Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes free essay sample

I was six years old and free as a bird, spinning beneath the hot Maryland sun. Arms stretched out, palms turned to the sky as if they could catch the light and hold it forever. Eyes closed, cheeks flushed pink, hair glinting with highlights of red and gold from the bright sun. Round and round and round, the sky spun like a kaleidoscope above me. I collapsed to the ground and watched the sky continue to spin, jerky and slowing, as if it were a toy I had broken. The grass was baked gold and prickly against the bare skin of my arms. I was never a hothouse flower; my petals werent easily torn. Switching my roots into new soil was no problem, and sicknesses were fleeting. I ran bare-footed through red soil and green grass and let the sun slowly change the color of my skin. I caught frogs and butterflies in my hands but ran from the praying mantis that folded its bishop-robe arms on my grandmothers porch. We will write a custom essay sample on Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I ran in a cotton sundress through the heat of the summer day, laughing, and tasted the soft, sweet nectar of honeysuckle that remains my definition of summertime. You couldnt ruffle me, then, with anything. I was sturdy and sure and confident, a hardy little wildflower growing among thorns she could not see. There was a roof over my head and food and love, and nothing could change what I had. Is it funny, then, that I seemed to grow more frail as the years passed? That I lost some part of that wildflower child in the upsetting act of growing up? That when I was 17 and stood in that exact same spot, I couldnt spin but only stand, stronger in some ways, weaker in others, and constantly afflicted with the menace of wars and politics that only vaguely concern me. On that day I realized with a flash of pain that I was no longer six. Melting crayons and tangled hair had needed to be changed, replaced. The cross around my neck might symbolize my faith, but it hurt to know that it would never be so simple, so innocent, so unquestioning again. It took me so long on that cool October day, beneath the Maryland sun to begin (so slowly) to spin. Kaleidoscope sunset skies melted with the emerald green of treetops until all I could hear was the Beatles playing in my head, crooning on and on about pools of sorrow and waves of joy. Each spin seemed to take an hour, a day, a year to complete. The sky above whirled slowly, and the ground beneath dipped and rose again with each step, comforting and familiar and as much a part of me as the soles of my feet, this land I had walked so many times. Coming back seemed, in that moment, to be the only answer I needed to the questions Id been asking myself all year. Except for the niggling fact that they answered nothing, that there was no knowledge I gained from spinning in the same place, in the same way, as I had when I was six. I know as little about myself now as I did then. Maybe less. But as I collapsed to the ground, my dogs face looming above me in a silent, curious question of â€Å"Why, exactly, are you on the ground?† I realized that there was nothing about myself I really needed to memorize. Not yet. Not at seventeen.

Teaching Conversational Skills Tips and Strategies

Teaching Conversational Skills Tips and Strategies Teaching conversational skills can be challenging as not only English skills are required. English students who excel in conversation tend to be those with self-motivated, outgoing personalities. However, students who feel they lack this skill are often shy when it comes to conversation. In other words, personality traits that dominate in everyday life tend to appear in the classroom as well. As English teachers, its our job to help students improve their conversational skills, but often teaching is not really the answer. The Challenge Generally speaking, most English learners feel that they need more conversation practice. Grammar, writing and other skills are all very important, but, for most students, conversation is the most important. Unfortunately, teaching conversational skills is much more challenging than teaching grammar  as the focus is not on accuracy, but on production. When employing role-plays, debates, topic discussions, etc., some students are often timid in expressing their viewpoints. This seems due to a number of reasons: Students dont have an opinion on the subject.Students have an opinion but are worried about what the other students might say or think.Students have an opinion but dont feel they can say exactly what they mean.Students begin giving their opinion but want to state it in the same eloquent manner that they are capable of in their native language.Other, more actively participating students, feel confident in their opinions and express them eloquently making the less confident students more timid. Pragmatically, conversation lessons and exercises should first focus on building skills by eliminating some of the barriers that might be in the way of production. Here are some suggestions to help free up students in conversation. Point out that its not necessary to always speak the truth in class. In fact, not worrying about exactly what happened can help free up students.Create lesson plans that focus on functional skills such as asking for permission, disagreeing, etc. rather than open-ended lessons that students might find vague.Set micro-tasks such as the use of specific verbs, idioms, etc. within overall speaking tasks.  Use tasks such as information gathering or problem-solving activities that encourage students to communicate in English in order to complete the tasks. Here is a closer look at some of these ideas: Focus on Function   Its important to help students become familiar with language functions rather than focusing on a grammar-based approach when developing lessons to help with conversational skills. Start off simple with functions such as: Asking permission, stating an opinion, ordering food in a restaurant, etc.   Explore grammar issues by asking what linguistic formulas should be used to achieve the desired results. For example, if you are comparing two sides of an argument which forms might be helpful (comparative, superlative, would rather, etc). Use formulas to encourage correct usage such as: How / What about Verb Ing for making suggestions - How about taking a trip to San Diego?Would you mind Verb Ing for making requests -  Would you mind giving me a hand?Would you rather Verb or Verb  for asking for preferences -  Would you rather take the train or drive? Expand this approach slowly by asking students to create short role plays using cue cards. Once students become comfortable with target structures and representing differing points of view, classes can move onto more elaborated exercises such as debates and group decision-making activities.   Assign Points of View Ask students to take on a specific viewpoint. Sometimes, its a good idea to ask students to try to state opinions that they dont necessarily share. Having been assigned roles, opinions, and points of view that they do not necessarily share, students are freed from having to express their own opinions. Therefore, they can focus on expressing themselves well in English. In this way, students tend to concentrate more on production skills, and less on factual content. They also are less likely to insist on literal translations from their mother tongue. This approach bears fruit especially when debating opposing points of view. By representing opposing points of view, students imaginations are activated by trying to focus on all the various points that an  opposing  stand on any given issue may take. As students inherently do not agree with the view they represent, they are freed from having to invest emotionally in the statements  they make. More importantly, from a pragmatic point of view, students tend to focus more on correct function and structure when they do not become too emotionally involved in what they are saying. Of course, this is not to say that students should not express their own opinions. After all, when students go out into the real world they will want to say what they mean. However, taking out the personal investment factor can help students first become more confident in using English. Once this confidence is gained, students - especially timid students - will be more self-assured when expressing their own points of view. Focus on Tasks Focusing on tasks is quite similar to focusing on function. In this case, students are given specific tasks they must complete in order to do well. Here are some suggestions on tasks that can help students practice their conversational skills: Create student surveys to gather information.Teamwork activities such as treasure hunts.Board games.Build something - group activities such as a science project or presentations allow everyone to join in the fun. Quick Review Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Its a good idea to have students report their experiences truthfully and in great detail.General conversational activities are best for more advanced students while beginner should focus on functions.Assigning a point of view helps students focus on linguistic accuracy rather than stating exactly what they believe.Problem-solving teamwork  tasks should be avoided as they are not realistic.Outgoing students tend to be better at conversational skills. Answers False - Students shouldnt have to worry about telling the exact truth because they might not have the vocabulary.True - Advanced students have the linguistic skills to deal with broader issues.True - Assigning a point of view can help free up students to focus on form rather than on content.  False - Problem solving requires teamwork and conversational ability.True - Motivated outgoing students tend to allow themselves to make mistakes and thus speak more freely.

Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Poem - Essay Example This essay will explore some of these elements and see how they add to the poem. In stanza one, the speaker tells that even though those who discriminate against her, have written damning things in history; it matters not, because she knows the truth about herself and her ancestors. Therefore, she will continue to move forward and rise above the false allegations. In line two, assonance is used â€Å"bitter twisted† to describe the lies that have been written about the African-Americans. The harsh sounding â€Å"i’s† in the two words demonstrate how cruel these false stories were. So, when the speaker says â€Å"I’ll rise† at the end of the stanza, the liberating feeling is enhanced by the previous harsh sounding â€Å"bitter twisted†. The most common form of figurative language found in the poem is the simile. For instance, in stanza three the speaker likens herself to the moon and the sun â€Å"Just like moons and like suns†. This si mile reveals to us that the speaker constantly rises, again and again, no matter how she is oppressed and put down by others; for, the sun and moon rise each day and night, and so shall she. Just like nothing can prevent the sun and moon from rising, so nothing can prevent her from rising above her circumstances, causing her to provide the light of hope for others through her actions and words.

Westpac Banking Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Westpac Banking Corporation - Essay Example Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, it is a major international banking and financial services group employing over 30,000 people. ANZ began its operations as the Bank of Australasia in the 1830s. During its evolution, ANZ has transacted (merged and acquired) with dozens of banks to arrive at its current standing. ANZ today is the largest bank in New Zealand with assets over $335 billion. ANZ is a publicly listed company and has a footprint in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Pacific, UK/Europe, India and the USA. The year 2006 marked a golden year for Westpac with profitability surging to $3.6 billion, which is 16% higher than the previous year (ANZ Company Profile). Â  Established in 1874, Bank of Queensland is Australia’s fastest-growing retail bank with a network of over 200 branches. It ranks among top 150 listed companies in Australia. In the year 2006, Bank of Queensland reported earnings of $82 million, a 21% increase over the previous year. The earnings surpassed expectations of the management as well as shareholders. Â  Westpac’s approach to corporate governance is based on a set of values and behaviors that ensure transparency and fair dealing and protect shareholder interests. The Board at Westpac monitors local as well as global developments in best practice corporate governance particularly to analyze their ramifications for Westpac. Â  The Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX) listing rules require listed entities like Westpac to furnish a statement in their annual report whereby the company discloses the extent to which it has complied with the 28SASXCGC Best Practice Recommendations for the reporting period, and to justify any variances observed. Â  

An Introduction to the Cold War Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An Introduction to the Cold War - Assignment Example Countries in Western Europe also had some really dangerous weapons, these weapons included long-range missiles, bombs, guns so on and so forth. The countries did not want to take any risk as they were all recovering from the damage caused by the Second World War and another war at that time would have literary wiped them off the map. To conclude it is very fair to say that the countries were afraid of each other because they had some really dangerous weapons which were already used in the Second World War, United States, for instance, had Atom Bombs which caused damage beyond repair in Japan. The world got divided into several different parts after the World Wars; these World Wars caused damage beyond repair. Cold war began after the end of the Second World War, the Second World War ended in the year 1945, The US and the Soviet Union were the ones directly involved in the cold war. The cold war was a situation in which countries did not fight directly; instead, they choose to fight indirectly with each other. â€Å"Do note that USSR in 1945 was Russia post-1917 and included all the various countries that now exist individually (Ukraine, Georgia etc) but after the war, they were part of this huge country up until the collapse of the Soviet Union (the other name for the USSR).† (What was the Cold War?) The US and the Soviet Union were the strongest countries once the Second World War ended and both wanted to dominate each other. To match each other stride for stride they started fighting indirectly. This indirect war had several repercussions upon the other countries and it also affected the US and the Soviet Union. Weapons weren’t used in this cold war, words were used as weapons and the main enemies involved in this war consistently tried to make each other look foolish. The leaders involved in the cold war consistently kept changing but the war still continued, this goes to show the desire to dominate each other and most of the wars occur because of this domination of one country over another.  Ã‚  

What Location Influences Foreign Direct Investment?

What Location Influences Foreign Direct Investment? Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter offers an introduction to the research, with paragraph 1.2 detailing the problem it focuses on, leading to the research question in paragraph 1.3. Paragraph 1.4 discusses the relevance of the research. The chapter ends with an outline of the thesis. The next paragraphs contain the various purposes and the general research design, and finish with the disposition of the study. 1.1 Background Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is an important source of capital and economic growth in recent business. It provides a package of new technologies, management techniques, finance and market access for the production of goods and services. However, attracting FDI is a major challenge for most host countries as they face the challenge of identifying the major factors that motivate and affect the FDI location decision. Nowadays, regions try to attract Foreign Direct Investments to stimulate their economic development (OECD, 2002a). Certain regions consider the ecological issues as well and promote sustainable FDI. Recently, while working at AgentschapNL, an agency of the Dutch secretary of Economic Affairs, the awareness for sustainable investment rose. AgentschapNL promotes sustainable development and innovation, both in the Netherlands and abroad. One region that is engaged in an initiative to attract FDI is the Swedish province Jà ¤mtland. This initiative is called Midscand and it involves stimulating business investments and cooperation (joint ventures, business development, acquisitions, strategic alliances, outsourcing and new start-ups). One of their target countries is the Netherlands. The activities that are discussed are the sectors: cleantech, tourism, mechanical industry, forestry and call centres. The scope of this research is limited to the cleantech sector. This sector deals with sustainable innovations and investments in Jà ¤mtland, with special focus on wind and bio energy. The main goal of this project is to attract new investments from the Netherlands to Swedish regions. 1.2 Problem Indication The literature dealing with FDI can be classified in two main streams, as pointed out by Agiomirgianakis, Asteriou and Papathoma (2003): the first explains the effect of FDI on the process of economic growth, while the second one goes in depth into the study of the determinants of FDI. This thesis focuses on the second part of literature. Among all the factors influencing the location decisions of FDI, the location-specific determinants need particular exploration, since they can help the host governments to attract and increase FDI inflows using several instruments (Chakrabarti, 2001). Location-specific factors will always influence the decision to enter or exit a location for investment purposes (Audretsch and Fritsch, 2002). FDI is a key element of the international economic relations as it is an engine of employment, technology transfer and improvement of productivity, which ultimately leads to economic growth. The need to attract FDI forces governments to provide a favourable climate for business activities (Nordstrom, 1991). The foreign firms can be influenced by the political and economic institutional framework of the host country, which could affect the choice of where to invest their capital (Makino and Chan, 2004). The challenge of this research is to explore which location determinants make a region attractive for FDI. The definition of the problem is: What should Swedish regions do to positively influence FDI? By presenting a thorough overview of FDI and the determinants that could influence the location choice for a company, this research aims to provide a framework, tested in interviews for the applicability of investments. 1.3 Research questions To solve the problem the following research questions are answered: What is FDI? Based on a literature review that provides theoretical information on this phenomenon. What are the location factors? Galan and Gonzales (2007) are used as basis for the location factors. Several other papers on location factors are evaluated and criticized. What does Sweden have to offer? This final question deals with the application of the theoretical framework to Swedish region as case study and the relationship between the factors they possess and the factors they need to stimulate to influence FDI. 1.4 Purpose and Objective The purpose of this thesis is to examine which regional factors influence foreign direct investments. Theories regarding FDI and location-specific characteristics will be reviewed and analysed in the theoretical framework. A thorough overview of the location factors will be part of the framework that can be used by regions, willing to attract sustainable investments. But first of all, the objective as described in the definition of the problem is to give recommendations to Swedish regions regarding the factors they should highlight to attract or influence direct foreign investment. 1.5 Research Design The literature framework is based on relevant papers. According to Ghauri (2005), theoretical data will be used to understand and interpret the research question, and it will help to â€Å"broaden the base from which scientific conclusion can be drawn†. The relevance of the papers will be based on quality. To reach the goal of collection qualitative data for the research question, a phased selection is made. The emphasis of the courses Corporate Level Strategy and Research Methods of Strategy within the master Strategic Management is on testing all data on quality. By examining the relevance, publication form and impact factor of the information, the quality of the paper will be showed. The research is divided into two parts: (1) the literature research and (2) a case study. The first part of the research is explorative, because it is intended to gain more information on the situation and to get familiar with the research area. Qualitative studies -observations and interviews- are used to gain more knowledge of the research topic (Sekaran, 2003). The research mainly relies on secondary data; books and articles by various authors are considered. Literature is compared and new insights are gained. Interviews are conducted for the verification of the interests, which are characterized as primary data. In this research, qualitative data is the main source. The time dimension of this research is cross-sectional, which implies that the research is conducted at one particular moment in time. For useful literature, the data will be collected on acknowledged databases (e.g. ABI/Inform, JCR, Web of Science). The keywords that will be used during the search period are â€Å"FDI†, â€Å"entry modes†, â€Å"choice of country†, â€Å"region†, and â€Å"location determinants†. All literature sources can be found in the list of references. The theory will be examined by a qualitative case study. Case studies are used to understand a specific case under particular circumstances (Patton, 2002). 1.6 Disposition In chapter 2 the contemporary theory that has been evaluated and reviewed is presented. An introduction will be followed by a presentation of FDI and the factors that influence the location choice, followed by the location factors that are important for wind and bio-energy. In chapter 3 the methodology is elaborated and provides a description of the way this thesis was written and the choices that are made. In the second paragraph the data and sample size are explained. Theoretical and empirical frameworks are discussed, as well as the reliability and validity of this study. In chapter 4 the participating respondents are interviewed, which leads to an analysis and concludes the empirical results. Chapter 5 includes the results of the findings and the discussion that compares the theoretical statements that were researched and found necessary for this research presented in chapter 2. The mode of procedure is explained and the model of the empirical results is presented in this part. Chapter 6 includes the answers of this research by modifying the analysis model. The conclusion is based on the discussion in chapter 5. The answers serve as a proposal for further research in a broader context and give an opportunity of generalization. Chapter 2 Theoretical framework The literature review provides the foundation for this research, through discussions of previous studies on FDI and international business. Section 2.2 offers a review of studies regarding FDI. Next, it is essential to identify the location factors that influence that move, as it contains the answer to the second research question: What are location factors? The third paragraph contains a detailed overview of the location factors. An overview of the selected factors can be found in table 1. The list contains determinants to measure the impact on the location factors and their impact on FDI. The last paragraph contains a summary of the findings and a conclusion. 2.1 What is FDI? Modern day literature increasingly concentrates on subjects covering the globalization of markets and the internationalization of companies. Governments contribute to this situation by opening their regulations with the intention to profit from a more open economy (Dunning and Nurala, 2002). The growing number of liberal policies is a driving force for companies to go abroad and make FDI (Galà ¡n and Gonzà ¡lez-Benito, 2001). There are several definitions of a foreign direct investment presented by a number of researchers. A central theme of the definitions available on FDI, with the one illustrated by Moosa (2002) as a typical example, is that the companies undertaking such a venture aspire to gain a controlling stake in the asset or entity purchased. An FDI is not to be confused with an international or portfolio investment, where the aim merely is to diversify the holdings of the firm and make a financially sound investment (Buckley, 1998). FDI is defined as a firm based in one country (the home country) owning ten per cent (10%) or more of the stock of a company located in a foreign country (the host country). This amount of stock is generally enough to give the home country firm significant control over the host country firm. Most FDI is in wholly owned or nearly wholly owned subsidiaries. Other non-equity forms of FDI include: subcontracting, management contracts, franchising, and licensing and product sharing .In view of the above, FDI can be either inward or outward. FDI is measured either as a flow (amount of investment made in one year) or a stock (the total investment accumulation at the end of the year). Outward FDI can take various forms, home country residents can: purchase existing assets in a foreign country; make new investment in property, plant equipment in a foreign country; participate in a joint venture with a local partner in a foreign country (Dunning, 1976). 2.2 Location factors 2.2.1 Introduction There is considerable literature on the determinants of location factors for multinational Corporations (MNCs) when they choose their foreign market location, but very little on the relative importance of the location factors for FDI in a specific country and industry. It is widely believed that the trend towards globalized production and marketing has major implications for the attraction of developing countries to FDI inflows. The relative importance of FDI location determinants have changed. Even though traditional determinants and the types of FDI associated with them have not disappeared as a result of globalization, their importance is said to be on the decline. More specifically, one of the most important traditional FDI determinants, the size of national markets, has decreased in importance. At the same time, cost differences between locations, the quality of infrastructure, the ease of doing business and the availability of skills have become more important (UNCTAD 1996). Li kewise, Dunning (1999) argues that the motives for and the determinants of FDI have changed. Buckley and Ghauri (2004) point to the limited attention researchers have given to the FDI location factors in the literature. They suggest that international business strategy is distinct from main stream or single country business strategy only because of differences of location. Hence, location specifics are essential to the possibility of international strategy having a distinctive content. They, too, suggest that a focus on location, and possibly the question of why locations differ, could be a response to the issue of what forms the next big question in international business research. Dunning (2008) suggests that the more recent lack of attention to location by IB scholars could have arisen from an assumption that the location decision principles are the same for both international and domestic locations. Thus, scholars were either satisfied with existing explanations or as Dunning (1998) points out maybe theywere just not interested. In attempting to determine the relevant set of location factors, Michael Porters (1990) work cited in Hodgetts (1993) offers a valuable starting point. Porter notes that success for a given industry in international competition depends on the relative strength of that industry with regards to a set of business-related features or drivers of competitiveness, namely factor conditions; demand conditions; related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure, and rivalry. Government and chance are seen to influence competitiveness through their impact on the above four basic drivers. This framework the drivers of competitiveness has been used in a number of studies of industries and individual economies. Porters competitiveness framework has been the subject of major criticisms. Paul Krugman (1994) specifically criticized the idea that nations, or locations, compete in the same way as firms do, and his wide-ranging critique attacks this concept. Also, the empirical evidence for national competitiveness and the policies that follow are what Krugman (1994) describes as a dangerous obsession. Another criticism is that Porter places government involvement in international business outside of the core determinants. Many authors have claimed that Porters framework pays insufficient attention to relevant specific location factors such as globalization (Dunning, 1993), multinational companies (Dunning, 1993; RugmanVerbeke, 1993), technology (Narula, 1993. Several authors have questioned the validity of the model, and the conclusions drawn from the model, for countries such as Austria (Bellak Weiss, 1993), Canada (Rugman dCruz, 1993), Hong Kong (Redding, 1994) and Mexico (Hodgetts, 1993). A lot of research interested in providing the determining factors for FDI loca tion decisions is seen to be done by managers. Some of the major studies are the following (Dunning, 2000): theories of risk diversification (Rugman, 1979); agglomeration theories (Krugman, 1993; Porter, 1994, 1996); theories related to government-induced incentives (Loree and Guisinger, 1995); and theories of location (Dunning, 1997). All these new theories are certainly insightful, but they are all context-specific, and interested solely in stressing the relevance of certain factors to the detriment of others that may be equally significant. None of them has yet provided a satisfactory explanation of the relative importance of specific factors that lead managers to locate their investments via FDI in a specific country and industry (Dunning, 2008). Dunning (2008) believes that â€Å"it is not possible to formulate a single operationally testable theory that can explain all forms of foreign-owned production any more than it is possible to construct a generalized theory to explain all forms of trade or the behaviour of all kinds of firms.† Cohen (2007) believes that location factors for a specific location and industry that affect the location decision are based on the perceptions of a small group of senior managers, not a scientific formula. Furthermore, Buckly et al(2007) argue that studying a single firm or group of firms in the same industry is the best way to identify the most important factors, because firms in the same industry usually follow a systematic process for location choices, and seek to prioritize certain location factors as they become more internationally mature. Cohen (2007) argues, â€Å"No standard set of attributes, each with an assigned relative weight of importance, exists in the many lists of what matters in location published by business groups, international organizations, and scholars. Determining where to invest is a case-by-case decision†. Cohen (2007) also suggests that no single formula exists because specific strengths and weaknesses of a country or region might receive high priority by one team of corporate evaluators and can be ignored by another, depending on what kind of investment is contemplated, which in turn will determine a subsidiarys objectives and operational needs. Furthermore, individual corporate cultures will assign a different relative importance to what attributes they require in a country, what they would like to see, what negatives they can work around, and what is unequivocally unacceptable. Calculating trade-offs between positive and negative location characteristics is an art, not a science. Galan et al (2007) conducted an empirical research into location factors that has been researched by several theorists. This list provides a detailed overview of the main location factors and sub factors considered by several empirical studies that have examined their positive or negative influence on the location decisions of MNE managers in both DCs and LDCs. All these factors are usually included in the analyses made via the eclectic paradigm (Galan et al, 2007). They recognise that MNE managers motivation to eventually choose either or both groups of host countries will depend on the specific location factors available in them. These location factors are classified in the following categories: Cost factors Market factors Infrastructure and technological factors Political and legal factors Social Cultural factors The order of this list is random. According to Noorbakhshs, Paloni and Youssef (2001), foreign investors are attracted to regions that offer a combination of the location factors. The location factors are discussed separately in the next paragraph. 2.2.1 Cost factors This paragraph contains theoretical information about the cost factor as one of the location factors. The determinants that are criticized are labour costs and cost of materials. 2.2.1.1 Labour Cost The costs linked with the profitability of investment are one of the major determinants of investment (Asidu, 2002) . The rate of return on investment in a host economy influences the FDI decision. Asiedu (2002) noted that the lower the GDP per capita, the higher the rate of return and, therefore, the FDI inflow. Charkrabarti (2001) claims that wage as an indicator of labour cost has been the most arguable of all the potential determinants of FDI. There is no unanimity even among the comparatively small number of studies that have explored the role of wage in affecting FDI: results range from higher host country wages discouraging inbound FDI, to having no significant effect or even a positive association ( Dunning, 1989). Goldsbrough (1979) and Shamsuddin (1994) demonstrate that higher wages discourage FDI. Tsai (1994) obtains strong support for the cheap-labour hypothesis over the period 1983 to 1986, but weak support from 1975 to 1978. Charkrabarti (2001) stated that empirical res earch has found relative labour costs to be statistically significant, particularly for foreign investment in labour-intensive industries and for export-oriented subsidiaries. However, when the cost of labour is relatively irrelevant (when wage rates vary little from country to country), the skills of the labour force are expected to have an impact on decisions concerning FDI location. This is not the case for the investments in this case study, which is more knowledge based than labour intensive. Cheap labour is another important determinant of FDI flow to developing countries. A high wage-adjusted productivity of labour attracts efficiency-seeking FDI both aiming to produce for the host economy and for export from host countries. Studies by Wheeler and Mody (1992), Schneider and Frey (1985), and Loree and Guisinger (1995) show a positive impact of labour cost on FDI inflow. Countries with a large supply of skilled human capital attract more FDI, particularly in sectors that are relatively intensive in the use of skilled labour. 2.2.1.2 Cost of Materials The analysis above leads to two variables that can be measured to determine the importance of the cost factor that is labour cost (wages). The availability of raw material and cheap labour can be of crucial importance in the choice of location. The return on investments is not important for this study, because this is not region-constrained, so it is not an important factor for a location choice. FDI uses low labour costs and available raw materials for export promotion, leading to overall output growth. 2.2.2 Market Factors This paragraph contains theoretical information about the market factor as one of the location factors. The determinants that are criticized are market size, openness of the market, labour market and economic growth. 2.3.2.1 Market size The size of the host country market is a relevant determinant to the extent that the FDI is destined to serve the host market and not merely to set up an export platform. Larger markets should attract FDI because firms face economies of scale as FDI entails sunk costs (for example, in terms of adapting management to local conditions or getting familiar with host country legislation). Market growth should work in the same direction. Nunnenkamp (2002), Chakrabarti (2001) Campos and Kinoshita (2003), Braga Nonnenberg and Cardoso de Mendonca (2004), Addison and Heshmati (2003), Kolstad and Villanger, (2004) all find market size and/or growth to be relevant determinants of FDI. An economy with a large market size (along with other factors) should, therefore, attract more FDI. Market size is important for FDI as it provides potential for local sales, greater profitability of local sales to export sales and relatively diverse resources, which make local sourcing more feasible (Pfefferman and Madarassy 1992). A large market size provides more opportunities for sales and profit to foreign firms, and in doing so attracts FDI (Wang and Swain, 1995: Moore, 1993; Schneider and Frey, 1985; Frey, 1984). FDI inflow in any period is a function of market size (Wang and Swain, 1995). However, studies by Edwards (1990) and Asidu (2002) show that there is no significant impact of growth or market size on FDI inflows. Further, Loree and Guisinger (1995) and Wei (2000) find that market size and growth impact differ under different conditions. Artige and Nicolini (2005) state that market size, as measured by GDP or GDP per capita, seems to be the most robust FDI determinant in econometric studies. This is the main determinant for horizontal FDI. Jordaan (2004) mentions that FDI will move to countries with larger and expanding markets and greater purchasing power, where firms can potentially receive a higher return on their capital and by implication receive higher profit on their investments. Charkrabarti (2001) states that the market-size hypothesis supports an idea that a large market is required for efficient utilization of resources and exploitation of economies of scale: as the market-size grows to some critical value, FDI will start to increase with its further expansion. This is a questionable conclusion, because there are firms who are looking for niche markets for their products and a large expanding market is a disadvantage to them. Concluding the size of the market and the GDP of a region are not important determinants for the location choice. 2.2.2.2 Openness of the Market There is mixed evidence concerning the significance of openness, which is measured mostly by the ratio of exports plus imports to GDP, in determining FDI as well (Charkrabarti 2001). Jordaan (2004) claims that the impact of openness on FDI depends on the type of investment. If the investments are market-seeking oriented, trade restrictions (and therefore less openness) could have an impact on FDI. The reason stems from the â€Å"tariff jumping† hypothesis, which argues that foreign firms that seek to serve local markets may decide to set up subsidiaries in the host country if it is difficult to import their products into the country. In distinction, multinational firms involved in export-oriented investments may choose to invest in a more liberal economy since increased imperfections that accompany trade protection generally imply higher transaction costs associated with exporting. Wheeler and Mody (1992) observe a strong positive support for this theory in the manufacturing s ector, but a weak negative link in the electronic sector. Kravis and Lipsey (1982), Culem (1988), Edwards (1990) find a strong positive effect of openness on FDI and Schmitz and Bieri (1972) obtain a weak positive link. Trade openness generally has a positive influence on the export-oriented FDI inflow into an economy (Edwards (1990), Gastanaga et al. (1998), Housmann and Fernandez-arias (2000), Asidu (2001)). In general, the empirical literature reveals that one of the important factors for attracting FDI is trade policy reform in the host country. Theoretical literature has explored the trade openness or the restrictiveness of trade policies (Bhagwati, 1973; 1994; Brecher and Diaz-Alejandro, 1977; Brecher and Findley; 1983). Investors in general prefer big markets to invest in and they like countries that have regional trade integration, as well as countries with greater investment provisions in their trade agreements. Theory does not give any clear-cut answer to the question how trade barriers affect the level of FDI flows. â€Å"Horizontal† FDI tends to replace exports if the costs of market access through exports are higher than the net costs of setting up a local plant and doing business in a foreign environment. Traditionally, governments have used trade barriers to induce â€Å"tariff-jumping FDI†, i.e. horizontal FDI that takes place to circumvent trade barriers. On the other hand, â€Å"vertical† FDI relies on a constant flow of intermediate products in and out of the host country and therefore benefits from a liberal trade environment. In that case, trade barriers should encourage â€Å"horizontal FDI† and discourage â€Å"vertical FDI† and its effect on the aggregate level of FDI depends on which type of FDI dominates. Empirical studies, however, support a positive effect of openness on FDI. Chakrabarti (2001) finds the sum of imports and exports as a share of GDP to be the variable most likely to be positively co rrelated with FDI besides market size in an extreme bounds analysis. Braga Nonnenberg and Cardoso de Mendonca (2004) and Addison and Heshemati (2003) also find this variable to be positively correlated with FDI. The problem with using trade as a share of GDP as a measure of trade policies is that it reveals a trade policy outcome, rather than trade guidelines. The openness of a market is clearly linked with the policy regulations of the potential market. Pà ¤rletun (2008) finds that trade openness is positive but statistically significant from zero. Moosa (2002) states that while access to specific markets is important, domestic market factors are predictably much less relevant in export-oriented foreign firms. A range of surveys suggests a widespread perception that â€Å"open† economies encourage more foreign investment (Moosa, 2002).Therefore, the openness of a market is relevant to the appeal of a region. Restrictions will decrease the appeal of the region. 2.2.2.3 Labour market Labour is also a determinant for market factors according to Majocchi and Presutti (2009), they investigated whether entrepreneurial culture plays a role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). Multinationals are a network of distributed assets that contain entrepreneurial potential and are highly innovative to increase competitiveness (Rugman and Verbeke, 2001). Firms and entrepreneurs are valuable in gaining access to local knowledge. However, entrepreneurial culture may also rely on resources in the local environment, which is not mentioned in particular by Majocchi et al. (2009). In this respect, natural resources are taken for granted. The availability of a cheap workforce (particularly an educated one), personnel policy, female participation and ageing influences investment decisions and in doing so are a determinant that influences the FDI inflow. A negative effect of these determinants will lead to an increase in wages and a decline in the return of investments in the future. Due to the static framework of this thesis, these determinants are not investigated. 2.2.2.4 Economic Growth If the host countrys market has a high-growth rate, it attracts more investors on a long-term basis (Chen, 2007). Economic environment growth in a country serves underlying factors when company decide which country to enter (Erramilli 1991).The role of growth in attracting FDI has also been the subject of controversy. Charkrabarti (2001) states that the growth hypothesis developed by Lim (1983) maintains that a rapidly growing economy provides relatively better opportunities for making profits than the ones growing slowly or not growing at all. Lunn (1980), Schneider and Frey (1985) and Culem (1988) find a significantly positive effect of growth on FDI, while Tsai (1994) obtains a strong support for the hypothesis over the period 1983 to 1986, but only a weak link from 1975 to 1978. On the other hand, Nigh (1985) reports a weak positive correlation for the less developed economies and a weak negative correlation for the developed countries. Gastanagaet et al. (1998) and Schneider and Frey (1985) found positive significant effects of growth on FDI FDI has the ability stimulate economic growth only in the short run while the economy is shifting from one short-lived equilibrium to another. The only source of long-term economic growth is technological progress, which is considered to be independent of investment activities. This factor is discussed in the next paragraph. However, in endogenous growth theory, the diminishing returns on investment can be avoided if there are positive externalities associated with investments (Oxelheim, 1996). If investment brings enough new knowledge and technologies, it can lead to long-term economic growth. As, typically, FDI brings new technologies and knowledge, in accordance with endogenous growth theory it can be viewed as a catalyst of long-term economic growth in a host economy. Economic growth will improve the ability to compete with other regions and this will increase the quality and ability of other location factors. The relevance of economic growth for FDI is not very clear: it depends on the distribution of the new capital. The analysis above leads to four validated variables that determine the relevance of market factors: (a) market size, (b) openness of the market, labour market and (c) economic growth. Market size is the only variable that is less important. The openness of a market and the economic growth are very important, these variables are positively linked with political, infrastructural and technological factors. An open market as well as a positive economic growth will lead to more FDI in a region. 2.2.3 Infrastructure Technologic Can Assassinations Ever Be Justified? Can Assassinations Ever Be Justified? Hitler- one of the most known names in the world even after 65 years. Osama bin Laden, man responsible for attacks on World Trade Centre on 11th of September 2001. Robert Mugabe- president of Zimbabwe form 1987, a very selfish man and instead of improving living conditions in his country, he spends huge amounts of money on himself. In the world full of conflicts and tyrants, can the assassination of one or two men make a difference? If yes, would it be justified? If one person can change the lives of others into hell, is assassination of him justified? If you would have a chance to kill a man in order to save millions of humans, would you do it? Is greater good the only one justification of assassinating someone? Would killing someone not make you as evil as a person youd kill? Even with greater good, is assassination ever justified? Assassination is widely held to mean a planned murder of a prominent of public figure. Its origins can be found in the Middle East. The word is derived from Arabic Hashshashin. It was pejorative name given Nazri Islamis particularly those of Syria and Persia by their adversaries during Middle Ages. The Nazris have smoked hashish before carrying out political killings and thats where the name comes from. Throughout history theres lots of assassinations and attempts, like the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand or the assassination of Julius Caesar. The assassination of Julius Caesar is the first known assassination ever committed. He was killed by his own men on the Ides of March, at a session of the senate. He was stabbed 23 times. Marcus Junius Brutus was one of the conspirators and also a friend of Caesar. In the present day, there have been examples of assassinations and failed attempts on people such as John F. Kennedy, John Paul II, John Lennon or Olof Palme. However, a mo re detailed discussion of assassination is required to address the question of assassination- whether one act of evil can, in fact, be justified. Politics is usually one of the most common reasons why an individual is assassinated. There are always people who dont agree with thoughts of others. People might have their own view on different things but it doesnt necessarily mean that they must kill. Some assassinations such as assassination of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King are clearly unjustifiable. Martin Luther King was American activist and prominent leader in African American civil rights movement. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray- a white man. People believe it was a conspiracy because many white leaders didnt want any black men to have civil rights. John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. However he denied shooting anyone. There are lots of theories of motives for killing the president. One theory says it was the presidents plans for Vietnam that prompted his murder. The president said that Vietnam was too far away from the United States, that South Vietnams claim to democracy was false, and th at the U.S. had no business sending American troops to fight in what was really a local war. Another assassinated political figure was Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination of this man basically triggered World War I. He and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, by Gavrilo Princip, 19 at the time. It was organized by organization called Black Hand. There was also pope, John Paul II. There was assassination attempt by Mehmed Ali Agca. According to Agca operation was commanded by the Bulgarian military Attachà ©. Another example of political assassination is Olof Palme a Swedish politician. The murder is still unsolved and it might never be. He was a controversial politician- it could have lead to his assassination. What about the greater good? Could one act of evil be accepted if it rids the world of suffering? Would assassination on tyrant, such as Hitler be justified if it saved millions of people, which have been killed during World War II? In my opinion it would be justified and worth it even if it was only one man that could be saved. I think that someone who doesnt respect life of other people and kills millions only because of his racist and nationalist thoughts shouldnt be so lucky to live. Utilitarianism says that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its usefulness. Even if you kill someone thinking about greater good, you still are a killer. Doesnt it mean that you are as bad as he is? I dont think so, if you kill one man in order to save a life, either yours or someone elses it doesnt make you evil. It doesnt really matter who could care of getting rid of Hitler as long as the job was done successfully. There are individuals who assassinate for reasons other than politics or religion. They may simply be deranged fame hungry individuals, such as Mark David Chapman or John Hinckley Jr. Mark David Chapman was a psychopath who killed John Lennon. He was a fan of The Beatles for years especially John Lennons. John Hinckley Jr. was a man who attempted and assassination on Ronald Reagan and according to him, he has done it to impress Jodie Foster. He was obsessed with her. It has developed since he first time watched film called Taxi Driver. I think that if those two would be never psychopaths they would never done those things. In my opinion its not really their fault. People become crazy and they never realize that they are actually obsessed. It is not maybe a justification to what theyve done but helps understand what the motives could be. What about the world today? How could suffering be alleviated now? Is assassination the answer? Would it be better if Robert Mugabe was assassinated? Would it make a difference now- when he has been president of Zimbabwe since 1987? He has not long to live because of his age but I think it would be worth to save people today and not tomorrow. Lots of those people can no longer live to see tomorrow. Mugabe is a selfish man who was ruining country for years and it should be changed. The global superpowers should become more interested and should deal with him as fast as possible. What about Osama bin Laden another terrorist? Is he also the case? He was responsible for attacks on World Trade Centre on 11th of September 2001. However there have been rumors that it was actually done by U.S. Osama bin Ladens whereabouts are unknown. Although he might fight for something he considers to as a right thing, he is a terrorist and he must pay for what hes done. In my opinion those people could b e assassinated because there could not be any other ways for improving the situation. If the death of two men will save thousands of lives worldwide, I think it is enough of a justification. In conclusion, I think that greater good is maybe not the only one, but just now, I cannot see any other as much important justifications for assassinations. In every country on earth there are people that are selfish and are making hell of other peoples lives, but not everyone of those are cases for assassination. Even though there is a lot of evil, assassination is not always the solution, even if suffering of many will be alleviated for a while because of death of a tyrant, you never know who will come after him.

Saddam Hussein: The U.S Portrayal of Evil Encarnate :: American America History

Saddam Hussein: The U.S Portrayal of Evil Encarnate When Iraq invaded and occupied the country of Kuwait in August 1990, the Bush administration was faced with several dilemmas. From a foreign policy point of view, this action could greatly destabilize the balance of power in a part of the world that was vital to U.S. interests. The United States was dependant on a continuous flow of oil to drive its economic machine, which Kuwait supplied greatly. In addition, this move would put more power into the hands of a government that was not only unfriendly to the U.S., but a sworn enemy of the state of Israel, a strong U.S. ally. In addition to, the fall of communism had created what George Bush had described as, "A new world order," and would become the first major test of how the U.S. would handle its role as the sole remaining super power in this "new world order." There were many challenges facing the Bush administration as to the manner in which they would handle this first major international crisis. The Bush administration had to dev elop a consensus of the major remaining powers, and appear not acting alone in its response to President Saddam Hussein's actions of invading Kuwait. They also yearned to keep Israel from being involved so as not to alienate the remaining Middle Eastern nations. Lastly, they faced a domestic dilemma, in that much of the American public had significant reservations about involving U.S. troops involved in a foreign conflict. There remained a bad taste of Vietnam among the American public, and there were very mixed responses to American involvement in Somalia, Nicaragua, and Grenada. For the Bush administration, Hussein was not a merchant who could be bargained with, but rather an outlaw who would have to be defeated by force. The Bush administration was faced with a task of developing (more or less) overwhelming support from the U.S. people to take any action in Kuwait, which was accomplished by a dramatic public relations move to demonize Saddam Hussein in the eyes of the American pe ople. The task of the United States demonizing Saddam Hussein was facilitated by many factors, both real and imaginary; a mixture of true facts and public relations image making. On the fact side, Saddam Hussein was indeed a dictator, and responsible for some true atrocities. Hussein ruled with an iron fist. Most accounts of political analysts looking at Iraq agree that his rein was one characterized by fear of the state. Saddam Hussein: The U.S Portrayal of Evil Encarnate :: American America History Saddam Hussein: The U.S Portrayal of Evil Encarnate When Iraq invaded and occupied the country of Kuwait in August 1990, the Bush administration was faced with several dilemmas. From a foreign policy point of view, this action could greatly destabilize the balance of power in a part of the world that was vital to U.S. interests. The United States was dependant on a continuous flow of oil to drive its economic machine, which Kuwait supplied greatly. In addition, this move would put more power into the hands of a government that was not only unfriendly to the U.S., but a sworn enemy of the state of Israel, a strong U.S. ally. In addition to, the fall of communism had created what George Bush had described as, "A new world order," and would become the first major test of how the U.S. would handle its role as the sole remaining super power in this "new world order." There were many challenges facing the Bush administration as to the manner in which they would handle this first major international crisis. The Bush administration had to dev elop a consensus of the major remaining powers, and appear not acting alone in its response to President Saddam Hussein's actions of invading Kuwait. They also yearned to keep Israel from being involved so as not to alienate the remaining Middle Eastern nations. Lastly, they faced a domestic dilemma, in that much of the American public had significant reservations about involving U.S. troops involved in a foreign conflict. There remained a bad taste of Vietnam among the American public, and there were very mixed responses to American involvement in Somalia, Nicaragua, and Grenada. For the Bush administration, Hussein was not a merchant who could be bargained with, but rather an outlaw who would have to be defeated by force. The Bush administration was faced with a task of developing (more or less) overwhelming support from the U.S. people to take any action in Kuwait, which was accomplished by a dramatic public relations move to demonize Saddam Hussein in the eyes of the American pe ople. The task of the United States demonizing Saddam Hussein was facilitated by many factors, both real and imaginary; a mixture of true facts and public relations image making. On the fact side, Saddam Hussein was indeed a dictator, and responsible for some true atrocities. Hussein ruled with an iron fist. Most accounts of political analysts looking at Iraq agree that his rein was one characterized by fear of the state.

Masculinity: Slavery in the United States Essay

Things Fall Apart was written in the 1890s, when whites went to Nigeria. The novel shows the clash between the white’s and the culture of the Igbo people. The novel is about a man named Okonkwo, and his growth for respect, fortune and power which in the end leads to his expected death. His great power did not come to an end because of colonization, but rather his downfall was his obsession with masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass also defines masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass took place in America. During slavery, Frederick Douglass was limited to plantation work because blacks were not seen as being capable to achieve more in life but that did not stop him. Even though both men came from two different backgrounds, they both had a way of portraying their masculinity. There are many things in life that can either make us successful or leads us to failure. In things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s feared he will become a failure like his father. He struggled to be as different from his deceased father as possible. He believes his father to have been â€Å"weak, effeminate, lazy, ignominious, and poor. Consequently, Okonkwo strives to be strong, masculine, industrious, respected, and wealthy† (pg 4). This drove him to recklessness, and added to his death. He began to let the thought of fear of failure and of weakness to control his life through the novel (pg 13). Okonkwo believed felling an emotion or showing one was a sign of weakness. He said, â€Å"’When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed† (pg 65). He began to talk to himself so much about how weak he was becoming. It got to the point where he believed showing an emotion was a sign of weakness. In chapter twenty, Okonkwo had a conversation with Obierika and he felt as though whites have taken over their tradition and culture but Obierika explained to him that the whites did nothing to his people. His people betrayed their own. He says, â€Å"Obierika points out the impossibility of the colonialists understanding anything about the Umuofians without speaking their language. He points out the ludicrousness of denigrating unfamiliar customs. Yet, Obierika does not lay the blame wholly on the side of the white man. He feels also that the Umuofians who have converted to Christianity have consciously and wrongly turned their backs on their own â€Å"brothers† (pg 174-175). Another one of Okonkwo’s weaknesses was portrayed through the way he defined masculinity so narrowly. Even though Okonkwo was a part of a male-controlled society and the male gender was already established with great authority he still felt like he had to control everything as a man should do. He was scared to adapt to this change because he felt this will make him less of a man. He says, â€Å"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart† (pg 176). He was not able to adapt to the clashing values of both societies and the changing ways around him. He could not accept the fact that in a colonized society he would be an average person, rather than a distinguished and powerful male. By adapting to his own idea of masculinity he rejected everything that his father stood for; cowardice, gentleness, and laziness. Okonkwo stood for bravery, courage, hard work, and at many times, felt violence was the only answer to his solution. Okonkwo lived in a patriarchal society where males dominated, and he took advantage of this authority. He associated masculinity with aggression and felt that anger was the only emotion that he should display. Frederick Douglass was a man who stood for what he believed without letting fear taking control of him. Likewise, Frederick Douglas was born in February 1818. â€Å"At the age of ten or eleven, Douglass is sent to live in Baltimore with Hugh and Sophia Auld. Douglass overhears a conversation between them and comes to understand that whites maintain power over black slaves by keeping them uneducated. Douglass resolves to educate himself and escape from slavery. Douglass struggles to free himself, mentally and physically, from slavery†. During this time, African Americans were very limited to do anything. All he wanted was freedom from slavery so he can feel like a man. Douglas was an abolitionist who was dedicated to learn. He was motivated to teach himself how to read and write because he did not want to be a slave for the rest of his life. Frederick Douglass was driven to succeed. Frederick Douglass was a slave at one point but gained his freedom through his education. He says, â€Å"What he most dreaded, that I most desired† (Douglass pg 19). Douglass knew his master did not want him to learn how to read and write, yet he was thirsty and attempted to better himself. Frederick Douglass is a man who had a lot of potential. Frederick Douglass saw the cultural differences between blacks and whites, yet he still focused on his goals and motivated himself. Even though Douglas knew that whites had the mentality that â€Å"They were better than blacks,† he still focused on his goals. Frederick Douglas never looked down on education because he knew what the outcome of his goal would bring. Moreover, Frederick Douglass was a self-motivated man who wanted to have freedom. He claims, â€Å"When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with me, and by going one part of my errand quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return† (Douglass pg 22). With Douglass ambition, he was ready to get his freedom without thinking about the consequences because he knew his hard work will pay off one day. Frederick Douglass is the definition of a man and a leader because he was honest, straightforward, inspiring, and competent. Many great men have come and gone but Frederick Douglass will always have a great influence on many generations because of his drive to get his freedom and education. Education is something one needs. It will be hard for many to function through life without an education and he showed anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. There were many differences between Okonkwo and Frederick Douglass but both men had a purpose in life as men and I believed they both accomplished what they were looking for even though ones went better than the other. Okonkwo’s demise was not because of colonization, but rather his downfall was attributed by his obsession with masculinity. The narrative of Frederick Douglass was the definition of masculinity.

UNUSUAL WRITING JOBS

UNUSUAL WRITING JOBS Youre here because you want to make money from your writing. Youve tried everything from writing filler articles for magazines to writing full-length features on every topic under the sun. Youve created a blog and put AdSense on it. Youre even trying to reach potential clients through social media. Well, Im here to tell you that you havent tried everything. Thousands of jobs, all created and available on the world wide web, require people who can write. They arent always called writing jobs because the end goal isnt a beautiful piece of writing, but they require writers because the process involves writing. Today Id like to mention three kinds of jobs which will use your skills as a writer, allow you to continue working flexibly from home, and which youve probably overlooked. 1. Social Media Jobs- businesses all over the world are using Twitter and Facebook to connect with their clients. Frankly, most would rather have someone else do it. Theyll even give you tips- what other sites in their niche to share content from, what their strategy has been so far, what hashtags youll want to use. All you have to do is stay up to date with what the companys doing and keep Twitter and Facebook up to date with them. Right now I get paid weekly for logging into someone elses Twitter and Facebook right after I log into mine, posting a couple updates and occasionally asking questions to their following. It takes twenty minutes out of my day and I get paid well to do it. So how do you find a social media job? Well, I found mine on Craigslist, and Ive seen several on Kijiji. Social media jobs are usually posted in the part-time section rather than the writing section, but its really about writing: how can you use your words to connect businesses to their clients? 2. Website

Air Strike Essays - Uranium, Gulf War, Kuwait, Depleted Uranium

Air Strike Essays - Uranium, Gulf War, Kuwait, Depleted Uranium Air Strike History: American: air strike March 04, 1998 IRAQ AND THE UNITED STATES In the past seven years there has been a great deal of tension concerning the United States and Iraq. The United States have been discussing conducting air strikes against Iraq. The 1991 Gulf War may not have been as successful as believed. The United States spent millions of American dollars to support the war effort in the 1991 Gulf War. Taxpayers money is not the only expendable thing during the 1991 Gulf War. Many United States Soldiers are now suffering from an unknown Gulf War Illness that allegedly the government knows nothing about. The United States is also seeking American support in an air strike in Iraq, but it is evident that the government is lacking this support. The United States Government needs to realize that they are killing Iraqis but the moral, economy and patriotism of the whole country. The United States is suffering from homelessness, poverty and hunger. In many cities in the world including in Iraq people can be found in famine. However, the United States is spending U.S. tax dollars in vain. Many congressmen are also unhappy in with the way the U.S. tax dollars are being spent. Senator John Warner, Republican Virginia, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services is very unhappy of the unnecessary spending of the U.S. dollar. Warner stated: Based on briefings tax payers have spent $750 million on the Gulf War effort, (USA TODAY 2/27/98). This outrage spending could be used to solve the United States economical burdens, and it would be horrible if the world's only remaining superpower uses its awesome might to slather a stricken little country where hunger is a daily menace. The U.S Patriotic Spirit is at question with the United States People. At the end of the 1991 Gulf War the country went into a great recession. Many Americans lost their jobs and homes. Americans according to a recent CNN Poll are not supporting an air strike. The poll stated: 41 percent of people favoring an armed strike, with 50 percent opposed and the rest unsure, (Charleston Gazette). After the 1991 Gulf War many war veterans have had many medical problems. One is known as Gulf War Illness. The Untied States Government hid circumstantial information from the U.S. people. A majority of the troops may have been exposed to hazardous particles of uranium from shells and wrecked Iraq vehicles. The vast majority of soldiers who had physical contact with Iraqi vehicles were on post war missions to clear the battlefield or to destroy what remained of their equipment. One soldier Victor Suell, a radio operator with the Marines had one kidney removed from the effects of the uranium. Suell stated: Nobody ever told us to stay away from the vehicles that might have been contaminated with depleted uranium, (USA TODAY 3/02/98). The U.S. Government failed to inform the soldiers of the dangers of the shelling. What else is the government failing to bring forward? Is Clinton threatening to have an air strike to cover up his alleged affair with a former White House Intern? The U.S. has been through many wars with the majority of the public support. The United States is just coming out of a recession. The United States Government needs to take care of the Gulf War Veterans and the homeless on the harsh streets in this country. WORK CITED IRAQ crisis. Charleston Gazette. www.wvgazette.com (Feb 21, 1998). Group warns of new Gulf War exposure. USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com (March 2, 1998). Iraq deployment costs top $600million. USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com (Feb 27, 1998).

EA Sports Games Competitors Overview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EA Sports Games Competitors Overview - Essay Example It is the third fastest growing industry in the entertainment and media market field, and the key companies in the industry are Sony, EA Sports, Microsoft and Nintendo. The Electronic Arts Company competes with other companies in this dynamic video and highly competitive games industry. There are very many companies worldwide engaging in the business of distribution, publishing, marketing and the development of video games – the business that EA engages on. The direct competitors of the company are Activision Blizzard incorporated, the Nintendo Company, Konami, Ubisoft, Vivendi, Take-Two and in the online games its competitors include Gameloft and Glu Mobile. Competition in this unique industry takes different forms and strategies and the rivals adopt their own unique strategy of increasing their market share, their revenue and image. Since this an interactive industry the company that adopts the most finesse products ends up with these benefits as they have been mentioned abo ve. In order to cushion themselves from the intense competition companies in this industry have resulted to mergers and acquisition to enhance their economic status in the industry and market. Comparison among these three industry key competitors reveals that revenue comparison, EA sports made$ 3.9 billion while Activision Blizzard Company and Nintendo Company 4.86 billion and 8.06 billion respectively. However, despite these huge profits with the entry of many entrants in the market, these profits will dwindle as they have cheaper., more technologically advanced, and better games as compared to these main players in the games industry. Currently the EA(sports) company is the largest independent publisher by sales volume, the company control a worldwide market share of 19.9% compared to other companies such as Japanese Konami which controls 19.7% . The others are Activision Blizzard which controls 9.7%, Vivendi controls 6.9%, Take-Two controlling 6.3%, Ubisoft controlling 5.8%, the rest control the remaining 31.5%.Video games appeal to two

Learning Vocabulary for Saudi Arabian Students Research Proposal

Learning Vocabulary for Saudi Arabian Students - Research Proposal Example Focusing on the methods of teaching the English language, vocabulary was disregarded and reduced, while grammar and pronunciation were given more emphasis (Al-Jabri, 2005). According to Harmer (2007), teachers are very unsure of how to determine a suitable method of teaching English because of the variety of different approaches and methods available. They can gradually, with experience, create their own method of teaching. This could be the most appropriate method they can use according to the context they teach in (Scrivener, 2005). Students usually choose a low-effort strategy when they are required to do a task (Krashen, 1987). They seem to prefer translation of new vocabulary rather than getting their meanings from the contexts or from doing pair-works (Prince, 1996). It is significant to shed light on the effectiveness of the English teaching methodologies in order to increase the awareness of English teachers to re-evaluate their teaching methods, considering the applicability of these methods on the social and cultural situations. Based on my teaching experience, therefore, I propose to investigate whether the Grammar- Translation method is more effective than CLT approach at the vocabulary level. Much has been said and talked about the traditional ways of teaching. One of the ways is the Grammar Translation Method which dates back to the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries when foreign language learning was associated with the learning of Latin and Greek. In the process of teaching and learning English, translation is used in the Grammar Translation Method. According to Boey (1970) the student is first required to learn the vocabulary lists consisting of L2 words and its equivalent L1 words. L1 is used to teach the grammatical rules of L2. Thereafter, practice exercises are given to students where they have to translate the L1 sentences into L2 sentences by applying the grammatical rules to the vocabulary learnt. On the other hand, the main aim of the Communicative Language Approach (CLT) is to produce churn out students who are communicatively competent. In this method, the teacher first gives a presentation and thereafter, students are made to use the language through activities, such as games, role plays and problem solving tasks. (Larsen, 1987) According to Maleki (2005), the main purpose of these two languages - GTM and CLT was to promote the intellectual skills of its speakers. Therefore, it was extremely important to focus on sentence structure, grammatical rules, learning of vocabulary and translation of literary texts. The other method which is now more prevalent for teaching is the Communicative Language Approach. Wen Wu (2008) stated that Communicative Language Approach is mainly based on the idea that the primary function of language use is communication. According to Al-Shabbi (1994), due to its emphasis on fluency over accuracy approach, the Communicative Language Method has not paid much attention to spelling in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom. Even the great appeal of Communicative Language Teaching has not been able to overcome the psychological barriers which becomes a hindrance in the learning process. Though it's unfortunate, that CLT is quite in use,