Roger Miller passion for music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roger Miller passion for music - Essay Example Roger Miller is a well known musician, guitarist, fiddler, drummer, composer and TV star. He did not live with his parents as a child, because his father died at the age of 26, of spiral meningitis. Roger at that time, was only a year old and since his mother was in her early 20s and was not in a position to provide for her three sons, she sent each son to live with each of her three brothers. Roger was sent off to live with his Uncle Elmer and Aunt Armelia at a farm in Oklahoma. This was the birthplace of his creativity and musical talent. Roger’s creativity was the root of his musical talent, but the development of his creativity was the direct result of the loneliness he experienced while living on his uncle’s farm in Oklahoma. His loneliness led him into a different world, a world of fantasy where dreams became his only source of escape from the drudgery of his daily life (www.rogermiller.com). In fact, while speaking about his early childhood days, said: â€Å"A l ot of people who grew up on a farm will know why I said, O Lord give me a guitar and let me get out of here and make something of the world.†

Influence of the global crisis on Russia in 2008 Essay Example for Free

Influence of the global crisis on Russia in 2008 Essay The recent global crisis has been a turning point in the economies of many countries. Its origin can be traced back to the economic meltdown that hit the USA starting the year 2007. The crisis was mainly felt across the world thereafter due to the economic influence of the countries that it later hit. The main cause of this crisis was cited as the lending of money to the different sectors with less pragmatic actions. These had been pegged on the expectations by economists that the money from sectors such as real estate and stocks would go up or remain steady. The ripple effect was thus reflected on countries whose economies were dependent on the countries from which the crisis started. The prices of crude oil had just fallen drastically after an increase in production from countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. This, consequentially, reduced the demand for oil and other petroleum products. Sestanovich and Kennan (2008) opine that the situation in Russia had been made more complex by the fact that its economy largely depends on the sale of oil and gas. These are the primary exports that mainly run the economy of Russia. The prices dropped drastically from $147- $38 due to the fall in demand and prices after an intervention by the oil producing countries. This meant tat the economy of Russia had to slow down due to a slower inflow of cash into the economy. Economists therefore pointed out that the reliance on oil and gas that has characterised the Russian economy was the major cause of the drastic effect of the global crisis. The other cause of the crisis was the intervention of Russia in the war between Georgia and Ossetia. This is due to the fact that many countries that did not approve of the manner in which the intervention was carried out protested by withdrawing their investments in Russia. Consequently, the outflow of cash caused a crisis in the banking sector of Russia. The direct effect of the crisis is that the country was forced to scale down on its expenditure. This was due to the fact that the economy of Russia is not industry-based as much as to enable it to survive the crisis. Therefore, the government went out of its way to support the sectors that it felt would be most vulnerable. The priority fell on the financial sector. A consequence is that the deviation of resources from important projects caused an increase in poverty. This came as a result of lay-offs and a severe decrease in incomes. The purchasing power of citizens thus shot down significantly. The attempt by the government to address the crisis by bailing out the financial sector slowed down the rate of growth and thus the GDP went down. The growth of near 12% that had been projected before fell to 5. 6%. There was an increase in interest rates on loans that locked out the middle and mostly lower class citizens. The activity in the stock market was seriously affected. Stocks dropped by nearly 70% causing uncertainty in the markets. This was another big cause of outflow of foreign investments. The use of reserves was imminent as the withdrawal of foreign investments decreased foreign currencies that were available. Consequently, the government had to start using its reserves, critically reducing it to dangerous levels. The credit that the government owed its trading partners came into focus. Moscow had failed to come up with concrete means of paying back its credits. In as much as it finally paid back all it owed to other economies, its capital base had been reduced to a bare minimum. The crisis had wrecked havoc on the Russian economy and it was a matter of time before the country went into a some form of dependence on foreign aid – an issue the political class had not imagined in a very long while and had done all it could to stop it. None the less, the economy survived the crisis somehow. To address the crisis, the government took several steps to make sure that it did not harm the economy further. The first step was to start production of goods that the foreign investors had been producing in Russia. This was aimed at reducing reliance on foreign countries. The political class, which had been praised for its former policies that ensured the country conserved more than it spent, decided to hold briefs where they would address different issues. First in line was the influence of the US on the global economy. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s President, urged the US to ease its chokehold on the global economy as this would mean that other economies that depended on it largely suffer any time its economy does. The political class also reached an agreement that countries that are of interest should be trading partners with Moscow as it also increases economic influence and strategic positioning politically. In dealing with the rising cases of poverty, the government came up with policies that would go a long way in ensuring that housing and education would effectively be subsidised so as to relieve the citizens of heavy expenses on the two areas. This had been necessitated by the decrease in the people’s ability to purchase basic goods and services. A stimulus package was also organised to augment other interventions that had been organised for in the labour market. An example of how this was to be implemented was the unemployment benefits, coming up with ways through which the unemployed could be given temporary jobs and even organising workshops to enhance employee skills while at work. With the keen and pragmatic moves planned by the government, Russia was able to lift itself out of the global economic crisis. This would in the subsequent year prove to be a boost to its economy as dependency had been cut down to necessary levels while increasing production of goods from within. The dependence Russia has on petroleum products like oil and gas is thus slowly going down. Sestanocich Kennan (2008) claim that the government of Russia should not back down on courting international interests as it had started before the crisis. This is due to the fact that international relations increase chances of obtaining favourable trade partners. However, the relations that Russia had with most powerful nations had been drastic on their capacities to gain many partners to trade with. This had reflected on the how fast the countries that had invested in Russia wanted out once Russia started sinking in the crisis and when it decided to intervene in the conflict between Georgia and Ossetia. After grappling with the effects, Russia came out stronger and more economically independent. A reliance on oil and gas had also started going down as other industries had been forced to provide home-grown solutions to lack of critical goods. In conclusion, the global crisis had so many economies shattered. This stemmed from the influence the economy of the US had on the global economy. Russia, as a country, experienced it in the worst form as it came at a time when the petroleum industry was not performing well. In as much as the crisis ravaged its economy, the immediate and near-comprehensive action taken by the government reduced the results faster than thought. Apart from the crisis that Russia experienced in the year 1998, the 2008 one proved to be very costly. This is as a result on the expectations its citizens had after a good run in the global crude oil prices. The leadership of Russia has in effect been forced to look at a wider range of industries that the economy can rely on so as to spread risks. Finally, the global crisis, according to economists, did not reduce the economic influence that Russia had gained in the period before the crisis.

Depression: Causes or Effects? Essay examples -- Biology Essays Resear

Depression: Causes or Effects? Depression supplies a distinct depiction of the brain equals behavior theory. The physiological characteristics that taint the diseased brain directly impact the thoughts and behaviors of the millions of sufferers. The genesis of this dehabilitating problem is both mysterious and complicated and I am not offering any sort of revelation in stating that it is a multi-factorial manifestation involving both biological and environmental components. The end product of these variable factors do, however, provide some common biochemical alterations in the brain that lend insight into understanding the reality and possible treatment of the disease. So, in the spirit of "working backwards," I will explore this end product. Perhaps the most popularized end-product of depression is the monoamine depletion or disturbance that is commonly detected in depressed persons. Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine have been identified as the main culprits, serotonin and norepinephrine being the most suspect. "Among the findings linking impoverished synaptic norepinephrine levels to depression is the discovery in may studies that indirect markers of norepinephrine levels in the brain-levels of its metabolites, or by-products, in more accessible material (urine and cerebrospinal fluid)-are often low in depressed individuals. In addition, postmortem studies have revealed increased densities of certain norepinephrine receptors in the cortex of depressed suicide victims" (indicating compensatory up-regulation) (1). It is not surprising that deficits in serotonin circuits are also seen in depressed patients, as these depletions may interact with and indeed be responsible for falls in norepinephrine levels (a phen... ...havior equals the brain. A simple point, granted, but it does explain why behaviors (perhaps instigated by stressful environmental "input") have the potential to physically change the brain. Likewise, as stated before, if the cause of depression is sometimes just an inherently sick brain, then it is understandable why some people have intense episodes of depression with no apparent environmental trigger. And if you cannot have a brain without behavior and you cannot have behavior without a brain, it would make sense that the two must interact, both serving as causes and effects working to perpetuate the vicious cycle of depression. Internet Sources: 1)Scientific American Article, 2)http://mymindfield.com/common_predispositions.html 3)http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/uwashpsp111299.html 4)http://www.psychological.com/psychological_disorders.html

“As For Me and My House” by Sinclair Ross Essay

Isolation and depression are constant throughout â€Å"As For Me and My House not only in the storyline, but in character development as well. Sinclair Ross creates believable characters by using the climate and weather as a way to emphasize their feelings and emotions. Depression and isolation are the obvious themes that emerge but through out the story a want for more is evident. It is not merely a desire for material possessions but more the desire for an emotional void to be filled. Mrs. Bentley displays strong feelings of the need for material belongings but it is only a mask to hide the love that is lacking in her life. Through the material things she believes she can close the gap between her and her husband. Ross uses the weather and climate to construct characters that his audience can relate to. Both Mr. And Mrs. Bentley have the same characteristics, but the ways in which they are displayed differ. The Bentleys live on the parries where the climate is very dry, and Ross uses the dryness of the land to accentuate what is found in them. They are comparable because the dry weather affects many parts of daily life, and their dryness is a hindrance to each other’s lives. When the weather is dry it affects all parts of life, and it affects the moral of all involved. At church Mrs. Bentley notices that the people are not listening to what the preacher is saying but rather: † they were listening to the wind†, when they listened it was as â€Å"if they were trying to read the sky†(58). The dryness that is felt in the weather is only a reflection of what Mrs. Bentley feels on the inside. Physically she is dry because she is unable to have children. This puts a damper on her spirit because she thinks that if she could have her husbands’ baby he would l ove her and give her the respect that she needs and deserves. She believes that in time she could convince herself that her husbands and Judith’s baby would be hers: â€Å"that in time his son would become my son too†(214). Her dryness can also be perceived in the way she does not see herself as important. She believes that without Philip she is nothing: â€Å"if I lost Philip what would there be ahead of me?†(212). Her failure to see the worth that she possesses brings out the dryness because she cannot fathom that she can accomplish anything on her own. Mr. Bentleys’ entire character can be seen as dry, and even the simplest parts of him are dry. His actions towards everybody, especially his wife, are cold and hurtful, and he does not allow anybody the  chance to get close to him. The way in which he is grown is like that of a cactus, with out much care and thrives in a dry environment. He has thorns to keep anybody from getting close to him, and he does not needs little love to survive. He withdraws from his wife at every chance he gets especially when they are at home alone. He uses his study as a shelter, and the door as a barricade so he does not have to deal with anything but himself. When Mrs. Bentley tries to make him open his door and allow her to be a part of his life he shuns her: â€Å"‘You’d be better with the door open, getting a little breeze’ I ventured, but he sipped his coffee and said ‘I like it shut'†(63). He is dry in the way he talks to the people, and this makes it hard to relate to him. The way he presents his sermons on Sunday mornings have no emotions put in them they are only words coming out since he has no interest in what he is doing. The relationship that the Bentleys have is extremely dry and no matter how hard Mrs. Bentley tries there is nothing she can do to make it better. From the time the couple arrives in Horizon the strain on their marriage is obvious, so Mrs. Bentley is always trying to make Philip as happy as possible. When there is extra money she does not spend it on herself or even on the things that the house needs but instead she spends it on paints for Philip: â€Å"ten dollars toward the horse – our little budget will have to stand it one way or another anyway, so I might as well start out with a flourish of magnanimity – and the other fifteen will go to paints†(106). She hopes that if Philip had something to paint with again he would get out of the mood that he has been in for so long. The Bentley face isolation in a number of ways. They are isolated because they live on the prairies where they land is so vast, and they feel that they do not fit in anywhere. They keep moving from town to town with no real difference being made in the their lives: â€Å"his sermons become tedious, he hasn’t the interest of the community at heart, I turn out to be a snob and trouble maker. Eventually they make it clear to us. We crate our furniture again and go†(14). From their past experiences they do not see a point in trying to make themselves liked by the community because in the end nobody cares about them. Mrs. Bentley is isolated because she does not fit in with the community members. The people are pretending to be something they are not and they have to put up false fronts as a shield to their true selves. This not only isolates Mrs. Bentley from others but from her self because she feels the need to â€Å"erect a false front of [her] own†(13). When she pretends to be something she is not, even if it is to protect her self, it only brings her further away from her true self. Even though they face isolation from others around them it does not bring them closer together. Although they have been married for twelve years they are still like strangers to each other. In Mrs. Bentleys eyes it is all her fault that her and her husband are not close to each other, and she is constantly trying to make herself be an important part in Philips life. At times she feels that she is getting closer to him, but at other times she feels that everything she has done has been done in vain,  "sometimes I feel it a kind of triumph, the way I won myself in his life despite him; but other times I see his eyes frustrated, slipping past me, a spent, disillusioned stillness in them, and I’m not so sure†(44). Mrs. Bentley cannot figure out whom she is if she feels that her husband does not know her and what she stands for. The only thing that she wants is for her husband to be able to share their lives together, and she wants her joys to make him happy as well. Mrs. Bentley does not allow the isolation to conquer her life like it does her husband. The isolation that Philip feels has been with him since he was a boy, and he treated his unwed mother similarly to the way he treats his wife: â€Å"he recoiled from her with a sense of grievance and contempt†(40). From the beginning of his life he always thought there was something better for him that was just out of reach, and when he was a boy it was his father whom he idolized, â€Å"his father all this time belonged to the escape world of his imagination, and his mother to the drab†(41). Unlike his wife it is his choice to be alone. He pretends that he does not need the affection that she does, but he is unwilling to give her what she wants and needs. He cuts himself off from the world by retreating to his art, and through his art he is able to further isolate everybody else by not sharing it. When his wife tries to share his work he becomes angry and even more distant from her, he turns the situation against her: â€Å"I don’t speak well enough for myself. That’s right isn’t it?  You have to put a word in for me – impress them – let them see that your small town preacher husband has more to him than they can see on the surface†(117). Through his selfishness and insecurities he isolates himself in a way that nobody can reach him. Ross creates drastic seasons making it extremely cold in the winter and when it is dry out it is incredibly dry. Mrs. Bentley shows how drastic she can be when she is trying to save one thousand dollars; every thought is spent thinking about it. She is determined to save the money not only to get out of town, but to save her relationship with her husband as well. She realizes that the ‘Horizons’ that they have been living in have destroyed the good man that lies beneath the preacher that she sees everyday. If they could only get out of the town and the life that they are leading the true Philip would emerge, the Philip who is free: â€Å"It makes the thousand dollars important again. If he can draw like that when he’s all shriveled up inside with the guilt of his hypocrisy, what won’t he do when he’s free of it as, able to respect himself again†(183). During the hard times of cold or drought there is relief to free them from their pain temporarily. When it finally rains after months of with out it, it does not just rains but rather it storms. They had wanted rain for so long, but when it finally comes it is not what they thought it was going to be: â€Å"the eaves already flooding over. We stood in the door way with some of the splashes on our faces†(155). The relief that the rain does not last long, and like the brief relief of the rain, Ross uses secondary characters to relieve the Bentleys of their pain. Steve comes into their lives and helps release some of the strain on their marriage, but like the rain he brings more than originally thought with him. At first it seemed like he would bridge the gap between them, but during his stay he ends up separating them even more. Philip has longed for a child of his own, but he turns Steve into a competition between him and his wife. This in turns makes Mrs. Bentley feel awful about herself when Steve would rather be with her: â€Å"It makes me feel a little uneasy, the way we get along so well together. I have a guilty feeling that our companionship is rapidly becoming a conspiracy†(95). Mrs. Bentley believes that change would be good for their  relationship, but in reality it has done more harm than good. With the incorporation of the weather and climate to character development the characters become more realistic. Ross is able to create characters that are believable when he presents their personalities similar to the setting he is using. Through the use of isolation the reader has more empathy towards the family and the hardships that they have faced. Not only does the theme of depression become vivid because of the Bentleys, but also because the time in which it is set is during the depression. The yearning that is had for material things is typical of the time, but for the Bentleys it means much more. The lack of concrete possessions is amplified by the lack of emotional wealth. The well written novel enables the reader to have sympathy towards all characters involved in this work.

Crystal Edge Restaurant Essay

Type of Business Crystal Edge Restaurant is a sole trader venture that is owned and operated by Miss Jheneal Hall. She is responsible for the daily running of this restaurant, any profits or losses or any problems that the business encounters she is held accountable. Crystal Edge Restaurant will provide exquisite fine dining services to both local residents and tourists who visit the busy area of New Kingston. Other individuals from other areas are also welcomed to dine over high quality meals. The main objective here at Crystal Edge is to ensure that persons dine over healthy foods, in a nice clean friendly environment with an essence to feel home away from home. Our mission statement is â€Å"To ensure that each guest receives prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service. To maintain a clean, comfortable and well maintained premises for our guests and staff. To provide at a fair price – nutritional, well-prepared meals – using only quality ingredients. To ensure that all guests and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. To thank each guest for the opportunity to serve them. By maintaining these objectives we shall be assured of a fair profit that will allow us to contribute to the community we serve.† Justification of Loctaion Crystal Edge Restaurant is located in the commercial area of New Kingston at 4-6 New Kingston Shopping Centre. The restaurant is located here for several reasons: * Because of the large number of individuals that come here to shop and work, so therefore it is worth starting up a business in this vicinity because we see where profits can be maximized. * Another reason for the selection of this location is that it is accessible and safe for customers. * The government provides tax relief for restaurants operating in this area Selection of Appropriate Labour The type of labour necessary at Crystal Edge Restaurant is unskilled labour. The restaurant will need a total of nine (9) employees. The employment process will be done with aid of applications forms and resumes and the nine employees that will be selected will have different roles to play to make Crystal Edge Restaurant a success. The restaurant will need a head chef, an assistant chef, three waitresses, two janitors and two cashiers. The head chef which is also the owner plans and prepares the meals with the assistant chef to help in the preparation of meals also. The three waitresses will work extremely hard on a daily basis to ensure that the customers’ orders are taken and the food is delivered to them and also cleans the tables after other customers have finished dining. The janitors are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and dining area to ensure a clean and healthy environment and lastly two cashiers that cash the orders taken and give a printed receipt. This type of labour is necessary because it is an inexpensive way of accomplishing production and service goals without raising consumer costs. Sources of Fixed and Working Capital My sources of fixed and working capital are funding all my savings and a loan from the commercial bank. Some examples of fixed assets that will be bought are equipment, furniture’s, dishes, glassware, silverware and cookware’. working capital is defined as raw material, money and other items that are used up in the day to day running of the business or the goods that are constantly being used up in the business in it daily operation . Some examples of working capitals are the food inventory, supplies, and worker’s wages and salaries. Role of the Entrepreneur The entrepreneur is optimistic and future oriented; I believe that success is possible and I’m willing to risk my resources in the pursuit of profit. I’m fast moving, willing to try many different strategies to achieve my goals of profits. And I’m flexible, willing to change quickly when I get new information. The entrepreneur is also needed to invest skills and management abilities to promote production. Three functions of the entrepreneur are: * Entrepreneur initiates the business activity Meaning the entrepreneur has to start the business activity by preparing a proper plan. The plan should deal with the type of goods and services to be produced, sources of raw material and credit, type of technology to be used, the markets where the products can be sold, etc. The plan should be detailed one covering all the aspects of the business * Entrepreneur is the decision maker The most vital function an entrepreneur discharges refers to decision making in various fields of the business enterprise. He is the decision maker of all activities of the enterprise. * Managerial Function: Entrepreneur performs a variety of managerial function like determination of business objectives, formulation of production plans, product analysis and market research, organisation of sales procuring machine and material, recruitment of men and undertaking, of business operations. The entrepreneur also undertakes the basic managerial functions of planning, organising, co-ordinating, staffing, directing, motivating and controlling in the enterprise. Type of Production Crystal Edge is involved in primary production. Primary production can be described as extracting raw materials from the earth. We are involved in this type of production because we produce breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis, so it is inour best interest to grow our natural foods such fruits, vegetables and some spices to also reduce expenditures on imports on help to stop global warming. Levels of Production Crystal Edge production will be for the domestic market. Meal will be prepared and served to local residents as well as tourist who visit the New Kingston area at reasonable and affordable prices.