Teleconnection patterns Essay Example for Free

Teleconnection patterns Essay 1. Explain how observed teleconnection patterns can help in the preparation of a seasonal weather forecast. So the simple way of explaining a teleconnection is a warmer and cooler pacific can influence rainfall. â€Å"we saw how a vast warming (El Nià ±o) or cooling (La Nià ±a) of the equatorial tropical Pacific can affect the weather in different regions of the world† (Ahrens, 2015, p.271). These major storms as we learned in earlier chapters affect people in many regions of the world. A seasonal forecast is very important because it gives people a chance to prepare for what could possibly be. Forecasters can give a prediction of a wetter or drier season. They have said that this type of forecasting has been seen to be very keen in this field of work. If we can predict weather patterns for the upcoming months will only prevail for regions abroad. This will only prepare us for the worst and hope for the best. 2. If the temperature is dropping and the dew point is holding steady, what is your forecast for the relative humidity? Explain your answer. Let’s first understand what a dew point is. The dew point is basically the temperature at which the if it cool’s to a certain temp you will get hundred percent relative humidity. If the dew point drops low enough the cold air won’t be capable of holding the moisture. If the temperature is dropping and you have a stable dew point I would predict a higher amount of relative humidity. The lower the dew point dropped is when you decrease in relative humidity. If you had a hot summer day and a steady dew point; you would actually had a lower relative humidity. 3. In what ways are severe thunderstorms different from ordinary cell thunderstorms? What are some of the meteorological or atmospheric conditions that favor the development of severe thunderstorms? The basics of a thunder storm are fairly easy, because they consist of thunder, lightning, winds, rain and heavy hail at times. â€Å"The storm itself may be a single cumulonimbus cloud, or several thunderstorms may form into a cluster† (Ahrens, 2015, p.288). Thunderstorms form in unstable environments with warm air. They are known as convective storms. Cell thunderstorms form in regions where limited vertical wind shear is present. The winds direction  or speeds do not abruptly change rapidly. Ordinary storms develop and mature through a cycle, as cell thunderstorms don’t have this development. Different conditions vary from warm air rising, random turbulent eddies and terrain. These are a few that can be a trigger to these more impactful storms. 4. Where do thunderstorms form most frequently in the US? Why is this the case? Is this also where most tornadoes occur? Explain. The most area that gets thunderstorms more frequently is the Gulf Coast. This area includes all of Florida, to include parts of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. â€Å"We also find that, in summer along the Gulf Coast, a thick layer of warm, moist air extends upward from the surface† (Ahrens, 2015, p.303). This also makes a point that more storms consuming Hail are located in the Great Plains. Thunderstorms typically form more in the tropical latitude, which makes the gulf coast a prime location. The two areas that tornados occur most is the Tornado Alley and the Dixie Alley. Tornado Alley stretches from Central Texas to Nebraska, as Dixie Alley over Mississippi to Alabama. â€Å"The Central Plains region is most susceptible to tornadoes because it often provides the proper atmospheric setting for the development of the severe thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes† (Ahrens, 2015, p.313). This area gets that humid dry air with a cold layer to follow which creates the perfect formula for a unstable environment. This makes Spring a high frequency for tornados and winter the low time for them to occur. 5. The region of greatest tornado activity shifts northward from early spring to summer. Why does this occur? This is really interesting because the peak for tornados is actually around June 12th. This makes early spring a probability between 25-60 percent. When you hit June the probability jumps through the roof to 90 percent. The biggest possibility for the shift is â€Å"El Nino†, but there is not an actual confirmation on why this shift happens. The next possibility is the warming weather moving north is shifting the peak period by 7-10 days. This making Dixie Alley and Tornado Alley more susceptible to tornados during that peak time.

Law and Criminality Perspectives

Law and Criminality Perspectives Laws are rules of conduct to guide all people; they are rules that can be enforced by a legitimate authority. More laws are made and enforced as our world and society becomes increasingly complex. Laws are basically rules of basic behavior and order written down by man as an attempt to help us all live together more happily and safely. Whether they are written or not, they are the basis for all societies, because without some form of agreement and co-operation between people, society would not exist. Most laws are for our own benefits and protection; they preserve public order and policy. Without laws, a society will be an anarchy, dysfunctional, full of chaos, injustice and immorality. Without laws, we would all live like animals in nature, each person pursuing ones own desires with no regard for the effects of his or her behavior on others and this would lead to suffering. Laws, in general do not try to limit the freedoms that people consider necessary, but rather to secure these freedoms by prohibiting anyone else from violating or robbing them. Laws prevent people from harming others, and do whatever one feels like to anyone else by setting punishments for those harms if they are committed. Another purpose of laws is to resolve disputes, since laws are consistence rules made to be applied in almost every situation. Though many of us do not need laws to guide us in everything we do, some others need very clear rules and boundaries to live by. Not everyone will agree or like ev ery law given, but rational people understand the need and purpose of laws. A crime is an act against the law and punishable by the law. Certain laws that exist would be considered by most of us as silly or unnecessary. Some of those laws are still enforced and may be even more enforced than other laws, because the government, often times makes a lot of money off of certain laws. There are usually so many laws from a government that if we were to read the whole list, we will probably be surprised at the number of laws we break on a regular basis without even realizing it. Most common examples are speeding, texting or talking while driving, littering, downloading music illegally and others.  [i]  Ignorance is one of the causes for people to break laws; it is however not accepted as an excuse. Desperation is another cause, someone who does not have enough food maybe driven to steal food, so people living in poverty may commit crimes as a way to survive. Many break laws out of greed and selfishness, for example committing fraud, theft or murder to gain what belongs to someone else deceitfully and unfairly. Others break laws out of malice, anger, jealousy or just carelessness. In general, the government of nations create and decide which laws to pass, as making laws to keep order is a part of governing. In the United States, laws are written and made by the Senate and the House of Representatives which make up the Congress.  [ii]  In Australia, laws are made by its parliament even though the country is a constitutional monarchy and has a queen.  [iii]  In Saudi Arabia, as one of the few absolute monarchies that still exist today, the creation and decision about laws are up to the king and his chosen ministers.  [iv]  Aside from laws of independent nations, there is also international law, which are laws guiding individual nations conduct and their relationships with one another, the international organization, the United Nations is responsible for this. The International Bill of Human Rights, which was first drafted as a common standard of achievement for all peoples is widely accepted as the list of rights that should be kept and respected by all states. Almost all countries that exist are members of the United Nations, and are obligated to respect the basic international human rights laws.  [v]  vi The International Court of Justice (based in the Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands pictured above) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The ICJ settles legal disputes between states, who must agree to abide by the Courts jurisdiction before their case will be heard.  [viii]   There are different legal systems that are in use throughout the countries in the world, with three main ones. The most common legal system is Civil Law, which is the legal system of France and many nations that were conquered by France, including many countries of Latin America. In the UK, and countries that were colonies of the UK, including India, USA, Australia and many others, have legal systems which are based on Common Law. Common law is determined by judges, it can be applied to many different situations and it is more flexible. The Civil Law system on the other hand, is a collection of laws, they are not decided by judges or open for interpretation. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. The third most common law system is religious Islamic law, which are enforced in Muslim countries, the Sharia and the Fiqh. This law is believed by Muslims to be directly from God and so cannot be changed by even a government or King.  [ix]   x Problems arise with different law systems in different countries. Examples of this are the cases of two British couples who were arrested and served jail sentences for kissing, and showing intimacy in public in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  [xi]  According to the legal system of the UAE, what they did was indecent and offending behavior.  [xii]  Disputes arise as these couples were foreign citizens, and in countries where Islamic law is not practiced, it would be considered extreme to arrest or imprison people for kissing or displaying affection in public. Some other controversial issues surrounding different legal systems are: the one-child policy in China  [xiii]  , having a national dress code like that in Saudi Arabia, the capital punishment, executions by beheading, amputation of hands for theft, and others.  [xiv]  Torture, or other cruel punishments like amputation are prohibited by international human rights standards, but the punishments and seriousness of cr imes differ in different legal systems. This makes it difficult to judge a law or case fairly and morally. Practices, laws or policies such as controlling what people wear too strictly, harsh punishments such as death or amputation for crimes like stealing, or limiting the number of children a person may have may be viewed in an international perspective as violating human rights. The line between just and unjust in the legal systems we have today is not clear so such disagreement problems will remain. Local/National Perspectives The National Assembly of Vietnam is responsible for making and passing laws. The legal system practiced in Vietnam is based on communist legal theory and the French civil law system. As a Socialist state, the countrys government has much control over the media and organizations within the country. The Vietnamese government was able to outlaw many religious organizations, touching on the freedom of belief and has been criticize. As the country increasingly involved and joins into many international organizations, it has been more sensitive to human rights abuses due to global criticism. Vietnam is relatively safe with average crime rates. A few of the major crimes include corruption, illegal drug use and digital piracy.  [xvi] Since economic liberalization, corruption has risen sharply in Vietnam. In the Transparency Internationals corruption perception index for 2008, Vietnams corruption rate ranked 121 out of 160. A cause for high corruption rate in Vietnam would be the very low salaries of public officials. In 2006, the minimum salary for state employees is still only 28 dollars per month after it has been raised by nearly 30 percent. It has gotten so bad that after a corruption scandal in 2008, Japan, Vietnams biggest donor in development assistance suspended its aid to Vietnam, saying that Vietnam must take stronger measures in dealing with corruption. Corruption is a threat to investment and aid and it is a big problem on Vietnams road of development. There have been attempts in reducing this problem; an example of this is Vietnam has signed the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which would criminalize the acts of Vietnamese officials paying bribes abroad or accepting bribes from foreign companies.  [xxiii] According to Business Software Alliance, the largest, and one of the most important of IT groups in the software industry that exist, Vietnam had the worst rate of software piracy in the world. A very large number of all kinds of software, movies and music are pirated, meaning they are illegally duplicated or distributed. In 1998 the digital piracy rate of Vietnam ranked first at 98%, this means that for every 100 copies of software application, 98 are illegal. In 2004, this number was 95%, and it is estimated that for each legitimately bought package of software, 20 illegal copies are made on average. A cause for this is many countries seldom make, let alone enforce laws to protect intellectual property. It is understandable that piracy is thought of as a path to enter the information and technology world with less expense, it actually hurts the countrys own economy. As piracy spreads, software developers are deterred from entering the market. Piracy, and the lack of laws to prevent piracy will not give a decent opportunity for citizens of a country to establish a software industry, preventing the country to become high-tech. In 2010, software piracy rate of Vietnam is 85 per cent. As result of the big efforts of the government and business community to protect copyright, despite still having a very high rate, through the years the percentage has gotten lower and there is no doubt that there has been progress in reducing piracy.  [xxvi] xxx Drug trafficking is present among Vietnams major crimes. It is estimated 200,000 Vietnamese, as young as 15-16 years old use opiate drugs, with 50,000 people using heroin. About 75% of all identified drug users in Vietnam are under 23, according to UNs Drug Control Progamme. Most people with HIV, about two-thirds are drug users, and this virus is spread along with drugs. A cause for this is unemployment in the country; much money is gained just for transporting drugs from one city to another. The lack of money also keeps the government from being able to help drug addicts or do very much. To deal with this major crime, the Vietnamese laws against drug trafficking are some of the harshest and most severe in the world. In 2009 a number of crimes have been removed from the list of crimes punishable by death, including rape and bribery, but not drug trafficking. The possession or smuggling of a certain amount of drug in Vietnam could result in the death penalty.  [xxxi]   Family/Personal Perspectives Most of us would consider ourselves innocent law-abiding citizens, but this is of course ignoring the mostly small crimes we commit regularly if not daily. If even the smallest act of crime was not over-looked, every one of us would be classified as criminals, including my family, friends and myself. Common offenses include stealing office supplies for personal use, littering, talking while driving among many other things. We all at one point or another have excused ourselves by saying certain laws dont apply to us, or since everyone else is doing it, why must I not? This however, doesnt really change the fact that were all quite guilty as law breakers, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Like with almost every other issue we created in the world, some of their causes are our pride and will to resist or not take seriously the authorities we have above us, whether the authority is good or bad and there is also peoples tendency to ignore, or twist the truth to ones own preference and advantage. In my local community there isnt a high crime rate, or at least it is not very obvious and I feel relatively safe. Like most large, densely populated cities across the world, petty crimes are a typical problem. Although violent or armed crimes occur, they are rare, while little crimes like pick-pocketing, traffic violation and speeding occur regularly. In Vietnamese cities, motorcycles are the most commonly seen type of vehicle, and bag, jewelry or other belongings of people being snatched by motorcyclists are quite common. These types of crimes can result in serious injuries as in the process of purses or bags being snatched, the straps across the victims bodies could drag the victim along the ground by the thiefs motorcycle. There have been incidents involving crime, like mirrors on my family and friends vehicles being stolen often, and risks of frauds but there has not been a case where we are seriously affected. To come up with solutions to criminality, we must look back to its causes. Many break laws out of desperation, greed or lack of knowledge. Law-breaking starts at a young age, and education is a fundamental cure. A person with a better education and qualifications has a more hopeful future, and will less likely be unemployed and driven to criminality to survive. An education with focus on ethics and values should be able to reduce crimes committed out of selfishness and greed. Thus, a key to the criminality problem is giving all people and criminals a fair opportunity to be trained in to responsible citizens.

The Patriot Act Infringes on American Freedom Essay -- Argumentative P

The Patriot Act Infringes on American Freedom September 11, 2001 started off as a beautiful, sunny day, like many other countless days in America; however, it will now be a day that will live on in infamy. As the news played the shot of the planes driving into the sides of the twin towers, fear was driven into the hearts of all Americans.   People became panicked and demanded that there be a better way for the United States government to protect its people from any future attacks the terrorist might have planned.   This fear was the main contributing factor to the birth of all kinds of new legislation, giving the government new rights to â€Å"fight the terrorist.† The most powerful, and therefore the most controversial, legislation passed by Congress was the U.S. Patriot Act.   It was passed on October 26, 2001, and it is an acronym for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (Fahrenheit 9/11).   It is composed of over 1,000 sections giving the government many new powers that they’ve utilized before in other wartime situations (Lithwick).   However, with the war on terrorism Americans are not fighting a clear cut â€Å"enemy† and there is no foreseeable end for this war in the near future.   Once the immediate fear of another attack calmed down around the nation, people began to realize the rights they were losing to the government that were once granted to them by our founding fathers in the Constitution (Townshend).   There are many sections of the Patriot Act that infringe on the rights of the American people and there is no way for the public to know how the government is using these new found powers; because the Freedom of Information Act requests have been... ...ive up other people’s records (Lithwick). Whether someone is for the Patriot Act or against it, it is clear that the Patriot Act dips into the freedoms once allowed in our nation.   Are these lost freedoms really going to protect America from another terrorist attack or is it finely the great excuse the government has been waiting for to have public support for spying on its citizens?      Works Cited * Egan, Timothy. "State Of The Union: Opposing the Patriot Act." BBC NEWS 3 June 2003. 8 November 2004 <http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/new.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/36515.html> * Fahrenheit 9/11. Dir. Michael Moore. Videocassette. Dog Eat Dog, 2004 * Lithwick, Dahlia, and Julia Turner.   "From a Guide to the Patriot Act."   Slate.   1994.  Ã‚   * Townshend, Mike, and Maddie Trier. "Patriot Debate." State News 10 Nov. 2004, sec. A: 2+8.

Roman Entertainment :: essays research papers

Roman Entertainment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many things the Romans did for entertainment. Even though this entertainment was cruel and brutal it satisfied the Roman's need for excitment and relaxation. In Rome most people loved to watch others suffer and fight to their death. While others loved to go and get a good laugh at the theater or relax and talk about politics at the baths. In the city the state provided most of the entertainment. Outside of the city the people made their own entertainment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the places that the state provided for entertainment was the Colosseum. The Colosseum could seat up to about 50,000 people, upper and lower class. The lower class and women had to sit in the highest level of the Colosseum. The rich and upper class had the best seating and the easiest access to the Colosseum. Even though many people think that the Colosseum was used just for gladiatorial battles, the Colosseum was also filled water so the navy could work on its strategies. The gladiatorial battles usually took place from sunrise to sunset. The gladiators not only fought against other gladiators but also against wild beast such as lions, tigers, and many other dangerous animals. In the beginning, slaves were the main fighters in the arena. Then they realized that the slave population was not enough to continue the battles; so many criminals were sent to the gladiatorial schools. Since the criminals were getting sent to the gladiatorial schools to become a gladiator, criminals thought twice before commiting a crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another state provided form of entertainment was chariot racing. The chariot races were held in what was called The Circus Maximus. The chariot races held in the Circus Maximus were considered the most popular form of entertainment. The Circus Maximus' entertainment was much like the Colosseum, a visitor could come and stay all day. The Circus Maximus could seat as many as 255,000 spectators. Men and women could sit together, but there was reserved seating for the Emporer, senators, knights, Vestal virgins, and women of the Imperial family. On the day of the event, there were about ten to twenty four races. Just like today there were many precautions taken before each race. The horses and the drivers were both checked to ensure that they had not been drugged, and were able to compete in the games. After each race the crowd was amused with acrobats, rope-dancers, and trick-riders.

Finding Freedom with a Dodge Truck and Love with a Zales Diamond Essay

Finding Freedom with a Dodge Truck and Love with a Zales Diamond Television commercials, although usually ignored and generally disliked by the public, are more influential than most people think. Their concepts are subconsciously absorbed and whether or not viewers realize it, they leave an impact on their minds. Marie Winn quotes an English instructor in her essay, â€Å"Television Addiction,† as saying ‘I find television almost irresistible. When the set is on, I cannot ignore it. I can’t turn it off’ (506). Advertisers know that people become addicted to television shows and because of this, they are forced to watch the commercials as well. These repetitious commercials get the consumers influenced by what they see. For example, Dodge promoters use a ram as their mascot which is reflected in their motto â€Å"Grab Life by the Horns,† and it is shown at the end of all their commercials. They want you to seize the freedom in life that you have while making a Dodge car a part of it. Another example of an abstrac t idea promoted in a commercial is the Zales diamond advertisement where a man expresses his love for his girlfriend by not only unrestrainedly shouting it out loudly, but also by presenting her with a beautiful diamond ring. While these commercials induce people to buy their products, they also evoke certain emotions, more specifically the ideas of freedom and love. Dave Barry states in his essay, â€Å"Red, White, and Beer,† â€Å"Lately I’ve been feeling very patriotic, especially during commercials† (519). So, commercials have the power to make consumers feel particular emotions. For instance, the Dodge car promoters use an outdoor setting in their commercial to advertise their trucks. The area is a vast, wide open plain with no... ...tisement for it, because of its visual representation. In conclusion, advertisers have the job of not only tempting viewers to buy a product, but also the power to make them feel emotions through visually showing different situations. â€Å"Dodge† wants you to break away from the norm and embrace freedom while â€Å"Zales† encourages spontaneity in love. In order to fulfill these emotions, the viewers are induced to purchase the product, therefore accomplishing the task of the advertisers. Works Cited Barry, Dave â€Å"Red, White, and Beer† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 519-521 Dove, Rita â€Å"Loose Ends† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 503-505 Winn, Marie â€Å"Television Addiction† The McGraw-Hill Reader 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, 505-507

Relations Between Blacks and Whites

Japan’s economy can be traced back to World War II. After this period, many structural changes helped transform the Japanese economy. This was necessary because Japan had undergone through war that saw its economy near collapse. These changes in policies were through interaction with America, international market, and social mobilization (Ohno, 2006). At the time of war, there was a rapid growth in Japan’s economy. This period saw a rise of manufacturing industries due to materials necessity for the war. Such industries included the automobile industry. Once the war was over, most of the technologies and companies were converted to peaceful economic development (Ohno, 2006). This also saw expansion of private companies. There was also a desire to catch up with the west; new technology and management. The changing US policies were an instrumental success of Japan’s economy. This is because Japan was given permission to export to the US and at the same time protecting its domestic market (Ohno, 2006). The venture into export economy also leaped enormously from international marker of low tariffs; low prices of oil and materials needed for industrial expansion (Ohno, 2006). Another significant trend to the expansion of the economy was the welfare society in Japan instead of the welfare state. This helped Japan to direct most of its resources that would have been spent on welfare to industrial expansion (Ohno, 2006). After the 1950s, Japan’s government engaged in massive financing of the economy. This was through collaboration between the state and private sector. This revamped the economy and the gross national product expanded more than 10 percent annual with limited downturns (Ohno, 2006). There was also development of export economy; investment in technology. The export economy has remained, until now, where over 70 percent of manufactured goods are exported (Ohno, 2006). The other factor that helped was the provision of loans for business by the private banks and removal of monopoly in various sectors of the economy. Additionally, there was an increasing role of trade unions, part time workers, and small companies. There was a mutual understanding between industries and workers. Most of the workers on the short-term basis worked hard to get long-term employment. This helped in post war Japan takeoff in terms of economics (Ohno, 2006). The transition from 1970 to 1980 saw Japan catch up with the other industrial economies of the world. However, this trend was not to remain due to unchanging policies. There was a lack of modern investment opportunities and poor management (Sakisaka & Gaimusho, 2007). This led to business firms, real estate and financial institutions falling prey to speculation. This finally led to the ‘bubble’ economy (Ohno, 2006). The effects were to be felt in the 1990s. Japan continues to struggle to get out of these effects until now. This will only be possible through sweeping reforms. This paper seeks to focus on Japan’s economy. Japanese Geography, Language, and Population Japan is a country of East Asia. It is made up of thousands of islands. However, there are crucial islands. They include Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shiloku; these are the largest of those islands. Japan’s neighbors are Korea, Russia, and China. It has a size equal to Germany or California (Japan Guide, 2013). The language of most of the population is Japanese. However, there has been infiltration of foreign languages. The population is estimated to be 125 million (Japan Guide, 2013). In this estimate, two million are foreign residents. Most of the foreigners are the Korean. Japan is also vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanoes. This is because this country is mostly mountainous. Japan also has variations in climate, due to different islands that make up the country. Economy Japan’s economy ranks high in the world. In fact, Japan ranks second among the most developed nations. Japan GDP has been on the rise since 2004 (Trading Economics, 2012). However, there was a little stagnation in 2005 and 2006. Moreover, there was a reduction in GDP during 2007 to 2008. This was due to the challenges that faced the economy during this time. The annual growth rate of Japan has averaged 2. 1 percent for the last three decades (Trading Economics, 2012). The economy of Japan is majorly dominated by technological advancement. This has enabled Japan to enhance any materials received from other countries. This is because Japan is not endowed with minerals and other forms of raw materials. Most of Japan GDP is dominated by services (Trading Economics, 2012). These se rvices include wholesale and retail, as well as the real estate. The other driving force of the economy is the manufacturing sector. This accounts for nearly 22 percent of the GDP (Trading Economics, 2012). Moreover, constructions industry contributes heavily to the growth of the economy. This accounts for over 5 percent of the country GDP (Trading Economics, 2012). The rate of growth is expected to increase because of changing fiscal policies. Japan has been struggling with inflation for a long time. However, inflation is expected to slow down. For example, the central bank has introduced an inflation target of 2 percent (Einhorn, 2013). Various initiatives have been taken to curb inflation are already in place. The current one has been buying Yen to issue bonds. This will help by weakening the Yen and reviving inflation rate. However, Japan trade deficits have declined significantly. It stands at 362. 4 billion yen that is half of what was reported at the beginning of the year (Einhorn, 2013). However, in Japan there has been an increased in the number of unemployed individuals. For example, in March the unemployment rate was 4. 10 percent as compared to the onset of the year when it stood at 4. 3 (Trading Economics, 2012). For the last six decades, unemployment rate in Japan has averaged 2. 68 percent. However, it was at its highest level in July of 2009 at 5. 60 percent (Trading Economics, 2012). Japanese Openness, Currency, Current Exchange Rate, Primary Exports, Imports, Current Account Balance, Major Trading Partners, and Agreements The rate of openness of a country influences its economy in myriad ways. There is a role of importance in this trend to economic growth. The openness is reflected in terms of international knowledge streams and international movement of people, resources, and technology (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2011). Openness can also lead to failure of some key sector of the economy. This is due to unemployment and failure to compete by some companies on a global scale. Japan is poor as compared to other country of its caliber in terms of openness. This is evident in terms of comparison of countries export and imports of good and services compared to GDP (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2011). The country also shows less inward investment. However, in Japan there exists a higher exposure to international competition. For example, over 50 percent of Japanese automobile makers occur outside Japan (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2011). However, an exception occurs in the food, beverage, and tobacco sector. The sectors that deal with agriculture are cautioned by the government international competition. In Japan, there is also exposure to international trade. In fact, Japan intra-industry business comprises half of all trade (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, 2011). In addition, Japan appears as one of the country hard to make use of foreign labor. The Japanese currency is yen. The US dollar to Japanese yen exchange rate currently is at 99. 25. Japan has largely focused on export due to its processing nature. Japan receives raw materials from different countries and then adds value before exporting. The main export of Japan includes transportation equipments, motor vehicles, electrical machinery, and chemicals (Economy and Trade Fact Sheet, n. d. ). Most of Japan’s imports are raw materials. They include oil, foodstuff, and wood (Economy and Trade Fact Sheet, n. d. ). The import/export stability has helped Japan have a significant trade partners. These partners include United States, China, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates (Economy Watch, 2010). The country has also been the main export market for over ten trading nations worldwide (Economy Watch, 2010). The financial crisis of 2008 affected the international trade of the country. The export volume declined to $516. 3 in 2009 as compared to over 700 billion the previous year (Economy Watch, 2010). In 2010, the total value of export was over 750 billion US dollars (Economy Watch, 2010). Japan is also a member of world commerce and trade agreements. Currently, Japan is a member of many international organizations. They include APEC, WTO, OECD, the G-8, and the G-20 (Economy Watch, 2010). Japan is also advancing towards Economic Partnership Agreement instead of Free Trade Agreements. Japanese Trade Policy and Trade Barriers in Various Periods Japan’s trade policies and barriers have changed depending on the status of the economy in different periods of its history. These policies have changed depending on the status of the economy. In 19th century, the country was committed to industrializing as well as carrying out military expansion. Consequently, the government promoted imports of the manufactured and capital goods that were not available in Japan (Sato, 1999). On the other hand, in order to promote export, the government introduced policies that would ensure there was an improvement in quality, production, and standardization of potential or existing exports (Rapp, 1978). Another policy was the introduction of export quality checks. This took place after the end of World War II. There was screening of firms export technology imports and quality control were controlled and enhanced in the country (Rapp, 1978). There was also institutionalization of export cartel; to reduce competition that could be detrimental to individual firms and economy (Rapp, 1978). This was prominent during the 1950s and 1960s. The government have supported research and development in computers to make Japanese producers competitive worldwide. There was lowering on tariffs on raw materials. This increased the effective protection to value added and promoted manufacturing (Rapp, 1978). When the value of yen decreased in the 1930, some companies like Ford were forced to close. There was also checking on the import of assembled motor vehicles. Further policies were implemented after the war. These policies included quotas on import taking account of key raw materials such as coal (Sato, 1999). There were also protective tariffs on manufacturers and raw materials were outsourced toll free. In order to secure foreign exchange, the government regulated the import and amount paid on the required technology (Rapp, 1978). The government also encouraged exports through exceptional tax and credit incentives. Successes and Challenges Faced By Japan in International Trade A country involvement in international trade has its advantages and challenges. The liberal international economic order was beneficial to Japan. This was due to reduction of barrier. Japan exploited this growth and contributed to revenue growth and rising living standards in the country (Noland, 2000). There was a revival of key infrastructure through these programs. However, the country continues to face challenges in international trade. One of the challenges is economic domination by the United States. Secondly, there is growing suspicion from other Asian countries on activities of Japan. The political system in the country is also a challenge to this trade. There is also a replacement of Japan trading activities by emerging economy in East Asia such as China (Cooper, 2013). Trade and Investment Liberalization Should Be Pursued By Japan In Order To Achieve Economic Growth Japan currently is experiencing economic stagnation. This can only be rescued by trade liberalization. The first thing the country should do is to open its domestic market to foreign companies. This will help in areas such as agricultural revival. The other action should be Internationalization of science and innovation. This will help in submission of external earning, enhance the local currency, and will lead to improved direct investment. There should also be openness to labor; highly skilled foreign workers. This will help in improving materials for export, improved trade, and earnings. Conclusion It is clear that Japan’s economics has gone through a period of transformation. Especially before the 21st century. Initially, Japan experienced increased economic growth. However, at the end of the 20th century, Japan experienced an economic downturn. Currently, Japan is on the road to recovery through sweeping reforms it has been undertaking. There has been various policies and tariffs. In addition, there has also been increased revenue through adding value to manufactured goods. This has also helped Japan to be one of the main export/import partners in the world. Japan has benefited from global trade. On the other hand, the international trade has affected Japan.

Essay On Pop Culture

Technological advancements the last decades have contributed to the creation of a globalized era, with the English language as a common denominator, as the major language spoken between those who do not share any language. Globalization have made it possible for an extreme output of popular culture that has mainly origins of English speaking countries with U. S. A. as the main exporter of popular culture through music, movies, television etc. In this essay I explore the positive aspects that using popular music in the classroom might potentially have.In my main issues I discuss the motivational aspects of popular culture, why teachers might feel insecure or unwilling to use the student's personal interests of popular culture in the classroom. Also how popular culture can be used to understand the cultural values of foreign countries and societies. Furthermore I will present some practical tasks and suggestions for lessons in how to use popular culture and the sub-category music as th e most important teaching resource within popular culture in exercises in the classroom as a motivating way to promote communicative skills of the language.Also important aspects on how cultural and historic influences on music by people and countries can be used to teach students of other values and how music can be used to create understanding for other peoples way of perceiving life. Major Issues: Inviting the student's social environment into the classroom: Motivational effects of popular culture one important factor for successful learning in any context is motivation, a concept that in all forms of education is a key to classroom learning (Harrett & Benjamin, 2009, p. 138).Language learning is not just about teaching student’s formal academic language. In order for a student to be able to effectively communicate in a broader context the student also needs to have knowledge of the informal language and social structures that might not be as present in the literature the schools provide. These issues can be however found within popular culture such as media from television or music, in order to engage in the situations of their life where they have to adapt their language to â€Å"the various domains of their world† (Lambirth, 2003, p. 11)In teaching languages, the introduction of popular culture is a method of creating motivation, as the students can then relate their classroom work to their knowledge, experience and interests of their social life (Harrett & Benjamin, 2009, p. 134). In a study of the English subject for second language learners in Mexican schools it is suggested that an increased attention to popular music in the curriculum would enhance the students motivation for the English language as activities involving this sub-category of popular culture would; â€Å"Using their knowledge, their music and their language.† (Domoney & Harris, 1993, p. 235).Music is such a popular concept for the students, used correctly, it will help to motivate and increase the interest of a subject through a conscious and emotional involvement from the students (Kanel, 1997, p. 218). Pop culture is a way of gaining the student's interest, by connecting the student’s familiar knowledge of the English language that they are exposed to outside of school. Using the students’ knowledge of popular culture will then serve as a meaningful resource to teach the language (Lambirth, 2003, p.12).Using popular culture makes students more prone to learning the subject and will prevent any inhibitions of learning that comes from an affective filter; Peter Krashen's metaphor for when the student feels anxiety, boredom, stress and/or other pressures, they create an emotional barrier that prevent learning (Kanel, 1997, p. 219, Griffee, 1988, p. 24). Developments in English language teaching have been on the interaction and negotiation of the students and on the importance of integrating their experiences, knowledge and feeli ngs into classroom.The ideas and discussions revolving about pop music included these valuable inputs from outside of school and came together and related to the more communicative focus of language learning that is still a popular method of teaching (Domoney & Harris, 1993). â€Å"They get enough of that at home†: Claims that pop culture does not belong in the classroom are outdated. Teachers might feel a general unwillingness toward incorporating popular culture in the classroom and there are often several issues that create this point of view.Teachers might not understand the contemporary popular culture of today’s youth and therefore project negative thoughts on what is popular, expressing ideas such as; children who are more interested in popular culture are not as bright as those who prefer reading. Teachers might also regard pop culture as contra productive for student’s creativity and reason that they get enough of input in their spare time (Lambirth, 20 03). However, the teachers are not those who can fully take the blame for not wanting to incorporate popular culture in the classroom.The teachers are caught between the two strong influences, of the popular culture industry and those who create the educational policies (Lambirth, 2003) It might therefore be unfair to lay blame on teachers for not wanting to take a gamble on their jobs and career by using methods that does not follow their curriculum. Using popular culture in the subject demands some knowledge of current technology and in using media properly in the classroom.The teacher education programs lack the teaching of these issues, young teachers are therefore anxious in using these kinds of modern methods of teaching as they do not want to stray too far from the curriculum. It is of the essence that the teacher training programs start education the students in how to properly use these ways to keep the next generation in tune with the progressive modern digital world. (Har rett & Benjamin, 2009)Classrooms can no longer be a room and place where local traditions are taught and implemented upon the students; the role that popular culture plays suggest that there is a need for better education of informal language (Pennycook, 2010, p. 82). The globalization have created transcultural flows of popular cultures that appeal the students in different ways and many students can no longer be affected by only the local traditions. The student's identities are instead reflected by the popular music and culture that are in constant flow.If the education for our future generations want to stay in touch with the trends of society, by paying attention to the student's knowledge, identity, interests and desires, then it is crucial that issues the students can relate to, such as popular culture are introduced into the language learning in schools (Pennycook, 2010, p. 82). Research supporting the use of pop culture & music in the classroom As i have mentioned above in my paragraph on motivation, pop music is a very large branch of the popular culture and there are studies that affirm musical knowledge and skill as useful and valuable in the classroomAll human beings possess varying degrees of musical intelligence, one of the intelligences that the human race has developed, the others are; linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic and personal intelligences. Asserted in the educational theory of â€Å"multiple intelligences† by Gardner in 1985 (Failoni, 1993). The theory of multiple intelligences confirm that excluding those with brain damage, every person on this earth possess some form of musical intelligence.Anthropologists have acknowledged after tests on both normal and learning disabled-students that music attributes to several functions of language learning that is important. The properties of music, that include: rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, form and mood, aids in the cognitive process of gaining vocabulary , enhance retention and is a good way to promote general language development and reading skills (Kanel, 1997). Music can be viewed as an instrument which everybody in the classroom can be involved in use and understand.It is therefore certainly arguable that integrating the musical intelligence in the classroom as a teaching tool by adopting and adapting it into lessons and activities without any demand on either teacher or student to have any knowledge on how to perform or compose music (Failoni, 1993). Audio-lingual method of teaching also supports the use of authentic songs, if the songs are properly chosen so that there is no abundance in non-standard grammar or excessive slang.As the songs that are constructed for ESL lacked the effectively to interest the student as the lyrics ended up being a collection of phonemes in a text (Kanel, 1997). Also the pedagogical theories of Vygotsky as well as Lave and Wenger are applicable to methods of using popular culture in the classroom. Lave and Wenger's theories of situated learning theory states that learning occur naturally through activities, contexts and cultures. The learners utilize their knowledge and experience from their informal sociocultural world and apply them to understand new information.Vygotsky's theories of the socio-cultural are based on how children acquire knowledge through their culture (Debbie, 2007). Even though these theories are abstract they are both successful and popular within pedagogical methods and theories. And they are highly related to the student's exposure of popular culture. the popular culture is an important sphere in which the student's identity outside of school is affirmed, challenged, taken apart and reconstructed (Pennycook, 2010). Teaching values of cultures: Understanding cultural aspects through contemporary popular cultureTo perceive cultures as national entities with shared values and are separated by boundaries of borders to other countries is to look at culture from a very narrow perspective. Culture can be described as â€Å"‘Big C & little c† The Big C are the formal institutions of a country, little c being the daily lives studied by sociologists and anthropologists, patterns of behavior and cultural traditions. When learning a second language, culture is a prominent theme in the process of learning the new language, and that involves studying customs and beliefs of a country (Yuen, 2011).This perspective of culture becomes complex and problematic when studying languages of a nation that have a lot of diversity and different ethnicities. France is an example of an ethnic diverse country because of their imperial history. Through the French hip-hop scene that have been one of the prominent genres for the last two decades we can study the way in which the informal languages of the streets have evolved by influence of various cultures. Traditionalists have disregarded these linguistic features because of their departure from t raditional grammar (Pennycook, 2010).The French hip-hop culture however despite averting from traditional grammar have their own grammatical rules that is followed, (Chi'en, 2008) discusses the weird English that is a result of globalization and of many different English languages co-existing, the same goes for the French hip-hop lingua, it is not broken or radical or â€Å"wrong† it is in fact a form of art; one which can be reproduced only with knowledge of the genre. The hip-hop scene has become a new symbol for the â€Å"tricolor† i. e. the French flag.The opposition of the nationalistic red, blue & white flag which does not symbolize the society of modern France should instead be ascribed to the new colors; â€Å"black, blanc & beur† representing the multiracial, multicultural & multilingual society that is a more objective reflection of how the French social scene looks today. (Pennycook, 2010) Discussing the history of either Jazz, Rock & Roll or Rap is a way of learning the cultural aspects of the African-American community and the roots of both genres which both were born in Africa and brought to America, carried by the slaves and further evolved there to what it is today.  (Omoniyi, 2006)The global use of English has been a key factor to the spreading of the popular culture from major informal institutions such as Hollywood, or the hip-hop music which has been very influential world wide. Studying the re-appropriation of the hip-hop music in African countries as Nigera gives insight of how their values are reflected in songs by comparing them to North American contemporaries.Although the artists in Nigeria are similar to their colleagues in the U. S.  by following the trends of popular culture in appearance, the Nigerian hip-hop differ a lot in their lyrics, such as different themes such as love instead of the misogynist ideals represented in the American hip-hop. (Omonyi, 2006) Studying the sub-genres of hip hop African coun tries gives us knowledge of the African countries that speak English as native tongue and is a part of the globalization of the English language, but are even so underrepresented in text books supplied by schools (Yuen, 2011)The result of the English globalization is that there are a lot of countries that have their own unique music, even though they share the same genre as other English speaking countries. Irish folk music is a popular sub-genre of the folk music, which has aspects of entertainment values with songs about drinking and what the comical consequences of drinking too much. Many songs also contain more serious and political protest songs against British tyranny or the songs about the civil war in Ireland, giving the audience a broad insight into the countries culture and history by listening to their music.But teachers using these methods to promote cultural understanding should be wary not to promote stereotypes of a country â€Å"That Mexicans only dance the hat danc e for example† (Failoni, 1993). Implications for Practice â€Å"Music, the great communicator† the phrase that popular rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers coined in their song Can't Stop. It cannot be assumed that they implicated anything regarding language learning, but they did in fact have a valid point with that statement. Music can be used in teaching the all four strands of language learning; listening, reading, speaking & writing.Students experiencing difficulties with communication skills are likely to react positively to the entertaining aspects of music and might improve their communicative skills as rhymes, melodies and rhythm are easier to remember than ordinary speech (Failoni, 1993). Teaching informal language is something that I have stressed in this article as the researchers have argued that it is important to integrate more of the student's experience from outside of school to promote student participation (Pennycook, 2010).Using authentic pop music as li stening material have been since the 70's gained an increased popularity, because it colloquialism that student's otherwise miss out on in the classroom (Griffee, 1988). Furthermore it will make student's aware of phonetic structures. Listening exercises can be used with mixing reading comprehension, having the students underlining vocabulary in text that is chosen by the teacher consciously as a specific goal for learning (Failoni, 1993).Taking the next step with music from the listening comprehension to speaking, pronunciation skills are improved by the student first hearing the lines and the repeating them with the rythm of music as a cognitive help for the student to more pronounce the words more aptly. (Failoni, 1993) Communicative exercises can be created on the base of exploring different musical styles which is an easy alternative for teachers willing to introduce music in the classroom.(Failoni 1993) There are also a lot of different cultural aspects and styling’s th at can be taught in the classroom to promote cultural awareness. Exercises to engage students about culture can be done through finding songs that are unique in the way that they are symbols of the country or region, some examples are: The Genius of Ravi Shankar (India) Rampal Japanese Melodies (Japan) Bagpipe Music (Scotland) Bach's Toccata & Fugue in D minor (Germany) (Griffee, 1988) Playing these kind of songs can be used in form of quizzes as relaxed competitive tasks for the students.World map’s in the classroom than this is a great tool for enhancing the task and going deeper into details. Further ways are giving the students pictures of things that symbolize the origin of the song, pictures of what kind of food is eaten there, how the buildings looks like, historical remnants like the coliseum. The songs are repeated and the students are asked to chronologically place the pictures based on the order of the songs. This is method is pedagogical in a cognitive way by the connecting the visual and hearing senses.After all the countries of the songs played then follow-up activities is a way to discuss further create cultural awareness by discussions on for an example based on the pictures in front of them, (Griffee 1988) Understanding of social and political structures, both past and contemporary can be discussed and understood under the basis of only discussing a genre of music, listening to Latin American pop music presents the listener to nationalistic views (Failoni, 1988).This is a way for the students to learn these things as many youths are interested in the music. And if it so happens that the students in that particular classroom is not interested in the Hip Hop / Rap genre then the positive thing is that there are an infinite amount of genres to explore. An option is also not using only one genre as a discussion point but bringing in the option for students to do research on the unique historical and cultural aspects of the music they listen to.