How Audio Players Changed Our Lives - 1250 Words

How Audio Players changed our lives The phonautograph was the first device capable of recording sound signals accorded to The Routledge Guide to Music Technology. Martinville s device could not reproduce sound signals though.Thomas Edison invented the tinfoil cylinder phonograph, which made the first recording of the human voice.By 1878, Thomas Edison had launched his Edison Speaking Phonography Company to produce recording and playback machines, which were intended as dictation machines for business purposes.A guy by the name of Emile Berliner adapter Martinville idea into a disc music player he called the gramophone.In 1896, Eldridge Johnson is the first to use the spring motor record player in a hand-cranked motorized†¦show more content†¦It ran on 5 flashlight batteries and weighed in at over 3 pounds (fully loaded). Later, Mercury Records would release a selection of music on Philips cassettes for about $6 a piece. Cassette and 8-track tapes would dominate the portable music world for the next 20 years.Ba ck in the 1970’s and 1980’s Sony was the king of miniaturization,and in 1979, they released the first truly self-contained portable music system, the TPS-L2 Walkman cassette player. The Walkman’s real innovation was its size, measuring only slightly larger than a cassette tape itself. Featuring a pair of portable, lightweight headphones and operating on AA batteries, it ushered in a new era of portability. The original Walkman retailed for 33,000 Japanese Yen, which would be around $274 US dollars today. The Walkman went on to sell millions of units and spawned numerous variations and imitators for many years after its initial release.As you can tell each year the nation comes up with some different technology. Old turntables v.s. New turntables The fact of the matter is that old turntables are almost certainly sonically better than new ones for the price. There are of course exceptions, with turntables with cult followings fetching outrageous prices on eBay. Old turntables will generally be much cheaper than new ones, and can go as low asShow MoreRelatedEssay on Is Music Downloading A Good Idea?1013 Words   |  5 Pagesbe unrestricted. Through the Internet, people can find many materials and download them as references or for general interest, and some of these files are cheap or even free. Therefore, music downloading has become a popular way for people to get audio files. As downloading becomes a prevailing way to share information, the government decides to develop copyright laws to limit people. It can protect a creator’s rights and prevent other people from stealing original products. According to WicknickRead MoreInart1557 Words   |  7 Pagesthat it plays in our lives. The advent of the technological era in the 1990’s has created a global marketplace where individuals have access to all different kinds of audio files at any time. 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Project Management on RALS Rostering Project Globex B T and Sons

Question: Discuss about theProject Management on RALS Rostering Project forGlobex B T and Sons. Answer: Introduction Prior to the establishment of the Globex B T and Sons started the Annual Riverina Agricultural and Lifestyle show in the year of 2000. The entire set up of the show was dependent on the volunteers of the show, this was making the entire system less effective and the popularity of the show was getting diminished. The show presented the local products of the farmers, various life styles of the local business holders as well as promotes the agricultural equipments in front of their concerned customers and audiences. The volunteers of the show maintain the entire management system of the show: sales of the ticket, cleanliness of the platform of performance, information collection, collection of sponsors etc. This report is proposing a Rostering project for RALS in order to resolve the problems raised due to the dependency on the volunteers within RALS. This rostering system was able to manage all the specific tasks that were performed by a group of volunteer within RALS. Selling of tickets, arrangement of the sponsors, managing individual events can be easily managed by the RALS. This project needs a structured plan with a proper scope related to it. All technological resources and equipments required for this project are being elaborate in this project. In addition to this risk assessment is also being discussed with a proper risk resolving technique. MOV (Measurable Organizational Value) of the Development Project The specific aim of this project is to provide a Rostering system to RALS for avoiding the dependency on the volunteers. This aspect involves so many measurable organizational values within this project. These measurable organizational values are customer, Financial details, Operational Performance, Social aspect and strategies applied in this project. in addition to this the stakeholder also add great value to this project as the measurable organizational value. Following tables elaborates the details of these MOVs in RALS. The MOV process within RALS involves the following steps to be followed: Steps Detailed Process Step 1 Recognition of the areas that provides more impact in the project Step 2 Analysis of the expenditure Step 3 Proper metric development for Rostering system Step 4 Estimation of the time schedule Step 5 Authentication of the agreements by involvement of the stakeholders Step 6 Evaluation of the valuable core areas of the project According to the above mentioned process RALS has to consider several impactful areas that will be beneficial for their rostering system. Areas to be focused Impact of the focused areas Rating of focused areas Time required Metrics Visitor Visitors are the main part of the show and they will be served well by the volunteers according to their demands 1 3 months Visitors are the core attribute of the show, therefore proper training of the volunteer will results into the availability of the visitors Strategies Strategic plan involved in the rostering system allows the management system of RALS to capture more revenues from the market 2 4 months Strategic plan will help to develop the efficiency of the RALS by 14% Operations Operations should be developed in order to maintain the development of RALS. 3 2months This aspect leads to the time saving and cost effectiveness of the system Social The communication between the clients and authority of RALS create a good social structure of the system. 4 5 months Reduce the inefficient nature of the manual system while considering the delivery of the service Financial Impact People with right skills will increase the cost saving. 5 7 months Development of the system will reduce extra expense by 40% Values Delivered by the Proposed System Value delivered by the system is considered by evaluating the impact of the stakeholders with respect to the ranking of the measureable organizational values. Measurable Organizational Value of the stakeholders can be elaborated with the help of the stakeholder matrix. In addition to this ranking of the valuable areas of the system can be described by focusing on the impacts of these valuable areas. Stakeholder Matrix Stakeholders Interest Domain of Interest Higher Management Team of Globex This team is always active to deliver the efficient and proper service to the clients of RALS Superior system, cost estimation Management authority of RALS Risk management and providing efficient service to the clients Cost effectiveness and superior system Volunteers of RALS Provide guidance to the clients and manages all events Improvement in service and fast service Employees of RALS Maintenance of the platform of RALS and keeps the efficiency high of RALS. Fast service and superior performance Ranking of Impacts of Valuable Areas Valuable areas Rating according to measurable organizational value Visitors Superior, Cheaper , faster service should be provided Financial Superior and cost effective features should be adopted Operational Superior, faster and improvement should be there in operational aspect Social Superior and improvement should be followed by RALS Strategy Improvement should be there in strategic thinking Scope Management for the Project The scope of the project is to capture the information from the volunteers and improvise the system management of RALS. Security of this information should be a matter of concern. All the information shared between the management and clients of RALS should be kept private. In addition to this all the manual transaction and other detailed information system should be replaced by cloud base or any kind of web based applications in order to resolve the inefficient nature of the conventional system. Interfaces should be there in between the management and clients in order to avoid conflicts. The entire system must be designed in the manner that the all the requirements from the clients can be resolved. Technological development requires the configured devices in the project. System documentation and training are two other important scope of this project that will provide the effective feature to the project. Technology to be Used in Developing the System Rostering system proposed for RALS is on web based or more specifically a cloud based system. Therefore any kind of cloud or web based system requires proper software and hardware set up to be present within the project in order to have a structured way of managing the project. Generally, for the project management purpose there are several specific technologies available, these technologies are UML project, Database tools for arranging the project elements in a integrative way and innovative programming languages. All of these above-mentioned technological tools should be present in the project in order to have accurate results. In addition to this, Grant chart, Pert charts are another important aspects that are helpful in developing the project. Networking devices are also helpful while considering the improvised system set up of the system. Roles and responsibilities of the developers in this project are explained as follows: Roles of the Developers Responsibilities of the Developers Project Manager The duty or responsibility of the project manager is to maintain the entire project in a structured way and obtained desired results with the help of the strategic planning for a rostering system. Project Sponsor Sponsors of the project are responsible for generating and collecting funds for the development of the project. Project Scheduler Project scheduler is one of the most important parts of any project. They generate the entire plan for the project in order to have the structured performance. Risk Manager Risk manager play the role of identifying the risk factors involved in the project and finds the mitigating process concerned with that particular risk. Designer Designers arrange all the tasks in a scheduled way so that the arrangement of the task will attract the customers and will result into a high quality of performance. Analyst The duty of the analyst is to collect the available resources in the project while considering the project resources. They arrange the resources according to the raised demands of the project. Business Consultant The core responsibility of the business consultant is to provide advice to the management authority of RALS in order to resolve the functional disorder within RALS as well as to find mitigating techniques of the Concerned risk factors. Financial Manager Financial manager of the concerned RALS arranges all the detailed information about the expenses involved within the project and also try to reduce the extra expenses involved within the project. Training to the End Users Rostering system is one automated and web based application. This aspect introduces the fact that users of this system as well as the operating heads of this system needs proper and effective training in order to have clear point of view about the system base and structure. Web based applications involves so many networking, technical elements within the project. The functionality of each element should be clear to the each member of RALS. The entire system should not involve more than 30 user as this will introduce more queries from each users and will increase the time span of the processing. Clients will get delayed results due to this structure. Therefore, less number of members in the group will result into effective training process. Project Schedule and WBS for Developing the Rostering System Schedules for the Development Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource Names Rostering Systemm for RALS 445 days Fri 9/23/16 Thu 6/7/18 Determination of Specification 52 days Fri 9/23/16 Mon 12/5/16 Feasibility Study of the Conventional System 20 days Fri 9/23/16 Thu 10/20/16 Project manager,Requirement analyst,Developer,Risk manager Business Requirements Identification 15 days Fri 10/21/16 Thu 11/10/16 2 Requirement analyst,Executive sponsor SRS Documentation 9 days Fri 11/11/16 Wed 11/23/16 2,3 Project manager,Requirement analyst,Developer,Risk manager Arrangement of Meeting with Visitors and Members 8 days Thu 11/24/16 Mon 12/5/16 4 Project manager,Developer Development and Selection Team 78 days Tue 12/6/16 Thu 3/23/17 Vendor Selection for Development 30 days Tue 12/6/16 Mon 1/16/17 5 Accountant,Project manager,Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Analysis of the Development History of the Vendors 20 days Tue 1/17/17 Mon 2/13/17 5,7 Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Development Task Scheduling 8 days Tue 2/14/17 Thu 2/23/17 8 Developer,Project manager,System analyst Budget Plan for Development 20 days Fri 2/24/17 Thu 3/23/17 7,9 Accountant,Executive sponsor,Project manager,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Phase of the Design 195 days Fri 9/23/16 Thu 6/22/17 Improvement of Voluteer Management Module 50 days Fri 3/24/17 Thu 6/1/17 10 Developer,Project manager,Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Developing the First Prototype 30 days Fri 3/24/17 Thu 5/4/17 9,10 Developer,System analyst Improving the Installation of the New System 20 days Fri 9/23/16 Thu 10/20/16 Developer,Project manager,Risk manager,System analyst Setermination of the System Requirements 15 days Fri 6/2/17 Thu 6/22/17 12,14 Project manager,System analyst,Developer,Requirement analyst Milestone: Design Stage Completion 0 days Fri 9/23/16 Fri 9/23/16 Implementation Phase of the System at Organizational Level 250 days Fri 6/23/17 Thu 6/7/18 Business Objectives Implementation 30 days Fri 6/23/17 Thu 8/3/17 15 Developer,Requirement analyst,Executive sponsor,Risk manager Requirements for the First Built of the System 20 days Fri 8/4/17 Thu 8/31/17 14,18 Developer,Project manager,Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Acquisition of the Hardware and Sooftware set ups 200 days Fri 9/1/17 Thu 6/7/18 19,12 Accountant,Project manager,System analyst,Developer,Executive sponsor Testing Stage 39 days Fri 9/1/17 Wed 10/25/17 Detemination of the Test Plan for the Test Cases 8 days Fri 9/1/17 Tue 9/12/17 19 Tester,Developer,System analyst Testing of the Prototype 20 days Wed 9/13/17 Tue 10/10/17 22 Developer,Tester,Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst Analysis of the Data Collected 7 days Wed 10/11/17 Thu 10/19/17 18,23 Executive sponsor,Project manager,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Result Presentation of the Management of RALS 4 days Fri 10/20/17 Wed 10/25/17 22,24 Project manager,Developer,Executive sponsor Milestone: Accepting the Test Results by Clients 0 days Fri 9/23/16 Fri 9/23/16 Risk Management Phase 33 days Thu 10/26/17 Mon 12/11/17 Identification of the Risks in Rostering System 20 days Thu 10/26/17 Wed 11/22/17 25 Project manager,Risk manager,Developer,Executive sponsor Impact Analysis of the Risks 5 days Thu 11/23/17 Wed 11/29/17 24,28 Risk manager,Project manager,Requirement analyst Mitigation Policies of the Risks 9 days Thu 11/23/17 Tue 12/5/17 28 Project manager,System analyst,Risk manager Registration of the Impacts of the Risks 8 days Thu 11/30/17 Mon 12/11/17 29 Project manager,Risk manager,Executive sponsor,Requirement analyst Milestone: Accepetance of risk Document Prsented by Client 0 days Fri 9/23/16 Fri 9/23/16 Closure of the project 29 days Tue 12/12/17 Fri 1/19/18 Evaluation of the functionality of the rostering system 9 days Tue 12/12/17 Fri 12/22/17 31 Executive sponsor,Project manager,Requirement analyst,Risk manager Rolling Out of the Final Product 20 days Mon 12/25/17 Fri 1/19/18 31,34 Project manager,Requirement analyst,Risk manager WBS for the Project Figure 1: Work Break Down Structure (Source: Created by author) Risk Assessment Plan for the Development Project Risk assessment is a crucial aspect involved within a project. There are several aspects that create malfunctioning disorders and hamper the growth of the project. This aspect involves disruptions within the project. Therefore, in order to resolve these risk factors it is important to identify the risks and their associated mitigation techniques. Risk Rating and Identification of the Risks Indentified risk factors Members involved in the risks Details Measure of Risks Likelihood (L) 1,2,3 Severity (S) 1,2,3 Ranking (L*S) Technological Risks Project Head There are some kind of technical failures that leads to network issues and other system errors 2 2 4 Economic Risks Financial Manager There are some extra expenses involved within the system that introduces several financial crises within the project. 3 2 6 Lack of Resources Project Manager A project requires a list of resources that becomes mandatory to the system set up. If these are not present within the project it blocks the growth of the project. 3 2 6 Loss of Manpower Project Manager Lack of work force reduces the effectiveness of the project. 2 3 6 Risk in Privacy Project Manger The data shared between the volunteer and authority should have to be secured enough in order to have an effective result from the project. 2 2 4 Risk Mitigation Identified Risks Mitigation techniques of the Risks Technological Risks Accurate monitoring system of the servers and other technical tools can easily resolve the risks associated with that. At a regular interval of time proper maintenance system can resolve these issues. Economic Risks Some financial back should always be there for adjusting the emergency economic disasters. Lack of Resources Identification of the elements not present in the project can mitigate the problems related to lack of resources. Loss of Manpower Work force support should always be present in the project management team as it will support the entire system at the time of crisis. Risk in Privacy Private data collected from the communication measures between the authority, clients and volunteers can be kept private by using proper technological tools. Quality Management Plan Project Name: Project Manager Name: Type Reason Time Taken Owner Method Status Approval expense One single source should be there for managing all the expenses related to the project. Otherwise there will be misuse of money. 1 months Financial manager Expense involve in the management Open Documentation of project Regular documentation of the project should be there within the project management. 2 months Project manager Project growth monitoring Closed Work Break Down Structure (WBS) WBS identifies the individual task to be done and responsible heads for those. 5 months Project manager Inspirational guidance to the project development team Open Project Planning According to the demands of the project as well as clients, the plan of project should be scheduled. 3 months Project manager Project monitoring Closed Plan associated with risk Risks must be identified at the first stage of the risk assessment and then those must be mitigated. 2 months Risk manager, project manager Review of the project details Open Measureable Organizational Values The impacts of the stakeholders are identified with respect to these characteristics. 1 month Project manager Observation Closed Training Materials Training materials identifies the specified details about the training. 3 months Project manager Presentations and journals open Conclusion This can be concluded that RALS is developing a project that will help the show for implementing a new rostering system within the system. RALS want to implement a new rostering system that will reduce the dependency on the volunteers. This will make the entire system automated with respect to the conventional rostering system. This system implementation requires the set of project planning with respect to the scope and risk associated measures for the entire system. This report has explained all the scopes and objectives of this project. In addition to this, risk factors associated with this project are elaborated with the resolution techniques of those risks. These risks have involved some responsible individuals. The roles of these individuals are also explained in this report. The WBS structure is explaining the details task structure of the project. Bibliography Ahlemann, F., El Arbi, F., Kaiser, M. G., Heck, A. (2013). A process framework for theoretically grounded prescriptive research in the project management field.International Journal of Project Management,31(1), 43-56. Besner, C., Hobbs, B. (2013). Contextualized project management practice: A cluster analysis of practices and best practices.Project Management Journal,44(1), 17-34. Canils, M. C., Bakens, R. J. (2012). The effects of Project Management Information Systems on decision making in a multi project environment.International Journal of Project Management,30(2), 162-175. Dez Rodrguez, J. J., Oliver, C., Vicente, L., Ahumada Cervantes, B. (2015). Addressing strategic environmental assessment of Mexico's transition towards renewable energy. InAEIPRO 2015: International Congress on Project Engineering(pp. 1121-1132). Garel, G. (2013). A history of project management models: From pre-models to the standard models.International Journal of Project Management,31(5), 663-669. Hornstein, H. A. (2015). The integration of project management and organizational change management is now a necessity.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 291-298. Joslin, R., Mller, R. (2015). Relationships between a project management methodology and project success in different project governance contexts.International Journal of Project Management,33(6), 1377-1392. Marcelino-Sdaba, S., Prez-Ezcurdia, A., Lazcano, A. M. E., Villanueva, P. (2014). Project risk management methodology for small firms.International Journal of Project Management,32(2), 327-340. Mller, R., Glckler, J., Aubry, M. (2013). A relational typology of project management offices.Project Management Journal,44(1), 59-76. Mller, R., Glckler, J., Aubry, M., Shao, J. (2013). Project management knowledge flows in networks of project managers and project management offices: A case study in the pharmaceutical industry.Project Management Journal,44(2), 4-19. Pitsis, T. S., Sankaran, S., Gudergan, S., Clegg, S. R. (2014). Governing projects under complexity: theory and practice in project management.International Journal of Project Management,32(8), 1285-1290. Rees-Caldwell, K., Pinnington, A. H. (2013). National culture differences in project management: Comparing British and Arab project managers' perceptions of different planning areas.International Journal of Project Management,31(2), 212-227. Serra, C. E. M., Kunc, M. (2015). Benefits Realisation Management and its influence on project success and on the execution of business strategies.International Journal of Project Management,33(1), 53-66. Svejvig, P., Andersen, P. (2015). Rethinking project management: A structured literature review with a critical look at the brave new world.International Journal of Project Management,33(2), 278-290. Teller, J., Kock, A. (2013). An empirical investigation on how portfolio risk management influences project portfolio success.International Journal of Project Management,31(6), 817-829. Teller, J., Unger, B. N., Kock, A., Gemnden, H. G. (2012). Formalization of project portfolio management: The moderating role of project portfolio complexity.International Journal of Project Management,30(5), 596-607.

Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen Essay Example

Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen Paper At the time he wrote this poem, Wilfred Owen had lost hope for the war generation: civilians could not understand, soldiers could not explain. All a war poet could do was warn children, they might find consolation later that a true voice had managed to speak. His poems might prove that there is something indestructible in this human spirit. That would only be consolation if future generations acted on his warning and loved their fellow men. Owen felt he failed as a poet. From your reading of Strange Meeting, what do you think? In the poem Strange Meeting, Wilfred Owen believes he has failed as a poet. I think that he would be trying to warn future generations and also tell the truth about the war to civilians. His aim was to make civilians realise what war was really like and for the war to end. Wilfred Owen has a negative attitude towards war in general, and this negativity shows constantly throughout his poem Strange Meeting. One of the main ideas of the poem is the pity of war and this shows Owens belief that war creates more problems that it solves. I mean the truth untold, the pity of war, the pity war distilled. We will write a custom essay sample on Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Wilfred Owen is telling us here that the soldiers cannot explain what war was like and that the real truth was not being told, as it should be. The truth is the pity of war and Wilfred Owen is trying to tell this message in his poem, because as a poet he believes that it is his duty to tell everyone how terrible war is. Owen is hoping that war will make people show pity and think about what war actually achieves for mankind. Wilfred Owen shows us that war does not move the human race on, but takes it backwards. He believes that war is not suitable in todays society. Much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels I this quotation, Owen is explaining that war (the blood) is halting humanity (chariot-wheels) from progressing. He believes war is what people did a long time ago when they had a disagreement, and it has no place in modern society. When humanity is evolving and moving the human race. On one step, war is taking us back two steps. He would rather leader talk about their disagreements instead of fighting with each other at any opportunity they get. Wilfred Owen shows us that through knowledge we can learn to avoid war, and if everyone knows about the reality of war, it can be a thing of the past. Courage was mine and I had mystery, wisdom was mine and I had mastery; to miss the march of this retreating world. In the war, soldiers have the courage, and they follow their orders to their extent. But Wilfred Owen has the wisdom to step back from the war and he still has his life intact, but those who have had the courage to be fully involved with war will have lost their lives. Wilfred Owen has almost lost all hope of warning civilians and he thinks that he is fighting a losing battle. He has lost all hope of helping others because he does not think that they can understand. Here is no cause to mourn The deaths and the suffering that Wilfred Owen saw in the war have left him without hope, because it goes against everything he believes in. From the first three lines of the poem we learn a lot about Wilfred Owen. We learn that he seems to be in a dream or nightmare because he uses the phrase it seemed. He uses the metaphor: Down some profound dull tunnel The dull tunnel is portraying Owens state of mind, a trench he is travelling down, and is also a reference to him entering hell. Wilfred Owen is travelling into his hell: war. The tunnel is great in intensity (profound) and is travelling into something which titanic wars had groined. Owens idea of hell is something war had shaped: a trench cut out into the earth during war by a bomb. The soldiers will be forced to be satisfied with the destruction they have caused or they will walk away sad from the war because of the lives that they have killed. Now men will go content with what we spoiled. Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled. The soldiers may be happy with what happened, or be dissatisfied, as Wilfred Owen was, at the fact that there will be more wars, suffering and bloodshed in the future. Owen wants to do something about it now, and stop war altogether because they are killing innocent people and destroying the earth that they live on. Wilfred Owen was in his own vision of hell. His vision of hell was one of pain and suffering and hopelessness. He was living in hell. By his dead smile I knew I stood in Hell. With a thousand pains that visions face was grained. Here, Wilfred Owen is warning people of the pity of war and that war is the same as hell. Hell was a place where pain was multiplied a thousand times on one face. Wilfred Owen is willing to die, but not at war, because he does not believe that a life deserves to be lost at war. He thinks that war is not worth going through, because the bad points outweigh the good points. I have poured my spirit without stint but not through the cess of war. Enemies are made at war, even though there is no logical reason that they should be enemies. I am the enemy you killed, my friend Wilfred Owen is contradictive because he calls him an enemy and friend. He loves his enemy as he loves himself. These people are enemies because they are on different sides, but they have no reason for fighting. If they were not at war with each other, they would be friends. Wilfred Owens goal as a poet was to tell people about the war and warn them. Some of the real truths about the war were almost too terrible for civilians to understand. I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, even the truths that lie too deep for taint. There are truths that are hidden and are so deeply covered that they escape decay or change. Wilfred Owen wants to uncover these truths that people are trying to hide, and tell everybody so that he can help bring an end to war and suffering. He is trying to help civilians understand the evil of war, because he believes that those who embrace war will go to hell. In hell there is suffering and you can have no feelings or emotions. I went hunting after the wildest beauty in the world, which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair, but mocks the steady running of the hour, and if it grieves, grieves richlier than here. This is not conventional beauty, this is a beauty that transcends time and is not beauty that human beings can possess. In conclusion, I do not think that Wilfred Owen has failed as a poet because I think that he has been successful in warning people about the pity of war. He has warned civilians about the evil that is in war. Wilfred Owen, in his poem Strange Meeting has tried to teach people, but he may not have been successful in his own battle, to stop war and suffering altogether. In his own eyes, Wilfred Owen may have not been a successful poet because there are still wars going on nowadays and therefore has failed. However, I believe that he told the real truths about war like a war poet was meant to, and has tried to teach people to love each other instead of fight.

Blackfeet Perspective on Scalping Essays

Blackfeet Perspective on Scalping Essays Blackfeet Perspective on Scalping Paper Blackfeet Perspective on Scalping Paper 1904. This volume contains a story which depicts a couple fur trappers who were attacked by the Blackfeet, or so they claim. One of the fur trappers, John Colter, survived the attack and made it back to a fort where he retold his tale. The other trapper was apparently killed and scalped. The validity of this story is impossible to verify, but the fact that he could tell the tale and have it believed (or at least written about) provides an idea of how Indians could have been used as scapegoats. Early Western Travels: 1748-1846. Vol. VI. Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Co. 1904 This volume called the Blackfeet â€Å"a ferocious savage race, who have conceived the most deadly hatred to the Americans† (28). Very helpful in showing opinions towards the Blackfeet. Early Western Travels: 1748-1846. Vol. VII. Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Co. , 1904 This volume turned out unhelpful. Early Western Travels: 1748-1846. Vol. XXI. Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Co. , 1904 This volume told a story of a white man with a small band of Blackfeet who invited a trapper to visit them. While in plain sight of a fort, the white man killed and scalped the trapper. How the man got away with this, it does not say. Editorial, The Richmond Examiner, July 5, 1864, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). This newspaper column was discussing rules of engagement having little to do with Indians let alone Blackfeet. The opening statement describes how certain enemies were put to death â€Å"with as little ceremony †¦ as the backwoodsman does a painted Blackfoot or Comanche warrior when he is caught with a bloody scalp dangling from his girdle. † Showing me that in some areas the Blackfeet warriors were seen as constantly scalping and doing little else. Ewers, John. The Blackfeet: Raiders on the Northwestern Plains. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1958. Ewers spent a number of years living with and studying the Blackfeet tribe during the mid-20th century. Chapter seven â€Å"Raiding for Horses and Scalps† provided half a chapter worth of information discussing scalping from the Blackfeet point of view. The book provided excellent information but was still written by a white American and has difficulty encompassing the full Blackfeet opinion. Ewers, John. The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture, with Comparative Material from Other Western Tribes. Washington D. C. : U. S. Govt. Print. Off. , 1955. I decided to put this in the primary section because Ewers spent so much time talking with tribal elders and essentially writing ethnographies through them. The section on scalping in this book is short and provides only a small amount of basic information on the tradition. Gaines, Edmund P.. â€Å"It is Not an Act of War†¦ † The National Advocate, February 10, 1818, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). Gaines describes an incident where seven people were massacred and scalped including a woman and infants. The gist of his article was to declare war upon the offenders because he has little confidence in friendly relations with the Indians. This publication in the early 19th century provided information on sentiment towards Indians. Grinnell, George Bird. Blackfoot Lodge Tales: The Story of a Prairie People. Williamstown, MA: Corner House Publishers, 1972. Grinnell spent a number of years with American Indians and was considered a close friend to the Blackfeet tribe. He also published a number of books on plains Indians. This particular book is his interpretation of a number of stories that were told to him by Blackfeet elders in which he tried to keep them as close to the literal translation as he could. I consider this a primary document because they are written oral tradition, even though they are translated into English. â€Å"Has Scalps by the Score. † The Owyhee Avalanche, April 28, 1899, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). This article described a white man who scalped Indians for vengeance but I did not use it in final draft. King, Charles. â€Å"Indian Dances. The Sunday Oregonian, June 29, 1890, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). In this article, King describes a number of dances performed by Indians and claims that across the nation tribes are pretty much all the same. This was great insight into how many white Americans felt about Indian tribes. But this showed me the possibility that if the Blackfeet are discussed in an article, it m ay not actually be the Blackfeet tribe. Lancaster, Richard. Piegan: A Look from Within at the Life, Times, and Legacy of an American Indian Tribe. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1966. This book was Lancaster’s interpretation of Chief White Calf’s life story. Chief White Calf was born in the 1860s and participated in scalping at sometime during his life. This was rather late for scalping, but it showed how integral it was to the Blackfeet as White Calf was rather blunt about it. â€Å"A Report was in Town Yesterday†¦ † Missouri Republican, July 16, 1823, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). This article discusses a trapping party that was attacked by a group of Blackfeet. The author of the article claims that the recollection is doubted by those acquainted with the subject. This goes to show that in many cases the news articles of scalping could have been exaggerated. â€Å"Seven Years a Prisoner of the Black Feet Indians: A Horrible History. † The Wisconsin State Register, July 2, 1871, http://infotrac. galegroup. com (accessed April 16, 2011). I found this publication to be published in two different Wisconsin newspapers and one in San Francisco. The atrocity of the story adds to the sentiments towards Blackfeet Indians and shows that it was widely published. Works Consulted-Secondary Andrews, Ralph Warren. Indians as the Westerners Saw Them. Seattle: Superior Pub. Co. , 1963. Andrews discusses scalping in chapter five. He describes some methods and motives of scalping. This book was helpful for a basic overview and opinionated view on scalping, but gave little tribal specific information. Axtell, James. â€Å"Scalping: The Ethnohistory of a Moral Question,† in The European and the Indian: Essays in the Ethnohistory of Colonial North America. Edited by James Axtell. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981. Axtell discussed the importance of understanding moral questions in context with their contemporaries. Although he did not discuss Blackfeet specifically, his work gave me a basis for assessing scalping rather than judging the act. Axtell, James. â€Å"Scalps and Scalping,† in Encyclopedia of North American Indians. Edited by Fredrick Hoxie. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. , 1996. netlibrary. com (accessed March 30, 2011). In this work Axtell provides a basic overview of the act of scalping in a very similar fashion to that of Andrews. It was very broad and not tribal specific. Bastien, Betty. Blackfoot Ways of Knowing: The Worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2004. Bastien, as a current historian, sought to describe the ways the Blackfeet tribe keeps their history and understands the world. Using this in support of Grinnell’s works, helps with the validity of using the Lodge Tales as a primary source. Binnema, Theodore. â€Å"Allegiances and Interests: Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) Trade, Diplomacy, and Warfare, 1806-1831. † The Western Historical Quarterly 37, no. 3 (2006): 327. This article claims that the Gros Ventres tribe was often grouped with the Blackfeet by early fur-traders. Binnema claims that the Gros Ventres were much more violent than the Blackfeet attributing to their reputation. This article also attributes to the fact that when the Blackfeet tribe is mentioned, it may not actually be the Blackfeet. Binnema, Theodore. â€Å"‘Like the Greedy Wolf’: The Blackfeet, the St. Louis Fur Trade, and War Fever, 1807-1831. † Journal of the Early Republic 29, no. 3 (2009): 411-440. This article discusses relations with the Blackfeet up until the period of peace between them and white Americans. Binnema discusses a number of contributions to the violence but does not discuss scalping in depth. The article is useful in understanding relations, but not so useful in the argument for Blackfeet scalping. Conaty, Gerald T. Review of Blackoot Ways of Knowing: The Worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi, by Betty Bastien. Histoire Sociale 38, no. 76 (2005): 499. Used for background on Bastien. Dempsey, Hugh A. â€Å"Blackfoot† in Handbook of North American Indians. Vol. 13, pt. 1. Edited by Raymond J. DeMallie. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 2001. 604-628. Dempsey provides a somewhat detailed overview of the tribe itself but spends little time discussing warfare let alone scalping. This was helpful in gathering details but not so much in the discussion of scaping. Kipp, Darrell Robes. â€Å"Blackfoot† in Encyclopedia of North American Indians. Edited by Fredrick Hoxie. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. , 1996. netlibrary. com (accessed March 30, 2011). This entry was only used for basic background knowledge of the Blackfeet. LaPier, Rosalyn. â€Å"Blackfeet† in Dictionary of American History. Vol 1. Edited by Stanley I. Kutler. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2003. http://go. galegroup. com (accessed March 21, 2011). This entry was only used for basic background knowledge of the Blackfeet. Sherrow, Victoria. â€Å"Scalping† in Encylopedia of Hair. Westport, CN: Greenwood Press, 2006. 344-45. This entry did not provide any information on Blackfeet specific customs. Spitzer, Allen. Review of The Blackfeet: Raiders on the Northwestern Plains, by John C. Ewers. American Anthropologist 61, no. 1 (1959): 145-146. Used for information on Ewers. Washburn, Wilcomb E. Review of Letters and Notes on the North American Indians, by George Catlin. The American Historical Review 81, no. 5 (1976): 1243. Used for information on Catlin.

Factors that stimulated European exploration essays

Factors that stimulated European exploration essays During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries many different factors peaked interest in colonization and exploration for Europeans. As a continent, Europe was changing rapidly. Nationally Spain, France, and England each had their own reasons for growth. All of Europe dealt with the excitement and uncertainty of new places. Europe began evolving as early as 1095 with the beginning of the Crusades. These Europeans began to trade with the Orient, swapping knowledge, food, and crafts. This newfound wealth was reinvested in what is known as the Renaissance. All subjects were being studied again, including geography. Educated people know realized that the earth was round, and even estimated its circumference. New navigational and ship building techniques were developed. The evolution continued as nation-states were formed. Unity was necessary to exploration and westward expansion. The forming of joint-stock companies made financing easier also, as some royalty were reluctant to come up with funds for voyages. Finally, freedom from religious persecution and the dreams of prosperity eased people into the idea of migration. The idea of national unity was sparked when Isabella of Castile was wed to Ferdinand of Aragon. These two knew of Portugals success with Prince Henrys navigational school. So when young Columbus asked for financing, they considered, then agreed to his terms. He discovered San Salvador, Cuba, and Hispaniola. Vespucci, de Balboa, Ponce de Leon, Cortes, and many others followed, claiming places such as Florida, Tenochtitlan, New Mexico, and Texas for Spain. New Spain, as it was called, did not attract many migrators very quickly. The colonization of New Spain was a learning experience in how to deal with the natives. They were abused, exploited, and eventually killed by European diseases. As an alternative to native laborers, the Spanish began importing African slave labor into New ...

Evaluating Internationalization Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evaluating Internationalization Strategy - Essay Example Technological 7 3.1.5. Environmental factors 7 3.1.6. Legal factors 8 3.2. SWOT Analysis 8 3.3. Market Entry Strategies 8 4. Conclusion 10 5. Recommendations 10 Bibliography 10 Au, K., Suen, B., Shen, N. and Tang, J. 2011. Internationalization of Koyo Jeans from Hong Kong. Â  Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation Pp. 11Â   10 Bardhan, p. 2003. International Trade, Growth, and Development. Wiley-Blackwell. pp.296 11 Brigham, E.F and Ehrhardt, M. 2010. Financial Management: Theory & Practice (with Thomson ONE - Business School Edition 1-Year Printed Access Card) South-Western College Pub 1184 11 Bomann-Larsen, L. and Wiggen, O. 2004. Responsibility in World Business: Managing Harmful Side-Effects of Corporate Activity. Tokyo, United Nations University Press, Pp.305 11 Blenkhorn, D.L. and Fleisher, C.S.2005. Competitive Intelligence and Global Business. Westport, CT, Praeger Pp.308 11 Cullen, J.B. and Parboteeah, K.P. 2010. International Business: Strategy and the Multinational C ompany. Routledge. pp.528 11 Kline, J.M. 2005. Ethics for International Business: Decision Making in a Global Political Economy. London, Routledge. Pp.285 11 Matthew, H. 2012. Demands of Supply: The Illicit Pathways of Global Supply Chains: Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 66 (1). 11 Magretta, J. 2011. Creating Value: The Core--Staking Out Your Company's Unique Competitive Position Using Michael Porter's Elements of Strategy. Harvard Business Press Chapters. Pp.29 12 Magretta, J. 2011. Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy. Harvard Business Press. Pp.2008 12 Montgomery, C.A and Porter M E. 1991. Strategy: Seeking and Securing Competitive Advantage Harvard Business Press. Pp.350 12 Porter M. E. 2008. On Competition, Updated and Expanded Edition. Harvard Business Press. Pp. 576. 12 Wettstein, F. 2009. Multinational Corporations and Global Justice: Human Rights Obligations of a Quasi-Governmental Institution. Stanford, CA, Stanford Business Books. Pp.425. 12 1. Introduction Koyo Jeans’ business was started by William Cheung in 2003 in Hong Kong. Though he had started a small business targeting the local clients in Hong Kong, today the business has spread to China and Spain. The management is targeting to explore other parts of the globe; specifically Singapore and Brazil (Cavusgil.et.al, 2011, p. 457). Technological advancement, political climate, socio-cultural, environmental and legal factors relating to specific nation affects the performance of trading activities in that country (Au.et. al, 2011, p.3). The expansion of Koyo Jeans’ business to other countries like Singapore and Brazil will require thorough understanding of prevailing conditions in the target market and a strategic approach to enable them overcome those. 2. Environment Audit of the Current Market 2.1. Industry Life-cycle When Koyo Jeans sets up business, sales are normally low since clients are not familiar with the business. The owner is not able to enjoy economies of scale hence high overhead cost. With time, the production efficiency and the number of customer increases, hence the owner starts enjoying benefits due to large scale production resulting to low overhead cost. Later on, other producers join the market, the total sales volume of individual investor declines resulting to decline in business growth (Cavusgil.et.al, 2011, p. 463). When the market becomes oversaturated with investors, revenue of the individuals starts declining due to increasing operation cost (Au.et. al,

Quality Tools in Decision Making Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Quality Tools in Decision Making - Research Paper Example Since it is an essential instrument in the prosperity of organizations, examination and analysis of its background, strengths and limitations besides applications and benefits are critical. Background of the tool SWOT analysis originated from the research executed at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) from ‘60-‘70. The background to SWOT started from the need to establish why corporate forecasting failed. Fortune 500 companies sponsored the research to determine what could be done concerning this failure. The Research Team consisted of Marion Dosher and Dr Otis Benepe among others. It all commenced with the business-planning trend, which appeared originally at Du Pont in 1949. In ’60, each Fortune 500 business had a corporate forecasting manager or similar and organization of the extensive range corporate planners had emerged in both the US and the UK. However, a common opinion sprung in all of the companies that commercial planning in the shape of extended range pl anning was not operational, and was an expensive asset in futility. This was the period and stage when the organizations started to embrace this model in management planning (Dunne, Mard, Osborne, & Rigby, 2004). Strengths and weaknesses Strengths and weaknesses are constituents of internal factors of a business and, therefore, form significant advantages to the planners in business. Strengths relate to the viable advantages and other unique competencies, which can be utilized by the company on the market. Weaknesses are the challenges, which delay the progress of a company in a certain trend. To function productively in this respect, the company must direct its future goals on its strengths, while avoiding tendencies connected to the weaknesses of the company (Houben, el at, 1999). The strengths of the criminal field can take different aspects such as highly experienced and qualified personnel who offer legal advises. Additionally, charging affordable fees for legal services can cr eate an advantage over the rivals. Reasonable fees for consultation or representation in court matters shall draw clients to one’s firm hence serving as strength. Clients are vital assets in the daily operations of organizations, therefore, if well treated can create a superior rapport with them. If organizations access funds for investments, then modern technologies become essential to hire and qualified staffs can be employed at moderate market rates and wages. However, weaknesses can originate from limited access to investment funds to inject in the business. This means that the organization will be unable to adopt modern technologies or hire highly qualified staffs. Another form of weakness is the lack of healthy competition to organizations; firms will not be able to explore creativity and innovation. Production of substandard services poses long-term challenges especially if new firms are introduced in the market. Low wages to workers will morale them leading to low out put of efforts. This further results to high labor turn over due to lack of incentives. Brain drains from organizations are negative challenges to firms because the reputation of the firm is tainted and service provision will fall below standard (Hill & Jones, 2013). Common uses of SWOT analysis There are many uses of SWOT analysis in scrutinizing the different environments of a company: this instrument forms a structure for recognizing and analyzing strengths, challenges,

Academic performance of disabled students and their general education peers Essay Example for Free

Academic performance of disabled students and their general education peers Essay Calls for the evolution of the educational system to maintain an inclusive program for mentally, financially and physically disabled students have been supported by the arguments that inclusion will greatly benefit the academic and social performance of children with disabilities. This is true since academic learning is enhanced when a program expecting higher output and reinforcing higher standards exists for students. These opportunities allow them to work and study harder as it exposes them to what many believe are normal real-life standards. Friendly and Lero (1993) stress that a motivation to keep up and progress without outside assistance is a driving force of enhancing performance. They also note that the labels in homogeneous or ability groupings negatively affect student potential. Contrastingly, although the effects of the inclusive system of education are favorable for non-general students, Brackett (1994) stresses that the opposite might take effect for general education students. These children might experience boredom due to the considerations given to disabled students in terms of pace and activities. Special or disabled children may also experience frustration as they try to keep up with the normal learning pace in a heterogeneous mix of students. Despite these contentions, several studies also note the positive effects of inclusion to the academic performance of both general education children and special needs education students. Hines and Johnston (1997) reported that disabled students in an inclusive set up showed academic progress and performance and improved their behavior as well. Schattman and Benay (1992) attribute this to the wide exposure of the disabled children, in an inclusive set up, to creative teachers and the nature of the inclusion strategies to expose the children to social interactions with other students. The marks and learning abilities of disabled students on specific subjects were also positively affected by being in inclusive classroom situations (Barbetta et al, 1991). The effect of inclusion to regular classroom students has been extensively studied and Staub and Peck (1995) list the general outcomes of the exposure of this group to this new learning environment. It has been noted that regular class students, after being exposed to an inclusive situation, become more aware of existence of human diversity and have reduced fear of human differences. They have more social interactions which results in a keener awareness of self knowledge. In addition, they also learned to develop their personal principles at an early age and the increased frequency of social relationships allowed them to create more friends. Hollowood et al. (1994) also answers a thriving concern about the imbalance of time allotment for students by teachers when exposed to an inclusive environment. It has been observed that the presence of special needs students in a class does not interfere with the allocated time of teachers to regular class students. And although, interruptions have been observed in some cases, the downtime did not significantly alter the average instruction hours when compared to general education classes. Similarly, in a study of primary and secondary schools that adopted inclusion, Idol (2006) reports that in a four-year study of four elementary and secondary schools, most students are generally not affected by the presence of students with disabilities in their classes. Statistics on these schools show that the elementary students surveyed registered a 68% approval rating on student performance and the respective elementary and secondary students show a 36% and 24% rating that student performance in inclusive situations was higher. 32% and 34% of elementary and secondary students also agree that academic abilities remained constant. In the four elementary schools considered, only 6% of the educators responded that there were negative reactions brought out by the presence of disabled students in class, while the statistics in the secondary schools surveyed did not vary much at 8%. The teachers also reported that a larger chunk ( 50% ) of the students increased or retained their statewide test scores. Requirements for an effective strategy Dugan et al. (1995) reviewed several studies which have been published regarding the methods and strategies used in inclusive education. According to this paper, improved academic performance is assured (Kamps et al. , 1992; Madden and Slavin, 1983; Noonan Hemphill, 1984; Shores et al. , 1993; Stainback et al. , 1981) if the program consists of a 1. method to encourage and guide interaction among students with disabilities and their peers; 2. scheme where teachers employ adaptive measures of instruction for students with disabilities; 3. program of study that enjoins both disabled and normal children to equally participate in activities; and 4. training to improve the social interactions and abilities of a child that prepares him for the real world environment. One aspect of inclusive education that employed cooperative learning groups is also effective in enhancing the performance of students. Johnson et al (1990) notes that cooperative learning results in improved academic performance of children from different cognitive levels to be in a heterogeneous educational environment that promotes the mediation of groups for maximal learning. Inclusive education programs and strategies like the cross-age tutoring also resulted in improved performance of both students with and without disabilities (Barbetta et al. , 1991) and increased the reading and comprehension abilities of both normal children and children with autism (Kamps et al., 1994). Kamps et al (1994) also note that because of the drastic improvement in the confidence of the children in a cooperative learning set up, the time for interactions and social activities between children with autism and their peers also increased and adds to their improved learning abilities. According to Dugan et al (1995) cooperative learning groups improved student interaction through increased frequency of social activities. The effectivity of student learning also increased due to tutoring events and research activities. Hawkins et al (2001) explained that early social interactions between children create a deeper bond that acts as a defense for behavioral problems and, thus, strengthens the relationships of students. Strategies for improved academic performance Academic performance in an inclusive set up uses contemporary schemes in order to teach the lessons to students. Learning is boosted through techniques such as teams games tournaments or TGT, which allows the teacher to teach the lessons to students through games. The teams cooperate and learn from other group members by peer tutoring in order to increase their chances of winning in the tournaments. Another scheme called student teams and academic divisions or STAD allows individual members of a team to score points by adding their individual written scores, like in a quiz for example, to the total accumulated team points (Slavin, 1990). Another inclusion strategy that shows very promising results in increasing the academic fervor of children involves the use of class wide peer tutoring (CWPT). In a study of the performance of heterogeneously grouped children under the subject of reading and reading comprehension, CWPT was observed to increase the ability of students to read and pronounce words accurately and answer reading comprehension questions correctly. The technique was also found to improve the cognitive skills of elementary students with autism. It was also a tool for social interaction and learning with their classmates and showed better reading proficiencies for most students because of the relative ease in adapting this program to a normal classroom set up (Kamps et al.,1994). CWPT can also be incorporated in a team games tournament (TGT) scheme and are collectively referred to as class wide student tutoring teams (CSTT). This method employs tutoring and tests individual learning progress by competitions where individual scores comprise team scores. Reading can also be taught to elementary students through a cooperative integrated reading and composition technique or CIRC. In this strategy, students are paired and are allowed to read stories to each other while practicing and honing their reading abilities (Jenkins et al., 1991). Johnson et al (1984) reports that role playing is also a learning strategy to be employed, this technique, called circles of learning, employs group dynamics and allows students to complete assigned tasks and evaluate their performance through worksheets. In addition, the competitive atmosphere is reduced because of the nature of the activity. These techniques have been shown to improve the academic performance of a heterogeneous mix of students with different baseline aptitudes. The case of employing inclusion to disabled children and high-level students with autism can also be employed to children who are sickly, obese or those with high risks of cardiovascular diseases. Van Sluijs et al. (2007) have observed that the method of inclusion to obese adolescents shows strong evidence of improvement and increased physical activity. The effective strategies employed actively involve the school, the community and the student’s family in order to improve the physical disposition of the individuals in the study. Studies show that a key factor in the improvement of students in inclusive setups is the competency of educators handling the classes. However, every teacher has his own techniques, experiences and teaching strategies that he has developed over time. This difference in experience is especially large between teachers who handle exclusively special classes for disabled students and those who handle general education. Thus, in an inclusive setting, in order to expand the exposure of students to different teachers, collaborative teaching has been developed as a strategy for effective learning. This method is a big deviation from the previous pull-out system for partial inclusive settings. In co-teaching, both teachers complement and co-teach both disabled students and their peers (Gerber and Popp, 2000). Rea et al (2002), in a study on the teaching practices of Enterprise Middle School which handles grade school students at levels 6 to 8, show that co-teaching is an effective strategy for educating students. This mechanism involves daily class rotations with different teachers. Co-teaching also requires careful and synchronized planning on the part of the educators. Teachers actively and regularly discuss their activities and lessons and share methods of evaluating the progress of students. This way, different instructional objectives are met although by different individuals. This is necessary to coordinate and pace teachers in their work and lessons with their students as well as to share information on student development. Different schemes characterize the co-teaching method. Rea et al (2002) note that interactive teaching or taking turns observing and lecturing may be employed. The class may also be divided for parallel sessions or one teacher may be assigned for catch-up classes for some students. Nonetheless, any form taken by the co-teaching scheme aims to provide for the needs of the children, supplied variation in teaching techniques, and was seen as a healthy environment for student growth and learning. Many researchers have expressed support to the principle of including disabled students in general education practice. Among them, Villa et al. (1996) have observed that educators preferred teaching disabled students along with their non-disabled peers. This factor may have contributed to the increased academic progress of students within the inclusive education set up. On the other hand, Thousand and Villa (2000) stressed that teachers are not the only major contributing factor to student progress. In fact, they highlight the observation that inter-student relationships while in the confines of the classroom play a big role during learning, emotional and social development. As the needs of the children in an inclusive set up are congruent to the skill that must be possessed by the educators handling the classes, teacher training (Porter, 2001) is an essential part of the process that makes an inclusive set up work. Daniel and King (1997) refer to this skill as training for inclusionary practices and is a characteristic of teachers that must be developed in order to function effectively in an educational system following heterogeneous groupings. It should, therefore, be apparent that these special skills allow educators to adapt to the wide needs of different types of students and allow them to be creative in forming strategies for an efficient and effective learning experience for both disabled students and their peers. However, the great demands of the inclusive educational practice oftentimes result in work pressure among teaching personnel. For example, studies on all elementary physical education instructors from Israel show that the episodes of burnout in faculty members are related to the number of special or disabled students in their classes and the amount of assistance they get conducting these classes (Fejgin et al. , 2005). This relates the demanding work that is put in by the educators in order to make an inclusive program work. This study also stresses the chief role played by government support in the educational system, where episodes of teacher burnout are also dictated by poor quality of the workplace and inadequacy of the institution to provide sports facilities for the needs of the students, especially the disabled or special cases. Despite episodes of burnout, most teachers have expressed their support for inclusion as an appropriate program to teach disabled children (Idol, 2006) the statistics is expected to improve if more educational personnel were available to answer to the needs of all students. The necessity for improved and evolving programs that would answer the needs of students in inclusion also requires the involvement of many organizations, individuals and different types of educators, resulting in interdisciplinary interactions to improve current conditions (Robertson and Valentine, 1998). This brings about an atmosphere of community and exposes the teaching skills of effective teachers and allows room for growth and improvement. Equally important to the instructors are the provision of adequate health care safety facilities for different types of students which should be provided by the government and their policy makers. It is consequently very crucial that an educational program should be backed-up by community and policy driven education reform for a successful advocacy. Porter (2001) expresses that there is a need for legislators who understand that an inclusive community school is a method of reform that should be supported. For cases of students with severe autism and retardation, however, further studies both on the effective procedures that should be employed and on the qualitative measures of investigating the effects of peer-mediated activities and cooperative learning also require continuous evaluation (Kamps et al. , 1994). Nonetheless, Kamps and Carta (1989) note that strategies are successful if these improve or maintain the skills of non disabled students without compromising the learning of their disabled peers.

The Irish Troubles: Yeats Poetry Essay -- Writing Writers Literature

The Irish Troubles: Yeat's Poetry William Butler Yeats, born in Dublin, Ireland [June 13, 1865], is considered by many to be one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century. The following exposition, grounded on the hypothesis that Yeats’ poetry was resolutely influenced by the political occurrences of that time period, will give biographical information, a recounting of the political upheaval during that period, specific poetry excerpts/critical analysis and validation of hypothesis. William Butler Yeats is one of the many famous names to come from the original Golden Dawn. "His poetry and writings were a display of his passion for mysticism and the Occult Sciences"(www.webus.com/hogd/bioyeats.html). He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1924. Yeats realized early on the oppression and austerity that both he and his fellow countrymen endured. Yeats’ father was a lawyer, who later pursued a career as a painter. In 1867, the family followed him to London, where William spent most of his youth. Upon his return to Dublin, Yeats furthered his studies at the Metropolitan School of Art. "As a writer Yeats made his debut in 1885, when he published his first poems in The Dublin University Review"(www.kifjasto.sci/wbyeats.htm). In 1887 the family returned to Bedford Park and Yeats devoted himself to writing. Later in 1889, Yeats met his undeniable love, Maude Gonne, an Irish Nationalist, who greatly inspired his poetry. However, Maude later married Major John MacBride. "At the start of the Irish Civil War Yeats went to Oxford, but returned then to Dublin, becoming a Senator in the same year. As a politician Yeats defended Protestant interests and took pro-Treaty stance against Republicans. In 1932 Ye... ...likely that anyone reading this article can image "sensible" violence and most of us simply find the lack of civil behavior to be far beyond anything we can understand. It seemed to me that it would be appropriate to try and shed some light on the so-called "troubles" because the situation in Northern Ireland exceeds several lifetimes and yet appears incomprehensible" (//www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/ireland/ireland2.html). To conclude, Ireland has faced years of prejudice, suppression, and tyranny. Yeats, like many other nationalists recognized this and in his own way attempted to address these issues by publicly announcing his contempt for this discrimination, through poetry, but to no avail. As we can see, these troubles continue to challenge the citizens of Ireland. Perhaps, one day this persecution will cease to exist, but for now it is an existing way of life!

The Mist Countries

THE THE MIST COUNTRIES – Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea & Turkey: Are MIST countries becoming the new BRICs? : For many investors, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey have taken over from the BRICS becoming the four biggest emerging markets, and growing faster than their major rivals. BRIC inventor Jim O’Neil from Goldman Sachs proposed the new term MIST term for Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey, which are the four biggest markets in the Goldman Sachs N-11 Equity Fund. The MIST economies more than doubled during the last decade, according to Bloomberg, and continue surging despite global economy concerns.Mexico’s IPC Index has climbed 11% this year, comparing with a 2. 8% growth of Brazil’s Bovespa. Meanwhile Turkey’s ISE National 100 gained 28 percent, compared to 13% gain of BSE India Sensitive Index and 2. 6% gain in Russia’s MICEX. Though the MIST nations outperformed the BRIC in pace of growth, its economic output still ca n’t approach the BRIC. Total GDP for the MIST nations was $3. 9 trillion last year, compared to $13. 5 trillion of BRIC economies and $7. 3 trillion for China alone. Comment: If you go to the Wikipedia page about BRIC you will read that Mexico and South Korea tried to become part of BRIC.It was used the name BRIMC†¦. But it failed because the BRIC were Core-Hubs in their areas (Eurasia, South America, Far East, South East Asia) while the MIST are a second dependent layer around the Hub. In fact, and to be precise there are three World Hubs-Cores: USA, GERMANY (Eurozone) and CHINA. Turkey depends on Europe, Mexico depends on the US, South Korea depends on China†¦. So, if those hubs are hit, the MIST will be hit MUCH MORE, as we remember from the Bhat crisis. Russia could be an Eurasian and Energy Hub-Core†¦. even if still not fully developed, so it is still a layer of the E. U. Hub. Mexico Economy – overview:Mexico has a free market economy in the trillio n dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, Mexico's share of US imports has increased from 7% to 12%, and its share of Canadian imports has doubled to 5%.Mexico has free trade agreements with over 50 countries including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan – putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2007, during its first year in office, the Felipe CALDERON administration was able to garner support from the opposition to successfully pass pension and fiscal reforms. The administration passed an e nergy reform measure in 2008 and another fiscal reform in 2009. Mexico†s GDP plunged 6. 2% in 2009 as world demand for exports dropped, asset prices tumbled, and remittances and investment declined. GDP posted positive growth of 5. % in 2010 and 3. 8% in 2011, with exports – particularly to the United States – leading the way. The administration continues to face many economic challenges, including improving the public education system, upgrading infrastructure, modernizing labor laws, and fostering private investment in the energy sector. CALDERON has stated that his top economic priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs. GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 657 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 596 trillion (2010 est. ) $1. 514 trillion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $1. 185 trillion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate . 8% (2011 est. ) 5. 4% (2010 est. ) -6. 2% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $1 5,100 (2011 est. ) $14,400 (2010) $13,600 (2009) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  3. 8% industry:  34. 2% services:  62% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 18. 2% note:  based on food-based definition of poverty; asset based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2008) Labor force 49. 17 million (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  13. 7% industry:  23. 4% services:  62. 9% (2005) Unemployment rate 5. 2% (2011 est. ) 5. 4% (2010 est. ) note:  underemployment may be as high as 25%Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  10% male:  9. 7% female:  10. 6% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  1. 5% highest 10%:  41. 4% (2008) Distribution of family income – Gini index 51. 7 (2008) 53. 1 (1998) Public debt 37. 5% of GDP (2011 est. ) 36. 9% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3. 5% (2011 est. ) 4. 2% (2010 est. ) Central bank d iscount rate NA% (31 December 2010 est. ) 4. 5% (31 December 2009 est. ) Commercial bank prime lending rate 5% (31 December 2011 est. ) 5. 287% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of domestic credit $407. 4 billion (31 December 2011 est. $374. 2 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $454. 3 billion (31 December 2010) $340. 6 billion (31 December 2009) $232. 6 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products Industries food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism Industrial production growth rate 3. 9% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance -$11. 27 billion (2011 est. ) -$5. 724 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $336. billion (2011 est. ) $298. 5 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits , vegetables, coffee, cotton Exports – partners US 73. 5%, Canada 7. 5% (2009 est. ) Imports $341. 9 billion (2011 est. ) $301. 5 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts Imports – partners US 60. 6%, China 6. 6%, South Korea 5. 2% (2009 est. ) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $142 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) 114 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $204 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $195. 6 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $321. 5 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $326. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $84. 92 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $78. 38 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar – 12. 39 (2011 est. ) 12. 636 (2010 est. ) 13. 514 (2009) 11. 016 (2008) 10. 8 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year Indonesia Economy – overview: Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, grew an estimated 6. % and 6. 4% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The government made economic advances under the first administration of President YUDHOYONO (2004-09), introducing significant reforms in the financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the use of Treasury bills, and capital market development and supervision. During the global financial crisis, Indonesia outperformed its regional neighbors and joined China and India as the only G20 members posting growth in 2009. The government has promoted fiscally conservative policies, resulting in a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 25%, a small current ccount surplus, a fiscal deficit below 2%, and historically low rates of inflation. Fitch and Moody's upgraded Indonesia's credit rating to investment grade in December 2011. Indonesia still struggles with pov erty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions. The government in 2012 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesia's insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, labor unrest over wages, and reducing its fuel subsidy program in the face of rising oil prices.GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 121 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 054 trillion (2010 est. ) $993 billion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $834. 3 billion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 6. 4% (2011 est. ) 6. 1% (2010 est. ) 4. 6% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $4,700 (2011 est. ) $4,400 (2010 est. ) $4,300 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  14. 7% industry:  47. 2% services:  38. 1% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 13. 33% (2010) Labor force 117. 4 million (2 011 est. )Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  38. 3% industry:  12. 8% services:  48. 9% (2010 est. ) Unemployment rate 6. 6% (2011 est. ) 7. 9% (2010 est. ) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  22. 2% male:  21. 6% female:  23% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  3. 3% highest 10%:  29. 9% (2009) Distribution of family income – Gini index 36. 8 (2009) 39. 4 (2005) Public debt 24. 5% of GDP (2011 est. ) 25. 7% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5. 7% (2011 est. ) 5. 1% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 6. 37% (31 December 2010) 6. 46% (31 December 2009) ote:  this figure represents the 3-month SBI rate; the Bank of Indonesia has not employed the one-month SBI since September 2010 Commercial bank prime lending rate 12. 2% (31 December 2011 est. ) 13. 252% (31 December 2010 est. ) note:  these figures represent the average annualized rate on working capital loans Stock of domestic cre dit $305. 2 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $254. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $360. 4 billion (31 December 2010) $178. 2 billion (31 December 2009) $98. 76 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products ice, cassava (manioc), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs Industries petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism Industrial production growth rate 4. 1% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance $5. 704 billion (2011 est. ) $5. 654 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $208. 9 billion (2011 est. ) $158. 1 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber Exports – partners Japan 16. 3%, China 10%, US 9. 1%, Singapore 8. 7%, South Korea 8%, India 6. %, Malaysia 5. 9% (2009) Imports $172. 1 billion (2011 est. ) $127. 4 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs Imports – partners China 15. 1%, Singapore 14. 9%, Japan 12. 5%, US 6. 9%, Malaysia 6. 4%, South Korea 5. 7%, Thailand 5. 5% (2009) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $136. 2 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $96. 21 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $158. 8 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $196. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $105. 7 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 5 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $41. 89 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $32. 85 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per US dollar – 8,696. 1 (2011 est. ) 9,090. 43 (2010 est. ) 10,389. 9 (2009) 9,698. 9 (2008) 9,143 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year South Korea Economy – overview South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia.In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies, and currently is among the world's 20 largest economies. Initially, a system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, made this success possible. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods, and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea†s development model including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing.GDP plunged by 6. 9% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4% annual ly between 2003 and 2007. With the global economic downturn in late 2008, South Korean GDP growth slowed to 0. 3% in 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy began to recover, in large part due to export growth, low interest rates, and an expansionary fiscal policy, and growth was 3. 6% in 2011. In 2011, theUS-South Korea Free Trade Agreement was ratified by both governments and is projected to go into effect in early 2012. The South Korean economy†s long term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, and heavy reliance on exports – which comprise half of GDP. GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 549 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 495 trillion (2010 est. ) $1. 409 trillion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $1. 164 trillion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 3. 6% (2011 est. ) 6. 2% (2010 est. ) 0. 3% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) 31,700 (2011 est. ) $30,600 (2010 est. ) $28,90 0 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  2. 6% industry:  39. 2% services:  58. 2% (2008 est. ) Population below poverty line 15% (2006 est. ) Labor force 25. 1 million (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  6. 4% industry:  24. 2% services:  69. 4% (2011 est. ) Unemployment rate 3. 4% (2011 est. ) 3. 7% (2010 est. ) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  9. 8% male:  11. 9% female:  8. 5% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  2. 7% highest 10%:  24. 2% (2007)Distribution of family income – Gini index 31 (2010) 35. 8 (2000) Public debt 33. 3% of GDP (2011 est. ) 35. 1% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2011 est. ) 3% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 1. 5% (31 December 2011) 1. 25% (31 December 2009) Commercial bank prime lending rate 5. 9% (31 December 2011 est. ) 5. 508% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of dome stic credit $1. 356 trillion (31 December 2011 est. ) $1. 275 trillion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $996. 7 billion (31 December 2011) $1. 093 trillion (31 December 2010) $836. billion (31 December 2009) Agriculture – products rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish Industries electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel Industrial production growth rate 3. 8% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance $29. 79 billion (2011 est. ) $28. 21 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $556. 5 billion (2011 est. ) $466. 4 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals Exports – partners China 24. %, US 10. 1%, Japan 7. 1% (2009 est. ) Imports $524. 4 billion (2011 est. ) $425. 2 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery, electronics and electr onic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics Imports – partners China 16. 5%, Japan 13%, US 8. 5%, Saudi Arabia 7. 1%, Australia 5% (2009 est. ) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $306. 4 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $291. 6 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $397. 3 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $359. 4 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home 130. 3 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $127 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $190. 4 billion (31 December 2011) $164. 8 billion (31 December 2009) Exchange rate South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar – 1,107. 3 (2011 est. ) 1,156. 06 (2010 est. ) 1,276. 93 (2009) 1,101. 7 (2008) 929. 2 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year Turkey Economy – overview Turkey's largely free-market economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors, although its traditional agri culture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment.An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy and expanding production beyond the traditional textiles and clothing sectors. The automotive, construction, and electronics industries, are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles within Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to market.Several gas pipelines projects also are moving forward to help transport Central Asian gas to Europe through Turkey, which over the long term will help address Turkey's dependence on imported oil and gas to meet 97% of its energy needs. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted financial and fiscal refor ms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth – averaging more than 6% annually until 2008.Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to 8. 2% in 2010, as exports returned to normal levels following the recession. Turkey's public sector debt to GDP ratio has fallen to roughly 40%. Continued strong growth has pushed inflation to the 8% level, however, and worsened an already high current account deficit. Turkey remains dependent on often volatile, short-term investment to finance its large trade deficit.The stock value of FDI stood at $99 billion at year-end 2011. Inflows have slowed considerably in light of continuing economic turmoil in Europe, the source of much of Turkey's FDI. Further economic and judici al reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost Turkey's attractiveness to foreign investors. However, Turkey's relatively high current account deficit, uncertainty related to monetary policy-making, and political turmoil within Turkey's neighborhood leave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 026 trillion (2011 est. ) $981. 2 billion (2010 est. ) $906. 9 billion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $763. 1 billion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 4. 6% (2011 est. ) 8. 2% (2010 est. ) -4. 7% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $14,600 (2011 est. ) $13,800 (2010 est. ) $12,900 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  9. 3% industry:  28. 1% services:  62. 6% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 16. 9% (2010) Labor force 27. 3 million note:  about 1. 2 million Turks work abroa d (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  25. 5% industry:  26. 2% services:  48. 4% (2010) Unemployment rate 9. 8% (2011 est. ) 12% (2010 est. ) note:  underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008 Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  25. 3% male:  25. 4% female:  25. 1% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  2. 1% highest 10%:  30. 3% (2008) Distribution of family income – Gini index 40. 2 (2010) 43. 6 (2003) Public debt 42. 4% of GDP (2011 est. ) 43% of GDP (2010 est. ) ote:  data cover central government debt, and excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment. Debt inst ruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions. Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7. 8% (2011 est. ) 8. 6% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 5. 25% (31 December 2011) 15% (22 December 2009)Commercial bank prime lending rate 16% (31 December 2011 est. ) 19% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of domestic credit $573. 8 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $496 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $306. 7 billion (31 December 2010) $225. 7 billion (31 December 2009) $117. 9 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock Industries textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper Industrial production growth rate 9. 2% (2011 est. Current Account Balance -$71. 94 billion (2011 est. ) -$47. 74 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $133 billion (2011 est. ) $120. 9 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment Exports – partners Germany 10. 1%, UK 6. 4%, Italy 5. 7%, France 5. 3%, Iraq 5. 3%, Russia 4. 1% (2009 est. ) Imports $212. 2 billion (2011 est. ) $177. 3 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment Imports – partners Russia 11. 6%, Germany 9. 5%, China 9. 3%, US 6. 6%, Italy 5. 5%, France 4. 4%, Iran 4. 1% (2009 est. )Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $96. 05 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 08 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $313. 6 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $290. 7 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $98. 98 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 98 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $18. 63 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $16. 88 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar – 1. 668 (2011 est. ) 1. 5028 (2010 est. ) 1. 55 (2009) 1. 3179 (2008) 1. 319 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year