How BAA can be affected by Competition Commission Decision to Sell Two Airports

How BAA can be affected by Competition Commission Decision to Sell Two Airports Identification of Purpose This report seeks to assess the impact of regulation on BBA as a company following the competition commissions directive that provides that the firm should sell two of its airports.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How BAA can be affected by Competition Commission Decision to Sell Two Airports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through the analysis of economic literature, the paper explores the costs and benefits associated with regulation. In particular, the paper evaluates the likely disproportionate effects that regulation may have on BBA as a company. The burden of business regulation is a major concern for businesses. According to Grant Thorton/ ICAEW (2012, p.2), business professionals often rank regulatory intervention or requirements as the main factor posing serious challenges to organizational performance. In the latest survey in the United Kingdom, 41 percent of businesses in the Uni ted Kingdom highlighted regulation as a serious challenge to their operations compared to a year earlier. Regulatory issues were ranked first among all the challenges identified. This evidence highlights the need for further research in the area of regulation because it is an important economic issue that companies are worried about. Critical Discussion of Current Literature Regulation in general is very broad in meaning. Regulation can basically be defined as a specific set group of commands such as those enacted through the legislature. It may also refer to a deliberate attempt by the state to influence social and business behavior through incentive instruments (Baldwin, Cave Lodge 2012, p. 3). Regardless of the definition adopted, regulation is viewed as limiting behavior or freedom. According to Baldwin, Cave and Lodge (2012, p. 3), through its restrictive mechanism, regulation intends to prevent negative outcomes to the society as the regulated activity is considered valuable by the society.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the modern context, regulation is better understood as a an umbrella where various stakeholders collaborate to achieve desirable outcomes such as best sharing practice, transparency, public participation and data provision (Solomon 2008, p. 819). Need for Regulation According to Dobos (2007 p. 330), regulatory interventions are situation dependent. They depend on the political and economic institutions in place that call for intervention measures. The effects of regulation most certainly interfere with business activities, and this interference has the potential to benefit some segments of the population and harm others including the whole industry, individual players, and the market. Because of this, it is important to assess why governments (Competition Commission) regulate and identify who they wish to profit fr om the regulation. As Baldwin, Cave and Lodge (2012, p.15) note, one of the major reasons for regulation are instances when the market fails. When the market fails, regulatory intervention is justified because under market failure, the market cannot produce optimal output that matches the interest of the public. From economic theory, markets aim at achieving Pareto efficiency; that is, markets should allocate resources in such a manner that it makes one player better off without making the other player worse off. Nevertheless, situations arise that distort market efficiency rendering efficiency in resource allocation unattainable. When the market forces of demand and supply fail, welfare results cannot be attained and undesirable outcomes can never be stopped.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How BAA can be affected by Competition Commission Decision to Sell Two Airports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Monopolies ar e an example of market failure and it is a similar situation that the Competition Commission had to deal with in relation to BBA (BBC News 2011, p.1). Under monopoly, a single producer dominates the market for services or goods in a manner that the firm maintains its position as the single seller in the market with no substitute service or product and with significant entry barriers into the market (Baldwin, Cave Lodge 2012, p.16). A monopoly situation is detrimental not only to the consumers but also other firms seeking to enter the market. A monopolist aims at increasing its profits by cutting on its output to reduce its production costs while at the same time increasing the price it charges on its goods and services because the demand for its goods and services increase continuously given that supply is reduced (Baldwin, Cave Lodge 2012, p. 16). In the end, profits are redistributed from the consumers to the producer, which is a less optimal and socially undesirable outcome. Do bos (2007 p. 329) argues that competition law, a form of regulatory intervention permits the return of competition into the market and splits a part the monopoly leading to more efficiency in wealth distribution. From the BBA case, BBA ownership of the airports in the United Kingdom cannot be regarded as monopolistic in nature. However, it was the most dominant player to the extent that it could pursue some monopolistic tendencies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the BBC News (2011a, p. 2), BBA operated six airports in the United Kingdom including Heathrow UKs largest airport in terms of number of passengers, Gatwick, Southampton, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Such an ownership structure was considered by the Competition Commission to be anti-competitive. Critical Discussion of Current Literature Pertinent to BBA Case This section reviews some of the literature that attempts to explain the effects that regulation has on a companys performance. At the company level, the paper evaluates how regulatory intervention may affect businesses like BBA. In the analysis, the report takes into account the role that efficient markets play in ensuring optimal market outcomes. In addition, an evaluation is done on various literatures that have tried to ascertain the existing correlation between major macroeconomic variables and the incidence of regulatory burden. How the Competition Commission’s Directive Affected BBAs Entrepreneurship To asce rtain the effect of regulatory intervention on BBAS entrepreneurship requires the formulation of an entrepreneurship measure (Da Silva Martins Paula 2007, p. 22). A number of studies have paid significant attention on the volume of new entrants joining the market post-regulation and how this can be affected by the regulation of entry. The number of new entrants may not be a perfect proxy for entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, it enjoys the advantage of being relatively easy to measure. According to a study conducted by Solomon (2008, p. 829) using a data set from the World Bank, if the cost of regulation is increased, it limits the creation of new companies in many parts of the globe, more so in industries that enjoy high entry rates of new firms. In the same study, the authors found out that industries that are characterized by high entry regulations are often linked with large sized businesses, which is a clear indicator that regulatory interventions often limit the set up of small companies. This negatively affects not only the strength of competition within the markets but also the Pareto-efficient objective of attaining efficient market outcomes. Ardagna and Lusardi (2008, p. 14) carried out a similar research by Klapper, Laeven and Rajan (2006, p. 591) study. For them, they focused on the waiting time (delay) linked with regulatory intervention as opposed to costs. The researchers modeled how bureaucratic tendencies affect business development and employment across different industries. In their findings, the authors argue that in countries where more time is required to register a new firm, there is slow entry of new firms post regulatory intervention. If the UK airport market portrays the same characteristics, then it implies that BBA will still benefit from the operations of its other airports due to slow entry of firms into the industry (Ciccone Papaioannou 2007, p. 444). In another research, Nystrom (2007, p. 3) evaluated entrepreneurship determinant s in various countries. In his findings, the author argues that institutional setting is an important determinant of a countrys level of entrepreneurship. In addition, he argues that regulatory intervention of labor, business and credit is a major determinant of a countrys level of entrepreneurship post regulation. Empirical Literature on the Impacts of Regulatory Intervention Ardagna and Lusardi (2008, p. 23) in their study explained the global differences in entrepreneurship. The researchers had a data set comprising of 37 developed and developing countries with detailed data on individual characteristics. The researchers then combined the information collected from the individual characteristics with information on regulatory intervention. Their findings were in line with studies don earlier. The results indicated that regulation plays an important role in an individuals choice to open a new business. Regulation was found to be a significant entry barrier and as a result a deterr ent to entrepreneurship especially those looking for a business opportunity. Similarly, findings from industry specific level research carried out by European Commission (2008, p. 395) in the food retail sector indicate that stringent market entry requirements makes the markets more concentrated. This leads to a significant reduction in competitive pressures. This in turn gives rise to adverse consequences in the economy not only in terms of high unemployment rates in the specific sector, but also in form of higher prices being charged to the consumers. This report highlights important and concrete evidence of how the burden of regulatory intervention gives rise to reduced competitive pressures, inefficiency in resource allocation and underutilization of the available resources. The Effects of Regulation on a Country’s Economic Growth and Productivity Several studies have been undertaken in an attempt to evaluate the impact of regulation on the economy as a whole. Evident dif ferences exist not only in growth rates but also productivity performance in various developed economies. In a study by European Commission (2008,p. 394), the authors attempt to device an explanation based upon regions in which countries vary most, the existing institutions and how the regulation of both the labor and product markets influence entrepreneurship choices. The authors further analyzed how regulation can potentially affect a firms ability to join markets and compete with existing players. From economic theory, it is clear that through healthy competition, firms achieve efficiency and efficiency translates into increased productivity. The authors argue that total factor productivity growth is inversely correlated with statewide regulation measures undertaken. They conclude that increasing regulation only has the effect of slowing productivity growth. Similarly, in their findings, the authors note that administrative burden act as a consistent barrier entry of new players in the market. Resulting into a waste of valuable time, increasing costs, and significantly reducing the incentive to innovative and market competitive pressures. Risk Based Regulation as a better Alternative As an integral component of the deregulation agenda, regulation based on risk has taken a center stage among regulation theories from the early 1990s (Lee Stallworthy 2012, p. 9). The objective of risk based regulation is risk management using risk tools given that risk based regulation is both scientific and economic in nature. The idea is that in managing risks, the risks should be accorded first priority and not the rules to gather the correct data and then realign the firms operations based on risk governance. A regulation based on risks intends to create not only certainty but also better regulation premised on regulatory impact assessment. Through the assessment, a cost benefit analysis is done to the new legislation to ascertain if its impact is balanced and if it can a chieve then target for which it was set. Nevertheless, from the 2000 new Lisbon agenda member countries of the European Union have advocated for regulatory policies that favor growth and employment creation at the expense of the environmental impacts. Regulations should not be measured based on economic variables alone, instead they must equally incorporate measures of greater integration, more coherence, participative and strategic regulation. Regulation of risks is quite broad. The European Union has surpassed its initial target of making legislation simpler and cutting down on the incidence of administrative burden to business. The member countries have formulated smart legislation, which scrutinizes legislation implementation with the objective of identifying any overlaps, outdated areas and inconsistent aspects of any new regulatory legislation. Within the United Kingdom, the environment policy has paid greater attention to the relative risks inherent within activities to impro ve general efficiency and reduce on the administrative burden suffered by regulated businesses. Sustainable consumption theory contends that all other regulation theories focus on responses to industrial risks in one guise or another and that the focus should move away from the pollution to environmental consumption. Regulation and environmental regulation in particular, should focus more on the loss of natural capital, which is inherently unsustainable and the temporal effects of environmental harm, which affects current and future generations. The explosive combination of consumption, population growth and production are said to be causing current environmental global problems. Conclusion From the analysis and review of literature, the report shows that regulatory intervention can have adverse effects on economic efficiency. These negative effects are partly a result of the effects of regulation on entrepreneurship, however a large percentage of the effects arise from the impacts of regulation on competition. Some regulatory tendencies tend to act as bureaucratic red tape to free business operation not only in theory but also in practice. Because of this, the number of new companies joining the market post-regulation is significantly reduced thereby reducing even further the competitive pressures. Even though regulation is aimed at rectifying market failures and promoting the interests of the public, it is worth noting that at times a trade off occurs between the goals that regulation seeks to achieve and economic efficiency. Excessive regulation can significantly limit competition and prevent enterprise. For this reason, regulation policies must be scrutinized in detail and thoroughly considered. Theoretically, competition eases when economic efficiency is negatively affected. When competition is reduced, price cost margins become higher because existing companies in the market possess more market power. This leads to reduced efficiency in allocation. Such a situation can also lead to a reduction in production efficiency. Similarly, if competitive pressures are reduced, the long-run dynamic efficiency of firms in the industry will be affected as they will have limited incentive to remain innovative. From the review of various economic research studies that looked into the practical effects of regulatory intervention, it is clear that regulation affects entrepreneurship across countries. From the findings, there is increased burden associated with regulatory intervention. The burden is felt in terms of limited consumer choices, high prices, and reduced economic activities. Findings from international research equally indicate that negatively affects the distribution of a companys size in the market. Increased regulation gives an upper hand to the big firms in the market leading to reduced competitive pressures. From a macro-economic perspective, the effects of greater regulation have the potential to limit competition in the whole econ omy. This leads to reduced productivity, increases unemployment, and limits economic growth and development. This report equally evaluated the role of entrepreneurship in the economy. The dynamic nature of entrepreneurship is a major driver of innovation, competition, and improvement in efficiency levels across all sectors of the economy. In addition, the important role played by entrepreneurs is evidenced by the fact that they their greater participation has given rise to increased economic growth in developed economies. This is more evident in knowledge based economies like the United Kingdom. Evidence from the United Kingdom indicates that the UK performs better relative to other developed countries in terms of regulation and ease of doing business. However, the country has begun experiencing significant challenges. Given the competitive nature of the global business environment, the United Kingdom is losing ground according to several latest rankings. Worse still, the United Kin gdom National Audit Office has often has often expressed dissatisfaction on the degree to which the countys regulatory impact assessment effectively addresses the economic effects of regulatory intervention. There is need for a thorough consideration on the effects of specific regulatory policies on public interests. The findings from this report clearly highlight that both theory and practice indicate the potential adverse effects that regulation continues to develop in the economy. Governments should ensure that they create attractive business environment in which companies of all sizes can thrive. To do this, governments must work towards addressing the incidence of regulatory burden especially on small and medium enterprises. An organization could be valued based on the price of its assets on the market at the given period. It is vital for investors and other stakeholders in an organization to know the value of the firm as it helps in establishing their willingness to invest in the firm and establishing ling term ties with the organization. In a fair market, the price of the assets of an organization are usually not predetermined, but determined through the bargain between the buyers that are able to purchase them and the sellers that are able and willing to sell them. For fairness to exist, there should be not party at an advanatage as both parties are expected to be knowledgeable about the market with information symmetry being fulfilled. Similarly, the management of a given firm should be aware of the value of the organization in the market in order to avoid any overpricing the company’s assets or under-pricing them as this could result in negative outcomes (Craig 2000, p. 357). In some cases where an organization does not know the value of the assets of the firm, a professional appraiser is employed. The person has the duty of establishing advising the management of the firm on the current value of the firm and its assets in the market. In order to determine the company’s value in the market, he or she could compare the firm to other similar organizations in the market to establish the reasonable price that the assets of the company could go for in the market. Despite the establishment of the value of the assets of the firm in the market, the price of the assets could be affected by various factors thereby enabling their change. Some of the factors include improved brand of the company and a positive reputation of the firm resulting from improved quality, corporate responsibility or customer care. The benefits of a good reputation of an organization is that it increases the goodwill of the firm while the quality of the company’s brand could be improved through innovativeness and increased skilled employees in the firm. The overall effect is the increase in demand of the product or services of the firm hence the financial performance of the company. The improvement of the performance of the organization could be easily captured and reflected in the balance sheet of the company among other financial reports. Therefore, the stakeholders of BBA can find vital information on the balance sheet of the company concerning the company’s net worth and debt among other information relevant to their interests such as the level of inventory. List of References Ardagna, S Lusardi, A 2008, Explaining international differences in entrepreneurship: the role of individual characteristics and regulatory constraints, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge. Baldwin, R, Cave, M Lodge, M 2012, Understanding regulation, Oxford University Press, New York. BBC News 2011, BAA to sell Edinburgh Airport over competition rules, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15367555 BBC News 2011a, BAA told by Competition Commission to sell two airports, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-12903669 Ciccone, A Papaioannou, E 2007, Red tape and delayed entry, Journal of the European Economic Association, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 444-458. Da Silva Martins, L Paula, S 2007, Indicators for measuring entrepreneurship: A proposal for a scoreboard, Industry and Higher Education, vol. 21, no.1, pp.85-97. Dobos, I 2007, Tradable permits and production-inventory strategies of the firm. European Commission 2008, Think small first-a small business act for Europe, Brussels Com, vol.4, pp. 394. ICAEW/Grant Thorton 2012, Q2 2012 business confidence monitor results, ICAEW / Grant Thornton Business Confidence Monitor, vol.4, pp.2-4. Lee, R Stallworthy, M 2012, From the criminal to the consensual: The shifting mechanisms of environmental regulation in Coggon, Cambridge University Press, London. Solomon, M 2008, Law and governance in the 21st century regulatory state, Texas Law Review, vol. 86, pp.819-834.

Adaptation the Movie Is Based Around the Character Charlie Kaufman Essays

Adaptation the Movie Is Based Around the Character Charlie Kaufman Essays Adaptation the Movie Is Based Around the Character Charlie Kaufman Essay Adaptation the Movie Is Based Around the Character Charlie Kaufman Essay Jessica Layton HUMS 250 Fall 2011 November 8, 2011 Throughout this paper I will be analyzing a scene from the movie Adaptation. The movie is based around the character Charlie Kaufman and his struggle to write a screen play for the book â€Å"The Orchid Thief,† written by the character Susan Orlean. This movie shows us Charlie writing the screenplay, while it also shows Susan writing the book, through the use of flashbacks. We learn through interviews in the movie, that a man named John Laroche, the man who owned the orchid nursery, inspired the book. In this scene, John and Susan are speaking on the phone about what happened to John’s nursery. We learn that a car accident has killed his mother and uncle and put his wife in a coma. When she awoke, she divorced him and as â€Å"karma† for what happened, a hurricane came and destroyed everything and wiped out all of his orchids. This scene has many different elements that bring the whole scene together so that you really feel and understand the emotions and significance of the story. This clip is full of many different emotions and uses different lighting to portray those feelings. During the flashback, we see the use of natural light. The car acts as a reflector board, softening the lighting on the characters as they back out of the driveway. As John and Susan speak to one another, we notice that the lighting in their rooms is very soft and low-key. This kind of lighting for this shot portrays the seriousness and tragic emotions of this scene. Susan’s lighting is located behind her and very soft. The soft lighting is used to focus the attention on the character making everything around her out of focus. Having the lighting in the back of Susan creates depth in the shot, separating her from her surroundings and accentuating her. When the shot moves to John, we see the location of the light is from above. While he is answering Susan’s question, the angle of the camera and the lighting create the feeling of vulnerability and sadness. This type of lighting is also being used in the hospital room shot, where the overhead light is focused on his wife showing her desperation. This whole clip is shot in a tight, closed frame. The characters don’t have the room to move around. The proximities of these shots vary from character to character. Every shot that Susan is in is shot as medium-close up. This helps the audience see her expressions as they go from intrigued to find out the story behind his orchid nursery to showing the sympathy and grief she feels for John’s story. In contrast to her shot and expressions, the way John is shot reflects the expressions of Susan. When we first see John in this clip, we see him in a medium long shot. After the first flashback shot, we see him as a close up shot, helping to show his expressions and vulnerability. Editing in this clip is very important. The use of flashback helps the audience understand what has happened to the nursery and why he no longer has one. When the clip begins we hear Susan ask the question â€Å" what ever happened to the nursery? † John’s response leads up to the flashback to the day that his uncle and mother died in the car crash and the hurricane coming through. Their conversation is edited by using what is called intercutting. This type of editing shows the action of the two characters talking as one single scene rather than two different scenes. This way of editing shows the reactions of each character as if they are in the same setting. The characters used in this film are professional actors and well known. In this specific scene, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper play Susan Orlean and John Laroche. The portrayals by these two actors are very realistic. The story behind the scene and the reaction of the characters is very realistic. Their emotions can be felt through their facial expressions. For example, when Susan first asks John what happened, we see that it brings bad memories for him. He becomes very uneasy and we see his facial expression become very upset. After he tells her the story, we see that her facial expressions have gone from intrigued to sympathetic and upset. We also see how their costumes and settings further help to define their characters and their personalities. We see Meryl Streep in a nice nightgown and nice room with a big comfortable bed. When the scene switches to Chris Coopers character we see him wearing a flannel shirt unbuttoned with jeans lying on an old couch. Each character portrays a different level of the social class stereotypes of upper and lower middle class. Meryl Streep’s character is very sleek and put together even when she is lying in bed, while Chris Cooper’s character is very rough looking. In this short scene, we see how many different elements that are put into making a movie. Just by changing the lighting, dressing the characters in certain clothing and how a shot is framed, can impact how emotions can be portrayed to create the overall feel of a scene. After seeing the whole movie it helps to better understand the characters and the emotions behind what is being portrayed on the screen in this scene.

The Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Research Project - Essay Example By identification, the group members are proud to be associated with the group, are willing to inform people from the outside that they are participants of the group, and perceive the goals and purpose that the team or the group pursues as their own. Cohesive teams or groups have minimal turnover in membership. A group becomes more cohesive when it can maintain the core members for a long time compared to a group with high member turnover. Participant’s membership detainment may translate to satisfaction in the group. It shows that the members value the association, are receiving benefits from group’s participation, and have invested money or time significantly in the group (Hunziker et al., 2011). When a group is cohesive, there is effective attainment of goals, high quality and quantity of communication and the group exerts significant influence over its members. Conformity, defined as going along, is demonstrated when members neglect a particular position opposed to other team or group members to the advantage of the view of the majority. The abandonment, also called conforming, can happen due do a variety of reasons including emotional or logical persuasion, time constraints, perceiving that continued argument is futile and coercion. If members of the group conform to group’s greater benefits, then the group’s potentials are reached with minimal resistance (Hunziker et al., 2011). Hunziker, S., Johansson, A. C., Tschan, F., Semmer, N. K., Rock, L., Howell, M. D., & Marsch, S. (2011). Teamwork and leadership in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 57(24),

Marketing plan as the main part of the business strategy Essay

Marketing plan as the main part of the business strategy - Essay Example Markets and products have become extremely fragmented. There are hundreds of special-interest magazines, for example, each targeted to a very specific market segment. It's the same with restaurants, cars and retail clothing stores, just to name a few industries. Positioning your product competitively requires an understanding of this fragmented market. Not only must you be able to describe your product, you must also be able to describe your competitor's product and show why yours is better. Positioning your product involves two steps. First, analyze your product's features, and decide how they differentiate your product from its competitors. Second, decide what type of buyer is most likely to purchase your product. Pricing and placement are critical to competitive positioning. In today's marketing culture, pricing cannot be separated from the product. Take grocery stores, for example. The full-service supermarket is still the most popular form of grocery distribution. But today, busy families want faster service and more convenience, even if it means higher prices. As a result, convenience stores, home delivery services, personal shoppers and takeout restaurants have proliferated. At the same time, warehouse grocery retailing has also increased. Warehouse stores cater to customers who prefer low prices to convenience. Describe your target customer. Developing a profile of your target customer is the second step in an effective marketing plan. You can describe customers in terms of demographics-age, sex, family composition, earnings and geographical location-as well as lifestyle. Ask: Are my customers conservative or innovative Leaders or followers Timid or aggressive Traditional or modern Introverted or extroverted How often do they purchase what I offer How much of it at a time Are there peak buying periods or times of the year when people won't buy my product or service Conclusion The simple truth is that the type of ad that pays off immediately will work less and less well the longer you keep running it. And the ad that will make customers think of you immediately when they need what you sell (true branding) usually doesn't begin showing any encouraging results for at least some weeks. These are the ads that will work better and better the longer you keep running them. But most advertisers will cancel these ads after some weeks. The thing to remember when developing your marketing plan is that you're not looking for what works. Every type of advertising works to one degree or another. What you're looking for is the best long-term use of your ad budget. Then you have to develop an advertising message within your marketing plan. The questions you're trying to answer are these: "What do we need to say to the customer and how often do we need to say it And which media will give us the most efficient long-term

The American Revolution as a European Movement Essay Example for Free

The American Revolution as a European Movement Essay The American Revolution was and always will be the most important piece of history for the United States of America. It was definitely revolutionary. The Enlightenment of the eighteenth century was one of these paradigm historical shifts, challenging the traditional notions of authority by investing reason with the power to change the human condition for the better. The Enlightenment also shows that the American’s colonies were influenced by European ideals and political developments, and in turn the American’s colonies also influence Europe. Across the Atlantic, the Enlightenment had a profound impact on the English colonies in America and ultimately on the infant nation of the United States. â€Å"The Enlightenment challenged the role of religion and divine right and this helped Colonial America to see that it was possible to challenge the King and divine right. The movement challenged the role of God and allowed people to see that they were important and had the ability to shape their own lives. (â€Å"The Great Awakening†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , Journal) In many ways, the new United States was the Enlightenment, for its leaders could actually implement many of the ideas that European philosophers could only talk idly about. First, the Enlightenment helped to shape the colonies was in terms of religion. With the Great Awakening came a new understanding of America’s early relationship to God and the Church. Instead of one all-powerful church that almost required membership, Protestant ideals based on Enlightenment principles of free will and freedom from institutions allowed people to choose membership in a church rather than be forced into one. Although during the Enlightenment there was a very secular focus, in America this was not the case. The colonies were still very religious but they used the ideas of their freedom to choose that were based on the Enlightenment. Instead of being tied to one religious authority, there were many choices in the colonies and people had a right to choose how to establish and maintain their connection to God. Much of what colonists wanted to do with politics had a greater influence coming from Britain. Philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both had great influence on American thinkers, with Locke being the more influential as Hobbes solution was not the thing the American founders wanted. Locke was far more optimistic, stating that all humans were capable and that they strove for the betterment of the world. John Locke believed that natural laws say that every person has certain basic rights, and he argued passionately for freedom of religion. He wrote that every person has the natural right to defend his â€Å"life, health, liberty or possessions. John Locke argued that because we have so much doubt about so many things, each person should have as much freedom as possible. Because we really don’t know the best way to organize and improve our society, all people should make their own decisions about what they want to do with their own lives. When Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he echoed Locke, writing about â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have become the central themes of American Revolutionary philosophy. † (Morton, Joseph C, 143) The American Revolution had much influence beyond the political boundary of the new nation. Many liberal movements in Europe took heart from the accomplishment of the American Declaration of Independence, the war itself, and the creation of a new government to replace the British rule over the old colonies. Many peoples wished to either overthrow the idea of monarchy or, at least, establish a constitutional monarchy. The French Revolution was inspired by many of the ideals of the American Revolution When the French people heard of the revolt in America they realized they didnt have to live under tyranny. They started the revolution in hopes of becoming an independent country. The French fought alongside the Americans against the English to accomplish a democratic, independent nation and the declaration of independence France was bankrupt at the time, so the people were very poor. Meanwhile they saw their monarchs in all their wealth and began to see them as tyrants. The stories of the French soldiers that had fought in America, like the Marquis de Lafayette, loved the American notion of liberty and began to support similar reforms in France. As James mentioned â€Å"Lafayette was one of the first people to advocate a National Assembly, and he worked to make France a constitutional monarchy. †(James) Revolutionary ideas turned into real plans of attack. They wanted to rid themselves of a monarchy ruled by the royals, clergy and aristocrats. In conclusion, Enlightenment thinking, economics, and geography all helped in some way toward an American revolution. Also, Enlightenment thinking helps the American colonists to know what they want in a government.

Walking a Difficult Line: Taking a Look at Borderline Personality Disor

Walking a Difficult Line: Taking a Look at Borderline Personality Disorder Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) live a difficult existence. These are people for whom maintaining normal interpersonal relationships, controlling anger, suffer from extreme self-doubt and drastic mood swings, among other symptoms. They comprise only 2% of the population, but have a disorder which the psychiatric and scientific communities have trouble acknowledging, and great difficulty treating. (4) Individuals suffering from BPD suffer a range of symptoms which include the following: dramatic mood changes, depression, irritability, uncontrollable anger, negative impulsiveness (which includes reckless sex, substance abuse, binging), suicidal feelings, self-mutilation, extreme self-doubt about one’s capabilities. (6)(3) They also experience a kind of heightened awareness of their environment and thus are overly stimulated by it. (1) In addition to these and other symptoms, individuals with BPD often suffer from other mental disorders – such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders – as well, making their BPD difficult to diagnose. (4) There is a great mystery surrounding the causes of all mental disorders, and this is also the case with BPD. Psychologists and scientists believe that it is both a biological and psychological disease, and that BPD as an illness is closely related to depression more than schizophrenia, which had been the previous thoug h. Experts have also believe that attention-deficit disorders could be a cause factor, as well as childhood abuse or neglect. (6) Many people suffering from BPD experience very strong feelings of abandonment by parents, family and friends, that can be triggered by an inci... ...lineresearch.org/ 4) National Institute of Mental Health, BPD article "Raising Questions, Finding Answers" http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bpd.cfm 5) National Institute of Mental Health , BPD article "Concept for Borderline Personality Disorder Initiative in FY 2003" research initiative http://www.nimh.nih.gov/council/cncptcuthbert_901.cfm 6) National Alliance for the Mentally Ill site on BPD http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23040 7) Dr. Linehan’s DBT course of treatment ("A Promising Treatment...") http://www.mclean.harvard.edu/psychupdate/psyupI-3.htm More Information: 8) More basic information on BPD http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?id=476&type=doc&cn=Personality%20Disorders 9) More information on DBT (treatment) http://www.priory.com/dbt.htm

English Translation of Chinese Neologisms from the Perspective

1. Introduction Language is dynamic. Every day there are new words coming into use in languages and there are many others fading away from lexicon. Chinese, one of the oldest languages in the world, still possesses this dynamism. Language serves as a tool of communication and interaction, thus it reflects the social changes, and meanwhile social changes find their expressions in language, which leads to the advent of neologisms. The appearances of new inventions, new technologies, new ideas and new social phenomena are capable of bringing neologisms into languages.In the twentieth century, Chinese neologism has undergone three stages: the first stage was from 1919, after the May 4th Movement; the second stage was from the establishment of People’s Republic of China to 1978; the third stage began with the policy of reform and opening-up. Entering into the new century, the development of society has hasted their paces and the communication between centuries becomes more frequent . Language is witnessing the changes. During recent years, an increasing number of new words has been adopted into Chinese.Therefore, as the translator, he or she shoulders the responsibility of translating the new words properly in order to convey the Chinese culture to other countries, and this has proved to be a great challenge. Though there are many dictionaries and handbooks which study Chinese neologisms and the translation of Chinese neologisms, the study of neologism translation is far from enough. This thesis will discuss the translation strategies in order to accomplish the translation of Chinese neologisms efficiently by adopting the theoretical foundation of Eugene A.Nida’s Functional Equivalence. The thesis is divided into six parts. The first part is introduction; the second part focuses on the origins and characteristics of Chinese neologism; the third part puts its emphasis on the theoretical basis—Functional Equivalence, which was proposed by the famou s American translation theorist Eugene A. Nida; the fourth part discusses the respective translation strategies under the guidance of the translation theory. The fifth part talks about the existing problems in neologism translation and how to solve these problems.Last part is a conclusion of the whole thesis. Neologisms emerged in the new century especially new words of 2008 will be adopted as main examples, because they are endowed with fresher and richer contents and reflect the characteristics of new era more evidently. The examples and their translations are quoted mainly from China Daily, Global Times and official translation versions of political documents. This thesis will not specify the respective source of each neologism.

Antwone Fisher Essay

Antwone Fisher is a young man with anger and temperament issues associated with childhood interpretation of physical and emotional abuse caused by the authoritarian figures of his family. Self-image and true self have been challenged, but the Navy as various events trigger tragic memories from the past. A psychiatrist played by Denzel Washington accepts the challenge to assist human development through various methods and intervention techniques. Furthermore, intervention helps to remove the layers of negative emotion and can be accomplished if the right counselor assists with proper intervention techniques. Carl Rogers theorized the importance of looking at â€Å"self†. He drew a distinction between the self perception and the perception of the â€Å"Ideal-self. There are organized patterns associated with the established one self or the many selves. The â€Å"phenomenal field of the individual includes both unconscious and conscious perceptions, including those of which an individual is aware and is not aware (Pervin p. 172). Focus is on providing avenues to consciousness, as the means to a healthy functional individual. Antwone’s self-image is buried in painful memories and unchecked past emotional events. Rogerian Theory seems to be based in self image. It provides a basis for understanding, evaluating, and providing the appropriate intervention. Gordon Allport’sTheory Rationale Functional Autonomy derives from the notion of healthy and well-organized aspects of human behavior. Traits are the basis of and most important aspect of personality, and they are seated in the nervous system. They represent generalized personality dispositions that account for regularities in the functioning of a person across situations and over time (Pervin p. 32). Antwone’s predictable pattern of behavior becomes traits controlled by his changing emotional state. When a memory challenges the nervous system, he makes irrational emotional unhealthy decisions. Allport’s theory application may reveal more options to understanding the root cause of aggressiveness and angry outbursts. Character Description Antwone Fisher was born in an Ohio prison (his mother was an inmate; his father was shot dead before his birth) and grew up in an abusive foster home in Cleveland. Beaten and often kept tied in the basement, Fisher ran away when he was seventeen and had to face life on the streets. Antwone joined the Navy only to find he was fighting to save himself from insult and to help preserve his pride. Antwone progressively becomes a healthy young man after a psychiatrist helps remove layers of anger and pain based memories. Character Analysis Structure- Antwone Fisher’s character is wrapped up in pressure associated with memories of a mother in prison, a father killed by his girlfriend, abandonment, and physical, emotional, and sexual maltreatment. He was placed in a foster home with his half-brothers. The pastor beat the light-skinned boy for having too much pride. Mrs. Tate tied Antwone’s hands behind his back and beat him unconscious and threatened to burn him with an open fire. She would create division between them while using skin color and the degrading terms. Antwone was the middle child. In the Navy, Antwone was a loner. He constantly went inside to find answers to his past. His treatment as a child stemmed from slave-based disciplinary practiced by Mrs. Tate. His character begins to be formed according to the daily exposure to verbal and mental lashings from her. His self-worth in her eyes amounts to nothing. His submissive behavior is degrading and subservient. He is chastised every step of his childhood into his teen years until he finally puts an end to the beating. There is no reward for good behavior. He even pokes fun at Dr. Davenport (Played by Denzel Washington) while making a mockery of his intervention suggestions. Denzel again reverts to memories from his past and the feelings associated with self-perception. Confusion after making an attempt to straighten-up drives him away from seeking more attention from the psychiatrist. He just wants to be a good shipman, but continues to find a problem with anger. Process He has to find himself before he can find his ideal-self. He realizes through the help of Dr. Davenport that he can change. He tries to find a trust based relationship to compare thoughts and feelings to his own. Establishing relationships may be difficult when internal issues have not been resolved; He wants to impress his woman friend but cannot find the words to begin a caring relationship. Denzel role plays away some of the perceived self-critical behavior to instill confidence. There is a growing consensus about the relationship between personality traits and emotional states, biological theorists of adult personality are exchanging ideas with theorists of childhood temperament, and long-term studies of personality development across the life span are delivering on the promises made many years ago William Revelle; Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 46, 1995, p. 1). Antwone finds incongruence between his perceived self image and his true self image. Dealing with emotional baggage and the inexperience of having the ability to build and maintain a lasting relationship can distort feelings and create confusion. Growth and Development Growth continues during the date with Cheryl as she points out things about his appearance that she finds attractive. His character develops as he shares himself in a way never before experienced. His self-worth grows as he overcomes fear to be â€Å"himself† as he lowers defenses and builds a relationship. He also looks to his psychiatrist the same night for validation and confirmation as he shares his first kiss experience. This appears to be the first time that lowering defenses and trusting his feelings creates a self-worth like never before. Personality theories attempt to account for individual behavior. The scope of such theories is vast. (Revelle, p. 1). Antwone is trying to be nice, but finds it difficult when provoked to anger. Dr. Davenport employs empathy as a way to meet Antwone where before moving quickly ahead. Affective level understanding creates an environment of trust and deeper understanding. Any attempt to withhold judgment and establish rapport assists greatly in growth rate and early development. In sensing the private world of a client, the counselor or therapist attempts to convey an empathic understanding of the person’s experiencing. Through a sensitive attunement, an individual is able to empathically sense his or her own subjective internal state. In an immediate context, a person’s reactions assume the form of hunches and a flow of inner feelings. In this mode, experiencing includes such reactions as love, hate, enjoyment, boredom, sensing, and perceiving. As a basic way of knowing, experiencing subjective responses is fundamental to everyday life. Empathy: Implications of Three Ways of Knowing in Counseling Journal article by Arthur J. Clark; Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, Vol. 43, 2004, p. 1). Carl Rogers (1964) described 3 ways of knowing with reference to empathic understanding: subjective, interpersonal, and objective. Dr. Davenport questions Antwone about his family life after he was thrown out of Mrs. Tate’s house. He talks about going back to the orphanage to develop his social skills. It’s what happens when empathy becomes a part of the process. Dr.  Davenport uses a line of questioning based in empathetic understanding. The centrality of understanding the private perceptual world of a person from an interpersonal perspective is a recurring theme in the writings of Rogers. Thus, the direction of an individual’s empathy is toward another person in an effort to grasp his or her phenomenological functioning. (p. 1). Institutionalized incarceration lacks sensitivity and empathy. The penal system and rehabilitation process formalize a different skill set and can impede growth and development. From reform school to a men’s shelter to living on the street creates a survival response and an identity vacuum and a need for understanding and belonging. Keep in mind the basis of the Roger’s approach is, to enact empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard (An Analysis of How Carl Rogers Enacted Client-Centered Conversation with Gloria Journal article by Scott A. Wickman, Cynthia Campbell; Journal of Counseling and Development, Vol. 81, 2003, p. 1). Antwone begins to show a trend of behaviors with anticipated responses. His motives are driven by basic human needs for survival. His dysfunctional past needs to be replaced with more productive behavior. Antwone’s park bench experiences before joining the Navy have to be considered in the same way Gordon Allport suggests personality and trait development tied to the environment. Antwone is very conscious of his reaction and responses to people and events in the environment. Antwone, a nice person, may be misunderstood and misjudged because of the trait behaviors associated with anger and violence. Allport surveys of personality psychology included discussions of such concepts as defense mechanisms, self, and identification. Shoring up the SASB Bridge between Personality Theory and Clinical Psychology Journal article by Jerry S. Wiggins; Psychological Inquiry, Vol. 5, 1994. 3 pgs, p. 3). Antwone employs each concept on the road to becoming a balanced healthy, functioning young man. Allport’s theory suggests growth or development of personality is equally important. Regardless of whether one favors traits or motives, many of the questions driving personality psychology are developmental: How do people develop the trait of sociability (or the need for achievement)? At what developmental period does this trait (need) emerge? When are the critical periods during which the trait (need) is expressed? Is sociability (need for achievement) stable from one developmental period to the next, and, if not, what factors are responsible for those changes? How does being high in sociability (need for achievement) shape the individual’s life path (Traits and Types, Dynamics and Development: No Doors Should Be Closed in the Study of Personality, Journal article by Oliver P. John, Richard W. Robins; Psychological Inquiry, Vol. 5, 1994. 6 pgs, p. 140)? Psychopathology The development of psychological theory tends to oscillate between optimistic advances and self-critical analyses and retrenchment (William Revelle; Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 46, 1995, p. 1). Antwone employs defense mechanisms to preserve his client/patient relationship with Dr. Davenport. His regression begins when he recalls the memory of his old friend tricks him into committing a crime. During the crime his best friend is killed. Self-maintenance becomes an issue as he recalls how many people in life have left him. He believes Dr. Davenport is determined to leave him after making him an extended member of the family. His high level of trust and sense of belonging gives way to loss and suffering. He’s willing to do almost anything to hold on to certainty in his life. Optimism crashes and retrenchment occurs as the feelings of loss become incongruent with the memory of his friends blood splatter across his face. His friend Jesse fed him when he was hungry and died during a botched robbery the next day. Believing the death relieved Jesse from fighting anymore, increases the feeling of abandonment, letdown and pain associated with accepting the last session with Dr.  Davenport. Internal and External Factors Internally something is missing. Self-concept and self-actualization cannot occur unless he is reunited with his past. As most counselors know very well, person-centered theory and therapy began with and evolved from the thinking, research, and practice of Carl Ransom Rogers (The Development and Evolution of Person-Centered Expressive Art Therapy: A Conversation with Natalie Rogers Journal article by John Sommers-Flanagan; Journal of Counseling and Development, Vol. 85, 2007, p. 1). Carl Rogers was raised by parents under one roof. The integration of person-centered principles and art is a natural combination of her parents’ most distinct qualities (p. 1). Antwone Fisher’s parents were non-existent. Internal and external support was missing therefore disrupting self-centered support. Much like Dr, Davenport, Roger’s interactions with clients were like small miracles of compassionate understanding and communication†. Carl Rogers believed that the relationship between therapist and client facilitates emotional and psychological healing. As counselors we often see ourselves in the same situations as our clients. For some reason, the need to remain ethical and subjective creates a gap in reality as our own defense mechanisms preserve internal wellness. The therapeutic atmosphere produces positive changes when unconditional positive regard supersedes poor judgment and inflexibility. When our practiced behavior becomes predictable, we become trait driven and predictable which often leads to in effective counseling alternatives. Pervin’s analysis and critique of personality-trait research rests on the assumption that the five-factor model (FFM), and trait models more generally, should fulfill all the goals of a complete theory of personality (Traits and Types, Dynamics and Development: No Doors Should Be Closed in the Study of personality Journal article by Oliver P. John, Richard W. Robins; Psychological Inquiry, Vol. 5, 1994. 6 pgs. , p137) In a summary statement about the nature of this relationship, the whole person remains fragmented until explanations associated with internal messages match externally. Antwone had to trace his family history for answers to self image, self-esteem, and the ideal self. Throughout the movie, he is polite, articulate, and very well-balanced in a trusting and loving environment. When the memories were released and support from his girlfriend prevailed, gradually the â€Å"real† Antwone Fisher began to take shape and grow. How can one become person centered and grow when completeness is rooted in deteriorating external information? Conclusion Communicating genuiness and unconditional positive self-regard is the key to breaking down the walls and destroying the defenses of a troubled and angry client. When a negative self image impeded growth and development, the counselor must build trust, establish rapport and utilize empathy effectively. Providing a safe environment and a loving and caring ethical and professional relationship with your client are the keys to successful intervention. Carefully choosing the process and defining reasonable goals assist in the healing process on the way to independence. Looking into a mirror and defining the meaning of self and the perceived ideal self may be incongruent occasionally. Self-talk can be detrimental and harmful when discouragement follows as a result of unanswered questions about the self and the past. When life becomes puzzling and negative behaviors overshadow self-perception, the counselor must provide a way to trace behaviors to the root cause. Rogers and Allport provide reasonable theories on personality development to help achieve successful and healthy lives. We must also consider the internal and external factors associated with changes in behavior as they impact behavioral changes. Antwone Fisher returned to the environment of his past abusive childhood and confronted the abusers before moving ahead. Three sessions may not be adequate for long-term care and permanent change. Being flexible with healthy boundaries throughout the intervention process, may reveal our own shortcomings as we attempt to stay the course. Antwone Fisher and Commander Davenport established an amazing, growing, and client-centered relationship. The outcome proves that independent and healthy living can be facilitated on both sides when unconditional positive regard prevails.

The Word of the Year for 2012

The Word of the Year for 2012 The Word of the Year for 2012 The Word of the Year for 2012 By Mark Nichol Each year, the major dictionary companies trot out their choice for Word of the Year and its runner-ups, based partly on search frequency and partly on staff consensus. Note that these words are selected not for their staying power Words of the Year often fade into obscurity but for the significance of their usage in a given year. Merriam-Webster’s 2012 Word of the Year is a toss-up between capitalism and socialism, reflecting the controversy and debates about universal health care and discussion about the comparative government systems in the United States and in much of Europe. These words are straightforward except that they’re not: Capitalism is fraught with negative connotations (and not just by those who oppose the system), and many Americans, as an unfortunately lingering artifact of the Red Menace of the mid-twentieth century, confuse socialism (the concept, not the word) with communism and fear both even though the US government system, like many European ones, is irrevocably infused with socialistic components. Dictionary.com’s choice is bluster, which means â€Å"loud, swaggering, often empty boasts, threats, or other comments† an appropriate term, considering the unusually contentious political climate in the United States over the last year. The American arm of the Oxford Dictionaries chose GIF (pronounced â€Å"jif† and standing for â€Å"graphics interchange format†), thanks to the ubiquity of GIFs, simple animations consisting of a looped series of images, employed to humorous effect but also in scientific models and other contexts. They’re not new, but their place in popular culture has recently been elevated by the ease with which they are created. The selection by editors at Oxford University Press’s UK headquarters is omnishambles, which denotes a thoroughly mismanaged situation notable for a chain of errors. The sense is similar to the American English acronyms fubar and snafu, which originated among service personnel inspired with an ironic nod toward the military’s propensity for describing bureaucratic phenomena with abbreviations. (For the record, fubar stands for â€Å"fouled up beyond all recognition,† and snafu is an acronym for â€Å"situation normal all fouled up† except that I’ve substituted fouled for another word starting with f, as do many others who cater to their own or others’ delicate sensibilities when they spell these terms out.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsAmong vs. AmongstMood vs. Tense

dying to be thin essays

dying to be thin essays In todays society an increasing number of girls experience blows to their self-esteem and even develop eating disorders due to the medias influence. The main source of these self-esteem blows are fashion magazines, as well as TV characters. The age of girls being influenced by the media is getting younger and younger. Studies have shown that pre-pubescent girls as young as four or five are concerned with their body weight. This concern is often as extreme as feelings of guilt, shame and complete distortion of body image. Studies show, that these self-destructive feelings are often due to the medias influence. Destructive and negative feelings about ones body can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia . Some characteristics of one who suffers from anorexia include: losing a significant amount of weight, fearing weight gain, continuing to diet although thin, feeling overweight even after significant weight loss, losing monthly menstruation, preferring to di! et in isolation, binging and purging and preoccupation with food, calories and nutrition. Danger sings of bulimia include Binging or eating uncontrollably, and abusing laxatives or diuretics (Effects pg.2-3). By parading very thin women in sexy clothing with boys falling at their feet, the media is sending the message to young impressionable girls that boys will like you if you have a good body. This type of message then can lead to eating disorders in girls as young as nine or ten. With so many different types of fashion magazines to choose from, young girls and women alike find themselves consulting magazines to discover what beauty is; what these woman often find is pages of impossibly thin models. These magazines claim to define beauty and then proceed to do so using a single, specific body type. Though fashion magazines and teen magazines are aimed at teenagers and woman, the age group that reads ...

Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Joseph Ellis's Founding Brothers - Essay Example The Eminent Victorians which was a similar account of narration amongst English notables. Furthermore, the book is a result of a rigorous analysis of the events which followed the 1787 constitutional convention of the United States to reflect how history was made during the time when the circumstances were rather contingent. The central idea of the book is to demonstrate the conflicting interpretations of the concept of American Revolution by the rival parties; whereby explaining that the State of America was a product of collective decision making between diverse personalities who believed in contrasting ideology yet they succeeded to overcome their differences due to various reasons. Thus, Ellis has focused on the thoughts and dialogues of John Adams, Abigail, Aaron, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and George Washington where the book has been sectioned according to the themes being portrayed. The thesis of the book i.e. contrasting ideologies at war during the time converging eventually has been depicted convincingly in the book. Ellis begins with carefully conceptualizing the revolutionary domains as interpreted by each individual. He explains that though it seemed as if end of the British colonialism was inevitable yet due to the stark contrast in ideas, there was a high chance that American Revolution may turn out to be a failed experiment. He also argues that the contrast in ideologies is still prevalent in the American discourse. He argued that Thomas Jefferson wanted to interpret the revolution as a rebellion aimed at reducing the impact of centralized state, however, Hamilton aimed at characterizing the revolution as a product of livery thus favoring federation. John Adams as well as George Washington was favoring the stance of Hamilton. To conclude how the issue was resolved, Ellis mentions various episodes. For instance, ‘The Duel’ highlights the

The History on my Japanese Dish Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The History on my Japanese Dish - Research Paper Example uch as French fries or French rolls, bacons and hamburgers as uniquely American or English, pizza, spaghetti or pepperoni cheese as Italian and so it is with the Japanese, with their food. History of chopsticks – Asian culinary culture and history is closely intertwined with the development and spread of chopsticks. These so-called sticks are actually two pieces that are about 9-10 inches in length and rectangular in shape, used to pick up small pieces of food. These first originated in China some 5,000 years ago and most probably was invented by the people who first used branch twigs to pick out hot food from a pot, since they cannot wait any longer for cooked food to cool down a bit (must have been really hungry already!). Using the chopsticks requires a degree of manual dexterity, as food could easily fall off or slide down in the process of picking it up and putting it into the mouth. Eating using chopsticks means to eat from a bowl because it cannot possibly be used to handle soups, so the bowl makes it easier to just gulp down the soup or any liquid while using the chopsticks to scrape for solid tidbits. Japanese chopsticks – the Japanese are an enterprising and innovative people. They are quick learners too, and adopted the chopsticks from the Chinese, like the Koreans and the other Asian nations or cultures such as the Vietnamese and Malaysians of Chinese descent. In Japan, their chopsticks are round in shape instead of rectangular, and the lower ends are now pointed or tapered instead of being flat or blunt. Chopsticks as used in Japan are associated in their religious ceremonies and the so-called fine art of dining, together with the tea ceremony. Eating in Japan is not merely for the sake of eating to assuage hunger pangs but rather a very elaborate affair, designed to prolong the gustatory delight of savoring delicious food. Chinese chopsticks were like tweezers, as they were joined at the top but this reduces flexibility as it is being used.