Friday, December 27, 2019

Working Memory Is A Cognitive System That Maintains And...

Working memory is a cognitive system that maintains and manipulates task-relevant information for a short period of time. (Cowan, J. 1999) Memory plays a crucial role in everyday life. It enables one to effectively perform complex tasks such as the ability to reason and solve new problems independently on a daily basis. Working memory is limited in capacity and sensitive to interruptions. â€Å"Without memory, our awareness would be confined to an external present and our lives would be virtually devoid of meaning.† (Schacter,D..L and Scarry,E 2001) Impairments in working memory are often apparent in individuals with ADHD, acquired brain injury, depression and several other conditions. It is important that researchers grasp an in-depth understanding of what working memory is and how it works in order to develop interventions and ways to improve working memory. Recent research has revealed that working memory can be enhanced through Cogmed Working Memory Training. (Sà ¶derqvis t,S. and Nutley, S. 2015) This essay will focus predominantly on Baddeley’s working memory model. It will outline the constituents of the model, drawing upon evidence for and against the model. Atkinsons and Shiffrin’s multistore model of memory will be briefly mentioned. However, it is apparent that this model lacked detail and is outdated. Atkinson and Shriffin (1968) established a model known as the multi-store model. The model depicts that memory can be interpreted as a sequence of steps, wherebyShow MoreRelatedModule Information Processing Theory of Learning2021 Words   |  9 PagesModule Information Processing Theory of Learning INTRODUCTION The information processing theory approach to the study of cognitive development evolved out of the American experimental tradition in psychology. Information processing theorists proposed that like the computer, the human mind is a system that processes information through the application of logical rules and strategies. Like the computer, the mind has a limited capacity for the amount and nature of the information it can process ObjectivesRead MoreCan Schizophrenia Patients Be A Normal?1730 Words   |  7 Pagesas abnormal social behaviours; and cognitive difficulties, such as poorer attention and working memory. These manifestations clearly make it a challenge for schizophrenics to live a normal life and earn a living for themselves (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). According to Wilk et al. (2005), cognitive impairment is thought to be a central feature of schizophrenia. It spans across a number of separate cognitive domains, such as attention, working memory, executive functions and verbal fluencyRead MoreThe Theory Of Rational Systems1342 Words   |  6 PagesScott s Perspective of Organization s as Rational Systems in the perspective of Weber, Simon and Taylor. In the perspective of rational systems as defined by Scott- organizations are defined as â€Å"instruments designed to attain specific goals†. Scott focuses on the action of functional rationality that refers to the implementation of a series of actions to attain specific goals with maximum possible efficiency. Scott s draws his basic definition of rationality by encompassing the results, researchRead MoreAttention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder2565 Words   |  10 PagesDisorder (ADHD) a neurobehavioral and cognitive disorder that is characterized by inattentive, impulsive and hyperactivity symptoms (Ko et al., 2013). It is a highly prevalent disorder among child and adolescent populations although approximately 15% of patients have been found to meet full symptom criteria into adulthood (Hoogman et al., 2013). ADHD has been related to various cognitive deficits in major areas of executive functioning such as planning, working memory decision making, goals setting, emotio nalRead Moreworking memory18399 Words   |  74 PagesPAGES CHAPTER Working Memory 6 Le arn i ng O b j ec t i ves 1. Using Working Memory 1.1. A Computer Metaphor 1.2. Implications of the Nature of Working Memory 2. From Primary Memory to Working Memory: A Brief History 2.1. William James: Primary Memory, Secondary Memory, and Consciousness 2.2. Early Studies: The Characteristics of Short-Term Memory 2.2.1. Brevity of Duration 2.2.2. Ready Accessibility 2.3. The Atkinson-Shiffrin Model: The Relationship of Short-Term and LongTerm Memory 2.4. The Baddeley-HitchRead MoreThe Digital Assistant, Or Pda2247 Words   |  9 Pagesincluding features like a calendar and tasks list. Today, the PDA has fallen into disuse, replaced by its more popular and powerful successor: the smart phone. Voice recognition technology is giving rebirth to the spirit of the PDA in the form of new intelligent digital systems designed to help you manage your affairs. These reborn personal assistants are gaining popularity in both consumer and business markets due to their ability to streamline commonplace tasks. As new technologies are discoveredRead MoreA Capacity Theory of Comprehension: Individual Differences in Working Memory17146 Words   |  69 PagesCapacity Theory of Comprehension: Individual Differences in Working Memory Marcel Adam Just and Patricia A. Carpenter Carnegie Mellon University A theory of the way working memory capacity constrains comprehension is proposed. The theory proposes that both processing and storage are mediated by activation and that the total amount of activation available in working memory varies among individuals. Individual differences in working memory capacity for language can account for qualitative and quantitativeRead MoreCan Preference for Background Music Mediate the Irrelevant Sound Effect?6367 Words   |  26 PagesApplied Cognitive Psychology, Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 25: 625–631 (2011) Published online 21 July 2010 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/acp.1731 Can Preference for Background Music Mediate the Irrelevant Sound Effect? NICK PERHAM* and JOANNE VIZARD School of Psychology, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Cardiff, UK Summary: Research suggests that listening to background music prior to task performance increases cognitive processes, such as attention and memoryRead MoreGucci Mane: a Thug Life7811 Words   |  32 Pageswhich involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning. Activities such as planning how to approach a given learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress toward the completion of a task are metacognitive in nature. Because metacognition plays a critical role in successful learning, it is important to study metacognitive activity and development to determine how students can be taught to better apply their cognitive resources through metacognitive controlRead MoreDevelopmental Psychology14082 Words   |  57 PagesQUESTION 1: THEORISTS HAVE A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW ON THE BASIC ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT. DETERMINE, DISCUSS AND EVALUATE THE POINT OF VIEW OF VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND THE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPROACH WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUES UNDERLYING CHILD DEVELOPMENT * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT (CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS) * THE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT: ONE OR MANY * FACTORS THAT DETERMINE DEVELOPMENT (NATURE/NURTURE) Introduction Child development has many theories with different

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Review New Western History - 1720 Words

Tom Nowakowski 10/16/14 HI 324 Dr. Schandler Midterm Essay #1 â€Å"New Western History† entails a fundamentally different approach to looking at the history of the American West. Whereas the old narrative deemphasized the contributions of others, the new interpretative paradigm is now more inclusive of the roles of women, minority groups, the Federal Government, corporate capitalism, urbanization, and Spain too. In addition, a new environmental narrative has emerged as well. Prior to the implementation of the grid system, earlier colonial settlers sought to copy the European towns from which they came from. This meant constructing a town with the church being located in the middle and everything else being constructed outwards, including the roads. However, no longer is the idea of a uniform landscape and the grid theory prominent. The impracticalities are now noticeable. The grid system, which was enforced by the government and surveyors, was also unrealistic not only with topography, but with the earth as well. In reality, the grid was never completely square. Since the earth is round, the grid produced trapezoids. In turn, this meant that some people received better land plots than others. What was meant to be an egalitarian system wasn’t so egalitarian after all. It’s now more commonplace to look at the uniqueness of particular landscapes and to take into account their peculiarities, instead of imposing uniformity on them. The original narrative adhered to the SecondShow MoreRelatedEuropean History as Told Through Diaghilevs Rite of Spring Essay example1030 Words   |  5 Pagesbehind it all. Diaghilev brings the ideas and talent of the blossoming Russia to Paris in 1913 with the premiere of Le Sacre du printempes. Even though many thought of Paris as the cultural center of Europe, Germany was the source of the majority of new ideas and ways of thinking. The newly unified Germany is trying desperately to contest its modern ideas against the centuries of tradition that Britain and France are trying to hang on to. World War I was not significant merely for the massive levelRead MoreModern Architecture in Japan and India1532 Words   |  6 Pagesregion and national culture there are periods of rejection of the past and periods of revival. These periods are often reflected through architecture as architects, developers, engineers, lay people and even the national governments seek to reflect history with the inclusi on of modernity, meaning modern buildings with elements of tradition as well as all the modern amenities sought by users. In an architectural sense much of the focus is on theory within the academy, while the actual development ofRead MoreWestern Representations Of East European Women Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesVampirettes, Wretches and Amazons: Western Representations of East European Women. By Valentina Glajar and Domnica Radulescu. East European Monographs, Boulder, Co. New York 2004. The publication of this collection of essays, written, edited, collected, and given and introduction by a cast of female writers, hailing from and writing for the variety of Eastern European countries addressed within the collection, forms the basis for a future dialog and investigation into the issues addressed. WhileRead MoreOil And Natural Gas : A Source Of Strategic Power956 Words   |  4 PagesOil and Democracy in Middle East Fossil energy (i.e. coal, oil and natural gas) is generally considered as a main force that drives innovation of new technology and highly developed economy around the world from industrial revolution. It is also the â€Å"lifeblood† of the global economy and takes up 80% of world’s net primary energy supply. However, due to the huge exposure of oil reserves in Persian Gulf after World War I, geopolitical struggles and potential conflicts surrounding fossil energyRead MoreProspectus Example1677 Words   |  7 PagesHow the Cubans view themselves in Western Media A Prospectus For History 299 Dr. Ganaway April 21, 2010 Introduction As a young child, I remember living in New York during the latter part of the Cold War years. In school, we had â€Å"bomb drills† in which time we got under our desks and took cover in case of a bomb or missile hitting the city. The apartment building that I lived in had a â€Å"fallout shelter† downstairs underneath the building to house survivors of nuclear war and spareRead More Cahill Essay705 Words   |  3 Pages The Gifts of the Jews Catholic author thanks Jews for Western values Review by April Witt for Miami Herald Published: Tuesday, April 14, 1998, If not for the Jews, no one would know to love justice, yearn for freedom, struggle for faith in one God or hope for a tomorrow better than today. Jews helped invent Western culture and without Jewish ideas and values there would be no civil rights movement, democracy or even history. Thats the central, sweeping premise of The Gifts ofRead MoreHealthcare Model: Acupuncture1762 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscovery of bacteria and the use of the microscope, the Bio-Medical Model (BMM) moved into prominence, believing that specific illness were linked to specific bacteria, viruses, or pathogens. Many of the more common diseases that killed so many in history were mitigated by using the BMM: measles, chicken pox, tuberculosis, etc. Still, many questions even into the 20th century seemed to not really fit with this pathogen-based model (Porter, 1999). For most of the West, the idea of categorizing everythingRead MoreRacism : A History? Essay922 Words   |  4 Pages RACISM: A HISTORY Name Course Date Abstract This essay will focus on the film Racism: a History. I picked the film over the other films offered, because it taught me many things about history of the Black Americans. It illustrates how race continues to justify economic misuse and injustices. It shows how people moved from their maternal land, bound in slavery, and killed. This happens when people view others as though they are not human beings. This film helpsRead MoreEssay Urban Planning1050 Words   |  5 Pageseconomy is controlled by a few Western countries in which most technologies and innovations take place. So the Western model is prominent in the cities, despite the differences in culture, politics and history. What distinguishes the developed western model which Clark presents is that the changes in the physical environment and social pattern took longer, which gives both the national government and the community the opportunity to live the changes and interact with the new developments positively (BerryRead MoreAuthority and Followership692 Words   |  3 PagesAuthority and Followership Authority and followership have been important concepts in Western history for thousands of years, but these concepts have also changed during that time. The most significant change is in how people see authority and how they see value in that authority. In other words, the question becomes how people determine which people are given authority and which are followed based on the values those people have and the value ascribed to those people by others (Samier, 2005).

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Coca Colas Environment Essay Example For Students

Coca Colas Environment Essay Soon after John S Pemberton prepared the first batch of Coca-Cola syrup in 1886, his friend and bookkeeper, F.M. Robinson, chose an alliterative name. He wrote the words in the now familiar flowing script, and, in 1893, Coca-Cola was registered officially in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. The Coca-Cola Company is the worlds largest beverage company and is the leading producer and marketer of soft drinks. The company markets four of the worlds top five soft drink brands: Coca-Cola (the worlds Number one and best known trademark), Diet Coke, Sprite and Fanta. Through the worlds largest and most pervasive distribution system, consumers in nearly 200 countries enjoy the Companys products at a rate of more than 900 million a day. Soon after John S Pemberton prepared the first batch of Coca-Cola syrup in 1886, his friend and bookkeeper, F.M. Robinson, chose an alliterative name. He wrote the words in the now familiar flowing script, and, in 1893, Coca-Cola was registered officially in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. In 1941 the word Coke received equal prominence in advertising with Coca-Cola and in 1945 was registered as a trademark. In 1888 control of the budding businessman Asa G. Candler who saw the potential for Coca-Cola and acquired sole ownership for the princely sum of $2,300. The Coca-Cola Company was formed in 1892 and within three years Coca-Cola was being drunk in every state of the U.S. Shortly afterwards the move into world markets began with sales in Canada and Honolulu. The key to this wider distribution was bottling. Coca-Cola was first put into bottles in 1894 but it was only at the turn of the century, when two businessmen from Chattanooga, Tennessee secured the rights to sell Coca-Cola throughout the U.S that bottling commenced on a large scale. Asa Candler was a great believer in advertising and countless souvenir and novelty items depicting the trademark were distributed during his period as proprietor. In 1919 the Candler interests were sold to Atlanta banker Ernest Woodruff. His son Robert Winship Woodruff was elected president of the Coca-Cola in 1923. During the 20s and 30s under Robert Woodruff, the Coca-Cola Company introduced many new ways of distributing and dispensing Coca-Cola, the Glascock Cooler for example and Automatic Dole Master. The stage was set for worldwide distribution with the establishment of what was to become the Coca-Cola Export Corporation in 1926 which was responsible for foreign sales. Under Woodruffs leadership many new merchandising and marketing ideas were put into practice and his vision of Coca-Cola as an international institution soon became a reality. One of Robert Woodruffs major objectives was to place Coca-Cola within an arms reach of desire. Even thirsty sports fans were within hailing distance of a vendor selling ice-cold Coke. Robert Woodruff insisted on quality for the product and its image, initiating stringent quality control standards for both bottling and fountain operations. By contract with The Coca-Cola Company or its local subsidiaries, bottling companies are authorised to package and sell their soft drinks within certain territorial boundaries and under conditions that ensure the highest standards of quality and uniformity. The company takes great pride in being a worldwide business that is always local. Bottling and canning plants are, with some exceptions, locally owned and operated by independent business people who are native to the countries in which they are located. Bottlers provide the required capital investment for land, buildings, machinery, equipment, trucks, bottles and cases. Most supplies are bought form local sources, often creating new supply industries and areas of employment within the local economy. The company supplies bottlers with syrups, concentrates and beverage bases and actively engages in management assistance to help ensure the profitable growth of the bottlers business. Bottlers are offered a broad range of business support services form the Company, in such areas as product quality control, marketing, advertising, engineering, finance and personnel training. To handle the enormous scope of its business, The Coca-Cola Company is divided into 6 operating units: the Middle and Far East Group, the Greater Europe Group, the Latin America Group, the North America Group (responsible for the United States and Canada), the Africa Group (responsible for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa), and The Minute Maid Company (the largest marketer of juice and juice-drink products in the world). The Company today views itself as a truly global corporation that happens to be headquartered in the United States. Martin Luther King JR EssayBottlers provide the required capital investment for land, buildings, machinery, equipment, trucks, bottles and cases. Most supplies are bought form local sources, often creating new supply industries and areas of employment within the local economy. The company supplies bottlers with syrups, concentrates and beverage bases and actively engages in management assistance to help ensure the profitable growth of the bottlers business. Bottlers are offered a broad range of business support services form the Company, in such areas as product quality control, marketing, advertising, engineering, finance and personnel training. To handle the enormous scope of its business, The Coca-Cola Company is divided into 6 operating units: the Middle and Far East Group, the Greater Europe Group, the Latin America Group, the North America Group (responsible for the United States and Canada), the Africa Group (responsible for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa), and The Minute Maid Company (the largest marketer of juice and juice-drink products in the world). The Company today views itself as a truly global corporation that happens to be headquartered in the United States. With decades of experience in international business, the Company has mastered the challenges of marketing and advertising to a vast world population. The messages are not simply translated but tailored to suit local cultures. Even within a single country, like the United States, the Company reaches different audiences in different ways to make sure that no segment of the population misses the message that Company products are special, different and better. Competitive Advantage Key Success Factors:Coca-Cola has built up a brand over the last 113 years in just under 200 countries serving a network of 14 million customers (e.g. Retailers, Cinemas etc.) who resell onto the consumer. Its recognisability as a brand is second to none. Coca-Cola is market leader in most of the countries it serves. Between all its brands it usually makes up three or four (e.g. In the USA Coca -Cola has established four of its brands in the top five) of the top selling soft drinks. The companys position within the market is virtually inpenetratable. The management successfully achieved to serve a wide range of markets and needs with equal effectiveness. The distribution system is regarded as one of the best in the world. The anchor bottlers, who are a strong and focused team, have contributed to the success of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola, usually, hold an equity position within these bottlers which builds a unique working relationship. It gives a sense that your customers are also your partners. The company continues its integrative growth. Coca-Cola has a number of world-renowned brands, such as, Sprite, Fanta and Diet Coke. It is believed if production plants and inventories of the company went up in flames overnight, banks would give funds to rebuild with only the trademarks Coke and Coca-Cola as security. A great Strength of Coca-Cola is its diversification of brands within the drinks industry. As years pass they branch out into the juice (Minute Maid), sports drink (PowerAde) and water (Dasani) industry. Research and development (R;D) is a major factor in the company maintaining its number one slot. As they innovate by producing different brands, they also develop different products within the various brands. Most notably were the development of a variation of Coca-Cola itself with the introduction of Diet coke, Classic coke and Cherry coke. Most recently was the expansion of the Powerade range with the launch of Arctic Shatter later this year. The dual vision of Coca-coal of being both nearsighted and farsighted has set a worldwide standard. While creating a short-term goal, they will not sacrifice a long-term vision, to achieve it. The company has always believed in creating and improving the infrastructure of the company to build for the future. Amid dismal economic performance (e.g. Russia, Indonesia) will always continue to invest in the future. Coca-Cola boasts the slogan Now is why were confident about always which underlines their commitment to market orientated strategic planning. The market strength of Coca-Cola is revealed in the fact that in 113 years of business volume has only dropped 12 times, the last time was 44 years ago. It is for these reasons that Coca-Cola, which was a small chemist shop at the turn of the 19th century, will go into the 21st century as one of the top companies in the world. Bibliography:

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Macbeth And Lennox Essays - Characters In Macbeth,

Macbeth And Lennox LENNOX. Lennox is a political power-seeker, and we saw him on stage every time we saw Duncan on stage. He is one of those people who gravitates to power and gets as close to it as possible so that he can feel it and share it as much as possible. Once Macbeth is king, then Lennox is around him all the time, too. At the banquet when Macbeth saw Banquo's ghost, he was the one to invite Macbeth to sit next to him. He was the one to have the last word even when Lady Macbeth shouted for everyone to leave the room: Better health attend his majesty. Macbeth brought Lennox in to a place of great trust, as can be seen when Macbeth went to see the witches again: he took Lennox with him. At the end of the play, when the power changed sides, so did Macbeth. He was with the forces fighting against Macbeth. Therefore, Lennox would do ANYTHING to be in the glow of the power. In order to secure a better position with Macbeth, he became the third murderer. Macbeth asked him to go because he needed a warrior to make sure the job got done; he could not trust the two men he had hired to kill the great warrior, Banquo, without the help of another thane/warrior. Lennox was the one for the job. Macbeth knew he would do anything to stay near the power, and he took advantage of this. Another take on Lennox as the third murderer has him as a spy in Macbeth's castle, loyal to the forces opposing Macbeth. Lennox had been loyal to Duncan and ended up as one of the leaders of the forces opposing Macbeth in the end of the play. In fact, it was Lennox who knew where every soldier was, so he must have had the master plan for the battle in his possession. (When the question was asked in the end, Who knows if Donalbain be with his brother? it was Lennox who knew for certain that he was not. Lennox had a list of all the gentry. A political power-seeker would not earn that kind of position so quickly in the rebellion, so he must have been against Macbeth all along. His negative opinion of Macbeth was clearly expressed in Act III, scene vi, when he calls him a tyrant and rails against him openly to the unnamed Lord. Macbeth himself talks about how he has spies in every one else's castle: There's not a one of them but in his house/ I keep a servant feed (Act III, scene iv). Therefore, Lennox is a spy in Macbeth's castle. In the position of trust he has managed to obtain, he is sent out at the last minute to help with the killing of Banquo. Although he does not want to blow his cover, he cannot let Banquo die. However, the light is extinguished, the two murderers set upon Banquo immediately, killing him before Lennox can stop them, so he does the best that he can by helping Fleance to escape. He then returned to the banquet, where he would not have been missed. He maintains his close link to Macbeth, but does not give him any information that would help Macbeth. Note the fact that he does not tell Macbeth about Macduff's flight to England until his hand is forced by the two or three riders who came by in Act IV to report the information to Macbeth. The audience knows, though, that he already knew this from the conversation he had earlier with the unnamed Lord. He kept this information from Macbeth because he was a spy.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A Streetcar Named Desire The Impact of Scene One Essay Example

A Streetcar Named Desire: The Impact of Scene One Paper Reading the scene description at the beginning of Scene One, one is immediately drawn to the name of the building in which Stella and Stanley live: Elysian Fields. One later realises that this is a misnomer. It suggests ideal happiness and the perfect resting-place we all strive to reach. It has special significance, therefore, because this description is far from true in the case of Williamss characters. Despite its name, the section is poor, but one is told that it possesses a raffish charm. The area is disreputable, later reinforced by particularly coarse-minded Negro women; but the atmosphere is pleasant. One has the impression that the area was once intended to be very upmarket, suggested by its quaintly ornamented gables, but that its grandeur has deteriorated with age. Ever present in the background there is the fluent melody of the blue piano, acting as an accompaniment to the action that takes place in the foreground. Personally, I feel that the blue piano sums up the entire atmosphere of the scene. It is jazzy and enjoyable, but at the same time it creates an impression of sadness there is an underlying factor that is clear to pick out. The whole scene what one can see and hear is an oxymoron: pleasant but sad. In the words of Mr Williams himself, the blue piano expresses the spirit of the life which goes on here. The atmosphere is more obviously established by the opening lines of the scene. There is a Negro woman making sexual references (lick her, icy cold wave all up an down her) as well as a street vendor shouting out, Red hot! . The area is culturally and ethnically diverse: there are Negro women, white Americans, and a sailor. One also learns more about the area by listening to what these minor characters are saying. We will write a custom essay sample on A Streetcar Named Desire: The Impact of Scene One specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Streetcar Named Desire: The Impact of Scene One specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Streetcar Named Desire: The Impact of Scene One specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For example, one learns from the conversation between the Negro woman and the sailor that there is a seedy clip joint in the vicinity. Not much more can be said about the minor characters, but Williams uses them to full effect at the beginning of the play, where they are most important. Not only do they set the scene, as discussed, but they also captivate the audience right from the start, before the even more interesting main characters come on stage. The minor characters also have one more ri le at the beginning: they provide a stark contrast for the entrance of Blanche. Whereas they are loud, brash and confident, Blanche is totally different. Williams says she is incongruous to this setting. This is evident from her appearance. She is dressed in gloves, bodice and necklace, and it is all white, which always suggests purity. Even her pearl earrings serve to highlight her beauty, and even her fragility. She is indeed fragile Williams describes her as delicate and uses the simile of a moth in other words, she should avoid the light not so that she does not get burned, but so her beauty is not affected. This reference to light comes up throughout the play. Later in this scene, Blanche orders her sister to turn the light off it shows she is hugely vain and maybe not so naturally beautiful after all. Blanches character is evident in these first few moments. The way she looks in shocked disbelief at Elysian Fields reveals her standards. Also evident from the clothes, she is obviously a rich lady or was one. There is also a touch of vanity here: if she is no longer rich (although the audience does not know this yet), then how can she afford such clothes? The answer is that her appearance is her lifes priority. After Blanche is admitted into the apartment, her manner stays the same. She is obviously uncomfortable and is unused to such conditions. She sits tightly, and this perching gives the impression of a fragile and very timid bird. At the same time it reveals something new about her personality: she likes to be in control. She does not like the situation, so she controls its effects on her by curling up into a ball like a hedgehog. But this does not last. She soon becomes less tense and begins to look around her, like anybody would. At first this may be seen as natural curiosity, but knowing Blanches nature, one would realise that her reason is very different: she is looking for something to drink. I think that this surprises the audience somewhat. So far it has seen this refined lady, who seems respectable in every way, despite being quite uptight. And yet here is the chink in her armour she has a drinking problem. For it is very obviously a problem later on, dramatic irony is utilised when Blanche searches for something to drink in the presence of her sister, pretending as if she does not know where the bottle is. And shortly after that the audience can see her shaking. This may be put down to the unusual situation she is in, or the revelations she has to tell, but her alcohol problem is no doubt a contributor to such behaviour. Perhaps most obviously, the act of searching through things she disapproves of goes entirely against her nature, and this accentuates the problem she has. In fact, there is some comedy here: she still washes the glass. This obviously hides her problem from others, but it also reminds the audience that she has not forgotten her snobbish values altogether. Blanche has many more bad points. Her vanity is further indicated by her constant need to bathe. The references to water are frequent. But her worst attributes are the ways in which she communicates with other people, most notably in the first scene, her sister. As mentioned before, Blanche likes to be in control: she exerts her authority over her sister by giving her orders And turn that over-light off! . She is also constantly seeking praise from Stella. This could be because she needs to feel better than Stella does in order to have a relationship with her. It is also because she is very vain she knows that she is beautiful. Blanche is also quite nasty at times. A classic line of hers is, I meant to be nice about it she reveals her falseness here. Instead of being genuine and honest, she had intended to lie to her sister. And the fact that she tells this to Stella means that she is very tactless and ignorant of other peoples feelings. Another classic quotation is this one: Where were you? In bed with your Polak! . There are two things that are nasty about this line. The first is that she tries to blame poor Stella for everything that has happened at Belle Reve, even though she was not there. Secondly, she uses a derogatory term to describe Stanley showing that she is both full of hate for Stanley himself and rather racist towards Polish people. I believe this is the point at which the audience fully realises that Blanche is not a nice person. Yet there are two good things to be said about Blanche. The first is her education. She is obviously very knowledgeable. Her references to Edgar Allen Poe are suitably intelligent, and suggest both her privileged upbringing and her current career. The second is her actions at the end of the scene, when the audience is forced to feel pity towards her. At the mention of her early marriage, the polka music, which is associated with Blanche throughout the play, accompanies her as she responds very quietly and then faints. This rather reminds me of a similar scene in The Glass Menagerie when Laura faints, although one is more inclined to pity Laura than Blanche. Stella is totally different to Blanche. Unfortunately, no description of Stella is given, except that she is a gentle woman, but one can tell by their characters that they have different outlooks and attitudes to life and other people. The only thing the two women share is their upbringing, but they are even distinguishable here by their present situation. Blanche has stayed comfortable for as long as she can, eventually being forced out of her lifestyle by a situation, whereas Stella has already willingly given up her birthright and her privileges to be with the man she loves. This definitely says something about Stella: she is not materialistic or snooty, and she regards people other than her self as important. Stella interacts with Blanche and Stan in different ways. She is the little sister to Blanche, ready to comply with her wishes immediately. She dare not refuse Blanche, perhaps because she is a guest, but more likely because Blanche has a stronger personality an example is when she turns the light off for Blanche. This is not an issue as far as Stan is concerned. She will still give Stan what he wants, but she is more ready to stand up to him: Dont holler at me like that, she says, albeit mildly. Mildness is Stellas usual stance. But we see that even she draws a line somewhere. When Blanche bombards her with blame for Belle Reve, Stella is understandably very upset (she cries she is emotional), but she also stands up to Blanche by saying, Blanche! You be still! Thats enough! . It is interesting that she says this immediately after Blanche brings Stan into the equation as if Stella loves Stan so fiercely that she will not let anyone harm him, verbally or otherwise. Stan himself is very much a mans man, and one gets the impression that he is incapable of such love that Stella has for him. He virtually ditches Stella in order to go bowling with his friend Mitch he could not care less whether she came to watch him or not. He bellows in a confident manner, and later on several associations are made with him and animals. He is a raw male, who evidently enjoys the company of women, but perhaps does not regard them as equal: he uses words such as baby and little woman he tries to put Stella in her place and exert his superiority. Finally, he is not very bright: his humour is obvious, coarse and not at all funny. Havent fallen in, have you? . There is a lot to learn about the nature of each of the characters in the first scene, but there is perhaps more to learn about their histories and their present situations. Exposition is used right from the start. Notably, much is learned about Blanche through almost a hot-seat approach of Eunice asking her questions. In a few short lines we learn that Blanche has a sister called Stella and that Stella is married both her maiden name and her married name are mentioned. We also learn that Blanche is a teacher, that she lives in Mississippi in a home called Belle Reve. We are even told that it has white columns! More is learned about Belle Reve later when Blanche is being very dramatic to Stella, blaming her for everything that has gone wrong. Yet more exposition is used at the very end of the scene, when we learn that Blanche was married once and that the boy died. This is obviously important for the rest of the play it is purposefully there to end the scene and stay in the minds of the audience members. Finally, there is one thing I have not yet mentioned, because I believe it to be the most important part of the scene, and perhaps part of one of the general themes of the play. This important part is the directions given to Blanche to get to Stellas apartment. She must take a streetcar named Desire and transfer to one called Cemeteries, where she will be taken to Elysian Fields. As well as being the obvious source for the title of the play, this signifies a natural progression in life in general. Desire, to death, to the Elysian Fields, or Heaven. At the moment I am not able to comment much on its meaning, but it is definitely very important.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Yeats poetic style

Yeats poetic style Each poem is very individual and special. There are many types of rhythms, tones, language uses and the general structure. Every one reflects a particular feeling which is felt or thought of by the poet. It is a reflection of the inner philosophy, understanding of life and others. Yeats’ poetic style is thought to be one the most memorable ones that can be analyzed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Yeats poetic style specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Yeats’ poems have a unique poetic style which is much distinct. W. B. Yeats was a great poet who deserves a place among other famous artists. The specific characteristics of his type of poetry originality come from the spontaneous nature of the poem, and the use of alteration and substitution. In the first one, spontaneity adds a surprise to the verse, and leaves the reader wondering what will come next. As it is always a process of discovery the poem becomes even more intriguing and unexpected. In the second method of writing, using alteration and substitution gives ability to vary meanings and concepts (Unterecker, 1996). The tone of Yeats’ poems was much different in the beginning, comparing to the later one. It was characterized by being nostalgic, having a much laid back structure and appearance. It related more to the older language, and the times when poems had a much different development level. After some time, Yeats’ style changed and became more modernized. It gained much direction and became very precise and specific. Whereas previously his poetry was more â€Å"poetic†, it changed into being â€Å"to the point†, accurate and intense. It created a poetic style which provided very rhythmic and structured order and sounding. It was very vigorous and direct which left no room for hesitation and interpretation. The use of language in Yeats’ poems is very confident and passionate at the same tim e. The words are very definitive, and have power to draw attention and force the understanding. The use of affectionate words adds color and energy to the poems. The functionality of language and especially the subject matter became predominant throughout. It was a form of philosophy that aimed to educate the deeper parts of the human psyche. Even when the subject was related to passion, celebration, nostalgia or calmness, it was still very direct. As such, concrete organization has become very effective when using metaphors. Exaggeration and hyperboles started to appear more often, defining the poetic style as over dramatic and destructful (Chaudhry, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Yeats’ style is very contrasting to that of Shakespeare’s. Even though there are a lot of unexpected turns, the language is much more direct. Shakespeare often uses a distant approach and then, the meaning appears to come together from several pieces. Yeats’ style is crisper, so the meaning is received quickly and without hesitation. As such, a lot of information can be grasped by the reader, and the picture will be more logical and organized. Some poems have very shortened verses, and this gives a very quick rhythm to a poem. It keeps a person in the moment, inspiring to action and a clear way of thinking. (Shakespeare style). That fool, all foul and pitifully looking Dost thou not learn how to correctly dance? If ye has chosen entertainer’s fate That taken kindness from your unresolved inside?Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Yeats poetic style specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Who’s guilty time will show As every day is filled with a reminder To understand what’s meant by the presented man A hundred years won’t clear the fact of quarrel. Refe rences Chaudhry, Y. (2001). Yeats, the Irish Literary Revival and the Politics of Print. Dublin, Ireland: Cork University Press. Unterecker, J. (1996). A Readers Guide to William Butler Yeats. New York, NY: Syracuse University Press.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Michael Jordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Michael Jordan - Essay Example Michael "Air" Jordan is a fantastic jumper and slam dunker. He dominated the sport of basketball through the mid nineties. In 1992 the Bulls had a victory over the Portland Trailblazers; this made it their second NBA win. Michael Jordan was having a very rough time dealing with the loss of his father whom was shot in a robbery. He shocked the world when he retired from the NBA and went to play base ball for the Birmingham Barons. Michael Jordan was inducted into the hall of fame in September of 2009. His induction speech has been called anywhere between encouraging to deplorable. We all know Michael is a great basketball player. But, did you know he also has his own shoe line through Nike. He calls them Air Jordan's. Most of us love a good quote. I want to share one of Michael's favorite quotes with you before the essay comes to an end. "I never thought a role model should be negative." I hope this research paper has helped people learn some new things about Michael Jordan. The

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Art of south and southeast asia before 1200 Assignment

Art of south and southeast asia before 1200 - Assignment Example There are many sculptures that represent Hinduism but there is none which is more representative of Hinduism than the statues of Shiva Nataraja or Shiva as the lord of Dance. This was a form of perfected sculpture under the royal patronage of the south Indian Chola dynasty during the late 10th to 11th centuries. Queen Sembiyan Mahadevi was the architect behind the Chola version of the Dancing Shiva. The royal families were known not to associate themselves with some aspect of a deity, and the efforts of Mahadevi were vital in ensuring a bond between Chola state and Shiva Nataraja. Generally, the Dance of Shiva was regarded a dance of cosmic proportions that signified the universe’s cycle of death and rebirth. This in turn signified the liberation of the believer through Shiva’s compassion. Iconography is a very vital aspect of art and this sculpture showed Shiva with four arms dancing on the prostrate body of Apasmara. The right and the left arms signifies abhaya  "have no faar† and promise of liberation respectively. Kandariya Mahadeva temple at Khajurabo was a typical style of the southern temple. The southern temples had a longitudinal axis and greatly expanded dimensions. Specifically, their superstructures were characterized by four-sided hollow pyramid. The front of Rajarajeshwara had a flat roof as opposed to the pyramidal roofs of the northern style. Each story of the southern temple was articulated by a large cornice while the exterior walls were ornamented with niches each holding a single statue. The northern temples were characterized by complex pillars with some having over 144 marble pillars. These pillars were all carved in. example include the golden temple of India. The Ananda Temple is an architectural wonder in a fusion of Mon and adopted Indian style of architecture. The building of this temple is regarded as a height

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Example for Free

Native Son by Richard Wright Essay Richard Wright was determined to make a profound statement. In his novel, Native Son, he endeavors to present the â€Å"horror of Negro life in the United States† (Wright xxxiii). By addressing such a significant topic, he sought to write a book that â€Å"no one would weep over; that would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears† (xxvii). Native Son is a commentary on the poverty and helplessness experienced by blacks in America, and it illustrates the abhorrent ways that blacks were treated, describes their awful living conditions and calls attention to the half-hearted efforts offered by white sympathizers. Told from the perspective of his character Bigger Thomas, Wright crafts a story depicting the oppressive lives endured by Negroes and makes it so despicable that it grabs the attention of the reader and forces him to reevaluate the state of society. There is much in this novel that would cause a reader to cry, but, to Wright’s point, the topic is so significant that it resonates more deeply and elicits a deeper response. Bigger Thomas is the protagonist of the novel, but, to Wright, Bigger also exemplifies African Americans of the time. He is barely educated, struggling to find meaningful work and living in an overcrowded slum with his family; just like many others around him. Bigger is frustrated with his place in life and finds it difficult to understand why the opportunities that are available to whites are not available to him. During an exchange with his friend Gus, Bigger exclaims, â€Å"Goddammit, look! We live here and they live there. We black and they white. They got things and we ain’t. They do things and we can’t. It’s like living in jail† (23). Bigger and Gus have no outlet to express their individuality or emotions. Their feelings towards whites are ingrained in them. Bigger states, â€Å"[Whites live] right down here in my stomach†¦Every time I think of ‘em, I feel ‘em†¦It’s like fire†¦That’s when I feel like something awful’s going to happen to me†¦Naw; it ain’t like something going to happen to me. It’s†¦It’s like I was going to do something I can’t help† (24). This statement summarizes how the everyday black man feels about his station in life and the opportunities available to him. Additionally, it foreshadows the heinous events that will unfold later in the novel. A turning point in Wright’s story comes when Bigger is offered a job as a chauffeur for the Dalton family. Mr. Dalton is a white real estate mogul that prides himself for being a member of the NAACP. He employs young black men in an attempt to rehabilitate them. On the surface, this is an ideal opportunity for Bigger because it provides room and board and pays well enough to allow him to take care of his mother and siblings, but Wright is looking to emphasize how the trivial the actions taken by the white sympathizers do not actually address the challenges faced by the African American population. Bigger is not overwhelmed by this opportunity or impressed that the last chauffeur had gone to night school. Moreover, this job ultimately places Bigger in a situation that he cannot control, and he accidentally smothers Dalton’s daughter, Mary. Bigger realizes, â€Å"Though he had killed by accident, not once did he feel the need to tell himself that it had been an accident. He was black and he had been alone in a room where a white girl had been killed; therefore he had killed her† (101). This is the â€Å"awful† event that Bigger alluded to earlier in the story. Killing Mary elicits feelings in Bigger that he had never experienced before. Bigger acknowledges, â€Å"He was more alive than he could ever remember having been; his mind and attention were pointed, focused toward a goal† (141). Bigger embraced these feelings and continued with a scheme to make everyone believe that Mary had been kidnapped. With the assistance of his girlfriend Bessie, he plans to escape with $10,000 in ransom money. Wright uses Bigger’s emotions and his heightened sense of awareness at this point in the novel to comment on society at the time. Wright is stating that the act of murder is one of the only ways for young African American men to express themselves, to exert any independence and to get out from under the oppression of their daily life. When the authorities realize that Bigger is the killer he flees to avoid being captured, but he realizes that â€Å"all his life he had been knowing that sooner or later something like this would come to him† (207). Survival becomes paramount to Bigger, escaping the law is his only priority, and Bessie becomes a liability. While attempting to hide from the police, Bigger realizes that it will be easier to escape without traveling with Bessie. In a tense scene, Bigger first rapes Bessie, lets her fall to sleep and finally bludgeons her. His actions are methodical as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"he lifted the brick again and again, until in falling it struck a sodden mass that gave softly but stoutly to each landing blow. Soon he seemed to be striking a wet wad of cotton, of some damp substance whose only life was the jarring of the brick’s impact† (222). Ultimately this second murder is unnecessary, as Bigger is soon apprehended. Bigger is arrested and indicted for the murder of Mary Dalton, and the character that Wright chooses to defend him is a white, Jewish attorney, named Boris Max. In the novel, Max takes the time to talk to Bigger and understand the actions in his life that have influenced him. For the first time in his life, Bigger has someone interested in his thoughts and feelings, which result in Bigger beginning finding hope. Max does his best to motivate Bigger to fight to save his own life. Max pleads, â€Å"Listen Bigger, you’re facing a sea of hate now that’s no different than what you’ve faced all your life. And, because it’s that way, you’ve got to fight. If they can wipe you out, then they can wipe others out too† (320). Throughout this section of the book Bigger undergoes a transformation. By explaining his actions and feelings to Max, he finally emerges from the shell he has created around himself. Max works hard to understand the issues in Bigger’s life that culminated in his actions and the violence he exerted against Mary and Bessie, and he uses this information to form his defense. Although the crimes that Bigger committed were horrific, the reader begins to sympathize with him as he describes more about himself and his feelings to Max as the story comes to a conclusion. Wright’s goal with this novel was to evoke empathy for Bigger and to make a statement regarding the treatment of blacks at the time. Wright uses Max’s closing statement to the judge to summarize all of the points he wants the reader to contemplate. Max combines everything that he learns about Bigger and weaves it together with the plight of the blacks during the time and eloquently argues that Bigger should be sentenced to life in prison, rather than to execution. Max argues, â€Å"This man is different, even though his crime differs from similar crimes only in degree. The complex forces of society have isolated here for us a symbol, a test symbol† (354). Through Max’s monologue, the reader more clearly understands all of the factors that  have contributed to the creation of Bigger and others like him, and he pleads with the judge to understand that there are larger forces in play, other than the specific crime that Bigger committed. Unfortunately, despite Max’s valiant attempts, the â€Å"sentence of the Court is that you, Bigger Thomas, shall die on or before midnight of Friday, March third, in a manner prescribed by the laws of this state† (381). Initially, it would appear that with Bigger’s execution, Wright fails in his attempt to move people to reevaluate the racial injustice of the times, but the conclusion is actually Wright’s acknowledgement that society was not quite ready to change.

Friday, November 15, 2019

History And Pestel Analysis Of Russia Economics Essay

History And Pestel Analysis Of Russia Economics Essay This document is an overview of political, social, economical, legal and technological of Russia. The federation of Russian or Russia is the country which located in the north of Europe and Asia. It is considered as the bridge between those two continents. The country was found in the 12th century, in the history of this state, the country had been through different regime of politic, from Russia imperial era to the Soviet Union, post Soviet democratic till the federation of Russian today. The country shares borders with fourteen different states such as Norway, Finland, China, North Korea and so on. Russia also shares the marine border with America and Japan. It is the biggest country in the world with 17,075,400 square kilometres. Russia is one of the countries which are really rich in natural resources. Russia is the land of winter but it does not mean that they have snow all over the year. Russia has variety weather, depends on the region. It can be death cold in the far north to dramatically hot in the desert of the south part. In the country, there is only two distinguish weather which are winter and summer, the other two does not last for long and is not really well defined. The capital of Russia was named after the Moskva River which starts from East Europe and flows into the Russias central. The name Moscow was found by Goerge I, Yuri I Dolgorukiy in 1147. Even Russia is a big country; the population is just in the rank of 9th in the whole world with 141,927,297 people. In each region they have their own language but Russian is the official language of the winter land. People here follow dissimilar religion, even though there are four main religions which are Orthodox, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. The currency of Russia is Rouble. Comparing to other currency such as US dollar or Europe, this currency is currently not a strong one. The natural resources, agriculture and technology play an important part in the economy of this country with the estimation of GDP in 2010 is $15,807. The main partners in export are CIS, China, The US and Japan. According to the development of the economy, Russia is considered as the strongest growth amongst the developing countries. The living standard of Russian decreased after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but it started to improve from 2007 and now it rank at 65. It is the result of the development in economy and politic strategy. The life expectancy for men is 59 years old and 73 years old for women. Furthermore, the culture side of this country is very comparable to others developed countries. Russia becomes a destination which attracts tourist and other social and culture activities with international scale such as the winter Olympic 2014 in Sochi which will contribute an important part in building up the image of the Russia. From all points of view, Russia is one of the strongest developing countries. With the policies which focus on attracting investors, on the near future, Russia will be on the list of new developed country. This is the main background of the country with some interesting fact of it, further on in this document; each sector will be discussed in detail. Reasons for Selection Russia is a developing country with rich in history and tradition. This country in this new century has lots of opportunities and challenges. It plays an important role in the social and political of the world. Russia is the member of different important organization in the world such as World health Organization (WHO), United Nation (UN), G8 and G20. This gives Russia a possibility to contribute as well as give out its opinions for the development of the world in term of social, health care, political and economic. In this report, I and my group mates chose Russia as our country for the international trade project is because of three main reasons. First of all, it is a big country with more than fourteen millions of population, this country have the policies in economic which are supportive for the national as well as the international investors. They update the policies bases on the development of their economic in order to facile and make Russias economy more attractive to investo rs. Further, looking to the growth of the business as well as their competitive currency, it is really a promises land for people who want to create wealth and business. Not to mention the fact that they have a big improvement in the economy despite all the natural disaster that happened during summer 2010 and the economy crisis that affects the economy and trade of countries all over the world. Below is the graph which shows the growth of GDP in Russia over years. Russia-GDP-Growth-Rate-Chart-000001.png From the graph we can see that even 2010 is not a successful year for Russias agriculture because of the weather and climate issue; the extension of GDP in the 3rd quarter of the year is at 2.7, which differentiate the country from others which play main roles in the economy. This figure is a strong proves for all the investors about Russias economy. Last but not least, Russia has an advantage of their geographical location. As being mentioned in the first part of this document. Russia is the connection between Europe and Asia. This is the advantage that not all the country can have. It enables Russia to trade easily with countries in Asia such as Japan, China and North Korea as well as other countries in the north of Europe and countries in the European Union. It brings good opportunities for Russia to exchange and gain experiences from the developed countries in Europe. It is an opportunity and also a challenge for this country. PESTLE Analysis: Political In 1993, after the crisis in the constitution of Russia and with the support from most part of the population, the 12th Dec 1993, Russia was officially became the federation of Russia with semi presidential republic. They keep going with the same regime until today. It is very important to have a constant regime and policy to attract more investors. It is also important to have the policies which provide more benefit and advantages for people who want to contribute or get into the business. The current president is Mr Dmitriy Medvedev and the prime Minister is Mr Vladimir Putin. According to Mr Putin, they do not want to have the copy of the USs political system. Russias government has it own system which closes to its convention and situation. The advantage of Russia is that it is consider as the country which will take charge of all the roles of the Soviet Union in different international organization. Russia continues the commitment of the USSR with United Nation Security Council and the seats of USSR in other international organization. Even though Russia is a federation but there is still the involvement between the main government and the region or local government. According to the Human Rights Watch, Russian citizens do not have freedom. Despite the fact that they have a very strong judicial system, the rate of prisoners in Russia is still high at 628 out of 100,000. It leads to the fact that the prison is not in the good condition and sometime over loaded. Russia has an open foreign relationship strategy. Until the year 2009, they have official relationship with 191 countries and 144 embassies. It is a good opportunity for the trade and economic of the country, not mention to the fact that Russia is playing a very important role in preserving peace and safety of the world. Another advantage of Russia is that they implemented the technology and the militaries force from the USSR. This country has the biggest store of nuclear weapon with the military which includes navy, ground force and air force. Russia is one of the countries with well developed and home-grown arms industry. They also have the plan of growing their military and put more invest on that until 2015. Russia is in the world first rank of producing and exporting weapons. They are not only producing enough for their own need but also for selling to 80 different countries around the world. It contributes a considerable part in the revenue of this country. The development of t echnology in military is also support to the position of Russia in the World. Under this regime and maintain the same foreign relationship policy play the major role in the stability and growth of the countrys economic. With the strong and peaceful relationship with others countries, it is push factor for Russia to expanse the economic as well as attract more and more investors from inside and outside of the country. The political side takes the main role in order to run the business of the whole country. It is the main feature to keep the stability of the social as well as the economic. The investor need to have the impression of safety and security as well as the space to growth inside the country in order to persuade them to invest in the country. Economic: The economics of Russia depends mainly on the natural resources. There are two major resources are oil and gas. This country has the GDP in the rank of 10th.biggest in the world. Russia is the country with the advantage of natual resources, the big area with the area for agricuture 4th largest in the world and a perfect location between Europe and Asia. Despite all the advantage that the country has, its economic is not comparable to other countries in Europe. It is because the growth of the economy of Russia is depending the price of the oil in the market. Russia-GDP-per-capitaConstant-Prices-Since-2000Chart-000001.png It is shown from the chart that the economy is growing instantly. The problem of Russias economic is that it is too dependent on the price of crude oil. In order to cope with this situation, the government need to have a conventional budget to deal with the productivity of the lalor. Along with that, they should have a reasonable tax system and a suitable monetary policy that make the ruble become the competive currency but also make sure the price is not to low. In order to have a strong economy situation, they also need to pay more attention on the education of the new generation. The change of the political regime and the economic system lead to the fact that they need more people with open minded, flexible and willing to learn and be active in the econmic. It is another weakness that make Russia position is lower than others european countries. Another challenges for Russias economy is that the process of tranforming from communism to free market was later than the other countries in the West. Russia got into the post industrial economic after other so that there is the gap between Russias economic growth compare to other developed countries . Russia is the country with resources, high technology and lobor. In order to fulfil the space between Russia and other contries, Russia need to have a policy that get them out of the Soviet Unions shadow. They need to chose the right market for their product. Social: From 1990, with the changes in the regime of politic, the society stepped forward. They convert from a society with autocratic structure to a society with democratic character. This change enlarges the gap between the poor and the rich people in the society. Even there is no obvious classification structure in society, the stratification is judged by wealth. The most obvious evident of capitalism in the society is that people started to spend in a wasted scale with expensive cars, clothes and outfit that a normal Russian can not afford. The revolution in society structure leads to the changes in mentality and mindset. For example, People have different perception toward the family plan. From 1990, the rate of birth is decreasing remarkably, along with that is the increasing of death rate. The death rate is raising cause of the health care system. In Europe continent, Russia is one of the countries that being affected strongly by HIV and alcohol poisoning. 300px-Natural_Population_Growth_of_Russia.PNG   Ã‚  Birth rate   Ã‚  Death rate   Ã‚  Natural growth rate A part from that, we can not mention to the development of the social activities. The development of entertainment and social activities contribute a main part in the improvement of Russians living standard. Russia is well known with literature, music, ballet dance with all the famous artist, composers, and philosopher such as Leo Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Pushkin and Lenin. Russia is also known for all the sport even with international scale such as summer Olympic in 1980 and winter Olympic which will be hold in 2014. The life in some of the big city such as Moscow, St Petersburg is as lively as the life in New York. Moscow and St Petersburg are the most popular venue for MICE industry (Meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibition) with professional service, high technique support, good facilities as well as social activities. Russia is a folklore country which is always a mystery for everyone to discover. Technology: Russia is a country which is rich in science tradition. The technology sector of Russia started to be recognized from the early of 18th century and continue to develop until today. Russia has a good reputation on science and technology with the contribution of Mikhail Lomonosov, Pafnuti Chebychev and so on. They many impressive work of art in different filed such as Mathematic, Chemistry, Structural engineer, earth science and aerospace engineer which contribute a significant part in the development of the countrys technology. Because of the advance in this field, it contributes to the position of Russia in many different international organizations. The well developed in military materials and weapons add a stronger voice to the role of maintaining peace and security of Russia and all the countries around the world. In the 20th century, the whole world was surprised because of their advance in aerospace engineer. Russia was the 1st country who sent people in the space. Not to mention the fact that Russias air craft is on the list of the most produced air craft. The 20th century is not only the notice moment for the development of technology for Russia itself but also for the whole world with a new generation of knowledge. Even they have a good base and remarkable success in technology but somehow it does not contribute much to the revenue of the country. In contrast with the development of the technology is the economic. They have the economic which mainly depends on exporting oil and other natural resources. The development and success of the economic is totally depending on the price of the product in the market. Russia can not take the initiative on the growth of economic and which direction will it go. In order to be more active in the economic, it is the must for this country to focus a pro duct where they are really in advanced compare to other countries. Noticing the important role of technology and its effect to the development of economic, the president, Mr Medvedev has paid more attention on the modernization and advance technology such as Rosnano and Nano technology. The government started to put more fund on this field and they are ready to support any of Russian who want to develop their career in this field. The aim of this is to get the best out of the Russia. Looking back to the Soviet Union era, compare to now, and the technology industry of Russia is far behind other countries. Technology has to be things that made in Russia and by the innovation of Russian. The most important thing at the moment is that they need to motivate people, they need more innovation which can be leapfrog their own success in years behind and also to conquer with the well developed science and knowledge of other Western countries. The president wants to develop the technology side which already has the strong base, thanks to the Soviet Unions knowledge and development in this field. With all the work of science from years ago, it is very positive that Russia will take back its place of leading in the technology industry. He believes that with the technology of Russia can take advantage over the western with the advance technology. The success of this will push the expansion of trade and industry. It opens a new opportunities to grow in economic, which make the trade of this country becomes more and more initiative and be more active with the changes of market. With the success in this plan, there will be the big improvement in living standard, help the country out of inflation and the increase of unemployed rate. Legal: On the way of developing and transforming itself from a communism to a capitalist country, Russia also changed it law in order to be match with the new regime. The new law is more Western approach, very systematic and market oriented. It is totally different from the law of the Nordic countries. The new law of Russia is mainly base on the legislation, so that why there are still some gaps on the law system. The corruption rate is still high in the last few years: According to the transparency international organization, in 2010 the corruption rate of Russia is staying at the rate of 2.1 which consider as one of the country which have very high corruption rate. This takes into consideration for people who think about investing in this country. Above is the chart to calculate the degree of freedom in the trade and industry of Russia. In order to attract more investment, the government pass the law which make no different between foreigner investors and national investor. Even thought there are some areas that foreigner must have the improvement of the government in order to get into the business. It is the strategies that focus the investment of foreigner in some of the sector which are in need of it. There also some other restriction in term of ownership as well as payment. However, there is the need of changes to reduce the corruption as well as to be more open to investors. Balance of payments Russias Balance of payments history from 1995 ~ 2010 From year 1995 to year 1997, the current account of Russia decreased from 6963 million US$ to negative 80 million US$ because of the Economic crisis in 1997 which reflected less import and investment from foreign country. During Vladimir Putin Presidency, he had led Russians current account to a downward pressure on exchange rate and the opposite of upward pressure on Russians ruble. Therefore in year 1998, Russia exports and imports were growing because of the devaluation of ruble. Coming towards year 2003, Russias has grown from 35410 million US$ to 94367 million US$ in 2006. However, in 2007 the current account of Russia had shrunk by 18% to 78390 million US$. With the decreased of current account surplus, it reflected an increased in foreign reserves funds to 148.9 billion US$. In year 2008, the current account had a positive growth of 102400 million US$. The reason is because of the volume of exports and imports increased. Throughout the year from 1998 to 2008, Russia depends on their main export of oil and gas which gave them a positive surplus on current account and trade balance. Therefore in mid 2008, both economic and exchange rate policy had backed up by the balance of payments with the measures of government in order to overcome the crisis. However in 2009, Russian balance of payments was affected by the external economic situations as well as the loss of confidence by the investors towards the market of Russia. This had made Russias economy decrease in financial account operation. The current account dropped 50% to 47514 million US$ because of the economic crisis. In year 2010, the balance of payments increased by 47% to 77569 million US$. The total exports revenue has a number of 398 billion US$. Within this amount, 300 billion US$ came from oil and 98 billion US$ from the gas. Trade Balance Russias Trade Balance history from 1995 ~ 2010 Trade balance (in bln US$) From year 1995 until year 2000, the number of goods that exported from of Russia started to grow, where as goods the imports to Russia decreased. However starting from year 2000, Russias export rate maintain on a constant growth which reached 411 Billion US$ in year 2008. With this stable growth; it had led Russia to a stronger economy. In addition, with the substantial growth within year 2000 until year 2008, each of the years Russia had gained a lot of surplus, mainly because the exported goods was more than imported. In year 2000 until year 2008, the surplus had increased from 67 billion US$ to 131 billion US$. With the sufficient trade surplus, Russia invested a lot on their countrys resources such as gas and oil rather than invest on other economy sector. The investment had made Russia become the dominance player on energy resources. Besides that, Russias main revenue came from exported products. Goods that Russia exports such as petroleum products, wood products, metals, natural gas, grain, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures. Main imported were vehicles, plastics, machinery and equipment, medicines, iron, steel, consumer goods and metal products. The main export countries are Netherlands, Italy, Germany, China, Turkey and Ukraine. Russia chooses these neighbor countries because Russia has the fundamental pipelines and storage facilities to supply them with energy sources in the most cost effective ways. Therefore, Russia became dependent on European markets as well as the power to control over the domestic markets. In 2004, Exports earning started to have multiplier effects which generated above 50 billion US$ each year until year 2007. The main reason is because of the European Union, 29% of natural gas and 26% of oil are imported to European countries. In 2008, the energy sources demand had increased almost twice as in year 2004, 40% of gas and 33% of oil were exported to those countries. Moreover in year 2008, Gross Domestic Product of Russia reached to the highest point at 1.677 trillion US$, which had made Russia the worlds 8th richest country. Besides that, as the worlds 8th richest country, Russia made 471.6 billion US$ of export in 2008. Unfortunately the result turned out bad in year 2009. It decreased 37% and amounted 295.6 billion US$ export rate. Imports slightly decreased as well, from 291.9 billion US$ to 196.8 billion US$. The trade surplus decreased from 119.1 billion US$ to 91.8 billion US$. The main reason is because of the economic crisis on late 2008. The crisis effect the exchange rate badly, the value of Ruble it decreased from 24.853 Ruble per 1 US$ to 32 per 1 US$. One of the main reasons is because of oil prices, the price fall from $150 to $39 a barrel as Russia depend on energy sources market. The world crisis led Russians companies access to cheap foreign credit. Business, companies and employees started to reduced working day or even fired staff as well as the bank, they increased the interest rate caused less investment and scaled down mortgage program. Money value depreciated caused them to spend more on exporting their resources. Therefore, Russias capital flows reversed tremendously in 2009. Besides that, GDP (real growth rate) decreases from 5.2% from 2008 to -7.9% in 2009. A GDP decrease is because of negative result from exports, import, personal consumption expenditures and investment. On September 2008, Russians president Dmitry Medvedev ordered ministers to put in 500 billion Rubles of state budget funds into the market in order to rebuild the financial system of Russia. In 2010, Russias economic got back to the normal status because of the rising price of oil and improved capital inflows. Exports earning has a number of 350 billion US$ and 237 billion US$ on Imports. In year 2025, we predict that Russia will become the top 10 best economy country. The economy of Russia will be strong mainly because of the sufficient natural resources. Apart from that, it is the fact that the worlds oil resources is getting lesser and lesser, this benefits had given Russia to increase in their oil prices and generates more revenue in exports. In 2025, Russians oil and gas exports enabled Russia to become the energy dominance market in Europe once again. With location, currently Russia is in the middle of China and Europe which is the fitness location to trade. Despite of the location, we believe that Russias government will remove some of the import restrictions to improved relations mainly with China. With the investment flows from China, we believe that it will strongly boost Russia economic as China will be the most developed country in the future. The surplus will keep on track with strong exports and weaker imports. Therefore, we believe that in the next 10 years Russia will have a deficit free budget because of the exports of oil and gas as well as GDP maintained at 3.5%. In 2010, foreign investment in Russia accounted on 301 billion US$ while in the next 15 years we accumulated investment will grow twice as year 2010 to 600 billion US$. It is estimated that oil extraction in Russia could fall by 20% in year 2025. Besides that, Russias oil and gas pipeline and refineries almost reach the end of their vitality as well as the aging oil field had made the companies in Russia think that it is too expensive to discover new oil fields. As a result, we predict that in the future, Russia government will create better conditions for investor to invest in oil and gas system and bring in better technologies which can provide better return in gas and oil production. Although in year 2025, the global economic had regained its momentum as well as the global energy resources price had leveled off. Countries such as Iran maybe reentered the global gas and oil market. Therefore, there is an increase in supply of oil and gas which will result a decrease in energy prices. As a result, we predict that before year 2025, economic downturn once again occur which will badly affect the economics of Russia. In addition, we also agree with BRICS, they had forecast that in 2050 India and China will become the dominant ma rket of goods and services manufacturer. On the other hand, Russia and Brazil will become the dominant market of raw materials. Exchange Rates In 1998 Russia was undergoing a major financial crisis which in fact started in the Asian market. Russia mainly depended on their natural resources to keep the flow of currency stable.. Inflation during that period rose to roughly 84%, creating no value for the Ruble. Due to this the price structure for basic commodities also increase by over 100% as the currency value kept depreciating. Russia then regained stability as the demand for oil increased which enabled their exports to reduce inflation. During 2000 and 2002, the value of the Ruble became stronger leading to the exchange rates for other currencies. The Graph above illustrates how the exchange rate average was compared to the United States dollar and the Euro. The government mainly focused on reducing the inflation rate and believed that by doing this, it would have a positive impact on the exchange rate. Within the period from 2002 to early 2007 the USD dollar prices increased steadily. In late 2007 when the global financial crises hit, the value of the ruble decline and people began to exchange the ruble to the US dollar and euro. A plunge in the value of the USD was due to the financial crises but as towards the end of 2008, the values on the exchange rate increased The current position of the ruble is valued at 0.033 USD and 0.024 Euros. As Russia is considered to be a fast growing economy, the value of the ruble would gradually become one of the most dominant currencies to trade with. As majority of the European countries get their oil and gas supplies from Russia, they would as a result increase the GDP within the economy. Depending on how the US markets would be developing, if they become stronger and the value of the USD becomes much stronger then it would slightly depreciate the value of the ruble. Another factor would be the foreign investment which could contribute in determining how strong the value would get. The major benefit is the oil exports as that brings majority of the revenues towards the economy and future prospect of trade with major countries would be an assurance to the money supply stream. After the global economic crisis, Russia had to set its path to recovery, stabilizing all sectors which are their co-components holding their economy in place. Below shows a graph of the inflation trend throughout 14 years; In 1998 and 1999 we notice that the inflation had boost up tremendously due the Asian financial crisis. Moving from a centralized to a free market system, it was difficult for them to implement fiscal reforms which mainly emphasized in raising government revenues and relying on short term borrowing in order for them to finance their budget deficits. The major export earners having lower prices together with a lack of confidence levels from their investors made the situation even worse off. A sharp steep decline in the value of the ruble created hyper inflation within the economy. After recovering from the major financial crisis, the economy enjoyed a reasonable growth average for a strong 9 years. The inflation rate kept decreasing year by year as strategies were put in place to monitor key economic reforms such as labor, tax brackets, banking, and favorable prices implied to commodities. When the global financial crisis hit the economy, their stock market collapsed as top businesses began to sell their shares in order for them to pay off some of their debts to international lenders. The global demand, the prices of goods as well as the tightening of credit prevented the economy from growing. The major factor during 2001 and 2006 was of the government growing surpluses by saving some of the revenues from oil exports. The revenues were then generated into the economy in order not to face most of the impacts of the crisis. The inflation rate last recorded in 2010 was 5.5% and has now a very strong stable economy. They noticed that they had passed the crisis phase and as a result began to develop new strategies in order to overcome other pressures. As the government is monitoring the inflation rate carefully and with statistical data shows that the inflation rate has been kept at a minimum level and the government does control it even in crucial times. This would not be one major factor for them to consider as their GDP is increasing constantly though the financia l crisis which had a small impact on it. Looking at the GDP rates shows a marginal difference within the last decade. Again the recession played a part in lowering the standard of living in 1998 and 1999. A steep increase in investment enabled the GDP to increase severely and maintained the standard growth. By 2008 the GDP almost increase by 5.6% but the decline forced the value of the Ruble to decline marginal and as a result their dominating industry of oil and gas exports also crashed to a certain extent. Currently the GDP of real growth rate is approximately 3.8% and is said to increase it to 4.2% by the end of this year. The current GDP per growth rate Analysts believe that if continues growth of the GDP would be constant, Russia would be considered one of top 5 countries with the largest economy. They predict that the GDP will almost double within the future decade having a rate of 14 to 16%. The table below shows you statistics taken by the IMF and the World Economic Outlook. I strongly believe that the GDP would increase to that level as their exports are increasing for oil and gas. This is one major benefit which would help them in times of recession and also to maintain their GDP.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Death of a Salesman – Dysfunctional Family

A Dysfunctional Family from Death of a Salesman â€Å"We never told the truth for ten minutes in this house. † This quote is said by Biff Loman himself. Willy Loman is the father of Biff and Happy Loman, and the husband of Linda. The Loman’s are an average working class American family. In the play, The Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, the Loman’s go through very difficult circumstances throughout the play. These circumstances are not exactly obvious but they are shown throughout the play. The Loman’s are a very dysfunctional family, they are not able to be honest with one another, and also it is very difficult for them to get along.Lastly, Biff and Happy’s father Willy Loman has his mind set on the American dream also known as â€Å"The perfect life†. He is completely delusional and is forcing his boys to fulfil the same dream. In the play The Death of a Salesman, we realise that the Loman family are not exactly a normal family , they have a difficult life. They are not able to keep an honest relationship with one another. Biff and Happy lied to their father about Biff's stealing Bill Oliver's pen; Biff also lies to his father about having a follow-up appointment with Oliver. Accompanying material: Realism in Death of a SalesmanWilly lies to his family about the hose he had hidden in the basement, years before; Biff had lied to his parents about why he had had no address for three months because he could not tell them he was in jail. Finally, the most traumatic experience in Biff's life was made worse by his father’s lies. When Biff found his father in the hotel room with one of his buyer's secretary, Willy told one lie after another to cover up the truth of his betrayal to Biff and Happy’s mother. Willy says  that the woman  was a buyer. She lives in the room down the hall.Her room was to be painted because she showed merchandise to customers in her room. Biff buys none of it, and this incident ruptures his and Willy's relationship permanently. It is the first time Biff realizes what a liar his father actually is. In Biff’s words he describes his father as a†phony little fake. † The characters are finally starting to realise that they are living a life filled with lies. Another downfall to this dysfunctional family is that it is very difficult for them to get along. Biff does not respect his father Willy; therefore they do not get along.Willy expects his sons to be successful but they turn out the complete opposite. He believes his boys are great and cannot understand why they are not successful. As Biff’s father gets older,  he has trouble distinguishing between the past and present – between illusion and reality – and is often lost in flashbacks. His flashbacks are usually of Biff’s senior year of highschool, which was when most of the family’s conflict begins. It first starts with his affair with a woman who was a buyer; Biff finds out and is disgusted by his father, which is mainly the reason why they do not get along.Willy’s mind is eventually filled with suicide thoughts due to the unsuccessfulness of his boys, causing him to think that if he die s it would benefit his family more because of the money they will receive from the insurance. Throughout they play, all Willy Loman talks about is the â€Å"American Dream’. Willy believes that personality, not hard work and innovation, is the key to success. Willy usually checks up on his boys to make sure they are well-liked and popular. An example would be that his son, Biff, admits to making fun of his math teacher’s lisp.Instead of punishing Biff, he was more concerned about his classmate’s reactions. â€Å"I crossed my eyes and talked with a lithp†. â€Å"(Laughing. ) You did? The kids like it? † â€Å"They nearly died laughing! † Willy’s version of the American Dream did not turn out the way he wanted it. Despite his son’s popularity in high school, Biff grows up to be a drifter and a ranch-hand. Willy’s own career falters as his sales ability flat-lines. When he tries to use â€Å"personality† to ask his boss for a raise, he gets fired instead. Willy’s â€Å"definition† of the American Dream is all wrong, due to the way his own sons turned out to be.In the play The Death of a Salesman, it is a play of how one dream can affect your whole look on life, that dream can either make your life or break it, it all depends on how you pursue it. It is a tragic play, the Loman family faces a lot of difficult circumstances due to all of the lying, betrayal and the one dream Willy is trying pursue for his family. Willy then confuses the difference between reality and illusion, he is so caught up in trying to reach the perfect life, which was the â€Å"American Dream†, that he lost track of himself and his own family.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How WW1 Led To WW2 Essay

WW1 was the most gruesome war up until that time. With the central powers fighting the allied powers, germany was defeated and forced to take all blame for WW1 which led to WW2. They were forced to admit the war was their fault, pay all damages, and lose their military. After the war, all powers met in France and discussed the treaty of versailles and all allied powers except the U.S. made Germany sign the document and admit that the war was entirely their fault. They hoped it would keep Germany from starting another war but in reality it sparked them to get revenge. Also in the treaty, the allied powers forced them to pay for all expenses in the war. The total cost was well over a billion dollars. This hurt the economic system of Germany and they couldn’t pay for it all. It sparked the Germans to once again get revenge on the allied powers and gain control of their country again. IN the treaty, the military power was ceased from Germany. They were now left defenseless. When Adolf Hitler comes to power the first thing he does is restore the army and navy so Germany isnt completely defenselss and he wants the strongest army in the world to go back out and defeat the allied powers. Even though all the allied powers wanted was full revenge on Germany for their many expenses and casualities, it led to another war full of more expenses and casualities. Hitler stepped into power and didn’t think it was fair for the Germans to be treated this way. WW2 then begins and it the most destructive war ever.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Resonating with your reader

Resonating with your reader Resonating with your reader Resonating with your reader By Michael Some writers seem to think their job is to put their ideas into someone elses head. But thats not how it works. Unless youre a brain surgeon, its pretty difficult to get inside someone elses head neatly. Only in science fiction can you actually transport your meanings into another person. How easy it would be if I could perform a Vulcan mind meld on my readers to make them instantly understand everything Im trying to say. But I am not Spock, and neither are you. You cant pack your message into a freight box and be confident that it will absolutely, positively reach your readers heart. What you can do is to use words that you think might evoke the same feelings and thoughts in your reader. In school, I realized that communicating is less like two freight terminals and more like two tuning forks. Strike one fork and the other fork will resonate, if it has the same pitch. You can look at a tuning fork and read the pitch (C# or E or A flat) engraved in the handle. The problem is that, since we cant read other peoples minds, we dont always know what will resonate with them. Im actually terrible at interpersonal communication, so I usually state my ideas in several different ways, hoping I will hit upon something that will help my listener to understand me, before he or she gets impatient with me. But the tuning fork analogy breaks down in real life, with real people. The human mind is not a small set of tuning forks, each set to a precise pitch. Every person has a different life experience. Weve all read different books, which means that different words have different connotations. To one person, the will of the people reminds them of a reality TV show. To another person, it reminds them of their youth in Stalinist Russia. If I have tuning forks in my mind, I have millions of them, and most of them are set to pitches you never heard at the symphony. As a copywriter, you learn what arguments and appeals tend to convince your target market to buy your product. Each target market may respond to a different set of appeals. Some people drink a certain soft drink because they believe that everybody else does. Some people drink it because they believe that nobody else do. As a writer, the best you can do is to try to understand your readers well enough to know what effect certain words will have on them. If you pick the right illustration or analogy, their hearts will ring with yours. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesDoes "Mr" Take a Period?Words That Begin with Q

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Ancient Olmec Trade and Economy

Ancient Olmec Trade and Economy The Olmec culture thrived in the humid lowlands of Mexicos Gulf coast during the Early and Middle Formative periods of Mesoamerica, from about 1200–400 BCE. They were great artists and talented engineers who had a complex religion and worldview. Although much information about the Olmecs has been lost to time, archaeologists have succeeded in learning much about their culture from excavations in and around the Olmec homeland. Among the interesting things they have learned is the fact that the Olmec were diligent traders who had many contacts with contemporary Mesoamerican civilizations. Mesoamerican Trade Before the Olmec By 1200 BCE, the people of Mesoamerica- present-day Mexico and Central America- were developing a series of complex societies. Trade with neighboring clans and tribes was common, but these societies did not have long-distance trade routes, a merchant class, or a universally accepted form of currency, so they were limited to a down-the-line sort of trade network. Prized items, such as Guatemalan jadeite or a sharp obsidian knife, might well wind up far from where it was mined or created, but only after it had passed through the hands of several isolated cultures, traded from one to the next. The Dawn of the Olmec One of the accomplishments of Olmec culture was the use of trade to enrich their society. Around 1200 BCE, the great Olmec city of San Lorenzo (its original name is unknown) began creating long-distance trade networks with other parts of Mesoamerica. The Olmec were skilled artisans, whose pottery, stone tools, statues, and figurines proved popular for commerce. The Olmecs, in turn, were interested in many things that were not native to their part of the world. Their merchants traded for many things, including raw stone material such as basalt, obsidian, serpentine and jadeite, commodities such as salt, and animal products such as pelts, bright feathers, and seashells. When San Lorenzo declined after 900 BCE, it was replaced in importance by La Venta, whose merchants used many of the same trade routes followed by their forebears. Olmec Economy The Olmec needed basic goods, such as food and pottery, and luxury items such as jadeite and feathers for making ornaments for rulers or religious rituals. Most common Olmec â€Å"citizens† were involved in food production, tending fields of basic crops such as maize, beans, and squash, or fishing the rivers that flowed through the Olmec homelands. There is no clear evidence that the Olmecs traded for food, as no remains of foodstuffs not native to the region have been found at Olmec sites. The exceptions to this are salt and cacao, which were possibly obtained through trade. There appears to have been a brisk trade in luxury items such as obsidian, serpentine and animal skins, however. The Gulf Coast Olmec blossomed at a time when there were at least four other islands of expanding civilization in Mesoamerica: the Soconusco, the Basin of Mexico, the Copan Valley, and the Valley of Oaxaca. The Olmec trading practices, traced through the movement of goods produced or mined elsewhere, are key to understanding the Early and Middle Formative histories of Mesoamerica. Characteristics of the Olmec trading network include: baby-faced figurines (essentially, portable versions of the Olmec stone heads);distinctive white-rimmed blackware pottery and Calzadas Carved wares;abstract iconography, especially that of the Olmec dragon; andEl Chayal obsidian, a translucent to transparent banded black volcanic stone. Olmec Trading Partners The Mokaya civilization of the Soconusco region (Pacific coast Chiapas state in present-day Mexico) was nearly as advanced as the Olmec. The Mokaya had developed Mesoamericas first known chiefdoms and established the first permanent villages. The Mokaya and Olmec cultures were not too far apart geographically and were not separated by any insurmountable obstacles (such as an extremely high mountain range), so they made natural trade partners. The Mokaya adopted Olmec artistic styles in sculpture and pottery. Olmec ornaments were popular in Mokaya towns. By trading with their Mokaya partners, the Olmec had access to cacao, salt, feathers, crocodile skins, jaguar pelts and desirable stones from Guatemala such as jadeite and serpentine. Olmec commerce extended well into present-day Central America: there is evidence of local societies having contact with the Olmec in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. In Guatemala, the excavated village of El Mezak yielded many Olmec-style pieces, including jadeite axes, pottery with Olmec designs and motifs and figurines with the distinctive ferocious Olmec baby-face. There is even a piece of pottery with an Olmec were-jaguar design. In El Salvador, many Olmec-style knick-knacks have been found and at least one local site erected a man-made pyramid mound similar to Complex C of La Venta. In the Copan valley of Honduras, the first settlers of what would become the great Maya city-state of Copn showed signs of Olmec influence in their pottery. In the basin of Mexico, the Tlatilco culture began to develop about the same time as the Olmec, in the area occupied by Mexico City today. The Olmec and Tlatilco cultures evidently were in contact with one another, most likely through some sort of trade, and the Tlatilco culture adopted many aspects of Olmec art and culture. This may have even included some of the Olmec gods, as images of the Olmec Dragon and Banded-eye God appear on Tlatilco objects. The ancient city of Chalcatzingo, in present-day Morelos of central Mexico, had extensive contact with La Venta-era Olmecs. Located in a hilly region in the Amatzinac River valley, Chalcatzingo may have been considered a sacred place by the Olmec. From about 700–500 BCE, Chalcatzingo was a developing, influential culture with connections with other cultures from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The raised mounds and platforms show Olmec influence, but the most important connection is in the 30 or so carvings that are found on the cliffs that surround the city. These show a distinct Olmec influence in style and content. Importance of Olmec Trade The Olmec were the most advanced civilization of their time, developing an early writing system, advanced stonework and complicated religious concepts before other contemporary societies. For this reason, the Olmec had a great influence on other developing Mesoamerican cultures with which they came into contact. One of the reasons the Olmec were so important and influential- some archaeologists, but not all, consider the Olmec the mother culture of Mesoamerica- was the fact that they had extensive trade contact with other civilizations from the valley of Mexico well into Central America. The significance of the trade is that the Olmec cities of San Lorenzo and La Venta were the epicenter of the trade: in other words, goods such as Guatemalan and Mexican obsidian came into Olmec centers but were not traded directly to other growing centers. While the Olmec declined between 900–400 BCE, its former trading partners dropped the Olmec characteristics and grew more powerful on their own. Olmec contact with other groups, even if they did not all embrace the Olmec culture, gave many disparate and widespread civilizations a common cultural reference and a first taste of what complex societies might offer. Sources Cheetham, David. Cultural Imperatives in Clay: Early Olmec Carved Pottery from San Lorenzo and Cantà ³n Corralito. Ancient Mesoamerica 21.1 (2010): 165–86. Print.Coe, Michael D, and Rex Koontz. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008Diehl, Richard A. The Olmecs: Americas First Civilization. London: Thames and Hudson, 2004.Rosenswig, Robert M. Olmec Globalization: A Mesoamerican Archipelago of Complexity. The Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and Globalization. Ed. Hodos, Tamar: Taylor Francis, 2016. 177–193. Print.