The Beatles2 essays

The Beatles2 essays There has been more books published about one 20th-century icon than any other, this band that is said to have broken down barriers in all ways, is the Beatles. Their music was said to have driven that younger generation mad. Perhaps it was because they were one of the first bands ever play real rock and roll music. Or maybe it was just because they were foreigners in the world of music, yet seemed to fit right in with the young people. Whatever reason was, the Beatles were a band that shaped a generation and ones soon to come. The Beatles were more than just a rock and roll band, they were a group of young men who wanted to go a new direction in music. John Lennon, one of lead vocalists, basically started with the intention of moving away from the "Skiffle Boom Era" which was dominating the time (Buskin 110). In his doing so, he began to lay the foundation for what would later be the most famous rock band ever. The original band members were as follows : John Lennon, vocals and guitar ; Paul McCartney, vocals ; George Harrison, guitar ; Pete Best, drums ; Stuart In March of 1961, the Beatles began to play at the club that would later be nicknamed "The Home of the Beatles". The Cavern Club, which's premises comprised a small group of cellars below a seven story warehouse which had originally been used as an air raid shelter during the war. Later, Alan Sytner, a jazz fan decided to open it up as a new jazz club. After a few years, he sold it to Ray McFall another jazz fan. The club was originally strictly jazz and no rock. Luckily for the Beatles, the times were changing and McFall quickly changed the policy the Beatles soon became regulars. This would be the club that would make them famous.(Davies 78) News of the band's Liverpool popularity soon became know throughout England and later a large part of Europe. Shortly after their first tour of Hamburg, ...

Germans in the American Revolution

Germans in the American Revolution As Britain fought its rebel American colonists during the American Revolutionary War, it struggled to provide troops for all the theaters it was engaged in. Pressures from France and Spain stretched the small and understrength British army, and as recruits took time to try, this forced the government to explore different sources of men. It was common in the eighteenth century for ‘auxiliary’ forces from one state to fight for another in return for payment, and the British had made heavy use of such arrangements in the past. After trying, but failing, to secure 20,000 Russian troops, an alternative option was using Germans. German Auxiliaries Britain had experience in using troops from the many different German states, especially in creating the Anglo-Hanoverian army during the Seven Years War. Initially, troops from Hanover- connected to Britain by the bloodline of their king- were placed on duty in the Mediterranean islands so their garrisons of regular troops could go to America. By the end of 1776, Britain had agreements in place with six German states to provide auxiliaries, and as most came from Hesse-Cassel, they were often referred to en masse as Hessians, although they were recruited from all across Germany. Nearly 30,000 Germans served in this way during the span of the war, which included both normal line regiments and the elite, and often in demand, Jgers. Between 33–37% of the British manpower in the US during the war was German. In his analysis of the military side of the war, Middlekauff described the possibility of Britain fighting the war without Germans as â€Å"unthinkable†. The German troops ranged greatly in effectiveness and ability. One British commander said the troops from Hesse-Hanau were basically unprepared for the war, while the Jgers were feared by the rebels and praised by the British. However, the actions of some Germans in plundering- allowing the rebels, who also plundered, a major propaganda coup which caused exaggeration for centuries- further reinforced the considerable numbers of Britons and Americans angry that mercenaries were being used. American anger at the British for bringing in mercenaries was reflected in Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"At this very time too they are permitting their chief magistrate to send over not only soldiers of our common blood but Scotch and foreign mercenaries to invade and destroy us.† Despite this, rebels tried frequently to persuade the Germans to defect, even offering them land. The Germans at War The campaign of 1776, the year the Germans arrived, encapsulates the German experience: successful in battles around New York but made infamous as failures for their loss at the Battle of Trenton, when Washington won a victory vital for rebel morale after the German commander had neglected to build defenses. Indeed, the Germans fought in many places across the US during the war, although there was a tendency, later on, to sideline them as garrisons or just raiding troops. They are chiefly remembered, unfairly, for both Trenton and the assault on the fort at Redbank in 1777, which failed due to a mixture of ambition and faulty intelligence. Indeed, Atwood has identified Redwood as the point at which German enthusiasm for the war began to fade. Germans were present in the early campaigns at New York, and they were also present at the end in Yorktown. Intriguingly, at one point, Lord Barrington advised the British king to offer Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, the commander of the Anglo-Hanoverian army of the Seven Years War, the post of commander in chief. This was tactfully rejected. Germans Among the Rebels There were Germans on the rebels side among many other nationalities. Some of these were foreign nationals who had volunteered as individuals or small groups. One notable figure was a buccaneering mercenary and Prussian drill master- Prussia was regarded as having one of the premier European armies- who worked with the continental forces. He was (American) Major-General von Steuben. In addition, the French army which landed under Rochambeau included a unit of Germans, the Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment, sent to try and attract deserters from the British mercenaries.   The American colonists included large numbers of Germans, many of whom had initially been encouraged by William Penn to settle Pennsylvania, as he deliberately tried to attract Europeans who felt persecuted. By 1775, at least 100,000 Germans had entered the colonies, making up a third of Pennsylvania. This stat is cited from Middlekauff, who believed in their abilities so much he called them â€Å"the best farmers in the colonies† However, many of the Germans tried to avoid service in the war - some even supported the loyalist caused – but Hibbert is able to refer to a unit of German immigrants who fought for the US forces at Trenton – while Atwood records that â€Å"the troops of Steuben and Muhlenberg in the American army† at Yorktown were German.Sources:  Kennett,  The French Forces in America, 1780–1783, p. 22-23Hibbert, Redcoats and Rebels, p. 148Atwood, the Hessians, p. 142Marston,  The American Revolution, p. 20Atwood,  The Hessians, p. 257Middlekauff,  The Glorious Cause, p. 62Middlekauff,  The Glorious Cause, p. 335Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause, p. 34-5

Conflicts in family course Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Conflicts in family course - Essay Example Addiction is a state comprising abnormally extended use of something and/or belief in something or in a particular idea (Duncan & Duncan, 1995; Califano, 2000, 15 Jan). Examples are addictions to drugs, particular behavior such as male chauvinism, and excessive passion for work and so on. While every person may have all the rights for the use, belief and passion for a particular phenomenon, in a family, addiction can go an extra mile of affecting relationships and perceptions negatively. It is important to note that all human beings have different tastes and preferences (Werner & Johnson, 2000). Family members are no exceptions here. For example, what a father is addicted to may become a nuisance to the rest of his family. Addiction for a particular phenomenon is a condition one is determined or must live with at all times whether it affects close family members or not. It therefore goes without saying that some of the family members may really feel offended. Rational family members who are thus offended react and respond by way of showing discontent and hatred to the behavior of the addicted member of the family (Califano, 2000, 15 Jan). But this presents a rather confusing scenario: some family members hate behaviors that are dear to other family members (Duncan & Duncan, 1995). At such a juncture, everything goes amiss – there inherently occurs conflicts of interests. The end product is total family conflicts and disconnections. The central issue as regards the presence of addiction cases in families is the basic aspect of a normal family (Werner & Johnson, 2000) – a family should remain a unitary entity with strong bonds and there should be no very wide boundaries between interests of individuals forming a family. Generally, I should think that each member in a particular family has his or her role to play in order to maintain family coherence. In other words, all family members complement each other when it

The role of Hollywood in global film markets Essay

The role of Hollywood in global film markets - Essay Example Film industry in Hollywood utilizes the demands in the local markets and global markets to produce and market their products. This promotes the work of artist and celebrities who rely in film industry to earn a living. Each year the number of celebrities that stream into the corridors of Hollywood increases. This has led to the growth of the American society. Film production enhances the entertainment industry. Many people like streaming into the movie houses or cinema halls to watch movies as a means to spending their leisure time. Hollywood movies influence the global film market by influencing prices and trends adopted by the film industry. Hollywood production has benefited the American society because of the income the government is able to earn from the film and media industry. Employment opportunity that Hollywood movie industry offers shapes lives of many people (Hesmondhalgh, 2007:176). Hollywood movies are a threat to social structures of the society. The movies influence t he social lives of individual who watch them. Many people tend to immolate and practice social scenes that they view in the movies. This paper explores the role of Hollywood in global film market. Introduction Movie industry helps the society to figure historical events or possible events in the society. Actors take their time to act in movies, which portrays the state of the society. In America, the media industry contributes a lot to the economy of the nation because of movie productions in Hollywood. Hollywood movie industry is renowned for it sparkling productions, which have drawn the attention of many people worldwide. Celebrities and moviemakers find their ways to Hollywood because of the reputation that it has. Hollywood movies flood the global market and many people feel that Hollywood command a greater share of the global market. History records that the first film studio in Hollywood was in 1911. That studio belonged to Nestor Company. The demand for movies and film by th e people led to the group of Hollywood film industry. Today filmmaking is a career that employs thousands of people. Many people like going to cinemas and theatre halls for refreshment, or spend their leisure time. The role of media in the society has contributed to revelation of historical facts and events, which, the society would forget. Media activities in the United States rely on the work of Hollywood filmmakers (Garnham, 1990:145). Many soap operas and other programs in television channels spring from movies acted in Hollywood. These productions have economic benefit to the American society and the world. The government and the society raise income from the filmmaking. Notably, the advancement in technology is a factor that has led to growth in the film industry. It is important to note, the media industry is competitive, and Hollywood is viewed as a destination, which shapes the future of the society. Film Making in Hollywood The film making industry in Hollywood has lasted for more than a decade. Moviemakers have shot different kinds of movies to illustrate to the society different social events. Hollywood is a town where the main business is the moviemaking. It attracts celebrates from different parts of the world. Many movie writers, directors, and produce visit this venture for the production purposes. Since the main business in the city is movie making, Hollywood dictate the trends in the film indus

Psychopathy Case Study Essay Example for Free

Psychopathy Case Study Essay Psychopathy is a personality disorder it’s also known as sociopathic personality or psychopathic personality or antisocial personality disorder. Psychopaths can’t be understood in terms of antisocial rearing or development. Sadly they are seen as â€Å"Monsters† in our society. They are unstoppable and untreatable predators whose violence is planned, purposeful and even emotionless. The violence continues until it reaches a plateau at age 50 or so then it tapers off. It’s evident when a person has an enduring way of thinking, acting and feeling that is significantly different. It’s a longstanding illness, and inflexible. They act in such a way that’s classed as not socially excepted. There are ten types of personality disorders. Paranoid, Borderline, Schizoid, Schizotypal, Histrionic, Narcissistic, Avoidant, Obsessive, Dependant, Anti Social. Those who struggle with a personality disorder have a great difficulty dealing with others. They tend to be inflexible, rigid and unable to respond to the changes and demands of life. Although they feel that their behaviour patterns are normal or right, people with personality disorders tend to have a narrow view of the world and find it difficult to participate in social activities. Personality disorders are grouped into three major groups: Group A: includes paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal disorders identifies odd or eccentric personality disorders. Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is characterized by persistent feelings of distrust and suspicion against others. Schizoid personality disorder (SPD) is defined by detachment and lack of interest in relationships with others. An individual with SPD may prefer solitary activities and emotionally detached from others. They can also believe in magical or unconventional beliefs, as in someone with Schizotypal disorder may believe he or she has magical powers. Group B: the second group of personality disorders contains emotional disorders. Anti-social personality disorder (APD) is characterized by an apparent disregard for the safety and feelings of others. People with APD may engage in criminal or reckless behaviour. Borderline personality (BPD) is indicated by an unstable sense of self impulsivity and tendency towards strict Black and White thinking. BPD’s have histo ry of unstable relationships and engage in self destructive behaviour. As in self mutilation, reckless, spending obsessions, or binge eating. Histrionic personality is characterized by extreme theatricality and a constant need to be centre of attention. Narcissistic disorder is indicated by an inflated sense of self-importance and entitlement. Group C: the last group are classed as fearful or anxious like a person with avoidant personality disorder thee people may be afraid of criticism or rejection, and withdraws from social situations. The second of the fearful and anxious personality disorders is also known as dependant personality disorder (DPD) unlike avoidant personality disordered patients. A person with DPD is intensely dependant on other people. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is characterized by pre occupation with lists and orderliness often to the point it interferes with interpersonal relationships. It has been said that psychopaths with lower intelligence or poor education are more likely to end up in our prison systems than Psyc hopaths with a higher level of education. Treatment for this disorder is very limited; patients with a Psychopathic disorder could take place in a variety of in-patient settings such as special hospitals, regional secure units, and intensive Psychiatric care units. Treatment in prison’s governor responsible therapy for those with mental a illness. There are medications that could be used for patients with personality disorders such as your common forms of anti depressants, Lithium, Benzodiazepines, Psychostimulants and Anti convulsants, Neuroleptics. All or some may affect patients in many different ways. These are known as your Pharmacological treatments. There are other forms of treatments such as physical treatments, behaviour therapy, cognitive approaches, Individual and group psychotherapy, therapeutic community approaches, are also available.

Solomons The Return of the Screw :: Solomon Return of the Screw

Solomon's The Return of the Screw Mrs. Grose, playing cleverly on the governess' visions, convinces her she is seeing Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel in an effort to drive her mad. At least, that is according to Eric Solomon's "The Return of the Screw." Mrs. Grose tries to remove the governess to get to Flora. Mrs. Grose will do anything to gain control of Flora, as she proved when she murdered Peter Quint. He, along with Ms. Jessel, was too much of an influence on the children. Quint died somewhat mysteriously, on a path between town and Bly. He died from a blow on the head, supposedly from falling upon a rock in the road. The reader's only impression of the death is through Mrs. Grose's story, though, and so, Solomon hypothesizes, she filters the information to make it seem less extraordinary a demise. Perhaps Mrs. Grose killed him out of jealously. The reader can infer from this point of view that Mrs. Grose somehow also had a hand in Ms. Jessel's death. Mrs. Grose then proceeds, after the murders, to twist the new governess' visions of ghosts into visions of Quint and Jessel. Solomon does not address the issue of whether or not what the governess sees is actually there. His explanation is logical either way. If the governess sees real ghosts, or if she is imagining it all, does not matter. What matters is that Mrs. Grose tailors Quint and Jessel to the governess' descriptions. She listens to the descriptions and tells the governess' she is seeing Quint and Jessel. Mrs. Grose does not herself create the visions that the governess sees, instead, she bends them to her purpose. The governess' visions of ghosts are twisted by Mrs. Grose. When the governess reports seeing a ghost, Mrs. Grose seizes the opportunity, exclaiming that the ghost she sees must be Peter Quint. She also labels the other apparition as the ghost of Ms. Jessel. In this way, she can give the ghosts an evil quality, imparted to them because of the evil lives of Quint and Jessel. Making the ghosts evil forces the governess' Victorian mind to attempt to shield the children from the evil. Mrs. Grose knows the governess will read too far into the children's actions, and

Breathing Underwater

Breathing Underwater is an interesting story of a young boy’s self discovery. Nick’s journey towards self discovery is somewhat forced upon him when he assaults his girl friend Caitlin. The judge sentences Nick to six months of counseling that involve dealing with anger issues. In addition, due to the fact that nick claims that he doesn’t know how he got into this mess, the judge assigns Nick to write in a journal daily 500 words about what happened in his and Caitlin’s relationship (Finn, 2001). The question of this book is if Nick will lean anything about himself and what he does about it.In addition, it is important to understand that this book is about not judging people’s lives just by looking at them. This book, at first glace has a very odd title; however very early on we get a glimpse at what breathing underwater might mean. The day of the first class, Mario asks all the students if they ever feel like they are breathing underwater and life is coming at you too fast (Finn, 2001, 20). It seems like breathing underwater means that we all are actors in our lives; we try to show people that we are brave when we are actually afraid.Moreover, we are forever trying to show others that we in control of ourselves when in fact we feel completely out of control. Nick hits Caitlin because he feels that he and his life are out of control. However, when he goes to class, he feels as if he doesn’t need anger counseling. In addition, nobody in the class thinks they need to be there. Moreover, when one of the classmates ends up killing is girlfriend and himself, Nick sees that he needs counseling and how anger can and does destroy lives. The end of the book deals with Nick trying to take back his life.He tries to apologize to Caitlin for hitting her and he tells her that he loved her, he and Tom rekindle their friendship, and Nick stands up to his dad. Nick says that he is tired of breathing underwater and by the end of the book he has stopped himself from drowning in his anger. I think this book shows us that there are times when we feel as if we are breathing underwater. It also shows us that there are better ways to manage our anger such as writing about it in a journal. Works Cited Flinn, A. (2001). Breathing Underwater. New York: Harper Collins

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Everyone else got to decide what would become of their lives, while she was now going to have everything decided for her. While Kim tells her story, she makes several statements that key on the readers’ emotions and get us to take her side. Kim uses good imagery when she tells about her village being burned down and her clothes scorched off. She says â€Å"I saw an airplane getting lower and then four bombs falling down. I saw fire everywhere around me. Then I saw fire over my body, especially on my left arm. My clothes had been burned off by the fire.Anyone who could imagine this happening to a nine year old wouldn’t be able to help feeling sorry for this person. To make matters for the little girl worse, she was then forced to become a poster child for the Vietnamese government to show the rest of the world. Kim’s freedom to become what she wanted was taken from her. While telling her story, she does a very good job using these rhetorical pathos to make the re ader feel sorry for her and take her side. In the story, â€Å"Untold Stories of Kindness†, an American soldier tells about the brutal reality of war. He explains that even though you may not agree with the reason for the fight or even know the truth behind the war, if you are a soldier, you have to do your job and continue fighting. He hits on the point that people want to help each other even in times of war and despair. He says that if everyone will just accept people who are different, the world will be a more peaceful place. His idea that people always want to help each other is supported by an example of a time he remembers people helping each other during his campaign in the Iraq war. After one particular fire fight that lasted nearly eight hours, Iraqi civilians helped the American soldiers clear the streets of wounded men and try to aid their injuries. People would also care for children, rebuild hospitals and schools, and feed the poor. The author of this essay uses strong imagery to make the reader have emotion towards his story. He tells about the time when insurgents detonated several car bombs killing over a hundred people. The number of people killed in this incident helps to emphasize the reality of all the people who dying in this war. He says â€Å"Cars were covered in blood as if they’d been hit with a paint sprayer. † This makes the reader try to imagine what he had to see and tries to make the reader feel the same emotions he has toward the situation. The rhetorical pathos used here are very similar to the pathos used by Kim in her story. Both of these essays made good points support the logic behind the statements and opinions in their stories. They also used good details and imagery so the audience could picture some of the things they had to see. The imagery in these stories tried to make the readers feel emotional and take the authors’ sides.

Azerbaijan Economic Development

Azerbaijan Economic Development Problem Identification The Azerbaijan economy has developed significantly since the Soviet Union collapsed, but its GPD has fluctuated in past two decades. This means that the overall economy is unstable. Azerbaijan is among the East European countries that have rich natural resources, but have failed to use this wealth to move toward modernization.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Azerbaijan Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Azerbaijan’s economic development faces massive problems related to the limits of its resources (United Nations., and Economic Commission for Europe. 2003). The economy is one-sided, because it depends heavily on petroleum production and oil prices, and these are obstacles to its long-term development process. To achieve stability and improve this process, it is necessary to develop a broader economy with more diverse resources (Cornell, 2011). Brief Topic Descript ion Sufficient resources are the primary asset for economic development of countries. Countries are endowed differently with the resources; some have many resources whereas others limited capacity. In addition, some of the resources are underutilized/ignored with respect to others. This research focuses on the economic development issues in Azerbaijan. Specifically, the limitation of resources in stabilizing the economy and achieving modernization has been examined. The research also employs some of the theories of comparative politics such as the modernization and independence theories. Finally, the study uses several levels of analysis to gain a better understanding of the situation. Significance of the Research Study of this topic is of much significance in shedding light about the potential of diversifying resources to achieve economic stability and modernization. Resources diversification is important and an essential component of development. Therefore, this study unveils its influence in the economic development of Azerbaijan. Research Question This research will be guided by the following research question: Should the Azerbaijan government to diversify the country’s economy resources to achieve stability and move forward with modernization? Hypothesis Diversifying Azerbaijan’s economic resources is a positive mechanism towards stabilizing the economy as well as modernizing it.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Definition of Terms The following terms will be utilized in this research; Diversification: This is a technique of investing in a wide variety of sectors to minimize the risk involved in specializing with one sector. Economic Stability: This is terminology describing a financial system that is experiencing very minor fluctuations in its output growth as well as maintaining a consistently lower rate of inflation. Modernization: This is a transformational process that begins from underdevelopment status to development status. Detailed topic description After the break of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan started on a transition journey from communism to market economy to enhance its stability and survival economically and politically. Azerbaijan primarily relied on its hydrocarbon resources particularly oil to achieve this goal. Development of oil resources spearheaded the country with a sustainable middle level economy. This helped Azerbaijan to combat the high poverty levels and achieve some of its development goals (Leeuw, 1998). This was short lived because this hydrocarbon resource Azerbaijan over-relied on being limited. This posed great challenges to Azerbaijan that hindered it in realizing its objectives. Therefore, a systemic transition to market economy was required coupled with effective measures. However, this systemic transition was complex as it encompassed transitions in the politi cal, economic and social aspects respectively (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). The political transition involves creation of states as well as establishing their identities, formulation of policies both local and foreign, and establishing of democratic institutions and their governance. Relative to economic transition, it incorporates price liberalization, expenditure stabilization, privatization of enterprises and globalization of the economy. Further to social transition, this mainly concentrates on societal development (Leeuw, 1998).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Azerbaijan Economic Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Political Transition The first few years of Azerbaijan independence were marred by inevitable chaos and uncertainties (Cornell, 2010). This political turmoil led loss of territories, damage of the infrastructure and the influx of refugees. This had a destructive impact on Azerbaijan e conomy making the lives of Azerbaijan citizens very difficult. On the contrary to this, Azerbaijan witnessed significant development in democracy and other related governance issues that had not been experienced since the reign of Muslim Orient. Amongst them was an exercise of voting rights in a free and fair election where Aliyev Abulfaz Elchibey was elected the first president with a popular vote. In addition to this, Parliament, Milli Majlis, comprised of 50 members was formed to replace the Soviet supreme legislative body. The reign of Elchibey did not last long as he was divested due to failure of bringing the much awaited economic reforms. This portrayed the country’s commitment to economic development (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Heydar Aliyev succeeded Elchibey and during his reign he managed to enhance political stability, economic recovery as well as to prevent state fragmentation. By initiating good foreign investment policies the Azerbaijan oil sector experienc ed massive growth enhancing economic stability and modernization. However, most critics argued that this progress was achieved at the expense of democracy and other political liberties. This is because the reign of Aliyev was characterized more of an authoritarian than democratic. In the 1995 referendum, the Azerbaijan government centralized the all powers to the executive branch, President. The reason for this was to prevent political unrest emanating from the ethnicity based conflicts which would endanger or hinder economic development (King, 2005). To worsen the situation, the executive branch initiated a plot to alter the constitution in order to secure more power. This was a big blow to democracy and its consequences had great damage to Azerbaijan smaller parties at the same time endangering their political existence and influence in nation building. This attracted outright pressure from international organizations such as the Council of Europe asking for restoration of democra cy. To date, the organization has been monitoring progress of Azerbaijan in developing democratic institutions that are effective and functional. For instance, in 2004, the council ordered the Azerbaijan government to initiate constitutional changes that would allow the separation of power upon which parliament was to retain more power than the executive to oversee running of government activities.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A country’s successful transition to democracy and stability depend solely on the efforts of lawmakers. Lawmakers during Heydar Aliyev reign mainly concentrated on maintaining political and economic stability at any cost including sacrificing democracy to achieve these objectives. The following government under President Ilham Aliyev, aimed to achieve political and economic stability by balancing democracy and the rule of law. The lawmakers of this period were divided between reformers majority who are foreign trained and conservatives. These two groups conflicted about the control of distribution structure to be used in handling substantial funds from the oil business. The Azerbaijan government operated on a pyramidal structure based on patronage, nepotism and corruption strongly influenced by regional or clan. This is one and most significant challenge facing reform process in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan government launched a program in 2005, the National Anti-Corruption Pro gram to fight corruption because of the severe impact corruption has on the destabilizing economy (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Economic Transition Similarly to other former USSR nations, economic transition in Azerbaijan involved transforming the USSR communism economic system based on heavy subsidies, state owned industries and state market domination in resource allocation and price determination into a capitalist system controlled by the market economy and privatization. This transition was formally launched in 1991 under the Basic Economic Development Law. However, the transition period under Elchibey was marred with various challenges, the most disheartening being hyperinflation which hit the 1.664% mark by 1994. This was attributed to the price liberalization reforms employed in 1992. As a result the national income declined terribly from $35,006 million to $1.031 million, gross national product per capita also declined, industrial outputs decreased and the unemployment rat e was acute. Above all the factors that contributed to the downfall and challenges in the economy in these first years of independence was over-reliance on specialized economy instead of the diversified economy. The Azerbaijan economy solely depended on energy resources mostly petroleum oil (Baranick, and Salayeva, 2004). Besides over-reliance on energy resources, poor economic reforms worsened the situation. As of 1995, implementation of improved economic reforms started with the government introducing a stabilized program, Systemic Transformation Facility with the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This enhanced recovery of the economy which persisted in the following years with continued reinforcement of stabilization policies from Azerbaijan government and its National Bank, for example, stabilization of Azerbaijan’s national currency (Manat) in1995-1996 to curb the high rising inflation. Alongside the technical support from various financial institution s like IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and so forth, oil sector was strengthened in foreign investments. This contributed to high revenues which enhanced economic growth and stabilization. In 2003, oil accounted for 40% of Azerbaijan budget revenue and 90% exports. To date, the energy sector still accounts for the largest share of Azerbaijan’s revenue and exports (United Nations 2003). Additionally, the government initiated an energy fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) managed by a team of experts. This aimed at enhancing effective management of energy (oil) assets through exploration, development and production. As of October 2003, the fund had accumulated $800 million. However, this faced a major downfall due to lack of transparency and accountability. High cases of institutionalized corruption were reported. The ruling elites piled up oil revenues as well as mismanaged the resource. Likewise in political transition, corruption remains the hindrance to economic development destroying the industrial base and job creation. Despite the oil sector primarily steering economic development in Azerbaijan, relying on the one-sided economy is dangerous and may hinder development of other economic sectors like agriculture. Agriculture in Azerbaijan constituted 14.1 per cent of the total country’s gross domestic product by 2003. Azerbaijan has a favorable climate which would ensure production of many types of crops. Of the 11 climatic zones for agriculture, Azerbaijan has 9 of them. Agriculture has also experienced a big blow by poor and inadequate infrastructure which fell into disrepair during the Soviet era. Therefore. Azerbaijan farmers cannot export their products and they lack proper storage facilities for the products like refrigerators. On the other hand, brokers and wholesalers are scared of the poor infrastructure system. This forces farmers to sell their produce soon after production and for lower prices. However, there are some smaller plants for food processing emerging but the power problem is a major threat. This requires a steady supply of power and good infrastructure to ensure easy access to resources and supplies. In regards to tourism, Azerbaijan has a diverse geography stretching from its broad coastline to major mountain ski resorts. Likewise in agriculture, poor infrastructure and lack of consistent power challenges tourism. Only its capital city, Baku, has better infrastructure ranging from transportation to other sectors like health care. This also plays a part in limiting diversification of resources to other areas since all investors and companies concentrate entirely on Baku. Developing non-oil sectors and formulating favorable policies to enhance foreign investment, good infrastructure and so forth in these sectors can be a big boost in stabilizing the economy in Azerbaijan. In this respect, Azerbaijan government in 2003 initiated policies to develop non-oil sectors to stabilize the e conomy by creating more jobs, improving economic conditions, enhancing transparency and effective spending. In regards to privatization, effective private sector enhances economic development. In Azerbaijan, privatization begun as early as 1993 and is still continuing to date. By 2001, Azerbaijan government had accomplished privatization of over 29000 small enterprises but lagged behind in privatizing the big enterprises. This portrays the high commitment government has with big enterprises which mostly were related to energy (Megginson Oxford University Press 2005). To promote economic diversification a country’s need to develop its financial and physical infrastructure. Azerbaijan is facing a major challenge in developing reliable and modernized financial institutions. Restructuring of the existing banking system in Azerbaijan is taking place very slowly. This is attributed to over-reliance on foreign capital. As earlier mentioned Azerbaijan economy is mostly funded by int ernational organizations like the IMF, World Bank, ADB amongst many others. Social Transition Democratization and nation building process requires major contribution from the government and the people. As it is described democracy is a livelihood and the capacity upon which societies develop. This is facilitated by collective understanding and stabilized social consensus. However, the situation of Azerbaijan is filled with widespread apathy in politics, scattered opposition, non-satisfactory political dialogues and lack of cooperation between the government and the people. This makes the transition to democracy in Azerbaijan very difficult and complicated. Inequality amongst people in Azerbaijan is inevitable in respect to financial resources as well as opportunities to enhance ones capability and talent. There have been many internally displaced people and refugees in Azerbaijan who have not been reintegrated back to the society. To the bigger majority, no progress has been made in several years whereas the minority have grown disproportionately rich. During the 2003 elections, the political unrest emerged due the dispute in election results leading to a sour relationship of Azerbaijan government and its citizens were close to about 1000 opponents were arrested (Ottaway, 2002). Besides these obstacles in social transition, Azerbaijan people were actively fighting for democracy. Civil societies and community-based organizations emerged and teamed up with international organizations to fight for their rights. Existence of mistrust between the government and its citizens poses great harm to economic development (Ottaway, 2002). Detailed outcome description This research provides data to support the hypothesis and highlights the issue of economic development in Azerbaijan. It also suggests some solutions that help the economy to maintain long-term stability. In general, the outcome centers on the idea that the Azerbaijan government should diversify the economy wi th new resources such as agriculture, services, and tourism amongst many others. Agriculture is crucial not only Azerbaijan but in the entire world at large. Agriculture in Azerbaijan comes second in the economy behind the energy sector. This sector has the greatest growth potential in the economy because the energy sector is diminishing. Despite agriculture being second after the oil sector, it provides more employment opportunities than the energy sector. As of 2010, agriculture employed 40 percent of the entire Azerbaijan working population while the energy sector employing less than one per cent. This portrays the bigger potential and benefit/influence this sector can have on Azerbaijan economy. There are high poverty rates linked to lack of employment. Additionally, above 52 percent of the country’s territory was under agriculture due to the favorable climate and the traditional influence of rural households (Zvi Lerman, Sedik, and Sedik, 2010). On the contrary, the sect or’s share of Azerbaijan GDP was only 5.2 per cent as opposed to the energy sector which constituted above half of the total GDP. The exports from energy sector constituted 92 per cent of the countrys total exports. Agricultural sector failed to make an impact in that due to over-reliance on small scale farming. In general, agriculture performed poorer in 2010 than in the previous year. This was attributed to fall in grain production as a result of the floods and the decline in the cultivated area. This shows that there were poor agricultural policies to prevent or overcome these disasters and also ensure good prices. However, agriculture has continued to grow steadily due to the good climate and government intervention. The Azerbaijan government has reduced the value added tax on agricultural inputs, lending rates, initiated irrigation systems as well as improved the infrastructure. The Azerbaijan government considered the agricultural sector as their main priority for ensur ing economic stability and modernization amongst the non-energy resources. For this reason, it has created plans with strategic development programs to focus on the sector. This includes the Socioeconomic Development of Regions for 2009-2013, Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development for 2008-2015 and the State Program for the reliable provision of population with foodstuffs in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2008-2015. Contrary to the efforts the government has invested in agriculture, agriculture still has little influence in economic development. This is because the rural population is still relying hugely on remittances. More to this, the land management practices, agricultural services and credits, agricultural inputs and privatization incentives are poor. Furthermore, the high number of refugees and internally displaced persons dealt the agricultural sector and other sectors as well a major blow in reduction of poverty. As far as the financial system is concerned, Azerbaija n has made rapid expansion of this sector. This triggered the rise in number of financial institutions to above 200 which were further reduced to 44. Besides the reduction, only two banks, Kapital Bank and International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) partially owned by the state dominated controlling more than half of the oil assets in the sector. As of 2006, a report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) indicated that the financial sector had expanded by over 60 per cent. However, the ratio of GDP to banking assets was below 20 per cent. This reflected the small contribution the sector was making in the financial growth. Although there was a rapid expansion of the system, the system remains fragmented and under capitalized. Therefore, further reforms are required to promote efficiency and confidence to mobilize more savings for investment purposes. The low ratio portrayed that this sector had a growth potential which when well capitalized can serve the economic demands for credit especially at this moment it is diversifying away from mainly relying on oil alone. To add on, the under capitalized banks are at the risk of collapsing in the event of economic shocks which will further destabilize economic development. Dominance by one financial institution like it is with oil is a threat to other financial institutions. Likewise in other non-energy sectors, Azerbaijan has a big potential in the tourism industry. Azerbaijan is endorsed with many fascinating sites like the ancient cities, fortresses, palaces, mausoleums, mosques and so forth. On top of this, it mostly famous for its features of eternal fire, the â€Å"atashgehs,† for example, Yanardag-the blazing mountain in Absheron. Over decades now, fire worshippers from Azerbaijan and even other countries mainly India has visited the place in search of the fire. Furthermore, Azerbaijan has above 6000 historical monuments. Apart from this, is also known for its favorable agricultural cl imate having 9 climate zones of the existing 11 worldwide. In spite of all these fascinating sites for tourism, Azerbaijan gains little revenue from the sector which is insignificant to its economic development. The majority of this revenue was generated from domestic tourism. Nevertheless, the progress in developing the sector has been ongoing in the years since 2000. According to the experts view, Azerbaijan can accommodate about 22 to 25 million tourists per year. In 2011, Azerbaijan had 2 million visitors which portray they is a big gap to fill in this sector (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism development 2005). Recommendations/solutions Based on the above outcomes of the economic situation in Azerbaijan, the following solutions will speed up the process of diversification. Azerbaijan government should concentrate on implementing effective economic development programs in regards to the non-energy sector. As stated in this research, Azer baijan has a great potential in economic and human resources, historical heritage and unique natural environment. For instance, in agriculture, the Azerbaijan government considers the agricultural sector as their main priority in ensuring economic stability and modernization amongst the other non-energy resources. Azerbaijan has a favorable climate for agriculture satisfying 9 out of the 11 climatic zones preferred for farming. As indicated above, major efforts have been invested in agriculture but the efforts are not enough and effective. Relative to service industry we consider Azerbaijan banking sector. This sector as indicated is comprised of many financial institutions but only a few dominate. To enhance economic development and modernization, the financial sector must also be modernized to empower the development of other sectors by providing credit and loans. Therefore, the financial sector has to improve its corporate governance, encourage consolidation and privatization. Th e Azerbaijan government owned Kapital Bank and the majority shares in the IBA, 52.7 per cent. With respect to tourism, Azerbaijan has broad fascinating resources for tourism. Azerbaijan has to develop beaches, hotels and recreation facilities along its Caspian coastline. Relative to the hotels, Azerbaijan has only 6 five star hotels and very few 3 to 4-star hotels for budget tourists (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism development 2005). Developing the above sectors and other potential sectors will ensure development of the country’s remote and peripheral areas, promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, creation of new employment opportunities, and restoration of infrastructure. Nevertheless, the management of the resources would require accountability and transparency using effective monitoring mechanisms both in the public and private sector (ESCAP (Bangkok) Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tourism developme nt 2005). With regards to oil revenues, good governance should be embraced in the distribution and use of this primary source of revenue to uplift other sectors of the economy. As mentioned above, institutionalized corruption of SOFAZ delayed development of other sectors. Another important solution to diversification, is finalizing of the privatization process especially for the biggest business. This would eliminate monopoly in certain sectors of the economy and improve the competitiveness of goods in the domestic market. In return, this would be of much benefit to the ordinary Azerbaijan consumers. On the political scene, Azerbaijan government should initiate more clear and democratic policies to enhance good governance and relationship with its citizens. In addition, the government should embrace effective running of the government institutions and implementation of the adopted policies. As noted, inefficiency in implementation of policies or running of government institutions wa s a hindrance in achieving economic stability and modernization (Bongers, McCallum, United Nations Human Settlements Programme World Association of Cities and Local Authorities Coordination 2003). Furthermore, the government should formulate effective social reforms to reintegrate the displaced persons and the refugees in the society. Moreover, equality should be upheld in solving the immediate needs and challenges facing Azerbaijan such as housing, employment, poverty and many more (United Nations 2003). Comparative Analysis and Debate This research applies theories levels of analysis to shape the debate about whether or not Azerbaijan should have a comprehensively developed economy with diverse resources in order to ensure its stability and modernization. Two theories have been applied in this research, modernization and dependency. These theories have notable similarities and many differences as well. The theories provide valid information and explanations pertaining to developm ent and underdevelopment. Likewise, two levels of analysis, systemic and sub-systemic will be applied in this research. These systems explain underdevelopment in Azerbaijan and need to stabilize the economy to achieve long term development (United Nations 2003). In regards to modernization theory, the following questions are necessary in the theoretical analysis. What causes the economic stability of a country to rise, endure or fall? Does democracy evolve or diminish as a result of economic development? Democracy falls in which economic development level? The above questions are sufficiently answered by comparing two theories, modernization and dependency relating to economic development and democracy. These questions also help to define the mechanism existing economic development and aspects of political regimes. The research about the relationship between democracy and economic development has been widely covered than any topic in comparative politics (Hauss, 2008). The majority of these studies has shown that the levels of economic development and democracy are strongly tied. There are two different factors why this relationship is possible: democracy has a high likelihood of occurring when a country is developing economically or it may develop independent of the economic development. However, democracy has high chances of surviving in a developed country. The first factor is endogenous whereas the second is exogenous. By comparing the two regimes, we assert that democracy occurs when dictatorship ends. Hence, the notion that democracy is dependent on economic development is similar to the saying that dictatorship in a country ends soon the country develops economically. Therefore, democracy edges out dictatorship through economic development (Przeworski, and Limongi, 1997). Surveys conducted in different countries show that as a country develops economically, its social structure extensities-civilization, and labor, it requires considerable involvement of employees. Furthermore, other new groups and activities arise. As a result of this, dictatorship loses its effectiveness as the changes occurring empower people with autonomy, privacy and freedom. Using the endogenous factor, modernization theory takes effect in this. This theory describes democratization to be achieved after the economy develops. Modernization involves differentiating and specializing the social structures. This is done to distinguish the two aspects from from political structures. The main goal of this process is to create democracy. These processes include industrialization, urbanization, mobilization, education, political incorporation, communication and many more. In short, this is diversification of the economy. Therefore, according to modernization theory, democracy is dependent on economic development. It is assumed that if a country advances economically, like the developed countries, there is a higher probability of political democracy persisting (Przewor ski, and Limongi, 1997). Therefore, modernization is termed as one of the factors why economic development is linked with democracy. The sense that a country becomes democratic after developing economically portrays democracy as endogenous. That is, it comes as a result of development under authoritarian system. This implies that a poor authoritarian country would develop and become democratic after reaching a certain level of economic development. On the contrary, an authoritarianism / dictatorship would end because of other forms of influences thus democracy would still be achieved. The majority of European countries achieved their democracies as a result of wars but not modernization. On the other hand, other democracies fell due to the demise of their leader, foreign pressures and economic crises. Modernization theorists concentrate on the socio-political and cultural factors and impact of economic development (Przeworski, and Limongi, 1997). Relative to the dependency theory, i t looks at the interaction between developing and developed countries. This theory appears as an opposing theory of the interaction based on free market theory. It was developed to challenge the economic policies of free markets during the post war era. Therefore, dependency theory shows that a few established countries that are supplied by the developing countries at their own expense. This implies that third world countries depend on the developed nations because they send resources, and they may or may not get compensations. This theory holds that developed countries put their developing counterparts under pressure through tough economic forces like instituting sanctions or proscribing trading policies which are attached to loans provided by the IMF or World Bank (Johnson, Turner Turner, 2003). The dependency theory further posits that there is an increment in dependency as time passes. The developed nations take the advantage of the vast resources to develop unfair policies whi ch oppress the developing countries. In addition, the developed countries avoid criticisms from the developing countries. This strategy favors and creates economic security of the developed countries at the expense of the underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the developing countries continue to lose wealth to the developed countries. This causes poverty in developing countries, and this situation forces these countries to get loans from the developed countries. The developing countries accumulate huge debts, and this increases their dependency on the developed countries. Generally, dependency theory emphasizes that lack of development in underdeveloped countries occurs is attributed the international capitalist system that keeps the third world countries like Azerbaijan underdeveloped. Azerbaijan is influenced by other European countries under the Council of Europe and is dependent on loans from IMF and World Bank amongst other international financial institutions (United Nations., and Economic Commission for Europe. 2003). As per the systemic level of analysis, it has two regimes, the post-Cold War and the post-9/11. The post-Cold War regime was characterized by the change in the international system to a capitalist system whereas the post-9/11 refers to the war on terrorism that left countries torn apart and in conflicts with one another. This approach will evaluate how both regimes affected the development process in Azerbaijan. Regarding to post-Cold War regime, Azerbaijan suffered unrest after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although Azerbaijan was relatively quiescent during the progress of the Cold War, it suffered conflicts with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. Apart from the political conflicts, other conflicts related to religious militancy, terrorism and competition over the limited resources intensified causing instability which further affected the international relations of these countries. Similarly to the post-Cold War, post-9/11 also contribut ed to political unrest and deterioration of international relations between the United States and Muslim related countries (Burnell Randall, 2008). Further to the sub-systemic analysis level, the phenomenon about Azerbaijan underdevelopment will be examined through its political system, political culture, leadership and decision making policies for the government. The Azerbaijan political system was under the authoritarian rule where the economy first developed and later started to fall. This was attributed to the political culture of institutionalized corruption which affected the government. The leadership was based on dictatorship where only the class of state building elites controlled decision making (Atakishiyev, 2007). Debate It is necessary for the Azerbaijan economy to continue depending on the Petroleum productions and the oil prices. The country should use the wealth for development, which will help move forward to modernize. As opposed to diversification, specializing i n the oil sector has proved successful in Azerbaijan. To date, oil is the main contributor of the country’s revenue. In addition, most of the exports also come from this sector. This revenue has been used to develop the country’s economy, and a good progress has been observed for years. One sector is easy to manage effectively, unlike many sectors (Atakishiyev, 2007). By contrast, diversification of the economy is the key in achieving economic stability and modernization. As studies have shown, countries that are developed are those with a diversified economy. In respect to Azerbaijan, diversification is highly required. Despite the oil sector being dominant in Azerbaijan economy, there is a major risk of exhausting the natural resource which will leave the country in a stalemate, destabilized and non- modernized. On the basis of this research, Azerbaijan has a great potential of economic resources ranging from agriculture, financial institutions to tourism. Besides, t he little efforts by Azerbaijan in these sectors, they have portrayed change to the economy. Therefore, by diversifying its economy, Azerbaijan would realize economic stability and modernization within a short time. Conclusion This research has successfully proved that diversification of economic resources is the key to achieving economic stability and modernization. Azerbaijan has mainly relied on the energy sector since independence; however, it has other potential resources which are underutilized. The outcome of this research has helped us to understand the economic development of countries which are reliant on single sector/resources like Azerbaijan. However, over reliance on one sector has contributed to the underdevelopment of countries. This research has shown that such a system is at the risk of collapsing once the resource exhausts or due to other factors. These other factors include democracy. The modernization theory has emphasized on the impact of democracy to achieving economic stability and modernization regardless of relying on a single or multiple sectors. Contrary to this, the dependence theory proves that the hindrance to development and modernization is dependence on developed countries which end up indebting them. In regards to levels analysis, underdevelopment of a country is as a result of local and international influence. In systemic analysis, countries fail to develop due to external influence like war and terrorism with destroying the international relations. On sub-systemic analysis, internal influence play center role in underdevelopment of the country. On all these fronts the impact is massive on country relying on a single economic resource. Therefore, Azerbaijan should diversify its economic resources to stabilize and modernize to overcome the risk factors associated with specialization References Atakishiyev, M. (2007). New oil policy and economic development in Azerbaijan. Baku: Aspoligraf. Baranick, M. J., and Salayeva, R. (2 004). State-Building in a Transition Period: The Case of Azerbaijan. The Cornwallis Group X: Analysis for New and Emerging Societal Conflicts, 208-217. Bongers, P. N., McCallum, D., United Nations Human Settlements Programme., World Association of Cities and Local Authorities Coordination. (2003). Partnership for local capacity development: Building on the experiences of city-to-city cooperation. Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Burnell, P. J., Randall, V. (2008). Politics in the developing world. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cornell, S. E. (2011). Azerbaijan since independence. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Cornell, S. E. (2011). Azerbaijan since independence. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. ESCAP (Bangkok)., Seminar on poverty alleviation through sustainable tousim development. (2005). The contribution of tourism to poverty alleviation. Bangkok: UN. Economic and social commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP. Hauss, C. (2008). Comparative politics: Domestic res ponses to global challenges. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Johnson, D., Turner, T. Turner, D. J. (2003). International Business: Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy. New York: Routledge. King, D. C. (2005). Azerbaijan. New York: Marshall Cavendish. Leeuw, C.. (1998). Azerbaijan: A quest for identity. New York: St. Martins Press. Megginson, W. L., Oxford University Press. (2005). The financial economics of privatization. New York: Oxford University Press. Ottaway, M. (2002). Democracy challenged: The rise of semi-authoritarianism. Washington, D.C: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Przeworski, A., and Limongi, F. (1997). Modernization: Theories and Facts. World Politics, 4(2), pp. 155-183 United Nations. (2003). Managing globalization in selected countries with economies in transition. New York, N.Y: United Nations. United Nations. (2003). Managing globalization in selected countries with economies in transition. New York, N.Y: United Nations. United Nations., and Economic Commission for Europe. (2003).Towards a Knowledge-Based Economy: Azerbaijan: Country Readiness Assessment Report. Washington, DC.: United Nations Publications. Zvi Lerman, Sedik, D., and Sedik, D. J. (2010). Rural Transition in Azerbaijan. New York: Lexington Books.

Five ways to inspire original ideas

Five ways to inspire original ideas Five unusual tips to inspire original writing For many people, feeling they have nothing to say is one of their biggest writing challenges. (Unfortunately, there are many more who have nothing to say yet write anyway. Well come to that in a second.) This is something that much advice on beating writer’s block – which focuses on how to get started – overlooks. So here are five innovative ways to ensure you always think clearly and never run short of original things to write about. Before we start though, its worth stating the obvious: engaging your brain before you write is critical. Most of us have had the experience of reading a document or blog post that is neither original nor particularly helpful – the result, almost certainly, of insufficient time spent researching and thinking. Its not surprising, of course. A word processor is merely a tool, just as a car is. A car is useless if it doesn’t take you where you need to go, and for that it needs a driver who knows where they’re going. To stretch the analogy further, most people would rather go somewhere new than drive endlessly round a multi-storey car park. So it is with writing. Firing up Microsoft Word and tapping away at your keyboard for a few hours won’t automatically produce a good document or blog post. You still need to have something worth saying – and if it’s new, all the better. So here’s how to ensure you never run out of ideas again. 1. Prime the pump Are you ready? Here comes the science bit. You have an idea when nerve cells in your brain fire in a unique combination. But for that to happen, the information needs to be there already. This is good news, as ideas are never truly original. Rather, they’re connections of other thoughts and concepts. The English coffee-house boom of the 1600s is inextricably linked with the explosion of new ideas that we now call the Enlightenment. That’s because it brought people together to exchange information (something non-scientists call ‘talking’), prompting nerve cells to fire in new combinations all over the place. Innovation favours the connected mind. You can recreate this effect by conjuring up a coffee house in your head. Start by filling your mind with other peoples ideas – not just before you write a word but before you even plan your document. Use a variety of media: books, web pages, audio and video. All of this will stimulate your brain and get you thinking effortlessly. But for it to work, you need to consume the information without getting hung up on what you’re going to say. You are merely priming the pump. ‘The best ideas come from building on the ideas and inventions of others,’ says Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From: The Seven Patterns of Innovation. 2. Wake up Admittedly, the caffeine that the coffee houses served up probably helped a little too. Most people drank weak beer from dawn to dusk before coffee became popular. (It was safer than water.) So it’s no surprise that they started to think a little more clearly when they eased back on the sauce. But even if you’re not in the habit of taking a tipple while you wait for your PC to warm up, you still need to make sure you have a clear head. That means getting a decent amount of sleep. Caffeine will help only to a point: it’s recently been discovered that sleep appears to flush out the biochemical by-products of the brain’s metabolism (‘toxins’). So continually burning the midnight oil is going to make it a lot more difficult to write good reports. No amount of coffee will clear a tired, fogged-up brain. 3. Pick the right environment A common piece of advice is to take yourself away to a quiet room, clear of clutter and other distractions, so that the ideas will flow. In fact, this is the opposite of what you should do. ‘Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom,’ says author and entrepreneur Seth Godin, who has based his whole career on having new ideas. It makes sense. Getting a number of neurons to fire in a unique combination is unlikely to happen in the place your brain associates with management accounts meetings. In fact, silence is probably not that conducive to innovation at all. Research by the Universities of British Columbia and Virginia has found that the background murmur of coffee shops boosts creativity. If the caffeine gets too much, switch to decaf. In fact, there’s now an app that will enable you to bypass the coffee shop altogether. 4. Capture your ideas Apple chief designer Jony Ive says that ideas are fragile. Functional MRI research has now revealed just how fragile. In fact, most people can remember only four or five facts at a time. And what’s more, those facts stay in your working memory (the ‘front of your mind’) for only 15–20 seconds. In practice, this means that it’s critical that you record your ideas when you have them. Never rely on remembering them later – you probably won’t, and they could be lost forever. You can go analogue here and use a pencil and notebook. But digital voice recorders or apps such as Audio Memos or eRecorder can make it a lot easier to collate your ideas electronically later. 5. Plan It’s important to separate the thinking process from the writing process. Raw ideas or collections of bullet points are not much use, but neither is a random collection of thoughts thrown into a document in a stream of consciousness. Used properly, mind maps are an excellent way to bring ideas together and connect them in a logical path. (You can learn more about this on our courses.) Following these steps can be amazingly powerful: so powerful that you may even end up with more ideas than you can use. Be careful though: even the best ideas will be wasted if you don’t communicate them to your audience – by making sure you save enough time and energy to settle down and write that report. Tell us how you get on. Do these work for you? What are your tried and tested ways of generating ideas? Image credit: The Thinker by Joe deSousa used under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)

Why do you think Humanities courses are required Essay

Why do you think Humanities courses are required - Essay Example Additionally, by understanding the shortcomings of worldviews that have been tried and failed, we are given adequate warning about the fate of many similar ideals that might be practiced within our own lifetimes. By understanding the nuances of the past and the reasons why the past has given way to the present we are able to better understand how and why we are where we are today. Additionally, humanities (as their very name implies) gives us a full and complete picture of the human condition; replete with all of its rationality and irrationality. Unlike the hard sciences, humanities teach us that human nature is a fluid and liquid ideal that can be molded and bent to the will of powerful leadership dynamics for both good and bad purposes. This in turn reminds us that the way in which we study and understand the humanities is directly linked to how well we will be able to determine our own future for ourselves and our

New Technology that Could Substantially Improve the Output of the Essay

New Technology that Could Substantially Improve the Output of the Bio-Fuels - Essay Example While, solar energy seems to be new, but it is also being in utilization for many years for drying food products and heating water. Biofuel is such type of fuel that can be attained from living organisms. In this way, the energy stored and wasted by the living organisms can be utilized to attain energy. Living organisms both store and waste energy, like the tree and plants store energy in their stems that can be burnt to extract energy, in the similar way, mammals, birds and other animals can provide undigested food that could be utilized to extract energy by going through a certain process. The energy in the undigested food waste can be extracted in two ways; first methods is to dry the undigested food waste and then burn it to extract energy content of the waste and the second method is to biodegrade the waste and then capture the biogas evolved in the process. This paper assembles the different technologies that can enhance the output of the bio-fuels (Emma, np). Different types o f bio-fuels have to be processed differently and thus a different biofuel is obtained. The different types of bio-fuels that involve technology are biodiesel, bio-ethanol and biogas. Bio-ethanol is attained after the fermentation of such foods and food products that have a higher content of sugar, like sugar cane, corn, switch grass, etc. However, any biotic oil could have the potential to become biodiesel by undergoing a simple process that involve first heating and filtering the oil, then treating the oil with the methanol and then washing and drying (Blair, np). Washing and drying may utilize different chemicals like hydroxides, etc. Biogas is extracted through the bio-digest plant that digests the waste food or animal waste utilizing certain type of microorganisms and bacteria to eat up the wastes and generate biogas. Biogas is mostly methane gas; however, some content of sulphur oxides are also present in the gas. The important factor of the bio-digest plant is that the waster from the plant can be utilized as the fertilizers. The plant could be as small as to support a small house or could be as big as to supply fuel for a bigger power generation unit. The advances in all the bio-fuels technologies change the perspective of inputs to the fuel generation plant. For example, for a biogas generation system animal waste is the primary component, however, the technology made a possibility to utilizing any bio waste to generate bio gas. In the similar way, corn starch is the primary components of the bio-ethanol generation system but advancement in the technology made it possible to extract the ethanol from other food sources like switch grass and other plant waste. The advance technology enhanced the possibility of the bio-fuels to be utilized in a more appropriate manner and have major other application, like bio-aviation fuel, high efficiency bio-fuels, etc. The advanced bio-fuels may utilize food and bio wastes, agricultural residue, forestry residue (wood y biomass, etc), crops and non-food feed stocks. The major issue is to increase the sustainability of the bio-fuels and second generation bio-fuels generation are more sustainable as compared to the first generation bio-fuels. However, the product form the second generation