Sudeep Annem Essays - Literature, Characters In Hamlet, Arts

Sudeep Annem Mrs. Burch AP English Literature 29 November 2017 "To Be or not to Be" Explication The soliloquy that I have decided to examine is the most famous in Hamlet, and perhaps the most famous soliloquy that Shakespeare ever wrote. The "too be, or not to be" soliloquy differs from his first two soliloquies . Hamlet exhibits more reason than the emphatic passionate displays the readers are used to witnessing. Hamlet is now unable to take action and is simply waiting to "catch the conscience of the king." While he bides his time, he invokes a philosophical argument about the pros and cons of existence, and if individuals have the right to end their own lives. Renowned researchers like the Shakespearian scholar Harold Jenkins believe that the significant purpose of this soliloquy is specifically to address this debate. Jenkins states that " Hamlet's first two major soliloquies, his third and most famous speech seems to be governed by reason and not frenzied emotion. Unable to do little but wait for completion of his plan to "catch the conscience of the king ", Hamlet sparks an internal philosophical debate on the advantages and disadvantages of existence, and whether it is one's right to end his or her own life . Personally, I gleaned from this passage that Hamlet seems to be considering prospects of death, and Shakespeare furthers the archetypes of death, revenge and purpose that he has created throughout the course of the drama. It also displays Hamlet as a confused man. Hamlet is not very self-confident and this is shown through the inner turmoil he faces and how he displays insanity in order to cope with his struggles. The speech occurs because it symbolizes a shift in the story. Hamlet's careful planning for revenge is about to come to a climax, and this soliloquy serves to show how Hamlet remains uncertain within his mind while also insinuating the decisiveness that he has in committing the act regardless of how it affects him mentally. Hamlet goes on to discuss what may happen once one leaves this earth. He demonstrates his fear of "what dreams may com" (3, 1, 74) and his "dread of something after death" (3, 1, 86). In the soliloquy, Hamlet states "Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing them" (3, 1, 70-74). Here he demonstrates his struggles with death vs. life and whether death was a suitable option to avoid suffering. This suffering has plagued Hamlet since his dear father has died, and it has been eluded too that the madness he displays is either what has truly afflicted him or a mask of emotions for his guilt. Hamlet shows that he believe life is synonymous with suffering. He compares the "whips and scorn of times, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love" (3, 1, 70-72) to all of the horrors and pain he has witnessed through his tragic life. Shakespeare reinforces the idea of how mentally exhausting Hamlet's ordeal has been. Death would be a respite from all of the conflict and confusing decisions he has had to make. Thus, by having Hamlet discuss the morality of these options the readers clearly see the desperation that Hamlet feels and this allows the readers to form connections with the power of these statements and Hamlet's predicament . If Hamlet chose to end his life, he would be freed from his obligations to avenge his father, freed from the guilt of plotting against his uncle, and free to avoid witnessing the immoral acts of Claudius and his mother Gertrude. However, the depiction of Hamlet as a tragic hero archetype becomes enriched as a result of this soliloquy as well because although he has such a tantalizing opportunity for relief and lack of responsibility, Hamlet demonstrates perseverance and determination by refusing to succumb to the depravity of his mind. The imagery of angels and freedom refer to the relaxation and peace that Hamlet could find if he so chose and the tone shift from the animated insanity th at Hamlet usually displays to his calm and analytical

How to Melt Aluminum Cans at Home

How to Melt Aluminum Cans at Home Aluminum is a common and useful metal, known for its corrosion resistance, malleability, and for being lightweight. Its safe enough to be used around food and in contact with skin. Its much easier to recycle this metal than it is to purify it from ores. You can melt old aluminum cans to get molten aluminum. Pour the metal into a suitable mold to make jewelry, cookware, ornaments, sculptures, or for another metalworking project. Its a great introduction to home recycling. Key Takeaways: Melt Aluminum Cans Aluminum is an abundant and versatile metal that is easily recycled.The melting point of aluminum is low enough that it can be melted with a hand-held torch. However, the project goes more quickly using a furnace or kiln.Recycled aluminum can be used to make sculptures, containers, and jewelry. Materials for Melting Aluminum Cans Melting cans is not complicated, but its an adult-only project because high temperatures are involved. Youll want to work in a clean, well-ventilated area. Its not necessary to clean the cans before melting them since organic matter (plastic coating, leftover soda, etc.) will burn off during the process. Aluminum cansSmall furnace of the electric kiln (or another heat source that reaches the appropriate temperature, such as a propane torch)Steel crucible (or other metal with a melting point much higher than aluminum, yet lower than your furnace- could be a sturdy stainless steel bowl or a cast iron skillet)Heat-resistant glovesMetal tongsMolds into which youll pour the aluminum (steel, iron, etc.- be creative) Melting the Aluminum The first step youll want to take is to crush the cans so that you can load as many as possible into the crucible. Youll get about 1 pound of aluminum for every 40 cans. Load your cans into the container youre using as a crucible and place the crucible inside the kiln. Close the lid.Fire up the kiln or furnace to 1220 °F. This is the melting point of aluminum (660.32  °C, 1220.58  °F), but below the melting point of steel. The aluminum will melt almost immediately once it reaches this temperature. Allow half a minute or so at this temperature to assure the aluminum is molten.Put on safety glasses and heat-resistant gloves. You should be wearing a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, and covered toe shoes when working with extremely hot (or cold) materials.Open the kiln. Use tongs to slowly and carefully remove the crucible. Do not place your hand inside the kiln! Its a good idea to line the path from the kiln to the mold with a metal pan or foil, to aid in clean-up of spills.Pour the liquid aluminum into the mold. It will take about 15 minutes for the aluminum to solidify on its own. If desired, you can place the mold in a bucket of cold water after a few minutes. If you do this, use caution, since steam will be produced. There may be some leftover material in your crucible. You can knock the dregs out of the crucible by slapping it upside down onto a hard surface, such as concrete. You can use the same process to knock the aluminum out of the molds. If you have trouble, change the temperature of the mold. The aluminum and mold (which is a different meta) will have a different coefficient of expansion, which you can use to your advantage when freeing one metal from another.Remember to turn off your kiln or furnace when youre done. Recycling doesnt make much sense if youre wasting energy, right? Did You Know? Re-melting aluminum to recycle it is far less expensive and uses less energy than producing new aluminum from the electrolysis of aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Recycling uses about 5% of the energy needed to make the metal from its raw ore. About 36% of aluminum in the United States comes from recycled metal. Brazil leads the world in aluminum recycling. The country recycles 98.2% of its aluminum cans. Sources Morris, J. (2005). Comparative LCAs for curbside recycling versus either landfilling or incineration with energy recovery.  The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 10(4), 273–284.Oskamp, S. (1995). Resource conservation and recycling: Behavior and policy. Journal of Social Issues. 51 (4): 157–177. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1995.tb01353.xSchlesinger, Mark (2006). Aluminum Recycling. CRC Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8493-9662-5.

The Jacksonian Character Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Jacksonian Character - Essay Example strengths and weaknesses, offer my own opinions about the article and endeavor to show how the article relates to the materials discussed in Class 1301. Pessen says foreign visitors to America such as Tocqueville, Charles Dickens, Harriet Martineau, Frances Trollope and others viewed Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States (1829-37), as a child of the frontier, democrat, egalitarian, entrepreneurial, speculative profit seeker, conservative, conformist, violent, materialist and chaste republican. They thought these traits and values epitomized American society. While some of these visitors had such nice things to say about Americans as handsome, gentle, pleasant, trusting, and self-less (p. 30), most of them had a rather negative perception of Americans. To them, Americans were dull, cold and cruel (p. 11); violent, selfish, and thin-skinned (p. 12); and clever but shallow (p. 15). Americans were dirty, unrefined, drunkard and speculative (pp. 18-22); egalitarian, moral from outside but prudish (p. 23-24); and anti-tradition, apathetic to intellectual accomplishments, and disinterested in principles (pp. 27-31). Pe ssen agrees with the visitors that a Jacksonian American, â€Å"possibly† a materialist, entertained bigotry supplemented by cruelty and cupidity, vanity and boastfulness; he was blissfully unaware of any complex situation, disinterested in principles (p. 31). However, Pessen does not agree that a Jacksonin American was a child of the frontier, an inner-directed conformist, and a chaste republican looking longingly to the past (p. 30). Pessen’s article has three remarkable strengths. First, by presenting a whole array of views of contemporary European visitors, Pessen helps us understand American society from their perspective and experiences. Secondly, he also offers his own views so the readers have a different viewpoint to draw informed and objective conclusions. Thirdly, the article written in journalistic style makes an

Project Management Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Project Management Degree - Essay Example 13. How was this value decided on Don't know 14. Was there a risk manager or team specifically assigned within your organisation to deal with risk Y / N 15. If yes, please describe more fully I think there is someone who is in charge about these things but I really don't know who 16. Was probabilistic planning used within the project Y / N what is that 17. If yes, please elaborate 18. Does your organisation undertake formal risk management training Y / N 19. If yes, please describe 20. Approximately what is the budget for this kind of training per year Don't know 21. Did any issues occur in the project Y / N I guess so 22. If yes, please specify 23. How would you rate the performance of the project Please tick all boxes that apply Thank you for you participation 2 All details will remain confidential In completing the questions, please refer to the most recent project that you have been involved in. Name: Age: Job Title: Name of Organisation: Position: How long have you been in this position What was the budget for the project What was the main objective/product/benefit of the project 24. Did your organisation use a methodology to guide the project Y / N 25. If yes, what methodology (PRINCE2, DSDM etc.) was used Please specify I am not really sure what specifically, but I think they do use something 26. Have you ever undergone formal project management training Y / N 27. If yes please give details _________________________________________ 28. What is the approximate annual budget per person for this (if available) I really don't know 29. Is risk management a part of your project methodology Y / N 30. Was there a standard risk... I would say the company is not too much into strategies, it just try its best to handle difficult situations, try to learn from its mistakes, remember the lessons taken from the blunders that have occurred and try its best not to repeat the same mistakes in future endeavors. Was the project a success Who do you think was responsible for its success (or failure) Most of our undertakings are relatively successful, yes there had been a lot of problems, so many things taking place one after the other which really gave us problems but thankfully we were able to surpass everything and proof to that is until now the company continues to exist. As to who is responsible, I guess, all of us are responsible to the success or failure of the things we do. (4) Some of our projects were conceived based on very good concepts except that because most of the people in the company are ill-equpped to handle the issues that take place, most of the times the good ideas vanish. (4) Yes, management conceptualises well its activities as much as it can, but we all know that problems always arise however good is the conceptualisation and the planning in

Nursing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Nursing theory - Essay Example Nightingale’s environment metaparadigm is informed by the aforementioned tenets. The focus here is the link between the environment and health. Nightingale argues that the environment informs nursing practices in one way or another. For instance, unsanitary conditions pose health risks and vice versa. The ventilation, light, warmth, effluvia, and noise tenets can be altered to influence the outcome of nursing practices. Johnson’s metaparadigm is informed by social bonds, dependency, ingestion, elimination, procreation and gratification, aggression, and achievement tenets (Walker & Avant, 2011). The application of these tenets is broad and wide in relation to the nursing practice. Their integration into the nursing practice influence health completeness under the health context metaparadigm. Finally, Watson’s tenets include altruistic value system, faith and hope, trust, sensitivity, feelings, solution to problems, teaching and learning, addressing human needs, countering phenomenological forces, and enhancing an environment that is supportive (Walker & Avant, 2011). Tenets related to Watson are spread across the four aforementioned metaparadigms that inform nursing

The Monetary And Fiscal Policy Of Iceland

The Monetary And Fiscal Policy Of Iceland The country of Iceland is the smallest economy within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007 of about $11.8billion. The Icelandic economy has been based on marine and energy resources. More recently, Iceland has developed a very strong services sector, which accounts for two-thirds of the economic output. Since the start of the decade i.e. from 2000, Iceland has experienced particularly strong growth in its financial services sector. Trade accounts for a large share of Icelands GDP, with imports accounting for 46% in value and exports accounting for 35% in value of goods and services of GDP. Icelands main export item was fish and other marine products until the year 2006, when Iceland began to capitalize on its abundant thermal energy resources to produce and export aluminum. A combination of economic factors over the early to mid-2000s led to Icelands current economic and banking distress. In particular, access to easy credit, a boom in domestic construction that fueled rapid economic growth and a broad deregulation of Icelands financial sector spurred the banks to expand rapidly abroad and eventually played a role in the eventual financial collapse. Iceland benefited from favorable global financial conditions that reduced the cost of credit and a sweeping liberalization of its domestic financial sector that spurred rapid growth and encouraged Icelands banks to spread quickly throughout Europe. The 2008-2009 Icelandic financial crisis was a major ongoing economic crisis in Iceland that involved the collapse of all three of the countrys major banks (Kaupthing, Landsbanki, Glitnir) following their difficulties in refinancing their short-term debt and a run on deposits in the United Kingdom. Relative to the size of its economy, Icelands banking collapse was the largest suffered by any country in economic history of the world. This was the main reason why Iceland had to suffer so much in the crisis. Commenting on the need for emergency measures, Prime Minister Geir Haarde said on 6 October 2008, There [was] a very real danger that the Icelandic economy, in the worst case, could be sucked with the banks into the whirlpool and the result could have been national bankruptcy. He also stated that the actions taken by the government had ensured that the Icelandic state would not actually go bankrupt. At the end of the second quarter 2008, Icelands external debt was 9.553 trillion Icelandic krà ³nur (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬50 billion), more than 80% of which was held by the banking sector. This value compares with Icelands 2007 gross domestic product of 1.293 trillion krà ³nur (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8.5 billion). The assets of the three banks taken under the control of the FME totaled 14.437 trillion krà ³nur at the end of the second quarter 2008. MONETARY POLICY Monetary policy is the process a the government, central bank, or monetary authority of a country uses to control (i) the supply of money, (ii) availability of money, and (iii) cost of money or rate of interest to attain a set of objectives oriented towards the growth and stability of the economy. Monetary theory therefore provides insight into how to craft optimal monetary policy. Monetary policy is contrasted with fiscal policy, which refers to government borrowing, spending and taxation. During the financial crisis, Icelands monetary policy credibility had been very seriously damaged. Unsatisfactory inflation outcomes had already undermined the credibility of the monetary framework, even before the financial crisis started and, consequently, inflation expectations were poorly anchored. Icelandic economists had said that due to the huge impact of the crisis, rebuilding the credibility was likely to take time, and also maintaining it might be very difficult. However, after the crisis, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had voted to lower the Central Bank interest rates by 0.5 %. By supporting the interest rate cut, it lead to the appreciation of the krona in trade weighted terms. As in the ISLM Model, a decrease in the interest rates leads to an increase in the money supply. Therefore, this has lead to an expansionary monetary policy, as the interest rates were lowered, and also the MPC supported or voted for lower interest rates. MONETARY POLICY GRAPH The above graph shows the shift in the LM towards right, which has lead to an expansion in the LM curve. Since the MPC voted for a lower interest rates , the money supply was increased. Therefore, the LM curve shifts from LM1 to LM2, leading to an expansionary of the monetary policy. FISCAL POLICY In economics, fiscal policy can be defined as the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy. Fiscal policy refers to the overall effect of the budget outcome on economic activity. There are three possible stances of fiscal policy: Neutral stance, which implies a balanced budget where, govt. spending = Tax Revenue Expansionary stance, increase in the govt. spending and reduction in tax revenue Contractionary stance, decrease in the govt. spending and increase in tax revenue During the financial crisis, there was an increased government debt. Due to the recession and rising debt servicing costs, the public deficit was projected to be above 10% of GDP in 2009, adding to the public debt burden. As a result, a considerable fiscal consolidation was therefore needed to put public finances back on a sustainable path and to pave the road for a successful euro-area entry. It was also important to reduce the deficit vigorously in the coming years, so that the country can reach the goal of balance. In order to eliminate the deficit, the government of Iceland had the option of tax increases as well as spending cuts, it then decided to opt for the former as they were easier to introduce immediately. The starting point for the tax increases would have been to reverse tax cuts implemented over the boom years, but Iceland could no longer afford. This would involve the increase in the personal income tax and also lift the reduced rate of VAT (Value Added Tax). This planned fiscal consolidation, would involve measures which would help to contain the expenditures. FISCAL POLICY GRAPH The above graph, shows the shift in the IS curve towards left, which leads to the contraction of the IS curve. Since the govt. decided to reduce their expenditure and increase the taxation, in order to consolidate the fiscal policy, the IS has moved towards left, leading to an contractionary fiscal policy. INFLATION In economics, inflation can be defined as the rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the price level rises, then each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, annual inflation is also erosion in the purchasing power of money a loss of real value in the internal medium of exchange and unit of account in the economy. The effects of inflation on an economy are manifold and can have both simultaneously positive and negative impacts. Since Iceland, comes from a small domestic market, the banks in Iceland have financed their expansion from getting loans on the inter-bank lending market and, more recently, by getting deposits from outside Iceland (which are also a form of external debt). Large amount of debt was also taken by the households, which was equivalent to 213% of the disposable income, causing inflation in the country. Due to the practice of the Central Bank of Iceland issuing loans (liquidity)to the different banks on the basis of uncovered bonds which are newly issued and printing money on demand, this lead to inflation being exacerbated. Due to the financial crisis, the country of Iceland suffered inflation. On 25th of March 2008, popular website, Bloomberg.com that Iceland had raised its rates to 15% by raising its repo rate by a huge 1.25% in one day. The website also reported that the country was facing an inflation rate of about 7%. However, the Central Bank of Iceland had a goal of maintaining the inflation rate of about 2.5%. Also the Icelandic currency, krona has declined against the euro, from about 100 ISK per euro at the beginning of the year (2008), to its nadir of 125 on March 19 2008. Due to the interest rate hike it had the effect of moving it to about 116 from about 122. In August 2006, the country of Iceland made news when it had increased its interest rate to 13.5%. At that time, the krona was very strong against the euro. Iceland made news previously in August, 2006 when it increased its interest rate to 13.5%. The krona was then trading at a stronger at 90 to one euro. Some main factors why Iceland incurred inflation was mainly due to, the value of krona depreciated, secondly the prices of various commodities kept on soaring, and lastly, there was uncertain effect on wage agreements on labour costs. Since the financial crisis brought a huge change in the development of the economies in the world, as well as making many banks go bankrupt, the Icelandic debt is now over 320 billion krona, which is roughly about $4 billion US dollars. This figure is huge; as one can say considering that its about a quarter of their GDP. INFLATION GRAPH Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2010 6.60 7.30 8.50 2009 18.60 17.58 15.19 11.89 11.63 12.18 11.32 10.90 10.81 9.71 8.63 7.50 2008 5.77 6.79 8.72 11.76 12.32 12.74 13.55 14.54 14.02 15.89 17.15 18.13 2007 6.89 7.41 5.87 5.29 4.67 4.01 3.76 3.45 4.18 4.47 5.19 5.86 The above graph shows Icelandic inflation rate over the past 3 years. In the graph, one can make out how the inflation rate climbed up consistently in the year 2008, whereas in the year 2009, the inflation rates kept on falling except in the month of June where it increased, but since then it had kept on decreasing. In the year 2008, the reason why inflation rate climbed up consistently, was because of the krona which had been depreciating, where as in the year 2009, the inflation rates kept on falling as the property prices fell, which resulted in the fall of prices. UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment can be defined as people who do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the past four weeks, and are currently available for work. Also, people who were temporarily laid off and are waiting to be called back to that job are counted as unemployed. Some types of unemployment are listed below: Structural Unemployment. Frictional Unemployment. Cyclical Unemployment. Since the financial crisis, lead to large percentage of unemployment all over the world, Iceland was also one of them which had a quite high rate of unemployment. Unemployment in Iceland increased tree times more by the end of November 2008. There were more than 7000 registered jobseekers (about 4% of the workforce) in November compared to just 2136 at the end of August 2008. The debt repayment had become more costly as household debt (80%) and 13% denominated in foreign currencies had become indexed. The impact of the crisis was such that since October 2008, 14% of the total workforce had experienced reductions in pay, whereas around 7% of the workforce had their working hours reduced. According to IFL (Icelandic Federation of Labour) president Gylfi Arnbjà ¶rnsson, the above figures were lower than expected More than 85% of the workforce who were currently registered as unemployed in the country, stated that they had become unemployed or lost their jobs in October after that, due to the economic collapse. In December 2008, the unemployed figures which were registered in Iceland was 4.8 per cent, or around 7,902 people an increase of some 45 percent in November, according to the figures from the Directorate of Labour. These unemployment figures were the highest, Iceland had recorded since January 1997. In the same month i.e. December in the year 2007, unemployment rate partly was 0.8 percent, or 1.357 people. The Directorate of Labour had estimated that the figure will rise to 6.4-6.9 percent by the end of January 2009. Among those unemployed, the rate of unemployment among young people had increased the fastest, with the number of registered 16 to 24 year olds jumping from 1,408 to 2,069 in the month to the end of December 2008. This age group accounts for 23 percent of the entire jobless total. UNEMPLOYMENT GRAPHS GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined in economics as a basic measure of a countrys overall economic output. It is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year. It is often positively correlated with the standard of living, though its use as a stand-in for measuring the standard of living has come under increasing criticism and many countries are actively exploring alternative measures to GDP for that purpose. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be determined in three ways, all of which should in principle give the same result. They are the product (or output) approach, the income approach, and the expenditure approach. Prior to the 2008-2010 crises, the economy of Iceland had achieved high growth, also had a low rate of unemployment, and a remarkably even distribution of income all over the country. The economy depended heavily on the fishing industry which is the main source of their income, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 10% of the work force. Icelands economy had been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, with new developments in software production, biotechnology, and tourism. During the global financial crisis, the crisis-stricken Icelandic economys GDP shrank by a record 6.5% in 2009, despite having a decent growth of 1% in 2008 and massive growth of 6% in 2007. The decrease in the gross domestic product (GDP) by 6.5% was a record in the national accounts of Iceland. There was a sharp decline in GDP in last year (2009) as the domestic expenditure plunged by 20.1%, then the household consumption also fell to 14.6% due to unemployment and government consumption dwindled by 3%. Also, Icelands fixed capital formation dropped by 49.9%. These were the reasons why the gross domestic product (GDP) fell by a huge margin, in the year 2009. After the crisis, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Iceland managed to expand at an annual rate of 3.30 percent in the last quarter i.e. in the year 2009. Iceland Gross Domestic Product is now worth 17 billion dollars or 0.03% of the world economy, according to the World Bank. Icelands Scandinavian-type social-market economy combines a capitalist structure and free-market principles with an extensive welfare system, including generous housing subsidies. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) GRAPH Year Mar Jun Sep Dec Average 2009 -5.10 -0.40 -7.20 3.30 -2.35 2008 2.90 -6.00 1.80 3.20 0.48 2007 2.10 0.80 5.10 -1.00 1.75 The above graph, describes the changes in the gross domestic product (GDP) of Iceland over the past 3 years. During the years 2007 2008, Iceland recorded a growth in the GDP, which helped in boosting the Icelandic economy. However, most of the year in 2009, it recorded a huge decline of 6.5%, except in the last quarter i.e. in the month of December where it a recorded a positive GDP. The main reasons why the GDP declined in the year 2009 was because the household consumption, the government consumption, as well the domestic expenditure rate had fallen massively, resulting in a negative GDP for the most part of the year. CURRENCY In economics, the term currency can refer either to a particular currency, which comprises the physical aspects of a nations money supply. The other part of a nations money supply consists of money deposited in banks (sometimes called deposit money), ownership of which can be transferred by means of cheques or other forms of money transfer such as credit and debit cards Due to the effects of the financial crisis, there was In October 2008, the effects of the 2007/08 global financial crisis brought about a collapse of the Icelandic banking sector. The value of the Icelandic krà ³na plummeted, and on 7 October 2008 the Icelandic Central Bank attempted to peg the it at 131 against the euro.[4] This peg was abandoned the next day.[5] The krà ³na later fell to 340 against the euro before trade in the currency was suspended[6] (by comparison, the rate at the start of 2008 was about 90 krà ³nur to the euro[7]). After a period of tentative, very low-volume international trading in the krà ³na, activity had been expected to pick up again throughout November 2008, albeit still with low liquidity, as Iceland secured an IMF loan.[8] However as of January 2009 the krona was still not being traded regularly, with the ECB reference rate being set only intermittently, the last time on December 3, 2008 at 290 ISK per euro.[9] The Icelandic krona similarly fell in value against the US dollar, from ca. 50 to 80 per dollar to about 110-115 per dollar; by mid-November 2008 it had continued its slide to ca. 135 to the dollar. As of April 2, 2009, the value hovered around 119 per US dollar.[10] Previously high costs for foreign tourists thereby dropped, which Icelands tourism industry hopes to exploit.[11] INTERNATIONAL TRADE The economy of Iceland is small and subject to high volatility. Iceland has a mixed economy with high levels of free trade and government intervention. Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared with other OECD countries. However, government consumption is less than in other Nordic countries. Icelands trade policy is pursued along three main tracks: multilateral trade liberalisation through the WTO, regional liberalisation through the European Economic Area (EEA) with its EFTA/EEA partners and the European Union and finally, bilateral free trade agreements in cooperation with its EFTA partners Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Icelands international treaties have strengthened foreign trade. The EEA Agreement covers the free movement of goods, persons, capital and services. Membership in the EEA in 1994 and the Uruguay Round agreement brought greater market access for Icelands exports, capital, labor, and goods and services, especially seafood products. Agriculture is heavily subsidized and protected by the government, with some tariffs ranging as high as 700 percent. Iceland is a part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO was established on the 1st of January 1995. It is an organization designed to supervise and liberalize international trade. Since the early 1990s, Iceland and its other partners in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have established an extensive network of contractual free trade relations in Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean region and with countries in other parts of the world. The WTO deals with controlling of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating trade agreements. The country has signed a large number of multilateral and bilateral agreements. Iceland is furthermore strongly committed to the Doha Development Agenda and a fair and equitable outcome that will benefit the entire membership. Iceland support s the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund, which is intended to assist developing countries in taking advantage of the opportunities created by increased trade liberalization. Iceland exports 40% of fish and fish products, 40% of aluminum and alloys and animal products. The main imports are machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs and textiles and Cement. Icelands primary import partner is Germany, with 12.6%, followed by the United States, Norway, and Denmark. Currently, the largest trading partner countries are Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries. The fishing industry is one of the most important industries. It provides 70% of export income and employs 6.0% of the workforce; therefore, the state of the economy remains sensitive to world prices for fish products.  [i]  The diversity of Icelands exports has, however, increased significantly in recent years, due to structural reforms and privatisation of state owned entities in finance a nd other sectors. Exports of manufactured products have been growing rapidly. Services now account for 36% of total export revenues while in 1990 the share was 26%. Icelands ratio of services to total trade is one of the highest among OECD countries. It is the Governments stated objective to provide Icelandic agriculture with a realistic opportunity to adapt to changes in its operating environment, to the benefit of farmers and consumers alike. The growth of international trade had been affected in the 1930s by the existence of tariffs and other barriers to international trade. To avoid such problems an agreement, the general Agreement of Trade and Tariffs, was concluded between 44 countries which included Iceland. Iceland joined GATT in 1968. GATT stated that an international agreement should be created which required a binding code of conduct for international trade; its main objective was the liberalization of world trade. Its principle was that there would be mutual benefits if international trade took place on the basis of non-discrimination and should be gradually reduced through negotiations. The liberalization for international trade gave Iceland confidence in their trade. During the period 2003-07, Iceland developed from a nation best known for its fishing industry into a country providing sophisticated financial services, but was consequently hit particularly hard by the 2008 global financial crisis, which extended into 2009.  [ii]   Self-protection and self-preservation have characterized Icelands foreign trade policy since its independence from Denmark. While Iceland is a highly developed country, until the 20th century, it was among the poorest countries in Western Europe. However, strong economic growth has led Iceland to be ranked first in the United Nations Human Development Index report for 2007/2008.  [iii]   TARIFF Iceland enjoys some of the strongest economic freedoms among all countries However; Iceland is very isolationist as regards to the import of farm products and licenses as well as state monopolies of imports (undergoing a dismantling). Some plant products such as potatoes and flowers are subject to seasonal limitations. Iceland implements high tariffs on agricultural products in order to protect the domestic agricultural sector. Tariffs on certain varieties of vegetables, e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are significantly higher during the growing season to protect domestic greenhouse producers. Meat and dairy products, and potatoes are also protected by substantial duties. Animal feed can carry tariffs up to 55%. Over 90% of imports are not subject to import restrictions or duties other than the same value-added tax applied to domestically produced goods. Special excise taxes are levied on sugar and some sugar products, potatoes, and motor vehicles. Agricultural products remain the most heavily taxed. In March 1970, Iceland acquired full membership in EFTA. On 28 February 1973, Iceland ratified a trade agreement with the European Community (later named the European Union) leading to the elimination of tariffs on industrial goods. A law authorizing the establishment of free trade zones went into effect in 1992. Icelands trade regime underwent considerable liberalization in the 1990s with accession to the European Economic Area (EEA) in 1993, and the Uruguay Round in 1994. Current duty rates generally range from 0% to 30% ad valorem and the average weighted tariff is 3.6%. Some goods enter duty-free, such as meat, fish, and dairy products. Icelands average MFN applied tariff is 5.9%. A high percentage of tariff lines (70%) benefit from duty free treatment. The average MFN applied tariff rate for agricultural products is 18.3% (WTO definition) compared with 2.5% for other goods.  [iv]   Iceland offers preferential tariffs on imports from 37 WTO Members under several free-trade agreements. Regional liberalization has advanced the most within the framework of the European Economic Area (EEA); nonetheless, the average tariff on products from EEA partners is still 3.2%, reflecting the exclusion of several agricultural products from duty-free treatment. A new Customs Law came into force on 1 January 2006 (Act No. 88/2005). According to the authorities, customs clearance for all importation aspects is computerized; electronic data interchange (EDI) covers 98% of the declarations of import and export firms. Customs clearance using EDI takes a matter of minutes, or a few hours if processed manually.

How to Write a Synthesis Essay :: Synthesis Essay

1. What is a synthesis? A synthesis is a written discussion incorporating support from several sources of differing views. This type of assignment requires that you examine a variety of sources and identify their relationship to your thesis. 2. Synthesis is used in: Analysis papers to examine related theories. For example a comparison between the theories of evolution or who shot JFK. Research papers to incorporate multiple sources. For example looking at economic and social effects of proposed legislation. Argument papers to compare differing views and support a coherent claim. For example, is Turn it in a violation of student’s rights? One side may argue that the company steals students’ papers while others claim that students agree to have their work archived. Business reports to examine differing ideas and blend into a coherent plan. For example, what are some of the plans to improve Toledo’s waterfront to attract more visitors and increase business opportunities? 3. Tips for an effective synthesis essay: Establish your purpose to shape the way you want to argue and form your thesis. The thesis is the main claim or idea of your essay. Select your sources and become familiar with them so that you can discuss them in relationship to your thesis and supporting argument(s). If you simply quote sources without evaluating them then the sources will control your paper and your audience will may misinterpret the information. Develop an organizational plan. Arrange more than just one source per point; multiple sources will increase your credibility. Look at how sources may agree or disagree with one another and evaluate which source has better logic or more credibility. Evaluate or interpret each source, then show the relationship between the sources and your thesis. Document each source; note the author and page number as well as listing the source on the Works Cited page to avoid plagiarism.