Life of Being an African American Essay Example for Free

Life of Being an African American Essay Throughout my life, I have had to battle with my own identity, as many people do. It is not just a black thing, I’m sure. I know people from all different ethnicities, who struggle to find themselves, but this has little to do with the way they look on the outside – it is the quest to find out who they are on the inside. I found that person when I was thirteen years old, but then when I moved to the United States from Chicago eight years ago, I underwent another sort of struggle with identity. This time it was because of the way I looked, and it was less than a personal struggle than it was a fight against discrimination. I had never really experienced any form of racial discrimination in Chicago; almost everyone who lived in our area was African American, with a few exceptions. There were a few white people, but they apparently were not indicative of the general population in America, as I never received any mistreatment or discrimination from them, and likewise, I do not believe they suffered any discrimination by my fellow African Americans. Everyone sort of just fit in and carried on with their daily lives. I am ashamed to admit that this is how I thought that my life would be in Texas as well. I did expect things to be different. I knew that Dallas were more affluent and I knew that there were buildings as big as some of our smaller towns. The buildings in the brochures seemed to reach the sky. I believed that the sky would be bluer, the air cleaner, and the people would be as friendly as they seemed to be on television and in the brochures. All of these shiny, smiling white faces would greet me with open arms and assist me in any way possible to make my stay wonderful. However, the exact opposite has happened to me. Although I am not the only African American by far to come to Dallas, I certainly felt all alone my first six months here. While I did meet other African Americans, and they welcomed me, they were all busy struggling to make a living or to learn the language just as much as the next. It seemed even the older African Americans who had lived here for over ten years still never managed to fit in. I have been called â€Å"stupid†, â€Å"ignorant† and â€Å"dumb† despite the fact that I am more intelligent than many of the people calling me this. .One of the things that annoys me the most is when I try to talk to someone and they talk back to me with a slang accent. I have had people speak very slowly and with raised volume and exaggerated hand movements when they are trying to talk to me. I guess they think that deaf and dumb. Stereotypes exist, I understand this, and it really doesn’t affect me as much as being discriminated against does. For example, I can take people assuming that I work at a chicken place or even asking â€Å"what are you†. But when I take the time to talk to people and explain and let them into my life a little, I expect a bit more than from someone on the street, but I don’t often get it. In my small group of friends, which is mainly white people, they don’t think I’m stupid or ignorant, unlike those strangers I meet on the street, and they don’t think I’m deaf and dumb; they actually think that I’m of the most caring person, and will do anything for them. Living in America is a dream for many, and while there are so many opportunities here, I have to say that it is a struggle for an African American to fit in. I can only hope that future employers will not discriminate or that the only jobs that I can find will be dishwashing and working for a place that sells chicken. While these jobs are suitable for some, they are not why I came to America. In essence, I am chasing the American dream, and while many Americans have discriminated against me, I can only hope that the dream will not.

Impact of Gst on Fmcg Sector Essay Example for Free

Impact of Gst on Fmcg Sector Essay Initially envisaged to be in place by April 1, 2010 the GST would result in a major rationalization and simplification of the consumption tax structure at both the centre and state levels by replacing all central and state level indirect taxes such as value added tax (VAT), excise duty, service tax, entertainment tax among others bring relief to the common man. GST: An Executive Summary GST is the most ambitious indirect tax reform in India ever attempted and aims to create one â€Å"borderless domestic market†. It will tax consumption as against â€Å"production† which is the current norm. A uniform rate will be imposed on a product only once, at the point of its supply, thus reducing the cost for consumers. Key benefits: If GST is implemented without many exemptions and with a single rate, the following benefits will accrue: * Macro: Successful pan-India implementation will add 1-1. 7 % to the GDP and boost the tax/GDP ratio. * Micro: Incidence of tax will come down in case of manufactured goods. However, in case of services the incidence and coverage of tax may rise resulting in higher prices. Industry: Volume growth will accrue as incidence of taxation is minimized. Also, supply chain efficiencies will accrue as there will be no need for multiple depots and warehouses. Driven by growing consumption in rural and semi-urban areas, the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market is expected to double from $14. 7 billion in 2008-09 to $30 billion in 2012, according to a study titled â€Å"Prospects in the FMCG sector†, released by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy with a market size in excess of $14. 7 billion. A well-established distribution network, intense competition between the organized and unorganized segments characterize the sector. GST is a tax on consumption, and since FMCGs form the core of the consumption basket, the sector would be watch closely on the heels of its implementation. The sector is bound to witness many gainers and closers, depending crucially on the base and rates of the GST. Currently both centre and state tax rates vary- central value added tax (CENVAT) duty varies from 0-14 % (reduced to 8% under the fiscal stimulus package) and the state VAT varies between 0% and 12. 5%. Indications are that the combined centre and state GST on FMCGs could range between 12% and 14%, if applied at a single rate. At this rate, the total burden on FMCG’s should remain approximately the same as under the current structure. However, it would lead to simplication in the tax structure and would mitigate the disputes relating to classification of goods into various tax rate categories and determination of factory price for application of CENVAT. However, if food and other basic necessities were to be exempted or made taxable at a lower rate, then the standard rate for other goods and services could be pushed up to 18% or more. This could lead to disputes on classification of goods to the two rate categories. Leaving aside the issue of rates, many benefits are to be realized with respect to simplification of the supply chain which are summarized thus: Impact of GST on the FMCG Supply Chain: The introduction of GST is expected to build best-in-class capability in supply chain as well as people capability and enhance India’s cost leadership position by eliminating inefficiencies in supply chain and taxation: * Multiple Route-to-market models: Upto 35% reduction possible in time-to-market. Simplification of Supply Chain: With the elimination of central sales tax, manufacturers could implement a centralized warehousing and distribution centre and need not set up distribution depots in individual states and make inter-state sales via consignment agents. * Elimination of Tax Cascading: Currently, FMCG dealers cannot claim a credit for the service tax paid on their inputs. Restrictions also apply on claimin g credits for VAT on inputs other than goods for resale. Reduction in Inventory Costs: Currently, the CENVAT is included in inventory costs, because of which the dealers costs increase. Under the new structure, the GST paid on inventory would be fully recoverable as input tax credit, reducing the inventory financing costs. * Cash Flow benefit from tax: The dealers would be collecting GST from their customers as they make sales, but would be required to remit it to the government only at the end of the month or the quarter, when they file their returns. This extra cash float would be like a recurring interest-free loan from the government each quarter. These benefits would be then passed on to the customer in the form of Potential Price Reduction which are depicted below: ( Under two scenarios of 14% and 16% Excise Duty) Direct Impact on Logistics with trickle down benefits for FMCG: The cost of logistics in India is about 13% of the GDP, among the highest in the world. This higher logistics spend in India is attributed to the inefficiencies in the system which are expected to be done away with the new taxation regime. The previous regime has resulted in an unorganized and fragmented warehousing industry necessitating streamline of the logistics industry processes. The GST would impact the Logistics sector as under: * Consolidation outsourcing in warehousing: Achievable due to inherent advantages of low fixed costs, low employment of manpower and administrative effort. * Reduction in number of Distribution Centres (DC’s): Post GST, state specific distribution centres are expected to change to regional DCs. The outcome of this would be fewer DCs of larger size, more value inventory and a higher number of trasactions. Improvement in Quality of Services: Costs savings can be used to improve the quality of services and the usage of larger line haul vehicles, larger loads and cross docking. * Alleviation of complexities in documentation and inter State barriers: Through a uniform and seamless application of CGST SGST irrecoverable taxes such as Central Sales Tax (CST), complex documentation of inter State movement of goods, entry barriers at state borders resulting in long transportation times and imposition of local levies such as entry taxes and octroi upon physical entry of goods into designated areas can be done away with. Analysis: In order to satisfy the set of customer needs through its products and services, the firms operating in the FMCG space need to achieve a consistency between their Business Strategy, Product Development Strategy, Marketing Sales Strategy and Supply Chain Strategy. As identified earlier, the supply chain strategy which revolves around Operations, Distribution and Service is geared towards cost leadership by the implementation of GST, all while improving quality of service. In the FMCG sector, there is a need for an efficient supply chain as consumer goods typically depict predictable demand, explaining their low margins. GST helps us achieve thus by alleviating complexities inherent in the existing tax system. Facility Network Design Considerations: Increase in the number of facilities increase costs associated with inventory, setting up of additional facilities and transportation. As discussed earlier, the elimination of the Central Sales Tax can help the industry work towards consolidation of warehouses and distribution centres, reducing the number of facilities and thereby the overall logistics costs. Same has a direct impact on response time, and the savings realized by facility reduction along with the multiple route-to-market models that have opened up, could lead to a 35% reduction in time-to-market. Recommendations: Based on the secondary data collected, and the subsequent analysis of the FMCG sector the following recommendations have been tabulated for the benefit of the policy makers: * Extended date of implementation: Setting of the deadline as October, 2010 as opposed to April 1, 2010 would help the Centre solve any and all disputes related to its implementation with the States leading to a flawless roll-out. Removal of classification between goods and services: To ensure there are no classification disputes, leading to more complications and delays. * Removal of existing area based exemptions: the existing area based exemptions in respect of CENVAT should be discontinued and if need be a direct investment linked cash subsidy may be provided to support the industry, for b alanced regional development. The idea is to not break the GST chain with regard to both CGST SGST. Some of the options around re-engineering the supply chain would relate to decisions on indigenous supplies vis-a-vis imports; Intra-State vis-a-vis Inter-State procurement manufacturing service/warehousing stocking locations, in-house v/s contract manufacturing, direct sales v/s stock transfers etc.

China and the Central African Republic

China and the Central African Republic I-Introduction Central African Republic is a landlocked country bordered in the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, in the north by Chad, Sudan in the east and Cameroon in the west. It gained its independence in August 13th 1960 and Bangui is the capital. The two official languages are French and Sango. Francois is Yangonvouda-Bozize current the President took the power during a coup in March 2003 [The Economist US (2005)]. Since its independence, the Central African Republic has been destabilized and further impoverished due to a cycle of political-military uprisings and violence [HAC, (2011); UNICEF, (2008); The Economist, (2008)]. Constitutional order was restored in 2005[UNICEF, (2008)]; however, the overall situation until now in the country remains volatile, marked by tensions among and within political parties, a precarious socio-economic situation, deteriorating humanitarian conditions and insecurity in the north of the country due to activities of rebel and criminal groups [UNICEF, (2008)]. The United Nations implemented a Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), in an attempt to promote peace and stability in the country and reduce cross-border insecurity [UNICEF, (2008)]; This was carried out to encourage national dialogue and reconciliation and furthermore to help the Central African Republic enact military reforms, implement human rights policies, train civilian police, and disarm, demobilize and reintegrate former fighters. Besides that, the CAR is surrounded by countries like Chad, Sudan and DRC, which have been destabilized for a long time by civil wars. These lead many refugees to seek for shelter in CAR [The Economist, (2005)].All those characteristics create a volatile political situation and an uncertain climate for foreign investment. The CAR is blessed with many natural resources such as diamonds, timber, uranium, oil, iron, gold and hydropower [Africa.com, (2008)].However, it is still rated among the poorest countries in the world. Its economy is disadvantaged due to its landlocked position, which isolates it from foreign suppliers and markets and contributes to high import prices. It has the potential to become a major agricultural product exporter. It also has hydroelectric potential that could be developed for export to neighboring countries that have power shortages. The relations between China and the CAR have evolved saw tooth since the early 60s. On several occasions, the CAR broke and re-established its ties with the People Republic of China. Since the arrival in power of President Bozize, it seems that the CAR and China are enjoying steady and smooth relations. Yet the country is still facing to challenges regarding to its socio-economic situation. Nothing is so much said nor written about China and the Central African Republic. What is really going on between the two countries? China has invested in it, especially in terms of infrastructure. Does the government gain from it? What about the population? Is CAR really benefited from that relation? In what extent China can help the CAR to come out from the cycle of poverty? II-Central African Republic (C.A.R): 2.1Facts and figures According to the United Nations Human Development Index, the CAR now ranks 172 out of 177 least developed countries in the world [UNDP,(2006)]. Two-thirds of the population live under the line of poverty, less than half are literate, and the average life expectancy hovers around 40 years, resulting in a very young population with almost fifty percent under the age of 18, and only four percent aged 60 and over[UNDP, (2006)]. The CAR is really affected by AIDS that is why the life expectancy is constantly falling and dropped below 40 according to the UNDP Report on Human Development 2006. Per capita income is USD 456. POPULATION 4,422,000 SIZE 622,984 km ² CAPITAL CITY Bangui LANGUAGES French and Sango (officials languages);TRIBAL LANGUAGES LARGEST CITIES Bangui and Bimbo RELIGION 35% Tribal beliefs, 25% Protestant, 25% Catholic, 15% Muslim MONETARY UNIT Franc NATURAL RESOURCES Diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, hydropower AGRICULTURE Cotton, coffee, tobacco, cassava, yams, millet, corn, banana; timber EXPORT COMMODITIES diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco IMPORT COMMODITIES food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals INDUSTRY Gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles 2.2 Political and economic situations The CAR is blessed with natural resources to use and develop in order to come out of its cycle of poverty. However, three decades of mismanagement, from the 60s when it gained its independence until 1993 which seen the organization democratic elections for the first time, most of the time under military rule and one decade of chronic unrest and political fights (1993- 2003) led the country to bankruptcy [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. Francois Bozize gained the power in March 2003 by a coup and overthrown Ange-Felix Patasse [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. Due to the chronic instability since 10 years this makes very difficult for CARs governments to follow-up a long term economic development strategy that is why the country is currently facing a lack of modern transportation network which represents the chokepoint for the development of its economy. For instance, the length to reach Bangui the capital city is about 12 to 14 days of river transportation [CAR, (2009)]. Why is CARs economy always under threat of strangulation? Geographically, the CAR is trapped in an unstable triangle and surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Chad that which are destroyed by many years of civil wars [IMF, (2010); The Economist, (2008); UNHCR, (2000)]. Furthermore, shipment arrivals are often delayed or canceled because of rebels attacks [HAC, (2011)] that are causing so much trouble in the region. The nation of CAR is principally agrarian [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. In 2003, agriculture accounted for 60.8% of the countrys GDP [UNCTAD, (2005)]; crops primarily including cotton, food crops such as cassava, yams, bananas, maize; coffee and tobacco. In 2004, the agricultural labour force accounted for 69% [UNCTAD, (2005)]. The population of CAR is engaged in subsistence farming with 56% attributed to the agricultural sector in 2006. In 2002, timber accounted for about 30% of export earnings. The CAR is blessed with a huge unexploited natural resources in the form of uranium, gold, diamonds and others minerals [Investment Climate Report, (1995)]. In 2010, its main exports were diamonds, cotton, timber, coffee and tobacco. Diamonds are the main natural resources being currently developed [Investment Climate Report, (1995)]: in 2002, the CAR was able to export 50% of its diamonds earnings [Crisis Group Africa, (2010)]. In 2003 and 2006, industry contributed for respectively 24.9% and 15% for the latter of the countrys GDP; breweries, diamond mining and sawmill represent the bulk of the sector. Due to the oversized government bureaucracy and its landlocked position, services accounted only for 29% of GDP in 2006. The same year, its main importer of goods was France and represented for 17.6% and they mainly exports goods toward Belgium (40.4%) [Investment Climate Report, (1995); UNCTD. (2005)]. In 2000, the percentage of population with access to electricity accounted for 5% only [UNCTAD, (2005)]. The CAR really lack of electricity supply. The main and only hydroelectric plants are based in Boali. Mostly, fuel supplies are transported in via the Ubangui River or trucked through Cameroon, resulting in frequent shortages of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel. The countrys transportation and communication network is limited; it does not possess a railroad, however it has only 650 kilometers of paved road. It does not possess any domestic air service, except charters, so very limited internationally. Furthermore, commercial traffic on the Ubangui River is very rough even impossible from December to May or June, due to ongoing conflicts in the region that sometimes prevented shipments from moving between Kinshasa (capital of DRC) and Bangui. The telephone system functions, albeit imperfectly. The CAR possesses only one television station that has been built since the independence, an d four radio stationsare currently operating in the country. Numerous newspapers and pamphlets are published on a regular basis, and at least one company has begun providing Internet service. In terms of economic, the C.A.R. has made slow progress; its budget and external trade are deficiency due to many constraints like the poor infrastructure that it is facing, economic mismanagement and scarce private investment, as well as a limited tax base and adverse external conditions have led the country to a desperate situation. Its debt burden is considerable, as well as its per capita gross national product (GNP). The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have implemented some structural and interest-free credits as well to support investments in the agriculture, livestock, and transportation sectors, unfortunately these have had limited impact. The World Bank and IMF are now encouraging the government to concentrate exclusively on implementing much-needed economic reforms to jumpstart the economy and defining its fundamental priorities with the aim of alleviating poverty. As a result, many of the state-owned business entities have been privatized and limited e fforts have been made to standardize and simplify labor and investment codes and to address problems of corruption. The C.A.R. Government has adopted the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) Charter of Investment, and is in the process of adopting a new labor code. Furthermore the CAR received debt relief in June 2009 by the World Bank and the IMF [IMF, (2010)].It reached the final completion-point stage of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative [IMF, (2010)]. Since its independence, the CAR has been unstable and endured several coups; David Dacko ended the Bokassa era in a coup in 1979 [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. David Dacko was overthrown by a coup led by the General Andre Kolingba two years later. For the first time, he allowed multi-party presidential elections in 1993 and was defeated in the first round by his successor Ange-Felix Patasse. However, 1997 the discontent of unpaid soldiers resulted in a successive wave of strikes and uprisings from the latter [International Crisis Group, (2007)]. . The same year the French troop pulled out and Paris financed a group of French-speaking African countries to create a peacekeeping force. This leads to the creation of the UN Mission to the Central African Republic, or Minurca [International Crisis Group, (2008)]. In 1999 Ange-Felix Patasse won the elections a second time however there were allegations of electoral fraud. He went into exile in Togo after being overthrown in a coup in 2003 by General Bozize the current president of the CAR. The legacy of years of unrest has generated an illegal weapons proliferation across the CAR. Rebels armed groups are active in the volatile north. The unrest has displaced tens of thousands of Central Africans; many of them have crossed the border into Chad. Under Bozize era, some progress towards ending the conflict was made in 2008, when peace talks led to an agreement committing two of the main rebel groups to disarm [IMF,(2010)]. The process culminated with the creation of a national unity government incorporating two rebel leaders in early 2009. 2.3 A Modest recovery Since 2004 the Central African Republic has been able to achieve a modest economic growth [IMF, (2010)]; firstly, it gained full debt relief from the IMF and the World Bank in June 2009. Secondly it concluded a current Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility programme in June 2010. This successfully led to the achievement of a three-year programme with the IMF especially after the success of the Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance Programs. Furthermore, the CARs government implemented a macroeconomic management policies and necessary structural reforms that led to a modest recovery from the economic shock in 2009. The government worked hard to further strengthen the credibility of public financial management, enhance public infrastructure, and intensify foreign donors and the private sector investment climate [US department, (2010)] as well. Since President Bozize leads the CAR some encouraging result has been noticed by the Internationals institutions like IMF or World Bank. The CARs government understood that it was its priority to restore security and peace in the country. The government established what it called the â€Å"inclusive political dialogue† that gathered the political opposition and the government together to seek for security and peace for the country. That initiative was successful in the extent that it was part of the demobilization, the disarmament and reintegration program which led to the smooth conduct of the elections in 2010 [IMF, (2010)]. In terms of building infrastructure and climate investment the CARs government has a lot to do in order to unlock the countrys economic situation. The government has no other choice than on the one hand relying on foreign partners and on the other hand must engage coherent and filmy policies over the long term to come out of its cycle of poverty [IMF, (2010)]. III- Chinese engagement with the CAR 3.1- The political relations AT many occasions the CAR cut off and resumed its diplomatic relations with the PRC and Taiwan. The diplomatic ties between China and the Central African Republic experienced ups and downs: In 1962, the CAR recognized Taiwan as part of Chinas territory and established for the first time diplomatic ties with the island. Two years later, it broke off its diplomatic link with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China. The CAR resumed diplomatic ties Taiwan third times. Leaders of both side exchanged high levelcontacts. These underline the importance a state attaches to its relations with another. 3.2 Trade and Economic Relations In November 2000, China and Central Africa Republic signed an agreement on trade, economic and technical cooperation [Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. In August 2004, both countries signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in fields such as energy, infrastructure and agriculture[Holslag, (2006)]. Today, China is an important commercial partner for the CAR.In 2002, trade volume between both nations accounted for US$ 1.944 million with US$ 0.687 stemming from Chinas export and US$ 1.257 million from the Chinas import. The CAR mainly exports timber and cotton to China and imports principally footwear, textiles and electrical and mechanical products from China [Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. China has been an active investor in the Central African Republic, especially in construction, and has been involved in a number of joint cooperative ventures with the government, covering health, agriculture, stock-breeding, communications and trade .It undertook numerous projects in CAR and built for instance the Boali agricultural technological station, a training center for straw-bamboo weaving handcrafts, the new stadium, a clinic in the presidential house, the Bangui hospital and agricultural project, the extension work of the Pingpo Radio Transmitting Station, etc[Chinese Foreign Ministry, (2006)]. During his visit in China in 2009, President Francois Bozize called on China to invest in its country 3.3 Exchanges in other fields After signing a joint communiquà © in August 20th, China and the CAR signed in November 1976 an agreement on sending Chinese medical teams to Central Africa Republic. In June 1980 both countries signed an agreement on cultural cooperation and renewed it in June 1998 look for the number of students in China. Since 1997, China has begun to accept Central African students for study and on the job training. Today both parties acknowledge the necessity for the CAR to enhance its self-development ability as well as its local Human Resources training IV- China- CAR: Why the slow progress? One wonders what is happening in Central African Republic as the country is blessed with natural resources but still ranking as one the poorest in the world. International news portrays it as a â€Å"phantom state† [African report, (2007)]. Since the resuming of bilateral cooperation with China in 1998, the relation is experiencing smoothly and slowly evolution. In 2009, during a high level visit to China President Francois Bozize spoke to his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao and expressly called for Chinese investment in its country [BBC, (2009); AFP, (2009); China consulate, (2011)]. China is now an important economic partner for the CAR [BBC, (2009)]. However in an article published in 2009, the BBC wrote that the â€Å"CAR is a much less valuable economic partner to China†. Considering that statement one wonders whether China really considers the CAR as a less valuable partner. How the Chinese governments perceive the CAR? How does the CAR perceive the Chinese involvement in the country? The CARs government welcomes the Chinese aid in spite the political instability in the country, especially in the north [African Report, (2007)].However, China doesnt deter to invest in it by building the new 20.000 seats-stadium, schools, hospitals, etc. Regarding to that assistance, can it be stated that the CAR is â€Å"a much less valuable† for China? The CARs situation is peculiar and really needs from the scholars, journalist, central African leaders, the civil society, all the stakeholders as well, further attention.

Tensions in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening :: Stopping Woods Snowy Evening

Tensions in Stopping by Woods The poem as a whole, of course, encodes many of the tensions between popular and elite poetry. For example, it appears in an anthology of children's writing alongside Amy Lowell's "Crescent Moon," Joyce Kilmer's "Trees," and Edward Lear's "Owl and the Pussy-Cat." Pritchard situates it among a number of poems that "have ... repelled or embarrassed more highbrow sensibilities," which suggests the question: "haven't these poems ['The Pasture,' 'Stopping by Woods...,' 'Birches,' 'Mending Wall'] been so much exclaimed over by people whose poetic taste is dubious or hardly existent, that on these grounds alone Frost is to be distrusted?" The views represented--and the representations of the poem itself, affiliated with the work of Dickinson, Longfellow, Dante, and the Romantics--range from emphasis on its gentility to its modernist ambiguity. Nevertheless, more than one critic underscores its threat to individualism, its "dangerous pro spect of boundarilessness," which suggests the masculine conception of poetic selfhood with which the poem is commonly framed. Seasons were a conventional means to illustrate feelings, as in Helen Hunt Jackson's "'Down to Sleep'": November woods are bare and still; November days are clear and bright; Each noon burns up the morning's chill; The morning's snow is gone by night; Each day my steps grow slow, grow light, As through the woods I reverent creep, Watching all things lie "down to sleep." I never knew before what beds, Fragrant to smell, and soft to touch, The forest sifts and shapes and spreads; I never knew before how much Of human sound there is in such Low tones as through the forest sweep When all wild things lie "down to sleep." Each day I find new coverlids Tucked in and more sweet eyes shut tight; Sometimes the viewless mother bids Her ferns kneel down full in my sight; I hear their chorus of "good night," And half I smile, and half I weep, Listening while they lie "down to sleep." November woods are bare and still; November days are bright and good; Life's noon burns up life's morning chill; Life's night rests feet which long have stood; Some warm soft bed, in field or wood, The mother will not fail to keep, Where we can "lay us down to sleep."

Akira Kurosawa and Robert Zemeckis Essay -- essays papers

Akira Kurosawa and Robert Zemeckis â€Å"As the term suggests, an auteur is an author, someone whose aesthetic sensibilities and impact are most important in the creation of a text. With literary texts, discerning authorship is usually no problem. But with collaborative art forms, such as film, deciding on authorship is much more complicated. Generally speaking, film theorists have concluded that it is the director of a film who is the auteur, the most important creative figure. But auteur theory is concerned with more that one film; it is concerned with the work of a director – with his or her whole corpus of films, and with certain dominant themes and stylistic aspects of these films. The text in auteur criticism is not one film, but the body of work of the director.† Although both Akira Kurosawa and Robert Zemeckis have made many successful films there is a distinct difference in the filmmakers works. The authorship of the film is what creates the distinction between Kurosawa and Zemeckis films. Examining authorship is a challenge; critics and writers have been attempting to do it for years. The most comprehensive definition that I have found is the one quoted above from Berger’s Cultural Criticism. In non-technical language, authorship is looked upon as an unknown distinct element that one of the film’s cast or crew brings to it. Always changing, this unknown element may be derived from, an actor, director, editor or even a cinematographer. In the past there have been two distinctions made by critics regarding authorship. There is the claim that there is an elitist group of filmmakers who have a distinct definable quality to all of their films regardless of whether they are considered good or bad quality films. In essence, the caliber of the film itself seems to be irrelevant to the theory. This group is categorized under the much sought after term of auteur. This said, a bad film made by an auteur is alleged to better than the best film made by a metteur en scene. This brings us to the idea of what can be considered when examining a metteur en scene. The definition seems to take on exactly the opposite quality than that of an auteur. A metteur en scene may make decent or even good films, but there seems to be a link missing when comparing all their works as a whole. When regarding the works of an Auteur, we must examine their films as a... ...e is how he creates his film; much of this is the level of control that a director exercises upon his body of work. Throughout Kurosawa's career, he worked hard to repeatedly present the themes, which were important to him. This is not always the case in Zemeckis' films, as we do not see Zemeckis using the same themes consistently throughout his works. Using subjectivity, Kurosawa was able to bring the audience into the minds and hearts of the characters involved. Thus, Akira Kurosawa's work is clearly superior to directors who presented their stories more objectively. Bibliography: Works Cited: Berger, Arthur Asa. Cultural Criticism: A Primer of Key Concepts. London: SAGE Publications, 1995 Mackinnon, Gillies. â€Å"Haunting visions.† Sight & Sound ns 4 (1994): 61 Peary, Gerald. â€Å"Akira Kurosawa; Japan's existential cowboy looks West and thinks East† American Film v. 14 (1989): 80-82 Ritchie, Donald. The Films Of Akira Kurosawa: Third Edition. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998 Saynor, James. â€Å"Accidental Auteur,† Sight & Sound v.3 (1993): 4-8 Seltzer, Alex. â€Å"Akira Kurosawa: seeing through the eyes of the audience.† Film Comment v. 29 (1993): 72-77

Bill Budd :: essays research papers

Herman Melville’s Billy Budd is a story about true goodness. It entails the conflict of good and evil, but more than that it portrays innocence in its’ most purest form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Innocence is an exploitable commodity. While this is universally recognized, there are many different ways people confront it. Some people choose to embrace and protect it. While others choose to abuse it and corrupt it. Those who choose the latter are evilplain and simple. By making this choice they are reflecting not upon the innocent, but upon themselves. This reflection is humanity in its darkest configuration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Billy Budd and John Claggart are opposing forces. Billy Budd who is described as “strength and beauty. Tales of his prowess recited. Ashore he the champion, afloat the spokesman; on every suitable occasion always foremost.'; John Claggart, a man “in whom was the mania of an evil nature, not engendered by vicious training or corrupting books or licentious living but born with him and innate, in short ‘a depravity according to nature.’'; These two people who are clearly on opposite sides of the spectrum contrast one another in a plethora of ways. Where Billy is sweet, John is bitter. Where Billy is naà ¯ve, John is knowledgeable. Where Billy is content, John is jealous. Lastly, where Billy is good, John is bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ugliness that results in the death of both men portrays the triumph of sinister forces over the meek. John Claggart, who is a powerful and feared man aboard Bellipotent, lashes out at Billy who is for the most part defenseless. This is an injustice of biblical proportions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What could have prevented this from happening? Perhaps, if Billy picked up on John’s malicious intent the entire tragedy could have been avoided. But, on the other hand Billy was good and sought goodness. That is why he failed to see the evilness in Claggart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To discourage Billy’s goodness is to compromise the very thing that makes us human in the first placeHumans seek goodness instinctively. Thus, it is society’s innate responsibility to protect the good (naà ¯ve) from those who are in a position to hurt them (people with knowledge.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The significance of Billy’s death is that of sacrifice and honor. Billy’s death was, in a wordmajestic. “At the same moment it chanced that the vapory fleece hanging low in the East was shot through with a soft glory as of the fleece of the Lamb of God seen in mystical vision, and simultaneously therewith, watched by the wedged mass

Micro Econ Exam Review

Characteristics of competitive markets (3): There must be many buyers and sellers, none of whom can have a large market share, a few players cannot dominate the market. Firms must produce a standardized product, buyers must see all their products as equivalent. (Identical (Homogeneous) Products), Firms and resources are typically fully mobile, allowing free exit and entry. These three conditions make all consumers and producers price- takers. Models: Section 12. 2 Market Market Assumptions: Firm The firm is a profit maximizing firm.The individual firm can sell all they can at the market price. Each Individual firm supplies only a small portion of market supply, and therefore can't manipulate the market price. The firm Is a price-taker: they take the market price as given. 2. Profit Minimization: The firm will maximize profit at the output level that has the greatest difference between Revenues + Cost. The firm can/will profit maximize where Marginal Revenue (MR..) = Marginal Cost (MA C). Since the perfectly competitive firm is a price taker P=MR†¦ Therefore, the profit maximizing condition can be written MR..=MAC or FEM.. (SameCondition). If MR.. > MAC then Increase Output. If MAC > MR.. Then Decrease Output. Model: Section 12. 3 Finding the Profit Maximizing Level of Output Model: 1 OFF Determine if the firm is generating economic profits, economic losses, or Zero economic profits. NOTE: cost curves include both implicit + explicit costs + can therefore be used to determine economic profits or losses. 4 Step Process: 1 . Determine the profit maximizing level of output (where MR..=MAC). 2. Calculate total revenue = Price x Quantity 3. Calculate total cost = TACT x Quantity (TACT is always U Shaped) 4. Compare TRY + ETCIf TRY > ETC then Con. Profits If ETC > TRY then Con. Losses If TRY = ETC then Zero Con. Profits 5. Models on next page. Section 12. 4: Economic Profits Economic Loss Zero Economic Profits Economic Profits: firm is generating enough revenue to cover accounting cost + opposing cost of resources employed. (Covering both explicit + implicit costs) Indicates an efficient allocation of scarce economic resources. Economic Losses: firm may be covering act. Cost but they are not covering the pop. Cost of resources employed. Indicates an inefficient allocation of scarce economic resources. Long – Run Analysis: If existing firms are generating economic profits: it will result in outside firms/ resources to enter the market. Models below: Section 12. 5 Individual Firm Individual firms will continue to enter the market until all economic profits have been competed away. In long-run equilibrium all firms will be left generating zero profit. If existing firms are generating Con. Loss: Left with 2 options: 1. Continue operating 2. Shut down (temporarily stop producing) If the firm is at least covering bag. Variable cost (PVC) they would be best off to