Is Wal Mart Good For America Essay

The growth and dominance of Wal-Mart over the years has indeed turned it into an economy all its own. There is no single corporation in the world that has as much impact as Wal-Mart has, save perhaps for oil corporations, on any single domestic or even international economy. The volume of sales which Wal-Mart generates is enough to keep the rest of the world happily employed and is also enough to keep the consumerist population of the United States happy in their spending habits. Every single commodity manufacturer who is interested in surviving must be able to gain the good graces of Wal-Mart. The impact of Wal-Mart is such that it â€Å"has life-or-death decision over [almost] all the consumer goods industries that exist in the United States (Gereffi 2006). † This virtually unbridled power of the life or death of consumer goods industries, however, presents the question of whether or not Wal-Mart is indeed good for America. While it certainly does create jobs and sustains the consumer goods industries of America, it also has the same power of taking such benefits away and perhaps leaving the American economy in a far worse off situation than it is at the present. Wal-Mart has become so powerful that any shift in its purchasing and production policies will certainly result in some imbalance on a certain economy in the world. An example of the power of Wal-Mart is the fact that because of the immense volume of sales that Wal-Mart generates it is able to dictate where goods are to be manufactured in the world despite the fact that it is not a producer but simply a retail-chain. For a retail chain to be able to dictate to suppliers where they are to produce their items in order to be able to sell to Wal-Mart at a lower cost means that the retail chain has either a huge stake in the ownership of the supplier or buys so much from the supplier that it is able to dictate the price that it is willing to buy at and by doing so dictate where such goods are to be produced. In determining whether or not Wal-Mart is good for America, the basic economic principles of any market must be analyzed. Every market is governed by two basic forces, supply and demand. Wal-Mart is able to control both these forces because of the immense size that it has. It controls supply by deciding what items it chooses to retail. It also decides the demand for the item by pricing competitively. In its early years, Wal-Mart provided jobs for most Americans because a majority of the goods supplied were produced in the United States. With globalization and the theory of a flat world, other countries have become more competitive industrially and have now taken those production jobs that were previously held by Americans. The outsourcing of consumer goods industries to other countries can be theorized to have been created by the Wal-Mart demand for cheaper products from their suppliers. The problem with this scenario is that it creates unemployment for Americans who are the main buyers from Wal-Mart. In order to counteract this scenario, Wal-Mart must then reduce prices lower to meet the increasing lower income bracket of unemployed Americans who have lost their jobs because of the global production tilt to other countries. As this trend continues, it may be theorized that Wal-Mart will eventually strangle itself by driving the prices of goods down too much without protecting its major market which is the United States. The status of Wal-Mart, therefore, as either a boon or a bane for the American economy solely depends on whether or not it is willing to protect its major market which is the United States. Wal-Mart not only determines which consumer goods industries are to survive but also which economies are to benefit.

Descriptive Essay

College Writing 2 October 2012 Descriptive Essay A compact two-door car might not mean a lot to someone, but to me, working and improving my car is my favorite thing to do. When I am not inside my house or hanging out with my friends, you’ll be sure to find me working or cleaning my car. For most people, leaving their car stock is passable for their needs, but to me it’s not. My car is modified which makes it one of a kind. My car consists of its exterior, interior, and performance level.The exterior color of my car, which is a 2005 Nissan 350z, is called Silverstone. Silverstone is the factory painted color. Silverstone is a shade of gray but, this gray isn’t just your average gray; it’s a two tone looking gray that reflects its color tone the different ways the light hits it. For example, on a sunny day, the top half of the car will be a light gray, where as the bottom will be a deep, dark, glossy gray. Like I stated earlier, my car is heavily visually m odified.I have painted the wheels black, painted the front bottom section of the front bumper black to give the car a more aggressive look, painted all the emblems on the car from chrome or silver to black, painted my door handles from a silver, that stood out like a sore thumb, to black to flow with the rest of the car, painted my side markers from a reflective orange to deep black, replaced all the lighting in the car lights to hyper white LED bulbs, upgraded my headlight bulbs to HIDs which let me see the entire road and then some, swapped the ugly orange blinkers to chrome dipped blinkers so they would not have the orange tint that reflects inside the headlight assembly, upgraded my high beams to a eye squinting blue halogen bulb that reflects a blue tint in the lower portion of the headlights, 20% illegal tint put on the side and rear windows with a 5% strip on the front windshield to hide my radar detector, illegally tinted my tail lights and reverse lamp which I buffed to a g lossy, mirror finish, installed aftermarket fog lights that required me to take apart the front of the car to tap into the correct wire, installed HID reverse lights to shine through the tint that are brighter than most headlights, installed illegal air horns with a compressor that is almost as loud as a trains’ horn that makes you jump out of your skin, swapped 16† antenna to a 6† antenna to take the attraction of the antenna away, took the front license plate off the factory mounting plate and relocated it to the left side of the grill so the plate would not stand out as much. Most of the things done to my car are illegal, but I don’t really care considering I want my car to look exactly how I want and police have never given me trouble. My mild OCD has affected my car a lot, especially the exterior.Everything has to be perfect or else I start completely over. When I was tinting my taillights, I used a spray on tinting film that comes in a spray paint can called VHT Nightshades. The first time I used this product, I realized the finish was dull and would not buff out. I thought I would be able to live with it and completely reassembled the car. One of my friends said it looked great, but after one day, I thought it looked like trash. To most, it would have been good enough, if not perfect, but to me, it looked like trash. So guess what I did? I dissembled the entire rear bumper again, sanded down the entire taillight and completely restarted from scratch.This was about another 20-hour process. I even sacrificed driving my car to school that day and had my parents take me because the rear bumper was still off my car. By the time I was done, the taillights were perfect and the 20 hours I had spent with no vehicle was well worth it. When getting inside of my car, you’ll immediately know that this car is not stock on the inside either. The inside of my car is black interior accented with super thin neon orange thread stitching. R ight when you open the door, you are greeted with the beauty of unique LED lighting. I have installed all new interior lights to a whitish-blue hue that is almost annoyingly bright.After seated with the door shut and the lights dim, you’ll notice everything is dark because of the tint. You’ll notice the aftermarket stereo that pulsates from over 100 different colors. After adjusting the rear view mirror down, you can see the top of a small 8† subwoofer tucked underneath the rear sway bar. About 8† to the left of the rear view mirror, you’ll see a compact device with a small 1-line screen that appears to be cordless. This is the infamous device that has saved me many, many times from being pulled over and receiving speeding tickets. This brilliant creation is known as a radar detector. A regular radar detector has a 1 inch spiraled cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter that hangs down from the windshield.This is very annoying considering every ti me the car shifts its weight, the cord slashes around the car, not to mention how ugly a cord hanging from the ceiling of the car to the foot well is. I have fixed this problem which now makes the radar detector seem cordless. It appears to be cordless because the cord is completely invisible. It is invisible because I purchased a 6 foot long black cord that connects to the detector and ran it inside my headliner, down the side pillar, to the cigarette lighter to give the car a clean factory look. A street right by my house is heavily patrolled by police officers doing radar trying to catch speeders. On a rare occasion my small sized, black dog Ralph accompanies me on drives. On one specific day, he was not cooperating with me and I was trying to make him sit.Long story short, I was not paying attention to the road, or my speed at all. My full attention was on him. All of a sudden my detector blares a ringing tone alerting me ahead that a radar gun has been activated. This entire ne xt part happens in one second. I look down to check my speed and I am doing 50 in a 30. I glance up to the rear view mirror and check to see if anyone is close behind me. One might not think that I can do these things within 1 second, but I have practiced. Yes, that sounds weird, but when a huge ticket is on the line, it’s worth it. When I see no one is behind me, I jam on the brakes and poor Ralph goes shooting into the dashboard and then plummets to the floor.By the time I get down to speed around the bend, sure enough, a police car is on the side of the road with an officer present doing radar. It is amazing how powerful the brake calipers are to grip the rotor and grind the car to a halt. Approaching the police officer, I make sure Ralph is fine and then drove past the police officer grinning. This is just one of the many experiences I’ve been saved by this amazing device. Once you turn the key to start the car, you are welcomed with an exceptional exhaust tone tha t is a mixture of elegance and power. Within 1 second after, you’ll hear the radar detector starting up and going through its warm up phase. After the stereo starts up, it is music to your ears, literally.I have replaced the entire stereo system. I have installed a completely new head unit that boosts the wattage to the aftermarket Polk speakers that can hit an uncomfortable loudness as well as adding an 8† subwoofer to give it some boom. Some say an 8† subwoofer won’t be loud enough because of its size, but when its less than a foot from your head and is on full power, it’s more than enough. This subwoofer is one of the best. It is the perfect size that fits under the rear support bar and gives you the perfect thump with your music without it being overbearing. Hearing music and feeling music are two totally different things; this subwoofer adds the feeling.An indescribable feeling is the subwoofer rattling the entire inside of your body and feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand up. If you are craving attention and want to be noticed, turn the subwoofer up and heads will turn whilst the contents of the car is being misplaced. One of my favorite parts of my car is the aftermarket shift knob because of the way it contours to your hand and the performance increase. This shift knob is a lot better than the stock one because it is ? lighter than stock which allows me to speed shift through the gears ultimately making my car quicker. Performance is a huge part of this car considering it is close to 300 horse power and is specially tuned. The car is called â€Å"350z† because the car comes with a 3. L naturally aspirated engine, which means the car is not equipted with any turbos or supercharger. The â€Å"z† in â€Å"350z† lets everyone know that this car is a continuation of the Z family. Nissan has been making Z’s since 1969 and the 350z is a continuation of the family. The 0-60 mph time for m y car is about 5-5. 5 seconds, which is plenty fast, but me being a thrill seeking, naive teenager, I want it to be faster. Upgrading my car is my ultimate hobby, as would the engine but considering I have been pulled over 3 times and received 6 tickets within the first year of driving, my dad will not let me even touch the engine. I’m surprised he even lets me look at it.Don’t get me wrong; I am not one of those spoiled kids that have their parents bail them out of trouble. If I mess up and make stupid decisions, I deal with it and I pay. Every ticket and lawyer I have had, I have paid for, not my parents. Even though tickets are costly and ruin your mood, it’s worth risking because no one buys a sports car to drive it like a mini van. Money will come and go but the memories and experiences will stay. The feeling I get when I achieve a driving stunt is unreal. A classic huge grin from ear to ear. To me, the feeling of conquering a difficult driving maneuver is like quenching someone’s thirst to someone else; indescribable.I crave the feeling of successfully drifting sideways around a turn and looking in the rear view mirror seeing a condensed smoke cloud in the air and deep black tire marks on the ground while hearing the engine and tires beg for mercy is absolutely exhilarating, except when the turn you choose to do this on has a police officer approaching you. That will turn your feeling of exhilaratingly satisfied to a terrible, terrible day. One of the most important things about my car is I can say I’ve done 99% of the work on it myself. Every single thing done to my car excluding the tint and some of the mechanical work, I have done myself. I am not the type of person who takes their car to a shop and tells them what I want done; I do it myself.This makes me appreciate my car so much more considering, yes it saves money, but knowing I did it. I can show up to car meets and tell them I received professional results even though an 18-year-old kid did it. When someone asks me â€Å"Wow, how much have you spent on your car to make it look like that? † I say â€Å"100’s if not 1000’s of hours. † The amount of time and money put into the car is considered ridiculous to some, but to me, absolutely and worth it. I’ve had some of the most memorable experiences in my car and every cent and second put into it makes it more than just a car to me; it makes it part of my life. If anything happened to my car, the word devastation wouldn’t even come close to the feeling I’d be experiencing. Descriptive Essay English 1301 Week 4 The Narrative Essay My First Flight The seasons are approaching in which families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. This time of year does not carry the same feelings for me as they did when I was young. I am a military spouse and my husband has been away for most of our holidays. One peculiar Christmas I received the opportunity to spend the holiday with him this was my first flight experience. The morning of my flight, I got up at 2 o’clock, said a prayer, and kissed the children.My mother-in-law drove me to the airport. I was very nervous and excited. I went to the kiosk to get my tickets and check my luggage. I made my way to security, once there I had to take off my shoes and jacket. I placed my carry-on on the conveyer and walked through the security scanner, I was alarmed because of the loud buzzing sound. The security lady pulled me to the side and began to scan me with a wand. I was nervous and embarrassed. She asked me if I had and k nifes or weapons on my body I gave her a deranged look and replied no.She asked me if I had any sharp objects on my person, again I replied no. I started sweating because I was very nervous and wanting to go back home. I did not know why the body scanner and wand was beeping and buzzing because I did not have any metal in my possession. The security lady asked me did I have metal in my bra, I turned and looked at her with a surprising look and replied yes. We both laughed I explained to her this is my first airplane ride and I was nervous and afraid. She tried to help calm my nerves by telling me funny stories.I walked down to the boarding site and the two luggage men playfully said to me and two others that were walking to the plane, â€Å"Sorry but you just missed it. † I instantly felt tears in my eyes then they just started laughing and shook their heads saying go on before it does leave! I ran to my seat, which was 10A, a window seat all to me. I was on a plane; somethin g I thought would never happen because I was afraid of heights and my nervousness. A couple minutes later the plane started to go backwards then turned to the right toward the runway.I watched the left wing change a piece of itself to angle downward to catch the wind. We had to wait a bit since there were two other big planes in front of our; we rolled up right after the last big plane was on its way into the air. As we were rolling, you could hear the strain of the engine getting ready to lift off. The plane picked up speed slowly till we were going full speed, my heart was pounding to the beat of the cracks on the pavement. I was becoming scared now. I watching as the plane’s wheels went off the ground and the ground itself got farther and farther away from me.I dug into my purse for my Bubba gum because I could feel my ears getting ready to pop, as mother-in-law had warned me. It hurt so much when it got to that point sometime, or it was just annoying. During the hour and thirty-minute flight I would chew my now tasteless gym, would drinking some water and chewing or sucking on the ice, I was given with the drink. It was all to have a different reason for swallowing since I forgot most of the time from looking out the window or looking at all the other people on the plane.The flight attendant said we clear to us our electronics, so I pulled out my camera and took a picture of the ground when the sky was clear then another picture of the cloudy sky that was covering the ground. Right after I took the second picture a lane went into the clouds while another was coming out of it, it was no wonder they both did not hit each other from not being able to see! The plane started tilting to the right and I felt myself going with it, I clung to my chair and pressed myself against my window so I didn’t fall out of my seat, even though I was buckled in.Once the plane was straight again did I release my death grip on my chair, my knuckles were still red fr om my hold. We were told that we had to put away our electronics again, after I put my camera back into my purse I looked out the window and my heart started to pound in my chest again. I realized I was in Virginia, the place where Roderick was, the place I would have until January 8, 1998 to stay with him. Tears came to my eyes, I was no longer afraid of the flight but happy and excited to my next visit by plane.As the plane finally touched down, I was eager to get the hell off the plane and get my luggage to wait to be picked up by Roderick. I already had my purse and bathroom pouch on my arm and ready for the people in front of me to get off. We were finally unloading once the plane came to a complete stop; I was trying very hard to stay standing since my legs felt like Jell-O from the flight. I didn’t care though, I walked out then started to walk fast to get my luggage and see Roderick. Turn out to get to see Roderick before my luggage.He was standing in front of the sec urity line but on the opposite side where people are getting off their flights and heading to the luggage claim. He was wearing his military uniform. I went at a dead run to him and then stopped before I ran into him. I was so happy to hold him that tears start rolling down my face. He looked at me and said its ok and we went to get my luggage. After getting my luggage we made our way out of the airport hand in hand, Roderick and I. Once to his friend car we threw my bag into the trunk and get in the car to drive to where he was living.He got my attention by saying my name, when I looked to him he kissed me deeply which I eagerly returned. After all that worry about maybe my plane could end up crashing, the worry about something happening either to me or something that would prevent me from seeing him. My nerves making me have slight little panic attacks over mothering. I had to wait over a year to see him again face to face for a second time. So my for my first plane flight theory that has been analyzed by me and not the news reporters is this, simply amazing! Sure, it was scary when it’s your first time.Yet, if you have someone or something waiting for you at the end of the flight. It is worth the scare, the nervousness, going through security, missing the first flight, arguing with people who should have spoken up to the security guards , the ears popping, feeling like you’re going to fall out of your seat at every turn made even with a seat belt on, etc. Everything I experienced on my first flight made me not longer afraid of heights nor or flying. All because I had the one I love waiting for me on the other side of that flight. Descriptive Essay Kylie Harrison English 1104-34 October 8, 2012 Descriptive Essay It was a hot muggy afternoon during the early season of fall. The wind was strong that day, the force blowing against my hair causing it to rise and fall as the wind came and left without warning. I could feel the sun beating down upon my back, causing my body to fight against the heat to stay cool. The constant sound of voices ring in my ears and throb my forehead. I was at the picnic table outside the bridge of Bryant place, and it was the most busy and uncomfortable place on campus at that time.Many people would think being outside in West Virginia would be peaceful and relaxing; however, this is a loud, busy college campus. The repeating sound of my peers talking, yelling, or singing is distracting from my focus. As I glance around this uncomfortable, rough seated picnic table, the soft song of a violin rings through my ears and into my heart. Little did I notice before, a shoulder length, blonde hair young girl was showing off her inspirational talent on her new violin.The notes of the song flew through the air as a dandelion in the summer. Ambulance sirens screeched through my ears suddenly. The pain I experience when I hear ambulances is breathtaking. The fact a child, a mother, a husband or someone’s sister could be in trouble lingers in my head as the sirens rush through town. Noises can motivate your brain to think back to the good or bad memories of your past times. As many states, West Virginia citizens smoke cigarettes. I sit on this wood splinter table and the smell of cigarettes inhales through my nose.Noticing most college students smoke the tobacco filled cigarette, I usually leave the table when I feel the turn in my stomach and the headache rushes through my skull. A worker from Aladdin's at the Falcon Center carefully stepped down the steep high steps. She held a foil covered dish plate. The smell of pizza blocked the smell of cigarettes for one moment. The smell of pizz a made my stomach girgle and my brain to crave it. Smells of a college campus is different than sitting in a hammock on a hot summer day in the woods!The picnic table outside Bryant Place is one of the busiest and uncomfortable places on campus at times. The muggy heat sticking to me as my hands get clammy. The talking of my classmates scream through my ears. The wind blows my hair as the sun shines on it. West Virginia is a peaceful place in most parts of the Mountain State; however, college campus isn't the place to read a good book or rest your eyes in the calming fall afternoon as leaves fall from the trees. Descriptive Essay Descriptive Essay As my sister’s wedding drew near, given that I was her maid of honor, it became apparent to me that it was my job to take all of the ladies in the wedding party to the salon on the day of the wedding. This was fine with me, except that I hadn’t worn makeup or done my hair for years. After much convincing from the bride, I decided to get my makeup done with them, and regretted that decision every second after it was made. The day approached all too soon. I was blown back by the smell of burnt hair and nail polish immediately upon opening the door for the wedding party.Trying to keep a happy face for my sister, I put holes through my tongue with my teeth so as not to gasp or gag in disgust. For all of the other females, this assault on the nostrils seemed enjoyable, as if they had all found they’re natural environment. Every face I saw look back at me when I peered through the haze was burnt to a crisp, similar to the color of pumpkin pie, and lay ered in a spectral mask. As I led the party back to our reserved section, we passed women of all ages sitting with glee as their hair was ripped from their head, being scorched with no mercy, and their faces were plastered with unnatural chemicals.I was astounded at how happy and childlike these women looked while their heads were being tortured; had they no idea? I tried to hide away after getting all of my ladies settled, but they would have none of it. My heart started pounding as a pack of rabid hyenas, cackling and foaming at the mouth with excitement, dragged me by my wrists to the hard as rock chair that I was sure had a layer of styling goo and makeup crust on it. I feared that would never release me from its grasp again. Instantly after my obviously not-cushioned-enough butt hit the chair, a whole new group of jackals was hovering in my face, plotting its demise.Although I’m sure to other people it looked gentle, as far as I could tell they spent the next few minutes slamming bottles and cards into the side of my face to match my â€Å"foundation†. Going through every unnecessary option first, they eventually broke into laughter at my apparently as-colorless-as-it-gets face. The crowd dissipated and I was left with just one, the most intimidating one in my opinion. She grabbed the previously voted on bottle, and shook it so hard her hand was just a blur and I feared she would hit her temple and knock herself out.Or maybe I was just hoping that would be the case†¦ Violently thrashing some of the liquid into her hand, she analyzed my face once again, putting me into an even worse state of discomfort. She grabbed a little white sponge that too most would probably look and feel velvety and gentle, but to me was tempestuous and coarse. As she smeared the scratchy substance on my face, I had to resist the urge to bat her hand away and rub off what she had done. After rubbing it into every corner of my face, that I never knew was so big, s he moved on to an absurdly sharp pencil and aimed for my eyeball.The mischievous fiend snatched up my eyelids and held them in place, without as much as a warning to blink first. I struggle to keep them still as she chiseled away at the little bit of skin I had there to protect my precious ogles. After finishing the bottom she moved to the top, getting so close to my eye that I was sure to see a line right through the middle when she was done. Next was the mascara. At this point I was so defeated that I saw no point in arguing that I didn’t want it, more than anything else. I had no desire to look like a raccoon, or resist the urge to rub my eyes all night.Once she felt like she had jabbed the stick into the tube enough times, she again grabbed my already abused eyelids and initiated another cruel punishment upon them. What could have been the calming strokes of the brush still seemed cruel and unnecessary. She stepped back and gave a prideful exhale. While still looking at m e, she started to fumble through lipsticks behind her when I decided that my face had been through too much to have yet another random color added. â€Å"Don’t bother! † I snapped out, more harshly than intended. I settled my nerves enough to not show how much I hated this stranger. It will come off by the time I get there anyways, I think you did enough. † Without giving her enough a chance to argue, I got up and rushed to my mother’s side to cower like a fool. She looked me over, clearly wondering if anything had actually been done. I gave her a look to show that it had and she better not ask. â€Å"Well dear,† she said, â€Å"I guess you’re just a natural beauty and that was a waste of time. † And with that I decided that there is no need to ever walk into a salon or makeup department again, and that my mother is much better at giving advice after the fact. Descriptive Essay College Writing 2 October 2012 Descriptive Essay A compact two-door car might not mean a lot to someone, but to me, working and improving my car is my favorite thing to do. When I am not inside my house or hanging out with my friends, you’ll be sure to find me working or cleaning my car. For most people, leaving their car stock is passable for their needs, but to me it’s not. My car is modified which makes it one of a kind. My car consists of its exterior, interior, and performance level.The exterior color of my car, which is a 2005 Nissan 350z, is called Silverstone. Silverstone is the factory painted color. Silverstone is a shade of gray but, this gray isn’t just your average gray; it’s a two tone looking gray that reflects its color tone the different ways the light hits it. For example, on a sunny day, the top half of the car will be a light gray, where as the bottom will be a deep, dark, glossy gray. Like I stated earlier, my car is heavily visually m odified.I have painted the wheels black, painted the front bottom section of the front bumper black to give the car a more aggressive look, painted all the emblems on the car from chrome or silver to black, painted my door handles from a silver, that stood out like a sore thumb, to black to flow with the rest of the car, painted my side markers from a reflective orange to deep black, replaced all the lighting in the car lights to hyper white LED bulbs, upgraded my headlight bulbs to HIDs which let me see the entire road and then some, swapped the ugly orange blinkers to chrome dipped blinkers so they would not have the orange tint that reflects inside the headlight assembly, upgraded my high beams to a eye squinting blue halogen bulb that reflects a blue tint in the lower portion of the headlights, 20% illegal tint put on the side and rear windows with a 5% strip on the front windshield to hide my radar detector, illegally tinted my tail lights and reverse lamp which I buffed to a g lossy, mirror finish, installed aftermarket fog lights that required me to take apart the front of the car to tap into the correct wire, installed HID reverse lights to shine through the tint that are brighter than most headlights, installed illegal air horns with a compressor that is almost as loud as a trains’ horn that makes you jump out of your skin, swapped 16† antenna to a 6† antenna to take the attraction of the antenna away, took the front license plate off the factory mounting plate and relocated it to the left side of the grill so the plate would not stand out as much. Most of the things done to my car are illegal, but I don’t really care considering I want my car to look exactly how I want and police have never given me trouble. My mild OCD has affected my car a lot, especially the exterior.Everything has to be perfect or else I start completely over. When I was tinting my taillights, I used a spray on tinting film that comes in a spray paint can called VHT Nightshades. The first time I used this product, I realized the finish was dull and would not buff out. I thought I would be able to live with it and completely reassembled the car. One of my friends said it looked great, but after one day, I thought it looked like trash. To most, it would have been good enough, if not perfect, but to me, it looked like trash. So guess what I did? I dissembled the entire rear bumper again, sanded down the entire taillight and completely restarted from scratch.This was about another 20-hour process. I even sacrificed driving my car to school that day and had my parents take me because the rear bumper was still off my car. By the time I was done, the taillights were perfect and the 20 hours I had spent with no vehicle was well worth it. When getting inside of my car, you’ll immediately know that this car is not stock on the inside either. The inside of my car is black interior accented with super thin neon orange thread stitching. R ight when you open the door, you are greeted with the beauty of unique LED lighting. I have installed all new interior lights to a whitish-blue hue that is almost annoyingly bright.After seated with the door shut and the lights dim, you’ll notice everything is dark because of the tint. You’ll notice the aftermarket stereo that pulsates from over 100 different colors. After adjusting the rear view mirror down, you can see the top of a small 8† subwoofer tucked underneath the rear sway bar. About 8† to the left of the rear view mirror, you’ll see a compact device with a small 1-line screen that appears to be cordless. This is the infamous device that has saved me many, many times from being pulled over and receiving speeding tickets. This brilliant creation is known as a radar detector. A regular radar detector has a 1 inch spiraled cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter that hangs down from the windshield.This is very annoying considering every ti me the car shifts its weight, the cord slashes around the car, not to mention how ugly a cord hanging from the ceiling of the car to the foot well is. I have fixed this problem which now makes the radar detector seem cordless. It appears to be cordless because the cord is completely invisible. It is invisible because I purchased a 6 foot long black cord that connects to the detector and ran it inside my headliner, down the side pillar, to the cigarette lighter to give the car a clean factory look. A street right by my house is heavily patrolled by police officers doing radar trying to catch speeders. On a rare occasion my small sized, black dog Ralph accompanies me on drives. On one specific day, he was not cooperating with me and I was trying to make him sit.Long story short, I was not paying attention to the road, or my speed at all. My full attention was on him. All of a sudden my detector blares a ringing tone alerting me ahead that a radar gun has been activated. This entire ne xt part happens in one second. I look down to check my speed and I am doing 50 in a 30. I glance up to the rear view mirror and check to see if anyone is close behind me. One might not think that I can do these things within 1 second, but I have practiced. Yes, that sounds weird, but when a huge ticket is on the line, it’s worth it. When I see no one is behind me, I jam on the brakes and poor Ralph goes shooting into the dashboard and then plummets to the floor.By the time I get down to speed around the bend, sure enough, a police car is on the side of the road with an officer present doing radar. It is amazing how powerful the brake calipers are to grip the rotor and grind the car to a halt. Approaching the police officer, I make sure Ralph is fine and then drove past the police officer grinning. This is just one of the many experiences I’ve been saved by this amazing device. Once you turn the key to start the car, you are welcomed with an exceptional exhaust tone tha t is a mixture of elegance and power. Within 1 second after, you’ll hear the radar detector starting up and going through its warm up phase. After the stereo starts up, it is music to your ears, literally.I have replaced the entire stereo system. I have installed a completely new head unit that boosts the wattage to the aftermarket Polk speakers that can hit an uncomfortable loudness as well as adding an 8† subwoofer to give it some boom. Some say an 8† subwoofer won’t be loud enough because of its size, but when its less than a foot from your head and is on full power, it’s more than enough. This subwoofer is one of the best. It is the perfect size that fits under the rear support bar and gives you the perfect thump with your music without it being overbearing. Hearing music and feeling music are two totally different things; this subwoofer adds the feeling.An indescribable feeling is the subwoofer rattling the entire inside of your body and feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand up. If you are craving attention and want to be noticed, turn the subwoofer up and heads will turn whilst the contents of the car is being misplaced. One of my favorite parts of my car is the aftermarket shift knob because of the way it contours to your hand and the performance increase. This shift knob is a lot better than the stock one because it is ? lighter than stock which allows me to speed shift through the gears ultimately making my car quicker. Performance is a huge part of this car considering it is close to 300 horse power and is specially tuned. The car is called â€Å"350z† because the car comes with a 3. L naturally aspirated engine, which means the car is not equipted with any turbos or supercharger. The â€Å"z† in â€Å"350z† lets everyone know that this car is a continuation of the Z family. Nissan has been making Z’s since 1969 and the 350z is a continuation of the family. The 0-60 mph time for m y car is about 5-5. 5 seconds, which is plenty fast, but me being a thrill seeking, naive teenager, I want it to be faster. Upgrading my car is my ultimate hobby, as would the engine but considering I have been pulled over 3 times and received 6 tickets within the first year of driving, my dad will not let me even touch the engine. I’m surprised he even lets me look at it.Don’t get me wrong; I am not one of those spoiled kids that have their parents bail them out of trouble. If I mess up and make stupid decisions, I deal with it and I pay. Every ticket and lawyer I have had, I have paid for, not my parents. Even though tickets are costly and ruin your mood, it’s worth risking because no one buys a sports car to drive it like a mini van. Money will come and go but the memories and experiences will stay. The feeling I get when I achieve a driving stunt is unreal. A classic huge grin from ear to ear. To me, the feeling of conquering a difficult driving maneuver is like quenching someone’s thirst to someone else; indescribable.I crave the feeling of successfully drifting sideways around a turn and looking in the rear view mirror seeing a condensed smoke cloud in the air and deep black tire marks on the ground while hearing the engine and tires beg for mercy is absolutely exhilarating, except when the turn you choose to do this on has a police officer approaching you. That will turn your feeling of exhilaratingly satisfied to a terrible, terrible day. One of the most important things about my car is I can say I’ve done 99% of the work on it myself. Every single thing done to my car excluding the tint and some of the mechanical work, I have done myself. I am not the type of person who takes their car to a shop and tells them what I want done; I do it myself.This makes me appreciate my car so much more considering, yes it saves money, but knowing I did it. I can show up to car meets and tell them I received professional results even though an 18-year-old kid did it. When someone asks me â€Å"Wow, how much have you spent on your car to make it look like that? † I say â€Å"100’s if not 1000’s of hours. † The amount of time and money put into the car is considered ridiculous to some, but to me, absolutely and worth it. I’ve had some of the most memorable experiences in my car and every cent and second put into it makes it more than just a car to me; it makes it part of my life. If anything happened to my car, the word devastation wouldn’t even come close to the feeling I’d be experiencing. Descriptive Essay Four years ago I lost two of the most essential people in my life, my Grandmothers Delores Rugley and Elizabeth Cargill. They were the sweetest, funniest, and most loving people I could ever imagine. They filled the room with smiles and cherished moments. Having two grandmothers whose arms were always opened wide to welcome you with love was a great feeling. Their smile was brighter than the stars that sparkled high above. They listened without judgment and took the time to share. But that was just the beginning. My grandmother Delores was the one who did all of the wonderful cooking.I could just imagine all those great Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners we had. I could smell and taste her wonderful sweet potato pies, juicy greens, sweet cornbread and the list goes on. Cooking was not all she did though; even in her 70s she was a hard worker. Delores was never terrified to say what was on her mind. She always kept her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in check. In 2008, she passe d away due to ovarian cancer. My family was never the same after that tragic moment. My grandmother Elizabeth was a little on the sweet side. Every time I would come visit her she would have the biggest smile on her face.She did not do a lot of cooking but she could give out a lot of love. She was always there for me when things got a little out of hand. I could hear her now telling me everything is going to be alright. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to get surgery to get her breast removed. But one thing I realized about her was that she was a fighter. She may have had that surgery but she did not let that cancer get her down. As she got older my family decided to put her in a nursing home. I remember all the times I visited her in the nursing home she would always be so proud to tell her nurses that I was her granddaughter.As she was in the nursing home she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Also in 2008, that was the one battle she did not win. That was a devastating year for me. Delores and Elizabeth were more than just my grandmother’s; they were my life, my soul, my world. But as I think about it, they are now my angels. Sometimes I can feel their tough as they are guiding me to the right side of the path. When I wake up in the middle of the night I can sometimes see them standing over me. That just goes to show me they are still here with me every step of the way.

Outline and Evaluate One Biological Therapy for Schizophrenia

The main form of biological therapy for schizophrenia is drug therapy. Some drugs are more effective at reducing the positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucination than negative symptoms such as lack of motivation and social withdrawal. There are two main categories of drugs, neuroleptic drugs and atypical drugs. Neuroleptic drugs such as Prolixin are conventional drugs that reduce psychotic symptoms but produce some of the symptoms of neurological diseases. These drugs block the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine within 48 hours and their effect on dopamine are believed to be very important in therapy.However it takes several weeks of drug therapy before schizophrenic symptoms show substantial reduction. These drugs are more effective in reducing positive symptoms than negative symptoms. This is supported by Birchwood and Jackson 2001 whose conclusion was the same. These drugs appear to be a more effective treatment for schizophrenia than any of the other approaches us ed alone. (Comer 2001) Researches have shown that patients can get independent to drugs which means they might not be able to stop taking them otherwise they might have to face serious problems. Neuroleptic drugs also have side effects.Windgassen 1992 found 50% of patients with schizophrenia who take neuroleptic drugs reported grogginess or sedation, 18% reported problems with concentration, and 16% had blurred vision. In addition many patients developed symptoms closely resembling those of Parkinson’s disease such as muscle rigidity, tremors and foot shuffling. Also it was found that more than 20% of patients who take neuroleptic drugs for over a year develop the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. These symptoms include involuntary sucking and chewing and writhing movements of the mouth or face.Atypical antipsychotic drugs (such as clozapine) also combat positive symptoms of schizophrenia but there are claims that they also have beneficial effects on negative symptoms as well. These antipsychotics also act on the dopamine system but are thought to block serotonin receptors in the brain as well. They help by only temporarily occupying the dopamine receptors and then rapidly dissociating to allow normal dopamine transmission. Atypical drugs have several advantages over neuroleptic drugs. Firstly they have fewer side effects than neuroleptic drugs.Secondly they benefit 85% of patients with schizophrenia, compared with 65% given neuroleptic drugs. However, the atypical drugs can produce serious side effects. For example, schizophrenic patients who take clozapine have a 1-2% risk of developing agranulocytosis. This involves reduction in white blood cells, and the condition can be life threatening. Although the use of antipsychotic drugs is crucial in the treatment of schizophrenia, many people do not experience the benefits they offer, normally due to their side effects.As a result, additional psychological treatments are used. The cognitive behavioural therap y (CBT) follows the assumption that people often have distorted beliefs which influence their behaviour in maladaptive ways. In this therapy, patients are encouraged to trace back the origins of their symptoms in order to get a better idea of how the symptoms might have developed. As well as this, they are also encouraged to evaluate the content of their delusions to consider ways in which they might test the validity of their faulty beliefs.Next the patients would be given behavioural assignments with the aim of improving their general level of functioning. The learning of maladaptive responses to life's problems is often the result of distorted thinking by the schizophrenic. Researches over time suggest that CBT has a significant effect on improving the symptoms of patients with schizophrenia, however the majority of studies of the effectiveness of CBT have used schizophrenics who are also taking antipsychotic drugs. This leaves the question, how much of the improvement is due to CBT alone?Also, CBT for schizophrenia works by trying to generate less distressing explanations of psychotic experiences, rather than trying to eliminate them completely. The negative symptoms shown by a schizophrenic may well serve a useful function for the person and so can be understood as safety behaviours and could cause potential damage. Lastly, it has been found that CBT doesn't actually work for all Schizophrenics, Kingdon and Kirschen found that many patients were not deemed suitable for CBT because psychiatrists believed that they would not fully engage with the therapy.

Effects of Television as Mass Media on Children of 10 Years Essay

Introduction Mass media is a collective term that refers to all the media technologies whose sole intention is reaching a vast audience through mass communication. There are two major categories of mass media, which are, broadcast media and print media. Transmission of information by broadcast media is via electronic means while transmission of information by print media is via physical means. Broadcast media comprise of radio, film, CDs, television, and many more. Print media comprise of magazines, newspapers, newsletters, leaflets, books, pamphlets and brochures. â€Å"Effect† is a term that refers to something produced by a cause. It can also be referred to as a consequence. This research paper seeks to investigate both positive and negative effects of mass media on children. Possible solutions to address or mitigate the negative effects of mass media will also be highlighted. Differential Effects of Mass Media on Children The mass media, particularly, broadcast media, significantly affects childhood development in that, it provides information-seeking and modeling opportunities outside school and family. It has been estimated that the average American child watches more than 20, 000 television commercials annually. According to statistical data collected in the year 2000, children aged between the ages of two and five spent 40 hours watching television on a weekly basis. Those between six to eleven years spent 50 to 60 hours weekly watching television. These findings clearly show that mass media plays an essential life in shaping a child’s beliefs, behaviors and attitudes (Bento, 2004). Among the key manifestation of the negative effects that media has on children is their declining lifestyle quality and changing mental set up. Instead of investing their time in studying, reading good books, engaging in social activities, and exercising, children choose to spend their evenings watching movies or glued to the television sets. With increasing technological advancement, the Internet can easily be accessed, even by small children. This exposes such children to things that they do not necessarily need to know and may not understand. The reading culture is gradually fading and substituted by mass media. This poses a negative effect on school performance as well as learning problems. Children are increasingly reporting low academic grades and problems in learning due to overindulgence in mass media (Matthew & Jesse, 2008) Food advertising in broadcast media such as televisions has been linked to rising cases of childhood obesity. There is a strong relationship between an increase in non-nutritious food advertising and childhood obesity. It is extremely hard for children below the age of six to differentiate between advertising and programming. Those below the age of eight do not comprehend the fact that the main intention of advertising is to persuade the audience to purchase a given product. Therefore, non-nutritious or junk food advertising directed to children may turn out to be exploitative. A single commercial exposure can go a long way in influencing product references among children. Additionally, the remarkable ability of children to remember the content from various advertisements increases their likelihood to indulge in unhealthy eating habits such as over-consumption of unhealthy fast foods, which results to heightened rates of childhood obesity (Munni & Ram, 2010). Body image problems and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are also directly linked to mass media. This is especially the case with teenage girls. The mass media ads portray models with unrealistic images. More often than not, the models appear to have extremely thin waists and figures that are unattainable. In the attempt to look like the models seen in televisions, teenage girls may starve themselves and even develop unhealthy eating habits such as binging. This results to development of eating disorder. Mass media tends to dictate various aspects including the ideal image or the definition of beauty. Children blindly imitate the glamour models portrayed in mass media without being careful enough to differentiate between wrong and right. Several young girls have developed self-esteem issues due to failure to match up to the image and beauty standards dictated by the media (Page & Evra, 2004). A negative effect of mass media that is worth noting is with respect to sexuality. Mass media may prompt children to engage in sexual activities at an early age. Research has indicated that children are exposed to approximately 14, 000 sexual references annually in televisions. Out of these references, only 150 of them address issues of abstinence, sexual responsibility, or contraception (Preiss, 2007). This implies that sex is portrayed as a fun activity, which prompts children to have an urge to try it out. Overexposure to sexual content in videos, games and television programming is strongly linked to increasing rates of teen pregnancies. A similar case applies to substance abuse, which is highly depicted in movies that children watch. Out of curiosity, such children begin trying out different illegal drugs and substances seen in media sources. Positive Social Effects of Mass Media Despite the mentioned negative effects, there are a number of positive social effects of mass media on children. Mass media plays a major role in enhancing positive child development. For instance, various educational programs aired in televisions may serve to increase children’s knowledge and understanding of various life aspects. Positive role models portrayed in the mass media can also serve as a positive social developmental tool for children and young adults. Qualitative research studies have shown that one way in which televisions enhance development in children is portraying positive role models of collaboration and development as a responsible manner of acting (Preiss, 2007). It is therefore evident that televisions can serve as a means learning of positive reinforcement in children. Mass media has also played a major role in enhancing socialization among children. With advanced technology, children can easily access the internet, which is a major socialization tool. The internet serves as an effective means of communication among individuals regardless of their geographical locations. The internet can also serve as a good source of knowledge on various aspects. By using search engines such as Google, children can increase their knowledge and understanding of various subjects learnt in school. The internet provides a vast range of information on various topics and fields of study. Therefore, it is an excellent research tool that can be utilized positively by students (Munni, 2010). Mass media programs can serve as a means of minimizing the effects of stereotyping among children. These programs often portray cast members from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Hence, children learn to appreciate cultural diversity from a tender age. Mass media therefore serves a means of increasing the preparedness of children for adolescence. Constructive utilization of mass media can play a significant role in helping children and young adults to learn socially appropriate means if solving conflicts, knowing their rights and protection from harm. Mass media can also serve as a tool for promoting health lifestyles and eating habits in children (Page, 2004). Possible Solutions Parental control is one of the possible solutions to preventing the negative influence of mass media on children. Parents should take charge of the content that is accessible to their kids. They should prevent their kid from watching programs aimed at promoting violence, substance abuse as well as those containing sexually explicit content. One workable way is switching off the television or changing channels during certain programming and adverts that are meant to exploit children. Parents should help their children understand the difference that exists between actual reality and fantasy world. This is especially with respect to images and beauty expectations dictated by the mass media. Parents should let their children know the essence of loving oneself and appreciating oneself. This is a good step toward helping such kids to build on their self-esteem and confidence (Debra, 2003). Practitioners should conduct research and provide relevant empirical evidence showing the impact that mass media has on increasing the rate of childhood obesity. Laying emphasis on this subject will shed light on different kinds of advertising and try to limit those that encourage consumption of unhealthy foods. In addition to practitioners, researchers also have an important role to play. There is the need for conducting further research on the negative consequences of mass media and how to combat them. Research should also focus on ways of promoting the positive contribution of mass media to a child’s social development (Bento, 2004). Rather than letting children invest most of their time watching television and other media platforms, schools should encourage children to do assignments or further study during their free time. They should also be encouraged to take part in co-curricular activities such as games. The entertainment industry should be careful of the content that it portrays to the audience. With the help of the government, it would be possible to censure some of the programming and advertisements that pose negative effects on children. Rather than just focusing on persuasion and the profits that would be generated from products, the advertising industry should play the role of promoting adverts that lead to constructive developments. The adverts promoted should result to healthy lifestyles in children (Berulava, 2010). It is therefore evident that different stakeholders including parents, school, the government and even the entertainment industry, have a fundamental role to play in preventing the negative effects that media poses on children. The government and policy makers should work toward implementation of policies that put restrictions and control to the time specific content should be aired in broadcast media sources such as televisions. A good suggestion is for programs that contain violence or sexual content to be aired late at night when children are already asleep (Kirsh, 2006). Conclusion Childhood development is significantly affected by mass media. With advanced technology, children are continually exposed to thousands of television commercials and even sexual references. Some of the negative effects of mass media include poor performance, early onset of sex, substance abuse, and violence. Mass media may also have positive effects such as increasing knowledge and enhancing positive social development in children. Parents, government, advertising industry, practitioners, researchers, and the entertainment industry have a major role to play in prevention and management of the effects of mass media on children. References Bento, J. (2004) Meditating the negative effects of mass media on children. Seattle: Antioch University Publishers Berulava, M. N. (2010) The Nation is in Danger. Russian Education and Society, 52(3), 30-36 Debra, M. (2003) Questioning the media and reclaiming our sacred space. Paths of Learning, 15, 24 Fink, G. (2010) Stress of War, Conflict and Disaster. California: Elsevier Publications Kirsh, S. (2006) Children, adolescents, and media violence. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc Matthew, G., & Jesse, S. (2008) Preschool television viewing and adolescent test scores: historical evidence from the Coleman study. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(1), 279-323 Munni, R., & Ram, K. (2010) Effect of electronic media on children. Indian Pediatrics, 47(7), 561-568 Page, J., & Evra, V. (2004) Television and child development. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Preiss, R. (2007) Mass media effects research; advances through meta-analysis. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful Term Paper

From an economic perspective, why is Microsoft so successful - Term Paper Example ough, people might find themselves cursing the â€Å"evil empire† when they use a lot of cash on another upgrade or when their system crashes, the company is unrivaled or unmatched when it comes to powering information technology. Whether through innovation, cunning or a blend of these and other considerable qualities, the company and its owner have defined how the world uses computers ever since PCs, IBMs in particular, started being rolled out, in 1981, with their Microsoft Disc Operating System (MS-DOS), in its bowels (Wallace & Erickson, 2010). Therefore, the company rules the globe, but just what makes it reach that level? This article will discuss, from an economic perspective, why Microsoft is so successful. In order to achieve this, it is significant to look into their history and discover how they compete in the marketplace. It is also important to look at how the company’s corporate culture influences its success and finally look at some of their world famous products to discover how they rip from these core advantages. Microsoft was founded on 1975 by Bill Gates and his colleague, Paul Allen, as a simple â€Å"garage start-up† (Inamizu, 2014). The two were basically part of an initial leap towards personal computing with a major different. Whereas competitors such as Apple, inc. began straight away developing both machines and software, Microsoft only dealt with software. The key difference among these two, economists argue is that Steve Jobs and his acquaintance, Steve Wozniak, were running a hobby endeavor, unlike Gates and Allen who were running a business world. IBM was developing their initial PC and wanted an OS to run it. They approached Gates and Allen thinking that they had one available, but at that time, they were only writers of computer language not developers of OS. Microsoft decided to buy a $50,000 OS that they leased to IBM for $80,000, but still, during this era, $80,000 was not that much of a fortune (Inamizu, 2014). Gates discerned

Module 3 Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module 3 Case - Assignment Example al Production Cost 3,100,000 Total Production Units 50,000 Production Cost Per Unit 62 Performance for the 2nd Quarter As far as the improvements are considered for the 2nd quarter, the assessment for Mr. Rosen is not under right direction. The information that they had provided, gives the same amount of net income under both approaches. Sales are same for both these approaches. However, the costing side is affected by these two approaches such that the costs are broken up on different methods under the two approaches. For instance, under absorption costing, costs are divided into two main categories which are 1) costs directly attributable to units sold, and 2) costs which are not directly related to the manufacturing process (Jordan and Harris, 2008). Conversely, if contribution margin costing approach is taken into consideration, the overall costs of the company are divided into 1) variable cost, and 2) fixed cost. Variable costs are the ones which increases of decreases with the number of units sold but remain constant on per unit basis. However, fixed costs are the ones that remain same regardless of the number of units sold, but for a certain capacity (Kinney and Raiborn, 2009). Cumulatively, the net effect of these two approaches has found to be the same under the given information. However, the breakup of the costs under both approaches can be observed in a distinct manner. The second quarter performance for the division is same because number of units sold is same as the last year. Although, the overall production cost has been increased because of increasing the number of units, but since the sales units are the same, therefore production cost pertaining to units that are actually sold, has been taken into account which has caused the same result for both approaches under both quarters. Suggestion on Appropriate Reporting System From the given information, there are few suggestions to be made. The clear difference between absorption and marginal costi ng approach can only be observed clearly if there is comprehensive information provided especially regarding the level of inventory. In that case, it would be a rather better approach to make a clear point regarding which costing approach provides the better results. For better results, Mr. Roses is advised to not only increase the production units but also increase the sales volume as well. This will substantiate better performance rather than focusing on the reporting approach to demonstrate better results which is not more than a complacent view. Shortcomings of Absorption Costing Approach There are various shortcomings of absorption costing as a method of internal

Playboy Approaching Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Playboy Approaching Singapore - Essay Example While I don’t need to go to Playboy to get the latest topics of interest, I also believe that individuals or a culture shouldn’t be prevented from doing so. While this shows a sense of respect to culture, it also creates a question of how much control should be created over media influences in a given country. By releasing the ban on Playboy, there is also the ability to open media statements that allow the public to gather information that is diverse and timely from a broader perspective. The ban of Playboy is only one of several media publications which don’t have room in the Singapore culture. I have found that the controls over the magazine are creating continuous debates from those who want to get closer to nudity and to organizations that want to keep the doors closed. The problem is one based on the ideology of out of bound markers, mostly which implies sexual, political, racial and religious issues which don’t have an ethical or cultural relationsh ip to the culture. Bans made in Singapore are implemented through the Media Development Authority (MDA), specifically which justifies what is shown through the media. The authority is a branch of the Singapore government and has created a standard for censorship policies to uphold values and ethics in relation to the concept of free expression (Gomez, 2000). While the government, authorities and culture of Singapore holds values through the banning of magazines, a larger issue is at hand with the decision not to provide Playboy in the culture. I believe that the issue is based on control over topics which may not be considered ethical or which may be controversial. If there isn’t a magazine like Playboy, then how will free expression from various topics be heard? The problem isn’t with nudity it is with individual interest and to undress different areas of freedom. I believe the government and the MDA become forces which stop freedom of expression, exploration or a dee per understanding of the news, media and knowledge understood to the world. The problem then relates to individuals who can’t explore the full depth of nudity and Playboy statements. I think it is time for the controls and forces from the government and media to come down in Singapore. There isn’t a true understanding of whether sexual expressions are also a lack of value within society. The content in Playboy is considered controversial because of the nudity of women and what this may imply. However, this may not be considered morally wrong by some and implies a freedom of expression. I think that with exposure, there is also expanded awareness, changing beliefs and the ability to understand new lifestyles. By censoring the media, an entire culture is deprived from this awareness. While the ban on Playboy in Singapore is created through the government and MDA as a censorship for values, it does not provide a complete interpretation for the needs of society. The statem ent made through the institutions is one created with the ideology that media and information should be controlled according to what the government believes the values should be. More important, there is a withholding of knowledge and information that may provide those in Singapore with a different understanding or meaning to life. By withholding any type of media, there is also a censorship of freedom in terms of expression and exploration of society. I believe that