Is Venezuela a Rentier State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Is Venezuela a Rentier State - Essay Example The question of whether Venezuela derives significant portions of its economy from oil is without a doubt true; Corrales (2006) even characterized President Hugo Chavez as one of the world’s most powerful CEOs, in regards to his sale of oil to the United States. The Venezuelan government can also be seen to embody Rentier characteristics: Chavez has been successful in centralizing power through an elimination of intermediary government structures; he has allowed rampant crime to persist; and has allowed highly questionable election processes. While these actions can be seen to be highly indicative of a populace that ceases to intervene because of an abundance of oil money and reduced taxes, the reality of the situation is more complex. Indeed, it’s been argued that rather than Venezuela’s political structure being allowed by the citizens out of apathy in the face of reduced taxes, it has occurred because of a systematic effort on the part of Chavez to scare the c itizens into submissions and acceptance of more lax governmental standards. Corrales (pg. 9, 2006) compares this mentality to the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, â€Å"The more insecurity that citizens face—the closer they come to living in the brutish state of nature—the more they will welcome state power.† In this regard, it’s not the oil money that has influenced the populace, but the calculated manipulations on the part of Chavez and his regime that have trained the population into acceptance. When investigating the plausibility of democracy surviving in situations outside the United States, one must agree on what democracy means. If it is the communal rule of society through group consensus, as embodied in elected officials, protests, and free speech than Democratic rule is not only an element of Americanness, but a lynchpin of much of the European Union, as well as Australia, Israel, and Canada.

Commodity fetishism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commodity fetishism - Essay Example Significantly, these dynamics form the framework of both subjects and popular cultural forms. Commodity fetishism is not merely a notion or illusion. It refers to the functioning of capitalism as a system, and explains why media representation has ideological power. The 1994 Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or award-winning film Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, USA, 1994) consists of a trio of stories revolving around the â€Å"violent misadventures of a collection of outlaws – right out of the pages of pulp fiction† (Marlow, 2001: 90). Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism explains the ideological concepts in the film. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to provide an ideology critique of the film Pulp Fiction written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, 1994. The critique will be based on Marx’s theory of commodity fetishism. Extensive changes have occurred in cultural, political and economic practices since around 1972. These changes are related to the new major ways in which time and space are experienced by individuals. Postmodernism is related to the culture of the advanced capitalist societies, with a changing sensibility and a shift in the structure of feeling, in practices, and discourse formations. This leads to new assumptions, experiences and propositions, as evident in cultural manifestations and the media including films (Harvey, 1989). Developed by modernist culture, â€Å"the postmodern is characterized by experiments in time, space and perception† (Wayne, 2005: 108); it is now increasingly integrated with popular genres, as in Pulp Fiction and other films such as The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995), and Sliding Doors (Peter Howitt, 1998). Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction is â€Å"one of the best examples of the mysterious subtext of the curio shop in contemporary narratives† (Goh, 2002: 19). The film has been highly popular, winning critical acclaim,

Measurement of Free

Measurement of Free-Fall Acceleration Essay Introduction Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), the man first accredited with the correct notion of free-fall with uniform acceleration, stated that if one were to remove entirely the resistance of the medium, all materials would descend with equal speed. Today, this statement holds true for all objects in free-fall near the Earths surface. The purpose of this experiment is to verify Galileos assertion that acceleration is constant. In addition, the magnitude of acceleration will be calculated. Theory By definition, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. Instantaneous acceleration is the derivative of velocity with respect to time. a(t) = dv / dt. Average acceleration is the change in velocity during a time interval, Dt, divided by the length of that interval, aave = Dv / Dt. In this experiment, average acceleration of gravity will be determined by measuring the change in position of a falling object at regularly timed intervals. With this, average velocities for these intervals will be calculated. A graph of the average velocities versus time should give a straight line whose slope is the acceleration of gravity (g). Apparatus To determine the acceleration of gravity the Behr apparatus will be used. The device consists of two vertical conducting wires, a thin strip of paper held  between them, and a metal-girdled weight designed to fall between the wires along the length of the paper strip. A spark timer transmits a high voltage electric pulse to the wires approximately 60 times a second. Every time a pulse is transmitted, two main sparks flow through the system. One spark passes from one wire to the metal girdle around the weight. The second spark causes a small burn in the paper, marking the location of the weight at that instant. Procedure Turn on the electromagnetic power supply and suspend the weight from the end of it. Confirm that the weight falls smoothly into the cup at the base of the apparatus when the electromagnet switch is turned off. Run this test run about three or four times before you continue. Next, draw a fresh strip of paper from the base of the device and clamp it in place. Turn on the electromagnet, and suspend the weight at the end of the magnet. Hold down the spark switch, and then immediately turn off the eleectromagnet power supply. The weight should fall down to the base of the apparatus, causing sparks to pass between the two wires and itself. Turn off the power to the spark timer and inspect the paper strip. A series of burns should be visible along the length of the paper. Remove the paper strip from the apparatus and immediately mark the spots with a pen or pencil to see them more clearly. Data and Results The following table shows the data calculated for the experiment. The spots found on the paper strip are shown as (n). The distance of the metal girdle along the strip is denoted by (x). Velocity is (v) and acceleration is (a). The estimated time (Dt) for this test was 60.2  ± 0.7s-1. Calculations of distance, velocity, and acceleration of metal girdle. n x n (cm) xn+1 x n (cm) xn+1 x n / Dt = v n (cm/s) vn+1 v n (cm/s) vn+1 v n / Dt = a (cm/s2) 1 0.00 2 0.70 0.70  ± .02 42.1  ± 2 3 1.43 0.73  ± .04 43.9  ± 3 1.8  ± 5 108  ± 302 4 2.43 1.00  ± .04 60.2  ± 3 16.3  ± 6 981  ± 373 5 3.72 1.29  ± .04 77.7  ± 3 17.5  ± 6 1054  ± 373 6 5.27 1.55  ± .04 93.3  ± 3 15.6  ± 6 939  ± 372 7 7.07 1.80  ± .04 108.4  ± 4 15.1  ± 7 909  ± 432 8 9.16 2.09  ± .04 125.8  ± 4 17.4  ± 8 1047  ± 494 9 11.5 2.32  ± .04 139.7  ± 4 13.9  ± 8 837  ± 491 10 14.1 2.61  ± .04 157.1  ± 4 17.4  ± 8 1047  ± 494 11 17.0 2.90  ± .04 174.6  ± 4 17.5  ± 8 1054  ± 494 12 20.1 3.15  ± .04 189.6  ± 5 15.0  ± 9 903  ± 552 13 23.6 3.45  ± .04 207.7  ± 5 18.1  ± 10 1090  ± 615 14 27.2 3.65  ± .04 219.7  ± 5 12.0  ± 10 722  ± 610 15 31.2 3.98  ± .04 239.6  ± 5 19.9  ± 10 1198  ± 616 16 35.4 4.20  ± .04 252.8  ± 5 13.2  ± 10 795  ± 611 17 39.9 4.52  ± .04 272.1  ± 6 19.3  ± 11 1162  ± 676 18 44.7 4.72  ± .04 284.1  ± 6 12.0  ± 12 722  ± 731 19 49.7 5.00  ± .04 301.0  ± 6 16.9  ± 12 1017  ± 734 20 55.0 5.33  ± .04 320.9  ± 6 19.9  ± 12 1198  ± 736 21 60.6 5.60  ± .04 337.1  ± 6 16.2  ± 12 975  ± 734 22 66.5 5.87  ± .04 353.4  ± 7 16.3  ± 13 981  ± 794 23 72.5 6.07  ± .04 365.4  ± 7 12.0  ± 14 722  ± 851 24 78.9 6.35  ± .04 382.3  ± 7 16.9  ± 14 1017  ± 855 25 85.8 6.68  ± .04 402.1  ± 7 19.8  ± 14 1192  ± 857 26 92.7 6.93  ± .04 417.2  ± 7 15.1  ± 14 909  ± 853 27 99.9 7.15  ± .04 430.4  ± 7 13.2  ± 14 795  ± 852 28 107.4 7.46  ± .04 449.1  ± 8 18.7  ± 15 1126  ± 916 29 115.0 7.74  ± .04 465.9  ± 8 16.8  ± 16 1011  ± 975 30 123.1 8.01  ± .04 482.2  ± 8 16.3  ± 16 981  ± 975 31 131.1 8.20  ± .04 493.6  ± 8 11.4  ± 16 686  ± 971 32 139.9 8.55  ± .04 515.0  ± 8 21.4  ± 16 1288  ± 978 33 148.7 8.80  ± .04 530.0  ± 9 15.0  ± 18 903  ± 1034 aAVE = 9.47  ± .69 m/s2 s = 9.47  ± .78 m/s2 slope (m) of graph = 8.9 Conclusions The average value of acceleration for each time interval is closer to the desired value of 9.8 m/s2 than the calculated slope of the velocity-time graph. The average of uncertainties for the calculated accelerations is a better as choice of uncertainty because it provides a narrower field of uncertainty than does standard deviation. In conclusion, the calculated value of 9.47  ± .69 m/s2 for acceleration is acceptable.

Degradation of Women in Caribbean Music Essay -- Music

As one moves past the initial onslaught of rhythmic beats that calypso has to offer, it is difficult to miss the way in which it reverberates with negative and demoralizing images of women to their male counterparts. Whether it is within the lyrics of Sparrow’s â€Å"Drunk and Disorderly† or Square One’s â€Å"My Ding-a Ling†, an ample number of verses are often dedicated to making lewd comments about the female body and the suggestive body language described through thinly veiled rhymes and puns, can be offensive depending on the listener. The half naked models being displayed on the various album covers of calypso, soca and rap mix tapes further reinforces these negative connotations. This bandwagon has been jumped upon by many, including the rap genre in the last two decades, wanting to capitalize on a marketing strategy that generally purports to flag consumer attention, playing on their sense of eroticism. The sections titled â€Å"Music, Sex, Se xism† and â€Å"Woman Rising† within Peter Manuel’s text: Caribbean Currents, dive into the many issues surrounding gender within music as well as female portrayal specifically in calypso. Observations can be made simply by reading through the textual comparisons. Many aspects of this subject area allude to the fact that the issue of gender portrayal in music can be construed differently depending on who the critical listener happens to be. With the increased awareness and heightened sensitivity to the way in which females are portrayed in popular media, it is important to reflect on the impact these lyrics have on male-female relationships within the communities who most often enjoy this music genre. â€Å"The parallels between musical and linguistic boundaries are obvious† as stated in author Peter M... ...ages of women. Ultimately the purchaser and listener of all kinds of music, influences the pace of this movement. Work Cited Bilby, Kenneth. Largey, Michael. Manuel, Peter. Caribbean Currents- Caribbean Music From Rumba to Reggae. Temple Univ. Press. Philadelphia, 2006. Ember, Carol. Ember, Melvin. Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Vol 2. Springer pub Chicago. 2005 â€Å"Female Degradation must not be Tolerated†. The Marquette Tribune. Staff editorial- Posted November 8, 2007. www.marquettetribune.com Accessed April 12, 2008 Jones, Tiffanie. â€Å"Video girls Bare all on Music Industry†. New Orleans News Periodical Dated September 23, 2004. Accessed April 12, 2008 Mayer, Andre. â€Å"Booty Rhapsody-Pop music’s obsession with the female posterior† Posted January 16, 2005. www.newsworld.cbc.ca/arts/music/booty.html Accessed April 12, 2008

Cracker Barrel Restaurants Case Study Essay

1. Discuss the factors that make it more difficult to establish work place discrimination based on sexual orientation than discrimination based on race? Although federal laws protect people from workplace discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, age, and disability, there is no federal law that specifically outlaws workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the private sector. (Federal government workers are protected from such discrimination.). an employee can file a complaint regarding discrimination based on race and be heard while an employee that files a complaint regarding discrimination based of sexual orientation will not be heard unless the company that they work for has an internal policy regarding sexual orientation. 2. Do chain restaurant operations, which prize uniformity – and thus reliability – in store design, products, and operating procedures, require uniformity of personnel policies? Were the regional variations that Dan Evins proposed on February 27, 1991, a viable corporate strategy? Why or why not. The need of personnel policies arises basically from overall objectives of the organization; a corporate thinking is required which will guide decision making at all operating level. The spontaneous cooperation of employees can be achieved through a just and fair treatment to all. Personnel policies provide the basis for uniformity and consistency. I do not believe they were a viable corporate strategy, as it started a chain reaction to incriminatory fire LGBT employees for no valid reason then that they were not heterosexual. Protests erupted at restaurants in dozens of cities and towns; boycotts were organized; and shareholders complained. even though nothing was accomplished until 2002 when New York and its allies fought until 58 percent of the shareholders persuaded Cracker Barrel’s board to vote unanimously to explicitly forbid anti-gay discrimination in its equal employment policy. 3. How does the Cracker Barrel case support or challenge the nation that federal legislation is warranted to stop employment discrimination based on sexual orientation? Although there are not federal laws to prevent discrimination based on  sexual orientation, protections does exist for workers on the basis of religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, and race. Still, as the NAACP and other lawsuits against Cracker Barrel demonstrate, federal legislation does not ensure corporate compliance. Aggrieved parties and their supporters often must invest years of their lives in protest and litigation simply to achieve the equal treatment ostensibly guaranteed in the American marketplace. Even after the terns race and sexual orientation have been added to the policy statements, broader cultural transformations will be required before these added burdens are removed from the shoulders of workers already greatly disadvantaged in our society. 4. Why are particular retail products, for example, inanimate objects such as mammy dolls, perceived to be racist? To be honest I do not like the mammy dolls, I just found out that the mammie dolls are racial motivated toward African Americans of the past. The development of the dolls came from cartoons of black people in 1600, 1700, and 1800s. The cartoons made remarks about African American women that were slaves who in most instances were house slaves who took care of slave owners children. These cartoons developed more negative images during this time. The development of the cloth dolls and ceramic dolls became popular due to these cartoons. The mammie dolls are resurfacing now by Caucasians and miss-educated African Americans as heritage dolls. They are apart of African American heritage however a negative image. They have increased sales after the election of Barack Obama by Caucasians by right wing conservatives. 5. Which areas of corporate activity should be open to broader scrutiny through shareholder resolutions? How much stake in the company should a shareholder have in order to present a resolution? The desire to promote the core values of the shareholder, and or to address the business risks and opportunities of global climate change, $2,000 or 1% and must be on the inside, must own for at least 1 year. 6. If a controversial corporate policy is reversed only after a decade of defiance, how should the company’s public relations officers present the change to the media? Public relations professionals present the face of an organization or individual, usually to articulate its objectives and official views on issues of relevance, primarily to the media. Public relations contributes to the way an organization is perceived by influencing the media and maintaining relationships with stakeholders. Specific public relations disciplines include: Financial public relations – communicating financial results and business strategy Consumer/lifestyle public relations – gaining publicity for a particular product or service Crisis communication – responding in a crisis Internal communications – communicating within the company itself Government relations – engaging government departments to influence public policy Food-centric relations – communicating specific information centered on foods, beverages and wine. Building and managing relationships with those who influence an organization or individual’s audiences has a central role in doing public relations. After a public relations practitioner has been working in the field, they accumulate a list of relationships that become an asset, especially for those in media relations. Within each discipline, typical activities include publicity events, speaking opportunities, press releases, newsletters, blogs, social media, press kits and outbound communication to members of the press. Video and audio news releases are often produced and distributed to TV outlets in hopes they will be used as regular program content.

Phrasal Verb Overview and Resources

Phrasal verbs are verbs that are made up of two or more words. For example: Turn onLook forward to turn on - He turned on the TV.look forward to - I look forward to meeting you. Why are Phrasal Verbs Important? If you are unfamiliar with phrasal verbs, this guide to what are phrasal verbs explains everything. Phrasal verbs are used in everyday English by native English speakers to express a wide range of ideas. Unfortunately, phrasal verbs are often ignored because students focus on only the verb. Its important to take notice of the attached prepositions to phrasal verbs when learning new vocabulary. Phrasal verbs can be literal or figurative in meaning. For example, the phrasal verb get into can mean enter - He got in the car - or figuratively accept - He got into Harvard. Phrase verbs are made up of a verb, plus one or more particles. make up - I made up the story.get over - She got over her illness.put in - I put in three hours on the project. In two-word phrasal verbs, the particle is a preposition. In three or more word phrasal verbs the last particle is generally a preposition. look forward to - She looks forward to going on vacation.get ready for - Im getting ready for a competition.get on with - Lets get on with this job. There are four types of phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable and they can take an object or not. Phrasal Verb Reference Materials There are so many phrasal verbs. The Cambridge Phrasal Verb dictionary is 432 pages long! Luckily, not all of these phrasal verbs need to be committed to memory. Phrasal verbs with to get are some of the most common phrasal verbs. There are also certain common prepositions used to build phrasal verbs: Departures and arrivals with off and onIncreasing and decreasing with up and down Learning Phrasal Verbs in Context Phrasal verbs can also be learned in context by relating synonyms to the new phrasal verbs you learn. Here is a series of exercises that provides listening examples from which you match the phrasal verb to its definition or synonym. Build your phrasal verb vocabulary - 2 Phrasal Verb Quizzes Learning phrasal verbs also takes a lot of repetition. Quizzes provide some of the best practice. These quizzes provide feedback on phrasal verbs: Phrasal Verbs with BringPhrasal Verbs with LookPhrasal Verbs with PutPhrasal Verbs with TakePhrasal Verbs with TurnMixed Phrasal Verbs

Sir Sandford Fleming Father of Standard Time

Sir Sandford Fleming was an engineer and inventor responsible for a variety of innovations, most notably the modern system of standard time and time zones. Early Life Fleming was born in 1827 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland and emigrated to Canada in 1845 at the age of 17. He first worked as a surveyor and later became a railway engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He founded the Royal Canadian Institute in Toronto in 1849. While originally an organization for engineers, surveyors, and architects, it would evolve into an institution for the advancement of science in general. Sir Sandford Fleming - Father of Standard Time Sir Sandford Fleming advocated the adoption of a standard time or mean time, as well as hourly variations from that according to established time zones. Flemings system, still in use today, established Greenwich, England (at 0 degrees longitude) as the standard time, and divides the world into 24 time zones, each a fixed time from the mean time. Fleming was inspired to create the standard time system after he missed the train in Ireland due to confusion over the time of departure. Fleming first recommended the standard to the Royal Canadian Institute in 1879, and he was instrumental in convening the 1884 International Prime Meridian Conference in Washington, at which the system of international standard time — still in use today — was adopted.  Fleming was behind the adoption of the present time meridians in both Canada and the U.S. Before Flemings time revolution, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by some well-known clock (for example, on a church steeple or in a jewelers window). Standard time in time zones was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. Other Inventions A few of Sir Sandford Flemings other achievements: Designed the first Canadian postage stamp. The three-penny stamp issued in 1851 had a beaver on it (the national animal of Canada).Designed an early in-line skate in 1850.Surveyed for the first railroad route across CanadaWas the head engineer for most of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway.