Foundation Grants and Guaranteed Tax Base Grants in Education Finance Essay - 5

Foundation Grants and Guaranteed Tax Base Grants in Education Finance - Essay Example For the flypaper effect, it can be defined as a result that comes up when a dollar of grants-in-aid that are exogenous which lead to public spending that is significantly great as compared to a citizen dollar income. Money does stick at the point where it hits. It is evident, from the above figure that the matching grant leads to a greater increase in welfare spending than the block grant program. 2. In your own words, summarize and describe the Tiebout model/hypothesis. Explain how and why the Tiebout model implies that people will sort into relatively homogenous communities based on income or some other characteristic. Under given assumptions like perfect mobility and information, no spillovers that are inter-jurisdictional, no scale economies, and no head tax that finances a public good that is local. Then each household will move into an influence that makes the optimal collection of goods in the local scene. This will carry-on until households have fully sorted themselves creating a point of equilibrium. This implies that members of the community will be segregated by class, race, income, and so on. The reason for this is the fact that the taste of public goods in the local scene generally directly varies with the levels of income and other several characteristics. Whether a property tax is deemed regressive depends on the way someone views the tax. According to Zodrow (2001) â€Å"the incidence of property tax- still remains to be one that is controversial both in state and local public finance. The view which is traditional argues that property tax fully shifted towards the consumers’ loss when it comes to higher prices in housing. To the contrast, the â€Å"benefit view† of property tax has a conclusion that it is simply a payment for public services received locally.

Deaf Articles Essay Example for Free

Deaf Articles Essay 3. â€Å"Why Can’t Deaf Experts Hear Us?† a. What are the present Deaf issues? Some of the Deaf issues mentioned in the article are that that â€Å"Deaf experts† don’t like the thought of Deaf children learning to sign without voicing. They think that each Deaf child should be learning Total Communication, but there is no evidence showing that Total Communication is the best way to educate Deaf kids. Another issue is that the people at Gallaudet feel as if they are having to educate the educators about the need of American Sign Language in Deaf schools. Deaf people feel as if their culture is being attacked and is being weakened. The last main problem is that the so called â€Å"Deaf experts† study special education but none of them have any personal experience with Deaf people. These experts endorsing the programs don’t listen to the opinions of Deaf people, they only demand research and quote hearing people with Ph.D.’s. b. From the article, list three important facts you learned from the writer. I learned that the writer of this article is Deaf. I know this because at the beginning of the article he states, â€Å"Some days I wonder if my Deafness is contagious. I keep writing and signing the same things over and over again.† Another fact is that he has personal experience of trying to explain to educators the need for American Sign Language in the schools. When he talks about educating the educators, he explains that the powers just keep looking the other way. The last fact is that Jack Levesque feels as if the Deaf culture is being sort of taken away from them and is dying out. Why did you pick these facts? I picked the first fact because by knowing that the writer is Deaf it helps you better understand the emotion and personal feeling behind each word. I picked the fact that he has tried to explain that they need ASL in schools because that is what he is writing about, the use of ASL not English to educate the Deaf. He has personal frustrations with no ASL in schools; he is not simply relaying the message for other Deaf people. I chose the last fact because in reality, if you are forcing a different language than a native language on someone, you are stripping their culture away from them by not allowing them to just be themselves. This is a good point that he brings up and it saddens me that someone would even want to do that to another human. c. What are some observations or comments you have about the article? I wish that all of the Ph.D. experts in special education could just meet or talk to a few Deaf people and really get to know them. I think by doing this, they would realize how important Deaf culture and Sign Language really are to a Deaf person. I think this would change all the hearing people’s minds about forcing English onto Deaf people. It just isn’t natural for them. d. What do you think of Bonnies Bass’s article? I think that the point that she brings up makes a lot of sense. Americans just assume that Sign Language is just like English, but it is not. The grammar is completely different and the syntax is completely different. It is sad that Deaf children are not pushed to learn American Sign Language right away when they find out they are Deaf. It doesn’t make sense for kids to be tested on English when their native language should be Sign Language. That is like taking an English speaking student and putting a Spanish test in front of them and expecting them to get high scores. This article makes a lot of sense and I wish that more hearing people would read it so they could better understand that the two languages are different.

Roles and Responsibilities of a PE Teacher

Roles and Responsibilities of a PE Teacher QCA (2007) states that a range of activities is needed to be carried out in schools for pupils to become physically active learning new skills that will help with their personal development. It is important for students to understand skills and decision making and understanding how to improve. It is important to be educated in physical activity at a young age in order to carry on with a healthy life-style. Physical Education is not just important in the curriculum for sport it has social benefits too as working together in different roles prepares pupils for future careers. Secondary Physical Education teachers are at the heart of providing the foundations to deliver a good curriculum due to teaching in their own secondary school and also their partnered primary schools as there is a shortage of specialist PE teachers in primary schools (Green, 2008). The Every Child Matters model states that there are five elements that every child has the right to experience. stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being (The Association for Physical Education, 2008) schools throughout the country have a different intake of pupils with different needs whilst critiquing the national curriculum Green (2000) suggests that the National Curriculum does not account for what type of school and which pupils would be in your class therefore planning is highly important of every single PE lesson. Teacher have to be fully inclusive to provide for a wide range of abilities in their class, planning is of the upmost importance to provide a fully inclusive lesson (Block, 2002) Every Child Matters and this should be at the very centre of all planning and at the forefront of every Physical Education teachers minds (The Association for Physical Education, 2008). Planning is paramount and is an important responsibility of any teacher because they must gain an understanding of what will actually occur during a lesson (Macfadyen and Bailey, 2002). However, it is argued that unforeseeable situations arise during physical education lessons therefore a teacher needs to have the skills to think on the spot this is gained through experience (Green, 2008). This statement was supported by Macfadyen (2010) stating that planning in too much depth takes away an important teaching skill of improvisation. It is important to understand that planning provides an inclusive curriculum, without planning and differentiation this would simply not happen (Johnson, 2007). Teachers have to have the skill and be responsible for fully inclusive provision for a wide range of abilities in their class planning is of the upmost importance to provide this; however, it has been suggested that physical education teachers often lack the ability to adapt tasks to include SEN s tudents (Block, 2002). This may be through a lack of experience as only in recent years many pupils with disabilities have been moving into mainstream schools and it is the duty of a PE teacher to provide equal opportunities for all participants (Fitzgerald, 2006 cited Green, 2008:187). This is supported by Lieberman and Huston-Wilson, (2002) who state that 93 percent of SEN children are based in mainstream schools. As teachers of PE we have to plan SEN pupils personnel and equipment. It has become apparent that some teachers in this country are not providing a fully inclusive curriculum with regards to SEN students (Block, 2002). In relation to the increase of SEN students in mainstream schools statistics from National Centre for Educational Statistics (2005) states that in the last 30 years EAL students have increased in our schools by 161% (cited Causton-Theoharis et al., 2008: 382). Many EAL students have different cultures and attitudes toward PE that may prevent them from performing. It is therefore the responsibility of the P.E teacher to plan strategies and use communication skills to include EAL students. Another consideration for all teachers is providing for Gifted and Talented students. First the PE teacher needs the skill to identify a gifted student and then ways in which they can be kept engaged during lessons and promote them to elite sporting success (Bailey Morley, 2010). Even though it is positive that certain students with additional needs are catered for by preplanning there tends to be a negative effect on the majority of students in the class. This is because our attention as a teacher gets focused predominantly on the students with the additional needs (Causton-Theoharis, 2008). Planning and risk assessment co-inside with one another in order provide a safe place to work (Macfadyen, 2010). Physical education teachers show high skills when risk assessment becomes routine practice (Shewry, 2008 cited Whitlam, 2010:173). PE teachers must see an event such as injury and danger before it takes place, furthermore physical education teachers must have the skills to prevent a risk without impeding on the students learning (Whitlam, 2010). When pupils take part in practical Physical Education the environment should be safe to exercise and the activity should be carried out safely (Whitlam, 2010). With relation to the National Curriculum this provides students with the underlying knowledge to carry safe and effective exercise on their own away from the classroom (QCA, 2007). An expected role of all teachers is that they are required to be reflective practitioners and evaluate on their own teaching and the learning of pupils as a means of ensuring the intended outcomes are met (Causton-Theoharis, 2008). In order to develop and deliver a curriculum that allows for all pupils to be included and make progress, it is the responsibility of the teacher to examine the needs of the pupils in their class and to adapt their lessons accordingly (Armour, 2010). The teachers with the most success are those who take it as their responsibility to act upon what happened during their class by using reflective strategies. The characteristics of the pupils could not be blamed such as behaviour due to home-life part by the way in which the teacher handles the class reflecting will improve the learning experience and curriculum delivery (James et al., 2007). Furthermore without reflective practice teacher will not gain experience to get across better teaching of the national curriculum (Keay, 2006). Upon critiquing the National Curriculum, reflection is a very important responsibility of the PE teacher, as the teacher is still a learner. The National Curriculum states that evaluating and improving is a key process (QCA, 2007). All people should be able to analyse, evaluate and improve therefore teachers should demonstrate this to. Assessments are a means of obtaining information to find out what level students have achieved. PE teachers need to have analysis skills such as observation to carry this out (Green, 2008). It is an ongoing and never ending process that PE teacher need to continuously develop throughout their career (Casbon and Spackman, 2005). There are two forms of assessment; summative and formative (Green, 2008). The debate has risen in resent modern day Physical Education arguing that teachers should move away from assessment of learning (summative) to assessment for learning (formative) this is because it gives to students a chance to act to improve (Frapewell, 2010). The role of a PE teacher has no difference from any other subject on the National Curriculum with regards to assessment and of high importance to Physical Education (Green, 2008). Assessment for learning has shown that students are given better direction in knowing how to improve, however, the national curriculum within PE lessons does not cater for SEN pupils as teachers are not skilled enough to grade the pupils with SEN on the attainment target criteria (Smith and Green, 2004). This is supported by Lieberman Houston-Wilson (2002) who state that PE teachers need to get speciaist advice from an adapted PE specalist before grading pupils, this therefore demonstrates a weakness in the national curriculum. Frapwell (2010) demonstrates that one important skill needed for PE teachers is that of feedback which is communicating accurate analysis. Blankenship (2008) states this will ultimately help pupils understand what they need to achieve and how they need to act to achieve the outcome (QCA, 2007). Teachers should encourage peer assessment as the national curriculum states that pupils should be able to analyse performance and identify strengths and weaknesses (QCA, 2007). Therefore it is the role of a PE teacher to provide pupils with the skills necessary for them to peer assess. One theory that suggests positive and negative aspects of peer assessment is the competence motivational theory (Harter, 1981 cited Blankenship, 2008:153) which states that feedback from a peer significantly affects the pupils perceived competence. If the peer praises perceived competence will rise, if the pupil is criticised or ignored perceived competence will full. Due to the advance of modern day technology and its affordability, the national curriculum has introduced ICT in the past ten year (Taylor, 2009). However it is debated that ICT should be a cross-curricular subject taught within other subjects as the 21st century world is dependent on it (Becta, 2003 cited Taylor, 2009:147). The National Curriculum for PE is inclusive of ICT as a way of improving performance (QCA, 2007). The use of ICT is also beneficial for pupils finding a role that best suits them in sport besides performing as well as evaluation of performance (QCA, 2007) this can be done by using player cam. As ICT is part of the National Curriculum, it is stated that PE teachers of modern education need to be ICT literate and have the skills and knowledge to use technology within their Physical Education lessons (Taylor, 2009). It was concluded by Bailey (2001) that ICT is awkward to use in PE lesson without careful planning and therefore the planning will allow for teachers to pick up the skills which they need. As a Physical Education teacher you gain further knowledge by participating in sport yourself to improve skills and be responsible to obtain help from coaches and instructors that are more experienced especially in sports and activities the teacher is weak in and take their knowledge into your physical teaching practice. (Carle, 2010) This can help provide good teaching of the national curriculum as pupils have a chance of experiencing a range of activities giving them a greater chance to see what type of activity best suits them. If the teacher understands the sporting technique then pupils are able to refine their own (QCA, 2007). Teachers however, do not have a full understanding of the subject but must act with the best interests of their students (Armour, 2010). Bailey (2001) takes this idea one step further by stating teachers are forever developing subject knowledge, subject knowledge is not the most important skill having the ability to plan is the key to successful teaching. Whilst delivering and planning for a Physical Education lesson Grossman (1990) suggests teachers need to understand four categories before teaching. They need to have an understanding of the topic, students understanding and performing in PE, how it relates the national curriculum and finally the strategies in which they can deliver the topic. However this was criticised by Green (2008) who stated that gaining experience of the teacher is more important. One important knowledge skill of a PE teacher is health knowledge that is to be able to deliver to pupils within the school setting and applied. This knowledge must be up to date, accurate and not hyped up by the media (Armour, 2010). Schools are the first place that The Government can educate and promote Public Health and Physical Education Curriculum is seen to be an ideal place to start (Allensworth et al. 1997). This is supported by Sallis and McKenzie (1991) stating school physical education is seen as an ideal site for the promotion of regular physical activity. Moreover this is because schools already have a captive audience in the pupils Physical Education teacher have the responsibility to provide free of charge opportunities to educate children in health issues (Fox, 1992). One modern problem the nation faces and is the responsibility of PE teachers to tackle is obesity, physical education teacher can play in the treatment of obesity at school (Ward and Bar-Or, 1986) The primary role of physical education is to develop the need for lifelong physical activity (NASPE, 2004: cited Blankenship, 2008:300). This was supported by Shephard and Trudeau (2000) as they consider the most important goal of PE is the long-term health of students. Health related exercise the area of the curriculum which includes the teaching of knowledge, understanding, physical competence and behavioural skills, this is aimed for pupils to understand and create a desire to carry out a healthy life style and be confident to continue participation in physical activity (Harris, 2000). Health related teaching is now an established and statutory component of the National Curriculum for PE in England this there for states it is a legal responsibility of a PE teacher (Carle, 2000). Furthermore, if teachers have the skills to create a positive impact on their pupil during lessons then life-long participation maybe created (Carle, 2000). The Social Learning theory by Bandura (1978) states that students model the behaviour of their teachers and copy reinforced behaviours social learning theory by Bandura (1978). Role modelling as a PE teacher is seen to be an essential skill for PE teachers to attract pupils to participate in life-long physical activity, this is supported by Hopper (2005) shows that primary school teachers tend to push pupils away from Physical Education however secondary school teachers have the specialist personal qualities to deliver the curriculum. The discussion continues Green (2008) stating that showing their love and passion for sport will attract children to continue sport, this applies to a national curriculum aim. In opposition having a love of the sport is not enough teachers need to gain the respect of the students building confidence, social skills, and self-esteem by role modelling in this way students will be more willing to access the curriculum opportunities (Comer 1988). One problem PE teachers experience is communication and therefore becoming friendly with the pupils this leads to discipline issues rather than positive role modelling (Bailey, 2001). This was supported Larson (2006) stating a number of personal qualities have also been associated with it teacher such as enthusiasm, sense of humour, approachability, patience, impartiality, open-mindedness, empathy, ability to be a good communicator and organiser and also be caring towards pupils. A good way in which PE teachers create inter-personal relationships is through extra-curricular clubs (Bailey, 2001). one responsibility of the PE teacher is to provide extracurricular clubs by providing the opportunity before school at lunchtimes and after-school (Green, 2008) the national curriculum states that people should be given the opportunity to participate in and beyond school (QCA, 2007) Physical Education has a place within schools as it is a way in which social cohesion can be brought about as we see the behaviour of pupils improving within the School and social community (Armour, 2010). Furthermore the study by Green (2000) states that a role of the PE teacher it is to promote the social skills during their lessons. Green (2000) suggests this is an unwritten part of the national curriculum however open to critiquing the national curriculum in our state that social well-being is an important outcome of physical education. To conclude it has come apparent that planning is the fundamentals that underpin all the roles and responsibilities of a PE teacher. However reflection is a key responsibility so teachers are able to plan and improve their delivery of the national curriculum. It has become clear from the research highlighted that the main role of Physical education in the nation curriculum is to provide a healthy life style which pupils can use in their adult life and to promote social well being for pupils to become good citizens.

One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich: Summary Essay -- essays resear

One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich: Summary In the book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the main character Ivan and the other prisoners in the camp are treated very badly. Ivan tries to make himself warm and to get enough food to keep himself alive. He does only what is necessary to please the guards and the commanders of the camp. Ivan uses his intelligence to make his life easier so he can save up more energy to face the work load. He and the members of the 104th group manage to survive because of Ivan's personal attention to himself and his care about the others. More importantly, Ivan survives because his intelligence, his spirit, his deception and careful teamwork. Ivan has to be smarter than the guards in the camp, so, he will not get into trouble and get treated even worse than he does. When Shukhov and Senka want to transport the hacksaw-blade that Ivan found back at the camp, Shukhov removes both mittens, one with the blade. He then unbuttons his coat and let the guards search him. They search him side and back and his pocket, and one guard also crushes the mitten that Ivan holds out which is the empty one. This was in the book as, He was about to pass him through when, for safety's sake, he crushed the mitten that Shukhov held out to him - the empty one. (Solzhenitsyn, Pg. 107) The smart move that he does is to place the empty mitten on top and take the risk that the guard will only search the empty one. Shukhov was lucky. Another example of having to be smarter is after they find the wood panels, they want to carry them back to make the place where they work warmer. Shukhov knows that if they carry it flatways, it will be easily noticed by others, so, they hold it upright in between them and set off. If they are seen by the superintendent, for instance, it will look as if there are three of them walking together. In this way, they cheat the guards as well as the superintendent, because Ivan and the others have use their intelligence. Ivan mush has a strong spirit to survive in the camp, he uses his spirit to make himself feel better in the camp, so, he can live happier and longer. He always thinks about the future, which make an outcome for himself. Without an outcome a person may become very sad and do not want to do anything, so he actually make himself live longer. For example, "Freedom meant one thing to him - home"... ...k-report. In fact, they really have not done anything. They get good rations for five days. It is in the book as, "A cleverly fixed work-report meant good ration for five days" (Solzhenitsyn, Pg.72). Also, Ivan also help other members of the team on their work, when Gopchik brought some Aluminium wire to Shukhov and ask Shukhov to teach him how to make a spoon. Shukhov teaches him, so, both of them can have less chances of getting the disease. This is in the book as "it's good for making spoons. Teach me how to cast them." (Solzhenitsyn, Pg.53). By teamwork, they save up more energy and get works done easily. Ivan survives his life in the prison camp because of his personal attention to things such as his food and his care about the others when he works as a team member. He is also smarter than the guards and the other prisoners so that he does not get into trouble easily. He is also deceptive in order to get better food and tools to work with. He also has strong spirit to face the harsh life because he know he will have freedom in two years. When Shukhov and the other prisoners are treated badly at the camp, Shukhov is able to do better to keep himself alive.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 2~3

Two The Sea Beast The cooling pipes at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant were all fashioned from the finest stainless steel. Before they were installed, they were x-rayed, ultrasounded, and pressure-tested to be sure that they could never break, and after being welded into place, the welds were also x-rayed and tested. The radioactive steam from the core left its heat in the pipes, which leached it off into a seawater cooling pond, where it was safely vented to the Pacific. But Diablo had been built on a breakneck schedule during the energy scare of the seventies. The welders worked double and triple shifts, driven by greed and cocaine, and the inspectors who ran the X-ray machines were on the same schedule. And they missed one. Not a major mistake. Just a tiny leak. Barely noticeable. A minuscule stream of harmless, low-level radiation wafted out with the tide and drifted over the continental shelf, dissipating as it went, until even the most sensitive instruments would have missed it. Yet the le ak didn't go totally undetected. In the deep trench off California, near a submerged volcano where the waters ran to seven hundred degrees Fahrenheit and black smokers spewed clouds of mineral soup, a creature was roused from a long slumber. Eyes the size of dinner platters winked out the sediment and sleep of years. It was instinct, sense, and memory: the Sea Beast's brain. It remembered eating the remains of a sunken Russian nuclear submarine: beefy little sailors tenderized by the pressure of the depths and spiced with piquant radioactive marinade. Memory woke the beast, and like a child lured from under the covers on a snowy morning by the smell of bacon frying, it flicked its great tail, broke free from the ocean floor, and began a slow ascent into the current of tasty treats. A current that ran along the shore of Pine Cove. Mavis Mavis tossed back a shot of Bushmills to take the edge off her frustration at not being able to whack anyone with her baseball bat. She wasn't really angry that Molly had bitten a customer. After all, he was a tourist and rated above the mice in the walls only because he carried cash. Maybe the fact that something had actually happened in the Slug would bring in a little business. People would come in to hear the story, and Mavis could stretch, speculate, and dramatize most stories into at least three drinks a tell. Business had been slowing over the last couple of years. People didn't seem to want to bring their problems into a bar. Time was, on any given afternoon, you'd have three or four guys at the bar, pouring down beers as they poured out their hearts, so filled with self-loathing that they'd snap a vertebra to avoid catching their own reflection in the big mirror behind the bar. On a given evening, the stools would be full of people who whined and growled and bitched all night long, pausing only long enough to stagger to the bathroom or to sacrifice a quarter to the jukebox's extensive self-pity selection. Sadness sold a lot of alcohol, and it had been in short supply these last few years. Mavis blamed the booming economy, Val Riordan, and vegetables in the diet for the sadness shortage, and she fought the insidious invaders by running two-for-one happy hours with fatty meat snacks (The whole point of happy hour was to purge happiness, wasn't it?), but all her efforts only served to cut her profits in half. If Pine Cove could no longer produce sadness, she would import some, so she advertised for a Blues singer. The old Black man wore sunglasses, a leather fedora, a tattered black wool suit that was too heavy for the weather, red suspenders over a Hawaiian shirt that sported topless hula girls, and creaky black-on-white wing tips. He set his guitar case on the bar and climbed onto a stool. Mavis eyed him suspiciously and lit a Tarryton 100. She'd been taught as a girl not to trust Black people. â€Å"Name your poison,† she said. He took off his fedora, revealing a gleaming brown baldness that shone like polished walnut. â€Å"You gots some wine?† â€Å"Cheap-shit red or cheap-shit white?† Mavis cocked a hip, gears and machinery clicked. â€Å"Them cheap-shit boys done expanded. Used to be jus' one flavor.† â€Å"Red or white?† â€Å"Whatever sweetest, sweetness.† Mavis slammed a tumbler onto the bar and filled it with yellow liquid from an icy jug in the well. â€Å"That'll be three bucks.† The Black man reached out – thick sharp nails skating the bar surface, long fingers waving like tentacles, searching, the hand like a sea creature caught in a tidal wash – and missed the glass by four inches. Mavis pushed the glass into his hand. â€Å"You blind?† â€Å"No, it be dark in here.† â€Å"Take off your sunglasses, idjit.† â€Å"I can't do that, ma'am. Shades go with the trade.† â€Å"What trade? Don't you try to sell pencils in here. I don't tolerate beggars.† â€Å"I'm a Bluesman, ma'am. I hear ya'll lookin for one.† Mavis looked at the guitar case on the bar, at the Black man in shades, at the long fingernails of his right hand, the short nails and knobby gray calluses on the fingertips of his left, and she said, â€Å"I should have guessed. Do you have any experience?† He laughed, a laugh that started deep down and shook his shoulders on the way up and chugged out of his throat like a steam engine leaving a tunnel. â€Å"Sweetness, I got me more experience than a busload o' hos. Ain't no dust settled a day on Catfish Jefferson since God done first dropped him on this big ol' ball o' dust. That's me, call me Catfish.† He shook hands like a sissy, Mavis thought, just let her have the tips of his fingers. She used to do that before she had her arthritic finger joints replaced. She didn't want any arthritic old Blues singer. â€Å"I'm going to need someone through Christmas. Can you stay that long or would your dust settle?† â€Å"I ‘spose I could slow down a bit. Too cold to go back East.† He looked around the bar, trying to take in the dinge and smoke through his dark glasses, then turned back to her. â€Å"Yeah, I might be able to clear my schedule if† – and here he grinned and Mavis could see a gold tooth there with a musical note cut in it – â€Å"if the money is right,† he said. â€Å"You'll get room and board and a percentage of the bar. You bring 'em in, you'll make money.† He considered, scratched his cheek where white stubble sounded like a toothbrush against sandpaper, and said, â€Å"No, sweetness, you bring 'em in. Once they hear Catfish play, they come back. Now what percentage did you have in mind?† Mavis stroked her chin hair, pulled it straight to its full three inches. â€Å"I'll need to hear you play.† Catfish nodded. â€Å"I can play.† He flipped the latches on his guitar case and pulled out a gleaming National steel body guitar. From his pocket he pulled a cutoff bottleneck and with a twist it fell onto the little finger of his left hand. He played a chord to test tune, pulled the bottleneck from the fifth to the ninth and danced it there, high and wailing. Mavis could smell something like mildew, moss maybe, a change in humidity. She sniffed and looked around. She hadn't been able to smell anything for fifteen years. Catfish grinned. â€Å"The Delta,† he said. He launched into a twelve-bar Blues, playing the bass line with his thumb, squealing the high notes with the slide, rocking back and forth on the bar stool, the light of the neon Coors sign behind the bar playing colors in the reflection of sunglasses and his bald head. The daytime regulars looked up from their drinks, stopped lying for a second, and Slick McCall missed a straight-in eight-ball shot on the quarter table, which he almost never did. And Catfish sang, starting high and haunting, going low and gritty. â€Å"They's a mean ol' woman run a bar out on the Coast. I'm telling you, they's a mean ol' woman run a bar out on the Coast. But when she gets you under the covers, That ol' woman turn your buttered bread to toast.† And then he stopped. â€Å"You're hired,† Mavis said. She pulled the jug of white cheap-shit out of the well and sloshed some into Catfish's glass. â€Å"On the house.† Just then the door opened and a blast of sunlight cut through the dinge and smoke and residual Blues and Vance McNally, the EMT, walked in and set his radio on the bar. â€Å"Guess what?† he said to everyone and no one in particular. â€Å"That pilgrim woman hung herself.† A low mumble passed through the regulars. Catfish put his guitar in its case and picked up his wine. â€Å"Sho' 'nuff a sad day startin early in this little town. Sho' 'nuff.† â€Å"Sho' 'nuff,† said Mavis with a cackle like a stainless-steel hyena. Valerie Riordan Depression has a mortality rate of fifteen percent. Fifteen percent of all patients with major depression will take their own lives. Statistics. Hard numbers in a very squishy science. Fifteen percent. Dead. Val Riordan had been repeating the figures to herself since Theophilus Crowe had called, but it wasn't helping her feel any better about what Bess Leander had done. Val had never lost a patient before. And Bess Leander hadn't really been depressed, had she? Bess didn't fit into the fifteen percent. Val went to the office in the back of her house and pulled Bess Leander's file, then went back to the living room to wait for Constable Crowe. At least it was the local guy, not the county sheriffs. And she could always fall back on patient confidentiality. Truth was, she had no idea why Bess Leander might have hung herself. She had only seen Bess once, and then for only half an hour. Val had made the diagnosis, written the scrip, and collected a check for the full hour session. Bess had called in twice, talked for a few minutes, and Val had sent her a bill for the time rounded to the next quarter hour. Time was money. Val Riordan liked nice things. The doorbell rang, Westminster chimes. Val crossed the living room to the marble foyer. A thin tall figure was refracted through the door's beveled glass panels: Theophilus Crowe. Val had never met him, but she knew of him. Three of his ex-girlfriends were her patients. She opened the door. He was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a gray shirt with black epaulets that might have been part of a uniform at one time. He was clean-shaven, with long sandy hair tied neatly into a ponytail. A good-looking guy in an Ichabod Crane sort of way. Val guessed he was stoned. His girlfriends had talked about his habits. â€Å"Dr.Riordan,† he said. â€Å"Theo Crowe.† He offered his hand. She shook hands. â€Å"Everyone calls me Val,† she said. â€Å"Nice to meet you. Come in.† She pointed to the living room. â€Å"Nice to meet you too,† Theo said, almost as an afterthought. â€Å"Sorry about the circumstances.† He stood at the edge of the marble foyer, as if afraid to step on the white carpet. She walked past him and sat down on the couch. â€Å"Please,† she said, pointing to one of a set of Hepplewhite chairs. â€Å"Sit.† He sat. â€Å"I'm not exactly sure why I'm here, except that Joseph Leander doesn't seem to know why Bess did it.† â€Å"No note?† Val asked. â€Å"No. Nothing. Joseph went downstairs for breakfast this morning and found her hanging in the dining room.† Val felt her stomach lurch. She had never really formed a mental picture of Bess Leander's death. It had been words on the phone until now. She looked away from Theo, looked around the room for something that would erase the picture. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Theo said. â€Å"This must be hard for you. I'm just wondering if there was anything that Bess might have said in therapy that would give a clue.† Fifteen percent, Val thought. She said, â€Å"Most suicides don't leave a note. By the time they have gone that far into depression, they aren't interested in what happens after their death. They just want the pain to end.† Theo nodded. â€Å"Then Bess was depressed? Joseph said that she appeared to be getting better.† Val cast around her training for an answer. She hadn't really diagnosed Bess Leander, she had just prescribed what she thought would make Bess feel better. She said, â€Å"Diagnosis in psychiatry isn't always that exact, Theo. Bess Leander was a complex case. Without compromising doctor-patient confidentiality, I can tell you that Bess suffered from a borderline case of OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. I was treating her for that.† Theo pulled a prescription bottle out of his shirt pocket and looked at the label. â€Å"Zoloft. Isn't that an anti-depressant? I only know because I used to date a woman who was on it.† Right, Val thought. Actually, you used to date at least three women who were on it. She said, â€Å"Zoloft is an SSRI like Prozac. It's prescribed for a number of conditions. With OCD the dosage is higher.† That's it, get clinical. Baffle him with clinical bullshit. Theo shook the bottle. â€Å"Could someone O.D. on it or something? I heard somewhere that people do crazy things sometimes on these drugs.† â€Å"That's not necessarily true. SSRIs like Zoloft are often prescribed to people with major depression. Fifteen percent of all depressed patients commit suicide.† There, she said it. â€Å"Antidepressants are a tool, along with talk therapy, that psychiatrists use to help patients. Sometimes the tools don't work. As with any therapy, a third get better, a third get worse, and a third stay the same. Antidepressants aren't a panacea.† But you treat them like they are, don't you, Val? â€Å"But you said that Bess Leander had OCD, not depression.† â€Å"Constable, have you ever had a stomachache and a runny nose at the same time?† â€Å"So you're saying she was depressed?† â€Å"Yes, she was depressed, as well as having OCD.† â€Å"And it couldn't have been the drugs?† â€Å"To be honest with you, I don't even know if she was taking the drug. Have you counted them?† â€Å"Uh, no.† â€Å"Patients don't always take their medicine. We don't order blood level tests for SSRIs.† â€Å"Right,† Theo said. â€Å"I guess we'll know when they do the autopsy.† Another horrendous picture flashed in Val's mind: Bess Leander on an autopsy table. The viscera of medicine had always been too much for her. She stood. â€Å"I wish I could help you more, but to be honest, Bess Leander never gave me any indication that she was suicidal.† At least that was true. Theo took her cue and stood. â€Å"Well, thank you. I'm sorry to have bothered you. If you think of anything, you know, anything that I can tell Joseph that might make it easier on him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm sorry. That's all I know.† Fifteen percent. Fifteen percent. Fifteen percent. She led him to the door. He turned before leaving. â€Å"One more thing. Molly Michon is one of your patients, isn't she?† â€Å"Yes. Actually, she's a county patient, but I agreed to treat her at a reduced rate because all the county facilities are so far away.† â€Å"You might want to check on her. She attacked a guy at the Head of the Slug this morning.† â€Å"Is she in County?† â€Å"No, I took her home. She calmed down.† â€Å"Thank you, Constable. I'll call her.† â€Å"Well, then. I'll be going.† â€Å"Constable,† she called after him. â€Å"Those pills you have – Zoloft isn't a recreational drug.† Theo stumbled on the steps, then composed himself. â€Å"Right, Doctor, I figured that out when I saw the body hanging in the dining room. I'll try not to eat the evidence.† â€Å"Good-bye,† Val said. She closed the door behind him and burst into tears. Fifteen percent. She had fifteen hundred patients in Pine Cove on some form of antidepressant or another. Fifteen percent would be more than two hundred people dead. She couldn't do that. She wouldn't let an-other of her patients die because of her noninvolvement. If antidepressants wouldn't save them, then maybe she could. Three Theo Theophilus Crowe wrote bad free-verse poetry and played a jimbai drum while sitting on a rock by the ocean. He could play sixteen chords on the guitar and knew five Bob Dylan songs all the way through, allowing for a dampening buzz any time he had to play a bar chord. He had tried his hand at painting, sculpture, and pottery and had even played a minor part in the Pine Cove Little Theater's revival of Arsenic and Old Lace. In all these endeavors, he had experienced a meteoric rise to mediocrity and quit before total embarrassment and self-loathing set in. Theo was cursed with an artist's soul but no talent. He possessed the angst and the inspiration, but not the means to create. If there was any single thing at which Theo excelled, it was empathy. He always seemed to be able to understand someone's point of view, no matter how singular or farfetched, and in turn could convey it to others with a succinctness and clarity that he seldom found in expressing his own thoughts. He was a born mediator, a peacemaker, and it was this talent, after breaking up numerous fights at the Head of the Slug Saloon, that got Theo elected constable. That and heavy-handed endorsement of Sheriff John Burton. Burton was a hard-line right-wing politico who could spout law and order (accent on order) over brunch with the Rotarians, lunch with the NRA, and dinner with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and wolf down dry banquet chicken like it was manna from the gods every time. He wore expensive suits, a gold Rolex, and drove a pearl-black Eldor-ado that shone like a starry night on wheels (rapt attention and copious coats of carnuba from the grunts in the county motor pool). He had been sheriff of San Junipero County for sixteen years, and in that time the crime rate had dropped steadily until it was the lowest, per capita, of any county in California. His endorsement of Theophilus Crowe, someone with no law enforcement experience, had come as more than somewhat of a surprise to the people of Pine Cove, especially since Theo's opponent was a retired Los Angeles policeman who'd put in a highly decorated five and twenty. What the people of Pine Cove did not know was that Sheriff Burton not only e ndorsed Theo, he had forced him to run in the first place. Theophilus Crowe was a quiet man, and Sheriff John Burton had his reasons for not wanting to hear a peep out of the little North County burg of Pine Cove, so when Theo walked into his little two-room cabin, he wasn't surprised to see a red seven blinking on his answering machine. He punched the button and listened to Burton's assistant insisting that he call right away – seven times. Burton never called the cell phone. Theo had come home to shower and ponder his meeting with Val Riordan. The fact that she had treated at least three of his ex-girlfriends bothered him. He wanted to try and figure out what the women had told her. Obviously, they'd mention that he got high occasionally. Well, more than occasionally. But like any man, it worried him that they might have said something about his sexual performance. For some reason, it didn't bother him nearly as much that Val Riordan think him a loser and a drug fiend as it did that she might think he was bad in the rack. He wanted to ponder the possibilities, think away the paranoia, but instead he dialed the sheriff's private number and was put right through. â€Å"What in the hell is the matter with you, Crowe? You stoned?† â€Å"No more than usual,† Theo said. â€Å"What's the problem?† â€Å"The problem is you removed evidence from a crime scene.† â€Å"I did?† Talking to the sheriff could drain all of Theo's energy instantly. He fell into a beanbag chair that expectorated Styrofoam beads from a failing seam with a sigh. â€Å"What evidence? What scene?† â€Å"The pills, Crowe. The suicide's husband said you took the pills with you. I want them back at the scene in ten minutes. I want my men out of there in half an hour. The M.E. will do the autopsy this afternoon and this case will close by dinnertime, got it? Run-of-the-mill suicide. Obit page only. No news. You understand?† â€Å"I was just checking on her condition with her psychiatrist. See if there were any indications she might be suicidal.† â€Å"Crowe, you must resist the urge to play investigator or pretend that you are a law enforcement officer. The woman hung herself. She was de-pressed and she ended it all. The husband wasn't cheating, there was no money motive, and Mommy and Daddy weren't fighting.† â€Å"They talked to the kids?† â€Å"Of course they talked to the kids. They're detectives. They investigate things. Now get over there and get them out of North County. I'd send them over to get the pills from you, but I wouldn't want them to find your little victory garden, would you?† â€Å"I'm leaving now,† Theo said. â€Å"This is the last I will hear of this,† Burton said. He hung up. Theo hung up the phone, closed his eyes, and turned into a human puddle in the beanbag chair. Forty-one years old and he still lived like a college student. His books were stacked between bricks and boards, his bed pulled out of a sofa, his refrigerator was empty but for a slice of pizza going green, and the grounds around his cabin were overgrown with weeds and brambles. Behind the cabin, in the middle of a nest of blackberry vines, stood his victory garden: ten bushy marijuana plants, sticky with buds that smelled of skunk and spice. Not a day passed that he didn't want to plow them under and sterilize the ground they grew in. And not a day passed that he didn't work his way through the brambles and lovingly harvest the sticky green that would sustain his habit through the day. The researchers said that marijuana was only psychologically addictive. Theo had read all the papers. They only mentioned the night sweats and mental spiders of withdrawal in passing, as if they were no more unpleasant than a tetanus shot. But Theo had tried to quit. He'd wrung out three sets of sheets in one night and paced the cabin looking for distraction until he thought his head might explode, only to give up and suck the piquant smoke from his Sneaky Pete so he could find sleep. The researchers obvi-ously didn't get it, but Sheriff John Burton did. He understood Theo's weakness and held it over him like the proverbial sword. That Burton had his own Achilles' heel and more to lose from its discovery didn't seem to matter. Logically, Theo had him in a standoff. But emotionally, Burton had the upper hand. Theo was always the one to blink. He snatched Sneaky Pete off his orange crate coffee table and headed out the door to return Bess Leander's pills to the scene of the crime. Valerie Dr. Valerie Riordan sat at her desk, looking at the icons of her life: a tiny digital stock ticker that she would surreptitiously glance down at during appointments; a gold Mont Blanc desk set, the pens jutting from the jade base like the antennae of a goldbug; a set of bookends fashioned in the likenesses of Freud and Jung, bracing leather-bound copies of The Psychology of the Unconscious, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), The Interpretation of Dreams, and The Physician's Desk Reference; and a plaster-cast bust of Hippocrates that dispensed Post-it notes from the base. Hippocrates, that wily Greek who turned medicine from magic to science. The author of the famous oath that Val had uttered twenty years ago on that sunny summer day in Ann Arbor when she graduated from med school: â€Å"I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but I will never use it to injure or wrong them. I will not give poison to anyone though a sked to do so, nor will I suggest such a plan.† The oath had seemed so silly, so antiquated then. What doctor, in their right mind, would give poison to a patient? â€Å"But in purity and in holiness I will guard my life and my art.† It had seemed so obvious and easy then. Now she guarded her life and her art with a custom security system and a Glock 9 mm. stashed in the nightstand. â€Å"I will not use the knife on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.† She'd never had a problem with that part of the oath. She was loathe to use the knife. She'd gone into psychiatry because she couldn't handle the messy parts of medicine. Her father, a surgeon himself, had been only mildly disappointed. At least she was a doctor, of sorts. She'd done her internship and residency in a rehab center where movie stars and rock idols learned to be responsible by making their own beds, while Val distributed Valium like a flight attendant passing out peanuts. One wing of the Sunrise Center was druggies, the other eating disorders. She preferred the eating disorders. â€Å"You haven't lived until you've force-fed minestrone to a supermodel through a tube,† she told her father. â€Å"Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will do so to help the sick, keeping myself free from all intentional wrongdoing and harm, especially from fornication with woman or man, bond or free.† Well, abstinence from fornication hadn't been a problem, had it? She hadn't had sex since Richard left five years ago. Richard had given her the bust of Hippocrates as a joke, he said, but she'd put it on her desk just the same. She'd given him a statue of Blind Justice wearing a garter belt and fishnets the year before to display at his law office. He'd brought her here to this little village, passing up offers from corporate law firms to follow his dream of being a country lawyer whose daily docket would include disagreements over pig paternity or the odd pension dispute. He wanted to be Atticus Finch, Pudd'nhead Wilson, a Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda character who was paid in fresh-baked bread and baskets of avocados. Well, he'd gotten that part; Val's practice had supported them for most of their marriage. She'd be paying him alimony now if they'd actually divorced. Country lawyer indeed. He left her to go to Sacramento to lobby the California Coastal Commission for a consortium of golf course developers. His job was to convince the commission that sea otters and elephant seals would enjoy nothing better than to watch Japanese businessmen slice Titleists into the Pacific and that what nature needed was one long fairway from Santa Barbara to San Francisco (maybe sand traps at the Pismo and Carmel dunes). He carried a pocket watch, for Christ's sake, a gold chain with a jade fob carved into the shape of an endangered brown pelican. He played his front-porch, rocking-chair-wise, country lawyer against their Botany 500 sophistication and pulled down over two hundred grand a year in the bargain. He lived with one of his clerks, an earnest doe-eyed Stanfordite with surfer girl hair and a figure that mocked gravity. Richard had introduced Val to the girl (Ashley, or Brie, or Jordan) and it had been oh-so-adult and oh-so-gracious and later, when Val cal led Richard to clear up a tax matter, she asked, â€Å"So how'd you screen the candidates, Richard? First one to suck-start your Lexus?† â€Å"Maybe we should start thinking about making our separation official,† Richard had said. Val had hung up on him. If she couldn't have a happy marriage, she'd have everything else. Everything. And so had begun her revolving door policy of hustling appointments, prescribing the appropriate meds, and shopping for clothes and antiques. Hippocrates glowered at her from the desk. â€Å"I didn't intentionally do harm,† Val said. â€Å"Not intentionally, you old buggerer. Fifteen percent of all depressives commit suicide, treated or not.† â€Å"Whatsoever in the course of practice I see or hear (or even outside my practice in social intercourse) that ought never to be published abroad, I will not divulge, but consider such things to be holy secrets.† â€Å"Holy secrets or do no harm?† Val asked, envisioning the hanging body of Bess Leander with a shudder. â€Å"Which is it?† Hippocrates sat on his Post-its, saying nothing. Was Bess Leander's death her fault? If she had talked to Bess instead of put her on antidepressants, would that have saved her? It was possible, and it was also possible that if she kept to her policy of a â€Å"pill for every problem,† someone else was going to die. She couldn't risk it. If using talk therapy instead of drugs could save one life, it was worth a try. Val grabbed the phone and hit the speed dial button that connected her to the town's only pharmacy, Pine Cove Drug and Gift. One of the clerks answered. Val asked to speak to Winston Krauss, the pharmacist. Winston was one of her patients. He was fifty-three, unmarried, and eighty pounds overweight. His holy secret, which he shared with Val during a session, was that he had an unnatural sexual fascination with marine mammals, dolphins in particular. He'd confessed that he'd never been able to watch â€Å"Flipper† without getting an erection and that he'd watched so many Jacques Cousteau specials that a French accent made him break into a sweat. He kept an anatomically correct inflatable porpoise, which he violated nightly in his bathtub. Val had cured him of wearing a scuba mask and snorkel around the house, so gradually the red gasket ring around his face had cleared up, but he still did the dolphin nightly and confessed it to her once a month. â€Å"Winston, Val Riordan here. I need a favor.† â€Å"Sure, Dr. Val, you need me to deliver something to Molly? I heard she went off in the Slug this morning.† Gossip surpassed the speed of light in Pine Cove. â€Å"No, Winston, you know that company that carries all the look-alike placebos? We used them in college. I need you to order look-alikes for all the antidepressants I prescribe: Prozac, Zoloft, Serzone, Effexor, the whole bunch, all the dosages. Order in quantity.† â€Å"I don't get it, Val, what for?† Val cleared her throat. â€Å"I want you to fill all of my prescriptions with the placebos.† â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"I'm not kidding, Winston. As of today, I don't want a single one of my patients getting the real thing. Not one.† â€Å"Are you doing some sort of experiment? Control group or something?† â€Å"Something like that.† â€Å"And you want me to charge them the normal price?† â€Å"Of course. Our usual arrangement.† Val got a twenty percent kickback from the pharmacy. She was going to be working a lot harder, she deserved to get paid. Winston paused. She could hear him going through the glass door into the back of the pharmacy. Finally he said, â€Å"I can't do that, Val. That's unethical. I could lose my license, go to jail.† Val had really hoped it wouldn't come to this. â€Å"Winston, you'll do it. You'll do it or the Pine Cove Gazette will run a front-page story about you being a fish-fucker.† â€Å"That's illegal. You can't divulge something I told you in therapy.† â€Å"Quit telling me what's illegal, Winston. I'm married to a lawyer.† â€Å"I'd really rather not do this, Val. Can't you send them down to the Thrifty Mart in San Junipero? I could say that I can't get the pills anymore.† â€Å"That wouldn't work, would it, Winston? The people at the Thrifty Mart don't have your little problem.† â€Å"You're going to have some withdrawal reactions. How are you going to explain that?† â€Å"Let me worry about that. I'm quadrupling my sessions. I want to see these people get better, not mask their problems.† â€Å"This is about Bess Leander's suicide, isn't it?† â€Å"I'm not going to lose another one, Winston.† â€Å"Antidepressants don't increase the incidence of suicide or violence. Eli Lilly proved that in court.† â€Å"Yes and O.J. walked. Court is one thing, Winston, the reality of losing a patient is another. I'm taking charge of my practice. Now order the pills. I'm sure the profit margin is going to be quite a bit higher on sugar pills than it is on Prozac.† â€Å"I could go to the Florida Keys. There's a place down there where they let you swim with bottlenose dolphins.† â€Å"You can't go, Winston. You can't miss your therapy sessions. I want to see you at least once a week.† â€Å"You bitch.† â€Å"I'm trying to do the right thing. What day is good for you?† â€Å"I'll call you back.† â€Å"Don't push me, Winston.† â€Å"I have to make this order,† he said. Then, after a second, he said, â€Å"Dr. Val?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Do I have to go off the Serzone?† â€Å"We'll talk about it in therapy.† She hung up and pulled a Post-it out of Hippocrates' chest. â€Å"Now if I keep this oath, and break it not, may I enjoy honor, in my life and art, among all men for all time; but if I transgress and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.† Does that mean dishonor for all time? she wondered. I'm just trying to do the right thing here. Finally. She made a note to call Winston back and schedule his appointments.

Discussing The simpsons Essay Example

Discussing The simpsons Essay Example Discussing The simpsons Paper Discussing The simpsons Paper The Simpsons have been up and running on our screens for fifteen spectacular years. Originally the idea for the the Simpsons came from a comic strip called life in hell ,as this was a comic strip hanging outside of James. L. Brooks office , the executive producer for the Tracy Ullman Show. The Simpsons cartoon was created by Matt Groening. Matt Groening decided to make 30 to 60 second clips of The Simpsons ,these were put on the Tracy Ullman Show leading in and out of the Tracy Ullman Show whenever there was a commercial break. These little clips are also known as bumpers. The bumpers were a huge success with the Tracy Ullman Show audience ,as the bumpers were so successful Fox Network took a huge risk of producing a half-hour sitcom. This was a huge risk as it was not test marketed on any groups of viewers at any stage. The first ever Simpsons episode was aired on December 17th 1989, it was a half-hour long Christmas special called The Simpsons roasting on an open fire, although this episode was an Christmas special it had a little twist to the end ,Homer does not have enough money to buy presents for the children and in the end he ends up with a dog which they named Santas little helper. In January 14th 1990 , Matt Groening made the first series consisting of thirteen episodes which cost Fox Network $10 million ,finally The Simpsons were here. The first series was a huge success with the audience , as it raced its way into the top 20 in the Neilson rating figures , this was a first for the Fox Network production. Within two months of The Simpsons being broadcasted ,it reached into the top 15 this was absolutely amazing as the Fox Network only reached four-fifths of all Americans . Soon after The Simpsons became known as Americas first family but in the recent years Americas presidential electron Dan Quayle went on national television to accuse The Simpsons of being immoral and corrupting the American way of life and the values of the American way of life. I do not agree with the statement above as I think that it is only a television show and it should not be taken to heart, I say this because the Simpsons is just a sitcom which is aimed to make people laugh . I agree with the following statement which says you can learn all of lifes lessons by watching the Simpsons. The quote given above was by Mel Gibson, I agree with that quote because in the Simpsons they do something wrong but in order to solve it they must do something right which sets a good example on the viewers. The Simpsons have been used as a single most important point by the launch of sky-one ,recently as concern has grown over sky-ones audience rating, they now screen two half-hour episodes per week rather than one. Behind the television sitcom The Simpsons is a whole line of production. The production starts from Matt Groening and his team brainstorming ideas together. They then write out a script ,they also have a good read through of the script. After they have read through the script and checked for any errors they then record the script onto a tape , they then send the tape off to klasky-csupo in Los Angeles, where the animation process begins, they have 100 animators who draw approximately 2,000 drawings. However this is not the end of the production ,from klasky-csupo the drawings are sent to Korea where the show is animated ,a further 250,000 drawings are made. Then six to ten months later. The finished episode is sent back to Matt Groening which is then broadcasted to the viewers all around the world . The Simpsons is an American show which is also an cartoon. Although it is animated and the characters are yellow and are very exaggerated ,it is also very true to everyday life as it deals with everyday conflicts and arguments experienced by ordinary families and it also makes fun of the American way of life. This has played a huge part in The Simpsons success as it is a funny yet a colorful cartoon for the younger audience but a typical day to day scene for the adult viewers ,it also takes the fun out of the American way of life. I think that Bart is highly loved by the younger viewers as he is a bad influence to them as Bart misbehaves . On the other hand Homer Simpson is very loved by the adult viewers as he should be the backbone of the family but he is like a forth child. I say this because he swears, drinks, careless. The Simpsons are also a success because the family are always fighting but somehow in the end they are reunited again. The family mat not be human due to their yellow colors and three fingers but the situations they face are situations that families like mine and yours face. However the family altogether I think is split up into two categories itself as Bart, Lisa and Maggie apply to the younger audience and Marge, Homer apply to the older audience. The Simpsons may not be a real life family and they may only be a sitcom but they have certainly touched our whether it be in a good way or a bad way. Many people have many opinions about The Simpsons this has led to so much controversy , arguments and disputes. Some people like to believe that the Simpsons are a bad influence not only to the viewers but also to the American way of life, however there other people who believe the The Simpsons is the best sitcom ever to be produced . This has led to endless controversy not only by viewers but also by politicians and celebrities , an example of this could be in 1992 American Presidential Electron Dan Quayle went on national television to accuse the Simpsons of being immoral ,corrupt and un-respectful ,as it made the fun out of the American way of life and other real life situations he also called the Simpsons dangerous. I do not agree with that statement as I think he is being too harsh on the Simpsons, as they are only a cartoon in which they do not try to offend anyone in any way. Many other individuals like me would argue that statement for example Jamie Oliver as he said Homer is the man as far as am concerned. My favorite guest was Barry White, who sang to charm the snakes into Homers house, to prevent them being killed on whacking day. Also Mel Gibson would disagree as he said you can learn all of lifes lessons from watching The Simpsons. I highly agree with the statements given by Mel Gibson and Jamie Oliver because I also believe that the Simpsons are not a bad influence on viewers or the American way of life. As you can see from what I have written above that the Simpsons are very controversial ,which I think is a good thing for the Simpsons in a way as I think that the controversy has took a big part in the Simpsons huge success. Everyday in the world of television we see many families if not having family crisis then just eating dinner round the table together. We see many television families either cartoon or real life ,solving problems. However The Simpsons are different to other families on television this is because The Simpsons family are very different due to the fact that whenever they go out it just gets from bad to worse. Even though their days out together are ruined ,somehow in the end they are always together. A great example of this could be the episode Theres No Disgrace Like Homer. In this episode believe it or not Homer was trying to be normal as he was invited to Mr. Burns party. Homer clearly wanted to make an good impression on Mr. Burns but like always this was not possible as Marge ended up getting drunk, Maggie was left in the childrens play room and Bart and Lisa were fighting like always. Homer then notices a perfect family ,which then made Homer want to be like them. Therefore Homer takes the family to a therapy center but it all goes wrong and in the end Homer and his family go home together. We do not see this happening in other sitcoms whether they are real or cartoon I. e. Eastenders and Tom and Jerry. This is what makes the Simpsons so different and special. We also see all of our everyday problems in The Simpsons I. e. bills, family crisis, Homer works , however the Simpsons are very different to any other family on television as I have explained above. The Simpsons in every aspect are loved by most of their viewers. This is what makes The Simpsons different to any other television families whether they are real or fictional. The Simpsons is highly controversial as many people love it but a small majority of people find it abusive and inappropriate. Most people watch the Simpsons and they love it. The Simpsons is expressed in a very good way. Matt Groening has made the Simpsons work by putting satire and parody in each of the Simpsons episodes. These two references are cleverly used in each Simpsons episode, an example could be when homer was chasing Bart down the stairs and they made it look like Indiana Jones. That could be an example of parody and an example of satire could be Mayor Quimby is criticized as a mayor all the time when you see him walking out with different ladies all the time and he doesnt even concentrate on his role. The Simpsons are trying to say that presidents/mayors are useless and dont do there jobs properly. Satire and parody is where the real comedy comes from and to make it even more funny Matt Groening tends to use elastic band reality, this is when they stretch reality into exaggeration I. e. death an example could be Homers cliff scene. Matt Groening uses elastic band reality to make the Simpsons even more funny. I would classify the Simpsons as a sitcom (situation comedy) because the Simpsons make the viewers laugh by what is going around in the world. Therefore I would classify The Simpsons as a sitcom. The Simpsons maybe a sitcom but they are not human yet we love them. I personally think that The Simpsons are great even though they have three fingers but we normally tend to forget that the Simpsons are yellow and have three fingers because we are so engaged to the humor in the show. The bright vibrant color yellow attracts and engages the younger audience. The Simpsons normally seems to be action packed from the start to end and all the action takes place in their home town of Springfield. The show is action packed from beginning right the way through to the end. We all mainly love The Simpsons because they are very funny ,everyone finds The Simpsons funny if not in one way then in many different ways. The Simpsons base their comedy mainly on stereo-typical views and the things we find funny I. e. things like violence, making fun out of the celebrities, Barts mischiefs. We are made to laugh by the satire and parody which is used in many of the jokes but most of the time elastic band reality makes us laugh, a good example of this could be the episode Barts New Dad. The elastic band reality in this episode would be when Homer and Tom were fighting and they rolled down the cliff fighting and came up the cliff fighting too. That was a good example of elastic band reality in action. However different age range will find different things funny. I think that the younger audience would find most of the violence and arguments funny whereas the older audience would find that funny too but also they would find the visual and verbal jokes funny. The younger audience love it when Homer strangles Bart. They also love the slapstick comedy in the show, slapstick comedy is comedy that u laugh about when someone is getting hurt an example of this could be when Homer strangles Bart. They also love itchy scratchy and krusty the clown. I have not just made this up as I have back up evidence for my points, as I asked my cousin jay who is ages eight what he thought of the Simpsons. This is what he had to say I think that the Simpsons are very funny and I love it when Homer strangles Bart and when Bart pranks Moe. From my cousins statement you can see that the younger generation follow Bart as a role model. Furthermore the older audience would be a bit more mature and would find the film references funny and also the parody of older movies, role rehearsals, stereotypes. There you see two collaborations of audiences which are made to laugh by The Simpsons. The Simpsons are probably the most stereotyped family in the world of sitcom. I say this due to their characteristics I. e. Homer brings all the money into the house. Marge is a typical housewife who takes care of the children and who is in charge of the money. Bart is a mischievous and Lisa is the clever one out of the two. Homer is a typical stereotype of a man who brings all the money into the house and who tries his best to keep everyone happy, I think that these stereotypes were used for Homer because they are trying to give an impression that Homer is a good father who is kind of mentally dopey but tries his best to keep the family together. In whole Homer is a good stereotype when he wants to be but most of the time I think he is a bad stereotype. Marge is a typical stereotype of a good housewife, although she tries her best to contribute to the families financial status. I think these stereotypes were given to Marge because she is an example of a typical housewife who takes care of the children I. e. sends them to school on time, makes their packed lunches. She also has control over some of the houses financial output and input. In whole I think that Marge is a good role model to see because she hardly does anything bad. These scenarios are like real life situations as the wife does the housework ,takes care of the children and the husband brings the money into the house. Bart is a stereotype of a mischievous boy who loves to play pranks on other individuals of the community. He is also a stereotype of a older brother who bosses his little sister around all the time but although he bosses his little sister around, he still loves her and cares for her. An example of this could be when she gets bullied I. e. the episode Bart The General, when Lisa makes cupcakes and one of Nelsons friend eats them Bart still sticks up for Lisa. Although Bart maybe bossy towards his sister, he still loves her and cares for her. I think these stereotypes are used for Bart because they are trying to show brotherly and sisterly love between Bart and Lisa. Lisa is a stereotype of a hardworking, sensible schoolgirl who tries her very best in school and tries to keep herself out of trouble. I think that these stereotypes were used particular for Lisa because they are trying to give an impression of a good school girl who wants to make herself but more importantly her parents proud by achieving her ambition in life. I think that Maggie is a stereotype of a innocent baby who is very clever as she shot Mr. Burns, but little do the Simpsons family know that Maggie is more brainy then Lisa as she shot Mr. Burns. Maggie is like a finishing touch to The Simpsons as she lives in her own world. Furthermore the audience know something that The Simpsons family dont. The Simpsons family on the whole is highly stereotyped and criticized not only by the media but also by the politicians. I think that the Simpsons family on the whole is a stereotype of a hardworking family who earn their living. I think that these stereotypes were used for The Simpsons family because they wanted to show the world real life situations but also instead of making them feel sad about it they make them feel happy and bring a smile on their faces. The Simpsons sitcom is filled with many characteristics, each having their own appearances, personality and their own characteristics. Homer Simpson is a fat, bold working father/husband who brings the money into the house. His characters personality is very funny as he is very dumb and dopey. However his wife Marge Simpson is completely the opposite of Homer Simpson, as she is very clever and not dopey. Marge Simpson has big afro type hair, always wears a green dress and a red necklace. Marges personality is very different to her husbands personality as she is very intelligent and always awake. She also believes in second chances for example in the episode where Bart shot the bird and he had to win Marges trust back by being very kind to her and helping her do housework. Marges personality is very sweet as she would do anything for her children. Bart is a spiky hair, mischievous boy who wears an orange t-shirt and blue shorts, he is nearly always seen on his skateboard. Barts personality is a typical naughty boys personality. Bart is a mischievous young boy I. e. when he prank phone calls Moes tavern. Furthermore Bart has a soft spot in his heart as he loves his sister and cares for her e. g. when Nelson and co bully Lisa, and Bart sticks up for her and takes the beatings. Lisa is a bright young girl. Lisa also has spiky hair and wears a yellow dress. Lisas personality is very like Marges and sometimes can be like Barts. She tries to keep her family together and she is very jolly and well mannered. Lisas role in the family is to be a hardworking young girl who has a bright future ahead of her. She also loves her family and is a genius. Maggie has a blue dress and spiky hair like Lisa, however Maggie maybe a baby but she is more clever than Lisa as she was the one that shot Mr. Burns. She also knows how to do scientific equations with her building blocks. This is one thing that The Simpson family do not know and that the audience do. I also think that she adds the finishing touches to the family. I think that The Simpsons are both a dysfunctional family and also a realistic family. I say this because they are dysfunctional family when they went to Mr. Burns party but they got split up as Marge got drunk, Maggie got put into a television room and Bart and Lisa were fighting. However in the end they got back together. I also say that they are a realistic family because they face everyday real life issues like paying bills, doing house chores, going to work. There I have given you two examples of my viewings about The Simpsons, dysfunctional or realistic?. These both come down to the relationships between the family members. Homers relationship with his wife Marge is excellent as every night before they go to sleep they say that they love each other. They also have a good sex life too. This shows that Homer and Marge love each other very much. However Homers relationship with the other members of the family is not all love, as he shares a love hate relationship with Bart. I say this because sometimes Homer and Bart spend quality time together but sometimes they are arguing, shouting and at each others necks. Homers relationship with Lisa I would say is not too weak or not too strong. I say this because when Lisa gets an A grades Homer does not take notice but when Bart gets an F grade he puts his paper on the fridge. Even though Homer is unfair to Lisa, he is always there for Lisa for example, when Lisa was going to do a performance in school and Homer did not want to come but in the end he came because he wanted to see his little girl happy. Homer does sometimes manage to take no notice of Lisa I. e. when he was too busy watching TV and Lisa asked homer if she can use the phone and homer without letting her finish the sentence said yeah. Homers relationship with Maggie is weak as he does not spend no time with her and he constantly forgets her name. Marges relationship with Homer couldnt be any better as they love each other, do things together like go to the spa together. Marges relationship with Bart is a typical mother and son relationship as they have their ups and downs together, sometimes they love each other and spend time together but sometimes they fall out I. e. when Bart shot the bird and Marge was upset with him but she gave him a second chance to improve. Marges relationship with Lisa is great because she acts like a role model for Lisa to follow. Their relationship is also great because when Lisa is in trouble or worried about something. Marge is always there for Lisa, if she needs a hug or just a little chat. Marges relationship with Maggie is excellent as wherever you see mare you always see Maggie with her, so you can tell that Marge really loves Maggie with all her heart. Bart has and unusual relationship with Homer as sometimes they love each other and spend quality time together however they always seem to be at each others necks and they argue over little things like what to watch on TV. Barts relationship with Marge is a typical mother and son relationship as they have been through a lot together. Barts relationship with Lisa is very sweet as he picks on her, makes her cry at home, but in school Bart helps Lisa out if she is being bullied by anyone. I dont think that Bart shares a relationship with Maggie because I have never seen Bart playing with Maggie or spending time with Maggie, therefore I think that he does not have a relationship with Maggie at all. Lisas relationship with Homer is a typical father and daughter relationship as they have their ups and downs but in the end they are always together. Lisas relationship with Marge is great because she can talk to Marge whenever she has a problem that needs solving or when shes in trouble. Lisas relationship with Bart is a typical brother and sister relationship as they are always fighting but they love each other and care for each other. I font think that Lisa has a relationship with Maggie because she is never seen with Maggie. I also think that Maggie does not share a relationship with anyone in the family apart from Marge. I say this because I have never seen Maggie with anyone else in the family apart from Marge. The family in whole I think are not a good role models for families to follow because the family do not spend enough quality time together which does not set a good example, although each person in the family has their own role which they play, they are more or a bad family than good. I say this because in vacations everything goes wrong and Bart does not listen to Marge and Homer. Homer forgets Maggies name, which is not a good sign because if he was a good father and they were a good family this would not happen. In conclusion The Simpsons is a spectacular sitcom that has been on our screens for over fifteen spectacular years. Which is a heck of a long time for a cartoon, but then we ask ourselves the question how do they do it?. Well The Simpsons are different to any other sitcom family although they are cartoon characters, they deal with real life situations like bills, house chores, going to and from work.

Finding Trustworthy Sources

Finding Trustworthy Sources Any time you are asked to write a research paper, your teacher will require a certain amount of credible sources. A credible source means any book, article, image, or other item  that accurately and factually supports the argument of your research paper. It is important to use these kinds of sources in order to convince your audience that you have put in the time and effort to really learn and understand your topic, so they can trust what you say.   Why Be Skeptical of Internet Sources? The internet is full of information. Unfortunately, it is not always useful or accurate information, which means some sites are very bad sources. You have to be very careful about the information you use when making your case. Writing a political science paper and citing The Onion, a satirical site,  would not get you a very good grade, for example. Sometimes you may find a blog post or news article that says exactly what you need to support a thesis, but the information is only good if it comes from a trusted, professional source.   Keep in mind that anyone can post information on the web. Wikipedia is a prime example. Although it may sound really professional, anyone can edit the information. However, it can be helpful in that it often lists its own bibliography and sources. Many of the sources referenced in the article come from scholarly journals or texts. You can use these to find real sources that your teacher will accept. Types of Research Sources The best sources come from books and peer reviewed journals and articles. Books that you find in your library or bookstore are good sources because they have usually already gone through the vetting process. Biographies, text books, and academic journals are all safe bets when researching your topic. You can even find a lot of books digitally online.   Articles can be a little trickier to discern. Your teacher will probably tell you to use peer reviewed articles. A peer reviewed article is one that has been reviewed by experts in the field or subject the article is about. They check to make sure that the author has presented accurate and quality information. The easiest way to find these types of articles is to identify and utilize academic journals.   Academic journals are great because their purpose is to educate and enlighten, not make money. The articles are almost always peer-reviewed. A peer-reviewed article is kind of like what your teacher does when he or she grades your paper. Authors submit their work and a board of experts review their writing and research to determine whether or not it is accurate and informative.   How to Identify a Credible Source If you want to use a website, make sure it is up to date with an easily identifiable author. Websites that end in .edu or .gov are usually pretty trustworthy.  Make sure the information is the most recent information available. You may find a good article from the 1950’s, but there are probably more contemporary articles that either expand upon or even discredit research that old.  Familiarize yourself with the author. If they are an expert in their field, it should be easy to find information on their education and determine their role in the field of study they are writing about. Sometimes you start seeing the same names pop up on various articles or books.  Ã‚   Things to Avoid Social media. This can be anything from Facebook to blogs. You might find a news article shared by one of your friends and think it is credible, but chances are it is not.  Using material that is out of date. You don’t want to base an argument around information that has been debunked or is considered incomplete.Using a second hand quote. If you find a quote in a book, be sure to cite the original author and source and not the author using the quote.  Using any information that has obvious bias. Some journals publish for profit or has their research funded by a group with special interest in finding certain results. These can look really trustworthy, so be sure to understand where your information is coming from. Students often struggle with how to use their sources, especially if the  teacher requires several. When you start writing, you may think you know everything you want to say. So how do you incorporate outside sources? The first step is to do a lot of research! A lot of times, the things you find may change or refine your thesis. It can even help you if you have a general idea, but need help focusing on a strong argument. Once you have a well-defined and thoroughly researched thesis topic, you should identify the information that will support the claims you make in your paper. Depending on the subject, this could include: graphs, statistics, images, quotes, or just references to information you’ve gathered in your studies.   Another important part of using the material you have gathered is citing the source. This can mean including the author and/or source within the paper as well as listed within a bibliography. You never want to make the mistake of plagiarism, which can happen accidentally if you don’t cite your sources properly!   If you need help understanding the different ways to site information, or how to build your bibliography, the Owl Perdue Online Writing Lab can be a huge help. Within the site you will find the rules for properly citing different kinds of material, formatting quotes, sample bibliographies, just about anything you need when it comes to figuring out how to write and properly structure your paper.   Tips on How to Find Sources Start at your school or local library. These institutions are designed to help you find everything you need. If you can’t find what you need in your local library, many work as a system that allows you to look for a specific book and have it delivered to your library.  Once you find a few sources you like, check their sources! This is where bibliographies come in handy. Most of the sources you will use will have sources of their own. In addition to finding more information, you will become familiar with the leading experts in your subject.  Scholarly databases are a huge help in researching a paper. They cover a broad range of subjects from writers of all disciplines.Ask your teacher for help. If your teacher has assigned a paper, chances are they know a little bit about the material. There is a lot of information available to you through books and the internet. Sometimes it may seem overwhelming and you just don’t know where to start. Your teacher can help get you started and tell you the best places to look based on your subject. Places to Start Looking JSTORMicrosoft Academic SearchGoogle ScholarRefseekEBSCOScience.govNational Science Digital LibraryERICGENISISGoPubMedIndex CopernicusPhilPapersProject MuseQuestia

King Surname Meaning and Origin

King Surname Meaning and Origin King generally comes from the Old English cyning, originally meaning tribal leader. This nickname was commonly bestowed on a man who carried himself like royalty, or who played the part of the king in a medieval pageant. Occasionally, the King surname was used by a man who served in a royal household. King is the 35th most popular surname in the United States and the 36th most common surname in England. Surname Origin: English Alternate Surname Spellings: KINGE Famous People with the KING Surname: Dr. Martin Luther King - American civil rights leaderStephen King - popular American author, best known for his horror booksB.B. King - American blues guitar legend Genealogy Resources for the Surname KING: 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? King Genealogy of Colonial VirginiaA Web site dedicated to using DNA to prove/disprove that the parents of Thomas King (1714-1798) of Louisa County, Va. were William Alfred King (1685-1779) and Sophia Burgess of Stafford County, Va. King Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the King surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own King query. FamilySearch - KING GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the King surname and its variations. KING Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the King surname. Cousin Connect - KING Genealogy QueriesRead or post genealogy queries for the surname King, and sign up for free notification when new King queries are added. DistantCousin.com - KING Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name King. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Implementing Strategy and Managing Change Essay

Implementing Strategy and Managing Change - Essay Example This department cannot be different. Besides, the FRS is better equipped than most other agencies to handle such emergencies, and the public expects nothing less from the FRS, and the pay piper has always dictated the tune. Reasons for Introducing Change Change is inevitable in all human endeavors, these generally has been attributed to several factors such as Globalization, which is the integration of all societies, cultures and regions to become interconnected through a network of communication systems. Financial pressures to meet both incidental and expected obligations, may also force the introduction of needed changes. New demands for products, services etc also are reasons for introduction of changes. The reasons for changes are as numerous as the sands on the sea shore. But for the FRS, the main reason is the expectations of the public. The public expects FRS department to be on the forefront of emergency intervention services. Although section 4 of the FRS Act of 2004 only em powers intervention in fire related incidents and motor accidents, but other emergency situations such building collapse, water accidents, flooding, plane crashes, terrorist attacks and other related incidents that no specialize government agency is responsible for is left to the FRS to handle, and as a matter of principle, the FRS cannot shy way from these tasks, especially when we have the men and equipment to confidently deal with such emergencies. Best practices in Change Management We live in an ever changing environment, products that are in vogue today, quickly become outmoded, system of handling situations that works yesterday, may not work when used tomorrow. All these necessitate the search for best practice in change management. While each organization probably has its best approach to manage change, there are some models that can be regarded as the best approach in change management. The ADKAR model which is an acronym for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinfo rcement has consistently proved to work in several organizations where it has been used to introduce change. There full meanings are: Awareness: the need to change; Desire: to participate and support change; Ability: to implement the change on a day to day basis; and Reinforcement: to keep the change in place. ADKAR model approaches Change from two dimensions: the business dimension (vertical) and the people dimension (horizontal). It ensures that each individual makes the needed transition. McKinsey 7 – S model This is a holistic approach to change which collectively determines how the company will operate. There are 7 different factors that are a part of the model: shared values, structure, systems, style, strategy, staff, and skills. All these work together to form the model. Lewin’s Change Management Model This model known as Unfreeze – Change – Refreeze, refers to the 3 stage process of change Lewin described using the changing shape of ice blocks. K otter’s Eight Step Model In summary, this model says that you need to create a sense of urgency, recruit powerful leaders, build a vision and effectively communicate it, remove obstacles, create quick wins, and build on your momentum. If religiously followed will implement change

Religion in What Dreams May Come True Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion in What Dreams May Come True - Essay Example These religions based their teachings on psychoanalytical postulations of human beings urging followers that the answers to their questions were to be found in no other place other than within. The 1998 film starring Robin Williams called â€Å"What Dreams May Come† clearly brings into perspective some of the postulations that have been used by emerging religions and the reason for the sudden popularity of those religions among the masses. There are questions that even in this age of technological advancements human beings have not been able to answer particularly the ones that pertain to his essence as a being and whether the earthly existence is by chance, or it is a journey with a purpose and a particular destination. The paper looks at how the film â€Å"What Dreams May Come True† manages to bring about some key characteristics in the teachings of New Thought Religions. The Power of the Mind. The concept of the power of the mind is clearly found in the teachings of Ernest Homes who postulated that human beings had the power to control their destiny through the power of their minds. Holmes outlines that the first greatest discovery that human being ever made was that ‘He could think† (Holmes 24). Holmes goes on to outline that the power of the human mind is evident in how man has utilized the resources nature has provided for him to come up with great inventions. New Thought religions propose on the power of the mind and are perhaps the source of the concept of the power of positive thinking. In the film â€Å"What Dreams May Come† the producer manages to bring about the concept of the power of thought through the family of Dr. Christopher. After the death of his children and going through emotional distress, Dr. Chris is also involved in car accident and finds himself in heaven.

Int Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Int Trade - Essay Example As a result, these countries choose to trade domestically or locally. To note, international trade brings in more income to a country than local trade (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2009). When a country engages in international trade, it could have the greatest number of customers as well as investors. A substantial amount of income could be expected. In such case, it is proper to review the current international trade policy of the world towards an equal opportunity for countries to grow and develop. The freedom to trade or free trade shall be thoroughly discussed and analyzed. Free Trade Free trade is defined as an economic system wherein labor, goods and capital flow freely between countries without barriers that could hamper the trade process (Smith, n.d.). This means that a country could trade whatever goods and services to other nations. There is equal opportunity to trade for the participating countries. There is no barrier such as tariffs, import qu otas and taxes (Smith, n.d.). In other words, there is no intervention from the government (Anon. â€Å"What’s,† n.d.). The area in trade is open to everyone who is interested. There is no restriction of some sort. This economic policy allows foreign individuals and companies to trade smoothly and efficiently as the domestic producers (Smith, n.d.). Stated otherwise, in this system, both the foreign and domestic producers have the same autonomy with regard to trade. They both have the same rights in trading. For nations to apply this system, they make free trade agreements (FTAs). Countries actually adopt this economic policy for economic and political reasons. According to Arnold Miller (2004), there is easy â€Å"access to one another’s markets† if free trade agreement is formed. This is logical since in FTAs, members are prioritized. This is to say that a free trade agreement creates a reciprocal obligation between the members (Organisation for Economi c Co-operation and Development, 2005). A member is obliged to observe the free trade rules all throughout the life of the agreement. If a member grants free trade rights to another member, the other member is also obligated to accord the same right. In another aspect, there are countries which decide to form an FTA to encourage investment liberalization and trade (Miller, 2004). Developed and developing countries usually create FTAs under this reason. Politically, FTAs are used to reaffirm and strengthen relations between countries (Miller, 2004). For instance, the United States of America created an FTA with Israel in 1985 as a sign of economic cooperation and strong relation (Hassanien, 2010; Bard, n.d.). Basically, to make trade completely free would create an economic system wherein all types of government protection and intervention would be absent and borders would be open to â€Å"unlimited amounts of imported goods† (Anon. â€Å"What’s,† n.d.). It is con tended that the result of such trade policy would be very beneficial to developed and industrialized countries. It would be easy for such countries to introduce and market their products to the domestic producers. On the other side, as to the developing countries, allowing a trade which is completely free would cost them inequality and poverty (Anon. â€Å"What’s,† n.d.). Take for instance, countries such as Nepal, Haiti, Zambia, Peru and Mali have adopted free trade in their