Macroeconomics - Globalisation Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics Globalisation Essay For its supporters, globalisation describes a dream of opportunity and prosperity. For its opponents, it denotes a nightmare of greed and inequality Explain the term globalisation and the factors that may have contributed to the process. Globalisation can be defined as the integration of the worlds economies into a single international market, as local and national markets become incorporated into the global capitalist system of production with increasing interdependence. It promotes the free movement of labour, capital, goods, services, technology and management in response to markets around the world. The growth of markets in this manner is not a new, but a process that has seen the markets grow from a local scale to a national one during the Industrial Revolution and to an international scale by the end of the 20th century. The growth of international trade has been significant in furthering globalisation. During the Industrial Revolution, Britain had a significant comparative advantage as its advanced manufacturing technology allowed hugely improved transport through steamships and railway networks across its Empire. This opened up huge potential markets around the globe for British exports, at the same time making a huge range of goods from these new trading partners accessible to British consumers. Although comparative advantages have changed, this is a trend that has continued into the 21st century, with the rise of low cost air travel and other forms of transport becoming quicker, cheaper and further reaching. There is certainly incentive for this international trade driving globalisation has seen a rise in the trade of manufactured goods to $12 trillion in 2005, a hundred times greater than it was in 1955. Over a similar period, the industrialisation of LEDCs has also been significant. As systems of production in economies such as the Asian Tigers, including Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and increasingly the Tiger Cubs of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia along with other NICs have advanced; their economies have become increasingly suited to manufacturing industries. Cheap labour costs in these countries encourage this development, which has been partly responsible for a new international division of labour. As production and trade of quaternary services such as research and development has increased in the three main areas of influence of North America, the EU and Japan, MNCs have increasingly looked to NICs to provide secondary industry, incentivised by low production costs and an increasingly welcoming attitude from national governments. Whilst restrictions still exist, this is particularly true in India, where rules that previously did not allow FDI are loosening and large firms such as Wal-Mart are seeing opportunities to access new markets, particularly in the IT sector. It is perhaps a result of this and other economic liberalising policies that India is seeing growth rates of 9%. Whilst the rise of globalisation has certainly seen a widening in participation in international trade not even the oil producing nations are, for example, energy independent, some economies are far more integrated in the global capitalist system of production than others. As many MEDCs specialise in the production of services, very little of their economies are left purely domestic. In contrast, however, the remaining non-industrialised LEDCs, such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa, have significantly less impact on the global economy. Trading in cash crops and similar primary goods, much economic activity in these nations is still domestic, with many farmers, notably, practicing subsistence farming to the point they have little to no involvement in the cash economy. Evaluate the view that, although globalisation has brought benefits to the UK economy, it has not been without significant costs. The process of globalisation has not continued without criticism. Clearly, there have been considerable benefits to the UK economy over several hundred years as a result of globalisation, but are there costs associated with the rise of the global economy and, indeed, are those costs now outweighing the benefits of an interdependent world? Globalisation has increased the competitiveness of UK markets. Competing in highly contestable markets, British firms face competition from abroad. A few large firms, between whom collusion very well may have occurred, as explained by game theory, had typically dominated domestic markets. As more firms entered the market, they erode larger firms market share with which they may have exercised monopoly power. Domestic firms are thus forced to become more productively efficient, producing at lower cost to compete with, for example, goods manufactured using cheap labour in South East Asia. Competition would also promote innovation so that in an economy with high labour costs, British industry could gain a comparative advantage over foreign firms. The effect of globalisation has thus been an influx of new goods and services combined with lower prices on existing goods, now of a better quality. Globalisation has therefore lead to a net gain in welfare for UK consumers. However, the realities of the situation are very different. Realistically, UK firms cannot compete in the manufacturing industry where economies with cheap labour have been deemed to provide unfair competition. The UK is a high labour cost country and thus at a comparative disadvantage which is effectively impossible to overcome, as demonstrated with the loss of the motor industry in the UK during the 1970s. Footloose capitalism has no preferred location, and as such will shift production to wherever costs are lowest. Globalisation has spurred the process of de-industrialisation, whereby employment in the manufacturing sector has fallen from 7.1 million in 1971 to 3.1 million in 2005, where the size of the UK labour force has in fact grown with rising participation rates. Many of these workers are either unskilled or have been trained to a specific task, making it difficult for them to find alternative employment, compounding the problem. The effects have not just been felt in manufacturing, but increasingly in the service section as IT booms in India and many firms opt for business process outsourcing. Surveys by Deloitte have shown that much of the UK population are deeply concerned about the outsourcing of white-collar jobs. Globalisation has lead to job losses in the UK, causing social distress and negatively affecting unemployment rates, an important economic performance indicator. The picture is not as bleak as it may seem, however. Unemployment rates in the UK remain low, and that generated can be viewed as frictional unemployment as other vacancies do exist. Government training schemes, such as free IT lessons under the auspices of Learn Direct also go a long way to combating structural unemployment as manufacturing workers can retrain for jobs in the quaternary sector. Whilst the UK has lost the majority of its manufacturing industries, a new international division of labour has emerged as the theory of comparative advantage shows that global production is increased if economies specialise in what they are relatively best at producing. The UKs specialisation in the service industry has lead to job creation and significantly increases in national output. Measured through real GDP growth, this rise in national output as a result of specialisation shows that globalisation has been in part responsible for economic growth. Augmented by the multiplier effect, this brings benefits to the whole economy. However, the direct economic benefits derived from globalisation have in fact widened spatial inequalities rather than benefited all, as impacts have differed between the regions. Under the international division of labour, there has been a greater emphasis on knowledge-based industry with the rise of the service sector, with 73.1% of national output in 2004 being in the service sector, compared to manufacturings 15%. Where benefits from these dramatic figured? Quaternary and knowledge-based services are concentrated around the M4 corridor the sunrise strip, and silicon fen, with R+D focused on science parks located around southern universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. These effects of de-industrialisation have created a north/south divide, as the north is traditionally home to the manufacturing industry. Northeast England never fully recovered from loss of traditional heavy manufacturing industries such ad shipbuilding. The consequential migration of workers to the south of England has placed pressure on resources and housing, whilst some northern areas such as Liverpool have seen a fall in population. This is allocatively inefficient resources are wasted whilst the necessary investment needed to deal with the new distribution of population has spurred further investment in the south, widening the north/south divide. In conclusion, the costs to the UK economy from the march of globalisation are highly significant, although their impact can be disputed when the importance of globalisation to UK economic development is considered. However, globalisation is not a process that can be reversed, halted or even slowed. The world is interdependent and will continue to be so, and the UK must be a part of it. International trade, the driving force of globalisation, is enormously important to the UK has been responsible for its position as a major economic power since the days of the British Empire. We have neither the resources nor the inclination to pursue a policy of economic isolationism, as the potential benefits from globalisation are huge. The best option, therefore, would be a cautious approach, devising strategies to tackle problems as they arise with a fundamental focus on sustainability.

Progressivism :: Teaching Education Essays

Progressivism Progressivists believe that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives. Therefore, the curriculum should be centered around the experiences, interests, and abilities of students. Teachers should plan lessons that arouse curiosity and push the students to a higher level of knowledge. In addition to reading textbooks, the students must learn by doing. Students should often leave the classroom for fieldtrips during which they interact with nature or society. Teachers should also stimulate the students' interests through thought-provoking games. Students should be encouraged to interact with one another and to develop social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. Also, teachers should feel no compulsion to focus their students' attentions on one discrete discipline at a time, and students may be responsible for learning lessons that combine several different subjects. Progressivists emphasize in their curriculum the study of the natural and social sciences. They believe that teachers should expose students to many new scientific, technological, and social developments, reflecting their notion that progress and change are fundamental. Students should also be exposed to a more democratic curriculum that recognizes accomplishments of women and minorities as well as white males. In addition, students should solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter outside of the schoolhouse; they will learn to be flexible problem solvers. Progressivists believe that education should be a perpetually enriching process of ongoing growth, not merely a preparation for adult lives. They also deny the essentialist belief that the study of traditional subject matter is appropriate for all students, regardless of interest and personal experience.

Mandated Curriculum versus Developmentally Appropriate Practices Essay

I am writing this letter to discuss with all the members of the school board about some of my concerns with the new state-mandated textbook-based curriculum for kindergarten. As a parent I want only the best kind of education for my children and I feel that this new curriculum is not the best. The fact that you went with a new curriculum is disturbing to me because the developmentally appropriate practice that was our old curriculum was working great for our children. Developmentally appropriate practice or DAP for short is an approach to teaching that is grounded in the research of how young children learn and develop by using what is known about the effective use of early education in children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2010). The framework of the DAP curriculum is designed to promote the optimal learning and development of young children (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2010). I believe that the developmentally appropriate program is the best form of education for my children because it supports the individual needs and interests of the children in accordance with what they are mentally and physically ready to learn (Jaruszewicz, 2012). The use of the new textbook-based curriculum is inappropriate because it does not support those needs. The children in our school system need to be able to learn at their own pace because if they are not ready to learn the information that the teachers are trying to teach them, then the children can lose interest in learning very fast. Meaning that the textbooks that you will be using in this curriculum cover a lot of information on any given subject but they do not cover the information on specific literature that is appropriate for the age of the children. This literature is very affective  in getting, keeping and maintaining the interest of our children and keeps them excited about learning the information. The children in your school system will not be able to learn the material and maintain their interest in learning with the use of your new textbook-based curriculum. If our children lose their interest in learning then it will be very difficult to teach them anything. Every child learns in a different way and this means that if you are trying to teach every child by textbook then some of the children are not going to be learning the material all the way. Do to the No Child Left Behind Act our children will not be able to have all the knowledge that they need when they are ready to graduate. This is something that we need to fix because we need to make sure that our children are learning everything that they will need to know to be able to succeed in college and life. So in conclusion I believe that we should go back to the old standards of teaching. The developmentally appropriate program is a great learning curriculum that is perfect for teaching kindergarten children. There are three core considerations of DAP that help with the teaching process for these young minds. These three considerations are to know about child development and learning, knowing what is individually appropriate, and knowing what is culturally important (National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2012). If we continue to use these forms of teaching for our children then our children will learn all of the information that they need to know in order to be ready for grade school and then for their futures. References Jaruszewicz, C. (2012). Curriculum and Methods for Early Childhood Educators. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2010). Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/DAP

Springfield nor’Easters Case Analysis

Johnkingsley Obasi AMBA650-The Springfield Nor'easters Case Analysis. Introduction. The city of Springfield, Massachusetts were blessed with the basing of a baseball minor league franchise in their city. But the class A team is faced with great revenue generation challenges that will make or mar the organization. The new team might likely take advantage of the fact that closest sports franchised teams are all located 90 miles away from Springfield. This might create a ticket and concession boom for the team and other benefits like employment and taxes for the city.The city has a considerable moderate family income and a recent growth index in the healthcare, financial, and other small and medium enterprise sectors is an advantage to the team's marketing and pricing strategies. The process of designing and implementing an effective and strategic pricing structure needs a deep understanding and knowledge of the consumer psychology and a successful pattern of setting, adapting and chang ing prices (Kotler & Keller, 2009). As a center to develop upcoming younger players, the franchise owner has an objective of making money from his baseball operations in the city.By having a successful financial breakthrough, the team will be able to finance itself and grow in a sustainable form to be competitive and profitable. The main task of this analysis is to present the best possible marketing and pricing strategies that will enable the baseball team make profit. As this organization struggles to with the pricing decisions, they embarked upon a survey to obtain an optimal pricing that will be based on the market response and reactions. Respondents will give them a helpful insight about the marketplace and possible consumer behaviors.Unfortunately, low number of respondents and inaccurate data posed another challenge. The Strategic Issues, Problems, And Other Factors Nor'easters Need To Consider Before Price Establishment. Demand considerations is critical to pricing tickets f or a base price. To begin with, management needed to build a demand for ticket sales based on extensive research. This will entail asking how many fans and non-fans would buy the teams ticket at a certain price. This exercise need to be done for various prices.Also, this survey or research could be done by doing a survey among the target tickets market. The best option, especially for a large business organizations like the Nor’easter is to employ the services of a marketing firm to carry-out the research for them. It is an imperative factor that companies must set a pricing structure when they are offering new products or services ( Kotler ; Keller, 2009). The demand price elasticity is an important factor to consider it simply states that consumers will play a role in determining how responsive to price the demand for the product is.Accurate figures can be obtained by research and mathematical calculations through simple steps. Under this situation you ask the effect of sli ght change in prices. If prices are offered at discount rates, then, price is increased then demand will expected to fall significantly as a result of that action. If luxuries goods are been sold, then demand will not respond that much to changes in price. The higher we see demand elasticity grow, the greater the growth volume will be as a result of possible 1% price reduction.When Nor'easters ticket demand goes elastic, that might warrant price-cutting to boost sales, especially cost of tickets productions and operating cost have not gone up in a disproportionate manner. Factor Number 3 that must be considered is cost. Cost here will include the cost of all borrowed capitals that have been invested in the business. Another cost to be considered will be operating cost. Every organization need to consider cost of their products or services are crucial. The issue is that a lot of small and medium business owners and managers have many times failed to do accurate price calculations.It is expected that price calculation should be done in order to work out the accurate cost of the entire process of offering a service or product to the marketplace. Every individual cost is expected to be calculated in relative terms to any type of cost. Fixed cost is cost occupies a larger magnitude in an organization's financial books and therefore, has very well defined value if you are producing or selling a product. To offer an intelligent pricing structure, Nor'easters and their management need to understand how their costs variations in different departments of their business works( Kotler & Keller, 2009).Environmental factor is another factor that Nor'easters must consider-Every business must take the environment factor into account for price policy establishment. They are in the category of constrictions that are carried out by the overall supervising office. Here, the commissioner for baseball has the regulatory powers and he can overrule some certain internal policies of a ny minor team that is in conflict with the core business objectives of the Major Baseball League (MLB). I strongly urge Springfield Nor’easters to consider this factor in the pricing policy and establishment of their organization. . A well defined problem is literally believed to be half solved. The minor baseball team in the Class A category is faced with the problem of earning reasonable revenue from sales of ticket that will empower their sound operations in Springfield. The issue of poor ticket sales could come alive with as a result of what happened to one of the minor league ice hockey teams that left the city. The team is constrained by the fact that only their players salaries, bats, and ball expenses paid by the major league teams. The minor league teams have to offset their other operating costs.In the event of failure to break-even and generate funds to pay for their other expenditures, the team would have to relocate to another city with better market opportunitie s. Concession sales would generate funds that will help offset the estimated $1. 96million operating budget, while the main partner- The Major League will contribute funds, the ticket sales is the key revenue generating source for the team. How to sell these tickets is the major problem for the team. A loyal fan base makes successful minor league baseball team(Cespedes, Winig, and Lovelock, 2009). . Analysis and evaluation. The SWOT Analysis: The city has two market segments for the sports ticketing business- namely-Loyal sports lovers that are willing to drive 90 miles to city of Boston to watch games and the second segment includes: Families, College Students, Little Leagues, and other sports lovers that do not commit absolute loyalty to any team but would love to watch games in their home city. Research shows that the market buyer behavior shows that game watchers need to be entertained in every games, thereby making the sports as an entertainment source.The act of the game provi ding a source of entertainment will surely draw fans repeatedly to the stadium for many season games if not all. Many families with minors are assumed to more likely attend many professional games in their home town. The case brief showed that about 23% had viewed baseball games on TV so it was an easy task to estimate a ticket sale from this segment. According to the survey provided in the case brief, 61% of the respondents in the city of Springfield had said that they might likely not attend a baseball game played by the minor league team.A high percentage rate of 31% indicated interest of being willing to pay $10 to see a game. Survey shows that the past 2 or 3 years, about 76% of the people interviewed had paid to watch a major league baseball game. Strengths: The target team segment of the team are the household with children of school-age under 18 years and other sport fans with loyal tendency. The team, according to survey had received positive responses from residents of the city, if those are authentic, the team will surely generate revenue that will keep them off the red zone.Springfield College has offered the team their stadium to use in exchange of package fees revenues. This has eliminated the cost of leasing a stadium . Another strength addition, $21,000 pledge from the city college and of $25,000 in sponsorship. The team has no product-market competitor in the city of Springfield. Weaknesses: There is a fundamental demographic issue as the city population is out-numbered by a working-class population that has no culture or tradition of going to the stadium to watch minor league baseball games. Ability to generate enough revenue to keep the team alive. expenses.Opportunities: The recent growth in the healthcare, financial, and entrepreneurship might create an new market and segment for the team. It is assumed that new opportunities will follow the new economic uplifting witnessed by the city in recent times would attract a new audiences and foll owership to professional sport games like minor league baseball. There is no existence of any competitor in the city that will share the market with the team , with this, any sports lover would be compelled to visit the matches of Nor'easters. Threats: Survey showed that 61% of respondents residing in the city would pay to see a game.There is a strong assumption that this huge number might influence many others. This is a potential threat that may cause the team ticket sales. Springfield is a city with poor tradition of going to see games. If this culture and tradition is not changed, it might pose a great threat to the existence of the team. Designing a pricing plan for Nor'easters . As marketing Director of the organization, Larry Buckingham embark on a market research with the intention of insightful outcome about the market and to explore and exploit ways of selling large number of tickets.The research was to enable him also to have a knowledge of who his possible and potential customers will be based on segmented ticket structure. The survey results and other information from various sources empowered Mr Buckingham to design a strategic pricing policy and establishment for his organization's concession and ticket sales. Based on data provision in the case brief, I have established from market research information show that two alternative pricing strategies that both offer strengths and weaknesses. Also some recommendations are offered based on the pricing strategies.From the survey data, assumptions made based on information from the case brief, more than 50% of the city population need to buy tickets for at least one game doing the season to enable Nor'easters generate revenues that can keep them on the break-even column. Even though 39% of the Springfield population exhibited interest to seeing baseball games as shown in the survey, this cannot be authenticated because of size of the sample used in the survey. By engaging communication and marketing, N or'easters can increase the percentage of residents willing to watch live games to more than 50%.However, considering to move to another city with high ticket-sales potential is a viable option, right? I personally do not think so. As Nor'easter and its management is faced with the process of designing the right pricing for all ticket levels and seats, the marketing director must take into consideration the fact that he is faced with very †price sensitive† customers. According to Baye et al (2005), â€Å"the application of innovative pricing strategies coupled with innovative management best practices is a perfect recipe for success in the marketplace†.As Nor'easters is seeking to hone in on an optimal prices for their seats, it is vital for them to watch the price sensitivities of their customers all through the seasons, as that will enable them adjust the dynamics of their ticket's markup from time to time. Data show that the median house income is low because m ajority of the city's residents are working class citizens. Survey data shows that more than 93% of residents interviewed have a household income of less than $75, 000 per annum.This means in simple grammar, single ticket do not have to be high and ticket discounts need to be incorporated in the pricing strategy for students, senior citizens and handicapped customers. Nor'easters' marketing plan has a key objective is to bring value-added entertainment to their baseball fans in the city of Springfield. This can only happen when the conducive atmosphere is provided during games. Such an electric atmosphere can mainly be provided by young energetic students with great enthusiasm for sports.Therefore, Larry Buckingham must consider this target group seriously and bring them to the games. With the students and families coming to watch games, concession sales will definitely increase reasonably. The appropriate price for Nor'easters regular season ticket will be very ideal at $10. The gr oup will include families with good income earning comparable to target groups like students and senior citizens. It is assumed that the set price level will not be a factor that could discourage target segment from going to watch baseball games (Kotler & Keller, 2009).As the most potential and lucrative target segment since the electrify the arena and thereby providing a fun atmosphere, their limited funds will be considered a weakness and need to enjoy large ticket discounts to retain their fan-base. I suggest that $6 will be appropriate price establishment for students. The appropriate price establishment for children will be $4 based on the fact that families coming to watch games with children will purchase a lot of concession items. This group is a potential target segment for Nor'easters.Section 3. The marketing director Buckingham, who is tasked with making the break-even of the total analysis while establishing a fan base that is loyal. Based on SWOT and STP analysis, Nor'e asters key target ticket segment will be households with school-age children of 18hyears and below and other sports lovers with consistent loyal. Based on this assumption, these alternatives have been designed. Nor'easters must establish the following: Pricing quantity, Pricing leader and discount markdowns.I suggest they participate in product ticket only, ticket bundling and ticket combinations. Larry Buckingham should carryout ticket promotions in schools backed by direct mail public media commercial. In consideration of the evaluation criteria which has ticket and concession sales as components, it is assumed that the markdown pricing strategy, ticket combination with products and direct mail in promotions will offer Nor'easters an economy that will add value goal of generating enough revenue.As all these facts have been carefully considered, adults tickets in the range of $6-$10, and half priced-tickets for children, family ticket's sale, free tickets and two coupons for conces sion products for customers on the mailing list, and a multiple game discount ticket and an efficient and effective monthly sales review and price adjustments are my recommendations. An Attempt to Calculate break-even point Cost is [email  protected] 3,150,000 70x + 3,150,000 = 160x 3,150,000 = 90 To calculate the individual break-point will be, X = 35,000 35,000 * 160 = 5,600,000.That is how the breakpoint revenue is obtained @ 60 load of the field -= 90*0. 6 = 54 Estimated Break-even point per each game= 35,000/54 = 648 approx Ticket [email  protected]$10 $10x = 70x + 3,500,000 X = 58,333 When the load is 60% level, 90*0. 6 = 54 Estimated Break-even people = 26, 250/54 = 486 based on approximation Incorporating new cost for 90 people will be: 160x = 90x + 3,150,000 Break-even persons will be X=45 [email  protected]% load capacity = 90*0. 7 – 63 Based on assumption, Break-even point here will be is 45,000/63 = 714 Profits after tax = 750,000Gross profit will be y: y-0. 3y=750,000 y = 1,071,429 approximated to be gross profit 1,071,429 = Sales of ticket – operational cost 1,071,429 = 205x-(85x+3,600,000) 1,071,429 = 205x-85-3,600,000 120x=4671,429 X = 38,929 capacity Assuming all ticketed seats occupied by 70% fans = 50x90x0. 7 = 3,150 Assumed seats occupied by extra loads= 50x90x0. 1 = 450 Estimated revenue earned per game (3,150Ãâ€"160)+(450Ãâ€"120) = 558,000 Variable cost incured per day = 70*36000 = 252,000 Income earned on daily basis = 558000-252000 = 306,000Income Generated per month = 306,000*30 = 9,180,000 My estimated profit earning = 9,180,000- 3,150,000 – 180,000 = 5850000 If load per car is 60%, it gives 90Ãâ€"0. 6 = 54 Break-even per month for fans will be, 175x = 70x +250,000 X represents fans. Therefore, X from the above equation will be = 2380 fans. Price adoption could be established based on a possibility of more than 2380 fans attending Nor'easters game on a given day. Recall, 120,000 = 175x – 70x -250,0 00 X = 3524 fans. At 60% capacity 90Ãâ€"0. = 54. References: Baye, M. , Gatti J, Rupert J. , Kattuman P, & Morgan J. (2007, Fall). A dashboard for online pricing. California Management Review, 50(1), 202-216. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from Business Source Complete. Cespedes, F. , Winig, L. , & Lovelock, C. , (2009) The Springfield Nor'easters: Maximizing Revenues in the Minor Leagues. Harvard Business School Kotler, P. , & Keller, K. (2009). A framework for marketing management (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Song for the Old Ones Essays

Song for the Old Ones Essays Song for the Old Ones Paper Song for the Old Ones Paper In the poem Song for the Old Ones Maya Angelou explores (QUESTION) by using the development of theme and the technique of imagery. Within this Maya Angelou poem she convincingly portrays the idea that her ancestors sacrificed themselves and accepted their oppression to keep their race alive: as she says they kept my race alive. Also the poem explores the different views of slavery. Angelous view on the subject is that her ancestors were extremely brave and she thanks them for enduring their hardships rather than pitying them as most people do. I think this indicates how convincing Angelous treatment of the subject slavery is because she is not frightened to express her own views and this emphasises what a serious subject it is. Another idea, depicted in the poem is the thought that Black slaves kept America afloat within the different industries and I feel if it were not for them, America would not be the success it is today; this is indicated in the poem by the lines Its our submission that makes the world go round. Throughout the poem Song for the Old Ones, I found there to be three strong themes oppression, slavery and sacrifice. Oppression is an issue which Maya Angelou describes in most of her poetry as well as this particular piece. She successfully portrays oppression by using effective word-choice such as Theyve laughed to shield their crying then shuffled through their dreams. This quotation shows that as Blacks were enslaved they will obviously have experienced a form of oppression; however, Angelou describes this oppression as being the worst kind a kind that steals your dreams. I feel this quotation has a great impact upon the poem as most people say no matter how unhappy you are, you will always have your dreams but Angelous ancestors did not even have those. The second theme within this poem is slavery. Slavery is the subject of this poem and one which Angelou deals with strongly. Throughout the poem she refers to the hardships her ancestors endured such as the chains and slaverys coffles, which effectively describes the slaves conditions. This particular quotation describes how the Black slaves were linked together while working and moving. The third theme is sacrifice. Within the poem Angelou speaks of her point of view on her ancestors slavery. The quotation that shred my fact and sound, is the line Angelou uses to express her views. She feels that people who are sympathetic towards the slaves lives are only touching the surface of the reasons why her ancestors sacrificed themselves. Angelou believes she should thank them, not sympathise with her ancestors because she understands why they sacrificed themselves, they kept my race alive. Maya Angelou uses imagery throughout the poem Song for the Old Ones to heighten the impressions the reader is given of slavery and oppression while reading the poem. The following metaphor, I feel gives the impression of long-lasting effects of slavery, even after it has ended the slats leave dents of darkness. This is an appropriate quotation that proves what I felt previously because as you become older, dents pressed into your skin while sitting on a bench stay for longer periods of time which indicates that the emotional and physical scars of slavery will stay with them forever. Within the poem there is one simile they nod like broken candles; this simile describes how a Black slaves spirit was broken because of the oppression they faced. I think Maya Angelous word-choice within this simile gives a simple comparison which allows a reader to understand a serious subject because the words Broken candles portrays a simple image and when candles are worn down, they break and are no longer of great use; which is how the Black slaves were treated. When they became overworked and burnt out they were replaced just like a candle would be. Also, this simile creates the visual image of old men with bent backs because the candles referred to in the poem were held together only by the wick and conveying the impression of the slaves being worked until they broke. Thirdly, throughout the times when Blacks were and still are being oppressed, their means of conveying pain was to write songs called the blues. Usually this type of music is relaxed and that is why the following quotation is so hard-hitting to write the blues with screams. The use of the word screams shows exactly how much suffering Blacks have faced and because they had been quiet for so long the pain had built-up and then developed into screams. In conclusion, within this analysis of Song for the Old Ones, I have explored (QUESTION) through Maya Angelous eyes. Angelou treats the subject of her ancestors slavery with great pride and she writes from her heart with her true thoughts and feelings coming through in the poem. This is why I find the treatment of this subject so convincing. Throughout this essay I have referred to the poem to describe the themes and use of imagery Angelou uses to create this feeling of oppression and times of endurance. I feel Angelou has successfully explored (QUESTION) within this poem by referring to past oppression which Blacks had encountered.

World Record for Fastest Wind Speed

World Record for Fastest Wind Speed Have you ever felt a strong gust of wind and wondered whats the fastest wind ever recorded on the surface of the earth? World Record for Fastest Wind Speed The fastest wind speed ever recorded comes from a hurricane gust. On  April 10, 1996, Tropical Cyclone Olivia (a hurricane) passed by Barrow Island, Australia. The equivalent of a  Category 4 hurricane at the time,  Ã‚  is 254 mph (408 km/h).   U.S. Highest Wind Before Tropical Cyclone Olivia came along, the highest wind speed measured anywhere in the world  was  231 mph (372 km/h) recorded at the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire on April 12, 1934. After Olivia broke this record (which was held for nearly 62 years) the Mount Washington wind became the second fastest wind worldwide. Today, it remains the fastest wind ever recorded in the United States and in the Northern Hemisphere;  the U.S. commemorates this wind record every April 12th on Big Wind day. With a slogan like Home of the Worlds Worst Weather, Mount Washington is a location known for having harsh weather. Standing at  6,288 feet, it is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States. But its high elevation isnt the only reason it regularly experiences heavy fogs, whiteout conditions, and gales: its position at the crossroads of storm tracks from the Atlantic to the south, from the Gulf, and from the Pacific Northwest makes it a bullseye for storminess. The mountain and its parent range (the Presidential Range) are also oriented north-south, which increases the likelihood of high winds.  Ã‚  Air is commonly forced over the mountains, making it a prime location for high wind speeds.  Hurricane-force wind gusts are observed at the mountains summit nearly a third of the year. but a perfect spot for weather monitoring which is why it is home to a  mountaintop weather station called the Mount Washington Observatory. How Fast is Fast? 200 miles per hour is fast, but to give you an idea of just how fast, lets compare it to wind speeds you may have felt during certain weather conditions:   blizzard winds blow at 35 mph or more;winds in a severe thunderstorm can gust in the 50 to 65 mph range;a weak category 5 hurricanes strongest sustained winds blow at 157 mph.   When you compare the 254 mph wind speed record to these, its easy to tell that that is some serious wind!   What about Tornadic Winds? Tornadoes are some of the weathers most violent windstorms (winds inside of an EF-5 can exceed 300 mph). Why then, arent they responsible for the fastest wind? Tornadoes usually arent included in the rankings for fastest surface winds because there is no reliable way to measure their wind speeds directly (they destroy weather instruments). Doppler radar can be used to estimate a tornados winds, but because it only gives an approximation, these measurements cannot be seen as definitive. If tornadoes were included, the worlds fastest wind would be approximately 302 mph (484 km/h) as observed by a Doppler on Wheels during a tornado occurring between Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999.

Is Japan a Democracy, or Not Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Is Japan a Democracy, or Not - Essay Example They too are popularly elected for a term of six years. The eligibility age for a vote is 20 years. Japan is a Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. It's post- World War II constitution was adopted on May 3, 1947. Universal adult suffrage with a secret ballot for all elective offices is followed. Sovereignty, previously embodied in the emperor, is vested in the Japanese people now. Japans current political system has something tangible to do with its defeat in the World War II. Subsequent to its occupation by the United States, the post-war constitution of 1947 is anti-militarist. Japan has no rights to wage war and it has no armed forces. A limited Self-defense Force exists. The Constitution of Japan was drawn up subsequent to its occupation by Allied Forces. As per the constitution, Japan is a democratic country. The Liberal Democratic Party is in power without break for more than 50 years. The Executive Branch: Before World War II, Emperor was hailed as divine. Now he is the ceremonial figurehead. The Prime Minister is appointed by him for a term of four years. The Cabinet Ministers are chosen by the Prime Minister and he can have a maximum number of 14 Ministers. Additional three special members are permitted. Half of the Cabinet Ministers must be from the members of the Diet. The Legislature Branch: This is named as Diet. Decisions are by majority vote and in special cases, a two-thirds majority is required. Of the 480 seats of House of Representatives, 300 are elected from single-member constituencies and 180 are elected from multi-member constituencies as per the system of proportional representation. The Sangi-in or House of Councilors has 242 seats. In every three years, only half of its membership is re-elected. Of them,73 are elected from 47 prefecture districts and 48 are elected from a nationwide list by proportional representation. The prefectures are not sovereign entities as compared to the States in the USA.