Is it truly difficult for any author to be purely objective?

I think that it is truly difficult for any author to be purely objective because the very act of writing about something already indicates a choice of topic and consequently a choice of message to share to the readers. They write about what they write for a reason – and as writing goes it is to delight and enlighten. Delight when it is for entertainment, enlighten when it seeks to push the reader to look at what he previously did not see. In terms of forms, it is easier to grasp the author’s message in non-fiction as these tend to be straight-forward and usually indicates the message clearly.Fiction reflects reality and illustrates the message in a story, whereas poetry seeks to do the same with less words. Of all the forms, poetry asks the most skill because it uses the least number of words and yet seeks to deliver the same impact as other forms of writing. Personally I prefer poetry, because it uses so little words for more impact. It is compact but it speaks to the core, and has to be read several times for its meaning to sink in.Also, it lends itself to many layers of interpretation as compared to fiction and non-fiction, but its core message remains the same. Although a lot of people would say that poetry is not easy to understand, the demands of poetry on one’s attention is precisely what makes me prefer it because it asks for focus and time. In this sense, because poetry appears difficult, although of course I would say it is a labor of love to read poetry, the pay off is much greater as well, and because of the effort leaves a mark as I try to make sense of its message in my life.

Analysis of the Cultural Framework of Norway

All human beings are affixed to some form of cultural system which dictates the way they do things and how they relate to one another (Tavanti 106). These unwritten norms, beliefs and values are affixed firmly to a cultural framework which is a blue print that enables them to be expressed. Each community has got its own cultural framework which binds people who share a lot in common e. g. a nationality and live within a distinct boundary like for example a country. In instances where the country has a large geographical area or has a mixture of distinct races there could be an existence of more than one cultural framework. An example of a country like this is the United States which has got two distinct races: black and white existing side by side although each race has got its own cultural framework. No country in the world exists without its own unique national culture. This paper will attempt to examine the cultural framework of Norway using findings from a study carried out by renowned professor Geert Hofstede who has studied the cultural frameworks of various countries and communities in the world at large overtime. Hofstede studied the cultural framework of Norway and came up with five dimensions. These are Power Distance Index, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance Index, Long-Term Orientation (Hofstede). Hofstede describes masculinity as the opposite of femininity and in culture it refers to the roles that the males carry out as compared to the females in a community. This dimension by Hofstede shows what it means to be male or female in any community. Holland, Blair & Sheldon argue that in most of the western countries, masculinity is hegemonic while femininity is emphasized (Holland, Blair & Sheldon 7). The characteristics exhibited by masculine members of society are power, authority, competence on technical matters etc while feminine members of society are tied down more to fulfilling the desires of their masculine counterparts (Holland, Blair & Sheldon 7). Hofstede’ scale places Norway’s masculinity index low at around 5%. This is low compared to many countries e. g. Germany where the masculinity scale is 65 percent. This shows that compared to other countries the difference between the values of the males and females of the country is not very large and both of them are treated with almost an equal status. For instance in a country with a low masculinity index like Norway both the men and women can do similar jobs without people raising their eyebrows like babysitting or cooking. The girls are also educated to the same level as boys and the number of boys and girls who graduate from university are almost similar. The similarity though is that most of the females in the world are concerned with how they look while males are measured according to their achievements. Individualism refers to the degree to which members of a society operate as single sovereign entities and are treated as such. Hofstede adds that it is the opposite of collectivism where individuals live as a community. Or groups e. g. extended families that consist of several relatives e. g. grandfathers, uncles, in-laws, aunts etc. in the individualism index provided by Hofstede places the country at 62%. This shows that most of the people in Norway are used to living and being treated as individuals rather than a collection where people think on their own and pursue their dreams as individuals. Countries with high individualism scores like the United States are also the ones with the highest economic strengths. On the issue of individualism Ponderator argues that the advantages of living in a country with a high individualism index are the treatment of all people with equality, freedom and independence (Ponderator 23). Furthermore individualists are considered to be high achievers and are very competitive as compared to collectivists who work as a group as this slows down the progress of the group as whole. However with individualism cohesion between people of an individualistic country tends to loosen with time and families are the ones that are affected mostly. For instance high divorce rates exist in most of the western countries. Power distance index refers to the division of wealth and power between the members of a population of a country. Hofstede says that it also shows how unequal the societies of the world are in terms of wealth and power distribution and the fact that the people without power have come to accept that power and wealth distribution is indeed unequal. His findings place Norway’s power distance index at 25% which is relatively low compared to most of the countries. According to Moij, a low power distance index represents a society that has its people operating on almost the same economic levels as the governments try to focus on providing equal opportunities and rights to its citizens (Moij, 83). He further gives illustrations like for instance in high power distance index economies people attempt to dress as nicely as possible in that you can know the economic strength of people from their outfits. On the contrary in low power distance index economies people do not care too much on what they wear as they are the same. He also adds that a low power distance index country like Norway is as a result of high levels of education within its population. Moij defines uncertainty avoidance as the level of fear of uncertain occurrences happening to them through their instincts and the steps that they take to avoid these unplanned occurrences (Moij, 83). The results shown on Hofstede’s index show Norway’s uncertainty avoidance index at 45% which is just below the centre mark. Moij further adds on that countries with low uncertainty avoidance index are more open to change and innovation. They also do not seem to care much about the quality of food that they eat e. g. it is uncommon t find people insisting to drink mineral water when piped water is clean. They also do not care too much about their physical appearances and are less emotional and more tolerant (83). The fifth dimension is an addition to the first four and was part of Hofstede’s plan to find out the difference in thinking between the people who live in western countries and those who live in the east. This was after it was discovered that the east is developing rapidly in terms of business and economy and no information was available originally to explain the success of some countries from the east in innovations, business etc (Moij, 84) Norway’s long-term orientation is placed at a low of 20% which in essence means it is a short term orientation country. Characteristics of the population of Norway with respect to their orientation could be they respect their culture, appreciate presents and give back, protection of personal reputations etc. Conclusion The 5 cultural dimensions outlined by Professor Geerte Hofstede gave a good framework for studying the difference in cultures in the world. It shows why people uphold certain beliefs and even passing them through generations. This paper has evaluated a case study of Norway which is in Europe while at the same time comparing it with other countries to show the difference in cultures.

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics

Fundamentals of Macroeconomics Lisa Rasch ECO/372 June 18th, 2012 Sigmund Karczewski Fundamental of Macroeconomics Part 1 * Gross Domestic Product (GDP)- GDP is the value of all goods and services that have been produced in a country within a period of time. * Real GDP- Real GDP refers to the value of all goods and services that has been adjusted for inflation or deflation. * Nominal GDP- Nominal GDP refers to the value of all goods and services that has not been adjusted for inflation or deflation. Unemployment Rate- Unemployment rate refers to the percentage of people in a country who want to work and are able to work but cannot find jobs. * Inflation Rate- Inflation rate is the rate of price increases within a period of time. * Interest Rate- An interest rate is the amount of money a person pays in order to borrow money. Part 2 Purchasing Groceries The purchasing of groceries has an effect on the United States’ economy and its three sectors; businesses, households, and gove rnment. Purchasing groceries effects households and businesses the most however government is also effected.Government is responsible for creating the rules and regulations surrounding the production of the groceries (food safety laws, etc. ). Businesses then produce the groceries within the government regulations increasing value for that business. After the businesses have produced the goods, the goods are then purchased by other businesses to be sold to consumers. Generally, a grocery store (a business) will purchase the groceries from vendors (other businesses), increasing the value of their business; that inventory is then sold to households (consumers).Once the goods are sold to consumers, the value of the goods is then transferred to the consumers. Massive Layoffs of Employees A massive layoff of employees also has an effect on the three sectors of the U. S. economy. A massive layoff affects households the most although the other two sectors are also affected. Households suff er a loss in income as a result of a layoff and the loss of income will translate to a reduction of purchasing power for the household.The reduced purchasing power will affect businesses because the households that suffered layoffs will not have the money to purchase goods or services from businesses. The government will also see a reduction in revenue from the layoffs because the households will pay less money in income taxes. The government will also be affected by the lack of sales taxes from purchasing goods and services and the reduction in taxes being paid by the businesses; the less sales the business reports the lower the taxes they owe to the government. Still, the hardest hit sector for massive layoffs will be the households.The reduced income for households will have a trickledown effect on the rest of the economy because â€Å"households are the most powerful economic institution† (Colander, 2010). Decrease in Taxes A decrease in taxes will have an effect on the t hree sectors of the U. S. economy as well. The sector that will be affected the most by a decrease in taxes will be the government. A decrease in taxes will reduce the amount of revenue collected by the government which will reduce the amount of goods and services the government is able to provide for households and businesses.The government collects taxes in order to have the funds to pay for services such as unemployment insurance and the welfare system as well as infrastructure such as roads and street lights. A decrease in taxes will have a positive effect on household income however; the reduction in government infrastructure and services might have a negative effect on households. If the government does not have the money to pay for infrastructure it could result in households having to pay more money to maintain their property; pot holes not being repaired quickly could cause higher car maintenance costs.Businesses will also be affected by a decrease in taxes. Lower taxes wil l mean businesses will have more money to spend on increasing their labor force or making improvements to their businesses. The increased revenue for businesses and households will put more money back into the economy. The decrease in taxes will decrease revenue for the government while increasing revenue for households and businesses. Reference Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Critical Review of Using the Video in Teaching Essay

Critical Review of Using the Video in Teaching - Essay Example The use of Audio-visual aids started long ago with ancient educationists. Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) advocated for the use of pictures and other visuals instead of memorization as a technique of learning. John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), in his orbis sensulium pictus, started the use of illustration in textbooks. His books contained one hundred and fifty pictures on aspects of everyday life. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and other educators emphasized the use of pictures, illustrations and other playthings. During the beginning of the 20th century, Nelson I. Greene coined the term visual education. Eric Ashby (1967) categorized the revolutions in education. He listed the use of electronic media as the fourth revolution. Cobun (1968) discovered that people learn 83 percent of knowledge through sight. Through his research, he also discovered that people remember 50 percent of what they hear and see and only 10 percent of what they read. This, among other discoveries, underscored the need for the use of audio-visual aids. They help the teacher clarify concepts, and make learning more interesting, appealing and vivid. These aids also provide considerable advantage in information learning, imagination, retention and cognitive ability level. Principles that are hard to understand usually become easy with skilled use of Audio-visual aids. Raymond Wyman (1957) observed that excessive use of words in teaching and learning results to verbalism and forgetting (Sampath 2008, Pp. 80-82). Sampath argues that, in the teaching- learning process, media augment a variety of other teaching materials and techniques (Sampath 2008, Pp. 80-82). He also observed that creativity is important in coming up with ways of combining media and other materials and techniques. Though visual aids have numerous advantages, they also have limitations. For example, a photograph can distort the real thing. The effectiveness of a video as a teaching aid will depend upon the angle of filming, t he recorder used, and the writing provided (Das 2007, 163). There is also the risk of technical problems. Regardless of the quality of a machine, there is always the risk that it can break down. Projectors can break down; DVDs can get damages among other misfortunes. There is also the possibility of distracting the students from the focus in a picture or a video. These materials are also resource, time and space intensive. Nevertheless, the use of visual aids is the future of instruction. Riel (2000) argues that personal learning will change, and there will be more collaboration (Watson & Downes 2005, Pp. 9-24). Therefore, there is a need for more research to improve the efficiency of modern instructional techniques and to invent new ones. It is also of immense importance to review existing knowledge in view of either authenticating it or identifying its redundancy. Video as a collaborative tool Herder, Subrahmanian, Talukdar, Turk, and Westerberg (2002) conducted an experiment to f ind out how they could teach a course in Delft University of Technology (TUD) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) at the same time. The two universities’ locations were different geographically. They formed teams constituted students from both countries. Their aim was for students to interact with different people from a different culture. The students communicated through a variety of means. They recorded lectures from

Postmodernism Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Postmodernism Cinema - Essay Example The essay "Postmodernism Cinema" states postmodernism and cinema. This paper also analyzes Andrew Tudor’s work â€Å"From Paranoia to Postmodernism: The Horror Movie in the Late Modern Society.† The term postmodernism has been widely applied in contemporary horror films. Various discussions regarding the applicability of the term started in the past century. In 1986, Tania Modleski managed to establish the relationship between the present developments in the horror film industry and postmodern theory. In 1989, the Tudors study about â€Å"Monsters and Mad Scientists† showed that particular aspects affiliated with modern horror is linked to at least some social changes, which can be considered as postmodern. In 1990, Noel Carroll made a similar point in a subtle manner. He stipulated that horror genre in the contemporary world serves as an exoteric expression portraying similar feelings that are evident in the case of intelligentsia based on the concept of postmod ernism. The arguments reveal that it is vital for humans to diagnose the current society with regard to postmodernism. As such, it is challenging to resist the cultural resonance, which reflects postmodern horror. In this case, the term can be regarded as descriptive in an unproblematic manner. It should not be aimed at making few attempts to evaluate the proposition that reveals there is something regarding modern horror movies which creates a need for illustration. It is possible to stipulate that they live in a period characterized by ‘postmodern’ horror.

Conjunctiva in Contact Lens Wear Research Proposal

Conjunctiva in Contact Lens Wear - Research Proposal Example In a study conducted by Aragona P, Ferreri G, Micali A, Puzzolo D. in 1998 to detect the morphological changes of the conjunctival epithelium in contact lens wearers evaluated by impression cytology, it was found that cellularity, nucleus to cytoplasm ratio and goblet cell distribution were altered. In another study by Knop E, Brewitt H. in 1992 , where they discovered using the impression cytology technique on contact lens wearers that enlargement of the conjunctival cells took place as well as flattening of their cells. They also noted a decrease in the number of goblet cells. The late finding was contrary to what Connor C.G., Campbell J.B., Steel S.A., Burke J.H. have found in 1994 of an increase of goblet cells in daily contact lens wearers. As the conjunctiva has an important functional demand on the eye helping in keeping the eye moist and its cleansing effect through tears, it is thus an important first defence against debris and pathogens. Direct in vivo observation of the co njunctiva at a cellular level using the confocal microscope is likely to provide important new insights into the impact of contact lens wear on the ocular surface. This study is aimThis study is aimed to conclude results from in vivo research of those contact lens wearers. The significance of this research is to give more focused results on the effect of contact lenses contributing to add more knowledge to this specific aspect and whether or not any compromisation of the conjunctiva takes place. Please add a new paragraph as follows:- Program of research and investigation: - Under this heading, I would like you to write about To Clearly State the research problem, research key questions, sub question or hypotheses or key issues that will be tested or addressed This research will perform its investigation to describe the possible effects of lens wearing on 20 candidates to discuss the conjunctival hazardous effects (if present) and either confirm or deny the hypothesis in question. Inspection will be done at a cellular level to further investigate any changes that may occur in the conjunctiva cells including epithelial cells, goblet cells and cellular density. According to Adar S, Kanpolat A, Surucu S, Ucakhan OO 1997 "Epithelial changes were noted to be more frequent and more severe in symptomatic patients than in those without any complaints." Moon JW, Shin KC, Lee HJ, Wee WR, Lee JH, Kim MK. 2006 also found that "The ocular surface changes in keratoconus may be directly related to contact lens wear" The hypothesis is that contact lenses do not produce any significant effect on the conjunctiva, mainly superficial conjunctival epithelial cell density (it is unclear whether this would be an increase or decrease) and results in a decrease in

EXAM #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EXAM #2 - Essay Example Richard Nixon was the President of the United States from 1969 to 1974 and Kissinger who serves as his security advisor together formed the Dà ©tente policy with the Soviet Union. This policy was made to ease the tensed situation internationally (whitehouse.gov,  History of the National Security Council, 1947–1997). In terms of Realism, The Dà ©tente policy was an extension of the containment policy which was made by Kennan, the only difference being the reality of the situation. That is the Containment theory which was formed during post World War II whereas the Dà ©tente was formed during the Vietnam War. The political realism of twentieth century was born to counteract the idealistic approach that was dominating the international relationship after the World War I (plato.stanford.edu, Political Realism in International Relations). Nixon and Kissinger’s national security process resembled Kennan’s and was also consistent with the past thought of Kissinger’s (Worley). It was between 1945 and 1960 when George F. Kennan made and implemented the containment doctrine which helped the United States to dominate over Soviet Union in the cold war. Keenan observed that all America needed was a global tactic that had the capacity to unite the American and the opinion against Soviet Union. Many people favored Nixon and Kissinger’s policy more because it dealt with crisis management on a much better scale and had set their target to meet the bigger picture. But Gaddis also believed that both Nixon and Kissinger took the containment theory and altered them to be used during the times of Vietnam War. The approaches of Nixon and Kissinger were based on the realist tradition which is why they designed their foreign policy on this theory. People do question the Cambodian bombing but Kissinger and Nixon are both appreciated for their dedication and hard work that restored the orders to the

Profit Maximization - An Actual or Theoretical Objective Essay

Profit Maximization - An Actual or Theoretical Objective - Essay Example For example, rice farmed and thrashed by the farmer is sold for a particular value to companies. These companies in turn process the rice, separating quality grains and packing them with their label, thereby increasing the value of rice. The transporters and stores extract their profit by integrating it in the cost of the rice. In the end, the consumer pays a multifold monetary worth for the rice along with comparable value for money. Some organizations tend to get carried away with their profit-making motives, ending up reaping unjustly high profits. Such organizations tend to lose their loyal customers for two major reasons: not being able to provide comparable value for money and with the entry of competition into their market. Profit Maximization is now a general trend, which had earlier been a typical phenomenon for monopolistic competition – where the absence of competition enables these organizations to charge unjustly high prices for their offerings. Hence it is said t hat free competition is the â€Å"invisible hand† for controlling market prices naturally (Smith). When companies are allowed to compete without regulatory interventions like government policies etc, the resultant market provides both buyers and sellers with best opportunities in terms of exchanges. Buyers and sellers benefit alike from the competition. Profit Maximization: Profit Maximization is a basic Economics concept, which implies extracting highest possible profits through production and sales processes. Profit is the difference between total revenue and the total cost. Total revenue implies the total amount an organization receives from business whereas the total cost means the total investment the organization makes to produce and sell the goods and services. At different activity levels, the cost incurred and the revenue earned tend to be different (as shown in the diagram). From: Sparknotes.com The above graph clearly shows varied profitability at different activit y levels. However, the highest profitability is at the point marked â€Å"profit maximization†. At this point, the difference between costs and revenue is the greatest. At all activity levels below and above this point, the profit is lower in comparison with this point. Profit Maximization can be devised through numerous methods. The aforesaid theory is the Total Cost-Total Revenue methodology for determining the profits. Marginal Revenue-Marginal Cost method is also used to determine maximum profitability activity level. However, the base line for both methods is the same – revenue minus cost equals profit. Theoretically, Profit Maximization is often explained as an unethical practice on behalf of business owners, focusing extensively on monetary gains and overlooking other factors. On this note, it is important to remark that profit maximization does not necessary include unethical practices regarding pricing. However, â€Å"it fails to take adequate account of alte rnative desires of the businessmen, for power, leisure, social prestige, and similar non-monetary rewards† (Koplin). Some critics do not agree that Profit Maximization is the underlying objective for business operations since it does not take into account other factors important in the eyes of the investors. Most businesses do not operate for profit reasons only – some businesses like certain blood banks and hospitals work for societal welfare that cannot be weighed in monetary terms. But some critics maintain the importance of Profit Maximizati

Introduction to Operating Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Introduction to Operating Systems - Assignment Example An answer file is a key component of an unattended installation. Users only need to run the setup program using a command-line parameter which makes the setup program take inputs form the answer file. During the rest of the windows setup process, the setup hardly requires administrators for guidance as the program takes all input form the answer file component of the unattended installation. As Koons (n.d.) states, â€Å"the computer manages to bypass user interaction by reading instructions that are coded within a response file†. The setup installs all files in an automated manner minimizing user interaction to a large extent. The setup program also automatically restarts the computer system during installation when necessary. Users/administrators only need to customize their settings during the process of installation. Although many tools work in an operating system’s built-in mechanism, I would like to use a file-protection tool which should take care of all files required to run the operating system. Sometimes, important files get damaged affecting the working of an operating system. Therefore, I would like to include a file protection tool in an operating system’s built-in

ECONOMIC ADVISEMENT PAPER Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

ECONOMIC ADVISEMENT - Research Paper Example The unemployment rate reported from 1948 until 2013, on an average was 5.81 percent. The highest unemployment rate recorded in USA was in November of 1982 which was 10.83 percent and the lowest was recorded in May of 1953, which was 2.50 percent. In united state, the unemployment rate measures the people who are unemployed, from the labor force. (trading economics, 2013) The interest rate in USA is reported by the Federal Reserve. The interest rate last recorded in USA was 0.25 percent. From 1917 until 2013 the average interest rate was 6.81 percent. The highest interest rate recorded was in March 1980, which was 20 percent, while the lowest interest rate was 0.25 in December 2008. In the United States, the interest rate is decided by the combined decision of the Federal Reserve (board) and the federal open market committee (FOMC). The decision is made by the board on the basis of the recommendations, given by one or more regional Federal Reserve Bank. (united state interest rate, 2013) According to a report by the commerce department, there was an increase of 2.6 percent in the consumer income, in USA. The report says that the salaries and wages of the American labors have been increasingly growing since December 2004. Due the increase in the income, there is an increase in the consumer spending as well. The rise in the consumer income rate was due to improve in the wages and the salaries of the American employees. The bonuses and the compensation were given by many companies to their employees, before in the raise in taxes. The consumption rate of the consumer was raised up to 2.2 percent, which was more than the estimated rate. The increase in the per person income rate is more than the estimated, this shows that the American economy have improved more than the expectation. There is an increase in the payroll tax from February, which has decreased the