Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Sherlock Holmes A Scandal in Bohemia Essays

Sherlock Holmes A Scandal in Bohemia Essays Sherlock Holmes A Scandal in Bohemia Paper Sherlock Holmes A Scandal in Bohemia Paper Present day perusers would appreciate Sherlock Holmes in view of the conclusions toward the finish of every story. In the narrative of A Scandal in Bohemia, Holmes uncovers all to Watson and how he was uncovered by a lady and that he himself found the image that the King of Bohemia so frantically needed back. This isn't anyway the main explanation regarding why present day perusers would appreciate the di nouements, the way Conan-Doyle clarifies each di nouement with straightforwardness however yet in a powerful way. On the off chance that this was not anyway the circumstance and Conan-Doyle never presented the di nouement, at that point the perusers could never discover the closure as Holmes never parts with it during the story. The utilization of the di nouement develops anticipation and fervor as you realize that soon enough the plot will be disentangled and the splendid manner by which Holmes unravels the wrongdoing will be uncovered. My penultimate point is the manner by which Holmes fathomed the violations in task and what strategies he used to do it in. Holmes shows this consummately in The Speckled Band, when he and Dr Watson look at the presumed room and afterward sit in the neglected house and hold up until night has fallen. During the night the two of them go into the speculated room and see the snake sent by Dr Grimesby Roylott which prompted the demise of his own stepdaughter. This is actually what Holmes thought would occur. In all the violations he understands he is continually ready to overstep the law, by either intruding on private land or taking care of unlawful guns or in any event, consuming medications, for example, cocaine. This demonstrates his assurance to settle the specific wrongdoing close by and shows that he will go to any level to do this, and gives the peruser understanding into how Holmes fabulous and entangled brain functions all through the tales. The finishing up part to this paper shows the detail that Conan-Doyle uses to depict the day by day life of Holmes and furthermore gives incredible knowledge into the period detail, for example, general life in London and the open vehicle accessible around then. The broad detail that Conan Doyle uses to depict life in London and the vehicle accessible ends up being an all out complexity from what cutting edge life in London resembles. It is likewise entrancing finding out pretty much the entirety of the various clubs and lairs accessible around then to join, for instance Opium Dens and Gentleman Clubs. The job of ladies found in Sherlock Holmes was average of that time, as ladies were a lot of subordinate to men; anyway Conan Doyle makes a character absolved from this speculation, called Irene Adler. A cutting edge peruser would appreciate this insight concerning London as it furnishes them with knowledge about how London worked more than one hundred years prior. It additionally remarks on day by day life for the two people and what there was for the working and privileged to appreciate. The characters of Holmes and Watson end up being if not the best wrongdoing settling couple ever to of arrived at our own one of a kind eyes. Recorded as a hard copy about Holmes and Watson, Conan Doyle made a model which has enlivened numerous cutting edge scholars, for example, the scandalous pair Batman and his sidekick Robin and all the more as of late, Jonathan Creek and his associate Madeline. This shows the ageless idea of Holmes and Watson as they despite everything exhibit to be the first wrongdoing unraveling group and in my eyes truly outstanding around.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Life is like a box of chocolates Essay

From the start the statement ‘life resembles a container of chocolates seems’ rather senseless. How could such an enormous and convoluted idea, for example, life be contrasted with something as little and basic as a case of chocolates? There have been two restricting perspectives concerning the significance of this statement, and every perspective happens by an alternate examination of what life and chocolates speak to just as what they mean in today’s world. The end to the inquiry can just happen through an intensive assessment of the statement itself alongside its potential entailments to perceive what the two gatherings of individuals esteem significant and what they decide to overlook. The two contentions appear to function admirably to counter the other and show the defects in the different explanation’s hypothesis. As indicated by the World Book Encyclopedia, life is ‘a state, presence, or standard of presence considered as having a place with the soul.’ Most individuals, when examined concerning life would not have an extremely clear or brief answer since life isn't something that is entirely substantial. When all is said in done life is viewed as everything that happens to an individual from the second they are destined to the second beyond words. The entirety of their communications with the world and the entirety of their musings and activities. There doesn't appear to be any arrangement or request to these occasions, simply everything that occurs. Everything. Life is a long procedure with great, awful and unconcerned focuses. As indicated by the World Book Encyclopedia, a case is ‘a compartment, typically with four hardened sides, a base, and a top to pack or put things in,’ and chocolate is ‘a substance made by cooking and granulating cacao seeds.’ A case of chocolates would consistently be a holder which holds cacao items. A logical dismemberment of a container of chocolates would show a crate (normally rectangular or heart formed) loaded up with somewhere in the range of one to many little, exclusively wrapped chocolates. Typically the kind of chocolate and the filling of every individual shifts inside a given bundle. In America in any case, a crate of chocolates implies significantly more then this straightforward expansion of definitions and a direct visual investigation would persuade. A case of chocolates, in our referent framework, is an image. It for the most part symbolizesâ love, and through metonymy, has been made to mean love. At the point when an endowment of a case of chocolates is given on Valentine’s Day, it more than represents love, it really implies love. The implications have gotten obscured throughout the years as chocolate has become a standard blessing. It's anything but a unique idea to give somebody chocolate, yet progressively a methods for indicating love. Not a demonstration of adoration, however simply an outflow of affection. The principal gathering of individuals for the most part finish the analogy ‘life resembles a crate of chocolates’ with the end ‘you never recognize what you’re going to get.’ This gathering sees all the implications of life and of the container of chocolates and saw the best arrangement as that both throughout everyday life, and in chocolates, there is haphazardness and an absence of request. At the point when an individual leaves the front entryway of his home on a Monday morning, it is highly unlikely for him to know whether he is going to locate a hundred dollar greenback tucked under his mat, or a huge meteor that has fallen and squashed his vehicle. It’s difficult to know whether daily will be a decent day or a terrible day, you simply realize that it will be a day. Similar remains constant for eating a container of chocolates. At the point when you open a case of chocolates, there are columns of non-separated chocolates. They all appear to be identical, but you realize some are loaded up with cream, some with caramel and some with coconut. At the point when you get one, much like when the man opens his front entryway, it is highly unlikely of knowing whether you will get a decent chocolate (cream) or an awful chocolate (coconut), you simply know you’ll get a chocolate. For the two models it won't be anything but difficult to discern whether it was fortunate or unfortunate until the chocolate, or the day, has been finished. No one can really tell what will occur. The second gathering of individuals for the most part finish the comparison ‘life resembles a case of chocolates’ with the end ‘a negligent spur of the moment blessing that no one truly wants.’ This gathering takes up a contradicting examination and says that the significant piece of chocolates isn't the haphazardness of them inside the bundle, however rather the image that individuals don’t truly think throughout everyday life, except rather simply proceed as they are relied upon to. Since chocolates have come to mean love, individuals not, at this point do imaginative things to communicate their adoration. They straightforward purchase chocolates. When the chocolates are conveyed, at that point what. Individuals don’t really need the chocolates, they need the affection. Since the chocolatesâ have accepted the importance of affection, the chocolates themselves go to squander. Who needs to eat their affection? Rather than being eaten promptly, as chocolates are genuinely expected to be, they are appeared to companions and family members, and in the long run put on a rack or in a bureau. They will get eaten in the event that somebody shows want, yet it’s not significant. Under this translation, life is silly and simply for appear. Individuals don’t do things since it is the thing that they feel that they should, individuals do things since they are relied upon to (similarly as the darling is required to give chocolate). It is smarter to set up a grandiose exterior, at that point to be valid and fair to the individuals around you.

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Lobelia Benefits, Side Effects, Dosage, and Interactions

Lobelia Benefits, Side Effects, Dosage, and Interactions Holistic Health Print The Health Benefits of Lobelia Said to help with smoking cessation, the herb may be toxic By Cathy Wong Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD on January 19, 2020 Sanja Jelic, MD, is board-certified in sleep medicine, critical care medicine, pulmonary disease, and internal medicine.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Sanja Jelic, MD Updated on February 15, 2020 Anna Bryukhanova/E/Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Holistic Health Happiness Meditation Stress Management Spirituality Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All In This Article Table of Contents Expand Health Benefits Dosage and Preparation View All Back To Top Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) is a plant used in herbal and homeopathic medicine. Said to expel mucus from the respiratory tract, it is used to treat respiratory problems. In addition, some individuals use lobelia to help them quit smoking, sooth muscles, support alcoholism recovery, and more. While this wide range of uses is attractive, lobelia is listed in the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations Poisonous Plant Database as a potentially toxic herb.?? It should be avoided. It is banned in Bangladesh and Italy. If, despite this, you do decide to use lobelia, its best to consult your medical provider and use extreme caution. Since there are limited human studies, not much is known about its effects. Commonly Known As Asthma weed, bladderpod, emetic herb, gagroot, herbe à asthme, Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata, Lobélie, Lobélie brûlante, Lobélie enflée, Lobélie gonflée, pukeweed, tabac Indien, vomit wort, wild tobacco Health Benefits To date, research on the potential health benefits of lobelia has yielded mixed results. Advocates tout lobelia as a natural remedy for the prevention or treatment of the following health problems: ADHDAlcohol use disorderAsthma  Bronchitis  Cough  DepressionPneumoniaSmoking addiction And when applied topically: Muscle pain or sprainsBruisesInsect bitesRingworm Scientific studies do not support all of these benefits, however (either for lobelia or a compound it contains called lobeline). Heres a sense of the limited research related to some of the more popular benefit claims. Alcoholism In animal studies, lobeline has been linked to reduced alcohol preference and lower alcohol consumption.??  To date, however, there are no human studies to prove that lobeline can help treat alcoholism. Alternative Therapies to Treat Alcohol Addiction Smoking Cessation Lobelia has been promoted to help people fight the effects of nicotine withdrawal by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain (which has an effect similar to cigarettes). Analysis of both short- and long-term research, however, determined that lobelia appears to offer no benefit in smoking cessation.?? Lobeline was once a common ingredient in over-the-counter products used to alleviate symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal. However, in 1993, the FDA issued a ban on the sale of anti-smoking products containing lobeline due to a lack of evidence of the ingredients effectiveness as a nicotine substitute. 4 Natural Remedies to Help You Quit Smoking Depression Preliminary mice studies show that lobeline may help alleviate depression by influencing certain brain chemicals involved in regulating mood.?? There are no sufficient human studies on this. 8 Natural Depression Remedies to Consider Respiratory Disorders Lobelia is often touted for its use in such respiratory conditions as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. This is because the herb is said to act as an expectorant, helping to thin mucus (phlegm), cause a more productive cough, and help you to breathe better. Unfortunately, here too, there is not a sufficient amount of research to back up these claims. ADHD A small human study found that lobeline helped to improve working memory in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but few improvements were found in attention.?? Since lobelia has been shown to improve the release and uptake of dopamine in the brain, it may play a role in the treatment of ADHD symptoms. To date, however, more human research is needed to determine its effectiveness.   How to Treat Your ADHD Symptoms Naturally Possible Side Effects Use of lobelia is not recommended. If youre still considering using the herb,  talk with your primary care provider first.   Lobelia may cause side effects, which can range from mild to severe.?? These may include: Dry mouthNauseaVomitingDiarrheaConfusionProfuse sweatingTremorsRapid heartbeat More research is needed to determine whether it is safe to apply lobelia to skin. Theres also some concern that moderate-to-large doses of lobelia may cause serious adverse events like seizures,  coma, and possibly even death (taking 4 grams may be fatal). Its especially important for individuals with epilepsy, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, or a gastrointestinal disorder to consult a medical professional prior to using lobelia. Children and pregnant and nursing women should never take lobelia. Aside from concerns with taking the herb itself, self-treating a condition and avoiding or delaying standard care may have serious consequences. Interactions Not much is known about how lobelia affects other drugs you may be taking. However, lobelia has been found to interact with several drugs,?? including the following: Psychiatric medications: Antidepressants, lithium, anti-anxiety agents, stimulantsSmoking cessation medications and aids: Nicotine patches, gum, Chantix (varenicline) Always advise your doctor about any supplements or herbs you may be taking. Dosage and Preparation You may find lobelia sold as a cream, tea, oral supplement, or liquid extract. Due to a lack of supporting research and serious health risks, no standardized dosage or recommendations exist. Remember, too, that supplements, in general, are largely unregulated. The content of some products may differ from what is specified on the product label.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Mood Disorders Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1032 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Psychology Essay Level High school Tags: Depression Essay Did you like this example? As a registered dental hygienist, each work day will bring about new experiences and obstacles to overcome. Some of these hurdles will be pleasant and some will be more detailed oriented. As a working professional it is up to you to handle these instances will grace and proficiency in a timely and mature manner. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Mood Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment" essay for you Create order As such, working with the public includes many avenues to navigate because each person is a unique pathway. Psychology can help us better traverse these pathways with more resiliency. One issue that many dental hygienists may come across in his or her career are people with mood disorders. Mood disorders may include: major depressive disorder, mania, or bipolar disorder. Knowing the causes, symptoms, and treatments of these disorders can help any working professional give adequate care and can ensure that the patient will come back for another visit to maintain their health. Mood disorders are a mixed group of mental complexions characterized by extreme exaggeration and disturbance of mood. Major depression and other mood disorders, such as bipolar depression, can heavily affect a patients dental health. The drugs used to treat these conditions can have significant side effects that dentists and dental hygienists should be aware of when treating a patient with such diagnosis. The dentist or dental hygienist should refer patients found with signs and symptoms of mood disorders for medical evaluation and treatment (Little, 2004). The most common diagnosis of mood disorders is what is called major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorders are diseases which are simply referred to as depression and represent a class of mood disorders. One of the main and more popular symptoms of people with depression is the lack of social activities, however, some patients with major depressive disorders can manifest common physical symptoms ranging from digestive and circulatory problems to libido and even respiratory issues. This lack of social interaction also leads itself to lack of personal care resulting in poor oral health care. The causes of mood disorders may exist from chemical imbalances in the brain due to genetic factors but could also stem from prescribed medication like the drug Reserpine (Yamada, Patent Issued for Therapeutic Agent for Mood Disorders, 2016). People with major depressive disorder feel extremely useless, worthless, and lonely making it hard for them to function normally, and studies have shown that women are twice as likely to suffer from depression. The reason for this is not quite agreed upon. Some believe that it is because women undergo more stress than men in areas of inequality in the workplace, abuse, and unhappiness in marriage. It is also noted that men more often turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with stress whereas women develop depression to deal with stress (Feldman, 2018). Mood disorders are estimated to be one of the most serious causes of ill health in the general public. According to the National Comorbidity Survey, depression affects at least one-sixth of the population with the prevalence of major depression as the most common disorder. Although studies claim that one-sixth of the population has depression, many people with depression suffer without being diagnosed or medicated. Statistically, only a small amount of people actively seek treatment (Patel, 2004). With that said, it can be assumed that many dental patients could be dealing with depression. Some common symptoms of depression include: fatigue, lack of energy, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, loss of appetite, or pains that will not go away. As a dental hygienist it may be hard to spot these types of symptoms, but one important part of being a dental hygienist is to get to know your patients through rapport. Simple conversations with them before a cleaning may eventually open th em up to deeper, more personal conversations, and as a trained professional it is up to you to recognize these certain signs (Watson, 2015). One simple way to get a patient to open up is to ask questions. Ask questions that should have a positive answer such as, Seen any good movies lately? Any questions that normally require a positive response is a great way to gauge your patients mood. Try asking more than one and if all answers are responded to with negativity then it is time to really start paying attention (Melinda Smith, 2018). Also, for many people who suffer from mood disorders, the side effects of medication results in xerostomia (dry mouth), which can further exaggerate the severity of many oral diseases. With dry mouth the reduction of saliva can increase the degree of dental deteriorations, mucosal dryness, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). The result of dry mouth might also lead to a higher number of cavities because many will resort to candy or sugary beverages for lubrication. Dry mouth coupled with caffeine or smoking may also lead to yeast infections, fissuring of the oral commissures, and even trouble speaking (Clark, 2003). These are all physical signs to be a ware of while examining the public. Being a dental hygienist, you should use reassurance, motivation, and your knowledge of education about improving dental health to enhance the sense of identity and self-esteem for patients with mood disorders. Using positivity and knowledge of patient care will contribute in some way to their psychological rehabilitation. Also, as a dental hygienist, it is part of your job to detail treatment planning that encompasses the maintenance of oral health, as well as what preventions to take to avoid oral diseases. However, before prescribing any treatment, it is imperative to consult with the patients primary doctor to confirm with or update any new information about medications that the patient might be taking. It is also important to note that patients with mood disorders may be uncooperative for even simple routine procedures. When a person is going through a depressive episode, they may not be aware of their lack of personal hygiene; showers may not be taken, teeth may not get brushed , and clothes may not be washed. These episodes tend to lead to more problems with cavities or periodontal issues. Contrastingly so, during manic periods (opposite of the depressed state) a result in an extreme use of teeth cleaning and over flossing may be associated with an increase in oral abrasions, as well as mucosal or gingival lacerations (Clark, 2003).

Friday, May 8, 2020

Social and Racial Tension in 1920s America Essay

The roaring twenties was a decade of excitement. For the first time in many families’ lives, leisure times were extended thanks to the time saving inventions such as the vacuum cleaner, the refrigerator, and the washing machine. Another factor that made the 20s the best decade for many Americans was because of installment, also known as â€Å"buy now, pay later,† buying which allowed the middle class families to afford those products when needed and pay it off later. Clubs bustled with life, filled with the stench of alcohol, and the noise of tapping shoes as men and women danced their soles off their shoes. New thing occurred and made many Americans’ lives a paradise. However, there were few groups of people who didn’t view the same decade the†¦show more content†¦Although not all went to the extremes of the KKK using terror, beating, and even murder to fulfill their quest in purifying America, they however they did support it’s ideology i n many rural America. It has been estimated that, between the years 1920-27, the hands of the Klan members in the Southern states butchered 416 Blacks. Research indicates that most of the victims were innocent or were convicted of small offenses that certainly didn’t deserve such punishment. In the southern states, where the majority of the African American population resided, the notion of ‘white supremacy’ went unquestioned. Scarily enough, the KKK reached their hands into politics as well. In the state o f Indiana, the ‘Grand Wizard’, David Stephenson was politically powerful. It was also alleged that the Klan helped elect the governor of Maine, Colorado, and Louisiana in 1924. Moreover, on August 18th 1925 the Ku Klux Klan was able to parade down 40,000 men on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C without any intervention from state officials. Segregated facilities in government buildings remained unchanged since the first decade of the century , which showed the American government during the twenties was continually ignoring issues linked to ethnic minorities and the hostile attitudes of its people towards them. The act ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Radical Changes During the Roaring Twenties1033 Words   |  5 PagesThe Roaring Twenties was a period of intense tension towards the numerous barriers of tradition. Unlike the gradual fluctuations in modern day society which lead tension in its wake, the 1920’s was a bombardment of radical change ranging from societal norms to economic consumption. The end of World War I led to the end of idealism, and evolving values began to escalate towards the 1920’s. The surge of immigrants allowed for greater and greater economic booms, including the use of credit and involvementRead MoreIntolerance in American Society Essay629 Words   |  3 PagesIntolerance in American Society Intolerance of other peoples culture, religion, ethnic background and skin colour was a major issue in the 1920s America. This was, of course the era of the economic boom that helped to make America a rich and prosperous country in which to live. This economic boom made America a very attractive place to immigrate to, especially to those in countries that were not so well off. This meant immigration on a massive scale. People fromRead MoreEssay on 1920s Dbq823 Words   |  4 PagesDevin Nishizaki Period 2 3/11/10 1920’s DBQ Beginning in the early 1920’s, America found itself in a frenzy of revolutionary movements that would shift the everyday lives of American citizens and pave the way to the modern era. 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A calamity gave it birth, and a calamityRead MoreRacial Prejudice And Racial Discrimination During The 1920 S1585 Words   |  7 PagesA Colorblind America When people refer to America, they typically think of it as the melting pot in the center of the earth. However, for a country that prides itself in advocating freedom and equality for all, the United States has a long history of segregation and discrimination that has long affected present policy. It is clear that racial minorities have been targets of this racial bias for years, and even after slavery was abolished, African-Americans continued to face the most racism due toRead MoreRacial Equality During The Harlem Renaissance843 Words   |  4 Pagesunfortunately, white women due to the fact that racial issues were still prominent post Civil War to the roaring 20s. Racial tension between blacks (now freed) and whites intensified as time continued after the Civil War. 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Yet there is still the unequal treatment between whites and blacks, as a country America has emerged from worse standings before with the aid of great visionaries. In the era of the Harlem Renaissance poets used art as a voice of reason. Granted, there were many poets who impacted the movement against racial inequality, Langston Hughes turned the pages with inspiring work. Whereas in Langston Hughes poem Dreams encourages people to achieveRead MoreRace Determined Inclusion and Exclusion in America1861 Words   |  7 PagesHistorically, America has been a nation that participates in discriminatory practices based on perceived race. European Americans have always considered themselves as a privilege group, therefore excluded from the discriminatory practice against other minorities. Mexicans, Filipinos, Blacks (African Americans) and Native Americans, were excluded from first class citizenship, and were and still are in some cases America’s victims of separatism. Americans of European descent fought to keep their statusRead MoreWhite And Black People s Influence On American Culture And Society2445 Words   |  10 PagesThroughout the 1920s and 1930s, a number of demographic, political, and economic changes greatly impacted American culture and society. (Patterson Carney, 2003.) White and black people in America were still segregated and African Americans were treated as inferior (â€Å"BBC - Higher Bitesize History - Race relations between the wars,† n.d.), though they began to fight against discrimination in this period. (â€Å"Jazz Exacerbates Racial Tension,† n.d.) Music both reflected and played a role in the changing

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Why Is Tobacco Bad for You Free Essays

Peter Yang Andrea Charanduk English 20 January 23, 2012 How tobacco addictionseffect you and people around you? A tobacco addiction is the worst addiction you can do to your body. According to the Health Canada website, â€Å"every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies from tobacco use. Every 10 minutes, two Canadian teenagers start smoking cigarettes; one of them will lose his/her life because of it yearly, more than a thousand Canadians who never even smoked die – from exposure to tobacco smoke. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Is Tobacco Bad for You or any similar topic only for you Order Now Smoking affects every part of your body even to your sexual organs, as stated in Health Canada website â€Å"Sexual functioning needs the coordination of the nervous system, hormones and the vascular system which pumps blood into the muscle tissue that keeps the erection Smoking hinders every area. The effect? Impotence. † Now days teens start smoking because, they think it’s cool to look like an adult, or they get peer pressured. I agree that smoking does kind of look cool, but what’s hiding behind that smoke can kill you, and everyone else around you. There is strong medical evidence that smoking tobacco is related to more than two dozen diseases and conditions† (â€Å"Smoking and Your body†). Smokingaffects every part of your body even to your toes! The effect of smoking is terrible for your health; it is proven countless times by medical professionals and scientists. Smoking affects your lungs, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system the m ost (â€Å"Smoking and Your Body†). When you smoke a cigarette you are inhaling toxic chemicals and the most addictive drug. Nicotine. Nicotine is the drug responsible for making cigarettes so addictive. It makes your body crave more cigarettes and that means inhaling all those gross chemicals† (â€Å"Nicotine†). I know a person who had a throat cancer. He had to get a surgery to get his voice box removed to stop the spreading of cancer disease. Now, he can’t talk. He needs this little device on his throat to help him talk, which I have sympathy towards it. He made a mistake a long time ago, and now he is paying the price for it. Look around you, do you smoke? Or a friend? Tell yourself to quit, help a friend out. You just got to try. Smoking is bad, but starting as a teenager is the worst mistake you can make. As stated on the website smoking-facts. net â€Å"At least 3 million adolescents are smokers and roughly 6 million teens in the US today smoke despite the knowledge that it is addictive and leads to disease†. This is very true and it is happening right here, right now. I know several teenagers that smoke a pack a day. This will lead them to pre-mature death, lung cancer and various other diseases. Of the 3,000 teens that started smoking today, nearly 1,000 will eventually die as a result from smoking† (â€Å"Teen Smoking Facts†). I don’t expect people to read this article and quit, I just want them to know that, smoking as a teenager can definitely harm the health of your body. Then maybe you would be smart enough to quit smoking. â€Å"Second-hand smoke is what smokers exhale and what rises from an idle burning cigar ette. You can see smoke in the air but what may not be so obvious is that there are 4,000 chemicals in the smoke† (â€Å"Second Hand Smoke†). I have been in position where I was the second hand smoker. It is not the best place you would want to be when people are smoking around you. The smell of the smoke makes me frown, cough, and you just know that this can’t be good for your body. Back in the day’s people could smoke anywhere! In the restaurants, airplane, bar, and any public places. Now this was allowed because they had less knowledge of second hand smoking than we do now. There is a story where a woman died from a lung cancer when she was only 50. The worst part about the story is that she never had a single cigarette in her life, she was a waitress at a restaurant and she would be second hand smoking from everybody who would come into restaurant and smoke. How horrible is that? An innocent person is suffering from someone else’s mistake. Do you think that’s right? I am not going to lie, I have tried smoking, and it’s theworst thing I ever did. You can feel all the chemicals going through your body and affecting you internally. My personal opinion about smoking is that, it is totally fine if you want to smoke and hurt yourself, as long as you don’t smoke around people who does not smoke. Maybe you didn’t know that smoking affects not only you but people around you. I hope who ever reads this article figures out how it is effecting you and people around you and at least try quitting. In this article I talked about all most everything about why smoking is bad for you and second hand smokers. I hope this article awakened your urge to quit smoking for yourself and people you love. Smoking is bad, we all know that. Making a mistake is †¦ humane. We all make mistakes, but repeating that mistake with knowing the consequences is plain stupidity. About Tobacco Control. Health Canada, 2009. Web. 29 September 2009. Nicotine. Health Canada, 2008. Web. 24 January 2008. Second-hand Smoke. Health Canada, 2009. Web. 17 April 2009. Smoking and Your Body. Health Canada, 2011. Web. 01 November 2011. Teen Smoking Facts. Smoking-Facts. net, nd. Web. 23 January 2012. How to cite Why Is Tobacco Bad for You, Papers

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Write a creative writing piece free essay sample

Its as though youre in a perfect world where nothing goes wrong and you never want to close your eyes, but you do close our eyes and you do realize that this beautiful country is suffering from starvation, malnutrition, poverty and racism. You sometimes wonder how it could be possible when you see how Joyful and appreciative Kenya people are. I have spent many days observing the animals, watching them find the necessities of our human day-to-day life; for example finding food and water.This tropical terrain Illustrates how animals In the wild do things very differently to those In an enclosed sanctuary. My Journey was about to take an unexpected turn. It would become a tremendously memorable experience. During my observation of wildlife I encountered an extraordinary family of baboons and I watched in fascination how they live life in the wild. Swinging through the trees, tearing down branches as they move. We will write a custom essay sample on Write a creative writing piece or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The smaller baboons stay closer to the ground.One actually began to walk alongside where I was hiding, when suddenly a branch came crashing down, sending debris flying around the Jungle. They began screeching and beating their chests In commotion. The smallest of their clan was under the branches, very close to where I was. I stepped out carefully. I could hear the baby crying and I knew that If I didnt do mouthing my Journey would be pointless. I started to move the branches carefully one by one, ignoring the baboons squealing above me in the treetops. Soon I saw a small hand moving around in some leaves.I put my hand out and the tiny fingers held my thumb. Moving more of the branches I saw the baby, it had been very badly hurt. If I didnt help it, it would surely die. I picked him up and looked him in the eye. He stopped crying. As I looked into its innocent eyes, I realized why Kenya people who live in this magical kingdom dont seem to be overly concerned about the issues heir country has to go through. Being in this wonderful wilderness and having come in close contact with these most amazing creatures makes you forget everything thats happening around you.What was I going to do with a baby baboon? I couldnt Just leave It here. It had a broken leg and cuts all over its little face. It was in serious pain. It needed medical Where do I take it? In which direction should I walk? There are so many questions. I thought for a while. This was my fate. I decided my Journey would be incomplete if I left the baby baboon to die. I would feel so guilty and I probably wouldnt be able to forgive myself. I packed my bag and said good-bye to this most remarkable wilderness and headed south. I had this strange feeling in my stomach.I Just couldnt work out what it was. Maybe it was the unfamiliar sense of determination that I had to save this baby baboon. I wrapped it carefully in my Jacket to keep it warm and secure. Finally the precious creature in my care went to sleep. I walked for what seemed liked hours in the hot sun, my mind wandering. I rested occasionally in the shade of the large plane trees scattered along the terrain. When oer in a country like this you have so much time to think, to think about absolutely everything there is to think about.Finally I came upon a dirt road. In the distance I could see mud huts on the outskirts of a town. They looked familiar. I had been here before. Was this Macaque? I quickened my step. My heart started to beat faster. As I approached the township, I knew this part of my Journey was almost at an end. A single tear trickled down my dusty cheek. I looked down at the baby in my arms. It slowly opened its huge brown eyes. I smiled and whispered Mate, help is not too far away now, hold on there.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia

Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia Introduction Nationalism means the identities that people have, which they view as distinguishing them uniquely as belonging to a particular nation. Thus, it covers one of the forms of patriotism. Several theories can be employed to provide an explanation of the origin of nationalism. The main ones are modernism and primordialist views.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Modernism theory considers nationalism as a recent societal process, which demands societal structuring for it to develop. On the other hand, the primordialist â€Å"describes nationalism as a reflection of the ancient and perceived evolutionary behavior of humans to organize themselves into distinct groupings based on the affinity of birth† (Tamir 13). The paper uses the primordialist view. Based on the theory, nationalism may develop based on cultural artifacts de fining people living within a given nation and political-related experiences in a nation among other things. From this point of view, this paper discuses the rise and development of nationalism in East Asia based on historic political related experiences and cultural elements including religion and clothing. Japan and china are used as the main examples in this quest. Rise and Development of Nationalism in China and Japan Cultural elements may act as mechanisms that can help to instill the perception of nationalism among people living within a common geographical area. Theses artifacts may be depicted through clothing, language, and religion. With the onset of westernization, Chinese people encountered a dilemma whether to abandon their own clothing styles that defined their heritage and hence a sense of belonging as Chinese nationals or to adopt the rising western styles of dressing. This dilemma motivates Finnane to wonder what Chinese women deserve to wear for them to retain the symbol of nationalism (99). Given the history of China that is rich in customs, the question is significant since resistance to the degradation of nationalism depicted by dressing style was evident as from 1949 when Mao Zedong declined from wearing black leather shoes and a suit. According to Finnane, the head of state argued, â€Å"we Chinese have our own customs†¦why should we follow others† (99). This resistance was a replication of over half decade debates questioning the capacity of the western influences to impair the dressing codes of the Chinese people. Over that period, alterations of style were incredibly controversial. They attracted hefty public debates particularly when they involved the question of the women dress. The main interrogatives were whether the women dresses need to be long or short, tight or loose, or cover the arms for them to depict Chinese national women.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the reign of Mao, the question on what Chinese people wore attracted superficial analysis. However, dressing styles and the type of clothes that were won by Chinese people acted as wonderful mechanisms of differentiating between China and the rest of the nations in the world. In this line of thought, Finnane reinforces, â€Å"For politically correct Chinese people, clothing at that time differentiated the socialist elect from the rest†¦for outsiders, it was the single most obvious feature about contemporary Chinese culture† (100). Clothes were depictive of Chinese culture and hence a symbol of Chinese people. Even though much of the concerns about the alteration of the dressing to have the capacity to erode the culture of the Chinese people concerned what women wore in the ninetieth century, the link between nationalism and the clothing was not only a problem of women: men were also equally worried. This argument i s strengthened by the Mao Zedong’s rejection to wear a suit associated with the western culture. Outside the Chinese context, clothing remains an important symbol of nationalism in other nations in the East Asia. For instance, in India, cladding in ‘sari’ represents a sovereign Indian woman because â€Å"the fertile ground for production of future generations both past and future-were embodied in her,† (Finnane 102). On the other hand, in Japan, a woman dressed in ‘kimono’ profiles an ideal sovereign Japanese woman. From these examples, it sounds essential to infer that the perception of nationalism among people cannot be segregated from the cladding codes acceptable as representing the true national of a given nation because cultural artifacts are depictive of cultural differences among people who are often confined within different national boundaries. Apart from the rise and development of nationalism from the context of dressing style, rel igion is yet another crucial cultural artifact that may help to build the perception of nationalism among different people living in different nations. For instance, in Japan, subscription to Shinto is perhaps an essential way of portraying ones strongly grounded spirit of nationalism. Shinto assumed its shape upon the arrival of Buddhism. This was vital in helping to differentiate the new religion to the indigenous religion in Japan that was the representation of the ‘Japanese’.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Rise and Development of Nationalism in East Asia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Okuyama strengthens this point by further asserting, â€Å"Some 100,000 shrines of jinja served by Shinto priests attest to its physical presence nationwide† (94). Shinto defines the religious practices of the indigenous native Japanese to mean ‘the ways of ‘kami’ as opposed to ‘the w ays of Buddha’. Therefore, since the introduction of Buddhism in the 16th century, Shinto practices became definitive of the true Japanese nationalism. However, it is also crucial to note that Japanese people consider traditional customs as defining nationalism in spite of â€Å"whether they are Shinto or not† (Okuyama 97). The question that emerges is- to what extent do Japanese people perceive Shinto as a true representation of nationalism? The response to the above question is perhaps well answered by considering the significance of Shinto shrines among all citizens of Japan including the nobles. In this regard, Okuyama reckons, â€Å"since he became the prime minister, Koizumi Jun’ichiro visited Yasukuni Shrine four times: 13 August 2001, 21 April 2002, 14 January 2003, and 1 January 2004† (106). Nevertheless, even though this may be anticipated to be acceptable within the understanding of the traditional customs of Japanese people, the visits attract ed opposition. Consequently, about seven lawsuits ensued as a result. Nevertheless, Koizumi remained confident that the visits were necessary for a number of reasons. In the first place, the shrines served to portray his nationalism since they formed the places where he renewed vows never to take part in wars. Secondly, â€Å"he visited Yasukuni shrines to express relevance and gratitude to all the war dead despite the fact that these include class A war criminal† (Okuyama 106). Arguably, from this cited reason of why Koizumi visited the shrine, it is questionable whether the shines are the best places to show ones patriotism. However, it is evident that Japanese people have a strong prescription to traditional religious beliefs as the main ways of portraying sincerity in ones commitments to the Japanese people and the nation as a whole. The analysis of Shintoism as one of the theories of development of nationalism in Japan cannot be accomplished without considering the philo sophers’ attempts to ensure the national beliefs were revived and purified.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The idea was to enhance the removal of all foreign ideas that were imported from various nations including China and India. The Shintoism restoration movement began in the 18th century with Motoori Noringa playing proactive roles. This campaign gave rise to the state Shinto with the emperor of Japan then claiming to be of Amaterasu decently. A certain representation that tends to link people together creates the spirit of nationalism. According to Wang, the identification may include â€Å"Chinas neo-neo-tribe and â€Å"Japanese shin shin jinrei† (547). To Wang, such a representation can be used to secure a market for a particular product because it has high likelihoods of securing an immense success when a product is marketed based on its capacity to create a sense of nationalism. For instance, Wang argues that the term bobo has the impact of bringing Chinese people together by creating messages of premium value (535). What this argument means is that the spirit of national ism can also be build by the products produced by nations. Therefore, consumption of such products helps to depict that one is truly a patriot of a given nation. Using the Wang’s analogy, the term bobo is related to being a Chinese and belonging to a bobo class. Subsequently, when a product is sold bearing the tag that it is principally made for the bobos, it means that buying this product will not only mean fitting into the bobo class. Besides, it will also depict one as a sovereign citizen of the nation where the bobos live! From a different dimension, nationalism may be built based on the experiences that people go through as a nation. Recollection of such experiences helps to remind one of the history encountered, which is definitive of why one is a nationalist of a given nation. This kind of nationalism is perhaps well exemplified by Japan through her Hiroshima trauma. Painful experiences are crucial reflections of what it takes to be a nationalist since they provide lin ks between different cultures (Caruth 3). Therefore, while Japan may be segregated based on different cultural affiliations, the Hiroshima experiences make Japanese people develop a sense of nationalism, which is critical in helping the nation to employ all strategies possible to ensure that such an experience would never reoccur. Therefore, the Hiroshima experience is one unifying experience that ensures all Japanese are united together amid their demographic differences (Wood 191). Arguably, this is crucial since nationalism is hard to thrive in an environment that is ruled by segregations. Conclusion Therefore, based on the expositions made in the paper, it is enough to declare nationalism a representation of people’s identities. The identities help in building the spirit of patriotism. Cultural elements show people’s identities and political experiences especially the ones that culminated into painful experiences. In this paper, nationalism has been explored throug h consideration of clothing as one of the ways of presentation of people’s cultural artifacts in the Chinese and Japanese contexts. The Hiroshima experience has also been considered as an example of painful experiences that has helped to shape the Japanese view of nationalism. Caruth, Cathy. Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative and History, Baltimore: Johnhopkins University press, 1996. Print. Finnane, Antonia. â€Å"What Should Chinese Women Wear?† Modern China 22.2(1996): 99-131. Print. Okuyama, Michiaki. Historicizing Modern Shinto: A New Tradition of Yasukuni Shrine.  Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Tamir, Yael. Liberal Nationalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993. Print. Wang, Jing. â€Å"Bourgeois Bohemians in China? Neo-Tribes and the Urban Imaginary.† The China Quarterly 183.3(2005): 532-548. Print. Wood, Nancy. Vectors of Memory: Legacies of Trauma in Postwar Europe. New Jersey, NJ: Berg Publishers, 1999. Print.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Commerce Clause Meaning and Applications

Commerce Clause Meaning and Applications The Commerce Clause is a provision of the U.S. Constitution (Article 1, Section 8) that grants Congress the power â€Å"to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes. This law gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce, which it defines as the sale, purchase, or exchange of commodities or the transportation of people, money, or goods between different states.   Congress has historically cited the Commerce Clause as justification for laws and regulations controlling the activities of the states and their citizens. In some instances, these laws lead to controversy over the constitutional division between the powers of the federal government and rights of the states. Dormant Commerce Clause The courts have interpreted the Commerce Clause as not only an explicit grant of power to Congress, but also an implied ban against state laws that conflict with federal law- sometimes called the Dormant Commerce Clause. The Dormant Commerce Clause refers to the Commerce Clause’s implied prohibition against state laws that conflict with federal law by discriminating against or excessively burdening interstate commerce. This prohibition is primarily intended to prevent the states from enacting â€Å"protectionist† trade laws. What Is Commerce? Since the Constitution does not explicitly define â€Å"commerce,† the exact meaning is a source of legal debate. Some constitutional scholars contend that â€Å"commerce† refers only to trade or exchange. Others argue that it has a broader meaning, referring to all commercial and social interaction between residents of different states. These divergent interpretations create a controversial line between federal and state power. Interpretation of Commerce: 1824 to 1995 The first legal interpretation of the scope of the Commerce Clause came in 1824, when the Supreme Court decided the case of Gibbons v. Ogden. In one of the first major expansions of the powers of the federal government, the Court ruled that Congress could use the Commerce Clause to enact laws regulating both interstate and intrastate trade. In the 1905 case of Swift and Company v. United States, the Supreme Court refined its 1824 interpretation by ruling that Congress could apply the Commerce Clause in regulating the practices of local businesses- intrastate commerce- only if those local business practices were in some way a part of a â€Å"current† or stream of commerce that also involved the movement of goods between states. In the 1937 case of NLRB v. Jones Laughlin Steel Corp, the Court significantly broadened the reach of the Commerce Clause. Specifically, the Court held that any local business activity could be defined as â€Å"commerce† as long as it had or was likely to have a â€Å"substantial economic effect† on interstate commerce. Under this interpretation, for example, Congress gained the power to enact laws regulating local firearms dealers if any of the guns they sell are manufactured outside of their states. Over the next 58 years, not a single law based on the Commerce Clause was invalidated by the Supreme Court. Then, in 1995, the Court narrowed its interpretation of commerce with its ruling in the case of United States v. Lopez. In its decision, the Court struck down parts of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, finding that the act of possessing a firearm is not an economic activity. Current Interpretation: The Three-Part Test When deciding that a state law is a valid exercise of the state’s power to regulate interstate commerce under the implied prohibitions of the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court now applies this three-part test: The law must in no way discriminate against or excessively interfere with interstate commerce.The commerce regulated by the state law must not be of a nature that requires regulation by the federal government.The federal government’s interest in regulating the commerce in question must not outweigh the interest of the state. To uphold a state law under the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court must find that the law’s benefits outweigh its burdens on interstate commerce. In addition, the Court must find that in enacting the law, the state is not attempting to advance the economic interest of its own citizens over those of the citizens of other states. Current Applications in Law In its 2005 decision in the case of Gonzales v. Raich, the Court returned to a wider interpretation of the Commerce Clause when it upheld federal laws regulating the production of marijuana in states that had legalized marijuana possession. The Supreme Court’s most recent interpretation of the Commerce Clause came from the 2012 case of NFIB v. Sebelius, in which the Court upheld Congress’ power to enact the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring all uninsured individuals to secure health insurance or pay a tax penalty. In reaching its 5-4 decision, the Court found that while the mandate was a constitutional exercise of Congress’ power to tax, it was not a proper use of Congresss Commerce Clause or Necessary and Proper Clause powers. Sources †Commerce Clauseâ€Å" Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School.â€Å"Commerce Clause Limitations on State Regulation.† University of Missouri-Kansas CityWilliams, Norman. Why Congress May Not Overrule the Dormant Commerce Clause. UCLA Law Review (2005). â€Å"Federal Courts Split on Constitutionality of Individual Mandate in Health Care Law.† Regulatory Review (2011).

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Management Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Accounting - Essay Example Well whatever the reason is, it is surely time that we sit down, assess and analyse the system as a whole and try coming out with both, a reason and a solution for all this happening. Arguably the main reason of reaching such a unpleasant situation is that, major stakeholders, whether it’s the big companies or the government, they have mainly focussed on short term achievement and plans rather than analysing, assessing and planning for longer term success. Hence before we consider entering in a developing country for investment purposes I would like to reflect some light on different aspect of sustainability reporting, the differences between sustainability reporting and traditional reporting and the benefits of sustainability reporting. Introduction A sustainability report mainly focuses, in fact constitutes, three elements or dimension, namely, social, economic and environmental. Due to this fact is often known as triple bottom line or 3BL. Some even regards is as a planet, profit, people principle. While discussing this aspect, sustainability reporting is often substituted for environmental social and governance reporting and corporate social responsibility as the whole idea is almost the same. The framework of sustainability is set up by GRI (Global Reporting initiative), a non-profit organisation. Difference between sustainability reporting and traditional reporting Sustainability reports differs from traditional reporting in a few important ways. Sustainability reports stress on the fact of maximising stakeholder value rather than only shareholder value. Stakeholder in this context refers to someone in fact anyone that is affected by the organisations actions whether it be directly or indirectly. Customers, civil societies, employees, financers and the community as a whole are all included in the list of stakeholders. Another crucial difference is that sustainability reports do not require each aspect to be in monetary term. That is some indicators may just be included as a comparison as the previous years to help analyse how the company is performing. In traditional reporting all reported data is produced in monetary terms. Sustainability reports produce comparison data due to the fact that some performance indicators may not be valued accurately in monetary terms, thus, are better off used as a mean of comparison. An example may be that of the pollution waste produce by the organisation. This may be reported as number of tons of wastage produced or even waste per unit of production. Both can be compared with that of other organisations depending on what indicator the other organisation has preferred. The sorts of information that they will need to include in a sustainability report of why they should be included The main reason to produce a sustainability report is to provide a true representation of the sustainable performance of an entity, that is, a reasonable and balanced presentation of the entity performance that incl udes both its positive contributions and negative contributions. Sustainability reporting helps organisations produce sustainable information of an

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Berman v. dept of interior - ethics - Essay Example POGO filed a suit against the oil companies based on this fact, which resulted into the oil companies making a settlement of $440 million to the United States. POGO thereof honored its agreement with Berman and Berman received a check of $383,600, which on the face side of the the check indicated that it is a public service award to Berman for working for the government. It is on this basis the United States government filed a suit against Berman stating that Berman had violated section 209(a) by using his office for private gain since he had accepted the amount from POGO, which is a private entity. This led to his removal from office. Berman appealed the judgment passed, but to no gain. This is because the jury based his ruling on the fact that Berman did not consult any ethics official in the agency for advice before entering into the agreement. His agreement with POGO clearly showed that he intended to use his office for private gain. This showed how reckless Berman was in performing his duties. This case seeks to show how important it is for employees to observe the highest levels of ethical conduct. As evident in this case, despite Bermans 26 years of service in the government and having no record of crime earlier, it was not sufficient to prevent him from losing his job. Therefore, it is important that employees observe appropriate ethical behaviors while at work. This case seeks to show how important it is for the state also to be efficient enough in its duties. It shows that the state was not doing enough to curb fraud in the United States. Such fraud should be exposed at an early stage to avoid wrongful decision-making by the state. POGO argued that oil companies had committed fraud since they had undervalued the oil they got from the federal lands; hence, formulating undervalued reports and making undervalued payments to the state in terms of royalties. POGO considered this act as being totally unethical to have been

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Contrastive analysis

Contrastive analysis Contrastive analysis(CA) is a method to distinguish between what are needed and not needed to learn by the target language(TL) learner by evaluating languages (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). In addition, CA is a technique to identify whether two languages have something in common, which assess both similarities and differences in languages, conforming to the belief in language universals. (Johnson, 1999). Both statements indicate that CA holds a principle which is important in order to identify what are required by the TL learner to learn in TL and what are not. If there is no familiar characteristic in the languages, it indicates that the learner might have difficulty in learning the TL. While much could be said about comparing languages, a more important aspect is about the influence from TL in first language (L1). â€Å"Contrastive analysis stresses the influence of the mother tongue in learning a second language in phonological, morphological, lexical and syntactic levels. It holds that second language would be affected by first language† (Jie, 2008, p. 36). On the same score, Wardhaugh asserts that first language of TA learners can clarify all â€Å"errors† that are constantly made them. These arguments prove that the errors make by the TL learner are explainable in the L1. Indeed, this idea is conformed to the rule of CA, which believes in language universal. However, this analysis has disadvantages. In Susan M. Gass and Larry Selinker words, they believe that this analysis is questioned because of the concept of difficulty as the basic theory of the CA is concerning the difficultness. If an error is made by a person, this shows that the person has a problem in some area, not because of the native language. Thus, we cannot presume that fluency of a target language learner is depending on the nature of L1. There are more aspects that related to this matter. â€Å"There are other factors that may influence the process of acquisition such as innate principle of language, attitude, motivation, aptitude, age, other languages known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). Next, CA cannot detect some difficulties experienced by the TL learners. For example, â€Å"Je vois les/elle/la/le† . â€Å"I see them/her/her/him† (this phrase is impossible in French) (Choi, 2009). Error analysis (EA) is â€Å"a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors learners make† (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). This analysis is almost the same with the weak version of CA which is comparing the errors which made by TL learners. However, EA is not evaluating the errors with TL native language (NL), but it compares with the TL. â€Å" Error analysis provides a broader range of possible explanations than contrastive analysis for researchers/teachers to use account for errors, as the latter only attributed errors to the native language† (M.Gass Selinker, 2008). I do agree with Gass and Selinker because as Corder (1967) says that by producing errors, it shows that the learners are progressing and participating. This statement is supported by the interlanguage theory, as according to Christina Gitsaki; â€Å"†¦interlanguage is seen as a kind of interim grammar gradually progressing towards the target language grammar† There are two categories of sources of errors which are interlingual and intralingual. Interlingual errors are kind of errors produced because of influence of the NL. Intralingual error happens when learners try to make a new rule for the target language. Example of interlingual error is, the word â€Å"rumah-rumah† in Malay Language can be said in English as â€Å"houses†. However, the learners would say as â€Å"house-house†. The TL learners mixed the lexical from the NL with the TL. Example of intralingual error is the word â€Å"telah† in Malay Language represents â€Å"was/were/had† in English. That is no doubt that a Malay learner would construct a sentence like this, â€Å"She were playing badminton† (wrong) â€Å"Dia telah bermain badminton† â€Å"She was playing badminton† (correct) The first sentence happens because there is no past tense marker in Malay language. So it becomes a problem for Malay learners since the TL and NL share different tenses. EA gives an important role because it makes the errors not as unwanted but as guidance to assess how the learners progress in TL. It also detects lots of errors, more than CA does. EA also recognizes the learners acknowledgement of language system. Besides, it also can categorized errors made by learners according to a system. However, EA is totally depends on errors made by learners. It is also cannot explain about what are classified as errors and non errors. In addition, EA as a mode of inquiry was limited in its scope and concentrated on what learners did wrong rather than on what made them successful (Larsen-Freeman, 1991). This shows that EA cannot cover lots of aspects since it is bounded by its range and errors are temptation for error analyzer. Statements a) There may be covert errors, A classic example from Corder (1981) is the German speaker who says â€Å"You must not take off your hat† when the intent is â€Å"You dont have to take off your hat†. In what sense is this error? In what sense it is not? According to Joachim Wagner (2007), James (1998) uses the term covert error to describe a genuine language error which results in a sentence which is syntactically well-formed under some interpretation different from the intended one. This means that there is no wrong about a dubious sentence but the understanding by both speaker and receiver are important. The statement â€Å"You must not take off your hat† is not wrong in the sense of German speaker but in English, the choice of the word or modal verb is wrong. The modal verb â€Å"must not† is not appropriate in this context. That modal verb means to prohibit or disallow the action of taking off the hat. The German speaker, literally, wants to say that the person does not have to take off his hat. However, instead of trying to convey a positive transfer sentence, the German speaker makes a negative transfer sentence. According to Jie (2008): â€Å"In the course of language learning, L1 learning habits will be transferred into L2 learning habits. Therefore, in the case of L1 transfer into L2, if structures in the MT have their corresponding structures in the TL and L1 habits can be successfully used in the L2, learners would transfer similar properties successfully and that would result in positive transfer. Contrastingly, in the case of negative transfer or interference, certain elements of the MT have no corresponding counterparts in the TL, L1 habits would cause errors in the L2, and learners would transfer inappropriate properties of L1† In other words, the German speaker forms a sentence in English, which has the same properties with the German language but unfortunately, the sentence is wrong in the sense of CA. Error in this statement can be referred to the L1 speaker. In Robert Lados words (1957:p.2): â€Å"The ‘fundamental assumption is transfer; ‘individuals tend to transfer the forms and meanings, and the distribution of forms and meanings of their native language and culture to the foreign language and culture†. I agree with Robert Lado since the German speaker tends to use direct translation if both languages properties are same to make a complete sentence. In this context, both German Language and English have the same grammatical order. For example, in German Language and English, the word order is subject + verb + other elements sentences. 1. er schlagt mir. (Subject) (Verb) (Other element) 2. He beats me. (Subject) (Verb) (Other element) Because of the structure similarity between German language and English, there is no syntax problem. Though, in the context of lexicon, the German speaker seems to confuse because in German language, there is no auxiliary verb â€Å"do†. German language only has â€Å"must† and the German speaker uses â€Å"must† as the word is quite similar to â€Å"do†, in his or her judgment. This error also happens to a Malay leaner. In Malay language, â€Å"tidak† is represented by â€Å"is not† and â€Å"do not†. For example, in Malay, the sentence, 1.â€Å"Dia tidak sempurna† (Subject) (Negation) (Predicate) Is written in English as 2.â€Å"He is not perfect† (Subject) (Negation) (Predicate) However, because of there are two negations that represent the word â€Å"tidak†, there is no doubt the sentence below, will be produced by Malay learners. 3. â€Å"He does not perfect† (Subject) (Negation) (Predicate) The first statement is logical but the second statement shows that errors and transferred inappropriate properties those made by TL learners because of the differences between the L1 and the TL. Clearly, the German speaker is struggling in choosing the right vocabulary although the error does not give an obvious picture of the difficulty. This is because, in his or her point of view, the usage of â€Å"must not† is correct even though the sentence has covert error. However, this justification cannot measure the degree of difficulty that the German speaker has. We cannot say that the German speaker is weak in English and not progressing. This error shows that the German speaker is in the process of improving his or her target language. From EA point of view, the German speaker made an intralingual error. The German speaker made an error in his or her sentence because of native language influence. He or she over generalizes the function of modal verb to make this sentence. Overgeneralization means â€Å"The introduction of a nonstandard or previously non-existent spelling or verb form when a speaker or writer makes an analogy to a regular spelling or a regular verb† (Wheeler, 2009) â€Å"You do not have to take off your hat†(correct sentence) â€Å"You must not take off your hat†(Over generalize the modal verb function) The German speaker believes that the statement is grammatically correct. The German speaker tries to simplify his or her task by employing this rule. He or she makes his or her own analogy by taking words that do not carry contrast for him or her. However, due to cross linguistic action, the modal verb being used is wrong, in terms of its function. In addition, this speaker seems that he or she does not master the function of the modal verb although the sentence is correct, literally. Besides, the German speaker does not know the correct modal verb in English to carry his or her intentional meaning. As a result, an ambiguous sentence has come out although the German speaker intention is to give suggestion. This also happens to Spanish learners. They would say 1. â€Å"He went to the market and buy a chicken† instead of 2. â€Å"He went to the market and bought a chicken†. They choose wrong tense and alter the word meaning. b. It might be more appropriate to talk about TL-behaviour. The fact that a learner has produced a correct form/sentence in a language does not necessarily mean that it is right. Target language like behavior from the grammatical point of view is happen when target language learners construct a sentence or a phrase because they have learnt the target language grammatical rules. However, the construction of sentence might or might not correct. As example, Malay learners would create a sentence like this â€Å"I eated the fruit† instead of â€Å"I ate the fruit†. From CA point of view, this error occurs because past tense is a new category for Malay learners. Although, the learners seem alert with the past tense rule which is -ed and subject verb agreement but they forget about past irregular form. They think that they have mastered the rules but they forgot about irregular verb rule. However, CA does not explain about the difficulty from the target language point of view. CA cannot give the correct degree of difficulty. Moreover, from the speakers perspective, they might think that the sentence is no wrong even with the covert error. So, we cannot say that the speakers are having difficulty to understand the rule since they can produce a correct form of sentence but with covert error. On the other hand, from error analysis point of view, a sentence like â€Å"You must not take off your hat† evens the intention of the speaker is â€Å"You do not have to take off your hat† is correct. The structure of the sentence is correct and there is no mistake produces. However, the meaning of the sentence is distorted. This is because, error analysis is totally depends on errors but not the usage of the sentence. Though, to the speaker perspective, this is a correct sentence since there is no grammatical mistake. On the other hand, the solidness of the first sentence makes the EA is useless to explain this sentence. So, even the sentence is wrong according to CAH, but it is consider as correct to EA. C.It is not always possible to provide a single explanation for interlanguage data. Interlanguage is the way the learner develops the target language knowledge. This term was produced by Selinker (1972) â€Å" Interlanguage refers to the structured system which learner constructs at any given stage in the development†. There are strategies apply by the learners to progress in target language such as transfer. Transfer is â€Å"Influence resulting from the similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (and perhaps imperfectly) acquired (Ellis, 1997). Interlanguage is systematic and dynamic. Interlanguage is systematic because the rules are efficiently selected by the learners and the way the TL learners acquired TL is the same with native speaker acquires NL. Interlanguage is dynamic because the learners interlanguage is continuously shifting. The learners tend to make new rules in one context and so on. In addition, this process form the approach to study the way the target language acquires by the learner. Though, this strategy does not apply to the target language learner alone, they also depict the way the children learn their native language. For example, an English child might come out with non-English like sentence. English Like Non-English Like She came yesterday. She comed yesterday This happens because the children generalize the rules. It is possible to say that the children already acquired the rule of tenses but they failed to apply them in certain circumstances. This also happens to the target language learners. For example, problem in pluralizing word. English Like Non-English Like Singular-mouse Plural-mice Singular-mouse Plural-mouses The word â€Å"mice† is always forgotten as plural form of a mouse. Instead of saying â€Å"mice†, the target language learners who apply interlanguage generalization strategy would say â€Å"mouses†. This might occur because of L1 interference. For instance, in Malay Language, the word â€Å"mouse† is â€Å"tikus†. However, there is no such word as â€Å"mice† in Malay language. So, Malay learners would go for â€Å"mouses† instead of â€Å"mice†. From CA perspective, these examples show that the learners have difficulties in pluralizing because of differences between the L1 and the TL. However, the first example proves that the NL speaker can make the same mistake as the TL learners. CA can be used to analyze the second example but it is not valid for the first example. In addition, from EA point of view, the learners would find that they make errors. On the other hand, EA still does not give the correct view of learners linguistic behavior. The first example explains that errors made by NL speaker. This is because the child overused the rule of past tense. EA can help the child to progress in leaning the NL by classifying the errors. However, there is no clear path to understand about the child linguistic behavior because the child already knew the rule of regular verb tense but not irregular verb tense. The second example happens because of cross linguistic error. The learners have knowledge in plural rule but due to difference between languages and NL interference, the rule is generalized and error occurs. Conclusion As conclusion, both CAH and EA have their own strength and weaknesses. The analysis of the sentence is important in order to detect error or to notify the progress of the second language learners. However, CAH and EA cannot work alone. For the sake of the language learners, these analyses should be worked hand in hand in order to improve the quality of the target language learners.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Via Negativa: A Way of Talking to God

Vla Negatlva Is a way of talking about God In only negative terms. For example, God Is not mortal; or God is not human. Both of these tell what God is not, instead of what he is. This is because our knowledge of God is limited by our finite human understanding, therefore. as God is out of this Universe, we find it extremely hard to talk about him. Saint Augustine said â€Å"If you comprehend, it is not God. If you are able to comprehend, It is because you mistake something else for God. Vla Negatlva allows us to compare God to things within our Universe that we understand, allowing s a sense of recognition with God, however not allowing us to reach a full understanding. This simple recognition Is meaningful enough for many, Including the like of Maimonides and Pseudo-Dionysius. Other philosophers believe that this negative way of speaking about God, is not the only meaningful way to talk of him. These will be discussed further within the essay. Moses Maimonides said that Via Negativ a was the only true way to speak of God.God is transcendent, so it is impossible to say what God is, we don't know. He herefore decided the only way we could speak of him, Is to talk In negatives. He gave the example of ‘God is not a human being. This Is because he Is transcendent, so cannot have a body. ‘ Maimonides believes that by giving positive ideas to God, we are lowering God to our human level of understanding. Words like ‘good' or ‘loving', which are often used to describe God, are simply are interpretations of those words, God is transcendent so in no way is he confined to this basic understanding. sing Via Positiva is Improper and disrespectful. However, Maimonides agrees that one positive tatement can be made about God, and this is that he exists, this is because the whole principle of Vla Negativa is based on the Idea that God exists. Pseudo- Dionysius follows the same belief as Maimonides, also stating that God is beyond assertion and beyond den ial, meaning that whatever you say about God, even if negative, doesnt ultimately tell us what God Is, It simply provides us with spiritual understanding of Him.This way of negatively speaking still allows us to recognise God as ‘good'. Even If we say ‘God Is not good,' this can made that God Is more than ust good, he may be wholly perfect So this account of speaking still allows for God being transcendent. It also accepts the fact that the finite cannot get a true grasp of the infinite. However, there are a few Issues with this view. This theory simple assumes that there is a God to talk about when there is no proof of this; some believe that the fact we cannot describe God, suggests there Is not anything to be descrlblng.If we were to only ever talk about objects in a negative manner, we would never grasp truly what an object was, only what it was not. Finally, many religious people believe that it is important to view God as positive and good, so Via Negativa removes this idea for the religious followers. Other philosophers take the complete opposite view of religious language, saying there is absolutely no meaningful way to talk about God. This view was taken by the Vienna Circle who believed that only analytic propositions and synthetic propositions 1 OF3 are meanlngTul. Analytic Decause tne Knowledge comes tnrougn logical reasoning, eg. he man was dead, so was not alive; synthetic principles because they can b proven o be true or false, so there meaningfulness can easily be shown, eg. The water is 27 degrees. The Vienna Circle followed the Verification Principle; this suggested that only empirically verifiable statements are meaningful, one that can be verified by sense experience. Meaningful language involves discussing things that exist only in reality. Therefore God does not fit into this category since he exists outside of our reality. Simply put, the Vienna Circle believe that there is no meaningful way to discuss talk.However, the princ iple allows historical facts to be meaningful, as they ould be verified at the time. Therefore, could not some of God's existence be verified? For example, ‘Jesus was raised from the dead,' is a historical fact and was verified by many at the time. There is room for God to exist within the principle, so their idea was weak. There are also issues with the fact that the principle itself is not verifiable, so therefore is a bunch of meaningless opinions. Hereby the Vienna Circle and their ideas are often overlooked. Paul Tillich is a philosopher of symbolism.He believes that symbols open up ealms of understanding that we often cannot access. A symbols stands for something other than whatever is represented, he gives the example of the American Flag; not only does it represent America, but it shows the unity and the strength of the nation. These secondary meanings are often things that we would struggle to explain, but a symbols makes it easy for us to recognise them and then disp lay them to others. Another example is a simple love heart; that heart can mean a lot of things too many different people, Justice, peace, love, safety†¦ Symbols allow personal nderstanding.Tillich therefore believes that symbols can be used to talk about God in a meaningful way. He suggests that religion and God are things of Ultimate Concern, things that we should strive to understand. God is a representation of many things like Justice, love and infinity. We struggle to understand these things normally, but religion symbolises these things and allows us to understand. Therefore, religious faith is a way of accepting these symbols, providing a great deal of meaning to God. Tillich then suggests that God can be spoken about in a meaningful way, by sing symbols to explain many of his known features.However, people find issues with this idea, mainly that religion is symbolising other things and isn't really in existence. It appears to lower God's power by simply saying that he i s used as an object of representation, rather than of his own great importance. Many religious people dislike this view, saying that God is the ultimate power and should not be lowered to such standards. There are many other theories on how to speak of God and whether it is meaningful or not; Aquinas' view on analogy, Hare's blik†¦ but I find Tillich's view on eligious language to be the best.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Applied Medical s Current Sustainability Practices Essay

Applied Medical has grown from its humble beginnings twenty years ago to a quarter billion dollar company by implementing an unconventional, vertically-integrated business model that has catapulted the company to be world leader in the laparoscopic trocar market. . The company s mission is to reduce the cost of healthcare by providing the best quality medical devices at the lowest possible price. We are proud to have a significant and sustainable impact on healthcare by delivering technologies that enhance clinical care and satisfy the pressing economic needs of our customers (Applied Medical, n.d., para.1) . Applied Medical has demonstrated that takes its social responsibility seriously through different initiatives that benefit customers and the community. This paper presents a synopsis of Applied Medical s current sustainability practices, discusses specific sustainable practices that can benefit the triple bottom line immediately, and finally exhibits the benefits of synergizing corporate responsibility activities by appointing a Corporate Social Responsibility Manager to Applied Medical s leadership team. Analysis Applied Medical recognizes the value of being a good corporate citizen though its community outreach programs and by keeping the cost of healthcare low. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Taiwan; BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2622 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN TAIWAN HISTORY Pre 20th Century History Little archaeological evidence remains from Taiwans early history. People probably from Austronesia are though to have inhabited the island since 10,000 BC with migration from China in the 15th century. In 1517 Portuguese sailors reached Taiwan and named it Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Taiwan; BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES" essay for you Create order The Dutch invaded in 1624 and built a capital at Tainan two years later they lost the island to a Spanish invasion but returned the favour by booting the Spanish out in 1641. During the 1660s the Ming and Manchu (Qing) dynasties arrived on the scene, kicking out the Dutch and wrestling one another for control of the island. The Manchus eventually won, making Taiwan a county of Fujian province and triggering a flood of Chinese immigration. At the end of the 19th century, the Japanese decided to weigh in as well: Taiwan was ceded to them in 1895 following Chinas defeat in the Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese quashed a republican rebellion organised by the local Chinese population and went on to establish a military base on the island and to promote education and economic development. After Japans defeat in at the end of WWII, Taiwan was handed back to China. Modern History When Communist forces took control of China in 1949, the president, General Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang (KMT), fled to Taiwan to plan their reconquest of the mainland. Theyre still planning. One and a half million Chinese also left the mainland for Taiwan when Mao took control. The leaders of both Communist mainland China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) claim to be the voice of all China, but the international community has, almost without exception, chosen the mainland. In 1971 the KMT lost the Chinese United Nations seat, and in 1979 the USA withdrew its recognition of the Republic. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975 and was replaced by his son Ching-kuo, Taiwanese started muttering the word dynasty, and criticism of the one-party system rose. In 1986, those opposed to Chiang formed the Democratic Progressive Party and were granted seats in the legislature. Two years later Chiang died and was replaced by the first native-born president, Lee Teng -hui. Taiwanese politics is divided among those who want reunification with China (the KMT line), those who want Taiwanese independence, and those who want the status quo preserved. In 1995 relations between the two Chinas, always chilly, plummetted to a new low. Lee Teng-huis high-profile visit to the United States brought mainland China out in a rash of nervous jealousy. Determined to isolate Taiwan and sway the minds of its voters, China held intense military exercises near the Taiwanese coast. In response, the United States donned its global cop hat and sent a couple of warships to monitor the situation. Despite the regions sudden high concentration of itchy trigger fingers, the first direct presidential election was held without incident, and Lee Teng-hui was returned to office. Taiwans fortunes took a turn for the worse in September 1999 when a massive earthquake hit the island, the largest in its history, leaving over 2000 islanders dead and a rubble-strewn country. Eve n in this time of crisis, however, the snippy relationship between mainland China and the wannabe republic continued. A defiantly sulky China demanded that any country entering Taiwan to offer earthquake relief get permission from the Chinese government first: a demand that was met with less-than-hearty agreement from humanitarian organisations and other countries around the world. Recent History In March 2000, Taiwan elected its next president Chen Shui-bian, the candidate of Taiwans Democratic Progressive Party, who believe in a formal declaration of independence for the island. The upset ended 55 years of Nationalist rule and alarmed China, which regards Taiwan as a rebel province. In 2004, Chen Shui-bian was re-elected by a narrow margin following a possibly-dubious assassination attempt on him only hours before the election. In a concession to political opponents and a country fearful over its constant Chinese threat, Chen Shui-bian vowed to forge closer relations with China and leave the volatile issue of Taiwans sovereignty off the political reform agenda. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IN TAIWAN To adjudge whether or not a country is suitable for investment opportunities we must use certain parameters these can range from descriptive tools like reports available from various established organizations like The World Bank or The IMF. Else we can make use of diagnostic tools like PEST analysis which we will employ to analyse the business environment of Taiwan and look at the possibility of investment opportunities. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL SCENARIO The political status of Taiwan is a controversy over whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of Taiwan. Taiwans political status is complicated by the controversy over the Republic of Chinas existence as a state. Currently, Taiwan, Kinmen (Quemoy), Wuchiu (Wuciou) and Matsu off the coast of mainland Fukien, and Taiping (Itu Aba) and Pratas in the South China Sea effectively make up the entire state known as the Republic of China. The ROC government has in the past considered itself to be the sole legitimate government over Taiwan, as well as its former territories on the continent that include mainland China, Outer Mongolia and Tannu Uriankhai (part of which is present day Tuva). This position started to be largely ignored in the early 1990s, changing to one that does not challenge the leg itimacy of PRC rule over mainland China, although the ROCs claims have never been renounced through a constitutional amendment. Different groups have different concepts of what the current formal political situation of Taiwan is. In addition, the situation can be confusing because of the different parties and the effort by many groups to deal with the controversy through a policy of deliberate ambiguity. The political solution that is accepted by many of the current groups is the following perspective of the status quo: that is, to unofficially treat Taiwan as a state and at a minimum, to officially declare no support for the government of this state making a formal declaration of independence. What a formal declaration of independence would consist of is not clear and can be confusing given the fact that the Peoples Republic of China has never controlled Taiwan since its founding and the fact that the Republic of China, whose government controls Taiwan, considers itself a de jur e sovereign state. The status quo is accepted in large part because it does not define the legal status or future status of Taiwan, leaving each group to interpret the situation in a way that is politically acceptable to its members. At the same time, a policy of status quo has been criticized as being dangerous precisely because different sides have different interpretations of what the status quo is, leading to the possibility of war through brinkmanship or miscalculation. Hence we can say that Taiwan has a volatile political situation but is stable currently. ECONOMIC SCENARIO Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities. In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is substantial, and foreign reserves are the worlds third largest. Agriculture contributes less than 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia. China has overtaken the US to become Taiwans largest export market. Because of its conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths, Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn, combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in 2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence, and bad bank loans; and the essentially vibrant economy pushed ahead in 2003-04. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant long-term factor, e.g., exports to China of parts and equipment for the assembly of goods for export to developed countries. A FEW RELEVANT STATISTICS GDP purchasing power parity $576.2 billion (2004 est.) GDP real growth rate 6% (2004 est.) GDP per capita purchasing power parity $25,300 (2004 est.) GDP composition by sector agriculture: 1.7% industry: 30.9% services: 67.4% (2004 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.7% (2004 est.) Labor force by occupation agriculture 8%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.) Unemployment rate 4.5% (2004 est.) Budget revenues: $67.41 billion expenditures: $76.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.4 billion (2004 est.) Industries electronics, petroleum refining, armaments, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals Industrial production growth rate 12.2% (2004 est.) Oil consumption 988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) Agriculture products rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk; fish Exports $170.5 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Exports commod ities computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles, plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002) Exports partners China, including Hong Kong 37%, US 16%, Japan 7.7% (2003) Imports $165.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) Imports commodities machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision instruments (2002) Imports partners Japan 26%, US 13%, China, including Hong Kong 11%, South Korea 6.9% (2003) Debt external $55.5 billion (2004 est.) Investment (gross fixed) 18% of GDP (2004 est.) Public debt 32.4% of GDP (2004 est.) Current account balance $21.16 billion (2004 est.) Reserves of foreign exchange gold $246.5 billion (2004 est.) Hence after having a look at the economic structure we can say that a few indicators like the availability of labour forces, growth rates, inflation rates point to the fact that Taiwan is a stable economy and hence suitable for investment opportunities. SOCIAL SCENARIO Although the majority of the people residing in Taiwan (84%) are descended from 17th century migrants from China, the political power (and a substantial part of the economic power) of the island has been, until recently, almost exclusively held by less than one-fifth of the population. A population who fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the communist takeover of the mainland. Almost a half-century of co-residence has seen an integration of these two populations to some degree, with both pride in Chinese heritage and culture and national pride in being a resident of Taiwan, combining successfully to date. Taiwan is a society that supports strong Confucian values, reflecting the islands predominantly Chinese heritage (the native aborigines of Taiwan make up only 2% of the population). European influences have also made their mark, in the form of trading links (and some colonial aspirations) from the Spanish and Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. Japan has also had a more recent influ ence over the character of Taiwan: the island was occupied by Japan from 1895 to 1946, but this occupation although repressive at times was also a period of prosperity for Taiwan. Taiwan today is a vibrant and prosperous patriarchal society, which maintains the family as its basic foundation. Multi-generational households are the norm, with age being respected and children prized. The people are reserved, respectful and humble, although individual achievement and a hearty entrepreneurial attitude is found throughout the Taiwanese society. The practice of religious tenets, more so than pure belief alone, influences the Taiwanese character. Approximately 24% of the population is Buddhist, 16% is Taoist (Confucian) and 3% Christian. Much like other Chinese societies, respect and formality mark social relationships, and guanxi (guanji) is quite strong in Taiwan. Open conflict or direct criticism is avoided, as is any other action which could create embarrassment. Boasting or lou d behaviour is to be avoided, although compliments are appreciated but usually denied. While many educated Taiwanese speak English, the national (and commercial) language is Mandarin Chinese, with many also speaking the local Taiwanese (Chinese) language. Varying degrees of English is spoken by many of the younger generation and the internationally educated. Taiwan is one of the most urbanised nations in Asia with over 60% of the population living in cities. Taipei, the capital, houses nearly 13% of the population, or approximately 2.75 million. Other major cities include Kaohsiung and Keelung. The people of Taiwan are well educated and have relevant knowledge of subjects like English and science. The society is a peaceful one and not very different from other South East Asian countries. The cities are well developed and the working conditions are conducive to conducting business. Hence investments with respect to the social structure will be a safe bet. TECHNOLOGICAL SCENARIO Measures accompanying Science Technology (ST) development include the four main aspects of educating, training, recruiting, and rewarding ST manpower; the ST research environment; technology diffusion, intellectual property rights, and standards; and international ST cooperation. The goal of manpower training is to establish superior ST research and development manpower, which may be considered a RD software input. The goal of common research facilities is to provide the infrastructure needed for research, and this infrastructure may be considered a RD hardware input. Superior RD outputs can be obtained only after these two inputs are appropriately matched with funding. 1. Manpower education and training The education and training of ST development manpower includes the three aspects: (1) education in colleges and universities, (2) advanced studies in Taiwanese institutions and overseas for personnel selected by government agencies, and (3) training by vocational and professional training institutions. In addition, the Executive Yuans Implementation Regulations for Commendation of Outstanding Scientific and Technological Personnel, Executive Yuan and the Academia Sinicas Topical Research and High-level Manpower Training Program both serve to actively promote key ST research and train ST manpower. Apart from education in universities and colleges, the government also promotes the training of ST manpower via advanced studies or research in Taiwan and overseas for personnel selected by government agencies, and training by vocational and professional training institutions. A total of 37,945 students received Ph.D. or masters degrees in the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, ag riculture, or the humanities and social sciences from domestic universities during the 2003 academic year. This number represented an increase of 16.3% over the 2002 academic year from this total 35,981 persons, or 94.8%, received masters degrees. See Table VI-1 for an overview of the various advanced ST manpower training and technical skills education training systems and their results in 2004. 2. Manpower recruiting In order to meet shortages of ST manpower, the government has implemented a number of policies and programs to train domestic high-tech manpower and recruit outstanding overseas manpower to work in Taiwan. It has established long-term targets for ST manpower recruiting, training, and utilization. The government has adopted simultaneous long- and short-term approaches to the recruiting of ST manpower. The Academia Sinica recruits overseas post-doctoral research personnel, foreign consultants, specialists, and scholars, and the NSC funds the recruiting of ST manpower, the hiring of post-doctoral researchers, the recruiting of research scholars, and the invitation of scientific and technological figures from China to participate in research in Taiwan 3. Rewarding Personnel The government offers a variety of grants and awards aimed at encouraging ST personnel to engage in academic research, technology development, and invention. Relevant honors include the Outstanding Achievement in Science and Technology Award, Academic Award, National Lectureship, Outstanding Research Award, and the Ta You Wu Memorial Award. Hence we can say that technologically also Taiwan is very superior and backed by Government. Technologically there should be no problems with investments in Taiwan. Therefore after doing a PEST analysis we can conclude that weighing all options Taiwan is a relatively safe place to invest resources. Now let us have a look at the various industries in Taiwan and try to zero in on an industry or a sector where a investments are a possibility.