The Night - Original Writing - 1128 Words

Everything was grey wonderful grey. Grey cloudy skies. Life felt still, empty, and quiet outside. So quiet. Then something clicked in my mind and noise filled my head getting rid of the empty feeling and filling it up with life. †¨White windowless houses all side by side for miles. If not for the door a house would be blank. Some house didn t even have doors. They were the new models of houses. I walked on the street because there are no roads to walk on. †¨The sight of ever lasting green trees came into my view. And I knew I had reached the park. The park full of plants that never died. And there he was. It was the first time I saw him like this. †¨The first time I could see him in real life. I could just barely see his dark almost black eyes under his dark brown bangs. His skin was pale white just like mine. I noticed how his face changed from a distant gaze into a bright lit up smile when he saw me. †¨You came! I felt shocked to hear his voice. †¨It sounde d familar like as if I had forgotten it. I had forgotten what a voice could sound like. I opened my mouth to try and speak but nothing came out. He looked at me puzzled by how mute I was. †¨Come on it s not that hard. Don t tell me you ve forgotten how to talk as well. His voice full of disappointment made me want to speak to him and tell him I could talk. †¨I... †¨His face perked up. Go on. He encouraged me. †¨I... I can talk. I was surprised by my own voice. It had been a long time since I needed to speak. †¨IShow MoreRelatedNight Nights - Original Writing845 Words   |  4 Pagesuntil night time. We all would camp out in the living, our parents would tuck us in and then it was off to bed. Sleeping peacefully until one of my cousins woke us all up screaming while she was sleeping. Night after night we had to deal with this. The following year I as well as all of my cousins anticipated the same thing. Peacefully sleeping only to be awaken in the middle of the night by shears of horror. But to all of our surprise my cousin sleep peacefully all the way through the night everyRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1183 Words   |  5 Pagesfell to the floor convulsing in pain. She was turning and realised that no one could save her. She took her last breath realising she was going to become like him. A vampire. Experiencing the final stages of her turning her back arched. That was the night of her transformation. Read MoreThe Night - Original Writing792 Words   |  4 Pagesenlightning. My parents died. I was six years old. They died, because of me. We got in a reasonable argument about Clifford the Big Red Dog, of all things. I stormed out of the house at 8:00 pm. I remember how glistening the stars were that night, how the colors of purple and dark blue collided in the sky and how the moon was full and shined with what seemed like a never-ending light. I just kept running, laughing like the obnoxious six year I was. They ran after me calling my name, I justRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1528 Words   |  7 PagesAfter a long restless night, Allie had a servant draw a hot bath for her just after daybreak. She stepped in, sat down, and then let her entire body slip beneath the water. She held her nose as she wet her copper locks and soaped her head. She intended to bring the shine back- she did not like the dull creature that stared back at her from the mirror the night before. The hot water was soothing; it felt good on her tired body. After washing, s he lay there and let the warm water soak the tirednessRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1580 Words   |  7 PagesEverything was beautiful that night. The sky was as clear as the spring water. The weather was so beautiful that we thought that we were not in the summer. I was sitting outside the house in our garden with my parents. We were having a nice chat after a delicious homemade crispy chicken with fries that my mom usually do. Everything was just perfect until my father received the unexpected call. The call that I wished my father didn’t receive. â€Å"Hello†¦what! What are you saying! Calm down I’m comingRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing906 Words   |  4 PagesEvelyn peeked down the hall from her bedroom making sure the light to her parents’ room was off, indicating that they had gone to sleep. When she saw the darkened hallway she knew that her parents had gone down for the night. Her younger sisters, ages 10 and 8, had been put to sleep a couple hours before. There was no one watching. Evelyn tiptoed down the stairs—thank God they were carpeted, which helped shield the noise of her steps—and she grabbed her mom’s car keys carefully exiting the houseRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe crowd filled out of the arena, the buzz and excitement leaving with them. Dark walls echoed the heavy sounds of the metal equipment as it was scraped across the floor by the road crew. In the absence of the band, the crowd and the music, the atmosphere seemed as ble ak and empty as the crowd floor itself. Suddenly, echoes of past joyous screams were replaced by a single, blood curdling scream coming from the direction of the cloakroom. The sound, filled with fear, tore through the arena and bouncedRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing1332 Words   |  6 Pages Waking up to the smell of strawberry jam and toast coming from the kitchen, Dan looks over at his clock to see that it is 7:30. Forcing himself up, he throws on a set of clothes and tiptoed down the stairs to be sure not to wake up Lisa. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, Dan sees both his parents, father at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, and mother at the counter spreading the jam on the mountain of toast beside her. The quiet morning is comfortable and pleasantRead MoreThe Night - Original Writing723 Words   |  3 PagesDuring the summer you can find the same scene on any Saturday night. I see an elderly man near the entrance setting behind a table covered with stacks of booklets. I can tell he is employed by the park by the dark green polo shirt and tan ball cap he is wearing. Even from a distance I can hear him shout, â€Å"Programs! Get your programs. Three dollars!† As a middle aged man wearing a dark t-shirt and baggy blue jeans wal ks through the door. It becomes obvious that he is experienced with the process.Read MoreThe Night - Original Writing859 Words   |  4 Pagesfriends ran out to see what all the laughing was about. They watched the video and began cracking up too. After, we all went back inside due to the amount of bugs outside. We spent the rest of the night talking and laughing until we all fell asleep at around two in the morning. This was the last night we all spent together before heading off to college. Even though it was in the middle of the summer, life took over and we were all busy on different days. The one way that we were able to keep in contact

Child Play Free Essays

Play and early childhood education is not just a way to fill time for children who are too young to go to school. Some people think of play as the â€Å"work† of children (Berger, 2000). Through play and early childhood education, children build the foundation for later learning as they solve problems and increase their understanding of themselves, other people, and the world around them. We will write a custom essay sample on Child Play or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being in a stimulating environment, such as an early childhood center, provides a child with the much needed support to develop skills for dealing with emotions, expanding language and vocabulary, and an array of other skills. Putting children in environments where they are not stimulated can be harmful to their development during the play years. For young children, â€Å"play† includes a variety of activities that are fun and interesting. These activities include quiet play, creative play, active play, dramatic play, games, and manipulative play. Play may be structured or unstructured. Structured play has rules or a specific way of doing things. Games such as active games, card games, and board games are examples of structured play. Unstructured play includes activities such as dress-up play, doll play, building blocks, running and climbing, and riding tricycles. These activities are sociodramatic and rough-and-tumble play (Berger, 2000). A child may play alone or engage in social play by including other children or adults. Social play has a critical role in helping children learn to interact with others. Some research has identified stages of social play. Children pass through these stages as they grow, becoming capable of more interactive play as they develop. According to Berger, Onlooker play occurs when a child seems to be playing alone while watching others’ play activities. Solitary play occurs when a child plays alone or near another child with no interaction between them. Berger states that Parallel play refers to children’s play when they are near each other and using similar materials but with little or no social interaction. Associative play is similar to parallel play but involves some social interaction. Cooperative play includes common goals and collaboration, and may involve complex negotiation, collaborative decision making, and rule setting (Berger, 2000). While we were at the VCU child development center, I witnessed children playing outdoors. I saw some cooperative play in games such as hide-n-seek and duck-duck-goose, where the children played the games by rules that were taught to them. Most of the play witnessed was unstructured play in which the children decided what the wanted to do and how they wanted to do it. One little boy sat in solitary play building mini castles out of sand, while another large group of children just ran in circles around the playground screaming. Many kids just sat back and watched as others played games, while they sat in the sand box occasionally scooping sand which demonstrated onlooker play. Lastly, a group of children sat in a corner observing flowers or bushes having conversation about them, which demonstrated associative play Children’s play sometimes has less to do with other people than with finding out about the world. Young children naturally explore their environments in playful ways that help them understand the physical environment and their own bodies. This type of play is sometimes called sensorimotor play. As they vary their actions and interact with toys and other objects, children discover what their own muscles can do, and they gain practice of the movements that they need for everyday life. They also have affordances to learn about gravity and other principles of the physical world. What children learn through play is also very much affected by the quality of the early education care program that they are in. When searching for child care, every parent wants to leave their child knowing that they are handled by a warm, nurturing adult, who has knowledge of how children grow and develop. The adult should also have an understanding of the needs and interests of individual children because this is essential for a child’s growth. Children should be valued for themselves and not for what they do or how they look. Good caregivers tend to view children positively and help them learn what to do rather than focusing on what not to do. They help children learn to take responsibility for their own actions and eventually develop self-discipline. Rules should be reasonable, consistent, and well explained. Children are treated with respect. When caregivers view themselves positively and feel good about their work, they model a good self-image for the children. It is essential for caregivers and teachers to help parents feel a part of the program. The parents and school teachers should share information in order to understand more fully a child’s needs and provide the best coordinated twenty-four-hour schedules for the child. Parents can share important family values, goals for their child, methods of discipline, and changes in the child’s home environment while teachers can share the program goals, special activities for the child, weekly plans, and how they believe children learn (Azria-Evans). Teachers also can utilize appropriate community resources for the school and help parents find needed resources. Good relationships among staff members are important. If the children see adults working together cooperatively and solving problems successfully, they will learn to use some of these skills. All staff members must maintain professional ethics, which includes protecting the privacy of the children and families in their program. Centers also are required to go through a process to make sure they are meeting state standards. Licensing of child-care centers and family child-care homes gives parents some protection. States vary in their requirements for the facilities and the staff, criminal clearance of caregivers, health and safely regulations, and child-adult ratios (Azria-Evans). The adult-to-child ratio affects the individual attention given to each child and the group size affects the interactions of children. Ages of children are followed by adult-to-child ratio and group size (Azria-Evans). Multi-age grouping is permissible and often encouraged. The adult-to-child ratio and group size requirements are based on the age of the majority of children, but when infants are included, ratios and group size for the infants must be maintained. Child care center may also choose to attain an additional certification through The National Association for Education of Young Children (Azria-Evans). By getting this certification a child care center shows that they have gone above and beyond state standards to provide the best care and learning environment for children. Along with that the center should be a good fit for the parent and child (Azria-Evans). It is essential that parents visit a center and talk with the director, teachers, and children before enrolling their child there. The child should also visit the program before being enrolled. The school should welcome unannounced visits. The parents must check for safety in the total environment. Is the equipment appropriate and in good condition? Are gates latched so children cannot get out? Are activities well supervised? There should be a variety of developmentally and culturally appropriate activities as well as equipment and materials so that each child can develop in all areas such as: physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and creative. Physical development includes large and small motor skills and health issues. Particular attention should be paid to routines such as eating, toileting, and resting. Intellectual development involves the cquisition of language skills as well as general knowledge about one’s â€Å"world† and how to function in daily tasks. Children need opportunities to play and work with other children as well as to play and work alone. Activities should be balanced between active and quiet play both indoors and outdoors. Some activities should be teacher-directed while others should be selected by the child. The transition times betwe en activities should be relaxed and provide pleasant learning experiences. Learning centers should reflect children’s families, cultures, and interests. Learning centers should include table-top activities with manipulative materials, activities with housekeeping props, dramatic play, books and quiet corner, music and movement, art and creative activities, cooking and science areas, and a block area. Look for outdoor climbing equipment, space to run, wheel toys, sensory motor activities such as obstacle courses, balls, beanbags, and hoops. Children need carpentry, gardening, and ample sand, water, and mud play. There should be nature walks and trips away from the center. At the VCU child development center the children had built a replica of New York City, with demonstrated a table-top activity. Outdoors the play area had two wooden playhouses, and the entire play area had little garden throughout. There was also a sand pit in the middle of the playground. The arrangements families make for their children can vary dramatically, including care by relatives; center-based care, including preschool early education programs; family child care provided in the caregiver’s home; and care provided in the child’s home by nannies or babysitters. How a family chooses this care is influenced by family values, affordability, and availability. For many families, high-quality child care is not affordable, which results in compromises. The benefits of high quality care are that when care is consistent, developmentally sound, and emotionally supportive, there is a positive effect on the child and the family. The children that are in a poor quality environment are less likely to be prepared for school demands and more likely to have some development problems, which sometimes can not be fixed. These include reading and language problems, because the children have not been in a nurturing environment to develop these skills. These students are more likely to fall behind in school. All in all, the play years are essential to a child’s development. The type of play that they do and the child care center that they attend is very important in determining how a child develops. A lot of thought should go into choosing a child care center, because we all want our children to get the proper amount of play for their age group to make sure the develop the skills needed later on in life. How to cite Child Play, Papers

Reforms in Tourism Industries in Australia

Question: Discuss aabout theReforms in Tourism Industries in Australia. Answer: Introduction The tourism industry in Australia contributes significantly to economic development in Australia as well as offering employment opportunities to many. The tourism industry in Australia has grown strongly over the recent years. The number of visitors has increased from 2.5 million in the year 1992 to about 6.7 million in 2014 (Productivity Commission, 2015). The greatest international visitors come from New Zeeland, China, Asia and India. However, the source countries which supported the Australian tourism industry for many years such as United Sates, Japan and United Kingdom, has declined over the years. This has affected expenditure proportion as well as the overall number of visitors travelling to various regional parts of Australia. This has shown a 5% decrease over the period between 2006-2014 (Dobson Hooper, 2015). Specifically, in the Tropical North Queensland during this period, there was a decline from international travelers of about 20% and 40% decrease in real expenditure . Therefore, due to unexpected changes and to ensure successful tourism industry in Australia, various reforms need to be adopted and implemented. The government of Australia has a greater role to play in the implementation of the reforms especially based on the economic concepts so as to broaden the industry and the whole economy at large. Economic Analysis Tourism industry in Australia has a huge impact on the economy. In the year 2014, tourism industry contributed to about 3% of the total Australians GDP of which one-third was from international visitors. Demand for the tourism industry has been increasing and it has been estimated that over the next decade, the industry will have more strong growth (Dwyer et al., 2004). The reforms that show the demand increase include; cost of travel, foreign household incomes and relative price of tourism as compared to other destinations. For instance, they have reduced air fares which has shown an increase in demand for Australian air services internationally. The economic concept of supply and demand therefore comes in. The theory behind this concept indicates that every industry or organization should have a price point where the providers of a certain service meets or matches with the consumers. In tourism industry its important for the country to be prepared to meet the growing demand for the international visitors. A consumer preferences and tastes is key in relation to governmental reforms. The Australian government should be able to come up with regulations and policies that does not impede the visitors choice of where they want to travel. Australia has numerous tourist spots and therefore, the visitors should be free to visit any place they want. It should be able to come up with enough tourism-related businesses such as theme parks, casinos, resorts and restaurants accommodation (Prideaux, 2000). Policies to facilitate faster and convenience travel policies such as visa processing and favorable exchange rates should also be considered. Tourism sector is usually affected by increasing competition from different countries. To overcome the competition, a country should implement accommodative policies that are attractive to the visitors. Technological Reforms The concepts of opportunity costs and time value for money plays a pivotal role in consumers choice. No one wants to spend his or her money in something that does not pay off or does not give value of the money spent. The theory of tradeoff states that you have to give up something in order to receive something else. However, when you give up your money you expect to get something worth your money. Due to technology advancements, the travelers now days are doing their research so well before deciding to visit a certain place. Between the year 2006 to 2014, international visitors who booked their travel online increased from 22% to 50%. Therefore, it is important for the Australian tourism industry to invest more in improving their online services and other technological infrastructure (Stamboulis Skayannis, 2003) so as to meet the expectations of the visitors. Cooperation Rather than Competition There are various tourism agencies in Australia and cooperation between these agencies (territory and state agencies) is key in promoting tourism services. Maximum cooperation between these agencies from the Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and Northern territory ensures they speak one voice to the outside world. If the agencies compete against each other, there will be inefficiency in the destination marketing of the whole Australia as a whole (Whitford Ruhanen, 2010). Coordination however, ensures increase in net benefits due to coordinated marketing campaigns which improves the Australians international destination marketing. Recommendations to the Australian Tourism Imdustry Key Players Most of the national parks in Australia have poor infrastructure as well as persistent funding shortfalls. Undeveloped infrastructure can have a major negative impact on the tourism industry. Therefore, the government should encourage private investment in the tourism related infrastructure so as to increase the number of tourists in the country (Sakai, 2006) and also have added advantage over other countries. Approval processes for various investment in the tourism industry should be enhanced. The government should speed the approval processes and continually review them so as to make them more flexible and appealing to the investors. The government should also make the travel services more accommodative to the international visitors. Due to the ever increasing competition, proper reforms and strategic decisions on travel services should be implemented (Wray, 2015). Otherwise, the country will lose market or have limited number of visitors as compared to the resources they have to offer. If this happens, it would go against the economic concept of scarcity, where in many instances resources are scare as compared to the number of customers or what they are willing to spend on. Conclusion Tourism industry has impacted positively to the economy of Australia as well improving the living standards of the people by creating job opportunities. However, to maintain and expand the industry, the government and other stakeholders need to implement the major reforms discussed above. They also need to enhance provision of international destination markets and support other major activities. Once these reforms are implemented, the Australian tourism industry will stabilize its global tourism market and thereby increase its contribution to the Australian economic growth. References Dobson, C., Hooper, K. (2015). Insights from the Australian Tourism Industry. RBA Bulletin, March, 21-31. Dwyer, L., Forsyth, P., Spurr, R., Ho, T. (2004). The Economic Impacts and Benefits of Tourism in Australia. Technical Report Series, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland. Prideaux, B. (2000). The resort development spectruma new approach to modeling resort development. Tourism Management, 21(3), 225-240. Productivity Commission. (2015). Australias International Tourism Industry. Australian Government. Sakai, M. (2006). 12 Public sector investment in tourism infrastructure. International handbook on the economics of tourism, 266. Stamboulis, Y., Skayannis, P. (2003). Innovation strategies and technology for experience-based tourism. Tourism management, 24(1), 35-43. Whitford, M. M., Ruhanen, L. M. (2010). Australian indigenous tourism policy: practical and sustainable policies? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 18(4), 475-496. Wray, M. (2015). Drivers of change in regional tourism governance: a case analysis of the influence of the New South Wales Government, Australia, 20072013. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(7), 990-1010. Reforms in Tourism Industries in Australia Question: Discuss about the Reforms in Tourism Industries in Australia. Answer: Introduction: The Daily Telegraph of Australia published a report on October 16, 2015 on the Australian Tourism Industry, by Ann Sherry. It stated that this industry needed innovation and big ideas to keep up the momentum of growth. The report discussed that, at the end of the resource boom era, the Australian tourism industry emerged as the new sector with immense possibility of growth. Earlier, mining was the biggest industry of growth in Australia in terms of employment and revenue, but, in the past few years, the tourism industry has been creating more jobs than the mining sector. The report showed that in 2013-14, more than 530,000 people were employed in the tourism industry than 270,000 in mining. This is the powerhouse sector, which has the potential to contribute around $250 billion to the economy in the next 20 years. The tourism and visitor economy added more than $11 billion to the States gross state product in 2013-14 (Sherry 2015). The government aims to double the visitor spending by 2020, and make Sydney a city where people would both live and visit. To do this NSW government is pushing the idea of improving the infrastructure in Sydney. Sydney is already a global city; however, it needs more innovation and big ideas to increase the number of tourists. The report states that the scope for improvement is huge, while it needs proper direction and proper strategies to take the right reform actions. Not only the tourists, but, the government as well as the tourism industry are interested to make it a tourist hub in the next few years (Austrade.gov.au 2017). Economic analysis of the tourism industry: Australia is worlds 6th largest country with a population of more than 20 million. Cultural tourism plays a significant role in the total tourism growth. International visitors are attracted by the cultural diversity of the country. All the economic sectors of Australia adopt a broad framework for reform policies. Tourism sector contributed 10.9% of GDP in 2016, which is around 183.2 billion AUD. The gross value added of NSW was $27.6 billion, with direct GVA $13.9 billion and indirect was $13.6 billion in 2014-15. The travel and tourism sector comprises of cultural services, accommodation, mode of transports such as air, water and on road, other retail trades such as cafes, restaurants. Exports of all goods and services include visitor exports also. Internal and leisure travel and tourism are all parts of the total tourism (Austrade.gov.au 2017). In the last 10 years, the contribution to GDP has increased significantly, as shown in the following diagram. (Source: knoema.com 2016) Overview of the travel and tourism business 2015 (Source: Tourism Businesses in Australia 2016) Tourism is an industry, which is demand driven. The type of products that the visitors consume during travelling defines it. However, the citizens also consume the same tourism products. Hence, location is an important factor in this industry as visitors as well the local citizens contribute equally for the growth of a particular tourist destination. In Australia, the regional tourism developments are more prominent in this industry. As per the government websites, in the past few years, there was a boost in employment, regional growth along with imports of foreign currency, improvement of transportation services and these all led to a growth in the travel and tourism industry (Pc.gov.au 2015). In a report published in ABC News, it has been stated that in the Tasmanian Island, national parks should be reformed for growth of the tourism industry (Aird 2017). Over the last 5 years, the increment of visitors grew at the rate of 2.2% on an average annually, visitor nights increased by 3. 8%. Tourism product consumption increased to $121 billion from $103 billion. This industry is dominated by small and medium businesses, which account for 66% of the total revenue (Tourism Businesses in Australia 2016). (Source: Tourism Businesses in Australia 2016) Reform policy: Tourism 2020: this is the policy introduced by the Australian tourism industry for handling the challenges and growing opportunities. It has a framework for growth; and will help the businesses to stay competitive in the future in a dynamic international market. The key policy priorities are to encourage the high quality tourism, reduce the regulations and rigidities of the industry, create innovative campaign strategies for driving the demand and support tourism infrastructural development. The target of doubling the local and global overnight tourist spending up to $140 billion, the industry requires the development of international standard rooms of 6,000 to 20,000 by 2020. Increase in the international flying capacity from 40% to 50%, and 23% - 30% in the domestic capacity, leading to addition of around 1.9 million inbound seats by 2020, employment of additional 152,000 persons and more efficient campaigning (Economic Contribution of Tourism to NSW 2014-15 2016). Recommendation: The government of Australia could adopt the following reform policies: Reforms in the visa policies should be done in a priority basis to make it more quicker and competitive. Especially the applications that come from a potential markets such as China, should be processed without much regulations and at a lower prices. The restrictions on the primary airports are also a discouraging factor for this industry. They should keep the restrictions on the secondary airports and not at the gateways. The nature of jobs should be made more permanent rather than part time or contractual. The cities should be made more easier to access. The tourism department can issue an Opal card to the visitors for easier sightseeing and city tours, which could attract more tourists. The amenities should be renovated and developed as per international standard in all tourist spots. When a city is made more livable for the citizens, then more tourists are also attracted. Skilled tourism workforce should be developed for better tourist service. Identifying opportunities and partnerships for enhancing the marketing scopes is important to attract more international visitors. The state and national tourism plans should be integrated for regional infrastructural development and better customer services. Finally, the collaboration of cross portfolio should be done by the Australian government for driving the reforms of the visitor economy (Hooper and Zyl 2012). Conclusion: It can be concluded from the report that, the travel and tourism industry of Australia has emerged as economic powerhouse in the last five years. The contribution of this industry in the total GDP, GSP and GVA has increased significantly. However, there are still some scopes to be reformed and improved. The government of Australia has formulated the plan Tourism 2020, which revolves around the reforms of this industry and increment of visitor footfalls. It also proposes plans for innovative and big ideas to make the cities more livable and attractive. Hence, to achieve the goals, the government and tourism department should work together and implement the plan formulations. References: Aird, H., 2017. Tasmanian tourism industry pushes for reform of 'outdated' parks and reserve legislation. ABC News. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-28/tasmanian-tourism-wants-national-parks-act-updated/8219790. Austrade.gov.au., 2017. About Tourism 2020 - Austrade. [online] Available at: https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Tourism/Policy-and-Strategy/tourism-2020. Economic Contribution of Tourism to NSW 2014-15., 2016. [pdf] Destination NSW. Available at: https://www.destinationnsw.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/economic-contribution-of-tourism-to-nsw.pdf. Hooper, K. and Zyl, M., 2012. Australias Tourism Industry. [online] Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d1d0/3bb8dc6d3dd0995eea9c3b2b0893e894b3b9.pdf. knoema.com, 2016. Australia Travel Tourism Total Contribution to GDP, 1995-2016. [online] Available at: https://knoema.com/atlas/australia/topics/tourism/travel-and-tourism-total-contribution-to-gdp/total-contribution-to-gdp-percent-share. Pc.gov.au., 2015. PC News, May 2015. [online] Available at: https://www.pc.gov.au/news-media/pc-news/pc-news-may-2015/australia-international-tourism-industry. Sherry, A., 2015. Australias tourism industry needs innovation and big ideas to continue to grow. The Daily Telegraph. [online] Available at: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/australias-tourism-industry-needs-innovation-and-big-ideas-to-continue-to-grow/news-story/53078ef6405ad0c433612722c6fdbde7. Tourism Businesses in Australia - June 2011 to June 2015, 2016. [pdf] Australian Government. Available at: https://www.tra.gov.au/documents/Economic-Industry/Tourism_businesses_2016.pdf.

The Use Of Dialectic To Define Justice Essays -

The Use Of Dialectic To Define Justice Through the use of Socratic dialogue, Plato has an advantage at obtaining answers by refuting other philosophers. Plato is able to achieve an answer to the question, what is justice. He derives this answer through an analogy of the ideal city. The ideal city parallels the concept of the ideal person as Plato uncovers with the aid of dialectic. Plato defines justice as a function of harmony, which must first be achieved in an individual before being extended to the city. Speaking through Socrates Plato defines justice as a philosophical understanding of excellence in the organization of society and human soul. In book IV Socrates refutes the notion that justice is visible, while using the Socratic method of dialogue. He questions that justice is the virtue that has no physical representative. Through the state, Socrates inferred that justice can be understood as opposed to being seen. In order to grasp the concept of the ideal city or the happy state one must first analyze its components. Plato does this with dialectic. Then he questions that each individual is a member of one of three groups: Rulers, Guardians, and the Producer class. Each one of the specifications of labor 2 within the kallipolis accompany a chief characteristic. The rulers were considered to have wisdom as their virtue. People chosen to be a ruler exhibited a special knowledge for leading the state. In the kallipolis rulers make their judgment for the happiness of the state as opposed to their own individual happiness. Is there some knowledge possessed by some of the citizens in the city?that does not judge about any particular matter but the city as a whole and the maintenance of good relations both internally and with other cities?(pg.104,428d) The next virtue, Plato discovers through the Socratic method, was courage. This power to preserve through everything correct and law-inculcated belief about what is to be feared and what isn't is what I call courage.(105,430b) This virtue resided mainly in the guardians. Each soldier was trained from their childhood about what to fear and what not to fear. Courage was apparent in the soldier? beliefs in the state laws as well as doing whatever was necessary to protect the state. Through the Socratic method, Plato makes an analogy of the soldiers to poorly dyed wool, stating that a soldier will never present a ridiculous and washed out appearance. The next virtue, moderation, Plato discovered through the Socratic method was needed in every member of the kallipolis, but he divulged that it was the attribute of the 3 producer class. Unlike courage and wisdom... Making the city brave and wise respectively, moderation spreads throughout the whole.(pg.107,431e) Moderation was necessary for each class, especially this one since the craftsmen are considered the appetites of kallipolis. Through dialogue with Glaucon, Plato concludes that producers were moderate; guardians were moderate and courageous; and the rulers were moderate, courageous, and wise. After Socrates has found the other three virtues in the kallipolis, he then moves on to justice. Socrates felt that justice was the virtue that was left over. Justice was an understanding in the kallipolis of each individual performing their job without interfering with that of another. Socrates placed the other three virtues first and as a result he arrived with the conclusion that justice or morality is achieved through a harmony of the others. Therefore Socrates defined justice as a function of wisdom, courage, and moderation all working together to produce the best for the state. Justice was considered as the harmony of the city as well as an individual. Socrates felt that through examining the state and its parts he could discover justice in the individual. Each individual was as the state, with three different parts: 4 mind, body, and spirit. The mind acted in each individual as a ruler. The virtue of the mind was wisdom just as the ruler of the state. Courage is also found in the soul of the individual in the form of the spirit. The spirit acts as the guardian of the soul just as the soldier does for the city. And isn't in the individual courageous in the same way and in the same part of himself

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities While author and business journalist Suzy Welch warns against complacency in what she calls a professional â€Å"Velvet Coffin,† arguing instead for the importance of taking risks in search of new challenges, writer and employment branding professional John Feldman responds with a more pragmatic point of view. According to Feldman, who describes himself as â€Å"neither an optimist nor a pessimist, but rather a realist,† before taking a plunge into a new career just for the sake of avoiding the ennui of the everyday, you should take stock of the variables and constants of your current position. If you don’t know for sure that another opportunity would provide a better salary, more convivial coworkers, and more challenging work, are you still willing to take the risk, or might it make more sense to trust the constants of the workplace you know? He suggests instead waiting out the inevitable fallow periods where work becomes predictable, or even making your own cha llenges by taking on more responsibilities, earning a new certification, or opening a conversation with your manager about pursuing other opportunities closer to home.Nobody should stay mired in a job that they find unsafe or unsatisfying, but there may be choices besides starting over from scratch that are right for you and your career. Good luck as you consider and pursue them!

Using the Adjective Lackadaisical

Using the Adjective Lackadaisical Using the Adjective Lackadaisical Using the Adjective Lackadaisical By Maeve Maddox One of my mothers favorite words was lackadaisical. Example: Dont vote for her to head the committee. Shes too lackadaisical to get anything done. Some people use lackadaisical as a synonym for lazy, but thats not quite what the word means. This headline indicates the difference: FCC: Lazy Or Just Lackadaisical? Lazy implies the deliberate avoidance of work in order to spare oneself effort. Lackadaisical implies lack of purpose. The lazy person has a purpose. The lackadaisical person is content to let things happen. The adjective lackadaisical derives ultimately from the word lack in the Middle English sense of loss, failure, reproach, shame. When people were overcome by the sadness, unfairness, or futility of life, they would put the back of their hands to their foreheads and exclaim Ah, lack! Ah, lack became the word alack. Then came the expression Alack the day! On a day, alack the day! †¨Love, whose month was ever May,†¨ Spied a blossom passing fair,†¨ Playing in the wanton air†¦ Shakespeare, Loves Perjuries Alack the day contracted to the interjection lackaday: Ah, lack-a-day! its a troublesome world! Lack-a-day became lack-a-daisy: The carpenter..said ‘lack-a-daisy!’ when he saw that the old theatre was pulled down. The whimsical adjective lackadaisical derives from the exclamation lackadaisy. The OED gives this definition of lackadaisical: Resembling one who is given to crying ‘Lackaday!’; full of vapid feeling or sentiment; affectedly languishing. Said of persons, their behaviour, manners, and utterances. Merriam-Webster defines lackadaisical this way: lacking life, spirit, or zest : devoid of energy or purpose These examples from the web indicate that lackadaisical is now used most often to mean lack of energy or purpose: Having a lackadaisical selling effort is nothing to be proud of Cleveland police remain too lackadaisical in handling sex crimes Lackadaisical play irks White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen Giuliani: Obama has lackadaisical attitude toward war, Gulf oil crisis Why are todays teenagers so careless and lackadaisical? Are Christian churches today lackadaisical on discipline? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Social vs. SocietalPreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Freedom of Speech and a Free Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freedom of Speech and a Free Government - Essay Example One of the areas that free speech is universally held as sacred is the freedom of religion or even the freedom from religion. (Matthew D. Bunker, 2001).One of the interesting facts of life is that the Supreme Court has never decided what free speech is. The court has allowed that free speech is associated with the search for truth. Even unpopular opinions are allowed the right of free speech. Freedom of speech is very important in the development of political stances that individuals might take.   Through freedom of speech various ideas can be developed and debated in order to establish a defensible position. It has been said that the right to express ourselves and the right of others to hear us contributes to the ordinary happiness of human beings, in general. With that being said, there are things not protected by freedom of speech. One cannot obstruct the recruiting or enlistment for people to serve in the military. Libelous talk or press and false advertising are also restricte d.   In general it is not permissible to wear gang colors to school or to wear anything that promotes hatred. Also not covered by free speech are personal threats of violence made against a government worker or an educator. The First Amendment of the American Constitution is perhaps one of the best known governmental documents of all time. The government as created by the representatives would be composed of three branches. The executive would be the leader of the entire union supported by a two house legislature.

E-cigaretee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-cigaretee - Research Paper Example The smoking cessation industry is led by the USA in terms of the market size, which is the followed by UK, Germany and then Russia. However, almost in all the developed countries and even in many other countries globally, the smoke cessation industry has been growing rapidly. While the most known method for helping in smoking cessation traditionally has been nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), new methods products are now rising, which targets the smoking cessation industry (Wikinvest, n.p.). The market is segmented into two broad categories of the cessation therapy consumer segment and the smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment. The therapy market segment consumer segment constitutes the consumers who are seeking the services of medical professionals to assist them in the cessation of their smoking habits, with such consumers having access to 17 different smoking cessation therapies, but one of the therapies, the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), remains the most predominant therapy that many smokers are seeking (Wikinvest, n.p.). The smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment comprises of the consumer segment that is purchasing the products manufactured by the smoking cessation industry, such as the smoking cessation pills, which are widely applied towards helping the smokers quit their habits. The use of the smoking cessation pills is highly adopted in the UK markets, with the product generating  £720m in revenue in the year 2011 alone (Steele, n.p.). The smoking cessation industry is relatively small in size, considering that it is an industry that is relatively new in the market, and its products are yet to be known very well. However, the industry is poised to grow in the near future to a substantial market. While the current market share of the smoking cessation industry is estimated at between 3 and 4% of the overall, the growth rate of the industry is

The United States economy Essay Example for Free

The United States economy Essay The economic problems that are plaguing the United States economy at the present are numerous to say the least. Since the collapse of the Housing market, the United States has experienced what some have come to call an economic recession. While it remains to be seen if the United States economy is really undergoing a recession at this point in time, this situation can be used as a great opportunity to point out the current struggles of the American economy. The much touted and highly publicized US $700 billion bailout plan is argued to be good for the economy as a â€Å"quick fix† to the problem yet there are a number of economists who feel that the real solution to the problem lies in establishing more solid fiscal policies as opposed to monetary policies. As several economists have pointed out, the monetary solution of providing an economic stimulus package without addressing the fundamental problems is only a â€Å"quick fix. † The world is beginning to realize that all of the credit and financial problems that the world is facing right now cannot be solved by throwing money at it. The problem, as pointed out, is not simply that the world is experiencing a slow down but that there are fundamental flaws with several of the world’s largest economies and as such these problems have to be addressed. Any monetary policy will simply result in concealing the glaring holes in the economic systems and will not provide the needed answers to the problem. There seems to be no end in sight for this economic problem as governments all over the world announce new economic stimulus packages. There also seems to be a dearth in fiscal policies that are designed to solve this problem. In order to arrive at a more effective solution to the problem, it is important to accompany these monetary policies with sound fiscal policies in order to create solid economic fundamentals that may prevent the occurrence of financial crises such as these in the future. References: Davidson, Scott. (2003). Economics: Perfect Competition and Monopolistic Competition. 2nd Series. Bantham Books: 103-105. Davis, K. (2003). The costs and consequences of being uninsured. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from http://www. cmwf. org. Stone, Diane. (2007) â€Å"Market Principles, Philanthropic Ideals and Public Service Values: The Public Policy Program at the Central European University†, PS: Political Science and Politics, July: 545—551

Anorexia Essay -- essays research papers fc

"Anorexia Nervosa" Bizarre, devastating, and baffling are three words that describe the anorexia nervosa disease. By definition, anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a normal-weight person diets and becomes significantly underweight, yet, still feeling fat, continue to starve themselves. The term "anorexia nervosa" literally means nervous lose of appetite. People with the disorder are suppressing a strong desire to eat, because they are afraid of becoming fat. Anorexia is characterized by extreme starvation that leads to a disastrous loss of weight. Anorexia nervosa affects a large number of people today in the world, and does not discriminate against anybody. Its victims can be overweight, thin, young, old, or either sex although, its primary victims are young girls between the age of thirteen and nineteen. This disorder has become more and more common around the world today. It has populated many college campuses, and it is spreading. Recent studies show that almost 20% of c ollege women suffer from anorexia or bulimia (bulimia is a eating disorder similar to anorexia), and the statistic increases to about 50% when so called "fad" bulimics and anorexics are included (Baker 9). This disease takes ordinary, often very beautiful people and drives them to starvation for no apparent reason whatsoever. They do not even seem to realize the extreme danger that comes with not eating a balanced diet. These young people lose so much weight that it makes them extremely fragile and sometimes causes death. Death was very near to a girl named Patti, who suffered through anorexia for more than two years. She ate nothing but two cream-filled cookies a day for more than seven weeks. The first cookie was breakfast and lunch, and the second was for her main meal. When she decided that these two cookies had too much fat in them, she proceeded to scrape off the cream filling from both of the cookies to decrease her fat intake. But still that was too much fat, so she cut down to one cookie without the filling. She now gets fed intravenously in her arm to get nourishment in the hospital. She is being fed against her will to save her life. But of course not all cases of this disorder are quite as severe or dramatic as this, yet all cases should be helped, because they can take a... ... is also accompanied by the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). These groups are paving the way to make these disorders easier to cure. They provide family therapy, psychotherapy, and hypnosis. Since there are so many philosophies about treating anorexia nervosa, exploring for a suitable therapist is suggested. This terrible, bizarre disorder has became more popular in the past few decades, but there are newer and better ways of treating it. There are no general answers to why people become anorexic and why when on the brink of death they continue to starve themselves, but they need to know that there is help out there and they are wanted. With the continued investigation of anorexia, we will undoubtedly come up with better and better ways to treat it. Bibliography Baker, C. The Perfect Trap: College-age Women and Eating Disorders. Copyright Catherine Baker. Pirke, K.M., and Ploog,D. eds.(1984) The Psychobiology of Anorexia Nervosa. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo.

History †Western Civilization Essay

Darwin’s view on natural selection is that man incessantly presents individual differences in all parts of his body and in his mental faculties. These differences or variations seem to be induced by the same general causes, and to obey the same laws as with the lower animals. In both cases similar laws of inheritance prevail. Man tends to increase at a greater rate than his means of subsistence; consequently he is occasionally subjected to a severe struggle for existence, and natural selection will have effected whatever lies within its scope. A succession of strongly-marked variations of a similar nature is by no means requisite; slight fluctuating differences in the individual suffice for the work of natural selection; not for any reason to suppose that in the same species, all parts of the organization tend to vary to the same degree. It may be assuring that the inherited effects of the long-continued use or disuse of parts will have done much in the same direction with natural selection. Modifications formerly of importance, though no longer of any special use, are long-inherited. When one part is modified, other parts change through the principle of correlation, of which we have instances in many curious cases of correlated monstrosities. Something may be attributed to the direct and definite action of the surrounding conditions of life, such as abundant food, heat or moisture; and lastly, many characters of slight physiological importance, some indeed of considerable importance, have been gained through sexual selection. The belief in God has often been advanced as not only the greatest, but the most complete of all the distinctions between man and the lower animals. It is however impossible to maintain that this belief is innate or instinctive in man. On the other hand a belief in all-pervading spiritual agencies seems to be universal; and apparently follows from a considerable advance in man’s reason, and from a still greater advance in his faculties of imagination, curiosity and wonder. Darwin’s aware that the assumed instinctive belief in God has been used by many persons as an argument for His existence. But this is a rash argument, as one thus is compelled to believe in the existence of many cruel and malignant spirits, only a little more powerful than man; for the belief in them is far more general than in a beneficent Deity. The idea of a universal and beneficent Creator does not seem to arise in the mind of man, until one has been elevated by long-continued culture. Darwin’s view on race talks about modifications acquired independently of selection, and due to variations arising from the nature of the organism and the action of the surrounding conditions, or from changed habits of life, no single pair will have been modified much more than the other pairs inhabiting the same country, for all will have been continually blended through free intercrossing. Since man attained to the rank of manhood, he has diverged into distinct races, or as they may be more fitly called, sub-species. Some of these, such as the Negro and European, are so distinct that, if specimens had been brought to a naturalist without any further information, they would undoubtedly have been considered by him as good and true species. Nevertheless all the races agree in so many unimportant details of structure and in so many mental peculiarities that these can be accounted for only by inheritance from a common progenitor; and a progenitor thus characterized would probably deserve to rank as man. But it must not be supposed that the divergence of each race from the other races, and of all from a common stock, can be traced back to any one pair of progenitors. REFERENCE Darwin, C. (1874). The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. New York: A. L. Burt. Hart, M. (1992). The descent of man; the origin of species. Retrieved August 15, 2006, from the Great Literature Book-Worm org Web site:http://www. book-worm. org/darwin-charles/the-descent-of-man/chapter-21. html

Cyberspace and Human Relationships Essay

There was a time when people were divided into 2 groups: those with social skills that help them in interacting with others, and those without the needed social skills to interact thus causing them to retreat into a shell or their own little vacuum of a world. These groups no longer exist in today’s world because of that technological marvel that has been bridging social gaps in the 21st century, the Internet. The Internet has introduced both the socially adept and inept people to new forms of communication that do not cause them to get tongue tied nor have muddled thoughts when trying to relate to others. Using chat room, email, forums, blogging, and other forms of electronic communication has allowed people, as a collective society to redefine human relationships in relation to the existence of cyberspace. Cyberspace, more popularly known as the Internet has allowed people to discover the full extent of their social skills within the safe confines of their unknown locations and aliases. According to Norman N. Holland in his paper entitled The Internet Regression: Current estimates say 23 million people communicate on the Internet from most of the nations on the globe, and that number is increasing at 12% a month. One would normally say that these statistics are a good sign. People are finally communicating with each other regardless of nationality, ethnicity, and race. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Holland’s research has indicated that: Talking on the Internet, people regress. It’s that simple. It can be one-to-one talk on e-mail or many-to-many talk on one of the LISTs or newsgroups. People regress, expressing sex and aggression as they never would face to face. He proceeds to explain that these regressions can be seen in 3 aspects that he terms as Internet primitivism. These acts of primitivism are flaming, sexual aggression, strangely enough, extraordinary generosity over the Internet. He defines flaming as Flying into a typewritten rage at some perceived slight or blunder and is the most common form of Internet primitivism usually found in forums, blogs, newsgroups, and emails. Sexual harassment is a: Crude invitations to people about whom one knows no more than their online signatures (which may well be â€Å"gender-benders† that hide the sex of the speaker). Just like in the physical world, this kind of attack is aimed towards women and can happen even in the most professional and intellectual of forums. Although, due to the anonymity that cyberspace offers, males also get their fair share or indecent proposals. Finally, you are probably wondering as to how extraordinary generosity can be considered a type of regression influenced by the use of the Internet. Mr. Holland explains that The one comment you hear over and over again about online communication is the openness, the sense of sharing and, mostly, tolerance. Total strangers will give up hours of their time to send one another research data. Even goods. This is because of the aura of safety and comfort that Internet relationships provide. Mr. Holland tells his readers that Kristina Ross coined the term â€Å"Identity play† to define this sort of openness. The idea being that People try out new ways of being, often in very playful ways: different professions, the opposite gender, altered self-descriptions. There is a sense that ‘it doesn’t matter,’ a feeling of invulnerability. Summing up his belief about Internet relationships, he indicates that Communication on the Internet has its plusses and minuses. The plusses are the generosity and openness. The minuses are aggressive flaming, sexual attack, and increased vulnerability. I think they are two sides of the same coin: sex and aggression in positive and negative, active and passive, forms. Both begin because of a lack of inhibition–a regression. Therefore, he believes that the relationships built over the Internet allow man to give in to his most basic animal desires without anyone to answer to simple because the Internet cannot be controlled nor censored. The main problem I see with Internet based interaction is that the human aspect of socialization has disappeared. Cyberspace gives us a false sense of security and does not provide any boundaries that teach the users how to treat our cyber neighbor. Inhibition does not exist when one does not physically interact with others and this offers a different kind of freedom that allows one to express himself too freely at times in ways and means that one would not even dare to try when face to face with another person. MIT professor Sherry Turk whose article â€Å"Who Am We? † was published by Wire Magazine has found that: Computer screens are the new location for our fantasies, both erotic and intellectual. We are using life on computer screens to become comfortable with new ways of thinking about evolution, relationships, sexuality, politics, and identity. Due to the ease of creating an Internet identity, man has developed the ability to become the Internet character version of a chameleon. It is not uncommon for a person to have more than one online identity depending upon the type of site being frequented. Each identity also has an accompanying character and background that could either be based on the actual personality of the person or totally made up in order to serve a certain purpose for the individual. Now, according to a 2004 survey done by the Elan University / Pew Internet Project: By 2014, use of the Internet will increase the size of peoples’ social networks far beyond what has traditionally been the case. This will enhance trust in society, as people have a wider range of sources from which to discover and verify information about job opportunities, personal services, common interests and products. Cyberspace has bridged a communication gap worldwide. It allows us to have a tremendously extensive social network using community websites like Friendster, My Space, and other similar websites. Using these avenues, we have developed virtual worlds where we can become comfortable with other people and decide if it would be worth it for us to meet them face to face, or if it will be worth it to speak to them over the phone. Due to the ease of creating an Internet identity, man has developed the ability to become the Internet character version of a chameleon. It is not uncommon for a person to have more than one online identity depending upon the type of site being frequented. Each identity also has an accompanying character and background that could either be based on the actual personality of the person or totally made up in order to serve a certain purpose for the individual. The existence of cyberspace has redefined one of the most basic social and human relationships. I am talking about the Dating relationship. Gone are the days of worrying and embarrassment over wanting to talk to a person you have a crush on or talking to a person you really want to ask out and fearing being rebuffed. Dating services such as match. com proliferate the Internet and, for low monthly fees, the company wants you to believe that they can find you that perfect partner all through the use of technology supported match making. Millions of people worldwide are signed up for similar services in their home countries. The questions are (1. ) Does it really work? (2. ) Is there a more dominant sex in this kind of dating set-up? (3) Have the gender roles been reversed because of this new form of finding and going on a date? (4. ) Dating a matter of trust. Can you trust someone you just met online? Since cyberspace allows us to communicate from great distances, personal and romantic relationships that are based on this arena centers mostly around trusting the other person. Somehow, people who interact online seem to be more comfortable talking about them and use the anonymity of the Internet as confidence boost towards becoming more intimate. Online dating allows both participants to find someone they have a lot in common with before actually going on a physical date. This helps lessen or eliminate the uncertainty of the physical date because they assume that they already know each other and already know they are mentally compatible. Hence, a different level of comfort and trust. According to Tiberius Brastaviceanu, author of The Future of Online Dating: Technology-mediated communication provides a less stressful environment where dating people can better control their self-presentation, and better strategize. Some manifestations of this difference are: Misrepresentation: for various reasons people tend to portray a persona that is unrealistic to a greater degree. End of conversation: exchanges can be ended abruptly, as this action bears insignificant consequences. Intimacy: people tend to disclose more intimate information, as this action bears less-significant consequences. Rudeness: extreme behaviors, normally inhibited in a real social environment, are common in computer-mediated communication. Indeed, dating these days is now a far cry from when our parents were dating. Maybe because dating people met online is more exciting. It provides and element of surprise and according to Brastaviceanu: The ultimate cause is that it makes the dating game more interesting, by providing huge payoffs: intimacy, each independent rejection is less harmful (go here for more in-depth), putting an end to a stillborn relation is less complicated, access to a larger pool of potential matches, etc. Online dating is a type of dating service that relies mostly on technology, and offers daters the possibility to meet and to communicate online. Although, just like anything too good to be true, it has some grave downsides that are considered just as dangerous as speed dating and blind dating. According to Brastaviceanu, these complications are quite similar to real life dating woes. As an example, he states: Misrepresentation Security A torrent of unpleasant messages from non-serious daters As some of the dangers posed by online dating. Yet people still seem to enjoy using the online dating services or going out with people they meet online. Some would say, â€Å"the payoff exceeds the nuisance† that according to Brastaviceanu has provided the single people with a highly modified dating model that has left us with one certainty: The dating game has been greatly modified, but on a background of continuity. It still holds important elements form its traditional version. And that is because the players (daters) are still real beings manifesting real needs, and the aim of the game (relational goals) is something that has to be cherished in real-life. It is true that online dating has made everything easier for people who are painfully shy or do to have the first idea as to how to get or ask for a date with a person they like. But online dating will never replace actual dating. There are certain elements of physical dating that cannot be erased because of the importance it carries in terms of a long-term physical, or even cyberspace based relationship. One of these more important factors is the role each person plays in the relationship. Even in cyberspace, there can be no role reversal, as one will always prove to be the more dominant sex. But, because these people met and discovered each other similarities and differences in cyberspace, they may find it easier to meet halfway and come to an agreement regarding the role each person will play in the date or relationship. In terms of sexuality though, theorists such as Sherry Turkel advocate the belief that: Interaction in cyberspace to be liberating in that anonymous users can put on and take off gender identities at will. According to some of those who shared their beliefs in the 1999 article Gender and the Internet: Sex, Sexism, and Sexuality, theorists such as Alan Ryan believe otherwise indicating that: If I pass myself off as a Chinese drag queen of uncertain age, I do not become any such thing, any more than I would do so if I played some part in a play. From the same article, Don Slater further reaffirms the notion that sexual roles are not reversed once meeting people online by explaining that: While one would expect the construction of new kinds of bodies, identities and connections between them, a liberation, an experimentalism or at least a diminished conventionality, his study of sexpics trade on IRC found that participants reaffirmed heterosexual, male norms. Cyberspace has influenced more than just the dating game played by society. It has also managed to alter the face of human relationships due to the vast communities online dedicated to social interaction among its members. Entire communities are built solely for the purpose of meeting new people who share the same interests or simply staying in touch with friends who now live miles away from each other. Lisa R. Hoffman, author of the article Gender and the Internet: Sex, Sexism, and Sexuality explains who human relationships have evolved with the emergence of cyberspace as a social tool and gathering place for individuals and groups as: Rather than representing a dichotomy between good and evil, oppression and resistance, the Internet and its use reflects society’s complexity. Theoretically speaking, it therefore reflects the epistemological insights of feminist, postmodernist, and cultural studies scholars, who posit a multiple versus dualistic conception of society and social change. Moreover, it appears that the Internet and gender represents just one more case of how the more things change, the more they stay the same. The virtual world of cyberspace mimics the real world situations and problems on sites such as Friendster, Facebook, and MySpace. These cyber communities share the same real world problems of envy, lying, pretending, and bullying. The big difference in the problems lies in the way the cyberspace user chooses to handle the situation because, unlike in real life, in a cyber community, you can unsubscribe, block emails and private messages, or quite simply, just turn off the computer. These are options not available to us in the real world. I believe that the best explanation as to how cyberspace has helped human relationships evolved into a higher degree comes from the article by Margot Morse entitled The Chaos of Cyberspace Brought to Order: Social Networking Sites. She successfully explains that: One undeniable fact is that sites such a these ones allow individuals to remain connected through various outlets and areas of interest. Relationships between friends and family can be more in touch with each other close to â€Å"real time† through messaging. The sites also makes connections and can show how people know each other through the degrees of separation- thus creating a smaller and more connected world and reinforcing our personal relationships. All of these theories, analysis, surveys say the same thing about our society and the effect of cyberspace on the relationships in the virtual and real world. Anything done in excess will have severe consequences. Cyberspace or the Internet was originally developed as a military tool to help aid in warfare program and development. It has come a long way from being a tool of mass chaos, to a tool aimed at developing relationships and fostering goodwill. The actual effect that cyberspace will have on dating and human relationship is solely based in the hands of man. Cyberspace can easily be used in bad ways as it can be used for good. It is up to man to make sure that the right decisions are made and that cyberspace remains a tool of peace and an avenue meant to keep the peace and foster understanding, love and friendship among mankind. Work Cited â€Å"Gender and the Internet: Sex, Sexism, and Sexuality†. ProQuest CSA. May 1999. April 10, 2007 < http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/archives/gender. php> â€Å"Prediction on Social Networks†. Imagining the Internet. 2004. April 12, 2007 < http://www. elon. edu/e-web/predictions/expertsurveys/2004_socialnetworks. xhtml â€Å"The Chaos of Cyberspace Brought to Order: Social Networking Sites†. ConNetion : The Cultural Phenomenon of the World Wide Web. April 2007. April 10. 2007 â€Å"The Future of the Dating Industry†. Dating Industry. March 19, 2007. April 11, 2007 < http://tiberius-dating-industry. blogspot. com/search/label/online%20dating> â€Å"The Internet Regression†. The Psychology of Cyberspace. January 1996. April 12, 2007

Essay on Legalize Marijuana Teen Esaay

Essay on Legalize Marijuana Teen Esaay Essay on Legalize Marijuana Teen Esaay Esthela Obregon Per 3 Legalize Marijuana The use of marijuana is a very controversial issue today because many people only see it as a way to get â€Å"high†. It is true that marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a huge recreational drug but it is also a very big help to people with medical problems. It is a great remedy for anxiety issues, stomach pains, and sleeping problems as well. There are many drugs used for what marijuana implements to. It has been legalized in Colorado and Washington recently and seems to be a big hit as far as the amount of people consuming it so far. Marijuana is an all-natural plant that grows without any person making and producing it. It is a plant that is dried and consumed, it is not some pill you take that is produced and created that you have no idea what it is made up by. Marijuana can help cure many problems around the world such as insomnia, stomach pains and headaches. There are many more small problems that can be solved by a natural plant that is considered illegal. It c an be said that marijuana is abused but there are many legal drugs that are abused just s much if not more. I don’t believe that saying marijuana is abused is a good argument for it to be illegal. Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, OxyContin and Percoset and many more are all drugs that are highly abused and legal. These drugs are highly abused and much more dangerous than marijuana. These other drugs that are abused are also on the market to cure one issue of the body and cannot be used for other illnesses while marijuana can help to take out many issues at once with one â€Å"medication†. Glaucoma is one condition that can be relieved by marijuana. It is a condition in which pressure on the eyeball increases over time causing blurred vision, pain and could possibly lead to loss of vision. Cannabis has active chemical compounds called cannabinoids that aid in limiting pressure in the eyes. Limiting the pressure in the eyes limits the damage being done to the eye. This is just one example of marijuana helping medical conditions. THC is the substance that naturally occurs on the marijuana plant that is responsible for the cannabis high. Marijuana is illegal because the government believes there is not enough research and tests done. The affects of marijuana could be a reason most people believe it is bad and should be illegal. With a little research, you will find that it is not that bad. The public spends tax dollars on many projects researching hoe much THC it takes to make a person severely ill when it is nearly impossible to make someone virtually ill from THC. My opinion on the affects of marijuana is that it does not affect the brain, or as

Analysis of “Dark Shadows” as a Gothic Masterpiece

Analysis of â€Å"Dark Shadows† as a Gothic Masterpiece To most, when asked to define what Gothic is, they will state that it is similar to any other story, just with more â€Å"darkness. † This is because Gothic stories all have a classic story line. First, there is the main character’s back story, if any is then told. Next, there are events that lead up to a horrible incident that is the climax of the story. Lastly, the character finds some way to fix the situation or free him- or herself from it. They might go insane, commit suicide, run away, or watch other characters perish. However, readers would be greatly mistaken if they thought that this was all that there is to a Gothic story; there is much more to the Gothic than meets the eyes. There are Gothic tropes that define this type of Literature from the rest, such as murder, groans, blood, or even an apparition. Even today, there are video games that have these Gothic tropes. According to Kirkland, games such as Silent Hill have â€Å"gloomy settings with a sense of forthcoming violence, spaces such as a haunted house, tombs and prisons, the contaminating influence of family curses, and revenge-driven ghosts† (107). These tropes have endured across time due to their effect on the human mind. And this can be seen no more than in Burton’s film, the 2012 version, Dark Shadows. Humans have a natural fear of the dark that has existed since the beginning of time. Centuries ago, people feared the dark because that was the time when they were most likely to get attacked by robbers. Some people even went so far as to capture starving, wild dogs and have them fenced in to help protect the house. Even today, people are wary of going outside at night due to the fear of getting robbed and/or killed. In Burton’s film Dark Shadows, it was filmed almost entirely at dusk or at night. Although he didn’t update the use of darkness in this Gothic story, he did use it very wisely. For example, in the film he made sure to have candles low to the ground to illuminate people’s faces from the bottom, causing them to appear ghoulish. He also made particular scenes more dark and dreary than others; while it would be sunny at the fishing docks, it was cloudy at the castle. This affected the audience by making them feel that the castle had something sinister hidden within it. Death is a huge fear for countless, as it has been for centuries. Long before embalming, people had no knowledge of what happened during or after death. At one point in history it was so common for people to be accidently buried alive, that next to every grave they put a bell with a string attached that reached down inside the coffin. If the person was alive and woke up, they would pull the string and someone would come to rescue them. Throughout the ages, death and its meaning has slowly changed. In Aikinari’s story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemum Vow,† death is portrayed as a way to free oneself from the confinements of life. When Akana was captured and imprisoned, he committed suicide in order to be able to travel to Samon as a ghost and fulfill his vow with him. In Dark Shadows, death was modernized by the use of the vampire named Barnabas Collins. Vampires have been a part of our society for generations. When someone dies, it is common for the body to bloat and for blood to leak out of the mouth, due to its decomposition. According to Gee, â€Å"a body decomposes in such a way that human teeth protrude like fangs† (8). Not being able to comprehend this, people would tell horror stories of vampires to try and explain what was going on. In Dark Shadows, Barnabas not only updated vampires, but also death. Unlike the original vampires, Barnabas became this monster not by the bite of another vampire but from the curse of a jealous witch, who also killed his fiance. This changed the view of death because death was something that Barnabas could not attain. Unlike his predecessors, he was immortal and couldn’t die. This caused him great pain since he could never be with his beloved again. Death became that which could free him and end his suffering. This also changed the anatomy of vampires. Classic vampires could be harmed with garlic or the light. While the light hurt him, he was able to merely wear a hat and cloak and not be harmed. However, there is still much more to Gothic Literature. According to Baldick, â€Å"For the Gothic effect to be attained, a tale should combine a fearful sense of inheritance in time with a claustrophobic sense of enclosure in space† (xix). A story can have Gothic tropes but not be Gothic. There are loads of books that have murders and ghosts that aren’t considered Gothic at all, like Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. His parents were killed and there was a ghost trapped in the girl’s bathroom, but it isn’t Gothic at all. What makes a story Gothic is how it is told or portrayed. Sometimes, the scenes that are used are to make the viewers question what is righteous and what is wicked. Burton shows this with how he introduces his characters and their personalities. For the vampire Barnabas, he is portrayed not as monster but as an unfortunate soul who has a curse that he is trying to rid himself of. Instead of wanting to stay a vampire, he joins up with a local physician to try and find a cure to make him human again. However, he still kills humans and drinks their blood. This makes the audience question whether Barnabas is an evil vampire or a poor man with a curse due to this hidden identity. This is also shown with the witch Angelique. For her character, they portrayed her as being jealous that Barnabas chooses to marry someone else, instead of her. She curses him to become a vampire but later on states that she didn’t kill him because he only wanted his love and attention. Before she dies, she rips out her own heart and offers it to Barnabas. Showing this makes the audience debate on whether she is innocent deep down in her actions, or merely empty and insane. Insanity is another classic trope of the Gothic. Traditionally, insanity was shown as a way to become stronger or to become free. In â€Å"If You Touched My Heart† by Allende, Hortensia is caged by her lover. At first, they are in love and can’t be separated. However, Peralta soon forces her into a cage and keeps her there for several decades. In order to deal with the psychological trauma, Hortensia becomes insane to free herself. This is shown when she was â€Å"surrounded by hallucinatory spirits who lead her to other universes†¦ [traveling] through starry space† (523). By creating these illusions in her mind, she was able to free herself from the pain of growing old and hideous in that cage. In Poe’s story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the unnamed main character goes insane due to his own thoughts. In the beginning of the story, he states how he is obsessed with this old man, but not insane. He states that, â€Å"it was not the old man that vexed me, but his Evil Eye† (498). This quote shows that the character originally had no aggression towards the old man, only his one pale blue eye. After he kills him and hides the body under the floor, he starts to hear a heartbeat. He concludes that it must be the old man’s heart. This is frightening because the reader is unsure what he is actually hearing. He could simply be hearing his own heartbeat, or imagining it all due to his guilt. In Dark Shadows, insanity is shown in a similar, yet different way. The film actually had two characters that were insane, the witch Angelique and Victoria. Angelique is depicted as going insane after her pure heart was broken by Barnabas. She only turned him into a vampire because she couldn’t stand to see him with another woman. Her insanity allowed her to become strong and have the strength to, in a sense, imprison the man who caused her pain. Victoria, on the other hand, was only considered insane by society. Due to her psychic ability in being able to see spirits, her family feared how others would view them and sent her away to be â€Å"fixed. † This demonstrates how insanity is not simply mental, but also what society deems as insane. However, not everything is clearly stated. Within Gothic Literature, there are hidden messages or symbolisms throughout the entire story. Knowing this allows the reader to think and look more deeply into each action and event that is occurring. For example, in Edgar Allen Poe’s â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher,† when Roderick dies at the end of the story, the house crumbles to ruins. The house doesn’t crumble because it’s ancient; it symbolizes the end of the Usher’s bloodline. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Stetson, the main female character is moved to a house in the country for â€Å"bed rest. There, she is forbidden to write, think, and sometimes even speak. She starts to see a woman trapped in the wallpaper, shaking it at night and creeping around outside during the day. This symbolizes how the narrator feels trapped and wants to escape. At the end, she â€Å"releases† the woman from the wallpaper and becomes her. The narr ator could only be free by creating an alternate personality. In this story, her insanity helped set her free. Dark Shadows also has some symbolism of its own. When Angelique is dying, they show her breaking as if she is a porcelain doll. This demonstrates how even though she was evil she was also extremely delicate in her true nature. As her face broke, pieces fell and exposed a small hole into oblivion. This signifies how she was truly empty on the inside, nothing more than a doll. Although she was once a human with supernatural powers, her jealousy and obsessive love for Barnabas slowly took over and, over time, left her an empty shell of what she once was. She was unable to truly love Barnabas, because she was literally filled with both darkness and nothingness. At the end of the film, Barnabas finds Victoria standing on the ledge of cliff. She tells him that they are both different, and that she can only be with him if they are the same. He tells her that he can’t turn her into a vampire, so she jumps off the cliff. This symbolizes the difficulty and societal rejection of dating someone who is of a different class or race. For her, she couldn’t see how their relationship could work unless they were both vampires. She also felt that if she couldn’t be with him, then she had no reason to live and must die to free herself from the suffering. Gothic literature is not something that can be defined in a few simple sentences. As Rintoul points out, â€Å"Gothic coincides with an important interrogation of the cannon as a site of power, and with equally important work that links social and political conditions† (701). Gothic literature has tropes that have endured across time and can still be found in modern stories and games. However, these tropes don’t always stay the same; some have been modernized over the centuries. This can easily be seen in Burton’s 2012 film, Dark Shadows. Death was transformed from something terrifying to that which could set one free. The vampire changed from a wicked corpse to a miserable man who was cursed. Insanity also went through some changes. At first, it could set one free from pain. In Dark Shadows, insanity morphed into something that was not only mental, but what society deemed as insane. The symbolism throughout the movie also added depth to seemingly simple scenes. Dark Shadows is a perfect example of how the Gothic has changed through the ages and thrived. Works Cited Allende, Isabel. â€Å"If You Touched My Heart. † The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales. Ed. Chris Baldick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. 519-526. Print. Baldick, Chris. â€Å"Introduction. The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales. Ed. Chris Baldick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. xi-xxii. Print. Gee, Joshua. Encyclopedia Horrifica. Hong Kong: Scholastic, 2007. Print. Kirkland, Ewan. â€Å"Gothic Videogames, Survival Horror, and Silent Hill Series. † Gothic Studies14. 2 (2012): 106-122. Print. Rintoul, Suzanna. â€Å"Gothic Anxieties: Struggling With a Definition. † The Journal of Eighte enth-Century Fiction. 17. 4 (2005): 701-709. Print. Sova, Dawn. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart. † The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. Ed. Dawn Sova. New York: Barns Noble, 2006. 498-501. Print.

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform - Research Paper Example People had to borrow in order to finance their mortgages. From the periods of 1994, to 2004, the ownership of homes amongst residents of United States of America increased from 64%, to 69.4% (Whalen, 2008, 220). Because of an increase in the demand of the houses, the price of these commodities increased by 124%. These made consumers to refinance their homes, and take on second mortgages resulting to a reduction in their disposable income. By the time 2008 reached, the United States mortgage debts in relation to its GDP increased by 26% reaching a figure of 73%. This is from the periods of the 1990s. The easy availability of credit, and an increase in the house prices led to the building boom, and this further increased the prices of the houses, and eventually to their decline in the periods 2006 (Deminyank and Herbert, 2011, 1851 ). Paying back these mortgages became difficult, because of the fall of the home prices, as compared to the prices in which they initially bought the homes. This had an effect of reducing the value of mortgage backed securities, eroding the financial capability of the banks. This failure led to the emergence of the subprime financial crises. ... Another reason for the emergence of the subprime crises is failure by the government to effectively regulate the financial activities of various banking organizations, and their financial products. This was made possible by the 1982 mortgage transactions parity act. This act allowed credit organizations to readjust their mortgage rates, and its aims was to make it possible for as many people as possible to own homes. This act led to an abuse of the mortgage lending procedures, because credit institutions could offer any amount of interest payments to their loan products. In 1999, the Federal government repelled the Glass Steagal Act, which created an environment of risk consciousness in investment banking (Immerglack, 2011, 247). This act had an effect of regulating the creditors during boom periods, making credit organizations to undertake risk measures while carrying out their duties. Its repeal made banking organizations, to lend freely, without establishing measures that would le ad to the mitigation of risks. The Securities and Exchange Commission also played a role into the emergence of the subprime mortgage crises. The commission changed the rules of calculating its capital reserves, and this enabled credit organizations to increase the percentage of debts they incurred for purposes of financing their operations (Deminyank and Herbert, 2011, 1850 ). The consequences of this action are that it led to the growth of mortgage securities that supported subprime mortgages. This eventually led to the near collapse of the banking system, because of an increase in their debts ratio, and inability to pay. This led to the enactment of the Dodd Frank financial reform act. This act created changes to the

Vodun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vodun - Essay Example The slaves from Africa practiced their inherent religion when they were brought to other places (Belgum, 1991; Robinson, 1998). Vodun went though a history of persecution. In the reign of Christianity and Muslim in the colonial era, the people that practiced this religion were killed and the establishments and places of worship were annihilated. Conversion to Christianity is widespread in the regions where African slave are deployed. Another contradiction was experienced during the Marxism era. There were deemed to have occurred due to the threat that it incurred on the stability of other religions. Another reason that is perceived is the unconventional practices of the group that can be unacceptable to people outside the religion. Even in Benin where the religion was practiced, also experienced period of decline but was regained in 1989 during the democratic leadership and had become the official religion in 1996. There are also groups in the North America that practices this religion. In the South America similar religions that can be related to Vodun are Umbanda, Quimbanda and Camdomble. In fact, the pres ent population of people that practice Vodun reaches to 60 million allover the world (Belgum, 1991; Robinson, 1998). In the study on the African religion, specifically the Vodun and other related religion, certain impartialities are often experienced. This is on the basis of the accounts that can be observed on the early studies that are conducted. Thus, the determination of the facts and the deciphering of the through behind these religions that are often treated with hostility is a challenge. The problems are oftentimes related to the generalization of the practices of the religions which can be considered rare and unique, thus, is not patterned to other religious practices. This is the main reason for such contempt over the religion that are usually described negatively when seen from the outside due to the fact that powers of the Supreme Being is depicted through the terror it can bring to the mortal (Clarke, and Sutherland, 1991). Although the religion receives criticisms on the basis of the unconventionality of the beliefs and the practices of faith, this very characteristic is the subject of admiration of the groups that are open to eccentricity of different religions. This is due to the meekness of the practices and the expression of great care, sympathy and compassion the natural spirit of the world (Clarke, and Sutherland, 1991). Through the analysis of the African religion through the opposing points of view of the groups that affirm or contradict the Vodun and other related religion, it can be deemed that focusing solely on the eccentricity and unconventionality of the religion works for both ways in relation to the acceptance and propagation of the religion. It can either permit or hinder the growth of the religion. In relation to the views on the Vodun religion in Africa, the insight of the Protestant missionaries is an important affective factor on the development of the religion. The missionaries deemed that Vodun hinders the development of the Africans. This view is due to the fact that they consider this religion as a primitive belief that causes the stagnation of the outlook of the people and affects the economy on the basis it is the main religion on the nation (Clarke, and Suth

Nikola Tesla Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nikola Tesla - Research Paper Example history. I will also focus on the question of why many people would say Tesla was a mad scientist later in his life. Nikola Tesla: Biography in Brief Nikola Tesla was born 10 July 1856 in a Serbian family. The place of his birth was the village of Smiljan situated near Gospic – a town in Croatia that was a part of Austria-Hungary at that time. Tesla’s father was known to be a clergyman, and his mother is described as â€Å"exceptionally bright and an inventor of household and farm implements† despite being illiterate (Klooster 302). Tesla might have got his knack for prolific inventing from his ingenious mother. Tesla, who is believed to be America’s most prominent electric engineer, studied engineering at the famous University of Graz (Austria) (Spencer 301). He is thought to have started his inventing career there. In 1882, Tesla came to Paris and was hired by Continental Edison Company. Two years later Tesla immigrated to the U.S. and got his citizenshi p in 1891 at the age of 35 (Klooster 302). Picture 1. Nikola Tesla at the age of 37. Photo taken in 1893. Author: Sarony of New York It was in 1882 that Tesla conceived of the famous induction motor that has a rotating magnetic field. From that time on, Tesla invented various devices that utilize the rotating magnetic field. In 1888, Tesla received patents for his inventions. Here it is worth mentioning that the outstanding engineer and physicist was able to completely visualize his next invention before he started working on it. All in all, Tesla is believed to have patented over 700 inventions during his lifetime (World of Invention, â€Å"Nikola Tesla†). Tesla’s Theoretical Work and Patents Tesla's numerous patents and his groundbreaking theoretical work are believed to have created the basis of modern AC systems, which includes the polyphase power distribution systems, as well as the AC motor. Let us explore Tesla’s contribution to modern electrical engineer ing in detail. It was not until Tesla could establish his own company named Tesla Electric Company (1887) that the outstanding inventor had been able to create what he actually wanted. Specifically, working for Tesla Electric Company he invented the first successful polyphase motor (Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present,â€Å"Nikola Tesla†). Tesla achieved this by creating a motor that had a few wire-taped blocks surrounding the rotor. At the moment alternating current is being supplied to the incorporated wires, a rotating magnetic field is produced, and besides current to every block was a bit out of phase with the rest. The rotor’s movement is achieved as the revolving field is being followed (Klooster 305). Practically, the significance of Tesla’s invention was that it enabled transmitting strong electrical currents over long distances. Theoretically, Tesla’s work undermined the view of Edison that there was no practical benefit from alternating current. It proved to leave behind the invention by Edison – direct current – that was restricted by local use and needed lots of electrical relay stations in order to have the current distributed throughout a large area, a city for example (Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present,â€Å"Nikola Tesla†). Reportedly, not long before his death Edison admitted to making the biggest mistake in his lifetime

Analysis of UK Basic Chemicals Company

Analysis of UK Basic Chemicals Company BASIC CHEMICALS IN UK ANALYSIS HEADLINES The market size of basic chemicals in UK has declined to GBP12,422 million recording a decline of 2.6% in 2013 due to lower sales to manufacturers of plastic and synthetic rubber in primary form Reach regulation tightened in 2013 limiting competition of non-EU companies in UK Profit margin declines to a record low of 3% preventing production expansion in UK Shale gas remains an ace for basic chemicals producers in UK UK basic chemicals industry is matured. It is expected to grow at CAGR of 0.7% during 2013-2019 MARKET TRENDS The market size of basic chemicals in UK has declined to GBP12,422 million recording a decline of 2.6% in 2013. Contraction of the industry was driven by falling revenues from plastics in primary forms, household cleaning and personal care, photochemicals and explosive, as well as pharmaceuticals segments. Purchases of basic chemicals by plastic in primary forms and synthetic rubber industry declined by 23% to GBP1,360 million. The plastics industry in UK was having trouble competing with producers abroad as oversupply in the world settled-in. UK producers do not have access to cheap raw materials. Consequently, production of plastics and rubber in primary form declined by 23% in UK during 2013 negatively reflecting on revenues of basic chemical industry. Household cleaning and personal care producers reduced their purchases of basic chemicals by 15% in UK during 2013 as turnover of household cleaning and personal care products at constant prices declined by 5.1%. Declining prices of specialty chemicals caused by increasing competition from China was the main reason of lower sales. Competition from abroad is limited by high infrastructure barriers for certain products. Currently ethylene production is concentrated in Grangemouth, Mossmorran and Wilton, UK and there is a network of 8 pipelines connecting major producers and consumers in UK. It is also proposed to connect ethylene network with Rotterdam. Potentially increasing imports if competition kicks-in. As of June, 2013 the regulation of chemicals in EU territory became stricter based on REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances) regulation. The requirement to register chemicals manufactured or intended to import into EU in quantities greater than 100 tons per year forces companies to register within ECA (European Chemicals Agency). Registration within ECA results in higher costs as extensive research to confirm their safety is needed. Imports were pushed out as local producers were able to win-back their market share. Though market of basic chemicals in UK contracted by just 2.6% during 2013 but imports of basic chemicals declined by 25%. Imports made 63% of the basic chemicals market in 2013 in comparison to 81% in 2012. Local producers were pushing out imports of hydrocarbons, oxygen-function compounds and other organic chemicals as their import declined by 31%. PRODUCTION TRENDS Despite declining markets, production of basic chemicals was booming recording an 11% growth in 2013. The growth was driven by hydrocarbons, oxygen-function compounds and other organic chemicals expansion as the segment was winning back market share from imports. As competition in hydrocarbons, oxygen-function compounds and other organic chemicals got tense world-wide, domestic producers chose to compete in local market cutting down segment exports by 20% and total basic chemicals export by 17%. Cost pressure to the basic chemicals industry declined. Total costs related to basic chemicals increased by 12% in UK during. However, cost per unit of produce declined by 5% as turnover at constant prices increased by 17%. As production of hydrocarbons soared, costs related to refined petroleum products by 17% in 2013. The rise in costs in relation to growth in production at constant prices is related to increased share of basic chemicals manufactured from oil products as PPI of refined petroleum products decreased by 5%. Purchases of gas has increased by 21% due to 9.4% rise in prices for industrial uses. Increase in production of hydrocarbons drove the purchases of gas upwards as well. The gas supply is well diversified with most of the gas coming from domestic supplies and Norway. Electricity costs increased by 20% in production of basic chemicals in UK during 2013. Mostly it was related to increased production in quantity though, electricity price rose by 2.6% for industrial users in UK during 2013. UK’s electricity generating capacities are outdated and plants one by one are turned off. Investments are increasing consequently raising electricity wholesale price. Despite an 11% growth in production, profits declined by 21% to GBP284 million in 2013. Profit margin has declined to a record low of 3% as producers were not able to cut costs at same amount as producer prices decreased by 5.7% in 2013. Low profitability repelled new companies and prevents the industry from expansion in the next couple years. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Economies of scale is a major drive force in the industry. Though 27 companies with over 250 employees make less than 2% of companies in the industry, they generated 90% of turnover in 2013 as costs. Largest companies in the industry were Ineos Group Ltd, BP Aromatics Ltd, BASF Plc, Air Products Group Ltd and Croda International Plc. Ineos Group Ltd, a UK-based subsidiary of Ineos AG, manufactures petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products as polymers, chlorvinyls, ethanol, esters, ammonia and nitric acids, plastics, melamines, pnenols, oligomers, olefines, oxides and styrenics. The company sold its INEOS ChlorVinyls divission of chlorine business to 2M Group Ltd that operated in UK in August, 2013. Ineos Group also acquired a powerplant from Fortum in Grangemouth, UK in October, 2014 for GBP54 million. BP Aromatics Ltd is a UK-based subsidiary of BP Plc engaged in manufacture of purified terephthalic acid, acetic acid and olefins and derivatives that are derived from crude oil or natural gas. The company opened a brand-new bioethanol plant in Hull, UK in July, 2013 that cost GBP350 million. BASF Plc is a UK-based subsidiary of BASF SE. The company operates under 6 business segments: chemicals, plastics, performance products, functional solutions, agricultural as well as oil and gas. The chemicals segment is further divided into inorganics, petrochemicals and intermediates divisions. in January, 2013 the company completed acquisition of Pronova BioPharma. In 2014, the company sold its styrolution divission to Ineos as well as began building ammonia plant in Texas, US together with Yara. Air Products Group Ltd is a multinational subsidiary of Air Products Chemicals Inc, which divides its busines into 4 divisions: gases, chemicals, equipment and services solutions. Air Products Group Ltd and Oman Oil Co have signed a joint venture that will provide full range of industrial gases in Oman in December, 2013. Croda International Plc is a multinational company engaged in manufacture of natural based speciality chemicals: consumer care which consists of global businesses in personal care, health care and crop care as well as Industrial Specialities which comprises home care, base oleochemicals, additives for polymers, polymers and coatings, lubricants and lubricant additives, and processed vegetable oils. The company has manufacturing facilities throughout the UK and mainland Europe, North and South America, India, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia and Japan. Croda has invested GBP12 million in April, 2013 in new manufacturing facility in East Yorkshire, UK for processing specialty acrylic-based polymers. The company acquired Sipo to boost its presence in emerging markets in September, 2013. PROSPECTS UK basic chemicals industry is matured. It is expected to grow at CAGR of 0.7% during 2013-2019. The growth will be strongest in bases, gases and other inorganics of 2.5% CAGR during same period. The growth will be hold back by increasing overproduction in world market. Prices of most basic chemicals will continue to be on decline in 2014. It is expected that the price of inorganic and organic chemicals will continue to decline in UK by up to 10% due to sluggish demand in EU and increasing oversupply globally in 2014. Meanwhile, organic chemicals prices should decline by up to 4% in France in 2014 as production continues to increase in N. America with further rapid decline in 2015 as oil and gas prices collapse. Shale gas revolution in US is causing a major headache for UK basic chemicals producers as UK manufacturers have to pay up to 3 times more for gas than US producers. Consequently, producers in N. America are increasing production capacity and might further pressure prices of hydrocarbon-based chemicals down. UK shale gas reserves are estimated between 2.8 and 39.9 trillion cubic metres. Though it remains unclear how much of it is technical extractable. Exploration of shale gas and its extraction is a slow-going process in UK but if successful it could give a boost to basic chemicals market Electricity price most likely will continue to rise as demand of investment increases. Currently, the generation capacities and grid is outdated and a third of power plants are projected to be shut down by 2015. Consequently, investments and price of wholesale electricity should increase deteriorating UK industry’s competitiveness. Recent events in Ukraine and Russia pose little threat to supply of gases in UK as 73% of it is supplied by domestic production and Norway. Qatar supplies another 12% and only 15% of gas that is supplied by Belgium and Netherlands might be redirected from Russia. Though price issue remains if supply struggles in continental Europe, prices of gas might increase. However, supply issues in continental Europe could boost basic chemicals export from UK as producers in other countries might have to cut production. Tightening REACH regulation creates barriers of imports of mostly specialty chemicals as extensive and costly research is required before chemicals are approved by ECA for trade and use in EU. As EU companies tend to have higher market share they gain competitive advantage in distributing their overhead costs in comparison to non-EU producers.