Hydrofracking Global Issue

Hydro fracking's global impact Benefits Immediate solution to the energy crisis in the future Fracking is a solution to an affordable energy supply to the world                UK's future energy crisis due to low gas storage and rely heavy on import. Exploring the hidden potential for natural gas around the world                Many countries such as China, Australia, France, etc. have vast shale formation and potential for hydro-fracking natural gas. China has estimate 1,275 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable gas compared to 862 trillion cubic feet in USLower energy costs for other countries around the world                               High cost from buying shipping energy from other countries                High costs to build nuclear plans for energy Global environment will benefit from hydro-fracking Solution to deal with global warning               Ã‚                  Carbon dioxin emission decr ease as the US's emission decrease 7. 7% since 2006               Ã‚  Importing energy through pipeline cause environmental damage due to methane leakage during transit Less toxic compared to nuclear plansJapan's nuclear shut down after tsunami disaster due to the toxic effect to the environment and people around the areas Benefit the countries's economies as wellas the world's economy                Partnership between China and the U,S create more jobs and stimulate the economy in both countries Drawbacks Global environmental's negative change Shale gas extraction cause earth tremors: possible earthquake but not strong and serious and only around the extraction area. Long-term risk for the underground water resources that might cause public ealth risks Political issue Many countries has not tapped the natural energy resource due to technical hurdle and political issue due to the danger that hydro fracking can cause to the people live near the s          à ‚                    France has strong public opposition to hydro-fracking                              Bulgaria ban it Poland welcome it but was charge with bribery during the awarding lease processing   and taint the plans                              Pending environmental review in South AfricaHigh costs for different countries In some European countries such as Poland, the costs to drill is three times more expensive compared to Texas, US. Need of Advance technologies to reduce drilling and extracting costs Geologies's differences issue China's shale formation are deeper underground, thus private property rights has hindered the development. The country's biggest shale gas prize lay in the province that water is hard to come by.

Case Study: Google in China Essay

When Larry Page and Sergy Brin first launched the Internet search engine, Google; they did so with one goal in mind, to provide people searching the internet for information with the fastest, most reliable search engine. Because of their creativity and innovation, Google is one of the largest and most profitable Internet search engines available. With more than 150 domains worldwide, people in almost every country can search the Internet for information about everything from historical facts to current events. Ingrained into the company’s code of ethics is the often quoted phrase â€Å"don’t be evil† (Hill, 2009, p. 148). By this, Google means the company will not compromise their Code of Conduct and will provide searchers with information which is current and not biased or censored in any way. To Google, their Code of Conduct is also about â€Å"doing the right thing† (Google, 2009, para. 1). Because of Google’s Code of Conduct when the company ent ered China, human rights activists had hopes that the citizens of China could search the Internet without the Chinese government censoring the results. The purpose of this paper is to address the following regarding Google’s presence in China, (a) the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges confronting Google, and (b) the various roles the Chinese government plays in Google’s Chinese business operations. In addition, the paper will include a summary of the strategic and operational challenges facing Google managers who are living and working in China.. LEGAL, CULTURAL, AND ETHICAL CHALLENGES In 2000, Google began offering services to the Chinese allowing them the ability to search in their own language. Google did not have an office in China so the service was out of the United States. For approximately two years, the Chinese people could use Google to search for information over the Internet. Then in 2002, the Chinese government blocked access to Google’s website and instead began making searchers use a site approved by the Chinese government. When the government later allowed access to Google, people found certain sites considered politically sensitive were not available. China was blocking sites the government considered subversive. To solve this problem, Google decided to establish an office in China with the goal of providing the Chinese population access to the largest amount of information the company could provide. In essence, Google voluntarily agreed to censor certain results considered subversive by the Chinese government. This created legal and ethical problems of Google being able to live up to the company standards of providing users complete access to all information. Various Roles the Chinese Government Plays In 2010, Google discovered their website had been hacked into. Although the company will not say publically whether or not they think the Chinese government was behind the hacking, they did inform the government they would no longer voluntarily censor their search results. According to Branigan â€Å"Google claimed the cyber-attack originated from China and that its intellectual property was stolen, but that evidence suggested a primary goal was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists† (Branigan, 2010, para. 14). Google also stated that they found where Gmail accounts of human rights activists living in China, Europe, and the United States were being hacked into by third parties on a routine basis (Branigan, 2010). During February, a statement was released by Secretary of State Clinton concerning the rights of all to have access to the Internet and â€Å"pledging to file a formal State Department protest regarding this month’s alleged Google Chin a censorship and hacking† (Baer, 2010, para. 1). Strategic and Operational Challenges Because of these latest developments, Google found themselves in the position of needing to make some very difficult decisions. The company needed to decide whether or not they should remain in China and agree to the terms of the Chinese government. These terms essentially meant allowing third parties to access and monitor the company’s site and Gmail accounts. However, Google seems to have found a solution for this dilemma by providing searchers with a link to the company’s uncensored Hong Kong website. The Chinese government seems to be in agreement with this solution and is allowing Google to remain in China for now (Horowitz, 2010). CONCLUSION When Google decided to enter the Chinese market, the company did so because they knew how important the Chinese market was for their business. They also realized that China provided an opportunity for the company to grow. However, entering China also resulted in Google being faced with having to make some serious ethical and legal decisions. These decisions include whether Google should continue to censor results on its website or if Google eventually needs to pull out of China. Currently, Google seems to think that giving the Chinese access to some information is better than not granting them access to any information. References Baer, M. (2010). _Cyber attacks & the ethical dimension of the Google China episode_. Retrieved from http://globalcomment.com/2010/cyber-attacks-the-ethical-dimension-of-the-google-china-episode/ Branigan, T. (2010). _Google challenge to China over censorship_. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-china-censorship-battle Google. (2009). _Google Investor Relations Code of Conduct_. Retrieved from http://investor.google.com/corporate/code-of-conduct.html#I Hill, C. W. (2009). _International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace_ (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin Horowitz, D. (2010). _Google Still in China_. Retrieved from http://www.daniweb.com/news/story295468.html

Compare contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare contrast - Essay Example The story entails issues that we have been struggling to achieve in life, where everyone is equal, and people are intelligent and so the author felt it would be creative to put it in a real picture of just how things might be if we were all equal and intelligent. Through the film, the reality of how people are ruled, by the mighty in the society, comes out clearly than in the story. The people are forced to wear handicap gadgets that control their thoughts, and their reaction to circumstances (Vonnegut). Harrison Bergeon is a story that talks about a man called Harrison Bergeon who lived in the future. In this future everyone was equal in every way. Even, though, people were equal, despite this, some things were still not right. For example, people were handicapped. George was over intelligent as the narrator says, â€Å"†¦his intelligence was way above normal. His wife, on the other hand, was of average intelligence and could not remember things for lone. The narrator says, â€Å"†¦she could not think about anything except in short bursts.† Their son was taken away from them when he was 14, and the government claimed that he planned to overthrow the government. This was by a reporter who said, â€Å"†¦where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. Harrison Managed to escape from prison, â€Å"Harrison Bergeon†¦has just escaped from the prison† this was announcement made by the announcer (Vonnegut). From the story, it appears that people are not free to do what they want. For example, they are forced to wear the handicap gadgets that the government uses to control their thoughts. The narrator says, â€Å"†¦and told them that they had ten seconds to wear their handicaps.† The people had no freedom of choice. At the end, we see Harrison trying to gain their freedom by breaking into the studio and ordering people to do as he says. He says, ‘I am the emperor †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.everyone must do what I say at once†. At

Recognition and Diagnosis of Dementia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recognition and Diagnosis of Dementia - Essay Example Normal changes in elderly people are that they have slower thinking and problem-solving processes, may not pay close attention and concentrate like they used to, and have a harder time recalling people or events that occurred in their lives (White et al., 2014; Patient, 2014). Other typical issues are that they may take time trying to find the right word and have some signs of forgetfulness, but still have the same personalities and still remember important events and conversations.  Dementia, however, comes in a number of packages, with occasional overlays between two or more diagnosis. For example, in less common forms of dementia, there is Pick’s Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Dementia, or Lewy Body Dementia. In a combination of Pick’s Disease, which tends to be more common in women, and Lewy Body Dementia, an elderly female can have hallucinations about things that are happening or she thinks are happen ing, and she can also become extremely fearful of someone when there was no cause for that thinking process (White et al., 2014).   Therefore, it is essential to have a diagnosis made so appropriate treatment can be started and the elderly can live a more healthy and happy life.  Families may see the first signs of dementia but not fully understand what it is (Jeffries & Agrawal, 2009). A primary care physician (PCP), however, may see the same symptoms and realize that tests need to be made to determine for sure what is happening. Yet, in a growing society of elderly people.

The Importance of Soil Ph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Importance of Soil Ph - Essay Example This paper will expansively present the importance of soil Ph and other important factors related to the very same concept will also be presented comprehensively in this paper. There are several food crops and plants that thrive under either neutral or slightly acidic soil which means that the Ph of the soil must be 7, on the other hand there are a few other plants that thrive under highly acidic conditions, potatoes and strawberries just to name a few. The weathering rate is arguably one of the most important aspects when it comes to deciding hoe acidic the soil is It depends on a factor called mineralogy which means the presence of easily weathered minerals in the soil. There are other important aspects too like the texture of the soil, the presence of moisture in the soil etc. "A plant's growth is affected to a large degree by the relative concentrations of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH-) in the surrounding soil solution (soil pH). Acid soils (pH

MGMT402 U4 IP Labor Laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MGMT402 U4 IP Labor Laws - Research Paper Example This was a law formulated and passed in 1926 but later amended in 1936 that provides a legal framework for resolution of disputes through conflict resolution, mediation and bargaining instead of striking for the workers of railway and airlines. It also further extends to issues such as representation of employees and administration of contracts in places where the employees have representation by labor union (Twomey, 2012). The act has definitely improved the losses the railway and airlines organizations incur when the workers go on strike in protesting their work conditions or any other aspect of the work ethics and organizational culture. The mediation curbs the strike and ensures workers continue with their normal duties as negotiations and mediation continues. The relationship between the union and management has improved because of the National Mediation Board that is part of the labor law and which tries to maintain civility between the two parties for the sake of the workers. In short, the union puts its demands and the management retaliates by negotiating the terms and finally coming up with an agreement but in the end the workers benefit. This was an act passed in 1932 that ensured removal of legal barriers against the trade unions. The act other than barring the federal courts from issuing injunctions on unions following labor disputes, it also ensured that employers did not interfere with the rights of their workers to join trade unions. Prior to the act being enforced, employees upon employment were forced to sign contracts (yellow-dog contracts) that prohibited them from joining labor unions but this was prohibited by the courts (Cihon and Castagnera, 2013). The relationship between the union and management was sour as the management saw the union as an obstacle while the union viewed the management as out to

Heterosexism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heterosexism - Essay Example A cursory analysis of available costumes illustrated that twenty two costumers were propagating hyper heterosexism. They were even segregated into sections named as ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ costumers. There were also unisex costumes like burglar costume or angel costume. However, it was evident that majority of these costumes encouraged heterosexual partnerships. This costume based stratification can be explained with the help of feminist sociology theories that support existence of a social order and values related to it that are meant to be followed by individuals in order to demonstrate their participation in a gender-based group participation (Ingraham 209). There were eight costumes that could have been seen as being suitable for same-sex partnerships. These costumes included Scottish outfits, Mario costumes, wrestler costumes, and other revealing warrior costumes. The store also had a male personification of Adam and Eve costume which was clearly supporting same sex relationship. This study helped in understanding that there was a rather limited choice for customers who do not wish to propagate hetero-normative gendered constructs. The store had a collection of object-based inanimate costumes such as Cupcakes, Robotic characters, Banners and other similar costumes that were equally famous in male and female customers, according to the store owner. These costumes are delivering clear messages about heterosexual relationships. The costumes meant for female customers included Ballerina dresses, Disney movie characters and others clearly having a feminine outlook. On the other hand, costumes meant for boys had moderate to strong masculinity attached to them as they were reflecting a degree of physical violence and aggression. When asked about a Tuxedo hanging in the Halloween section, store manager responded that it is meant for female customers as it was ‘sleeker’ as compared to

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Essay Example Being rooted in the child’s experience, drama as a learning medium involves thinking, questioning, taking responsibility for actions, and use of space. Since there is active participation of children in drama, learning takes place spontaneously, which leads to later learning of higher order. The theories of educationists like Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner contribute to the use of drama as a learning medium. According to Jean Piaget, the child goes through several stages of development, one of which is the Preoperational stage from ages 2 to 7. At this stage, the child is acquiring motor skills. Magical thinking is foremost at this stage. He appreciates drama and relates to it. A child at this stage learns quickly from the dramatized version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ or â€Å"The Lion King†, elements of vocabulary, arithmetic and a little geography. Since at this stage of the child’s development his egocentricism has begun, he can relate to the central character of the drama. But, according to Piaget, he cannot conserve or use logical thinking yet, which he starts using in the next stage of his development. The next stage of development in children is the ‘concrete operational stage’ which spans the ages from 7 to 11. At this stage of their development, children have started thinking logically, and concretely, but they need aids for conserving and thinking logically. Higher order thinking is beginning and they are helped by drama at this stage of learning. After the age of 11, children start to think and conserve abstractly. Here, they appreciate and learn from drama based on detective stories such as Sherlock Holmes. Piaget explains that the child ‘s perceptions of notions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ , and ‘valid’ , ‘proper’, and ‘necessary’ develop during these stages. He constructs his theory of actions which are correct and effective, by the process of objectification, reflection and and

Demonstrate a critical understanding of current issues in either Essay

Demonstrate a critical understanding of current issues in either investigation or prosecution of a aspect of cybercrime or e-investigation - Essay Example Increase in financial crime activities has become widespread, but there is still difficulty in maintaining transparent policies and actions of financial information. The problems faced by financial institutions continue to rise with issues relating to politics, legal, technology and economics arising with time. Financial institutions increasingly face challenges in managing cyber-attacks. Malicious attackers are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and widespread in devising methods of financial fraud. Banking institutions in Europe mainly face denial-of-service on a large-scale basis hindering their daily investigations. Institutions that handle regional bank and credit Sacco’s often face challenges in financial security breach. Enemies of the state breach their financial systems to seek for intellectual property and intelligence. Hackers use the security breaches to make political statements to their enemies. Cyber gangs working in crime groups opt for the vice to gain money by stealing finds in accounts or hacking into ATMs. A reduction in technology costs leads to the decrease of barriers implemented to curb cybercrime, providing criminals with cheaper and easier ways to penetrate into financial networks. The growing black market encourages a new generation of wrong doers wi shing to breach data services for financial institutions. 1In June 2014, the Bank of England increased its efforts in the protection of the UK’s financial institutions from cybercrime. The testing framework aims at combining government intelligence with security industries assessing the risks. Implementing the new cyber security strategy named CBEST seeks to ease pressure on financial services in England. With this in mind, the study seeks to analyze the financial security of the Bank of England. Financial crime in indicates that both internal and external rely on IT systems to manage information (BBC,

Systematic review critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Systematic review critique - Essay Example There are statements that also include recommendations which are aimed at optimizing the care of patients which are called clinical practice guidelines. These guidelines are supposed to be guided by systematically reviewed evidence and an assessment of harms and benefits of all the alternative options for the care of patients. Rather than offering a one –size-fits-all kind of approach for the care of patient practice guidelines should in theory give an evaluation in terms of quality and precise scientific literature arrived at through extensive research and assessment of the possible harms and benefits of any particular treatment. This kind of information is supposed to enable the providers of health care to continue correctly in the selection the optimum care for each individual patient while taking into consideration their personal preferences. This is highly doubtable due to a large number of reasons in theory and on paper these guidelines should be easy to arrive at and fo llow but that is definitely not the case. The United States congress by the â€Å"Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008† requested the institute of medicine or IOM to conduct an extensive study of the most suitable methods as used in the development of clinical practice guidelines. Aiming to ensure that organization undertaking the development of these guidelines the suitable approach which would ideally be objective, valid scientifically, reliable and consistent, the IOM put together a committee of experts. This committee came up with eight very ambitious standards for developing the best clinical practices which can be trusted. Whether they succeeded, however is questionable. In as much as their intentions were in the right place it next to impossible to imagine that they would be followed to the letter some of these standards are bound to be sidelined or overlooked in some

Market fragmentation Essay Example for Free

Market fragmentation Essay Because the PLC (product life cycle) focuses on what is happening to particular product or brand rather than on what is happening to the overall market, it yields a product-oriented picture rather than a market-oriented picture. Firms need to visualize a market’s evolutionary path as it is affected by new needs, competitors, technology, channels, and other developments. In the course of a product’s or brand’s existence, its positioning must change to keep pace with market developments. Consider the case of Lego. LEGO Group. Lego Group, the Danish toy company, enjoyed a 72 percent global market share of the construction toy market; but children were spending more of their spare time with video games, computers, and television and less time with traditional toys. So Lego recognized the need to change or expand its market space. It redefined its market space as â€Å"family edutainment†, which included toys, education, interactive technology, software, computers, and consumer electronics. All involved exercising the mind and having fun. Part of LEGO Group’s plan is to capture an increasing share of customer spending as children become young adults and then parents. Stages in Market Evolution Like products, markets evolve through four stages: emergence, growth, maturity, and decline. EMERGENCE. Before a market materializes, it exists as a latent market. For example, for centuries people have wanted faster means of calculation. This need was successively satisfied through abacuses, slide rules, and large adding machines. Suppose an entrepreneur recognizes this need and imagines a technological solution in the form of a small, handheld electronic calculator. He now has to determine the product attributes, including physical size and number of mathematical functions. Because he is market-oriented, he interviews potential buyers. He finds that target customers vary greatly in their preferences. Some want a four-function calculator (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) and others want more functions (calculating percentages, square roots, and logs). Some want a small hand calculator and others want a large one. This type of market, in which buyer preferences scatter evenly, is called a diffused-preference market. The entrepreneur’s problem is to design an optimal product for this market. He or she has three options: 1. The new product can be design to meet the preferences of one of the corners of the market (a single-niche strategy). 2. Two or more products can be simultaneously launched to capture two or more parts of the market (a multiple-niche strategy). 3. The new product can be design for the middle of the market (a mass-market strategy). For small firms, a single-niche strategy makes the most sense. A small firm does not have the resources for capturing and holding the mass-market. A large firm might go after the mass-market by designing a product that is medium in size and number of functions. A product in the center minimizes the sum of the distances of existing preferences from the actual product, thereby minimizing total dissatisfaction. Assume that the pioneer firm is large and designs its product for the mass market. On launching the product, the emergence stage begins. GROWTH. If the new product sells well, new firms will enter the market, ushering in a market-growth stage. Where will a second firm enter the market, assuming that the first firm established itself in the center? The second firm has three options: 1. It can position its brand in one of the corners (single-niche strategy). 2. It can position its brand next to the first competitor (mass-market strategy). 3. It can launch two or more products in different, unoccupied corners (multiple-niche strategy). If the second firm is small, it is likely to avoid head-on competition with the pioneer and to launch its brand in one of the market corners. If the second firm is large, it might launch its brand in the center against the pioneer. The two firms can easily end up sharing the mass market; or a large second firm can implement a multiniche strategy and surround and box in the pioneer. MATURITY. Eventually, the competitors cover and serve all the major market segments and the market enters the maturity stage. In fact, they go further and invade each other’s segments, reducing everyone’s profit in the process. As market growth slows down, the market splits into finer segments and high market fragmentation occurs. This situation is illustrated in figure 11.8(a) where the letters represent different companies supplying various segments. Note that two segments are unserved because they are too small to yield a profit. Market fragmentation is often followed by a market consolidation caused by the emergence of a new attribute that has strong appeal. Market consolidation took place in the toothpaste market when PG introduced Crest, which effectively retarded dental decay. Suddenly, toothpaste brands that claimed whitening power, cleaning power, and sex appeal, taste, or mouthwash effectiveness were pushed into the corners because consumers primarily wanted dental protection. Crest won a lion’s share of the market, as shown by the X territory in Figure 11.8(b). Figure 11.8 (a and b) Market Fragmentation and Market Consolidation Strategies However, even a consolidated market condition will not last. Other companies will copy a successful brand, and the market will eventually splinter again. Mature markets swing between fragmentation and consolidation. The fragmentation is brought about by competition, and the consolidation is brought about by innovation. DECLINE. Eventually, demand for the present products will begin to decrease, and the market will enter the decline stage. Either society’s total need level declines or a new technology replaces the old. Thus an entrepreneur might invent a mouth-rinse liquid that is superior to toothpaste. In this case, the old technology will eventually disappear and a new life cycle will emerge. AN EXAMPLE: THE PAPER-TOWEL MARKET. Consider the evolution of the paper-towel market. Originally, homemakers used cotton and linen dishcloths and towels in their kitchens. A paper company, looking for new markets, developed paper towels. This development crystallized a latent market. Other manufacturers entered the market. The number of brands proliferated and created market fragmentation. Industry overcapacity led manufacturers to search for new features. One manufacturer, hearing consumers complain that paper towels were not absorbent, introduced â€Å"absorbent† towels and increased its market share. This market consolidation did not last long because competitors came out with their own versions of absorbent paper towels. The market fragmented again. Then another manufacturer introduced a â€Å"superstrength† towel. It was soon copied. Another manufacturer introduced a â€Å"lint-free† paper towel, which was subsequently copied. Thus paper towels evolved from a single product to one with various absorbencies, strengths, and applications. Market evolution was driven by the forces of innovation and competition. Dynamics of Attribute Competition Competition produces a continuous round of new product attributes. If a new attribute succeeds, several competitors soon offer it. To the extent that many airlines serve inflight meals, meals are no longer a basis for air-carrier choice. Customer expectations are progressive. This fact underlines the strategic importance of a maintaining the lead in introducing new attributes. Each new attribute, if successful, creates a competitive advantage for the firm, leading to temporarily higher-than-average market share and profits. The market leader must learn to routinize the innovation process. Can a firm look ahead and anticipate the succession of attributes that are likely to win favour and be technologically feasible? How can the firm discover new attributes? There are four approaches. 1. A customer-survey process: the company asks consumers what benefits they would like added to the product and their desire level for each. The firm also examines the cost of developing each new attribute and likely competitive responses. 2. An intuitive process: entrepreneurs get hunches and undertake product development without much marketing research. Natural selection determines winners and losers. If a manufacturer has intuited an attribute that the market wants, that manufacturer is considered smart or lucky. 3. A dialectical process: innovators should not march with the crowd. Thus blue jeans, starting out as an expensive clothing article, over time became fashionable and more expensive. This unidirectional movement, however, contains the seeds of its own destruction. Eventually, the price falls again or some manufacturer introduces another cheap material for pants. 4. A needs-hierarchy process: (Maslow’s theory). We would predict that the first automobiles would provide basic transportation and be designed for safety. Later, automobiles would start appealing to social acceptance and status needs. Still later, automobiles would be design to help people â€Å"fulfil† themselves. The innovator’s task is to assess when the market is ready to satisfy a higher-order need. The actual unfolding of new attributes in a market is more complex than simple theories suggest. We should not underestimate the role of technology and societal processes. For example, the strong consumer wish for portable computers remained unmet until miniaturization technology was sufficiently developed. Developments such as inflation, shortages, environmentalism, consumerism, and new lifestyles lead consumers to re-evaluate product attributes. Inflation increases the desire for a smaller car, and a desire for car safety increases the desire for a heavier car. The innovator must use marketing research to gauge the demand potency of different attributes in order to determine the company’s best move. Summary: * Each stage of the PLC calls for different marketing strategies. The introduction stage is marked by slow growth and minimal profits. If successful, the product enters a growth stage marked by rapid sales growth and increasing profits. There follows a maturity stage in which sales growth slows and profit stabilize. Finally, the product enters a decline stage. The company’s task is to identify the truly weak products; develop a strategy for each one; and finally, phase out weak products in a way minimizes the hardship to company profits, employees, and customers. * Like products, market evolves through four stages: emergence, growth, maturity, and decline.

Reason For The United States Imports Economics Essay

Reason For The United States Imports Economics Essay In recent years, studies show that the United States imports more than it exports. Imports are any goods or services brought in from one country to another for sale. Exports, refers to the selling of goods and services produced in the home country to others. This means that the United States is buying more than we are selling at this very moment. Companies import goods in order to supply the domestic market at a cheaper price. Companies, also import goods that may not be available in the local market. Exports outweighing imports helps widen the trade deficit. This overall widening of the countrys deficit shoes how difficult it will be to rebalance the global economy so that the United States does not consume more than it produces. The United States importing more than it exports affects the economy by tipping the balance of trade. The Balance of trade also known as net exports, is the difference between the monetary value of exports and imports of output in an economy over a certain period. In easier terms it is the correlation between a nations imports and exports. The United States importing more than it exports places the United States in what is known as a trade deficit, or trade gap. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2011, the United States trade deficit was $559.956 billion. This was due to the United States having $2.1 trillion in exports minus the $2.67 trillion the United States had in imports. This is an example of how the United States Economy is becoming stronger, considering the fact that this is way better than the outlandish $753 billion dollar trade deficit that happened only four years prior. The reason for the United States imports is because its imports in oil, consumer goods and automotive products outweigh exports in many of the same groups. Being that the United States is the third largest exporter in the world; the economy still manages to export a large amount of goods. The United States is only behind China and the European Union. It is a known fact that two-thirds of the United States exports are material goods. The most imperative export for the United States is services, which is the remaining third of the economies exports. As the biggest service exporter in the world the United States manages to stay atop the three largest exports categories in service which are royalties and license fees, travel services and financial services. On the contrary the United States is the worlds largest importer; more than 80% of the United States imports are goods (BEA). The largest category is industrial machinery and equipment, within this the largest group is oil and related petroleum products. In order to get out of the recession the United States needs to figure out how to try and balance out the trade deficit. As a result of production levels dropping and the continuing of selling off our large companies to foreign interests, tax revenue has receded and we have fewer American owned companies remaining to produce wealth and generate taxes. American owned companies are what we need to build the economy. The persistent importing of goods from other countries will hurt our economy even more. Small businesses help drive the American economy. Small businesses also provide jobs for over half the nations private workforce. The debt enlargement has impacted every level of our economy. This ongoing trade deficit is detrimental to the nations economy over the long term because it is financed with debt. The trade deficit also helps the United States lose its competitiveness. This means one day we wont be able to compete with other countries. When purchasing goods overseas for a long period of time, the United States companies lose their expertise and even factories to make certain products. The government will have to continue to borrow money and import more goods in order to operate. One of the biggest issues existing today with imports and exports, are the rising and falling of gas prices. In the past year, the United States exports of oil rose above its imports of oil. Being that in the past year, gas prices have reached an all-time high, this shows that exporting more than importing is not always a positive thing. In fact, The Energy Department reported, For the first time since 1949, the United States exported more gasoline, heating oil, and diesel fuel last year than it imported (Winter). This change is significant because for years, the United States economy has depended heavily on other countries for imports of fuel to meet demand. In the past year, the capacity of fuel exports has been rising because many citizens are using less fuel, and in return buying more resourceful cars. This case allows U.S. refiners to export more fuel to rising economies such as South American countries. For example, In 2011, U.S. refiners exported 117 million gallons per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products, up from 40 million gallons per day a decade earlier (USATODAY). The more fuel the U.S. economy exports the higher the prices of gas will be. This statement is true because the more fuel and oil that is sent to other countries, the less of a supply pillow the United States will have. These facts and statements show while the United States exported more oil than imported, the downside is that gas prices were higher than they ever were. When President Obama took office, he prompted that he planned to change the economy in a substantial way. According to CNN, his initiative to enhance the economy was to increase the amount of exports over the next five years, while in return creating 2 million plus jobs. As said earlier in the analysis, the balance of trade needs to be rebalanced as the economy recovers. Obama and his teams support of increasing exports has not only created a surplus of jobs, but also will shift the economy towards exterior trade. In conclusion, it is clear to see that the United States has put the economy into quite a predicament. Because of the negligence of the future, America has continued to create a massive amount of debt. With all of the problems being faced, lets look at a possible solution to this problem. There are many resources that the United States must import. However one of the biggest issues is oil and can be something that can definitely be manipulated for the future. The United States possesses its own oil supply that it has yet to dig into for various political reasons. If this oil is found and used then not only will we not have to import oil, but gas prices can go down tremendously in America. In the midst of everything that is currently occurring, there is good news as of late. According to the New York Times, exports last month have increased by 3.1 percent and a 1.5 percent increase in imports. This is good news and a slight sign of improvement. Further, President Obamas plans to enhance the economy will help our future. If the United States can continue to keep this progress, then maybe the economy can decrease the trade deficit more every year until we can maintain some type of balance. When it comes to the future state of the United States economy we can only be optimistic in the nation and hope for a better tomorrow. If bad decision making continues as far as our country and our money, we are making it harder for the future leaders of this country. That is simply making disarrays for someone else to clean which is not the type of behavior this country needs to continue to exuberate. The choices we make today effect our tomorrow and if we plan on staying strong as a nation, the way we handle our finances must be improved and be more strategic. If not our future will be unclear, and our great country will go into an uncontrollable downward spiral.

Beginners Guide To Orchids

Beginners Guide To Orchids Orchid is one of the most fascinating, beautiful and peculiar variety among the flowering plants. They have always been considered difficult to grow. But given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. These plants belongs to the Orchidacae family, with all the difference in size, shape, color, scent or lack of it. They are the most rapidly changing group of plants on earth with over 880 genera and 28,000 species. Understanding Orchids Orchids have been considered a plant difficult to grow because of lack of knowledge about these fascinating plants. Taking a closer look at the plant will help us understand it better and take away our hesitation to nurture them in our gardens. Basic Characteristics: Orchids are easily distinguished from other plants, as they share some very evident apomorphies. Among these, bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic), many resupinate, one petal (labellum) is always highly modified, stamens and carpels are fused, and the seeds are extremely small. Orchids belong to the most diverse family of plants known to man. There are over 880 genera, 28,000 species and well over 300,000 registered cultivars currently documented. These numbers only begin to tell the true story behind the evolutionary success of modern day orchids. Orchids are the most rapidly (genetically) changing group of plants on earth and more new species have been discovered over the last few thousand years than any other plant group known. Orchids produce seed pods with literally hundreds of thousands of seed that are released and scattered by the wind. Orchid seeds must establish a symbiotic relationship with a special fungus to survive its first year of life. The fungi gathers water and minerals for itself and the seedling, and the seedling shares its sugars from photosynthesis with the fungus. Only one or two orchid seeds will ever germinate and survive on that perfect crevice or depression that is both moist and has the fungus present. Even then, its chances to survive in the wild long enough to bloom are slim. Orchid Stem and Roots: All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure. Orchids can grow according to two patterns: Monopodial and Sympodial. Monopodial orchids have a central stem which grows continuously from the tip. They have no pseudobulbs, but produce new growth from the crown of the plant. Flowers are produced from the stem between the leaves, usually alternately from side to side. Monopodial orchids often produce copious aerial roots along their stems. The aerial roots have green chlorophyll underneath the grey root coverings, which act as additional photosynthetic organs. These aerial roots attach themselves to any surface they meet, thus providing support to the plant. In the older parts of the roots, a modified spongy epidermis called velamen has the function to absorb humidity. It is made of dead cells and can have a silvery-grey, white or brown appearance. In some orchids the velamen includes spongy and fibrous bodies near the passage cells. These structures are named tilosomes. Sympodial orchids possess a rhizome which sends out a shoot. This develops into a stem and leaves and eventually produces flowers. In time, from the base of this growth, a new shoot develops and so on in a continuous cycle. The buds are often, though not always, protected by a sheath. Sympodial growth is more common among orchids. Most of these orchids have pseudobulbs which function as storage reservoirs for food and water. The plant will hold pseudobulbs vertically and send out new growth horizontally between the pseudobulbs. They function very much like rhizomes on terrestrial plants, although they are part of the plant rather than a root. The growth begins at the base of the pseudobulb and is called a lead. Both the shoot and roots will grow from this lead. Many times more than one growth at a time will be present. Leaves can last for several years and provide nourishment to the plant until they turn brown and die. Even without a leaf, the pseudobulb will continue to support the plant and provide nourishment for growth and flowering. Some sympodial terrestrials, such as Orchis and Ophrys, have two subterranean tuberous roots. One is used as a food reserve for wintry periods, and provides for the development of the other one, from which visible growth develops. In warm and humid climates, many terrestrial orchids do not need pseudobulbs. With ageing, the pseudobulb sheds its leaves and becomes dormant. At this stage it is often called a backbulb. A pseudobulb then takes over, exploiting the last reserves accumulated in the backbulb, which eventually dies off too. A pseudobulb typically lives for about five years. Comparison of Sympodial and Monopodial Orchid Growth Pattern Orchid Leaves: Like most monocots, orchids generally have simple leaves with parallel veins, although some Vanilloideae have a reticulate venation. Leaves may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate, and very variable in size. Their characteristics are often diagnostic. They are normally alternate on the stem, often plicate, and have no stipules. Orchid leaves often have siliceous bodies called stegmata in the vascular bundle sheaths (not present in the Orchidoideae) and are fibrous. The structure of the leaves corresponds to the specific habitat of the plant. Species that typically bask in sunlight, or grow on sites which can be occasionally very dry, have thick, leathery leaves and the laminas are covered by a waxy cuticle to retain their necessary water supply. Shade species, on the other hand, have long, thin leaves. The leaves of most orchids are perennial, that is they live for several years, while others, especially those with plicate leaves, shed them annually and develop new leaves together with new pseudobulbs, as in Catasetum. The leaves of some orchids are considered ornamental. The leaves of the Macodes sanderiana, a semiterrestrial or lithophyte, show a sparkling silver and gold veining on a light green background. The cordate leaves of Psychopsiella limminghei are light brownish green with maroon-puce markings, created by flower pigments. The attractive mottle of the leaves of Ladys Slippers from tropical and subtropical Asia, (Paphiopedilum) is caused by uneven distribution of chlorophyll. Also Phalaenopsis schilleriana is a pastel pink orchid with leaves spotted dark green and light green. The Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor) is grown more for its colorful leaves than its fairly inconspicuous white flowers. Some orchids, as Dendrophylax lindenii (Ghost Orchid), Aphyllorchis and Taeniophyllum depend on their green roots for photosynthesis and lack normally developed leaves, as do all of the heterotrophic species. Orchid Flowers: Orchids are well known for the many structural variations in their flowers. Some orchids have single flowers but most have a racemose inflorescence, sometimes with a large number of flowers. The flowering stem can be basal, that is produced from the base of the tuber, like in Cymbidium, apical, meaning it grows from the apex of the main stem, like in Cattleya, or axillary, from the leaf axil, as in Vanda. As an apomorphy of the clade, orchid flowers are primitively zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), although in some genera like Mormodes, Ludisia, Macodes this kind of symmetry may be difficult to notice. The orchid flower, like most flowers of monocots, has two whorls of sterile elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and the inner whorl has three petals. The sepals are usually very similar to the petals (and thus called tepals), but may be completely distinct. The upper medial petal, called the labellum or lip, is always modified and enlarged. The inferior ovary or the pedicel usually rotates 180 degrees, so that the labellum, goes on the lower part of the flower, thus becoming suitable to form a platform for pollinators. This characteristic, called resupination occurs primitively in the family and is considered apomorphic (the torsion of the ovary is very evident from the picture). Some orchids have secondarily lost this resupination, e. g. Zygopetalum and Epidendrum secundum. The normal form of the sepals can be found in Cattleya, where they form a triangle. In Paphiopedilum (Venus slippers) the lower two sepals are fused together into a synsepal, while the lip has taken the form of a slipper. In Masdevallia all the sepals are fused. Orchid flowers with abnormal numbers of petals or lips are called peloric. Peloria is a genetic trait, but its expression is environmentally influenced and may appear random. Longitudinal section of a flower of Vanilla planifoliaOrchid flowers primitively had three stamens, but this situation is now limited to the genus Neuwiedia. Apostasia and the Cypripedioideae have two stamens, the central one being sterile and reduced to a staminode. All of the other orchids, the clade called Monandria, retain only the central stamen, the others being reduced to staminodes. The filaments of the stamens are always adnate (fused) to the style to form cylindrical structure called the gynostemium or column. In the primitive Apostasioideae this fusion is only partial, in the Vanilloideae it is more deep, while in Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae it is total. The stigma is very asymmetrical as all of its lobes are bent towards the centre of the flower and lay on the bottom of the column. Pollen is released as single grains, like in most other plants, in the Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae and Vanilloideae. In the other subfamilies, that comprise the great majority of orchids, the anther, carries and two pollinia. A pollinium is a waxy mass of pollen grains held together by the glue-like alkaloid viscin, containing both cellulosic stands and mucopolysaccharides. Each pollinium is connected to a filament which can take the form of a caudicle, like in Dactylorhiza or Habenaria or a stipe, like in Vanda. Caudicles or stipes hold the pollinia to the viscidium, a sticky pad which sticks the pollinia to the body of pollinators. At the upper edge of the stigma of single-anthered orchids, in front of the anther cap, there is the rostellum, a slender extension involved in the complex pollination mechanism. As aforementioned, the ovary is always inferior (located behind the flower). It is three-carpelate and one or, more rarely, three-partitioned, with parietal placentation (axile in the Apostasioideae). Orchid Fruits and Seeds: The ovary typically develops into a capsule that is dehiscent by 3 or 6 longitudinal slits, while remaining closed at both ends. The ripening of a capsule can take 2 to 18 months. The seeds are generally almost microscopic and very numerous, in some species over a million per capsule. After ripening they blow off like dust particles or spores. They lack endosperm and must enter symbiotic relationship with various mycorrhizal basidiomyceteous fungi that provide them the necessary nutrients to germinate, so that all orchid species are mycoheterotrophic during germination and reliant upon fungi to complete their lifecycle. As the chance for a seed to meet a fitting fungus is very small, only a minute fraction of all the seeds released grow into an adult plant. In cultivation, germination typically takes weeks, while there is a report of one paphiopedilum that took fifteen years. The main component for the sowing of orchids in artificial conditions is the agar agar. The substance is put together with some type of carbohydrate which provides qualitative organic feed such as banana, pineapple, peach or even tomato puree or coconut milk. After the cooking of the agar agar, the mix is poured into test tubes or jars where the substance begins to jelly. The seeds have to be put in the dish above boiling water, in the steam because that secures sterile conditions. The test tubes are put diagonally after that. Reproduction: Orchids have developed highly specialized pollination systems and thus the chances of being pollinated are often scarce. This is why orchid flowers usually remain receptive for very long periods and why most orchids deliver pollen in a single mass; each time pollination succeeds thousands of ovules can be fertilized. Pollinators are often visually attracted by the shape and colours of the labellum. The flowers may produce attractive odours. Although absent in most species, nectar may be produced in a spur of the labellum, on the point of the sepals or in the septa of the ovary, the most typical position amongst the Asparagales. In orchids that produce pollinia, pollination happens as some variant of the following. When the pollinator enters into the flower, it touches a viscidium, which promptly sticks to its body, generally on the head or abdomen. While leaving the flower, it pulls the pollinium out of the anther, as it is connected to the viscidium by the caudicle or stipe. The caudicle then bends and the pollinium is moved forwards and downwards. When the pollinator enters another flower of the same species, the pollinium has taken such position that it will stick to the stigma of the second flower, just below the rostellum, pollinating it. The possessors of orchids may be able to reproduce the process with a pencil, small paintbrush, or other similar device. Some orchids mainly or totally rely on self-pollination, especially in colder regions where pollinators are particularly rare. The caudicles may dry up if the flower hasnt been visited by any pollinator and the pollina then fall directly on the stigma. Otherwise the anther may rotate and then enter the stigma cavity of the flower. The labellum of the Cypripedioideae is poke-shaped and has the function to trap visiting insects. The only exit leads to the anthers that deposit pollen on the visitor. In some extremely specialized orchids, like the Eurasian genus Ophrys, the labellum is adapted to have a colour, shape and odour which attracts male insects via mimicry of a receptive female. Pollination happens as the insect attempts to mate with flowers. Many neotropical orchids are pollinated by male orchid bees, which visit the flowers to gather volatile chemicals they require to synthesize pheromonal attractants. Each type of orchid places the pollinia on a different body part of a different species of bee, so as to enforce proper cross-pollination. After pollination the sepals and petals fade and wilt, but they usually remain attached to the ovary. Gallery of Common Orchids There are over 25,000 types of orchids and, in fact the Orchidaceae family is the most numerous in the plant world. These beautiful plants have been around for over 100 million years and plants can range from microscopic to reaching several feet in height. The flowers have a distinctive look with 3 inner petals surrounded by 3 outer petals and a cupped petal that is distinct from the others. Some orchids even resemble other creatures like bees, moths and lizards. Although we think of orchids as a tropical flower they can actually grow in almost any climate. They can grow on the ground or on trees and even rocks. Orchids are classified depending on their water requirements. Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium and Odontoglossum need a moist environment all year long. Cattelya, Oncidium and Dendrobium only need water when they are actively growing and the vanda Ascocend doesnt really need water at all. Below you will find pictures of some of the commonly found orchids. It is easy to identify them by their flowers. Aceras antropophorum Anacamptis pyramidalis Barlia robertiana Cephalanthera longifolia Cephalanthera rubra Coeloglossum viride Cypripedium calceolus Dactylorhiza elata subsp. sesquipedalis Cephalanthera damasonium Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. meyeri Corallorhiza trifida Dactylorhiza sambucina subsp. insularis Epipactis atrorubens Epipactis helleborine subsp. muelleri Epipactis palustris Goodyera repens Gymnadenia conopsea Himantoglossum hircinum Limodorum abortivum Neottia nidus-avis Listera ovata Neotinea maculata Nigritella nigra subsp. nigra Ophrys apifera subsp. apifera Ophrys insectifera subsp. insectifera Ophrys catalaunica Ophrys fusca Ophrys omegaifera subsp. dyris Ophrys lutea subsp. lutea Ophrys scolopax subsp. apiiformis Ophrys speculum Ophrys scolopax subsp. scolopax Ophrys sphegodes subsp. litigiosa Ophrys sphegodes subsp. sphegodes Ophrys tenthredinifera Orchis conica Orchis coriophora subsp. fragans Orchis coriophora subsp. martrinii Orchis laxiflora subsp. laxiflora Orchis mascula subsp. mascula Orchis morio subsp. champagneuxii Orchis militaris Ophrys sphegodes subsp. passionis Orchis coriophora subsp. coriophora Orchis ustulata Orchis provincialis subsp. provincialis Serapias lingua Orchis simia Platanthera bifolia Platanthera chlorantha Pseudorchis albida Spiranthes spiralis Serapias vomeracea Growing Orchids Tips for Beginners Orchids have always been considered difficult to grow. Once the cultural needs of these fascinating plants are understood, growing orchids is relatively simple, and it becomes a deeply satisfying activity. If given the right climatic and cultural conditions, they can thrive anywhere and will flower regularly. Some species of orchids may flower two or three times a year and some flower annually. The following is a brief guideline of the role of essential and beneficial mineral nutrients that are crucial for growth. Eliminate any one of these elements, and plants will display abnormalities of growth, deficiency symptoms, or may not reproduce normally. Macronutrient Nitrogen is a major component of proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, vitamins and enzymes essential for plant life. Nitrogen metabolism is a major factor in stem and leaf growth (vegetative growth). Too much can delay flowering and fruiting. Deficiencies can reduce yields, cause yellowing of the leaves and stunt growth. Phosphorus is necessary for seed germination, photosynthesis, protein formation and almost all aspects of growth and metabolism in plants. It is essential for flower and fruit formation. Tropical orchids are no more difficult to grow than other plants, but because most of them are epiphytes (tree dwelling plants) their culture is different from that of other types of plants. British orchid growers failed in the early 1800à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s when they attempted to grow tropical orchids under dark, hot, and steamy conditions. They succeeded only when they realized that most tropical orchids grew at higher, cooler elevations and in the upper branches of trees where they got considerable light and perfect drainage. Lighting In the greenhouse, most orchids require some shading to prevent the leaves from overheating. In the home, however, orchids need the maximum light available. Placing them outside under the shade of tall trees during the summer months is very beneficial. Do not place them in full sun, however, or the leaves will burn. Also, do not place the plants on the ground, for insects and slugs (snails) can enter the pots and damage the plants. Pot hangers can be used to suspend the plants from tree branches, chains, strong trees, or other structures. Temperature In the home, placing the orchids in a room with relatively cool temperatures will help guard against dehydration. Most orchids are actually most happy at temperatures below the comfort level of humans, especially at night. Orchid greenhouses are usually maintained at 55-65 degrees at night. Soil Potting mixes for tropical orchids are loose mixtures of organic material such as fir bark (not pine bark), tree fern, osumda fiber, with small amounts of peat, perlite, cork, or charcoal added. The object is to have a mix that drains well, but holds some moisture. Most commercial orchid growers supply ready-to-use orchid mixes in small quantities. Orchids usually need repotting only once every two to three years. Moisture In watering orchids, it is best to soak the potting mix thoroughly and wait until the surface is relatively dry before watering again. Most orchids in fir bark based mixes will need watering no more than once every 5 to 7 days. Fertilizer All plants can be fertilized safely with a water-soluble urea free fertilizer such as Growmore 20-10-20 about once a month. Some orchid growers prefer to mix water-soluble fertilizers weaker than indicated on the package instructions and to use them every second or third watering. Always water before fertilizing and remember that it is best to under-fertilize rather than to over-fertilize. With the lower light and drier conditions in the home, orchids cannot use as much fertilizer as they can use in the greenhouse. Some growers like to increase the humidity around their orchids in the home by using humidity trays or trays of wet gravel around or under the plants. Pots should not touch the surface of the water. Water One of the big mistakes that people make is over watering their orchids. People assume that since they are tropical plants they need a lot of water and this is not necessarily the case. While they do appreciate the humid environment, over watering can kill them. The amount of watering necessary depends on the temperature any type of orchid a general rule of thumb is to water once a week. You may want to water more frequently in the summer and a little bit less in the winter. The Cymbidium, Miltonia, Odontoglossum and Paphiopedilum varieties like to be kept with the soil a bit moist even between wanterings while the Ascocenda, Vanda and Phalaenopsis prefer to have their soil become dry in between. Which Orchid Plants Are Easy to Grow? We have seen what orchids are and how to take care of them. The obvious question is which of these orchids can I grow at home, and which ones are easy to grow. As a novice to the world of orchids, you only need to concern yourself with the name of the genus. Most plants within the same genus will require similar growing conditions, so if you want to keep things simple, dont worry about the species or variety at this point. Orchid Genera for the Novice Novice orchid growers should start with members of the following genera, since these are relatively easy to grow orchids: Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, and Oncidium. Phalaenopsis Orchids Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchids, are one of the easiest orchids for beginners to grow, as well as one that is commonly found in stores. Members of this genus have multiple large, showy flowers on each spike; flowers that may remain open for six weeks or longer. Often when a spike is cut after its blooms are gone, a secondary spike will develop on the old stalk below the original flower head, thus extending the blooming season. Phalaenopsis is a genus of approximately 60 species of orchids. The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal. Phalaenopsis shows a monopodial growth habit. An erect growing rhizome produces from the top one or two alternate, thick and fleshy, elliptical leaves a year. The older, basal leaves drop off at the same rate. The plant retains in this way four to five leaves. If very healthy, they can have up to ten or more leaves. They have no pseudobulbs. The raceme appears from the stem between the leaves. They bloom in their full glory for several weeks. If kept in the home, they usually last two to three months, which is considered quite a long time. Some Phalaenopsis species in Malaysia are known to use subtle weather cues to coordinate mass flowering. Caring For Phalaenopsis: In nature, they are typically fond of warm temperatures (20 to 35  °C), but are adaptable to conditions more comfortable for human habitation in temperate zones (15 to 30  °C). At temperatures below 18  °C watering should be reduced to avoid the risk of root rot. Phalaenopsis requires high humidity (60-70%) and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. Flowering is triggered by a night-time drop in temperature of around 5 to 6 degrees over 2 to 4 consecutive weeks, usually in the fall. Phalaenopsis prefer to be potted in medium fir bark. They can also be potted in sphagnum moss or mounted. Keep them in pots with a lot of drainage. Keep the potting media fairly moist but not wet. Water when the potting media is just approaching dryness, but still a bit moist and never allow the potting media to become bone dry. Do not let water flow into the center of the plant or it can potentially die from crown rot. One of the most numerous blunders that new growers make is to rot the roots. Overwatering and poor drainage cause the roots to deteriorate, therefore killing the plant. Being careful to water when you feel the soil is dry through and through is the safest thing to do. Light is quite vital to the well-being of the phalaenopsis orchid. Keep it in indirect light near a southern window. Be sure the sun does not directly reach the leaves, which will cause burning and brown marks. If the leaf feels hot to the touch, move it away immediately. On the other hand, phalaenopsis grown in poor dark areas tend to grow floppy dark green leaves and rarely flower. Phalaenopsis roots are quite thick, and the green point at the ends signifies that the root is actively growing. It is okay for them to climb out of the pots. Plant may be fertilized with a 1/4 diluted strength balanced fertilizer three times out of four waterings. The flower spikes appear from the pockets near the base of each leaf. The first sign is a light green mitten-like object that protrudes from the leaf tissue. In about three months, the spike enlongates until it begins to swell fat buds. The buds will thus bloom. Usually you can tell what color the phalaenopsis is by looking at the bud color. After the flowers fade, some people prefer to cut the spike above the highest node (section). This may produce another flower spike or more rarely a keiki (a baby orchid plant that can be planted). Paphiopedilum Orchids Paphiopedilum is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of approximately 91 species. Paphiopedilum, the so-called Venus Slipper orchid, is easily recognizable. Most have a single flower per stalk, but there are varieties with multiple flowers. They are relatively easy to coax into bloom if you provide the plant with the right temperature range: mottled leaves need warmer conditions than do solid green leaves. Paphiopedilum (sometimes colloquially referred to as Paphs) are considered highly collectible by growers due to the curious and unusual form of their flowers. Most naturally grow in humus layers as semi-terrestrials on the forest floor, in rocky outcroppings or in trees. Caring For Paphs: Most paphs are intermediate growers and do well in medium to medium-high light. Most paphs should be kept evenly moist year-round. There are exceptions to these general guidelines, especially among the Chinese paphs some of which encounter winter temperatures near freezing, so it is important to research the cultural needs of a specific paph, especially if growing species. All paphs need a fresh environment and benefit from good air circulation and frequent repotting. The rule of thumb for paphs is to repot them every year, usually after flowering or in the spring so they can establish themselves before hot weather sets in. Paphs benefit from high humidity. Dendrobium Orchids Dendrobium, abbreviated as Den in horticultural trade, is a large genus of tropical orchids that consists of about 1200 species. Dendrobium inflorescences are loaded with blossoms and are also long lasting. These plants can often be split when mature, since small additional offset plantlets are frequently produced. When an offset has produced several aerial roots, it can be cut from the parent plant and will frequently flower after one year of growth. The species are either epiphytic, growing on a tree, or occasionally lithophytic, growing over a rock. They have adapted to a wide variety of habitats, from the high altitudes in the Himalayan mountains to lowland tropical forests and even to the dry climate of the Australian desert. The orchids in this genus often develop pseudobulbs, which unite into a long reedlike stem with a typical length of more than 30 cm. Some appear densely covered with short white hairs. The short, ovate leaves grow alternately over the whole length of the stems. The axillary flower buds develop into short flower stalks with one or two terminal flowers. The orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a long rest during winter. In the spring, new shoots are formed from the base of the main plant and the dormant buds come back into action. The blooming flowers are found on pseudobulbs formed in the previous year. Caring For Dendrobium: Care depends on specific species. Plants generally require a reduction of watering or with holding of water during the winter due to dormancy period. Plants grow in a variety of temperature ranges and lighting ranges which is dependent on the species. Plants can usually be mounted. Oncidium Orchids Oncidiums, commonly referred to as the dancing girls orchid, are also easy to grow. Abbreviated as Onc in horticultural trade, Oncidium is a genus that contains about 330 species of orchids from the subfamily Epidendroideae of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Since this is a large genus with different species originating in a wide variety of climates, it is helpful to know the growing requirements of the particular species you select. Still, these hardy plants generally flower well even under adverse growing conditions. The flowers of the Oncidium genus come in shades of yellow, red, white and pink. The petals are often ruffled on the edges, as is the lip. The lip is enormous, partially blocking the small petals and sepals. Caring For Oncidium: Oncs grow in cool to warm conditions with moderate to bright light. Water the plant right before the potting mix starts to dry. Plants should be potted in a well drain medium such as medium fir bark. Tips for Choosing a Healthy Orchid Plant Orchids are found in a variety of climates, so choose an orchid that closely matches the growing conditions of your environment. This means assessing your light sources, available space, temperature range, and humidity. Armed with this information, do a bit of research to find out which orchid plants match your environment. These will be the easiest types of orchid plants to grow and your success will encourage you to develop more skil

Free Essays: Imagery in Ghost House :: Ghost House Essays

Imagery in Ghost House    Robert Lee Frost was born on Mars 26th 1874 in San Francisco and he died in Boston, January 29th 1963. Frost was greatly influenced by his move to New England at the age of 11, his move to England when he was 37, and then his return to New Hampshire a couple of years later. These periods can be seen in his poetry. His poems about life and death made him one of the best-known poets of 20th century and he won many literary prizes, including four Pulitzer Prizes. Frost wrote poems whose philosophical dimensions transcend any region. Although his verse forms are traditional, he was a pioneer in the interplay of rhythm and in the poetic use of the vocabulary and inflections of everyday speech. His poetry is both traditional and experimental, regional and universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main reason why I chose Robert Frost’s poem is because his poems are pretty simple and easy to understand. The poem I picked for this analysis, â€Å"Ghost House†, is an extremely descriptive poem illustrating an old haunted house. The imagery in â€Å"Ghost House† is marvelous. This poem allows the reader to see the house as if they were standing on the front porch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You can picture an old decrepit house, covered with vines and wild raspberries. There is a dying tree in the front yard with only one live branch on it. Underneath the tree there are two gravestones so covered in moss that the names cannot be deciphered. Right next to the gravestones is a ghostly couple standing middle of mist absolutely still and silent. On the front porch the current owner stands frozen, half by fear and half by curiosity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poem is told through the eyes of the current resident of the house. The owner scared of his uninvited company. However, the owner’s opinion of the couple seems to change towards the end of the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theme of â€Å"Ghost House† seems to be that love can survive anything, even when the body does not. Although the couple has passed away they still remain together. Another theme in this poem could be not to judge a book by its cover. At first the house’s owner seems to fear the ghosts, but he eventually comes to respect the bond that they still share.

Sterling Seagraves Dragon Lady Essay -- Sterling Seagrave Dragon Lady

Empress Dowager Tzu His Exposed in Sterling Seagrave's Dragon Lady China’s great ancient empire has been the source of stories, fables, and fascination throughout the world for generations. The Asian culture has a long history of powerful leaders and ruthless battles making it one of the longest standing powers that the world has ever known. Yet, what took centuries to create was destroyed during the reign of a single ruler, plunging the country into chaos and confusion. The one who often is believed to have generated this collapse is the Empress Dowager Tzu His, the last Empress of China. Until the end of her reign in the early 1900s, the life of the Empress was shrouded in mystery. Once people gained access to the court records, not long after the Boxer rebellion (1901), the â€Å"true† nature of the women was brought to the world. Sir Edmund Blackhouse, a European writer, gained access to this information and painted a less than favorable portrait of the Dowager saying: â€Å"Tzu His was of a ruthless, single-minded tyrant, an iron-willed, oversexed Manchu concubine who usurped...

Comparative Essay: The Frog Prince Vs The Princess and The Frog

Produced in 2009, The Frog Princess is a Disney animation inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, The Frog Prince. Both The Frog Princess and The Frog Prince deal with a multiplicity of issues, all of which contribute to supporting positive messages and morals (Ceaser, 2009). However, though The Frog Princess is based on a classic fairytale, it is far from being the same. The writers at Disney have taken a classic fairytale and created a â€Å"Monster† (Prince, 2001). This essay will examine the evolution of the original Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, the messages both main characters represent, and how the adaptation to fit a modern child readership diminishes a classic fairytale. Through discussing these arguments, this paper will prove that Disney’s adaptation into The Princess and The Frog is counter-productive in representing the original story’s messages, morals, and values. Fairytales express the creative fantasies of the rural and less educated layers of common man (Cuban, 1984). They are characteristically full of magic, often involving upper class characters (Cuban, 1984). In short, Fairytales are organically grown with the creative material of a collective group. The Grimm Brother’s fairytale, The Frog Prince, is no exception. The Grimm Brothers’ fairytale is about a handsome prince trapped in the repulsive body of a frog, but who nevertheless overcomes and transcends this bewitched state through his wit, perseverance, and magic (Prince, 2009). Until the seventeenth century, it was the adult population that was interested in fairytales (Cuban, 2009). Their allocation to the nursery was a late development (Cuban, 2009). This allocation can be credited to the rejection of the irrational, and development of the ra... ...ntersection of Race and Pop Culture. 13 May 2009. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. . 7. Alexandrova, Marina. "Disney and The American Princess: The Americanization of European Fairy Tales." America: The New Society (2010): 1-77. Print. 8. Tartar, Maria. The Classic Fairy Tales. New York: Norton &, 1999. Print. 9. Ebert, Roger. "The Princess and the Frog." Chicago Sun-Times [Chicago] 9 Dec. 2009: 1-3. Print. 10. Stone, Kay. "Things Walt Disney Never Told Us." The Journal of American Folklore (1975). Print. 11. Barnes, Brooks. "Her Prince Has Come. Critics Too." New York Times [New York] 29 May 2009: 1+. Print. 12. Lester, Neal A. "Disney's The Princess and the Frog: The Pride, the Pressure, and the Politics of Being a First." The Journal of American Culture (2010). Print.

Opinion Essay

With a proper cable obstruction, one's television can display 75+ channels of moving pictures. At some point in our lives, we have watched television. There are numerous reasons why television appeals to many people. In an effort to appeal to large numbers of people, many television shows look to outdo one another for ratings. Unfortunately, a quest for ratings sometimes leads to a lack Of valuable and educational material. While it is easy to chastise television for some of its raunchier shows, we might agree that television can offer some valuable, quality television programs.For this essay assignment, consider the following: In your opinion, is television good or bad for American society? In either case, what evidence can you provide to strengthen your point? For this essay, you will want to do the following: Choose 1 or 2 shows that can help strengthen your argument (focusing on too many shows will cause you to lose track of your main point) Incorporate outside sources that agree and help strengthen your position in the essay (a minimum of 2 sources are required aside from your television show as an example) Remember that it is not enough to say, â€Å"Television is bad† or â€Å"Television is a good thing. You must explain how and why. PAP Format: Engel is 3 pages Font: Times New Roman Spacing: double-spaced Remember, a strong essay will have a clear thesis statement that establishes your position. The remainder of your essay will support your thesis statement with reasons and evidence. Module 1 Homework Assignment Instructions upon reading the Essay 1 prompt, you will consider your position on the essay topic. Your task for this Module 1 Homework Assignment is to submit an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement regarding the above essay topic.Remember that a thesis is the claim or main idea or premise of an argument, so you will submit your claim in this Module 1 Homework Assignment. F-or some information about writing thesis statements, p lease read Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements (Purdue Online Writing Lab). Since you have to submit a thesis statement for this assignment, it will help to include an introductory paragraph. Remember that a thesis statement (your claim/argument) is usually placed toward the end of the introductory paragraph.By including your thesis statement in your introductory paragraph, you allow your reader to understand your argument early in the essay. Once you have an introductory paragraph with a strong Hess statement, the remainder of your essay will flow better. There is a very high concentration of violent and sexually suggestive shows on television. In certain circumstances, however, television can be a powerfully beneficial medium, when used properly. The American society has taken too much of an entertaining stance to television, and children now are too involved in the wrong types of shows.Although television has many positive aspects, the potential negative consequences of some shows outweigh the positive. Part II: Using Appeals Directions: After you have written your introduction and thesis statement, oh should consider what you will use in order to convince your audience. For each – ethos, pathos, and logos – write a paragraph in which you describe how you would use this appeal in your essay. Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom We respect.One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect. With the respected community of the PAP and CAP on childhood psychiatry, one can trust that with the research the medical professionals are conducting, credible information will be portrayed. Common Sense Media is dedicated to the media aspect Of c hildhood, and its information is verifiable through various outlets.Debate. Org is a community based website where every day people can make their opinions heard. With the diverse group represented here, there are many differing backgrounds weighing in on the presented scenarios. Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.With childhood obesity at an all-time high in the United States, something needs to be done. After years of watching television, missing countless opportunities for physical exercise, more Americans are becoming overweight, causing a wide variety of health issues. A body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. This reflects on how me tabolism is slowed when someone is crushing the couch cushions in front of the television. Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning.This will be the most important technique we will study, and Aristotle favorite. We'll look at deductive and inductive reasoning, and discuss what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. We'll study the types of support you can use to substantiate your thesis, and look at some of the common logical fallacies, in order to avoid hem in your writing. Data on obesity is perfectly clear. Americans are gaining weight at an alarming rate.At the risk of condoning television watching, flip through the channels and see how many commercials for both weight loss supplements and exercise programs are for sale. It is a matter of common sense that Americans are becoming lazy and would choose to take a pill to lose weight over physical exercise. There ha ve been many studies showing that childhood obesity is linked to the hours spent watching television. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that obesity now effects 7% of all children and adolescents in the united States, which is triple the rate from just one generation ago. Opinion Essay With a proper cable obstruction, one's television can display 75+ channels of moving pictures. At some point in our lives, we have watched television. There are numerous reasons why television appeals to many people. In an effort to appeal to large numbers of people, many television shows look to outdo one another for ratings. Unfortunately, a quest for ratings sometimes leads to a lack Of valuable and educational material. While it is easy to chastise television for some of its raunchier shows, we might agree that television can offer some valuable, quality television programs.For this essay assignment, consider the following: In your opinion, is television good or bad for American society? In either case, what evidence can you provide to strengthen your point? For this essay, you will want to do the following: Choose 1 or 2 shows that can help strengthen your argument (focusing on too many shows will cause you to lose track of your main point) Incorporate outside sources that agree and help strengthen your position in the essay (a minimum of 2 sources are required aside from your television show as an example) Remember that it is not enough to say, â€Å"Television is bad† or â€Å"Television is a good thing. You must explain how and why. PAP Format: Engel is 3 pages Font: Times New Roman Spacing: double-spaced Remember, a strong essay will have a clear thesis statement that establishes your position. The remainder of your essay will support your thesis statement with reasons and evidence. Module 1 Homework Assignment Instructions upon reading the Essay 1 prompt, you will consider your position on the essay topic. Your task for this Module 1 Homework Assignment is to submit an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement regarding the above essay topic.Remember that a thesis is the claim or main idea or premise of an argument, so you will submit your claim in this Module 1 Homework Assignment. F-or some information about writing thesis statements, p lease read Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements (Purdue Online Writing Lab). Since you have to submit a thesis statement for this assignment, it will help to include an introductory paragraph. Remember that a thesis statement (your claim/argument) is usually placed toward the end of the introductory paragraph.By including your thesis statement in your introductory paragraph, you allow your reader to understand your argument early in the essay. Once you have an introductory paragraph with a strong Hess statement, the remainder of your essay will flow better. There is a very high concentration of violent and sexually suggestive shows on television. In certain circumstances, however, television can be a powerfully beneficial medium, when used properly. The American society has taken too much of an entertaining stance to television, and children now are too involved in the wrong types of shows.Although television has many positive aspects, the potential negative consequences of some shows outweigh the positive. Part II: Using Appeals Directions: After you have written your introduction and thesis statement, oh should consider what you will use in order to convince your audience. For each – ethos, pathos, and logos – write a paragraph in which you describe how you would use this appeal in your essay. Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom We respect.One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect. With the respected community of the PAP and CAP on childhood psychiatry, one can trust that with the research the medical professionals are conducting, credible information will be portrayed. Common Sense Media is dedicated to the media aspect Of c hildhood, and its information is verifiable through various outlets.Debate. Org is a community based website where every day people can make their opinions heard. With the diverse group represented here, there are many differing backgrounds weighing in on the presented scenarios. Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.With childhood obesity at an all-time high in the United States, something needs to be done. After years of watching television, missing countless opportunities for physical exercise, more Americans are becoming overweight, causing a wide variety of health issues. A body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. This reflects on how me tabolism is slowed when someone is crushing the couch cushions in front of the television. Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning.This will be the most important technique we will study, and Aristotle favorite. We'll look at deductive and inductive reasoning, and discuss what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. We'll study the types of support you can use to substantiate your thesis, and look at some of the common logical fallacies, in order to avoid hem in your writing. Data on obesity is perfectly clear. Americans are gaining weight at an alarming rate.At the risk of condoning television watching, flip through the channels and see how many commercials for both weight loss supplements and exercise programs are for sale. It is a matter of common sense that Americans are becoming lazy and would choose to take a pill to lose weight over physical exercise. There ha ve been many studies showing that childhood obesity is linked to the hours spent watching television. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that obesity now effects 7% of all children and adolescents in the united States, which is triple the rate from just one generation ago.

How does Steinbeck present the character of Crooks Essay

In the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, the character of Crooks is used by John Steinbeck, the author, to symbolise the downgrading of the black community occurring at the time in which the novel was set. Crooks is also significant as he provides an insight into the reality of the American Dream and the feelings of the people in the ranch; their loneliness and need for company. Steinbeck presents Crooks as a victim of racism and throughout the book, he is called by the name ‘nigger’. Being black, Crooks is hated on the ranch. â€Å"Ya see, the stable buck’s a nigger†. The use of this word dehumanises Crooks and shows how black people at the time, had no rights at all. He also says, â€Å"If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it† and this shows his anger about being brutalised. However, another quote shows how threatened violence is used against black people and how the same term ‘nigger’ is repeated throughout the book. â€Å"Listen nigger(†¦ ), you know what I can do if you open your trap? (†¦ )I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny†. Curley’s wife takes advantage of Crooks having a go at her and threatens Crooks into getting lynched. Lynching was very common in the 1930’s and Crooks ‘seemed to grow smaller’. The use of this oxymoron emphasises how he tries to fight back yet Curley’s wife’s social status was better than Crooks’ mainly because of his race. Furthermore, Curley’s wife uses the word ‘nigger’ and it also dehumanises Crooks and puts him ‘in his right place’. Curley’s wife is also near the bottom of the social ladder as well as Crooks worldly Despite the fact that Crooks is a victim of racism, Steinbeck presents Crooks as a dignified human being. At first glance, this is not obvious as Crooks sleeps in what is described as ‘a long box filled with straw’. This quote shows how he is presented as an animal because black people at that time, were treated as slaves. Not only does Steinbeck give him a life and a voice, but he tries to show Crook’s life in the book with how black people were treated in real life. Steinbeck also tries not to represent Crooks as ‘just a slave’. Steinbeck tries to defend Crooks by writing about how he stood up for his rights against Curley’s wife when she entered his private space, â€Å"I had enough (†¦ you got no rights comin’ in a coloured man’s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. † This quote shows how Curley’s wife tries to use her superior social status against Crooks as well as dehumanising him. Another quote shows how not only does he care about himself and how he treats himself, but he also cares for the horses and the other animals in the barn. â€Å"Crooks has his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for the horses†. It also shows that he is well organised and that he cares for the animals like he cares for himself. He also takes pride in what he does. Another quote shows how even though he knows he has rights, they are still worth nothing, â€Å"And he had books too; a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California Civil Code for 1900’s†. This quote also shows that he is worried about his education and that he is intelligent even though others on the ranch thought that black people aren’t clever. The books must have been used a lot and so he knows the rights that he should have. Therefore, Crooks is presented as a dignified human being despite the fact that he is disregarded and mistreated by others on the ranch. Although Crooks is a dignified human being, Steinbeck also presents him as a cruel and unpleasant man at times. This is shown most obviously when Lennie attempts to make friends with him in part four of the novel. At first, when Lennie tries to enter his room, Crooks says, â€Å"you got no rights to come in my room. This here’s my room†, and he becomes very defensive. The fact that he repeats the phrase ‘my room’ shows he is feeling vulnerable. His room is the only place where he can have some privacy and have a sense of safety and this is important to Crooks because he doesn’t have much and is frequently abused by those around him. Steinbeck also writes, ‘Crooks said sharply’ and the word ‘sharply’ supports this idea because it shows it is an immediate reaction to the intrusion. It is also like a defence mechanism as he feels slightly paranoid about what is about to happen. He lets Lennie in his room eventually but he continues to torment him, ‘his voice grew soft and persuasive’. Crooks tries to use persuasive language in order to insult Lennie and take advantage of his condition. â€Å"Sp’ose George don’t come back no more(†¦ )what’ll you do then? † Crooks takes the chance to fight back from how he has been tortured in the past. He also wanted to make Lennie feel how he has been feeling for most of his life; lonely and isolated. Yet Lennie tries to fight back and Crooks gets scared and tries to carm him down. Crooks is also presented as powerless, as previously discussed it is perhaps this lack of power that leads to his bitterness. One quote shows how Curley’s wife threatens him and Crooks sits down and doesn’t fight back, â€Å"Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike†. Steinbeck tries to use metaphorical language to show that Crooks doesn’t want to be seen and that he fears for himself. It also shows that he is at the bottom of the social hierarchy mainly because he is the only black person on the ranch. The repetition of the word ‘no’ and ‘nothing’ dehumanises Crooks and makes him feel like he has nothing and he has no rights. He is also paradoxical because sometimes he insists on himself having some rights yet he is still lonely. This is why when Lennie tries to enter his room, he has a go at him explaining them. It wasn’t until after he spoke that he realised that he could finally have some company. In those days, black people were presented as ‘lower class’ compared to others and Steinbeck embeds this in the novel to make Crooks feel powerless Another quote shows how Crooks does have some rights even though he doesn’t like them, â€Å"A coloured man got to have some rights even if he don’t like them. It shows how Crooks knows he has rights and that it is a defence mechanism against others being racist towards him. However, when Curley’s wife interrupts them, he tries to defend himself explaining his rights but they were all worth nothing and after she went, when Crooks said do Candy that he was ‘jus’ foolin’ yet on the inside, he knows that he can never get out of the situation others put him in. When Steinbeck presents Crooks as powerless, this also links in with him being lonely and isolated. When Crooks is talking to Lennie, he explains how a black person like him has no friends and no company, â€Å"Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him,’ he whined, ‘A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody†. This shows how he is a symbol of loneliness and Crooks tries to express his feelings. Out of all the people in the ranch, the only person he could express his feelings to was Lennie, who cannot fully sympathise or understand Crooks’ situation. Not only is Crooks a symbol of loneliness, but so are Candy and Curley’s wife because they are also marginalised in the ranch. The way Steinbeck doesn’t give Curley’s wife a name dehumanises her and makes her feel lonely. Another quote goes to Crooks’ past and how things in those days were the same, yet he didn’t know. â€Å"I ain’t a Southern Negro†¦ I was born right here in California†¦ The white kids come to place at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them†¦ My ol’ man didn’t like that. I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now. † Racism was a big issue in those days and that’s why Crook’s dad didn’t like him mixing with the other white kids. The way he says ‘I ain’t a Southern Negro’ shows that he isn’t the ‘typical slave’ that other black people were in the 1930’s and that most of the black people in America were from the South. He soon became aware of racial prejudice and he doesn’t mix easily with others on the ranch, â€Å"He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs†. Crooks is also separated because he can’t sleep in the bunk house with the others mainly because of his race. Crooks is also presented as weak and damaged as he suffers both physical and emotional pain. His name represents how he has a crooked back, â€Å"His body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine, and his eyes lay deep in his head†¦ And he had thin, pain-tightened lips which were lighter than his face†. Steinbeck tries to emphasise how Crooks is in a lot of pain, yet he is still treated badly by the ranchers. His physical disabilities parallel with other characters including Lennie who is taken advantage of by Crooks because he behaves like a child. Crooks is also the only person in the novel who doesn’t have any hopes or dreams. One moment in chapter four shows how Crooks has high hopes when Lennie and Candy talk about the dream but he dismisses it after Curley’s wife destroys him verbally, â€Å"I never seen a guy really do it, I seen guys nearly crazy with loneliness for land†¦ If you†¦ guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand†. Crooks talks about how he has seen many people who have passed through the ranch with dreams yet most of them have failed. When Candy spreads their dream, he has high hopes, but when Curley’s wife interrupts them, she reminds him that he has no hope of sharing the dream. In my opinion, Steinbeck does present Crooks as a victim of racism as he is like an outcast because of his colour and Steinbeck used him to show the hatred of black and white people in the 19th century. He also presents him as a dignified human being because unlike most black people at the time, Crooks did have an education. He likewise presents him as cruel and unpleasant because he enjoys torturing Lennie because he is weakened by his mental illness and he is also powerless because he is treated like all the other black people in America at the time, he has no rights at all. He is also presented as lonely and isolated because he is dehumanised and separated from the other ranchers mainly because of his race, and he is also presented as weak and damaged both physically and mentally because of his crooked back and the loneliness that he feels. Ultimately, Crooks is a very complex character, one who has suffered and slightly gained but he is definitely presented as a victim of society. Crooks Crooks is a lively, sharp-witted, black stable-hand, who takes his name from his crooked back. Like most of the characters in the story, he admits that he is extremely lonely. When Lennie visits him in his room, his reaction reveals this fact. At first, he turns Lennie away, hoping to prove a point that if he, as a black man, is not allowed in white men’s houses, then whites are not allowed in his, but his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. Like Curley’s wife, Crooks is a disempowered character who turns his vulnerability into a weapon to attack those who are even weaker. He plays a cruel game with Lennie, suggesting to him that George is gone for good. Only when Lennie threatens him with physical violence does he relent. Crooks exhibits the corrosive effects that loneliness can have on a person; his character evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behavior are made evident. Perhaps what Crooks wants more than anything else is a sense of belonging—to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to enter the bunkhouse or to play cards with the other men. This desire would explain why, even though he has reason to doubt George and Lennie’s talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden.