International Economic Conditions in Ukraine

International Economic Conditions in Ukraine Introduction Ukraine is the largest country in Europe in terms of land mass. The country borders Belarus on the northwestern side, Russia from its eastern and northeastern side, and Black Sea from its southwestern side. Ukraine also borders Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. It continues to enjoy the second largest military body among all European nations.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on International Economic Conditions in Ukraine specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The country has a population of about 45.4 million people. Most of the Ukrainian Christians are members of the Eastern Orthodoxy. Ukraine has a market economy that formed immediately after the planned economy of the former Soviet Union. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the economy of Ukraine began experiencing a major slump. Ukraine’s population also gradually became poor. In the efforts to curb this situation, the government success fully liberalized trade in 1991. The government also subsidized most of the public industries and the agricultural sector in the country. However, high rates of inflation grew speedily in 1990s to a hyperinflation. For example, Ukraine had the highest rate of inflation in the world within a period of one year. In 2008, the economy suffered the great economic crisis effects. As the paper reveals, the country is currently facing various international economic conditions. Ukraine and the International Trade Many countries have expanded their businesses to the global levels as a way of boosting their productivity. Ukraine is not an exception. As Dabrowski and Taran confirm, the country has been a major player, especially in the European Union (2). The major international trade partner to Ukraine is Russia. Other trade partners include Turkey, Italy, Germany, China, Poland, USA, France, and Turkmenistan among others. Ukraine is both an exporter and an importer of various goods to and fro m other countries.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The major exports from Ukraine include iron and steel, mineral fuels, oil, gasoline, nuclear reactors, machinery, cereals, tools, and base metals. Ukraine also imports goods from various nations in the world. Such commodities include mineral fuels and crude petroleum, nuclear reactors, vehicles, electronics, paper and paperboard, and articles of pulp (Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr 796). For several years before the onset of economic and political crisis, the economy of Ukraine was rated one of the best in Europe. The country has relied on imports to sustain its economy. Several factors come into play to necessitate the country’s imports. To begin with, Ukraine’s internal energy sources can only cater for 15% of its yearly energy needs (Dabrowski and Taran 6). This finding implies that Ukraine has to import energy sources, including oil, nuclear reactors, and electricity. Secondly, the forest cover in Ukraine is small and inadequate for its timber and wood product needs. Hence, for it to sustain its pulp, timber, and paper-dependent industries, it has to import wood products. Thirdly, Ukraine does not have the absolute advantage of manufacturing cars as the situation is witnessed in Germany and Japan. Therefore, it is economical for it to import cars from various nations of the world. Deploying the Heckscher-Ohlin model, a nation that is abundant in the production of a particular factor has the advantage of exporting the item it produces extensively. The model also affirms that a country will export goods that it produces intensively through resources that it is endowed with. This theory explains the iron, steel, grains, and grain products that Ukraine exports. Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr assert that Ukraine has abundant fertile farmland that it uses for the production of grains f or local markets and export (796). On the other hand, the demand for energy and energy products outdo the country’s local production.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on International Economic Conditions in Ukraine specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bilateral trade between Ukraine and Russia can be seen from the specific factor model. Although, Russia has played a major role in positioning and projecting the economy of Ukraine, Russia’s gains are incomparable to the losses that Ukraine encounters (Dabrowski and Taran 4). According to the specific factor model, the international trade has the ability to change income distribution in countries. The result is the witnessed unleveled gains and losses by some people. For instance, the Russian economy is currently slumping due to the political crisis and demonstrations in Ukraine concerning Russian annexation of the Ukrainian land. Trade agreements that were signed by the two countries in the view of streamlining the economy of Ukraine have not taken off. Ukraine import cars and electronics from Russia since it has an absolute advantage over such products (Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr 796). Export of grains, iron, and steel to Russia does not compensate the gap. In fact, the population of Ukraine demonstrates regularly to press the government to cut its ties with Russia over the annexed land and political interference. Economic Conditions that affect Ukrainian International Trade Government Policies on International Trade The Ukrainian government has enacted protectionist policies to gain its international trade. For instance, the Ukrainian government has put tariffs on automobile imports (Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr 798). Although this move vehemently affects international trade with various countries such as Germany, Japan, and Russia, Ukraine has gained some milestones from it with reference to the Heckscher-Ohlin Model. For instance, the se laws have benefitted the local business, but not the international business.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Automobile tariffs make it prohibitive for Ukrainian importers and exporters to bring automobiles for sale. Such countries may opt to export their automobiles to other parts of the world consistent with the specific factor model of international trade where trade between one nation and the other may affect the partners in a way that one partner gains while the other loses. In this case, Ukraine has gained by imposing high trade tariffs on automobile imports. As a result, its automobile manufacturing industry has grown to the extent that the country can now export its household automobiles. In addition, owners and employees of Ukrainian automobile industries have benefitted from the protection policies that the government has imposed on automobile imports (Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr 798). The growth of the automobile industry implies more employment opportunities and technological advancement in the country. Moreover, the other consequence of automobile import tariff is that prices of Ukrainian automobiles such as cars have gone up very much. Cars are very expensive in Ukraine. Competition for car manufacturing is just within where few international motor dealers can penetrate the automobile markets in Ukraine. Therefore, exporting automobiles such as cars, airplanes, motorbikes, and other vehicles to Ukraine is a venture that the country’s international trade partners reject. With the imposition of steel tariffs by the World Trade Organization (WTO), prices went up for steel and steel products in the US where Ukraine imports its items. Since steel is used in the manufacturing industry, its rise in price is likely to affect exports from the manufacturing industry (Kostenko 56). Therefore, international trade policies are likely to affect the global business relationship between Ukraine and its partners. The implication is that the protectionist policies benefit the country that imposes them, as opposed to the situation with the specific model theory. Non- membership of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization According to Kyzym et al., although there has been an outcry in Ukraine for the country to join the WTO, it has not yet become a member (7). Lack of membership to the WTO makes the trade relationship between them strained. Ukraine is likely to face limitations when trading with the WTO members. Most of the trading partners of Ukraine are members of WTO, apart from Russia. However, its major trade partner (Russia) is on the verge of registering its membership in WTO (Kostenko 54). Therefore, Ukraine is likely to face protectionist rules in its trade with members of the WTO as a nonmember. Ukraine is not protected from the abuse of patent or trade disputes in the international markets. Therefore, whenever there is a trade dispute concerning quotas, protectionism, and duties between Ukraine and its partners, the situation remains at the partners’ mercies. Most of the trading partners such as China are also cautious of lack of surety that Ukraine puts on the table in trade relations. Membership in the WTO provides some confidence to traders in the international market (Kyzym et al. 8). The WTO rules bind all members. Hence, as a non-member, Ukraine cannot be bound by the rules and regulations of WTO whenever it contravenes them. Lack of membership to the WTO has negatively affected Ukraine’s imports and export processes. For example, there were embargoes on Ukraine grains in 2006 and 2007. This case contradicted the WTO regulations on exports. However, since Ukraine was a non-member, nothing could have been done. Trade Embargoes The impact of the 2006-2007 trade embargoes on Ukraine grains still affects its international trade (Kyzym et al. 22). According to the WTO, trade embargoes can only be applied when an exporter is suffering from a serious shortage of the commodity. However, no serious shortage of grains was witnessed in Ukraine during the period when it embargoed its grains. As a result, m ost of the exporters of grains from Ukraine suffered great losses and cancelation of international contracts. In addition, a general imbalance of grain products was witnessed in the international market. Traders also suffered losses from the depreciation of grain prices locally. Moreover, the country’s farmers also suffered a lack of the market share since it was oversupplied to the tune of $200million (Dabrowski and Taran 3). Today, grain exporters fear buying grains for exports from Ukraine, unless the prices are discounted to cater for the appreciation in the international market. The government must also provide a room for the high risk that grain traders pose to Ukraine. Export Taxes and Prohibitive Energy Cost Export taxes on some commodities such as scrap metal, skins, sheep and goats, and sunflower in Ukraine are prohibitive (Kyzym et al. 8). These taxes negatively affect Ukraine’s poor citizens who rear sheep and goats, grow sunflower, and/or buy scrap metals. On the other hand, rich citizens who are involved in this trade gain highly. This observation reflects the specific factor theory where the international trade affects the participants differently. Hence, the affluent class grows wealthier while the underprivileged one continues to be deprived while still trading. For instance, sunflower farmers in Ukraine are forced to pay a 16% tax on their sunflower overseas sales as export tax (Kyzym et al. 23). As an implication, the farmers opt to smuggle their sunflower to other parts of the world, thus resulting in uncontrolled domestic prices. In line with Heckscher-Ohlin model, export taxes benefit the rich people and not the poor ones. They also prohibit the commitment of the international investors. The energy sector in Ukraine is prohibitive for foreign investors (Dabrowski and Taran p.3). Laws and policies on energy in Ukraine are also limiting for foreigners to operate. For instance, foreign companies that are interested in oil explo ration in Ukraine are required to bid and complete their tasks within a period of not more than five years. Such policies prohibit the entry of international explorers of the Ukraine market. Another crippling factor in the energy sector is that the government does not offer any information concerning energy resources (Hoekman, Jensen, and Tarr 812). The contract winner is supposed to collect data and explore the resource within the limited period. This situation has affected the gas industry. Hence, Ukraine continues to import gas. Energy regulations in Ukraine also make it difficult for foreign investors to run their industries. Prohibitive Laws and Regulations on Investment Laws that guide the business environment in Ukraine make it difficult for foreign direct investment to succeed. Foreign investors face difficult processes in terms of registering businesses and running them in Ukraine (Kyzym et al. 7). For instance, the law requires businesses that are owned by foreigners to be regularly inspected and satisfied for health and human resource safety. This rule has become an avenue for corruption through bribery where investors bribe government inspectors to avoid prosecution and withdrawal of permits. Laws on business regulations in Ukraine do not come from a specific arm of the government (Kostenko 54). For example, the president, ministers, and individuals who are in charge of the department can enact them. This flexibility makes it difficult for foreign investors to carry out their business operations smoothly. Dabrowski and Taran say that obtaining the right of ownership in joint companies is difficult in Ukraine (4). A deficiency in laws that regulate shareholding in joint stock companies opens up the economic environment to corruption. This gap has negatively affected the stock markets in Ukraine. As a result, major firms in Ukraine have turned into investing in foreign markets, for instance, in the United Kingdom and China. Foreign and international companies avoid investing in Ukraine since no clear laws on joint stock companies have been established (Dabrowski and Taran 4). This situation contradicts the specific model theory since both the national economy and the international investors do not benefit from poor joint stock laws in Ukraine. Conclusion Ukraine is one of the major economic hubs in Europe. Since its independence in 1991, the country has experienced both vicissitudes in its international economic endeavors. As discussed above, various conditions influence Ukraine’s international economic environment. Such conditions include government policies on international trade, protectionist policies, non-membership of Ukraine in the World Trade Organization, and trade embargoes. Besides, export taxes, prohibitive energy cost, prohibitive laws and regulations on investment, laws on business environment, inconsistency in commercial laws, and deficient laws on joint stock companies are part of the conditions that infl uence Ukraine’s global business operations. Dabrowski, Marek, and Svitlana Taran. â€Å"Is Free Trade with the EU Good for Ukraine?† CASE Network E-briefs 1.6(2012): 1-4. Print. Hoekman, Bernard, Jesper Jensen, and David Tarr. â€Å"A Vision for Ukraine in the World Economy.† Journal of World Trade 48.4(2014): 795-814. Print. Kostenko, Nataliya. â€Å"Geo-Economic Strategy of the European Union: Experience for Ukraine.† Economics Business 25.1(2014): 54-60. Print. Kyzym, Onesmus, Vera Yaroshenko, Yasmin Matyushenko, Bahma Semyhulina, and Malik Makhansova. â€Å"Opportunities and Threats of Ukraine WTO Membership to the Production and Foreign Trade of Grain Crops with the EU and Customs Union and EurAsEC.† Problems of Economy 1.2(2014), 7-24. Print.

Firefighter injuries and deaths Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Firefighter injuries and deaths - Research Paper Example Peterson adds that firefighters opt to protect property and save people under serious and risky circumstances. In the United States, about 100 firefighters die annually in the line of duty while about 95,000 are injured, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report of 2006 (2). In the United States, twenty-one firefighters died in 2005, during the execution of non-emergency-related on-duty doings. Moreover, there was one fatal stroke case as well as five sudden cardiac deaths among the firefighters while undertaking the usual station or administrative activities. While engaging in activities like a funeral detail, attendance at a convention, a parade, and fire apparatus maintenance four firefighters died due to sudden cardiac death or stroke. On the other hand, three firefighters lost their lives when their helicopter crashed while they were lighting fires at a set burn. In addition, crashes claimed other five lives -- one each while en route to get a vehicle inspection sticker, after a boat parade, during a conservation project, while en route to pump out a residence, and while driving to a meeting (Fahy & LeBlanc, 3). Causes and Mitigation Strategies of Firefighter injures and deaths There are various health impairments and disorders influenced by the job attributes. These comprise traumas, injuries, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer respiratory diseases, and cancers of other sites like large intestine, bladder or kidney. Mental disorders referred to as the post-traumatic stress disorder are of much significance among health effects because of a traumatic experience in health-hazardous or a life-threatening circumstance. Long after original trauma, there could be manifestation of serious health problems (Szubert & Sobala, 49). There are reports on an upward trend in the incidence of heat stress injuries during wild land firefighting operations. There can be dehydration by the firefighter when he or she is working under both high ambient air temperatures and high radiant heat flux conditions. This can also occur if positive preventative procedures are not implemented as a normal way of doing business on a daily basis heat stress can be experienced (Mangan, 38). It is in the operational area at the scene of a fire that about one-third of on-duty firefighter fatalities occur. The deaths occur because of asphyxiation, sudden cardiac death, electrocution, stroke, crushing injuries, internal trauma, and burns while restraining or putting out fires. In addition, another one-third of on-duty deaths happen on the way to or from an event in motor vehicle and other accidents. On the other hand, ten percent of firefighter casualties occur during training, for example physical fitness activities, apparatus and equipment drills, classes or seminars, underwater/dive training, and live fire training. It is also possible for the firefighters to die while carrying out nonemergency on-duty activities and at non-fire eme rgencies. Traumatic injuries account for more than one-half of all on-duty firefight

Corporate Finance ------ Analytical report Essay

Corporate Finance ------ Analytical report - Essay Example Let's begin by taking a closer look at the board of governors and what its members do. Together, management and the board of governors have the ultimate goal of maximizing shareholder value. In theory, management looks after the day-to-day operations, and the board ensures that shareholders are adequately represented. But the reality is that many boards are made up of management. The company Adobe Systems Inc., has a good balance between internal and external board members. Other good signs within Adobe Systems are the separation of CEO and chairman roles and an assortment of professional expertise of the board from accountant, attorney and executives. It's boards comprised of the current CEO (who is chairman), the CFO and the COO, along with the retired CEO, etc. This does not necessarily signal that the company is a bad investment, but, as a shareholder, it should question whether or not such a corporate structure is in shareholder best interests. The interaction between Financial Markets and Corporate Governance Corporate governance is merely one feature of the superior framework of macroeconomic policies, global capital, products and labour markets, competition, cultural norms, ethics, tax policy and diverse state regulatory systems. The expansion of global capital markets has shaped the potential for superior access to a bigger investor pool. However, the prime attraction of long-term patient capital, if it is domestic or international, the ability to offer corporate governance systems that are clearly expressed within regulatory and legal frameworks that support contractual and ownership rights. The importance of global capital markets and the governance debate continues to a purely property based regime with private property by which resources are used efficiently in our society. Global Financial markets focuses on the need to protect those property rights under vastly differing legal and political regimes, correlating shareholder protection and developed external capital markets. Capital markets are key to economic development. Economies, particularly in those nation states that are emerging or transitional, need foreign capital to make the investments necessary to generate wealth. Developed market economies also require additional capital to meet product and other market changes, and to ensure that they are globally competitive. Transparency of Corporate Governance Norms Provide Market Information Accounting principles differ from country to country, with differences often reflecting varying business practices, reporting practices and disclosure preferences. For corporate governance to be effective, official regulation of public disclosure will produce company information that is accurate, complete and timely. Interestingly and transparency of corporate governance norms are widely accepted capital market requirement. Disclosure and transparency requirements allow shareholders to monitor the use of their equity capital, enhancing board accountability mechanisms. Institutional investors such as pension funds are increasingly likely to use these transparency guarantees

Unethical advertising Essay Example for Free

Unethical advertising Essay Generally speaking, advertising is the promotion of goods, services and ideas, usually by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. Advertisement Advertising is a form of communication whose purpose is to inform potential customers about products and services and how to obtain and use them. Many advertisements are also designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinforcement of brand image and brand loyalty. For these purposes advertisements often contain both factual information and persuasive messages. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages, including television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet, and billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of a company. Definition of Advertisement Description or presentation of a product, idea, or organization, in order to induce individuals to buy, support, or approve of it. Sponsored informational public notice appearing in any of the print communications media that is designed to appeal to a mass audience in order to persuade, inform, promote, motivate, or otherwise modify behavior toward a favorable pattern of purchasing, supporting, or approving a particular product, service, idea, or organization. When the advertisers message appears in the broadcast media , it is called a commercial . The first advertisement on record in an American newspaper appeared in the Boston News Letter on May 8, 1704. It described an estate for sale in Oyster Bay, Long Island. HISTORY A print advertisement from a 1913 issue of National Geographic However, commercial In ancient times the most common form of advertising was word of mouth. messages and election campaign displays were found in the ruins of Pompeii. Egyptians used papyrus to create sales messages and wall posters. Lost-and-found advertising on papyrus was common in Greece and Rome. As printing developed in the 15th and 16th century, advertising expanded to include handbills. In the 17th century advertisements started to appear in weekly newspapers in England. These early print ads were used mainly to promote books (which were increasingly affordable) and medicines (which were increasingly sought after as disease ravaged Europe). Quack ads became a problem, which ushered in regulation of advertising content. As the economy was expanding during the 19th century,  the need for advertising grew at the same pace. In America, the classified ads became popular, filling pages of newspapers with small print m essages promoting all kinds of goods. The success of this advertising format led to the growth of mail-order advertising. In 1843 the first advertising agency was established by Volney Palmer in Philadelphia. At first the agencies were just brokers for ad space in newspapers, but the 20th century, advertising agencies started to take over responsibility for the content as well. The 1960s saw advertising transform into a modern, more scientific approach in which creativity was allowed to shine, producing unexpected messages that made advertisements interesting to read. The Volkswagen ad campaign featuring such headlines as Think Small and Lemon ushered in the era of modern advertising by promoting a position or unique selling proposition designed to associate each brand with a specific idea in the reader or viewers mind. Today, advertising is evolving even further, with ,Guerrilla promotions that involve unusual approaches such as staged encounters in public places, giveaways of products such as cars that are covered with brand messages, and interactive advertising where the viewer can respond to become part of the advertising message. MEDIA One effective advertising method is to pay people to hold signs in public places. Transit advertising is combined with experiential marketing using pedapods in Australia. Commercial advertising media can include billboards (outdoor advertising), street furniture components, printed flyers, radio, cinema and television ads, web banners, web popups, skywriting, bus stop benches, magazines, newspapers, town criers, sides of buses, taxicab doors and roof mounts, musical stage shows, subway platforms and trains, elastic bands on disposable diapers, stickers on apples in supermarkets, the opening section of streaming audio and video, and the backs of event tickets and supermarket receipts. Any place an identified sponsor pays to deliver their message through a medium is advertising. Covert advertising embedded in other entertainment media is known as product placement. A more recent version of this is advertising in film, by having a main character, use an item or other of a definite brand an example is in the movie minority Report, where Tom Cruises character Tom Anderton owns a computer with the Nokia logo clearly written in the top comer, or his watch engraved with the Bulgari logo. The TV commercial is generally considered the most effective  mass-market advertising format and this is reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events. The annual Super Bowl football game in the United States is known as much for its commercial advertisements as for the game itself, and the average cost of a single thirty-second TV spot during this game has reached 2.5 million Increasingly, other mediums such as those discussed below are overtaking television due to a shift towards consumers usage of the Internet as well as devices such as TiVo. Advertising on the World Wide Web is a recent phenomenon. Prices of Web based advertising space are dependent on the relevance of the surrounding web content and the traffic that the website receives. E-mail advertising is another recent phenomenon. Unsolicited bulk E-mail advertising is known as spam. Some companies have proposed to place messages or corporate logos on the side of booster rockets and the International Space Station. Controversy exists on the effectiveness of Subliminal advertising (see mind control), and the pervasiveness of mass messages (see propaganda). Unpaid advertising (also called word of mouth advertising), can provide good exposure at minimal cost. Personal recommendations (bring a friend, sell it by zealot), spreading buzz, or achieving the feat of equating a brand with a common noun (Xerox photocopier, Kleenex tissue, Vaseline petroleum jelly, Kotex tampons, Maxi pads sanitary napkins, Scotch Tape Clear Tape, Band-aid bandage, Visine eye drops, Q-tips cot ton swabs, Rollerblades inline skates) -.- these must provide the stuff of fantasy to the holder of an advertising budget. The most common method for measuring the impact of mass media advertising is the use of the rating point (rp) or the more accurate target rating point (trp). These measures refer to the percentage of the Universe of the existing base of audience members that can be reached by the use of each media outlet in a particular moment in time. The difference between the two is that the rating point refers to the percentage to the entire universe while the target rating point refers to percentage to a particular segment or target. This becomes very useful when focusing advertising efforts on a particular group of people. For example, think of an advertising campaign targeting a female audience aged 25 to 45. While the overall rating of a TV show might be well over 10 rating points it might very well happens that the same show in the same moment of time is  generating only 2.5 trps ( being the target women 25-45). This would mean that while the show has a large universe of viewers it is not necessarily reaching a large universe of women in the ages of 25 to 45 making it a less desirable location to place an ad for an advertiser looking for this p articular demographic. IMPACT Billboard, New York City The impact of advertising has been a matter of considerable debate and many different claims have been made in different contexts. During debates about the banning of cigarette advertising, a common claim from cigarette manufacturers 3.5 that cigarette advertising does not encourage people to smoke who would not otherwise. The (eventually successful) opponents of advertising, on the other hand, claim that advertising does in fact increase consumption. According to many media sources, the past experience and state of mind of the person subjected to advertising may determine the impact that advertising has. Children under the age of four may be unable to distinguish advertising from other television programs, whilst the ability to determine the truthfulness of the message may not be developed until the age of eight . PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING The same advertising techniques used to promote commercial goods and services can be used to inform, educate and motivate the public about non-commercial issues, such as AIDS, political ideology, energy conservation, religious recruitment, and deforestation. Advertising, in its non-commercial guise, is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and motivating large audiences. Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest , it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes. Attributed to Howard Gossage By David Ogilvy Public service advertising, non-commercial advertising, public interest advertising, Cause marketing, and social marketing are different terms for (or aspects of) the use of sophisticated advertising and marketing communications techniques ( generally associated with commercial enterprise) on behalf of non-commercial, public interest issues and initiatives. In the United States, the granting of television and radio licenses by the FCC is contingent upon the station broadcasting a certain amount of public service advertising. Public service advertising reached its height during World Wars I and II under the direction of several U.S. government agencies. SOCIAL IMPACT There have been increasing efforts to  protect the public interest by regulating the content and the reach of advertising. Some examples are the ban on television tobacco advertising imposed in many countries, and the total ban on advertising to children under twelve imposed by the Swedish government in 1991. Though that regulation continues in effect for broadcasts originating within the country, it has been weakened by the European Court of Justice, which has found that Sweden was obliged to accept whatever programming was targeted at it from neighboring countries or via satellite. In Europe and elsewhere there is a vigorous debate on whether and how much advertising to children should be regulated. This debate was exacerbated by a report released by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in February 2004 which suggested that food advertising targeting children was an important factor in the epidemic of childhood obesity raging across the United States. In many countries namely N ew Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and many European countries the advertising industry operates a system of self-regulation. Advertisers, advertising agencies and the media agree on a code of advertising standards that they attempt to uphold. The general aim of such codes is to ensure that any advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful. Some self-regulatory organizations are funded by the industry, but remain independent, with the intent of upholding the standards or codes (like the ASA in the UK). Critiques of the medium Advertising wrapped around a train. Minnesota, US As advertising and marketing efforts become increasingly ubiquitous in modern Western societies, the industry has come under criticism of groups such as Ad Busters via culture jamming which criticizes the media and consumerism using advertisings own techniques. The industry is accused of being one of the engines powering a convoluted economic mass production system which promotes consumption. Some advertising campaigns have also been criticized as inadvertently or even intentionally promoting sexism, racism, and ageism. Such criticisms have raised questions about whether this medium is creating or reflecting cultural trends. At very least, advertising often reinforces stereotypes by drawing on recognizable types in order to tell stories in a single image or 30 second time frame. Recognizing the social impact of advertising, Media Watch, a non-profit womens organization, works to educate consumers about how they can register their concerns with advertisers and regulators. It has developed educational  materials for use in schools. The award-winning book, Made You Look How Advertising Works and Why You Should Know , by former Media Watch president Shari Graydon, provides context far these issues for young readers. Public interest groups and free thinkers are increasingly suggesting that access to the mental space targeted by advertisers should be taxed, in that at the present moment that space is being freely taken advantage of by advertisers with no compensation paid to the members of the public who are thus being intruded upon. This kind of tax would be a Pigovian tax in that it would act to reduce what is now increasingly seen as a public nuisance. Efforts to that end are gathering momentum, with Arkansas and Maine considering bills to implement such taxation. Florida enacted such a tax in 1987 but was forced to repeal it after six months, as a result of a concerted effort by national commercial interests, which withdrew planned conventions, causing major losses to the tourism industry, and cancelled advert ising, causing a loss of 12 million dollars to the broadcast industry alone. PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE MEDIUM Billboard in Lund, Sweden, saying One Night Stand Over the years, the public perception of advertising has become very negative. It is seen as a medium that inherently promotes a lie, based on the purpose of the advertisement to encourage the target audience to submit to a cause or a belief, and act on it to the advertising partys benefit and consequently the targets disadvantage. They are either perceived as directly lying (stating opinions or untruths directly as facts), lying by omission (usually of terms unfavorable to the customer), portraying a product or service in a light that does not reflect reality or even making up realities where their product has a new role. EFFECTS ON COMMUNICATION MEDIA Another effect of advertising is to modify the nature of the communication media where it is shown. The clearest example is television. Channels that get most of their revenues from publicity try to make their medium a good place for communicating ads. That means trying to make the public stay for long times and in mental state that will make spectators not to switch the channel through the ads. Programs that are low in mental stimulus and require light concentration and are varied are best for long sitting times and make for much easier emotional jumps to ads, that can become more entertaining than regular shows. A simple way to understand the objectives in television programming is to compare contents from channels  paid and chosen by the viewer with channels that get their income mainly from advertisements. FUTURE With the dawn of the Internet have come many new advertising opportunities. Popup, Flash, banner, and email advertisements (the last often being a form of spam) abound. Recently, the advertising community has attempted to make the adverts themselves desirable to the public. In one example, Cadillac chose to advertise in the movie The Matrix Reloaded, which as a result contained many scenes in which Cadillac cars were used. Similarly, product placement for Rolex watches and BMW cars featured in recent James Bond films. Each year, greater sums are paid to obtain a commercial spot during the Super Bowl. Companies attempt to make these commercials sufficiently entertaining that members of the public will actually want to watch them. Particularly since the rise of entertaining advertising, some people may like an advert enough that they wish to watch it later or show a friend. In general, the advertising community has not yet made this easy, although some have used the Internet to widely distribute their adverts to anyone wishing to see or hear them.

Faces Of The Diamond - Essay O :: essays research papers

Faces of the Diamond - Essay on The Diamond as big as the Ritz â€Å"Diamond †¦ was designed utterly for my own amusement. I was in a mood characterized by a perfect craving for luxury, and the story began as an attempt to feed that craving on imaginary foods.† Craving is a strong, urgent and persistent desire. According to Buddhist teachings, desire is the root to all the sufferings and injustices in the world. If it were the goal of mankind to abandon their desires for excessive needs, the world would be a peaceful and harmonious place. Throughout history, there had also been great prophets such as Isaiah and other outstanding preachers who made daring attempts to convert and lead mankind back to the Lord, our God. However, their words of wisdom fell upon deaf ears for evilness can be very seductive. With a similar task to those of the prophets and preachers, the author F. Scott Fitzgerald, also known as the poet of the Jazz Age, criticizes the American society in a different approach. By stressing and emphasizing on the societyâ⠂¬â„¢s worst features, the faults of its members will be greatly magnified and clearly defined. This literary genre of satire is employed by Fitzgerald in his novelette, â€Å"the Diamond as Big as the Ritz† to ridicule the American society on the terms of the corruption of the American dream, the maltreatment of human life and the limits to the power of wealth. Before the dawning of the Jazz Age, the American dream stood for hard work, honesty, virtue, and morality, as any individual of the society is able to achieve success and rise to a higher level of material living regardless of one’s origin. As time proceeded, Americans began to strive for their goal through underhanded tactics thus corrupting the main principles of the utopian dream. Hence, the American dream has now become a satirical term that is known for crime, deceit, stealing, and killing. â€Å"The Diamond as Big as the Ritz† features Braddock Tarleton Washington, the richest man on Earth, as one who rises to ultimate power without having to work for it. Born a direct descendent of George Washington, Braddock only takes care to protect his prized possession, the world’s biggest diamond rivaling in size with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. His task is easily accomplished by simply killing and imprisoning those who accidentally stumble upon his property and learn of his secret possession.

“Rain” by Edward Thomas Essay

On the brink of joining World War I, the United Kingdom set up a draft system to recruit young men into the military. This system set limits on sex, physical disabilities, marital status, and of course, age. Although Edward Thomas fell outside of these restrictions, therefore saving him from ever having to dress in uniform, a patriotic Thomas still wanted to serve his country, so he enlisted. However, before fighting his battles in Europe, Thomas wrote the famous poem, â€Å"Rain,† in which he discusses the pains of death and war. Thomas creates a speaker with whom he can relate and uses this speaker to represent the possible scenarios and feelings that he may face in any future warlike situations. In â€Å"Rain,† Thomas’ diction, organization, and punctuation all paint intense, disturbing images, which in turn convey the poem’s main theme of war and death. Thomas’ diction plays an essential role in reaffirming the poem’s main theme. This is evident in the first lines of the poem when he writes, â€Å"Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain / On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me / Remembering again that I shall die† (1-3). The word â€Å"rain† is repeated three times in the first line, initially alone, then with the preceding adjectives â€Å"midnight† and â€Å"wild.† All of these words describe the Thomas’ surroundings and symbolize his loneliness. The first â€Å"rain† stands alone with no adjective, just as Thomas is alone, while the second and third â€Å"rain† are described by midnight and wild, which describe his surroundings and state of mind. These ideas become more obvious in the second line, as Thomas uses the word â€Å"solitude,† reiterating his aloneness. In terms of diction, Thomas additionally incorporates several similes into his poem. In line 13, he writes, â€Å"Like a cold water among broken reeds,† referring back to a supposed loved one hopefully not being â€Å"helpless among the living and the dead† (12). This simile paints an extremely morose picture, further illustrating Thomas’ inner feelings and pain. The adjectives cold and broken in this simile particularly emphasize these feelings. Another simile is found in lines 15 and 16 where Thomas writes, â€Å"Like me who have no love which this wild rain / Has not dissolved except the love of death.† Now, Thomas is saying that he lacks love because the rain has melted away whatever love he had. Now, he is only left with love  for death because he feels so tortured in his situation in the cold, â€Å"wild rain† (15). Essentially, this poem can be divided into two parts; the first of which, Thomas is writing in first person, sharing his inner feelings about himself; the second part in which he still discusses his inner feelings, however this time, those feelings are about others, not himself. These parts divide at the end of line 7, where a colon clearly marks the spot. Ultimately, the Thomas is frightened by death, and perhaps is envious of those who have died. He wants to free himself of the torture he suffers waiting for his death and just wants to get death over with, as he says, â€Å"Blessed are the dead that rain rains upon† (7). Here, the dead are blessed because they no longer have to endure the angst and torment of wondering when death will happen. Death is not an option; there is merely a matter of time before it does happen, but it is sure to happen in this war. Notice the â€Å"rain† only â€Å"rains† upon the dead – it does not torrent or downpour, thus, i t paints a more peaceful image. These dead are deservingly being cleansed and washed of all bad that has happened to them as the rain patters serenely on their lifeless bodies. In the second part of this poem, Thomas is thinking about his loved ones and hoping that they are not listening to the rain as he is – awaiting death â€Å"or thus in sympathy† (11). His loved ones are most likely his fellow comrades, friends, and family. He hopes that none of his comrades are lying in the alone in this rain, experiencing a painful death, and he hopes that his friends and family are not lying awake in their beds worrying about him. And should his comrades be dying on the battle field, he further hopes that they are not â€Å"helpless among the living and the dead† (12). The speaker envisions dead bodies all around him – â€Å"Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff† (14), and he feels very alone, as he repeats the word â€Å"solitude† twice in lines 2 and 6 and â€Å"solitary† in line 10. He does not want his loved ones to feel this same way. In the last two lines of the poem, Thomas steers away from his thoughts about his loved ones, as he creates a more personal tone than the preceding lines  in the second part. In these final two lines, Thomas discusses how he may have to disappoint his love in order to do â€Å"what is perfect† (17). In this sense, â€Å"what is perfect,† may actually mean what is right or what his heart tells him – enlist in the war and fight for his country. Here, the tempest, or rain, is telling him not to disappoint himself and do what he feels in his heart. Throughout the entire poem, Thomas has struggled with these images of war – being in the darkness, alone – but in the end, he knows his fate will be death. It is just a matter of how he chooses his death, whether it is in battle or growing old at home with his family and friends, so long as he doesn’t disappoint himself. Thomas’ ideas about death are reinforced by the poem’s punctuation and caesura. This poem is comprised only of two sentences, the first ending at the end of line 6. Line 7 serves as a transition line into the next sentence, which begins at line 8. All of the poem’s caesura can be found at the end of these sentences. In all other lines, except 6 (the end of the first sentence), 7 (line ends with a colon), and 18 (the end of the second sentence and poem), enjambment occurs. Thomas utilizes this sentence structure as a metaphor for his feelings, which he expresses throughout the poem. Effectively, the speaker’s thoughts are scattered, but continuous – reflecting on his current physical situation in the rain storm, dreaming about his loved ones, and eventually facing his fears of death – just like the sentences in this poem. These sentences are somewhat run-ons, symbolizing the continuous thoughts of Thomas, but eventually, and sadly, Thomas†™ life must end, just like the poem. Death is, unfortunately, an occurrence that we must all ultimately face. Since Thomas wrote this poem before he joined the war effort, he did not actually know what it was like to fight in battle. However, through this poem he was able to articulate his thoughts and anticipate the feelings of being a soldier in war. The imagery that Thomas is able to create through his word choice and punctuation is dark and distressing, yet very real. Thomas’ use of similes further exaggerates his inner feelings as a soldier. The only love that Thomas possesses by the end of the poem is â€Å"the love of death† (16). How unbearable it must feel to be so desperate that you await  death to put you out of your misery. Work Cited: Thomas, Edward. â€Å"Rain.† The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Comp. Margaret Ferguson, Jon Stallworthy, and Mary Jo Salter. 5th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2005. 1255.

Essay on Effects Of Video Games On Youth - 877 Words

Excessive video game playing has been a problem with today’s youth they have had more influences over the youth than ever before. That brings to my attention a question, how do video games affect the youth of our society? Excessive video game playing, especially violent video games, can lead to youth violence, a decrease in academic success and many other negative things. I realize that some parents believe that they can be good for children, I agree but I also disagree in some cases. Some parents allow their children to play video games to keep a social life and to learn how to use strategies. This is true in some cases but not in all cases. For instance, other children that play video games alone and are in their rooms constantly can†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"On the other hand, considering a specific violent video game may have the reverse effect and actually reduce perceptions of negative effects if it is difficult to generate arguments for negative effects of th e specific game† (Ivory, Kalyanaraman 4). Although you may believe that violent video games increase the youth violence rates, in actuality some violent video games can have separate effects on youth depending on the child for instance, one child could become more violent whereas another child will not have the urge to be violent. Playing video games for hours at a time in one day, every day of the week can lead to another major problem, gaming addiction. Youth may become obsessed with the game and think they have to beat it before they do anything else and never want to leave their rooms because they want to consistently play the game. Dr. Russell A. Sabella states in his article on Education.com that: â€Å"for most people, computer use and video game play is integrated into their lives as a balanced manner. For others, time spent on the computer or video games is out of balance and has displaced work, school, friends, even family†(Sabella). Becoming addicted to video games can cause a lot of problems in the family because some parents like to have family dinners and they have to literally fight with their kid to getShow MoreRelatedVideo Games And Its Effects On Youth Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesof video games, and Angry Birds Theme Park in China Universal Studios in Hollywood, California both al so involve video game entertainment, therefore everywhere you go videogames follow! Obviously, the better technology gets the more accessible video games are becoming. Over 90% of the young adults and young children population play video games in the United States. 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Violent video games in particular have been proven to not be appropriate for the age groups that play them and to have a negative effect on school, social behavior, and increase aggression. Kids who play violent videoRead MoreThe Effects Of Violent Video Games On Youth Essay1973 Words   |  8 Pageswatching TV and video gaming. However, the people who control the media have started implementing materials that show violence into all sources of digital entertainment, unaware of its serious psychological effects on youth. Youngsters are presently effortlessly presented to violence as diversions and consequently now have weapons and explosives comfortable fingertips, and this has prompted to some horrible results. It is likewise said that youngsters who are presented to violent video games might be atRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Today s Youth1131 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Video games have been one of the most popular sources of entertainment for quite some time. 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