The Braindead Megaphone and Gossip Girl Essay Example For Students

The Braindead Megaphone and Gossip Girl Essay We all know that somebody who likes to talk; likes to hear his or her own voice. Whether it is a friend, a family member, or even a newscaster, those people just talk to be heard. What are they really saying, though? Most of the time the answer is absolutely nothing. It is all so that their voice is heard over another and people start to pay attention to them. Now, imagine giving that person a megaphone and thinking that there is no way around not hearing this person when they speak. The conversations at the party amongst others start to form around what the person with the megaphone is saying. We will write a custom essay on The Braindead Megaphone and Gossip Girl specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now By the end of the party, all casual and real conversation has died due to one person with a louder voice blurting out whatever they want to talk about. In the essay, â€Å"The Braindead Megaphone† by George Saunders, the first point he makes is that a metaphor for the news media is a â€Å"storyteller† and it’s purpose is to entertain the people. Other than the news acting as a storyteller, some other important arguments Saunders makes are the ones that talk about why the government turns to the media and vice versa. Continuing from there, he discusses about how the news can cover something so unimportant, such as the malls being really crowded around the holiday season, and people will still listen even though that is something clear and evident. He states that this information is making us stupid because we are adapting to all of the stupid things that the news media tends to say. Many of his points can relate to the world today, especially in pop culture. While watching a popular show from The CW network called, Gossip Girl, the main points of Saunders essay started to come to mind. In the show, there is a gossip website called â€Å"Gossip Girl† where all of the Upper East Side gets their news. Gossip girl is an anonymous character who hides behind a computer and she never exploits who sends in information, but she does exploit people with certain proof sent to her. Every time a â€Å"blast† is sent in, people all over the city get a text about what is happening or has happened. People are addicted to reading the information that she says and they listen. The main characters of the show are all complex in their own ways and each has a reason why Gossip Girl targets them most specifically. Being rich, beautiful, and popular gives all of the characters a reason for Gossip Girl to target them. Even though the show is named Gossip Girl, the main events that happen in each episode don’t all fall around her and what she does. She acts as someone who can cause more drama in the characters lives but isn’t what the show is based around. Gossip Girl is seen through the lens of Saunders’ argument by Gossip Girl’s influence as a â€Å"storyteller†, the relationship between government and media, and making unimportant issues seem important, all which help demonstrate Saunders’ underlying message to seek the truth and form independent opinions. Saunders argument about the storyteller having control relates to Gossip Girl having control over the lives of the main characters in the show. In â€Å"The Braindead Megaphone,† Saunders makes an argument about someone shouting through his window about the conditions of the house next door. This guy has limited experience, has to make a deadline for the report, and entertain all at the same time. He continues to shout out, blinding you from the real information. He is an entertainer after all, taking control over the thoughts of anyone listening to him. His main characteristic is dominance† (Saunders 3). .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .postImageUrl , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:hover , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:visited , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:active { border:0!important; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:active , .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837 .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2179571d2c9af10ff4d0e6dd8a89c837:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Movie Summary - The Truman Show EssayThe guy with the megaphone is dominant and controlling over the party, situation, and the minds of everyone. In the episode of Gossip Girl, â€Å"The End of the Affair? † the main character, Serena, wonders: â€Å"What is a world without Gossip Girl? † The characters in the show are being so controlled that they feel like they don’t know a world without her. She is the main source of entertainment and so is the guy with the megaphone. With this, the minds of both worlds are being controlled and distorted by what these â€Å"storytellers† have to say. In a scene from Gossip Girl, two main characters named Nate and Serena talk about life without Gossip Girl and what people make of her. In a quote from season five, it is stated that people are the reason the â€Å"storytellers† stay alive: â€Å"People are just desperate for information†(The End of the Affair). Serena then goes on and talks about what people make of the blasts Gossip Girl sends out, â€Å"It is not the secrets that cause the problems it is the assumptions that people make about them†(Father and the Bride). The control that the media has on our brains can have people quickly assume how things might be. Instead of relying on assumptions, individuals need to go see the truth for themselves. Maybe that way, the people will have a better sense of control over their thoughts and opinions. Mainly relying on the news to inform is just not enough, especially when the information is biased. Another point of Saunders that really stood out was when he talked about how the government and media work together. They use each other to get what they want and become a â€Å"closed loop† (Saunders 16). The government will turn to the media when they want to mislead on something and when the media gets a hot story, it influences the government (Saunders 17). The relationship between the government and media is also demonstrated in Gossip Girl. A character named Trip is in Congress and he needs his name clear of all scandal that Gossip Girl has shared about him. Knowing that it can affect his number in the polls and the election coming up, he does whatever he can to clear his name and that involved reaching out to Gossip Girl himself. With a simple bribe about another member of his family, Gossip Girl cleared his name and in return she got a new story from it. The thing that needs to be recognized is that even though proof might not be released about this story, people will listen and believe it anyways because it came from Gossip Girl. Just like the news, the dominant credibility she has will never let people not believe her and Trip turned to the place where he knew people would listen. This just proved that a member of government got published what he wanted. The relationship between the government and the media affects the information individuals have access to. With the power that they both provide, working together can be dangerous and leave the public unaware of the truth. The credibility the news media and Gossip Girl has often leads them to not providing the people with the necessary information they are entitled too. Useless information is given and people are still consuming it as if it is actually important in their lives. Saunders makes an argument about what happens when people do this, â€Å"We took it, and, I would say, it did something to us: made us dumber and more accepting of slop† (Saunders 8). The information being spit out at the people is less news and more entertainment. Saunders uses this point through telling a story about a young reporter on the news spilling information already known in banal language, revved up with the same TV-news emphasis (8). This same tactic is shown in Gossip Girl because there is more than just Gossip Girl that dishes out the newest information. .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .postImageUrl , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:hover , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:visited , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:active { border:0!important; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:active , .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u81f957b0eb8f5f73df747c3170606dae:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Memento by Christopher Nola EssayThere is also a news company called the â€Å"New York Spectator† and it is constantly competing with Gossip Girl for the top spot. Trying to get the most interesting news is what the New York Spectator is trying to do in order to top Gossip Girl. This competition is all about trying to win over the public’s attention so that one is over the other. The public is losing in this because the information being released is not helping them at all; it is covered up with fancy language and big emphases. The information released is frying people’s brains and absorbing them with nonsense. Basically, teaching them that this news matters. Saunders’ argument is evident in Gossip Girl because of what they view as important news such as, the newest celebrity breakup or which person wore it better. The useless news provided becomes an obstacle in allowing individuals to form an opinion for themselves. When viewed through the lens of Saunders’ arguments in â€Å"The Brain-Dead Megaphone,† Gossip Girl serves as the entertainer much like the news media does in the real world. The guy with the megaphone can be related to almost every pop culture and entertainment source because of his or her incorrect way of spreading information. Being controlled by the â€Å"storyteller,† fooled by the media and government’s power of working together, and listening to news that is unimportant for the lives of today are all points Saunders makes in his essay that can be seen in Gossip Girl. The people of today are turning their brains to mush by adjusting to all of the nonsense information heard on the news. It is becoming adaptable and people are becoming less interested on what really matters and more interested in what is entertaining. Turning our backs to what really matters in the world is only hurting everyone more. â€Å"Turn that megaphone down, and insist that what’s said through it be as precise, intelligent, and humane as possible† (Saunders 19). People need to be more aware of their opinions and how they form them. From looking at Saunders essay and the popular television show, Gossip Girl, it is evident that people need to open their eyes, see what is really happening, and seek the truth for themselves. Bibliography: Saunders, George. â€Å"The Braindead Megaphone.† New York: Riverhead Books, 2007. Print. â€Å"The End of the Affair?† Gossip Girl: Season Five. Writ. Sara Goodman. Dir. Michael Grossman. The CW, 2012. Netflix â€Å"Father and the Bride.† Gossip Girl: Season Five. Writ. Peter Elkoff. Dir. Amy Heckerling. The CW, 2012. Netflix

Controversial Ads Essay Example

Controversial Ads Essay Example Controversial Ads Paper Controversial Ads Paper Essay Topic: Controversial Every second of the day, no matter where you are, you are influenced by advertisements. As we drive down the highway listening to the radio we hear advertisements through commercials and look out the window to see huge billboards. When surfing the internet advertisements pop up, and while watching television advertisements are viewed even more. These advertisements focus on catching the eye of the beholder. Some focus their attention towards adults, some towards kids, and some are accidentally catching both eyes. The advertisement industry has now started to promote sex and comedy as a way to sell their items. Billboards now show scantily clad women over one hundred feet tall on the sides of highways and sexual oriented advertisements now pop up on the internet while visiting various sites. Television now has a Miller Lite commercial with women wrestling in water and Budweiser had a commercial with frogs speaking to promote beer. Trojan Condoms advertises with exploding geysers to promote their condoms. Monetary gains may be occurring because some believe sex and comedy sells, but because of these advertisements our children are being influenced to act inappropriately at a very young age. Children do not need to be influenced by this advertising. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University released December 17 a report saying that Americas youth has been overexposed to alcohol advertising (Craig). Beer companies absolutely advertise toward adolescents. One has to think about who the Budweiser frog campaign was for. The WB has alcohol ads during Dawsons Creek and Smallville, and thats a thirteen to eighteen year old audience. It could be because its prime time, but its questionable. (Craig) Why do companies need to aim alcohol towards the youth of our world today? These alcohol companies know exactly what they are doing. It was found that if you look at the profit margins of alcohol manufactures, a significant portion are underage consumers. They know theyre advertising for adolescents (Craig). Under aged drinking accounts for nearly fifty-three billion dollars worth of revenue for alcohol companies each year. (Miller) Twenty-two million teenagers some seventy-seven percent of all twelve to eighteen year-olds in the U. S. (we didnt even count kids under twelve or between nineteen and twenty) watch television after 9 p. m. when booze ads routinely grace the airwaves. (Miller) The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown released a study reporting that alcohol companies were reaching Americas youths with advertising more effectively than they were with adults(Craig). Government agencies wonder why so many underage people drink. They allow these companies to purposely advertise towards the adolescents of our society. Why doesnt our government do anything about it? It is obviously because the alcohol tax is one of the biggest means of income that our government has. In 1995 the United States government received around nine and a half billion dollars in revenue from alcohol taxes. (Young) Our government should take a little bit more money out of this revenue to promote more safe drinking habits and teach more classes on why underage drinking is so hazardous. Not only is it wrong that these alcohol companies target our adolescents and the government does nothing about it, but it is wrong that these companies are influencing peoples moral character. Our moral integrity is being challenged every second of the day now. As a nineteen year old male, these advertisements promoting sex are very much what I want to see. But as a nineteen year old Catholic male, with some integrity, I do not believe that women should be perceived to the public in this way and I do not need to see this. When you have women wrestling in water ripping each others clothes off and men cheering them on, you have crossed the line in advertising. Women are not merely objects for which we compete, but are on the other hand an object of our affection. Women deserve the same amount of respect as any other human being upon this earth. If they are trying to advertise towards younger males with this, why dont they have men wrestle and advertise towards younger women? Obviously it is because of who they are targeting. These companies know men drink more than women. But by using them as objects of sex, they are declining them of all forms of respect. Our youth today is not only being affected by alcohol commercials, but also commercials promoting safe sex. One of the most often viewed commercials out there promoting safe sex is the Trojan Condoms commercial. During this commercial a geyser explodes in the background while two people are making out due to sensational pleasure. Sex is not something that should be taken so light heartedly by the youth of our world. Sex is something sacred, and a persons virginity should be held sacred until marriage. These horrific advertisements are portraying to our youth that sex is something that all should enjoy whenever they please. Yes we should all enjoy sex, but only at the right time in our lives. More teenagers today are becoming pregnant than ever before, and it is because our advertising world is telling them it is alright to engage in sexual acts at such a young age. In the 1980s around twenty-one percent of women fifteen to nineteen became pregnant. In the 1990s that number rose to around twenty-four percent for these fifteen to nineteen year old women. (Guttmacher Institute) Many teens are also contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The number of teens nationwide who are infected with an STD is staggering. A report from the Austin, Texas-based Medical Institute for Sexual Health finds that 1 out of 4 teenagers currently have or have had a sexually transmitted disease. (Albernaz) Some believe that a condom can protect them from the transfer of fluid. Well it does not. It is only there to reduce the risk of STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Why must we be put into these situations? There is no way to avoid them. Our life is judged in the end on how we live our lives today. The people involved in creating these horrific advertisements do not need to be destroying our chances to be judged righteously. They are condemning themselves and they do not need to condemn the lives of others. They may be looking for monetary gains, but what they need to be looking at is the effect they are having on the minds and actions of our worlds youth. Every year more and more people die in alcohol related accidents due to under aged drinking, and more and more youth pregnancies and STDs are occurring. It seems that these companies, by advertising to the youth, are advertising to promote under aged drinking and sexual acts reserved for marriage. Not only does it need to stop and but these advertisements need to stop now!

Vedanta and Yoga Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vedanta and Yoga - Essay Example Rather than a firm communal set of beliefs, the religion stays as a composite of diverse philosophical and intellectual viewpoints with no single founding pioneer. The smriti and sruti of Hindu texts encompass philosophy, temple building, theology and rituals amid other subjects of the Hindu religion. Agamas, Upanishads and Vedas constitute some of the leading scriptures of Hinduism. Hinduism stands in the third position after Christianity and Islam worldwide (Rinehart 2004, pp. 155-177). This paper seeks to outline ways in which the Vedanta and Yoga introduced a revolutionary new aspect to Hindu religion. Vedanta encompasses the theoretical foundation of classical Hinduism formed from Upanishads whereas Yoga entails the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali approaches in generic Hinduism. Attacks became launched by the Upanishads of age to increase the concentration on rituals. In this regard, the different monistic theories of the Upanishads became incorporated into a theistic context by the Bh agavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture. In the early centuries, several Hindu based philosophical schools became formally organized together with Vedanta and Yoga. Moreover, the development of Indian philosophies came along with the booming of both Buddhist and Hindu philosophies from the fifth to the ninth century. Vedanta emerged as the most solitary prevailing and influential philosophical school of thought. As a result, Sanskritic culture declined following the Gupta period. In addition, a religious convention became established among the pre-educated ethnic societies going through acculturation under the influence of the first medieval Purunas. Similarly, Dharmashastras and Brahmamic codes of Hinduism beliefs also experienced drastic transformations under the Purana authors. This resulted into the emergence of conventional Hinduism that in turn dominated over all formerly known traditions (Rinehart 2004, 179-202). Pujas based Hindu gods eventually replaced the Buddha royal spher es in the eighth century. In the same period, the Buddha royal spheres also became transformed into a Vishnu avatar. Additionally, the academic discipline of studying Indian culture on a European viewpoint came to be introduced in the nineteenth century. Certain societies endeavored to incorporate and bring together Dharmic and Abrahamic philosophies in establishing societal reforms. The same period also marked the emergence of very innovative movements founded on the teachings and personalities of individuals which remained deep-rooted in the aboriginal tradition of the religion. Moreover, prominent philosophers of Hinduism reframed, transformed and provided the religion’s introductory manuscripts for present-day audiences in new restatements in order to raise Vedanta and Yoga profiles in the West as well as attracting attention and followers (Sivananda 1999, n.p.). Vedanta indicates atman to be inarticulate from Brahman’s in the end, and that the objective of life wo uld be to recognize that an individual’s atman stays indistinguishable from that of Brahman. According to the Upanishads, an individual completely conscious of atman as the personal significance of one’s own self comprehends a personality with Brahman and in so doing reaches moksha. Hence, moksha relies on God’s grace and love towards Him whereas atman relies on God. Traditional Vedanta considered pratyaksa and anumana to be valid but inferior while shabda pramana to be the most dependable wealth of knowledge. Also, Vedantic philosophies became systemized into a single coherent discourse.

Chinese-English code-switching in Fashion Magazines Essay

Chinese-English code-switching in Fashion Magazines - Essay Example The essay "Chinese-English code-switching in Fashion Magazines" concerns the Fashion Magazines and Chinese-English code-switching in them. Editors of fashion magazines pay close attention to the contexts of linguistics and how they relate to the reader. Catalogues of genre and cultural meaning play important roles in determining and feeding into target audiences so that the magazines make a profit. Both utilizations of code-switching describe how readers view text and absorb it from various geographical areas. The term code-switching derives from the linguistic term denoting the concurrent utilization of more than a single language in conversation. John Gibbons made the first major attempt to study it at Hong Kong University where the students spoke ‘university talk’. It is especially used in context of sociocultural linguistics, which is the study of how linguistic structure clarifies how a speaker’s selectivity of a specific language is influenced by social cont exts in which it is given. In the middle of the English sentence, the Chinese symbol for â€Å"a† and â€Å"whose† is inserted rather than the English word. The hypothesized reason to why this occurs is due to the fact that bilinguals are not completely efficient in the second language. The variety of contexts may be race, gender, ethnicity, age, and sexuality. These factors are acknowledged when implementing code-switching into media forms like magazines. Magazines are a main media source used because of how broad of an audience it reaches. The age group can vary from teens to the elderly and has the capability to reach its audience members via stores, mail, street stands, etc. Fashion in particular has dominated the market since the eighteenth century when the first Gentleman’s magazine came out in London (Ashish, 2009). This is why code-switching has been incorporated into this form of media outlet in an effort to get the target audience to respond in the des ired manner. In Japan, the implication of foreign language into magazines of fashion is not subsidiary to any subject restrictions (Haarmann, 2000). With such a limitless palette in which to work with, the editors as well as advertisers were able to target their audience better. The four context motivators to utilizing code-switching first came to light in the late 1970s when Cantonese-English code-switching arose in Hong Kong (David and Li, 2003). Euphemism was a sociolinguistic phenomenon that illustrated relation connections with the community with its focus being to relay the intended message of the speaker (Wenzhao, 2001). It is the act of replacing a potentially rude or offensive word with a lesser one, not only to appease the listener but to protect the speaker from trouble. Although, it can be amusing, it can be misleading. Bilingual punning derived from the intent to assign double meaning (David and Li, 2003). The way it is done is by taking two different words in two diffe rent languages and combining them into a sentence to form a joke or amusing sentence, hence the term pun. In this context, the meaning of specificity is not far from what it implies in that English is used in place of Chinese/Cantonese words for either the reason that the English word is more specific or general (David and Li, 2003). Therefore, the sentence is issued the way it was initially intended. Lastly, the

Theories of Unemployment: Application to the UAE

Theories of Unemployment: Application to the UAE Introduction: Unemployment is defined when an individual is actively seeking the for the job but is unable to find the work (Solow, 1980). This paper attempts to explore various unemployment theories and then find the best suitable theory to apply to the UAE economy. Advantages and disadvantages of the chosen theory will also be discussed in the paper. Recommendations will be provided to reduce the unemployment in the UAE. The paper is organized as follows: next section defines and discusses five unemployment theories, while the best suited theory/theories will be discussed in the third section. The fourth section will be composed of the strategies to be employed to reduce unemployment in the UAE. Recommendation and conclusion will be provided in the last section. Unemployment theories: Since the great recession in December 2007, many countries whether developed or developing has experienced a high rate of unemployment. There are different types of unemployment. In this section, following five types of unemployment are discussed with reference to the empirical evidence. Frictional unemployment: A switching or transition between the jobs is called as a frictional employment. The transition between the job can be for many reasons which include: looking for a better-paid job, migration from one state to another, from part time to full time employment or the vice versa. If a person who seeks a job, gets according to his requirement or desires within a week will not be counted as a frictional unemployment, but this is not possible in a real life situation. Monetary and fiscal policy can also not bring the frictional unemployment down without putting an extra inflationary pressure on the economy (Bruce and Marshal, 1976). Structural unemployment   A mismatch between the kind of the job and the availability of the skill causes a structural unemployment in a country (Peter, 1969). It is the case with most of the countries that employers do not find the required skill and the labor does not find the required or an interested job (Peter, 1969). So, the workers do not take the jobs which are not highly paid or for which they do not have an interest, which increases the unemployment in the country. On the other hand, companies also do not hire individuals who do not possess the right skills and required expertise, so a structural unemployment takes place. Technological unemployment   Boinovasky and Trautwein (2010) discussed the technological unemployment in their research paper and focused on the Schemputers writing on unemployment from 1908 to 1954. Shumpter (1926, 1928, and 1931). Schumpeter concluded that all frictional, structural, and cyclical unemployed can be summed into one unemployment type which we may call as a technological unemployment. According to Neiser (1942) a technological unemployment is the stepchild of economic science and hence cannot be avoided. Regional  unemployment Unemployment due to the regional differences is called a regional unemployment. Therefore, a structural unemployment occurs in the local or regional area it is called regional unemployment. For example, an unemployment in the New York instead of the USA is known as a regional unemployment. Seasonal unemployment Unemployment due to seasonal changes is called seasonal unemployment. Many individuals get unemployed in extreme hot season in UAE and in extreme winter in the UK. Best unemployment theories for UAE (200) Chart 1: UAE unemployment rate Historical Data Chart The unemployment in the UAE is presented in the chart 1. United Arab Emirates faced an increase in the unemployment Rate from 4.3 in 2010 to 4.6 in 2011 (Central Bank of UAE, 2011). Since 1985 till 2011, a high unemployment rate was observed in 2011, which was 4.6. Ann unemployment has increased substantially over the last six years and it jumped from 2.17% in 2007 to 4.6% in January 2012. The definition of fan unemployment in the UAE is the same as in other countries; a person looking actively for the job but unable to find the work is called an unemployment. Technological unemployment best identifies the UAE economy. The major reasons behind an increase in the technological unemployment in the UAE are listed below: Increase in the population which is unskilled or not technologically advanced. Technological advancement has substituted human with machines and capital. An increase in the migrants from other countries in the UAE has increased the competition. So there is an increase in the technological unemployment. Few other causes have been identified in the report TANMIA (2011), which is presented in the chart 2 below. Source: TANMIA, 2011 How to reduce unemployment in the UAE Emiratisation To employ the residents and citizens of the country in a meaningful and efficient way by the government is called an emiratisation. This is a very active program in the UAE. It basically promotes the countrys human resource in an optimal manner to get employed and encourage the multinationals to rely on the countries own human resource. Advantages Below is the list of advantages of the Emiratisation: It adds to the growth and sustainability of the companies and manufacturers when they have to rely heavily on the local residents of the country. The UAE culture will be promoted and spread. It supports and contributes to the growth and learning of the UAE nationals for the betterment and benefits of the human capital development. Disadvantages of Emiratization The major disadvantage of the Emiratization is the forced reliance on the employment of the UAE nationals. The private sector is still lagging behind the public sector and the UAE national are not willing to work in the private sector. Conclusion and Recommendation The report presents an overview of different unemployment theories with reference to the academic literature. The major theories discussed in this report include structural, regional, seasonal, frictional, and the technological unemployment. The analysis of these theories reveals that UAE is mostly suffered without the technological unemployment. As, the country is one of the freest economy in the world with the lowest tax rates, so it is the center of all big multinationals to set-up their plants in the UAE. After having installed their plants and machinery, now their employers seek for highly technical and skilled employee. To overcome the unemployment in the UAE, the government will have to take the following actions: It should initiate active and effective labor market programs which should target at least 5000 job seekers per annum to lower the unemployment in the region. Khalifa fund should be established for amortization empowerment, which will enhance the domestic labor force demand. Government should focus on the foreign labor policy to restrict the jobs for them and improve an employment rate for the UAE nationals. Government should also improve the participation rate in the private sector which will help lower the unemployment rate due to technological advancement.

Bentham and Kant Essay

Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher and political radical. He is highly known and respected today for his moral philosophy, primarily his principle of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism evaluates actions based upon their consequences. Bentham is most famously known for his pursuit of motivation and value. Bentham was a strong believer in individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce and the decriminalizing of homosexual acts. During his time he helped with the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty and the abolition of physical punishment, including children. Bentham was born in Houndsditch, London in 1748 to a very wealthy family who supported the Tory party. He was very intelligent and bright minded. When he was a toddler he was found behind his father’s desk reading the history of England and at age three he began studying Latin. He obtained his masters degree from Oxford College in 1766, where there after he trained as a lawyer but never practiced. Instead, Bentham decided to write about the law. One of Bentham’s major influences was Joseph Priestley. Bentham read Priestley’s work and had quickly changed his mind about the conservative political views that he had grown up in. One statement in particular from The First Principles of Government and the Nature of Political, Civil and Religious Liberty had a major impact on Bentham; â€Å"The good and happiness of the members, that is the majority of the members of the state, is the great standard by which every thing relating to that state must finally be determined. † Bentham was also heavily influenced by the philosopher David Hume. In 1798 Bentham wrote Principles of International Law where he argued that universal peace could only be obtained by first achieving European Unity. He hoped that some for of European Parliament would be able to enforce the liberty of the press, free trade, the abandonment of all colonies and a reduction in the money being spent on armaments. One of Bentham’s most famous works was Constitutional Code in 1830. Here Bentham shares many of his ideas and beliefs on political democracy. Bentham argues that political reform should be dictated by the principal that the new system will promote the happiness of the majority of the people affected by it. He also argues about universal suffrage, annual parliaments and vote by ballot. Bentham believed that there should be no king, no House of Lords and no established church. In Constitutional Code Bentham also includes his view that men and women should be able to vote. Bentham also addressed the problem of how government should be organized and suggests the continual inspection of the work of politicians and government officials. Perhaps Bentham’s most famously noted for his work with Utilitarianism and is noted as the founder of modern utilitarianism. His work can be found in his book The Principles of Morals and Legislation. Utilitarianism is defined as â€Å"a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, specifically defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. † Bentham examined the concept of punishment and when it should be used as far as whether a punishment will create more pleasure or pain for society. He believed that the legislation of a society is vital to maintain the maximum pleasure and the minimum degree of pain for the greatest amount of people. Jeremy Bentham passed away on June 6th 1832 at the age of 84. Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant was born, lived and passed away in his home town of Konigsberg. He lived from 1724 to 1804. He studied at the local university and later returned to tutor and lecture students. It wasn’t until he met an English merchant by the name of Joseph Green that Kant learned of David Hume and began to develop his ideas of morals and values. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (1781) is believed to many to be his greatest work. Kant’s was known mainly, however, for his moral code The Categorical Imperative. Immanuel Kant was a follower of Deontology, or duty ethics. Deontology is a theory holding that decisions should be made solely or primarily by considering one’s duties and the rights of others. One of the most important implications of deontology is that a person’s behaviour can be wrong even if it results in the best possible outcome. And, an act can be right even if it results in a bad outcome. In contrast to consequentialism, a philosophy infamous for its claim that the ends justify the means, deontology insists that how people accomplish their goals is usually, or always, more important than what people accomplish. Kant’s moral philosophy is based on the categorical imperative, good will, and duty. According to the categorical imperative, it is an absolute necessity, a command that humans should accord with universalizable maxims to treat people as ends in themselves and exercise their will without any concerns about the consequences or conditions of their actions. This concept can also be expressed in systematic terms by the two following formulations. The first form of the categorical imperative prescribes that we must act only according to that maxim whereby we can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. The second one states that we ought to treat humanity, whether in our own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means. In order to obey the categorical imperative, people have to act on a maxim that can be universalized. For instance, Kant argues that a lying promise is bad since it does not pass the universality test. Whenever a person makes a promise knowing that he will have to break it, he violates the first formulation of the categorical imperative. He intends to make use of another man merely as a means to an end which the latter does not likewise hold. In other words, Kant does not believe that lying promises are bad due to the fact that they generate bad consequences but because they result in a practical contradiction. According to him, people can’t lie since they can’t act for the results. Considering the second formulation of the categorical imperative, we have the need to have others working for us limited to some morality principles without treating them merely as a means. Kant believes that even though we have the ability to create our own ends, we can’t use people for our own devise. If we interfere with others to pursue their end while pursuing our own end, we violate their autonomy. We can’t have double standards for ourselves and for others. It is morally obligatory for us to respect others since people are rational agents. We must respect everyone in the exact same way and treat them as autonomous. As rational beings, humans are systematically united through common laws within the Kingdom of Ends. We belong to this kingdom as a member when we legislate in it universal laws while also being ourselves subject to these laws. According to Kant, everyone, no matter who they are, should be both the legislator and the follower of moral laws. Overall, Kant’s theory emphasizes that no one is an exception to moral laws, that people must act on strongly held beliefs or duties that are not in their own interest, and that we should never use people.

Problems

Chapter 3 Problems 1. Dental Delights has two divisions. Division A has a profit of $200,000 on sales of $4,000,000. Division B is only able to make $30,000 on sales of $480,000. Based on the profit margins (returns on sales), which division is superior? 3-1. Solution: Dental Delights Division ADivision B [pic] Division B is superior 3. Bass Chemical, Inc. , is considering expanding into a new product line. Assets to support this expansion will cost $1,200,000. Bass estimates that it can generate $2 million in annual sales, with a 5 percent profit margin. What would net income and return on assets (investment) be for the year? -3. Solution:Bass Chemical, Inc. [pic] 4. Franklin Mint and Candy Shop can open a new store that will do an annual sales volume of $750,000. It will turn over its assets 2. 5 times per year. The profit margin on sales will be 6 percent. What would net income and return on assets (investment) be for the year? 3-4. Solution: Franklin Mint and Candy Shop [pic] 8. Sharpe Razor Company has total assets of $2,500,000 and current assets of $1,000,000. It turns over its fixed assets 5 times a year and has $700,000 of debt. Its return on sales is 3 percent. What is Sharpe’s return on stockholders’ equity? -8. Solution: Sharpe Razor Company total assets$2,500,000 – current assets 1,000,000 Fixed assets$1,500,000 [pic] total assets$2,500,000 –debt 700,000 Stockholders’ equity$1,800,000 [pic] [pic] 11. Acme Transportation Company has the following ratios compared to its industry for 2009. | |Acme Transportation |Industry | |Return on assets†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | 9% | 6% | |Return on equity†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ |12% |24% |Explain why the return-on-equity ratio is so much less favorable than the return-on-assets ratio compared to the industry. No numbers are necessary; a one-sentence answer is all that is required. 3-11. Solution: Acme Transportation Company Acme Transportation has a lowe r debt/total assets ratio than the industry. For those who did a calculation, Acme’s debt to assets were 25% vs 75% for the industry. 14. Jerry Rice and Grain Stores has $4,000,000 in yearly sales. The firm earns 3. 5 percent on each dollar of sales and turns over its assets 2. 5 times per year. It has $100,000 in current liabilities and $300,000 in long-term liabilities. . What is its return on stockholders’ equity? b. If the asset base remains the same as computed in part a, but total asset turnover goes up to 3, what will be the new return on stockholders’ equity? Assume that the profit margin stays the same as do current and long-term liabilities. 3-14. Solution: Jerry Rice and Grain Stores a. [pic] [pic] [pic] 3-14. (Continued) b. The new level of sales will be: [pic] [pic] [pic] 25. Calloway Products has the following data. Industry information is also shown. Industry Data on Net YearNet IncomeTotal AssetsIncome/Total Assets 2006$360,000$3,000,00011% 00738 0,0003,400,0008 2008380,0003,800,0005 Industry Data on YearDebtTotal AssetsDebt/Total Assets 2006$1,600,000$3,000,00052% 20071,750,0003,400,00040 20081,900,0003,800,00031 As an industry analyst comparing the firm to the industry, are you likely to praise or criticize the firm in terms of: a. Net income/Total assets? b. Debt/Total assets? 3-25. Solution: Calloway Products a. Net income/total assets |Year |Calloway Ratio |Industry Ratio | |2006 |12. % |11. 0% | |2007 |11. 18% |8. 0% | |2008 |10. 0% |5. 0% | Although the company has shown a declining return on assets since 2006, it has performed much better than the industry. Praise may be more appropriate than criticism. 3-25. (Continued) b. Debt/total assets Year |Calloway Ratio |Industry Ratio | |2006 |53. 33% |52. 0% | |2007 |51. 47% |40. 0% | |2008 |50. 0% |31. 0% |While the company’s debt ratio is improving, it is not improving nearly as rapidly as the industry ratio. Criticism may be more appropriate than praise. 26. J odie Foster Care Homes, Inc. , shows the following data: YearNet IncomeTotal AssetsStockholders’ EquityTotal Debt 2005$118,000$1,900,000$ 700,000$1,200,000 2006131,0001,950,000950,0001,000,000 2007148,0002,010,0001,100,000910,000 2008175,7002,050,0001,420,000630,000 a. Compute the ratio of net income to total assets for each year and comment on the trend. b. Compute the ratio of net income to stockholders’ equity and comment on the trend.Explain why there may be a difference in the trends between parts a and b. 3-26. Solution: Jodie Foster Care Homes, Inc. a. [pic] 2005 $118,000/$1,900,000 = 6. 21% 2006 $131,000/$1,950,000 = 6. 72% 2007 $148,000/$2,010,000 = 7. 36% 2008 $175,700/$2,050,000 = 8. 57% Comment: There is a strong upward movement in return on assets over the four year period. 3-26. (Continued) b. [pic] 2005 $118,000/$700,000= 16. 86% 2006 $131,000/$950,000= 13. 79% 2007 $148,000/$1,100,000= 13. 45% 2008 $175,700/$1,420,000= 12. 37% Comment: The return on sto ckholders’ equity ratio is going down each year.The difference in trends between a and b is due to the larger portion of assets that are financed by stockholders’ equity as opposed to debt. Optional: This can be confirmed by computing total debt to total assets for each year. [pic] 200563. 2% 200651. 3% 200745. 3% 200830. 7% 31. The Griggs Corporation has credit sales of $1,200,000. Given the following ratios, fill in the balance sheet below. Total assets turnover 2. 4 times Cash to total assets 2. 0% Accounts receivable turnover 8. 0 times Inventory turnover10. 0 times Current ratio 2. 0 times Debt to total assets61. 0% GRIGGS CORPORATIONBalance Sheet 2008 AssetsLiabilities and Stockholders’ Equity Cash _____Current debt_____ Accounts receivable_____Long-term debt_____ Inventory_____ Total debt_____ Total current assets _____Equity_____ Fixed assets _____ Total assets _____ Total debt and stockholders’ equity_____ 3-31. Solution: Griggs Corporation Sales /total assets= 2. 4 times Total assets= $1,200,000/2. 4 Total assets= $500,000 Cash= 2% of total assets Cash= 2% ? $500,000 Cash= $10,000 Sales/accounts receivable= 8 times Accounts receivable= $1,200,000/8 Accounts receivable= $150,000 Sales/inventory= 10 timesInventory= $1,200,000/10 Inventory= $120,000 3-31. (Continued) Fixed assets= Total assets – current assets Current asset= $10,000 + $150,000 + $120,000 = $280,000 Fixed assets= $500,000 – $280,000 = $220,000 Current assets/current debt= 2 Current debt= Current assets/2 Current debt= $280,000/2 Current debt= $140,000 Total debt/total assets= 61% Total debt= . 61 ? $500,000 Total debt= $305,000 Long-term debt= Total debt – current debt Long-term debt= $305,000 – 140,000 Long-term debt= $165,000 Equity= Total assets – total debt Equity= $500,000 – $305,000 Equity= $195,000 Griggs Corporation Balance Sheet 2008 Cash |$ 10,000 |Current debt |$140,000 | |A/R |150,000 |Long-term debt | 165,0 00 | |Inventory |$120,000 |Total debt |$305,000 | |Total current assets |280,000 | | | |Fixed assets | 220,000 |Equity | 195,000 | |Total assets |$500,000 |Total debt and |$500,000 | | | |stockholders’ | | | | |equity | | 35. Given the following financial statements for Jones Corporation and Smith Corporation: a. To which company would you, as credit manager for a supplier, approve the extension of (short-term) trade credit? Why? Compute all ratios before answering. b. In which one would you buy stock? Why? JONES CORPORATION | |Current Assets |Liabilities | |Cash |$ 20,000 |Accounts payable |$100,000 | |Accounts receivable |80,000 |Bonds payable (long-term) |80,000 | |Inventory |50,000 | | | |Long-Term Assets |Stockholders’ Equity | |Fixed assets |$500,000 |Common stock |$150,000 | |Less: Accumulated | (150,000) |Paid-in capital |70,000 | |depreciation | |Retained earnings |100,000 | |*Net fixed assets | 350,000 | | | |Total assets |$500,000 |Total liabilities and equity |$500,000 | Sales (on credit) |$1,250,000 | |Cost of goods sold | 750,000 | |Gross profit |500,000 | |† Selling and administrative expense |257,000 | |Less: Depreciation expense | 50,000 | |Operating profit |193,000 | |Interest expense | 8,000 | |Earnings before taxes |185,000 | |Tax expense | 92,500 | |Net income |$ 92,500 | *Use net fixed assets in computing fixed asset turnover. † Includes $7,000 in lease payments. | | |SMITH CORPORATION | |Current Assets |Liabilities | |Cash |$ 35,000 |Accounts payable |$ 75,000 | Marketable securities |7,500 |Bonds payable (long-term) |210,000 | |Accounts receivable |70,000 | | | |Inventory |75,000 | | | |Long-Term Assets |Stockholders’ Equity | |Fixed assets |$500,000 |Common stock |$ 75,000 | |Less: Accumulated |(250,000) |Paid-in capital |30,000 | |depreciation | |Retained earnings |47,500 | |*Net fixed assets | 250,000 | | | |Total assets |$437,500 | Total liabilities and equity |$437,500 | Sales (on credit) | $1,000,000 | |Cost of goods sold | 600,000 | |Gross profit |400,000 | |† Selling and administrative expense |224,000 | |Less: Depreciation expense | 50,000 | |Operating profit |126,000 | |Interest expense | 21,000 | |Earnings before taxes |105,000 | |Tax expense | 52,500 | |Net income |$ 52,500 | *Use net fixed assets in computing fixed asset turnover. † Includes $7,000 in lease payments. 3-35. Solution: Jones and Smith Comparison One way of analyzing the situation for each company is to compare the respective ratios for each on, examining those ratios which would be most important to a supplier or short-term lender and a stockholder. | |Jones Corp. |Smith Corp. | |Profit margin |7. 4% |5. 5% | |Return on assets (investments) |18. 5% |12. 00% | |Return on equity |28. 9% |34. 4% | |Receivable turnover |15. 63x |14. 29x | |Average collection period |23. 04 days |25. 2 days | |Inventory turnover |25x |13. 3x | |Fixed asset turnover |3. 7x |4x | |Total asset turnover |2 . 5x |2. 29x | |Current ratio |1. 5x |2. 5x | |Quick ratio |1. 0x |1. 5x | |Debt to total assets |36% |65. 1% | |Times interest earned |24. 13x |6x | |Fixed charge coverage |13. 3x |4. 75x | |Fixed charge coverage calculation |(200/15) |(133/28) | a. Since suppliers and short-term lenders are most concerned with liquidity ratios, Smith Corporation would get the nod as having the best ratios in this category. One could argue, however, that Smith had benefited from having its debt primarily long term rather than short term. Nevertheless, it appears to have better liquidity ratios. 3-35. (Continued) b. Stockholders are most concerned with profitability. In this category, Jones has much better ratios than Smith.Smith does have a higher return on equity than Jones, but this is due to its much larger use of debt. Its return on equity is higher than Jones’ because it has taken more financial risk. In terms of other ratios, Jones has its interest and fixed charges well covered and in general its long-term ratios and outlook are better than Smith’s. Jones has asset utilization ratios equal to or better than Smith and its lower liquidity ratios could reflect better short-term asset management, and that point was covered in part a. Note: Remember that to make actual financial decisions more than one year’s comparative data is usually required. Industry comparisons should also be made.