Summary of Holes by Louis Sachar Essay -- essays research papers

HOLES LOUIS SACHAR Stanley Yelnats is under a curse, one that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has followed generations of Yelnats. Stanley has been falsely convicted of stealing Clyde ?Sweet Feet? Livingston?s, a famous baseball player, sneakers from a homeless shelter. Now he must attend a boy?s detention center, Camp Green Lake, where bad boys dig holes all day, every day, digging holes five feet wide and five feet deep, to become good boys. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake, But there are an awful a lot of holes. When Stanley first gets to the camp he meets Mr. Sir a man that dresses like a cowboy and has just quit smoking. Mr. Sir tells Stanley that if he wants to run he can run, but that Camp Green Lake is the only place with water for a hundred miles. Then Stanley goes to his tent, tent D, and meets his guidance counselor Mr. Pendanski who everyone else calls ?Mom?. He is introduced to his fellow inmates who are Squid, X-ray, Magnet, Armpit, Zigzag, and Zero. Stanley quickly learns that there nicknames are there only names to call them when he calls Armpit ?Theodore? and gets thrown to the ground. The kids ask Stanley why they sent him to the camp and he tells them it was his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. He was unjustly convicted of stealing Clyde Livingston?s cleats from a shelter. Stanley was walking when they just fell from the sky and hit him on the head, he took them and started to run home when the police pulled him over and thought he had stole them. Stanley pleaded his case to the court but they didn?t believe and it was Camp Green Lake or jail, as any sane kid would, he picked the camp. Camp Green Lake reminded Stanley of th... ...s the song ?If only, if only? and since zero is the descendant of Madame Zeroni he breaks the curse that was on his bloodline. They continue traveling when they decide to start digging for treasure. They start digging because Stanley found lipstick that belonged to Kate Barlow and they went back to the area where they found it. Stanley and Hector find the treasure but are surrounded by yellow spotted lizards so they have no choice but to stay in the hole with out moving. A lawyer comes to Camp Green Lake looking for Stanley and the warden and the counselors star looking for them. The next day the warden finds them in the hole and tries to take the treasure but it has Stanley?s name on it. The lawyer goes to take Stanley home and he says he will only go if they can take Zero. Since the warden erased Hector?s files the camp gets shutdown and everyone goes back home.

A Comprehensive Feasibility Study For The Establishment Of Paintwork T-shirt Printing House

A COMPREHENSIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PAINTWORK T-SHIRT PRINTING HOUSE Introduction Nowadays, printed shirt are almost seen everywhere: school uniforms with the school logos printed on it, advertisements printed on shirts, title of an event, different cartoon characters, quotable phrases and lot more things printed on shirts. There are many processes of transferring a design to a shirt. Computer printed designs, screen printing process, heat transferred images, and painting the shirt itself.In these modern days, things are done in faster ways; that is why computers play varieties of role. Computer printed designs are among the most common in the market today. One can have his own picture printed in a shirt in just an hour or he can even personalize a design that he likes to be printed in his shirt. A design can also be transferred in number of shirts in a clothing company. This computer printed shirt is the focus of this feasibility study. We come up with this pr oduct to compete in the demand of modern days’ consumers.In addition to computer printed shirts, we also come up with the idea having painted designs as an art design exclusive for each company. Images add art to the printed shirts. It livens up the clothing and gives more attraction to those who see it. Universities have their university shirts or organizational shirts, which is sometimes used by the students as their uniforms. Our business is targeting this opportunity for us to give them a uniquely designed t-shirts that will surely be appreciated by the students and other group of people.In addition to this, we also aim to create our exceptional own painted design for some organizations who conduct events and some small companies in the country. The Concept PAINTWORK conceptualized a production enterprise that will be the producer of painted designed and computer printed shirts in some other schools in the country particularly in Polytechnic University of the Philippines (the four owners’ alma mater). We plan to create the products not for retail purposes but as a wholesale supply catering to the needs of the targeted market for their painted shirt uniforms, section shirts, organization shirts, batch hirts and other customized shirts. Nowadays, computer printed shirt designs are common in the market, so as the screen-printed designed shirts. Computer printed designs though are more modern and has more quality with designs. It being an easy process to transfer a design to shirts with exclusive painted design for each company is our unique selling proposition. Our business oriented and hip designs are popular especially with the teenagers, students and the young.We come up with this product believing that we can supply the needs of consumers to have more modernized and likeable designs in its best outcome. Although we are new in this kind of business, we still can promise the best outcome and produce very good quality painted designed computer printed shirts that can be used in events, organizational uniforms, school uniforms and other more occasions. The price will be based on the cost used to create the product. Our painted shirts will surely compete in the market in terms of pricing but we are confident that ours is a product that is worth to be paid for.Objectives As stated in the concept for its creation, PAINTWORK will paint designed shirts that will be used for uniform purposes in school organizations, small companies, events, and some institutions. PAINTWORK is comparable in the market in terms of pricing but the process of production and high quality end product differs. The designs are personally made and manually transferred to the shirt resulting to excellent classy products that will satisfy the consumers.The objective of our company is to be more competitive in the market and to be the leading manufacturer and supplier of paint designed computer printed shirts in the Philippines. * Short Term Objectives * To build a good rapport with the consumers and to the people. * To maintain a good working relationship with all our employees and also to the suppliers. * To be the favoured company of the leading universities and some companies to supply them our shirts with hand painted designs. * Long Term Objectives * Our company’s objective is to be the leading supplier of the printed hirts for the next 5 years in Polytechnic University of the Philippines to be used on the General Assembly of the students of Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, and also for some universities in the country. * Our business will endeavour to be an excellent company here in the Philippines that will be loved by the Filipinos and eventually we can export our products to other countries. Company Logo Organizational Chart ZAILEEN A. CULATA Sales Supervisor AVEGAIL C. LUCERO Office Supervisor PAULINE AGNES VELASCO Production Supervisor TITO M.PINEDA III General Manager Production workers Assistant PAINTW ORK will be having four main heads for its organizational chart. Every partner will be assigned to each department to assure the harmony and proper management of the entity. The four partners are distributed in four main positions in the company such as general manager, production supervisor, sales supervisor and office supervisor. The establishment will hire three sociable and customer-oriented crews. Two crews will be assigned in printing and editing the t-shirt design; one crew will assist them.Neither of the pioneers will supervise the over-all development of the business. Manpower Requirement 1. Job Title: General Manager * Responsible for the whole organization and the business operation. He is also responsible to the following functions: * Must see to it in carrying out or handling the day-to-day operations of the business. * Must plan out various developments for maximum profitability of the business. * Must render wise decisions for the changes and improvement s of the busi ness operation. * Must assure to every customer that they can produce quality products they needed. 2.Job Title: Production Supervisor * She is responsible for supervising the production workers in the whole process of production and maintenance of the area. She also approves or edits the original design from the business or personalized design from the customers. 3. Job Title: Sales Supervisor * Sales supervisor is responsible for marketing and delivery of the product. She is in charge in dealing with the customers. 4. Job Title: Office Supervisor * She is responsible for supervising the office works. She manages the accountant and the clerk in the office. 5. Job Title: Production Workers They are the ones responsible for transferring the designs to the computer, printing the shirt, drying and packaging of the products. They deal with the whole process of producing the best paint designed computer printed shirts. 6. Job Title: Assistant * Serves as a clerk that assists in all the o ffice works. Services Offered Paintwork will offer services on customized, personalized t-shirt printing and editing design. Products will be made in its highest quality, perfect for corporate gifts, batch shirt, uniforms, give away, couple shirt, university shirts and more.Our aim is to delivering quality garments made to your design and specifications at a competitive price by using the latest printing techniques for any occasion. If you’re in the market for an individually stylized piece of apparel, we’ve got everything you’re ever likely to need! T -shirt printing designs is what we’re all about and regardless of whether you have an idea of your own in mind, or you fancy one of our best sellers, the garments we will supply you with will be of a superior quality. We pride ourselves on the reliability of service we will offer. Actual PlanPAINTWORK will be built outside the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, specifically in Newton’s Plaza, Sta. Mesa, Manila. Initially, the three sociable and customer-oriented crews will handle the production of customized, personalized t-shirts and designs. Rest assured that the ambiance of the establishment is excellent to make customers feel comfortable. Floor Plan Future Plans After six months of operation, PAINTWORK will launch its latest additional product offers such as personalized banners and tarpaulins. After a year, a branch is planned to build but the location is not yet final.These measures are intended to provide the same quality and affordable customized, personalized printing of shirts and advertisement designs to students, companies and others. Facilities The business should have the following facilities to be able to operate: 1. Office * Having an office is necessary to accommodate customers and to serve as an area for people to work. 2. Printing Room * The business needs its own printing room to meet the standard of the consumers in printing t-shirts. The room has m achines for printing and other equipment in need to do the products. 3.Sewing Room * It is where the products are being sewed to add design with the t-shirts. Production Process 1. Creating the Design. This is the first step in producing the painted shirt. The design must first be done and drafted for the next step to continue. In this step, the consumers must agree with the design being suggested or pass his personal design. The colors to be used must also be enumerated. 2. Transferring the Design to the Computer. 3. Printing the Shirt Design. This is the main step of this process; this is where the design is being transferred on the shirt. . Drying Drying is very important in this process because once the painted design is not dry, it might be ruined and the shirt will not be used at all. The painted shirt is dried through blowers for quicker drying. 5. Checking of Shirt This step is done to ensure that all the painted shirts will turn out as expected, excellent and with a classy result. 6. Packaging This is the last step of the production process where in the finished painted shirts are placed in a cloth bag as it packaging. After this, the painted shirts can be delivered. Production The process of production was practiced very well and perfected to have a product with a high standard and quality that will be best suited for its consumers. * All employees / workers are trained proficiently and must be very knowledgeable on how the process of production goes as well as the proper use of facilities and equipment. * Materials come from reliable sources with their own safety measures to have a quality and trusted product. * The business also sees to it that there are enough materials so as not to delay the production process.Packaging PAINTWORK Designed shirts are packed in cloth bags. These are better than the usual packaging that comes in plastic sack. Quality Control Our business ensures the quality and unique prints of the shirts to meet the customerâ€℠¢s satisfaction. In order to prove the business’ claim that it is 100% worth to be paid for, we set our guidelines and policies for the workers to follow in the production of our product. Investments The owners made the following investments to meet the goals of the business: EquipmentP35,000 OfficeP 45,000 Initial OperationsP25,000TOTAL COSTP 105,000 The equipment include the sewing machines and the printing machines while the office includes the facilities like tables and chairs in the main office, printing room and sewing room. Profitability Analysis The simplest way of approximating profitability is to assume the expected payment of the consumers and subtract from it the expected expenses. The t-shirt costs P160. 00 – P300. 00. In example, a customer ordered 50 shirts and the quality of its design costs, let’s say, P200. 00 each. 50 shirts X P200. 00 = P10, 000. 00For instance that the cost of expenses on each shirt is P120. 00, the business will earn a prof it of P80. 00 for each shirt, with the total of P4, 000. 00, that is for 50 shirts. The profit of the company depends on the number of shirts a customer will ask. Thus, this computation is in approximation and still subjected for any changes if such is to be proven needed. Operational Expenses As for the computation, operational expenses are estimated to be around P120. 00 per shirt. For instance, there are 50 shirts to be printed (P120. 00 x 50), a total of P6000. 0 is the operational expense incurred. This amount should therefore be watched to monitor the operational expenses of the company. The general manager in this sense should consider allocating the remaining retained earnings as an allowance for PAINTWORK. Break-Even Point Analysis PAINTWORK initially invested P105, 000. 00 which is recoverable immediately after an approximately 5 months of successful regular operations. The management placed the shirts at a price range which is cost effective and considering wholesaler as our major target market.The average price of a t-shirt is P160. 00, more affordable than expected though it has many benefits and price will be stable and not to become a big deal at all. Performance and Appraisal Program The company will conduct an evaluation on the employees in which the supervisor evaluates their performance; the result of the evaluation will be given to the employees indicating the level of their performance areas of improvement. This evaluate will be the basis for the increase of their salary and promotion for employees.The following factors that the company will consider: 1. A manager and employee shall hold formal appraisal meetings once or twice a year. 2. Employees should be given immediate and adequate feedback regarding their performance. The manager and supervisor should maintain a record of critical incident specific situation, task, action and result negative and positive. 3. Managers and supervisors are accountable for evaluating performance in develo ping their subordinates. The manager and supervisor should also be appraising in their performance management skills. 4.The performance appraisal system shall encourage the employee’s participation in the company. Timetable PAINTWORK DATE| ACTIVITIES| START: 2nd week, March – April 2012| Feasibility studies, research and Analysis| 2nd week, March – 2nd week, July 2012| Capital Contribution| 3rd week, April – 2nd week, May 2012| Registration Permit and other Licenses| 1st and 2nd week, April 2012| Canvassing of Raw Materials and Location of the Business| 3rd week, June – 2nd week of July 2012| Setting the Place of the Business| 1st and 2nd week, June 2012| Recruitment and Hiring of Employees| 1st week , August 2012|Purchasing of Raw Materials and Equipment| 4th week, August 2012| Training of Employees| 1st week, September 2012| Ribbon Cutting and Start of the Normal Business Operation|

Wednesday Syllabus

If you do not notify the experimenter prior to your scheduled time and the experimenter is forced to waste his or her time waiting for you, you will lose half of the credits that the study was worth. For example, if the study was worth 2 credits, then 1 credit will be deducted from the total number of credits that you have earned. Forgotten passwords. If you have lost or forgotten your password, please click on â€Å"Lost your password? Click here to retrieve it† on the website homepage. You will be asked to provide your encamps email address; the password will be sent directly to you.If, after having done this, the system indicates that the password could not be sent, please email Dry. Leach (Amy. [email  protected] Ca) your encamps email address, the name of your course, and the name of your instructor so that she can set up a new account for you. You will be notified when your new account has been created. Available Studies. The topics, methodologies, locations (Online vs .. North campus vs.. Downtown campus) and time durations of the studies will vary. We cannot guarantee how many studies will become available over the term or that there will be studies that interest you personally.Check the website periodically to see if a new study has been posted. However, do keep in mind that space in studies is restricted. Thus, you should check the website frequently to ensure that you are able to sign up for studies (and timeless) as they become available. Please do not contact Dry. Leach or your professor about the availability of studies because they do not know when new studies or timeless will become available. Individual experimenters are responsible or posting their own studies. Note that the last day of classes is the final day that you can participate in studies for extra credit.Study Restrictions. You may not be able to sign up for some of the posted studies. In some cases, this is because you have already participated in that particular study or a v ery similar study. In other cases, you might not meet the criteria for inclusion in the study (e. G. , you did not provide your contact information in the initial prescribe survey so that researchers could contact you). Keep in mind that studies should become available over the semester. Again, it is best to continue checking the website for updates. Forgotten Passwords.If you have lost or forgotten your password, please click Available Studies. The topics, methodologies, and time durations of the studies will likely vary. We cannot guarantee how many studies will become available over the term or that there will be studies that interest you personally. Check the website periodically to see if a new study has been posted. However, do keep in mind that space in studies is restricted. Thus, you should check the website frequently to ensure that you are able to sign p for studies (and timeless) as they become available. Please do not contact Dry.Leach or your professor about the availa bility of studies because they do not know when new studies or timeless will become available. Individual experimenters are responsible for posting their own studies. **Please note that the last day of classes is the final day that you can particular study or a very similar study. In Other cases, you might not meet Grading Disputes: Students who would like to dispute their grade on an exam must provide a written explanation, via email, of their concerns to the TA within one week of achieving their grade, prior to meeting with the TA.Only after receiving the written explanation will the TA review the exam. This documentation allows the TA to prepare for your meeting and, if possible, resolve any issues over email. When meeting with your T A, you must bring a written hard copy of your concerns. If you are unable to resolve the issues with the TA the TA will contact me and, after reviewing the situation, I will contact you to set up a meeting. So, it looks like this: Midterm 1 Midterm II 30% 35% Participation 5% Research (bonus) 5% Civility Bonus Total 106% Grading Scale:In accordance with Slot's grading policy, the following scale will be use: Grade Percentage Grade Points Description 90-100 4. 3 Excellent. Strong evidence of originality and independence of thought; good organization; capacity to analyze and synthesize; superior grasp of subject matter with sound critical evaluations; evidence of extensive knowledge base; an outstanding ability to communicate. 85-89 4. 0 80-84 3. 7 77-79 3. 3 Good.Substantial knowledge of subject matter; some evidence of organization and analytic ability; a moderate degree of originality and independence of thought; reasonable understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with literature; an ability to communicate clearly and fluently. 73-76 3. 0 70-72 2. 7 67-69 2. 3 Adequate. Student is profiting from his/her university experience; an acceptable understanding of the subject matter; ability to develop solutions to r epresentative problems in the material; some ability to organize and analyze ideas; an ability to communicate adequately. 60-66 2. 0 D 50-59 1. 0 Marginal. Some evidence that critical and analytic skills have been developed; rudimentary knowledge of the subject matter; significant weakness in the ability to communicate. F 0-49 0. 0 Inadequate. Little evidence of even superficial understanding of subject matter; weakness in critical and analytic skills; limited or irrelevant use of literature; failure to complete required work; an inability to communicate. *Academic Honesty Policy: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and may result in severe penalties.Regarding academic dishonesty, whether cheating, plagiarism or some other form of dishonest conduct related to academic coursework, draw your attention to the following points, as outlined in the Academic calendar. Read the following eve carefully! Many of you do not understand what plagiarism is, and I will discuss this issue fur ther in class. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to: Unreasonable infringement on the freedom of other members of the academic community (e. G. , disrupting classes or examinations, harassing, intimidating, or threatening others).Violation of safety regulations in a laboratory or other setting. Cheating on examinations, assignments, reports, or other work used to evaluate student performance. Cheating includes copying from another students work or allowing one's own work to be copied, submitting another person's work as one's own, fabrication of data, consultation with an unauthorized person during an examination, or use of unauthorized aids. Impersonating another student or allowing oneself to be impersonated for purposes of taking examinations, or carrying out laboratory or other assignments.Plagiarism, which is the act of presenting the ideas, words, or other intellectual property of another as one's own. The use of other people's work must be properly acknowledged and referenced in all written material. Obtaining by improper means examination papers, tests, or similar materials; use or distribution Of such materials to others. Falsifying academic records, including tests and examinations, or submitting false credentials for purpose of gaining admission to a program or course, or for any other purpose.Misrepresentation of facts, whether written or oral, which may have an effect on academic evaluation. This includes making fraudulent health claims, obtaining medical or other certificates under false pretenses, or altering certificates for the purposes of misrepresentation. Submission of work when a major portion has been previously submitted or is being submitted for another course, without the express permission of all instructors involved.

Group Progression in Society Essay

The pressures of society force humans into groups, whether to change something, unite, or to feel a sense of belonging. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to find what groups you may fit into and these groups can change as you transform into a more critical thinker. Studs Terkel tells the story a of Ku Klux Klan member turned school board activist, C.P. Ellis, in his essay, â€Å"C.P. Ellis.† Ellis’ struggles and realizations prove what critical thinking and self-examination can do. Mike Rose’s essay, â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average† also displays the importance of growing through groups and how changing mental habits can help transform one into a more efficient critical thinker, therefore allowing one to surpass the cultural myths placed upon them. Gary Colombo enlightens readers by defining and giving advice on how to transform oneself into a critical thinker in his essay, â€Å"Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths†. Colombo argues that by thinking critically and challenging the norms of our society we can fight to be the people we truly want to be. Humans form into groups subconsciously as well as consciously. Consequently, these groups we cast ourselves into are the very things that can hold us back from becoming true individuals. By reexamining old ways and becoming active critical thinkers, members of society can participate in groups in a manner which will allow them to grow intellectually and outlast the cultural myths that is society has placed upon them. Groups have a large impact on society since they are constructed to allow humans to do more than they would be able to as mere individuals. However, groups can often hinder the thought process of individuals and may cause people to settle for less than what they are actually capable of. The â€Å"cultural myth† of belonging in society can cause individuals to become immersed in a group’s ideas wholly instead of blending them with their own beliefs. Ellis recalls when his former Klansmen called him after he started working for integration on the school board with Ann Atwater, African American women. â€Å"My old friends would call me at night: ‘C.P, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re selling out the white race.’ This begin to make me have guilt feelin’s. [. . .] My mind was beginnin’ to open up. I was beginnin’ to see what was right and what was wrong. I don’t want the kids to fight forever† (405). Had Ellis remained a narrow-minded member of the Ku Klux Klan his judgments and perceptions would have continued to be overly influenced by the Klan’s extremist beliefs. By expanding his mind Ellis was able to work on non-Klan related issues and overcome his racist tendencies thus transforming him into a more independent thinker. Critical thinking such as this is essential in being able to think independently opposed to being over powered by a group’s point of view and opinions. Colombo defines critical thinking as â€Å"a matter of dialogue and debate – discovering relationships between apparently unrelated ideas, finding parallels between your own experiences and the ideas you read about, exploring points of agreement and conflict between yourself and other people† (9). By applying these skills Ellis talked through the issues on the school board and reexamined his relationship with Ms. Atwater which in turn matured his critical thinking abilities. These critical mental skills will enable one to choose which groups they truly belong to instead of merely becoming a drone in order to fulfill their own senses of belonging. However, not all group enrollment and involvement is by the choice of its members. Some are pieced together by members whose superiors have placed them in said groups. In some cases, placement into these groups can impede on the development of critical and independent thinking. Mike Rose’s unjust placement into his school’s vocational is a prime example of this forced-group hindrance. Colombo states that â€Å"[c]ultural myths become so closely identified with our personal beliefs that rereading them means rereading ourselves, rethinking the way we see the world. Questioning long-held assumptions can be an exhilarating experience, but it can be distressing too† (8). By rethinking the groups’ society places us in we can gain a better understanding of ourselves as well as a better perception of the cultural myths that hold our true identities down. Rose tells about that the defenses mechanisms that he and his classmates built up to deal with the below average, self-image that the vocational track gave them, â€Å"[they] to twist the knife in [their] own grey matter† in order to stand up to the mental wear-and-tear of the vocational schooling process. Rose delves further into this process: You’ll have to shut down, have to reject intellectual stimuli or diffuse them with sarcasm, have to cultivate stupidity, have to convert boredom from a malady into a way of confronting the world. Keep your vocabulary simple, act stoned when you’re not or act more stoned than you are, flaunt ignorance, materialize your dreams. It is a powerful and effective defense – it neutralizes the insult and the frustration of being a vocati onal kid. (Rose 162) Defenses like the ones used in Rose’s essay cause individuals to do the bare minimum and do not allow individuals to grow within the group but rather the opposite; it stunts their identities and makes them complacent rather than questioning the world around causing a lack of internal expansion. By questioning the cultural myths of society and expanding the mind to think more critically individuals will be able to broaden their intellectual and social horizons. Ellis reminiscences at the end of the essay about his person growth by saying that â€Å"our troubles are over with. They say the older you get, the harder it is for you to change. Since I changed, I’ve set down and listened to tapes of Martin Luther King. I listen to it and tears come to my eyes’ cause I know what he’s sayin’ now. I know what’s happenin’† (408). By progressing through groups (the Ku Klux Klan and school board) Ellis was able to become a critical thinker and overcome the many cultural myths of his life. Similarly, Rose progressed to become a critical thinker. By going from vocational track to college prep, Rose was forced to reassess his self in order to become the type of student and person he wanted to be upon entering college prep. â€Å"I’d been mediocre for too long and enjoyed a public redefinition. And I suppose the inner workings of my mind, such as they were, had been private for too long† says Rose on regards to his switch and achievement in college prep (166). Both of these experiences show that by reevaluating the cultural myths in society and growing through different groups individuals can become critical thinkers and redefine themselves as the people they want to be. Society is filled with cultural myths and pre-assigned groups for its members. Only by overcoming these myths and growing intellectually can individuals become who they want to be rather than what society decrees them to. The experiences of Rose and Terkel show what critical thinking and group progression can do to one’s true self. Since Colombo defines critical thinking in his essay, the two experiences of Rose and Terkel allow the idea to be brought to life and put his work into context. Upon building critical thinking skills and experiencing group progression throughout life, individuals will be able to gain a multifaceted understanding of their true selves. This understanding will allow individuals to delve into the critical thinking and lead them to constantly challenge the world and groups around them. Works Citied Colombo, Gary. â€Å"Thinking Challenging Critically, Cultural Myths.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1-15. Print. Rose, Mike. â€Å"I Just Wanna Be Average.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s, 2010. 157-169. Print. Terkel, Studs. â€Å"â€Å"C.P. Ellis.†.† Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Eds. Colombo, G., Cullen, R., and Lisle, B. Boston: Bedfortd/St. Martin’s,

Convexity and Nonsatiation

Checking the convexity and nonsatiation assumptions EC201 LSE Margaret Bray October 25, 2009 1 Nonsatiation 1. 1 1. 1. 1 The simple story De? nition and conditions for nonsatiation Informally nonsatiation means that â€Å"more is better†. This is not a precise statement, and it is possible to work with a number of di? erent de? nitions. For EC201 †¢ Nonsatiation means that utility can be increased by increasing consumption of one or both goods. If the utility function is di? erentiable you should test for nonsatiation by ? nding the partial derivatives of the utility function. 1. 1. 2Example: testing for convexity with a Cobb-Douglas utility function A Cobb-Douglas utility function has the form u(x1 , x2 ) = xa xb where a > 0 and b > 0. Here u(x1 , x2 ) = 12 2/5 3/5 x1 x2 . Assuming that x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 the partial derivatives are ? u ?x1 ?u ?x2 = = 2 ? 3/5 3/5 x2 > 0 x 51 3 2/5 ? 2/5 > 0. xx 51 2 (1) (2) You should note that because the partial deriva tives are both strictly1 positive utility is a strictly2 increasing function of both x1 and x2 when x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 so nonsatiation is satis? ed. 1. 1. 3 Implications of nonsatiation 1.If utility is strictly increasing in both goods then the indi? erence curve is downward sloping because if x1 is increased holding x2 constant then utility is increased, so it is necessary to reduce x2 to get back to the original indi? erence curve. 2. If utility is strictly increasing in both goods then a consumer that maximizes utility subject to the budget constraint and nonnegativity constraints will choose a bundle of goods which satis? es the budget constraint as an equality so p1 x1 + p2 x2 = m, because if p1 x1 + p2 x2 < m it is possible to increase utility by increasing x1 and x2 whilst still satisfying the budget constraint. A number is strictly positive if it is greater than 0. function is strictly increasing in x1 if when x0 > x1 and x2 is held constant at x2 then u x0 , x2 & gt; u (x1 , x2 ). 1 1 The important point here is that the inequality > is strict. 2A 1 1. 1. 4 Nonsatiation with perfect complements utility A utility function of the form u (x1 , x2 ) = min (a1 x1 , a2 x2 ) is called a perfect complements utility function, but the partial derivative argument does not work because the partial derivatives do not exist at a point where a1 x1 = a2 x2 which is where the solution to the consumer’s utility maximizing problem always lie.This is discussed in consumer theory worked example 6 1. 2 1. 2. 1 Nonsatiation: beyond EC201 Complications with the Cobb-Douglas utility function A really detailed discussion of nonsatiation with Cobb-Douglas utility would note that the partial derivative argument does not work at points where the partial derivatives do not exist. The partial ? u derivative does not exist if x1 = 0 because the formula requires dividing by 0. Similarly the ? x1 ?u formula for requires dividing by 0 if x2 = 0 so the function does not have a partial derivative with ? x2 respect to x2 when x2 = 0.However observe that if x1 = 0 or x2 = 0 then u(x1 , x2 ) = 0, whereas if x1 > 0 and x2 > 0 then u(x1 , x2 ) > 0 so if one or both x1 and x2 is zero then increasing both x1 and x2 always increases utility. Thus nonsatiation holds for all values of x1 and x2 with x1 ? 0 and x2 ? 0. 1. 2. 2 More general formulations ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 implies nonsatiation. However these conditions can be ?x1 ?x2 weakened considerably without losing the implication that the consumer maximizes utility by choosing a point on the budget line which is what really matters.For example if utility is increasing in good 1 but decreasing in good 2 so good 2 is in fact a â€Å"bad† the consumer maximizes utility by spending all income on good 1 and nothing on good 2. The condition that 2 2. 1 2. 1. 1 Convexity and concavity Concepts Convex sets A set is convex if the straight line joining any two points in the set lies entirely within the set. Figure 1 illustrates convex and non-convex sets. 2. 1. 2 Convex functions A function is convex if the straight line joining any two points on the graph of the function lies entirely on or above the graph as illustrated in ? gure 2.Another way of looking at convex functions is that they are functions for which the set of points lying above the graph is convex. Figure 2 suggests that if the ? rst derivative of a function does not decrease anywhere then the function is convex. This suggestion is correct. If the function has a second derivative that is positive or zero everywhere then the ? rst derivative cannot decrease so the function is convex. This gives a way of testing whether a function is convex. Find the second derivative; if the second derivative is positive or zero everywhere then the function is convex. 2. 1. 3Concave functions Concave functions are important in the theory of the ? rm. A function is concave if the straight line joining any two points on the graph of the function lies entirely on or below the graph as illustrated in ? gure 3. Another way of looking at concave functions is that they are functions for which the set of points lying below the graph is convex. Figure 3 suggests that if the ? rst derivative of a function does not increase anywhere then the function is concave. This suggestion is correct. If the function 2 Convexity Mathematically a set is convex if any straight line joining wo points in the set lies in the set. Which of these sets are convex? B A non-convex convex C D convex non-convex Figure 1: Convex sets A function is convex if a straight line joining two points on its graph lies entirely on or above the function. If the second derivative of the function is positive or zero at every point then x2 the function is convex. 0 x1 Figure 2: A convex function 3 A f unc tio n is c on ca ve if a s tra ight lin e joining tw o po ints on its g ra ph lies en tirely o n or be low the fun ction . If the s ec on d de riv a tiv e o f the fun ction is ne ga tive or zero a t e very p oint the n 2 the fun ction is c on ca ve . ca ve 0 x1 Figure 3: A concave function has a second derivative that is negative or zero everywhere then the ? rst derivative cannot increase so the function is concave. This gives a way of testing whether a function is convex. Find the second derivative; if the second derivative is negative or zero everywhere then the function is concave. You may ? nd it easier to remember the di? erence between convex and concave functions if you think that a function is concave if it has a cave underneath it. 2. 2 2. 2. 1 Convexity in consumer theory De? nitionThe convexity assumption in consumer theory is that for any (x10 , x20 ) the set of points for which u(x1 , x2 ) ? u (x10 , x20 ) is convex. If utility is strictly increasing in both x1 and x2 so the indi? erence curve slopes downwards the convexity assumption is is equivalent to an assumption that thinking of the indi? erence curve as th e graph of a function that gives x2 as a function of x1 the function is convex. ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 so the indi? erence Thus if the test for nonsatiation establishes that both ?x1 ?x2 curves are downward sloping the convexity assumption can be tested by rearranging the equation for an indi? rence curve to get x2 as a function of x1 and u, and then ? nding whether the second derivative ? 2 x2 > 0. ?x2 1 2. 2. 2 Example: testing for convexity with a Cobb-Douglas utility function 2/5 3/5 Here u(x1 , x2 ) = x1 x2 . Write 2/5 3/5 u = x1 x2 . (3) Rearranging to get x2 as a function of x1 and u ?2/3 x2 = u5/3 x1 . Holding u constant so staying on the same indi? erence curve ? x2 2 ?5/3 = ? u5/3 x1 ?x1 3 and 10 5/3 ? 8/3 ? 2 x2 = >0 u x1 ?x2 9 1 4 (4) ?u ?u > 0 and > 0 the indi? erence ?x1 ?x2 curve is downward sloping and the preferred set is above the indi? rence curve so the convexity condition is satis? ed. so on an indi? erence curve x2 is a convex function of x1 . Beca use 2. 2. 3 Algebra problems You should know how to rearrange equation 3 to get equation 4. If this is causing you problems note ? rstly that equation 3 implies that ? ?5/3 2/5 3/5 2/3 u5/3 = x1 x2 = x1 x2 so x2 = 2. 3 u5/3 2/3 x1 ?2/3 = u5/3 x1 . Beyond EC201 Concavity and convexity can be de? ned algebraically and this is essential if you want to prove any results about concavity and convexity rather than appealing to intuition as I have done here.The procedure I have given for checking the convexity condition in consumer theory requires that the ? rst ? u ?u derivatives > 0 and > 0 and does not work with more than two goods. There is a much ? x1 ?x2 more general method; write down the matrix of second derivatives of the function u (x1 , x2 ). If this matrix is positive semide? nite everywhere the function is convex, if the matrix is negative semide? nite everywhere the function is concave. You do not need to know about this for EC201. 5

Baker College Corporate Services Essay Example for Free

Baker College Corporate Services Essay Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of America’s greatest Leaders. His accomplishments are discussed in this paper in a biographical manner, as well as other Authors opinions about them, including my humble self’s. This paper gives an example of a forward looking, charismatic leader. The whole population of this great country is benefitting from his accomplishments, and will continue to do so for generations, with only slight adjustments for technology and culture. Franklin Delano Roosevelt An Example to Remember When somebody asks to pick a favorite leader, a number of the great ones pop into mind, like Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Douglas McArthur, Franklin Delano Roosevelt among others. It is a tough choice. They were all great. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had so many great accomplishments during his life time; the only way to list and discuss them would be in the biographical manner the Author chose. The reason the author chose to write about Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the similarity of today’s economy that he faced at the time of his first term in the office as well as our current president elect’s choice to use some of his strategies to correct the present state of our economy. Faced with World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), guided America through one of its greatest domestic crisis, His presidency, which spanned twelve years, was unparalleled, not only in length but in scope. FDR took office with the country mired in a horrible and debilitating economic depression which not only sapped its material wealth and spiritual strength, but cast a cloud over its future, not unlike what we are facing today. â€Å"Roosevelt’s combination of confidence, optimism, and political savvy, all of which came together in the experimental economic and social programs of the â€Å"New Deal† helped bring about the beginnings of a national recovery (Baliles, 2005, p. 1). † FDR also committed the United States to the defeat of Germany, Japan, and Italy, and led the nation and its allies to the brink of victory. This triumph dramatically altered America’s relationship with the world, putting the United States into a position of international power, as well as political and moral leadership. By virtue of its newfound political and economic power, the United States would play a leading role in shaping the remainder of the twentieth century. Inside the United States Franklin Roosevelt stirred a domestic political revolution on several fronts. † FDR and the Democratic Party built a power base which carried the party to electoral and ideological, dominance until the late 1960s (Baliles, 2005, p. 1) â€Å". FDR’s policies, especially those comprising the New Deal, helped redefine and strengthen both the country as well as the American presidency, expanding its political, administrative, and constitutional powers of the office (Baliles, 2005). FDR was born in Hyde Park, New York, in 1882, to James and Sara Roosevelt. His parents were well off, if not wealthy by New York High society standards. While growing up, they were able to provide a succession of nannies, and at age 14 send him to a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts. He went on to Harvard College, where he spent most of his time at the college paper, where he declared himself a Democrat. While at Harvard, he grew close to his cousin Theodor Roosevelt, who was moving up the political ladder in the Democratic Party, and began courting his distant cousin, Elanor Roosevelt. Although FDR started attending law school at Columbia at this time, he had little interest and dropped out after one year. Elanor and FDR were married in New York City in 1905. He had six children: Anna Elanor, born 1906; James, born 1907; Franklin Jr. , born 1909 and died the same year in November; Elliott, born 1910; Franklin Jr. , born 1914 and John Aspinwall, born 1916 (Coker, 2005). In 1910 FDR ran and got elected to the New York Senate and was re-elected in 1912. One year later he began his tenure as assistant secretary of the Navy under the Wilson administration at the age of 31, helping to prepare the country for entry into the world war. He moved his family to Washington for this reason. WWI lasted from April1917 until November 1918. â€Å"On more than one occasion, he was subject to ribbing by those around him as being a â€Å"little boy†. Nevertheless, in characteristic Roosevelt fashion, he was undaunted by his lack of experience and plunged into the job with enthusiasm and confidence (Coker, 2005, pg. 28). † As a matter of fact, he did such a great job, that in 1920 the Democratic Party named him the vice-presidential candidate on James Cox’s ticket. They lost the election in November of that year. Roosevelt’s most significant responsibility in the Navy Department had to do with labor negotiations with defense contractors. His primary goal in this area was to encourage positive relations between workers, industry leaders, and the military. In this capacity he gained appreciation for labor issues and learned how to handle sometimes rocky labor disputes (Coker, 2005). â€Å"FDR proved to have the exceptional ability to juggle various administrative and political responsibilities. Part of the reason he was able to do so many things simultaneously was that he insisted on bringing the indispensable Louis Howe to Washington with him to serve as his personal secretary. Howe seemed to be everywhere at once, assisting Roosevelt in all matters-scheduling appointments, helping with clerical work, and even helping Roosevelt keep an eye on, and a hand in, New York politics. † (Coker, 2005, pg. 31) In1921 FDR contracted polio, an incurable disease that left his legs paralyzed. By investing a considerable part of his fortune in renovating a spa in Warm Springs, Georgia, whose curative waters, together with strenuous physical therapy and the support of his wife, children and close confidantes, was he able to regain some use of his legs. By 1928 with the relentless help of his wife, Howe and a new personal secretary, Marguerite (Missy) LeHand, FDR was apparently sufficiently recovered to resume his political ambitions to run and win the governorship of New York. The very next year FDR had to cope with the stock market crash in October. The stock market was pretty volatile in the 1920s. With no regulation, Americans and investors bought stock on credit. By the second half of 1929 the economy slowed because of rising unemployment and high interest rates. When everybody started selling stock and found no buyers, the market nosedived. October 24th (Black Thursday†) and October 29th († Black Tuesday†) were two days that marked the beginning of the depression, although not the only cause. At the same time, farmers were taking advantage of new technologies, which caused overproduction. The Stock market crash, along with overseas competition, and urban areas lacking the income to buy agricultural products, caused those prices to crash also. Because of the prosperity in the 1920 over 80% of Americans held no savings at all and the rich stopped buying. Because of all these factors, 5000 banks collapsed, one in four farms went into foreclosure and 100,000 jobs vanished each week. By 1932 one quarter of this country’s people in were unemployed (Baliles, 2005). FDR implemented a number of innovative relief and recovery initiatives: unemployment insurance, pensions for the elderly, limits on work hours, and massive public works projects. These programs labeled him as a liberal reformer and won him reelection as governor in 1930. It is important to note that FDR as Governor surrounded himself with best minds that worked with him in the State Senate, as well as some members of Al Smiths former gubernatorial administration, to solve his States’ problems. At the same time he had Louise Howe, as his chief campaign strategist and the head of the state Democratic Party, James Farley laying the ground work for a presidential campaign (Coker, 2005). In the grip of the great depression, the Democrats turned to FDR in the election season of 1932 to run for President. He was a popular and successful governor for two terms, with a recognizable last name, that could challenge President Hoover. He won the presidency in a landslide, promising the American People a â€Å"New Deal†. Voters extended FDR approval to both houses of congress, giving the democrats overwhelming majority, which would prove vital in FDR’s first year in office. In his inaugural address, FDR promised the distraught Americans hope by telling them that they had â€Å"nothing to fear but fear itself (Baliles, 2005). † True to his character, FDR surrounded himself with a group of advisers nicknamed â€Å"the brain trust†. This brain trust included former progressives, liberal-minded professors and bright young lawyers. One of the traits FDR is consistent on is the ability to recognize when expert help is needed, and then surrounding himself with it (Dubrin, 2004). â€Å"An array of emergency measures proposed by FDR, and passed by Congress reflected three basic goals: industrial recovery through business-government cooperation and pump-priming federal spending; agricultural recovery through crop reduction; and short-term emergency relief distributed through state and local agencies when possible, but directly by the federal government if necessary. † ( Boyer, P. et. al. (2008). pg. 734) â€Å"Between March and June 1933, a period labeled â€Å"Hundred Days,† Congress enacted more than a dozen key measures ( Boyer, P. et. al. (2008). pg. 736). † These measures were all directed to solve every aspect of the depression, including regulating the stock market. Because so many people had been unemployed for some time, the help did not come fast enough. By 1934 the unity spirit of the hundred days was fading, industry was chafing under increasing National Recovery Administration (NRA) regulations. Even Nature seemed to work against recovery efforts. Between 1930 and 1939 the drought in the Oklahoma panhandle region turned much of the Great Plains in the Midwest into a dust bowl. Depression persisted, despite all efforts. FDR put great store in talking to the people, and he used radio to talk to them. He would talk regularly and informally on shows called â€Å"fireside chats† about results and plans to help the nation and alleviate people’s fears (Boyer, P. et. al. (2008). At this point in his research the author remembered the first four chapters of required reading for the class. It is without exaggeration, when saying, that it is hard to single out any one part of these chapters to describe FDR. They simply seem written about him. From the definition of leadership to the nine leadership roles in chapter one, the personality traits, motives and cognitive factors of effective leadership in chapter two, to initiating structure and consideration and attitude and behaviors of a leader in chapter four. FDR had it all. If it has been noticed the Author left out chapter three, because this chapter dealt with Charisma and transformational leadership. It would not be fair to pick any part of this chapter in the authors opinion FDR was the embodiment of this chapter (Dubrin, 2004). While he was loved by the people, the new deal was criticized from all directions. Some saying that the New Deal was going to far, others saying it was not going far enough. FDR seemed to relish the attacks of his critics, saying that the New Deal protected the average American, not the rich. In 1935 FDR fought back the criticism with a series of legislation that eclipsed the first hundred days termed the â€Å"Second New Deal†. He also lost support from the business community because of his support for the Wagner Act and Social Security. Both were the more memorable of FDR’s accomplishments, the former allowed labor unions to organize and bargain collectively, the latter set up programs designed to provide for the needs of the aged, the poor, and the unemployed, but excluding farmers, domestic workers, and the self employed (Baliles, 2005). Because of his popularity with the American people, FDR wins the election of 1936 against Republican Alf Landon by a major majority. What this proved, was that the Democratic Party was the major party in the states. At his inauguration he promised the people to continue to fight for the nation’s underprivileged. FDR put together a group of voters from different regions of the country. This diverse group became the core of the Democratic Party. It came to be called the â€Å"New Deal Coalition† or â€Å"Roosevelt coalition† and included members from different labor, racial, religious and ethnic groups, along with academics and intellectuals (Coker, 2005). FDR is first to realize he can not do it all himself, and has the presents and humility to put together a group that can give him, information, ideas and feedback from every segment of the population he is trying to help (Dubrin, 2004). FDR’s second term in office started with doing something about the resistance he has been encountering to his New Deal. The Supreme Court was on top of his lists of concern. They had overturned some agricultural and industrial New Deal reforms earlier and Roosevelt was concerned for future programs. He found it unbelievable that this body could overrule not only the presidency, but the Congress as well. He blamed it on the lack of vision of several older judges and was determined to do something about it. If they refused to retire or to die, he would find a more systematic way to protect his policies from them. He consulted legal experts and advisers within the organization and came up with the idea to expand the number of judges on the Supreme Court. In 1937 FDR proposed legislation stating that because the age of some of the judges, and in the interest of efficiency, adding an additional new and younger justice for every one of the sitting ones over the age of 75. Most of his opposition called FDR a dictator, but having such a majority in both houses of congress, the bill would have probably passed. Perhaps that was the reason later that year, that the Supreme Court upheld some state and federal legislation. By the time the bill reached the Senate, all the steam went out of the argument and did not pass. The possibility of the event coming to pass however, had such an impact on the Supreme Court that they have not invalidated any legislation concerning regulating business or expanding social rights for the remainder of the century. Having won his point with the court, he was finding the whole federal bureaucracy moving to slow for his tastes, started to bypass established procedures, creating emergency agencies to carry out policies. In 1937 Roosevelt had a plan for reorganizing his cabinet. It called him to receive 6 full time executive assistants, for a single administrator to head the Civil Service Commission, for him and his staff to assume all responsibility in budget planning, and for every executive agency to be under the control of a cabinet department. Although he did get some of these things passed by Congress in 1939, his opposition was able to paint him as imperious and power-hungry (Baliles, 2005). The Author can empathize with FDR on the point of the Judges, mainly because of a similar difficulty in his work environment, involving very high sonority workers that could retire and make room for younger people to work in this difficult economy. He would have told him that he is also of the opinion that any political appointment should not be for life. Frustrated by red tape of bureaucracy FDR shows a segment of entrepreneurial leadership (Dubrin, 2004). To top all this controversy, FDR also tried to eliminate some of the conservatives within his own party by supporting their more liberal opponents in the 1938 primary. This attempt was later labeled â€Å"The great Purge† and failed. Of the 10 Democrats targeted, only one lost. All these were reasons the party suffered significant setbacks, as the Republicans reclaimed 81 seats in the House of Representatives and 8 in the Senate in the 1938 midterm elections. In the midst of these setbacks, international events were becoming more important and harder to ignore. During the internal struggle of the depression the administration had adopted a position of isolation and neutrality toward the rest of the world claiming the United States was dragged into WWI by trade entanglements with European factions. The Japanese invaded the Chinese Mainland in 1937 and the fact this happened with very little resistance, FDR considered responding, concerned Japan might be encouraged to continue to press forward threatening crucial United States locations in the Philippines. Although FDR wanted to respond to the threat, he relented to his opposition. He sufficed to publicly â€Å"quarantined† Japan, mainly to express U. S. opposition to the invasion. He did ask and receive funding for increased naval development in the pacific under the guise of creating more jobs (Baliles, 2005). FDR shows his democratic leadership side as he cedes to the wishes of the population and the political majority and refrains from taking any direct and hostile action toward Japan. He probably realizes that the internal problems need the most focus as Japan has not physically attacked the U. S. Although, like the entrepreneurial and situational leader that he is, he sees an opportunity to use the goals of economic recovery and job creation to build up the country’s defenses. The Author would most likely have suggested using this creative plan to enforce the navy in the Atlantic as well (Dubrin, 2004). In Europe, Germany lead by Hitler was also invading neighboring countries under the guise of reuniting Germanic people under one nation. As long as his actions suited his declaration, France and England were content to stay out of the action. Russia under Stalin, seeing the lack of opposition, made a nonaggression pact with Hitler, and started seizing territory in Eastern Europe, while Hitler invaded Poland. These actions in 1939 shocked the world, with France and England declaring the start of World War II (Coker, 2005). Throughout this aggression in Europe, FDR was hamstrung because of the neutrality acts congress passed between 1935 and 1939. Being as staunch supporter of England and France, he did manage to relax them in 1939, accomplishing two goals, boosting our economy with our allies able to buy arms and munitions from us, as well as supporting them. In a speech to Congress he voiced his opposition to the neutrality laws and his regret of signing them. Explaining that none of our ships would enter hostile waters, the allies buying from us would transport the munitions. He also refrained from using military language, afraid of loosing hard won political support, needed in the upcoming election. At this time decisions war vying for supremacy in FDR between the future of the nation and his political career (Baliles, 2005). It is admirable and probably due to his inner circle of family and friend, that FDR has the presents of mind to divide his concentration between the troubles in Europe, trouble in the country and making sure he wins the election. FDR seems to see himself as a servant leader (Dubrin, 2004). Although expressing concern once that the Democratic Party was becoming to dependent on him, he was confidante he would win the nomination and be a favorite in the election. After a period of indecision, that left the party hanging, FDR announced his full support for the ticket. He did win the nomination and promptly announced his intention to replace the vice president, conservative John Nance Garner with Henry Wallace, a progressive who had been a major player in the administration. This caused a major disagreement within the party as nobody wanted a change. FDR got his way by a narrow margin, simply because he threatened to drop out of the race and resign from the white house immediately (Baliles, 2005). FDR seems to let his position go to his head somewhat as his actions describe a section of chapter 4 entitled the dark side of charismatic leadership. It describes that the end justifies the means (Dubrin, 2004). The race was the most challenging so far for FDR. The republicans, taking advantage of the strife in the Republican Party, tried labeling FDR as unstable and warmonger. In return FDR was warning the public of the threat the republicans would dismantle the New Deal and destroy the progress it had made. FDR would win the presidency for a third term with a narrower margin than the last two. Without the concern of the an election FDR proposed a bill to congress, which he promoted through a â€Å"Fireside chat† as well as a speech in congress, stressing that while the country was a peaceful one, with no intention of entering the war, the country had a good neighbor responsibility to help defeat Hitler through the production of goods and weaponry and a â€Å"Lend-Lease† program, under which the Allies could borrow military hardware to return after use. A bill was passed in congress in early1941 that greatly increased our help to Great Britain. As Hitler was fighting by now against England and Russia, having broken the nonaggression pack, FDR was able to increase the U. S. naval presence in the Atlantic on the threat that Hitler was out of control without breaking the neutrality act. This action caused our ships to come under fire, resulting in the sinking of several. In September of 1941, while mourning the death of his mother, FDR gave our navy orders to fire at will. Emboldened by its alliance with Germany, Japan attacked the U. S. at Pearl Harbor hoping to invade and secure the natural resources, denied them after their alliance with Germany, which they were importing from the U. S. before. On December 8, 1941, FDR delivered his famous â€Å"A ate which will live in infamy† speech, to congress asking for a declaration of war and getting it that same afternoon (Coker, 2005). â€Å"Despite Roosevelts lifelong interest in diplomacy, he never held illusions that he would formulate strategy in case of war. He did, however, expect to stay in close contact with his officers and surround himself with an able advisory team (Coker, 2005, Pg. 134)†. He also took similar steps to reorient the country for war production, creating the War Production Board to oversee mobilization soon joined by an Office of War Mobilization. FDR’s New Deal experience helped him create a cooperative venture between government and private industry to meet defense needs (Coker, 2005). During mobilization FDR brought about significant changes for the betterment of unemployed and minorities. Farmers streamed into cities, finding jobs, women were urged to work at jobs previously occupied by men and everybody was urged to join a union. Unions saw the peek of membership during these years. If the New Deal was slow in turning the economy around, although creating enormous deficit, the Second World War kick started the economy into high gear. Although reluctant and concerned about violating civil liberties, FDR, as was his policy in most military matters, listened to his military advisors and issued Executive Order 9066, which forced over 100,000 Japanese-Americans into internment camps, for security reasons. (Coker, 2005) Controversial and widely criticized later, this action was done out of fear of espionage. At that time, however not the Civil Liberties Union, nor the public objected to this action. If War was not one of FDR’s strong points, organizing, creating smooth transitions using programs such as â€Å"maintenance for membership† and â€Å"no strike-pledge† was. He used fireside chats to explain to the public the need for such policies, applying to patriotism. While researching FDR’s accomplishments during WWII, the author was amazed by his power of persuasion and organization during this time of mass confusion in this country. Had he lived in this time frame, the Author would have liked FDR to tell him how he kept it all straight (Dubrin, 2004). The outlook did not look promising for the allies in the first months of 1942, but things turned against Germany and Japan when the U. S. won victories in the pacific theater in 1943 and â€Å"D-Day† operation was a great success in France in 1944. On the home front, FDR had to concentrate internally again for several reasons. First the Republicans, having won major advancements in the election of 1942 in Congress, were making it almost impossible to pass legislation to fund the war, which mainly consisted of significant tax hikes. The Labor unions were also threatening to strike over this issue. Mainly the public was fed up with funding the war and having to do without. In 1944, FDR made it known to his party that he was willing to run for a forth term. The party acknowledged that he would be their best chance for victory, however, nominated Senator Harry Truman as Vice President. Although a sick man, run down from his years in office, his energetic campaigning and his medical condition, FDR downplayed the situation and convinced the public they should not change leaders in mid-war. He won the presidency against republican New York governor Thomas Dewey by 54% of the popular vote (Baliles, 2005). FDR’s stamina and drive at this point in his life is a little disturbing from the authors point of view. Highly regarded as a great leader, it is surprising he does not recognize his deficiencies and recommends the party choose a different candidate. But then, if his wife, doctor and friends could not persuade him to retire, the author doubts highly that his own powers of persuasion could have influenced FDR to turn the country over to somebody else, and concentrate on his health and family. FDR’s health deteriorated rapidly after the election. He would not live to see the end of WWII. Convalescing in Warm Spring, Georgia on April, 12, 1945; he collapsed and died of cerebral hemorrhage. His body was transported from Georgia to Washington D. C. and from there to Hyde Park, N. Y. for burial. Hundreds of thousands of people came to pay their respects during this final journey, attesting to the fact that he was considered the hero and savior of the 20th century (Boyer, P. et. al. (2008). Congress did limit the terms of a president to two terms shortly after FDR’s death. Actually, the Republican Party started legislation on this subject four years earlier, at the time of the last election. They did not pursue it on the grounds of seeming petty during the election. Over the decades the subject â€Å"FDR†, private life, political life and all his accomplishments, good or bad, would be studied by economists, politicians, and academics as well as students like us. One such example is a Policy Review interview of several students asked to compare the Contract with America which the 1995, 104th Congress and House Speaker Newt Gingrich promised to deliver in less than 100 days with FDR’s New Deal. The Author would like to show Quotes to prove several points. Sally C. Pipes, President of Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy â€Å"Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and the new Republican House Leadership deserve thanks and congratulations for the successful completion of the Contract with America. What a revolutionary series of events has taken place! With the Contract, a promise to the American people was made; in a little less than the promised hundred days, the promise was kept. Of what other Congress in this Century can that be said? † (Pitney, 1995) Mike Siegel, Former president of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts. â€Å"The Contract with America committed the House Republicans to raising and voting on each of the Contract Items. This was accomplished and should be considered a major shift from politics as usual (Pitney, 1995). † Deroy Murdock, President of Loud & Clear Communication. â€Å"Assuming the Senate and President Clinton cooperate, the enactment of most Contract items, per se, will not influence American politics as profoundly as did FDR in his First Hundred Days. However, the paradigm shift that has accompanied the Contract likely will parallel the new thinking that FDR inspired 62 years ago. † (Pitney, 1995) Mona Charen, Nationally syndicated columnist. â€Å"The First Hundred Days of the Republican majority were like a laser show—full of color and sound, but so fast and furious that it was difficult for voters to single out the benefits of tort reform, welfare reform, or regulatory reform. † (Pitney, 1995) Jeff Jacoby, Nationally syndicated columnist for the Boston Globe. â€Å"So, no, in terms of legislation completed, Gingrich’s First Hundred Days don’t compare with FDR’s. So thoroughly did Gingrich and his army upend that piece of conventional wisdom, that by the end of a hundred days, Bill Clinton was reduced to insisting he still mattered. â€Å"The President,† he sniffled in a mid-April press conference, â€Å"is relevant here. † (Pitney, 1995) William A. Rusher, Former publisher of National Review. â€Å"The First Hundred Days of the new House Republican Leaders will deserve that well-worn adjective â€Å"historic† even if relatively few of the measures listed in their Contract with America ever become law in the form they recognize (Pitney, 1995). † Burton W. Folsom Jr. , Senior Fellow in Economic Education at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan. â€Å"The House Republican Leadership did most of what it said it would do in the Contract with America. The Republican Contract was a conscious, thoughtful, and usually coherent plan that went from campaign document to legislative writ. The New Deal was improvisational and contradictory right from the start. † (Pitney, 1995) John J Pitney, JR. Associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College. â€Å"The House GOP’s First Hundred Day compared badly with FDR’s. Although all the items in the Contract With America reached the House floor, only two of them became law before the hundredth day. By contrast, FDR signed bushels of bills during the Hundred Days of 1933. Crisis is the great lubricant of the legislative process, and the economic calamities of FDR’s early days briefly suspended Capitol Hill’s normal Friction. Government has become tangled in its own red tape. † (Pitney, 1995) The Author would like to point out, that there is hardly mention of the president of this time and then only to point out that he was left out of the loop. Apparently the House Speaker and the Republican majority in Congress decided they could upstage a Democratic President with a style of government by one of its own party example. As shown, none of the interviewees have lied, but it was entertaining to read just how much of the story a particular party adherent brings to light to prove his point of view. Clearly, the more is known of the story, the worse the scenario of the Contract With America sounds. We have just had a historical presidential election. If FDR started with having blacks, women and other minorities in high office, this country as a whole just elected a black man into the White house. In 1995 Congress took up FDR’s ideology but tried to upend the hierarchy. Since then the Country’s problems have just gotten worse. Again the cry has started and the president has taken up the challenge and stated publicly that he would use some of FDR’s strategies. Immediately the media, economists and scholars exploded with the similarities of the state of the country then and now, advice and warnings to the administration. We are closer to the FDR era state of the economy, the sharp rise in unemployment, the near collapse of the banking industry and the essential pessimism of the population. FDR’s overall message is less caution and more boldness. The congress will also have a democratic majority next year and one of the most liberal caucuses ever, which should facilitate cooperation by past experience. Together with the lubricant of crisis stated earlier should help (Schlesinger, 2009). Two other similarities are contributed to Barack Obama. He unusually charismatic person and is a great speaker, which should help him guide the general public through this crisis. He has surrounded himself with an experienced staff, headed by â€Å"101st Senator† Rouse. To get his agenda passed, he just needs to convince Congress to take some political risks (Drum, 2008). There is hardly any advice this Author can offer that has not already been offered by persons more qualified other than hope. Hope that lessons have been learned from history and similar situations. God knows this country has had most imaginable, and the Baker College Corporate Services. (2016, Nov 23).

Theme and narrative elements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theme and narrative elements - Essay Example As both are sitting in a bar at a train station, it becomes clear they are waiting for a train to come. The train is heading to Madrid where the woman will have an operation she dreads. At the end, it is unclear whether Jig has made up her mind to kill the fetus or not. Yet, it is obvious that the relationship between the two has grown very distant. As the story opens, one is immediately introduced to the story’s setting which helps to grasp the theme of the story. To illustrate, â€Å"The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was a warm shadow of the building, and a curtain made strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bars, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid.† (Hemingway, p. 211) This paragraph tells us that the man and his partner are in a place where it is â€Å"very hot†, a place without trees and even without any shade. Even the flies must be kept out of the room. The described setting evokes feelings of decay and a meaning of bareness. If to combine these images with the conversation that follows, one may successfully find some clues as to the relationship between the man and the woman.... There is no hope for this relationship to flourish, it is doomed to decay and decomposition. Even if the woman eventually agrees to make an abortion, their relationship will hardly be the same as it was before the problem arose. Bearing in mind the overall theme of the story, one may find a symbol here as well, which may be interpreted as a possible story ending. Namely, barren hills may symbolize the fate of a bay that will never be born. No life, no children’s laughter, no flourishing. In terms of the story’s symbolism, one more profound symbol should be mentioned. This is the symbolical meaning of the hills and â€Å"the big white elephant†. Hills may symbolize the breasts of a woman who is pregnant. They are swollen and thus remind hills. At the same time, the big white elephant may be a symbol of an abdomen inside of which there is a fetus. In Buddhism, a white elephant came to Buddha’s mother in her dream and gave her a lotus flower that actually sym bolized her pregnancy (Weeks, 1980, p.75). Having provided the examples of symbolism and setting in this story, let us explain how they affect the narrative theme. First of all, these symbols help to predict the story’s major implications. The woman is pregnant – this is conveyed with the help of hills-and-elephant symbol. Next, the relationship is decomposing – this can be inferred from the barren setting. The child will probably be killed in the womb – this can be inferred again from the unpromising setting in the opening paragraph. All in all, symbolism and setting have played the key role in interpreting the story’s meanings. References 1. Hemigway, E. (1998) The complete short stories of Ernest Hemingway.