Monday, January 20, 2020

My American Nightmare Essay example -- Education Careers School Essays

My American Nightmare Many people today talk of their American Dreams†¦how much they want to fulfill a fantasy of houses, wives, cars, and jobs that pay well. To me, becoming the same as everyone else†¦fulfilling the dream of a life that I don’t want is in truth not a dream, but a horrible nightmare which my education has tried to direct me towards, and that I have fought at every turn. Anyone can live the life of another person. It’s quite simple to just copy others desires and dreams, to seek that which they seek. To this extent, many Americans base their lives on things like pop culture. We bring up these â€Å"model† Americans that everyone should strive to be, usually in the form of singers and movie stars. To live this life is a lie in two ways, because we strive for a type of living that most of us cannot hope to attain, and because we forget about ourselves, our individuality, and our potential as humans to become something great. As we realize that the first dream is hopeless, we then realize a new false dream, we strive to gain money and social position through a â€Å"good job†. Most of these jobs involve meaningless and menial tasks which we are to repeat over and over again, although many of today’s careers mask this repetition by making things like â€Å"projects† and â€Å"assignments† with different purposes. While we may gain money, most Americans hate their jobs, and to this extent lead miserable lives, gaining escape through sexuality and drugs, much in the same way described by Krishnamurti (Krishnamurti 115-117). It is this sort of drudgery that is my nightmare. Waking up every day to relive the same day, the same moments, the same sensation, and then retire to repeat the process. To live this... ...f music upon my life, I made the decision to change my future, and realized what I wanted in life, which brings me to where I am today. I stand at the edge of reality, and looking back I see what I left behind, I see order, regulation, a boring life filled with things that I have no desire for. I turn to look forward, and I see limitless potential†¦a life without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Works Cited Krishnamurti, Jiddu. Education and the Significance of Life. New York : Harper & Row, 1981. Columbo, Gary, ed. Rereading America. Boston : Beford, 2001. Gatto, John Taylor. â€Å"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher† in Rereading America, Gary Columbo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds. Anyon, Jean. â€Å"From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work† in Rereading America, Gary Columbo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Where the US Economy Will be a Year from Now

The US economy was growing steadily for the past years. Currently, however, the US is facing challenges pertaining to the economy. Some troubles began to manifest as early as 2006 when a sharp decline in the housing starts was first observed. The subprime mortgage crisis occurred. Stock market crashed and investors fleed. The economic slump continued and the dreaded recession occurred. US officially announced it was in recession in December 2008. Deflationary House Prices in the US Once the economic crisis sets in, households at the lower income bracket felt the pinch the most. People with no savings have no fall back option. They are paying money for home mortgages but money becomes scarce. Consequently since they are unable to pay the mortgage and their houses get foreclosed. Another effect of the deflationary house prices in the US is that foreclosed homes now created a growing list of unsold houses either old or new inventories. This situation is more pronounced in certain markets such as urban Florida, California, Nevada, Atlanta and others. The lack of buyers for these houses cause the prices to stabilize or in most cases, they go down. Once residential markets experience this problem, potential homebuyers will not commit to buying a house. This is because they want to hold on to their money until the home prices go down to its lowest level. Thereby giving their money a lot of leverage. What can be bought in hundreds of thousands dollars before could be bought in a much lower amount now. With the homebuyers holding on to their money for as long as possible and the house inventory growing by the minute due to foreclosures, a dilemma ensues. This is the biggest reason why homebuilding industry is the one most affected by the economic crisis America is facing today. 2010 Economic Outlook Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced some good news on May 5, 2009 that the three year economic slump the US has been experiencing is showing tell-tale signs of recovery. He projected that the recession could end late 2009, if US will not experience relapse on credit problems. Bernanke spoke before Congress saying economic indicators are hinting to a possible recovery towards the end of the year. But the climb out of the proverbial tunnel will be nothing but easy. Bernanke projected that unemployment cases will go even higher even after the recession is over. Unemployment is actually believe to reach its peak in 2010. Also, growth will be slow. The said forecast is based on the effects of the continuous repair of the economic system. The government has taken some steps to stall the effects of the crisis like injecting economic stimulus and lowering interest rates and the results are now showing. If a relapse occur in the financial situation could drag the economic recovery efforts down. U. S. stock markets have shown a lot of promise recently. The Standard & Poor's 500 index grows to 35 percent since March which indicates that consumer spending has steadied and the decline in the housing starts have slowly stopped. Bernanke’s forecast that US will peg an economic growth at 2 percent in 2010 and 4 percent in 2011. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would keep inflation low. Also, the US Central Bank will maintain minimal interest rates for an extended period. Economists believe that the United States will recover from the recession faster than Europe, due to the Federal Reserve's quick action on the situation. The International Monetary Fund announced in April 2009 that Europe's recession might continue in 2010. Deflation and Inflation The deep economic recession felt all over the United States has led to an all-time low in consumer confidence. It has also affected negatively the banking system. These factors have increased the risk of deflation. To counter the deflation risks, policy makers and the Federal Reserve have to adopt measures that are not commonly practiced in order to ward off deflation by increasing the amount of money being circulated. Policy makers had to expand fiscal spending. And the nominal interest rates are currently pegged at almost 0% since December 2008 to ease up credit and its availability. This has saved the country from being on the brink of deflation. But the same solution could create problems later as the huge increase in base-money has caused a number of people to believe that Fed’s actions could lead to inflation later. Inflation is not a problem as of the moment because households have decreased spending to a minimum and the money are hidden in bank vaults. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would also keep inflation at bay. The unused factories and growing unemployment do not permit businesses to increase prices of products and wages of employees. Once economic recovery begins and economic slack levels off, increase in money supply would eventually give way to increase in prices of commodities and wages. To prevent this from happening, the Fed must withdraw the money it has infused to the financial system while in a recession. If the Feds cannot implement this quickly, rampant inflation would ensue. Hyperinflation Hyperinflation occurs when the prices will go up as the currency falls. This is the next challenge that US might face. This dilemma however could contribute to some advantages to the businessmen. Selling US dollar and Japanese yen – the two currencies that will devalue after recession – would be highly profitable. Before hyperinflation could go full blast selling dollars and yen would bring a lot of money to traders. Once dollar value goes down. The value of the dollar sold would probably be twice its value during hyperinflation. Effect of the Dollar's Valuation Dollar and Euro currencies are recently on a see-saw battle for supremacy. US dollar declined against the Euro in the past years until recently. The current global economic slump has caused the Euro to devaluate against the US dollar. Should the tide turn in favor of the Euro again, a decline in the US dollar could actually bring some advantages: – lower dollar could mean more opportunities for export since the goods being sold from the US are relatively cheaper now compared to the Euros. – the discounted US dollar will lead to a foreign investment boom that would eventually slow down investments being poured in the European countries. – Decrease external trade deficit Disadvantages of a declining dollar rate vs Euro – going or visiting to Europe would mean paying higher amount for goods and services – American importers would pay more for imported goods – Rising inflation – American credit becomes less attractive to foreign investors – Interest rates will go up to be able to finance budget deficit Countries to Invest In The Euro is not the only currency that is rising against the US dollar: the Australian Dollar, and the Canadian Dollar both hold some promise. The Euro is a good alternative currency to the US dollars for investors. Also, there is a possibility that difference in interest rates in the US and Europe may increase and since returns usually increases along with interest rates, the Euro will then be more profitable to investors. If the devaluation of dollar occurs, countries that hold large amounts of US dollars may shift to using the Euro currrency in their reserves. Some countries have already shifted to Euro reserves such as Russia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Iran even wants to use Euro in quoting its Oil Exchange. If this scenario develops what might become of the US economy? One likely scenario is that foreign investors who bought a huge chunk of shares of stocks might sell their shares particularly the S&P 500 stocks. The results could not be certain though because the effects of financial instruments could not be easily determined. Currency levels depend to a large extent on the demand for the country’s currency which is the result of economic activities and interest rate differential. Most likely, US will experience inflation making imports more expensive. On the bright side, this would also decrease external trade deficits which is good for US economy. Foreign investors however will be hesitant to borrow from American banks or financial companies. The Federal Reserve might need to increase interest rates to be able to fund budget deficits which would affect the economy adversely. For those who want to invest in the market for currencies or the foreign exchange market or currency trading there are a number of options available. These include: forex futures, currency ETFs, export-benefiting equities as well as precious metals related instruments (such as mining stocks). It is good to invest in precious metals. Investing in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) would also be advisable. BRIC or BRICs is an acronym for the current notably fast growing developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Goldman Sachs in 2001 declared that the combined economic development in these places could overshadow the economies of the richest countries in the world. There has been ongoing speculations as evidenced by proofs that the BRICs countries are planning to form an alliance to create greater power. Investing in these places therefore would provide a better alternative to US investments since these countries development are greater compared to other countries. Invest wisely by focusing on Indian and Chinese companies that do not rely on American market to be able to buffer fluctuations in the US economy. According to economist Stanley Roach, China will recover faster than the rest of the world. This is because the structure of China’s economy is very open. Export and import shares in this country accounts for a very high percentage of the world’s total. The recession certainly affected its export markets negatively. Also, the Chinese government reacted aggressively to the situation and instituted some reforms immediately. According to Roach, China's economy will recover more swiftly if the country becomes more assertive in its implementing plans to encourage local private consumption at the same time they should find ways to decrease its heavy reliance on exports. Another country that holds a lot of promise would be Canada. Before the recession, Canada’s economy reached parity with the US dollar on September 20, 2007. Western Canada particularly is gaining a lot of strides in the economic department. But Eastern Canada hardly lagged behind. Employment rates was at its 30-year-low. Ontario is backed up by its knowledge-based businesses and Toronto’s investment sector was doing well. Western Canada’s economic boom was brought about by the world commodity markets particularly China. The â€Å"mega-boom† conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan were due greatly to its oil reserves in the Oil Sands of Alberta. The reported oil find in Alberta’s sands deposits is believed to be able to cater to the world’s demand for a century or so. The excitement for the ‘black gold’ discovery brought about by the pouring in of billions of dollars in infrastructure has spurred Alberta and Saskatchewan industries. The provinces’ economic success has trickled down on its neighbors British Columbia and Manitoba as these two cities have experienced â€Å"mini-booms† of their own. This is one particular reason why Canada particularly Alberta and Saskatchewan would always be attractive to investors. Oil commodity is very valuable and would not be greatly affected by recession. The currency movements in the U. S. and Canada have opposite implications when it comes to the effects of general price inflation in both countries. In the U. S. , import prices are climbing because the dollar value is falling. In Canada, it is the opposite. Furthermore, in Canada, the impact of any future rise in commodity prices (which are usually specified in U. S. dollars) will be blunted. With a stronger dollar, however, Canadians need to lower down the prices of goods and services in order to compete with other countries selling same export commodities. Also, Canada needs to address an important inconsistency with the Chinese Yuan. The Yuan, since it floated in mid-2005 has been appreciating versus the U. S. dollar. But it has spiralled down versus the Canadian dollar. The irony therefore is that Chinese goods are getting cheaper in Canada and costlier in the US. Foreign Exchange Market or Currency Market Foreign exchange market or the currency market is all about trading currencies. Even in these difficult times in the economy, there is always one currency or two that is growing. The stock market is in a slump right now. It is the currency market that has remained liquid which means it is possible to make money even under tough times. The US dollar, as a matter of fact, had gone up as the S&P 500 went down. Investors in the currency market have earned a lot of money in the past months. Currency market is one safe investment that most investors. Why does US dollar rise even if US is in recession? This is because during economic recession, investors put thier money where they consider is safer. The stock market is simply too volatile and uncertain at this point. So investors turn to look for the more stable options such as the moderate currency market by investing in US Treasuries. US treasury securities are debt financing instruments issued by the US Department of the Treasury. These include four types: treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury bonds and treasury inflation protected securities (TIPS). All of these are very liquid and can be traded in a secondary market or the aftermarket. This is the reason why when the stock market crashed and panic sets in, investors sought the more liquid and safer US treasuries. The surge in demand for US Treasuries buoyed the value of the dollar. Forex markets or FX markets is also another good way to invest money. FX is where one can trade currencies. FX serves to ease trade and investment among international currencies such as US Dollar, UK Pounds, Japanese Yen and other currencies. In this money market, currencies are traded against each other. Forex is the biggest financial market today with more than $3 trillion daily turnover. Speculators market one currency for another in order to gain a profit. Financial traders are drawn to this market because it is available 24 hours daily, five days a week. Forex market can be found in four cities: New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo. Investment in foreign exchange can be done in several ways: 1). buying curency shares ETFs. The method is similar to buying stock. 2). Open a bank accont with local bank that accepts foreign currencies. 3). Buy foreign currency from online brokers and 4). Use online forex trading platform such as eToro, iForex and others. In tough times, it is always good to diversify the investment portfolio. The adage â€Å"don’t put all your eggs in one basket† proves to be true now more than ever. Since the stock market suffers great losses now, it would be good to offset it with investments that would surely create gains which the US Treasury provides. Since the currency market represented by the US Treasury securities are not associated with the stock market, investing in the currency market would serve as hedge investments and a good way to diversify investment portfolio.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Prohibition Of Alcohol Drinking Age - 1587 Words

Four Score, and three years ago,our fathers ended our countries prohibition of alcohol. Are country now is still fighting a prohibition,a prohibition not allowing people under the age of 21 consume alcohol. This issue is often just thrown off to the side of the many politicians, but this issue is a major issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. There are 18 year olds risking their lives on the blood drenched war zones. They are fighting and risking their lives to give us the right to drink, and they cannot legally even enjoy an alcoholic beverage. This is a major problem we as Americans need to fix. (Insert thesis here) There are millions of minors who drink all across America. Minors deliberately disobey this law and drink as they please. This causes the law to be ineffective because, this law does not prevent minors who want to drink from drinking (Drinking Age Pro Con.com). Minors disobey this law so often we might as well lower the drinking age to 18, so that it might coun teract all the teen binge drinking that happens daily. 18 should be the drinking age because, 18 year olds are old enough to, get married, join the army, buy lottery tickets, sign legal documents, and are even considered legal adults in the United States. 18 year olds can do anything that a legal adult can do, besides drink alcohol. If the drinking age was lowered minors who drink would not be afraid to call for help if needed (Drinking Age Pro con.org) An example of this happened to anShow MoreRelatedArgument Essay Changing Drinking Age to 18816 Words   |  4 Pageswhy can’t they buy or consume alcohol? The alcoholic drinking age should be lowered to age eighteen because at that age you are responsible, mature, and it will help send the right message. Society states that eighteen year olds can not handle alcohol because they make a lot of mistakes so therefore they are â€Å"irisponsible â€Å". If you start to drink at age eighteen or twenty one your tolerance is still going to be the same. So in that case it does not matter what age you start to drink because youRead MoreProhibition and the Effect on America756 Words   |  3 Pagesalcoholism in America. I chose to do prohibition because the fact that the action taken by the federal government in order to form a better society has led to an explosion of criminal offences in the past as well as today. The effects of prohibition consistently offer a hand in the shaping of American culture. Full-fledged black markets and organized crime groups both offset the supposed benefits of prohibition. Today, teenagers often turn to the underage consumption of alcohol to make them seem â€Å"cool,† orRead MoreThe Temperance Movement Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesWhat was the purpose of the Temperance Movement and Prohibition on alcohol? The Temperance Movement was an anti-alcohol movement. The Temperance Movement took place back in the early 20th century. The Christian abolitionists who fought slavery also prayed to the same God to end the scourge of alcohol. The purpose of the Temperance Movement was to try to abolish alcohol in the early 1900’s. â€Å"’We Sang Rock of Ages‘: Frances Willard Battles Alcohol in the late 19th Century† (Willard). The author theRead MoreAlcohol Consumption And Underage Drinking1561 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol consumption and underage drinking has been a major social problem and public health concern for centuries. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), â€Å"Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for more than 4,300 annual deaths among underage youth (Fact Sheets - Underage Drinki ng). Alcohol has always been part of our culture as well as a debatable topic in our society and the controversyRead MoreAlcohol Is Bad, But Prohibition Is Worst848 Words   |  4 PagesForbidden Fruit Alcohol is bad, but prohibition is worst. Why did not we learn that lesson during the 1920s? The consumption of alcohol is part of many reasons, mostly is used to celebrate, sometimes it can also be used in a melancholic state. Alcohol can be used to share with your food or being in a social environment sharing, or also it can be part of a religion. Drinking is fun, but it should be considered to do it in moderation. Alcohol drinking age limit should be lowered to the age of 18, becauseRead MoreThe Policy Of The National Minimum Drinking Age1503 Words   |  7 Pagesminimum drinking age of 21. I believe that the raising of the drinking age to 21 years old has created more problems than solving them. America has had past experiences with a similar situation when they enforced prohibition. As we know, prohibition was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages, which was a huge failure. America have tried prohibition legislation twice in the past for controlling irresponsible drinking problemsRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe legal drinking age in the United States was ruled to be 21 in 1984, setting the country apart from almost all other western nations. These past 30 years have contained as much problems regarding the consumption of alcohol as one of the country’s biggest failures ever, the 18th amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. Also, the legal drinking age in the United States can be considered violation of states liberties, as the national government, albeit with good intentions, has intervened and onlyRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age857 Words   |  4 Pagesthe United States has the highest drinking age in the world. By 1988 the entire U.S had adopted the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act, which set the drinking age to twenty-one. However, in 1920 the United States banned the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcohol. This era known as the Prohibition sparked the popularity of hidden underground bars and events. The Prohibition Era is a prime example of how people did anything to intake alcohol and eventually this led to the actRead MoreAn Example Of How Society Changed Change1198 Words   |  5 PagesBrianna Perrotta Crim 220-001 Instructor John Murphy Prompt: Discuss an example of how society was changed due to a change in law: Prohibition. The law is changing everyday for many reasons; these reasons may include Alcohol, Drugs, New ideas, Advancements, Government, Economics, Religion, Education, Family life, Recreation, and New technologies. Crime is the reason America has had to create rules to keep order to our society. These rules are followed my most citizens and those that chose toRead MoreProhibition During The Era Of 1920-1933 Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesProhibition Essay: By: Savannah Crawford During the era of 1920-1933 could best be characterized as the path to a sober nation. This time of history consisted of the eighteenth amendment which was passed on October 28th 1919; Volstead Act. The Volstead act was created to carry out the movement of prohibition. In addition, Prohibition is the legal prohibiting of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks for common consumption according to dictionary.com. Furthermore, this amendment concurs that

Friday, December 27, 2019

legalizing marijuana - 1044 Words

Legalization of Marijuana Cannabis sativa or marijuana, is most known for its euphoric psychological effects when consumed. Many Canadians take part in the use of marijuana which has been illegal in Canada since the early 1900s. The topic of marijuana legalization in Canada has been a highly controversial topic over the last century. It has been discussed recently in the news due to Washington and Colorado both voting to legalize marijuana in November of 2012. The Liberal and Conservative parties both have highly conflicting views on this topic, and many Canadians’ have the misconception that marijuana is a bad ‘gateway’ drug. Marijuana should be legalized in Canada because tax revenue profits will boost Canada’s economy, save millions of†¦show more content†¦The application process is very gruelling, time consuming, and many applicants are not approved. Two researchers of the University of Toronto did a study in which they investigated the reasons that people self medicate with marijuana, without it being legal for them to do so as a physician has not prescribed its use. â€Å"Compassion clubs outside the law play a vital role in the provision of safe access and therapeutic knowledge about medical marijuana† (Hathaway Rossiter, 2007, p. 283). The authors investigate these clubs and the members’ experiences, and present the idea that compassion clubs are working illegally, but are providing social justice to people at need. Many people claim that marijuana is addictive and dangerous. In all of the research findings, there is not a single report of someone dying of a marijuana overdose. Many people self medicate with marijuana as it has a wide range of medical benefits. Some people use cannabis to help with ADD, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, depression, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, etc. (Lucas, P. 2012). Legalization would increase access to marijuana health information, and could pr ovide safer regulation of the plant. The legalization of marijuana has been an issue for over a generation, and the debate continues to thrive today. Marijuana has been around for centuries and, although some people are against marijuana use, many argue the cannabis plant is extremely beneficial. We asShow MoreRelatedLegalizing Marijuana2983 Words   |  12 PagesDecember 3, 2012 The topic of marijuana has been a big topic for the past few years. The United States considers marijuana as a drug, in some other countries they say it is a natural herb that is grown from the ground. The issue at hand is â€Å"should marijuana be legalized?† the congress of the US stay in a constant debate on this subject. Why is the subject of marijuana such in high demand, if the US already considers it a drug? There are many facts that need to be looked at before a finalRead MoreReasons for Legalizing Marijuana841 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Reasons for Legalizing Marijuana Abstract Marijuana can be used by the public for many purposes. Medicine is an important part of our lives and marijuana has been tested to cure cancerous cells as well as help people with their epilepsy. Using marijuana for medical purposes is one major aspect that people should take into consideration for legalizing it. Marijuana’s market has also been brought to many people’s attention because it has been poised to grow faster thanRead MoreThe Battle Of Legalizing Marijuana1289 Words   |  6 Pages Jake Mincher Mrs. Hasty English 1, 1st Hour 4/20/17 The Battle to Legalize Marijuana in the United States The United States is splitting up into two sides with the date of 4/20 coming closer with one wanting the legalization of the plant substance and the other opposing it. According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population. Marijuana was legalized on the 20th of April in Colorado in 2014. It has been legalized in variousRead MoreThe Issue Of Legalizing Marijuana1324 Words   |  6 PagesDoes it really come to morality after all? The decision to legalize marijuana has been subject for debate since first introduced in 1969; many arguing the fact that we are sitting on an industry worth an estimated 113 billion dollars. For once we have an opportunity to make a real impact in our economy. We have an aid on â€Å"the war on drugs†. But are we then showing our children that legalizing drugs is really the answer to our problems or does only the big picture mater in the end? Will this bringRead M oreThe Issue Of Legalizing Marijuana1821 Words   |  8 PagesThe issue of Legalizing marijuana is a very controversial topic of modern times. The use of marijuana is all over the media with celebrities doing it and young people in on the craze. Marijuana is the world’s oldest illegal drug, not only that, it is also the drug that is most widely used among society today (Aanstoos, 2015). Different types of people use this drug for a variety of reasons, such as, as a way to disconnect from todays hectic world, something they are peer pressured into, or even medicalRead MoreBoth Sides of Legalizing Marijuana1316 Words   |  5 Pagesof us know, marijuana has been legalized in Washington and Colorado for recreational use. According to polls and predictions, Oregon may be one of the up and coming states to legalize it next. But here comes to question, Should marijuana be legalized? Why or why not? There are many pros and cons to this situation, and they all affect not just our s tate but our country as a whole. That is exactly why I chose this topic. Since middle school, there has been talk about whether marijuana should be legalizedRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana For Recreational Use926 Words   |  4 PagesLegalizing Marijuana in Texas for Recreational Use The well known debate over the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in The United States has been ongoing since 1935. Recently Colorado and Washington have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational use. By doing so, the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has become more of an issue than it already was and now brings other states to question whether or not they should legalize marijuana (Breecher). Which brings aboutRead MoreThe Debate over Legalizing Marijuana967 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana is a drug which is used for recreational purposes as well as medicinal purposes. However, the medicinal use of marijuana has only been suggested in the recent years because previously it was just a drug which used to be exploited by the teenagers, adults and others for their own personal purposes. Many people get arrested for illegal possession of marijuana because it is still illegal to have marijuana despite the ongoing debate of making it legal. There are many people who are againstRead MorePositives and Negatives of Legalizing Marijuana1886 Words   |  8 PagesI have always been against the use of all illegal drugs including marijuana, but while researching this topic, I have learned a lot about some of the positives of legalizing marijuana use. Considering it is classified as an illegal controlled substance, I have always been under the assumption that marijuana was bad for people, no matter what my friends may have said about how good it was. I was peer pressured into trying it when I was fourteen. I knew right away that it was not for me. It madeRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana For Open Recreational Use1261 Words   |  6 Pagesand use of marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use. While hotly debated on both sides, one of the more ironic factors regarding the issue of legalization is that it was found to be perhaps the most logically and fairly debated topics of the state’s recent mid-term elections. T he facts of legalization are becoming more black and white and less about morality, which may be a testament to why 24 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws legalizing medicinal marijuana. Of those

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Battle Royale Analysis - 1208 Words

â€Å"Battle Royal†: Close Read Analysis and Explanation Ralph Ellison’s â€Å"Battle Royale†, is a thought provoking short story that puts a creative twist on the perspectives of racial inequality victims through a clever use of symbolism, setting it apart from any other story of its subject. What’s particularly unique about this story is it can easily be interpreted in a literal sense, in which case the story reads as a compelling experience of a man who struggles to find his identity in a world corrupt with prejudice. However, readers should recognize that this story is fictional so they can begin to identify the symbolism throughout the text that makes this story extraordinary. Although it can easily be assumed that this story focuses†¦show more content†¦Such contrast is meant to reflect the main character’s strong desire to be part of the American dream, but also a hatred and frustration for the fact that he can never achieve such a standard. All the while, the white men in the room force the com petitors to watch the performance, taunting with an ideal that they will never experience. The dancer is eventually grabbed at and abused by the white men of the room, symbolizing how a prejudice mindset grants forceful control to the majority, particularly the wealthy and powerful, over the American ideals. This forceful manipulation over what is â€Å"right or wrong† is an underlying theme of this story and helps in better understanding of the opening quote from the grandfather. Soon after the dancer is forced out of the room, the boxers, including the main character, are made to fight each other blindfolded in a chaotic frenzy. After an extended period of this random brawling, the blindfolds are finally removed for a boxing match between the main character and other remaining opponent. The main character quickly realizes that he is outmatched by his opponent and attempts to offer money in exchange for victory. Not only does the challenger refuse, but he makes the claim tha t he is fighting for himself rather than for the audience. What’s particularly significant about this situation is the fact the despite being forced into a savage brawl at the expense of the white men, the main character continues to participate wholeShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis On Battle Royale By Ralph Ellison1544 Words   |  7 PagesThe story I have chosen to write my literary analysis on is Battle Royale, a short story by Ralph Ellison, written in 1952. This short story is the opening of a larger novel written by Ellison it is a story about a young black man, who has recently graduated high school. During the course of this story the boy’s grandfather dies and leaves the young man with some last words that he did not initially understand but close to the end of the story the words meaning become clearer to him. He lives inRead MoreThe Prelude by William Wordsworth1181 Words   |  5 Pagesbeginning of the most influential development of his perspective. Wordsworth’s connection to the French Revolution largely shapes his views of man and tests his optimism of man’s true nature. During his visits to sites like the Bastille and the Palais Royale-- intricately connected to the French revolution-- contrasting emotions of hope and fear emerge into Wordsworth’s thinking. Wordsworth’s political views further develop as he grows in relationship with his favorite French officer, Beaupuy. The twoRead MoreFedex Five Porters Forces and Swot Essays2618 Words   |  11 Pagesthis essay is aimed to discuss how the business environment, company 3 resources and segmentation are related to the business performance. The paper analyzes these three elements using Porter’s five forces and SWOT. Porter’s five forces model analysis The five competitive forces model was came out from Porter’s first book Competitive Strategy in 1980. From that on, the model is broadly used by business managers as a guide tool to analyze enterprise structure and strategy. From his perspectiveRead MoreColor Symbolism, The Invisible Man, By Irving Howe1584 Words   |  7 Pagesobvious symbolism is presented not only the audience, but the narrator as it guides him in his travel to finding who he is. Artists for years have been fascinated by the implications of the psychological theory of Automatism, it refers to personal analysis, not the judging of images in the subconscious , but the accepting of them as they come into the conscious mind so they can be analyzed. It has always been understood that the unconscious has important messages for the conscious mind, but the formerRead MoreThe Invisible Man: Analyzing The Grandfather’S Curse. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Acid Rain and Its Effect on Plants †Free Sample Assignment

Question: Acid Rain Experiment During Unit 3, you will explore how chemistry affects your daily life. It is interesting to see that every process that occurs in a living organism is based on chemical interactions within the organisms cells. Even the formation of DNA depends on proper bonds! One of the ways in which chemistry has a direct effect on our lives and our environment is in acid rain. We will be discussing acid rain and its effects on biotic and abiotic organisms during our third Seminar. You will then be able to explore this in a three-part experiment over the next six weeks which will help you to see how chemical reactions affect your surroundings. The experiment is designed to demonstrate the effects of acid rain on plant growth and development. To do this you will need: Four to six plant cuttings (see below) Two 16.9 ounces of bottled water Tap water from faucet Rain water (if available) White vinegar Four small cups (should hold about one-half cup of water) plant cuttings, you will need to cut a stem plus leaves (at least 2 inches long with at least two leaves) of any of the plants listed below (or any other plant that you know can grow roots from cuttings). Geranium Begonia Coleus Mint Houseplants: Pothos, philodendron, Swedish ivy, wandering Jew, purple passion vine Rosemary Basil Oregano Sweet potato vine (ornamental and edible) Tomato suckers (mini-plants that come up on the sides and should be broken off, anyway) Penstemon "Husker Red" Snapdragons Salvia Sedum Directions: Step 1: Take each cutting and place in a separate, small cup with enough tap water (room temperature) to cover at least one inch of the bottom of the cutting. Step 2: Allow the cuttings to grow for 1 week, recording your observations of each cutting including the presence/absence of roots, and the appearance of the leaves. Step 3: At the end of the first week do the following: Prepare an acid water solution by adding teaspoon of white vinegar to one 16.9 oz bottl ed water. Number each cup 1 through 3 - (and 4 if also using rainwater. If rainwater is not available, use only cups 1-3). Replace the water in each cup with one of the following waters placing the water source in the appropriately numbered cup: 1. Tap water 2. Bottled water 3. White Vinegar/Acid water 4. Rain water (if available). Water should cover at least one inch or more of the cuttings to ensure that the roots do not dry out. If the water levels get low, add more of the appropriate water source. It is very important to keep the ends of the cuttings and roots immersed in water all the time. Unit 3 Final Project: Acid Rain Part I: Make several observations about the cuttings at the start of the experiment. Your observations should include the height, color and number of leaves of the cuttings. You should also observe how many roots are present and the length of the roots. Based on what you have learned about acid rain, develop a specific hypothesis regarding your expectations a s to the effect of each of the different water sources on the growth and development of the cuttings at the end of two weeks. Which water source serves as your control and why? If you have a digital camera, please take a picture of the cuttings now and save it for comparison later. You'll turn in the first part of this Assignment at the end of Unit 3. Your APA-formatted Assignment should include how you set-up your experiment, your hypotheses, answers to the questions listed above, and the first week of observations. Alternative Assignment: Acid Rain: As an alternative to the acid rain experiment described above, you may submit the following Assignment:Develop a hypothesis on whether or not acid rain is in your area. Support your hypothesis with observations. In other words, what do you see or what have you observed that supports your hypothesis? Answer: Introduction Acid rain is a term used to describe all kind of precipitation such as rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog that are acidic in nature. The common term used is Acid deposition. Acid rain causes due to mainly due to mainly burning of fossils fuels by coal burning in power plants, automobiles and factories. When the fossils fuels are burned then the sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released in the atmosphere (Agrios, 2005). These gases mix with water, oxygen and other substances and forms sulphuric acid and nitric acid solutions. Acid rain is spread across the atmosphere by winds. When this acid rain enters the earth then it flows across the runoff water surface, water system and sinks into the soil (Somerville, 2008). Acid rain has different bad effects. It kills the aquatic life, damage crops and other vegetarian, damages monuments and building and causes the toxic metals to leach into the underground drinking water sources etc. It affects the biotic and abiotic organisms. The research was conducted to see the effect of acid rain on the plants (Beers, 2007). The research was conducted to see how acid rain can affect the growth of the plant. It also shows the growth of the plant roots can be affected by the acid rain. The research shows the effect of the acid rain effect on the colour and growth of the leaves of the plants. Research Questions What are the different water sources on the growth and development of the cuttings at the end of two weeks? Which water source serves as your control and why? What effect does the different water sources appear to be having on the plant cuttings? What will be the result? Are the results supporting the original hypotheses? If so, then how? If not, then to create a new revised hypothesis. Hypothesis Experiment shows the effect of the different water solution on the different plant cuttings. Experiment shows how the different water solution affects the roots length of the plant, number of leaves cutting and the colour of the leaves, appearance of the leaves and other effects over the plant. Requirements Item Description Quantity Plant cuttings 4 to 6 Bottled water 16.9 Small cups 4 Other materials required: Tap water, rain water, white vinegar, sedum plant. Procedure Sedum plant was selected. Then it was cutted 2 inch long from the stem, in such way that it has at least 2 leaves. Each stem cutting of the sedum plant was placed separately in a small cup with enough tap water to cover one inch of the bottom of the cutting. Then the stem cutting was grown for 1 week. Observation was recorded of the stem cutting After the end of the first week, an acid water solution was prepared by addition of teaspoon white vinegar to one 16.9 oz bottled water. 4 cups were numbered. Water was replaced from each cup with the tap water, bottled water, acid water. Water was poured in such a way, that it should cover at least one or more inch of the cuttings. So the roots does not dry (Brimblecombe, 2007). Water should be maintained every the time so the root does not dry Results Observations were recorded on the below table Initial Observations: End of Week 1 Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 6 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 5 4 3 Yellow Healthy Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 6 5 4 Yellow Healthy Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow Healthy Table 1: it represents the initial observation after 1st week Week Two Observations Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 5 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 5 4 3 Yellow Dry Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 5 4 3 Yellow Dry Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow Healthy Week Three Observations: Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 5 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 5 4 3 Yellow Dry Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 4 3 3 Yellow Dry Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow dry Week Four Observations: Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 4 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 4 4 3 Yellow Dry Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 3 3 2 Yellow Wrinkled Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow dry Final Observations (Week Six): Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 4 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 4 4 3 Yellow wrinkled Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 0 2 1 Yellow discolour Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow wrinkled Week Five Observations: Water Source Roots Visible? Length of Roots? Number of Leaves on Cutting? Color of Leaves? Appearance of Leaves (Healthy, Dry, Wrinkled, Discolored, etc.)? Other Observations? Tap Water 4 5 3 Yellow Healthy Bottled Water 4 4 3 Yellow Dry Acid Water (White Vinegar Solution) 2 2 2 Yellow Wrinkled Rain Water 4 4 3 yellow wrinkled Picture of the Observation Discussion and Conclusion Acid rain is a broad term that refers the wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere, which contains nitric acid and sulphuric acids (Gusta, Wisniewski and Tanino, 2009). Acid rain results from the natural sources such as volcanoes and the vegetation decaying and the man made sources, which occurs from fossil fuel combination. When this acidic water falls on the ground, it affects a variety of plants and animals. Effect of acid rain depends on various factors such as water acidity, soil chemistry and its buffering property and type of fish, trees and the living things. The process by which acid rain damage the plant is very delicate. The acidic water alters the pH of the soil where the plant are growing, dissolving minerals and carrying them. Due to the drop of soil pH plant will suffer (Mardini, 2010). Above experiment shows effect of the different water solution on the different plant cuttings. .Experiment shows how the different water solution affects the roots length of the plant, number of leaves cutting and the colour of the leaves, appearance of the leaves and other effects over the plant (Parks, 2006). Sedum plant is selected for the experiment. Different water solution chosen is the tap water, bottled water, acid water and the rainwater. Here the tap water is considered as the control. It is considered as the control as pure form of water compare to the other form of water solutions. Experiment shows that the height of the stem cutting decreased of the acid water solution compare to the other solution. The colour of the leaves of the stem cutting of the acid water solution was decoloured compare to the other water solutions (Simblet, 2010). The results show that how acid water affects the plants growth, compare to the tap water, bottle water and the rainwater. The research concludes the bad effect of acid rain on the plants. References Agrios, G. (2005).Plant pathology. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press. Beers, G. (2007).Holt elements of literature. Austin, Tex.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Brimblecombe, P. (2007).Acid rain. Dordrecht: Springer. Gusta, L., Wisniewski, M. and Tanino, K. (2009).Plant Cold Hardiness. CABI. Mardini, R. (2010).Volatile landscape. Washington, DC: The Jamestown Foundation. Parks, P. (2006).Acid rain. Detroit [Mich.]: KidHaven Press. Simblet, S. (2010).Botany for the Artist. London: DK Pub. Somerville, R. (2008).The forgiving air. Boston, Mass: American Meteorological Society.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Monopoly profits

A monopoly is a market structure characterized by only one supplier but many buyers. The one firm which supplies the entire market has enormous market power to determine both the price as well as the quantity supplied to the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Monopoly profits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the process, they not only produce at high prices in comparison with a competitive market structure but they also produce less than the optimum quantities required in the market. The monopoly firms thus make super normal profits and are considered inefficient. The main causes of the existence of monopolies are the barriers to entry resulting from several factors. First are the natural monopolies which occur due to the fact that only the firm is able to access resources used in the production of the final product. Factors such as high cost of entry, government policies as well as limitations in technol ogy also lead to the existence of monopolies (Price and Output under a Pure Monopoly, 2010, para3). The graph below depicts the monopoly market structure. Notably, the Marginal Revenue curve is downward sloping as the firm can determine both the price as well as quantities. It is also important to note that all firms produce at the point where the Marginal Revenue Curve (MR) meets with the Marginal Cost curve (MC). Total Revenue (TR) refers to the entire inflow of revenues resulting from the firm’s economic activity. By this definition, the TR can be derived by obtaining the product of the total quantity (Q) sold by the price (P) at which they are sold at. Consequently, TR=P*Q.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the graph above, the price follows the Y-axis while the Quantity follows the X-axis. Again, the demand curve is the path along which the firm must produce. Bearing in mind that MR must equate to MR, then, the firm is producing at point J which represents Quantity E and Price A. Therefore, the equation TR=P*Q is represented by the Rectangle 0EJA which is the total revenue of the firm. Total Cost (TC) on the other hand refers to the sum of expenditure incurred during the production of the quantity produced by the firm. It is the product of the Average Total Cost (ATC) and the total quantities (Q) produced. Consequently TC=ATC (Q). At the level of production E, the TC is defined at point H by the Rectangle 0EHB. Profits (  ) refer to the excess of Total Revenues over Total Costs. That is   = TR-TC In the Graph, The difference can be interpreted as the difference between Rectangle 0EJA and 0EHB. This is represented by the Rectangle BHJA. The case of a firm operating in a perfectly competitive market structure differs from the monopoly mainly due to the fact that the firm cannot determine the price or the quantity due to the presence o f many buyers and many sellers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Monopoly profits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The MR curve equates to the demand curve at a level where MR which defining the level of price. Notably, the competition ensures that the firms produce at the levels where the average cost curve is at minimum. Therefore production is done at the level where MR=AR=AC=MC. In the graph the point would be K where the level of output is at L. Clearly, this level of output is higher than in the case of a monopoly. Reference List Cooperative Games, (2010). Learningforlife. Web. Osborne, M., (2007). Nash Equilibrium: Theory. Retrieved from https://www.economics.utoronto.ca/osborne/igt/nash.pdf Price and Output under a Pure Monopoly, (2010). Tutor2u.Retrieved from https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/reference/monopoly-price-and-output-for-a-monopolist This essay on Monopoly profits was written and submitted by user Eli W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.