International trade

Introduction In the recent past, international trade has grown over to become an integral part of economy of any country. Imports and exports constitute the international trade.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A country that has more imports than exports is referred to as a net importer while one that has more exports than imports is referred to as a net exporter (Colander, 2010). This paper answers some questions about surplus imports in the US, effects of international trade on GDP, effects of government actions on tariffs on international trade and relations, and foreign exchange. Import surplus in the United States of America have several effects, both on the economy as a whole and on the businesses in the country. Imports surplus in the US means that there are fewer jobs for the American citizens since their domestic production is less due to more imports than exports. This also means that the country is entering into debt in order to have a surplus imports. The countries trading with the US usually lend it money whenever the imports are higher than the exports and this is detrimental to the US economy. Some of the products that the US runs a surplus imports are oil, motor vehicles, and consumer products and electronics. The excess of the production by the GDP will be exported to the international market (Colander, 2010). However, if a country is a net importer, international trade may be detrimental to it, since it will make the country borrow in order to trade and this has a negative effect on the economy. If a country is a net exporter, the domestic markets will be boosted to produce more and import less while the vice versa is true. International trade has also beneficial effects to the university students. This is because most university students see an opportunity to export their skills once they graduate from university. Inter national trade therefore provides employment and innovation avenues to the university students who may otherwise lack jobs within their native countries. Government choices in terms of tariffs and quotas In order to manage their economies, governments will enact some rules and regulations aimed at protecting their country’s GDP if it’s a net importer, or enhancing its GNP if it’s a net exporter. In achieving this, most governments enact some policies and guidelines in form of tariffs and import quotas (Wendy Colin, 2003).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Trade tariffs are put in place in order to safeguard the domestic markets from the would-be exporters from other countries. This is done mainly to protect domestic products through ensuring that they are consumed locally. Trade tariffs and quotas therefore put stringent requirements for importing some pr oducts that it becomes almost impossible for a country to export a product into the other country. In doing so, it boosts the GDP since local products are consumed locally. These choices on tariffs and quotas also put a strenuous relationship between countries because as a country enacts macro-economic policies to protect and boost its economy, it always does at the expense of its trade partners. Foreign Exchange Foreign exchange, always denoted as ‘forex’, is simply the conversion of one currency to another. This happens because different countries have different currencies and therefore, there is a need to attach a value of a particular currency in relation to the other currency. This occurs by the use of foreign currency rates which are defined as the exchange rates (Colander, 2010). Foreign exchange occurs on different accounts. First, when a person is trading in a foreign denominated currency, he/she needs to convert the currency he holds to the acceptable legal te nder in the trading country. Foreign exchange is also used to help a country to stabilize its own currency through buying and selling foreign currency reserves. This is done through buying or selling foreign currencies such as the pounds, yen, and buying dollars. The country may also buy dollars in order keep foreign currency reserves. Foreign exchange usually happens in commercial banks where a person holding any form of currency goes to the bureau de change in order to sell or buy another currency. These foreign exchange bureaus usually set an exchange rate to be used. The exchange rates are usually determined based on the purchasing power of a currency at a given time. America cannot restrict all goods coming from China because of several reasons. First, products exported from China to the US are not wholly manufactured in China. China, in addition to manufacturing and exporting, also acts as an assembly point for many Asian products and blocking all imports from China would virt ually block much of the imports from other countries as well. This would be detrimental to the relationship that the US has with the Asian countries. The US cannot minimize the imports coming from other countries because it needs trading partners where it also needs to export. The only way to maintain this relationship is also accepting to import some goods which are produced by other countries which have a comparative advantage over the US.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Colander, C. (2010). Macroeconomics. New York: McGraw Hill. Wendy, C., Colin, M. (2003). Journal of Financial Economics. London: Elseiver. This essay on International trade was written and submitted by user Kevin Randall to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. International trade Introduction Nations all over the world strive to achieve stable economies through legislation of various policies. They do so in the attempt to woe investors to participate in activities that will develop and expand their operations. There is no country in the world that can exist without relying on foreign investors and foreign trading activities (Ilmanen, 2011, 33).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is due to the disparities in nature and amount of endowments in these countries. Exchange rate is an essential financial aspect that determines the level of a country’s participation in international trade. There are several factors that nations undertake which determine their exchange rates as evident in this essay. Definition Exchange rate is the value at which the currency of a country measures against the currencies of other countries. All countries in the word have exchange rates they use to determine the value of goods from other countries (Sarno and Taylor 2003, 11). This rate enables traders to know the value of their goods in the international market. How States Influence Exchange Rates Even though, a nation does not have an absolute right of deciding or fixing the rate at which its currency exchanges with those of other countries, there are some extents to which a state can determine these rates. These are steps a nation takes to ensure the exchange rate favours both local and foreign trading activities. Therefore, importation and exportation of goods and services ensures consumers and traders get a fair deal for their money and investments respectively. Political Stability Peace is an indispensable factor that promotes trading activities all over the world. Nations that strive to maintain peace within and outside their boundaries enjoy an influx of investors. This means that not only their investments are secure but als o their lives are saved. No one will ever wish to invest in a war prone country regardless of the profits the investor will get. However, countries that encounter civil strife discourage investors (Weither, 2006, 20). Their goods and services do not attract international demand; as a result, their value depreciates. Therefore, the more a government strives to maintain peace within and outside its territories, the higher the chances of enjoying favourable exchange rates. Growth Potential Investors are usually looking for countries that offer potentials of economic growth. Nations coming out of prolonged civil conflicts due to poor governance, those that have unexploited resources and those that open their boundaries to foreign trade, attract investors (Jha, 2011, 47). Some African countries are enjoying favourable exchange rates as a result of restructuring their government systems and assuming responsible leadership.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's se e if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They have demand for modern technology, expertise and investments. This demand makes their currencies fetch high prices in the international market. Therefore, their exchange rates compete effectively with other currencies. The more a country offers investment opportunities to foreign investors, the better its exchange rate ranks. Balance of Trade It is not enough for a country to participate in international trade. However, nations should ensure there is a positive relationship between the volume and value of exports and imports (Ilmanen, 2011, 54). This situation has significant influence on a nation’s exchange rate. The more a country exports, the lower the exchange rate of its currency compared to other nations. Therefore, nations should ensure they export more goods than what they import. This means they participate in productive international trade that raises the value of their currencies. Stat e’s Debts Even though, most nations can not survive without relying on international bodies like the World Bank, for financial assistance, it is better for them to borrow as little as possible. The higher the amount of debts a nation has from global organisations or other nations, the higher her currency exchanges with those of other countries. This leads to an unfavourable exchange rate since the country is not economically independent (Schofield and Bowler, 2011, 96). However, countries with fewer debts have a strong command on international trade activities, and thus their currencies have high values. Therefore, to have favourable exchange rates nations must borrow as little as possible from other nations or international organisations. Interest Rates Investors expect high returns on their investments regardless of the risks involved. Foreign investors look for nations that offer high rates on investments in order to cater for operational costs and gain profits. Nations th at offer high interest rates on investments have without doubt attracted many investors. Competitions among investors become inevitable leading to high value for the limited currency of these nations (Clark, 2011, 33). However, countries that offer peanuts to investors discourage them leading to depreciation of the value of their currencies. Therefore, the higher nations offer returns on investments, the more the values of their currencies are appreciated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion Most nations find international trade a one sided activity due to high exchange rates that do not favour them. However, from the above discussion it is clear that such nations can influence the value of their currencies in international markets. Nations should strive to achieve conditions that facilitate foreign and local investments to stand high chances of favoura ble exchange rates. References Clark, I. (2011). Foreign Exchange Option Pricing: A Practitioners Guide (The Wiley  Finance Series). New York: Wiley. Ilmanen, A. (2011). Expected Returns: An Investor’s Guide to Harvesting Market  Rewards (The Wiley Finance Series). New York: Wiley. Jha, S. (2011). Interest Rate Markets: A Practical Approach to Fixed Income (Wiley  Trading). New York: Wiley. Sarno, L. and Taylor, M. P. (2003). The Economics of Exchange Rates. New York: Cambridge University Press. Schofield, N. and Bowler, T. (2011). Trading the Fixed Income, Inflation and Credit  Markets: A Relative Value Guide. New York: Wiley. Weither, T. (2006). Foreign Exchange: A Practical Guide to the FX Markets (Wiley  Finance). New York: Wiley.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This essay on International trade was written and submitted by user Jaden Santos to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. International trade Major events in the world have triggered international marketing and globalization. According to Goldin, Reinert and World Bank (21), there are three major stages of international marketing and globalization. The first stage started in 1870 and ended in 1914 as a result of the First World War.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The second stage started after the end of Second World War and ended during the1970s. The third stage started after the end of the second stage and has continued up to the present moment. In most widely accepted definitions, globalization has been largely equated to the influence of international business and trade among various economies. As a matter of fact, the impact of globalization has been immensely felt when importing and exporting goods and services more than in socio-political life. Consequently, the world has become a global village since operations across the world have been decentralized. For instance, exporting companies have assumed the operations of international marketing in the same way as it is the case for local businesses. In other words, their competitors are located in oversees countries as compared to local rivals for local companies. There are a number of techniques used by international companies to be successful and especially those which export and import goods and services. This paper succinctly explores the concept of international trade and exporting business using Crystal International Corp. as case study. Crystal International Corporation This is an exporting company dealing with distribution services and freight forwarding. The company is based in New Orleans, Los Angeles, United States of America. It is well versed with matters of export management and consolidations. The company has so far made great in-roads since its inception and has already completed a number of transaction s in international trade. Moreover, Crystal International Corporation has been noted to be making more than six transactions in a year in exporting business. Some of the products that are currently exported include snacks, grocery products and specialty foods. As will be discussed, the company uses a number of techniques to win the international market and make profits. Among others, it has applied effective competitive analysis and capitalized on the strengths that it has and building strong mechanisms to counter the weaknesses and threats. International trade and Crystal International Corporation As noted earlier, the concept of international trade can be compared to globalization. Globalization refers to bringing international issues, especially in management together. International trade refers to exchange of goods and services internationally. International trade as a form of globalization was triggered by developments in major areas such as technology.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, the development of railroads and steam engines was important in connecting various countries together. According to Key (5), international trade cannot be excluded in discussion of imports and exports. This is because traditional concept of international trade had movement of goods and services to and from a country and crossing of a country border. In essence, the classification of international trade is mentioned in exporting and importing of goods and services. However, the present concept of international trade has encompassed more than just making goods and services cross the border. For example, international relations and part of diplomacy issues have been equated to globalization. Since diplomacy and international relations have relations with export of ideas, it can be said that they form part of international trade. The only differentiatio n is that the real concept of international trade involves profitability of a company. Movements of labor and capital contribute to the concept of globalization. The two have helped in increasing capital flows in various nations, and the most benefiting nation being the United States of America. There are various benefits that can be drawn from globalization and international trade. For example, countries can produce goods which may have costs which are of lower opportunity costs. Also, it is possible to increase competition which can lower the prices for customers. In open economies, globalization and international trade can help in increasing advancement in technology as well as its innovation. Crystal International Corporation deals with international business. Specifically, the company deals with exporting of manufactured goods to other countries. It is considered as an international company because it has established itself in more than one country. It is based in America but h ad to move out and established itself in more than 70 countries. This means that its competition is not confined locally; rather, its competitors can also found in other countries. The company deals in exportation of household items and a few of electronics. It has managers who are fully qualified in matters of exporting and importation, and more so international trade. The biggest help has come from the commerce department departments and programs that help in understanding of international market. As would be analyzed, some of the programs that are used in making greater depths in the international market are like carrying out marketing research and application of modern forms of marketing techniques. These techniques have made to place the company in a good position in the international market to compete.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on International trade specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This company us es direct and indirect forms of exporting its goods and services. In this kind of business, the management of the company must consider the degree of control the company has in the competitive market. The company must also be ready to seize opportunities that present themselves in the market. This is the kind of marketing strategies and operations in the international trade that Crystal International Corp applies in the competitive market. On daily basis, the company strides to be bigger by day because the bigger the company or brand image, the bigger the possibilities of winning in the market. This company is big enough because it is already in more than 70 countries in the world. The management of this company is also highly qualified and therefore the possibilities of covering more grounds are very high. The following discussion looks at a number of strategies that this company has used to make impacts in the market. Marketing strategies for Crystal International Corporation Anal ysis of competition According to Doole and Lowe (236), a company that moves into the market without first analyzing the kind of competition in existence risks making huge losses. This is because looking at the outside of the market may not tell a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of existing companies in the market. This is one of the strengths of Crystal International Corporation, where, it has to first analyze its competitors before moving to new markets. Crystal International Corp deals with direct and indirect forms of exportation which need a lot of international trade skills and mostly on competition to succeed. This company has a number of competitors in international marketing/trade, and especially in exportation of goods and services. The biggest competitors are like, American Chung Nam, Weyerhaeuser, Du Pont, and Cargill among others. Even though these companies have been identified as not specifically dealing with the business of household items as Crystal Internatio nal Corp, they nevertheless form part of a big competition cycle. Carrying of situational researches Research is a very useful tool in management of any kind of business, and mostly in international trade (Botto 104). This is because researches establish the need to move into the business. A situation research is capable of establishing whether the company and its products and services can be accepted in a particular market. It has a great economic impact because the company makes to plan well. This is one of the strategies that this company has managed to employ effectively. Situational researches as applicable in this company help in establishing the suitability of moving its products in the new markets. Even where some products may not be needed in particular country due to issues such as culture, this company has made to modify and customize for the purposes of acceptance.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More High technological ad advancement and use Technology can never be ignored when considering quality of goods and services. That has been recognized as the issue dividing successful and unsuccessful organizations and institutions. According to Boone and Kurtz (340), compromising quality in management and movement of goods and services due to failure in use of technology is just writing off the company. Crystal International Corp has established itself as one of the companies in the world in exportation of household items. High use of innovations and especially by utilization of technology has been argued to be the reason behind the successes in this company. Technology as used in this company has enabled to always improve on quality and level of production for this company. Therefore, this company is able to give high goods in terms of quality as well as mass production to manage competition. Inherent challenges Even though this company has widely developed its network in internationa l trade and especially in exportation, there are numerous challenges that it has been facing. However, these challenges have not managed to pull down its relevance in international business. Instead, it has made the company grow by leaps and bounds. Firstly, it is recognized that the company competes with companies which have covered lots of ground and are big in size and production. This company has faced lots of logistical challenges and some contractual issues. As well, international trade and more so in exportation business require a lot of resources which should be added regularly. Being a small company as compared to others which came before it, the company has had to cope with the fact that it does not have huge resources. The presence of these challenges in this company has not managed to deter success; though in small ways. Rather, some of these have only made the company cover more grounds in the market. Product life cycle in this company Product life cycle is a concept of management and refers to use of succession strategies when a product is moving through a life cycle. According to Stark (234), even products must move in stages, the same way human beings are born, and pass through some various stages before they finally die. Crystal International Corp utilizes all of the life cycle strategies for its product. Mostly, this is done from the point the raw materials are introduced in the company and finally getting to the final customers. When the raw materials for the household goods are entering the company, they have to be verified and must be bought in mass to ensure that cost is brought down. The next stage is to maximize the raw materials during the production of the household items and afterwards there is additional of values after their production before they get into the market. Effective marketing strategies are highly applied to make sure that the value of the products is passed to the right customers/final users. Conclusion Due to globaliz ation, trade has broken the tight physical borders that used to exist earlier on. Most successful companies in the world are those that have wider marketing base and possibly engaging in international trade. These are companies which have established themselves in overseas locations other than their countries of origin. In international trade, the strategies used in marketing are not the same as when a company is dealing with local competitors. The latter is mainly attributed to the fact that other countries may have different cultures as compared to local culture. For this therefore, any company must first carry out initial assessments in analyzing competition and readiness of the market. This paper has analyzed strategies used in international trade in order to wrestle with market competition. In addition, the paper has discussed Crystal International Corp; an international company dealing with exportation of household goods alongside other varieties of assortment goods. The paper has also focused on the strategies that have been put in place by the company in order to improve profitability. Finally, operational challenges that have been faced by the company in international trade have also been explored. Works Cited Boone, Louis Kurtz, David. Contemporary Business. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc, 2010.Print. Botto, Mercedes. Research and International trade policy negotiations: Knowledge and power in Latin America. New York: Taylor Francis, 2009.Print. Doole, Isobel Lowe, Robin. International marketing strategy: Analysis, development and implementation. Belmont: CengageBrain Learning, 2008.Print. Goldin Ian, Reinert, Kenneth World Bank. Globalization for development: Trade, finance, aid, migration, and policy. Washington. DC: World Bank Publications, Inc, 2006. Print. Key, Clement M. Principles of classification: Export and Import. Mooresville: Trafford Publishing, 2004.Print. Stark, John. Product lifecycle management: 21st century paradigm for product realization. London: Springer Verlag, 2011.Print. This assessment on International trade was written and submitted by user Puff Adder to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. International Trade

What is the effect of caffeine on soybeans

What is the effect of caffeine on soybeans What is the effect of caffeine on the growth of soybeans?Introduction: The plants used in the experiment are Glycine max, commonly known as soybeans. This table shows the taxonomy of the Glycine max.Kingdom Plantae ( plant)Division Magnoliophyta (flowering plant)Class Magnoliopsida (angiosperms)Order Fabales(an order of flowering plants)Family Fabaceae (bean family)Genus Glycine (a genus of the Fabaceae familySpecies Max (soybean)Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that the caffeine will have a negative effect on the plant's growth. The caffeine will stun the plant's growth, and maybe even kill the plant. As the amount of caffeine given to the plant increases, the damage to the plant will also increase. Therefore, the control group should grow the most, than the plants given the 15% solution, and the plants given the 50% solution should grow the least.Materials:1. A 15% caffeine solution2. A 50% caffeine solutionAnhydrous USP grade Caffeine Photographer: William...3. 10 soybean seeds4. 3 co ntainers5. Tap water6. 2 plastic bagsProcedure:1. Put the 30 soybeans into the 2 plastic bags (5 in each) and then put the bags in an area where there is no light.2. After the seeds germinate, (It should take a few days) put them into 3 containers by putting 3 seeds in each (One seed did not germinate).3. Label one container the control, one container for the 30% solution, and one container for the 50% solution4. Now put the seeds into an area where they will receive 8-10 hours of sun a day (This is the amount of sun that soybeans grow the healthiest in).5. Water the control group with .4 liters of normal tap water.6. Water the 15% group with .4 liters of the 15% caffeine solution.7. Water the 50% group with...

Portfolio Analysis and Investment Management Essay

Portfolio Analysis and Investment Management - Essay Example First we must as an individual investor consider the timeframe of the investment, the level of acceptable risk that an individual is willing to undertake and how this will translate to building their ideal investment portfolio. One must become familiar with the intricacies of each financial instrument in order to determine the best way to implement this type of investment in a well diversified portfolio and their individual risk profile. Afterwards we can estimate what the overall effect of this financial instrument will be in the overall risk level of the whole portfolio and how it can suit a particular kind of potential investor. Financial instruments are divided in different classes depending on their financial characteristics, risk levels, and maturity. For financial investments an individual can choose to invest directly in a variety of financial instruments or indirectly through the use of investment companies such as a mutual fund. Direct Investment alternatives available to b uild a well diversified investment portfolio are: Non Marketable Securities- Non marketable securities consist of Savings Deposits, Certificates of Deposit, Money Market Deposit accounts and U.S. Savings Bonds. Saving Accounts and Certificates of Deposit are two of the most popular and widely used financial instruments. They are issued by commercial banks, thrift and credit unions (Madura, 1992). These types of deposits pay a fixed interest rate and in the case of Certificates of Deposit they pay higher interest rates with longer maturity periods and are only redeemable after maturity is due. Although they don’t earn high returns, they are very popular due to their low risk and being virtually risk free up to $100,000 since they are insured by the FDIC. Money Market Deposit accounts are issued by financial institutions and are also insured by the FDIC up to $100,000.These type of accounts pay the typical Money Market interest rate with a minimum deposit to open required. Mone y Market Securities These types of financial instruments include short-term, highly liquid and relatively low-risk investments that are sold by governments, financial institutions and by corporations with idle funds looking to invest. These types of transactions are typically of $100,000 and are bought by money market mutual funds, but are sometimes traded in the open market. Their maturity period ranges from one day to typically no more than 90 days. Most of the securities in the money market are used by financial institutions and banks and large commercial customers. The Treasury bill is considered one of the safest investments by the international investor community. It is one of the most important financial securities and considered the benchmark. It has been traditionally considered a risk-free financial asset since there is no practical risk of the U.S. government defaulting on its debt. Risk averse European investors often seek the security associated with investing in Treasu ry

Violence in video games Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Violence in video games - Research Paper Example Such a lifestyle could only cause the individual to develop obesity among other poor health conditions, which can stimulate other health problems such as heart diseases and blood pressure. Research has gone ahead to show that playing video games increases the risk of suffering from many other diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and many more. Still on the health effects caused by video games, children and other players are likely to experience failing of vision. It is not healthy to the individual’s eyes when one spends long hours staring at the screen of the computer due to too much harmful radiation emitted as light. Many are the times when game addicts spend sleepless nights playing games. Those that do better will sleep late in the night for very few hours. Doctors and other medical officers have done their research and recommended that every human being should sleep for at least seven hours to keep mentally fit. Anyone therefore failing to follow this recommendation coul d be exposing themselves to risks of mental illnesses. This therefore means that by spending sleepless nights playing video games as many addicts do, may most likely invite mental instability to themselves. This implies that sleeping disorder is another health effect caused by playing video games. When students and children get addicted to playing video games, it becomes time consuming. This is how children end up wasting time that could have been used in carrying out better and meaningful activities such as reading and performing other chores.

Historical Development of Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Historical Development of Britain - Essay Example Raymond Williams, quoted in Society and Economy in Modern Britain, used to say that "culture is one of the most difficult words in the English language, partly because it has a history of shifting meanings, and partly because the word is now used to cover important concepts, in several distinct disciplines." (Brown, 430) According to the same source, two types of cultures are identifiable - the high or minority taste culture represented by certain kinds of music, literature, language and art (this type of culture is associated with the elite) and the popular or mass culture. Talking about the history of English popular culture, Richard Brown asserts the fact that it was neither traditional nor the culture of peasant societies. (Brown, 433) It depended on the region where it was developed and on religious influences. And the main feature was that the English popular culture was noticeably different from that of Europe. It was "more commercial, more individualistic, less corporate and more secular." (434) The 18th century brought about a gradual change in point of culture, a change that was manifest in two directions, affecting both popular and high culture. And it was under the religious influence that this happened. ... In Scotland, this was an age where culture developed in all its fields: literature, architecture, philosophy and science. The universities became more innovative in point of curriculum and teaching and all these contributed to the revival. "The identity of the English nation during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries fits neatly into neither of the main categories of classification identified by political scientists, being neither indisputably ethnic nor exclusively civic-territorial." (Kidd, 75) The English nation was characterized by a rich ethnic diversity. Although the central identity was Anglo-Saxonism, Celtic, Gothic and even Norman identity gathered in composing Britain's national identity. The eighteenth century Britain doesn't appear, yet, as having the sense of a multicultural nation. It's what Collin Kidd proves in his book by presenting the attitude of the radical Saxonist John Hare, who supported the idea of ethnic purity. The diversity in point of ethnicity became even the source of questions connected to the history of the English Constitution. During the eighteenth century the Saxon identity became more prominent as the ethnic core. It was also considered that English principles of liberty were of Anglo-Saxon provenance. Historians and researchers have studied this problem but opinions remained divided. The Anglo-Saxon is also usually one of the terms of the antitheses "Celt-Saxon". In Kidd's opinion "the opposition of the pragmatic, freedom loving Teuton and the mystical, sentimental, but improvident Celt" was connected to a conception of the Celt that "took shape gradually, beginning with the Ossianic vogue of the late

Year Round Production Of Oranges In Nigeria

Year Round Production Of Oranges In Nigeria Nigerians, like many other Africans, believe that certain fruits like orange only grow in particular seasons. This cannot be any further from the truth. In developed countries, most if not all the fruits are available for consumption all year-round. The secret behind this availability of fruits is not so far-fetched. This write-up is focused on year-round orange production in rural Nigeria. Growing oranges demands the maintenance of certain climatic conditions like temperature and wind intensity although there are other issues less related to the climate such as pest control, irrigation and fertilizer application. These conditions control the growth of orange. In other words, if they can be maintained at a certain level, production can be done year-round. The Communication and Information Management Technology branches of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have a crucial role to play here as they make it easy to reach majority of the rural farmers. Emphasis is placed on r adio as a result of the fact that it is readily available to most of them. Information on the basics of cultivating the fruit throughout the year is handed down to the farmers through radio. The postulation here is that as the farmers get enough of this information, their orientation begins to change and whatever funding or support they get from external sources can be put to good use. This raises the question of funding for this orange production, and this is where the benefits of year-round production such as job creation and increased revenue serve as incentive to potential supporters and lenders, like the government and microfinance banks. One of the most widely grown crops in the country today is orange. Its strong nutritional value and by-products such as orange juice are part of the reason for its popularity. Firstly, it is imperative to explain that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) may be subdivided into three main branches namely Computer Technology, Communication Technology and Information Management Technology. While Computer Technology is a vital component of ICT, Communication and Information Management Technologies are equally as important (Wikipedia, 2010). In fact, as far as agriculture goes in the rural areas of Nigeria, Computer Technology will play a less crucial role than any of the other two and the reason is not far-fetched. Although most of the farmers understand the conditions required for the crops to grow in practice, only a handful of them know this in theory. This theoretical knowledge is important if a farmer is going to maximize production. Methodology An advantage to the team is that the father of one of our team members is a large scale farmer. Thus a number of our questions were directed to him. Also, another team member made calls to his friend at the bank, a means by which we obtained information about loans and a few other financing questions. Some information was also obtained from books. Most of our sources though are from the internet, like articles and journals. Year-round Production One important aspect of year-round production is the culture of the orange tree. Recently, it has been discovered that close-spacing the plants in an orange grove might cause reduction in productivity, and there is also the argument that in close-planted groves, it is quite expensive to prune. On the contrary, the ease with which pruning, fertilizing and harvesting can be done influences farmers decision to engage in close-planting. Many groves in rural Nigeria have an average spacing of 20 X 15 ft (7.56 m), which in comparison to the former standard 25 x 25 ft (7.57.5 m) can be considered to be really close-spaced. Conversely, it has been discovered that by budding Pineapple orange onto the rootstock of rough lemon, close-planting can otherwise increase the total yield. A chart is given below to illustrate the behavior of this new type of orange in relation to spacing. This brings to light two new points of interest varieties of orange and budding. These two points are very crucial to year-round orange farming. The first secret in growing orange year-round is in its varieties. Different types of oranges react differently to different climatic conditions. For example, while Hamlin and Queen thrive well under extreme cold temperature, Valencia, on the other hand, does not do as well. In developing countries where orange is available to customers year-round, they simply grow the particular type of orange that will flourish in each season. It will not come as a surprise that many if not all of the varieties of orange can grow in many parts of Nigeria. In fact, Benue state in north central Nigeria alone accounts for the production of over ten varieties of orange. The implication of this is that with proper knowledge of these varieties and how they thrive under different conditions, oranges can be produced year-round in the country. Budding is another important tool that can ensure the production of the fruit during particularly harsh seasons of the year. Although there are many varieties of the fruit that survive in different seasons, there are some seasons that are uniquely harsh to plants. For these seasons, budding is a practice that can ensure the development of more vigorous and productive trees. The process ensures the quality of oranges produced. Budding involves grafting a part of a plant (called the scion) on another plant (called the rootstock) with an already active root system, thus enabling them to grow as one plant. Rootstocks are mostly used for fruiting trees and depending on the rootstock used, even with the same scion, properties such as large fruit size, vigor, and resistance to diseases, drought and root pests can be induced in the resulting tree (Wikipedia, 2010). For example, when certain orange trees are budded onto the rootstock of trifoliate orange, the result is a tree that can survive in extreme cold and even low wet soils. Irrigation plays a very important role in crop yield, especially during the dry season when wilting is an imminent problem. Many of the farmers in the rural areas know this, but there are still some limitations. One of them is the lack of water; another is the fact that many of the farmers do not know how much water is required for irrigation. To determine how much water is needed, information on the depth of the soil is vital. As with most trees, the depth of the soil affects the reach of the root system. Deep soils allow for better root systems, and consequently better resistance to drought. Furthermore, the deeper the soil, the more the amount of water that can be used in irrigation. For the problem of lack of water, it would be a good idea if farmers are encouraged to work together as the distribution of water is usually uneven in this period. That is, while some farmers wells have abundant water, others become dry. Cooperation between them would not only aid in irrigation but in many other useful areas as well. Also because of the benefits to be reaped from this year-round orange production (as explained further down), the government should also help with the supply of new irrigation technology and supply of water. Another hindrance to the year-round production of orange in the country is the problem of pests and diseases. Oranges, like many other fruits, are affected by a huge amount of pests. Some of the pests particular to orange include citrus rust mites, numerous scale insects, mealy bugs, aphids (plant lice) and fruit flies. These various pests affect different parts of the tree including the leaves, stem, root, and even the oranges. Additionally, diseases are also a big threat to the production of oranges. Some of the common diseases include blight, citrus canker, and some viral and fungal diseases. In some other cases, incompatibility between the scion and rootstock can also be a cause of reduced production. Scientists have come up with some effective treatments for many of these diseases, but without ICT, it is impossible to pass this information to farmers in rural areas. However, occasionally farmers mistake things like abnormal coloration of leaves caused by mineral deficiencies suc h as copper and zinc for diseases. Oranges can be preserved for as long as 5 months at relatively low temperatures (between 2.22oC and 3.89oC). This is another advantage of oranges that can be taken to ensure that it is available for year-round consumption. Farmers in rural Nigeria do not take advantage of this property because they do not have the required storage facility, which should be large enough to hold a substantial amount of oranges and keep the temperature low enough to ensure preservation. Most of them have no idea that the fruits can even be preserved that long. The Role of ICT The most powerful tool that can be handed down to these farmers is information empowerment; hence the earlier laid foundation on Communication and Information Management Technology. There is no point in purchasing technical equipment for farmers when they do not even know how the things work. The first step is to open their eyes to the details of the fruits they are producing. With proper understanding, the farmers will begin to ask for the right tools. Without instigation from any external factors, they will begin to ask for loans and additional infrastructure to facilitate year-round production. In other words, they need to be informed that it is possible and with todays technology, there are numerous ways to hand down this information. Radio would be an effective tool since most of these farmers have one. Agricultural programs should air on the radio stations available to them, and in their dialect. These programs, aimed at the farmers, would help them better understand irrigation , soil depth, and many other factors related to their crops. With time, they will start to ask questions, and then extension agents can be introduced to help answer them. Consistency is a key point in the use of radio. It takes time to change a persons beliefs. The idea is that the farmers hear the information well enough that it begins to transform their ideas about the growth of their fruit. In other words, unless these programs are kept on air long enough, making these rural farmers adopt the modern techniques introduced here would be an almost impossible task. Therefore, ICT forms the foundation for this revolutionary project in the nations agricultural sector. It is the most effective method for passing information to the farmers. Financing Agriculture gets it funds from federal and state government, private sectors, and international development partners. Some of the financial institutions like banks believe that lending to small scale farmers is not as risky as lending to big time farmers. This is as a result of the fact, as a number of banks have pointed out, that small scale farmers unlike their large scale counterparts tend to pay back their loans (Mommoh, 2008). However, some other financial institutions believe in funding large scale farmers rather than small scale farmers. Basically, funding agriculture is classified as macro or micro finance, depending on the source of the funds. One of the major problems facing agricultural financing, especially in rural areas, is poor handling of loans. The targeted farmers barely have access to loans due to barriers or conditions attached. Even when they have access to the loans, they are often given lower than what they applied for, because of insufficient funds. The very unfortunate thing is that the fake influential people who pose to be farmers meet up with the conditions thereby having access to the loans. Another problem is the fact that farmers do not really channel the funds to what it was originally intended for (agricultural production); instead they use it for personal purposes. For this, some blame can be placed on the policy that empowers them with money without the information what the money can and should be used for. Many farmers are already used to their old ways of doing things, and they can continue without the extra money. Thus, they need to be taught new agricultural techniques that will help them unde rstand where to channel the funds they receive, and this is where ICT comes into play. There are different ways to address problems of agricultural financing. First of all, government should encourage long term loans at low interest rates. Agricultural production involves long gestation period. With such policy (long term loans at lower interest rate) in place, there is tendency for an increase in agricultural production. Financial institutions should also relax their lending criteria in order to allow farmers to have easy access to loans. Small scale farmers do not have acceptable collateral (houses, moveable properties, stocks, shares and so on) required by these institutions. Thus the criteria should be user friendly for easy accessibility of loan. Government can also make land available to farmers for farming. Alongside the information on how to grow their fruit, the farmers should also be encouraged to utilize funds for the purpose for which they are meant and abide by the terms and conditions of the scheme. They should also make their project and records accessible to the lenders for inspection and verification. The lending body should ensure intermittent monitoring of the funded agricultural project under the scheme. On the part of the government, there should not only be provision of sufficient funds for agriculture, but also follow-up to ensure the proper disbursement of these funds. Marketing (especially the Off-Season Oranges) [Bitrus] With year-round production or orange comes the problem of acceptance. This is where marketing comes into play. Being Africans and Nigerians, especially fond of superstitious beliefs, we have made up our minds that the orange is greenish-yellow and any other thing is probably genetically manufactured and hence posing risks of cancer, toxins, poisons, and food allergies. As a result, any company that plans to market oranges of the highest quality all through the year in Nigeria and Africa as a whole must have a way to convince the general public that the oranges are perfectly normal. How do you assure the potential buyers that the oranges are not genetically altered since the company will be providing quality oranges all year round? The finished orange, although grown in the rural area but using state-of-the art technology should be made available all through the year, orange in color, juicy and large enough to meet international standards if it is to be exported. Since what most of us take in the country does not meet any of the above, then theres every possibility that potential customers will be skeptical about buying because they might feel it is not natural. The marketing campaign will have to convince the general public that the oranges are naturally grown all year round under the right conditions; stating that the fruits grow under proper irrigation all year round, that different varieties of orange are grown depending on the season; and pesticides and herbicides are used to regulate and control the pests and weeds respectively. The marketers should have radio talk shows and TV personalities educate the general public that people need to take their minds off the stereotypical way of thinking that fruits can be grown only in their seasons. By educating the general public that under the right conditions, a fruit can be grown year-round, the producer will be able to convince the buyer that there is nothing wrong with the fruit. After all, in developed countries fruits and vegetables are gotten all year round. Take note though that there are the genetically manufactured ones which are usually labeled GM and there are the naturally grown ones. The naturally grown ones are simply grown under monitored conditions and this is the same kind of thing that will be replicated by the rural farmers. Getting endorsements from NGOs and other prominent organizations such as the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) and the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will convince people that the fruits are safe for consumption. Internet ads, billboards and commercials too will be instrumental in publicizing the naturally-grown oranges. The typical orange in Nigeria is not packaged. Proper packaging will attract customers to buy the produced orange. A decent price will further interest the customers and keep them, but this will be after the packaging must have served its purpose. Another important factor to be considered is the transportation of the oranges from the rural areas to the customers. The producer/supplier must consider how to transport the oranges from the grove in the rural area to the consumers. In theory the fruits will be transported in trucks with properly cleaned, disinfected and ventilated containers that contain temperature-controlled atmosphere for specifically prolonging the shelve life of the oranges and keeping them in their best shape. The trucks will be painted with the ad of the oranges showing the brand name and a colorful painting of the oranges which is a very good marketing strategy. The temperature-controlled trucks should preserve them until they are given to the buyers. Benefits of Year-round Production [] 1. Export: After a few years of production, there would be a need to start exporting the oranges since production is going to be done year-round. This will increase the countrys revenue and consequently, the Gross Domestic Product of the country. This would help the farmers to make the most profit by exploring opportunities in foreign countries that are not present in the domestic market (Tekle, 2007). By doing this, the farmers would eventually turn their small scale farm into international companies which will participate in todays fast growing global market and gain more knowledge from the highly diverse international market place. This could also go on to help strengthen the value of the Nigerian Naira which translates to an improvement in the Nigerian economy. 2. Job Creation: According to INDEX MUNDI, the rate of unemployment in Nigeria has reduced by 21.3% within the space of 2003 and 2010 as shown in the chart below (Barrientos, 2010). In this time, a huge reduction in crime rate has also been observed and this goes to show that people who are not among the labor force are the ones responsible for the crimes being committed. If farmers are successfully granted the opportunity to go into larger scale production of these oranges they would need to employee more workers to help with the cultivation and harvesting of the oranges. This would go a long way in abetting the decline in crime, unemployment rates, and poverty in the rural areas of Nigeria. Since these oranges are going to be the produced year-round, then the jobs would be full-time jobs instead of seasonal. 3. Joint Production: Farmers can also join their businesses together. This could become an additional source of capital and resources for all the parties involved. This would help facilitate and increase the growth of the business because they have more funds to facilitate the operation involved in the production your oranges which would result to an increase in their profit margin and revenue potential. It also helps this farmer because they have someone to share the responsibility with them which would also reduce the risk and effect of losing plenty money. 4. Environmental Benefits: In order to produce oranges, we need to plant trees. These trees protect the environmental biomes of organisms, giving way to the reduction of Enhanced Green House Effects also known as global warming by remove surplus amount of carbon dioxide and atmospheric air pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, ozone and nitrogen oxide (iloveindia.com, 2010). They also provide us with more oxygen required for living life. These trees would also improve the quality of air and reduce its pollution. It would also improve the visual effect of landscapes in rural area which could also increase revenue gotten from tourism. Since most rural areas appear to be in Northern part of Nigeria it would help control the climate by moderating the effects of sun and can also act as windbreakers. It would also reduce erosion and flooding in these areas since they have no effective drainage system. 5. It will accelerate the growth of the agricultural sector: Since the discovery of crude oil in the country, Nigerians have neglected the agricultural sector. Producing these oranges would also encourage the year-round production of other agricultural goods and also transform it to industrial agriculture and these would ease of the stress that has been put on the oil and gas sector. It will generate more Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross National Product (GNP) and per capita income for Nigeria. 6. Investments: This will bring a large influx of foreign companies who deal in food production and pharmaceuticals. It would also increase the flow of cash into the country and encourage economic activity in Nigeria. It would also curb the problems of low job opportunities and reduced GDP. The remaining farmers and producers will have to develop their labor to keep up with the much improved competition therefore bringing about an increment in general efficiency level. And the Nigerian Government will be taken much more seriously in the worldwide conferences because the number of investors in the country has improved. 7. Infrastructural development: This will bring in new equipments for industries who patronize in agricultural products and the agricultural sector will have to provide modern equipments to produce more yields. 8. Globalization: It would generally breach the gap between countries through trade. It would also reduce the cultural barriers which would increase the global village effect. 9. World Trade Organization (WTO): With agricultural investments, there will be economic growth which will make Nigeria a valuable participant in the World Trade Organization. 10. Skill development: Over time, the rural areas will see an evolution of skilled workers, both in the agricultural and industrial sectors. 11. Population Distribution: Like many other countries, the urban regions in Nigeria are densely populated while the rural areas are sparsely populated, but with the new jobs created in rural areas, there would be a redistribution of population. Places like Lagos and Abuja would not be so densely populated. And this would help in the development of the rural areas in Nigeria. Recommendations Although there might be set-backs or even disadvantages to the year round production of orange in the country, the advantages far outweigh these disadvantages. With this many advantages, the government and many other sponsors should be more than willing to support the idea. Implementation of this would be revolutionary to food production in the country as it would open the door for year-round production of many other fruits. The implication is that these fruits will become much cheaper than when they can be purchased only in their season. There would be benefits to every sector in the country, but it is imperative that the government does not try to force these rural farmers into production as it might just result in another waste of limited resources. The farmers must properly understand the process and the necessary techniques so that when they get the resources they will use them judiciously. For proper understanding, the ICT tools must also be used efficiently, that is, the farme rs must constantly be getting this information and it should be consistent. They should be encouraged to work together and implement these new methods of farming as many of them will be initially resistant to them.

Home-Schooling Essay -- Arguementative Persuasive Education Essays

Home-Schooling Whether or not to home-school your children is a controversial issue for thousands of parents every year. Do you want to let your children go out on their own or keep them safe at home where you can monitor their development? Many parents choose to home-school their children and there are plenty of arguments for and against this decision. When it all comes down to it the decision will be based on the socio-economic status of the family, as to whether they can afford to have one parent at home tutoring the child, instead of out working and also whether or not they feel it is safe enough to let their children go to the public schools. Home-schooling a child could be a very good decision if a child had special needs. Teaching them at home would enable the parents to monitor the development of the child and make sure they don't fall behind and are completely ready to move on to the next level of learning, where they might fall behind in a public learning institution. The parent(s) could offer the child extremely individualized attention that is much harder to find in a public school with large numbers of students, many who also have special needs. Home schooling is also a good choice for family?s who want to truly have control over what their children are taught. Possibly more religious families would want to make sure that in addition to the subjects they have to teach by law, that they teach their children about religion and other things they find important. They cannot be taught these things in a public institution, and if a family finds these topics of serious interest and necessity for their children to learn, home schooling would be the best way to go about tea... ...to experience the everyday interactions that they would if they were at school. By not attending school the child does not experience time without his/her family, which is an important part of a child?s life. Overall, the decision of whether or not to home-school a child will inevitably have to go through a lot of factors before a decision is made. All parents will have their child?s best interests in mind and the decision will come down to personal choice and personal beliefs of the parents. Whether or not home schooling is essentially good or bad for a child, is a debate which will be going on for years to come, and has strong arguments for and against. Bibliography Dean Schabner. ?Home schooling offers alternative, challenge for parents and kids.? 20 November 20, 2003 >

Vespucci View on Native Americans

The impression that I got from people accounted to Vespucci is that Native Indians are barbarians with no shame. Vespucci gives the impression by showing that they are cannibals (Vespucci 18). For example, they will eat human flesh from their enemies. They have no leader and no rules are set. Basically, I picture humans running around like wild animals without shame. In addition, the men are lustful without shame, taking as much women as they can. Even the women are crazy; they would cause abortion if their husband anger them (Vespucci 18). I get the impression that they have no remorse and that they are evil. The only positive thing that I feel is that they are creative, when it comes to music and that food is plentiful. For example, the Indians play various instruments such as horns and bells (Vespucci 18). Overall, I feel that these Indians are too psychotic and that they need to reform their ways immediately. The document shows that the author is pretty honest, but cocky. He would offer friendship first, but if the Indians do not accept, they would be subjected to slavery (Vespucci 18). This shows me that he’s at least fair when making deals. I feel that he’s fascinated by the way the Indians live, but not in a good way. His tone is arrogant, because his people see Indians as a pathetic civilization. The author shows that he did not know that such people existed, until he discovered them. He contradicts himself though, when he would capture Indians and make them into slaves if they did not accept his friendship. Enslaving people is also immoral and unethical. Vespucci is a bit headstrong when judging others, when he too is judged by others.

Fascinating Facts About the January Birthstone Gorgeous Garnet

Fascinating Facts About the January Birthstone Gorgeous Garnet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips January babies and the people who love them, get ready to learn about one of the oldest and diverse birthstones around: the garnet. This January birthstone has more than 20 different varieties, has been found on every continent, and has a history dating back thousands of years. Read on to learn everything you need to know about garnets, from the rainbow of colors they come in, to what they signify, and fun facts about this gemstone. What Color Are Garnets? What is the January birthstone color? The most common and well-known color for garnets is a dark red. Under some dim lighting conditions, the garnet stone is such a dark color it can look almost black. However, in well-lit areas, the deep red color of the garnet will become clear as the stone sparkles in the light. Red garnets are the most common, but garnets can be found in a wide range of colors including oranges, purplish and pinkish reds, yellows, blues, and greens. Green garnets, known as either demantoid or tsavorite garnets depending on their composition, are a particularly rare and valuable form of the gem. Blue garnets, also very rare, have the ability to alter the appearance of their color. In natural light, they appear blue-green, but this changes to purple under artificial lighting. A green garnet set in a necklace. What Do Garnets Signify? Garnets symbolize friendship and trust, and they are a great gift to give to someone who has been a loyal friend. Additionally, garnets also symbolize a separated love and hope for a quick return. The reason for this comes from a Greek myth where the god Hades gave the goddess Persephone a pomegranate when she left him to ensure her quick return. Garnets are often associated with pomegranates because the name garnet comes from the Greek phrase â€Å"pomum granatum† which means pomegranate seed. And it’s true, small garnets do resemble the dark red seeds of a pomegranate! In addition to being the birthstone for January, garnets are the gemstone traditionally given on 2nd wedding anniversaries, and they are also the state mineral of Connecticut and the state gemstone of New York. The star garnet, a rare variety which appears to have a star shape in the center when cut, is the state gemstone of Idaho. Where Are Garnets Found? Garnets are one of the most widespread gems, and they have been found in many regions around the world, including Russia, the Czech Republic, Afghanistan, Tanzania, India, Thailand, the USA, and Brazil. Today, the highest-quality garnets are found in East Africa, particularly Tanzania and Kenya. In the 1990s, a deposit of rare blue garnets was discovered in Madagascar. To date, this is the only place on Earth where blue garnets have been found. Wouldn't that be a great January birthstone gift! During the 19th and 20th centuries, green garnets were thought to exist almost exclusively in Russia’s Ural mountains, but since the 1970s deposits have been found in Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, and, to a smaller extent, Pakistan and Antarctica. Garnets are often found near the Earth’s surface, usually within pebbles in riverbeds or deposited on beaches. They can be found within metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary rocks, although metamorphic deposits are the most common and where nearly all red garnets are found. A deposit of garnets that have yet to be cut and polished. A Brief History of Garnets For thousands of years, people across the world have admired and coveted garnets, whether because they believed the stones had special powers or just for their beauty. Some of the oldest garnets have been found in Egyptian tombs, as part of necklaces created over 5,000 years ago to decorate the bodies of pharaohs. In ancient Roman times, garnets were highly prized and frequently used to decorate sword hilts and gold jewelry. During this time, garnets became a widely-traded gem and the most popular gemstone in the ancient Roman world. In the Middle Ages, garnets were a favored gemstone of both clergy and the nobility. A large deposit of garnets discovered in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), helped garnets become more popular and spread throughout Europe. Garnets reached their highest peak of popularity in the late 1800s when they were one of the most fashionable gemstones to purchase and wear. The rare and valuable green demantoid garnets were prized by Russian czars, and the famed Russian jeweler Gustav Fabergà © (known for his jeweled eggs) often used them in his work. During the Victorian Era, jewelry with melanite garnets, garnets with an opaque black color, were especially popular in Europe. Garnets are now a popular gemstone throughout the world, prized for their rich hues and rainbow of colors. In addition to being used as a gemstone, garnets’ high abrasiveness makes them useful for industrial purposes, such as sandblasting and water filtration. In fact, the majority of garnets harvested today are used for industrial purposes. Only the highest-quality stones are used for jewelry and other decorative uses. An antique brooch featuring a garnet in the center. Using Garnets in Jewelry Looking to buy a January birthstone for a lucky someone? Garnets can be cut to almost any size and shape, so they are used in many types of jewelry, including rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. They are often set in gold to highlight the deep red color most commonly found in garnets. The cost of a garnet will vary widely depending on its size, cut, color, and clarity, but garnets are less expensive than many other gemstones because of their abundance. You can often find garnet jewelry for less than $100, making it a great gift. Red garnets are the most common and least expensive variety of the gemstone, while blue and green garnets are the most expensive. Garnets have a high hardness and refractive index, which means they are both brilliant and difficult to damage. This makes them durable and eye-catching stones to use in jewelry. A garnet bracelet that shows off the dark color of the stones. Interesting Facts About the January Birthstone Because garnets and diamonds form under similar conditions, the two stones are often found together. In fact, there have even been some instances of diamonds being found inside garnets. In the Bible, it’s said that Noah used a garnet lantern to help navigate his ark in the night. Many early travelers carried a garnet with them as the stone was thought to help protect the owner from evil and provide light during the night. Garnets were also believed to bring victory in battle. Crusaders often carried jewelry or ornaments that contained garnets to protect them as they fought. Also, when they fought against the British in 1892, the Hunza people of what is now Pakistan used garnet bullets in battle because they thought they were more deadly than lead bullets. In the Middle Ages, garnets were purported to have numerous healing powers, and they were believed to reduce fever, bleeding, and inflammation. Keeping one by you while you slept was also believed to ward off nightmares.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the European Union essays

Strengths and Weaknesses of the European Union essays The European Union is a result of an effort to build a more unified Europe. Fifty years ago, after World War II, Europeans were seeking out a way to prevent another war as costly as this one had been. This would have to be done in both the economic aspects as well as politically. This would be good for Europe in that everyone would benefit from this unification and more powerful as a whole. The major difficulty to this is going to be the cultural differences between the countries themselves. This could lead different countries to feel as if they have to defend their cultures from attacks and could result in a total loss for this union. The start of the European Coal and Steel Community was proposed by the foreign minister of France, Robert Schuman and consisted of six nations Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The reason for this unification was to group together all of their coal and steel into a joint market. In years following, Rome Treaties established the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, which extended this common market to all areas of the economies of these nations. In 1967, these three treaty organizations were collaborated into a single governing body called the European Community. In 1993, the passing of the Maastricht Treaty now called this body the European Union. Currently the Union is comprised of 15 countries. There are many strengths that resulted from this unifying of Europe. First off is the unions ability to promote economic progress by collaborating markets and even the establishment of the Euro (new currency that will be standard throughout Europe). Since its founding in 1952, the economic community has shown to be encouraging. The European Coal and Steel Community resulted in a production increase of 75% in the ECSC nations between 1952 and 1960. One of the biggest economic factors of this uni...

Two Tail Hypothesis Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Tail Hypothesis - Scholarship Essay Example The analysis can be used by the manager to study if there is the significant difference between position and extrinsic job satisfaction in the company. This would enable the manager to make a plan on which strategy to use either Hourly Employee or Salaried Employee in respect of job satisfaction. Since ÃŽ ±=0.05 and confidence level is 95%; t- statistic=-54.60, the critical value is  ±1.96 we reject null hypothesis because p-value 1.67 E-91 is less than 0.05 and adopt alternative hypothesis. The t-test is used when the sample is small; it can be used to test the difference in population mean, that is when the population is n≠¤30 and the standard deviation of the population is estimated from the standard deviation of the sample. Whereas z-test is used when the population means is known together with standard deviation. Researchers do not have enough time to study the whole population. To study the entire population would be tedious and time-consuming; therefore, representative sample from the population is appropriate in the data collection. In statistical inferences, conclusions are drawn about the attribute of the population, e.g. the standard deviation or mean based on sample data analysis. Supposing there was a need to calculate the average weight of the population of youths in America, it would be unreasonable except at massive cost to weigh up each individual and calculate the mean weight. Another scenario is that testing process may be very destructive such that sampling becomes the only sufficient way.

Assignment of Priciples and practices of management Essay

Assignment of Priciples and practices of management - Essay Example (A) Organizational behavior 2 5 During his first year of working at a law firm, Danny earned the respect of his supervisors by consistently producing very high quality work. Though the quality of Dannys work declined in his second year of employment, his supervisors continued to view his work very positively. This is an example of the (B) primacy affect. 6 A celebrity has fired several of her personal assistants because each time she asks them a question about her appearance or how her performance was, they always tell her how great and wonderful she is. She is looking for a more honest personal assistant. What should be a quality she looks for in her next employee? (D) Low on self monitoring 7 Revlon was once the worlds biggest cosmetics company. But over the past few years, its brands have lost sales and struggled through a series of management setbacks, but still it was reluctant to give up divisions that were no longer profitable. Which grand strategy does Revlon need to implement if it is to stay in business? (C) Retrenchment3 8 Players in the cosmetics industry include Procter & Gamble, which owns Cover Girl and Max Factor brands, LOreal, which owns LOreal and Maybelline brands, Revlon, which owns Revlon and Almay brands, and Està ©e Lauder. According to Porter, (C) threat of substitute products4 has the most influence on these companys profits. 10 Herman is the coach of the city football team. As a successful coach, he has to schedule structured practices, emphasize careful planning, and assign tasks. He also has to show the players that he genuinely cares about them as people. According to the Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid, Herman would be characterized as: D team management a Planning is one of the four management functions, and it is often called the primary management function because it establishes the basis for all the other things that managers do. What types