The Art of Grilling Essay Example for Free

The Art of Grilling Essay After coming home from a long day of going to classes and studying there is one thing that I especially look forward to. Some people may want to go grab a beer or turn on the T. V and lounge around, but my vision of a perfect evening is one spent in front of a grill, cooking whatever it is Ive chosen for dinner. Im not sure why I like to grill so much but my guess would be because my dad loves to. Im from Tampa so it was never to cold to grill and a day rarely passed, rain or shine, that my dad wasnt out grilling something. I actually thought it was normal to grill everything, and I mean everything, until I was about 13. Fruits, vegetables, meat, you name it, my dad grilled it. Because I enjoy grilling so much I have decided to let you know exactly what the art of grilling is. Today Im going to discuss three topics, types of grills, types of food to grill, and to finish it off, some basic grilling techniques. The definition of grilling is cooking an ingredient over high heat, on a metal grill. On the grill food is cooked quickly because of the heat coming from a gas, electric, charcoal, or wood heat source. The first way to grill I will discuss is by using the wood grill. Wood grills are the oldest and most primitive way of cooking. Today wood grills are obviously more advanced than the one used by people hundreds of years ago, but the heat source is still the same, burning wood. Although charcoal and gas grills are more commonly used these days, wood grills are still thought of as a great heat source because it perfumes the grilled item with a smoky flavor. Experienced wood grillers' advice is to make sure to let the wood burn down in to embers before cooking, because grilling on an open flame will easily burn the food. According to the Culinary Education Center website, The best kind of wood to use when using a wood grill is hardwoods, such as fruit wood, hickory, or mesquite. The next types of grill I will be talking about are electric and gas grills. These two are usually grouped together because they are the easiest to use. Lighting them is as simple as pushing a button or flipping a switch. Also, unlike wood and charcoal grills, these grills keep a steady heat across the grilling surface. In the past, gas grills were always used more because of the electric grills inability to reach a high heat. Within the last couple years electric grills popularity has risen because of their new ability to reach and sustain a high heat and because they are considered safer in a home environment. These two types of grills are definitely the quickest way to cook dinner. The last type of grill I want to tell you about is the charcoal grill. Charcoal grills used to be the most common grill used in family homes, but as the electric and gas grills became more popular charcoal grills are now mostly used on camping trips or picnics. In addition to the other grills being safer, there is also a hassle in lighting charcoal grills. According to an article on the website of Learning the Art of Grilling at Home, charcoal grilling is cheaper but more troublesome to light and keep at a steady temperature. It takes 30- 45 minutes after lighting the charcoal until you can actually cook on it. Personally, charcoal grilling is my favorite because in my opinion it makes the food taste better. Unfortunately, because of the hassle that goes along with a charcoal grill, they are now a dying trend. Now that we have the three types of grills out of the way lets move on to what you can actually cook on them. The best types of foods to cook on a grill are red meat, poultry, vegetables, fish, and fruit. When choosing a red meat to grill you should try to get the most tender cut of meat, such as a filet or strip because on a grill there isnt enough time for the meat to tenderize by themselves. Another type of food to cook on the grill is chicken. Chicken is the most grilled items in households across the US. When cooking chicken, leaving the skin on will prevent the chicken from drying out and will also taste great when its finished. If you are cooking a skinless chicken breast you will need to be more careful because it is very easy to overcook them and dry the piece out. The same goes for fish. Fish tastes great on the grill but overcooking it will cause it to be dry and not taste very good. Vegetables such as squash, mushrooms, and peppers are also great. After a dip in oil, and some salt and pepper you will be amazed at how good they taste right off the grill. The last food that I will suggest cooking may surprise you. Fruits such as apples and pears are great after being thrown on the grill. All they need is just a little warm-up on the grill and it will completely enhance the flavors of the fruit. The taste will really surprise you. Ok, the last thing Im going tell you about today are some basic grilling techniques. First, you want to turn the grill on and turn the temperature to high, make sure the grill is hot. The Culinary Education Center says if the grill is not hot, it will be hard to develop the caramelized, smoky flavors of a properly grilled meat. Also, if the grill isnt hot the food youre cooking will stick to the grilling surface. After making sure the grill is hot you will want to clean off the grill surface with a wire brush. This cleans off any old pieces of food left on the grill. Finally you can now toss the food of your choice on. Barbeque N on the Internet says the goal of perfect grilling is to give the item delicious, brown grill marks on both sides, while making sure the item comes off the grill at jus the right amount of doneness. Today I hope I taught you a little bit about grilling that you didnt know before. I also hope you can now understand my weird obsession with grilling. An article I read in The Sun Valley Guide for Grilling said it best, food cooked over a fire, simply tastes better.

The effects of exposure to violence in media

The effects of exposure to violence in media CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0Introduction Violence is the use of physical force to injure people or property. Violence may cause physical pain to those who experience it directly, as well as emotional distress to those who either experience or witness it. Individuals, families, schools, workplaces, communities, society, and the environment all are harmed by violence. Violence is a social and health problem for all who experience and witness it. Violence takes many forms, including Family violence, often referred to as domestic abuse, child abuse, child maltreatment, spouse abuse, and wife battering. Other than that, sexual violence, media violence that is the violence that been shown on television, in film. Plus, this era people can see violence through video games and many other examples. Research indicates that violent behaviour may have many different causes, some of which are inborn but most of which are learned from experiencing or witnessing violent behaviour by others, particularly those who are role models. (Daniel, 2007) Moreover, media violence can lead to real violence in multiple ways. Watching television violence is an important predictor of aggressive behaviour. Childrens cartoons and music videos in particular often portray violence. American children see about 16,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence on television by age 18. In nearly 75 percent of those cases, punishment is not shown to be a consequence of violent behaviour. (U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, 2006) Nevertheless, a research done by Albert Bandura (1961) found that, if children observe violent behaviour at home, in school, or on television, they may come to believe that turning angry feelings into angry actions is acceptable behaviour. When these children become angry themselves, they will display the behaviours they have observed, and they even may create new angry behaviours that go beyond what they have learned from their models. 1.1Background of the study Media violence is recognized as a potential contributor to the increase of antisocial attitudes in children and adolescents (Ledingham, Ledingham, Richardson, 1993). Considerations about media violence go back to the 1920s. At that time the earliest coordinated social scientific research investigation into the impact of media violence began in the western countries. It was intended at studying the harmful impacts of media on society. The development of television as a common mass entertainment and information medium during the 1950s encountered similar concerns about potential harms, especially in connection with young audiences (Gunter, 1994). The most important concern in the debate about media violence has been whether or not it promotes aggressive behavior among viewers (Van Evra, 1990). The relationship between heavy exposure to media violence and later aggressive behavior has been studied for more than thirty years. A large body of experimental and longitudinal research on thi s question has been evaluated, and it has been determined that there is a link between viewing TV violence and aggressive behavior (APA, 1993). There is also research indicating that heavy exposure to screen violence can cause problems in other domains of social behavior. For example, it can make people become both fearful of the world around them and more accepting of violence in the real life as displayed by others (Singer Singer, 1980). Nowadays, many concerns have been raised about the kinds of values and attitudes that may be inculcated by exposure to certain kinds of media content, especially violence in movies (Kubey Larson, 2005). During the last decade, accusations towards the media have also been made against violent computer and video games, the popularity of which among adolescents is rising (Scott, 2000). While social scientists work on determining the major causation of violence, such as social environments, cultural factors, family instruction, and group membership (Fraser, 1996; Staub, 1996), parents, teachers, politicians and school administrators continue blaming the media for increases in violence attitudes among adolescents. For instance, school principals, mothers, and young people were surveyed for their perceptions of factors influencing violence among youth. The results showed that violent messages in rap music and violence in the movies are perceived as the factors influencing violence (Kandakai, Price, Telljohann, 1999, Pryor, Sard, Bombyk, 1999). Moreover, the results indicated that media violence was perceived to be one of the major causes of violence in 47-54% of the questionnaires. Clearly, media violence is not in itself a sufficient cause of real world violence (Zuckerman, 1996).However, as the numerous studies show, parents and school personnels’ concerns about media violence are justified. 1.1.1Attitudes toward Violence Attitudes toward violence are viewed as having a significant mediating role in the translation of aggressive feelings into aggressive behaviours (Velicer, Huckel, Hansen, 2003). Furthermore, researchers have identified social attitudes that could be responsible for cultural variations in rates of violence (Cohen Nisbett, 1994). It is asserted that attitudes are governed by internal value systems. Person develops his/her attitudes through a complex and particular evaluative procedure based on cognitive and affective reactions to life experiences (Eiser van der Pligt, 1988). From a social cognitive approach, attitudes are believed to guide individual differences in social information processing. For instance, beliefs that violence is compulsory to achieve desired results may lead a person to focus more to aggressive aspects of social cues or anticipate positive outcomes for violent behavior (Dodge, 1993). It is commonly admited that attitudes have a significant power on behavior, especially violent behavior (Kxaus, 1995). Relations have been found between specific attitudes and violent behavior in children and adolescents. Huesmann and Guerra (1997) detected that through middle childhood, childrens beliefs that violence is acceptable. Another study by Vernberg, Jacobs and Hershberger (1999) investigated attitudes about violence as a possible influence on the frequency of commonplace aggression toward peers. The results demonstrated that the relation between attitudes favoring violence and self-reported aggression toward peers was significant in the sample of 1,000 youth. A positive relationship between proviolence attitudes and actual violent behavior has been also found in a sample of youth from juvenile detention and school settings (Slaby Guerra, 1988). It was found that a belief about the acceptability of aggression was significant and independent predictor of aggressive behavior. Violence related beliefs were related to self-reported violent behavior in a study of low income African American youth. An intervention designed to change violence-related beliefs resulted in decreased aggressive behavior in adolescents incarcerated for violent offences (Guerra Slaby, 1990). Given that attitudes influence behavior al predispositions, changing attitudes should contribute to behavioral change (Shapiro, Dorman, Burkley, Welker, Clough, 1997). In turn, this means that attitudes are an appropriate target for violence prevention programs. Media are believed to be potential contributors to the development of antisocial behavior in children. One can identify several ways that media violence could affect social behavior. First, TV violence could provide the original aggressive scripts which children store in memory. Secondly, TV violence might affect behavior by changing a persons attitudes or emotional responses to violence. Thirdly, it may arouse a person, which in a short-term may have serious outcomes, for example, physical risk-taking (Potts, Doppler, Hernandez, 1994). Educators and researchers are especially concerned with children and youth, because their attitudes, beliefs, ideas about the world, as well as social skills, are beginning to take form. Given the fact that children and youth are often exposed to media which glorify violence, and that the young viewers are still in very active developmental stages, it is reasonable to argue that there might be a relationship between extensive exposure to violent medi a and subsequent development of antisocial behavior. 1.2Problem Statement Although much of the research has focused on exposure to media violence as a factor contributing to antisocial behavior (Groebel, 1998), some effects of media violence have been examined more extensively than others. Woodfield (1989), in her review of the literature, asserted that the major concern has been the causal relationship between TV violence and aggressive attitudes, and there were fewer studies that focused on the cognitive and affective outcomes of exposure to media violence. The same notion was stated by Rule and Ferguson (1986), who declared that there seemed to be sparse research regarding the relation between media exposure and attitudes toward aggression (p.39). Upon reviewing the literature for this study, it has become obvious that research directly investigating the relation between media violence and attitudes has tended to focus on the acceptance of violence toward women (Malamuth Check, 1981; St.Lawrence Joyner, 1991). Only a few available studies considered the special effects of exposure to media violence on attitudes toward violence. Furthermore, outcomes of these studies are mixed. Some researchers found that the greater the level of exposure to television violence, the more the child was willing to suggest violence as a solution to conflict, to perceive it as effective, and to become more accepting of violent behavior displayed by others (Dominick Greenberg, 2001). Others did not find any significant support for the hypotheses that high exposure to television violence caused adolescents to accept violence as a way to solve their problems, and that exposure to television violence made them more callous in relation to near or distant violence in the world around them (Woodfield, 1989). Despite the fact that there is little research evidence to confirm attitudinal changes as a result of exposure to media violence, it is a pervasive theme throughout the empirical literature that heavy exposure to violent messages conveyed in the media influences and shapes individual attitudes toward violence in the real world. For example, it is often encountered that heavy viewers of TV/video violence tend to accept violence as a solution to conflicts and perceive it as an effective means of settling disputes (Potter, 1998), that viewers might believe that it is fairly common for people to fight, and that aggression is proper and acceptable in many different real-life situations (Berkowitz, 2001). Thus, more research is needed to test the empirical evidence. It should also be mentioned that the majority of research presented above was experimental, and it is clear that the results could be different in the natural environment. In addition, research was conducted mostly with children, which makes it difficult to make generalizations on other age groups. Since adolescent boys are the main audience of movies with violent content, and their culture also includes violent computer and video games, often human-directed (Funk Buchman, 2002), it is considered worthwhile to conduct a study exploring adolescents attitudes toward violence on the basis of their exposure to screen violence, both passive (movies) and interactive (video/computer games) 1.3.1Research Objectives The general objective of this study is to identify whether there is an effects of watching violence movies on the attitudes concerning aggression among secondary schoolboys. The specific objectives of this study are intended to: 1.3.1.1To determine the habits of SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys in watching films. 1.3.1.2To examine the level of affection of SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys to watch violence movies. 1.3.1.3To identify the relationship between affection toward violent movie and attitudes concerning aggression among SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys. 1.3.2Research Questions Based on the problems mentioned, the key questions to be studies are: 1.3.2.1What are the habits of SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys in watching films? 1.3.2.2What are the levels of affection of SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys toward violence movies? 1.3.2.3Is there a relationship between affection toward violent movie and attitudes concerning aggression among SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys? 1.4.1 Conceptual Framework Figure 1.4.1 1.4.2Conceptual Definition Hypothesis 1 H1: The SMKDTHO secondary schoolboy’s habit in watching violence movies is watching violent movies with their parents. Hypothesis 2 H1: The level of affection of SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys is high in watching violent movies. Hypothesis 3 H1: There is a relationship between affection toward violent movie and attitudes concerning aggression among SMKDTHO secondary schoolboys. 1.5Scope of Study The scope and coverage of this study will be targeted at the Form One until Form Five secondary schoolboys that is age between 13-17 years old in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Desa Tun Hussein Onn (SMKDTHO) in Kuala Lumpur. The main reason is because they have the potential to expose the research which is the effects of watching violence movies on the attitudes concerning aggression among secondary schoolboys. In this school, the entire students have different kind of attitudes and skill level toward the effect of violent movies. Some of them have their own perspective and preferences in watching violence movies. The expected amount of targeted respondents is 50 people and it is important to find out the relationship between affection toward violent movie and attitudes concerning aggression. This research will focus on quantitative method with questionnaire. 1.6Significance of the Study Presentation to violence in the media can affect adolescents forceful conduct. The presentation to brutality in viewing the violent films can have on forceful conduct and dreadfulness on the teenagers. Ann Cami (2008) talk about that even there is no proof supporting the thought that rough media can truly really increments violence wrongdoing, still research has mulled over that when a teen have watch a violent films, some may carry on forcefully, they may attempt to be a copycat, bully other individuals or may experience apprehension, create doubtful observations concerning the roughness that exists in this present reality, or grow less propelled good thinking methodologies. There are numerous cases we can see in our county Malaysia. So the primary reason is to know the impacts of viewing violent movies on the state of mind concerning hostility. Here, parents, teacher, the school administrators and the counsellor play important roles to help the teenagers about this. 1.6.1 Parents CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.0Introduction A quantitative methodology is felt as the perfect system to be utilized for this study. This is on account of the writing audit has obviously demonstrated that this methodology is generally utilized as a part of the field of examination on media and their impacts on the general public. Moreover, a quantitative examination outline is relevant to the motivation behind the present study: to think about and foresee savagery related state of mind among pre-adult young men on the premise of their introduction to media roughness. In particular, the study utilizes a review examination outline technique that permits the incorporation of an extensive number of specimen (respondents) while considering a few mediating variables. Review procedure has a few qualities that make it more proficient to intercultural studies. The area of this study was seven universal schools in Kuala Lumpur. The seven universal schools chose were The Alice Smith School, MontKiara Worldwide School, Utama Global School, Arrangement Universal School, Fairview Global School, Sayfol Universal School, and Worldwide Indian Universal School. The point of interest of these worldwide schools has been gotten from Kuala Lumpur Instruction Office. As per rundown there were 10 Global schools in Kuala Lumpur of which three of them are elementary schools. This study utilized the comprehensively 4-scale Likert sort instrument as the primary strategy for information accumulation. Likert is a psychometric scale habitually used in surveys structures, and is the most generally used scale in study mull over too. In the wake of offering an explanation to a Likert survey, specialist can recognize their level of consent to a subject. The information was gathered utilizing four instruments: the Demographic Poll, the Media survey Propensities Poll, the fondness to film viciousness scale, the State of mind concerning Hostility Scale. 3.1 Population and sample The specimen estimate that has been utilized for this examination is taking into account the Krejcie, R.V and Morgan D.W (1970). Consequently, taking into account Krejcie and Morgan (1970) out of 865 schoolboys in Kuala Lumpur universal schools, the example was 260. Since the quantity of understudies in chose schools was unequal, circulating the polls was in view of the extent of number of schoolboys in each one school to the aggregate populace of understudies. Thusly, 30 to 45 polls were conveyed in diverse schools in light of the specified extents. The choice to target guys can be portrayed by the way that immature young men are the fundamental crowd of activity motion pictures with abnormal amounts of brutality (Roe, 1995). They are additionally the most continuous feature films/PC diversion players (Griffiths, 1991). Whats more, since the past studies show, young men are more inclined to pick films with dream and human savagery as their top choice (Buchman Funk, 2003). As the present study is gone for surveying youth demeanour to savagery on the premise of presentation to media brutality, this decision of the example of the study is sensible. The testing system utilized for this study is methodical inspecting strategy. The fundamental concern in the utilize of precise inspecting with a consistent dispersing is that the things to be examined ought not to be set in an organized style which may compare to the dividing along transect or the network. (Carter Gregorich, 2008) Methodical inspecting is regularly utilized and easy to apply; it comprises of taking each Kth testing unit after an arbitrary begin (Kish 1995)

Apparel Brand Research Project Prada

Apparel Brand Research Project Prada BRAND OVERVIEW Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, Miuccia Pradas grandfather, in Milan.   Ã‚   Located in the prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Prada was an exclusive, stylish store selling luggage, accessories and luxury goods, in fine materials and of sophisticated workmanship. The Milan store quickly became a firm favourite with the Italian aristocracy and the most sophisticated members of the European elite. In 1919 Prada received the warrant of Official Supplier of the Italian Royal Household, and since then has been able to display the royal Savoy coat of arms and figure-of-eight knots alongside the company logo. Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli started working together in the late 70s, laying the foundations of the international expansion that was to come. Patrizio Bertelli broke new ground in the luxury goods sector, introducing a new business model in which he kept direct, internal control over all processes, applying uncompromised quality criteria across the entire production cycle. Miuccia Pradas creative talent and avant-garde approach attracted the attention of the global fashion industry, while her ability to look at the world from an unconventional vantage point allowed her not only to anticipate, but quite often, to set new trends. The classic Prada suitcase was made of heavy walrus skin but as plane travel made heavy suitcases impractical, the company started to make lighter bags and high quality items made of crystals, tortoise shell and wood. They also sold garments of waterproof fabrics to the U.S. However the company had gone into decline in the 1970s. 1950 Miuccia Prada was born. By her mid-20s she had a doctorate in political science and in her 30s, she was a communist. In 1970 she started making backpack bags out of waterproof fabric called Pocone. 1979 She took over the Prada family business. Since sales were down, she expanded into luxury tote bags and backpacks in black with flat classic lines, made from nylon. 1985 She launched a line of footwear for women and her first pret-a-porter clothing line, using high quality fabrics. Her clean lines gave her fame, and she came to be known for under-stated elegant garments. 1993 She received an International award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. 1995 She won Designer of the Year award. 1998 Prada opened their first menswear shop in Los Angeles, USA. They also opened new Prada stores in Manhattan and Las Vegas, as well as Miu Mius first North American boutique, in Los Angeles. Prada is now a worldwide empire, with stores in practically every country in the western world. It is a million-dollar concern, with every celebrity wearing Prada clothes. 2. NATURE OF BRAND AND ITS TARGET MARKET The Prada brand targets an international customer base that is modern, sophisticated, attuned to stylistic innovations, and expects craftsmanship of the highest quality.       The brands iconic trademarks, which are readily recognized around the world, incorporate the Savoy coat of arms and Savoy figure-of-eight knot, reflecting its heritage as an official supplier to the former Royal family of Italy. Introduced in the 1980s, Pradas famous black nylon bag with the signature triangle logo has been an enduring classic, with both the nylon bag and the logo becoming icons in the brands history. The Prada brand represents the best of Italian culture and tradition, sophisticated style and uncompromising quality, and as one of the most innovative fashion brands are capable of re-defining the norm and setting new trends. Prada also captured the attention of literary and cinematic audiences when the novel The Devil Wears Prada was first published in 2003, and then was made into a movie in 2006. The Prada brands distinctive originality is built on its unique approach to style, craftsmanship and constant innovation in materials and designs, as we unceasingly exert creativity in the development of fashionable designs, sophisticated fabrics and innovative production techniques. At the heart of the evolution of fashion, we believe Prada has been a sophisticated interpreter of its times and a forerunner of style and trends. Prada is a premium brand. It is very high quality which unfortunatly comes with a substantially high price tag. 2.1. PRADA GEOGRAPHICAL SEGMENTATION Under geographical segmentation, product or service is divided accordingly to geographic units, such as nations, states, regions, countries, cities or neighbourhoods. Directly operated stores, including the epicentres, are designed, constructed and managed in accordance with precise guidelines: location chosen are among the most prestigious. 2.2. PRADA PSYCHOGRAPHIC SEGMENTATION Psychographic segmentation divides the market into groups based on social class, lifestyle and personality characteristics. The PRADA brand targets an international customer base that is modern, sophisticated, attuned to stylist innovations, and expects craftsmanship of the highest quality. 3. RETAIL DISTRIBITION CHANNELS Prada, Miu Miu, Churchs and Car Shoe products are sold through two distribution channels: The retail channel, represented by the single-brand stores (including the three Epicentres) directly operated by the company, which currently account for approximately 78% of sales; the independent channel of multi-brand stores, department stores and franchises (so called wholesale). This distribution solution enables the Group to have a presence in the most exclusive points-of-sale which are either single-brand or multi-brand worldwide. The Groups commercial strategy is based on a selective analysis of the potential of individual markets, an innovative approach and rigorous control of display and presentation criteria, and a continuous search for original sales concepts. Prada has always pioneered new solutions combining design, architecture, and technology to create environments that not only encourage sales but also communicate its unique strong brand identity and the cultural influences and values of the Prada world in a consistent and homogeneous way. Towards the end of the nineties, Prada decided to redefine the concept of shopping and enlisted the help of pioneering architects of international renown, Rem Koolhaas and Herzog de Meuron, recent winners of the prestigious Pritzker Prize. The result of this partnership was the creation of the Prada Epicenters: areas and buildings which have rapidly acquired landmark status both locally and internationally. Pradas Epicentres have not only transformed the concept of shopping but have also fused it with cutting edge technology and a multitude of cultural stimuli, offering customers a whole range of unique experiences and exclusive services. There are currently three Prada Epicentres: one in SoHo, New York (designed by Rem Koolhaas in 2001); another in Aoyama, Tokyo (Herzog de Meuron, 2003); and the third in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles (also by Rem Koolhaas, 2004). Directly operated stores, including the three Epicentres, are designed, constructed and managed in accordance with precise guidelines: location chosen are among the most prestigious and the personnel is selected and trained to provide customers with an exclusive treatment. This type of store contributes to maintaining a very close relationship with customers, providing immediate information about the market trend. Moreover, direct-sale stores also provide very valuable support for the brand, acting as true ambassadors communicating the Prada image consistently and uniformly all over the world. Prada manages the independent shops and department stores channel based on selective distribution and a well-defined strategy of control aimed at maintaining outstanding quality and high volumes, ensuring consistency in merchandising and monitoring sales performance. Franchise shops are located in specific markets where this form of retail is imposed by local legislation or custom, and entail partnerships with local entrepreneurs with an excellent knowledge of the relevant market. The wholesale channel, besides ensuring the brand benefits by a series of shop windows in particularly significant positions in key markets, enables a direct and immediate comparison to be made with the competitor brands. Therefore, the sales trend through the independent channel represents a very useful indicator of the consumer trends and brand strength. 3.1. PRADAS FALL CAMPAIGN IS ALL ABOUT MODERN FEMININITY AND NEW FACES The way fashion houses describe their collections and ad campaigns can often sound like pure nonsense. But the person responsible for announcing Pradas fall 2015 campaign did a pretty good job of summing it up as an elegant, ironic ode to meta-modern femininity. Like the collection itself, the campaign shot by Steven Meisel is very pretty, but odd. Theres a sense of isolation in the arrangement of the models, who do not look at or touch each other but stare at an unspecified object off-camera. Theres also a feeling of youth and newness provided by a cast of fairly new faces, including Avery Blanchard, Estella Boersma, Inga Dezhina, Lineisy Montero, Ine Neefs, Greta Varlese and Maartje Verhoef, all of whom have walked the runway for Prada and/or Miu Miu this past seasons. Prada has a knack for casting promising models fairly earlier in their careers, so while some of them already have a campaign or two under their belts, expect to see these girls even more in the coming seasons. Montero, whom everyone started talking about when she walked in the brands fall 2015 show, has already landed a Teen Vogue cover. 4. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Website as a whole and all material on this Website, as well the Prada trademark, are owned and registered by Prada S.A., a company with registered office at 23 rue Aldigren, L-1118 Luxembourg. Prada website is operated by Prada S.p.A., an Italian corporation having its principal place of business at Via Antonio Fogazzaro 28, 20135 Milan, Italy, operating holding company of the Prada Group. Prada S.A. and Prada S.p.A. are collectively referred to as PRADA; Prada S.p.A. and its subsidiaries will be collectively referred to as Prada Group hereinafter. All trademarks and logos, whether registered or not, displayed on the Website, including but not limited to the Prada trademark, as well as all the other distinctive marks connected with PRADA and reproduced on the Website, are and will remain the exclusive property of Prada S.A.. These trademarks may not be used in connection with any product or service that does not originate with PRADA, in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among users, or in any manner that disparages or discredits the Prada name and trademark and the products bearing the Prada trademark. Prada website and all the content included therein, including, but not limited to, all texts, information, data, images, icons, photographs, illustrations, multimedia content (graphic, audio and video), charts, indices, descriptions, data, software, HTML codes and screens contained therein and the like (hereinafter collectively Content), is owned by or licensed to PRADA and is subject to protection by international int ellectual property laws, including, but not limited to, rights in the nature of patent rights, copyrights, trade secrets, trade names, trademarks, service marks, moral rights, know-how and any other similar rights recognized under laws or international conventions in any country or jurisdiction in the world. All materials contained in this Website, except for the e-store section, are displayed for informational or promotional purpose only. Subject to these Terms and Conditions of Use, and except as otherwise indicated on the Website, you may access, download, copy, store, manipulate, reformat, print or display any Content to which you have obtained authorized access solely for your personal use and not for business purposes. You may not otherwise download, copy, store, manipulate, reformat, print, display, publish, transmit, distribute, create a derivative work from, resell or make any other use of, the Website, or any Content contained therein. No right, title and/or interest deriving from or pertaining to the Content, material or software of the Website may be deemed assigned to or acquired by you as a result of your use of the Website. You agree to accept and abide by all copyright or trademark notices and other notices contained on the Website and in the Content. All rights are reserved in all countries worldwide. People aware that the Prada products are sold exclusively at Prada monobrand stores, at prestigious multi-brand stores and points of sale belonging to Prada S.p.A.s selective retail network, outlets belonging to the Prada Group and in the e-store section of the Website which is only available in certain countries, as better specified on the Website. Any purchase outside of these points of sale is entirely at the purchasers risk, in particular with regard to the authenticity of any such purchased items. http://www.prada.com/content/dam/external/terms-conditions/EU-EN.pdf 5.OWNERSHIP UPON BRAND Miuccia Prada is the co-CEO and lead designer of the handbag and fashion empire Prada, in which she has a 28% stake. In 1977 Miuccia and her siblings Albert and Marina inherited the family fashion business, founded in 1913 by their grandfather. Miuccia met Patrizio Bertelli, who ran a luxury leather company, at a Milan trade show in 1977 and signed him on as a contractor. A year later, they were married and Bertelli joined the company, taking care of the business side of things while pushing Prada into new directions. He serves as co-CEO with Miuccia, and his stake in the company also makes him a billionaire. In 1986 Prada opened its first store in New York and expanded beyond high-end suitcases, handbags, and steamer trunks. A few years later, the company unveiled a ready-to-wear womens collection and a second brand, Miu Miu. Miuccia, who has a Ph.D in political science from the University of Milan, took the company public with Bertelli in Hong Kong in 2011. 5.1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Our Board consists on nine Directors, of whom four are executive Directors, two are non-executive Directors and three are independent non-executive Directors. The ordinary shareholders meeting of 26 May 2015 resolved to appoint the Board of Directors for a term of three financial years. The boards mandate will therefore expire with the shareholders meeting to be convened for the approval of the financial statements for the year ending 31 January 2018. The below shows the current members of the Boards of Directors: Mazzi, Carlo: -chairperson and executive director Prada Bianchi, Miuccia: -chief executive officer and executive director Bertelli, Patrizio: chief executive officer and executive director Cozzani, Alessandra: -chief financial officer and executive director Cereda, Maurizio: -non-executive director Simontacchi, Stefano: -non-executive director Mattei, Gian Franco Oliviero: -independent non-executive director Forestieri, Giancarlo: independent non-executive director Liu, Sing Cheong: -independent non-executive director 5.2. SHAREHOLDERS STRUCTURE As of 31 January 2015, the shareholder structure of Prada S.p.A. is composed as follows 6. LICENCES AND JOINT VENTURES Eyewear In 2000 the PRADA Group developed its first Prada and Miu Miu branded sunglasses, and in 2003 it signed a licence agreement with Luxottica Group, a world leader in eyewear. Under the creative supervision of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, Prada coordinates the conception, design, styling and communications for all collections, while Luxottica has exclusive worldwide rights to the production and distribution of Prada and Miu Miu sunglasses and eyeglasses. Not only is this an important business agreement, but it is also an excellent example of comprehensive cooperation in creativity, style, production and distribution between two of Italys foremost industrial groups. Fragrances In 2003, an agreement was entered into with Puig Beauty Fashion Group, one of the worlds largest producers of cosmetics and fragrances, creating a joint venture for the production, distribution and development of Prada perfumes. Here, too, Prada is actively involved in the various phases of product, creation and development as well as communications, while responsibility for production and worldwide distribution is in the experienced and highly qualified hands of Puig.In 2004, after lengthy and thorough research by Miuccia Prada in cooperation with some of the most qualified noses in the world, Amber the first Prada perfume for women was created. Greeted with unanimous critical and public acclaim, Prada Amber perfume has enjoyed encouraging commercial success in all markets where it has been presented. In 2006 Prada unveiled its first mens fragrance, Prada Amber Pour Homme, marking the birth of the first Made in Prada perfumes family under the amber scent. A new perfume for women, Infusion dIris, was launched in 2007, which was the key to developing a series of complementary, innovative and personal products for bodycare and for the home. From this new pillar a collection of limited edition fragrances was derived: the Ephemeral Infusion Collection that includes Infusion de Fleur dOranger, Infusion de Tubà ©reuse and Infusion de Và ©tiver. In 2011, Prada Candy, the third pillar of the Prada fragrances, is launched. A new perfume for women that highlights the funny aspect of the brand also in the beauty sector. Mobile telephones In 2006, the PRADA Group entered into an agreement with LG Electronics, one of the world leaders in mobile telecommunications technology, to develop an innovative and iconic mobile telephone. By leveraging their respective skills, Prada and LG explored all of the products aspects together, both in terms of the contents (for example: software, user interface and music), and in terms of the presentation (from the design to the packaging): the partnership created the Prada Phone by LG, a unique, sophisticated and elegant telephone, the first in the world to have an interface that is completely touch screen. The Prada Phone by LG was launched in March 2007 in Italy, Great Britain, France and Germany, and subsequently on the principal Asian markets and in Latin America. The products high qualitative and innovative content enables a significant commercial success to be achieved, with more than 1,000,000 mobile telephones sold. In October 2008 Prada and LG launch the second phone, another quantum leap in mobile phone innovation and design, thanks to ultra-thin keyboard and new enhanced technological features. In December 2011, Prada and LG unveiled the partnerships latest smartphone, the Prada phone by LG 3.0 that combines Pradas distinctive style with LGs innovative technology, including one of the biggest and brightest screens in the world with 4.3inch and 800-nit screen. 7. PRODUCT LOGISTICS Product distribution is handled through five central warehouses, four in Italy and one in UK. It is managed by a group division which coordinates product storage, shipping and distribution, as well as arranging transport and customs procedures. Central to the Prada Groups distribution strategy is the development of its retail channel in all markets, both consolidated and emerging, focusing in particular on nations with high growth potential. The Groups distribution network extends across 70 countries, counting 551 directly-operated stores (at 30 April 2014), which form the backbone of the Groups international expansion strategy, and a selection of department stores and multi-brand retail spaces in the most significant cities and stylish locations. The reasons for this strategy are many: not only the DOS are the supreme showcase for newly-launched collections, but they also offer a direct relationship with customers and provide real-time feedback on how each product category is performing. Over and above their primary role as a sales point, DOS also represent an important communication tool: real embassies of each brand, they portray their image in a clear and consistent manner. Direct sales account for about 83% of consolidated revenues while the remaining 17% is generated by the wholesale channel (multi-brand retail spaces and department stores 16%), from franchising (about 1%). 8. NET SALES OF PRADA 8.1. NET SALES ANALYSIS (amounts in thousands of Canadians) ended January 31, 2016 ended January 31, 2015 % change Net sales of directly operated stores (DOS) 4,344,819 86.30% 4,232,865 83.90% 2.60% Net Sales to independent customers and franchisees 631,349 12.50% 756,214 15.00% -16.50% Royalties 61,666 1.20% 54,329 1.10% 13.50% Net revenues, total 5,037,835 100.00% 5,043,408 100.00% -0.10% 8.2. NET SALES OF DIRECTLY OPERATED STORES (DOS) ended January 31, 2016 ended January 31, 2015 % change Net sales of DOS by geographical area Italy 12.80% 11.90% 10.70% Europe 21.80% 21.60% 3.30% Americas 13.40% 13.10% 5.00% Asia Pacific 35.30% 37.90% -4.40% Japan 13.20% 12.20% 10.70% Middle East 3.40% 3.10% 11.50% Other countries 0.10% 0.10% 41.40% Total 100.00% 100.00% 2.60% 8.3. PRADA GROUP FIGURES www.prada.com/ company profile FEBRUARY 2016 9. CAPITAL OR MARKET VALUE 9.1. INCOME STATEMENT Year on year Prada SpAs net income fell -26.59% from 634.04 million to 465.46 million despite relatively flat revenues. A contributing factor has been an increase in the selling, general and administrative costs as a percentage of sales from 48.33% to 54.41%. Gross margin 72.12% Net profit margin 8.76% Operating margin 12.92% Revenue Net Income Return on assets 6.05% Return on equity 9.71% Return on investment 7.59% 9.2. BALANCE SHEET Year on year, growth in dividends per share remained flat while earnings per share excluding extraordinary items fell by -26.59%. Additionally, five year annualized earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average relative to its peers. Current ratio2 2.24 Quick ratio 1.48 Total debt/total equity 0.3183 Total debt/total capital 0.2402 9.3. GROWTH RATES Year on year, growth in dividends per share remained flat while earnings per share excluding extraordinary items fell by -26.59%. Additionally, five year annualized earnings per share growth is in-line with the industry average relative to its peers. Dividends Per Share Div yield (5 year avg) 0.24% Div growth rate (5 year) Payout ratio (TTM) 99.03% Earnings Per Share EPS growth (5 years)

the car :: essays research papers

Title ] Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec FAQ/Strategy Guideâ„ ¢ [ Platform ] PlayStation 2â„ ¢ [ Version ] v1.01 [ Authors ] Brett "Nemesis" Franklin / OrochiJin - Tim Garza [ E-Mail ] nemesis@flipmode.com / ExScanner@yahoo.com [ Plug ] http://nemmysresource.cjb.net [ Updated ] August 26th, 2001 The-chart-that-shows-what's-in-this-FAQ: i. Legal Stuff ii. Updates/Revision History 01. Driving Techniques †¢ Car Information †¢ Ultimate Car Setup Guide †¢ Car Upgrading Tips †¢ How to earn fast cash 02. General Strategies 03. Simulation Mode †¢ Getting Started †¢ License Test Guide †¢ Quick Prize Guide †¢ Race / Prize List †¢ Tuning Information 04. Arcade Mode †¢ Tracks 05. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 06. Gameshark Codes =============================================================================== i. Legal Stuff =============================================================================== This FAQ can only appear on the following sites (w/out having to ask me): †¢ GameFAQS <www.gamefaqs.com> †¢ CoreMagazine <www.coremagazine.com> †¢ GameSages <www.gamesages.com> †¢ Vgstrategies.com <http://vgstrategies.about.com> †¢ GameShark.com <www.gameshark.com> †¢ FAQ Domain <http://nemmysresource.cjb.net> †¢ Happy Puppy <http://www.happypuppy.com> †¢ ZDNet/Videogames.com <http://www.videogames.com> ___________________________NOT WWW.FRESHBAKEDGAMES.COM_________________________ If anyone finds it on any other site or MegaGames.com, please inform me ASAP. E-Mail Address: nemesis@flipmode.com, ExScanner@yahoo.com Copyright:  © Copyright 2000-2001 Brett "Nemesis" Franklin and Tim Garza. This FAQ and everything included within this file cannot be reproduced in any way, shape or form (physical, electronical, or otherwise) aside from being placed on a freely-accessible, non-commercial web page in it's original, unedited and unaltered format. This FAQ cannot be used for profitable purposes (even if no money would be made from selling it) or promotional purposes. It cannot be used in any sort of commercial transaction. It cannot be given away as some sort of bonus, gift, etc., with a purchase as this creates incentive to buy and is therefore prohibited. =============================================================================== ii. Updates/Revision History =============================================================================== Version 1.01 (08/26/01) ------------------------- †¢ Added the Quick Prize List from Jeff Evans, which just lists each race and the car(s) you win from it. Very easy to use, thanks Jeff! Version 1.00 (08/19/01) ------------------------- †¢ Fully completed the "Race/Prize Guide", finally. Everything is now complete in the guide, save for a few things in the Arcade Mode section of the FAQ. I might add this stuff later, but it's doubtful. Version 0.57 (08/08/01) ------------------------- †¢ Added the Car List Sorted by Price Version 0.55 (07/28/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the Race/Prize List through Amatuer Mode Version 0.50 (07/23/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "Ultimate Car Setups Guide" and updated the Race/Prize List Version 0.49 (07/20/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "Ultimate Car Setups Guide" and updated the Race/Prize List, as well as the Arcade Mode section. Version 0.47 (07/18/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "Ultimate Car Setups Guide" Version 0.46 (07/17/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "Ultimate Car Setups Guide" and updated the Race/Prize List Version 0.45 (07/17/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "Ultimate Car Setups Guide" with 4 new car setups, and added the Rally License Test guide Version 0.40 (07/17/01) ------------------------- †¢ Updated the "How To Win Fast Cash" section and the Race/Prize List

Michelangelo Essay -- Biography Biographies

biography on michelangelo â€Å"Trifles make perfections, and perfection is no trifle,† Michelangelo once stated. He is one of the greatest artists of all time and is unmatched by any other. Michelangelo is the creator of works of sublime beauty that express the full breadth of human condition. Yet, he was caught between conflicting powers and whims of his patrons, the Medici’s of Florence and Papacy’s in Rome. Michelangelo was born on the sixth of March in 1475, the second of five brothers in a small town called Caprese, in Tuscany. He always considered himself to be a Florentine, as did his father. Francesca Neri, his mother, was sick and frail. As a result, he stayed with a nurse in a family of stonecutters. It was there that Michelangelo decided he wanted to become an artist. When he turned thirteen, he agreed to apprentice in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio. After one year of learning the art of fresco, he went on to study at the sculpture school at the Medici gardens. They saw his talent and he was invited into the household of Lorenzo the Magnificent. During the years that he spent in the Garden of San Marco, Michelangelo began to study human anatomy. He would perform autopsies on the corpses and study the muscles and bones in order to perfect his sculptures. In exchange for permission to study corpses at a church that administered a hospital, the prior received a wooden crucifix from Michelangelo. His contact with the dead bodies caused some problems...

The Mist Countries

THE THE MIST COUNTRIES – Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea & Turkey: Are MIST countries becoming the new BRICs? : For many investors, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey have taken over from the BRICS becoming the four biggest emerging markets, and growing faster than their major rivals. BRIC inventor Jim O’Neil from Goldman Sachs proposed the new term MIST term for Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey, which are the four biggest markets in the Goldman Sachs N-11 Equity Fund. The MIST economies more than doubled during the last decade, according to Bloomberg, and continue surging despite global economy concerns.Mexico’s IPC Index has climbed 11% this year, comparing with a 2. 8% growth of Brazil’s Bovespa. Meanwhile Turkey’s ISE National 100 gained 28 percent, compared to 13% gain of BSE India Sensitive Index and 2. 6% gain in Russia’s MICEX. Though the MIST nations outperformed the BRIC in pace of growth, its economic output still ca n’t approach the BRIC. Total GDP for the MIST nations was $3. 9 trillion last year, compared to $13. 5 trillion of BRIC economies and $7. 3 trillion for China alone. Comment: If you go to the Wikipedia page about BRIC you will read that Mexico and South Korea tried to become part of BRIC.It was used the name BRIMC†¦. But it failed because the BRIC were Core-Hubs in their areas (Eurasia, South America, Far East, South East Asia) while the MIST are a second dependent layer around the Hub. In fact, and to be precise there are three World Hubs-Cores: USA, GERMANY (Eurozone) and CHINA. Turkey depends on Europe, Mexico depends on the US, South Korea depends on China†¦. So, if those hubs are hit, the MIST will be hit MUCH MORE, as we remember from the Bhat crisis. Russia could be an Eurasian and Energy Hub-Core†¦. even if still not fully developed, so it is still a layer of the E. U. Hub. Mexico Economy – overview:Mexico has a free market economy in the trillio n dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture, increasingly dominated by the private sector. Recent administrations have expanded competition in seaports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution, and airports. Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, Mexico's share of US imports has increased from 7% to 12%, and its share of Canadian imports has doubled to 5%.Mexico has free trade agreements with over 50 countries including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the European Free Trade Area, and Japan – putting more than 90% of trade under free trade agreements. In 2007, during its first year in office, the Felipe CALDERON administration was able to garner support from the opposition to successfully pass pension and fiscal reforms. The administration passed an e nergy reform measure in 2008 and another fiscal reform in 2009. Mexico†s GDP plunged 6. 2% in 2009 as world demand for exports dropped, asset prices tumbled, and remittances and investment declined. GDP posted positive growth of 5. % in 2010 and 3. 8% in 2011, with exports – particularly to the United States – leading the way. The administration continues to face many economic challenges, including improving the public education system, upgrading infrastructure, modernizing labor laws, and fostering private investment in the energy sector. CALDERON has stated that his top economic priorities remain reducing poverty and creating jobs. GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 657 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 596 trillion (2010 est. ) $1. 514 trillion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $1. 185 trillion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate . 8% (2011 est. ) 5. 4% (2010 est. ) -6. 2% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $1 5,100 (2011 est. ) $14,400 (2010) $13,600 (2009) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  3. 8% industry:  34. 2% services:  62% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 18. 2% note:  based on food-based definition of poverty; asset based poverty amounted to more than 47% (2008) Labor force 49. 17 million (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  13. 7% industry:  23. 4% services:  62. 9% (2005) Unemployment rate 5. 2% (2011 est. ) 5. 4% (2010 est. ) note:  underemployment may be as high as 25%Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  10% male:  9. 7% female:  10. 6% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  1. 5% highest 10%:  41. 4% (2008) Distribution of family income – Gini index 51. 7 (2008) 53. 1 (1998) Public debt 37. 5% of GDP (2011 est. ) 36. 9% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3. 5% (2011 est. ) 4. 2% (2010 est. ) Central bank d iscount rate NA% (31 December 2010 est. ) 4. 5% (31 December 2009 est. ) Commercial bank prime lending rate 5% (31 December 2011 est. ) 5. 287% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of domestic credit $407. 4 billion (31 December 2011 est. $374. 2 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $454. 3 billion (31 December 2010) $340. 6 billion (31 December 2009) $232. 6 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit, tomatoes; beef, poultry, dairy products; wood products Industries food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism Industrial production growth rate 3. 9% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance -$11. 27 billion (2011 est. ) -$5. 724 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $336. billion (2011 est. ) $298. 5 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits , vegetables, coffee, cotton Exports – partners US 73. 5%, Canada 7. 5% (2009 est. ) Imports $341. 9 billion (2011 est. ) $301. 5 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, car parts for assembly, repair parts for motor vehicles, aircraft, and aircraft parts Imports – partners US 60. 6%, China 6. 6%, South Korea 5. 2% (2009 est. ) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $142 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) 114 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $204 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $195. 6 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $321. 5 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $326. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $84. 92 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $78. 38 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Mexican pesos (MXN) per US dollar – 12. 39 (2011 est. ) 12. 636 (2010 est. ) 13. 514 (2009) 11. 016 (2008) 10. 8 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year Indonesia Economy – overview: Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, grew an estimated 6. % and 6. 4% in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The government made economic advances under the first administration of President YUDHOYONO (2004-09), introducing significant reforms in the financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the use of Treasury bills, and capital market development and supervision. During the global financial crisis, Indonesia outperformed its regional neighbors and joined China and India as the only G20 members posting growth in 2009. The government has promoted fiscally conservative policies, resulting in a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 25%, a small current ccount surplus, a fiscal deficit below 2%, and historically low rates of inflation. Fitch and Moody's upgraded Indonesia's credit rating to investment grade in December 2011. Indonesia still struggles with pov erty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions. The government in 2012 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesia's insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, labor unrest over wages, and reducing its fuel subsidy program in the face of rising oil prices.GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 121 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 054 trillion (2010 est. ) $993 billion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $834. 3 billion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 6. 4% (2011 est. ) 6. 1% (2010 est. ) 4. 6% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $4,700 (2011 est. ) $4,400 (2010 est. ) $4,300 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  14. 7% industry:  47. 2% services:  38. 1% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 13. 33% (2010) Labor force 117. 4 million (2 011 est. )Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  38. 3% industry:  12. 8% services:  48. 9% (2010 est. ) Unemployment rate 6. 6% (2011 est. ) 7. 9% (2010 est. ) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  22. 2% male:  21. 6% female:  23% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  3. 3% highest 10%:  29. 9% (2009) Distribution of family income – Gini index 36. 8 (2009) 39. 4 (2005) Public debt 24. 5% of GDP (2011 est. ) 25. 7% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5. 7% (2011 est. ) 5. 1% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 6. 37% (31 December 2010) 6. 46% (31 December 2009) ote:  this figure represents the 3-month SBI rate; the Bank of Indonesia has not employed the one-month SBI since September 2010 Commercial bank prime lending rate 12. 2% (31 December 2011 est. ) 13. 252% (31 December 2010 est. ) note:  these figures represent the average annualized rate on working capital loans Stock of domestic cre dit $305. 2 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $254. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $360. 4 billion (31 December 2010) $178. 2 billion (31 December 2009) $98. 76 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products ice, cassava (manioc), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs Industries petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism Industrial production growth rate 4. 1% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance $5. 704 billion (2011 est. ) $5. 654 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $208. 9 billion (2011 est. ) $158. 1 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber Exports – partners Japan 16. 3%, China 10%, US 9. 1%, Singapore 8. 7%, South Korea 8%, India 6. %, Malaysia 5. 9% (2009) Imports $172. 1 billion (2011 est. ) $127. 4 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs Imports – partners China 15. 1%, Singapore 14. 9%, Japan 12. 5%, US 6. 9%, Malaysia 6. 4%, South Korea 5. 7%, Thailand 5. 5% (2009) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $136. 2 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $96. 21 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $158. 8 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $196. 1 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $105. 7 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 5 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $41. 89 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $32. 85 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per US dollar – 8,696. 1 (2011 est. ) 9,090. 43 (2010 est. ) 10,389. 9 (2009) 9,698. 9 (2008) 9,143 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year South Korea Economy – overview South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia.In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies, and currently is among the world's 20 largest economies. Initially, a system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, made this success possible. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods, and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea†s development model including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing.GDP plunged by 6. 9% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4% annual ly between 2003 and 2007. With the global economic downturn in late 2008, South Korean GDP growth slowed to 0. 3% in 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy began to recover, in large part due to export growth, low interest rates, and an expansionary fiscal policy, and growth was 3. 6% in 2011. In 2011, theUS-South Korea Free Trade Agreement was ratified by both governments and is projected to go into effect in early 2012. The South Korean economy†s long term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, and heavy reliance on exports – which comprise half of GDP. GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 549 trillion (2011 est. ) $1. 495 trillion (2010 est. ) $1. 409 trillion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $1. 164 trillion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 3. 6% (2011 est. ) 6. 2% (2010 est. ) 0. 3% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) 31,700 (2011 est. ) $30,600 (2010 est. ) $28,90 0 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  2. 6% industry:  39. 2% services:  58. 2% (2008 est. ) Population below poverty line 15% (2006 est. ) Labor force 25. 1 million (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  6. 4% industry:  24. 2% services:  69. 4% (2011 est. ) Unemployment rate 3. 4% (2011 est. ) 3. 7% (2010 est. ) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  9. 8% male:  11. 9% female:  8. 5% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  2. 7% highest 10%:  24. 2% (2007)Distribution of family income – Gini index 31 (2010) 35. 8 (2000) Public debt 33. 3% of GDP (2011 est. ) 35. 1% of GDP (2010 est. ) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4% (2011 est. ) 3% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 1. 5% (31 December 2011) 1. 25% (31 December 2009) Commercial bank prime lending rate 5. 9% (31 December 2011 est. ) 5. 508% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of dome stic credit $1. 356 trillion (31 December 2011 est. ) $1. 275 trillion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $996. 7 billion (31 December 2011) $1. 093 trillion (31 December 2010) $836. billion (31 December 2009) Agriculture – products rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish Industries electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel Industrial production growth rate 3. 8% (2011 est. ) Current Account Balance $29. 79 billion (2011 est. ) $28. 21 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $556. 5 billion (2011 est. ) $466. 4 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals Exports – partners China 24. %, US 10. 1%, Japan 7. 1% (2009 est. ) Imports $524. 4 billion (2011 est. ) $425. 2 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery, electronics and electr onic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics Imports – partners China 16. 5%, Japan 13%, US 8. 5%, Saudi Arabia 7. 1%, Australia 5% (2009 est. ) Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $306. 4 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $291. 6 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $397. 3 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $359. 4 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home 130. 3 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $127 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $190. 4 billion (31 December 2011) $164. 8 billion (31 December 2009) Exchange rate South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar – 1,107. 3 (2011 est. ) 1,156. 06 (2010 est. ) 1,276. 93 (2009) 1,101. 7 (2008) 929. 2 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year Turkey Economy – overview Turkey's largely free-market economy is increasingly driven by its industry and service sectors, although its traditional agri culture sector still accounts for about 25% of employment.An aggressive privatization program has reduced state involvement in basic industry, banking, transport, and communication, and an emerging cadre of middle-class entrepreneurs is adding dynamism to the economy and expanding production beyond the traditional textiles and clothing sectors. The automotive, construction, and electronics industries, are rising in importance and have surpassed textiles within Turkey's export mix. Oil began to flow through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in May 2006, marking a major milestone that will bring up to 1 million barrels per day from the Caspian to market.Several gas pipelines projects also are moving forward to help transport Central Asian gas to Europe through Turkey, which over the long term will help address Turkey's dependence on imported oil and gas to meet 97% of its energy needs. After Turkey experienced a severe financial crisis in 2001, Ankara adopted financial and fiscal refor ms as part of an IMF program. The reforms strengthened the country's economic fundamentals and ushered in an era of strong growth – averaging more than 6% annually until 2008.Global economic conditions and tighter fiscal policy caused GDP to contract in 2009, but Turkey's well-regulated financial markets and banking system helped the country weather the global financial crisis and GDP rebounded strongly to 8. 2% in 2010, as exports returned to normal levels following the recession. Turkey's public sector debt to GDP ratio has fallen to roughly 40%. Continued strong growth has pushed inflation to the 8% level, however, and worsened an already high current account deficit. Turkey remains dependent on often volatile, short-term investment to finance its large trade deficit.The stock value of FDI stood at $99 billion at year-end 2011. Inflows have slowed considerably in light of continuing economic turmoil in Europe, the source of much of Turkey's FDI. Further economic and judici al reforms and prospective EU membership are expected to boost Turkey's attractiveness to foreign investors. However, Turkey's relatively high current account deficit, uncertainty related to monetary policy-making, and political turmoil within Turkey's neighborhood leave the economy vulnerable to destabilizing shifts in investor confidence.GDP (purchasing power parity) $1. 026 trillion (2011 est. ) $981. 2 billion (2010 est. ) $906. 9 billion (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate) $763. 1 billion (2011 est. ) GDP – real growth rate 4. 6% (2011 est. ) 8. 2% (2010 est. ) -4. 7% (2009 est. ) GDP – per capita (PPP) $14,600 (2011 est. ) $13,800 (2010 est. ) $12,900 (2009 est. ) note:  data are in 2011 US dollars GDP – composition by sector agriculture:  9. 3% industry:  28. 1% services:  62. 6% (2011 est. ) Population below poverty line 16. 9% (2010) Labor force 27. 3 million note:  about 1. 2 million Turks work abroa d (2011 est. ) Labor force – by occupation agriculture:  25. 5% industry:  26. 2% services:  48. 4% (2010) Unemployment rate 9. 8% (2011 est. ) 12% (2010 est. ) note:  underemployment amounted to 4% in 2008 Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 total:  25. 3% male:  25. 4% female:  25. 1% (2009) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:  2. 1% highest 10%:  30. 3% (2008) Distribution of family income – Gini index 40. 2 (2010) 43. 6 (2003) Public debt 42. 4% of GDP (2011 est. ) 43% of GDP (2010 est. ) ote:  data cover central government debt, and excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment. Debt inst ruments for the social funds are sold at public auctions. Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7. 8% (2011 est. ) 8. 6% (2010 est. ) Central bank discount rate 5. 25% (31 December 2011) 15% (22 December 2009)Commercial bank prime lending rate 16% (31 December 2011 est. ) 19% (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of domestic credit $573. 8 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $496 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Market value of publicly traded shares $306. 7 billion (31 December 2010) $225. 7 billion (31 December 2009) $117. 9 billion (31 December 2008) Agriculture – products tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock Industries textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper Industrial production growth rate 9. 2% (2011 est. Current Account Balance -$71. 94 billion (2011 est. ) -$47. 74 billion (2010 est. ) Exports $133 billion (2011 est. ) $120. 9 billion (2010 est. ) Exports – commodities apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment Exports – partners Germany 10. 1%, UK 6. 4%, Italy 5. 7%, France 5. 3%, Iraq 5. 3%, Russia 4. 1% (2009 est. ) Imports $212. 2 billion (2011 est. ) $177. 3 billion (2010 est. ) Imports – commodities machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment Imports – partners Russia 11. 6%, Germany 9. 5%, China 9. 3%, US 6. 6%, Italy 5. 5%, France 4. 4%, Iran 4. 1% (2009 est. )Reserves of foreign exchange and gold $96. 05 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 08 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Debt – external $313. 6 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $290. 7 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – at home $98. 98 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $86. 98 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad $18. 63 billion (31 December 2011 est. ) $16. 88 billion (31 December 2010 est. ) Exchange rates Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar – 1. 668 (2011 est. ) 1. 5028 (2010 est. ) 1. 55 (2009) 1. 3179 (2008) 1. 319 (2007) Fiscal year calendar year

The Great Gatsby Review

The Great Gatsby â€Å"Emerson said it well: ‘Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself† (Peterson). The world is filled with cheapskates, phonies, and two-faced people. Many use others for their own benefits. Objects cannot define a relationship; it should be the feelings developed that defines the relationship of two people. The characteristic of materialism is a barrier for true love between two people. This relates to Scott Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby.Nick Carraway has just moved to a West Egg, and his mysterious neighbor is Jay Gatsby. Gatsby’s long living dream is to rekindle his love and relationship with Daisy Buchanan, who is currently married to Tom Buchanan. He attempts to pursue his relationship with Daisy through his unexplained wealth. However, their love couldn’t be true because of their focus on â€Å"things† rather than each other. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgeral d shows that materialism can ruin the chance at true love. Gatsby tries to make Daisy love him through his money and excessive spending on nonessential things.When him and Daisy first reconnect their relationship, he brings her over to his house to show off the clothes in his closet: â€Å"He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher — shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, and monograms of Indian blue.Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily† (Fitzgerald 92). Gatsby is throwing his shirts everywhere to show that he is full of money and that they don’t mean much to him, acting like it doesn’t matter if the y get ruined. He does this to show that his money is plentiful and he tries to make Daisy want to be with him and his rich lifestyle. Daisy starts to cry because she is overwhelmed with his prosperity and shows how she starts to love him through his riches.Another way Gatsby tries to show off his wealth is by throwing a party and inviting Daisy and Tom, but at the end of the party she seemed apathetic. Gatsby noticed her weariness and was concerned, so he confided in Nick: â€Å"‘She didn’t like it,’ he insisted. ‘She didn’t have a good time. ’ He was silent, and I guessed at his unutterable depression. ‘I feel far away from her,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to make her understand’† (Fitzgerald 109). Gatsby implies that he threw the party so that she would enjoy herself and want to come back to him.He tries to make his life seem very extravagant because he knows that it is what she looks for in a lover. Gatsby b ecomes unhappy because she was unhappy with his party; he feels that he must show off his money just to get Daisy to fall for him. Gatsby’s secret is revealed finally during a trip to the city: he and Tom get into an argument and Tom discloses the truth. Gatsby’s secret business of drug deals was the basis of his affluence.Daisy is shocked and doesn’t know what to do as Gatsby tries to deny the facts: â€Å"It passed, and he began to talk excitedly to Daisy, denying everything, defending his name against accusations that had not been made. But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up, and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room† (Fitzgerald 134). Daisy becomes reluctant to the fact that it was a fake fortune while Gatsby tries to cover up his lies.Although Daisy acted lik e she was in love with Gatsby before the incident, her feelings quickly faded as she realizes the truth. The money was the basis of their relationship and it was what held them together. This proves how their relationship was based off of money and how Daisy immediately forgot about how â€Å"in love† they were. This motif of materialism is explored because it shows how love can’t be genuine if it is based off of inanimate objects and money-oriented things. Myrtle is materialistic when she goes for the men with money and pretends to be in love with them.In New York City with Tom and Nick, Myrtle explains to her friends how she felt about her new marriage with George and her realizations: â€Å"I married him because I thought he was a gentleman†¦I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe† (Fitzgerald 34). Myrtle married him because she thought he came from a wealthy family, breeded, or born, into money. When she foun d out he wasn’t rich, she knew she had made a mistake in marrying him. Myrtle is materialistic because she didn’t marry George for love, but for wealth.Myrtle tells about the day she found out he wasn’t rich and admits to her regrets in marrying him. Myrtle was not expecting it: â€Å"The only crazy I was was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out† (Fitzgerald 35). Myrtle finds out that George had borrowed someone’s suit to use during their wedding because he couldn’t afford one on his own. This shows the love that George has for Myrtle and how he goes far to make sure she gets the best wedding ever.It also shows how Myrtle doesn’t love him, and how was judging him for borrowing a suit. Myrtle is materialistic because she got upset over a suit being borrowed and not purchased fo r their wedding. Myrtle and Tom’s relationship is materialistic. While in NYC, Myrtle gets Tom to buy her a dog off the streets: â€Å"I want to get one of those dogs†¦I want to get one for the apartment. They’re nice to have—a dog† (Fitzgerald 27). Myrtle asks for a dog and gets one because of Tom’s wealth and uses it to her advantage. Myrtle takes Tom’s money for granted and pursues a relationship with him because she knows he is rich.Her materialism is shown through her fake relationships with Tom and George; it reveals that she only has relationships with wealthy men and she was not really â€Å"in love† with either of the two men. Her materialistic needs clashed with her path to finding love. This motif of love is explored because it shows how people in this world use others for their money. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows that a materialistic mindset will corrupt the chance at true love. Gatsby tried to get Daisy to l ove him again by showing off his money and failed because he didn’t put his heart and self into their relationship.Myrtle mistakenly married a man whom she thought was wealthy and turned out he was poor. She quickly regretted their marriage and had an affair with Tom Buchanan, a well known rich man. Fitzgerald demonstrates how none of these relationships worked out because of the materialistic ways of these characters. This motif is explored because it proves how true love isn’t real with fake values. True love should be two people who love each other unconditionally and is not based on money-oriented things.