Mother Daughter Relationships - Mothers and Daughters in Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club :: Joy Luck Club Essays

Mothers and Daughters in The Joy Luck Club The first three stories in this section are talking about the relationship between mothers and daughters and the last one is concluding the whole book "The Joy Luck Club".   By examining this section, there is one moral in these four stories, which is the relationship between daughters and mothers, is very strong and mothers and daughters have similar fate and face.   The plots in these four stories can prove the moral above.   In "Magpies", when An-mei hsu thinks about her daughter's marriage is fallen apart, she recalls her mother and how she followed her mother to Tientsin.   An-mei also recalls the conflict between her mother, Wu Tsing and Second wife of Wu Tsing.   She remembers how Second wife lied to her mother and how Wu Tsing forced her mother to become his Fourth wife.   Finally, An-mei's mother died by taking too much opium.   An-mei realizes her mother's situation is as same as her daughter, both of them cannot save their lives very well and they like magpies.   In "Waiting between the Trees", Ying-Ying St. Clair recalls her story in the childhood, when she sees signs in her daughter's house.   Ying-Ying recalls how was her first marriage, how she met her first husband and final result on her first marriage.   Ying-Ying also talks about her birth year of Tiger and the relationship between she and Clifford St. Clair and how both of them become equally. Ying-Ying realizes the relationship between her and Clifford St. Clair is also as same as her daughter and her husband.   Ying-Ying also talks that her daughter is as same as a Tiger.   At the end, Yin-Yin know her daughter will go upstairs when her daughter fight with her husband and she will wait for her coming.   In "Double Face", when Lindo Jong looks at her daughter's face, she compares American faces and Chinese faces.   Lindo Jong recalls what her mother had told her fortune by looking her face.   She also remembers how she moves to America and she realizes that her face becomes American face already.   In "A pair of Ticket", Jing-Mei Woo talks about her feeling before she meet her two sisters.   Also, Jing-Mei talks about the meeting in the Airport with her father and aunt.   In the meeting, Jing-Mei's father talks about Jing-Mei's mother and how she escaped when Japanese came to China and how she leaves her two daughters on the rail.

Masculinity in Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart and Perfect Days b

Masculinity in "Men Should Weep" by Ena Lamont Stewart and "Perfect Days" by Liz Lochead Both plays portray men under a negative light. In ‘Men Should Weep’ men are the dominant sex and are seen socially of far greater importance. Whereas in ‘Perfect days’ men are easily manipulated and tend to be controlled by the contents of their trousers. ‘Men Should Weep’ is a play which examines how the family unit crumbles under the pressure of poverty. ‘John’ the father of the family is the main male figure throughout the play. His wife Maggie does everything for him and their family. However although there is always a lot to be done John manages not to do anything to help as he would never want to damage his alter ego. Not only doesn’t he help around the house but he is also unemployed. This says a lot about John’s character and implies that he is a selfish self-centred character. ‘I’d an idea a was heid o this hoose’ Although John gives the family no support in anyway he is still quite content in thinking that he is head of the household. Due to the way society was at this time it implied that women had to do as their husbands told them. Once women married they were their husband’s property. Men in that day and age overruled women they were more powerful and a lot of women feared them for various reasons. Domestic abuse was a main reason for this fear. Although a lot of women were domestically abused it wasn’t something they talked about. Mrs Bone one of the neighbours which are used as a vehicle to examine how men have a hold over women in the play is a victim of domestic abuse. ‘I just canna understand a women who lets her man bash her aboot†¦..’ Standing up to men was unheard of you just wouldn’t... ...Brendan doesn’t know about. Grant is seen to give Barbs a lot of happiness but their relationship ends with Grant asking. ‘Why are you so ashamed of me?’ This portrays Grant as a very naà ¯ve character as Barbs was only using him for a bit of fun the relationship as never serious, yet he looked upon it to be. In conclusion the portrayal of men and masculinity in two Scottish plays that I have studied are that they completely dominate the society. They are selfish self-absorbed characters. In â€Å"Men Should Weep† this is portrayed through John a very self-absorbed character. I think the writer’s purpose was to show how bad the conditions were that people use to live in and some people still do. In â€Å"Perfect Days† the men are portrayed to be very stupid and weak characters. I feel that the writer’s purpose was to show that women can cope without men.

Romanticism and Delacroix

Eugene Dielectric's Contributions to Romanticism Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delicacies was a French artist, best known for his significant contributions to the Romantic Movement during the early sass. Throughout his career as an artist, Delicacies has produced over 9,000 art works. As such the thesis for this paper will focus on acknowledging Eugene Dielectric's influence and contributions to Romanticism. Delicacies was born in Charleston-SST. Maurice, near Paris on April 1798. His father, Charles Delicacies died in 1805, followed by his mother in 1814, leaving the 16-years- old Delicacies an orphan.Arguably, having lost both parent's at such an early age might have had an affect on his personal style. His themes were rather dark, creating a sense of supernatural mood. Moreover he did not present life as beautiful or pretty, but rather in a mysterious and sinister manner. In 1815, Delicacies attended the school of fine arts in Paris and began training with Pierre-Narcosis Gu ©rain in the neoclassical style. However, he became strongly influenced by the more rich and colorful style of earlier artists like Peter Paul Rueben and Paolo Everyone.Such a style emphasized more on color and movement rather Han clear outline and strict form, which later became known as the Romantic style. Although Delicacies has produced numerous extravagant works during this period of time, it was not until 1830 in which he came up with his best known and perhaps most influential work, ‘Liberty Leading the People'. Partly inspired by The ©adore G ©racialist's Raft of the Medusa, Liberty Leading the People was considered as Dielectric's significant step in his romantic work.The painting clearly confirms the differences between the romantic style of painting, which emphasized color and spirit, and the neoclassical style, which emphasized line and form. In addition, symbolically, Delicacies portrayed Liberty as both a depiction of goddess, and a normal yet strong and determined wo man of the people. This idea was rather new and was widely criticized at the time. Another point to acknowledge is that Delicacies chose a woman to represent liberty and freedom.This may be explained by the role of women at the time, whereby a woman is basically viewed as a piece of property to a man, they have no say or opinion in any matters. Therefore, since Liberty Leading the People was initially painted to commemorate the July Revolution in 1830, which peopled Charles X of France. The metaphor of a woman trying to break free from traditional norms reflects how the French people broke away and overthrew the monarchy. The painting has been regarded as a milestone in history, marking the end to the French Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, and the beginning of the Romantic era.Later in 1832, Delicacies Journeyed to Spain and North Africa. The main purpose of his visit was not to study art, but to escape from the civilization of Paris, seeking a closer place to nature and in hope of seeing a different culture. During his travel, Delicacies became more interested in using animals as his subjects of painting (â€Å"Arab Horses Fighting in a Stable† and â€Å"The Lion Hunt†). Displaying the raw energy and power of these animals helped in the expression of Romanticism. Later in his life, Delicacies received many commissions from government in Paris.Some of his assignments included ; decorating the King's Chamber in Appall Bourbon, library of Chamber De Deputes, and the Chamber des Paris, as well as, the Chapel of Holy Sacrament at Saint-Denis. These assignments gave him the opportunity to follow n the footsteps of those artists he admired (Everyone, Tinderbox, and Rueben), by being able to paint on a very large scale. During this time, Delicacies was able to experiment with various surfaces and shapes: domes, ceilings, semi domes, pilasters, etc. Enabling him to further exercise his imagination. However, due to the hard work and a weakening h ealth condition, Delicacies became ill and eventually died in 1863, leaving a grand total of 9,149 works. In conclusion, it is undeniable the importance of the role that Eugene Delicacies had played in the Romantic Movement. Delicacies had the courage to challenge the norms f the neoclassical style and was able to enhance and perfect the Romantic style amidst the negative controversies from the old-school critics.Furthermore, his passion for the exotic and the unconventional, which led him venturing into places like Morocco, eventually became an inspiration for the Symbolist movement. All in all, Dielectric's untamed expression of energy, and movement in his works; coupled with his obsession with violent, destruction, and the tragedy of life; and his unique selection of vivid colors have made him one of the most fascinating and complex artistic figures in all of art's history.

Glass Industry in Turkey

When glass industry in Turkey is analyzed, it is observed that there are middle and small sized firms, work places at workshop levels in very limited numbers and a dominant producer, Tà ¼rkiye ÅžiÅŸe ve Cam FabrikalarÄ ± TopluluÄŸu. More than 90% of the annual production of market is met by ÅžiÅŸecam. Although there are no law and arbitration barriers to enter to the glass market, firms hesitate to enter since glass industry requires continuous production with high capacity and continuous investment and raw materials in Turkey are not in high quality and the amount of their reserves in Turkey are declining day by day, namely the industry is becoming more costly and risky. Furthermore, diminishing returns in the short-run increase marginal cost of glass production as the necessity of innovation and continuous production makes producer buy more technological and faster machines and equipment but the staff cannot use them efficiently for a definite period, which increase total cost and marginal cost but not brings about same increase in output levels. Decline in quality of raw materials also explains the diminishing returns and rising marginal costs. The buyer range of glass market is extensive as glass is not only used for decoration purposes and used as kitchen utensils but also it is used as an input in construction, food, furniture, white goods, medicine, soft drinks, automotive and electrical-electronics industries. In addition, glass plays an important role in these industries as the producers of these industries cannot substitute any other input for glass in some parts of their production processes. The representative of glass market in Turkey, ÅžiÅŸecam can determine the price or quantity of its products. As ÅžiÅŸecam is a price maker, not a price taker it is more likely that it will try set a price resulting in profit maximization which is not too high or too low and makes marginal revenue equals to marginal cost. It worths mentioning that ÅžiÅŸecam can determine either price or quantity, not both of them. When one of them is set, the other will be determined by demand curve. However, price and quantity are not the sole components that ÅžiÅŸecam can play with. ÅžiÅŸecam tries to catch the trend in technology in abroad by establishing joint-ventures with foreign firms in order to innovate itself, improve the product design and product diversity. In addition, as a result of its marketing strategy, ÅžiÅŸecam sells its trifles and kitchen utensils in PaÅŸabahà §e Stores which are located in strategic places of Ä °stanbul, Ankara, Ä °zmir, Adana, Antalya, Bursa, Mersin, Denizli, Bodrum, and Marmaris. ÅžiÅŸecam also seeks an expansionary policy in abroad. It has two firms in Bulgaria and Georgia and representative offices in Germany, Russia, China, Hong Kong and Austria. Though ÅžiÅŸecam states its strategic goal as ‘keeping the leading position in the country, increasing foreign sales, climbing the ranks of glass production statistics and producing in an environmentally friendly way’, it is clear that the primary objective of a firm is to maximize its profits as the theory of firm implies and the objective of ÅžiÅŸecam is to maximize its profit in the short-run by trying to equate its marginal revenue and marginal cost. ÅžiÅŸecam is not afraid of possibility of sharing its short run economic profits with the other firms since it is the sole firm in glass industry in Turkey. All in all, when we analyze glass industry in Turkey on the basis of number of sellers, cost conditions, number of buyers, demand conditions, strategic variables, objective function and expectation of rivals’ reactions, we can conclude that the market structure of glass industry is monopoly. ÅžiÅŸecam is the monopolist of glass industry since it is the sole producer in the marker except for a few enterprises but there are many buyers of its products, its marginal costs increase due to diminishing returns in the short-run, it can use price, quantity, product design, distribution channels as strategic variables, the objective of the firm is profit maximization in the short-run and it has no expectation of rivals’ reaction as there is no rival in the industry.

The Chinese Wedding Day

Chinese Marriage Custom 1. The Proposal. The process starts with an elaborate marriage and acceptance. This process was placed in the hand of go-between, who acted as a buffer between two parties. The important parties in proposal and betrothal negotiations were the parents of the bride and groom, rather than the bride and the groom. When the boy’s parents identified a future bride, they would send the go-between to present gifts to the girl’s parents and to express their feelings about the match. If the proposal was well-received, the go-between would obtain the date and hour of the girl’s birth recorded on a formal document.The groom’s family would place this document on the ancestral altar for three days. If no suspicious omens, e. g. quarrels between the parents or a loss of property, took place within that time, the parents would give the information to an astrological expert to confirm that the young woman and their son would make a good match. If th e boy’s family found the horoscope to be favourable, they gave the boy’s birth date and birth hour to the go-between to bring to the girl’s family, who would go through the same process. Only after both outcomes were favourable, the two families will arrange to meet.Finally after discussion, each family evaluated the other in terms of appearance, education, character, and social status. If both were satisfied they would proceed to the betrothal. 2. The Betrothal. First both parents exchanged family credentials as tokens of intention. Then, after extensive bargaining, the two families would arrive at the amount of money and goods that would make up the gift to the girl’s family. After presenting engagement tokens, the go-between would ask the bride’s family to choose among several wedding dates suggested by the boy’s family and also set a date for presenting betrothal gifts.The boy’s family presented betrothal gifts of money and signif icant items such as tea, â€Å"Dragon (male) and Phoenix (female)† bridal cakes, pairs of male and female poultry, sweetmeats and sugar, wine and tobacco, accompanied by an itemized statement of these gifts. Tea was such a primary part of these gifts in some areas that they were known collectively as cha-li, that is, â€Å"tea presents. † The girl’s family reciprocated with gifts of food and clothing. It was customary for the girl’s family to distribute the bridal cakes they received from the boy’s family to friends and relatives as a form of announcement and invitation to the wedding feast.The boy’s family’s gifts acknowledged the parents’ efforts in accepting the girl, and by accepting the gifts, the girl’s family pledged her to the boy’s family. Several days after the presentation of the betrothal gifts, the girl’s family sent porters with an inventoried dowry to the boy’s house. The dowry consist ed of practical items, including a chamber pot, filled for the occasion with fruit and strings of coins. This procession gave the girl’s family the opportunity to display both their social status and their love for their daughter, and wealthy parents often included serving girls to attend their daughter in her new home.The betrothal generally lasted for a year or two, although the betrothal would last until the children had grown to marriageable age. 3. Before The Wedding. In preparation for her departure, the future bride retreated from the ordinary routine and lived in seclusion in a separate part of the house with her closest friends. During this moment, the young women sang and mourning the bride’s separation from her family and vowing in front of the go-between and as well as the groom’s family and the girl’s parents.Since this sleep-over often took place in the cock loft, the bride’s emergence on her wedding day is sometimes referred to as â €Å"coming of the cock loft†. The preparation on the part of the groom involving the installation the bed on the day before the wedding. A man or women with many children and living mates, were selected to install a newly purchased bed. After the bed was in place, children were invited onto the bed as an omen of fertility. For the same reason, the bed was scattered with red dates, oranges, lotus seeds, peanuts, pomegranates and other fruits. 4. The Wedding Day.At dawn on her wedding day (or the night before), the bride bathed in water infused with pumelo, a variety of grapefruit, to cleanse her of evil influences. A ‘good luck woman’ attended the bridal preparations. She spoke auspicious words while dressing the bride’s hair in the style of a married woman. After the hair is styled, the bride emerged from her retreat. She was carried to the main hall on the back of the ‘good luck’ woman or her most senior sister-in-law. There she donned a jack et and skirt and stepped into a pair of red shoes, placed in the center of a sieve.The bride’s face was covered with either a red silk veil or a ‘curtain’ of tassels or beads that hung from the bridal Phoenix crown. (The photo below was taken at the mock wedding at a prior year’s Chinese Summer Festival. After completing her wedding preparations, the bride bowed to her parents and to the ancestral tablets and awaited the arrival of the bridal procession from the groom’s house. Dressed in a long gown, red shoes and a red silk sash with a silk ball on his shoulder, the groom knelt at the family altar while his father placed a cap decorated with cypress leaves on his head.The groom bowed first before the tablets of Heaven and Earth and his ancestors, then to his parents and the assembled family members. His father removed the silk ball from the sash and placed it on top of the bridal sedan chair. Next is the process to obtain the bride. The firecracker s start to play, the loud gong and also drums marked the starting process. The groom starts the procession led by the kids as a sign of his future kid. The groom would to the bride’s house to fetch her, taking with him the bridal chair, which was completely covered with red satin and fresh flowers.On arriving at the bride’s house, the groom’s party was met by the bride’s friends, who would not ‘surrender ’the bride until they were satisfied by red packets of money, ang pau from the groom’s representative. This was the occasion of much good-natured haggling before the two parties could reach an agreement. In some cases, the groom would take dinner with the bride’s family, and receive a pair of chopsticks and two wine goblets wrapped in red paper, symbolic of his receiving the joy of the family in the person of their daughter. In some regions, he would be offered sweet longan tea, two hard-boiled eggs in syrup and transparent nood les.Another variation was the groom’s partaking of soup with a soft-boiled egg, the yolk of which he was expected to break, arguably symbolic of breaking the bride’s ties with her family. The ‘good luck woman’ or a dajin, employed by the bride’s family to look after the bride, carried the bride on her back to the chair. Another bridesmaid might shield the bride with a parasol while a third tossed rice at the sedan chair. Sometimes the bride was borne out in a wooden ‘cage’ with her feet padlocked –; presumably a remnant from rougher times with extremely reluctant brides.A sieve, shai-tse, which would strain out evil, and a metallic mirror, king, which would reflect light, were suspended at the rear of the bride’s sedan to protect her from evil influence. The bride might also attach a special mirror to her garment, which she would not remove until she was safely seated upon the marriage bed. Firecrackers were set off to fri ghten away evil spirits as the bride departed in the sedan chair. The physical movement symbolized the transfer of the bride from her parent’s family to her husband’s. Great care was taken to ensure that no inauspicious influence would affect the marriage.The female attendants who escorted the bride to her new home were chosen with particular care that the horoscope animals of their birth years were compatible with that of the bridegroom. The sedan chair itself was heavily curtained to prevent the bride from inadvertently glimpsing an unlucky sight, e. g. a widow, a well, or even a cat. Attendants scattered grain or beans, symbols of fertility, before her. Once again, firecrackers were set off just before the procession arrived. A red mat was placed before the sedan chair for the bride lest her feet touch the bare earth as she dismounted.The entire household would be waiting to receive her. The bride was required to step over a saddle or a lit stove to cross the thresh old, since the words for â€Å"saddle† and â€Å"tranquillity† sounds the same and the fire would cast out of evil influences. An attendant might immediately place a heap of rice in a sieve over or near the bride. If the bride did not wear a lucky mirror, one might be used at this time to flash light upon the bride. In some regions, a grain measure and a string of of copper coins were laid out as talismans of prosperity.After these rituals took place, the groom could finally raise the red scarf and view the bride’s face. 5. The Wedding Day. In contrast to the elaborate preparations, the wedding ceremony itself was simple. The bride and groom were conducted to the family altar, where they paid homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God, Tsao-Chun. Tea, generally with two lotus seeds or two red dates in the cup, was offered to the groom’s parents. Then the bride and groom bowed to each other. This completed the marriage eremony, ex cept in some regions, where both also drank wine from the same goblet, ate sugar moulded in the form of a rooster, and partook of the wedding dinner together. Immediately after the ceremony, the couple were led to the bridal chamber, where both sat on the bed. In some areas, honey and wine were poured into two goblets linked by a red thread. The bride and groom took a few sips and then exchanged cups and drank it down. On the day of the wedding (and sometimes for the next three days), the bed chamber was open to visitors, who were given to teasing the young couple with ribald remarks.Generally, separate wedding feasts were given by the parents of the bride and the groom for their respective friends and families. Even at the feast, men and women sat separately. There could be a single feast for each or a series of feasts over several days. However, the most important feast was that given the groom’s family on the day of the wedding. It was generally considered as public recogn ition of the union. On the day after the wedding,  the bride awoke early to attend honor the ancestors at dawn. It was only then that she was then formally introduced to the groom’s relatives and friends.As she knelt before each of the older relatives, she received a small gift. The bride’s parents-in-law gave her a title according to her husband’s seniority in the family hierarchy. On the day after the wedding,  the bride awoke early to attend honor the ancestors at dawn. It was only then that she was then formally introduced to the groom’s relatives and friends. As she knelt before each of the older relatives, she received a small gift. The bride’s parents-in-law gave her a title according to her husband’s seniority in the family hierarchy.

Economic Critique Essay

Maintaining a stable economy is no small challenge for any nation however possessing the ability to change and invent new and created ways of maintaining makes for a thriving economy. This newsletter will summarize the different economic factors that affect aggregate demand and supply such as unemployment, expectations, consumer income, and interest rates within the United States. Additionally, what fiscal policies are recommended by the United States government and whether or not these policies are effective and getting them back on track are discussed. Unemployment In the current state of unemployment as of July 2013, twenty eight states have had increases, eight states decreases, and fourteen states have had no change in unemployment rates, U.s. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013). It was also reported that in June 2012 the rate was lower by .8 percent from 7.4 percent. While unemployment rates started to shoot to a high not seen in years, in 2008, the economy almost went into a recession. After President Obama took office he signed the Recovery Act in 2009. This act was the catalyst that sprung the economy out of its downward spiral and drove unemployment rates down. The act created more American jobs for out-of-work Americans bringing in 3.5 million jobs, Executive Office of the President (2013). Unemployment is consistently fluctuating and as of recently, the rates have been going down. Due to the government bail-outs and the Reinvestment Act also of 2009, more and more jobs have been created. Construction, road repairs, transit system enhancements and the auto industry in the U.S. have been invested in to restore jobs to the country. As of July 2013 some 7 million jobs have been added to the economy via private sectors contribution of employment for a span of 40 months. This just goes to show that the Recovery Act and the Reinvestment Act have made a sizable impact positively on unemployment to present. Expectations Consumers’ expectations of the economy and where it stands plays a vital role in the consumption expenditures. According to Fazel: â€Å"It has been argued that customers’ expectations about the economy’s future should have an impact on consumers’ decisions about how much to consume and how much to save. While consumers’ expectations seem to be a strong predictor for future consumption expenditures, there are potential statistical problems with the use of current available estimates of consumer’s expectations.† Consumers are not likely to spend or borrow money when the economy is unstable and uncertain therefore the consumption expenditures are down. This is a particular problem for a government trying to stable or maintain stability of its economy. The United States has generally done a good job at keeping their citizens vested in their economy. Consumer Income The United States is one of the greatest countries in the world with a population well over 300 hundred million citizens. It is the producer of the largest gross domestic product of the world. The primary factor contributing to this besides the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time is Consumer income. According to the BLS.gov (2011) â€Å"consumer income is generated through hourly wages, salary, tips, and other forms of income†. In the United States these income brackets can be divided into several classes, which include the Super-Rich (est.0.9%), Rich (est. 5%), Middle Class (majority; 46%), Working Class (est.40-45%), and the Poor (est. 12%) (BLS.gov, 2011). We as a society buy a variety of goods and services with our income resources, which contribute to the United States economy. The graph below demonstrates an average household income for typical U.S Household. Household Income by Quintiles According to the New York Times Data| All Households| Lowest 20%| Second 20%| Middle 20%| Fourth 20%| Highest 20%| Top 5%| Households (in 1000s)| 113,146| 22,629| 22,629| 22,629| 22,629| 22,629| 5,695| Lower limit| $0| $0| $18,500| $34,738| $55,331| $88,030| $157,176| Median number of income earners| 1| 0| 1| 1| 2| 2| 2| Owner occupied| 62.4%| 49.0%| 58.8%| 68.9%| 80.5%| 90.0%| 92.8%| Renter occupied| 29.2%| 48.3%| 39.7%| 29.9%| 18.7%| 9.6%| 6.9%| Non-family households| 31.93%| 58.92%| 40.02%| 29.96%| 19.12%| 11.64%| 9.36%| Family households| 68.06%| 41.06%| 59.97%| 70.04%| 80.87%| 88.35%| 90.61%| Married couple families| 51.35%| 19.03%| 38.89%| 51.00%| 67.05%| 80.08%| 85.59%| Single-male family| 4.32%| 3.08%| 4.64%| 5.69%| 4.89%| 3.30%| 2.47%| Single-female family| 12.38%| 18.94%| 16.43%| 13.35%| 8.93%| 4.24%| 2.54%| Interest Interest rates in one of the major components of why the United States economy is where it is stands today. Interest rate is the cost of borrowing money. The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates to stabilize the economy. This is one of the fiscal policies they have applied to correct this problem. Yes, the recession of 2007 has caused for lowered interest rates in 2013. The economy has been on a downturn and one of the ways to turn this downward flow around is to lower interest rates. Applying low interest rates will help households across the states save money in addition to businesses finance new spending (â€Å"Why Are Interest Rates Being Kept at a Low Level?† 2013). Furthermore, because of the lowering of interest rates, the United States dollar is depreciating. Another policy the government has created is monetary incentives for businesses in hopes of getting them to hire more employees. This process will work however maybe not in the timeframe people want it to ha ppen. Overall, the Federal Reserve plays a vital role in that depreciation however, it has to for the economy to recover. Unemployment, expectations, consumer income, and interest rates all have an effect on the aggregate demand and supply. For example, high unemployment means there are less people working and less money to spend, therefore there is less demand on the economy. Additionally, unemployment could cause lower demand of labor which also effects aggregate demand and this shifts cause the aggregate demand to curve to the left. Next, expectations could increase the aggregate demand if households and businesses feel more comfortable about the stability of the economy, they will be more inclined to invest their money and make large purchases. Consumer income can increase or decrease aggregate demand simply by if a household has disposable income. Consumer expenditure is the largest factor to aggregate demand. When a household has disposable income, it is more  likely the household will spend or invest those funds. If consumption increases, the quantity demanded of goods and services increases therefore the demand for supply increases. On the other hand, if consumption decreases, the quantity demanded of goods and services and supply decreases. Finally, interest rates also play a role in the possible shift of aggregate demand. The higher the interes t rates are for borrowing, the less likely households and businesses will want to borrow. When interest rates increases, investments decreases and conversely, when interest rates decreases, investments increases. Unemployment, expectations, consumer income, and interest rates can have a positive or negative effect on the aggregate demand and supply. In conclusion, maintaining a stable economy is enormous challenge that must be dealt with extreme care. The United States have created new ways of stabilizing its economy even though it was on the verge of a recession such as creating jobs for the unemployed and incentives for businesses hiring new employees. The different economic factors that affect the economy are unemployment, expectations, consumer income, and interest rates. The United States has done a good job in managing these different factors. Lowering interest rates will help the economy create revenue because consumers are more willing to borrow and spend money. The United States has incorporated these policies in effort to stable their economy. Thus far, they are the right track. References: (2013). Retrieved from http://whitehouse.gov/economy (2013). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/home.htm (2013). Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/consumer.htm, Retrieved on 08/26/2013 (2013). Retrieved from http:/www.bls.gov/ers/unemployment Fazel, S. (2005, Spring). Consumers’ Expectation and Consumption Expenditures. Journal for Economic Educators, 5(), 1-5. Why Are Interest Rates Being Kept at a Low Level?. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/money_12849.htm

Pesticides and their environmental impact Essay

Introduction Pesticides are chemicals or organic substances that have been designed to prevent pests, weeds or diseases in agricultural production and other places where public health is of paramount importance. Pesticides are very important in agricultural production because they control vermin that would otherwise lead production losses during growth and the storage. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Various researches have continued to indicate that farmers stand to loose about a third of the crop field if pesticides are not used as a control measure. This would have catastrophic effect on food security across the globe. Thus pesticides play a major role in food production. However the handling and the usage of the pesticides has continued to have long lasting effect on the environment including the flora and fauna. (Hamilton D & Crossley S   2004). Since 2500 BC farmers used biological means to control various pests. It was the safest method even though not the most effective. The farm products treated by biological pesticides  Ã‚   did not have any side effects to the consumers who used these products. However after the agrarian revolution, an increasing number of farmers started using artificial pesticides that were more suitable for the increased scale of agricultural production. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003).   There are different types of pesticides depending on the target pests; insecticides help to control insects, bactericide control bacteria and fungicides control fungi. We also have synthetic pesticides that are artificially produced in factories. DDT is always listed as one of the most effective pesticides yet the most environmental destructive which led to its eventual ban in 1939 in over 98 countries. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Environmental Effects The environment is always contaminated when pesticides are applied on crops. During the process of application it has been known that some amounts of pesticides vaporize and are later deposited in the soil or other waterways by rainfall. (Hamilton D & Crossley S   2004). Pesticides present in ground water or drinking water has great impact and is both costly and problematic to control. For example the total concentration of pesticide residues in many ground water supplies in the EU countries exceeds the maximum permissible concentration. In the US the situation is the same and research done on about 68,000 wells revealed that about 9,000 of these wells were indeed contaminated with the residues, which exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency standards (EPA) for water meant for drinking. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003) Contaminated water is very harmful to animals, vital microorganisms in the soil, and extremely dangerous for the marine ecosystem. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003) Pesticides and Wildlife Wildlife by nature do not discriminate in their eating and drinking habits, thus when the pesticides residues find their way to the areas where the wildlife is bound to exist then it poses great danger as they may lead to a slow but sure death of the animals. A very good example is the death of flamingoes and other bird species in the Kenyan lake Nakuru. These deaths were as a result of the excessive use of pesticides in the upstream waterway that feed the lake with water. (Watson, D 2004).   Greater effects have also been recorded amongst various bee and bird species that are very important in the pollination processes. A good example of this effect was also recorded in the US and Europe between 1950 and 1970 when the dramatic decline in the population of the birds of prey was attributed to the organochlorine pesticide that was POPs. The use of DDT was found to break down to DDE, chemical that was responsible for the cause of eggshell thinning that resulted to the crushing of the eggs leading to the failure of the breeding cycle of the birds of prey that also included the fish-eating birds. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Another pesticide aspect that has led to the decline in the bird populations is when they have reduced the existence of certain weeds in various arable fields. The weeds play a very significant role in providing the birds with seeds and insects for food, thus when they are decimated then it affects the bird’s food chain. The great decline of the grey partridge is directly attributed to the use of herbicides that change the availability of the food supply.  Ã‚   http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Until recently a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide called cypermethrin was commonly used in sheep dips across the UK and had adverse effect on the environment. The greatest impact was realized in the marine life where a vast number of various aquatic invertebrates were killed. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ In fish the residues are consumed resulting to the bioaccumulation of the pesticides in the birds of prey that eat this fish. Such pesticides as dieldrin   and aldrin were directly blamed for the decline in the deaths and population decline of birds of prey. However it is worth noting that in areas where the usage of the chemicals is prohibited the population of the birds species has recorded remarkable increase. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Health Effects Workers in the manufacturing companies are at great dangers of developing various other complications while handling the manufacturing processes. Sometimes the workers lack adequate protection and are therefore exposed to the chemicals that are highly carcinogenic. Farmers and other pesticide handlers are the most exposed people to the dangers of the pesticides. (Watson, D 2004). Organophosphates are less harmful to the environment  Ã‚   compared to organ chlorine pesticides. The pesticides can cause abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, nausea, as well as skin and eye problems. When pesticides are used for a long time they can also cause respiratory problems, memory disorder, cancer, neurological deficit and in women who are exposed so much to the pesticides it can cause miscarriages and birth defects when pregnant. (Walter A. et.al.2005) Consumers Most of the crops planted by big scale farmers are very harmful to the consumers because these farmers use the pesticides for cultivation processes. Fruits and vegetables contain the pesticides residues making them harmful to the consumers. Due to these residues, the maximum Residue limits has recommended some standards for individual pesticides food to be used. The EPA has set tolerances that detect the toxicity of the residues and amount of pesticide application that remain in food before it is marketed and prepared. The tolerance level is obtained using scientific assessments that manufactures are required to produce before a particular pesticide can be registered. (Walter A. et.al.2005) The study published in 1993 showed that the infants and children are exposed to pesticides through their diet, while in the US the study shows that pesticide residues in food cause causes of cancer. (Watson, D 2004). The pesticide residue has been a major concern in the US making it possible in 1996 to begin a program known as United States Department of Agriculture to allow its food to be tested for different types of pesticides. The program allowed the test of different vegetables and fruits commonly eaten for example: Apple, Lettuce, Pears and Oranges. To avoid the entire health problem, the consumer can wash, peel, cook and even trim the fat from meat and eat variety of food to avoid long-term exposure to pesticide. The consumer is also advised to buy organic food. (Walter A. et.al.2005) Pesticides are generally exposed to the general public some of the pesticides are very harmful and because they lack proper handling instructions pose great dangers not only to the users but also to the public at large. According to various studies, various pesticides have severe effects on young children and cause leukemia. Organophosphate can cause infliction to the nerve cells and may lead to low birth weights. This is because when pregnant women are exposed to the pesticides they have a very high chance of affecting the uterus and the child carried in the womb. (Walter A. et.al.2005)   With the development of new technology most pesticides are becoming obsolete and other better methods are being used as form of pest control such technologies are being developed in such countries as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Mexico. To reduce health and environmental risks, biological and botanical methods are being  Ã‚   developed and applicators are advised to adopt other methods other than the use of chemical pesticides. For example farming methods like polyculture where by you grow multiple types of plants or even planting crops where the pests that damage the plants do not exist (crop rotation) if not you can adopt the US style of spraying the pests with hot water or the release of natural predators. Interfering with insect’s production can be accomplished by sterilizing males so that there is no production of the off springs. All this methods have been achieved in Indonesia and Sweden thus making their environment very friendly not only to human beings but also to their crops and animals. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Conclusion Pesticides have been of great use especially in the production of food to sustain the ever-increasing world population. Most of the pesticides have significant side effects on the environment and have continued to cause untold damage to the ecosystem. In the developed world the governments have continued to institute very strict measures that have seen the banning of the usage most of such products. The producers realizing the challenges they face in these regions have opted to switch their operations to the third world countries where the regimes lack the necessary infrastructure or legislation to control the use of the said products. Thus the dangers have been shifted from the first worlds to the poor third world countries, which are left to bear the brunt of the pesticides. First world countries have the responsibility of protecting the world from the effects of the pesticides because they are the largest producers.    Work cited Hamilton, Denis; Crossley, Stephen (2004). Pesticide residues in food and drinking water. J. Wiley. Hond, Frank et.al. (2003). Pesticides: problems, improvements, alternatives. Blackwell Science. Pesticides-and-the-environment: Retrieved on 11th April from http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Walter A. Alarcon, et.al. (2005) Pesticides and the Environment. â€Å"Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools†. Journal of the American Medical Association Watson, David H. (2004). Pesticide, veterinary and other in food residues: woodhead Publishing