Policies for Reducing Unemployment free essay sample

Demand side policies to reduce demand-deficient unemployment (unemployment caused by recession) †¢ Supply side policies to reduce structural unemployment / (the natural rate of unemployment) Demand Side Policies [pic] Demand side policies are important when there is a recession and rise in cyclical unemployment. (e. g. after 1991 recession and after 2008 recession) 1. Fiscal Policy Fiscal policy can decrease unemployment by helping to increase aggregate demand and the rate of economic growth. The government will need to pursue expansionary fiscal policy; this involves cutting taxes and increasing government spending. Lower taxes increase disposable income (e. g. VAT cut to 15% in 2008) and therefore help to increase consumption, leading to higher aggregate demand (AD). With an increase in AD, there will be an increase in Real GDP (as long as there is spare capacity in the economy. ) If firms produce more, there will be an increase in demand for workers and therefore lower demand-deficient unemployment. Also, with higher aggregate demand and strong economic growth, fewer firms will go bankrupt meaning fewer job losses. We will write a custom essay sample on Policies for Reducing Unemployment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Keynes was a strong advocate of expansionary fiscal policy during a prolonged recession. He argue that in a recession, resources (both capital and labour) are idle, therefore the government should intervene and create additional demand to reduce unemployment. Impact of Higher AD on Economy [pic] However, 1. It depends on other components of AD. e. g. if confidence is low, cutting taxes may not increase consumer spending because people prefer to save. Also, people may not spend tax cuts, if they will soon be reversed. 2. Fiscal policy may have time lags. E. g. a decision to increase government spending may take a long time to have an effect on increasing AD. 3. If the economy is close to full capacity an increase in AD will only cause inflation. Expansionary fiscal policy will only reduce unemployment if there is an output gap. 4. Expansionary fiscal policy will require higher government borrowing – this may not be possible for countries with high levels of debt, and rising bond yields. 5. In the long run expansionary fiscal policy may cause crowding out, i. . the government increase spending but because they borrow from private sector, they have less to spend and therefore AD doesn’t increase. However, Keynesians argue crowding out will not occur in a liquidity trap. 2. Monetary Policy Monetary policy would involve cutting interest rates. Lower rates decrease the cost of borrowing and encourage people to spend and i nvest. This increases AD and should also help to increase GDP and reduce demand deficient unemployment. Also lower interest rates will reduce exchange rate and make exports more competitive. In some cases, lower interest rates may be ineffective in boosting demand. In this case, Central Banks may resort to Quantitative easing. This is an attempt to increase money supply and boost aggregate demand. Evaluation †¢ Similar problems to fiscal policy. e. g. it depends on other components of AD. †¢ Lower interest rates may not help boost spending, if banks are still reluctant to lend. †¢ Demand side policies can help to reduce demand deficient unemployment e. g. in a recession. However, they cannot reduce supply side unemployment. Therefore, their effectiveness depends on the type of unemployment that occurs. Supply Side Policies for Reducing Unemployment Supply side policies deal with more micro-economic issues. They don’t aim to boost overall Aggregate Demand, but seek to overcome imperfections in the labour market and reduce unemployment caused by supply side factors. Supply side unemployment includes: †¢ Frictional †¢ Structural †¢ Classical (real wage) Policies to Reduce Supply Side Unemployment 1. Education and Training. The aim is to give the long term unemployed new skills which enable them to find jobs in developing industries, e. . retrain unemployed steel workers to have basic I. T. skills which helps them find work in service sector. – However, despite providing education and training schemes, the unemployed may be unable or unwilling to learn new skills. At best it will take several years to reduce unemployment. 2. Reduce Power of trades unions. If unions are able to b argain for wages above the market clearing level, they will cause real wage unemployment. In this case reducing influence of trades unions (or reducing Minimum wages) will help solve this real wage unemployment. . Employment Subsidies. Firms could be given tax breaks or subsidies for taking on long term unemployed. This helps give them new confidence and on the job training. However, it will be quite expensive and it may encourage firms to simply replace current workers with the long term unemployment in order to benefit from the tax breaks. 4. Improve Labour Market Flexibility. It is argued that higher structural rates of unemployment in Europe is due to restrictive labour markets which discourages firms from employing workers in the first place. For example, abolishing maximum working weeks and making it easier to hire and fire workers may encourage more job creation. However, increased labour market flexibility could cause a rise in temporary employment and greater job insecurity. 5. Stricter Benefit requirements. Governments could take a more pro-active role in making the unemployed accept a job or risk losing benefits. After a certain time period the government could guarantee some kind of public sector job (e. g. cleaning streets). This could significantly reduce unemployment. However, it may mean the government end up employing thousands of people in un-productive tasks which is very expensive. Also, if you make it difficult to claim benefits, you may reduce the claimant count, but not the International Labour force survey. 6. Improved Geographical Mobility. Often unemployed is more concentrated in certain regions. To overcome this geographical unemployment, the government could give tax breaks to firms who set up in depressed areas. Alternatively, they can give financial assistance to unemployed workers who move to areas with high employment. (e. g. help with renting in London)

Ethics and Airbus Essay Example

Ethics and Airbus Essay Example Ethics and Airbus Paper Ethics and Airbus Paper Case 2 4 final Presentation Transcript 1. Case 2-4: Ethics and Airbus Team 8 Heather Cutshall Chris Duley Rohan Ratnapal Sue Vang 2. Consisted of French, German, and British Government Signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September 1967 Based in Blagnac, France History 3. An aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of the European aerospace company EADS One of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial jet airliners Representing more than 80 nationalities, in four European countries: Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom Airbus Commercial What Airbus does? . Kuwait Kickbacks India Ink Mounties and Banks youtube. com/watch? v=VlkEkyS3gOQ youtube. com/watch? v=LfGx39FnlJUNR=1 Syrian Scandals Scandals 5. Only one case led to convictions Airbus benefited in India and Canada, but suffered in Kuwait and Syria. Boeing suffered in each case except the Syrian scandal Question 1 6. Never been indicted of bribery charges. The OECD Convention had not been ratified in France a t the time of the cases. Question 2 7. Boeing could enter a joint venture with foreign government. Provide a different set of valued propositions Quality aspect Higher technological aspects Better passenger capacity Question 3 8. Marketing strategies were different between the two. Boeing acted more responsibly and ethically. Followed standards and procedures to get the sale. Airbus used bribery and kickbacks. Kuwait Airlines Corporation Indian Airlines Question 4 9. OECD Convention Yes Reputation High PDI High UAI Question 5 10. Airbus allegedly bribed foreign officials, but it has never been proven Airbus may have acted unethically, but did not act illegally, because France had not yet adopted the OECD convention Conclusion

John Ray - An Evolution Scientist

John Ray - An Evolution Scientist Early Life and Education: Born November 29, 1627 - Died January 17, 1705 John Ray was born on November 29, 1627 to a blacksmith father and an herbalist mother in the town of Black Notley, Essex, England. Growing up, John was said to have spent a lot of time at his mothers side as she collected plants and used them to heal the sick. Spending so much time in nature at an early age sent John on his path to become known as the Father of English Naturalists. John was a very good student at Braintree school and soon enrolled at Cambridge University at the age of 16 in 1644. Since he was from a poor family and could not afford the tuition for the prestigious college, he worked as a servant to the Trinity College staff to pay off his fees. In five short years, he was employed by the college as a fellow and then became a full-fledged lecturer in 1651. Personal Life: Most of John Rays young life was spent studying nature, lecturing, and working toward becoming a clergyman in the Anglican Church. In 1660, John became an ordained priest in the Church. This led him to reconsider his work at Cambridge University and he ended up leaving the college because of conflicting beliefs between his Church and the University. When he made the decision to leave the University, he was supporting himself and his now widowed mother. John had trouble making ends meet until a former student  of his asked Ray to join him in various research projects that the student funded. John ended up making many trips through Europe gathering specimens to study. He conducted some research on anatomy and physiology of humans, as well as studied plants, animals, and even rocks. This work afforded him the opportunity to join the prestigious Royal Society of London in 1667. John Ray finally married at the age of 44, just before the death of his research partner. However, Ray was able to continue the research he started thanks to a provision in his partners will that would continue to fund the research they had started together. He and his wife had four daughters together. Biography: Even though John Ray was a staunch believer in the hand of God in the changing of a species, his great contributions to the field of Biology were very influential in Charles Darwins initial Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection. John Ray was the first person to publish a widely accepted definition of the word species. His definition made it clear that any seed from the same plant was the same species, even if it had different traits. He was also a fierce opponent of spontaneous generation and often wrote on the subject about how it was an atheists made up nonsense. Some of his most famous books cataloged all of the plants he had been studying over the years. Many believe his works to be the beginnings of the taxonomic system later created by Carolus Linnaeus. John Ray did not believe that his faith and his science contradicted each other in any way. He wrote many works reconciling the two. He supported the idea that God created all living things and then changed them over time. There were no accidental changes in his view and all were guided by God. This is similar to the current idea of Intelligent Design. Ray continued his research until he died on January 17, 1705.

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 40

Summary - Assignment Example In order to answer this question it is essential to identify why individuals listen to music. The author states that various individuals listen to music because they are able to relate with a particular piece of music and the emotional responses occur as individuals are able to see or feel the similarity between their condition and the condition that the music is focusing on. This ability of music has been quite clearly explained in the movie called Casablanca (Ball 274). In this movie a character restricts a musician from playing a particular piece of music as that piece of music awakens the emotional feeling of sadness in the soul of the individual. Another reason due to which music is able to generate certain emotions is because of the way it has been patterned. The author states that music pieces are created in such a manner that they make an individual think about what is going to happen next and this even causes emotional responses from the

My Second - Problem Base Question (EU Law) Essay

My Second - Problem Base Question (EU Law) - Essay Example Arthur would have been compensated for the damage of  £100,000 of the cabbages field. Other dimension is the present situation that 00/1271/EC Directive has not been implemented yet. Brownings Ltd. should put up this situation as an accident that results in damage to Arthur’s fields as well as the premises of Brownings Ltd. By putting the case in such manner will prevent Brownings Ltd. to pay compensation to Arthur. Under this situation both parties has to move towards the insurance organizations for the damages incurred to them. By means of regard to the straight effect of directives, the European court of justice has detained in Marshall v. Southampton AHA that orders can only be imposed against the State since art 249 EC Treaty conveys that a instruction is obligatory upon each Member State to whom it is dealt; it does not present that it trusses persons.   Consequently until United Kingdom actually applies the directive it would be iniquitous to permit it to be imposed against non-governmental bodies.   Arthur is looking for implementing the Directive in opposition to Brownings. As it is provided in the case study that Brownings is a limited organization that have possession of a large chemical works.   If one applies the three Foster criteria that are provision of a government service; under the control of the State; and having exceptional powers; to it, as Brownings obviously is not providing a state service, so due to this reason it would not be an emanation of the State.   Though the European court of justice in Kampelmann has recommended that the Foster criteria may not be cumulative, and therefore offered one of the three criteria is fulfilled, the body will be an emanation of the State.   Conversely, this fraction of the judgment may well be wrong, and it is completely practicable that the three criteria are cumulative.   Yet if they are not cumulative, it is doubtful that

Business Ethics and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Business Ethics and Starbucks Essay 1. Starbucks demonstrates a new focus on business ethics and social responsibility by providing health care benefits to their employees, giving to the welfare of the needy, and also by packaging their goods in recycling materials along with any other practices that are beneficial to the company. Starbucks has also demonstrated by improving their dealings with their customers as well as their suppliers. Although this may not bring in additional revenues, the ethical businesses are better recognized and there durability is greater. As long as Starbucks can continue to gain trust in the customers, it will allow them to have a strong bond with them also. 2. I feel that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because for one reason it is a popular business and it helps the image of the company to care about the community and the environment. Other reasons Starbucks were so concerned was because of the negative impact on the company. Starbucks has always been engaged in responsible business practice since they first started their operation and they have always spent a lot of time defending their image as well. Several small coffee shops were put out of business due to the clustering strategy. Starbucks decided to refocus their strategy after the 2009-2009 recession. Several locations were closed because of the lack of performance due to the economic depression. Because of Starbucks dedication to their employees and suppliers, they were able to earn their loyalty. However Starbucks were also concerned with social responsibility because it affected all parties involved. The company did achieve social responsibility by taking steps to follow certain guidelines and being involved in the community, which is very important to the company since ethical companies tend to do better in the long run. 3. I think Starbucks has both grown rapidly and mainly because it does provide products and an environment that customers want. Most people don’t know anything about the ethical and social responsibility that Starbucks engage in unless they research their websites. I feel that Starbucks success was due to its strong brand image that had been built over the years. Consumers purchased these products from Starbucks because of the good taste. However people were concerned about being ethical and social responsible when running a business, especially when consumers wanted to enjoy what they were consuming without having to worry about how the products are labored. This company also grew large due to several charity campaigns; such as the partnership between Starbucks and the project Red to raise money for different events. By being a large buyer of Fair Trade certified coffee, in spite of the high cost, they continued to grow as the purpose of fair trades that promotes a better working condition and greater incentives for the mmanufacturers. Starbucks does not only offer quality coffee to its customers, they also have a great atmosphere of the coffee shop. They have given back to the community and earned their trust as well as respect from their customers.

Character of Prospero in Shakespeares The Tempest :: Tempest essays

Tempest Character Analysis  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's last play The Tempest is a story about Prospero (the rightful duke of Milan). He is betrayed by his brother Antonio and left on a ship with his daughter Miranda to die. Only things are not going according to plan and Prospero and Miranda arrive on an island. Prospero is seeking his revenge. Coming back from a wedding in Africa a ship containing Prosperos enemies is attacked by the tempest and scatters its passengers about the island. Prospero exhibits three major character traits: forcefulness, protectiveness and forgiveness. Prospero is a very powerful person and using his spell books he is able to conjure up some mighty magic. Possibly the most powerful thing he controls is Ariel (a spirit). An example of this is when Prospero says "Hast thou, spirit, Preformed to point, the tempest I bade thee".(718) Ariel had the power to create a great sea storm and Prospero had the power to control Ariel which gave him great power. Another reason why Prospero is powerful is because of his knowledge of Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculos plot to kill the king. So when Prospero reclaims his place in Milan again he'll have some mighty blackmail just incase he needs any favors or they try any thing stupid. This way they'll think twice before going against Prospero. Especially considering that Miranda will become queen. These are the reasons why Prospero is powerful. Prospero is protective of those who are close to him especially Miranda. Throughout The Tempest Prospero slowly makes sure Ferdinands and Mirandas love wont faid quickly. Prospero even called Ferdinand a traitor just to make Miranda seem harder to get. This way the couple wouldn't become a lost cause. When Prospero says "They are both in either's powers. But this swift business I must uneasy make lest too light winning make the prize light" (726) he is revealing his true plan to Ariel that he wants to make Miranda harder to get. This is because Prospero feels their love will be stronger if it is harder to obtain. Prospero is also protective when he says "the strongest oaths are straw to th' fire I' th' blood"(764) this was said to Ferdinand after Prospero makes him promise not to have sex with Miranda before they are married. He is stunned to see that after his promise Ferdinand is playing around with Miranda.

Weather and its Effects

At the very least, we want to know how hot or cold it will get, or whether there will be rain or snow. Some of us live in places where severe weather can produce dangerous conditions flooding, tornados, blizzards or fogs, so we pay attention to weather related warnings. And these days, weather reports are getting more sophisticated, with pollen counts and particulates for allergy sufferers, and UP indices to tell you whether you need sunscreen. Since weather affects us so constantly, I put together this page to help understand he science of weather.I am not much interested In weather forecasting, which Is a very technical subject. This information is much more basic, about why weather â€Å"happens†, what's going on in the atmosphere, what weather-related terms we see on TV really mean, how to read weather maps. It's mostly practical Information, from a not very technical perspective. Weather and Climate Before we begin, let's differentiate between weather and climate. Weather is the state of your local atmosphere at any given time, in terms of such measurements as temperature. Wind speed, alarm pressure. Reciprocation, etc. Weather Is very specific – it's about a particular place at a particular time. It varies on a relatively small scale – for example, it could be raining in your area, while it's dry 10 miles away. It could be 72 degrees near your home, but only 65 degrees a few miles away. You could have a thunderstorm at 6 p. M. And have the sky clear by midnight. So when we're talking about weather. We are talking about a relatively small area and a very specific time. Moving to a different area, or going forward in time quickly changes the weather.On the other hand, climate is about long term averages. It concerns the same things as weather measurements like temperature, pressure, rainfall, precipitation but these measurements are averaged over a long period. If you say â€Å"the average high temperature for Boston in April is 56 deg rees†, then you are talking about climate. In order to report that average temperature, someone must have measured the high temperature each day in April, and then averaged those highs. Further, it's not enough to do that for one year, because any given year could be hotter or colder than average.So they must have measured high temperatures ACH day in April for several years, in order to calculate a multi-year average. In fact, in many places, such temperature records go back a century or more. These 100+ year records are used to calculate averages for temperatures, rainfall, weather patterns, etc. , and these long terms averages constitute the climate. It's Important to remember that weather can be very variable, but climate Is not. You could hit a high of 80 degrees on April 4th in Chicago one year, but in another year, the high on the same date might barely reach the freezing point at 32 degrees. There than a year-to-year variability. It doesn't even mean that the whole mon th of April was hotter, or the whole year was hotter. In order to make any long term comparisons, in order to show any trends, you absolutely need multi-year climate data. The Earth's Atmosphere Since weather is the condition of the atmosphere above a certain location, at a certain time of day or night, let's consider the atmosphere in more detail for a bit. The Earth's atmosphere extends from ground surface to the edge of interplanetary space.Most of this atmosphere is contained in a narrow band, about 7-10 kilometers high, which is known as the troposphere. About 80% of the mass of the atmosphere is contained within this thin band. Although 7-10 kilometers (23,000 – 32,000 feet) may not seem like a â€Å"thin† band, but it really is, if you consider how far the Earth's atmosphere extends. Technically, the Earth's atmosphere reaches half way to the moon (about 180,000 km) you have to go about that far before the density of atoms in the atmosphere equals the density of atoms typical of interplanetary space.Much of it is even visible to the naked eye. Astronauts in space can see the Corcoran, which looks like a hazy band surrounding the Earth, extending to about 100,000 km above the Earth. Of course, the upper atmosphere hundreds of miles above the Earth is unbreakable and almost empty. In fact, anything over 100 km is considered space, and if you go there, you are technically considered an astronaut by the World Air Sports Federation (this was the definition of space used for the X-Prize). The International Space Station (SIS) orbits at about 350 km.Low earth orbit, used by a huge number of satellites, extends to about 2000 km at most. These regions are commonly referred to as â€Å"space† by most people, but they are still part of the Earth's atmosphere. There is enough air up there that satellites slow down over time due to air friction, their orbits decay, and they ultimately fall back to the Earth. The SIS needs to be boosted every few months to a higher orbit, or it would also fall back to Earth. The Hubble telescope orbits at 595 km, and although it is more stable than the SIS, its orbit will also decay and fall back to Earth eventually.You have to go as far as geostationary or geosynchronous orbits (about 35,000 km) before the friction of the atmosphere (communications satellites are often in such orbits) becomes a smaller concern than gravitational perturbations. But this is still within the atmosphere. For the discussion of weather, however, we do not usually need to consider such high altitudes. 80% of the Earth's atmosphere is contained within the troposphere, a zone which extends from the surface of the Earth to about 10 km (it varies with latitude about 7 km over the poles, and about 17 km over the equator). 9% of the atmosphere is contained within the troposphere and the next zone outward – the stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from the boundary of the troposphere (known as the troposphere) to about 50 – 55 km from the surface of the Earth. Since the stratosphere), this is where weather happens. Outside this region, the air is not dense enough to display phenomena which are energetic enough to affect the weather. If the Earth's atmosphere were in complete equilibrium, we would have no â€Å"weather†. Conditions would be unchanging – there would be no day or night, no seasons, no rainfall, nothing.The source of changes in weather is changes in some other condition, some other variable. That variable is largely the Sun, although other factors also play a role. The spin of the Earth about its axis produces day and night, which means that energy input from the Sun on any given area of the Earth's surface varies cyclically reaching a peak during the day, and falling at night. This day-night cycle is a major source of weather, but it is modified and added to by many other cycles and factors as well. Some of these other factors vary by time of day or year , while others vary by location on the Earth's surface.In either case, variations are what fuel changes in the atmosphere, which we call weather. What factors cause the energy input of some local area on the Earth to change? Here are some: Latitude How far you are from the equator determines the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays at your location. This is extremely important in determining how much energy you receive from the Sun. The diagram at the right explains how this happens. Note that the diagram is not to scale, it shows the Sun as much smaller than the Earth, but that makes no difference to the explanation. The Sun is roughly spherical.It radiates energy in all directions. A very small portion of this energy is intercepted by the Earth. If we assume that the Sun radiates energy equally in all directions, we can imagine its surface (which radiates the energy) as Ewing divided into patches, measured by degrees of solid angle (usually expressed in stranding). Since the Earth is very far away from the Sun, and very small, it intercepts direct light from a very small patch of Sun. Notice the qualifier â€Å"direct†, as in â€Å"direct light†. This is important because the situation described is a simplification.In reality, the surface of the Sun emits light in all directions; therefore the Earth receives light from all parts of the Sun that are facing the Earth at a given time, not Just a single patch which is closest to the Earth. However, the density or intensity of this light is greatest when it is direct, that is, when a ray of light perpendicular to the Sun's surface intersects the Earth. So the relationship still holds – the more the direct sunlight falls upon some area of the Earth, the greater is the energy that area receives. He equator get progressively colder, because they get less direct sunlight. This creates bands or zones on the Earth's surface, with the hottest zones at the equator and the coldest zones at the poles. A temperature gradient is thus created, with high temperatures near the equator and cold temperatures at the poles. This temperature gradient drives the movement of air, which we perceive as winds. This variation is constant in time, meaning it does not change by time of the year. Latitude 50 North will always receive less installation than latitude 5 North, no matter what season of the year.It is simply a variation by location, that is, dependent upon the latitude location on Earth. Latitude is very important in setting up the permanent winds on Earth. We can divide the Earth (from North to South) into several well-marked zones. The band near the equator (about 5 ON to 5 so) is called the doldrums. It's the hottest part of the Earth, since the equator receives the most direct sunlight every year. On both sides of the equator are the tropics. These stretch roughly from the doldrums to the Tropic of Cancer (23. 5 ON) in the northern hemisphere, and to the Tropic of Capricorn (23. so) in the southern hemisphere. The tropics have a â€Å"tropical† climate – hot in the summers, mild in the winters. Beyond the tropics are the sub-tropical zones, which stretch from the Tropic of Cancer (23. 5 ON) to the Arctic Circle (66. 6 ON) in the northern hemisphere, and from the Tropic of Capricorn (23. 5 so) to the Antarctic Circle (66. 6 so) in the southern hemisphere. The subtropics usually have mild summers and cold winters. Beyond the subtropics lie the polar zones, from the Arctic Circle (66. 6 ON) to the North Pole (90 ON) in the northern hemisphere, and from the Antarctic Circle (66. so) to the South Pole (90 so) in the southern hemisphere. These are the coldest regions on Earth. Although there are many variations between different locations within the same zone (due to other differences, such as altitude, nearness to the sea, etc. Which are described below), the zones do broadly reflect the kind of climates found within. As mentioned earlier, they set up the patterns of the permanent winds – the trade winds, westerly's, polar winds. These permanent winds have a very strong effect on climate, and you can read about them in more detail on this page.Season The Earth's axis is not perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun; it is in fact tilted. The angle of tilt varies over time, but at present it is approximately 23. 5 degrees. Because the Earth revolves around the Sun, during the course of a full orbit around the Sun, each of Earth's hemispheres is at times tilted towards the Sun summer) and at other times tilted away from the Sun (Winter). The periods of maximum tilt are the solstices. In the year 2010, Summer solstice is on towards the Sun, which corresponds to summer and the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.Winter solstice in 2010 will be on Deck 21st at 1 1 PM (GMT), which corresponds to winter and the shortest day of the year for the northern hemisphere. As can be seen in the accompa nying diagram, a similar effect to the latitude differential described above happens during summer and winter. During summers, since the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, it receives more direct unlighted, leading to higher temperatures. During winters, since the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, it receives less direct sunlight, leading to colder temperatures. The effect is reversed in the southern hemisphere.Summer solstice in the northern hemisphere corresponds to winter solstice in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa. This seasonal effect can dramatically change weather patterns, and not Just in terms of temperatures. The change in temperature patterns across the globe shifts the high and low pressure areas of the atmosphere, which can lead to seasonal changes in winds. Indirectly, they can also affect precipitation, if for example, a winter wind which blows from land to land switches to a summer wind, which blows from sea to land. Wind blowing fr om the sea contains more moisture, which can lead to rain or snow.It's important to remember that while we think of seasons as a yearly phenomena, these changes are gradual and are happening constantly. Between the extremes of summer and winter solstice, each day the pattern changes gradually, the day becomes shorter or longer, depending upon whether the area is approaching summer or winter. While such small daily changes may seem miniscule when noninsured in terms of degrees of inclination or tilt, over the large surface of the Earth they correspond to significant shifts in the temperature zones. It's easy to calculate the magnitude of these daily changes. Since the Earth's axis is inclined at 23. Degrees, on summer solstice, latitude 23. 5 North (the Tropic of Cancer) is directly underneath the Sun (meaning, the Sun is directly overhead at noon on summer solstice day, if you happen to be at latitude 23. 5 North on that day). Similarly, on winter solstice day, latitude 23. 5 South (the Tropic of Capricorn) is directly underneath the Sun. So in the 6 months between the summer and winter solstices, the Sun changes its apparent position by 23. 5 + 23. 5 = 47 degrees in the sky. If we assume the Earth's radius to be 6400 km, then 47 degrees of latitude correspond to 47/360 = 5350 km of the Earth's surface.This means that the Earth's sun-directly-overhead-at-noon point migrates 5350 km north and south every 6 months. This is approximately 5350/180 = 29 km per day, or about 18 miles. As you can see, while it didn't seem much when we were simply looking at angles, if you warm front moving 18 miles in a day would definitely be noticed by us. So these hinges are important not Just on a seasonal basis, but also in affecting our day-to- day weather. Altitude The higher you go, the thinner the air gets. Dense air has a greater capacity to absorb and retain heat than thin air, so this is one reason why the temperature is colder at higher altitudes.However, this is insigni ficant compared to another effect, which is the cooling of air as it expands. According to the ideal gas law, the temperature of air is inversely proportional to its temperature, all else being the same. This is because as air expands under low pressure, it does work in expanding, and loses energy as ark done. Since the thermal conductivity of air is very low, it doesn't gain much heat from its surroundings, so the cooling is mostly diabetic, and well approximated by the gas law. The presence of water vapor upsets this relationship a bit, but not by a whole lot.This is the main reason why it's much colder at higher altitudes than it is at sea level. Therefore places which are near sea level and have thick, dense air are hotter than places at the same latitude which are at higher elevations. This is why the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is covered with ice, even though it's located almost directly on the equator (about 3 so). There is a separate section here which talks about altitude- dependent atmospheric pressure changes in more detail. These changes are very important in determining the local climate of an area.Land and Oceans Land and oceans are heated differentially by the Sun. Land has a smaller thermal capacity than water. This has several interesting effects. First, it means that the same amount of solar heat will raise the temperature of land much more than it will raise the temperature of water. Therefore, during a given day land at the same latitude as water will become much hotter than the water. Since they are at the same latitude, they have received roughly the same amount of solar energy, and absorbed roughly the same amount of energy (actually, the water absorbs a bit more).But because of the difference in thermal capacities, land becomes much hotter than water with the same amount of energy. In terms of local winds, this might mean that the wind direction is from the land towards the water during the day (since air moves from higher temperature a nd low pressures towards colder temperatures and high pressures). Secondly, the greater heating or cooling of land leads to greater temperature preferential. The rate of heat gain or loss of an object depends upon the temperature differential between that object and its environment.For example, if you heat a pot of water to boiling (100 co), and then remove it from the stove and let it 10 co. If room temperature is 20 co, then the water will drop from 100 co to 90 co very quickly, but it will go from 30 co to 20 co much more slowly. This is because the temperature differential between the water and room temperature is much higher when the water is at 100 co than when it is at 30 co. Since land heats up more during he day, the temperature differential is higher, therefore land cools very rapidly as well. Water cools much more slowly, because the temperature differential is lower.We can think of it this way: land has rapid heating/cooling cycles with each day/night cycle. A large body of water, on the other hand, has much slower cycles. In fact, the water cannot lose all the heat it acquired during a summer day overnight, so it starts the next day slightly warmer than it was the previous morning. So as summer progresses, large bodies of water get progressively warmer, and they maintain this eat through the night hours, when the land cools down. For this reason, oceans don't have diurnal peaks and troughs in their temperature like the land; instead, they have seasonal peaks and troughs in their temperature.These things produce very significant effects on weather patterns. The general direction of the effect is towards the moderation of temperatures. Since the water heats more slowly but retains heat longer than land (and cools more slowly but retains coldness longer than land), the presence of oceans tends to moderate the climate of nearby land masses. At the same latitude, an area will be much hotter in he summer and colder in the winter if it's far away from th e sea. Nearness to the sea will moderate temperatures, making it both less hot in the summer and less cold in the winter.Even smaller bodies of water such as lakes can have a moderating effect on temperatures. Check the weather map of the Midwest US, and on many days you'll see that the temperature at the lake front in Chicago is higher or lower than out in the suburbs (by a few degrees), simply because Lake Michigan cools the lake shore during the summers, and warms it during the winters. Smaller bodies of water can also produce local diurnal winds, such as a breeze from lake to shore in the mornings, and a breeze from shore to lake in the evenings.Again, this has to do with the differential heating of land as compared to water during the day. Topography The physical relief of land areas has much to do with weather. There can be many reasons for this. One is simply altitude – mountainous areas will be cooler than areas at the same latitude which are nearer to sea level. But in addition, variation of the terrain can influence wind patterns and therefore the weather. One example is mountains as a barrier to wind flow. If a mountain range interrupts revealing winds, air is forced upwards to pass over the mountains.As it moves upward, it cools down. Since the water carrying capacity of air diminishes as it cools, this results in precipitation on the windward side of the mountains. Conversely, once Therefore, the leeward side of the mountains will be in â€Å"shadow† and receive much less rainfall than if there had been no mountains along the way. This effect can be seen almost anywhere in the world where there are mountains that interrupt some seasonal wind flow. It is very dramatic in the Himalayas in India, where the monsoon winds from the south meet the Himalayas.On the windward side, in the foothills of the Terra, there is very heavy rainfall. Chirruping in the Indian state of Megalith has historically been the wettest place on Earth (450 inches of rain on average per year), as the monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal hit the Kiosk hills and are forced to rise and shed water. Conversely, the Tibetan plateau, on the leeward side of the Himalayas is very dry, with less than 18 inches of rain/ snow per year. There are other effects of topography as well. Flat land which is uninterrupted by hills or mountains allows wind to build up over long stretches.This is why the Midwest and plains states in the US are generally quite windy. Land which is more uneven breaks up lower level winds, so wind speeds are slower and winds are not as sustained. If a large area of flat lands then borders a hill or mountain range, these high winds can get channeled into valleys between the hills, and reach even higher velocities. You can see this effect on a much smaller scale even with man-made structures. Streets form canyons between skyscrapers in downtown areas of major cities, and wind is channeled through these â€Å"canyons†, reaching much higher speeds Han out in the suburbs.If you've walked through downtown Chicago or downtown Manhattan, you may have experienced this yourself. Low lying troughs, on the other hand, may have days when the air stagnates and does not move, since it is blocked by higher elevations surrounding the trough. Ocean Currents Water, like air, is a fluid medium, which can move from one place to another under temperature differentials. Just as there are winds in the atmosphere, there are water currents in the oceans, which carry warm water or cold water from one place to another, sometimes for thousands of miles.One well-known example of such a current is the Gulf Stream, which carries warm water from the Caribbean to near the shores of northern Europe. The Gulf Stream is largely responsible for the migration of populations into Europe after the last ice age. Without the Gulf Stream, Europe would probably be a sparsely populated wasteland. Consider London, which in terms of latitude is sligh tly farther north than Calgary in Canada. The average January low temperature of Calgary is 8 OF, but the average January low temperature of London is 41 OF. This is a huge difference, and the Gulf Stream is responsible.While latitudes comparable to England and northern Europe are almost tundra-like across Canada or Asia, they are quite warm and habitable in cultures traditionally depend upon hunting, since agriculture is insufficient to provide the necessary calories. But in Europe, there is extensive farming, which can support much larger population densities. The Gulf Stream has made it possible; it is a critical part of Rupee's habitability. Ocean currents are one of the most important contributors to climate, but the topic is fairly complex. I have written a brief explanation here, which you should really read before going ahead.

Coke/Pepsi Swot Analysis Essay

Strengths: 1. In 1993 Coke held a 59% share of the fountain market—using it to promote the brand further. 2. Coke earned a high percentage of its profits in the international market. They established themselves with the help of â€Å" ‘anchor bottlers’—large, committed, and experienced bottling outfits like Norway’s Ringnes and Australia’s Amatil† 3. During WWII Coke was able to establish itself in the European and Asian markets with the help of the government because it was being sold to the American troops in those regions Weaknesses: 1. Coke’s imagine could not compete with Pepsi’s â€Å"Pepsi Generation† campaign because it was perceived as being one of small town and outdated 2. Business relationships with bottlers have not been standardized 3. Carbonated drinks faced completion of â€Å"new age† drinks. Opportunities: 1. Quick response to â€Å"new age† beverages with the introduction of PowerAde, Nordic Mist, Tab Clear and its partnership with Nestea. 2. The potential growth of the international market of 7% to 10% per year (Eastern Europe, China India) 3. Overhauling image to target the youth market Threats: 1. India’s government requesting that the formula be disclosed to them 2. Pepsi’s marketing campaigns like the â€Å"Pepsi Challenge† & the â€Å"Pepsi Generation† 3. FTC looking into the franchise territory agreements Pepsi: Strengths: 1. Aggressive and innovative marketing campaigns 2. Acquisition of restaurants 3. Introduction of 13 new products 4. Michael Jackson as a celebrity endorser Weaknesses: 1. Carbonated drinks faced completion—â€Å"new age† drinks 2. Youth was main target group 3. Lack of presence in the international market Opportunities: 1. Acquiring Seven-Up’s international operations 2. Acquired bottling operation systems 3. Response to growth in the Tea market –partnership with Lipton Threats: 1. Coke’s quick responses to all marketing strategies 2. Market focus was strongest in North America/too little international focus 3. Private label phenomenon in supermarkets

Here Is a Brief History of Print Journalism in America

Here Is a Brief History of Print Journalism in America When it comes to the history of journalism, everything starts with the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. However, while Bibles and other books were among the first things produced by Gutenbergs press, it wasnt until the 17th century that the first newspapers were distributed in Europe. The first regularly published paper came out twice a week in England, as did the first daily, The Daily Courant. A New Profession in a Fledgling Nation In America, the history of journalism is inextricably intertwined with the history of the country itself. The first newspaper in the American colonies - Benjamin Harriss Publick Occurrences both Foreighn and Domestick - was published in 1690 but immediately shut down for not having a required license. Interestingly, Harris newspaper employed an early form of reader participation. The paper was printed on three sheets of stationery-size paper and the fourth page was left blank so that readers could add their own news, then pass it on to someone else. Many newspapers of the time were not objective or neutral in tone like the papers we know today. Rather, they were fiercely partisan publications that editorialized against the tyranny of the British government, which in turn did its best to crack down on the press. An Important Case In 1735, Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, was arrested and put on trial for allegedly printing libelous things about the British government. But his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, argued that the articles in question could not be libelous because they were based on fact. Zenger was found not guilty, and the case established the precedent that a statement, even if negative, cannot be libelous if it is true. This landmark case helped establish the foundation of a free press in the then-fledgling nation. The 1800s There were already several hundred newspapers in the U.S. by 1800, and that number would grow dramatically as the century wore on. Early on, papers were still very partisan, but gradually they became more than simply mouthpieces for their publishers. Newspapers were also growing as an industry. In 1833 Benjamin Day opened the New York Sun and created the Penny Press. Days cheap papers, filled with sensational content  aimed at a working-class audience, were a huge hit. With huge increases in circulation and larger printing presses to meet the demand, newspapers became a mass medium. This period also saw the establishment of more prestigious newspapers that began to incorporate the kinds of journalistic standards that we know today. One such paper started in 1851 by George Jones and Henry Raymond, made a point of featuring quality reporting and writing. The name of the paper? The New York Daily Times, which later became The New York Times. The Civil War The Civil War era brought technical advances like photography to the nations great papers. And the advent of the telegraph enabled Civil War correspondents to transmit stories back to their newspapers home offices with unprecedented speed. Telegraph lines often went down, so reporters learned to put the most important information in their stories into the first few lines of the transmission. This led to the development of the tight, inverted-pyramid style of writing that we associate with newspapers today. This period also saw the formation of The Associated Press wire service, which started as a cooperative venture between several large newspapers wanting to share the news that arrived by telegraph from Europe. Today the AP is the worlds oldest and one of the largest news agencies. Hearst, Pulitzer Yellow Journalism The 1890s saw the rise of publishing moguls William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Both owned papers in New York and elsewhere, and both employed a sensationalistic kind of journalism designed to lure as many readers as possible. The term yellow journalism dates from this era; it comes from the name of a comic strip - The Yellow Kid - published by Pulitzer. The 20th Century - And Beyond Newspapers thrived into the mid-20th century but with the advent of radio, television and then the Internet, newspaper circulation underwent a slow but steady decline. In the 21st century, the newspaper industry has grappled with layoffs, bankruptcies and even the closing of some publications. Still, even in an age of 24/7 cable news and thousands of websites, newspapers maintain their status as the best source for in-depth and investigative news coverage. The value of newspaper journalism is perhaps best demonstrated by the Watergate scandal, in which two reporters, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, did a series of investigative articles about corruption and nefarious doings in the Nixon White House. Their stories, along with ones done by other publications, led to President Nixons resignation. The future of print journalism as an industry remains unclear. On the internet, blogging about current events has become enormously popular, but critics charge that most blogs are filled with gossip and opinions, not real reporting. There are hopeful signs online. Some websites are returning to old-school journalism, such as VoiceofSanDiego.org, which highlights investigative reporting, and GlobalPost.com, which focuses on foreign news. While the quality of print journalism remains high, its clear that newspapers as an industry must find a new business model in order to survive well into the 21st century.

Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen

I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.† Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.†

Trade Impasse at WTO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trade Impasse at WTO - Essay Example This impasse represented a marked shift in the global trade scenario in the sense that it not only impinged upon the world community to reconsider the cherished concepts like free trade and protectionism, but also extended a unique perspective pertaining to these concepts, harbored exclusively by the developing nations. This dilemma was further accentuated by the fact that while India and China managed to forge a unique alliance in the name of food security, the developed world stood divided against itself, with the European and American negotiators resorting to obstinacy and mutual recriminations (Bradsher 1). The thing to be kept in mind is that Economics is an applied discipline and free trade and protection are merely the tools exploited by the individual nations in particular and the world community in general to solicit their respective objectives. A thorough economic analysis of this situation definitely needs to take into cognizance the political compulsions of the respective states. In the given scenario, China has to defend its primarily rural agrarian sector, its industrial growth being exclusively an urban phenomenon. The US on the other side is averse to enervating its influential farm lobby in the election year (Bradsher 1). The Manmohan Singh led coalition government in India is running its last lap with immanent elections gaping ahead and does not afford to disturb its vote rich farming sector. Hence a credible way out calls for a win win compromise, which is based on sound economic principles and the pressing needs of the nations involved.The economic indicators that deser ve immediate attention are that both the India and China are at present the victims of inflationary trends, with the inflation in India crossing the double digit mark in the last quarter of 2008. China and India are resorting to protection going by the logic that this will encourage their farming sector, without considerably raising the prices of the agricultural products in their domestic markets. By doing so, they have failed to understand the intricacies of their respective economies that are now irretrievably bound to the global economy.The fact is that an imposition of high tariffs on the American agricultural products is eventually bound to increase the prices of the farm produce in both India and China. Such improvised prohibition on the entrance of the foreign agricultural products in the domestic markets of India and China will certainly increase the prices of the similar commodities in these countries. Especially in India, where the farmers do not enjoy a direct and unobst ructed access to the markets and the trade in the agricultural commodities is mainly governed by the commission agents. Once these vested interests come to know that the domestic markets are exclusively left at their mercy, they will certainly not hesitate in artificially elevating the prices of the farm produce by resorting to hoarding and black marketing. The farming sector in China and India is not so resilient at present that an exorbitant tariff on the American agricultural products would directly translate into an enhanced internal competition, resulting in the lowering of domestic prices.One peculiar thing about the food products is that there exists a thin line between the finished product and the raw