Rem Koolhaas and Jan Gehl Theories in City Planning

Rem Koolhaas and Jan Gehl Theories in City Planning People take different positions when debating on a subject and this is not any different in the architectural world. The two architects presented in this paper have taken very different positions concerning how cities should be designed as outlined below.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Rem Koolhaas and Jan Gehl Theories in City Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rem Koolhaas, in his interview with Spiegel Online titled An Obsessive Compulsion Towards the Spectacular, seems to be for the construction of large sophisticated buildings in the cities. For Rem, spectacular should be the main guiding concept when designing buildings in cities and not sustainability as being advocated for by environmentalists. He asserts that experience and intellectual force are there in the world, for example in Middle East and the West, which can be utilized to come up with spectacular buildings. However, he is also awa re of the challenge that exists in merging the experience from the West with intellectual from the Middle East (Koolhaas side 1). Rem seems not to like the idea of similarity in buildings designed by different architects, but also notes that it is sometimes inevitable. He notes that the large architectural buildings in most cities are almost the same design. He, however, blames this on time limitation for research when designing buildings, which often force architects to borrow from existing buildings rather than coming up with new designs. He does not like this similarity, but also acknowledges that sometimes architects are forced by the customers to domesticate existing designs especially in air conditioned buildings. This is because the owners of the buildings have pinned down the architects to what they want and not what the architects want to design (Koolhaas side 1). The constructions nowadays are meant to create ambiguity and complexity in order to escape the challenges that come with being explicit (Koolhaas side 3). Jan Gehl, on the other hand, is also for large buildings in the city, but he insists that there has to be space put aside for people. In his interview with ASLA-The Dirt, Jan insists cities have to be planned for the people and that buildings have to be designed for the people to be able to live healthy lives (ASLA-Dirt side 3). Jan insists on sustainability as the guiding concept when designing cities. He notes that buildings have filled the landscape. This has led to planning becoming a profession. Architects take care of the buildings and the planners do the planning. A building’s ground floor should be rich and the whole city will be rich. It should be designed to fit people’s interaction and communication (ASLA-Dirt side 2). He considers Pizza del campo in Sienna as a place where human care has been observed (ASLA-Dirt side 3). For Jan, similarity of buildings designed by different architects is not an issue so long as t he buildings are designed with sustainability in mind.Advertising Looking for critical writing on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The two architects, however, have some converging positions. They both agree on the fact that there is a need for a people’s space in the cities. Rem acknowledges trying to design Dubai as a true public place. He wants to create a city in Dubai that has space for people and not the place you find in every city like shopping malls, but also maintain an urban life for the people (Koolhaas side 1). He notes that urban centers are not lacking anything, but are confused in that they are too densely populated that in future the cities could be insecure to live in (Koolhaas side 2). This could make the European city a history since nobody will live there anymore. â€Å"Biggest not tallest† is the common phrase that people use nowadays (Koolhaas side 2). The difference between a science centre and the development going on in Dubai is the political environment and the amount of freedom and latitude the architects are given (Koolhaas side 3). The two main typologies of buildings today are houses and towers unlike in the 20th century when there were many types (Koolhaas side 3). He thinks that competition between buildings to be the tallest is just a ridiculous idea. He notes that length is becoming less of a concern as architects focus on size so that the building can be multifunctional (Koolhaas side 3). T he factor of big multifunctional buildings makes people to always be in motion while the buildings are constantly being renovated (Koolhaas side 3). He notes that the larger the space, the better, but the buildings should have a place where people could meet to interact (Koolhaas side 4). Just like Rem, Jan too feels that the cities are too much filled with buildings instead of being planned for the people. Nobody takes care of the people living in the buildings (ASLA-Dirt side 2). He says that it would be better to take care of the people than to take care of the buildings. Cities should be designed in such a way that it facilitates a healthy life, for example, encouraging people to cycle to work not to just sit and move in motor vehicles (ASLA-Dirt side 3).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Rem Koolhaas and Jan Gehl Theories in City Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More We should always build for human scale not for structure scale. It is, however, very difficult to build considering human scale while the buildings there at the moment are built to structure scale (ASLA-Dirt side 4). This challenge is worse in third world countries where cars and motor cycles increase by the day (ASLA-Dirt side 5). This makes it difficult for city planners as they are forced to constantly revise the plans. Critical Discussion Rem’s point of view is good as it would lead to better developed cities with the best and most complex designs. This would also lead to better services and delivery of goods in an easy way as the infrastructure is well taken care of. However, the problem with Rem’s position is that his position does not concentrate on the most important idea of taking care of people and making cities secure for the people in the future. Jan’s point of view is that the cities should be planned for the people, but also notes that buildings are an important part of cities. The weakness of this way of thinking is that there will be less development in terms of infrastructure especially in third world countries where cities are growing in population day by day. Leaving spaces for people in the cities would compromise city development. The two positions can, however, be combined to make a wonderful idea. That is, combining spectacular with sustainability. Construction of complex buildings in cities can be encouraged s o long as the architects have people in mind. This way, there will be more economic developments in our cities as the people are comfortable and healthy (ASLA-Dirt side 3). ASLA-Dirt. Interview with Jan Gehl. American Society of Landscape Architects, April 13th, 2011. Web. Koolhasa, Rem. An Obsessive Compulsion Toward the Spectacular. Interview in Spiegel Online, July 18th, 2008. Web.

How to fix run-on sentences - Emphasis

How to fix run-on sentences How to fix run-on sentences ‘Run-on sentences’ may sound like a newspaper headline announcing that sentences are flying off the shelves. In fact, they are a product of the grammatically incorrect practice of running complete ideas into each other. Observe: I rock she rolls. As you can see, a run-on sentence isn’t necessarily long. When we say ‘complete ideas’ (of which this example has two), what we mean is independent clauses. Independent clauses An independent clause (as well as being a term for when Santa’s kids fly the nest) is a part of a sentence that contains a verb and a subject and makes sense by itself – otherwise known as a simple sentence. In the example above, there are two subjects (or ‘doers’): I and she. And each subject has its own verb: rock and rolls respectively. Here’s another: I like to throw my shapes in the middle of the dance floor Caroline busts her moves in the corner. Rein in the run-on So how do you fix these sentences? It may be tempting to just throw a comma in the middle (I rock, she rolls), but this is still not correct – it’s known as a comma splice. The comma can do many things, but don’t ask it to support the weight of two (or more) independent clauses by itself. There are other options available, though. Which one you pick depends on the gist of your sentence. Put a stop in it A simple solution is the good ol’ full stop: I like to throw my shapes in the middle of the dance floor. Caroline busts her moves in the corner. Perfectly grammatical, and often the best option. But if you want to show how the two clauses are related, or you find a full stop too abrupt, you may prefer one of the other methods. Connect with the semicolon A great way to suggest a connection between the clauses is by using a semicolon. Many people have a deep-seated suspicion of the semicolon, but its very useful here. Unlike the divisive full stop, the semicolon allows the parts to stay snuggled together in one sentence. In this way, they can stand in for conjunctions. I like to throw my shapes in the middle of the dance floor; Caroline busts her moves in the corner. The tell-tale conjunction If you want to make the relationship between the clauses explicit (and keep your sentence grammatically correct), add a coordinating conjunction (joining word) such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so to the comma splice. The conjunction you choose can give quite different meanings to the final sentence. Look at the difference between I like to throw my shapes in the middle of the dance floor, but Caroline busts her moves in the corner. and I like to throw my shapes in the middle of the dance floor, so Caroline busts her moves in the corner. In the first version, it would merely appear that Caroline and I have contrasting preferences on where we get our groove on. But in the second it seems that my shape-throwing drives Caroline to the corner (probably out of embarrassment). Whoa there Don’t let the meaning of your sentences – or your grammar-usage credibility – run away. Use these techniques to keep a tight grip on the reins of your writing, so you always guide your reader in the right direction.

Death of a Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Death of a Salesman - Essay Example His son is yet to make something constructive about his life. Willy is scolded by Linda because he is being critical and head to the kitchen to get a snack. Whilst in the kitchen, Biff and Happy, his younger brother who was also visiting recalls about their adolescent lives and also debate their fathers behaviors which includes his criticism of Biff not living up to their fathers expectations and his mental degeneration. As their father Willy enters the room angry with them because of not achieving anything in life, Happy and Biff confides in Willy that Biff intends to establish a business preposition the following day in order to appease him (Miller, 2007). The following day, Willy asks his boss for a job transfer whilst his son Biff goes ahead to make his business proposition. Neither of them is successful in their missions. Willy gets devastated and eventually gets fired when the boss orders him that he needs a rest and he is no longer competent to stand for the company. On the ot her hand, his son Biff waits for centuries to have a word with his former employee who turns him down because he cannot remember him. Being frustrated, Biff goes to Charley’s office his neighbor and bumps into Bernard Charley’s son who is a prominent lawyer. Willy, Biff and Happy meet in a restaurant for dinner. Willy does not want to hear any bad reports from Biff. Happy persuades Biff to lie but he goes ahead and explains to his father what actually happened which makes their father very angry. Biff gets frustrates and leaves the restaurant. He gets escorted by his younger brother Happy and some two girls picked up by Happy. Willy is left in the restaurant upset and confused. On their arrival at home, they are confronted angrily by their mother for abandoning Willy, their father. Outside, Willy keeps talking to himself. Biff gets touched and goes outside in order to reconcile with his father Willy. In their discussion, there occurred some arguments making Bill to tel l his father that he is not worth for anything great. In addition to that, he insists that he and his father are simply ordinary. The argument ends when Biff and Willy hugs while shedding tears and telling his father to let go the dreams that are unrealistic and instead accept him the way he is. He declares to his father that he really loves him so much. Instead of listening to what Biff utters to him, Willy acknowledges that his Son Biff has reconciled with him and now satisfied that Biff will pursue businessman as his lifetime career. Intentionally, Willy murders himself by crashing his car. The main reason for the murder is for Billy to utilize the life insurance cash to open up his business. On the contrary, Bill at his father’s funeral claims that he can never become a businessman. His young brother, Happy on the other hand, decides to follow the footsteps of his father. The most significant themes in the play are such as abandonment, the pursuit of an elusive American D ream and betrayal. From the American Dream theme, Willy whole heartedly believes in the American Dream promise. For example, he believes that a personally attractive and well liked man in any business automatically acquires the modern American lifestyle material comfort it offers. Unfortunately, Willy interpretation of the American dream is extremely superficial. This is because; he dislikes Bernard childishly as he perceives him as a nerd. As such, his blinded interpretation of the American Dream makes his psychological mind to rapidly decline when he is

Response Paper to McCloskey's article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Response Paper to McCloskey's article - Essay Example He goes ahead to suggest that due to lack of proof the notion of Gods existence should be dismissed altogether. Moreover, looking keenly at the arguments he puts across it lacks substance, one of those is existence of evil, which he says it is a proof God does not exist. This kind of argument lacks merit because one can say that if presence of evil things is a proof of Gods non-existence, what about the existence of the good and what it proofs. The article has not answered this query. McCloskey believes that the cosmological argument was an argument from the existence of the world. McCloskey also states that believing in an uncaused first origin of the universe is issues because nothing about our universe leads us to that believe. However, many of us may disagree with this because we believe that God is the fundamental factor of the origin of the universe. Furthermore, scholars and philosophers term that the universe is contingent; therefore, the universe requires a necessary being t o acts as an ultimate cause. Finally, this necessary being is God.His article represents his own thinking and that of atheism but does not proof anything. In his article, he puts emphasis on the point that evident proofs of nature cannot adequately elucidate the existence of God. ... He seems to be comfortable with naturalistic ideas. McCloskey points out these objections against the cosmological argument stating that the fact that the world is real is enough evidence not to believe in such a higher being as God, but Evans and Manis puts forward the following argument in response. They say that for a contingent being to exist then there must be a necessary being that causes the contingent being to exist contingent beings exist, therefore if we are the contingent beings then God must be the Necessary being. The only fault in this response is that they do not have evidence to proof their argument (Evans and Manis, 2009).. They response to the issues raised by Mccloskey to their arguments by pointing out that atheist assertion that the universe has always survived. Manis and Evans counter by stating their approach is enough for such a challenge since they do not make any suggestion as to the age of the universe. The other issue raised by Mccloskey is that if everyth ing has a cause, then God must have a cause as well but Manis and Evans counters this by saying that God is not a contingent being, therefore His origin cannot be known and it is unnecessary to know and that is why He is God. The main challenge to this is naturalism, this is because naturalists hold a notion that things exists at natures will and have no cause but on the same breath they cannot explain why beings exist. McCloskey points out that cosmological argument by saying that he does not sanction us to assume an all-mighty, all-perfect, all-powerful uncaused being which causes other beings. Evans and Manis accepts that this is debatable, They further note that even if the argument is held as

Louise Essay Example for Free

Louise Essay The story is entitled by a woman’s name, therefore it gives a foreshadowing that the story will be about a woman or a girl named Louise. The first sentence begins with the personal pronoun I, which means that the story is written in the first person. Thus, taking into consideration that the author is a man, even before the reading, it is possible to suppose that the story will be about a woman who has left a great impression about herself. Usually it is a good impression even if it is about a one-way love. That’s why from the very beginning the story has surprised me much, because it begins with the sentences: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me. She disliked me and I knew that behind my back she seldom lost the opportunity of saying a disagreeable thing about me.† Such statement (she disliked me) is a challenge for a curious reader and makes him read up to the end and find the reasons. Having read the story â€Å"Louise† I can say that the main theme of it is the relationships between people. The problem which the author raises is that some people can play on their neighbours’ feelings very easily. They use any possibility to do it. In case of the main character, Louise, it is her mystic heart disease. She could convince everybody, including herself, in its existence and there have not been any attempts to argue, before the narrator has done it. He tells the story in an ironic way, but at first it is a hidden irony. He does not comment on the events, he just presents them. For example, while Louise’s first husband Tom Maitland wants the narrator to believe in her bad condition and for that oxymoron â€Å"she’s dreadfully delicate† and metaphor â€Å"her life hangs on a thread† are used, the narrator brings the proofs of an absolutely different state of things, using the antithesis in parallel constructions: â€Å"I had noticed that if a party was amusing she could dance till five in the morning, but if it was dull she felt very poorly and Tom had to take her home early.† In such way, without any remark, just using antithesis in order to show how Louise’s words contradict her actions, the author shows the irony of the situation: Of course it will kill me, she said – It didnt kill her.† â€Å"Her friends asked her why she did not marry again. Oh, with her  heart it was out of the question, she answered – A year after Toms death, howe ver, she allowed George Hobhouse to lead her to the altar.† The uttered represented speech shows the way of Louise’s usual behavior and produces the necessary effect on the reader. And even that fact that she always repeated to her husbands that she wouldn’t live long and the fact that she â€Å"outlived† both of them produces an ironic effect. I think, it is possible to say that all Louise’s life is one big antithesis, because she has lived more than forty years softly making other people do what she wants but constantly repeating â€Å"I hate the thought of anyone sacrificing themselves for me.† All people who surrounded her describe her with such epithets: â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes†, â€Å"dreadfully delicate†, â€Å"the most gentle wife† and no one has ever thought that it was just a mask. Only the narrator has mentioned the possibility of its existence: â€Å"Perhaps she knew that I alone saw her face behind the mask and she hoped that sooner or later I too should take the mask for the face.† And only at the end of the story he reveals his true attitude to her. He expresses his irony about her behavior openly and says: â€Å"I think youve carried out a bluff for twenty-five years. I think youre the most selfish and monstrous woman I have ever known. You ruined the lives of those two unhappy men you married and now youre going to ruin the life of your daughter.† Again the antithesis is used. Firstly the narrator himself describes her as â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes† a nd then from his own words she appears to be â€Å"a selfish and monstrous† and even â€Å"a devilish woman†. Only now it is possible to answer why â€Å"Louise bothered† with the narrator. Only he has seen her real face. The plot structure of the story â€Å"Louise† is as following: 1. There is no exposition. The development of the action begins from the first sentence: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me†. 2. The rising action is almost the whole story 3. The climax is in the last dialogue between the narrator and Louise. 4. The falling action is a wedding of Louise’s daughter 5. The denouement is Louise’s death.  The elements of plot are ordered chronologically. The line of narration is straight. There are two main characters: Louise and the narrator himself, where Louise is an antagonist and the narrator is a protagonist. There are  also some flat characters such as Tom Maitland, the first husband of Louse; George Hobhouse, her second husband, and her daughter Iris. Making a conclusion, I want to say that this is a true to life story, which can happen anywhere (the author does not even point to a place where the actions have been developing). To my mind, he decided to write this story because Louise really had impressed him much. It seems to me that in some cases he even admires the ability of this woman to make everything in a way she wants it to be done. It produces such effect that she dies at the day of her daughter’s wedding only because she wants to show that she is really ill and has had right that her daughter’s wedding will kill her. I think it is very topical nowadays, because a lot of people wear their masks in order not to show their real faces and intentions.

A New Ending for Romeo And Juliet Essay -- William Shakespeare

New Ending Act V, Scene III Verona. A churchyard; the monument of the Capulets. Enter Romeo and Paris. Paris This is that banished haughty Montague, That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief It is supposed that fair creature died, And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him. Stop thy unhallowed toil vile Montague. Can vengance be pursued further than death? Condemned villian, I do apprehend thee. Obey and go with me, for thou must die. Romeo I must indeed, and therefor came I hither, Good gentle youth, tempt not a desperate man For thou nor any man shall prevent me from being with my love tonight, Put not another sin upon my head By urging me to fury. O be gone For I shall know not what I do but rather do what I must A madman’s mercy bid thee, run away. Paris I defy thee! For thou hast done my love great injustice. Romeo Her love is mine! Your love she shall never be! [they fight] [Paris is slain] Romeo Forgive me good sir For again, I know not what I do Inside the tomb of Capulet Romeo O Fair Juliet why must thou torture me so For even in death thy beauty is paralleled only by the stars in the sky. O Lord what great injustice hast thou done to thee For my love is gone And no greater crime against me can thou think of. Tis our familes’ to blame Not us. For they are blinded by tradition and driven by hatred. O but it matters not. Soon shall I be with thee and soon shall I once again be merry, For to live forth be n...

Journeys: Meaning of Life and Inner Journey Essay

To go on a journey does not necessarily require one to physically move from one place to another. A journey can happen anywhere, and at any time, even if you are not moving. An inner journey is to transcend above the physical and temporal world into a spiritual realm. This enables one to look at life attentively and be alert to the lessons learnt from experience. ‘Of Eurydice’ by Ivan Lalic, ‘Fax X’ by Gwyneth Lewis, ‘Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Graham, ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost, ‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan and ‘Baraka’ directed by Ron Fricke are five texts that explore this concept of inner journeys. Collectively they present inner journeys to be inevitable, that they require you to make choices and that they make you ask questions of an ontological nature. It can be argued that inner journeys are inevitable in that they are unavoidable. Whether we are open to it or resist it, essentially we grow from experience and consequently this growth contributes to one’s understanding of self. This idea is presented in ‘Of Eurydice’ through choice of words such as ‘dark’, ‘despair’ and ‘death’. These words all have connotations to the fact that death is inevitable, and the persona has come to realize this when his is unable to return from a journey with his goal. This supports the idea that journeys are indeed inevitable and cannot be avoided; furthermore his understanding is emphasized when the composer ends with ‘hideously enriched’. This use of oxymoron is effective in that it portrays that idea of growing and learning from the most painful experiences. Similarly, ‘Fax X’ also deals with the idea of journeys being inevitable; the metaphorical use of a cruising ship implies hopeful prospects for a better day. However the symbolic use of ‘Tomorrow ringing out like a buoy’ presents the depressing idea that essentially we are only looking ahead and mindlessly keeping ourselves occupied until death engulfs us. Hence it is arguable that Inner journeys are unavoidable, as we cannot escape the fact that one-day we will die. As humans we incomprehensibly attempt to outlive our allotted lifespan, in doing so we take ourselves on an inner journey of realization and consequently acceptance for death. In addition, inner journeys are essentially about the choices one has to make in life, as conflict and contradiction are at the heart of any journey. ‘Wind in the willows’ is an example of how conflicting attitudes in one’s self determines what ‘path’ we choose. ‘Wind in the willows’ presents three characters that represents the ego of one person: the optimist who is open to change, the pessimist who resists it, and the one little voice stranded in the middle trying to make a choice. The attitudes of these three different personalities are presented through language, which depicts the nature of the characters. The punctuation of the toad’s character constantly consists of commas. This creates an exhilarating effect that enables the audience to get caught up into the toad’s excitement and zest for life. The language of the toad is also that of an optimist. The use of ‘tomorrow’, ’beautiful’ and ‘we’ suggests that the toad is happy and willing to go on a journey and is open to change. The Rat’s attitude however is in complete contrast to the toads. The use of adjectives such as ‘slowly, and ‘trusting hands into his pockets’ suggests that the rat despises change. Hence the use of these two character, with the mole being indecisive in-between alludes to the choices one that to make constantly in life. Our insatiable thirst for more is hindered by our obligations to be responsible and sensible. Hence this conflict within one’s self depicts the inner journey of the responder trying to make choices by weighing pros and cons in their heads. Similarly, ‘The Road not taken’ presents elements of uncertainty as well as the burden of making choices. However this is communicated to the responder through symbolism, alliteration and accumulation of words. The ‘Road’ itself is symbolic of choice. The title indicates that the poem is about the road the composer did not take. In conjunction with the use of alliteration in ‘wanted wear’ it reflects the persona’s desires and personal aspiration. The choice of words such as ‘Diverged’, ‘yellow’ and ‘sorry’ are connation to choice, the uncertainty of making such choices and the regret of having to make choices. The accumulation of these words suggests that the persona is filled with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and regret. Regret stems from his inability to be everything he wants to be and hopelessness of being incapable of exploring all the possibilities and desires in his life, because ultimately life is too short. ‘The Road Not Taken’ laments on the reality of life, that one cannot be everything due to the constricting nature of making choices. However one cannot escape making choices in life, and every choice that you make will consciously or unconsciously take you onto an inner journey of realization, hope and desire. Furthermore, inner journeys essentially require you ask questions of an ontological nature. An inner journey is present in the human desire and insatiable thirst to seek answers concerning who are they, what they are worth and the purpose of their life. This concept is evident in ‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan, which depicts the story of a child’s struggle to find her place in the world. The ambiguity of the ‘child’ allows the responder to reflect upon the child within themselves and their personal desire to find one’s sense of self in a confusing and incomprehensible world. This idea is presented in frame two of the Paleolithic Fish. The milky eyes of the Paleolithic fish have connotations to death; the open mouth of the fish suggests that the child is being engulfed by a world full of doom and despair. However in the same frame, a little red leaf still lingers. The use of the colour red implies the leaf is one of passion and hope of the individual. The conjunction of the fish and the leaf suggest that journeys are depressing, as they require you to look at the depth of your being and your insignificance. However, despite the profanity of our reflection of our inner journeys there is always of sense hope that exists and enables us to continue on with life. ‘Baraka’ directed by Ron Fricke extends on this struggle to find answers in life. Using production elements such as sound, lighting, transition rates and camera angles, Fricke show humanity’s attempts to find answers through human relationship with nature and religious exploration. The transition of lighting from dark and light in the opening sequence suggests the evils and beauty of the world. The camera angles of the mountains are such that the mountain seems empowering and it appears that it is leading up to the sky. This is followed by quick transition rates that occur through the shots of technology, which are a reflection of the busy, and conglomerated lives humans. The contrast between these images enable meaning to be made and allows the responder to transcend above the physical and temporal world and reflect upon the way humans live. In such a convoluted and technologically elite world, humanities underlying desire is to find the ultimate purpose in life.

Apple Introduction: Iphone, Ipad and the Company Essay

Apple Inc. (Apple), incorporated on January 3, 1977, designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company’s products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings. The Company also sells and delivers digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, App StoreSM, iBookstoreSM, and Mac App Store. The Company sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force, as well as through third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. In February 2012, the Company acquired app-search engine Chomp. See more: how to write an introduction paragraph for an essay The Company offers a range of mobile communication and media devices, personal computing products, and portable digital music players, as well as a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions and third-party hardware and software products. In addition, the Company offers its own software products, including iOS, the Company’s mobile operating system; OS X, the Company’s Mac operating system; and server and application software. The Company’s primary products include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, iTunes, Mac App Store, iCloud, Operating System Software, Application Software and Other Application Software. iPhone iPhone combines a mobile phone, an iPod, and an Internet communications device in a single handheld product. Based on the Company’s Multi-Touch user interface, iPhone features desktop-class email, Web browsing, searching, and maps and is compatible with both Mac and Windows-based computers. iPhone automatically syncs content from users’ iTunes libraries, as well as contacts, bookmarks, and email accounts. iPhone allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In September 2012, the Company launched iPhone 5, its latest version of iPhone. In addition to the Company’s own iPhone accessories, third-party iPhone compatible accessories are available through the Company’s online and retail stores and from third parties. iPad iPad is a multi-purpose mobile device for browsing the Web, reading and sending email, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and more. iPad is based on the Company’s Multi-Touch technology and allows customers to connect with their applications and content in a more interactive way. iPad allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In March 2012, the Company launched the iPad, its third generation iPad, and in October 2012, the Company announced its fourth generation iPad and iPad mini. In addition to the Company’s own iPad accessories, third-party iPad compatible accessories are available through the Company’s online and retail stores and from third parties. Mac The Company offers a range of personal computing products, including desktop and portable computers, related devices and peripherals, and third-party hardware products. The Company’s Mac desktop and portable systems feature Intel microprocessors, the OS X operating system and the iLife suite of software for creation and management of digital photography, music, movies, DVDs and Websites. The Company’s desktop computers include iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini. The Company’s portable computers include MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. iPod The Company’s iPod line of portable digital music and media players includes iPod touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle and iPod classic. All iPods work with iTunes. In addition to the Company’s own iPod accessories, third-party iPod-compatible accessories are available through the Company’s online and retail stores and from third parties. The iPod touch, based on iOS, is a flash-memory-based iPod with a widescreen Retina display, a Multi-Touch user interface, and built-in iSight camera. iPod touch allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video content, as well as a variety of digital applications. The iPod nano is a flash-memory-based iPod that features the Company’s Multi-Touch interface allowing customers to navigate their music collection by tapping or swiping the display and built-in Bluetooth for wireless listening. The iPod shuffle is a flash-memory- based iPod that features a clickable control pad to control music playback and VoiceOver technology enabling customers to hear song titles, artists and playlist names. The iPod classic is a hard-drive based portable digital music and video player. iTunes iTunes is an application that supports the purchase, download, organization and playback of digital audio and video files and is available for both Mac and Windows-based computers. iTunes features integration with iCloud, AirPlay wireless music playback, Genius Mixes, Home Sharing, and syncing functionality with iOS devices. iTunes is integrated with the iTunes Store, a service that allows customers to discover, purchase, rent, and download digital content and applications. The iTunes Store includes the App Store and iBookstore. Mac App Store The Mac App Store allows customers to discover, download and install Mac applications. The Mac App Store offers applications in education, games, graphics and design, lifestyle, productivity, utilities and other categories. The Company’s OS X operating system software and its iLife, iWork and other application software titles are also available on the Mac App Store. iCloud iCloud is the Company’s cloud service, which stores music, photos, applications, contacts, calendars, and documents and wirelessly pushes them to multiple iOS devices, Mac and Windows-based computers. iCloud’s features include iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Contacts, Calendar, Mail, automatic downloads and purchase history for applications and iBooks, and iCloud Backup. Users can sign up for free access to iCloud using a device running qualifying versions of iOS or OS X. Software Products and Operating System Software The Company offers a range of software products for consumers and for SMB, education, enterprise and government customers, including the Company’s iOS and OS X operating system software; server software; professional application software; and consumer, education, and business oriented application software. iOS is the Company’s mobile operating system that serves as the foundation for iOS devices. iOS supports iCloud and includes features, such as Notification Center, a way to view and manage notifications in one place; iMessage, a messaging service that allows users to send text messages, photos and videos between iOS devices, and Maps, with turn-by-turn navigation. iOS supports Siri, a voice activated intelligent assistant, which is available on qualifying iOS devices. OS X, the Company’s Mac operating system, is built on an open-source UNIX-based foundation. Application Software iLife is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital lifestyle application suite included with all Mac computers. iLife features iPhoto, iMovie, iDigital Versatile Disc (DVD), GarageBand and iWeb. iPhoto is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital photo application and iMovie is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital video editing software application. iDVD is the Company’s consumer-oriented software application that enables customers to turn iMovie files, QuickTime files, and digital pictures into interactive DVDs. GarageBand is the Company’s consumer-oriented music creation application that allows customers to play, record and create music. iWeb allows customers to create online photo albums, blogs and podcasts, and to customize websites using editing tools. iWork is the Company’s integrated productivity suite designed to help users create, present, and publish documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. iWork includes Pages for word processing and page layout, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for spreadsheets. The Company also has a Multi-Touch version of each iWork application designed specifically for use on iOS devices. Other Application Software The Company also sells various other application software, including Final Cut Pro, Logic Studio, Logic Pro, and its FileMaker Pro database software. The Company manufactures the Apple LED Cinema Display and Thunderbolt Display. The Company also sells a range of Apple-branded and third-party Mac-compatible and iOS-compatible peripheral products, including printers, storage devices, computer memory, digital video and still cameras, and various other computing products and supplies. Apple TV allows customers to watch movies and television shows on their high definition television. Content from iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, and Flickr, as well as music, photos, videos, and podcasts from a Mac or Windows-based computer can also be wirelessly streamed to a television through Apple TV. Strategy Implementation in Apple Inc Apple Inc. Is arguably one of the most successful companies in the world, enjoying one of the most visible brand names in the world. Its launch of new products is usually waited with heightened anticipation by consumers around the world, and its financial performance has been exemplary. This success can be attributed to two main factors; the visionary leadership offered by its immediate former chief executive Steve Job and the strategic goal of emphasizing on design and the willingness to develop new products by taking risk of developing new products for the market. The strategic goal of developing new products, while at the same time emphasizing on design, has been successful because it has utilized the components of strategic implementation. The allocation of resources by the company in the developing of new products has been substantial, and more often in well thought and planned processes. The financial resources focused on the development of new products with new and superior designs can be said to follow Sun Tzu’s strategic principles of knowing oneself and knowing the enemy, who in this case would be the competitors. Apple Inc., by utilizing the superior capabilities in its possession, has been able to develop products superior to those developed by its competitors and thus acquiring a valuable market segment. The institution of best practices for continuous development has seen Apple Inc. Develop some of the best practices in design in the industry. The quality standards in Apple are some of the best, and the design teams in the company are reputed to put in some extreme efforts to ensure that the products developed are of the best standard possible. Tying rewards to the achievement of key strategic goals can also be said to be a factor in the success of the design strategy of the company. The remuneration process of offering bonuses at the good performance of the company can be said to be a motivation to the employees of the company to develop better performing products. Since Steve Jobs joined the company in 1998, the company has been growing in leaps and bounds simply because of the building of a capable organization by focusing on the areas of improvement. The company has been able to make a focus on the development of new products of superior design to those of competitors, and has improved continuously on these products. Steve Jobs can be compared to the military genius with all the traits developed by Clausewitz; intellect, courage to develop new products for the market, ability to adapt to changes and strength of character. These traits of the chief can be said to have contributed to the strategic success of the company. The support systems employed in Apple Inc are some of the best, and the company being in the electronics and telecommunications business has seen to it that their implementation is well carried out. The company has numerous operation centres spread across the globe and despite this the working towards the development and production of new products seems seamless because of this excellent support system utilised by the company’s employees. Communication between the layers of operations of the company is seamless, and no time and resources are wasted on the process of communicating decisions and feedback between the hierarchical levels of the company. This can be likened to Sun Tzu’s advocacy for speed in battle; good support systems offer an opportunity for fast and efficient decision making which ultimately leads to corporate success. The policies of the company that have been established in the recent past indicate their supportiveness to the strategy of developing new products superior in design, one of the eight components of implementing strategy. The outsourcing of production of apple products to China can be used as an example of this, with the goal of reducing production costs while maintaining the high quality of the products.

The Da Vinci Code Essays

The Da Vinci Code Essays The Da Vinci Code Paper The Da Vinci Code Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Da Vinci Code is a thriller novel by the American author Dan Brown. The novel is based on the controversial premise that there is a conspiracy within the Catholic Church to cover up the true story of Jesus. The text is constructed to position readers through characterization and narration. The story explores the issues of the false conflict between faith and knowledge. Sophies plans for Langdon and her to escape from the crime scene suggest that this is a thriller story. This similarity with action thrillers creates expectations about the plot. Thriller stories become personal where the crime draws in aspects of the protagonists life to change the plot from a professional action to a personal quest. This is taken even further when the protagonist becomes the victim. The event of the stunning historical truth about to be lost forever provokes reactions in the characters. In the scene where Silas threatens to kill Sauniere, he said tell me where the secret is, there is nothing you can do. This creates a mixed sense of anticipation and foreboding. The behavior of the characters encourages us to develop our response to them. The monks cruelty reduces our sympathy for him and we feel the dread of Opus Dei, the Christian organization which he follows. We identify with the victim because we know something terrible is about to happen and there is nothing we can do about it. As well as this empathy with the victim, were also tempted to emphasize with the antagonist. Therefore, the thrill of thrillers comes from this generated attitude of the modern western world. The protagonists sudden realization that they are in the mercy of Teabing was shocking, and will significantly alter our perceptions of Teabings character. Any re-reading of the story will be affected by our knowledge of his actual identity. Using Sophie as hostage, he threatens to kill her if Langdon does not let him know the resting place of the grail. This makes us aware of the description of his character, whose motives appeared to be parallel to those of the Priory of Sion. We realize that as well as a welcome benefactor for the protagonists, Teabing also has all the characteristics of a thriller antagonist. His mindset is unencumbered by his grail obsession and so become motivated in his plans not by finding the truth, but by does it achieve the aims or not. He has institutional power that comes from being rich and having access to the functions of Opus Dei. Much of the protagonists actions are as a reaction to the antagonists plans. He drives the plot and energizes the story. Thus this thriller differs in its extraordinarily masterminded antagonist. The effect of embedding multiple narratives within each other is used in singular effect in some parts of the novel. The central part of the narration consists of Langdons and Sophies experiences in the complicated quest, which is followed closely within Silass account of attacking them. This in turn is contained within the French Judiciaries account of detecting and chasing Langdon and Sophie and the Opus Dei follower, Silas. The embedded structure is used where the opposing organizations view of the sacred grail is discussed through Bishop Aringarosas conversations and in Sophies memories of Jacquires Sauniere. This technique of using multiple embedded narrators gives the opportunity to play with the readers sympathy and offers various different ways of interpreting the novel. Omniscient narration is used to speak from the point of view of several characters, describing what they see and hear. There are important scenes that provide readers with more knowledge than the central character. This is shown in Silass account of revelation in the Church of Saint-Suplice which is entirely his point of view. There are some scenes of contact between Bishop Aringarosa and Chief Fache that are not presented from the protagonists perspectives. These scenes allow the reader to raise possible interpretations of the events which the central characters were unaware. The narrator also provides background information and pieces of knowledge unknown to other characters. However, the writer does not provide the reader with the complete understanding of the grail mystery in advance of the protagonists recognition. The moment when both the protagonist and the reader understand what the grail really is about is seen from the protagonists point of view. The novel follows the narrative pattern of a mystery and a thriller story. It has the rising action of the search for the secret, at the climax the protagonists discover who was behind the murders, and the falling action when the protagonists discover about Sophies family and Langdon discovers the resting place of the Grail. The story is told this way in order to provide maximum suspense for the reader. The writer also anticipates events. Teabings questions to Sophie about whether she would reveal the secret to the world if she had the choice foreshadows Teabings obsession with the necessity of revelation. This order of telling the events to the reader anticipates Teabing as the culprit. Although the story uses many legendary motifs such as the trail of clues hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and the similarity with Indiana Jones, it differs in its objective and earnest tone. The structural and symbolic importance of Sophies red hair foreshadows her divine blood. Teabing shows Sophie that Mary Magdalene is depicted with red hair in The Last Supper. By the end of the novel, we understand that Sophie is of Mary Magdalenes bloodline. Red hair was intended to be an allegory of the story of Magdalene. It is associated with the desire to expose the truth about the Grail. The Church has enforced ignorance about the existence of the descendents of Jesus. Although at one point Langdon says that the secrets of the Grail should be preserved in order to allow people to keep their faith, he also thinks that people who truly believe in God will be able to accept the idea that the Bible is full of metaphors, not literal transcripts of the truth. This means that peoples faith can withstand the truth. This story is therefore a view of reality of the false conflict between faith and knowledge. Reading in contextual conjunction with other Brown novels dealing with the same theme, The Da Vinci Code helps us to understand the heretical conspiracy theories against the Churches that has been around for centuries; it illuminates our view of the Churches influences, which involves the subjectivity of history and the conspiracy to cover up the truth forever, the effect of which, in the wake of numerous discoveries of the Grail motifs obscured in the works of Da Vinci and the strict opposition of Opus Dei, is a story that explores certain aspects of Christian history. As a critic had put it, the Da Vinci Code is a deeply empowering and positive force that opens doors for readers to their own explorations and rekindles their interest in topics of faith. I incline to Watsons view, for it promotes spiritual discussion and debate. This is achieved with the ideas written within the context of a popular thriller. Readers see the importance of characterization in the story in the development of our response to Langdon, Sophie and Teabing. The excitement of the thriller comes from a masterminded plot that is generated by the extraordinary antagonist. The narrative method uses multiple narratives from different point of views to alert the reader to different interpretations of the text. The text is designed to engage the reader through introspection and exploration of our faith.

Frank Gehry, Controversial Canadian-American Architect

Frank Gehry, Controversial Canadian-American Architect Inventive and irreverent architect Frank O. Gehry (born February 28, 1929) changed the face of architecture with his artistic designs realized with high-tech software. Gehry has been surrounded by controversy for most of his career. Using unorthodox materials like corrugated metal, chain link, and titanium, Gehry has created unexpected, twisted forms that break conventions of building design. His work has been called radical, playful, organic, and sensual. Fast Facts: Frank Gehry Known For: Award-winning, controversial architectAlso Known As: Owen Gehry, Ephraim Owen Goldberg, Frank O. GehryBorn: February 28, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, CanadaParents: Sadie Thelma (nà ©e Kaplanski/Caplan) and Irving GoldbergEducation: University of Southern Californias School of Architecture, Harvard UniversityAwards and Honors:  Presidential Medal of Freedom, J. Paul Getty Medal, Harvard Arts Medal, Order of Charlemagne; honorary degrees from many universities, including Oxford, Yale, and PrincetonSpouse(s): Anita Snyder,  Berta Isabel AguileraChildren: Alejandro, Samuel, Leslie, BrinaNotable Quote: For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start working, Im not sure where Im going. If I knew where I was going I wouldnt do it. Early Life As a teenager in 1947, Goldberg moved from Canada to Southern California with his Polish-Russian parents. He chose U.S. citizenship when he turned 21. He was traditionally educated at Los Angeles City College and the University of Southern California (USC), with an architecture degree completed in 1954. Frank Goldberg changed his name to Frank Gehry in 1954. This move was encouraged by his first wife, who believed a less-Jewish-sounding name would be easier for their children and better for his career. Gehry served in the U.S. Army from 1954–1956. He then studied city planning on the G.I Bill for one year at Harvard Graduate School of Design before returning to southern California with his family. He went on to reestablish a working relationship with Austria-born architect Victor Gruen, with whom Gehry had worked at USC. After a stint in Paris, Gehry again returned to California and established his Los Angeles-area practice in 1962. From 1952–1966, the architect was married to Anita Snyder, with whom he has two daughters. Gehry divorced Snyder and married Berta Isabel Aguilera in 1975. The Santa Monica house he remodeled for Berta and their two sons has become the stuff of legends. Career Beginnings Early in his career, Frank Gehry designed houses inspired by modern architects such as Richard Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright. Gehrys admiration of Louis Kahns work influenced his 1965 box-like design of the Danziger House, a studio/residence for designer Lou Danziger. With this work, Gehry started to get noticed as an architect. The 1967 Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, was the first Gehry structure reviewed by The New York Times. The 1978 remodeling of a 1920s-era bungalow in Santa Monica put Gehry and his new familys private home on the map. As his career expanded, Gehry became known for massive, iconoclastic projects that attracted attention and controversy. The Gehry architecture portfolio includes unique structures such as the 1991 Chiat/Day Binoculars Building in Venice, California, and the 2014 Louis Vuitton Foundation Museum in Paris, France. His most famous museum is the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, the 1997 spectacle that gave Gehrys career its final boost.  The iconic Bilbao architecture was constructed with thin sheets of titanium, and it continues to draw fascinated tourists. Color has been added to Gehrys metal exteriors, exemplified by the 2000 Experience Music Project (EMP), now called the Museum of Pop Culture, in Seattle, Washington. Gehrys projects build on one another, and after the Bilbao museum opened to great acclaim, his clients wanted that same look. His most famous concert hall is arguably the 2004 Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California. He began visualizing with a stone facade in 1989, but the success of the Guggenheim in Spain inspired the California patrons to want what Bilbao had. Gehry is a great fan of music and he has taken on a number of different concert hall projects. Examples include the small Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in 2001 at Annandale-on-Hudson in New York, the open-air Jay Pritzker Music Pavillion in 2004 in Chicago, Illinois, and the rather sedate 2011 New World Symphony Center in Miami Beach, Florida. Notable Work Many of Gehrys buildings have become tourist attractions, drawing visitors from around the world. University buildings by Gehry include the 2004 MIT Stata Complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the 2015 Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Gehrys first building in Australia. Commercial buildings in New York City include the 2007 IAC Building and the 2011 residential tower called New York By Gehry. Health-related projects include the 2010 Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as the 2003 Maggies Centre in Dundee, Scotland. Furniture: Gehry had success in the 1970s with his line of Easy Edges chairs made from bent laminated cardboard. By 1991, Gehry was using bent laminated maple to produce the Power Play Armchair. These designs are part of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) collection in New York City. In 1989, Gehry designed the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, his first European architectural work. The museums focus is on modern furniture and interior designs. Also in Germany is Gehrys 2005 MARTa Museum in Herford, a town known in the furniture industry. Gehry Designs: Because architecture takes so long to become realized, Gehry often turns to the quick fix of designing smaller products, including jewelry, trophies, and even liquor bottles. From 2003 to 2006, Gehrys partnership with Tiffany Co. released the exclusive jewelry collection that included the sterling silver Torque Ring. In 2004, the Canada-born Gehry designed a trophy for the international World Cup of Hockey tournament. Also in 2004, Gehry designed a twisty vodka bottle for Wyborowa Exquisite. In the summer of 2008, Gehry took on the annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion at Kensington Gardens in London. Career Highs and Lows Between 1999 and 2003, Gehry designed a new museum for Biloxi, Mississippi, the Ohr-OKeefe Museum of Art. The project was under construction when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and pushed a casino barge into the glittering steel walls. The slow process of rebuilding began years later. Gehrys most famous low, however, may have been the burning reflection from the completed Disney Concert Hall, which impacted both neighbors and passers-by. Gehry fixed it but claimed it was not his fault. Throughout his long career, Frank O. Gehry has been honored with countless awards and honoraria for individual buildings and for him as an architect. Architectures highest honor, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, was awarded to Gehry in 1989. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recognized his work in 1999 with the AIA Gold Medal. Former President Barack Obama presented Gehry with the highest civilian award of the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2016. Style of Gehrys Architecture In 1988, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City used Gehrys Santa Monica house as an example of a new, modern architecture they called deconstructivism. This style breaks down the parts of a piece so their organization appears disorganized and chaotic. Unexpected details and building materials tend to create visual disorientation and disharmony. Gehry on Architecture In Barbara Isenbergs book, Conversations With Frank Gehry,  Gehry talked about the approach he takes to his work: Building a building is like berthing the Queen Mary in a small slip at a marina. There are lots of wheels and turbines and thousands of people involved, and the architect is the guy at the helm who has to visualize everything going on and organize it all in his head. Architecture is anticipating, working with and understanding all of the craftsmen, what they can do and what they cant do, and making it all come together. I think of the final product as a dream image, and its always elusive. You can have a sense of what the building should look like and you can try to capture it. But you never quite do. But history has acknowledged that Bernini was an artist as well as an architect, and so was Michelangelo. Its possible that an architect can also be an artist....Im not comfortable using the word sculpture. Ive used it before, but I dont think its really the right word. Its a building. The words sculpture, art, and architecture are loaded, and when we use them, they have a lot of different meanings. So Id rather just say Im an architect. Legacy Frank Gehrys work has had a profound impact on postmodernist architecture. His unique use of materials, line, and technology have inspired architects and changed the way architects and engineers think about structures. His most significant structures, such as the Bilbao Guggenheim, have, as Salon’s Karen Templer  wrote, ...changed the way people think about the field of architecture. Gehry has proven that people will travel halfway around the world to look at a building as well as its contents. It stands as evidence that a building  can  put a town on the map. Sources Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Frank Gehry.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 24 Feb. 2019.Frank O. Gehry.†Ã‚  Academy of Achievement.Isenberg, Barbara. Conversations With Frank Gehry by Barbara Isenberg. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012.The Museum of Modern Art. Deconstructivist Architecture. June 1988. Sokol, David. â€Å"31 Spectacular Buildings Designed by Frank Gehry.†Ã‚  Architectural Digest, 25 Nov. 2018.

Reasons for the recent global financial crisis Essay

Reasons for the recent global financial crisis - Essay Example The present article has identified that the cause of the recent financial crisis and economic recessions has been attributed to various factors in the economy. The initial trigger of the financial crisis has been traced to the toxic mortgage backed assets whose decline in value and uncertain duration led to massive losses in the U.S economy. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were both taken over by the US government. Lehman Brothers was declared bankrupt since it could not increase its capitalization. Merrill Lynch was bought by the Bank of America while American International Group (AIG) was rescued by the Federal government through an $ 85 billion capital bailout. Washington Mutual which is currently the largest bank failure was purchased by J P Morgan Chase. The crisis can be traced to the failure of the real estate market due to subprime lending which saw the commercial and residential housing prices increase for a decade from 1990. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 saw the econom ies in Asia generate huge current account surpluses which were invested offshore in economies like US and UK in order to keep the nominal exchange rates low. The US stock prices went high due to the influx of capital. The high growth in economic demands and especially in China saw commodity prices such as minerals, oil and food soar up from late 2004 to late 2007. There are numerous explanations and arguments which have been proposed as the causes of the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the recessions.... The burst of the housing bubble led to massive loan defaults which led to the decline in the values of the mortgage backed securities (Freedman 2010). The subprime mortgages were risky since their true values were hidden in the house price appreciation which allowed mortgage refinancing. The real estate bubble was occasioned partly by easy credit in the economy which was facilitated by expansionary monetary policy of the Federal Reserve where the Fed funds rate was cut from 6.5% in 2000 to 1% percent in 2003 (Freedman 2010). Innovations in the financial system resulted to collateralized debt obligations and other derivatives which fueled the housing bubble. Losses of US subprime mortgages were estimated at $ 250 billion dollars in 2007 while the decline in the stock market capitalization was $ 26,400 billion dollars from the period July 2007 to November 2008. Weak banking regulations and poor risk assessment methods forced coupled with the government regulations which blended the ope rations of mortgage providers and investment banks saw many risky and unqualified customers access the housing mortgages (Freedman 2010). According to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the aggregate collateralized debt obligations issuance expanded from USD $ 150 billion in 2004 to US $ 500 billion in 2006 before increasing further to US $ 2 trillion by the end of the year 2007. The value of the Mortgage backed assets held in banks’ books, insurance companies and other major financial institutions explains how the burst of the housing bubble led to massive losses to holders of the mortgage backed securities. However, subprime mortgages had higher interest rates after the initial offer and only 43 percent of the adjustable rate mortgages were subprime

Trade relations between India and China from the beginning to 1500 AD Essay

Trade relations between India and China from the beginning to 1500 AD - Essay Example The aim of this research paper is to investigate the history of India-China trade relations from ancient times till sixteenth century. There were several trade centers which served as essential commercial transactions between the two countries. The important trade centers in India were Puskalavati, Taxila, Tamralipti, Kanchi, etc. Puskalavati is considered to be the first gateway of ancient India and was the most significant commercial mart because it contributed actively in commercial transaction between India and China in the first century A.D. During the period of Sakas and Kusanas, trade between India and China was done through Puskalavati. Taxila was the hub of international trade and was essential trade route between India and Central Asia (Shaffer, 123). It also assisted western traders in their trade with China. Chinese merchants used to come to Kanchi through foreign ships to buy pearls, glass, precious stones and other Indian products and exchanged gold and silver. Tamralipti was another important port in Bengal which carried trade links with China (Shaffer, 129). Canton was the essential Chinese city whi ch had established trade links in India. Other important trade links between China and India included Ping-Yang and Kwi-Yang. Trade relations between the two countries existed during the Madagh-Maurya era of fifth and sixth centuries B.C. The Gupta period further proves it. Sixth Century BC indicates the fundamental period in Chinese history because the State of Tsin had introduced important amendments in economic and political fields (Eberhard, 34). This had increased the commercial relationship between India through land routes. During sixth century B.C, India and China took advantage of the trade opportunities that existed. The Indian muslin silk cloth had captured the international market which also helped to popularize the Chinese silk. Great demands for Chinese silk from all over the world came and