Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Play Chinese Liars Dice

How to Play Chinese Liars Dice Throughout China, Liar’s Dice (è ª ªÃ¨ ¬Å Ã¨â‚¬â€¦Ã§Å¡â€žÃ© ª °Ã¥ ­ , shuÃ… huÇŽng zhÄ› de shÇŽizi) is played during holidays, especially Chinese New Year. The fast-paced game can be played by two or more players and the number of rounds is limitless. Players usually agree to a predetermined number of rounds or set a time limit but none of that is set in stone; new players and additional rounds can be added as the game goes along. While the number of players and rounds may be casual, Liar’s Dice can also be quite intense as its traditionally a drinking game. In China, in addition to holiday celebrations, its also common to see it being played at bars, in clubs, and even outdoors at sidewalk restaurants. What Youll Need to Play Liars Dice One cup for each playerFive dice for each playerOne table How to Play the Game The first player, Player One, is determined by rolling the dice to see who has the highest number. Once play has started, the winner from the previous round goes first. If there are more than two players, decide in advance if the play will move clockwise or counterclockwise around the table. Each player has their own set of five dice. In some places, the dice you have is known as your stash. The total number of dice (five per player) is known as the pool. All of the players: Place the dice in the cup.All of the players: Cover the cup with your hand.All of the players: Shake the cup with the dice inside.All of the players: Place (or slam) your cup upside down on the table, keeping your stash hidden from view.All of the players: Lift the cup and look at the dice, being careful not to reveal what youve rolled to anyone else.Player One calls how many dice of a certain value are on the table. This number is based on the entire pool, including his or her own stash. For example, Player One could call out, â€Å"two fives.† At this point, the remaining players can either accept the call and move on to the next player, or they have the option of calling Player One a liar. (It doesnt matter whether Player One has a five or not. Bluffing is not only allowed- its actually encouraged. What matters is if the next player believes Player One is bluffing and calls him or her out on it.)If Player One is believed, the next person becomes Player T wo. Player Two must now call out a number that is of greater value than the previous call. For example, if Player One called out â€Å"two fives,† Player Two must call out a minimum of â€Å"three fives.† â€Å"Three fours† or four twos† would also be unacceptable. However, even if the numerical face value is higher, Player Two cannot call out anything less than three of something. (For example, two sixes is not a legitimate call.) Again, if the Player Two is believed, the play moves on to the next player. When a players call is not believed, he or she is called out as a liar. At this point, everyone must reveal their dice. If the player who made the call is correct, the player who called him or her out must pay the forfeit. If he or she is incorrect, the forfeit is theirs. Once the forfeit is paid, the round is over and the winner begins the next round. If its drinking game, the forfeit usually involves doing a shot of whatever the player is drinking. Of course, you dont have to drink to play Liars Dice. Forfeits can also be money or some form of token.Subsequent rounds simply repeat the actions of the first until the predetermined number of rounds or the time limit is reached- or the players simply decide to call it quits. Tips for Players of Liars Dice In some versions of the game, the one is considered a wild number, which means it can be played as any number between two and six.Beware of cheaters who use the edge of their cup to turn their dice as they return it to the table after seeing what theyve rolled.When the venue becomes too noisy, players often use hand signals to indicate their calls rather than shouting them out. The first number is the how many, the second number is the value of the dice. The hand signals are as follows: One: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer finger upward.Two: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer and middle fingers upward into a V-shape (like a peace sign).Three: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer, middle, and ring fingers upward.Four: Hold up your hand and extend the pointer, middle, ring and pinky fingers upward.Five: Hold up your hand with all five fingers extended upward (like a stop sign) or pinch all five fingers together.Six: Fold the pointer, middle, and ring fingers into a fist and extend the thumb and pinky fingers outward.Seven: Make a fist and extend the thumb outward and pointer finger downward.Eight: Make a first and extend the thumb upward and the pointer finger forward (like a gun).Nine: Make a fist, extend the pointer finger and curve it (like making a C).Ten: Make a fist or using two hands, extend the pointer finger of the right hand upward and with the left hand extend the pointer finger to the right and cross it with the right hand forming a sig n.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Beware of these 8 Red Flag Illegal Interview Questions

Beware of these 8 Red Flag Illegal Interview Questions We all go into interviews nervous, and ready to answer (or at least pivot) any question that comes our way. But there are a few questions that step over lines you might not even realize are there- though they are there to protect you. As you’re preparing answers to every possible question in order to put your best foot forward in the interview, try to keep an ear out for some of these, which you are under no obligation to answer. In fact, it is illegal even for your interviewer to ask!1. â€Å"Are you married?†Any question that could lead to questions about your family situation or plans (i.e. â€Å"Do you plan to have children?† or â€Å"Do you have any children?†) falls under pregnancy discrimination. It’s often not polite conversation; quite the contrary. An interviewer might even be asking about your sexual orientation- also illegal and discriminatory!2. â€Å"How old are you?†Even if you don’t think your age is problematic or anyt hing to hide, you shouldn’t be asked this question- or answer. Ageism in the marketplace is a real problem for some applicants. And it is illegal to discriminate against anyone over 40. Similarly, â€Å"When did you graduate?† is a sneaky way of getting at the same information.3. â€Å"Are you healthy?†Especially if you’re applying for a physically demanding job, an employer might want to make sure you’re up to the task. They can ask about specific physical tasks related to the job performance, but nothing further.4. â€Å"What church do you attend?†Avoid religious discrimination attempts by not responding to any questions about your religion or any religious holidays you might plan to celebrate. A simple â€Å"I’d prefer not to discuss my religious preferences† will do, even if your religious observations might affect the amount of time off you’ll need to take.5. â€Å"Where are you from?†As long as you’re authorized to work where you are, there’s no reason to answer this question. Discriminating on the basis of nationality is illegal. As is asking whether or not English is your first language.6. â€Å"Are you an alcoholic?†I mean, if someone asks you this in an interview situation, you might want to reconsider your application. But if they do happen to ask, you are under no legal obligation to respond. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are not required to disclose anything about their addiction or recovery.7. â€Å"Are you in debt?†Employers are not allowed to inquire as to your credit history unless it would directly impact your job performance. They also can’t ask you about owned property, or how you balance your finances.8. â€Å"How were you discharged from the military?†This is another totally inappropriate question. What you can be asked, however, is what kind of experience and edu cation you acquired whilst in the service.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Representatives of African Music Term Paper

The Representatives of African Music - Term Paper Example There Keita joined a music group Koteba and performed alongside the renowned African stars of that time. These included Kunda of Senegal and Mory Kante of Guinea. He quickly progressed and became a lead drummer of Ballet Djoliba when he was just 15.. He was named as the Artistic Director in the year 1979, the first drummer ever to be given a position of artistic director. Mamady’s name soon began to be heard outside West Africa and he was persuaded by a group of percussionists form Belgium to teach and perform in Europe. In 1991, he opened his own institution of percussions in Belgium with the name of Tam Tam Mandingue. He also formed his own performance ensemble titled Sewa Ken which meant ‘â€Å"Without music, there is no joy, without joy, there is no music.† The school got worldwide fame and very soon its branches were opened in many famous cities around the world. Mamady decided to take his native culture and music to more borders and in 2003 he shifted his fo cus from Europe to the United States. Mamady has also been cast in a movie named ‘West Africa’ when was seventeen. He starred in another titled La Vie Platin and also wrote and recorded the soundtrack of the movie. He released an album with the name of â€Å"DjembeKan which means ‘the sound of the djembe’. The video contained four solo performances and was meant to show the power and influence of Djembe on its listeners. Djembe is a special type of goblet-shaped drum that is very famous in the African especially Guinean culture. Mamady devotes his time to his personal life as well and lives with his wife Monette Marino in San Diego where he teaches students in his school. He actively tours around the world each year to promote and preserve the tradition of Djembe. He is really dedicated to the cause of promoting Drum and djembe playing and was the first percussionist to organize a drum, and dance workshop in association with Guinea’s Secretary of Ar ts and culture. The first camp was held in the year 1990 in which students from thirty-five countries participated.  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Logistic and supply chain management. Need to aswer question 1 and 3 Case Study

Logistic and supply chain management. Need to aswer question 1 and 3 in - Case Study Example This information will be used to compute the annual cost for each customer type. Table 1 indicates that each of MoonChem’s 12 small customers uses chemical amounting to 12,000kg per annum. This means that they receive only one (1) shipment per annum. This stock will last them for three years and three months. It therefore means that a shipment is made once every three years. However, there are consignment costs and holding costs to be considered. Table 2 provides information on these costs. Table 2 indicates that the annual cost to MoonChem of sending full truck-loads to small customers is $604,800. $4,800 of this total relates to transportation, $120,000 to holding costs (calculated as 25% of consignment cost), and the largest portion of $480,000 relating to consignment costs. Table 1 indicates that there are six (6) medium sized customers, each of whom consumes 5,000kg of chemicals per month. The total usage for each of these customers is 30,000kg per annum. This indicates that only one shipment is required for each medium customer per annum. Table 3 provides a breakdown of the annual cost of sending full truck-loads to these customers. Table 3 indicates that two (2) truck-loads of inventory would be required for medium customers per annum. The transportation cost of sending these two (2) truck-loads of chemicals to medium-sized customers is $14,400 per annum, consignment cost $480,000 and holding cost $120,000 per annum. The table also indicates that the total cost of sending full truck-loads of chemicals to medium customers is $614,400. Information in the Table 1 indicates that there are two large customers, each of whom consumes 12,000kg of chemicals per month which suggests an annual consumption for each member of this customer group of 144,000kg of chemical per annum. It therefore means that a total of 288,000kg of chemicals is being consumed by this particular group of customers. Table 4 indicates that the total annual cost of sending full

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Policing Culture Paper Essay Example for Free

Policing Culture Paper Essay Throughout history the role of women and racial and ethnic minorities has been restrained. This causes the inability to move up in ranking and limiting the ability to perform in certain jobs. Being a woman or having a different racial background can also cause stereotypes. For example, a Hispanic officer may be given a Hispanic area to patrol, due to his background. The need for minorities and women in law enforcement is undoubtedly true. The culture, and gender diversity in police departments is not only helpful in today’s police departments, but it is a necessity. The larger police departments such as Detroit City police could not be a successful department without ethnic minorities, and women. One example of the need for women in the department would be that on a routine stop if there were a female that is suspected of a crime, or suspected to be in the possession of drugs she needs to be searched. A long time ago a male officer would simply search the woman, and arrest her if need be, or send her on her way. With all of the sexual harassment accusations against male police officers during the frisking it is easier on the department, as well as the women being frisked just to have a female officer do the task to avoid accusations, or even the loss of a case. Cities in the United states especially the large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, or Detroit is extremely ethnically diverse. This is where ethnic police officers are needed. If there was a call that police officers responded to there is a possibility that the person who is being interviewed at the scene would only want to talk with an ethnic police officer this will not only calm down the person being interviewed, but it will be a more effective interview. These are just a few examples of why women and ethnic minorities are a necessity to today’s police forces. That is also why men and women of today’s police forces are equal. Inside every police force is a manual that dictates guidelines for the officers to follow in times of question. This manual is usually known as the Policy and Procedures manual or PP. These  mechanisms give officers clear guidelines on how to proceed with certain situations. These policies can only go so far in any department though. As each officer is out in his beat working his area, situations will dictate what he has to do in order to maintain his officer safety as well as the safety of the public and citizens of the area he is working. These manuals are given to instill base line knowledge of how an officer should handle himself and what his/her department feels is acceptable on how to handle calls and incidents. Policy is updated monthly if not weekly in order to stay current with case laws in order to keep the officer as sharp as possible to deal with the everyday citizens, jail house lawyers, or crimi nally sophisticated individual who is well versed in dealing with law enforcement. Many experts have entertained the idea of the existence of a police subculture. Some would say that there are challenges and stress factors unique only to the job of policing. A study conducted on a police department by William Westly in Gary, Indiana discovered that two of the key factors leading to the creation of a police subculture were due to nature of the job and the individuals that the officers were most likely to come in contact with on a daily basis. He concluded that the majority of the people that officers came into contact with were those who already held resentment toward law enforcement officers. These interactions helped foster a police subculture, which emphasized violence, secrecy, and solidarity. Being a police officer can be very stressful. The demands of the job and the lack of control over workload can have a negative impact both physically and mentally. Personal relationships also suffer and the divorce rate is as high as 30 percent in some police departments. Police officers also have one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. It is apparent that police work is stressful. So what is the source of officer stress? Although many of the duties and responsibilities related to police work can create high levels of stress, there is not one single stressor that cannot be found in other occupations. The reality is that working in law enforcement can take a toll on an individual’s personal life. The challenge is trying to find a balance in order to alleviate these problems so that it does not affect the officer in the performance of their duties.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Guns of August Essay -- Papers Barbara Tuchman Novels

The Guns of August Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer prize-winning book about the start of World War I is a fascinating and detailed work that delivers the thoughts and actions of the belligerents and their previously mysterious leaders to life on every page. This military history of the first month of the war is written in a way as to keep the reader interested because of the great detail. The author also manages to write about the events in such a manor as the reader sees them as they happened. Despite any previous knowledge about the historical events of the war, the book manages to keep you wondering if the Germans will succeed in its aims. In Chapters 5 through 9, Tuchman doesn't discuss much about why Germany, France, or Russia progressed toward war, she pretty much describes it as more of an inevitability sparked by Austria's affairs with Serbia. She does manage to chronicle the key events, the people and their decisions of the preceding years and days of the war. Along with the key events of the first few weeks of battle, Tuchman provides a perspective into each of the belligerent's strategic aims and goals. These forces that drive each country into war in 1914 along with a brief discussion of their backgrounds is what follows. It is possible that with no other country in the twentieth century clearly on the inevitable road to war has there been as much unpreparedness and complete lack of all comprehension than that of Russia prior to World War I. For the few years before 1914 and the start of the war, especially following the embarrassing loss to Japan, Russia recognized its eminent clash with Germany. The way with which it conducted its international relations and internal affairs is puzzling to say the least. ... ...nd therefore it is understandable why so many found a war that appeared to have little benefit for them unappealing. Tuchman helps us understand an interesting time in history when old ways clash directly with new means of communication and ways of fighting. These few years in world history are a unique time of unusual people and events that can only be explained in the context of understanding how much things for these countries had remained the same despite the changing world around them. After the strategy and plans, the following deployments and battles would demonstrate this very fact. The Guns of August is a superb narrative bringing us a key insight into the war that at the time had such great significance and today has such great historical value. Bibliography: Tuchman, Barbara W. The Guns of August, Ballantine Books; New York: 1962.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Dear Rebecca and Jessy Essay

Let me start by saying congratulations on your recent engagement. It is an honor being your mother and your future mother in law that you both would like advice on how to effectively communicate in your relationship. In taking an interpersonal communication course, I have learned several concepts that I would like to share with you throughout this letter. I feel that it is only right that I share information I have learned for the marriage you have ahead. I know that you are newly engaged, and this information will prove to be of use in your relationship. It is important that interpersonal communication become the building blocks between both parties. This will highly effect how you interact with one another. It will also impact you listening and speaking skills. The fact that we have been communicating all of our lives does not mean that we do it well. (Sole, K, 2011 ch1.1). It is important to know the main principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communication. This is a start to understanding each other. The word communication originated from the Latin word â€Å"communico†, which means â€Å"to join or unite,† â€Å"to connect,† â€Å"to participate in,† or â€Å"to share with all.† These meanings are the goals of improving interpersonal communication. As you too are a newly engaged couple, it is important to be able to do all the above meanings. People have desires to be able to connect, participate, and share with others. Interpersonal communication cannot be avoided. Rebecca be sure to express your emotional barriers with Jessy, talk to him now about your suspicions or concerns about your relationship. Rebecca and Jessy, my first word of advice to you in this new marriage that you will embark upon is to identify barriers that will affect your interpersonal interaction. First address any physical barriers that you think might be an issue now or later on in the marriage. Sit down and figure the challenges that you feel may make a difference, discuss the issues that may be a barrier with one another. For instances being away from family that live in other places, children if that is something you both want, what if a parent gets sick what is the plan for that. S it down and talk about things that are near and dear to you like political, religion what are each other views that a married couple should discuss. In this letter of advice before you Rebecca and Jessy get married. I will cover many areas of interpersonal communication. The first will be describing the process by which self-concept is developed and maintained. Understanding the process in which self-concept is developed and maintained will assist both of you in relating and communicating with one another in an effective manner. This comes by the knowledge that we gain from the world, family, peers and others. Next, you will understand how perceptions, emotions, and nonverbal expressions affect interpersonal relationships. Not speaking to your mate or even showing nonverbal communication can be harmful to your marriage. What is your perception of your mate? Are you able to express your emotions effectively one to another? These are questions that should be meditated on and discussed with one another. Rebecca and Jessy, you must have a good self-concept of one another to maintain a healthy long-lasting relationship. You must be willing to compromise and be willing to change for the better, where the marriage is concerned. My first advice to you both i s to understand how perceptions, emotions and nonverbal expression affect interpersonal relationships. â€Å"You can improve interpersonal communication skills considerably, though, by paying attention to your own nonverbal behavior and those of the people with whom you interact† (Sole, 2011. Sec.5.4, Para 1). We have all heard â€Å"communication is the key in marriage,† and this proves to be true in many different concepts. Having effective communication is a key to build stronger and better in any relationship. A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. How is this achieved? It is important that interpersonal communication become the building blocks between both parties. This will highly effect how you interact with one another. It will also impact you listening and speaking skills. Marriage is a very important step and is not to be taken lightly but I am here to offer you some sound advice on how to an effective relationship before, during and after your wedding. The advice that I will offer will help make and maintain a strong healthy relationship. Marriage is a very important step and is not to be taken lightly but I am here to offer you Rebecca some sound advice on how to an effective relationship before, during and after your wedding. The advice that I will offer will help keep, make and maintain a strong healthy relationship. Even if a person walks aro und with his or her head down all day, it signals a message that maybe this person is sad or distraught. Interpersonal  communication is the exchange of messages between two people to create shared meaning (Sole, 2011). Effective interpersonal communication is shared meaning where all individuals involved come to a mutual understanding in the exchange of words or gestures Communication is important in developing and maintaining relationships. We communicate every day and learning how to effectively do so will strengthen your relationships both personally and professionally. We begin communicating from the time we are born. As we grow and mature so does our ability to communicate. Although communication can be challenging, understanding what communication is, how each of you communicate, the power of verbal and nonverbal expressions, the ability to listen, control emotions and understanding misconceptions, there are ways to make improvements for a healthier relationship. â€Å"The fact that we have been communicating all of our lives does not mean that we do it well†. (Sole, 2011). Before you enter into a new life as husband and wife, I will give you some words of wisdom to help you continue to grow as a couple, be able to communicate effectively and be able to overcome the storms that may come throughout your relationship. Although communication can be challenging, understanding what communication is, how each of you communicate, the power of verbal and nonverbal expressions, the ability to listen, control emotions and understanding misconceptions, there are ways to make improvements for a healt hier relationship. It is important to realize why we communicate. We communicate for a reason. The primary goal of communication is to share meaning and to connect with other people. Understanding these human needs and communication purposes is essential to success as a communicator. (Sole, 2011) There are many purposes for communicating. One of the most basic purposes is to meet personal needs. Humans are social animals; we need to interact with one another. Another purpose is to learn about yourself and others, this is a process that you must continue well into your relationship, I will provide you advice on how to do this. The most important purpose in your case is to build and maintain relationships. Effective communication is the glue that will hold your relationship. While communication has been defined as an exchange of words between two or more people, understanding that communication is more than that will give you both better insights on how to communicate. As Kathy Sole (2011) discusses â€Å"Communication is not simply the exchange of words and  information; it is the means through which we share knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people† (2011, p. xix). Indeed, understanding that communication is more than just words cause people to view it as a complete way to expression themselves. When sharing an expression of yourself to another, it ’s imperative to realize that you are trying to get someone to not only hear but grasp your thoughts. Now that you two have a better understanding of what communication means, it will allow you to conscientiously think about more than just the words but in fact realize. The biggest thing I want you to gain from this experience is the knowledge that communication can make or break your marriage, and to have a long, successful marriage, you must keep the lines of communication between each other open. I hope my insight below can give you guidance as you embark on this amazing journey to a happy life together. Self Concept: How it is Developed and Maintained: â€Å"Self concept is a complex mix of how we see ourselves, what others have told us about ourselves, and what society says we should be† (Sole, K. 2011, 2.1). This can include how you see yourself physically: hair color, eye color, height weight, etc, or it could include how you see yourself in terms of your social personality: whether you are introverted or extroverted, how you interact or meet new people. Your self concept is learned through your communication with other people and how you see yourself, but the good news is, you have the ability to change it if you do not like it. References (2012, 05). Letter of Advice Before You Wed.. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 05, 2012, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Letter-Of-Advice-Before-You-Wed- 990138.html Johnson, T. (2011, March). Healthy relationships lead to better lives. The Nation’s Health, 41(2), 20. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database. Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication. San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Gang Essay

Alexander Williams Society today can be Very Pressuring Especially Adolescent teen who want respect Usually out of fear. Young people tend to recognize at an emotional level that they are truly Incapable of dealing with the world and feel as though they would be empowered if they Belong to something larger. Sometimes their â€Å"friends† invite them to become a member of a Gang and there can be some intimidation, which plays right into their emotional feeling of Weakness. Once they grow up a little, emotionally that is, many of the former gang members Recognize that it's not a good idea and they try to leave.At that point, some gangs have a â€Å"no exit† policy and life gets difficult. It really is unfortunate that so many of them believe in the rhetoric of the gang members. It's partially a result of the warehousing practices of the public school system that end up not teaching anything of value leaving these kids to learn nonsense from other kids. While it's true tha t a value oriented education system will not be able to save them all, it would certainly be able to do better than what we have now.Once a person joins a gang, their complete loyalty is demanded by the gang even over their family. Everything the gang tells them to do, they have to do, even stealing from their family. Gangs rule by fear ; intimidation. They accomplish this by committing crimes within their turf, or boundary, as set by various gangs. Many times the worst crimes are committed by younger members of the gang, ; for 2 reasons. First, they want to show the gang their loyalty ; second, they get in less trouble with the law if they get caught.The main effects are the amount ; degree of crime committed by members that over burden law enforcement, jails, ; courts. Another is the breakdown of the community because of the fear. ; intimidation. Gang areas usually result in attempted murder, torture, mayhem, etc. case where a person was hogtied, shot, stabbed. We need to get the cities on our side first. Organize families, neighborhoods and areas, once you get community cooperation it will be easier to reach the children. All children have some respect for their families or an authority figure at some point in their life.If we can motivate small neighborhoods to take care of their children as a community we can reach some before it is too late. Even for teenagers who are thought of as it being too late to reach, there is always time. It just takes time to build a trusting relationship with each other. It helps if the authority figure is someone from a similar background, but it is not necessary. Don't blame one ethnic group for all the violence and degradation of society, it is just as much a white problem as it is any other color problem. Our society seems to perpetuate the myth of the poor violent minority

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Welfare Reform Policy essays

Welfare Reform Policy essays Welfare is a program that was designed by the government to provide financial assistance from government funds and private organizations to those in hardship and need. These people include: The mentally ill, the neglected, delinquent children, the sick and the handicapped, as well as disadvantaged families. Welfare is a program intended to benefit all segments of society, but especially the less fortunate members who often find it more difficult to provide for themselves and their families. More specifically, social welfare policies focus on such matters as public education, income security, medical care, sanitation and disease prevention, public housing, employment training, childrens protective services, and improvements in human nutrition. Welfare is supported by many private organizations, such as The United Nations Childrens Fund, also known as UNICEF. Some states, and local governments, especially in the northeast and Midwest, administer general assistance programs that assist poor people who are ineligible for AFDC or SSI. People who are physically able but not working may receive assistance, for instance. General assistance programs receive no support from the federal government. Budgetary pressures have caused several states to cut back on their programs in recent years. The government decides how much welfare support to provide, and to whom based on measures of economic well-being. They are based on national mean income figures. Mean income is an estimate of how much a typical person earns over a given period of time, usually a year. People whose incomes are less than a determined amount below the national mean are considered to be living in poverty. Welfare programs target the people with relatively little income and few assets. This is called means-tested welfare. Welfare is needed in this country because in any free market economy such as the United States and most other nations, a certain percentage of ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Difference Between Recession and Depression

Difference Between Recession and Depression There is an old joke among economists that states: A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. The difference between the two terms is not very well understood for one simple reason: There is not a universally agreed upon definition. If you ask 100 different economists to define the terms recession and depression, you would get at least 100 different answers. That said, the following discussion summarizes both terms and explains the differences between them in a way that almost all economists could agree with. The Newspaper Definition of Recession The standard newspaper definition of a recession is a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters. This definition is unpopular with most economists for two main reasons. First, this definition does not take into consideration changes in other variables. For example, this definition ignores any changes in the unemployment rate or consumer confidence. Second, by using quarterly data this definition makes it difficult to pinpoint when a recession begins or ends. This means that a recession that lasts ten months or less may go undetected. The BCDC Definition of Recession The Business Cycle Dating Committee at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) provides a better way to find out if there is a recession is taking place. This committee determines the amount of business activity in the economy by looking at things like employment, industrial production, real income and wholesale-retail sales. They define a recession as the time when business activity has reached its peak and starts to fall until the time when business activity bottoms out. When the business activity starts to rise again it is called an expansionary period. By this definition, the average recession lasts about a year. Depression Before the Great Depression of the  1930s,  any downturn in  economic  activity was referred to as a depression. The term recession was developed in this period to differentiate periods like the 1930s from smaller economic declines that occurred in 1910 and 1913. This leads to the simple definition of a depression as a recession that lasts longer and has a larger decline in business activity. The Difference Between Recession and Depression So how can we tell the difference between a recession and a depression? A good rule of thumb for determining the difference between a recession and a depression is to look at the changes in GNP. A depression is any economic downturn where real GDP declines by more than 10 percent. A recession is an  economic downturn  that is less severe. By this yardstick, the last depression in the United States was from May 1937 to June 1938, where real GDP declined by 18.2 percent. If we use this method then the  Great Depression  of the 1930s can be seen as two separate events: an incredibly severe depression lasting from August 1929 to March 1933 where real GDP declined by almost 33 percent, a period of recovery, then another less severe depression of 1937-38. The United States hasn’t had anything even close to a depression in the post-war period. The worst recession in the last 60 years was from November 1973 to March 1975, where real GDP fell by 4.9 percent. Countries such as Finland and Indonesia have suffered depressions in recent memory using this definition.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Writing about personal learning and literature Essay

Writing about personal learning and literature - Essay Example All three genres will be analysed thoroughly in order to pick out one genre for which the rationale will be provided. Lastly, it will serve to explain how this module has shaped up my creative skills as well as developed an appreciation in me for the literary arts. Literature has always held a critical importance in education. Today, it seems that students need to not only study from literature, but also recognize how it relates to their lives. The genre approach to literacy includes being explicit about the manner language works in order to create meaning. It stands for engaging the students in the part of the novice with the teacher in the part of a professional on function as well as language system. It also means that an emphasis is placed on structure as well as content, in addition to the sequence of steps that an apprentice goes through in order to develop literary skills in an official educational situation (Cope &Kalantzis, 1993). While the number of genres and their portion s have multiplied since classical eras, the dissection of the literary sphere into three key genres (by Aristotle, Plato as well as Horace), is still valuable. These can be termed as lyric, drama and epic, and are characterized by their "manner of imitation," which means how the characters and their action are portrayed (Bakhtin, 1983). Genre studies allow the students to track a certain process to discover and develop an understanding of what makes each genre special and unique. By engaging in the learning of these processes, a student will begin to understand the various forms of writing, in addition to how to write in a more effective manner. Genre theory is an extremely proficient method of teaching the writing curriculum because of its intense focus on the specifics of a specific genre. It also provides the students with a probable way to develop a written paper as well as critique the writings that fall within the various other genres. Genre theory as well as instructions also seeks to provide the educators with the strategies, knowledge and skills to aid all the students instead of just the ones struggling (Derrida &Ronell, 1980). The genre approach (schema approach) is used to teach children about literature starting with the simplest literature form – prose and then moving onto increasingly sophisticated concepts for e.g. drama and poetry etc. Children are taught to learn to understand the different genres, as well as write proficiently on the simple ones during the early years of their schooling, when their writing is at the beginning level. Young children are familiarized with a number of different genre categories through anassortment of books as well as reading materials used during the class (Allyn& Bacon, 1893). Abstract thinking and spatial reasoning comes naturally to many children and is often developed, further, throughout the academic process in grade school and into high school. With many programs paying attention to math and scienc es, there is an equal amount of children who are exposed to, and prepared for, creative projects. Methodical approach to academics may not always lead to the artistic and creative development of a child creative values must be instilled in children, from the very beginning. The skill of creative writing can be developed in children at a very young age. As communication is vital for our society, teaching children to write well will often lead to better communication skills. The creation of greeting cards is a unique way in which parents can encourage the creativity of their children. Even from the beginning of his life holding a crayon and creating a greeting card for a birthday, or holiday, will provide the child with the first exposure in creative writing. Finding creative projects