Weather and Season Vocabulary in Chinese

Weather and Season Vocabulary in Chinese Talking about the weather is a great way to start a casual conversation. With these new  vocabulary words, youll be able to ask about the weather and describe seasons in Chinese.  Audio clips  to help with listening comprehension and pronunciation are marked with ââ€" º. Seasons in Chinese As you already know, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Lets learn the Mandarin Chinese names for these seasons. First off, we need to learn how to say season: seasonsââ€" ºjà ¬ jià ©Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(trad) Ã¥ ­ £Ã§ ¯â‚¬(simp) Ã¥ ­ £Ã¨Å â€š Lets move on to season names: springæ˜ ¥Ã¥ ¤ © ââ€" ºchÃ… «n tiÄ nsummerÃ¥ ¤ Ã¥ ¤ © ââ€" ºxi tiÄ nautumnç §â€¹Ã¥ ¤ © ââ€" ºqiÃ… « tiÄ nwinterå† ¬Ã¥ ¤ © ââ€" ºdÃ… ng tiÄ n Weather Vocabulary Now lets get more specific and talk about day-to-day weather. While reading through this vocabulary list, think about how you can apply these new words. What is the weather usually like in ç §â€¹Ã¥ ¤ © (qiÃ… « tiÄ n)? What about  Ã¥ ¤ Ã¥ ¤ © (xi tiÄ n)? What is the weather like for you today? weather(trad) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ ° £ / (simp) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€ ââ€" ºtiÄ n qà ¬goodÃ¥ ¥ ½ ââ€" ºhÇŽosunnyæ™ ´Ã¦Å"â€" ââ€" ºqà ­ng lÇŽngovercast(trad) Ã¥ ¤Å¡Ã©â€º ²/ (simp) Ã¥ ¤Å¡Ã¤ ºâ€˜ ââ€" ºduÃ…  yà ºnrainingä ¸â€¹Ã©â€º ¨ ââ€" ºxi yÇ”snowingä ¸â€¹Ã©â€º ª ââ€" ºxi xuÄ›coldå† · ââ€" ºlÄ›nghot(trad) ç† ± /  (simp) çÆ' ­ ââ€" ºrà ¨warmæ º «Ã¦Å¡â€" ââ€" ºwÄ“n nuÇŽncoolæ ¶ ¼Ã§Ë† ½ ââ€" ºling shuÇŽng Sentence Examples About Weather Now that you have a basis in describing the weather, put it to use by incorporating this new vocabulary into a sentence.   Whats the weather like?ââ€" ºtiÄ n qà ¬ zÄ›n me yng?(trad) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ ° £Ã¦â‚¬Å½Ã© º ¼Ã¦ ¨ £?(simp) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€Ã¦â‚¬Å½Ã¤ ¹Ë†Ã¦   ·?Its cold.ââ€" ºhÄ›n lÄ›ngÃ¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥â€  ·Its raining.ââ€" ºxi yÇ”ä ¸â€¹Ã©â€º ¨The weathers not good.ââ€" ºtiÄ n qà ¬ bà ¹ hÇŽo(trad) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ ° £Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½(simp) Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦ °â€Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Its good.ââ€" ºhÄ›n hÇŽoÃ¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥ ¥ ½Its hot.ââ€" ºhÄ›n rà ¨(trad) Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã§â€  ±(simp) Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã§Æ' ­

Biography of Than Shwe, Burmese Dictator

Biography of Than Shwe, Burmese Dictator Than Shwe (born February 2, 1933) is a Burmese politician who ruled the country as a military dictator from 1992 to 2011. He was known for being a secretive, vindictive commander who showed no qualms about having dissidents, journalists, and even Buddhist monks beaten, jailed, tortured, and executed. Despite his absolute power, Than Shwe was so reclusive that most Burmese people never even heard his voice. Smuggled video footage of the sumptuous wedding thrown for the generals daughter sparked outrage across the country, as it provided a glimpse of the lifestyle of the very rich. Than Shwes regime was so brutal and corrupt that he is considered one of Asias worst dictators. Fast Facts: Than Shwe Known For: Than Shwe was the military dictator of Burma from 1992 to 2011.Born: February 2, 1933 in Kyaukse,  British BurmaSpouse: Kyaing KyaingChildren: 8 Early Life Very little is known about the early life of secretive general Than Shwe. He was born on February 2, 1933, in Kyuakse, in the Mandalay Division of Burma. At the time of Than Shwes birth, Burma was still a British colony. Few details of Than Shwes education have emerged, though some sources report that he attended public elementary school before dropping out of high school. Early Career Than Shwes first government job after leaving school was as a mail delivery clerk. He worked for the post office in Meiktila, a city in central Burma. Sometime between 1948 and 1953, the young Than Shwe enlisted in the Burmese colonial army, where he was assigned to the psychological warfare unit. He participated in the governments ruthless counterinsurgency campaign against ethnic-Karen guerrillas in eastern Burma. This experience resulted in Shwes several-year-long commitment to a psychiatric hospital for post-traumatic stress disorder. Nonetheless, Shwe was known as a merciless fighter; his no-holds-barred style brought a promotion to the rank of captain in 1960. He was promoted to major in 1969, and in 1971 he graduated from a military training program at the Frunze Academy  in the Soviet Union. Entry into National Politics Captain Than Shwe helped General Ne Win seize power in the 1962 coup that ended Burmas brief post-independence experience with democracy. He was rewarded with a steady series of promotions, rising to the rank of colonel by 1978. In 1983, Shwe took military command of the Southwest Region/Irrawaddy Delta near Rangoon. This posting close to the capital was to aid him enormously in his quest for higher office. Ascent to Power In 1985, Shwe was promoted to brigadier general and given the twin posts of Vice Chief of Army Staff and Deputy Minister of Defense. The following year, he was promoted again to major general and given a seat on the Burma Socialist Partys Central Executive Committee. The junta crushed a pro-democracy movement in 1988, leaving 3,000 protestors dead. Burmese ruler Ne Win was ousted after the insurrection. Saw Muang took control, and Than Shwe moved into a high cabinet position- according to one writer, because of his ability to bore everyone else into submission. Following the abortive elections of 1990, Than Shwe replaced Saw Maung as head of state in 1992. Supreme Leader Initially, Than Shwe was seen as a more moderate-style military dictator than some of his predecessors. He freed some political prisoners and released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest in the late 1990s. (She won the 1990 presidential election despite being in prison.) Than Shwe also oversaw Burmas 1997 entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), signaling an openness to trade and increased market freedom. He also cracked down on some official corruption. However, Than Shwe became a stricter ruler over time. His former mentor, General Ne Win, died under house arrest in 2002. In addition, Than Shwes disastrous economic policies kept Burma one of the poorest countries in the world. Human Rights Abuses Given his early association with the brutal put-downs of the Karen independence and pro-democracy movements, its not surprising that Than Shwe showed little regard for human rights during his tenure as Burmas supreme ruler. Freedom of the press and free speech were nonexistent in Burma under his leadership. The journalist Win Tin, an associate of Aung San Suu Kyis, was imprisoned in 1989. (Aung San herself was also rearrested in 2003, and was under house arrest until late in 2010.) The Burmese junta used systematic rape, torture, executions, and disappearances to control the people and quell dissent. Monk-led protests in September 2007 resulted in a violent crackdown, which left hundreds dead. Personal Life While the Burmese people suffered under Than Shwes rule, Than Shwe and other top leaders enjoyed a very comfortable lifestyle (apart from worries about being deposed). The opulence with which the junta surrounded themselves was seen in a leaked video of the wedding reception of Than Shwes daughter, Thandar, and an army major. The video, showing ropes of diamonds, a solid-gold bridal bed, and huge amounts of champagne, outraged people inside Burma and around the world. It was not all jewels and BMWs for Shwe, though. The general is diabetic, and some experts believe he may be suffering from intestinal cancer. He has spent time in hospitals in Singapore and Thailand. Than Shwe is something of a recluse, however, so this information has not been verified. On March 30, 2011, Than Shwe stepped down as the ruler of Myanmar and retreated further from the public eye. His hand-picked successor, President Thein Sein, has initiated a series of reforms and has opened Myanmar to the international community to a surprising extent since he took office. Dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi was even allowed to run for a seat in the Congress, which she won on April 1, 2012. Sources Myint-U, Thant. Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.Rogers, Benedict. Burma: a Nation at the Crossroads. Rider Books, 2015.

Critical Thinking Application Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking Application Paper - Essay Example The ability of each individual to think critically varies. Critical thinking hinges on a few critical elements, these being precision, significance, vigor, fairness and rationality. Today in our rapidly evolving and changing business environment where there is a constant pressure to innovate products and services, an organization cannot remain competitive without the incorporation of critical thinking in its decision making processes. This being only possible if the employees of an organization are equipped to undertake a process of decision making that is purposeful and directed and hence in line with critical thinking. According to Process Management for a business to succeed it is essential that employees are taught to become more conscious of the thought process of an organization and that of the customers. They should be proficient in ‘language precision, being able to examine hidden assumptions, identify effective inferential reasoning and evaluate claims and reasons†™ in order to think critically. There are many examples of critical thinking in a work environment.

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Essay

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Industry - Essay Example The researcher states that until the last years of 20th century, Whitbread has long been concentrating on brewing, but it has started its own restaurants, pub partnerships, inns, health and fitness service, drinks etc and has recognized that this will eventually give greater benefits to the business than the marketing potential of brewing. When it comes to hotel industry, the threat of new entrants is a big issue since it requires relatively less initial investment. The threat of new entrants in the case of brewing is also same, but hotel industry is more likely to attract customers if the hotel or restaurant can provide unique quality of goods and services. Differentiation matters a lot to hotel industry. A restaurant that is able to differentiate its products through innovation can substantially achieve significant competitive advantage. Whitbread’s Annual report reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes.... Whitbread’s Annual report (1999, p. 15) reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. Threats of Substitutes As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes. Apart from this, the switching costs will be less for customers as they can easily obtain substitutes. But, threat of the substitutes to the services provided by hotel industry seems less significant as hotel industry can attract and retain its customers by facilitating supreme quality services. Restaurants, resorts and hotels have greater opportunities to convert the existing customers to loyal customers if they provide highly valuable services (Hayes and Miller, 2010, p. 365). Bargaining power of Suppliers Suppliers in the hotel industry are farmers, companies, retailers or wholesaler. As far as hotel industry is concerned, the demand for fresh and quality materials will be higher and suppliers of quality fruits or food items have relatively medium bargaining power. Since there are large numbers of suppliers available in the market, bargaining power is relatively less. Bargaining power of buyers For customers of hotel industry, there

Importance of Management Essay Example for Free

Importance of Management Essay Management  is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All organizations business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose. According to  Harold Koontz, â€Å"Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals†. According to  F. W. Taylor, â€Å"Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the best and cheapest way†. Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain pre determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world. Of course, these goals may vary from one enterprise to another. E. g. : For one enterprise it may be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it may be profit maximization by minimizing cost. Management involves creating an internal environment: It is the management which puts into use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform their task efficiently and effectively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of wages and salaries, formulation of rules amp; regulations etc. Therefore, we can say that good management includes both being effective and efficient. Being effective means doing the appropriate task i. , fitting the square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. Being efficient means doing the task correctly, at least possible cost with minimum wastage of resources. Management can be defined in detail in following categories : Management as a  Process Management as an  Activity Management as a  Discipline Management as a  Group Management as a  Science Management as an  Art Management as a  Profession 1. It helps in Achieving Group Goals   It arranges the factors of production, assembles and organizes the resources, integrates the resources in effective manner to achieve goals. It directs group efforts towards achievement of pre-determined goals. By defining objective of organization clearly there would be no wastage of time, money and effort. Management converts disorganized resources of men, machines, money etc. into useful enterprise. These resources are coordinated, directed and controlled in such a manner that enterprise work towards attainment of goals. 2. Optimum Utilization of Resources   Management utilizes all the physical amp; human resources productively. This leads to efficacy in management. Management provides maximum utilization of scarce resources by selecting its best possible alternate use in industry from out of various uses. It makes use of experts, professional and these services leads to use of their skills, knowledge, and proper utilization and avoids wastage. If employees and machines are producing its maximum there is no under employment of any resources. 3. Reduces Costs   It gets maximum results through minimum input by proper planning and by using minimum input amp; getting maximum output. Management uses physical, human and financial resources in such a manner which results in best combination. This helps in cost reduction. 4. Establishes Sound Organization   No overlapping of efforts (smooth and coordinated functions). To establish sound organizational structure is one of the objective of management which is in tune with objective of organization and for fulfillment of this, it establishes effective authority amp; responsibility relationship i. e. who is accountable to whom, who can give instructions to whom, who are superiors amp; who are subordinates. Management fills up various positions with right persons, having right skills, training and qualification. All jobs should be cleared to everyone. 5. Establishes Equilibrium   It enables the organization to survive in changing environment. It keeps in touch with the changing environment. With the change is external environment, the initial co-ordination of organization must be changed. So it adapts organization to changing demand of market / changing needs of societies. It is responsible for growth and survival of organization. 6. Essentials for Prosperity of Society   Efficient management leads to better economical production which helps in turn to increase the welfare of people. Good management makes a difficult task easier by avoiding wastage of scarce resource. It improves standard of living. It increases the profit which is beneficial to business and society will get maximum output at minimum cost by creating employment opportunities which generate income in hands. Organization comes with new products and researches beneficial for society. What is the Importance of Management in Business? â€Å"Some underestimate the importance of management in business but the latest researches have shown that it is certainly not the case. The input of the labor, capital and raw materials can never become production without the catalyst of management. A business cannot survive without management because management is its means of support. Management is concerned with acquiring maximum prosperity with minimum efforts. Management is essential wherever group efforts are required to be directed towards achievements of common goals. In this management conscious age, the significance of management can hardly be over emphasized. It is said that any thing minus management amounts to nothing. There is no more important area of human activity than management since its task is that of getting things done through others. Some underestimate the importance of management in business but the latest researches have shown that it is certainly not the case. The input of the labor, capital and raw materials can never become production without the catalyst of management. Management is a dynamic life-giving element in an organization. In its absence, the resources of production remain underutilized and can never become production. In fact, without efficient management, no country can become a nation. Business is basically a group activity and management plays an important role in making it more effective. The group as a whole cannot realize its objectives unless and until there is mutual cooperation and coordination among the members of the groups. Management creates teamwork and team spirit in an organization by developing a sound organizational structure. It brings the human and material resources together and motivates the people for the achievement of goals. The available resources of production are put to use in such a way that all sort of wastages and inefficiencies are reduced to a minimum. If the managers in any business are not considerate and good at their job, nothing worthwhile can be expected of the subordinates. The motivation level of the employees is directly related to good management. Management creates and maintains an environment conducive to higher efficiency and performance. A business enterprise operates in a constantly changing environment. Changes in the business environment create risk and also provide opportunities for growth. A conducive and encouraging environment is indispensable for any business and sound management makes it possible easily. Negative Aspects of Technology Introduction The history of technology is as old as human life. This is because the usage of technology came into existence when the humans existed. Technology had a great progress since ages that is from mastery of fire by man to computers, rockets, electronics etc which shows the 21st century achievements. The technologies that evolved in the past and even now made our lives comfortable. People are totally dependent on technology. Technology helps in speedy development and changes. According to a dictionary the definition of technology is given as â€Å"the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization. (Technology, 2012). This shows that technology usage has become as part of our life. These technologies include computers, cell phones, emails, video conferencing and even the basic things like microwave oven and fridge. Technology has become important in every aspect of our life. It changed our way of life in both positive and negative ways. Over past decade, there are many new techno logies that have evolved and there is much advancement in the existing technologies. Technology separates individuals from reality. Problem The advancements in technologies have made our lives comfortable but there is a great negative impact of the technology in our lives. There are many factors that supports that technology has adverse effects on society. Technology is not always green. While new and rapidly advancing knowledge will surely become a dominant force shaping the future of mankind, experts tells that advancing technology always brings side effects. This is because humans modify nature to meet their needs and wants. So scientists feel that the development of technology is causing harm to the environment. Technologys Negative Impact on Business Technology has positive affects on global business. The Internet makes it possible for people to communicate easily with associates in other countries. Ecommerce makes it possible for consumers to purchase almost anything from almost anywhere. And the flow of information is fast and often free once you have paid for Internet access. However, technology also has negative impacts on business. Business Relationships Internet technology such as chat rooms, Skype and other software has made it possible to hold meetings without all parties being physically present in the same place. A drawback is that meeting with somebody over the Internet is much less personal than meeting face-to-face. Internet technology in business decreases the personal aspect of business relationships. Business people used to network in restaurants and on golf courses. Today, the lack of physical proximity decreases brainstorming and other communications that use a personal touch. Employee Morale Installing monitoring software in the workplace sends the message to employees that the company does not trust them, according to research done under the aegis of professor Howard Besser while teaching at New York University. Giving employees responsibility, trust and respect boosts their morale and productivity. Showing them that they are not trusted and must be recorded decreases morale and worker productivity. This is true regardless of the actual reasons for installing monitoring software, according to the same research. Spam Spam refers to unwanted and unsolicited email messages. Spam is widespread and has negative impacts on business, according to the article Impact of Information Technology on Global Business published by Purdue University. Wading through spam email is a waste of time, and spam filters can only do so much. Users of spam filters must then check for necessary email messages diverted incorrectly as spam. Brick and Mortar The popularity of ecommerce has had a negative impact on brick-and-mortar retail stores. Smaller stores are finding more and more difficult to compete with both Internet businesses and larger retail stores. For example, small community bookstores must compete with Amazon. com as well as large stores such as Barnes ;amp; Noble that sell in person and online. Sometimes the smaller stores end up going out of business.

China :: essays research papers

China is a Communist Republic government. This means that the government regulates, sets rules, and runs most business in China. However, the increase in a worldwide economy around the middle of the 20th century caused China to evaluate their government and decide that something must be done to stimulate the Chinese economy and bring entrepreneurs to China otherwise they will be left behind in the forever-growing global economy. In fact, China has changing a lot from the past 30 years, and we can really tell the change. China is a great capitalism country now. That means, the government is controlling everything. However, with the change of the Chinese government, they become more flexible than before. This way can helping at the economy grow, and improve people ¡Ã‚ ¦s lives. We can see from the videos that there are more and more building, shops, and bars build in the cities of China. If you go to visit about 30 years ago, you may not see these views.  ¡Ã‚ §China is improving step by step, ¡Ã‚ ¨ one man said from the video. However, as the report shows, there are too many building now in China, and there are not many people who want and can afford to buy the buildings. That may loose the original purpose of this idea. Deng Xiaoping, the leader of China disbands communes who had already died, allowing farmers to freely sell their products and introduces profit incentives for factories. It is called  ¡Ã‚ §Socialism with Chinese characteristics ¡Ã‚ ¨ - a wonder of rhetoric. From there, many of the farmers start to sell their lands, and move to the big cities like Beijing, or open shops instead of farm. Under Jiang Zemin ¡Ã‚ ¦s leadership who is the leader after Deng Xiaoping ¡Ã‚ ¦s dead, the 15th Party Congress reveals its plan to sell most state-owned industries. It becomes privatize. In the coming years, tens of million of workers will be laid off; with no social protection is sight. Now, is this still socialism, no it ¡Ã‚ ¦s the raw capitalism. For the average Chinese, it might be the worst of both worlds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some people will put the Confucianism into the discussion of the capitalism. Chinese people called this combine idea as Internalism. Capitalism for China is to centralize all of the Chinese market, and use Confucianism into the modernity idea. It can help the developing of the economy and the growth of the production. In other words, they are just using Confucianism ¡Ã‚ ¦s united idea and thinking to look at the capitalism.

Mask Poor Communication

Assignment One: Miscommunication April Sherrod COM 200 Interpersonal Communication Terrance Frazier May 21, 2012 I agree with the article provided â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† because I have had plenty of encounters with my loved ones where I was meaning one thing and they were interpreting what I said a completely different way and thinking I meant something totally different from what I actually meant. Have you ever had a miscommunication with someone close to you simply because you assumed that they understood you?What happened? When it comes to having miscommunication with someone, my fiance and I should receive an â€Å"A† all the time. The miscommunication we have can be as simple as me telling him to go to the store and get me a soda and be meaning for him to get a Dr. Pepper and he will come back with a coke. However we have had more serious altercations over miscommunication than a run to the store. The most recent altercation we have had over miscommunication was over whether or not to accept a car my parents were trying to give us as a gift.When telling him of this car, I had told him that there was still a little over $2000 owed on this car, I also told him that they said they would finish paying it off to help pay off a debt they had owed us. He completely misunderstood me and thought I was telling him we were going to make the payments ourselves, which he was completely fine with; however he isn’t fine with my parents making payments on something that we are going to be using.In the end before I had re-explained how things were going to take place, he disagreed with us getting the car because he thought that they were just simply going to make the payments and also pay us back what they owed us from a previous encounter when they had borrowed some money. I ended up re-explaining things to him and told him that what he thought wasn’t the case that they were only going to pay off the car, n ot pay off the car and pay off the debt.So now that he knows what exactly is going to happen, he has agreed with letting them pay off the car and giving it to us. How can you make sure that this kind of miscommunication does not happen in the future? Or when it does happen, what could you do to make your communication more clear? Miscommunication will always happen, however I could take actions to make sure my point is across and that everything I say is understood the exact way I say it and not the way my fiance interprets it would be by asking him what he thinks I meant before ending the conversation.References Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication, January 24, 2011 http://health. usnews. com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/01/24/close-relationships-sometimes-mask-poor-communication Sole, K. (2011). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content. ashford. edu/books /AUCOM200. 11. 1

Literary and Critical Analysis of the Yellow Wallpaper Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote the Yellow Wallpaper in 1892, the theme of which was feminism and individuality and how one woman dealt with the neurosis of her mind created largely by the expectations of society. The spiral to her breakdown began from her baby’s birth and in today’s time it would be seen as postpartum depression but at the time when the book was written the woman was seen as being highly strung. Gilman creates the plot around the yellow wallpaper in the protagonist’s room and how her obsessive mind personifies the wallpaper. The deterioration of the woman’s mind is signified through the disintegration of the state of the wallpaper. The story was written at a time when the main role of the woman in society was creating a home for her family. Her sense of worth and her values were all gauged against the way her home functioned. In this strive for perfection of the home the women of the time usually lost their own sense of self and it is this struggle to maintain a sense of self that usually caused the most stress. This build-up of stress is what is signified in the book. When the book begins, Gilman immediately makes it clear that the protagonist, as the woman, is inferior to her husband, John, the physician. When she feels ill the solution for John is telling her to stay in bad, not to use her imagination and stop writing. To him her writing anything is something useless and unnecessary. However, to her, writing is her one release. It is with her being able to write that she is able to let go of her pent up feelings. She writes, â€Å"Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do? † (160). This last phrase underlines the state of mind and the actual state of mind of the women on the era. The woman is resigned to her inability to go against the societal norms no matter how unhappy it makes her. She has given birth to a baby and instead of feeling good she is feeling down. Her Husband and everyone around her thinks rest is the best answer and they confine her to her room. She knows that this confinement is not making her happy and she needs something to distract her, â€Å"Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good† (1279), yet she is helpless to counteract her husband’s orders. It is through this repression of her true self that her mind starts to break. The stress of hiding her true feelings and maintaining the semblance of normality, going against her true nature, while all the time believing that she was in the wrong in wanting more. The instances of this sort of conflict are shown throughout the book, â€Å"I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and her I am a comparative burden already† (162). The yellow wallpaper is the only thing she has to break the normality. Initially she dislikes it, â€Å"I’m really quite fond of this big room, all but the horrid paper† (1281). But as time passes and the wallpaper is the only thing of interest in the room she starts looking at it with interest. What initially started as a game in seeing the different patterns of the wallpaper changes into a real psychosis, and her state of mind is defined through her thoughts, â€Å"There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down† (1281). The most integral part of the story comes from the fact that the identity of the woman is never revealed. It is as if her name has no value and she herself is of no consequence and it is the people around her that define her. The story of the Yellow Wallpaper shows the role of woman in society in America in the past. It shows how a woman did not have control of her destiny and how a man could only see her as a possession not as an individual. The callous attitude of the husband who sees her state of mind as the weakness of women is the defining factor of the whole situation. By refusing to accept the woman’s mind as an individual and independent factor of her body and confining his wife to solitude, John the husband aggravates her situation. Her need to talk and write is belittled, her need to expose her emotions repelled by everyone around her. This causes her to get depressed. She does not know how to control herself, she becomes hysterical and needs help but the only help comes from her husband, and comes in a condescending manner that does not help matters. Many critics have given their own point of view and Gilman(1898) wrote in Women and Economics, ‘[regarding women]the same human energies and human desires and ambitions within. But all that she may wish to have, all that she may wish to do, must come through a single channel and a single choice. Wealth, power, social distinction, fame, -not only these, but home and happiness, reputation, ease and pleasure, her bread and butter,-all, must come to her through a small gold ring (Gilman, 57). The fact of the time was that men were considered the patriarchs and they were the ones in control. There was no concept of partnership. The woman in Gilman’s book seems to be conflicted in her concept of her role as a wife. she understands the expectations of societal norms but due to her own character she cannot in her mind accept them as norm. As she writes, â€Å"John laughs at me, but one expects that in marriage† (Gilman, 1973 pp. 9). It is as if women have no value and are mere objects. The woman seems to accept that but unconsciously is rebelling to this â€Å"ridicule† of women. The objectification of women and the judgment passed upon by men causes the woman in Gilman’s book to be constantly projecting an image of herself that is not real. She is reacting to what people expect rather than being what she really is and this is creating a conflict in her own self that she is struggling to overcome and yet cannot. I can feel myself under the gaze of someone whose eyes I do not even see, not even discern†¦ From the moment this gaze exists, I am already something other, in that I feel myself becoming an object for the gaze of others. (Gilman 1973 pp. 215). The struggle to maintain her identity while keeping her ideas hidden and in lieu with the norms is something she is unable to maintain and the disintegration of her mind shows the pressures she is under. The final deterioration of her mind is shown through her referring to herself in as somebody else. â€Å"‘I’ve got out at last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane’†(Gilman, 436). Critics suggest the woman has created an alter ego where the conventional self, the â€Å"rational self,† and the second is â€Å"the raging and uncontrolled madwoman† (Owens 77). Greg Johnson says that when the anger gets out of control the patriarchal influence is triumphed over (522). Realizing that the suppression of self is creating a regression of the mind the narration ends with the woman sleeping and creeping around the nursery like an infant (King and Morris 30). Victorian women did not have any control over themselves and it was this lack of control that is depicted in the Yellow Paper making it a distinctively feminist novel. Through the ripping of the wallpaper the woman destroys her conventional self and survives through the survival of her new identity or rather rebirth of her new self. References †¢ Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Feminist Press, 1973. †¢ Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Women and Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution Small, Maynard & Co. , 1898 †¢ O wens, E. Suzanne. â€Å"The Ghostly Double behind the Wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper. ’† †¢ King, Jeannette and Pam Morris. â€Å"On Not Reading between the Lines: Models of Reading in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper. ’† Studies in Short Fiction 26. 1 (1989): 23-32. †¢ Johnson, Greg. â€Å"Gilman’s Gothic Allegory: Rage and Redemption in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper. ’† Studies in Short Fiction 26. 4 (1989):521-30.

Credit risks in financial markets prior to credit crisis The WritePass Journal

Credit risks in financial markets prior to credit crisis Introduction Credit risks in financial markets prior to credit crisis IntroductionCredit risks in financial marketsLiquidity risks in financial marketsExtreme uncertainty and volatility in financial marketsThe effect of the crisis and the way aheadConclusionRelated Introduction In the last 25 years, the world suffered boom-bust economical recycling .What impressed us was the serious financial crisis happened in 1930, however, the credit crunch in 2008 was even worse. It   crisis is the culmination of a super boom that has lasted for more than twenty-five years and seems a sign of the end of an era of credit expansion based on the dollar as the international reserve currency. It might be formed because of the bursting of the Internet bubble in late 2000.The Fed responded by cutting the federal funds rate from 6.5% to 3.5% within space of just a few months. Occasionally, came with the terrorist attack of September 11,2001.To counteract the disruption of the economy, the Fed continued to lower rates in half a century, where it stayed for a full year. For thirty-one consecutive months the base inflation-adjusted short-term interest rate was negative. These consequent activities remain the interest rate in a low level for years that the rational lender will ke ep on lending until there is no one else to lend to, when money is free, an explosion of leveraged buyouts, and other excesses became conventional. Meanwhile, an endangered supper housing bubble is growing silently. According to the national statistic in the U.S., from 2000 until mid-2005, the market value of existing homes grew by more than 50%, and there was a frenzy of new construction. A shocking discovery by Merrill was that about half of all American GDP growth in the first half of 2005 was housing related, either directly, through home building and housing-related purchases like new furniture, or indirectly, by spending the cash generated from the refinancing of mortgages. This means, starting around 2005, securitization became a mania. It was easy and fast to create â€Å"synthetic† securities that mimicked the risks of real securities but did not carry the expense of buying and assembling actual loans. Therefore, Risky paper could be multiplied well beyond the actual supply in the market. Conversely, this activity led to an enormous increase in the use of leverage. To hold ordinary bonds requires a margin of 10%; synthetic bonds created by credit default swaps can be traded on a margin of 1.5%. It turned to be an opportunity for those hedge funds to show good profits by exploiting risk differentials on a leveraged basis, driving down risk premiums. Credit risks in financial markets The story began in early 2007, signs of trouble started to multiply. On February 22, HSBC fired the head of its U.S mortgage lending business, recognizing losses reaching $10.8 billion. Later on, DR Horton, the biggest homebuilder, warned of losses from subprime mortgages on March 9. Three days after, New Century Financial, one of the biggest subprime lenders, had its shares suspended from trading amid fears that the company was headed for bankruptcy. Then it was reported that late payments on mortgages and home foreclosures rose to new highs. What`s more , Accredited Home Lenders Holding put up $2.7 billion of its subprime loan book for sale , on March 16, at a heavy discount to generate cash for business operations. Even worse on April 2, New Century Financial filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after it was forced to repurchase billions of dollars which were worth of bad loans. The effects of sub-prime problems were gradually spread across banks around the world when many of the mortgages had been bundled up and sold on to banks and investors. In July, investment bank Bear Stearns tells investors they will get little, if any, of the money invested in two of its hedge funds after rival banks refuse to help it bail them out. On 9 August 2007, investment bank BNP Paribas tells investors they will not be able to take money out of two of its funds because it cannot value the assets in them, for an excuse of a complete evaporation of liquidity in the market. Obviously, banks are refusing to do business with each other. On June 15, 2007, two large mortgage hedge funds of Bears stern were having trouble meeting margin calls. To cope with this, Bear grudgingly created a $3.2 billion credit line to bail out one fund and let the other collapse which indicated that investors` equity of $1.5 billion was mostly wiped out. As late as July 2007, Bernanke still estimated subprime losses at only about $100 billion. When Merrill Lynch and Citigroup took big write-down on in-house collateralized debt obligations, the markets actually staged a relief rallyThe SP 500 hit a new high in mid-July. People release and think it naively finished. Somehow, it was only at the beginning of August that financial markets really took fright. Shockingly, Bear Stearns filed for bankruptcy protection for two hedge funds exposed to subprime loans and stopped clients from withdrawing cash from a third fund. Though it was useless, Bear Stearns had tried to save these entities by injecting $3.2 billion of additional funding. Liquidity risks in financial markets Everything that could go wrong, once the crisis erupted, financial markets unraveled with remarkable dramatically. Investment banks with large positions of CDOs to keep off balance sheet in so-called structured investment vehicles (SIVs). By issuing asset backed commercial paper, the investment banks financed their positions by SIVs. As the value of CDOs came into trouble, the asset-backed commercial paper market dried up, in order to keep the market liquid, the investment banks were forced to bail out their SIVs. Most investment banks took the SIVs into their balance sheet and surrendered to commit that large losses were in the process. Consequently, Investment banks were sitting on large loan commitments to finance leveraged buyouts. Normally, they would package these loans as collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and sell them off, but the CLO market came to a standstill together with the CDO market, and the banks were left holding a bag worth about $250 billion. Some banks allow ed their SIVs to go bust, and some reneged on their leveraged buyout obligations. This, together with the size of the losses incurred by the banks, served to unnerve the stock market, and price movements became chaotic. So-called market-neutral hedge funds, which exploit small discrepancies in market prices by using very high leverage, ceased to be market neutral and incurred unusual losses. A few highly leveraged ones were wiped out, damaging the reputation of their sponsors and unleashing lawsuits. The banking system suffered all this pressures. They had to put additional items on their balance sheets at a time when their capital base was impaired by unexpected losses. Banks had difficulty assessing their exposure and even greater difficulties estimating the exposure of their counterparts. Similarly, they were reluctant to lend to each other and eager to save their liquidity. At the very beginning, central banks found it difficult to inject enough liquidity due to commercial banks avoiding used any of the facilities which had a responsible to attach them, and they were also ignored to deal with each other, meanwhile, these obstacles were overcome .After all, if there is one thing central banks know how to do, that is to provide liquidity. Only the Bank of England suffered a major debacle when it attempted to rescue Northern Rock, an overextended mortgage lender. Its rescue effort resulted in a run on the bank. Eventually Northern Rock was nationalized and its obligations added to the national debt, pushing the United Kingdom beyond the limits imposed by the Maastricht Treaty. Extreme uncertainty and volatility in financial markets The banking sector tended to filled with liquidity, however, the crisis refused to abate. Credit spreads continued to widen. Correlated that almost all the major banksCitigroup, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Bank of America, Wachovia, UBS, Credit Suisseannounced major write-downs in the final quarter of the year, and most have signaled continued write-downs , separately, most others have signaled continued write-downs in 2008. Both AIG and Credit Suisse made preliminary fourth-quarter write-down announcements that they repeatedly revised, conveying the doubtless accurate impression that they had lost control of their balance sheets. A failed with   $7.2 billion trading at Societe Generale announced in January 2008, coincided with a selling climax in the stock market and an extraordinary 75 basis point cut in the federal funds rate eight days before the regularly scheduled meeting, when the rate was cut a further 50 basis points. This was unprecedented. Distress spread from residential real estate to credit card debt, auto debt, and commercial real estate. Trouble at the monocline insurance companies, which traditionally specialized in municipal bonds but ventured into insuring structured and synthetic products, caused the municipal bond market to be disrupted. With the intension of credit market, numourous of entities went bankruptcy. This called for large amount of compensation by the insurance companies.   No doubt that an even larger unresolved problem is looming in the credit default swaps market (CDSs). Changing in structure of financial landscape The effect of the crisis and the way ahead Over the past several decades the United States has weathered several major financial crises, like the international lending crisis of the 1980s and the savings and loan crisis of the early 1990s.But the current crisis is of an entirely different character. It has spread from one segment of the market to others, particularly those which employ newly created structured and synthetic instruments. Both the exposure and the capital base of the major financial institutions have been brought into question, and the uncertainties are likely to remain unresolved for an extended period of time. This is impeding the normal functioning of the financial system and is liable to have far-reaching consequences for the real economy. Conclusion Both the financial markets and the financial authorities have been very slow to recognize that the real economy is bound to be affected. It is hard to understand why this should be so. The real economy was stimulated by credit expansion. Why should it not be negatively affected by credit contraction? One cannot escape the conclusion that both the financial authorities and market participants harbor fundamental misconceptions about the way financial markets function. These misconceptions have manifested themselves not only in a failure to understand what is going on; they have given rise to the excesses which are at the root of the current market turmoil.

Book Report Outline A Step-by-Step Guide on Formatting a Book Report

Book Report Outline A Step-by-Step Guide on Formatting a Book Report Book Report Outline Book report writing is a task that is typical of the K-12 level. By writing this type of assignment students practice to read, sum up what has been read and express their thoughts clearly and concisely. Sometimes, when students face the challenge of book report writing, they dont know where to start or what to do. In the meantime, this assignment can be easily done if a book report format is followed. Here is a brief book report outline that will help you to cope with your assignment effectively. HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REPORT Book report is a form of an essay and as such should begin with an introduction. The introduction contains basic book and author info, including title, author of the book, year of publication and some additional information. Here is what your book report can begin with:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"[Insert Book Title Here]† written by [Author Name] is a [novel; short story; poem, a piece of fiction] that was first published in [Year of Publication] by [Who Published it?].  This work is believed to be one of the author’s best works [or hasn’t been recognized at the time of publication]. The author wrote it as a response to [revolution; war; political changes; social issues etc]. As a result, this piece of writing immediately became popular [or was prohibited; wasn’t recognized]. For this reason, it can be best understood within the context of these events. BOOK REPORT TEMPLATE Now it’s time to move on to the body of the book report. In this part, you can briefly mention main characters of the book and explain them. You can use the following phrases:  There are several characters in this [book, novel, poem etc] who are important for understanding it. [Character 1] is the protagonist of the story and is†¦ [describe this character, say a few words about his/her appearance, whether or this character is positive or negative, whether you like him/her or not etc].   Follow the same pattern to describe other characters in the book. Use quotations and additional evidence to support your claim.  Next step is your plot summary. Since book reports rarely take more than 250 words or one page, bear in mind that this part should be rather brief. Mention key plot events, the entire description shouldn’t take more than 3-5 sentences. There’s hardly a specific pattern for a plot summary, so just use your own words and judgment to come up with it.  The final step is mentioning things like themes, symbols, and motifs. This part is optional, and you need to follow your instructions closely – if you are required to do it, do it. Otherwise, it will unnecessary work. TOP 25 BOOK REPORT IDEAS Close up with your brief evaluation:  Overall this book [novel, poem, fiction] leaves as positive [negative] impression and I would [or would not] recommend it to other readers. If you feel you need assistance with book report writing, contact our support team or place an order and we will gladly help you.

Finance 550 24hours Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance 550 24hours - Essay Example The separate segments of financial service industry have converged as an effective way of transferring risks. Whereas banks are shedding financial and credit risks to insurance firms, insurance companies are employing banks as means of hedging some of the foreseeable market risks that are commonly associated with their portfolios of retail products (Buckle and Thompson, 2005). Off commercial banks’ balance sheets: As suggested by Lewis and Davis (1987), commercial banks have engaged is securitization of residential mortgage loans through Asset Backed Securities (ABS) since 1980s. Whole banks have expanded these markets to include a vast range of asset types such as syndicate loans and deposits. Through Asset Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP) programmes, wholesale banks have managed to warehouse assets. In the recent banks, these banks have also used collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) to transfer risks associated with syndicate loans and deposits to re-insurance and co-insurance companies. Through these programs, co-insurance provides syndicated loans to be held by commercial banks or loans that can be sold as securities. Wholesale banks and policy-makers recognize that liquidity is paramount in the dynamics of financial risks and its measurement aids in regulating systematic risks. Wholesale banking has maintained enough buffer liquid assets by transferring some assets to co-insurance or re-insurance companies. WB have traditionally provided liquid funds to its clients by issuing transactions deposits, which often act as substitute for money. Liquidity productions from deposits allow clients to take cash on demand from commercial banks. Based on knowledge and information collected by WB, commercial banks can invest float from these transactions thus creating a positive carry for them. WB knowledge on credit risks and future opportunities for economic