted by the monetary authority.Examples of this type of rule are those proposed by both Taylor (1993) and McCallum (1988). A rule that requires the Fed to raise the federal funds rate (its instrument of monetary policy) whenever the growth rate of nominal GDP is unexpectedly high (the rate of growth of nominal GDP being the target variable) regardless of other information available to the Fed is an example of an instrument rule. But because instrument rules do not use all information available to the monetary authority, as shown by both Friedman (1975) and Svensson (1998), they are inferior to monetary policy rules that do use all available information.If a monetary policy rule minimizes a specified loss function while allowing the monetary authority to use all available information, then Svensson (1998) calls it a targeting rule. If the monetary authority is following a targeting rule, then it will respond to all information in a manner that minimizes its loss function. The loss function formalizes how important the monetary authority believes are deviations of its various target variables from their optimal values. The policy rule is derived from the optimal solution of the dynamic programming problem that m inimizes the loss function subject to the structure of the economy.The resulting rule expresses the growth of the policy instrument as a function of the predetermined variables in the model. That is, the policy instrument responds not only to the target variables but also to all other variables in the model. Hence a targeting rule would not 2 always require the Fed to raise the federal funds rate when the growth rate of nominal GDP is unexpectedly high because other information might imply that the relatively high rate of growth of nominal GDP is the result of an increase in the growth rate of real GDP (rather than an increase in inflation).Although there appears to be a growing consensus that price stability should be the central long-run objective of monetary policy, there are still continuing debates about the proper selection of the policy instrument and the best target variables. But clearly the choice of the best policy instrument and the best target(s) is an empirical issue. Furthermore, the best choices can vary from country to country because the controllability of any particular policy instrument and the effectiveness of each target most likely vary across countries.Therefore, this paper examines two different policy instruments and several targets to search for the best policy rule for Taiwan. The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses the instrument and the targets of monetary policy that this paper considers. Section 3 describes the method used to derive the policy rules and conduct the simulations. Section 4 describes the data and presents the simulation results, while Section 5 offers some conclusions. 2. Instruments and Targets of Monetary Policies In discussing how monetary policy should be implemented it is helpful to draw a istinction between the instruments and the targets of monetary policy. The targets of monetary policy are those macroeconomic variables that the monetary authority ultimately desires to influence through its policy actions [Friedman, 1975]. For this reason Svensson (1998) prefers to call target variables only those variables that are important enough to be included in the monetary authority's loss function. The targets of monetary policy therefore are a way to formalize the overall objectives of a monetary authority.On the other hand, the instrument of monetary policy is the variable that the monetary authority chooses to control for the purpose of meeting its overall objectives, i. e. minimizing its loss function. 3 Monetary policy instruments basically fall into two categories: the monetary base and short-term interest rates. Proponents of using the monetary base as the instrument of monetary policy argue that the base is the variable that determines the aggregate level of prices, and therefore is a natural instrument for the control of inflation [McCallum (1988)].But most central banks, including the central bank of Taiwan, use a short-term interest rate as their instrume nt of monetary policy. Proponents of an interest rate instrument point out that it insulates the economy against instability in the demand for money, that interest rates are a part of the transmission channel of monetary policy, and that no useful purpose is served by wide fluctuations in interest rates [Kohn (1994)]. This paper presents simulation results using both types of instruments. The results support the central bank of Taiwan's decision to use an interest rate instrument.This paper examines four target variables: a monetary aggregate, the exchange rate, nominal income and the rate of inflation. 1 The targeting of a monetary aggregate often is advocated by those who believe that business cycles largely result from changes in the growth rate of a monetary aggregate [Warburton (1966), M. Friedman (1960)]. Another reason for choosing a monetary aggregate as the target variable for monetary policy is its ability to serve as a nominal anchor that can prevent policies from allowin g inflation to increase to an unacceptable level.Although this allows a monetary aggregate to communicate long-run policy objectives to the general public, as Friedman (1975) points out, it is by its very nature an inferior choice as a target variable because the monetary authority is only concerned with monetary aggregates to the extent that it provides them with information about inflation and output growth. 2 1 Recent For a more complete discussion about different target variables, see Mishkin (1999). That is, monetary aggregates are intermediate targets rather than true targets of monetary policy. Friedman (1975) shows that the use of intermediate targets is not optimal. Although Svensson's (1998) idea of using forecasts of the target variable as a synthetic intermediate target is implicit in Friedman's (1975) discussion. 4 instability in the velocity of money for the time being has ended any possibility that a monetary aggregate will be used as a target for monetary policy in t he United States. McKinnon (1984) and Williamson and Miller (1987) argue that monetary policy should target the exchange rate in an open economy.For example, the exchange rate has been the sole or main target in most of the EMS countries. Pegging the domestic currency to a strong currency prevents changes in the exchange rate from having an effect on the domestic price level. But exchange rate targeting results in the loss of an independent monetary policy. The targeting country cannot respond to domestic shocks that are independent of those hitting the anchor country because exchange rate targeting requires that its interest rate be closely linked to that in the anchor country.McCallum (1988) suggests a nominal GDP targeting rule because of its close relationship with the price level. The nominal GDP target has intrinsic appeal when instability in velocity makes a monetary target unreliable. As long as the growth rate of real GDP is predictable, there is a predictable relationship between nominal GDP and the price level. However, recent studies on the time series properties of real GDP raise questions about the predictability of real GDP.If real GDP does not grow at a constant rate, then a constant growth rate for nominal GDP does not guarantee a stable price level. Recently there has been a great upsurge of interest in direct inflation targeting, a policy that has been adopted by the central banks of New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Australia, and Spain. Although this policy has been implemented with apparent success in the above countries, there are theoretical concerns with inflation targeting.One problem with inflation targeting is that the effect of monetary policy actions on the price level occurs with considerably more delay than its effects on financial variables. The use of a financial variable such as monetary aggregates or exchange rates as the target would provide an earlier signal to the public that policy has deviated fr om its goals. In addition, attempts by the central 5 banks to achieve a predetermined path for prices may cause large movements in real GDP, but only if the price level is sticky in the short run.But the apparent success of inflation targeting, where it has been tried, suggests that these concerns are misplaced. 3 Also, because the effect of monetary policy on long-term trends in output and employment is now considered to be negligible, many economists are now advocating that monetary authorities should use only inflation (or the price level) as the sole target for monetary policy. According to this view the main contribution that monetary policy can make to the trend in real output is to create an environment where markets are not distorted by high and volatile inflation.The central bank of Taiwan appears to have accepted this position. It has repeatedly stated that its number one priority is price stability and the reaction function estimated by Shen and Hakes (1995) confirms that it has behaved as if price stability is an important policy goal. So what combination of policy instrument and target variable would result in the best rule for monetary policy in Taiwan? Would the adoption of such a rule have improved Taiwanese monetary policy during the past three decades?To answer these questions this paper experiments over two policy instruments (monetary base and interest rate) and four target variables (the rate of inflation, the growth rate of nominal GDP, the growth rate of the monetary base, and the change in exchange rate) in an attempt to find what would have been the best targeting rule for Taiwan during the period 1971:1-1997:4. The historical performance of the Taiwanese economy is then compared with the performance predicted by the â€Å"best† targeting rule to evaluate how good Taiwanese monetary policy has been.This comparison is made by comparing the volatility of the relevant variables resulting from the proposed rules with those from the historical data. 3 A careful reading of Friedman (1975) and Svensson (1998) also suggests that these concerns are misplaced. 6 Although, as noted above, by their very nature targeting rules are superior to instrument rules. Hence this paper emphasizes targeting rules. But just how much better targeting rules are than instrument rules is an empirical question of some practical importance because instrument rules are more transparent than targeting rules.Hence, for completeness, this paper also presents results for instrument rules using the rate of interest and the monetary base as instruments and the rate of inflation as the target variable. 3. The Model and Methodology 3. 1 The instrument rule An instrument rule adjusts the growth of the policy instrument in response to deviations between the actual and desired value of the target variable. That is, ? It = (? xt-1 – ? xt-1*), (1) where It represents the policy instrument, ? xt is the target variable, the superscript * denot es the target value desired by the central bank, and ? efines the proportion of a target miss to which the central bank chooses to respond. In this paper, variables are expressed as deviations from their own means. Therefore, there is no cost in terms of generality to set the targeted growth rate desired by the central bank to zero. The economy is characterized by an open-economy VARX model which includes five variables: the growth rate4 of real income (? yt), the rate of inflation (? pt), the change in the logarithm of the exchange rate (? et), the growth rate of the monetary base (? mt), and the change in the interest rate (? rt).Since the purpose of this paper only requires a model that fits the Taiwanese economy well during the sample period, we use a general VARX model with a 4 Growth rates in the empirical work are calculated by taking log-first differences. 7 maximum lag length of four and adopt Hsiao’s (1981) method to determine the optimal lags for each variable. 5 S pecifically, the general VARX model can be written as: ? Xt = A0 + A1? Xt-1 + A2? Xt-2 + A3? Xt-3 + A4? Xt-4 + i =0 ? ai ? I t ? i 4 + ? t, (2) where ? Xt is the 4? 1 vector that contains variables other than the growth of the policy instrument.The policy instrument has immediate effects on other variables if the 4? 1 vector a0 is not zero. For example, if the instrument is rt and the target is ? pt, then Xt = [ yt, pt, et, mt ] and equations (1) and (2) can be written as: ? rt = ? ?pt-1, ? Xt = A0 + A1? Xt-1 + A2? Xt-2 + A3? Xt-3 + A4? Xt-4 + (1)’ i =0 ? ai ? rt ? i 4 + ? t. (2)’ Previous studies such as Judd and Motley (1991, 1992, 1993) and McCallum (1988) estimate equation (2) and assume that the economy faces the same set of shocks that actually occurred in the sample period.The estimated equation, the historical shocks, and the policy rule (1) are used to generate the counterfactual data. Statistics calculated from the counterfactual data are then compared to the historical experiences. In these studies, the response parameter ? is arbitrarily set and the results from different ? ’s are compared. However, given linearity of the model and the variance-covariance matrix of historical shocks, one can analytically solve for the value of ? that minimizes the variance of the inflation rates. Specifically, substituting (1) into (2) yields a VAR(5) in ?Xt. For convenience, the VAR(5) system can be written as a more compact expression: 5 We tried to adopt Ball's (1998) open-economy Keynesian type model to Taiwan, but this model was not supported by the Taiwanese data. 8 ?Wt = B0 + B1? Wt-1 + ? t, (3) where Wt = [ Xt, Xt-1, Xt-2, Xt-3, Xt-4 ] and ? t = [? t, 0] are both 20? 1. Assume that ? Wt is stationary. Denote V? W as the variance-covariance matrix of ? Wt and V? the variance-covariance matrix of ?t. Equation (3) implies V? W = B1 V? W B1†² + V?. (4) Given the regression results of (2), the variance of ? t is a function of ? only. Th erefore, the value of ? that minimizes the variance of ? pt, given historical shocks, can be calculated. The advantages of an instrument rule include its simplicity, transparency to the public, and the fact that it is always operational. The central bank responds to observed deviations from the target and does not need to base its policy actions on forecasts that require knowledge of the structure of the economy. However, as noted above, instrument rules are not optimal in the sense that they do not use all available information.The policy instrument only responds to the target variables, which is usually inefficient compared to rules that allow the instrument to respond to all the variables in the model. The following section uses an optimal control problem to derive the optimal policy rule, instead of specifying the rule in advance. 3. 2 The targeting rule A targeting rule is derived from the minimization of a loss function. This loss function reflects the policymaker’s des ired path for the target variable. A commonly used one is a quadratic loss function which penalizes deviations of the target variable from its target value.The policymaker’s optimization problem can be solved with the knowledge of the dynamics of the economic structure, which is equation (2). That is, equation (2) is used as the constraints in the dynamic programming problem. To simplify analysis, equation (2) is written as a first-order system, Zt = b + B Zt-1 + C ? It + ? t, (5) 9 where Zt = [? Xt, ? Xt-1, ? Xt-2, ? Xt-3, ? It, ? It-1, ? It-2, ? It-3]. The constant vector b is 20? 1, B is 20? 20, C is 20? 1, ? t is 20? 1, and their arguments should be obvious. Therefore, the central bank's control problem is to minimize a stream of expected quadratic loss function: T 1 E0 ?Zt ‘ K Zt, T t =1 (6) subject to Zt = b + B Zt-1 + C ? It + ? t, (5) where the expectation E0 is conditional on the initial condition Z0. Again, without loss of generality, the target value is set t o zero since all the variables are expressed as deviations from mean. The elements in the matrix K are weights that represent how important to the central bank are deviations of the target variables from their target values. For example, if the central bank wants to target the inflation rates, then the [2,2] element of K is 1 and the other elements are all zeros.The loss function is equivalent to (1/T) E0 ?t =1? pt 2 . T If the central bank wants to target the nominal GDP, then the 2? 2 block on the upper left corner of K is a unity matrix and the other elements are all zeros. The loss function in this case is (1/T) E0 ?t =1(? yt + ? pt ) 2 . T Now the problem is to choose the policy instrument ? I1, . . . , ? IT that minimizes (6), given the initial condition Z0. By using Bellman's (1957) method of dynamic programming the problem is solved backward. That is, the last period T is solved first, given the initial condition ZT-1.Having found the optimal IT, we solve the two-period prob lem for the last two periods by choosing the optimal IT-1, contingent on the initial condition ZT-2, and so on. Letting T > ? , the optimal policy rule can be expressed as [see Chow (1975, ch. 8) for derivation details]: ? It = G Zt-1 + f , with (7) 10 G = -(C ‘ HC) ? 1 (C ‘ HB), f = -(C ‘ HC) ?1 C ‘ (Hb-h), H = K + (B+CG) ‘ H (B+CG), and h =[I-(B+CG) ‘ ] ?1 [- (B+CG) ‘ Hb]. The rule defines the policy instrument as a function of the predetermined variables in the model. The economy is assumed to face the same set of shocks that actually occurred in the historical period.Therefore, the estimated equations, the policy rule, and the historical shocks are used to generate the counterfactual data. The resulting statistics are compared. Even though it is usually more efficient to let the instrument respond to all the relevant variables than to let it respond only to the target variables, the ad hoc instrument rules are more widely discussed in th e literature. The reason for the preference for simple instrument rules may be that the targeting rule is more sensitive to model specifications. For example, the assumption of full information is generally maintained for the computation of an optimal rule.This tends to make the targeting rule less robust to model specification errors than are the simple instrument rules. In addition, the optimal rule may require larger adjustments of the instrument because it responds to more variables. This would in turn yield undesired higher volatility of the other variables such as output growth. Therefore, again, the choice between the instrument rule and the targeting rule cannot be determined by theory alone and is an empirical issue. 4. Empirical Results 4. 1 Data This paper uses Taiwanese national quarterly time series data for the period 1971:11997:4.The sample starts in 1971:1 because of data availability. All data are taken from two databanks: the National Income Accounts Quarterly and the Financial Statistical Databank. 11 The rediscount rate is used as rt because it indicates the policy intentions of the central Bank of Taiwan most directly. The monetary base mt is defined as the reserve money. The exchange rate target is the NT/US dollar rate. The variable yt is real GDP in millions of 1991 NT dollars, and pt is defined as the GDP deflators. Except interest rates, all variables are in logarithms. All variables are in first-difference form and expressed as deviations from their means.The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test is used to ensure that the variables are transformed into stationary processes6. The top row of Table 1 presents the historical standard deviations of the variables in the model in order to allow comparison with the values obtained from the simulations. 4. 2 Estimation results under instrument rules Panel A in Table 1 presents the standard deviations obtained using an instrument rule with inflation as the target variable. The first row of Panel A presents simulation results under an interest rate instrument, while the second row presents results under a monetary base instrument.The simulations using an interest rate instrument yielded standard deviations for output growth, the change in the exchange rate, and money growth that are only slightly higher than those for the historical data, while the standard deviation of inflation is slightly lower than its historical value. The only standard deviation in the first row of Panel A that differs substantially from the historical data is that for the change in the interest rate, which is much lower in the simulation.These results indicate that actual policy in Taiwan achieved results almost as good as those that would have been obtained under an optimal interest-rate instrument rule with the 6 The lag lengths in the ADF regressions are determined by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the Schwartz's (1978) criterion. The maximum length is set to 12. A time trend is includ ed in the yt, pt, and mt regressions. All results indicate that the original time series are integrated of order one. The results of the tests are available from the authors upon request. 12 xception that the optimal rule would have yielded a more stable rate of interest. The simulation using the monetary base as the instrument yielded slightly higher standard deviations for all variables except the rate of inflation. Those for output growth, the change in the exchange rate, and the rate of interest were only slightly higher than the historical values, while the standard deviation of the growth rate of the monetary base was much higher than its historical value. The standard deviation of the inflation rate is slightly lower than the historical value but is higher than that in the interest rate instrument rule.These results suggest that the discretionary policy implemented in Taiwan was superior to an optimal monetary base instrument rule. They also indicate that an instrument rule u sing the rate of interest would have been superior to one employing the monetary base as instrument, though not by a large margin. 4. 3 Estimation results under targeting rules Panel B of Table 1 presents standard deviations of the variables under the various targeting rules considered here. The first four rows of Panel B present results obtained using an interest rate instrument.In the first row of Panel B the standard deviation of nominal GDP is minimized; in the second row the standard deviation of inflation is minimized; etc. The last three rows of Panel B present results under a monetary base instrument. Notice that for both instruments, if nominal GDP is the target, then the standard deviations of all variables are higher than their historical values. This implies that the growth rate of nominal GDP would not have been a suitable target variable for Taiwan. Furthermore, notice that for all targets under the monetary base instrument the standard deviation of output growth is mu ch higher than its historical value.This effectively rules out consideration of the monetary base as the instrument of monetary policy under a targeting rule for Taiwan. Now notice from the fourth row of Panel B that if the monetary base is the target under an interest rate instrument, the standard deviations of output growth and inflation are both higher 13 than their historical values. This effectively rules out the use of the monetary base as an appropriate target for monetary policy in Taiwan. Finally, by comparing rows â€Å"? pt Target† and â€Å"? t Target† of Panel B, one sees that if the rate of inflation is the target, then the standard deviations of output growth and inflation are lower than if the exchange rate is the target. Also, if inflation is the target, the standard deviations from the simulations for inflation and output are lower than their historical values. Hence it is concluded that Taiwanese monetary policy would have been better than its histor ical performance if it had used an optimal targeting rule with the rate of interest as instrument and inflation as the target. 5. Conclusion Taiwan has been very successful in using discretionary monetary policies.This paper attempts to see whether there exist policy rules that can improve the Taiwanese economy for the past several decades. This paper evaluates several monetary policy rules using Taiwanese quarterly data from 1971:1 to 1997:4. Two types of policy rules are examined. Instrument rules adjust the growth of the policy instrument in response to deviations between the actual and desired values of the target variable. Unlike those in the previous studies where arbitrary instrument rules are proposed, this paper solves analytically for the optimal instrument rules that minimize the standard deviation of the rate of inflation.Targeting rules are derived from the solution to the dynamic programming problem that minimizes a loss function subject to the structure of the economy . The rule expresses the growth of the policy instrument as a function of all the predetermined variables in the model. Two policy instruments (interest rate and monetary base) and four targets variables (nominal GDP growth, inflation rate, changes in exchange rates, and money growth rate) are examined in the paper. Simulations of a simple VARX model and the policy rules suggest that, 14 ompared to the historical policy, the use of a policy rule in Taiwan would not have reduced substantially the volatility of inflation rate. The only policy rule that would appeal to the authority is the direct inflation targeting rule with the interest rate as the instrument. This rule would have reduced the standard deviation of the inflation rate in Taiwan by 0. 7% while maintained similar volatility of the other variables to those in the historical data. 15 References Ball, L. (1998), â€Å"Policy Rules for Open Economies,† NBER Working Paper 6760. Barro, Robert J. (1986). Recent Developme nts in the Theory of Rules Versus Discretion,† The Economic Journal Supplement, 23-37. Bellman, R. E. (1957), Dynamic Programming, Princeton, N. J. : Princeton University Press. Chow, G. C. (1975), Analysis and Control of Dynamic Economic System, John Wiley & Sons Press. Friedman, Benjamin (1975), â€Å"Rules Targets, and Indicators of Monetary Policy,† Journal of Monetary Economics, 1, 443-73. Friedman, Milton (1960), A Program for Monetary Stability. Fordham University Press, New York. Hsiao, C. (1981), â€Å"Autoregressive modelling and money-income causality detection,† Journal of Monetary Economics, 7, 85-106.Judd, J. P. and B. Motley (1991), â€Å"Nominal feedback rules for monetary policy,† Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Review (Summer), 3-17. Judd, J. P. and B. Motley (1992), â€Å"Controlling inflation with an interest rate instrument,† Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Review 3, 3-22. Judd, J. P. and B. Motley (1993), â€Å"Using a nominal GDP rule to guide discretionary monetary policy,† Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Review 3, 3-11. Kohn, D. L. (1994), â€Å"Monetary aggregates targeting in a low-Inflation economy–Discussion,† in J. C.Fuhrer, ed. , Goals, Guidelines, and Constraints Facing Monetary Policymakers, 130135. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Kydland, F. E. and Prescott, E. C. (1977), â€Å"Rule rather than discretion: The inconsistency of optimal plans,† Journal of Political Economy 85, 473-491. McCallum, B. T. (1988), â€Å"Robustness properties of a rule for monetary policy,† CarnegieRochester Conference Series on Public Policy 29, 173-204. 16 McKinnon, Ronald (1984). An International Standard for Monetary Stabilization, Washington: Institute for International Economics. Mishkin, F. S. (1999). International experiences with different monetary policy regimes,† NBER Working Paper #6965. Schwartz, S. G. (1978), â€Å"Est imating the Dimension of a Model,† Annals of Statistics 6:461-464. Svensson, Lars E. O. (1998), â€Å"Inflation Targeting as a Monetary Policy Rule,† NBER Working Paper #6790. Shen, C. H. and Hakes, D. R. (1995), â€Å"Monetary policy as a decision-making hierarchy: The case of Taiwan,† Journal of Macroeconomics 17, 357-368. Taylor, John B. (1993). â€Å"Discretion versus Policy Rules in Practice,† Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, 39: 195:214.Warburton, Clark (1966), â€Å"Introduction,† Depression, inflation, and Monetary Policy: Selected Papers, 1945-1953. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore. Williamson, John and Miller, Marcus (1987). Targets and Indicators, Washington: Institute for International Economics. 17 Table 1:Standard Deviations of the Variables (in Percentage) Output Growth ? yt Historical Data: Simulated Data: (A) Instrument Rules: Interest Rate Instrument: ? pt Target Monetary Base Instrument: ? pt Target (B) Targeti ng Rules: Interest Rate Instrument: ? (yt + pt) Target ? pt Target ? et Target ? t Target Monetary Base Instrument: ? (yt + pt) Target ? pt Target ? et Target 5. 346 3. 862 3. 798 4. 964 1. 972 3. 449 2. 767 5. 950 2. 139 14. 63 27. 781 6. 794 0. 185 0. 198 0. 159 4. 348 2. 993 3. 047 4. 446 4. 314 2. 092 3. 064 6. 880 3. 076 2. 469 2. 361 2. 771 5. 421 4. 473 4. 281 4. 058 0. 485 0. 175 0. 332 0. 431 -2. 38 3. 308 2. 748 2. 718 6. 540 0. 178 3. 185 Inflation Rate ? pt 2. 793 Change in Exchange rate ? et 2. 415 Monetary Base Growth ? mt 4. 315 Change in interest rate ? rt 0. 162 Optimal ? : 0. 0133 3. 201 2. 633 2. 601 4. 454 0. 035The sample period is from 1971:1 to 1997:4. The variable ? yt is real GDP growth rate, ? pt is inflation rate, ? et is change in exchange rates, ? mt is monetary base growth rate, and ? rt is change in interest rates. All data are from the National Income Accounts Quarterly and the Financial Statistical Databank data banks. The response parameter ? in the instrument rules defines the proportion of a target miss to which the central bank chooses to respond. 18 Figure 1 Inflation Rate (annual rate %) 70 60 Inflation Rate (% per year) 50 40 30 20 10 0 -10 70 74 78 82 Year 86 90 94 98 19

Monday, July 29, 2019

Select an ancient (Coliseum water supply), pioneer historical (canals, Assignment

Select an ancient (Coliseum water supply), pioneer historical (canals, Carolina rice, London Docks) or exotic (e.g. Sahara Deser - Assignment Example Those reasons will be clear if we analyze the function of the Coliseum. It was an arena for spectators to watch the death of animals, slaves, gladiators, Christians, and other factions of the society that the Romans wanted to exterminate or punish (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). These death games were literally games, with very gruesome acts and bloody ends (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). Water was, therefore, needed to wash away the remains of the animals and humans, and their blood and body parts (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). This drainage became part of the sewer system of the Coliseum, which ultimately ended in the River Tiber (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). It is further discussed with the toilet system of the Coliseum. The Coliseum water supply also catered to the requirements of the toilets, which consisted of two large toilets with rows of open seating holes having a tunnel beneath them through which passed a stream of flowing water (Colosseum Water and Sewe r System). There were four underground tunnels for collecting the drained water, including that from the arena, and connected to these tunnels were four wells 1.3 by 3.8 meters in the foundation of the building (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). ... The main water supply to the Coliseum, and indeed to Rome in general, was through the River Tiber (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). Other smaller streams, some seasonal in nature, were also utilized. The system through which water was conducted to the city and to Coliseum comprised of aqueducts, which were impressive concrete water channels supported by pillars and arches (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). Coliseum was supplied by the Aqua Claudia, commissioned by Emperor Claudius, the first aqueduct to be built, running eleven miles, in the year 312 B. C. (Ancient Roman Aqueducts). The source was the river. The channels were concrete in nature, supplemented by viaducts which were multi-tiered structures to help the water cross low areas (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). The aqueducts led to large covered basins which served as modern-day sedimentation tanks to collect the silt and dirt of the River water before it was supplied to the public (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). O nce cleaned, channels led from these catch basins to storage reservoirs in the city, either in the form of open free-flowing canals, or through led and terra-cotta pipes (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). From the reservoirs, water was supplied to the building through led pipes (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). These pipes were embedded in the walls and floor of the structure of Coliseum during its structure (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). It is estimated that five hundred thousand barrels of water flowed through these channels in twenty-four hours (Ancient Roman Aqueducts). Another method of water provision was through the collection of rain water (Colosseum Water and Sewer System). This was collected by concentric ducts and led through vertical pipes down the walls of Coliseum

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Research Methods Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research Methods Exercise - Assignment Example ter a lecture where some teachers purposefully used phrases like â€Å"this concept is difficult† and other teachers taught the lecture without this phrase, students completed a survey indicating their perceived level of difficulty of the content. Directions: Read the scenarios below and identify the following about each research study. One to two words or phrases are fine for answers. This exercise will prepare us for what is to come next week when we evaluate research studies! 1. Researchers wish to examine the behaviors of college students at local bars. They hire young graduate students and train them to go to local college bars every Thursday, Friday, & Saturday night for one month and record their observations of students. To be accurate, the graduate research assistants engage in conversations with the patrons and ask if they are college students. If so, they observe & record the number of drinks consumed and flirtatious behavior over the course of the night. At the end of the month, the graduate students turn in their observations which are synthesized into a descriptive summary of college student behavior at local bars. 2. Research out of the University of Washington examines what happens when students expect to be given alcohol but are actually given a placebo drink (non-alcoholic beverage that looks and tastes like alcohol but has no alcohol in it!). Students are invited to participate in the research study. Researchers then randomly assign students to one of four conditions: 1. expect alcohol/given alcohol; 2. expect alcohol/not given alcohol; 3. not expect alcohol/given alcohol; 4. not expect alcohol/not given alcohol (see the image below for clarification). Students are then instructed to come to the â€Å"Bar Lab† (a laboratory on campus designed to look like a bar; see image below) on their assigned day. Students in the expectation conditions are told that they will be given alcohol that day and then are either given the alcohol in group 1 or given

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Interracial Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interracial Marriage - Essay Example Over time, interracial marriage has evoked a number of sentiments. There have been differences on how this issue has been viewed traditionally as well as contemporarily. Conventionally, men of color who marry women outside their race are seen as individuals who want to break free from their own identities. For instance, David Mura’s Reflections of My Daughter convey the emotion of self-hate in a man of color who chose to marry a white woman (O’Hearn). On the other hand, popular culture belief asserts that interracial marriage represents genuine acceptance and love. The following discussions look into the contrast of traditional and popular culture belief regarding men of color who choose to wed outside their race (Option A). In a traditional sense, men who opt to marry women from another race deny their innermost identities. This recourse is somehow seen as cowardly since it could be a way of escaping the prejudices and other disadvantages caused by one’s color. Most elderlies frown at this occurrence since it negates patriotism. One way of showing respect and love to your culture and nation is by marrying someone from where you are. They may also assert that one way of strengthening a race is by making it pure. For instance, Mura expounded on how he has experienced racism as a man of color. By marrying a white woman, he can somehow elevate his social status in the eyes of many. Since marrying someone from another race involves giving up some ideals and certain cultural practices, this action is viewed as rebuffing ones heritage. One may need to compromise one’s culture and identity especially when meeting in-laws. Mura also had some misgivings as well as guilt about his daughter’s future. Being a mixed-raced child, there can be certain social challenges regarding â€Å"fitting-in†. Mura had thoughts on merely educating his daughter regarding one racial background to diminish identity confusion. However, this may not se em right. Furthermore, it may not also be denied that many speculate that individuals marry outside their race in order to escape their impoverished situations. For instance, a local may perceive that marrying a â€Å"white† man or woman is a ticket out of a ghetto neighborhood or it can provide an opportunity for some to enjoy greener pastures in certain first world countries. Conventionally, marriage between two kinds of cultures often presents various complications. The dissimilarities transcend to moral, socio-psychological, and other facets of living. Some of the conflicts are on communication styles, household supervision, and religious practices. Language is an extremely valuable component of any race. Aside from the vocabularies, gestures and enunciations constitute self-expression. When there is a struggle in these aspects, misunderstandings are quite likely to happen. Moreover, household supervision is most of the time influenced by the couples’ respective fa mily values. The differences in each other’s principles may lead to disagreements. Also, raising children with two or even three or more kinds of cultures proves to be complicated and confusing. The challenge is not only for the parents but for the children as well. In addition, one’s beliefs and religious views are usually affected by the already-set practices in one’s childhood. Hence, an interracial marriage may face problems when it comes to the differences in convictions. On the contrary, current views assert that one engages in interracial marriage because of altruism and other noble reasons. Nowadays, the number of people engaging in interracial marriage have been increasing. The present acceptance of this practice is quite in contrast with traditional social guidelines. Though some are still ambivalent or unsupportive

Friday, July 26, 2019

English Lexicon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Lexicon - Essay Example Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily thought of as a diminutive of Jennifer."1 Jane is the This name has many forms, and as such has many meanings within the English lexicon. A jenny is defined, by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, as either one of three things, the first two being derived from 1600 from the name Jenny: 1) a female bird, as in a jenny wren; 2) a female donkey; or 3) a spinning jenny, "an early multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton" (ca. 1783, derived from Jenny, a nickname for Jane).3 Jen is, in Chinese philosophy, "a compassionate love for humanity or for the world as a whole."4 There are multiple dictionary entries, however, for the word jane, which is based on the namesake Jane. One dictionary says that jane is slang for "a girl or a woman."5 The Free Dictionary claims that the word jane is a "coin of Genoa" or "any small coin"; also, a jane could be a "kind of twilled cotton cloth."6 There are other variations on the name Jane and usages of the name Jane. The name Jane Doe has become a part of the English lexicon in order to describe "an average or ordinary woman" or it can be "[u]sed as a name in legal proceedings to designate an unknown or unidentified woman or girl."7 Jane Doe was just a generic name, but it has taken a very popular turn in recent times, becoming part of the vocabulary of the general public. Mary Jane is slang for marijuana.8 Supposedly that name is associated with marijuana because you have Mary associated with mari- and Jane associated with -juana. That's understandable. Also adopted into the English lexicon by way of the name Jane is the term plain-Jane, which means "[l]acking adornment or pretension; basic or simple."9 The name Jean is also commonly used, which is feminine, and "Medieval English variant of JehanneIt was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century."10 The word jean, of course, has been introduced into the English lexicon, and has two meanings, according to the Free Dictionary. A jean can be either a "heavy, strong, twilled cotton, used in making uniforms and work clothes" or plural jeans, "[p]ants made of jean, denim, or another durable fabric."11 Secondly, what will be discussed is boys' names, or masculine names, which have been adapted into the lexicon. First we will begin by analyzing the name Peter. The name Peter is "[d]erived from the Greek (Petros) meaning 'stone'. This is a translation used in most versions of the New Testament of the name Cephas, meaning 'stone' in Aramaic, which was given to the apostle Simon by Jesus (compare Matthew 16:18 and John 1:42). Simon Peter was the most

Thursday, July 25, 2019

ANOVA Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANOVA Study - Coursework Example Or value 0 can be assigned to the negative (frustration and depression) moods and value ‘1’ can be assigned to the positive (happiness and calmness) moods. The three levels A, B and C are the groups which consists of three groups of people watching the above said three TV shows. The independent variable in this analysis is the type of TV show and the dependent variable is moods of the people. It is assumed that moods of the people depend on the type of the TV shows they are watching. Based on this assumption, null and alternative hypothesis are formulated. H0: u1=u2=†¦.=uk and Ha: all us are not equal. The F-ratio equals the mean square between groups divided by the mean square within groups. That is, Fobt= MS bn/ MSwn . When F-ratio is found significant, Fobt should be greater than 1 (Heiman, 2003). In our analysis, the results are found to be significant. That is, null hypothesis is rejected and alternative hypothesis is accepted. Type of TV shows has significant role in influencing people’s mood. For Post –hoc comparisons, t-test is conducted. From t-test, we can find out that which type of TV show is more significant role in influencing people’ moods. Among A, B or C, which one leads to the happiness and calmness of the people. In other words, which TV show plays role in leading the people’s moods to depression or frustration. When a factor is analyzed using independent samples in all conditions, it is called between-subjects factor. Our study make use of between-subjects factor ANOVA. The selection of our three sample groups are completely independent. We are gathering information from three different group of people watching different TV shows and hence our analysis is between-subjects factor

21st-century Organizations Face Different Challenges From Those of The Essay

21st-century Organizations Face Different Challenges From Those of The Past - Essay Example Environmental catastrophism is a result of changes in climate. Weather patterns keep changing and sea level keeps rising whenever there are changes in climate. It is estimated that gradual changes in weather could cause 40% of world population to fall into the risk of falling victims of limited natural resources like water, pasture, energy and cultivatable land (Easterling et al, 2000, p. 2070). The poor and the less influential people will have little or no control over resources thus likely to suffer due to lack. To be able to establish their position in the society, there is a high likelihood of eruptions of violence as more people fight for a share of the limited resources. To resolve the conflicts, governments will need to have negotiation traits if peaceful coexistence will be achieved once again. South America has already started facing the negative impact of globalization and climate change since there has been an increased threat to livelihoods of the poor. For instance, during the 2008 global recession, there was a significant increase in the use of food items in exchange for crude oils (Nazlioglu & Soytas, 2011, p. 490). That together with other global related issues led poor people in the south to suffer since most households could not afford the basics like food due to the high prices at the time. The blame was placed on the Northern governments who had failed to invest in alternative drivers of the economy like agriculture. This led to malnutrition among the poor hence causing a critical humanitarian crisis at least for the next few years. It is estimated that there are more than expected countries that have been exposed to political and economic conflicts that end up affecting accessibility to basic resources (Iqbal, 2006, p. 641). Developed countries have also imposed wars aimed at victimizing the poor countries hence leading to more devastation that influences the quality of life in poor countries.  

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Equity and Debt slp Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Equity and Debt slp - Assignment Example How this is important can be understood from the following example. While considering a small project needing investment of $10 million, the company ABC has several alternatives beforehand. It has been forecast that the project is likely to generate operating profit of $3 million in a year excluding interest charge against debt portion of the capital. The company has two alternatives to fund the required investment. The company may choose 100% equity means all money will be provided by the shareholders. The company may issue 10 million shares to its shareholders each having a par value of $1. In another alternative, the company may choose 50% equity and 50% debt to fund the investment. Debt is available to the company at 10% interest rates to be paid annually. It will be interesting to see how the earnings per share of the company are affected in both situations. It is amply clear from the above chart that by incorporating debt to funding the project the firm has been able to enhance its earnings per share resulting into higher valuation in market place. By applying the same P/E multiple, the company’s equity valuation is higher by 66% when the project is funded with the debt equity ratio of 1:1 instead of 100% equity. But this does not mean that debt can be raised to any level to enhance the company valuation. The higher the debt means the higher interest burden on the company. This also means that if the project is not able to pay its interest costs as usually happens in severe recession then the project will be in jeopardy due to higher interest burden. This also means that project must choose an appropriate mix of debt and equity depending upon its profitability and industry norms. Considering an investment project of $150m that is capable of generating 5m and 10m of operating profits before interest payments in its first two years of operations is likely to suffer from liquidity issues when it adopts its funding

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Theology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Theology - Case Study Example Even though, I understand that this is a matter which people need to decide for themselves, I am a little troubled that this point of view was not even regarded to be significant. In my view, it calls into question the value of the notes as it is tough to envision going through the Bible separated from Gods authority and influence on the world. It is an excellent counterpart to the NIV version of the bible, which offers a reader a more religious perspective, for instance offering proof that Timothy was composed by one person derived from similarities in the text all through (Meeks 1750). Again, a person must make up their own mind, but the NIV version does grant both viewpoints. A person would want to know more concerning the historical information, as well as a peep into what the new texts must say. However, for studying Gods will for man, as well as how to establish a closer relationship with Him, I would advise people to go through the NIV version of the Bible than

Monday, July 22, 2019

A Revelation to me Essay Example for Free

A Revelation to me Essay When I was a kid, I got almost anything I wanted. I had travelled to China and seen the Great Wall. I travelled to Brisbane to see the Coral Reef and I even travelled to Italy and saw places like the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel. However, to me, Singapore was the be all and end all of the world. I had lived there for 11 years and all my wants and needs were met on that small island. I could walk anywhere without worrying about getting kidnapped. I could take a taxi and not worry about the driver cheating you. I could even leave the house 10 minutes for a lesson and not worry about being late. I had a lovely school, a nice group of international friends and moreover a house in a pristine location. All was good. One day, my dad was at work and my brother was at a sleepover. My mother took me to my favorite restaurant at that timeMcDonalds. I knew something was fishy, because I hadnt done anything good, but I went along with it. Then she brought me a FULL Meal. Hmmmmsuspicious but I again parried it off. Then she upsized it. Ok! Something was wrong. So when I went to the table to eat my Upsized, full meal of McDonalds, I asked my mum Whats going on? Whats the special occasion? And she replied, Nothing Rushad. Cant we just have a mother, son outing? I looked at her in the eye and I could tell something was wrong. Ok, fine. She said. Paused. Took a bite from her burger. Swallowed. Then said We are moving from Singapore. Dont lie. I laughed. You cant be serious! MUM! But she just shook her head, like a bothered elephant and said Im sorry. But I dont want to move. And she told me the words I will never forget: Life is like McDonalds. One day you get the Big Mac, whilst others you just get simple Chicken Nuggets. However, sometimes, you only get whats available and have no say in the matter. Do you think a chicken wants to be killed to fill your stomach? Or a cow slaughtered to fill you up? No, sometimes, you have to accept defeat and walk along the path your life has chosen. This was a turning point in my life. I realized that in life, you dont always get what you wanted. Fortunately, some people learn this in simple ways such as not winning the game you wanted, or not getting that pretty girl to go out with you. Unfortunately for me, I learnt this the hard way. Leaving all that I knew behind, to start a fresh life in Jakarta. Sometimes you only want something, like staying in Singapore, because its the safe way out. However, moving to Jakarta was a risk and a scary adventure.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Corrosion Inhibition of Metal Using Lawsonia Inermis Extract

Corrosion Inhibition of Metal Using Lawsonia Inermis Extract Introduction Metal and alloy are widely used in various fields of industries. It’s commonly used in big industries such as manufacturing, processing and others. But metal and alloy used tend to face the corroded state due to the exposure to different chemical and substances that can lead to the corrosion. This phenomenon has become important especially in acidic media because of the increased industrial applications of acid solutions. For examples in industrial refining crude oil, acid pickling, industrial cleaning, acid descaling, oil-well acid in oil recovery and the petrochemical processes. Corrosion happens when the equipment surface was attacked by a strong acid. So in order to prevent the corrosion happen, inhibitors have been used to reduce the rate of metal corrosion. Corrosion inhibitor is a chemical that can slow down the acid attacked which can lead to the corrosion on the drill pipe, tubing or any other metal that contacted with acid during treatment. This chemical when added even in small concentration on corrosive media, it will prevent the reaction between metal and media. Many studies have been carried out to find the suitable compound that can be used as inhibitors. These studies reported that, both synthetic compound and plant extract can be used as corrosion inhibitors. But, usage synthetic compound as inhibitor has been limited. Most of them are highly toxic to both human and environmental. Therefore, non-toxic and natural inhibitors such as plant extract have been used because of their environmentally acceptable, readily available and renewable source. One of the plant extract that have been used as inhibitor is Lawsonia inermis (henna leaves) extract. Henna is an herb which has dyeing properties used in Asia and North Africa. Inhibitive action of henna extract as a cheap, eco-friendly and naturally occurring inhibition on some metal such as aluminium, iron, zinc and nickel in acidic, neutral and alkaline solution has been investigated. Literature Review In order to avoid from use synthetic compound, there are other alternative compound which can be used as an inhibitor. Previous research has been carried out and proved that plant extract can be use in corrosion inhibition. Plant extract consists of chemical compositions lead to prevent metal from corroded. But Buchweishaija (2008) state that among of the plant extract, Lawsonia inermis (henna leaves) was the good one due to the high inhibition efficiency of henna leaves extract. Furthermore, the large amount of henna leaves exist which makes it easy to find it in the Asia and North Africa. Also the most important thing is the unique chemical composition present in Lawsonia inermis by functioning as an inhibitor.    Chemical Composition of Henna Leaves Research was carried out to determine the chemical composition contain in henna leaves that can act as corrosion inhibitor. It has been discovered that henna leaves contain soluble matter, Lawsone (2- Hydroxyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, C10H6O3), gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, C7H6O5) and dextrose (ÃŽ ±-D-Glucose, C6H12O6) (Ostovari et al., 2009). Henna leaves also contain other chemical such as resin, coumarins, sterols and tannin (Ostovari et al., 2009). The main components of henna extract are hydroxy aromatic compound like tannin and Lawsone. Tannin or also known as tannic acid present with a core glucose and methyl gallate groups (El-Etre et al., 2005). Tannin which acts as an inhibitor attributes the formation of a passivating layer of tannates on the metal surface (Boot Mercer, 1964). Besides, Lawsone also a main part of henna extract that had been mentioned earlier. The structure of Lawsone is shown in Figure 2.1 below. Figure 2.1: Lawsone structure (C10H6O3) (Hamdy Nour, 2012) The Figure 2.1 above shows that, Lawsone structure consists of benzene, p-benzoquinone and phenolic group (Abdolahi Shadizadeh, 2012). By looking at the structure in Lawsone, we can know that henna extract is an organic compound and the IUPAC name for the Lawsone structure is 2-hydroxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone (Rajedran et al., 2009). Lawsone molecule is a ligand that can chelate with various metal cations and then forming a complex compound. So it can perform corrosion inhibition on metal through absorption method (Ostovari et al., 2009). Mechanism of inhibition The mechanism of inhibition involves blocking metal surface by inhibiting through adsorption. Adsorption process is affected by nature of metal and chemical structure of the inhibitor (Ostovari et al., 2009). The obtain results from previous studies indicate that Lawsonia inermis extract achieve good inhibition for the corrosion of any metal such as C-steel, nickel, and zinc in various mediums of solution (El-Etre et al.,2005). To perform the inhibitory action, there are some components in henna extract which will act as inhibitors. As had been stated earlier, the main components of Lawsonia inermis extract are hydroxy aromatic compound which consists tannin and Lawsone (El-Etre et al., 2005). Both tannin and Lawsone have its own function and mechanism to perform the inhibition action between the metal and henna extract successfully. Tannin The first component is tannin. The inhibitive action of tannin was ascribed to the establishment of a passivating layer of tannates on the metal surface (Rajagopalan et al., 1969; Booth Mercer, 1964). The formation of complex compounds with different metal cations can be form by tannin component especially in the basic media. El-Etre et al. (2005) reported that the formation of tannin complexes may be working well for the inhibition in the alkaline media rather than acidic solution it because tannins are limited inhibition in acidic media. Thus, tannin component in Lawsonia inermis extract is suitable to use in the manufacture of anti-rusting paints and coating. Lawsone The other main element in the Lawsonia inermis extract is Lawsone which has higher concentration than other elements. Lawsone molecule is a ligand that can chelate with metal cations which will form complex compounds. Ligands typically consist in organic compound. Insoluble complex was formed when metal cations combine with Lawsone molecule and it was absorbed on the metal surface. This is how Lawsone compound give inhibition action to the metal. There is such method that can prove the formation of metal complex which the method is conductometric titration.                           Mechanism of Conductometric Titration Method Often, conductometric titration was conducted to obtain substantial support for the formation of metal complex (Amin, 2002). Several procedures were conducted to confirm the formation of metal complexes. Conductance measurement was carried out with a Jenway 4510 conductivity meter. Lawsonia inermis extract was titrated in separated experiments with some metal in solutions that have different pH value. As the result of the titration, non-complexes of metal ion was reacted with reagent first which leads it to a reduction in the conductivity of the solution. However, the higher amount of ligand (henna extract) does not change the value of conductivity (Ostovari et al., 2009). These results signify that the formation of metal-complex through the chelation of Lawsone molecules and the metal cations with stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 and 2:1 as shown in Figure 2.2. Figure 2.2: Forms of Metal-Lawsonia complexes (El-Etre et al., 2005) So, it can be conclude that the inhibition action of Lawsone was happen and prove that henna leaves extract can act as inhibitor (Abdolahi Shadizadeh, 2012).                  Mechanism of Lawsone Rearrangement In the acidic solution or known as acidic media, aromatic compound whose structure include a cyclic delocalized Ï€-electron system are susceptible to electron delocalization, especially a ring containing only carbon such as benzene (Lide, 2006). Delocalization of Ï€-electron is to stabilize the molecule. As the bond angles of carbon in benzene are trigonal (sp2), then the ring become flat. So these angles just fit the 120o angles of a regular hexagon and this flatness allow the overlap of the p-orbitals in both directions that lead the delocalization and stabilization (Marrison Boyd, 1983). So that’s why it needs delocalization to stabilize the structure. In the other situation of Lawsone molecule in acidic media, delocalization of the lone pair of electrons on hydroxyl group takes place resulting in the rearrangement as shown in Figure 2.3. Figure 2.3: Process of electron delocalization on the Lawsone molecule (Ostovari et al., 2009) The migration of the hydrogen atom with a pair of electrons from an adjacent carbon to the carbon bearing caused the rearrangement occur. Carbon that loses the migrating group obtained the positive charge. This is the most common kind of the rearrangement which known as 1,2- rearrangement. Then, with the existence of metal cations, it will enhance the complex formation of reaction (Ostovari et al., 2009). Then the complex formation reaction of rearrangement was enhanced by adding henna extract in solution. So, the metal complexes are stabilized. The formation of these stabilized complexes between Lawsone molecule and metal cations give the high inhibition efficiencies in acidic media. Besides, Mikhael et al (2004) reported that henna constituent has antioxidant characteristic particularly by the naphthoquinones. It also state that, gallic acid also can be used as an oxygen scavenger in boiler system (Soderquist, 1990). Therefore, the oxygen scavenger characteristic of henna extract was attributed to another mechanism for inhibition. However in the acidic media, the main cathodic reaction at the surface is a hydrogen evaluation (Ait Chikh et al., 2005). Hence, the oxygen scavenging characteristic of henna is not the main responsible mechanism for the observed inhibition of henna extract. In addition, it is confirmed that the inhibition mechanism is the chemisorption of inhibitor molecule on the metal surface and it had been verified through thermodynamic parameter and conductometric titration. So as a conclusion, the main inhibitor mechanism chemisorption is through the chemisorption of inhibitor molecules on metal surface. While, the inhibitive action slightly enh anced through oxygen scavenging. (Ostovori et al, 2009). Comparison Henna Extract with Other Inhibition There is another organic compound that can be used as inhibitor besides henna extract. Previous studies has been conducted to test the inhibition efficiency of henna and five other organic compound inhibitor used in acidizing treatment. Table 2.1 show the result of inhibition efficiency of these six inhibitors. Table 2.1: Inhibition efficiency of MEA, DEA, TEA, and henna API steel (Abdollahi Shadizade, 2012) Refer to the Table 2.1 above; the inhibition efficiency was compared between Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamines (DEA), Triethanolamines (TEA), Dibenzylidene acetone (DBA), Di-N-dimethylaminobenzylidene acetone (DDABA) and henna. The inhibition efficiency of MEA, DEA, TEA and henna at temperature 28oC are 82%, 80%, 78% and 85.98% respectively. Based on the result, it shows that henna has the higher inhibition efficiency than MEA, DEA and TEA. Morever as shown in Table 2.1, the inhibition efficiency of henna extract at 28oC is higher than inhibition efficiency of DDABA with 73.8% IE. Furthermore result also shown that inhibition concentration of henna extract is less than all inhibitors with the same temperature eventhough it have higher inhibition efficiency. So we can conclude that, with the small concentration of henna leaves extract, it can act as inhibitor with higher inhibition efficiency rather than other listed inhibitors which have larger concentration but average of inhibition efficiency is low than henna extract. In addition, research still focused to the amount of henna leaves extract in order to apply it in industries as now the amount of henna is quiet small to apply it. So, the experimental must be conducted by using larger amount of henna leaves and various metals Problem Statement Nowadays, metal and alloy are widely used in various industries especially in manufacturing and processing. But the problem is the metals used tend to faced corrosive when the surface of equipment attacked by strong acid media or any other media. But mostly, acidic media are the main causes for corrosive to happen due to the increasing of industrial application an acid solution. So in order to prevent from corrosion of metal, inhibitor has been used. However the use of synthetic compound as inhibitor is extremely dangerous either to the body and the environment due to the toxicity. Thus, studies are conducted to find the non-toxic and natural inhibitors. The study shows that plant extract can be used as corrosion inhibitor. One of them is henna leaves extract. Besides being environmentally acceptable and readily available, henna leaves extract also cheap as it’s easy to find in Asia and North Africa and renewable sources. Objectives There are few objectives that has been studies in order to solve corrosion phenomenon and carried out the research on corrosion inhibitor of metal by using Lawsonia inermis extract. The objectives are: Study of corrosion inhibition of metal by using henna leaves extract. Analysis mechanism of inhibition towards metal. Investigate the differences between henna leaves extract with other inhibitor.

The Walt Disney company

The Walt Disney company Questions: Did Disney still have a coherent strategy for its business mix? No. Its mix of creative production, business expansion and marketing was hampered by financial restraints and increased competition between divisions. Did Eisners 20% growth target still make sense, particularly when Disney faced ever-increasing competition across all its businesses? No. The expansion of the market previously cornered by Disney had become a threat. The market share was stratified. With the creative teams facing difficult management guidelines it was challenging to create new innovative products. Further, Disney would reduce marketing ventures to cut costs. Disneys expansion into other ventures, such as television and non-animated based film distribution and production, were high-risk, high-reward ventures. While some of these high-risks were successful they further deviated from the core ideals and products of Disney. They also did not offer the type of cross-promotion and marketing opportunities previously provided through the standard Disney brand. Can Disney be run [successfully] by single person? No. Eisner attempted to be both a leader and a manager. Disney required a manager who could balance and shape the different divisions while encouraging Eisners vision of a holistic organization. Does Eisner need to change his approach to running his entertainment empire? No. Eisners primary strategy involved synergy, both vertically and horizontally. Eisners idea of synergy includes cross-marketing and branding. This is successful amongst the core of Disney activities and products, such as theme parks, licensed characters, and branded items (such as toys). The vertical component of the core brand involved the distribution and production aspect of Disney an ability to leverage costs. This was a successful strategy. However the expansion of Disney into other entertainment venues proved challenging. There were limited opportunities to cross-market television production with other parts of the company (Disney movies on TV). There was not an opportunity to brand a live action films via the integrated, synergistic marketing systems at the core of the company. For every ESPN spawning a restaurant there was a ABC television show with no ability to expand revenue beyond its initial value. Introduction In 1923 Walter Elias Disney moved to Hollywood, California where he founded the Disney Brothers Studio (Disney) with his brother Roy. The company suffered a rocky start; however the creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928 and the introduction of synchronized sound provided Walt the momentum he needed to get the company moving forward. The success of utilizing synchronized sound taught the Disney brothers how technology would be a key factor in growth. The ground-breaking full-length feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs began Disneys foray into the licensing of its products. Brand management became a fundamental ideal at Disney. As the company released more successful films it realized the value of a holistic marketing approach. Disney diversified its holdings creating a conglomerate including Walt Disney Music Company and Buena Vista Distribution. Disneys goal was to management their ventures from beginning to end. Cross-marketing and branding continued to be fundamental concepts in Disneys endeavors, including its investment in theme parks and television programming. Over the next decades all new divisions were a part of Disneys large scale marketing machine. Each division fed each products and creative outlets. However as creativity dwindled due to financial pressure the company suffered Disney required products to maintain its market share. When Michael Eisner took the helm at Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Disney in 1984 he sought to again instill Walt Disneys original concept into the company. He announced a goal of growing Disney shareholder equity (net worth) 20% per year. Eisner believed in â€Å"managing creativity,† or encouraging development divisions to work collaboratively with business divisions. Eisner understood Walts initial management concept of balancing the corporate ideals of â€Å"quality, entrepreneurship, and teamwork.† Eisner pushed the Disney to heavily reinvest in its original products, such as television production and films. With Disney solidifying its market share it was free to undertake new ventures in live action films, high tech animation production, and new theme parks. Eisner utilized these new ventures in the same manner Walt built his company cross-marketing and brand management. But as Eisner expanded the company to meet his annual net worth rate of growth Disney undertook a number of high-risk/high-reward ventures. As the conglomerate grew Eisners micro-management style was unable to produce the success it once had attained. Further discussion of marketing. Growth/How Disney grew (theme parks, etc) How Disney changed acquisition of other organizations/firms Nature of the Problem Suffered a major slump starting in 1994 until the turn of the century. 1994-2000, lost several high-level executives Eisner took on sole leadership of the organization Synergy did not account for the â€Å"culture† of new acquisitions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When merging firms/media ie Touchstone Television from NY to LA (p12). Seen as â€Å"traditional† Alternatives of the Firm Overall idea for all alternatives is that 20% growth is unreasonable. Growth rate should be development on a medium term scale 5 years at a time. Status Quo Disney continues with Eisner at the helm and no President to work in finance, mediation, and labor relations. Continues current strategy of controlling costs and placing a financial check on division managers. One Company Two Major Divisions Separate Entertainment Divisions into Adult (ABC Television, Touchstone, Hyperion Books) and Childrens (Buena Vista television, distribution, publishing and theme parks) New Leadership Use Eisner to continue synergy through the hiring of an experience President/COO. Fire Eisner and establish a new management that is experienced in large conglomerates and cross-marketing Return to Basics creativity, animation, stories w/good morals The green movement Religion/wars/differences Take more international theme and Marketing Concepts Brand Management Cross-Promotion/Marketing Holistic Management of Product Recommendations Combination of New Leadership and One Company/Two Divisions. Bring in President/COO to work with divisions. Release creative divisions from strong-armed financial management to increase opportunity for cross-promotion. Separate company into two primary factions to preserve the Disney name one related to family entertainment.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Immortal :: essays research papers

THEIMMORTAL  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By:me n ur .............  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I read the book called the immortal by Christofer Pike. The story takes place in an island Greco in Greece. It is a great island and is mostly for tourism. But near that island about 5 miles away from Greco is a sacred island of Delos which attracts many tourists. It is sacred because its very old and there are prehistoric ruins everywhere on it. But the main reason it is sacred is because many believe Zeus the all powerful god was born there.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are 4 main characters. Two at the start and than there are two more. The two girls who are coming to the island to have a great time are Helen and Josie. They are best friends. Josies dad is a writter of movies in Hollywood and her parents are separated but she lives with her dad. Helen comes from a middle class family with not close to as much money as Josie dad has but her parents do everything they can to keep her happy. Helen also visited the island last summer. Then later in the story the are joined by two guys who they meet in a bar. They are Tom and Pascal. Tom is an English boy who goes to Oxford. Pascal is a French guy who is Toms very good friend. They both come to the island every year to work and catch some pretty girls. There are a whole lot of beaches and even nude beaches all over the island. They all start going out Tom with Josie and Helen with Pascal.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict of the story I think was man VS man because at the end they found out who each of them were for real. It turned out that Josie was a goddess of good and Helen was a goddess of bad. Helen did try to kill Josie and Tom but Josie saved Tom but died herself. So I think the conflict was between Helen and Josie so that makes the conflict be man VS man. Josie found out about her so called best friend that she was a bad person who killed Josies privoous boyfriend and killed her. Josie found that out to late to do any thing against it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I think that it was a great book like every single book by Christofer Pike. But I think what liked the most was his decriptions of everything.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Colosseum and the Speckles Organ Pavilion :: Compare Architecture Architectural Essays

Colosseum and the Speckles Organ Pavilion The city of San Diego has always been a popular site for tourists. Balboa Park is one of the main tourist sites that is home to an enormous collection of art, history and science museums, galleries, and the old globe theatres and the world famous San Diego zoo. Many of these buildings and musuems are based on Aztec and Spanish architecture. Unlike other buildings in Balboa Park, the Speckles Organ Pavilion has a unique blend of ancient Roman and western architecture. The Pavilion was designed by architecture Harrison Albright in 1914, a native San Diego. The Pavilion has remarkable resemblance to the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Although the Organ Pavilion and the Colosseum are not exact duplicates, they are alike in basic structure format and share a purpose for similar contributions to the city. The Colosseum was an enormous entertainment center. Roman audiences watched a variety of athletic events and spectacles, including animal hunts, fights to the death between gladiators or between gladiators and wild animals, performances of trained animals and acrobats, and even mock sea battle. The colosseum is designed in an oval shape, like many stadiums today, and seats up to 50,000 spectators. The concrete core, with its vaulted corridors and stair ways is devised to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the arena. The semi-circle outer walls of the Colosseum consist of three levels, the three Classical orders are superimposed according to their "weight": Doric, the oldest, on the first level, it's followed by the Ionic, then the third level the Corinthian capitals. These are the basic structures of the Colosseum in Rome. The Organ Pavilion is not a exact duplicate nor does it look anything like the Colosseum. There are some similarities between the the two architecture. For instance, the stage is elevated beneath a detailed arch, the arms "a Corithian peristyle effect" that curve out on the south side to encircle the outdoor audience. Along the arms are two row of 12 Corithian columns on each side. There are no vaults that are formed, the roof top is flat. This creates a walk way leading to the stage. The amphitheater can seat up to 2400 people. The seats are metal seats laid across a flat plane. This was hard for people in the back to see from the back because the seats were not elevated from the back.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Avoidance of Prophecy :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Avoidance of Prophecy in Oedipus Rex    Oedipus Rex illustrates the Greek concept that trying to circumvent prophetsÕ predictions is futile. The play includes three main prophecies: the one made to Laius concerning his death by the hands of his son, a similar one directed to Oedipus, and one made by Tiresias foretelling OedipusÕ discovery of the murdererÕs identity. Both recipients of these oracles attempt to avoid their destinies, but both wind up following the paths which the Fates have prescribed. Laius had received a prophesy which declares Ã’that doom would strike him at the hands of [his] son....Ó Jocasta, in an attempt to ease OedipusÕ worries, endeavors to defame prophesy in general by describing LaiusÕ apparent circumvention of the augury. When LaiusÕ son wasnÕt yet three days old, the king had the infantÕs ankles fastened together, and then gave the boy to a henchman to be flung onto Ã’a barren, trackless mountainÓ; Jocasta believes her son dead. Laius had believed that by killing his only son, he would be able to avoid the oracleÕs prediction. However, the shepherd entrusted with the terrible task of infanticide pitied the baby and gave him to another shepherd, who, in turn, donated the child to the King and Queen of Corinth. The boy, Oedipus, was raised as the son of King Polybus and Queen Merope, and still believes himself to be their issue even as Jocasta relates the ironic story of his own previous Ã’death.Ó Oedipus, of course, finds out that it was indeed his own, true father, Laius, that he has killed at the crossroads at Phocis. LaiusÕ attempt at foiling fate didnÕt work; Oedipus killed him because of a slight insult. Because Laius felt to shameful to kill the infant himself, he took a risk in hoping that his loyal shepherd would murder the child for him. That risk allowed Oedipus to live and, therefore, to kill his own father without knowing his true identity. Had Laius not attempted to have his newborn 1 killed, the boy still would have caused his fatherÕs death somehow, because the oracles are never wrong, and most Greeks realize thereÕs no way to escape fate. Oedipus also tries to avoid his fate, which he had received from ApolloÕs oracle at Delphi. While Oedipus lived as Prince of Corinth, a drunken

PowerPoint Evil

From this very first sentence you can clearly see how he feels about the program PowerPoint, and slideware in general. Tufte effectively makes his point by explaining, PowerPoint presentations are ineffective because, they present very little information per slide, it has a boring and pushy style, over the top colors and display, and its preprogramed data graphs are pointless (Tufte539). He uses lots of numbers and facts to persuade us that PowerPoint is an ineffective public speaking tool. One of his main points based on logos is each slide has little nformation (Tufte 539).He says, each slide typically shows 20 words in a school setting, 20 words is about 10 seconds of silent reading (Tufte 539). That's only 30 seconds or so of reading for a week of school (Tufte 539). â€Å"Now with power points being so overused in the classroom†, Tufte says, students would be better off if the schools simply shut down†¦ † (539). With each slide having so little information many slides are needed to Just slightly touch on a subject, thus your audience is relentlessly hit with an endless amount of slides (Tufte 539).Another play on Logos Tufte makes is with so many slides required in a PowerPoint presentation to convey a useful amount of information, the presentation is going to be boring. Most people will say they have never sat through a memorable PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint tries to combat this with making its slides any color and design you could possibly think of, in Microsoft's hope all the color and designs will keep your audience captivated. However, Tufte explained if your content is boring, adding color and design to it will not make it exciting (540).An even worse ffect comes from PowerPoint giving its users so many creative options, sometimes, PowerPoint users will go so far with color and design that their audience will be so distracted by the PowerPoint's outlandish design that they are completely distracted from the information it is displaying. Something Tufte explains is, PowerPoint presentations try and somewhat assert its dominance over the audience (539). It's almost like a sales pitch as Tufte describes it (539). Tufte even says, â€Å"PowerPoints pushy style seeks to set up a speaker's dominance over the audience† (Tufte 539).Even the name has an element of dominance over the audience (Tutte 5 erPoint does this even tuture witn its graphs. â€Å"Straightforward tables turn into a mess of color and wasted space†¦ † says Tufte (539). â€Å"The data explodes into six separate chaotic slides, consuming 2. 9 times the area of the table† (Tufte 539). He states the information is almost made useless with all the color, encoded legends, and branding (Tufte 539). He even goes so far as to label the sample pictures of graphs on page 540 as, â€Å"BAD. PowerPoint chartJunk: smarmy, chaotic, incoherent† (Tufte 540).Tufte makes it clear how much he dislikes PowerPoint, he is even sound s emotional by the tone he is writing in. This play on pathos is another way he is persuading his of the evils of PowerPoint. His tone of voice is almost upset, his first few sentences are about being lied to and deceived. This upset tone of voice continues throughout the entire text. His tone is most prevalent in his quotes such as, â€Å"Particularly disturbing is the adoption of†¦ â€Å", â€Å"Everything is wrong with these smarmy, incoherent graphs†¦ † and, â€Å"one damn slide after another† (Tufte 539).His udience are people who come into contact with PowerPoint regularly, this is mostly the age group 15 to about 50. This is a big audience, because almost everyone comes into contact with PowerPoint about every day, if not multiple times a day. It's used almost everywhere someone would have access to an computer, schools, businesses, offices, anywhere someone needs to display information to a group of people (539). He wants everyone that is exposed to PowerPoint to know if you are presenting a PowerPoint to someone, you are not respecting them, as his quote, â€Å"Respect your udience†, displays (Tufte540).However, a more specific audience he is trying to reach and display his opinions to would be teachers. He expressed how he felt about PowerPoints in schools, he felt they were almost always useless, so if teachers read this text, they might take another look at the effectiveness of PowerPoints and maybe even look for other alternatives. One of Tufte's main goals of this text is to fix the problem of ineffective teaching in schools with PowerPoint. Tufte makes the majority of his argument with logos, he uses lots of facts, logic, nd numbers to convince us PowerPoint is not an effective speaking tool.His Pathos is in the form of his tone, very upset and even frustrated about how widely PowerPoint is being used. Even though he uses little Ethos, he makes a convincing argument. If a large sum of PowerPoint users were to rea d this, they would agree that PowerPoint has been over uses and might call for a worldwide product recall. Tufte, Edward. â€Å"PowerPoint Is Evil PowerPoint Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely. † The Call To Write. 6th. Ed. John Trimbur. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2014. 538-540. pnnt.