Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Fashion and Flesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion and Flesh - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Flesh" talks about Flesh and Fashion. Unfortunately, males also look to these images to determine whether or not the females in their lives can compare, or if they have made the cut to be considered attractive. Television, movies, and magazines have greatly altered our perception of what a normal, healthy, beautiful human being should look like. Plus-size models, though they do exist, are very few and far between. It is almost impossible to find a magazine or watch a television show or movie that does not have a very thin female as the center of attention, or as a supporting cast. Yet when people in real life look around at the other people surrounding them, they tend to become confused at how many different body types there really are in this world and how very few of them can actually be compared to those on the silver screen. Unfortunately, the same perception is made as these people look at themselves. To constantly see size two waists on television and the n to look down at your own size five body has the ability to be discomforting. It suddenly becomes a dream, a goal, to look just like the skinny frame viewed on television. Eating disorders have become very common in young females, and many of these cases can be traced back to the lack of self-esteem they feel after having viewed too many of these thin starlets. They either expect themselves to look the same, or else are expected by others to be just as thin. Becoming the glamorized perception of beautiful has become a task.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Dickens writes Oliver Twist Essay Example for Free

Dickens writes Oliver Twist Essay Dickens creates sympathy for Oliver and the other orphans throughout the first four chapters of the book. He does this by describing in depth the neglect, mistreatment and emotions of the children. There is a strong example of this at the end of the first chapter when Dickens writes Oliver cried lustily. If he could have known that he was an orphan, left to the tender mercies of church-wardens and overseers, perhaps he would have cried the louder. Oliver suffers dearly while living in the workhouse; he is quite regularly made an example of. One of the occasions he is made an example of is when he is forced to ask for more gruel by the other orphans. For doing this he is harshly beaten by cane in front of the other children and is then imprisoned. Oliver and the other orphans were beaten both mentally and physically, neglected and starved from birth, until either leaving the workhouse as slave laborers or dieing. Oliver is terrified of Mr.Gamfield he openly shows his emotion to the whole board of the workhouse when in chapter three he falls to his knees, praying that they would order him back the room, that they would starve him, beat him, kill him. He prays for all of this rather than them send him away with Mr. Gamfield In the time of workhouses the standard of living was near to none. The unwealthy basically had no choice to but to enter a workhouse. They would work for a roof and little food. All of the people in the workhouse had to sleep on the hard floor and receive poor medical attention. Overall the living condition were appalling, Charles Dickens uses irony to create a feeling of how bad the conditions where, a good example of this is that nearly every member of staff is overweight even them giving out the tiny amount of gruel to the orphans. Dickens attempts to create a feeling of pity for the orphans, by doing this we can see that he is trying to relive poverty, stop other people from going through what he went through. Dickens somehow manages to take a subject as important as poverty and put it across by using humor, and at the same time still manages to keep that feeling of seriousness.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba :: Essays Papers

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba On Francesco del Cossa’s Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba The Italian artist, Francesco del Cossa, created an oil painting on a panel during the mid-15th century called Meeting of Solomon and the Queen Sheba. This work is now displayed in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. The plate that identifies the painted tray in the museum explains that this twelve sided tray is a ceremonial tray, most likely in honor of the marriage of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and given to them as a gift. The back of the tray was against the wall but the identification plate noted that two cupid figures with cornucopias and coral necklaces were painted there to symbolize good luck and fertility. The most striking part of this work is the symmetry. The symmetrical architectural structures perfectly centers the palace. The dome of the palace perfectly divides the arch behind it; the highest point of the palace perfectly divides the sky within the main arch. The next most noticeable point of this painting is where the figures of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon stand. They appear to protrude out from the rest of the painting. Each has an out turned foot that comes into the viewer’s space. This aspect and the symmetry make it apparent that the Queen and Solomon are the characters to be focused on. The deep color is very striking, especially the abundance of reds, pinks and purple. It seems very bold, perhaps suggesting the royalty of the subjects. The overcast gray sky is the same color as the dome of Solomon’s palace. Perhaps the dome is supposed to look as if it is made of metal, but it appears to reflect the trouble that is about to storm. The entire painting is almost composed exclusively of shades of red and black, with highlights of blue. The use of color is not realistic, but very symbolic. Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba utilizes many of the techniques that were beginning to be used in painting during the 15th century. The vanishing point lies on the central angelic statue above the arch of Solomon’s throne. The lines created by the checkered floor and the landscape in the background suggest the depth and distance of this image.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Nietzsche Contra Schopenhauer: The Construel of Eternal Recurrence :: Philosophy

Nietzsche Contra Schopenhauer: The Construel of Eternal Recurrence Several years after the completion of his chief work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and shortly before his final mental collapse, Nietzsche pinpointed in retrospect its central concern: "the fundamental conception of the work, the idea of eternal recurrence, the highest form of affirmation which can possibly be attained" (6: 335). To have admitted that the most important philosophical project of his life was the construction of a formula which could overcome nihilism and affirm life, betrayed not only what he believed to have been his greatest achievement. It also shows to what extent he was influenced by one of his idols and at the same time one of his greatest philosophical enemies: that philosopher of the "denial of life," Schopenhauer. It is clear that Schopenhauer remained for Nietzsche a lasting object of admiration and profound ambivalence. The theory of art propounded in The Birth of Tragedy was obviously, as Nietzsche himself conceded, built on Schopenhauer's aesthetics, although it parted company with the latter on its idea of the ultimate function of art. He dedicated one of his Untimely Meditations to Schopenhauer, his "philosophical educator," though he was later to reject Schopenhauer's epistemological and aesthetic doctrines. He came in the end to criticize Schopenhauer, along with Christianity, calling them "enemies of life" in their fundamental pessimism. Although in his late writings Nietzsche called Schopenhauer "nihilistic and decadent," he simultaneously praised him with the words: "he is the last German to be taken seriously...a European event, equal to Goethe, equal to Hegel, equal to Heinrich Heine" (6: 125). From all this we should be able to see that Nietzsche’s attempt to construct a p hilosophy of affirmation through his idea of eternal recurrence was aimed in Schopenhauer’s general direction. I wish in this short paper to carry this claim further and show that it has more than merely general validity. The way in which Nietzsche construes his idea of recurrence in The Joyful Wisdom and Thus Spoke Zarathustra bears out well that the idea was, in all its details, directly influenced by and specifically marshalled against some of the main arguments of Schopenhauer. Nietzsche was thoroughly familiar with Schopenhauer's writings and a comparison of some of Nietzsche's major published passages on eternal recurrence and some of Schopenhauer's central claims will make clear both Nietzsche's indebtedness to Schopenhauer, and the way in which Nietzsche believed his refutation succeeded in creating what he held to be the "most noble formula of the great affirmation.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Culture and Ethnicity Essay

Belarus has a diverse culture and ethnicity. Statistics from the 1989 population census revealed that the Belarusian in soviet union were majority making up over 77% of the total population, the Russians cover 13. 2%, the poles 4. 1% Ukrainians 2. 9% and others who include Tatars, Lithuanians and Latvians cover 2. 9%. I am a Belarusian, a community that makes up the large majority of the people (Mongabay 2009). The Belarusian language is east Slavic tongue which is intimately related to Ukrainian and Russian. The language is the soul of the nation and an important aspect of culture a part from being a means of communication. The Belarusian, have diverse religious affiliations. I am a Russian orthodox Christian though other religions also exist in the region; the Protestants, roman Catholics, Jewish and Muslims (Mongabay 2009). Family and community history describe the current multi-culture as a product of millennium development with several external influence like physical surroundings; merger of Slavic and Baltic natives, paganism, orthodox religion interaction with literary customs, lack of natural borders and a diversity of religions. Education in Belarus region is compulsory for all the age groups seven to seventeen years especially in the primary school and secondary school. During the communist reign, teaching was chiefly done in Russian with no Belarusian but this was changed in 1992 when Belarusian was made the national language and to be used in schools. The healthcare services have failed to meet the requirements of the large population, the staffs is poorly trained and substandard technology cannot conform to new changes (Mongabay 2009). The human service organizations have created some centers like the republic centre on AIDS to help manage the national problem. Reference Mongabay. com (2009) Belarus Society: Country Studies. Federal Research Division retrieved on 20th January 2009 from http://www. mongabay. com/reference/country_studies/belarus/SOCIETY. html

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

My Mom is My Hero Essays

My Mom is My Hero Essays My Mom is My Hero Essay My Mom is My Hero Essay Essay on My Mother Where would I have been without you mother? Destiny gives us opportunities to meet new people in our lives. Each one bringing a unique flavor, molding us into what we will become. There is always that one person who will walk in when the rest of the world walks out, the person that wont sleep if I dont sleep, the person that will run up and down looking for something for me to eat, the person that will pray to God to take her life instead of mine when I am sick: my sweet mother. A mother of eight, a woman shaped with strength, wisdom, experience, honesty, faithfulness, a caring wife and mother. She gathers from her soil, minerals and natural resources and equipped her children for survival. Her life of honesty, wisdom and strength inspires me with confidence and great motivation to achieve success. My mother: a woman from Abaft, a land with exotic beaches equipped with Ana blue waters and surrounded by anchors of Joy and laughter which enveloped you in the rhythm of its music and the sensational taste of its food that left you craving more. My mother, a mi-light skin tone, flawless skin, a narrow, not so much fat facial shape, plump lips, dark brown eyes with thick eyelashes, high cheekbones, a straight, narrow nose, a big booty and a long straight hair extending to her cheeks. Her life was full of misfortune and unexpected troubles following her divorce to my dad. They divorced in the year 2000 because the beauty of another woman charmed my dad. At this time, I was Just two years old and had no clue as to what was going on. I was Just another unfortunate product of an unsuccessful marriage; Just another case to be brought up by a single woman whose Joy had always been my pain. Because I knew deep in my heart, she did not deserve what had been done to her by the forces of this world. After the divorce, my misery began. I was sent to live with my uncle and his family because I was the only son and my dad wanted to protect me. He needed an heir according to our rich strong values, which said: a man is a man if he has an heir to his throne and must be a male child. While at my uncles house, I was treated like an orphan. My uncles wife had always wished that, my fathers wealth were her husbands. She used this as an opportunity to release her build up Jealousy. The worst of it all was when she started calling my mother names saying, mirror mother is a lazy woman, a prostitute, a careless and unfaithful woman. She was mean to me because she wanted my fathers wealth to be her husbands. Imagine at the age of three; a child had to go through all that. Now as I think about it, I realized she taught me: patience and how to survive in hardship. A week after my uncles wife called my mom names, I was her next victim. She took me to the farm and showed my own portion and a time limit to work on it or else there will be no food and place for me in ere house. She then went to the market and bought new water Jars and commanded water. In addition to that, I had to check my uncles traps every morning. After a year of intense domestic chores, I got sick and needed medical attention which never came. I nursed the abscess for months which later on lead to a big scare. This scare reminds me of the hardship I received from my own uncles wife, a human and a woman who is still giving birth, not knowing what will happen with her own children. The wound later exposed me to other diseases that were unknown to the doctors and even to me. I was in real pain and no one in my uncles house really paid attention to me. I was left uncared for, abandoned as though I had no family. It was a Good Samaritan that heard my cry, who shared my pain and look for possible avenues I could get help. It was a radio announcement by this Good Samaritan that I am able to be here today. She called and informs my mom about my condition. Two days later, I felt the arms and warm embrace of a true woman, a loving and caring mother. It was not easy coming over because she was not working at the moment and could barely afford the cost of transportation to where I was. But when it came to me, the case was far different. She sold her clothes, Jewelries, and other valuable belongings she had owned for years. When she arrived, she was directed to my cold and lonely room, no lights and no mattress. I was laid on a wooden floor; no clothes, no food, no water and above all no medication to even help my fever. The room was like a devils den. Tears flow from her eyes like a river, as soon as she walked in. She grabbed me in her soft-gentle hands, soft as the petals of a rose. I felt a new found affection. And this was when my healing began. Taking me back with her to our hometown was a matter of kidnap. My uncle could not let her take me from them and this was the only thing she had in her head. She had a plan and asked me to cooperate. This was what I was willing to do any time any day. She planned on asking my uncle if she could take me for a short walk. With her wisdom and strength, we successfully fled from that den and from that moment, I knew I was going to be healed not by taking medications, but because of the love and affection I will be getting from my sweet mother. To keep me happy and healthy, she used her experience and tried many works for earning: she sold cooked food by the roadside, opened a mint-vegetable store and also leaned houses. This was to see that we survive. Despite the hardships, she never gave up. Unfortunately, she continued to suffer from tons of work to do every day. I remember days where she woke up from 6 am and worked continuously until AMA, in an effort to afford for eight of her young children. She usually ended her day with great fatigue and could not keep her eyes opened as soon as she came back home. One thing I admire about my mother is her positive spirit. In spite of the hardship that we were going through, she was always optimistic about the future, smiling and saying softly in her prayers I know all will be well. She will turn to me and say my boy, when sickness, trouble, sadness and temptation comes your way, you can cry as much as you want but know that you were born to win and I believe you will change my story someday. This has been my motivation; this has been the only phrase that keeps me going every day. We got to my hometown late and I couldnt sleep. I lay in bed trying to get some rest from the stressful Journey, but all I could do was staring at the ceilings. Rather than tossing and turning in bed, I got up and walked the dark- silent hallway, walking restlessly and thinking about what I had gone through, the eve when we practice it. My mother is Just a normal woman like every other in the world. In my world, she is my hero. She sacrifices her life to make me happy; from her is where I got my strength, love and support to go forward in life. Without her by my side, I could not be what I am today. There is one lesson I learned from my mother: We need to give our best in anything we do in life. We need to know and appreciate the people who care about us. For me, my mother is my superhero. I promised her to be boy she sacrifices her life for me to be and I will do anything in the world to keep her happy even in death.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Our Northerly Neighbors the Inuit essays

Our Northerly Neighbors the Inuit essays Sub-zero temperatures; ghastly wind gusts; seemingly endless snowfall-not exactly the kind of place Id like to live. I suppose that is what separates me from our northerly neighbors the Inuit. The extremeness of the area in which they thrive is exactly what intrigued me about the Inuit culture, and is exactly what inspired me to research their way of life. I am going to walk you through a brief discussion of their patterns of settlement; subsistence; clothing and transportation; social organization; and lastly, their religious belief systems. When all is said and done, you will better understand the culture of a people who live (partially) on the same continent as us. To better understand the culture of the Eskimo, it is important to understand how far reaching their inhabitation is. The Eskimo call four countries home: Greenland, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Their population is highly concentrated in the regions just south of the Arctic Circle. There are more than 90,000 Eskimo flourishing in this aforementioned area. The word Eskimo was coined by the Algonquin Indians, and translates as, eaters of raw meat. The term they use to refer to themselves is Inuit, meaning the real people. The two dialectical groups are the Inupik speakers (Greenland to western Alaska) and the Yupik speakers (southwestern Alaska and Siberia). Regardless of what dialect they speak, all Inuit inhabit one of the most inclement regions of the world. Their successful survival in such an area is largely due to their material innovations. The Inuit salvage just about every part of the animals they hunt. Clothing sewn from skins, the toggle harpoon made up of ivory, the igloo, and so much more can be attributed to the Inuit survival. Courage and hardihood are instilled in the young very early on, as well as the importance of hunting. Settlement patterns varied according to the location of particular gr...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Guideline for Conducting Research

A Guideline for Conducting Research Here is a guideline on conducting research for writing a research paper or any kind of essay. Research can be defined as systematic investigation and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Research involves collecting data on a given subject that usually relates to the real world. Data includes information found in surveys, interviews, observations, primary/secondary sources, journals, magazines, and books. In the academic setting, the research obtained on a subject will be used by the student in a paper or essay of some sort. Questions to Answer When Conducting Research: What do I want to discover? How do I plan on discovering it? (Recognized as research methods/methodology) Who am I going to talk to? Who or what will I be observing?   What are my biases about this topic? How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods? What do I expect to discover? Regardless of the assignment, the writer at the college level usually needs to conduct research before anything else – long before they ever put a word on paper. It involves hours spent doing some kind of work to answer a question, which is either determined by the student or the assignment instructions. If you need to choose a topic to conduct a research on here are some lists that may help you: 60 Best Research Paper Topics Argumentative Essay Topics A Guideline on Conducting Research 1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many experts and resources on a college campus. The student should if they’re having trouble conducting appropriate research, talk with their professor who has given them the assignment. In most cases that professor will be more than willing to direct them to a good place to start, usually the college’s library or to online academic sources. Librarians are there to help, as well. It is their job to direct students to sources where they can find information on any given subject. 2. Read extensively on that subject. The more a student reads on a subject, the better they will understand it   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ which means they will be better able to write at length on it and in a professional manner. There is a good chance someone else, in the best scenario, a scholar, has researched a subject or topic extensively and has already produced a lengthy treatise on that subject. The student should search for these treatises to learn the basics about this subject, and to understand the issues or controversies that surround it. 3. Know the reason for gathering the information. This helps the student decide what exactly they are looking for, how much information they need, and what they are going to do with the research they find. Not all the research the student finds needs to be incorporated into their paper; most of the time, research helps a student to better understand a topic in general, which helps make their paper’s content more clear, concise and accurate. 4. Look for credible sources. This includes being skeptical about the sources the one finds – as not all are helpful, credible or even accurate. Since issues change and evolve, it is also best for a student to obtain and identify scholarly sources that have been currently published. A student unsure of the legitimacy of a source should ask their professor or librarian for help, or to teach them how to identify a worthy scholarly source. When the process of conducting research is completed a student is to start writing a research paper. Here is a guideline of research paper writing: How to Write a Research Paper The process of conducting research effects the goals set thats why its important to make this process effective and gather all information on the topic possible. If you dont have time to gather information and write a research paper you may outsource your assignment to a professional writer.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Exegetical Paper on Christ Hymn Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exegetical on Christ Hymn - Term Paper Example The Christ Hymn and the Early Christian Community In the opinion of Robert J. Karris, there are many possible backgrounds of the hymn as the large number of studies into the New Testament put forth. Some of them are Christ as the Gnostic redeemer, the Suffering Righteous, and finally, the ruler-worship that existed during the Greco-Roman period1. According to Martin and Martin, the early Christian message about Jesus should be considered in the political context of that time. According to the scholars, the teaching had to confront two political ideologies at the same time; the Roman and the Jewish2. An example is the imperial cult of Rome. According to the cult, emperors enjoyed divine sanction of authority. According to Christian apologists and martyrologists, the imperial cult was nothing other than an instrument of pagan impiety. Thus, it is clear that at the time the hymn was composed, Christians were already aware about their association with a godly kingdom when all other group s were in search of a new kingdom that would replace the naked power of Roman kingdom. However, it is rather surprising to note that despite Jesus’ trial, the persecutors are not mentioned in the hymn. The reason for this hiding, according to Martin and Martin is that identifying the persecutors would have resulted in a lot of trouble for the church. If the Jews were blamed, it would diminish all chances of persuading more Jews to join the church, and blaming the Romans would only result in more atrocities3. As R. P. Martin rightly points out, the hymn may have had one meaning in its original form and a totally different meaning in the context of Paul’s letter. For example, there were the Jewish-Christians who possessed over-realised, triumphalistic eschatology. In order to oppose these ‘enemies of cross’, Paul intentionally stresses on the death on a cross. To counter them, Paul put forward the theory of Jesus who took the form of a servant and who emptie d himself and humbled himself4. This Jesus, according to the hymn, did not take advantage of the equality with God. Instead, He took the appearance of a man and was obedient till death. The second point that attracts the readers is the claim that ‘every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord’. To explain why Paul wanted to give Jesus such a cosmic leadership that placed Him above all others, R. P Martin points out the fact that since the time of Second Isaiah, it was common for various sectors of Judaism to consider various figures as closely related to, and sometimes equal to, God. Such figures were often considered as divine attributes, patriarchs or angels. Thus, the Christ hymn went one step ahead of them by giving Christ such a cosmic leadership that is above and beyond all other figures. As already said ‘every knee should bow and every tongue should acknowledge tat Jess is the Lord ’. According to R. P Martin, it is this need that made the composers of the hymn switch from the monotheistic God of Isaiah to Jesus. Another explanation is that the hymn was very vital for the early Christians to stay firm on their belief under the raw power of the Roman empires. In order to show how tolerant Jesus was, the hymn introduced a Jesus who decided to take the nature of a servant and humbled him by being

Friday, October 18, 2019

Blackberry outperform iphone in features and users Research Proposal

Blackberry outperform iphone in features and users - Research Proposal Example Objectives Some people say that iphone is far more superior to blackberry whereas others say that blackberry is superior to iphone in features and users. I strongly believe that blackberry has definite edge over iphone in number of users and better features and the major objective of this research is to establish my claims. Introduction/Background Apple Company’s iphone and Research In Motion (RIM)’s blackberry were the most popular mobile phones in the world currently. These products are currently engaged in fierce battle for supremacy across global markets. For example, Chinese and Indian markets are believed to be the most promising emerging markets in the world now because of the rapid economic growth happening there. Both blackberry and iphone are currently trying to establish in these markets. Both the products have its merits as well as demerits. BlackBerry functions as a personal digital assistant with address book, calendar, memopad, and task list capabilities whereas iphone has features like touch screen, enhanced internet browsing capacities, superior audio and video playing and capturing abilities etc. Bbalckberry can also functions as a portable media player and it is capable of sending and receiving Internet e-mail wherever mobile network service coverage is present, or through Wi-Fi connectivity. Methodology This research is intended to be conducted based on secondary data alone. Internet, printed articles, books etc will be used for collecting secondary data about iphone and blackberry. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be used in this research in order to establish my claims. This research will be completed within two weeks. The first 10 days will be used for collecting data and the last five days will be used for writing the final paper. It can be tentatively conclude that blackberry is superior to iphone. Literature review Black Berry phones have superior messaging features. Auto-text, auto-correct, text prediction, su pport for many languages, keyboard shortcuts, push notifications for email etc are some of the messaging features which are superior to iphone. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc can be easily accessed through blackberries. Berry Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are the instant message services available in blackberries. Even though, iphone has some of these features, it cannot work as smoothly as blackberries. Blackberries have superior browsing speed and superior message handling facilities compared to iphones. Perhaps even more significantly, the iPhone fails to synchronize as well as the BlackBerry. When a BlackBerry user changes a calendar event or some contact information on his or her desktop computer in Exchange, the changes automatically appear on the BlackBerry. This makes keeping track of basic business information a snap because one never has to worry about acting on outdated data or manually updating one’s handheld. In contrast, the iPhone does not synchronize calendar and contact information wirelessly, which makes it less dependable for information ultimately stored on a server (Hendrickson, 2007) The iPhone’s functions can be easily accessed through a touch screen display using mainly by the finger commands. Moreover the picture quality (25,000 pixels per inch) of iphone is one of the bests among the new generation mobile phones. However, current blackberries have all these

Elon Musk an entrepreneur of the 21th century Essay

Elon Musk an entrepreneur of the 21th century - Essay Example Joseph Schumpeter associated entrepreneurship with the creation of five ‘new combinations’. These new combination were new product introduction, introduction of a new production method, to capture new supply source and to organize the industry in a novel manner. The four factors of production are labour, land, capital and organisation. The other factors are coordinated by the factor organisation. Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind the organisation. Entrepreneurs should have thorough knowledge of the industry and should be natural leaders. They should have foresight and risk taking ability (Robertson, n.d.). The entrepreneur of the 21st century will achieve success through his reach of the global markets. The entrepreneur of this century does not only bring about innovation in the market but also explores new methods of surviving in the dynamic market. An entrepreneur often has to face several obstacles in his approach towards innovation. The investors in his business may not be able to understand his vision. They may not be in favour of the innovation and may not be willing to take the risk. The 21st century is facing rapid changes in technology and entrepreneurs are taking the benefit of these changes to increase productivity. They are using their resources in innovative ways to increase their profitability. The entrepreneurs of today are all set to compete on a global scale through their mergers and acquisitions. The entrepreneurs of this century are poised to take the global challenges in their stride (Robertson, n.d.). All people do not become entrepreneurs. The main characteristic that makes a person a successful entrepreneur is innovative mindset and leadership skills. He should not be risk averse. He should be able to organise and coordinate. He should be alert to identify the opportunities in the market. They should be ‘gap fillers’ which means that they should be able to identify which products the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Role of International Non-Government Organizations Essay

Role of International Non-Government Organizations - Essay Example Risk identification is basically a process that allows an organization or a company to identify any potential risks that the organization faces. Risk identification is the first and one of the main steps of the risk management process. Organizations usually carry out risk management to ensure that their assets and their operations are not damaged by a certain imminent threat. In case the company is unable to prevent any threat from occurring the organization implements certain measures that ensure that the damage is kept to a minimum (Karolak, 1995).In this paper, the author will evaluate how the tourism industry of Thailand recovered from the aftermath of Tsunami in 2004 and what role was played by government, NGOs and other stakeholders in helping the industry to return to its usual form. The tsunami of December 2004 affected six provinces along Thailand’s Andaman coast. It had an impact on 407 villages, completely destroying 47 of them, and killing more than 8,200 people. As of December 2005, 929 bodies remained unidentified, though by May 2006 this number had been reduced to around 500Í ¾ these bodies are at the Bang Maruan cemetery in Tsunami that disrupted the environment and created economic problems for the country required a coordinated relief effort supported by the government and international agencies to prevent further destruction, build back Thailand and its tourism sector. In this regard, it is essential to take into consideration the role of the non-profitable organizations like NGO’s who played their part in integrating all the activities related to crises management. There were many national and international operations carried out who had the purpose of delivering aid to the affected persons. However, there were many difficulties faced by these non-government organizations.

Report and roadmap about an emerging technology Essay

Report and roadmap about an emerging technology - Essay Example chnology roadmap that sets out key milestones and activities occurring in the course of developing the technology, milestones in technical development required in the future, and key activities for supporting future technical as well as commercial development of the project. In addition, other relevant factors for its past or its future are considered. The milestone in developing the artificial uterus can be attributed to development of the artificial placenta. A significant progress in the pump technology and the oxygenator has allowed the development of the artificial uterus to focus in the direction of the physiological role model in the coming years. Again, this development has been enhanced by the invention of the novel pump-less assist device. The milestones required in the technical development in the future include submersion, inflammatogenicity and thrombogenicity, and cannulation. These requirements are discussed further in the paper. They are initiated in the presence of various aspects that are considered in the development of the artificial uterus such as artificial endometrium, artificial placenta, and synthetic amniotic fluid. For the artificial endometrium, the interior lining of the uterus has to have the same features as the natural one. Regarding the artificial placenta, it has to in a position of developing on the endometrial wall or as an external device and its capacity has to allow nutrients, gaseous exchange and eliminate waste products. The synthetic amniotic fluid on the other hand would be considered an important component in the success of the project. Regarding its future market, the development of the artificial uterus is a safer way for women. Ladies will able to have children without the cost of labor pains or cesarean surgery scars. Moreover, it gives women, who have childbearing difficulties, the opportunity to have children. Women will have the liberty that would not have come with having a normal pregnancy, as keeping up with

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Role of International Non-Government Organizations Essay

Role of International Non-Government Organizations - Essay Example Risk identification is basically a process that allows an organization or a company to identify any potential risks that the organization faces. Risk identification is the first and one of the main steps of the risk management process. Organizations usually carry out risk management to ensure that their assets and their operations are not damaged by a certain imminent threat. In case the company is unable to prevent any threat from occurring the organization implements certain measures that ensure that the damage is kept to a minimum (Karolak, 1995).In this paper, the author will evaluate how the tourism industry of Thailand recovered from the aftermath of Tsunami in 2004 and what role was played by government, NGOs and other stakeholders in helping the industry to return to its usual form. The tsunami of December 2004 affected six provinces along Thailand’s Andaman coast. It had an impact on 407 villages, completely destroying 47 of them, and killing more than 8,200 people. As of December 2005, 929 bodies remained unidentified, though by May 2006 this number had been reduced to around 500Í ¾ these bodies are at the Bang Maruan cemetery in Tsunami that disrupted the environment and created economic problems for the country required a coordinated relief effort supported by the government and international agencies to prevent further destruction, build back Thailand and its tourism sector. In this regard, it is essential to take into consideration the role of the non-profitable organizations like NGO’s who played their part in integrating all the activities related to crises management. There were many national and international operations carried out who had the purpose of delivering aid to the affected persons. However, there were many difficulties faced by these non-government organizations.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

International Business Law Assessment Assignment

International Business Law Assessment - Assignment Example In addition, the new generation business law include, market contestability which mainly focuses on anti competitive behavior and market contestability which deals with abuse of dominant position (Emerson 2009, p.78-80). Note however that, the arbitration system and enforcement capacities also have a role to play as far as business law is concerned. Under this sphere are the commercial courts and the specialized economic courts. They come in when transactions between parties are not honored and to a larger extent interpret business law to the affected parties. Business just like any other discipline which involves interaction between two or more parties cannot be wholly exonerated from instances of conflicts. This confirms the essentialities in existence of the two types of courts mentioned. To expound on our introductory classification on the already mentioned dimensions of business law, bussines law attempts to address diverse issues in a business. It enables swift and efficient en forcement of contracts ensures adequate legal protection to both private and personal property. It ensures clear frame work and mechanisms for transferring and registering property. Furthermore, it also sees to it that intellectual property get due protection and enforcement. Business law ensures stability and the existence of a frame work able to accommodate the management, oparations and establishment of companies. It foresees sound and secured regimes that can enable transactions making a business be able to obtain credit. Lastly, bussines law ensures a relatively easy and transparent market. To commence with, contract laws emphasis the fact that agreements made between or among parties in a transaction must be honored. This has mechanisms in place to ensure that parties uphold their terms of agreement throughout the transaction session. These laws protect mostly those transactions that are long term in nature. For example, an infrastructure contract between a company and the gov ernment. Such contract may span for several years which qualifies the need for mechanisms to be put in place to guide both parties during work progress until it is completed. Violation of any of these terms by any of the trading partners means that a contract law has been broken and this necessitates a further step from the affected partner. Contract laws also give a contracting partner the constitutional right to know if the other partner is credit worthy. This factor plays a role in preventing future payment disputes in case of defaults from any of the parties. This law ensures that there are mechanism and measures which are in place to enable debt recovery in circumstances of payment defaults. This may apply to scenarios where payments are made through cheques that bounce. Contract law empowers the courts to collect debts if such scenarios of payment default arise. Secondly there is high regard to property ownership which is protected in business law under the personal property r ights. These states that the owner of any property has got the due constitutional authority to sell, exchange, transfer or even consume his property. Property may be listed as buildings, land, physical possessions and also intellectual property which majorly encompass innovations of mind such as music or any other invention. For instance, a

Ethics in Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Ethics in Intelligence Essay On a clear, late summer day in September of 2001, the hectic yet peaceful lower portion of Manhattan, New York City was turned into the site of one of the largest mass murders in world history when terrorist attacks turned the once imposing World Trade Center complex to a smoking pile of debris and left thousands of Americans dead, physically and psychologically scarred for life. In the aftermath of this act of aggression, the United States, with the cooperation of allies around the world, launched intelligence collection efforts on a scale that had never before been seen. Some nations would be able to do so as they wished without regard for the privacy or rights of their people, but for a nation conceived in liberty and human rights as the US was, issues of ethics and the preservation of individual rights had to be balanced against the dire need to protect the masses from further violence. This research will focus on the ethics of intelligence collection in the US, Constitutional implications of these efforts for American citizens, and the consideration of how much liberty US citizens should be willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Ethics of Intel Collections, Means and Methods Intelligence gathering has always been an essential part of the preservation of American security, dating back to the days of the American colonies and beyond. In the late 1990s, for all of the violence brewing in other nations and the potential for domestic terrorism in the US, the intelligence gathering efforts of American officials consisted mostly of the analysis of data from the comfort of offices located in the US and some offices scattered across the globe. However, these efforts were initially proven to be weak by international terrorist acts against American military installations in other nations, and the original emergence of Osama Bin Laden as an international terrorist to be closely monitored. With such formidable enemies to consider, it became obvious that the old ways of gathering intelligence were badly in need of change, including the introduction of more field intelligence agents, enhancements to technology, better networking with other nations, and many clandestine activities. With the need to increase and improve all levels of intelligence gathering in the US, the question arises as to how far a nation like the US, which stands as a beacon of righteousness and safety in the world, will be willing to go to gain the level of security that is needed to protect American citizens at home and abroad? The child of this need emerged, known as the Department of Homeland Security, an organization which put on a public front of protection of the US in a manner that is illustrative of ethical behavior and forceful yet proper action. With the introduction of the Department, the public gained a higher level of confidence in the protection they would be receiving. However, many of the methods that were necessary, at least behind the scenes, were of the nature that the general public would frown upon at the very least, and rise up in heated protest against at worst if it were known the full extent of what the Department was forced to resort to in the interest of intelligence gathering. Among the steps that were taken, such actions as the monitoring of telephone and Internet communications, the detention of suspected terrorists and the like began to raise the issue of the appropriateness of such activities in line with the promises and obligations of the US Constitution. Constitutional Implications of United States Intel Collection on United States Citizens The war against terrorism is unlike any other war that the US has seen; fighting an enemy that does not wear a recognizable uniform or hails from any specific geographic location poses quite a challenge and makes the application of conventional warfare tactics all but impossible. Therefore, as with those conventional warfare methods, it is necessary for certain drastic measures to be taken. However, it is important to understand that there are Constitutional implications for such actions, especially in the areas of intelligence collection which require frequent intrusions into the privacy that Americans hold so dear and have fought and died to protect for hundreds of years. First, there are misconceptions about the Constitution that are necessary to point out. Specifically, there is a thin line between the investigation of criminal activity and suspected threats to national security, which of course are in and of themselves criminal but take on an added dimension when one realizes that the safety and future of the nation hangs in the balance. In the interest of national security, it is permissible for the surveillance of Americans, domestically and abroad without the obtaining of search warrants, which are usually the standard procedure when an American is being investigated as a possible criminal, under any ordinary circumstances. In this instance, permissible and acceptable are two entirely different things. While authorities may be allowed to basically spy on their fellow citizens so that the nation is protected, where does this leave those who are the target of the surveillance? The argument can fairly be made that if one is not doing anything wrong, if they are being monitored, they actually have nothing with which to be concerned. Further, if that surveillance yields information on other wrongdoers who are in fact a threat to America, the net result makes all of it worthwhile. The issue of habeas corpus also is a key element in the consideration of the rights the accused. In the past, this legal remedy, in place since the days of the Magna Carta, existed to protect the rights of the accused. Constitutionally speaking, it had been established in the early 1940s that habeas corpus would stand if: â€Å"(1) the conviction is void for lack o f personal or subject matter jurisdiction; (2) the statute defining the offense is unconstitutional, or the conviction was obtained in violation of a federal constitutional right; (3) the statute authorizing the sentence is unconstitutional, or the sentence was obtained in violation of a federal constitutional right; (4) the sentence is contrary to the applicable statute, in excess of the statutory maximum, or otherwise unauthorized by law; or (5) the conviction or the sentence is otherwise deemed subject to collateral attack. † In times of crisis, this right has been suspended in the interest of national security, and has been suspended in the age of terrorism due to the need to make terrorists who are evading capture by authorities accountable in courts of law for their crimes. This, also, however is one of those fine points of law that draw criticism and scrutiny in many cases because anytime a right is suspended, innocent people are affected and their rights are often sacrificed, albeit for the sake of the common good. A closer look at the underpinnings of the Constitution itself reveals some interesting powers that many do not realize exist. For example, the Constitution does in fact give Congress the right to make laws as necessary to allow the Constitution to function as it was intended. This right, however, is akin to a broad stroke of a paintbrush, when the finer details of the stroke are really where the beauty lies. In other words, on the surface, it is true that Congress possesses such power, but this is also a power that is open to interpretation and debate. Where one draws the line between permissible monitoring and the trampling of the rights of the majority is an issue with which the American people are currently wrestling and undoubtedly will continue to do so for many years to come. With this in mind, there surely must be a balance to be obtained between sacrificing for the common good and giving up everything that Americans are constitutionally guaranteed. How Much Liberty Should US Citizens Give Up Under the Notion of National Security? It has been said that liberty is something which can be gained all at once, but often is stripped away one small piece at a time, like the gradual erosion of a mighty mountain. If this is true, the question of how many small pieces the citizens of the US can give away before a landslide consumes them? After the horrible events of September 11, 2001, it became readily apparent that there was a need for American governmental agencies to gather additional power if they were to properly mount an offensive against terrorism and to avert a repeat of the horrible events of that tragic day. This need to gather additional power was viewed by many as a feeble excuse for those within the government who craved power to grab as much as they wished, regardless of the inevitable fallout. Still others saw the sacrifice of a small amount of liberty as the necessary toll that needed to be paid for a much larger amount of overall protection and the long-term survival of the US while others around the world plotted to destroy the most powerful nation on earth. Again, however, as was mentioned at the beginning of this passage, small surrenders can sometimes lead to large damage over a period of time.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Dubai Property Market Economic Theory

Dubai Property Market Economic Theory With this dissertation what I would like to achieve is the following: I will carry out extensive research on the economic theory behind booms and bursts. I will look at some of the booms and bursts throughout history. I will attempt to make my own economic model behind what caused a boom and its subsequent burst and see if this model can be applied to the economic situation of the property market in Dubai. If a number of variables existed that suggested a burst might be coming, why was nothing done to stop it? 1.2: A brief history of Dubai Thirty years ago almost all of modern Dubai was desert. In the mid 18th century a small nomadic group settled there and built a small town. This small towns underlying asset being pearls. The pearl trade attracted people from all over the middle east, all with dreams of prosperity. The town was named Daba after a local locust that consumed everything it encountered. This rapidly growing town was soon acquired by the Gunships of the British army. Britain maintained control of the area until 1971(The Independent2009). In 1971 Dubai and five surrounding sheikhdoms (Abu Dhabi, Al Fujayrah, Ajman, Umm al Qaywayn and Sharjah) agreed on a federal constitution and became The United Arab Emirates or UAE. In February 1972 a seventh Sheikhdom, Ras al Khaymah joined the UAE. At this point Sheikh Zayid Ibn Sultan Al Nuhayyan of Abu Dhabi became the first president of the UAE. The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid ibn Said Al Maktum was named vice president, and his eldest son, Sheikh Maktum ibn Rash id Al Maktum, the prince of Dubai, became prime minister. In 1990 Sheikh Maktum succeeded his father as ruler of Dubai and as vice president and prime minister of the UAE (Library of Congress2007). It was around 1971, as the British were leaving that oil was first discovered. However to say that Dubai relied on oil for its growth would be wrong. Dubai had very little oil relative to its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi. So Sheikh Maktum had to diversify. He used oil revenues to create something he thought sustainable. Israel used to boast it made the desert bloom; Sheikh Maktum resolved to make the desert boom (The Independent 2009). It became a hub for tourism and financial services, Attracting capital and expertise from all over the globe. He invited the world to come tax free, and people came in their millions. A city seemed to descend from the heavens in thirty years. Would it be sustainable? (Source : The Independent, The Dark side of Dubai, 7 April 2009) (Source: Country Profile : UAE. Library of Congress Federal Research division, July 2007) 1.3: From Boom to bust over night. I arrived in Dubai in 2007 at a point when it was said that a third of the worlds construction equipment was in Dubai. It was the second fastest growing city in the world (second to Moscow) and appeared to be one big construction site. Skyscrapers were appearing over night to cater for increases in demand in property. However, a large part of this demand for property was merely speculatory. Investments in property appeared to be highly attractive and beneficial, especially to foreign investors earning in non dollar currencies. I say this because the dirham is pegged to the dollar (3.75 dhms per US Dollar). It was around late 2007 early 2008 that the dollar reached its weakest point making property in Dubai cheaper to people earning pounds for example. People also assumed that the dollar would one day appreciate; therefore giving investors that extra incentive. Dubais popularity was rapidly increasing and it was booming in the true definition of the word. However in September of 2008 things changed. See the following line graph of average residential sales prices to appreciate the extent of the crash. Figure 1 Residential sale prices (AED/ft2) Source: Landmark Advisory Board 2010. As you can see in Q408 both the average price of apartments and villas plummet from a mutual peak of 1500 AED/ft2 to around 900 AED/ft2 from one month to the next. This is a massive average decrease of 40 percent. I will attempt to demonstrate why this rapid increase in residential prices occurred and its subsequent decline and decide whether the boom and bust can be considered a bubble bursting in its true economic definition. Literature Review The Economic Theory and History behind Bubbles 2.1 An introduction to bubbles Essentially an economic bubble is an increase in the price of an asset or stock above its fundamental value and its subsequent decrease in value and implosion on the bubble is referred to as a burst. When asset prices increase speculators are overwhelmed by a sense of euphoria, chasing short term capital gains. A phenomenon that former chairman of the federal reserve Alan Greenspan memorably called irrational exuberance (Nial Ferguson, The Ascent of Money). Contrarily, when speculators primitive instincts turn from greed to fear, the bubble created by the initial irrational exuberance can burst with astonishing abruptness; almost overnight. Charles Kindleberger defined a bubble as a sharp rise in price of an asset or a range of assets in a continuous process, with the initial rise generating expectations of further rises and attracting new buyers generally speculators interested in profits from trading in the asset rather than its use or earning capacity. The rise is usually followed by a reversal of expectations and a sharp decline in price often resulting in financial crises (Bubble, Bubble, Wheres the Housing Bubble?) The initial boost in augmentation of the economy acts as a catalyst for both lenders and investors optimism about the future and asset prices rise swiftly. Nial ferguson refers to investors as an electronic herd, happily grazing on positive returns one moment, then stampeding for the farmyard gate the next (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). 2.2 Bubbles in History The big ten economic bubbles (Charles P Kindleberger, Robert Z Aliber 2005) 1. The Dutch Tulip Bulb Bubble 1636 2. The South Sea Bubble 1720 3. The Mississippi bubble 1720 4. The late 1920s US stock price Bubble 1927-29 5. The increase in bank loans to Mexico and other developing countries in the 1970s 6. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Finland, Norway and Sweden 7. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and several other Asian countries 1992-97 8. The bubble in real estate and stocks in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and several other Asian countries 1992-97 9. The increase in foreign investment in Mexico 1990-93 10. The Bubble in over the counter stocks in the United States 1995-2000. Also known as the .com bubble Over and over again asset, security and stock prices have reached unsustainable highs and subsequently come crashing down. From boom to bust, this process is consistently associated with ruthless insiders exploiting asymmetries of information attempting to make a profit at the cost of first time investors. In Dubai, every three months or so Emaar one of the big real estate developers (of which it is alleged that the absolute ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed has a thirty percent stake) released property for sale at increasing prices, almost instigating the bubble themselves very similar to what John Law (a convicted murderer and gambling addict) did with shares of the joint stock company named Company of the West (Compagnie dOccident) which resulted in the Mississippi bubble of 1720(Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). All these bubbles in History have followed similar paths; Nial Ferguson believes it possible to dissect all bubbles into five stages. 2.3 Nial Fergusons Five Stage Model (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009) 1. Displacement: An incident or innovation in the economy that generates new and lucrative possibilities for investors/speculators. Kindleberger refers to this as the expansion stage of the business cycle (Charles P Kindleberger, 2005). In the cases of the Dutch Tulip Bulb, The South Sea and Mississippi Bubbles this displacement was the creation of the Joint Stock Company. In the case of the US .com bubble the displacement or expansion was innovations in technology like the internet. In Dubai It could be argued that the displacement stage of the bubble was when developments were open for sale to foreign investors as opposed to previously when only locals could purchase land and property. This initial process causes a rise in spending which leads to inflated prices and increased consumption which combined translate to economic growth. 2. Euphoria/overtrading: Rising expected profits induce the appreciation in value of assets and shares. Investment soars because credit is in abundance. In Japan in the eighties Japanese investors had access to mountains of credit made available by nave bankers that didnt even contemplate a crash and the Japanese went on an investment spree. In the US in the 1990s, during the time preceding the crash .dom companies had access to almost infinite funds from venture capitalists with distorted perceptions of the future profitability of these firms (Charles P Kindleberger and Robert Z Alibir). Dubai was the same pre crash credit was very accessible; I will asses this further in my analysis segment of the dissertation. 3. Mania/bubble: The anticipation of rapid, easy capital gains entices first time investors and unscrupulous, esoteric brokers cater for this demand, in a ruthless attempt to sell assets and shares before a crash, which a seasoned broker is capable of predicting. 4. Distress: Insiders become aware that prices of assets and shares exceed their fundamental values and exploit the asymmetries of information by selling at profit. 5. Revulsion/discredit: prices begin to plummet and the electronic herd stampedes to exit the market causing the bubble to implode. The value of commodities bonds, stocks, land, buildings and houses decline to levels that are 30 to 40 percent below peak prices (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009), this adheres perfectly to residential duelling prices in Dubai (refer to figure 1). (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). The Fundamentals behind this model are asymmetric information, availability to rapid, relatively cheap credit and the capability of capital to flow freely over geographical borders. This five stage model is accurate but basic. I will now progress to more specific models in detail behind the creation and existence of economic bubbles. 2.4 The Hyman Minsky model of instability in the supply of credit. This model created by Hyman Minsky can be used to explain financial fragility in economies. Minsky focuses on changes in the availability of credit. During periods of growth the supply of credit increases and during economic slowdowns this supply decreases. In times of growth, usually following an economic displacement like mentioned in Nial Fergusons model, investors feel more confident about the profitability of a number of investments and seek to finance these investments with credit. In the meantime, lenders become more enthusiastic about providing credit, even for investments, that prior to the expansion, had appeared too risky they become far less risk averse, reducing minimum down payments, minimum margin requirements. For individual lenders the cost of borrowing has to remain competitive too to maintain market share. However, when the mood changes, the economy slows down and fear kicks in, investors act much more cautiously. Lenders react similarly and their risk averseness increases and they supply less credit. Minsky believed that these cyclical changes in the availability of credit are a major catalyst to financial instability and are a factor in causing bubbles (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009). I am certain that minskys model was apparent in Dubai and definitely a defining factor of the recent burst. I will go on to prove this in the critical analysis part of the dissertation. Minsky also mentions an over-estimate of prospective returns, or excessive leverage (Charles p kindleberger and Robert Z . Aliber, 2008, 2009) during the euphoric period. Speculation suggests the acquisition of assets for the capital gain from expected surges in their value as opposed to income generated by one of these assets or for their use. The income generated by an asset or the use of an asset is considered to be the fundamental value of an asset and in bubbles the prices of assets fluctuate far from their fundamental values. This point is made clearer in the next part of the literature review. Minsky also states that a sense of euphoria or depression in one country maybe contagious in another country. I believe that the recent housing bubble in the United States and its subsequent burst influenced the real estate bubble in Dubai and was a significant cause of the crash. 2.5 Fundamental Value Researchers seem to concentrate on one of the following elements when considering a bubble: rapid appreciation of assets, overly optimistic predictions of future prices, a discrepancy between price and fundamental value and obviously a vast depreciation of assets when the bubble pops (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Karl Case and Robert Shiller believe that A tendency to view housing as an investment is a defining characteristic of a housing bubble (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). However, Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, in their 2006 journal titled Housing, Housing, where is the housing bubble? disagree. They argue that housing can be considered a legitimate investment and that the best way to spot a bubble is to determine the discrepancy between the actual prices of houses and the fundamental value of these houses. Speculators in general do not make an attempt to calculate the underlying value of a house, they respond to expected capital gains. Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith define a bubble as a scenario where the equilibrium price of an asset is higher than the present value of the anticipated cash flow from the asset (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Nonetheless, fundamental values may rise rapidly (for example an increase in population and therefore an incre ase in the acquisitions of houses for their use as opposed to expected capital gains, or an increase in rent) may stimulate a legitimate increase in the prices of houses. Equilibrium house prices may also increase rapidly and not necessarily be considered a bubble if their actual price is lower than their underlying fundamental value. They state that the real defining characteristic of a bubble is when equilibrium market prices cannot be answered for by the assets anticipated cash flow. Case and Shiller refer to the real estate market as being populated by amateurs making infrequent transactions on the basis of limited information and with little or no experience in gauging the fundamental value of the properties they are buying and selling'(Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). If this is true and I believe it was, in Dubai, to a certain extent (through knowing investors on a personal level) how can one expect for fundamental values to equal market prices? Most agents within the real estate market i.e. brokers, buyers and sellers seem to use what is known as comps when dealing within the real estate market. Comps are the latest sale prices of homes with similar specifications within the same area. Comps tell us how much other individuals are prepared to pay but not whether these prices are justified by the fundamental value (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). Attempting to demonstrate whether market prices differ from fundamental prices isnt easy. Figures for average real estate prices are infamously imperfect. This is mainly due to the fact that houses are not homogenous in their specifications and environments. However, the National City Corporation use a multiple regression which considers a ratio of house prices to household income in a given area to mortgage rates, population density, the ratio of household income in the given area to the national average and historical prices to determine how much actual prices deviate from their real values (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). The reason a ratio of house price and household income is used is based on theory by Karl case and Shiller that argue that housing prices are a bubble waiting to pop if the average investor is priced out of the market'(Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). There are problems with this model e.g. the historic house prices may not be based on fundamental value. Some economists including Edward Leamer argue that if house prices have increased in a larger proportion than rents a bubble exists (Margaret Hwang Smith and Gary Smith, 2006). I will attempt to look at rents versus house prices in my critical analysis section of the dissertation to determine whether this was apparent in Dubai. I will also attempt to look at the population density because I believe that it is relevant to fundamental value because an increase in population causes an increase in the demand for residential properties that will be used as dwellings. Minsky stated that a fundamental value of an asset was to do with is use and the income (rent) generated from the asset. 2.6 A brief look at the recent financial crisis in the USA. Hyman minsky stated in his interpretation of a bubble that euphoria or depression in one country can be contagious and spill over into another. I believe that the bursting of the real estate bubble in the states and the subsequent lack of worldwide credit was highly influential in the bursting of Dubais housing bubble. As per usual the great real estate and leverage bubble in the US of 2007 was instigated by a pervasive macroeconomic displacement. Prior to the 2000s banks would give loans to home owners and keep those loans as assets in their books (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). However, post 2000 the entire banking system changed. Banks carried on issuing loans for mortgages but instead of holding them as assets on their books they would keep them for a short period of time and then sell them on to investment banks who would bundle different loans with different credit ratings into mortgage backed securities, also known as collateralized debt obligations (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Loans are split into different risk classes or tranches. So, low risk loans and high risk loans are bundled together and sold as one financial product which was deemed a good investment. This caused deterioration in lending standards (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Employees in charge of originating loans to clients were reckless when assessing the risk of the individuals potential default especially when dealing with subprime mortgages because they knew that the bank was only going to hold these loans for a short period of time and then pass them on. Insurance companies were also insuring subprime loans with credit default swaps because they were too nave to foresee mass defaults. These innovations in the banking system made credit easily accessible to individuals who may have not been considered credit worthy before these changes (subprime). Many financial institutions held vast amounts of these new bundled securities based around mortgages and held less equity backed securities and increased their leverage ratios (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010) making them very vulnerable in the case of a crash. Highly accessible credit at attractive rates due to lowered lending standards led to a huge bubble in the prices of houses. The inflation adjusted price of a commonplace home was roughly identical in 1999 as it was in 1899; however, between 2000 and 2006 real home prices doubled (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). This is portrayed in the following line graph based on data from the Case-Shiller home price index in the US. Figure 2 Case-Shiller Home price index, 1989 = 100. Source: (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010) As you can see from the graph there is a rapid ascent in prices from around 2000 followed by a quick fall in prices starting in 2007. Prices began to decline and euphoria turned to fear. Houses were worth less than the amount of money owed to the banks and individuals began to default in mass. With massive amounts of defaults occurring, the value of the bundled mortgage backed securities or collaterized debt obligations (cdos) decreased rapidly. Many highly leveraged financial institutions holding long term assets financed by the short term mortgage backed securities did not have sufficient liquidity to continue to function (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). All credit markets were frozen, excluding the US Treasury securities markets and financial institutions did not have sufficient liquidity to cover their short term debts. In the case of a bank an example of a short term debt is a deposit and people began to fear for their deposits and runs on banks happened in the US and UK institutions with vast amount of money invested in the US housing market e.g. Northern Rock. The US government was forced to bail out a number of financial institutions to prevent a total financial collapse (Burton G. Malkiel, 2010). Banks all over the world became cautious about lending money. Amlak finance Dubai stopped lending money all together and I think this was significant in the bursting of the bubble; it ties in directly with Minskys model of cyclical changes in the supply of credit. Panic struck and a worldwide financial crisis ensued. 3 Critical Analysis In this section of my dissertation I will evaluate real life data and literature about the situation in Dubai. What caused the rapid increase in price in the housing market? and what caused the resultant rapid decline in prices. 3.1 Displacement. Economists appear to agree that every bubble starts with a displacement. A macroeconomic change, or innovation, that induces pervasive adjustments in how agents within the economy behave and perceive the future. It can also be considered a paradigm shift. In the case of the .com bubble the displacement was the availability of the interweb to mass users. In the case of the recent housing and leverage bubble of the US the displacement was innovations in the banking system and the creation of new bundled financial products and collaterized debt obligations. In Dubai I believe that there were three displacing factors: The first displacing factor occurred in May 2002. Dubai was never rich in oil like its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi so it focused on creating a hub for tourism and commerce. It also promoted the development of real estate. In 1997 publicly quoted Emaar Properties and Al Nakheel Properties were setup (http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/articles/freehold_property.php). In 1998 emaar started developing the Dubai Marina and the Emirates Living Community; however, properties within these developments were released on leasehold contracts which mean that properties are leased out for ninety years as opposed to being owned freehold. These developments were not successful in the market. People were sceptical about the leasehold contracts. Things changed in May 2002 when the crown prince General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum implemented a new law, stating that ex pats were able to buy property in certain areas of Dubai. The following graph shows all transactions from 1994. The graph is based on data from REIDIN.com a company that provides data and information covering all deals and transactions in Dubai since 1973. The company is an exclusive partner of the Dubai Land Department the real estate registry for the emirate. (REIDIN, DUBAI FOCUS, 2010) Figure 3 Quantity of transactions in Dubai from 1994 (Reidin.com, DubaiFocus, 2010) The graph shows that as of the changes in law about the ownership of real estate from 2002 there is not a significant increase in the quantity of transactions. In fact, there is a decline in transactions until 2005 when quantity of transactions increase rapidly from there onwards. I would still, however, consider the innovations in the legislation behind the ownership of property a displacement because without the changes, ex pats would never have been able to own property on a freehold basis and the bubble would never have happened. I say this because the vast majority of investments into the property market have come from expatriate sources. See the following chart which depicts the value of transactions by nationality. Figure 4 Value (AED) of property transactions by nationality from 1973 (Reidin.com, DubaiFocus, 2010) As you can see from the chart foreign investment is very significant in value and this could never have happened if the changes in legislation had not been made. Also, cross border transactions are a key in the creation of a bubble and as you can see from figure 4 cross border transactions are huge. Another displacing factor was hype generated by the media about talks of a new GCC currency called the Khaleeji. Talks were being had about the possibility of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain creating a new currency for their states. These talks were being had around 2006/2007 and nothing was ever finalised but if it was to happen, especially at a point in time when the dollar was weak, this new currency would be valued higher than the specific currencies of the gulf states and investments in these countries would appear even more attractive to speculators as they would rise in value from the creation of a new currency. This ties in with the next displacing factor which is the weakness of the dollar due to financial fragility in the US. In the Spring of 2006 the dollar weakened dramatically due to financial instability in the US. Towards the end of 2006 it looked as if the exchange rate was rising towards $2. In April 2007 the Dollar depreciated to over $2 and on the 27th of July 2007 it got to $2.06 the weakest it has been since 1981, it continued to fluctuate around $2 for the next five months and on the 9th of November 2007 it was $2.11. After this point, on average, the pound began to decline in value as the global recession hit the UK. The importance of this analysis about the dollar exchange rate is that it shows that from around 2006 until 2008 the dollar was relatively weak compared to the pound. Transactions for Real Estate were booming during this period as portrayed in figure 3 and a huge portion of these transactions were fuelled by investment from the United Kingdom as portrayed in figure 4. I therefore believe that the weak dollar was statistically significant in the increase of transactions from UK investors. The exchange rate of the Dollar versus the Indian Rupee shows a similar story. From around January 2007 the dollar declines in value against the rupee to a peak of around 39 rupee to the dollar. Compare this to a value of around 55 rupee in 2003. Again the weakness of the dollar compared to the Indian rupee can be argued to have catalysed vast investment from Indian investors from 2006 as the dollar was depreciating until late 2008 when the global crisis begun to have consequences on other nations e.g. India and the UK. I therefore consider this a displacement which lead to increases in transactions, increases in prices of property and overly optimistic expected prices. Refer to graphs of the dollar exchange rates versus the pound and rupee in the appendix section of the dissertation. 3.2 Euphoria/overtrading If you refer back to Nial Fergusons five stage bubble model you will see that after a pervasive macroeconomic displacement in the economy, if it is tending towards a bubble situation, an economy will experience euphoria, also referred to as overtrading. Rising expected profits induce the appreciation in value of assets and shares. Investment soars because credit is in abundance. If you refer back to figure 1 you will see that prices begin to rise steadily from 2005/2006. The number of transactions also increases rapidly from around the same period. Nial Ferguson also talks about the abundance of credit; this too ties in with minskys model of the pro cyclical supply of credit. It implies that many of these transactions were fuelled by credit or leveraged. Again this is similar to what was happening in the US before their crash. The following line graph shows the percentage of residential transactions fuelled by credit or leveraged. I have also included the percentage of residential transactions that are classed as other. I have put other transaction types into the equation because a substantial amount of transactions are classed as other. other refers to transactions that are none of the following transaction types: sale, mortgage, leasing, valuation, grant, rent, compensation and pre-registration. Im not entirely sure as to what types of transaction would be considered as other. This, I will consider a limitation in my data; however, this is data provided by a governmental entity and censorship is alive and well in Dubai. Figure 5 Percentage of residential transactions leveraged with credit. What figure 5 shows is a steady increase in the percentage of transactions fuelled by credit until 2006 when there is a vast decline in this percentage and a continuous decrease until 2009. I wonder if the global credit crunch caused by the US crash hit Dubai much earlier than people thought, however why did prices not stop falling until late 2008/2009?. There is a visible pattern here; as transactions leveraged by mortgages decreases, transactions classed by Dubai Land Department the real estate registry for the emirate as other increase. This appears to be rather dubious in my opinion; maybe the global credit crunch hit Dubai but in an attempt to maintain high prices until ruthless inside investors with asymmetries of information could leave the market with huge profits the quantity of transactions was kept high by the government, who have invested interests. Emaar Properties and Al Nakheel Properties are publicly quoted companies but ownership is predominately by wealthy governme ntal authorities. We all know that OPEC controls the supply of oil to maintain high prices; maybe something similar happened with property in Dubai. Nial Ferguson does mention ruthless inside investors have played a significant role in past bubbles; I think this could be apparent here. (Nial Ferguson, 2008, 2009). The graph shows that vast amounts of credit were used to leverage investments until 2006 when the amount declines rapidly. Probably because banks were influenced by the credit crunch in the US and feared they may have inadequate liquidity. I will analyse the pro cyclical supply of credit in a later section of my dissertation. 3.3 Mania/Bubble and distress Nial Ferguson refers to the next the next stage as mania or bubble, where first time investors are enticed to the market and seasoned investors who can predict a crash scramble to sell their investments at a profit before the crash. If you refer back to figure 3 that shows the quantity of transactions I would say that the mania/bubble stage was occurring from 2007 to 2008 at when the quantity of transactions are skyrocketing. At this point too, prices are still very high (refer back to figure 1). The closer to late 2008 the sillier the investment, as bubble bursts in october 2008. Therefore transactions around about this time have to be from first time investors who cannot see a crash. This is referred to by Nial ferguson as the distress period. 3.4 Revulsion/discredit Prices begin to plummet and the herd stampedes to exit the market causing the bubble to implode. This is apparent in late 2008 and 2009. Transactions stay high (Figure 3) but prices are declining rapidly (40 percent on average). So, investors are struck by fear and rush to sell properties even if it is done at significant los

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Decision on Dropping the Bomb :: World War II

Decision on Dropping the Bomb Many innocent lives were lost, as a result of the decision to use of the atomic Bomb. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Were the United States justified for many reasons. The main reason was that, it would stop the war quickly, Revenge for Pearl harbour incident and no more innocent allied lives would be taken. This essay proves that it was a good idea to use the Atomic Bomb. After World War II begun in 2839, President Franklin Delano announced the neutrality of the United States . Many people in the United States thought that their country should stay out of the war. The people wanted the allied Forces to have the victory .President roosevelt also wanted an Allied victory because an axis victory might endanger democracies every where. The Axis did not believe on democracy. It all started when Japan wanted to take over China,but China refused. The United States oppsed the expansion of Japan in Asia, so they cut off important exports to Japan. On December 7,1941, Japanese Submarines and Carrier based planes, attack the U.S pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour (Louis L Snyder, p g 521). Also they attack the U.S military airfileds and destroyed 19 American battle ships ,13 naval vessels,and 200 U.S Aircraft (Louis L Snyder pg. 521) .The attack mark the entrance of the United States into the WWII on to Allied side, and Japan in the side of Germany and Italy. General Hideki Tojo , was the Premeir of Japan.(Mike Fung). He and other japanese did not like the fact that United states were sending War supplies to china and other countries in Asia, This is why made japan attack on Pearl Harbour to get the United States Attention not to messed up with them. "Although the Attack may have been successful in the minds of the Japanese it became a huge mistake . One reason, it made the United States angry and determined to destroy the Japanese. Secondly it caused the U.S to enter the War." "In 1939, Otto Hann and Fritz Strassmann discovered that neutrons striking the element uranium casued the atoms to split apart. Physicist found out that among the pieces of a split atom were newly produced neutrons , this might encounter other uranium nuclei,caused them to split , and start a chain reaction .If the chain reaction were limited to be the result , the chain reaction could release energy rapidly and with explosive force"(Mike Fung).

Friday, October 11, 2019

Reaction Plan on Global Warming Essay

Global warming refers to an increase in the average temperature of the Earth as a result of the greenhouse effect, in which gases in the upper atmosphere trap solar radiation close to the planet’s surface instead of allowing it to dissipate into space. Both natural and human-made conditions can contribute to global warming, but human beings can do several things to reduce the effects. The biggest cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels — such as oil and coal — are burned for energy. So when you save energy, you fight global warming and save money, too. Here are some easy steps that you can take to help make a difference: 1. Limit Private Vehicle Driving. A very easy way to control ozone depletion would be to limit or reduce the amount of driving as vehicular emissions eventually result in smog which is a culprit in the deterioration of the ozone layer. Walk, bike or take the bus more often. You’ll save one pound of carbon d ioxide for every mile you don’t drive. 2. Use Eco-friendly Household Cleaning Products. Usage of eco-friendly and natural cleaning products for household chores is a great way to prevent ozone depletion. This is because many of these cleaning agents contain toxic chemicals that interfere with the ozone layer. A lot of supermarkets and health stores sell cleaning products that are toxic-free and made out of natural ingredients. 3. Avoid Using Pesticides. Pesticides may be an easy solution for getting rid of weed, but are harmful for the ozone layer. The best solution for this would be to try using natural remedies, rather than heading out for pesticides. You can perhaps try to weed manually or mow your garden consistently so as to avoid weed-growth. 4. Don’t Burn Your Trash. Every burning emits carbon dioxide especially plastic. Instead of burning your waste, segregate them and some things like cans and plastic can be sold while some can be recycled. 5. Plant a Tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon  dioxide over its lifetime. Because carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas, planting trees and other plants can slow or stop global warming. Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They use carbon to build their own tissues and return some of it to the soil in a process called sequestration. Deforestation of rain forests is a large contributor to global warming and CO2 emissions, but planting new trees, even in your own backyard, can help to offset this. 6. Turn off Electronic Devices. Simply turning off your television, stereo and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year. 7. Conserve Water. Turn off water immediately whenever you’re not using it, and repair or replace leaky faucets and toilets. 8. Change a Light. Replacing one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat. 9. Reduce Fossil Fuel Use. Burning fossil fuels increases the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There are two ways to reduce fossil fuel use: Use less energy, or use alternative, nonpolluting energy sources like solar and wind power 1) At home, this translates to saving electricity by using energy-efficient appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs, as well as reducing gasoline use and buying green power from your electricity provider, if available. 10. Reduce Waste. The production of garbage contributes to global warming both directly and indirectly. Decomposing waste in landfills produces methane and other greenhouse gases. Waste also requires energy to manufacture in the first place. Reducing your consumption patterns and reusing items whenever possible minimizes your carbon footprint, since fewer new items need to be made. Recycling metal, plastic, glass and paper lowers greenhouse gas emissions, since recycled items take far less energy to manufacture than items produced from scratch. 11. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn’t a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household  waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. 12. Tell Others about Global Warming. Many Filipinos are still not aware of this frightening situation of our world. Tell it to your friends, neighbors and to your classmates.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

English speeches Essay

Reading selectively or extensively Honorable judges, good morning/afternoon .I am glad to stand here and give you a short speech .Today my topic is reading selectively or extensively .I deeply hope you will like it. As we all know, reading is a tradition inherited from ancient society which has a long history. Whether to read selectively or extensively has been a common question discussed by people from very ancient time. Some people tend to choose to read selectively. Having received a book they waited for a long time, they will get started reading this book with a devout heart. What they commonly do is to dead between the lines. Of course this has its own advantages. A selective reading can contribute to a better understanding of the whole book. Furthermore, when you analyze the passage, chances are that you may have the same sympathetic visage with the author, that is, you are going into the scene that the author endeavoring to describe to all readers, which is quite a sense of achievement. On the contrary, other people prefer to read extensively rather than selectively. They are not satisfied to read just several books due to what they want is a substantial number of various books. Opinion they hold is that extensive reading is beneficial to broaden the horizons. After reading a large quantity of books, their experiences are enriched, their thoughts are more specific, their minds are more mature. So to speak, extensive reading plays a vital important role in their growth. There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes. Owing to different people all have their different characteristics, people’s choices are made differently. Choosing to read selectively or extensively doesn’t mean you are true or false, what matters is whether you have chosen the choice which just properly fits yourself. That’s all. Thank you for listening. On trying to renew knowledge Honorable judges, good morning/afternoon .I am glad to stand here and give you a short speech .Today my topic is on trying to renew knowledge. I deeply hope you will like it. As the famous saying goes:† Knowledge is power.†, knowledge existed and it is inherited up till now from very ancient time. So to speak, when human beings came into being, knowledge came into being. However, at the same time, between knowledge there are both essence as well as dross. That means what we need to do now is trying to renew knowledge.  From my point of view, this process can be a complicated one. First of all, it’s of vital importance for us to sharpen our eyes to distinguish the essence and dross in knowledge, which plays a significant role in the process. Second, it matters that we ought to do it neither reluctantly nor with a special purpose. That is, on trying to renew knowledge, we should take it in accordance with its natural tendency following the development of the whole society. Last but not least, receiving enough knowledge and keeping pace with the development of culture and civilization is the final step of the process. Renewing knowledge is not a realistic process but should be done in the practical way. On trying to renew knowledge, we may undergo troubles from work and life, misunderstanding from family and friends, difficulties and frustrations from the process its own. However, never giving in to it is just the right choice. Difficult and complicated as it may be, if we don’t realize the importance of renewing knowledge, we may never do a proper job on trying to renew knowledge. That’s all. Thank you for your listening. Online shopping Honorable judges, good morning/afternoon .I am glad to stand here and give you a short speech .Today my topic is online shopping. I deeply hope you will like it. With the development of science and technology, online shopping is becoming more and more popular between young people. Because of its convenience and efficiency as well as high qualities bargains, young people tend to conduct online shopping more instead of shopping in practical malls. Having chosen commodities they want to buy and do some clicks randomly, what they need is just to wait at home and the express delivery companies will bring it to your house. Online shopping is just a symbol of social progress , which shows the development of people’s living standard secondhand. On the contrary, online shopping certainly has its disadvantages. For instance, all processes are completed on the Internet while we couldn’t see the exact commodity on our eyes, which may result in counterfeit articles. What’s worse, owing to the uncertainty of the Internet, there may be a substantial number of hoaxes you can’t even realize waiting for you, making you break the bank for the worst result. In brief, it’s of vital importance for us to improve our security awareness and take  some protective measures in the meantime when conducing online shopping. After this specific analysis, we can draw the conclusion that when it comes to online shopping, we must take its merits as well as demerits into consideration. Advantages and disadvantages as it may have, if we only treat this problem from one hand, the result we get might not impartial. Indeed, online shopping is of great benefit to our life if we can use it properly and consequently it can lead to our society becoming more harmonious, that is, online shopping can a thrust to the progress of the whole human society. That’s all. Thank you for your listening. Advantages and disadvantages of the cell phone Honorable judges, good morning/afternoon .I am glad to stand here and give you a short speech .Today my topic is advantages and disadvantages of the cell phone. I deeply hope you will like it. With the development of science and technology and the remarkable improvement of people’s living standard, cell phone is a common commodity appearing in people’s life. In the meantime, cell phone also brings some unexpected advantages and disadvantages. When it come to cell phone’s advantages, we can list as follows. It’s obvious that it can provide us with plenty of convenience and efficiency, which disposes many troubles caused by distance. Thanks to cell phone, nowadays we just contact with family and friends at anytime and anywhere we like. Furthermore, activities such as surfing the Internet, listening to music, watching TV dramas and so on are conducted portably on the cell phone instead of the computer. Recently, many cell phones are used as wallets owing to advanced information technology. However, from another perspective, every coin has its two sides, cell phone also has its inevitably disadvantages. For instance, the ring of cell pone may have a bad effect on others, which makes them distracted and disturbed. What’s worse, over using your cell phone means wasting your time, contributing to a negative and pessimistic attitude. Last but not least, you may tend to decrease your time for exercising and taking part in various activities so as to play on your cell phone, which not only is bad for your health, but also does great harm to your work and study. In conclusion, cell phone and even everything have their own advantages and disadvantages. What we should do is to take an impartial attitude towards it. Never shut the door against  it nor extremely indulge in it. Only when we truly follow this can we make a full use of it. That’s all. Thank you for your listening. No man is rich enough to buy back his past Honorable judges, good morning/afternoon .I am glad to stand here and give you a short speech .Today my topic is no man is rich enough to buy back his past. I deeply hope you will like it. When we were children, we were told that when we had done something wrong we should never regret it because no man is rich enough to buy back his past. As I am growing more mature , I gradually understand the true meaning of this saying. As the famous saying goes: where there is a will, there is a way. That is, if you can spare no effort to achieve your original goal, no matter whether you can reach it, you will get a sense of achievement because of your effort. It’s the process that you are making effort rather than the final result that really matters. Consequently, there is no need for you to regret an it’s just a waste of time to do that. In our lifelong time, we can’t avoid facing difficulties and frustrations, which are once coped with improperly only resulting in because you can never buy back the past and experience once again. What you can do is merely to cherish every moment you are undergoing and make the most of them. Eating, sleeping, studying, exercising, these unimpressive daily events just consist of our daily life. Only after earnestly going though every step of life can you never need to buy back your past. From another perspective, if you only indulge in regretting what you‘ve done, you may gradually lose heart and interest to live happily. What’s worse, your body is unhealthy, your mind is distracted, your life is irregular. It not only does harm to you physically, but also has a negative impact on your psychology. Life is not plain sailing all the time, we have to deal with numerous troubles. Meanwhile, we will undergo feelings as happy as well as angry, but never regret because no man is rich enough to buy back his past. That’s all. Thank you for your listening.