Cave Paintings Essay - 958 Words

Creating art is one of the single defining factors that set humans apart from animal species. Through art, humans are able to express their innermost ideas and feelings, without having the difficulty of trying to find the correct words to accurately describe their thought processes. Works of art can help us to understand the people who have come before us. This is evidenced by the knowledge humans have discovered of prehistoric men and their symbolic cave paintings. The expression, style, and meaning vary and archaeologists put in much effort to uncover these works. The first evidence of cave art appeared in Western Europe (Berenguer 67). Early cave paintings were characteristic of Western art. They were supported by an acute vision,†¦show more content†¦It is often found to be extremely animalistic. The animals most commonly depicted are horses, deer, reindeer, bison, ipex, aurochs, woolly rhinoceroses, and mammoths. Sometimes lions and bears are also created, but rarely fi sh or birds. Humans were also commonly represented (Berenguer 73). Prehistoric men also created abstract designs that have proven hard to identify. They are referred to as signs and a special nomenclature has been developed to better understand their meaning. Tectiforms are generally quadrangular shapes, with crossing vertical lines inside forming a trellis or mesh design. Tectiforms often appear near naturalistic figures of animals. Scutiforms have been thought to represent the female vulva. They are formed by red patches, often in the form of a comma or a key. Other types of signs are penniforms, ramiforms, and claviforms. The exact meanings of most of these signs remain unknown (Berenguer 82). The French scholar Leroi-Gourhan formed a theory regarding the animalistic and abstract art representations. He believed all depictions revolved around the law of sex, noting that the philosophy of the prehistoric men concentrated all explanations on sex and sexual relations. Cave art depic tions of animals are divided into male and female. The male animals are horses, she-goats, and deer. Bison, bovidae, and mammoths are female. The signs are also divided into gender categories. Triangles, rectangles, ramiforms, tectiforms, and scutiforms areShow MoreRelatedEssay on Cave Paintings1253 Words   |  6 Pages The Cave of Lascaux and Cave Art nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Cave paintings might possibly be the oldest known form of communication that exists today. Cave paintings date back to a period of time called the Paleolithic Age. The Paleolithic Age took place from 40,000 to 10,000 B.C. Prehistoric Age is divided into three parts: Paleolithic being the earliest, Mesolithic being the middle at 10,000 B.C. and Neolithic Age being the latest at 8,000 B.C. During the Paleolithic Age it is believed thatRead More The Unwritten History of Cave Paintings Essay1613 Words   |  7 Pageswas cave painting. Cave painting is a form of prehistoric art that dates back hundreds of thousands of years. Analysts are unable to specify the reasoning behind these paintings of objects on cave walls, but many theories have been formulated to surmise the rational behind the art. Questions arise like, â€Å"why did man find a need to paint the walls of caves† and is this part of the foundation of the origin of human life as we know it? ( Beacon) The ecumenical belief is rooted at history, cave paintingsRead MoreCave Paintings Such As Those At Lascaux And Altamira2077 Words   |  9 Pages What are common motifs found in cave paintings such as those at Lascaux and Altamira? Summarize the current theories about their original meaning and purpose Cave paintings are seen now in our society is a snapshot of just what they people during that time cherished when it comes to prehistoric art. The Lascaux brought about many things and showed historians what the appreciated most during that time. In this cave, there were many depicted cows, bulls, and dear along the natural ledges of the rockRead MoreCave Paintings In The Film Cave Of Forgotten Dreams820 Words   |  4 Pagesthe clues left behind of how humans used to live. When asked to recreate cave paintings a common drawing some might think of stick figures. The actuality of the cave paintings is that they are incredibly detailed and are able to show the artistic talent of the cavemen and women. In the film Cave of Forgotten Dreams, it focuses on a cave in southern France and the intricate paintings and artifacts found inside. The cave dates to around 30,000 years ago and there is a unique aspect of how everythingRead MoreThe Cave Paintings Of Chauvet Pont D Arc Cave1038 Words   |  5 Pages The cave paintings of Chauvet-Pont-D Arc are one of the oldest prehistoric sites in the world. It is located in the Ardeche region of southern France. Chauvet-Pont-D Arc cave was only discovered as recently as 1994. Jean-Marie Chauvet and his team of cavers just happened to stumble upon it when they removed a rumble of stones that blocked the passageway (Introduction to the Cave). This is such an extraordinary piece of art history due to the time period a nd what it can tell us about our historyRead MoreDiscovering Prehistory : Chapter 11687 Words   |  7 Pages The author Joy McCorriston, was a student at the Institute of Archaeology in London and found out about the chance to visit the Lascaux cave from a radio show contest. Although she didn’t â€Å"win† she was lucky enough to join the tour. She listens to stories from Monsieur Jaceues Marshal, a discoverer of the cave and the cave’s guard as she gets to tour the cave. Lascaux Cave’s discovery had come about because four local boys found a hiding place to tease and abandon an outsider, a Jewish boy sentRead MoreThe Evolution of Graphic Design792 Words   |  3 Pagessets were popular, painting was the main form of graphic design. Paintings date back through time to the Paleolithic ages when paintings were made on the cave walls of local tribes. It is speculated by Josà © Luis Sanchidrià ¡n, that the earliest paintings were most likely to have been created by Neanderthals instead of early modern humans. One notable example of an ancient painting is the Grott e Chauvet, located in France and estimated to be about 32,000 years old. The paintings were made using redRead MoreEssay on Cosque Cave820 Words   |  4 PagesCosque Cave Many, many years ago, a cave was in use, and many paintings, drawings, and engravings were put on the walls of the cave. About ten years ago, a man was diving in the Mediterranean and came across something that no one would ever think about finding. It was a prehistoric painted cave with an underwater entrance. It is known today as the Cosquer cave. Jean Cosquer, a professional diver, discovered the cave. He was diving for no particular reason, and foundRead MoreTaking a Look at Cave Art691 Words   |  3 Pagesthink of cave art you may think of it is a way of just communicating or it does not really have much meaning to it. But when you really look into the art you find so much more. It’s amazing what you can find about the humans in the past just through their art, you get to find out where did they creativity come from and why did they create. In this essay I am going to discuss what made the features on the cave so special? And why were they made? The stunning prehistoric cave art at AltamiraRead MoreIran Before and After the Revolution Essay794 Words   |  4 Pageshuman was creating markings on the surfaces of the caves and , since the down of civilization , on the walls of ancient structures Although in certain cases motivations to produce such marks are covered by mystery , wall paintings , and engravings definitely serve as factual evidence of humans presence along various locations . The appearance and production of techniques of graffiti have been varying throughout decades , but cave paintings of prehistoric period , ancient engravings , or

Helen of Troy - 823 Words

Since we are talking favourite characters, thought I would talk about one from Greek Mythology, a female figure that I like, and find very interesting. Well, to be honest, you really cannot see any good portion of character development. The larger story is literally involved with the rise and fall of people around her. She even displayed very little emotions and was sort of unaffected by the war outcome. Still I like her Helen of Troy, or Helen or Sparta, one of the most controversial female characters in literature, has been the literary and mythic symbol of beauty and illicit love. She was the most beautiful woman in Greece best known for being the cause of the Trojan War. A wholewar which lasted for ten years. Helen, was flesh and†¦show more content†¦Helen and Menelaus were married. Following Tyndareus’ death, Menelaus became king of Sparta. Few years later, Paris, a Trojan prince came to Sparta to marry Helen, whom he had been promised by Aphrodite after he had chosen her as the most beautiful of the goddesses, earning the wrath of Athena andHera. Helen fell in love-as Aphrodite promised- and eloped with him, leaving behind Menelaus and Hermione â€Å"her daughter†. When Menelaus discovered that his wife was missing, he called upon all the other suitors to fulfill their oaths, thus beginning the Trojan War. Virtually all of Greece took part, either attacking Troy with Menelaus or defending it from them. The more you read about Helen, the more conflict you feel towards her true nature†¦To some authors she is a muse, a female figure of anexceptional inspiration. To others she is a deceitful woman who is considered the sole cause of the death of thousands Greek and Trojanmen â€Å"†¦and excited the heart of Helen; maddened by the Trojan man, a traitorous guest, she followed him in a ship on the sea, leaving at home her child and her husband†¦ The Trojan plain holds conquered because of that woman† Alkois here holds Helen responsiblefor the destruction of Troy. Homer, one of the most celebrated authors of epic literature, has a more complex view of Helen’s character. His Iliad is full of negative references towardsShow MoreRelatedHelen of Troy1286 Words   |  6 Pagesand Cassandra s prophecy that he would be the cause of Troy s destruction. Worried, his father King Priamleaves him on Mount Ida, where he is found and raised by the shepherd Agelaus. When he is an adult, he judges Aphrodite as the fairest of the three goddesses,  Hera,  Athena, and  Aphrodite. After awarding her the golden apple she promises him the love of  Helen of Sparta, the most beautiful woman in the world. Meanwhile in Sparta, Helen sees in a pool Paris s judgement, and happily accepts hisRead MoreHelen Of Troy1455 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Helen of Troy In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy, also known as Helen of Sparta, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and was a sister of Castor, Pollux, and Clytemnestra. In Greek myths, she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. By marriage she was Queen of Laconia, a province within Homeric Greece, the wife of King Menelaus. Her abduction by Paris, Prince of Troy, brought about the Trojan War. Elements of her putative biography come from classical authors such as Aristophanes, CiceroRead MoreHelen Of Troy : The Real Father Of Helen Of Troy785 Words   |  4 PagesHelen of Troy is one of the most beautiful demi goddesses out there but she seems to have two fathers. Zeus and Tyndareus are both considered to be partly her father. Throughout this essay, the genetic biology of Helen, Tyndareus, Zeus and Leda as well as anyone who could have an effect on her phenotype. We will conclude by stating which of Zeus and Tyndareus is more closely related to her and as a result being her â€Å" real† father. Greece will also be covered in relation to these events as well asRead MoreCharacters in Helen of Troy1429 Words   |  6 PagesCHARACTERS MORTALS: AGAMEMNON The leader of the Achaean expedition to Troy, he was the King of Mycenae. On his return from Troy he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra, and her lover Aegisthus. The lover was the son of Thyestes, the brother and enemy of Atreus, Agamemnons father. When Odysseus voyages to Hades he meets with Agamemnons ghost. ALCINOUS The King of the Phaeacians and husband of Arete, who had a daughter called Nausicaa. Nausicaa helps Odysseus when he first arrives in theirRead MoreHelen Of Troy : The World Of Mythology1188 Words   |  5 PagesPoetry Analysis Essay Helen of Troy holds legendary status is the world of mythology. Being the catalyst of one of mythologies largest wars, Helen lacks no influence. Many know the story, at least in its most basic form, the girl so mesmerizingly beautiful that the mighty empires of Greece and Troy waged war over her. With that said, a story so widely known has, predictable, many interpretations. Here Edgar Allan Poe in his piece â€Å"To Helen† and H.D. in her piece â€Å"Helen† each capture their own interpretationRead MoreFilm Review of Helen of Troy1658 Words   |  7 Pagesand villains and nature reflected the mood of the gods and goddesses. I.B. Place of Action: Troy (Asia Minor), also Ilium (ancient Ilion), famous city of Greek legend, on the northwestern corner of Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. Anatolia is west of Greece (across the Aegean Sea) and north of Egypt (across the Mediterranean Sea). II. Characters and Description of Characters Sienna Guillory as Helen- The most beautiful woman in Greece, daughter of the god Zeus and of Leda. She was abducted inRead Morereaction about helen of troy1673 Words   |  7 Pagesfar as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the appleRead MoreHelen of Troy Movie Analysis2033 Words   |  9 PagesTitle of the Movie: Helen of Troy Directed By: John Kent Harrison Produced By: Ted Kurdyla Written By: Ronni Kern Starring: Sienna Guillory as Helen Matthew Marsden as Paris John Rhys-Davies as King Priam of Troy Emilia Fox as Cassandra, Princess of Troy Rufus Sewell as Agamemnon Stellan Skarsgà ¥rd as Theseus Joe Montana as Achilles Katie Blake as Clytemnestra Craig Kelly as Pollux Manuel Cauchi as Paris’ Father Kristina Paris as Iphigenia Music By: Joel Goldsmith Cinematography: Edward J. PaiRead MoreHelen of Troy Literary Analysis1250 Words   |  5 PagesHelen of Troy I. CHARACTERS Major Characters: Achilles- Stanley Baker Agamemnon- Robert Douglas Andromache- Patricia Marmont Hector- Harry Andrews Helen of Troy- Rossana Podestà   MenelausNiall MacGinnis Paris- Jacques Sernas Patroclus- Terence Longdon Priam- Cedric Hardwicke Ulysses- Torin Thatcher Minor Characters: Aeneas- Ronald Lewis Polydorus- Robert Brown Alpheus- TonioSelwart Andraste- Brigitte Bardot Andros- Eduardo Ciannelli Cassandra- Janette Scott Cora- Barbara Cavan Dancer- GeorgeRead MoreHelen Of Troy And Greek Mythology1179 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Helen of Troy was the daughter of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology. She has a twin sister named Clytemnestra as well as her twin brothers Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri). Helen was considered to be the most beautiful woman in the known world. As a young girl she was abducted by Theseus, who left her in the care of his mother but Helen was later rescued by her brothers when they invaded Athens. Many suitors tried to win Helen’s hand after her return and eventually Menelaus brother of Agamemnon become

WHS Policies for Occupational and Safety Health Act- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theWHS Policies for Occupational and Safety Health Act. Answer: In an organization, the primary duty of care lies upon the persons who carry the business undertakings or the PCBUs. The PCBUs are conferred with the responsibility to ensure that the employees of the organization are acting in compliance with the workplace safety and health policies and procedures of the organization (Gray et al., 2014). The workplace Health and Safety policies in Australia imposes certain duties on the persons who exercises control over the workplace such as persons who are responsible for operating fittings, fixtures or plant. Law further imposes duties on the directors, officers, workers and the other staffs within the organization. In the Bounce fitness organization, according to section 19 of the Occupational and Safety Health Act 1984, the duty of the PCBUs to exercise duty of care is not only restricted to the employees but also to all other persons who may become subject to risks resulting from the conduct or omission of the PCBUs. The primary duty includes duties with respect to the actual physical workplace ensuring safe workplace condition and safety of fixtures, fittings, plants and machines used within the workplace (Sekendiz et al., 2014). Although a gym operator has several providers such as personal trainers, still the gym operator is often considered as a PCBU with respect to health and safety of the personal trainers and the clients of the independent contractors. The employer must ensure that the employee, staffs and other staffs of the organization are not exposed to hazards and he must take every reasonable measures to reduce or eliminate the hazards identified within the workplace that may res ult in injuries. The gym operator owed a duty of care towards the workers, which includes the employees, contractors, volunteers, and the workers of the contractors. According to Division 2 clause 1.4 of the Occupational and Safety Health Regulations 1996, the employers of a workplace is responsible for matters over which he is entitled to exercise control and for the works done by the employer and his employees within the workplace. The duty of care of the employer is also restricted to employee and other persons who shall be affected for any conduct or omission on part of the employer and his employees. Section 20 of the Act requires the employees to take reasonable care to for ensuring his or her own safety and health at work and avert any conduct or omission that might cause injury to the other person within the workplace (De Lyon, Neville Armour, 2017). The employees committing breach of the duty shall be liable for gross negligence and shall be imposed fine of $2500 for first offence and $31250 for second offense under section 20A of the Act. The breach of employers duty shall entitle the employer to be liable for Level 4 penalty. According to Division 2 clause 5.3 of the Regulation, it is imperative to determine hazardous substances within the workplace to prevent any injuries resulting from such substances. One of the primary duties of an employer is to promote consultation and co-operation between the employees and the employers. The employers are required to co-operate and consult with health and safety representatives with respect to health and safety matters. Consultation process is essential for maintaining and providing a health and safety workplace within the organization (Gray et al., 2015). The participation of the employees is essential in the consultation process as the employees are aware of the risks that are associated with the workplace of the organization. The consultation process can be conducted in two ways- the PUBCs will inform the employees about the safety policies and procedures of the organization. The involvement of the employer and employee enables to identify the hazards associated with the organizational workplace and enables the employers to assess the hazards to minimize or eliminate the risk of harm arising from such hazards. The other consultation process includes representation of the Health and Safety representatives where the workers are consulted regarding the health and safety issues that the workers and employees usually face within the workplace. The workers are consulted while any changes are proposed to be made within the workplace (Landsbergis, Grzywacz LaMontagne, 2014). The consultation process ensures the employees that they are an important part of the decision-making process of the organization. In case, any risk has been assessed within workplace, clause 5.22 of the OHS Regulation states that the Centre Manager of Bouncer Fitness is required to ensure that monitoring is done properly and a record is maintained to document such monitoring. The persons who are likely to be affected from the hazards identified within the workplace shall be informed about the result of such monitoring of the hazardous substances. Under clause 5.23(1) of the Regulation, in case the health of any person is likely to be affected due to the exposure of the person to the hazardous substances within the workplace, the manager must conduct medical surveillance of such employee by a medical practitioner. Bounce Fitness has a strict monitoring safety system that has been developed which the Monash Injury Research Institute has confirmed to be effective to the extent that it prevents the occurrence of serious injury while carrying out exercises within the workplace. The general safety rule highlights the risks that are associated with the workplace as the terms and conditions before the clients commence the exercises. In order to prevent the clients from sustaining serious injuries while exercising on the trampolines, safety rules and regulations are clearly posted at the entrance of the trampoline courts, which are regulated and enforced by the floor staffs. In case of any changes, the same are clearly posted within the workplaces at conspicuous places to be visible to the staffs and the clients of the organization. The clients of the organization are provided with adequate trainings and information with respect to workplace health and safety legislations and policies and procedures of the organization (Holt Allen, 2015). The staffs of the Bounce Fitness have significant experiences in the field of gymnastics and sports and other associated activities like spots coaching and circus related performances. Trained trampoline professionals who have been given adequate training in First Aid and CPR monitor the trampoline courts within the workplace of the organization. Moreover, the staffs are acknowledged with the rules and guidelines that are applicable for trampoline exercise, which the trained professionals also enforce. The staffs of the organization encourage and enforce the one person per trampoline for preventing any form of accidents or injuries. The organization provides adequate training to the staffs to exercise additional care to children under 6 years of age prevent adult jumpers from jumping within that area to prevent any form of injuries arising from such activities. The training and instructions provided to employees of the organization are adequate to ensure that the clients do not attempt any activity beyond their skill. Risk assessment is conducted to identify any risks associated with the exercise training services and an implementation of the control measures shall enable the organization to minimize or reduce such risks (Burke Noumair, 2015). The hierarchy of control measures includes eliminating, substituting, isolating, engineering, using of administrative and personal protective equipment. Under the circumstances of the case, the most appropriate way of controlling the risk arising from the use of stock trolleys is the use of administrative control measures, which includes the following measures: warnings or signs that would infirm the clients and other workers as well about any default in the trampoline or other exercise machines; adequate training should have been provided to the staffs and trainers to ensure safety and health of the clients of all age. Pre-start checks should be commenced before permitting the clients to use the exercising machines or sources. Identification of Risk/Hazards Assessment of Risks/ Hazards Control measures Issues relating to qualifications or trainings of staffs Low Requires proof of Minimum qualification of staffs Identify and implement any additional training required Health risks in health training High The clients must comply with the rules and regulations of the Bounce Fitness centre Injuries due to poor maintenance of machines Considerable The centre must ensure that all the machines and equipments are well maintained and are serviced on a regularly First aid response to injuries Moderate A reporting and documentation procedure should be implemented in case of injuries; A first aid kit should always be available within the workplace Exposure to hazardous substances Low A hazardous substance register should be updated and hazardous substance should be replaced with safer materials Hazards on floor like loose carpets, tiles, causing trips or slips Significant The contractors, trainers and the clients are required to wear appropriate footwear and clothing while they enter the fitness centre Source: Cooper Quick, 2017 Presentation attached with the word document. The safety policy of Bounce Fitness is available on the following link https://bounceinc.com.au/our-safety-policy#/ According to Part 3 division 1 Clause 3.1 of the OHS Regulations, the employer of any organization must identify any hazard that is likely to affect any person within the workplace and assess the risk of harm is likely to cause to such person and have regards to the means through which the hazard may be reduced or minimized. According to clause 3.5 of Part 3 Division 1, if an employee makes a report of hazard to the employer, the employer must conduct an immediate investigation with respect to such report. Under the given circumstances, an employee of the Bouncer Fitness reports about a hazard associated with an incorrect setup and a use of a piece of fitness machinery, it is the responsibility of the center manager to investigate the machine under clause 3.5 of the OHS Act. In order to ensure that the default in the machine does not result in injuries to the staffs and clients of the organization, the machines should be re-set up in the appropriate manner. The part of the machine, which has a default in its use, should be replaced or adequate signs or warnings should be placed at a conspicuous place, which would be clearly visible to clients and the staffs within the workplace. This would be an administrative form of control that would enable the organization to minimize or eliminate the risk of harm that is likely to arise either from the use of the defaulted part of the machine or from the incorrect setting up of the machines. The centre manager has a primary duty to ensure health and safety within the organization. Reference List Benach, J., Vives, A., Amable, M., Vanroelen, C., Tarafa, G., Muntaner, C. (2014). Precarious employment: understanding an emerging social determinant of health.Annual review of public health,35. Burke, W. W., Noumair, D. A. (2015).Organization development: A process of learning and changing. FT Press. Cooper, C. L., Quick, J. C. (Eds.). (2017).The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice. John Wiley Sons. De Lyon, A. T., Neville, R. D., Armour, K. M. (2017). The role of fitness professionals in public health: a review of the literature.Quest,69(3), 313-330. Gray, S. E., Keyzer, P., Norton, K., Dietrich, J., Sekendiz, B., Coyle, I., Finch, C. F. (2015). The Role of Equipment, the Physical Environment and Training Practices in Customer Safety Within Fitness Facilities: the Perspectives of Fitness Industry Employees.Journal of Fitness Research,4. Gray, S., Keyzer, P., Dietrich, J., Jones, V., Sekendiz, B., Norton, K., Finch, C. (2014). The development and application of an observational health and safety audit tool for use in Australian fitness facilities.Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport,18, e4. Holt, A. S. J., Allen, J. (2015).Principles of health and safety at work. Routledge. Landsbergis, P. A., Grzywacz, J. G., LaMontagne, A. D. (2014). Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities.American journal of industrial medicine,57(5), 495-515. Landsbergis, P. A., Grzywacz, J. G., LaMontagne, A. D. (2014). Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities.American journal of industrial medicine,57(5), 495-515. Sekendiz, B., Gass, G., Norton, K., Finch, C. F. (2014). Cardiac emergency preparedness in health/fitness facilities in Australia.The Physician and sportsmedicine,42(4), 14-19. Takala, J., Hmlinen, P., Saarela, K. L., Yun, L. Y., Manickam, K., Jin, T. W., ... Lin, G. S. (2014). Global estimates of the burden of injury and illness at work in 2012.Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene,11(5), 326-337. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1984 (Western Australia) The Occupational Health and Safety Act 1999 (Western Australia)

Our Writers Favorite Word of the Week Synesthesia! - The Writers For Hire

OUR WRITERS FAVORITE WORD OF THE WEEK? SYNESTHESIA! Today we found a new word! Synesthesia! Synesthesia is a rare neurological sensory phenomenon that causes people to experience unique perceptual cross-overs. Do your numbers or days have colors or personalities? Do certain words taste sweet to you, while others are bitter or sour? Or do you see colors when you hear music, see abstract concepts like time projected in the space around you, or feel a tingly sensation when you smell certain things? If any of these apply to you, you may have synesthesia! This interesting article from MNN.com dives into the fascinating minds of  synesthetes (people who have synesthesia) and how their views of the world around us, and the way they process information, differs from the average person. They also explain how synesthesia is diagnosed, genetic components of synesthesia, and the reasons behind why only up to 4 percent of the population has synesthesia.

TheSortOfEconomic Constitution Essay Research Paper The SortOfEconomic free essay sample

The-Sort-Of-Economic Constitution Essay, Research Paper The Sort-Of-Economic Fundamental law The Constitution was written to supply the 13 settlements with cosmopolitan regulations, Torahs, and ordinances on all refering issues. Many topics were discussed ; distributions of power locally and nationally, enforcement of the footings of the distribution, revenue enhancement, and commercialism. Throughout the authorship of the Constitution, issues that concerned the economic system, such as revenue enhancement and economic powers, were uncovered, but in the terminal, a cardinal subject became clear. The Constitution was written to command the rights of power and the distribution of the power in political relations more than in economic sciences. Around 1913, Charles A. Beard released his reading of the Constitution, in which he announced that the Constitution was basically an economic papers and that it was written and ratified by economic groups for economic grounds. Beard # 8217 ; s thought was non taken lightly, and for a period of clip in the early 1900 # 8217 ; s, his economic theory was believed to be the one and merely right theory. We will write a custom essay sample on TheSortOfEconomic Constitution Essay Research Paper The SortOfEconomic or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was believed that disbelievers were either professional nationalists or merely naif academicians. Beard explained that the framers of the Constitution had been members of the upper category of society, and that economic sciences were a big portion of the Constitution because they would hold a direct, positive consequence on the framers themselves. However, Henry Steele Commager argued that theory with a theory of his O wn. Commager was able to turn out that even though economic sciences was discussed and was an issue in the authorship of the Constitution, political relations and power were the major concerns of the framers. The authors of the Constitution, harmonizing to Commager, were more disquieted about decently administering governmental powers and control of land than their deriving a personal benefit from raising land value to assist themselves. Larger issues such as the distribution of the power which allowed the authorization to revenue enhancement, the elevation of ground forcess, modulating commercialism, commanding of contracts, ordaining bankruptcy statute law, the ordinance of western districts, and the devising of pacts were resolved earlier private belongings values and economic sciences. When Commager looked at the Constitution, he explained that even though economic sciences was discussed and smaller issues arose, a larger, political power battle was the mainframe for the Constitution. The footing of the Constitution can differ from individual to individual based upon separate reading, but two chief thoughts are clearly seeable throughout the address. Economic jobs and issues are brought up, confronted, and resolved, but the division of power is the footing for the authorship of the Constitution to get down with. Commager # 8217 ; s theory rested on the fact that historiographers and research workers saw that before the Constitution, power was non regulated, but after it was, all power was distributed to all authoritiess every bit good as occupations and demands of being in power.

IRS No Longer Sending Paper Tax Forms

IRS No Longer Sending Paper Tax Forms They say the only things certain in life are death and taxes. That might be true. But the way you pay your taxes is certainly changing. Key Takeaways The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officially stopped mailing annual tax return forms to individual taxpayers at the end of 2010.The IRS estimated at the time that the change would, in fact, save taxpayers over $10 million a year in printing, postage, and processing costs.Paper tax forms and instructions can still be ordered from the IRS or picked up at local IRS assistance centers or participating post offices and public libraries.Electronic filing or â€Å"efiling† is now the predominant method of filing tax returns, with over 56 million taxpayers having prepared and efiled their federal tax returns since the IRS stopped mailing paper tax forms in 2011 The Internal Revenue Service announced that it will no longer mail out paper tax forms to Americans, effective 2011. The move is designed to save everyones favorite government agency a little cash - about $10 million a year. With the continued growth in electronic filing and to help reduce costs, the IRS will no longer mail paper tax packages that typically arrive in January of each year, the agency said in a postcard mailed to taxpayers. The IRS will save money by not having to print and mail the thick, 44-page packet of information, tax tables and Form 1040s. If you dont want to file electronically, here are your options for getting paper tax forms: Log onto IRS.gov, where you can download and print the latest tax forms.Drop by your local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center.Go to your local post office or library if they participate in the federal tax products program.After Jan. 1, you can also dial the IRS toll-free hotline and ask them to mail you the paperwork. The number is (800) 829-3676. The IRS has been encouraging taxpayers to file electronically for years. About 96 million taxpayers filed electronically in 2010, and another 20 million submitted their forms to the IRS through professional tax preparers, according to the agency. By comparison, only about 11.5 million taxpayers who filed paper tax forms had received them in the mail. Electronic Filing Now Dominates Figures released by the IRS in 2019 show that the agency’s 2011 decision to â€Å"go paperless† was a wise and popular one. According to the IRS, the number of tax returns that are filed electronically- efiled- has grown every year since. By the end of May 2019, for example, more than 127,939,000 million tax returns for Tax Year 2018 had been efiled. Taxpayers who self-prepare and efile their own tax returns have continued to grow. In 2019 (for Tax Year 2018), over 56,214,000 million taxpayers have prepared and efiled their federal tax returns themselves as of May 2019. In addition, as of May 2019, over 86,965,000 million taxpayers had received faster federal tax refunds via direct bank deposits into bank accounts through electronic bank transfers (EBT). The average tax refund received by direct deposit was $2,868. The option to file tax returns electronically has actually been around for 25 years. The practice of efiling began in 1986 as a small test program in 1968, when only 5 tax IRS-selected tax preparers from Cincinnati, Raleigh Durham, and Phoenix agreed to participate. Since then, efile has grown to become commonplace, serving millions of taxpayers every year. Updated by Robert Longley

Behavior plan final 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Behavior plan final 1 - Essay Example This can result into lack of happiness as well as life enjoyment. As a human being, I have struggles with changing two behaviors, exercising irregularly and getting inadequate sleep, that are negatively affecting my life and school performance. In this behavior modification plan my goal is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep. Indeed, I believe that if I exercise more, I will be able to sleep early at night and feel better about myself. This will as well make me more confident. In order to achieve my first goal of regular exercise, I am planning to seek the assistance of a personal trainer and go to the gym three times a week. This will encourage me to keep up with practice and because I pay for sessions with my personal trainer, I will be less likely to skip or cancel classes. For my other target of getting adequate sleep, I will reduce the frequency of using my phone at night. I realized that I spend a lot of time texting and surfing the internet before sleeping. In week one, I will use my phone for one hour before going sleep in order to dedicate enough time for sleeping. In week two, I will use my phone for 30 min before going to sleep. As for my second behavior, I will go to the gym regularly. The sub-goal for changing the second behavior is to go to the gym without canceling or skipping any session in week one. For week two, my sub-goal is to go to the gym at least three times with the personal trainer and two times by myself. I will monitor this by taking notes in my private journal app â€Å"What a Wonderful Life.† Moreover, with the help of my classmates and their feedbacks on my plan, I was able to improve my sub-goals for both behaviors as reflected in the following schedules for the first goal, which is going to the gym: Through the week of observation, I used the private journal â€Å"What a Wonderful Life†

International Currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

International Currency - Essay Example However, it is not secret that dozens of countries all over the world including Great Britain define the value of their currencies through a fixed exchange rate with the dollar. Many others, especially in Asia, keep their currencies tightly linked to the U.S. currency (Altman, 2004) Much of the world has come to realize that the dollar's value is steadily being undermined. But few Americans understand that the government along with the Federal Reserve is accomplishing the undermining. And few also realize that the main cause of the continuing failure of the American dollar is federal indebtedness brought on by virtually uncontrolled federal spending. Responding to the vast hole they have dug for all Americans, the US leaders have paid the nation's bills by borrowing from almost every corner of the globe and by creating more currency out of nothing (inflation). According to the statistics from 2006, the YS current-account deficit equals $857 billion that is absorbing the major part of the world's capital outflows. To finance this constant deficit, the United States has accumulated trillions of dollars of foreign debt, depreciating their currency, the dollar, and appreciating other world currencies. Current paper looks at the trends and implications of the "cheap " US dollar and its effects on the world major currencies, emphasis the British pound. Causes of the dollar decline Since the introduction of the euro in 1999, the US experiences severe balance of payments deficits on current account. The biggest deficits were with China and Japan. However, in order to protect their export competitiveness, both China and Japan followed macroeconomic policies that would maintain fixed exchange rates between their currencies and the US dollar. In order to accomplish this result, both China and Japan had to intervene in the foreign exchange market by buying up massive amounts of US dollars while selling corresponding amounts of their own currencies, the Chinese Yuan and the Japanese yen. These purchase showed up as capital inflows into the US. However, as the US continued to maintain historically low interest rates to stimulate its domestic economy, some critics wondered if China and Japan would continue to hold so many US dollars (Eiteman, Stonehill, Moffett 2007). As a result of extensive US exports, the country has become the world's largest debtor, rather than th e world's largest creditor, the position it held in earlier years. Net foreign purchases of US securities have retreated from their peak in 2001, while the US balance of current accounts has worsened, as show in Figure 1. Figure 1: Balance of US current account 1960-2001 According to APF Business news1, the US balance of payments deficit narrowed in the second quarter to 190.8 billion dollars from 197.1 billion in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The US current account figure, roughly in line with analysts' forecasts, represented 5.5 percent of US economic output or gross domestic product. For the first quarter, the current account deficit was revised up to 197.1 billion dollars or 5.8 percent of GDP. The improvement in the current account deficit, the broadest measure of trade and income flows, suggested some easing of balance of paymen

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Nursing research - Essay Example On the other hand, the analysis of data in the research study involved a process of assembling raw data and obtaining a set-up of the overall nursing unit. By establishing this set-up, the data collected is credible since it provides an individual with a picture of the unit without a complete analysis, which is evidence of scientific rigor. Other than credibility, Meyers and Sylvester (2006) identify the importance of data transferability as evidence of scientific rigor in research. In line with this, transferability is the representativeness of the research study. In this study, Scott and Pollock understand the context they are investigating since they collected data to extent that they were satisfied that they fully addressed the issue under study. Consequently, the researchers provide a rich text that contextualizes the phenomenon in a descriptive approach that makes the findings of the research study applicable to other facilities. Dependability, which is the level of the reliabi lity's  coding procedures, is another noteworthy approach of establishing scientific rigor in qualitative research (Meyers & Sylvester 2006). ... The  other  step involved the first author documenting all the personal biases and the expectations before engaging the respondents. Finally, the researchers completed a comprehensive audit trail that concluded, interpreted, and gave recommendations based on the data obtained from research (Scott & Pollock, 2007). Through an audit trail, the research study effectively establishes the dependability of the research study, which is proof of scientific rigor in a research study (Meyers & Sylvester, 2006). In addition, the audit trail is evidence of the conformability of the research study since it provides an opportunity for reviewers to â€Å"review in detail what the researchers did, why they did it, and how they arrived at their conclusions† (Meyers & Sylvester, 2006, p. 3). As a result of  the  concept of the conformability nature of the research study, the study can be said to have evidence of scientific rigor. The research study clearly states the implications of the findings in practice. In this case, the study identifies the implications of the study in hierarchical structures of authority and approaches that necessitate utilization of research in the workplace. On the other hand, the study identifies the implications of the study in the location of work and a routine work area. Hence, the findings identify conditions that support utilization of research in the work area setting. In addition, the research study identifies the implications on working ethos by identifying the requirements for research utilization in individual nurses and their implications in research. Moreover, the study provides implications of nurses’ knowledge on research utilization by providing the values

South African Forced Removals History Essay

South African Forced Removals History Essay In South Africa, apartheid was an important factor in the forced removal of many innocent South Africans, due to the color of their skin. Throughout the 1900s the struggle between segregation and equality was brought to attention, affecting almost every aspect of a black South Africans life. Equality was a struggle starting as far back as the 1600s, when white settlers first came to Africa establishing white supremacy over the black majority, rendering them helpless. From the causes, to the effects upon the civilians, the forced removals majorly affected the present day South Africa. There are many causes as to why the forced resettlement of blacks was conveyed by the government. The apartheid more or less originated back in 1652 when white settlers first arrived in South Africa. This history did impact the way the laws and policies were enforced later on 1948 on by the nationalist party. In 1910, the Union was formed. After this, the territorial segregation the white settlers had impressed was put in law with the 1913 Black Land Act. The Black Land Act limited the areas black Africans could occupy through ownership or rent, basically to the Bantustans reserves, which made up 7% of the total land area of South Africa. This act would become the basic land policy of South Africa up until the end of the resettlement. The Act also made the number of migrant laborers increase, since most of the industries and mines, which was and still is the main source of income for Africans, were occupied by black workers, but were located on white land. In 1936, due to the large a mount of blacks enforced into the reserves, the Development Trust and Black Land Act added land to the reserves. The total land area increased from 7% to 13% land area for blacks, and 87% owned by whites (Henard). During the 1930s and 40s, the amount of money blacks were paid in urban areas was considerably better than that of rural, and this began a migration of black Africans into urban areas. This countered the wants of the dominant agricultural capitalists, who needed a good, cheap work force during the agricultural boom of the 1950s. Thus began the move towards forced removals, to keep blacks out of white urban areas. This need for the removal was the implementation of the Bantustan (Homeland) Policy. The Bantustans consisted of a set of ten tribes, known as homelands. Bantustans were territories set aside for the black inhabitants of South Africa that were unofficially independent. The Bantustan Policy was directed towards rural, urban, and Bantustan resettlement. These resett lements were to direct blacks from designated white urban land and areas, which led to a superfluous amount of farm laborers. In 1950, the Group Area Act was put into action. The Group Area Act mandated residential segregation throughout South Africa. Over 860,000 Africans were forcibly moved to divide and control racially-separate communities. Multiple multi-racial communities were destroyed by the government using things such as bulldozers, and other machinery. To further enforce the eviction of blacks to the Bantustan reserves, the white government created the Prevention of illegal Squatting Act in 1951. An illegal squatter by definition was someone living illegally on land without permission from the land owner. They also extended that to even with permission from the owner; they could still be convicted and ejected by the authority. Illegal squatters were removed to the Bantustans. As time progressed, black political organizations such as the African National Congress and Pan A frican Congress were banned from interference. Whites dominated in politics and economy, strategically dividing black majority into small townships with separate political structures. Having them divided kept them from coming together and forming their own ideologies and political ideas. This also prevented them from doing any type of resistance against the white dominated government. Overall there were many events leading up to the forced removals. By the beginning of the 1980s, almost 60% of the African population was based in the Bantustans (source 2). The black spots, or communities the blacks were forced into, were overcrowded and unsanitary. These communities more or less became the dumping grounds for unwanted blacks, namely the elderly, women and children. By forcing these Africans into overcrowded settlements, they prevented them from having political or economic advantage over the whites. As a result of the enforced removal of blacks from white urban and most rural areas, the black majority (87% of the total population) was refocused into the 13% of Bantustan land reserves, by white authoritative (MSU). Places such as Sophiatown in Johannesburg (1955-63), and District 6 in Cape Town (beginning in 1958) were evicted from their homes. If blacks were to rebel or resist movement, they were forcibly moved, as demonstrated in 1985 over a period of four days, in Crossroads, South Africa. Blacks were being removed to a new tow nship that was government run called Khayelitsha. Their peaceful demonstration turned violent, causing 18 civilians to be killed, and 230 injured. Between the periods of 1960 to 1983, 3 million black Africans were moved. After the institution of the Bantustan Policy, places such as Dimbaza, Illinge, and Saba on the Eastern Cape became overcrowded and infertile. At first the Africans did nothing, but beginning in the 1980s popular resistance to the removals was widespread amongst the migrated. The resistance was massively influenced by Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, who both stood for the end of apartheid and segregation. Gandhi represented peaceful movement and protest, while Nelson Mandela rooted strongly for changing the type of government and the people controlling it, allowing blacks into the political loop. By the 1980s, the crumble of forced removals began to take place. There was widespread resistance, along with massive amounts of unemployed blacks living largely in poverty. In 1990, the African National Congress was finally unbanned, along with Nelson Mandela freedom. Working together, they were able to hold the first multiracial democratic elections in 1994. Upon this success, the African Nation Congress dominated with 62% majority of the vote. Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa after 28 long years in prison by the parliament, therefore actively ending apartheid and bringing back equality to South Africa. The Bantustan reserves were later incorporated back into the country of South Africa as a whole. Even after it ended, a great amount of the blacks that were forced into small townships remained there, out of the result that they had no work or money to leave for or with. Bantustan reserves are ridden with poverty and crime, due to the forced removals. South African forced removals had a large effect on the current state of South Africa. Starting as early as the first white settlers in Africa from Europe, blacks were faced with apartheid and white supremacy for many long years. Over three million Africans were forced from their homes, having to move to overcrowded, infertile, and unsanitary areas so that the white and blacks would stay separated. This separation was made legal through a series of laws, policies, and acts by the white dominated government. The struggle for equality and erosion of apartheid was a long and continuous process, but finally came to an end in the early 1990s.

Super U Supply Chain Management :: Business Operations Management

Which activities are managed is significant for a company's success. Moreover, the supply chain management is crucial within a firm's processes since it incorporates activities in which intermediate goods and final products are given to consumers through a distribution system. It is important to analyse it and take into consideration that this subject matter has a great impact within business procedures. The main objective of our project is to study System U North West's supply chain management. This analysis could be made because of an interview with the Product Manager, Mr. Ledu. Also, it is intended to use the concepts and knowledge learned in Operations Management and apply them into real life. It is significant to note that we decided to choose this company since it is a major one in France. Moreover, its market chain (Marchà © U, Super U and Hyper U) is well recognized within the major French cities. The importance of our research will permit the reader to understand different elements that are crucial part of the supply chain of this business. In addition to this, the project is going to be divided in the following sections: general information, purchasing, logistic process, information system, barriers and conclusion. GENERAL INFORMATION System U is a purchasing center for the market chain (Hyper U, Super U, Marchà © U). The firm is an intermediary between suppliers and stores. Also, the company has an annual turnover of 13.79 billion of € what is equivalent to 8% of market shares. It has to provide all products that are sold in more than 800 stores. Furthermore, the main objective of System U is to satisfy their consumers through price and high quality service-products. Moreover, this firm is composed by 4 regional purchasing centres: Systà ¨me U Ouest, Systà ¨me U Sud, Sytà ¨me U Est and Systà ¨me U Nord Ouest. System U North West is the youngest of the 4 purchasing centers. It has to provide 120 stores in 19 departments. Also, it represents 1.1 billion € meaning that it has around 9% of the total turnover of the firm. In spite of its weak turnover, this purchasing center is the more dynamic with an annual increase of 10% since 2000. SYSTEM U NORTH WEST PURCHASING Choice of suppliers Salesmen are in charge of choosing the suppliers. However, since System U is a famous and recognized brand, most of the suppliers get in touch with the sales department because they want to offer it their products.

African american case study Essay

David Brown is a 35-year-old African American residing in Brooklyn, New York. He is tall, lean, and professional-looking. He has short curly hair and neatly shaved face. He has been a successful bank manager for five years and his colleagues look up to him with much respect and admiration. But whatever he has now are the fruits of his hardwork and perseverance. David was born on the 25th of February 1972. During this time, racial discrimination was still prolific and their family experienced hard times. They live in the â€Å"ghetto† where drugs, gang wars, and poverty were rampant. Growing up in such an environment was never easy for David and he found it hard to trust his peers because he did not want to get involved in their vices. His mother had to stay at home to attend to his other siblings while his father had two jobs to support their family’s needs. Considering their situation, David was inspired to study hard and he wanted to give his family a better life. After graduating from highschool, he was determined to pursue college and was fortunate enough to be accepted in a known university to study Banking and Finance. College was the biggest challenge for him because first of all, his father had to support him and he had to work as a grocery clerk in a convenient store at night to make ends meet. Due to the color of his skin, David faced discrimination issues. His classmates regarded him as inferior and some even ridiculed him and his peers who were also African Americans. Whenever he felt down and mocked, he would play basketball because this was his outlet in releasing tension and built-up emotions. However, he did not lose his focus and he graduated with flying colors. It took him a while to land on a job since some of the employers were discriminating. After several months, he got a job offer from a banking company as a clerk. He was very happy because he was starting to fulfill his dreams of helping his family. He worked hard and loved this noble profession and eventually, his efforts were seen by his superiors. His determination and dedication made him climb the corporate ladder. Many got insecure and envious when he was promoted to his present managerial position. Some even doubted his leadership skills and capabilities in performing his duties but, David proved them wrong. In time, he was able to win their support and respect.   David is currently at the prime of his life – he is successful and has given his family a better life. He does not have any intimate relationships because he prioritizes his family and work. Considering Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development, David has gone through young adulthood and it appears that his lack of initiative to form intimate relationships lead to isolation. However, he could only be delayed in establishing intimate relationships with the opposite sex because of prioritization of other more important things. As of now, he is in his middle adulthood and it is most likely that he is experiencing psychological stagnation since he is not showing productivity in helping the next generation achieve their goals. Taking Freud’s theory of psychosexual development into consideration, David appears to be fixated in the latency stage because of his self-fulfilling goals and the direction of his energy towards productive activities like work. Though he knows how to socialize, most of his friends are males and he exhibits lack of interest in engaging in close relationships with women (Santrock, 2002). At this point, he should have been married like most people of his age and rearing a family of his own; but as mentioned earlier, David may only be delayed in fulfilling such human functions. References: Santrock, J.W. (2002). Life-Span Development (8th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill

The Issues of Erotic Desire in Phaedrus and De Rerum Natura †Philosophy Essay

The Issues of Erotic Desire in Phaedrus and De Rerum Natura – Philosophy Essay Free Online Research Papers The Issues of Erotic Desire in Phaedrus and De Rerum Natura Philosophy Essay Erotic desire in Phaedrus, and De Rerum Natura is intrinsically connected with pleasure. But had Plato examined De Rerum, and Lucretius, Phaedrus, they would have been troubled by the place and role of erotic desire in the other’s work. Superficially, erotic desire in the two works differs little; both would appear to the undiscriminating reader as a variance of lust, or perhaps love. But on a deeper level, when comparing the importance of erotic desire in the works, and the relation to the conception and attainment of the summum bonum, the greatest good, ideological conflicts are revealed. The differences between the place, conception, and role of erotic desire in the two works are determined by the view of the summum bonum, which largely hinges on the question of the mortality of the soul. To get a firm grasp of the topic, it is useful to first look of the two author’s definitions of erotic desire, with short expositions on the place and role of erotic desire in the two works, irrespective of each other. What is erotic desire in Plato’s Phaedrus? Erotic desire, as defined in Socrates’ Second Speech, is: â€Å"†¦ the fourth kind of madness- that which someone shows when he sees the beauty we have down here and is reminded of true beauty; then he takes wing and flutters in his eagerness to rise up, but is unable to do so; and he gazes aloft, like a bird, paying no attention to what is down below†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (37) Erotic desire is a kind of ‘madness’ brought on by the recollection of ‘true beauty’. With Plato, erotic desire exists in a world where immortal forms are the ideal. Erotic desire is the manifestation of the longing for those perfect forms. The summum bonum is the knowledge of the truth, represented by the forms, and erotic desire is the feeling brought on in the physical world by the recollection of those forms. It is important to note the reaction of the man ‘reminded of true beauty’, and its relation to the definition of erotic desire. The man’s reaction is the first step in a process which Plato refers to as, â€Å"lov[ing] boys philosophically† (36). It is not the path of the man who â€Å"surrenders to pleasure and sets out in the manner of a four-footed beast† (39). The ideal relationship, in which a man ‘loves boys philosophically’, is never consummated, though those that love ambitiously are only a step or two below the ideal (48). This implies, since both begin the ascent back into ‘heaven’, that the erotic desire and the close relationship results, rather than strict philosophy, is the most important mechanism for the regrowth of the soul’s wings and the return to ‘Reality’. This clarifies the concept of erotic desire somewhat. Erotic desire becomes a love for another person, a love that leads one to look for a higher truth, no matter the circumstance. Man on earth is incomplete, he has lost the sense of truth and virtue he had while in ‘Reality’. Erotic desire becomes a desire for completeness that is achieved through union with another. The summum bonum is this completeness, this knowledge of the truth. But what of â€Å"practice[ing] philosophy without guile†, the other way that Socrates mentions the soul can regrow its wings? The philosopher is already as complete as possible, â€Å"since [the philosopherâ €™s mind’s] memory always keeps it as close as possible to those realities† (37). What place does erotic desire have in Plato’s Phaedrus? Erotic desire has a central place in the philosophy of Phaedrus. Socrates’s second speech, where erotic desire is discussed, occupies the literal center of the dialogue. However, erotic desire’s importance is more than just nominal; erotic desire is key to the philosophy of Socrates’s second speech. Socrates’ proof begins: â€Å"Every soul is immortal. That is because whatever is always in motion is immortal, while what moves, and is moved by, something else stops living when it stops moving.† (29) Motion is connected with life; immortality, with perpetual motion. The speech of Socrates is based on this principle, which proves the immortality of the soul. Motion is the important element to focus on. Erotic desire is the manifestation of the longing for the perfect forms that define the immortal soul’s existence; in Platonic terms, the forms exist in the collective as ‘Reality’ (34). The knowledge of these forms, and the sight of them in ‘heaven’ is the Socratean summum bonum. Truth is the greatest good, and erotic desire leads to truth. The soul’s attraction to the truth, in Plato’s terms, ‘forms’ and ‘Reality’, is paralleled by the body’s attraction to reminders of these things, in this case, the erotic desire for ‘beautiful boy’. Erotic desire is essentially a force for motion toward the forms. Since Socrates describes erotic desire earlier as, â€Å"tak[ing] its name from th e word for force†, this should be no surprise (18). It is a natural desire for the soul to want to move toward the forms, as Socrates says that the mind of the soul is â€Å"nourished by intelligence and pure knowledge† (33). ‘Nourish’ connects the forms and the soul in a physical way, in a way equational to the connection between the man and the ‘beautiful boy’. What is erotic desire in Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura? Lucretius defines erotic desire in different terms than Plato. Erotic desire is the â€Å"mind’s wound†, when man’s body, â€Å"strives for union with [her body], wants to fill that body with his own, pour out that seed into the other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (149). For Lucretius, erotic desire contains elements of lust; it is a hopelessly physical attraction. Throughout the work, Lucretius talks of seeds, most notably with reference to atoms, and the theme continues through his discussion of erotic desire, â€Å"once we are men mature and strong, becomes an active force, compulsive, driving† (149). The ‘seed’ is the ‘driving’ force behind erotic desire in the work. There is no pretense of a higher love in De Rerum, no mention of souls, or wings or forms, but as Lucretius’s focus in his work is on the mortality of the soul, the transience of existence, there is no pla ce for such things. The main unit of Socrates’s world is the soul, while the main unit of Lucretius’s world is the atom. Both units are immortal, but only Socrates’s unit allows for an individual, perpetual existence. Erotic desire has a place in the Lucretian world view, but not a major one. Insofar as the Lucretian philosophy looks to maximize pleasure, erotic desire can bring pleasure, but remember that the greatest pleasure, the summum bonum, is the absence of all pain. Erotic desire can be the first step down into the abyss of â€Å"passionate love† (150). As Lucretius says, â€Å"What could be more contrary to nature? Nothing else inflames us, once we have it, with desire of more and more and more† (151). Love has the potential for immense pain along with its pleasure, and immense pain is exactly what Lucretius looks to avoid. Love is unnatural, not only through its ‘desire of more and more and more’, but also through the pain it almost always brings. What is more unnatural in the Lucretian system than the seeking out of pain? But the danger of falling in love is not enough for Lucretius to counsel against erotic desire, represented by Venus, â€Å"Avoiding passionate love, you need not miss all the rewards of Venus† (150). Lucretius is direct in his ‘prescription’, â€Å"The only thing to do is to confuse the issue, cure the hurt by many more- what does the adage say, Safety in hordes? Ah, that’s the right prescription† (150). Love is like a sickness, also the â€Å"germinal seeds of madness†, and must be treated with a ‘prescription’ (150). The ‘prescription’ is promiscuous sex, which stands opposed to Socrate’s condemnation of those who ‘set out in the manner of the four-footed beast’. How does the role of erotic desire differ between Phaedrus and De Rerum Natura? Erotic desire fits into the two works differently, and this is largely the result of differences in the two works’ conception of pleasure. Socrates says, â€Å"the truth is my subject,† and it is the truth, in the shape of the forms, that is the ultimate pleasure in Phaedrus (34). The result is a more abstract view of the pleasure in erotic desire; it is very much connected with the idea of forms, and the recollection of the ‘truth’ brought on by the ‘beautiful boy’. It is also one of the few ways the soul can regrow its wings, and ascend back into the realm of ‘Reality’. Erotic desire is key to the world view of Socrates’s Second Speech. Within Socrates’s concept of erotic desire is a firm belief in the immortality of the soul; erotic desire allows the fallen to rise again, it is a redeeming force. But Lucretius goes to great pai ns to prove the mortality of the soul, and thus erotic desire plays a somewhat different role in De Rerum. The soul is instead replaced by ‘seeds’, and their physical connotation. Lucretius compares erotic desire to the â€Å"mind’s wound†, and much like blood spurts from the body’s wound, the seed spurts from the mind’s. Erotic desire is a physical pleasure, in a world where everything is physical, and it is only one of a multitude of physical pleasures. But more crucial is that in the work of Lucretius, the summum bonum is the absence of all pain. This is in contrast to the Socratean summum bonum of knowledge of the ‘truth’. Socrates’s philosophy accepts that pain can follow erotic desire; he makes clear that it is a pain of the soul, â€Å"[the wing’s] feathers prick[ing] at its passageway† brought on by the absence of the ‘beautiful boy’ (40). Because the soul is immortal, pain in the present can be endured for the greater everlasting pleasure. All this pain is endured for the greatest good. Lucretius’s philosophy is consistent with the delay of gratification for a greater pleasure, but the soul in Lucretius is mortal and erotic desire provides no such opportunity. Though in Lucretius, erotic desire is a perfectly legitimate pleasure, so long as it does not develop into ‘passionate love’, which carries the potential for great pain. In a superficial way, relative to a discussion of immortal forms, Lucretius views erotic desire as a force that distorts the truth, as it causes the lover to overlook flaws in their love. It may seem obvious, but pleasure and erotic desire are inextricably linked. Imagine the discussion between the two writers; focus on the intensity of it. See how deep into their philosophies erotic desire gets them? It gets to the heart of the matter, to the ‘greatest good’, and the mortality of the soul. How is the summum bonum to be achieved? Is a part of us immortal? The two men would have disagreed. The soul is immortal for Plato, and mortal for Lucretius. Plato’s ideal is a man full of erotic desire, of that ‘passionate love’ which Lucretius denounces, but his soul will be the better for it, because it leads him to a greater good. The man of Lucretius would see no higher good in erotic desire, just a pleasure with pitfalls. For Plato, erotic desire leads to the truth, but for Lucretius it leads astray. As the two works, in the discussion of erotic desire, seem to be defined by the question of the mortality of the soul, the works, in this light, provide insight into how crucial a role time, or the lack of it, plays in the conception of the summum bonum. There is a troubling undercurrent that runs through both works. In this context, both works imply the instability of human experience. In Plato, the soul exists in the perfect world of forms, and then falls into the imperfect world of man; the cycle repeats endlessly. For Lucretius, man may take pleasure in the moment, but pain is always around the corner. Though ideologically different, both philosophers accept that stability is difficult to realize. Again, the issue hinges on the mortality of the soul, because stability can only ultimately be achieved in death. Research Papers on The Issues of Erotic Desire in Phaedrus and De Rerum Natura - Philosophy EssayHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMind TravelComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoQuebec and CanadaCapital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Sports Violence Essay Example

Sports Violence Essay Example Sports Violence Essay Sports Violence Essay Violence is a natural part of sports, much like breathing is a natural part of the human body. When people take steps to reduce violence, it actually detracts from the sport and makes it less appealing. Lets face it, watching a man get tackled at full speed or body checked into a Plexiglas wall, is far more entertaining to watch from a fans perspective then watching two people hitting a ball back and forth with a racquet. Human beings crave violence in all things, not Just sports. The need to dominate and oppose ones will is as old as time. We see the same tendencies in all forms of life and its what makes us all human beings. The Greeks and Romans were among the first civilizations to have, what we would consider today as organized sports. The main purpose of these sports was to promote violence and death as entertainment to the people. With no moral quandaries, the people embraced there newly founded blood sports with open arms. The early Mayans had ritual games, which often resulted in death. During medieval times, soldiers would use violent games to train for war and often had arlike consequences. Fans would observe these games from a stadium, while eating, drinking and cheering, much similar to todays sporting events. Violence is just a general term but, there are many forms of violence. Violence is the use of excessive physical force, which causes or has obvious potential to cause harm or destruction. Aggression is the verbal or physical actions grounded in an intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another person. Intimidation are the words, gestures and actions that threaten violence or aggression. Todays modern sports uch as; football, hockey, rugby, boxing, and MMA all use these forms of violence. Michael Strahan said ITS THE MOST PERFECT feeling in the world to know youVe hit a guy Just right, that youVe maximized the physical pain he can feel . You feel the life Just go out of him. YouVe taken all this mans energy and Just dominated him. This is coming from a hall of fame linebacker, whose sole purpose was to inflict pain on the opposing team. If the NFL keeps enforcing all these new rules to keep players safe, it doesnt allow the great defensive players to play the game the way it should e played. Some of the more violent sports such as Boxing, and MMA dont have a lot of the restrictions that the NFL or NHL have. Violence. IJFC is a form of MMA, and has attracted huge fan bases in a short amount of time. Its popularity has increased so rapidly because it is one of the most violent things you can watch on television. Broken arms, broken legs, concussions, bloodied faces and bodies are Just a few of the outcomes of some of these fights. Its brutal nature attracts people, like moth to a flame. The media portrays sports in a violent appealing manner. Sports Violence By drew26

Relativism, Socrates & Plato, Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Aristotle II Essay

Relativism, Socrates & Plato, Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Aristotle II - Essay Example While the former deals only on the â€Å"what is†, the latter is concerned about â€Å"what ought to be†. As such, descriptive ethics looks into the morality of a person in particular or an entire society in general based on the actual conduct and behavior of the people under observation while normative ethics insist that human conduct and behavior must be measured against a universal set of prescribed moral norms which civilizations must follow and comply with. The third level of ethics is metaethics which is a study of the meaning behind ethical language and theories. It not only analyses and compares different moral standards; it also examines the significance and purpose of the ideas and concepts of ethics itself (Lutz 8). Moreover, these ethical theories may be differentiated from one another by looking into how they adopt the theory of relativism. On the one hand, normative ethics acknowledges that certain situations do arise which necessitate deviation from the p rescribed norms and thus require some degree of tolerance. On a case-to-case basis, a specific action is determined whether it is right or wrong by taking into consideration the specific circumstances which caused the deviation or non-compliance with the universal moral norms. On the other hand, relativism in metaethics takes into consideration the fact that people and societies come from different race, culture and set of common beliefs. Some degree of tolerance is given to the idiosyncrasies of cultures that are different from one’s own. As such, there is no absolute moral standard of right and wrong, rather, human conduct is measured against the prescribed norms of a given culture or group to which he belongs. 3.) Aristotle argues that ethics is the science of achieving happiness. What is his argument for this? What is happiness for Aristotle? And why doesn’t he think it is identical to pleasure? Explain the function argument and how it connects rationality with hap piness. What role do the virtues play in this argument? Aristotle argues that ethics is the science of achieving happiness because in order to be happy, a person must first conduct himself properly and attain his goals in life. For Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate goal of every person and the core motivation and driving force for all of our actions. Happiness is where all actions end and one will never stop until it is achieved. A person’s behavior and action can be likened to a pyramid which has a wide base of different goals for different needs. Then, as each goal is achieved, one moves forward and upward to another goal which brings him closer to the top where all other goals converge and end at point happiness. No matter how many or hard the obstacles and circumstances are, a person is motivated to move forward by the prospect of reaching to the top. Lest happiness be confused with mere pleasure, Aristotle expressly clarified that there is a world of difference betwee n happiness and pleasure, the latter being a mere emotion felt by a person when an intermediary goal is achieved. Throughout his journey to the apex of the pyramid, a person may feel pleasure as each specific goal brings him closer to his ultimate goal. Finally, according to Aristotle’s function argument, the function of man is to achieve rationality through different activities which call for the use of the human mental faculties. Human rationality is what separates us from plants and animals; we do not just exist in this world, we

Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive Essay

Discuss the advantages of analysing organizations as incentive mechanisms - Essay Example Hence, financial stability and economic prosperity is the basic motive behind all the efforts made by the individuals for obtaining different skills, degrees and qualifications. Theorists are of the opinion that the higher the level of education and technical skill or both, the brighter the probabilities of attaining respectable socioeconomic status in individual and collective life of the people. â€Å"In the age of globalisation, the knowledge economy discourse has become a way to characterise the new relationships between the state, society and economy and rendered higher education increasingly important for the international competitiveness of the nation states through their central tasks of generation, application and dissemination of knowledge and training high skilled labour force.† (Macerinskiene & Vaiksnoraite, 2006) Consequently, the efforts made in learning and studies certainly carry the purpose of enjoying incentives in the form of salaries, profits, facilities an d promotions in professional career. All corporate firms and organisations are well aware of this very reality that managers, employees, staff members and workers stick to one company provided it continues the policy of offering various incentives in the form of reasonable salary package, announces bonuses on showing excellent performance, assures job security, medical allowances and regular promotions on the basis on capabilities, dedication and targets achievement. The present study looks for analysing the companies as incentive mechanisms in the light of the theories articulated by the scholars and philosophers time and again pointing out the advantages of incentives in the growth of the organisations on the one hand, and in the performance of the work force on the other. Celebrated psychologist theorist Abraham H. Maslow has articulated his Need Hierarchy Theory in 1943 on the very notion of motivational effects, where he submits to state that five basic motivational scales are inevitable for the companies for the maintenance of the employees’ satisfaction. These levels include fulfilment of physiological needs, safety assurance, social/professional recognition, ego and self- actualising. (Maslow, 1943) The theorist argues that since motivational factors aptly rise from the lowest possible scales, so the most fundamental needs and requirements of the employees must be satisfied in precedence for the upgrading of their performance on the one hand, and for accelerating the pace of their interest in the tasks they are expected to accomplish on the other. Maslow vehemently declares the fulfilment of physiological needs as highly supportive for the job satisfaction of the workers. He is of the opinion that the employees should be assigned the tasks keeping in view their aptitude, interest, dexterity and command, which will not only turn out as the most inspirational factor of motivation for them, but also may pave the way towards the growth and developme nt of the organisation at large. Consequently, the more attractive and relevant to the disposition and aptitude of an employee the work, the higher will be the level of his motivation while performing his obligations and giving results to the organisation. In addition, if an employee's salary or wages are not sufficient to buy basic necessities including food, clothing and shelter for him and his family, his motivation level will surely be low and he will be unable to pay due heed to his work. Furthermore, job

Course Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Course Project - Research Paper Example Organizations main aim is to achieve their objective goals. They usually meet challenges and they must beat them to achieve these goals as a team. Challenges create different conflicts among members of the organisation both within and the general environment in which the firm is based. Most people believe that conflict will lead to unfavourable results but this is not true. Conflict has both good and bad impacts. There are different strategies and styles that have been created to solve the problem of conflict in the organisation. Misunderstanding in an organisation usually comes about due to differences in viewpoints, competition, different ideas and this usually has different effects. This is something common that occurs in organisation now days. Some of the effects that conflict can bring include change in the organisation. This is achieved by modification of policies to manage and resolve conflict. It also leads to new innovations, improve goal congruence, results to sub optimization and lastly it wastes a lot of time. How an individual responds and manages conflict usually determines the success of the organisation. According to Bar-Siman-Tov and Yaacov conflict arises due to differences in ideas. It has a great impact on employee turnover, morale and litigation (57-9). This usually affects the success and development of organization. The main objective of conflict management and resolution is to promote learning team results. Suggestions by Tidwell and Alan say that efficiency and effectiveness in the company’s setting (24-6). This will usually lead to good outcomes. There are five ways which have been suggested to avoid conflict if it arises (Dana 61). Collaboration is one way of solving conflict. Here it emphasizes that every affected part idea is regarded. The basic idea here is that considering every individual opinion will

Motor Speed Control Essay Example for Free

Motor Speed Control Essay Introduction and Objectives In this lab you will control the speed of a motor. Figure 1 shows the hardware setup, which is the same as for Week 1 of Lab 4. You will use the potentiometer on your evaluation board to set the desired speed of the motor, and you will control the speed through the PWM output of the HCS12. You will measure the speed of the motor using an input capture pin, and display the desired and actual speeds on the terminal. . 1. The Lab It is up to you how you design the system to accomplish the goal of this lab, nonetheless, here are some guidelines to assist you in ensuring proper operation of the system. 1. Build the circuit shown in Figure 1. 2. Design a real-time routine that gets executed every 8ms. Develop a method to verify the timing of that routine, e.g., increment LEDs. 3. Program the A/D converter to read the value from the pot either the one on the microcontroller board or an external one. In the routine developed in Part 1, read the A/D converter (use 8-bit mode). Again develop a method to display the results and verify the operation of the A/D converter as you change the input voltage. 4. Set up the PWM to generate a 50 kHz PWM signal on one of the four PWM channels. Set it up for high polarity. It will be easiest to set PWPERx to 255. Verify that the PWM works. In the real-time routine, write the eight most significant bits to the A/D value you read to PWDTYx. The motor speed should change as you use the pot to vary the voltage on the A/D. 5. Measure the speed of the motor by determining the time between two falling edges of the optical encoder. In your main program display this time on the LCD display. You can use floating point arithmetic to convert this time into RPM. Display the RPM value on the LCD display. What is the maximum motor speed? 6. Measure the speed for several different  duty cycles by varying the voltage with the pot. Plot speed vs. duty cycle. EE 308 New Mexico Tech Spring 2011 Figure 1: Using a PWM signal to adjust the speed of a motor. 7. Implement closed-loop speed control. The desired speed Sd should be Sd = (0.2 + 0.8 ·(AD/ADmax))  ·Smax where Smax is the motor speed at 100% duty cycle, AD is the A/D converter reading and ADmax is the maximum A/D converter reading. In this way you will be able to vary the speed between 20% and 100% of Smax. EE 308 New Mexico Tech Spring 2011 To set the motor at the desired speed you can use a simple equation (integral control) such as: DCnew = DCold + k ·(Sd − Sm) where Sm is the measured speed. Do this calculation inside the real-time routine, and write the new value to PWDTYx. Try different values of k to see how the motor responds. If k is too small, it will take a long time for the motor to get to its steady-state speed. If k is too large, the motor will be jerky as it tries to settle down to its steady-state speed. It will be much easier to do these calculations using floating point numbers rather than using integers. 8. Set the power voltage to 15V. Measure the motor speed for various values of input voltage to the A/D converter. Take about 10 equally-spaced measurements for input voltage between 0 and 5 V. Use the LCD display to show the raw A/D value and the raw counts between edges on the first line, and show the desired and actual speeds on the second line. 9. With the pot  set at about mid-range, vary the voltage of the voltage powering the motor (say between 8V and 14V). With closed-loop control the speed of the motor should stay the same. Verify that this is the case. 10. Using the data from Part 8, plot the speed in RPM vs. the input voltage from the pot ,i.e., convert the speed measurement in time difference between two falling edges to speed in RPM. 11. It is much more effective if you have the data from the previous part recorded automatically, this way you can observe the behavior of the controller and how long it takes to make the motor settle at the right speed. To do that change the BAUD rate to 115,200 then once every 8ms send the input capture difference to the serial port. Set Hyperterm to use 115,200 baud rate, capture the serial data and plot in MATLAB. Set the power voltage back to 15V. Rather than varying the PWM based on the pot, set it manually inside your code for a while and then change it to different value, this will create a step change in the desired set value, and can be used to determine the effectiveness of the controller. 12. Another type of controller that may be used is known as proportional controller. This type of controller, and unlike the integral type control, only uses the current measurements to set the output rather than accumulating any history. This is accomplished by DCnew = k ·(Sd − Sm) EE 308 New Mexico Tech Spring 2011 Similar to the previous step, collect the data due to a step change in the desired speed, and plot in MATLAB. Compare this proportional controller to the integral controller.

The Unladylike Lady in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Unladylike Lady in Macbeth      Ã‚   William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth presents in the role of the leading lady an intimidating and selfish Lady Macbeth. Let us in this paper get to the bottom of her character.    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the unnaturalness of Lady Macbeth's words and actions:    Thus the sense of the unnaturalness of evil is evoked not only be repeated explicit references ("nature's mischief," "nature seems dead," " 'Tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done," and so on) but by the expression of unnatural sentiments and an unnatural violence of tone in such things as Lady Macbeth's invocation of the "spirits" who will "unsex" her, and her affirmation that she would murder the babe at her breast if she had sworn to do it. (95)    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Shakespeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. The passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. (133)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson specifies the fears within Lady Macbeth:      I do not need to remind you of the great scenes preceding the murder, in which Macbeth and his Lady pull themselves together for their desperate effort. If you think over these scenes, you will notice that the Macbeths understand the action which begins here as a competition and a stunt, against reason and against nature. Lady Macbeth fears her husband's human nature, as well as her own female nature, and therefore she fears the light of reason and the common dayllight world. As for Macbeth, he knows from the first that he is engaged in an irrational stunt: "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on the other." In this sequence there is also the theme of outwitting or transcending time, an aspect of nature's order as we know it: catching up the consequences, jumping the life to come, and the like.

Fat Burner Supplements

Author's Letter Writing this essay I learned a lot about fat burner supplements. I use to think they were not harmful to my body, but I realize that they are. Before I would walk In to supplement stores and when I would see a fat burner ad on display I would buy it. The ad would get my attention because it would show a muscular and defined body, and that's something I desired as an athlete. Furthermore, the employees would not mention to me the side affects the pills contain, so I was unaware of what I was in aging and putting inside my body.As time progressed I started to realize that my workouts were not the same without these pills. I also notice my performance In the ring was not the same. Therefore, I felt like I could not perform without these pills because the lack of energy my body did not produce anymore. I would go back to supplement store and purchase more fat burners. After a few months my physic changed, I notice an increased in muscle size and my body was defining, but little did I know the side effects would kick in right after.Consequently, I started to feel anxiety and my heart rate would Increase for no reason when I was In my comfort mode. My doctor at the time told me I was suffering from anxiety. He prescribed medication, In which I took for a few months before my anxiety started fading. Now, my anxiety is under control, but it's not permanently out of my system; it comes and goes. If I would have known what side effects these pills contained, I would've thought twice before consuming them.I took the supplement as directed and read warning label, but I was unaware that the symptoms would last a lifetime. I wrote this essay to educate those who read It about the dangers fat burner supplements produce. In conclusion. At the end of the day It Is someone's decision to consume these pills Into their system, but if they learn more about these pills history individuals will think twice about purchasing; and maybe they will not consume nor abuse th e supplement.

The Chinese Fireworks Industry

THE CHINESE FIREWORKS INDUSTRY – REVISED Ruihua Jiang wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Paul W. Beamish solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmission without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2011, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Version: 2011-09-21 In February 2009, Jerry Yu was spending the Chinese New Year holidays in Liuyang (lee-ou-yang), a city known as â€Å"the home of firecrackers and fireworks,† located in Hunan Province in China.Jerry was an ABC (America-Born-Chinese). With an MBA, he was running a small family-owned chain of gift stores in Brooklyn, New York. Liuyang was his mother’s hometown. During his visit, his relatives invited him to invest in a fireworks factory that was owned by a village. Mr. Yu had been impressed by the extravagant fireworks shows he had seen during the festival; however, he wanted to assess how attractive the Chinese fireworks industry was before he even looked at the financial details of the factory. HISTORY OF FIREWORKS AND FIRECRACKERSFireworks referred to any devices designed to produce visual or audible effects through combustion or explosion. The art of making fireworks was formally known as pyrotechnics. Firecrackers were a specific kind of fireworks, usually in the form of a noisemaking cylinder. Firecrackers were often strung together and fused consecutively, a staple of Chinese New Year celebrations, weddings, grand openings, births, deaths and other ceremonial occasions. The main ingredients of fireworks had remained almost the same over the past thousand years: 75 parts-byweight potassium nitrate, 15 parts charcoal and 0 parts sulfur. It burned briskly when lighted, but did not erupt or make any noise. When it was found that a projectile could be thrust out of a barrel by keeping the powder at one end and igniting it, black powder became known as gunpowder. Today, smokeless powder has replaced black powder as the propellant in modern weaponry, but black powder remains a main ingredient in fireworks, both as a propellant and as a bursting charge. It was generally believed that the Chinese were the first makers of fireworks.The Chinese made war rockets and explosives as early as the sixth century. One legend said that a Chinese cook, while toili ng in a field kitchen, happened to mix together sulfur, charcoal and saltpetre, and noticed that the pile burned with a combustible force when ignited. He further discovered that when these ingredients were enclosed in a length of bamboo sealed at both ends, it would explode rather than burn, producing a loud crack. This was the origin of firecrackers. In fact, the Chinese word for firecrackers — bao-zhu — literally means â€Å"exploded bamboo. † Page 2 9B11M006The loud reports and burning fires of firecrackers and fireworks were found to be perfect for frightening off evil spirits and celebrating good news at various occasions. For more than a thousand years, the Chinese had been seeing off past years and welcoming in new ones by firing firecrackers. Fireworks made their way first to Arabia in the seventh century, then to Europe sometime in the middle of the 13th century. By the 15th century, fireworks were widely used for religious festivals and public enterta inment. Most of the early pyrotechnicians in Europe were Italians.Even today, the best-known names in the European and American fireworks industry were Italian in origin. From the 16th to the 18th century, Italy and Germany were the two best known areas in the European continent for fireworks displays. In 1777, the United States used fireworks in its first Independence Day celebration, and fireworks have become closely associated with July Fourth celebrations ever since. Up until the 1830s, the colors of the early fireworks were limited, but by 2009, there were six basic colors used in fireworks.LIUYANG — THE HOMETOWN OF FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS According to historical records in China, firecrackers and fireworks â€Å"emerged during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), flourished during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), and originated in Liuyang. † For more than 1,000 years, Liuyang had been known as the â€Å"hometown of firecrackers and fireworks of China,† a title that was officially conferred to Liuyang by the State Council of China in 1995. As early as 1723, Liuyang fireworks were chosen as official tributes to the imperial family and were sold all over the country.Exports started early: by 1875, firecrackers and fireworks were being shipped to Japan, Korea, India, Iran, Russia, Australia, England, the U. S. , and other countries. In China, the name Liuyang had become almost synonymous with firecrackers and fireworks. Liuyang-made firecrackers and fireworks won numerous awards over its long history of fireworks making. The long history and tradition had made fireworks more than just a livelihood for the Liuyang people. Almost every native person in the area knew something about fireworks making, or had actually made firecrackers or fireworks in their lifetime.As a result, Liuyang claimed an impressive pool of skilled labor. Firecrackers and fireworks had become the pillar industry of Liuyang, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all jobs o r about one-third of the total population in the Liuyang District (including Liuyang City and the surrounding counties). In 2008, Liuyang claimed 2,702 fireworks manufacturers with an additional 2,144 in the surrounding area. In total, there were 6,458 fireworks producers in China. While there has been some trend towards consolidation in the industry, most factories were still owned either by villages or families.Among them, about a dozen or so were medium to large factories with employment between 100 to 500 workers. The rest were small workshops employing anywhere from 10 to 50 people, depending on market demand. Liuyang was the top fireworks exporter in the world, making up 60 per cent of global production. The trademarked brand â€Å"Red Lantern† had become well known to fireworks-lovers around the world. China now accounted for 89 per cent of worldwide fireworks exports with the vast majority of that coming from Liuyang.In addition, over the past ten years, China had bec ome the largest market for fireworks. The ratio of domestic use to exports was 6:4, and Chinese imports of fireworks were negligible. Page 3 9B11M006 The increase in demand in the Chinese market had only intensified the competition. All new demand was more than met by the Chinese fireworks industry. Thus, instead of seeing increased margins, the profit margins for many small manufacturers had shrunk over the past decade. In order to make up the difference, manufacturers were cutting corners.However, some of these cost cutting efforts came at the expense of safety. A 2007 factory explosion that left 11 workers dead was blamed primarily on decreased safety standards, which were blamed on a lack of money due to cut throat competition. In response, the government and company officials from Luiyang and surrounding areas agreed to regulate the price of fireworks with the hope of increasing profit margins. With higher profit margins, company officials vowed to increase workers safety. The Product Fireworks could be classified into two categories: display fireworks and consumer fireworks.The display fireworks, such as aerial shells, maroons, and large Roman candles, were meant for professional (usually licensed) pyrotechnicians to fire during large public display shows. They were devices that were designed to produce certain visual or audio effect at a greater height above the ground than the consumer fireworks, which the general public could purchase in convenience stores and enjoy in their own backyards. Display fireworks were known as Explosives 1. 3 (Class B prior to 1991) in the U. S. The consumer fireworks belonged to Explosives 1. 4 (Class C prior to 1991).The difference lay mainly in the amount of explosive components contained in the product. Canada had a similar classification system. In the U. K. , it was more carefully divided into four categories: indoor fireworks; garden fireworks; display fireworks; and display fireworks for professionals only. There we re many varieties of fireworks. Liuyang made 13 different types with more than 3,000 varieties. The major types included fountains, rockets, hand-held novelties, nail and hanging wheels, groundspinning novelties, jumping novelties, floral shells, parachutes and firecrackers.Historically, firecrackers made up 90 per cent of the total production and sales. Over the past 50 years or so, however, there had been a shift away from firecrackers to fireworks. In 2009, firecrackers made up less than 20 per cent of the total sales. The skill levels of fireworks-making had been greatly improved. For instance, the old-day fireworks could reach no more than 20 metres into the sky, while the new ones could go as high as 400 metres. Not much had changed in fireworks-making. Over the last few decades, numerous novelties were added to the fireworks family.However, innovation had never reached beyond product variations. The ingredients had remained more or less the same. The process technology had no t changed much either, although some manual processes, such as cutting the paper, rolling the cylinders, mixing powder, and stringing the cylinders could now be done by machines. Safety Issues The fact that fireworks were made with gunpowder and listed under explosives brought about the issue of safety. Numerous accidents related with fireworks had resulted in tragic human injuries and considerable property damages.As a result, fireworks had become heavily regulated in most countries. Page 4 9B11M006 According to the manufacturers, fireworks were the most dangerous during the production process. Powder mixing and powder filling, in turn, were the two most dangerous procedures. The workers had to abide by strict safety measures. Even a tiny spark caused by the dropping of a tool on the floor or the dragging of a chair could start a major explosion. The quality of the ingredients was also of significant importance. Impure ingredients could greatly increase the possibility of accidents .In Liuyang, almost every year, there would be one or more accidents that resulted in deaths and damages. With an ever increasing number of firms entering the industry, safety was an ongoing concern. Once the fireworks were made, they were relatively safe to transport and store. Even in firing, good quality fireworks rarely caused any problems if everything was done properly. Most of the fireworks-related accidents occurred during private parties or street displays, and quite often involved children playing with fireworks that needed to be handled by adults, or adults firing shells that required professional expertise.Most accidents were linked to consumer backyard events rather than to public displays. According to the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) data, injuries related to fireworks had declined substantially, even though their use had increased (see Exhibit 2). For 2009, there were an estimated 5,244 fireworks-related injuries, 30 per cent of w hich were caused by firecrackers and bottle rockets. Of all the injuries related to firecrackers and fireworks, most were treated in the emergency department. Eight per cent of patients had to be admitted to hospital, and 7 people died due to sustained injuries.Children from ages five to 14 were the most frequently involved in fireworks-related injuries. However, fireworks were not the only consumer product that might cause injuries to this age group. According to a 2008 CPSC Injury Surveillance Report, fireworks were actually safer than swing sets and baseballs. However, fireworks-related injuries were usually the most dramatic and the most widely publicized accidents, which partly explained the fact that fireworks was the only category among the products listed in Exhibit 3, for which prohibition, instead of education and adult supervision, was often urged.In the United States, multiple government agencies were involved in regulating fireworks. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Fi rearms (BATF) controlled the manufacture, storage, sales and distribution of explosives, i. e. , Class B fireworks. The CPSC regulated Class C consumer fireworks, and the Department of Transportation dealt with the transportation of fireworks. Although at the federal level, fireworks and firecrackers were allowed as long as the safety features were up to the standard, local governments would have their own different regulations regarding fireworks consumption.Out of the 50 states, one would allow only novelty fireworks, 5 had banned all consumer fireworks but allowed professional pyrotechnics, and 4 allowed customers only wire or wood stick sparklers and other novelty items. However, the remaining 40 would allow essentially all consumer fireworks. For display fireworks, permits would have to be obtained from federal and local authorities and fire departments. All legal consumer fireworks offered for sale in the United States had been tested for stability by the Bureau of Explosives and approved for transportation by the U. S. Department of Transportation.Because of the limited amount of pyrotechnic composition permitted in each individual unit, consumer fireworks would not ignite spontaneously during storage, nor would they mass-explode during a fire. Therefore, no special storage was required. In most of Europe, similar regulations were in place for safety considerations, only the requirements were regarded as less stringent. In Canada, however, regulations were extremely restrictive. However, over the past decade Chinese fireworks companies had made great strides in the Canadian market. In 1999, there Page 5 9B11M006 were no Chinese companies allowed to sell fireworks in Canada.By 2009, over 75% of all fireworks imports to Canada were from China. THE FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS INDUSTRY IN CHINA The firecrackers and fireworks industry in China was dominated by small family-owned-and-operated workshops. It was essentially a low-tech, highly labor-intensive ind ustry. After 1949, government-run factories replaced the family-owned workshops. The increased scale and government funds made possible the automation of some processes. However, the key processes like installing powder, mixing color ingredients, and putting in fuses, were still manually done by skilled workers.The factories themselves were made up of small workshops that stood away from each other, so that in case of an accident the whole factory would not explode. For the same safety consideration, the workshops were usually located near a water source and in sparsely populated rural areas, to reduce the noise and explosion hazard. After the reform towards a market economy started in 1979, most of the factories were broken up and became family-run units of production again. It was hoped that this privatization might help to motivate people to increase their productivity and raise output.However, this move also served to restrict further technological innovations. There were hardly any research and development (R&D) facilities, nor human and capital resources allocated to R&D in most fireworks companies. The few resources that were available were all spent on product varieties. Even in Liuyang, out of the 400,000 or so people working in the industry, very few were engineers with advanced professional training. In response, the Hunan and other local governments began initiatives aimed at upgrading the traditional fireworks industry. Substantial amounts of money were spent on R&D.The Liuyang Firecrackers and Fireworks Authority reported that they had spent RMB 2,000 million in projects with the Beijing University of Technology and the Nanjing University of Science. Among these initiatives were environmentally friendly fireworks, which used cold flame fireworks technology. The majority of the manufacturing workers were regular farmers who had learned how to make fireworks just by watching and following their elders. They would come to work in fireworks workshops when there were jobs to be done, and return to till their fields if there were none. In Liuyang, for instance, few factories operated year-round.Most workshops would operate as orders came in. Since the fireworksmaking communities were very concentrated geographically and had lasted for generations, only a few places (like Liuyang) could claim a large pool of skilled fireworks-makers. Although Liuyang was by far the most well-known place for making fireworks in China, it faced increasing competition within the country. Also located in Hunan Province, Liling was another major manufacturing community of fireworks. Liling fireworks did not enjoy the same reputation and variety as Liuyang products, but they were fierce in price competition.In the neighboring Jiangxi Province, Pingxiang and Wanzai fireworks had become strong competitors both in price and quality, especially on the low- and medium-priced market. In the high-end product market, especially in large-type display fireworks a nd export market, Dongguan in Guangdong Province, had taken advantage of its closeness to Hong Kong and more sophisticated management and marketing practices, and snatched market share from Liuyang. By 2009, however, more than one third of all firms and 60 per cent of Chinese production remained in Luiyang.Page 6 9B11M006 The initial capital requirement for starting a fireworks-manufacturing facility was relatively low. To set up a factory with the necessary equipment for making large display shells would require around RMB1,250,000. 1 However, setting up a small family workshop making consumer firecrackers and fireworks would require less than RMB125,000. Consequently, the number of small manufacturers mushroomed after the government started to encourage private business ventures. While labor costs in the area were still low, they were steadily increasing.As a result of Chinese economic growth, wages had almost doubled over the past 5 years. This was in part because many workers we re moving into less dangerous occupations. Skilled workers engaged in major processes would earn an average of RMB1,200 to RMB1,800 per month. A non-skilled worker would be paid only RMB500 to RMB700 every month. In larger factories, labor costs were between 20 and 30 per cent of total costs. The main raw materials for fireworks were gunpowder, color ingredients, paper, fuse and clay soil. None would be difficult to procure.However, because of the growth in the Chinese domestic fireworks market, costs of raw materials were steadily rising. Another possible problem in supply was quality. Major manufacturers would usually establish long-term relationships with their suppliers to guarantee the quality of the materials. The small workshops would often go with the lowest prices, sometimes at the cost of quality, which could lead to fatal results. The number of small companies intensified competition. The private workshops were flexible and quick in responding to market demand. They did n ot entail much administrative cost.Compared to governmentowned or some collectively-owned factories, they did incur the costs of providing health care, retirement benefits and housing. They usually did not do any product research or design. Oblivious to intellectual property protection, they would copy any popular product design and sell it for much less. The resulting price drop had become a serious problem for the whole industry. As the profit margin kept shrinking, some workshops would hire cheap unskilled workers, and use cheap equipment and raw materials to cut down on cost. The results could be disastrous. THE DOMESTIC MARKETFirecrackers and fireworks had long been an integral part of any ceremonies held in China. Until recently, demand had been stable, but had risen in the past three decades because of increased economic development and living standards. Economically, market reform and unprecedented growth had given rise to the daily appearance of multitudes of new companies and new stores. As people’s income level and living standards kept rising, fancier and pricier fireworks and firecrackers were desired over the cheap simple firecrackers, thereby creating more profit opportunities for fireworks manufacturers.Almost every household would spend at least a couple of hundred RMB on firecrackers and fireworks during the Spring Festival. However, during the 1990s, increased concerns over environmental pollution and safety of human life and property led more and more cities to regulate the consumption of fireworks and firecrackers. Every year, high profile fireworks-related accidents were reported and emphasized on mass media before and after the traditional Spring Festival. Some articles even condemned firecrackers and fireworks as an old, uncivilized convention that created only noise, pollution and accidents.In a wave of regulations, city after city passed administrative laws regarding the use of fireworks. By 1998, one-third of the cities in Chi na had completely banned the use of firecrackers and fireworks. Another one-third only allowed fireworks in designated places. This led to a decline in domestic market demand. 1 In 2009, the exchange rate was around 6. 60 yuan per US$1. 00. Page 7 9B11M006 However, all this began to change in the mid 2000s. Demand began to soar when Beijing lifted a 12-year ban on fireworks in 2005. Other cities followed suit.In 2005, 106 cities eased restrictions on fireworks; in 2006 another 54 cities eased restrictions. This was followed by 40 cities in 2007 and another 79 cities in 2009. All this lead to an explosion in the Chinese domestic fireworks market. In the meantime, domestic competition grew intensely. The reform towards a market economy made it possible for numerous family-run workshops to appear. They competed mainly on price. Almost every province had some fireworks-making workshops or factories, many set up and run with the help of skilled workers who had migrated from Liuyang.These small establishments usually were located in rural, underdeveloped areas where labor cost was low. The manufacturing was done manually, sometimes without safety measures, using cheap raw materials and simplified techniques. The products were sold locally at low prices, making it difficult for Liuyang fireworks to sell in those areas. To make things worse, these products would often copy any new or popular product designs coming out of Liuyang or other traditional fireworks communities, even using their very brand names. In the past, fireworks were sold through the government-run general merchandise companies.Eventually, private dealers took over a large part of the business. Overall, the distribution system was rather fragmented. The old government-run channels were not very effective, especially for general merchandise. In the new distribution channels, wholesale dealers would get shipments directly from the manufacturers, and then resell to street peddlers and convenience stores. In the countryside, wholesale markets would appear in focal townships, with wholesale dealers and agents of the manufacturers setting up booths promoting their products.Small peddlers in the surrounding areas would get supplies from the market and then sell them in small towns or villages. The wholesale markets in China were important outlets for distributing general merchandise like fireworks. In the display fireworks market, the buyers were often central and local governments, who would purchase the product for public shows on national holidays or special celebrations. Obviously, a local company would have advantages in supplying to local government in its area. Large fireworks shows usually would use invited bidding to decide on suppliers.The amount of fireworks used could range from RMB100,000 to several million yuan, depending on the scale of a fireworks show. Account receivables and bad debt control was a problem not just for fireworks manufacturers, but for all businesses in China. Bad debts and lack of respect for business contracts had created a credit crisis in China. The bad debt problem greatly increased transaction costs, slowed down the cash turnover, and had become a headache for fireworks manufacturers. Some had chosen to withdraw from selling in the domestic market, although the profit margin was higher than in the export market.Legal restrictions, local protectionism, cutthroat price competition, hard-to-penetrate distribution channels and bad debt were impacting negatively on the domestic sales of Liuyang fireworks. In 1997, seeing the decline of its fireworks sales, Liuyang Firecrackers and Fireworks Industry Department, the government agency in charge of the overall development of the pillar industry, decided to start an offensive strategy. First, it opened local offices in most of the 29 provinces, major cities and regions to promote Liuyang fireworks.Second, it regulated the prices that Liuyang fireworks companies could quote and sell i n export sales. Third, it resorted to a government-to-government relationship in order to secure contracts for large public fireworks displays in each province. One year after introducing the offensive strategy, Liuyang fireworks sales had increased. By 2009, they controlled an estimated 60 per cent of the global market. Page 8 9B11M006 Over the next ten years, many legal restrictions were lifted. One of the most notable legal restrictions to be eased was foreign direct investment.With huge growth in both the Chinese domestic market and with China nearing a virtual lock on export market, the Chinese Fireworks industry had become a magnet for foreign investors. Liuyang remained the center of the Chinese fireworks industry and an attractive region for foreigners and foreign firms looking at controlling the entire fireworks value chain. THE EXPORT MARKET Since the opening of the Chinese economy in 1979, exporting had become a major market for the Chinese fireworks industry. As one of t he most celebrated products out of China, export sales of fireworks had risen dramatically between 1978 and 2009.According to independent research, the recorded exports of firecrackers and fireworks reached US$675 million in 2009. This was up from an estimated US$143 million in 1994. The products from China were rich in variety and low in price, but also had a lower reputation in quality control, packaging and timing control, compared to the products made in Japan and Korea. China-made fireworks also would wholesale for much lower prices, usually 80 per cent lower than similar products made in Japan or Korea. There had been little overall co-ordination of export sales.As more and more companies were allowed to export directly, competition kept intensifying and the profit margins on export sales kept slipping. As a result, underpricing each other became a common practice. Therefore, despite its dominant share of the world market, the Chinese fireworks export industry enjoyed limited profitability. The export price of Chinese fireworks was between one-fifth and one-third the wholesale price in the United States. The importers enjoyed a high markup even after paying the 2. 4 per cent U. S. import duty.Of course, the importers had to absorb the cost of getting permits, shipping, storing and carrying the inventory for three to four months before making the sales. This gap pushed both domestic and foreign companies to find ways to control more of the value chain from production to retail. Besides suffering from low profit margin, the Chinese fireworks makers were also risking losing their brand identities. Given the low cost and reasonably good quality of the Chinese fireworks, many large fireworks manufacturers and dealers in the West started to outsource the making of their brand-name fireworks.Failing to see the importance of brand equity, the Chinese fireworks manufacturers were sometimes reduced to mere manufacturing outfits for foreign companies, gradually los ing their own brands. There were also fireworks merchants in Korea, Japan or Spain, who would buy the products from China, and then repackage them, or replace the fuses with better quality ones, then resell them for much higher prices. The export market was usually divided into five blocks: Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, South America and the rest of the world.The most popular market had been Europe, where the regulations on fireworks were less stringent, and orders were of larger quantities and better prices. The United States was considered a tough market because of complex regulations and high competition, nevertheless a necessary one if a company wanted to remain a viable world-player. While in the past, the Canadian market was virtually closed to the Chinese fireworks due to its regulations, by 2009 Chinese imports dominated the entire Canadian market. Page 9 9B11M006 The foreign importers were powerful buyers for several reasons.First, they were very well informed, bot h through past dealings with China and the Internet. Second, they were able to hire agents who were very familiar with the industry in China. Third, they could deal directly with the factories that were willing to offer lower prices. Fourth, there were basically no switching costs, so they could play the suppliers against each other. The diversity of the cultures in the destination countries greatly reduced the seasonality of the fireworks production and sales. As a result, orders evened out throughout the year. However, the peak season was still towards the end of the year.For the U. S. , it was before July 4. Usually, the importers would receive the shipment two or three months beforehand. While the U. S. was still China’s major export market for fireworks, other countries were also importing large quantities of Chinese made fireworks (see Exhibit 4). The Internet had become a marketing outlet for Chinese fireworks. 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the worldwide sales were thr ough the Internet. However, export sales were still made mainly through foreign trade companies or agents. In recent years, foreign investments were also funneled into the fireworks industry.In Liuyang, four of the large fireworks factories had foreign investments, made mainly by the fireworks trading companies in Hong Kong. In 2009, the Liuyang Fireworks Company was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE), a first for a Chinese fireworks manufacturer. The Future of the Fireworks Industry in China The managers of the Chinese fireworks companies that Jerry talked to expressed mixed feelings towards the future outlook of their industry. One pessimistic view was that fierce competition and more stringent safety regulations were killing the industry.As the Chinese economy advanced, the government was forcing more manufacturing regulations onto firms that were driving up costs. Moreover, as people became more environmentally-conscious and more distracted by the endless diversities of modern entertainment, traditional celebrations using firecrackers and fireworks would die a gradual death. As to the function of attracting public attention for promotional purposes, fireworks also faced challenges from new technologies, such as laser beams combined with sound effects. In fact, â€Å"make-believe firecrackers† already appeared as substitutes in China.These were made of red plastic tubes strung together like firecrackers with electric bulbs installed inside the tubes. When the power was turned on, the lights would emit sparks, accompanied by crackling reports that sounded like firecrackers. These were being used at weddings and grand openings in cities where firecrackers and fireworks were banned. More interesting substitutes were spotted at some weddings in Beijing, where people paved the road with little red balloons, and made the limousine carrying the bride and groom run over the balloons to make explosive cracking sounds as well as leave behind red bits a nd pieces of debris.Also, more and more young couples were getting married in western styles, in a church or a scenic green meadow outdoors, where serene and quiet happiness prevailed over the traditional noisy way of celebrating. Therefore, some managers believed that firecrackers and fireworks were doomed to fade off into history. The more optimistic view, however, was that the industry would not die at all. If the right moves were made by the industry, it could even grow. Some said that tradition would not die so easily. It was in their national character for the Chinese to celebrate with an atmosphere of noisy happiness.Moreover, even in the West, the popularity of fireworks was not suffering from all the regulations. No real substitutes could Page 10 9B11M006 replace fireworks, which combined the sensual pleasures of visual, audio and emotional stimuli. For instance, the U. S. Congressional resolution in 1963 to use bells to replace fireworks in celebrating Independence Day nev er really caught on. Fireworks were also being combined with modern technologies like laser beams, computerized firing and musical accompaniment to make the appeal of fireworks more irresistible.The safety problem was not really as serious as people were made to believe, and would only improve with new technological innovations like smokeless fireworks. With the success of the fireworks displays at the Beijing Olympics, China’s brand as a world class fireworks producer was on the rise. With better management practices, perhaps margins could be increased. However, both sides agreed that the Chinese fireworks industry would have to change its strategy, especially in international competition, to stay a viable and profitable player. THE DECISIONWhile the Liuyang fireworks industry dominated the worldwide industry, Jerry had to decide whether he should invest in the industry. If he did invest, what was the best way to capitalize on the potential that remained unexploited in this industry? He wondered whether he could apply the industry analysis framework he had studied in his MBA program. Page 11 9B11M006 Exhibit 1 CHINA & LIUYANG FIRECRACKERS AND FIREWORKS: TOTAL REVENUE (US$000) 2007 2009 Total Revenue Domestic (estimated) All China 742,395 1,009,757 Liuyang 450,000 757,500 Total Revenue ExportsAll China 494,930 673,171 Liuyang 300,000 505,000 Total Revenue (estimated) All China 1,237,325 1,682,928 Liuyang 750,000 1,262,500 Sources: International Fireworks Association; ICON Group Ltd â€Å"The World Market for Fireworks: A 2009 Global Trade Perspective Notes: 1. Domestic Revenue estimate based on a 6:4 domestic to export ratio as reported by http://www. articlesbase. com. 2. Alternative sources put the Chinese domestic market much higher. 3. 2009 data and 2007 data are from different sources. Caution should be used when making comparisons.Growth rates of 15 to 18 per cent per year have been reported by other news sources (especially: http://www. newsreel network. com) Page 12 9B11M006 Exhibit 2 TOTAL FIREWORKS CONSUMPTION AND ESTIMATED FIREWORKS-RELATED INJURIES IN U. S. : 2000 TO 2008 Year Fireworks Consumption, Millions of Pounds Estimated Fireworks-Related Injuries Injuries per 100,000 Pounds 2000 152. 6 11,000 7. 2 2001 161. 6 9,500 5. 8 2002 190. 1 8,800 4. 6 2003 220. 8 9,700 4. 4 2004 236. 2 9,600 4. 1 2005 281. 5 10,800 3. 8 2006 278. 2 9,200 3. 3 2007 265. 5 9,800 3. 7 2008 213. 7,000 3. 3 Source: American Pyrotechnics Association. Exhibit 3 ESTIMATED EMERGENCY ROOM TREATMENT PER 100,000 YOUTHS (AGES 5 TO 14) FROM OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES (JUNE 22 TO JULY 22, 2008) Source: American Pyrotechnics Association As cited from the CPSC National Injury Information Clearinghouse 5,244 13,501 14,258 6,349 21,040 15,268 18,365 21,032 68,553 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 Fireworks Skateboards Fishing Swing Sets Swimming 4 wheel ATVs Sof tball Baseball Bicycles Page 13 9B11M006 Exhibit 4 FIREWORKS EXPORTS FROM CHIN A, 2009Country of Destination Rank Value (000 US$) % Share Cumulative % United States 1 301,500 44. 8 44. 8 Germany 2 83,553 12. 4 57. 2 United Kingdom 3 33,645 5. 0 62. 2 The Netherlands 4 32,586 4. 8 67. 0 Japan 5 26,764 4. 0 71. 0 Russia 6 16,157 2. 4 73. 4 Italy 7 15,967 2. 4 75. 8 France 8 13,574 2. 0 77. 8 Spain 9 13,009 1. 9 79. 7 Denmark 10 9,935 1. 5 81. 2 Canada 11 9,817 1. 5 82. 7 Poland 12 9,580 1. 4 84. 1 Taiwan 13 8,130 1. 2 85. 3 Finland 14 6,002 0. 9 86. 2 South Africa 15 5,623 0. 8 87. 0 Austria 16 5,488 0. 8 87. 8 Ukraine 17 5,445 0. 88. 7 Sweden 18 4,868 0. 7 89. 4 Albania 19 4,835 0. 7 90. 1 Argentina 20 4,793 0. 7 90. 8 Turkey 21 4,592 0. 7 91. 5 Belgium 22 4,583 0. 7 92. 2 Norway 23 4,336 0. 6 92. 8 Czech Republic 24 4,312 0. 6 93. 5 Venezuela 25 4,257 0. 6 94. 1 New Zealand 26 4,024 0. 6 94. 7 Switzerland 27 3,316 0. 5 95. 2 South Korea 28 3,104 0. 5 95. 6 Thailand 29 2,720 0. 4 96. 0 Indonesia 30 1,925 0. 3 96. 3 Other 31 24,731 3. 7 100. 0 Total 673,171 100. 00 100. 00 Source: Professor Philip M. Parker, INSEAD, copyright  © 2009, www. icongrouponline. com