Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the Populist Movement - 3033 Words

For many generations, adults and children alike have relished L. Frank Baum’s cleverly written bedtime story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. On the surface, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz seems like an innocent fairy-tale that was written â€Å"solely to pleasure children today† ; however a deeper look into the main characters and symbolism inherent in the story, suggest an outlook into the Gilded Age. Many historians, beginning with Henry Littlefield, have interpreted The Wizard of Oz as being an allegory to the Populist Movement and the issue of money that surrounded the Gilded Age. Although Baum mentions that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was written as a bedtime fairy-tale to be read and enjoyed by people of all ages, the hidden symbols and deeper†¦show more content†¦Therefore the Democrats pushed for a more conservative presidential candidate -William Jennings Bryan with the Populist support. On the other hand, the Republicans comprising mostly of bankers and indus trialists rallied for the gold standard because they wanted to keep the value of the dollar high to retain their monopolistic power. The gold standard would also be beneficial to the creditors because the amount of money they received from the debtors would be valued a lot more than that which they initially lent out. Thus the stage was set for the â€Å"battle of the standards† in the elections 1896 between the Populist and Democrat nominee William Jennings Bryan and the Republican candidate William McKinley. Baum writes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with the battle between the Republicans and the Populists as the main basis for its plot structure. L. Frank Baum’s background is instrumental in understanding the parallels between The Wizard of Oz and the Gilded Age in which Baum lived. Baum lived in South Dakota during the period when Populism was gaining popularity. Western farmers had naturally rallied for the Populist cause of better crop prices (inflation) because of droughts which destroyed their crops. Baum was witness to the misery of the Western farmer and therefore sympathetic towards them. There is however some confusion regarding Baum’s political beliefs. Henry M. Littlefield believed that Baum was a â€Å"reform-minded Democrat† who supported Bryan and his cause forShow MoreRelatedThe Wizard Of Oz : Parable On Populism1628 Words   |  7 PagesThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic tale about Dorothy’s adventurous trip along the Yellow Brick Road, finding her way back to her Aunt Em in Kansas City. However, many critics thoroughly analyzed the true meaning behind this classic tale to have a more profound message than simply a friendly children’s story. The theories developed from the interpretations of populist, feminist, and religious critics create a fascinating perspective of the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A populist is aRead MoreSymbolism In The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz842 Words   |  4 PagesFrank Baum uses his story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a metaphor to compare William Jennings Bryan to the Cowardly Lion through his use of symbolism and the the striking parallel of events throughout his story to those in the populist era. Because Baum was influenced by this time period, it is logical that he would use his characters to symbolize this movement. Henry M. Littlefield explains the connections and references of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the Populist Era. For example, The WickedRead MoreWonderful Wizard of Oz as Allegory2212 Words   |  9 PagesBaum, novel The Wonderful wizard of Oz Baum describes a story in which a young girl Dorothy and her dog, Toto go on a magical journey from the dull, gray land of Kansas to the colorful, magical land of Oz. This girl and her dog meet three companions, a Cowardly Lion, a Brainless Scarecrow, and a Heartless Tin Man and have adventure i n the Land of Oz and untimely help Dorothy get home. In Baum’s allegorical The Wonderful Wizard of Oz he uses satire and symbols, such as the regions of Oz, the charactersRead MoreThe Wizard of Oz- Parable on Populism1293 Words   |  6 PagesThe Wizard of Oz: Parable on Populism When Lyman Frank Baum first publicized The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, it had been very popular from the start. The Wizard of Oz is filled with musical comedy and is a warm and touching production. This production was such a hit that it had been turned into three movies and there were a number of plays on it. The Wizard of Oz was not written for the purpose of a sequel, but it was so popular that there had been many demands to do so. The Wizard ofRead MoreEssay about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was the first fairytale written in United States. Baum wrote TheWonderful Wizard of Oz during a time in history that was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum was the first fairytale written in United States. Baum wrote TheWonderful Wizard of Oz during a time in history that was not known for its social justices. The story focused on the many similarties between Baums characters and the United States during the 1800s. It is suggested thatRead MoreThe Wizard Of Oz By F. Frank Baum1604 Words   |  7 PagesMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 musical fantasy film. It is the most commercially successful adaptation of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. It was a box office failure when it was first released, making only $3,017,000 on a $2,777,000 budget, a meager profit of $240,000. It wasn t until it was subsequently released did it make a substantial profit. Although It was nominated for six Academy Awards, this film failed to be victorious. The Wizard of Oz did, howeverRead MoreWhat It Means To Be An American Essay1233 Words   |  5 Pagesindividuality, by making art that is distinctively theirs. Novels and stories are able to express ideas of individualism explicitly or implicitly. The famed children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, embraces individuality in a subtle manner. In the 19th century a group of farmers formed the People’s Party or the Populists. The Populists wanted federal regulations of railroads so that the railroad tycoons would not hurt them. One of the party’s main platforms was the unlimited coinage of silver, at the timeRead MoreFeminism in The Wizard of Oz4177 Words   |  17 Pagesï » ¿The Wizard of Oz Film and Book Background The Wizard of Oz is a book by L. Frank Baum written in 1900 and adapted into a musical fantasy in 1939. It starred a young Judy Garland, and was notable because of its use of special effects, color, unusual characters, and a fantasy storyline made into a major motion picture. It has become almost iconoclastic in film history, shown regularly on network television and becoming a part of American cultural history. The song Somewhere Over the Rainbow,Read MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pages(1944 bw), The Yearling (1946 - color), Little Women (1949 - color), An American in Paris (1951 - color), The Bad and The Beautiful (1952 - bw), Julius Caesar (1953 - bw), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 - bw). He was nominated for Wizard of Oz in 1939, but didnt win. In some ways you could say that Cedric Gibbons was the most influential set designer of the 1930s, because he controlled such a large studio. His autocratic control ensured that his vision and his visual

Succubus Shadows Chapter 7 Free Essays

â€Å"You’re right,† said Roman the next morning, ruminating over what had happened with Gavin. â€Å"I didn’t like that.† I was standing in the bathroom, going over my hair with a flat iron. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Shadows Chapter 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It was a pain in the ass compared to shape-shifting, but I liked the challenge. Plus, I could always fine-tune the frizziness away afterward. â€Å"Not like it’s the first time it’s happened,† I pointed out, my eyes on the mirror rather than where he leaned in the doorway. â€Å"You used to never mind.† â€Å"Didn’t I?† he asked dryly. â€Å"Well, being with him distracted me from wallowing in self-pity. Not that it made me feel that great either,† I admitted. â€Å"But it kept my†¦whatever†¦away. And hey, it couldn’t have been as nasty as what you saw Simone do.† â€Å"True, but now that guy’s just going to come trolling around all the time. He’ll be showing up to borrow cups of sugar in the hopes he can score some more action.† â€Å"I’ll deal with him. I’ve got a little practice in pushing guys away.† â€Å"Don’t I know it.† I paused to shoot him a glare. â€Å"Will you lay off the attitude this morning? You’re starting to sound like you’re jealous or something.† Roman snorted. â€Å"Hardly. Why in God’s name would I be jealous over the woman who got my sister killed and tried to unleash the forces of Heaven and Hell to destroy me?† Fair point. â€Å"It’s a little more complicated than that.† â€Å"Oh, yes, I’m sure.† He crossed his arms and stared down at the floor. â€Å"But maybe the next time you’re looking for distraction, we could rent a movie and microwave some popcorn instead of fucking the neighbors.† â€Å"You have horrible taste in movies,† I mumbled. But that closed the conversation, and Roman wandered off. A few moments later, I heard the TV turn on. I had to work today, but it was an afternoon shift. I was up and ready to go early because I wanted to visit Erik. I should have felt secure in Jerome’s ability to figure out what was going on, as well as Roman’s protection. But I’d had too much shit happen to me in the past to ever fully trust anyone. Erik had always proven a valuable resource. Roman went with me, covertly, but it took a while for me to actually get some quality time with Erik. He had customers in the store – which was great for him, but I could hardly discuss immortal affairs with others around. When the people finally thinned out, Erik turned his attention to me, ready with his typical friendly smile. His color looked better, and his movements weren’t as jerky. He was still weak, just not as weak. â€Å"Your cold’s cleared up,† I said. His smile grew. â€Å"Yes, I told you it was nothing. A mere cold isn’t going to kill me off.† His voice was light, but I couldn’t help a small frown. There had been something in his words – something I couldn’t quite put my finger on – that made it sound like he did know what was going to kill him. A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t like to think of those sorts of things. I sat down at his little table with him but declined tea. â€Å"I just wanted to see if you’d learned anything else.† It was a nervous impulse on my part. I knew he would have contacted me if he had discovered something. â€Å"No, but as I said, the information we have is vague enough for it to be any number of things.† â€Å"That’s what Jerome said.† Erik looked pleased. â€Å"I’m glad he knows. I’ve always said that your own people are more likely to know better than me.† I couldn’t help a small laugh. â€Å"Debatable. I might have something to make it a little less vague.† Briefly, I explained my recent encounter and how it had occurred to me that this force only visited when I was troubled and depressed. â€Å"It’s like†¦it’s like it’s preying on my weakness. Trying to lure me in with promises of comfort.† â€Å"Then you must be careful not to give in.† If Roman had said that, I would have snapped at him for stating the obvious. â€Å"It’s easy to say that now, in the cold light of logic, but when it happens†¦I don’t know. I lose my grip on the world. Reason’s gone. Hell, half the time I don’t even know what’s happening until afterward. It’s like†¦sleeping. Sleepwalking. Whatever.† â€Å"And it always appears as a type of doorway?† I pondered this for several seconds. â€Å"I don’t know†¦kind of. I don’t know how to describe it – and I know I keep saying that. And how useless it sounds. I’m not sure if it’s a door, exactly, but it’s definitely trying to pull me into something.† Erik had made himself tea and sat for almost a minute sipping it, his brow knit in thought. â€Å"I’ll think about all of this. In the meantime, I’d just advise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"Well, let me put it this way. You are a delight, Miss Kincaid, and I always enjoy my time with you. However, you are also – how can I say this – someone frequently given to darker moods.† â€Å"Is that your polite way of saying I’m always down?† I teased. â€Å"No†¦not exactly. But if this thing is seeking out those in emotionally depressed states, then I’d say you are particularly susceptible. If it’s at all possible, you should try to stay away from those moods.† I thought about it. One of my best friends was marrying my ex – an ex whom I was starting to fall for all over again. An ex whose soul I had inadvertently damned to Hell and who was now being stalked by another succubus. My own soul had long since been Hell-bound, and I was committed to an eternity of sleeping with men whom I often didn’t like. Oh, yeah. Let’s not forget that my roommate was given to sociopathic tendencies and had me on his hit list. â€Å"That might be easier said than done,† I told Erik. â€Å"I can imagine,† he said ruefully. â€Å"But it may be the only way to protect yourself. That and your own willpower – the strength of which I firmly believe in.† Erik’s faith in me warmed up a piece of my heart, even though the rest of today’s insight hadn’t been all that insightful. I thanked him for his time and headed off to work, grateful Roman offered no â€Å"witty† commentary during our drive. At the bookstore, Seth worked alone in the caf? ¦. Simone was nowhere in sight, which was one bonus. The fact that it was Maddie’s day off also improved my mood. Maybe staying away from my usual glum state wouldn’t be as hard as I thought. â€Å"Yo, Kincaid.† Doug found me putting stickers on our rack of clearance books. They mostly consisted of out-of-print coffee-table books, things like Stone Arches of Tuscany and The Complete Book of Bridal Cross-stitch. I wasn’t entirely sure what that last one was, but maybe it’d make a good wedding present for Seth and Maddie. The price was certainly a bargain. We’d reduced it three times now, and still no one wanted to buy it. â€Å"What’s up?† I asked. â€Å"I’ve got news that’s going to rock your world. And make you think I’m even awesomer than you already do.† â€Å"That’s a bold statement.† He paused, apparently trying to decide if he’d been complimented or insulted. â€Å"I just found out that Gabrielle’s a fan of Blue Satin Bra.† â€Å"She never struck me as that type. I figured all of her lingerie would be black.† Doug gave me a withering look. â€Å"No, Kincaid. I don’t mean that she wears one. I mean that she likes the group. Haven’t you heard of them?† â€Å"There’s a group called Blue Satin Bra?† I shook my head. â€Å"Sorry. I can’t keep up with every new garage band in Seattle.† â€Å"They aren’t a garage band! They’re the hottest thing to hit the metal scene. They’re going to make it big.† I tried to hide my skepticism. Doug himself was in a band called Nocturnal Admission, and whenever he spoke about local bands, it seemed like everyone was on the verge of making it big. â€Å"What’s this got to do with Gabrielle again?† Doug was clearly growing frustrated with me. â€Å"She’s a huge fan – and they’ve got a concert tomorrow night. Unfortunately, it’s all sold out. She was pretty bummed about it.† Despite his annoyance with me, I could sense the smugness within him. â€Å"Here it comes†¦.† Pride lit his features. â€Å"I’m friends with the bass player and managed to score some tickets. If your pal Cody approaches her with them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused in my stickering. â€Å"You’re right. You did just get awesomer.† â€Å"You’ve got to go too, you know.† â€Å"I – what?† Me trailing along didn’t sound romantic in the least. Doug shrugged. â€Å"He can’t just ask her out for an actual date. Not yet. He’ll spook her.† â€Å"Then what exactly is he supposed to ask her out for?† â€Å"I do the asking. I’ll just be all like, ‘Hey, Gabby, I got some extra tickets to the show. You want to go along with me and my friends?’ Then she’s off guard. She comes along, Cody’s there, magic happens†¦.† â€Å"Wow,† I said. â€Å"Looks like you’ve got it all figured out. And I don’t think she likes to be called Gabby.† â€Å"This is a good plan.† He was clearly very pleased with himself. â€Å"I’ve been around, Kincaid. When you get mad romantic skills like me, you’ll understand.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"We can only hope. So how many friends are going along exactly?† â€Å"I scored four tickets. So: you, me, Cody, and Gabrielle.† â€Å"Sounds suspiciously like a double date. You trying your mad romantic skills on me?† It wouldn’t be the first time. â€Å"Hell no. Do I look suicidal? You’re already claimed.† For a minute, Seth came to mind, then Doug added: â€Å"I’m not getting on the bad side of that guy you’re shacked up with. I mean, I can hold my own in a fight, but he looks like he could seriously fuck someone up.† â€Å"You have no idea,† I muttered. No doubt Roman – lingering nearby invisibly – was loving this. â€Å"But we aren’t involved. He’s just my roommate.† â€Å"For now,† said Doug ominously. He began a retreat. â€Å"I’ll go invite Gabs. You tell Cody the deal and that you’re going to be his wing-woman.† I shook my head after Doug left, wondering what I’d gotten myself into. His absurd comments about mad skills and wing-women aside, the whole casual group thing might be a gateway outing to get Gabrielle closer to Cody. I just hoped word of his Goth getup the other day hadn’t gotten around to her. I also wondered what kind of experience I was getting myself into with Blue Satin Bra. Doug’s bizarre industrial alternative music had grown on me over the years, but I had a feeling this concert would be a very different experience. About an hour later, I was in my office when some unexpected guests popped their heads in. Well, one wasn’t entirely unexpected. I’d found that even when Maddie wasn’t working, there was never any real security. You couldn’t count on her absence, not when her boyfriend and brother were often in the store. I could feel some safety when we didn’t have the same shift, but I’d long accepted that Maddie could really show up at any moment. No, the real surprise was that Maddie was in my office with Brandy Mortensen, Seth’s niece. He had five of them, and she was the oldest. When Seth and I had dated, I’d grown pretty attached to that brood. My longing for children and the girls’ total adorableness made it easy for me to love them. They’d grown close to me too. Of course, at fourteen, I suspected Brandy wouldn’t appreciate being called â€Å"adorable.† She stood with Maddie, who was holding a garment bag on a hanger. Brandy wore a surprisingly sullen teen expression. She seemed taller to me than when I’d last seen her. Just like with Erik, time was passing quickly for these humans. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said, setting my paperwork aside. â€Å"What’s up?† â€Å"More wedding errands,† said Maddie cheerfully. â€Å"We just came by to pick up Seth. We went back to that shop and got a dress for Brandy. She’s a bridesmaid too.† Maddie lifted the edge of the bag, revealing the same dress Maddie had bought me the other day. â€Å"How embarrassing,† I told Brandy. â€Å"We’re going to show up in the same outfit.† She gave me the ghost of a smile but stayed silent. â€Å"We also went and talked to some florists but didn’t really come up with any ideas on what to get. If I get something purple, will it be too monochromatic? And if I get a different color, will it look weird?† â€Å"Hard questions,† I said solemnly. Ones I didn’t want to answer. â€Å"Maybe you can come back with me and take a look at some of their books?† Maddie was giving me that hopeful, cheery smile that was so good at inspiring guilt in me. â€Å"I don’t know,† I said vaguely. â€Å"Depends on my schedule.† â€Å"Well, let me know. Let me go grab Seth – maybe he has some ideas.† Good luck with that, I thought. Seth was notoriously awful at offering opinions, and he’d seemed particularly non-committal about this wedding stuff, no pun intended. Maddie left Brandy with me, and I gave her a genuine smile. â€Å"So how’s it been going?† I asked. â€Å"Did you have fun shopping?† Brandy crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her blond hair over one shoulder. She was wearing a formfitting Rocky Horror Picture Show T-shirt. Really, I thought. She was one step away from turning into her uncle. â€Å"No,† she said bluntly. I arched an eyebrow in surprise. Last I’d known, shopping and having people buy you clothes was pretty sweet when you were a teenage girl. Maybe I was out of touch. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because,† she said dramatically. â€Å"This wedding is a joke.† I cast an uneasy glance at the doorway. â€Å"Better not let them hear you say that.† Brandy looked unconcerned. She wasn’t exactly scowling, but it was pretty close. â€Å"Uncle Seth isn’t supposed to be marrying her.† â€Å"Why not? They’ve been dating for†¦well, a while.† That was kind of true, guilt-induced engagement or no. â€Å"He proposed. She accepted. Easy as that.† â€Å"She’s not the one,† said Brandy stoutly. â€Å"He’s supposed to be marrying you.† Yeah, I really wished the door was closed. â€Å"Brandy,† I said, pitching my voice as low as I could. â€Å"Your uncle and I broke up. That’s how it is. People move on.† â€Å"You two weren’t supposed to. You guys were in love.† â€Å"He loves her too.† â€Å"It’s not the same.† This was not a discussion I’d ever expected to have. I’d known Seth’s nieces still liked me, but I’d hardly thought I’d left this sort of impression. â€Å"Do you not like Maddie or something?† Brandy gave a half-hearted shrug and averted her eyes. â€Å"She’s okay. But she’s not you.† I didn’t say anything for several moments. I wondered if Brandy’s resentment toward the wedding was because she had greater devotion to me than Maddie – or if it was part of some romantic ideal girls her age often had about love and soul mates. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I said. â€Å"Love in the real world doesn’t usually work out the way stories make us think it should. We don’t always get fairy-tale endings. People split up and move on. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can’t love someone else.† I shivered. This was remarkably similar to a conversation Carter and I had once had, shortly after the (first) break-up with Seth. â€Å"It’s still not right,† said Brandy obstinately. Seth and Maddie retrieved her shortly thereafter, for which I was grateful. I really didn’t want to have to play devil’s advocate and defend a marriage that I was hardly thrilled about myself. I felt that sorrow that always seemed to plague me when I thought about them surface†¦and then remembered Erik’s comments. Don’t give in to it. Stay away from it – that was what kept leading me into trouble. Easier said than done, just as I’d told him. Distraction seemed to be the key to it all, and I just didn’t feel up to another liaison tonight. I certainly didn’t need the energy. â€Å"Distract me,† I murmured when I was seated in my car. â€Å"Annoy me with your ‘wit,’ or just make me outright mad.† No physical evidence of Roman appeared – no signature, no physical appearance – but his voice answered me back just as softly. â€Å"Go see your friends. Aren’t they going to that bar tonight? You need to tell Cody he’s going on a double date.† â€Å"It’s not a double date,† I growled back. But Roman had a point. I probably should let the young vampire know what was in store tomorrow. I was also kind of curious how Roman even knew about the bar outing. I’d received a voice mail message earlier today that one would think would have been out of Roman’s hearing range. He’d either been standing really close, or nephilim just had superhuman hearing. And, well, seeing as they were superhuman, I supposed that wasn’t too far off. Another idea suddenly came to mind about tonight’s social gathering, one that would most definitely provide a distraction – and possibly take care of a nuisance. â€Å"The bar it is,† I declared. I drove down to Pioneer Square, Seattle’s historic district, and sought out the Cellar, a dive of a bar located in a basement akin to its name. It was a favorite place for immortals – well, hellish immortals. Since most angels didn’t drink – Carter being the exception – you didn’t usually find them hanging out in bars. They were more likely to be found at upscale coffee shops. For inexplicable reasons, a number of them also liked to hang out at the restaurant on top of the Space Needle. Maybe they thought it was bringing them closer to Heaven. And, indeed, as I walked down the stairs into the Cellar, I felt Carter’s signature, along with those of my usual clique. Best of all, there was an additional signature I’d been hoping to find. â€Å"Hot damn,† I said, striding toward the table where Simone sat with my friends. She burned with the glow of energy that succubi stole from their victims. I hated to admit it, but hers was brighter than the one I still sported. I assured myself that it was just because she’d probably bagged someone today, rather than last night. Hugh scooted to make room for me, and I pulled up a chair from a neighboring table. â€Å"Didn’t think you’d show tonight.† I waved a waiter over and ordered a vodka gimlet. â€Å"You know I can’t stay away from you guys.† â€Å"You’re just in time,† said Carter. His face was neutral, but I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes as he sipped his bourbon. â€Å"Simone was just regaling us with tales of the Underground Tour. Did you hear that Seattle burned to the ground and was rebuilt a century ago?† â€Å"Only every time I take the tour,† I replied. Which had been about a dozen times. It was a tourist hotbed, and I’d taken friends and out-of-town victims on it often. I gave Simone a curious look. â€Å"Did you do that today?† She nodded. â€Å"Figured I should take in the city while I’m here.† She was still using that librarian voice, but I had to admit she looked more like a succubus than the last time I’d seen her. Her neckline was cut so low, it was a wonder her nipples didn’t show. Her lips were fuck-me red, and unless I was mistaken, her hair was longer and more voluminous than before. I couldn’t decide if she looked like an angel or a beach bunny. And speaking of angels†¦Simone had her chair pushed right next to Carter’s, so close that she couldn’t help but brush her arm against his each time she reached for her drink. I suspected her leg was pressed up to his as well. He glanced over, giving her a look that wasn’t exactly romantic but filled with deep interest I felt certain was feigned. â€Å"I find Seattle’s history fascinating. I haven’t been here that long, so it’s great to keep learning new things.† Simone beamed. Across the table, Hugh choked a little on his drink. Carter had been in Seattle for a couple hundred years. True – not that long for an immortal like him, but he’d most certainly been here for the Seattle fire. Hell, considering how he’d once accidentally burned down my Christmas tree, he might have been the one who set the city ablaze, for all I knew. My gimlet appeared, and I took a long drink of liquid courage. â€Å"From what I hear, you’ve been checking out some of our local celebrities too,† I said sweetly. Simone dragged her adoring gaze from Carter and fixed me with a frown. â€Å"I don’t think I’ve run into many celebrities.† â€Å"Well,† I said, still smiling like a fool. â€Å"I guess it depends on how you define ‘celebrity.’ I certainly consider best-selling authors celebrities. You’ve been chatting up one quite a bit.† Immediately, Cody, Hugh, and Peter eagerly snapped to attention. They could sniff female conflict a mile away and were undoubtedly bracing themselves for a cat fight. â€Å"Oh, that,† she said dismissively. â€Å"I thought you meant like an actor or something. Yeah, he’s just someone on my radar. One of many. Pretty cute. Nice enough.† â€Å"And a friend of mine,† I said. My voice was still cheerful, but I could see in her eyes that she was well aware of the escalating tension. â€Å"Still, fair game,† she replied with a shrug. â€Å"And what do you care? His soul’s already tainted. He’s not that good a catch. Not like I can do much more damage.† That wasn’t true. Seth might currently be Hell-bound, but he wasn’t beyond redemption – even though the odds of that were allegedly slim. If by some crazy chance Simone got him to cheat on Maddie again, his soul would grow darker and kill any lingering chances to save him. Plus, sin aside, Simone would shorten his life – which was something I was definitely against. â€Å"So, he’s just a random guy you scoped out?† I asked. The politeness was fading from me. It was disappearing from her too. So. Bland Simone wasn’t quite as oblivious as she played. â€Å"The fact that he’s a friend of mine and someone I used to date makes no difference?† â€Å"You make it sound like I’m trying to get you back for something. I don’t even know you. I’m just here on vacation. Getting guys is part of our life – and you don’t have any territorial control like them.† She nodded toward the vampires, who had very well-defined hunting grounds. â€Å"Unless,† she added smugly, â€Å"you’ve got some kind of arrangement with Jerome.† I certainly didn’t. In fact, my boss had made it extremely clear that he didn’t care about what happened to Seth. â€Å"No, but I’d think you’d do it as a courtesy when you’re visiting someone else’s city. It’s the nice thing to do.† My smile returned, filled with ice this time. â€Å"And it ensures that your visit stays nice too.† Maybe using her favorite adjective would drive home my message. Simone stiffened, attention totally on me now. â€Å"What is this, some kind of warning that you’ll come after me if I don’t back off?† I shrugged and finished my drink. â€Å"Just friendly advice.† She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder with such force that it nearly hit Carter in the head. Apparently, he wasn’t on the radar anymore. Well, at least for now. â€Å"I’m not going to stay and listen to thinly veiled threats. Especially ones over inconsequential men. If I want him, I’ll get him.† â€Å"You’ll be missed,† I muttered as she stalked away. â€Å"Oh,† said Hugh brightly. â€Å"There is nothing I like better than when succubi fight. Puts Dynasty to shame. You could have cleaned the floor with Tawny, but Simone might give you a match.† â€Å"Hardly,† I said. â€Å"And she’ll have about as much luck with Seth as Carter.† Carter raised an eyebrow, apparently not agreeing with my statement. â€Å"She’s really hitting on Seth?† asked Cody. â€Å"Yup. In a shy, starry-eyed fan girl kind of way.† â€Å"Isn’t that how you won him over way back when?† asked Peter. I shot him a glare. â€Å"It’s irrelevant. It won’t work.† â€Å"Then why worry?† asked Hugh slyly. â€Å"Because an ounce of prevention – oh, never mind,† I groaned. â€Å"I need another drink.† Hugh and the vampires were clearly amused by all this and weren’t particularly concerned. I think they too believed Seth would prove immovable; they just liked the idea of me making another succubus irate. The sad part was that I’d probably just encouraged Simone to try even harder. Two drinks later, I decided to head home. I was sufficiently angry that I didn’t fear the siren song’s comfort. Before leaving, I informed Cody about his impending date. Unsurprisingly, he freaked out. â€Å"What? I†¦I can’t. What will I say? What will I do?† â€Å"Frankly, my dear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Hugh in an undertone. â€Å"You’ll be fine,† I said. â€Å"Just stop stressing and be yourself.† â€Å"Sounds like a double date,† said Peter. â€Å"I can get more black hair dye.† â€Å"No,† I warned. â€Å"Do not even think about it.† I could still see faint streaks that hadn’t entirely washed out from Cody’s blond mane. â€Å"Just dress like you are now. I’ll meet you at the club.† I started to turn, and then a thought came to me. â€Å"Carter, can I talk to you?† His lips twitched slightly. If that was his sign of surprise, I couldn’t say. â€Å"Anything for you, Daughter of Lilith.† He followed me outside the bar, where we stood amid all the Pioneer Square partygoers. Once clear of the building’s non-smoking interior, he promptly lit a cigarette. â€Å"If you’re jealous of my relationship with Simone,† he said, â€Å"I can assure you, we’re just friends.† â€Å"Oh, be quiet. You know that’s not what this is about. Look, she was lying, right? About Seth being a coincidence?† Carter took a long drag before answering. Angels could tell when others were lying. â€Å"Yep. But she seemed pretty sincere in the last comment about going after him regardless.† I grimaced. â€Å"Why? Why would she target Seth? Is it some kind of way to assert dominance over the local succubus?† â€Å"Not sure. The ways of succubi – and all women – are a mystery to me.† â€Å"Jerome originally thought she’d come to spy. He had Roman follow her, but nothing came of it. She never reported in or anything. He pulled Roman from her – † I paused, suddenly turning over the events and analyzing them in a way I hadn’t considered before. â€Å"But it wasn’t until I told him Simone was hitting on Seth. It seemed like that was the moment Jerome pulled Roman. He seemed pretty adamant about leaving her alone.† â€Å"Did he now?† Carter inhaled on the cigarette again, but I could see thoughts churning behind his eyes. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Just a musing,† he said. A half-truth, typical of angels. â€Å"Did Jerome do anything else after that?† â€Å"Yeah, he put Roman on me.† This elicited surprise. â€Å"Why?† Apparently, Jerome and Carter hadn’t been hanging out recently. I gave Carter the rundown on my latest bizarre situation. â€Å"That is weird,† he admitted. â€Å"Do you know what it could be?† â€Å"Any number of things.† He spoke flippantly, but I knew I’d piqued his curiosity – maybe even his concern. I sighed. â€Å"I wish people would stop saying that. No one’s really helping.† â€Å"I’ll help you,† he said, dropping the cigarette and stamping it out. â€Å"I’ll follow Simone.† That was not at all what I had expected. â€Å"Why would you do that? Are you going to stop her from making the moves on Seth?† This earned his amusement. â€Å"You know I can’t interfere with that kind of thing. But I am curious about Simone’s activities.† An uneasy feeling bubbled within me, one that had troubled me since I’d first met Seth, and Carter had begun taking an active role in my life. â€Å"Why? Why do you care so much about Seth? You’ve always been curious about what he does – and how we interact.† â€Å"I’m interested in the creative process of a great artist. It’s fun to watch.† â€Å"Another half-truth.† Like always, he answered the question without really answering it. I was astonished at the desperation in my voice when I spoke next. â€Å"I’m serious. Why, Carter? How does Seth – and me being with Seth – concern you?† He chucked me on the chin. â€Å"You’ve got better things to do than worry about the goings-on of a curious angel. Besides, wouldn’t you feel better if someone was reporting back to you on Simone?† â€Å"Well, yeah,† I admitted. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Then it’s settled. You’re welcome.† He turned quickly away and disappeared into a crowd of partiers. I knew better than to go after him because he’d probably literally disappear once no one was paying attention. I sighed yet again. Fucking angels. How to cite Succubus Shadows Chapter 7, Essay examples

Coca Cola Strategy

Question: Explain theEvaluation of the strategy of Coca Cola for structuring and organizing the international operations. Answer: Background of the company Coca Cola: The Coca Cola Company is an American multinational company that manufactures and retails the product. The company has its headquarter in Atlanta, Georgia. A famous pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented the product in the year 1886. The brand name and the formula of Coca Cola brought in by Asa Griggs Candler (coca-colacompany.com 2016). The main operation of the company was based in North America. The company over the years has made some major acquisitions, which has made the company to strengthen the base of the company. Evaluation of the strategy of Coca Cola for structuring and organizing the international operations: The company Coca Cola in the year 1886 was the seller of cocaine infused elixir but sugary drink has come out in the year 1929. Coca Cola reports suggest there are more than 200 countries with 1.9 billion people consuming the product. The strategy that the company considered was unique and was market as tested formula (Cateora, Gilly and Graham 2013). The logo is unique and the font is unique which is recognised all over the world. The strategies applied is distribution in proprietary bottle, the retailers responsibility includes maintain higher level of standards (Marketing91.com 2015). The company Coca Cola advertised through the word of mouth and developed a voice. The prices were moreover fixed over the years, which was a very important strategy as this helped the company to gather a large market share around the world (Business Insider 2016). Implementation of the strategy by Coca Cola: The unique formula that was adopted by the company Coca Cola was market tested. John Pemberton wanted to develop coca wines. The law was passed in Atlanta then the forced manufacturers of the beverage to produce non-alcoholic type of drinks. Pemberton had unique and tailored taste of the customers. The New Coke disaster has made the brand unique 1985 and the recipe remained unchanged. The company gained advantage without tailoring the taste to regional market. The logo is unique and this has a deep history, which has already imprinted in the mind of the world. The Coca Cola has commissioned the design of the bottle as defensive type of marketing but the promotion will be just like the logo and the product. The Coke bottle is a type of icon. The adjustment of the prices of Coke over the years is 5 cents. Reason for the company Coca Cola to attain success and become a global brand: The company Coca Cola despite having a massive industry globally with a huge number of products did not move away from the basic and the timeless ideals. Throughout the decade with the number of campaigns, they were able to propagate effective message to the customers. The Company Coca Cola holds a global status and thus finds a way through which they speak to the customers at the local level. It was initially introduced in Australia and has successfully expanded in 50 countries. The offering in each country is customized as per the local language and culture and thus it has become a local name as well. Results: The company Coca Cola by following few easy marketing strategies can compete in the international market. Strategies that are applied were brilliant which made the company a recognizable brand. The company has gathered a huge market share around the world and this is likely increase with the increase in the base of the customers. A number of strategies Coca Cola considered before it ventured in the international market. With the strategies, the company was able to get large sales from around the world. The sale from US is 43%, 37% from India, Pakistan, Mexico, China and 20% from the rest of the world. References: Business Insider. (2016).7 brilliant strategies Coca-Cola used to become one of the world's most recognizable brands. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.in/7-brilliant-strategies-Coca-Cola-used-to-become-one-of-the-worlds-most-recognizable-brands/articleshow/47649874.cms [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Cateora, P., Gilly, M. and Graham, J. (2013).International marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. coca-colacompany.com. (2016).coca-colacompany.com. [online] Available at: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/about-coca-cola-journey [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016]. Marketing91.com. (2015).Marketing strategy of Coca cola - Coca cola strategy. [online] Available at: https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-strategy-of-coca-cola/ [Accessed 24 Jun. 2016].

Old Man And Sea Essays - The Old Man And The Sea, Film, Sport Fish

Old Man And Sea Santiago (The Old Man) is the main character of The Old Man and the Sea. His occupation is a fisherman. Unlike the rest of the fishing community, Santiago continues to fish using traditional methods. These methods, however, do not allow Santiago to catch many fish. Thus, he is forced to live a semi-impoverished life Who is the secondary character? A= Manolin (the young boy) is a young man and good friend of Santiago. Santiago has spent several years teaching and instructing Manolin in the traditional methods of fishing. Where and when the story takes place? A= In Cuba and out in the Gulf Stream, in the 50'. What is the climax of the story? A= During the last few moments of the Marlin's life. Santiago battles furiously with the huge fish as it thrashes about in the water. The danger to Santiago is immense because the size of the marlin is much greater than the Santiago's boat. Did you like the story? Why? A= Yes because is about the hard existence of the man fighting against his destiny, conditioned by the social and cultural structures that mark his life. Do a summary of the story A= The story is about Santiago a Cuban fisherman who goes through many conflicts with nature and himself. He experiences poor luck in the latter part of his life which leaves him poor and destitute, relying on a boy to feed him and to be his only true friend. In spite of his skill as a fisherman, only his diligent perseverance ended his eighty-five day drought of fish. In this time of need, Santiago's pride prevailed over his hunger and need of supplies. While fishing in solitude, Santiago's eighty-five day ordeal ended with the snaring of a marlin. During the contest between himself and the fish, Santiago had to endure many physical and emotional conflicts. Santiago's physical conflicts include his hunger, fatigue, and the cramping of his hand. His body required nutrition and became tired and thirsty, inflicting great pain and demanding his attention. The obtaining of nourishment was a task which required all his skills and physical strength while at the same time holding a line with a marlin larger than any he had ever seen. When Santiago's hand cramped and refused to be of any use to him, he felt betrayed by his body and had to coax his hand with kind words, food, and time out of paralysis to the point where it could again assist in the capture and killing of the marlin. Santiago struggled with his emotions throughout the ordeal as well. He continually felt unworthy of putting such a grand fish to death and understood he was better than the fish only because he could think. Santiago felt sorry for having to destroy such a beautiful creature, and when pulling the fish alongside the boat, being torn apart by sharks, he felt as though the fish had disrespectfully been treated and that is was a disgrace for it to be destroyed by that means. Santiago struggles with many conflicts in this novel and the climax takes place just as he is using his last efforts and tools to disperse the sharks and protect the marlin. In his failure his struggles end and he slumps into his boat in lamentation. His conflicts are resolved and he returns to port with only a carcass, receiving no monetary profit, but gaining the respect of his colleagues.

Free Essays on GM to Sue California

The Wall Street Journal Date: Monday February 26, 2001 Article Title: GM’s Move to Sue California Over rules On Emmissions Leaves Auto Makers Split. On Friday February 23, General Motors Corp. filed a law suit in California Superior Court against the state Air Resource Boards that by 2003 all cars and light trucks sold or leased in California by big manufacturer’s emit no pollution. Ford Motor Co. and Daimler Chrysler AG decided not to endorse GM’s legal efforts. GM says that the new standards and are both economically and technologically difficult to meet. Air boars officials felt that they were not being unreasonable, and that GM should rely on their engineers rather than their lawyers. This suit can have large impact because other states have already agreed to the same emission rules as CA. Ford issued a statement that it was prepared to meet the requirements and that they are headed in this direction anyway by promising to try to improve the gas mileage on all their sport utility vehicles by %25 over 5 years. Toyota Motors Corp., said they are not planning on taking any part of this even thought they ha ve been arguing the same issues. GM says that they have been trying very hard to clean up the air in CA.. They introduced their battery powered car their five years ago, and have supplied electric power transit busses as well. GM says that sales of electric cars has been so small that they might have to resort to selling golf cart like cars. They say they are not being given enough time to meet the standards.... Free Essays on GM to Sue California Free Essays on GM to Sue California The Wall Street Journal Date: Monday February 26, 2001 Article Title: GM’s Move to Sue California Over rules On Emmissions Leaves Auto Makers Split. On Friday February 23, General Motors Corp. filed a law suit in California Superior Court against the state Air Resource Boards that by 2003 all cars and light trucks sold or leased in California by big manufacturer’s emit no pollution. Ford Motor Co. and Daimler Chrysler AG decided not to endorse GM’s legal efforts. GM says that the new standards and are both economically and technologically difficult to meet. Air boars officials felt that they were not being unreasonable, and that GM should rely on their engineers rather than their lawyers. This suit can have large impact because other states have already agreed to the same emission rules as CA. Ford issued a statement that it was prepared to meet the requirements and that they are headed in this direction anyway by promising to try to improve the gas mileage on all their sport utility vehicles by %25 over 5 years. Toyota Motors Corp., said they are not planning on taking any part of this even thought they ha ve been arguing the same issues. GM says that they have been trying very hard to clean up the air in CA.. They introduced their battery powered car their five years ago, and have supplied electric power transit busses as well. GM says that sales of electric cars has been so small that they might have to resort to selling golf cart like cars. They say they are not being given enough time to meet the standards....

Bear Minimum Essay Example for Free

Bear Minimum Essay The lease of a combustion turbine by Big Bear Power from Goliath Co includes three provisions that we must examine to determine whether they should be included in the â€Å"minimum lease payment† as defined in ASC 840. Provision 1 This provision involves Big Bear paying $500,000 to its external counsel, and $1 million of legal fees to Goliath Co. The $1 million fee to Goliath Co. should be included in the minimum lease payment. This is supported by 840-10-25-6 which states: Fees that are paid by the lessee to the owners of the special-purpose entity for structuring the lease transaction†¦shall be included as part of minimum lease payments. The $500,000 to its external counsel should not be included because it was not an obligatory cost for the lease. Provision 2 To determine if the penalty payment from a default would be included in the minimum lease payment, we look at ASC 840-10-25-14: [Default covenants related to nonperformance do not affect lease classification if all of the following conditions exist: a. The default covenant provision is customary in financing arrangements. b. The occurrence of the event of default is objectively determinable (for example, subjective acceleration clauses would not satisfy this condition). c. Predefined criteria, related solely to the lessee and its operations, have been established for the determination of the event of default. d. It is reasonable to assume, based on the facts and circumstances that exist at lease inception, that the event of default will not occur. In applying this condition, it is expected that entities would consider recent trends in the lessee’s operations. If any of those conditions do not exist, then the maximum amount that the lessee could be required to pay under the default covenant shall be included in minimum lease payments for purposes of applying paragraph 840-10-25-1] The first condition about the default covenant provision being customary does exist due to the note stating that â€Å"this is a customary provision in  leasing arrangements†. The company has positive cash flow and is in compliance with all its debt covenants, which supports Big Bear’s belief that the chance of default is low. Thus conditions 2 and 4 are met. Condition 3, which involves predetermined criteria in case of a default, does not seem to have been met. Since not all the conditions have been met, the default payment covenant shall be included in the minimum lease payment. Provision 3 This provision states that Big Bear’s rent of $1 million will increase by the same percentage increase in the CPI. The most recent annual increase in CPI was 4%. 840-10-25-4 states that â€Å"lease payments that depend on an existing index or sate, such as the CPI or prime interest rate, shall be included in minimum lease payments based on the index†. Therefore after the first year, the minimum lease payment will rise by $40,000 per year or $3,333.33 per month. Bear Minimum. (2016, Mar 04).

Diamond Model Analyze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diamond Model Analyze - Essay Example These are very important. A country endowed with natural resources that are important for the production especially in the line that the foreign investor has interest will be an advantageous situation. Further, infrastructure makes it easy for operations reducing cost of doing business. For example an existence of an airport makes it easy for transportation of goods or perishable products and as such is a good environment for wooing direct foreign investment.Secondly, the demand conditions also come to play. As a factor that would influence the ability for doing business for foreign investors. Demand for the products that are generated by the foreign investor is an environmental factor of consideration. Without demand the investor will not be attracted and as such no foreign investment can be realized. Related supporting industries in the line that the foreign investor is also necessary and is a factor to consider. This is because they make easier the operation of the given foreign c ompany and as such their existence around can provide a good environment for the survival and operation of the foreign investment. For example if the direct foreign investment was targeting production of cotton, an existence of textile industry or other related ones will make the investment viable and as such encourage direct foreign investments. Competitive opponent’s existence is another environment factor that should be taken in to account when trying to woo a foreign direct investor.

Write a 1,000-word essay about the value and limitations of the

Write a 1,000-word about the value and limitations of the document in understanding American foreign policy-making and US relations with China (both Natio - Essay Example It reflects some clear thinking in the US State Department in its understanding of issues related to China. Broadly put, the proposed policy aims to build a calibrated relationship with China but at the same time have a strong upper hand in this relationship. This paper provides a wider perspective to the ‘draft document’ and contextualizes the policy of the US government towards China to the prevailing national and international political scenarios of the time. The proposed policy rightly aims to assist the Chinese people by providing them with food stocks. The ‘Great Leap Forward’ beginning 1958 which was about simultaneous development of agricultural and industrial sectors, turned out to be a major economic disaster for China, leaving, by some estimates around 20 million dead. Providing China with much needed food relief and other humanitarian aid such as medical information and advanced warnings about natural disasters, in this scenario, would have indeed helped Chinese people (if not the Chinese Government) warm up to the Americans. What the proposed policy fails to take into account is that China has always been a ‘closed’ State. Even in 2008, in an era of internet and mobile phones, the Chinese people are largely dependent on government filtered sources of information (Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman). Attempting to influence opinions of Chinese people in the 1960s would have only been tougher. By attempting to reward the Japanese and Indians, the proposed policy rightly aims to strengthen the nuclear capabilities, albeit for peaceful purposes, of China’s neighbours, and in turn, build a perception that China’s military capabilities are neither unique nor so strong as to push the smaller neighbours into China’s fold. The US strategy of containment of China is envisages the willingness of the smaller players such as Japan or larger ones such as India to become a pawn in

The Role Of Media Essay Example for Free

The Role Of Media Essay Information is a very powerful tool.   One who controls it can manipulate the outcome of most events in society.   The media possesses this enviable authority to independently disseminate information on all things significant to everyone.   Politics, entertainment, sports, health, current events, and government are the facets of civil society that the media needs to cover.   It has a significant role in all these aspects to transmit every detail of information to the public.   In government, the media plays an even bigger role.    It serves as a bridge between government leaders and the people.   The media is tasked with major responsibilities to function as broadcaster, educator, and watchdog. As a broadcaster, the media gathers noteworthy information about every action our government is carrying out.   It needs to convey the news with unequivocal objectivity with one major goal- bring the truth to the people.   As an educator, the media holds the duty to instruct the public on complex governmental issues.   The process and system of government policies and regulations need to be put in plain words so the majority of the citizens will comprehend.   This will empower the people and encourage them to uphold their rights and privileges. As a watchdog, the media scrutinizes every decision the government makes.   It acts as the eyes and ears of society taking all information into consideration and exposes them to the public for review.   The media compels government officials to be always accountable to the people who placed them in their respective positions.   The media has not really changed much. Throughout the years, it has remained true to the mission it has set to undertake.   The muckrakers of the past and the journalists of present times have stood their ground and remained steadfast.   The media has withstood the test of time and continued to dedicate its existence in the service of the people.   It has its fair share of triumphs and disappointments.   The media has dedicated its whole life in the pursuit of the truth. Works Cited The Role of Media in Democracy: A Strategic Approach. Technical Publication Series. Jun. 1999: pg 3. Center for Democracy and Governance Bureau for Global Programs, Field Support, and Research US Agency for International Development. Paletz, David L. The Media in American Politics: Contents and Consequences. New York: Longman, 1999. Rasky, Susan. Informing Democracy: The Role of Media in Shaping American Policy and Public Opinion. USINFO- The United States Department of State. U.S. Department of States Bureau of International Information Programs. 12 Dec. 2004. http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/USINFO/Products/Webchats/rasky_11_dec_2006.html

Common Sense Essay example -- essays research papers

Common Sense. By Thomas Paine. Edited with an Introduction by Isaac Kramnic. (New York: Penguin Books, 1986).   	Recently, I acquired a copy of Thomas Paine’s most recent patriotic pamphlet, entitled Common Sense. I was immediately interested in what Paine had to say in his new work, after such powerful previous works, such as The Crisis series. I was nothing less than astonished at how Paine so powerfully conveyed his patriotic message. Paine theorizes a split between England and the colonial states. At the same time as a split is theorized, it would form a union of the colonial states into one country, united into one body on our American principles, no longer under the rule of the British Parliament and its ridiculous taxes and misrepresentation. Paine delivers one of the most compelling arguments I have heard on why there should be a division between the English and the Americans. 	The British Parliament has long been a bane to the colonists in the New World, with the passage of all their "acts" to tax us simply because we are more productive. Paine makes his contempt for the current system of government quite clear early on. "Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for even we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamities is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer." (65) Paine clearly believes that the English government falls into the "intolerable" category of governments. Although a system of government is a required entity in almost any society, there are much better ways to govern a people besides the British monarchal system. Paine discusses how the Parliament is set up as a representation o f the people, but what good is representation in a monarchy? The monarch still has absolute power, even though a system is set up to make it appear as though the people have a say. This lack of true representation instills a lack of trust towards the king in the British subjects. These factors create doubt in one’s mind about the strength of the British government. Paine questions the government saying: "How came the king by a power which the people are afraid to trust, ... ...umstances, a separation between England and America is crucial to the survival of America. The only factor that must be decided is when such a separation should occur. If we look to Paine’s advice, he states: "As all men allow the measure, and vary only in their opinion of the time, let us, in order to remove mistakes, take a general survey of things and endeavour if possible, to find out the very time. But we need not go far, the inquiry ceases at once, for the time hath found us." (100) Paine calls for an immediate separation from the British. As an independent nation, America could be free of England’s tyrannical government, and its absurd monarchy. No longer would we have to suffer the injustices of the British Parliament and their ridiculous taxes. We already have to protect ourselves as a nation, without British support, unless of course the English have some interest in the matter. Why not defend our selves as an independent nation? There is no poss ibility of reparations at this point in time. However, this is the key time to make our stand. If we ever have a desire to become free men, men of our own will and control, we must act now, and declare our independence.

Unfeeling Personalities

Sometimes my co-workers can be shallow, dishonest, unreliable, and generally fake when it comes to how they are at work. You can go into work one day and they are laughing and Joking with you, and the next day they can be snapping at you and treating you like you murdered someone. I usually Just deal with this at work, then go home and vent to my boyfriend about them. I never imagined that a simple test in a college class could change how I looked at my co-workers. We had to complete what is called the Golden Personality test for my FirstSemester Seminar course, which took place from March 3rd to April 26th. This test was written by John P. Golden, who is an economic and social scientist. This test that he wrote presents a way to better understand not only the type of personality we have, but also what type of personality those around us have. Taking this test was meant to show the differences and similarities between personality types, and as a result, would make us more prepared to work with all the different types of people we may come across in our lives.When I first went to take this test, I wasn't really ere about how accurate it would be, but I believe that taking this test has made working with the people in my life, such as home, work, and school, a lot less difficult. Here are my reasons why I believe this test was effective. After you take this test, which is comprised of various questions about how we react to situations, people, places, etc. , you are given an â€Å"official† personality type.This personality type is based off of your answers to the questions taken from sixteen different possible types, is represented by four letters, and each letter in the resonantly type describes aspects that stand out about your personality based upon your answers to the questions given. The test is also separated out into sections that show how you react and feel in life. The personality type that I was identified as when I took this test was an ‘ NEFF'. The letters in my personality type stand for Extroversion, Intuiting, Feeling, and Judging.The first section of the Golden Personality Test represents where and how you focus your energy in life. This could either be as an Extrovert, or an Introvert. An Extrovert is someone who enjoys being around others and focuses on people, places, etc. The opposite of that is the Introvert. Introverts like to keep to themselves, and although they still like the company of others, it is usually over the internet, such as in video games. When I took this test, my results showed that I don't really have a clear preference on how and where I focus my energy, but I may prefer to be more Extroverted than Introverted.This would mean that I focus my energy more on tangible things and people, and am a little more social and active, rather than sousing my energy on my thoughts and ideas and keeping solely to myself. I would have to say that I agree with this part of the test. I can be more social a nd tend to direct most of my energy toward people and things, but I also can be very reflective and want quiet time too. I love spending time with my friends and family, but I enjoy just sitting and being quiet in the woods by myself. Another good example of this is my music choices.If you were to look at my play list, you would see everything from Lady Gaga and Kathy Perry, to Any and Celtic Woman. The second section of this test represents how you gather your information. This can be classified as either Sensing, or Intuiting. I was classified as someone who has a slight preference toward Intuiting. This would mean that I process information in a more ‘symbolic and global fashion', and less in an ‘exact, detailed, and literal fashion'. It also means that I think more about what is possible and the big picture, rather than what are known and more practical issues.I would say that I agree with this one as well. I do a lot of both types of information-gathering, but I ten d to lean more award using my intuition. The facts' are not always 100% accurate, even though we like to think so. The world is constantly changing; including so-called fact', but our intuition stays the same and generally points us in the right direction. The next section of the Golden Personality test focuses on how you make decisions. This can be classified as either Thinking, or Feeling. This test showed that I lean more heavily toward the Feeling aspect rather than the Thinking aspect.This means that I focus more on how my decisions will affect others rather than focusing n logic and rationality. I have to agree with this because I know that I tend to make my decisions based upon how I think it will affect others around me and less on the ‘normal' way that people make decisions, which is usually based more on what is rational and logical. I like to describe it as me following my heart'. The fourth section of the test shows how you generally approach life. You can either b e classified as Judging, or Perceiving.I was classified as having a clear preference toward the Judging aspect rather than the Perceiving aspect. This would mean that I prefer an orderly, organized, and systematic approach to life, rather than a flexible and open-ended one. I would agree with this part of the test as well, except I believe I am closer to being in the middle ground of the two aspects, rather than preferring one more heavily than the other. I like order and things being organized and planned out, but I also like to Just go and do things on a whim and don't really need to plan every single detail out.The final section of the Golden Personality Test shows how you respond to daily life and what life throws at us each day. This is broken down in the test into two focuses: Tense, or Calm. This test showed that I typically respond to daily stress in more of a calm fashion rather than in a tense fashion. This means that I am more optimistic, calm, and relaxed about how thing s go in life. I agree with this section almost 100% because although I can be cautious and unsure of how things will go, I tend to be calmer and laid back about things than others.If something isn't working out, I tend to respond more in a cool and collected fashion rather than acting like it is he end of the world'. I definitely worry and am concerned with how things may go, but overall, I am cool and collected in stressful situations. This test is meant to show us what type of person we are, and in turn, make it easier to understand those around us. Overall, I would have to say that I agree with the results that this test provided for me. There are a few discrepancies with how it described my personality, but overall it was very accurate. People are diverse, and no two people are exactly alike.I believe that this test is already helping me not only utter understand how my personality comes across to others, but also to understand better those that I work with in my Job, school, an d anywhere else I come into contact and work with people. I now know why my co-workers act the way they do, and instead of Jumping to conclusions and Just thinking that they are horrible co- workers, I stop and take a look at what is going on with them. Sometimes there is a good reason they are acting the way they are. I am being more empathetic, less judgmental, and I am taking a closer look at the world around me and the people in it.

Bio-Polymer Chemistry Assessment Task

Production of Materials: Chemistry Assessment Task Part A: Biopolymers Definition: The term â€Å"Biopolymer† refers to polymers that are produced by living organisms. Since these are polymers, biopolymers contain monomeric units that are covalently bonded to form larger sructures. Biopolmers are divided up into 3 main classes. These are: Polynucleotides (which include RNA and DNA), Polypeptides ( short polymers of amino acids) and Polysaccharides. Examples of some Biopolymers include: Cellulose, Starch and Proteins. Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Biopolymer#Polypeptides Biopolymer: Polylactic acidFormation: PLA is produced from a renewable source. For example corn. Corn is harvested and then milled to extract the starch from the raw materials. From the starch, dextrose is produced. The dextrose is then fermented, transforming into lactic acid. The lactic acid is altered into a polymer by the process of condensation, then forming long chain molecular compounds into pol ylactic acid. The organism is Lactic Acid. Source: http://www. hitachi-pt. com/products/ip/process/pla. html Properties and Uses: Being able to degrade into lactic acid, PLA is used as medical implants in the form of screws, pins, rods and as a mesh.PLA can also be used as a compostable packaging material. Cups and Bags have been made out of PLA. In the form of film, PLA shrinks upon heating allowing it to be used in shrink tunnels. PLA is also useful for producing loose-fill packaging, compost bags and disposable tableware. PLA can also be used in treatment in the body. Depending on the exact type used, it breaks down in the body within 6 months to 2 years. This degredation is desirable for a support structure because it gradually transfers the load to the body as the organ heals.Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Polylactic_acid#Manufacturers Assessment: The impact of PLA on the society is that due to the high demand or PLA products from resources such as corn, corn growers ha ve been tampering with the genes of the corn to produce higher yields in order to suffice the demand. Even though PLA is biodegradable it still takes at least three months in a controlled environment to properly break down into it’s components. However it is estimated to take 100 to 1000 years to decompose in landfill.PLA is also from a different origin than regular plastics, therefore it needs to be kept separate when recycling. PLA is an alternative to the common plastic bag or plastic cup since it can be recycled which can be useful to the society. Source: http://www. scientificamerican. com/article. cfm? id=environmental-impact-of-corn-based-plastics Judgement: Even though PLA is an alternative to common plastic due to it being recyclable and biodegradable, PLA still needs to be refined to make it more efficient to produce, be cost effective and to be able to degrade at a much faster rate.Part B: Batteries Sources: Vertex Learning Centre: Book, HSC chemistry, Vertex Learn ing Centre: Book, Production of Materials Section 6 and 7 Button Cell Plastic seal Zinc case Graphite rod Electrolyte Negative terminal Positive terminal Plastic seal Zinc case Graphite rod Electrolyte Negative terminal Positive terminal Leclanche Cell (Dry Cell) Sources: http://www. comf-hk. com/zcart/index. php? main_page=page&id=3&chapter=1 Leclanche Cell diagram- 4. 6 cells and batteries word document By Bernard Broekhuizen

Change Management Essay

Change Management Essay Change Management Essay tThis literature is aimed at reviewing the management of changes implemented by Toyota Australia in response to the present economic struggle experienced in the automotive industry. Conflict had begun to brew in September 2011 as the manufacturing team at the Toyota Altona manufacturing plant in Melbourne pressed for a pay increment. The Altona team was represented by the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) in a negotiation for an increase of twelve percent over the duration of three years (Beissmann 2011a). This industrial action resulted in stop-work strikes that impacted Toyota Australia’s customers, dealers, suppliers and even employees whom did not participate in the industrial action (Beissmann 2011b). Resolution was finally reached between Toyota Australia and the union after six week of numerous intensive meetings. The agreement is that Toyota Australia will offer its employees an increase of eleven percent over a period of three years. This agreement came with the cost of loss productivity which prevented the scheduled launch date for one of its primary model, the new 2012 Toyota Camry (Beissmann 2011c). This literature brings forth an important point that the rationale basis of Toyota Australia to defend their position with the union over a difference of one percent increase is in question. In early January 2012, Toyota Australia publicized on their website of their strong sales performance despite having to overcome the challenges of production disruption due to the natural disasters in Japan and Thailand. Toyota was recognized as the Australia’s most popular automotive brand (toyota.com.au. 2012a). Therefore it was unexpected following this exciting news, that Toyota Australia President and CEO, Max Yasuda, announced the execution of downsizing its labour capital by mandating 350 redundancies. Mr Yasuda justified this action as absolutely essential to remain sustainable. Toyota Australia has been compromised by the gr im market conditions which consisted of a reduction in export sales due to the current strength of the Australian currency (toyota.com.au 2012b). While minister, Kim Carr, resounded optimism that the Australia automotive industry is sufficiently resilient to withstand this tough condition, Mr Yasuda does not share the same tune. In fact, Mr Yasuda has proclaimed at present, Toyota Australia has only managed to construct a five year business plan (Beissmann 2012c). In reference to the information provided by Toyota Australia suggests that the change implemented was driven from the external environment comprising of economic downturns and decrease of competitive advantage (Neo et al. 2011). The present interpretation is that Toyota Australia has adopted the political perspective of change when the decision was made to force as opposed to voluntary redundancy offered by Ford Australia (Spinks 2012). According to Graetz et al. (2011), the key features of this perspective revolves around acquiring organizational change via aggressive tactics that produces conflict that included bargaining. This directly reflects the continuous length of industrial conflicts that Toyota Australia has encountered from employees challenge for pay increment to forced redundancy (Drill 2012). It would appear that Toyota has neglected to approach this change decision from a psychological perspective to consider the damaging effects it would have on â€Å"survivors† from the redundancy movement (Graetz et al. 2011). The downsizing strategy implemented by Toyota Australia invokes what is term â€Å"survivor guilt†, which indicates a psychological reaction experienced by employees who survived and were able to retain their positions. However the impact can provoke anxiety over the stability of their jobs consequently decrease loyalty and staff morale. This anxiety is further exacerbated by the perception that good work ethics such as dedication and competency failed to save the jobs of their colleagues. Therefore, it is proposed

Natural Resources, Conflict and Conflict Resolution Research Paper

Natural Resources, Conflict and Conflict Resolution - Research Paper Example It will also look at how samples will be chose and studied for further deductions that will end up in the formation of an appropriate theory. This paper also contains limitations that are inherent in a research of this nature. The problem statement refers to fundamental problem in society that gives impetus for the enquiry to begin in a research (Harvey 2006). Anyone with some knowledge of the American revolution is aware that colonized population of the 13 states of America were fed up with the British taxes and tyrannical rule that practically enslaved the people. This is a common explanation for the revolt and uprising that followed between 1771 and 1776 when the British were eventually kicked out. However, a practical research can be set up in an attempt to evaluate the exact cause or a single cause of the uprising of the Patriots in this context. There is a wide range of issues that can come up this include the taxes, the justice system, general resentment etc. A research question is seen as â€Å"an explanatory question a researcher asks about variables of interest† (Wrench et al, 2003). In other words, when the researcher has an idea of what the research will be about, s/he can come up with a research question that will suit the situation. However, Wench et al (2003) continue to state that a research question should be formulated after some review of literature. In this case, the researcher needs to go through existing sources like books, journals, articles, websites and other materials written by credible sources to state the factual position relevant to the research. This means that the researcher has to fall on other authorities to find important matters and facts that have been arrived at by other authorities in the field. (Fearon 2005) argues that nations whose economies rely heavily or solely on primary commodity

Paper on Financial Monitoring and Control Essay

Paper on Financial Monitoring and Control - Essay Example According to Nikolai et al (2009), efficient monitoring and control of cash ensure that there is adequate cash to undertake important activities in organizations. Cash control systems need internal control measures that are adequate and effective, which must comply with laws and regulations of any given jurisdiction where the business or project is carried out. Kutz (2003) asserts that error and lack of control over organizations assets and cash lead to business or project failure. Components of financial monitoring and control system First, roles and responsibilities form part of the components of financial monitoring and control system. Every financial or accounting officer has a role to play regarding cash receipts and disbursement as well as towards financial records. Access to cash of the organization should be limited to few authorized personnel and duties performed by different accounting and finance officers should be separated. Cash should be controlled from the time it is r eceived from customers (at the point of sale) to the point it is deposited in the bank. Point of sales terminals or cash registers need to be used. This is because point of sales terminals and cash registers allow for monitoring cash inflow. Second, financial records are components of monitoring and controlling finances. All expenses and revenue (income) transactions are recorded in general ledger. General ledgers form the foundation for generating reports and financial statements of each project. Revenue, cost and managerial accounting are used for internal purposes for planning, monitoring and controlling organization’s monies. Financial records are evidences that financial transactions took place. Financial records assist project managers to determine how much they have spent, how much they have and how much they need to spent in future (Garman and Forgue, 2007). Gross et al (2005) asserts that well kept financial records enables managers and interested parties to review r esult of financial transactions. Cash shortages and excess will be easily identified and remedial measures taken to correct the situation when proper records are kept. List of all checks received must be recorded and forwarded to the appropriate department. Cashiers must prepare daily bank deposits. Records of all billings, payables, accruals, receivables, invoices, contracts and suppliers must be kept appropriately. Third, disbursements thresholds also form part of financial monitoring and control system. Procedures that allow payments of actual expenditures must be complied with accordingly. The organization must create ceilings above which payments shall only be made through checks. For example, an organization ensures that payments above $200 must be made using checks. Furthermore, large amounts of cash to be disbursed must be authorized and approved by people who are in higher positions. For example, any expenditure above $5,000 must only be approved and authorized by the proje ct director or managing director. The organization should properly utilize petty cash systems and payments should only be made upon verification of all supporting documents. Fourth, a budget forms a component of financial monitoring and control system. Budgets reflect financial goals and objectives of a project covering a specific period of time. During budgeting, technological trends, resource pricing, employee relations, raw materials cycles, inventory levels, financial needs and seasonality should be taken into considerations (Shim and Siegel 2008). Donovan (2005) explained that before a person or organization spend what they have earned, it is important to prepare budgets to be able to focus on priorities. Therefore, every

Earned Value Management in Multi-Projects and Programmes Essay

Earned Value Management in Multi-Projects and Programmes - Essay Example The paper will analyse earned value management by discussing three major objectives. The first will be describing the most important factors that should be considered when monitoring and controlling programs and multi-projects. The other will be to explain the advantages of implementing Earned value management for these programs and multi-projects. Finally yet importantly will be to establish the significance of earned value management data accuracy. There are five major factors that are considered by an earned value management technique. The first is organisation: It involves creating a work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS is supposed to detail down all activities, to describe the task to be carried out, and the relationship it has to the products that can be delivered (Humphreys & Visitacion, 2009). In organisation, there is also the OBS, which refers to the organization breakdown structure. It is responsible for identifying the person in charge of the work effort described by the WBS. Both the WBS and the OBS define a control account. It means that at this level is where the key management control point is found. Planning, budgeting, and scheduling makes up the second group that an earned value management considers. An integrated schedule is what creates the contractors map to meet their objectives in a program of multi-project they are responsible for (Humphreys & Visitacion, 2009). The schedule has to be loaded with resources so that it can determine an effective budget as scheduled. The total budget created for every task, control account, or the whole project is known as the budget at complete (BAC). Management reserve (MR) is a backup of the total project amount that is incorporated to take care of the uncertainties that may occur, such as risks. Work should only begin when a formal work authorization has been offered. The disciplined approach clearly defines

Organazation design module Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Organazation design module - Research Paper Example This has not only improved the management, but it has also increased the revenue that has in turn created skilled labor based on special facts, skills and proficiency portrayed by the staffs being promoted as supported by fig. 1. Chipotle is one of the world fastest growing food companies with improved in revenue. Chipotle is a limited cafà © without a franchised system thereby allowing for its great synergy across the company. Synergies are gains that have effect when employees and departments systematize their work. From the data as of April 2011, Chipotle has about 1096 cafà © situated in key areas around the world including in the United States, France, London, Canada, Milan, Paris, Munich, and Ontario among others. In spite of its position around the world, Chipotle has achieved a lot in terms of business due to its organized management and organization in its operations that has been supported through implementing fig 5 order of organizational management. Chipotle has exceptional food tradition that provides the best ingredients in the fast food competitive market. Notably, specific Chipotle personalities have been key figures in its success. For instance, Steve Ells and Monty Moran-Chipotle Mexican Grill, CEO, have steadily improved the company’s income by investing in their staff by applying the principles defined in fig 2 below. Application of the same principles has made Chipotle to record increased revenues through increased investments and steady inflow of customers. Additionally, the company has the same employment prospect that give opportunity to all citizens in spite of their race, gender, country of origin, age, religion, or disabilities. Nonetheless, Ells and Moran boasts of tactical human resource management model that has helped Chipotle grow up from within. This is the model by which managers devise the workings of an HRM model to be dependable with each other and with other essentials of organizational design. Moreover, employees

Economic Indicators of The Great Depression

Economic Indicators of The Great Depression 1. Start of the Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s.[1] It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the worlds economy can decline. The depression originated in the U.S., starting with the fall in stock prices that began around September 4, 1929 and became worldwide news with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday). From there, it quickly spread to almost every country in the world. The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped while international trade plunged by  ½ to â…”. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25% and in some countries rose as high as 33%. Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as cash cropping, mining and logging suffered the most. Some economies started to recover by the mid-1930s. However, in many countries the negative effects of the Great Depression lasted until the start of World War II. 2. Causes and economic indicators There were multiple causes for the first downturn in 1929. These include the structural weaknesses and specific events that turned it into a major depression and the manner in which the downturn spread from country to country. In relation to the 1929 downturn, historians emphasize structural factors like massive bank failures and the stock market crash. In contrast, economists (such as Barry Eichengreen, Milton Friedman and Peter Temin) point to monetary factors such as actions by the US Federal Reserve that contracted the money supply, as well as Britains decision to return to the Gold Standard at pre-World War I parities (US$4.86: £1). Recessions and business cycles are thought to be a normal part of living in a world of inexact balances between supply and demand. What turns a normal recession or ordinary business cycle into an actual depression is a subject of much debate and concern. Scholars have not agreed on the exact causes and their relative importance. Moreover, the search for causes is closely connected to the issue of avoiding future depressions. Thus, the personal political and policy viewpoints of scholars greatly color their analysis of historic events occurring eight decades ago. An even larger question is whether the Great Depression was primarily a failure on the part of free markets or, alternately, a failure of government efforts to regulate interest rates, curtail widespread bank failures, and control the money supply. Those who believe in a larger economic role for the state believe that it was primarily a failure of free markets, while those who believe in a smaller role for the state believe that it was primarily a failure of government that compounded the problem. Current theories may be broadly classified into two main points of view and several heterodox points of view. First, there are demand-driven theories, most importantly Keynesian economics, but also including those who point to the breakdown of international trade, and Institutional economists who point to under consumption and over-investment (causing an economic bubble), malfeasance by bankers and industrialists, or incompetence by government officials. The consensus among demand-driven theories is that a large-scale loss of confidence led to a sudden reduction in consumption and investment spending. Once panic and deflation set in, many people believed they could avoid further losses by keeping clear of the markets. Holding money became profitable as prices dropped lower and a given amount of money bought ever more goods, exacerbating the drop in demand. Secondly, there are the monetarists, who believe that the Great Depression started as an ordinary recession, but that significant policy mistakes by monetary authorities (especially the Federal Reserve), caused a shrinking of the money supply which greatly exacerbated the economic situation, causing a recession to descend into the Great Depression. Related to this explanation are those who point to debt deflation causing those who borrow to owe ever more in real terms. Lastly, there are various heterodox theories that downplay or reject the explanations of the Keynesians and monetarists. For example, some new classical macroeconomists have argued that various labor market policies imposed at the start caused the length and severity of the Great Depression. The Austrian school of economics focuses on the macroeconomic effects of money supply, and how central banking decisions can lead to over-investment (economic bubble). The Marxist critique of political economy emphasizes the tendency of capitalism to create unbalanced accumulations of wealth, leading to over accumulations of capital and a repeating cycle of devaluations through economic crises. Table 1: Change in economic indicators 1929-32 USA Britain France Germany Industrial production −46% −23 −24 −41 Wholesale prices −32% −33 −34 −29 Foreign trade −70% −60 −54 −61 Unemployment +607% +129 +214 +232 3. Breakdown of international trade Many economists have argued that the sharp decline in international trade after 1930 helped to worsen the depression, especially for countries significantly dependent on foreign trade. Most historians and economists partly blame the American Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (enacted June 17, 1930) for worsening the depression by seriously reducing international trade and causing retaliatory tariffs in other countries. While foreign trade was a small part of overall economic activity in the U.S. and was concentrated in a few businesses like farming, it was a much larger factor in many other countries. The average ad valorem rate of duties on dutiable imports for 1921-1925 was 25.9% but under the new tariff it jumped to 50% in 1931-1935. In dollar terms, American exports declined from about $5.2 billion in 1929 to $1.7 billion in 1933; but prices also fell, so the physical volume of exports only fell by half. Hardest hit were farm commodities such as wheat, cotton, tobacco, and lumber. According to this theory, the collapse of farm exports caused many American farmers to default on their loans, leading to the bank runs on small rural banks that characterized the early years of the Great Depression. 4. Debt deflation Irving Fisher argued that the predominant factor leading to the Great Depression was over-indebtedness and deflation. Fisher tied loose credit to over-indebtedness, which fueled speculation and asset bubbles. He then outlined 9 factors interacting with one another under conditions of debt and deflation to create the mechanics of boom to bust. The chain of events proceeded as follows: Debt liquidation and distress selling Contraction of the money supply as bank loans are paid off A fall in the level of asset prices A still greater fall in the net worth of business, precipitating bankruptcies A fall in profits A reduction in output, in trade and in employment. Pessimism and loss of confidence Hoarding of money A fall in nominal interest rates and a rise in deflation adjusted interest rates. During the Crash of 1929 preceding the Great Depression, margin requirements were only 10%. Brokerage firms, in other words, would lend $9 for every $1 an investor had deposited. When the market fell, brokers called in these loans, which could not be paid back. Banks began to fail as debtors defaulted on debt and depositors attempted to withdraw their deposits en masse, triggering multiple bank runs. Government guarantees and Federal Reserve banking regulations to prevent such panics were ineffective or not used. Bank failures led to the loss of billions of dollars in assets. Outstanding debts became heavier, because prices and incomes fell by 20-50% but the debts remained at the same dollar amount. After the panic of 1929, and during the first 10 months of 1930, 744 US banks failed. (In all, 9,000 banks failed during the 1930s). By April 1933, around $7 billion in deposits had been frozen in failed banks or those left unlicensed after the March Bank Holiday. Bank failures snowballed as desperate bankers called in loans which the borrowers did not have time or money to repay. With future profits looking poor, capital investment and construction slowed or completely ceased. In the face of bad loans and worsening future prospects, the surviving banks became even more conservative in their lending. Banks built up their capital reserves and made fewer loans, which intensified deflationary pressures. A vicious cycle developed and the downward spiral accelerated. The liquidation of debt could not keep up with the fall of prices which it caused. The mass effect of the stampede to liquidate increased the value of each dollar owed, relative to the value of declining asset holdings. The very effort of individuals to lessen their burden of debt effectively increased it. Paradoxically, the more the debtors paid, the more they owed. This self-aggravating process turned a 1930 recession into a 1933 great depression. 5 Keynesian British economist John Maynard Keynes argued in General Theory of Employment Interest and Money that lower aggregate expenditures in the economy contributed to a massive decline in income and to employment that was well below the average. In such a situation, the economy reached equilibrium at low levels of economic activity and high unemployment. Keynes basic idea was simple: to keep people fully employed, governments have to run deficits when the economy is slowing, as the private sector would not invest enough to keep production at the normal level and bring the economy out of recession. Keynesian economists called on governments during times of economic crisis to pick up the slack by increasing government spending and/or cutting taxes. As the Depression wore on, Franklin D. Roosevelt tried public works, farm subsidies, and other devices to restart the economy, but never completely gave up trying to balance the budget. According to the Keynesians, this improved the economy, but Roosevelt never spent enough to bring the economy out of recession until the start of World War II. 5.1 Monetarist Monetarists, including Milton Friedman and current Federal Reserve System chairman Ben Bernanke, argue that the Great Depression was mainly caused by monetary contraction, the consequence of poor policymaking by the American Federal Reserve System and continued crisis in the banking system. In this view, the Federal Reserve, by not acting, allowed the money supply as measured by the M2 to shrink by one-third from 1929-1933, thereby transforming a normal recession into the Great Depression. Friedman argued that the downward turn in the economy, starting with the stock market crash, would have been just another recession. However, the Federal Reserve allowed some large public bank failures particularly that of the New York Bank of the United States which produced panic and widespread runs on local banks, and the Federal Reserve sat idly by while banks collapsed. He claimed that, if the Fed had provided emergency lending to these key banks, or simply bought government bonds on the ope n market to provide liquidity and increase the quantity of money after the key banks fell, all the rest of the banks would not have fallen after the large ones did, and the money supply would not have fallen as far and as fast as it did. With significantly less money to go around, businessmen could not get new loans and could not even get their old loans renewed, forcing many to stop investing. This interpretation blames the Federal Reserve for inaction, especially the New York branch. One reason why the Federal Reserve did not act to limit the decline of the money supply was regulation. At that time, the amount of credit the Federal Reserve could issue was limited by the Federal Reserve Act, which required 40% gold backing of Federal Reserve Notes issued. By the late 1920s, the Federal Reserve had almost hit the limit of allowable credit that could be backed by the gold in its possession. This credit was in the form of Federal Reserve demand notes. A promise of gold is not as good as gold in the hand, particularly when they only had enough gold to cover 40% of the Federal Reserve Notes outstanding. During the bank panics a portion of those demand notes were redeemed for Federal Reserve gold. Since the Federal Reserve had hit its limit on allowable credit, any reduction in gold in its vaults had to be accompanied by a greater reduction in credit. On April 5, 1933, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102 making the private ownership of gold certificates, coi ns and bullion illegal, reducing the pressure on Federal Reserve gold. 5.2 New classical approach Recent work from a neoclassical perspective focuses on the decline in productivity that caused the initial decline in output and a prolonged recovery due to policies that affected the labor market. This work, collected by Kehoe and Prescott, decomposes the economic decline into a decline in the labor force, capital stock, and the productivity with which these inputs are used. This study suggests that theories of the Great Depression have to explain an initial severe decline but rapid recovery in productivity, relatively little change in the capital stock, and a prolonged depression in the labor force. This analysis rejects theories that focus on the role of savings and posit a decline in the capital stock. 5.3 Austrian School Another explanation comes from the Austrian School of economics. Theorists of the Austrian School who wrote about the Depression include Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek and American economist Murray Rothbard, who wrote Americas Great Depression (1963). In their view and like the monetarists, the Federal Reserve, which was created in 1913, shoulders much of the blame; but in opposition to the monetarists, they argue that the key cause of the Depression was the expansion of the money supply in the 1920s that led to an unsustainable credit-driven boom. In the Austrian view it was this inflation of the money supply that led to an unsustainable boom in both asset prices (stocks and bonds) and capital goods. By the time the Fed belatedly tightened in 1928, it was far too late and, in the Austrian view, a significant economic contraction was inevitable. According to the Austrians, the artificial interference in the economy was a disaster prior to the Depression, and government efforts to prop up the economy after the crash of 1929 only made things worse. According to Rothbard, government intervention delayed the markets adjustment and made the road to complete recovery more difficult. 5.4 Marxist Marx saw recession and depression as unavoidable under free-market capitalism as there are no restrictions on accumulations of capital other than the market itself. In the Marxist view, capitalism tends to create unbalanced accumulations of wealth, leading to over-accumulations of capital which inevitably lead to a crisis. This especially sharp bust is a regular feature of the boom and bust pattern of what Marxists term chaotic capitalist development. It is a tenet of many Marxists groupings that such crises are inevitable and will be increasingly severe until the contradictions inherent in the mismatch between the mode of production and the development of productive forces reach the final point of failure, at which point, the crisis period encourages intensified class conflict and forces societal change 6. Inequality Two economists of the 1920s, Waddill Catchings and William Trufant Foster, popularized a theory that influenced many policy makers, including Herbert Hoover, Henry A. Wallace, Paul Douglas, and Marriner Eccles. It held the economy produced more than it consumed, because the consumers did not have enough income. Thus the unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920s caused the Great Depression. According to this view, the root cause of the Great Depression was a global over-investment in heavy industry capacity compared to wages and earnings from independent businesses, such as farms. The solution was the government must pump money into consumers pockets. That is, it must redistribute purchasing power, maintain the industrial base, but re-inflate prices and wages to force as much of the inflationary increase in purchasing power into consumer spending. The economy was overbuilt, and new factories were not needed. Foster and Catchings recommended federal and state governments start large construction projects, a program followed by Hoover and Roosevelt. 7. Turning point and recovery Various countries around the world started to recover from the Great Depression at different times. In most countries of the world, recovery from the Great Depression began in 1933. In the U.S., recovery began in the spring of 1933. However, the U.S. did not return to 1929 GNP for over a decade and still had an unemployment rate of about 15% in 1940, albeit down from the high of 25% in 1933. There is no consensus among economists regarding the motive force for the U.S. economic expansion that continued through most of the Roosevelt years (and the 1937 recession that interrupted it). The common view among mainstream economists is that Roosevelts New Deal policies either caused or accelerated the recovery, although his policies were never aggressive enough to bring the economy completely out of recession. Some economists have also called attention to the positive effects from expectations of reflation and rising nominal interest rates that Roosevelts words and actions portended. However, opposition from the new Conservative Coalition caused a rollback of the New Deal policies in early 1937, which caused a setback in the recovery. Picture 3: The overall course of the Depression in the United States, as reflected in per-capita GDP (average income per person) shown in constant year 2000 dollars, plus some of the key events of the period. According to Christina Romer, the money supply growth caused by huge international gold inflows was a crucial source of the recovery of the United States economy, and that the economy showed little sign of self-correction. The gold inflows were partly due to devaluation of the U.S. dollar and partly due to deterioration of the political situation in Europe. In their book, A Monetary History of the United States, Milton Friedman and Anna J. Schwartz also attributed the recovery to monetary factors, and contended that it was much slowed by poor management of money by the Federal Reserve System. Current Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke agrees that monetary factors played important roles both in the worldwide economic decline and eventual recovery. Bernanke, also sees a strong role for institutional factors, particularly the rebuilding and restructuring of the financial system, and points out that the Depression needs to be examined in international perspective. Economists Ha rold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian, believe that the economy should have returned to normal after four years of depression except for continued depressing influences, and point the finger to the lack of downward flexibility in prices and wages, encouraged by Roosevelt Administration policies such as the National Industrial Recovery Act. 8. Gold standard Economic studies have indicated that just as the downturn was spread worldwide by the rigidities of the Gold Standard, it was suspending gold convertibility (or devaluing the currency in gold terms) that did most to make recovery possible. What policies countries followed after casting off the gold standard, and what results followed varied widely. Every major currency left the gold standard during the Great Depression. Great Britain was the first to do so. Facing speculative attacks on the pound and depleting gold reserves, in September 1931 the Bank of England ceased exchanging pound notes for gold and the pound was floated on foreign exchange markets. Great Britain, Japan, and the Scandinavian countries left the gold standard in 1931. Other countries, such as Italy and the U.S., remained on the gold standard into 1932 or 1933, while a few countries in the so-called gold bloc, led by France and including Poland, Belgium and Switzerland, stayed on the standard until 1935-1936. According to later analysis, the earliness with which a country left the gold standard reliably predicted its economic recovery. For example, Great Britain and Scandinavia, which left the gold standard in 1931, recovered much earlier than France and Belgium, which remained on gold much longer. Countries such as China, which had a silver standard, almost avoided the depression entirely. The connection between leaving the gold standard as a strong predictor of that countrys severity of its depression and the length of time of its recovery has been shown to be consistent for dozens of countries, including developing countries. This partly explains why the experience and length of the depression differed between national economies. 9. World War II and recovery The common view among economic historians is that the Great Depression ended with the advent of World War II. Many economists believe that government spending on the war caused or at least accelerated recovery from the Great Depression. However, some consider that it did not play a very large role in the recovery, although it did help in reducing unemployment. The massive rearmament policies leading up to World War II helped stimulate the economies of Europe in 1937-39. By 1937, unemployment in Britain had fallen to 1.5 million. The mobilization of manpower following the outbreak of war in 1939 finally ended unemployment. Americas entry into the war in 1941 finally eliminated the last effects from the Great Depression and brought the unemployment rate down below 10%. In the U.S., massive war spending doubled economic growth rates, either masking the effects of the Depression or essentially ending the Depression. Businessmen ignored the mounting national debt and heavy new taxes, redoubling their efforts for greater output to take advantage of generous government contracts. Picture 5: A female factory worker in 1942, Fort Worth, Texas. Women entered the workforce as men were drafted into the armed forces. 10. Effects The majority of countries set up relief programs, and most underwent some sort of political upheaval, pushing them to the left or right. In some states, the desperate citizens turned toward nationalist demagogues—the most infamous being Adolf Hitler—setting the stage for World War II in 1939. Canada Harshly affected by both the global economic downturn and the Dust Bowl, Canadian industrial production had fallen to only 58% of the 1929 level by 1932, the second lowest level in the world after the United States, and well behind nations such as Britain, which saw it fall only to 83% of the 1929 level. Total national income fell to 56% of the 1929 level, again worse than any nation apart from the United States. Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933. During the 1930s, Canada employed a highly restrictive immigration policy. France The Depression began to affect France around 1931. Frances relatively high degree of self-sufficiency meant the damage was considerably less than in nations like Germany. However, hardship and unemployment were high enough to lead to rioting and the rise of the socialist Popular Front. Germany Germanys Weimar Republic was hit hard by the depression, as American loans to help rebuild the German economy now stopped. Unemployment soared, especially in larger cities, and the political system veered toward extremism. The unemployment rate reached nearly 30% in 1932. Repayment of the war reparations due by Germany were suspended in 1932 following the Lausanne Conference of 1932. By that time, Germany had repaid â…› of the reparations. Hitlers Nazi Party came to power in January 1933. Japan The Great Depression did not strongly affect Japan. The Japanese economy shrank by 8% during 1929-31. However, Japans Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo was the first to implement what have come to be identified as Keynesian economic policies: first, by large fiscal stimulus involving deficit spending; and second, by devaluing the currency. Takahashi used the Bank of Japan to sterilize the deficit spending and minimize resulting inflationary pressures. Econometric studies have identified the fiscal stimulus as especially effective. The devaluation of the currency had an immediate effect. Japanese textiles began to displace British textiles in export markets. The deficit spending, however proved to be most profound. The deficit spending went into the purchase of munitions for the armed forces. By 1933, Japan was already out of the depression. By 1934, Takahashi realized that the economy was in danger of overheating, and to avoid inflation, moved to reduce the deficit spending that went towards armaments and munitions. This resulted in a strong and swift negative reaction from nationalists, especially those in the Army, culminating in his assassination in the course of the February 26 Incident. This had a chilling effect on all civilian bureaucrats in the Japanese government. From 1934, the militarys dominance of the government continued to grow. Instead of reducing deficit spending, the government introduced price controls and rationing schemes that reduced, but did not eliminate inflation, which would remain a problem until the end of World War II. The deficit spending had a transformative effect on Japan. Japans industrial production doubled during the 1930s. Further, in 1929 the list of the largest firms in Japan was dominated by light industries, especially textile companies (many of Japans automakers, like Toyota, have their roots in the textile industry). By 1940 light industry had been displaced by heavy industry as the largest firms inside the Japanese economy. Soviet Union Having removed itself from the capitalist world system both by choice and as a result of efforts of the capitalist powers to isolate it, the Great Depression had little effect on the Soviet Union. A Soviet trade agency in New York advertised 6,000 positions and received more than 100,000 applications. Its apparent immunity to the Great Depression seemed to validate the theory of Marxism and contributed to Socialist and Communist agitation in affected nations. United Kingdom The effects on the northern industrial areas of Britain were immediate and devastating, as demand for traditional industrial products collapsed. By the end of 1930 unemployment had more than doubled from 1 million to 2.5 million (20% of the insured workforce), and exports had fallen in value by 50%. In 1933, 30% of Glaswegians were unemployed due to the severe decline in heavy industry. In some towns and cities in the north east, unemployment reached as high as 70% as ship production fell 90%. The National Hunger March of September-October 1932 was the largest of a series of hunger marches in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. About 200,000 unemployed men were sent to the work camps, which continued in operation until 1939. In the less industrial Midlands and South of England, the effects were short-lived and the later 1930s were a prosperous time. Growth in modern manufacture of electrical goods and a boom in the motor car industry was helped by a growing southern population and an expanding middle class. Agriculture also saw a boom during this period. United States President Herbert Hoover started numerous programs, all of which failed to reverse the downturn. In June 1930 Congress approved the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which raised tariffs on thousands of imported items. The intent of the Act was to encourage the purchase of American-made products by increasing the cost of imported goods, while raising revenue for the federal government and protecting farmers. However, other nations increased tariffs on American-made goods in retaliation, reducing international trade, and worsening the Depression. In 1931 Hoover urged the major banks in the country to form a consortium known as the National Credit Corporation (NCC). By 1932, unemployment had reached 23.6%, and it peaked in early 1933 at 25%, a drought persisted in the agricultural heartland, businesses and families defaulted on record numbers of loans, and more than 5,000 banks had failed. Hundreds of thousands of Americans found themselves homeless and they began congregating in the numerous Ho overvilles that had begun to appear across the country. In response, President Hoover and Congress approved the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, to spur new home construction, and reduce foreclosures. The final attempt of the Hoover Administration to stimulate the economy was the passage of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act (ERA) which included funds for public works programs such as dams and the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1932. The RFCs initial goal was to provide government-secured loans to financial institutions, railroads and farmers. Quarter by quarter the economy went downhill, as prices, profits and employment fell, leading to the political realignment in 1932 that brought to power Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Shortly after President Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, drought and erosion combined to cause the Dust Bowl, shifting hundreds of thousands of displaced persons off their farms in the Midwest. From his inauguration onward, Roosevelt argued that restructuring of the economy would be needed to prevent another depression or avoid prolonging the current one. New Deal programs sought to stimulate demand and provide work and relief for the impoverished through increased government spending and the institution of financial reforms. The Securities Act of 1933 comprehensively regulated the securities industry. This was followed by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which created the Securities and Exchange Commission. Though amended, key provisions of both Acts are still in force. Early changes by the Roosevelt administration included: Instituting regulations to fight deflationary cut-throat competition through the NRA. Setting minimum prices and wages, labor standards, and competitive conditions in all industries through the NRA. Encouraging unions that would raise wages, to increase the purchasing power of the working class. Cutting farm production to raise prices th