Australia Essay -- essays research papers

Australia- Trade and Immigration Background As Joycelyn has mentioned Australia's having greater and greater interaction with its Asian neighbours, through the areas of trade and its active role in the regional trade organization - APEC. Despite its location, Australia can hardly be thought of being an Asian country. Not so long ago, Asian were looked down upon, with a mixture of fear because of the communist aggression, pity because of their poverty, and contempt, as they dumped cheap and poorly made products to do Australian workers out of job. For decades, high prohibitive tariffs blocked the imports of Asian goods, and a 'White Australia' policy fenced off Asian migrants. However, the situation is reversed in the past 2 decades. With East Asia being the fastest growing economy, and the development of regional trade blocs in their traditional trading partners such as the EC and NAFTA that tend to emphasize internal trade, Asia becomes Australia's single most promising opportunity. And now, Australia is eager to be Asian. Trade (See overhead - Exports) In 1994, some 60% of Australia's total exports equivalent to more than 60 B A$ went to Asia. While Japan remains to be their largest trading partner, S Korea replaced US to take the second place. But at the same time, Australia's share of Asia's total imports is declining, down from 3% in 1985 to 2% in 95. The main reason is that Asian countries are trading more among themselves, and importing more hi-er value-added products, rather than the common Australian exported commodities. However, steering towards value-adding industries is not easy. Besides infrastructure and labor reform, Australian manufacturers will become head on with some of Asia's most efficient operations. Anyway, Australia has shown its committment to free trading. The former Labor government has committed to cutting the average tariff for most imports to 5% by 2000, compared to 20% in 1983. And the trend towards a more open economy will be continued by the new Liberal-National gov't. Most domestic business will not survive under such open competition, but Australia sees this as an opportunity to reshape its manufacturing base to become narrower and deeper, and more competitive. They see an ideal picture of Australia importing cheap manufactured goods from Asia instead of making expensive ones at home behind tariff, and Asia buying mineral... ...or a tv program 'Embassy' which he claimed was mocking Malaysia. Australia also got into diplomatic problems with certain authoritarian regimes for critizing their behaviors. Its relationship with Indonesia is always tense for its criticisms of Indonesia over human rights, corruption, and the status of East Timor. Even Singapore didn't like Australia's comment on its harrassment of the Asian Wall St Journal and other newspaper. As other Asian countries all share similar culture and values, Australia with its western nature would easily be labelled as intruder. And they all understand that Australia's friendliness towards Asia is economically driven, it comes out of the mind, not the heart. Moreover, some of them even suspect it of acting as a stalking horse for western interests. Malaysia proposed a regional East Asia Econ Caucus which will exclude the US and Australia, and this is clashing over with APEC in which Australia and US are active participant. So, how can Australia manage its odd man role in the Asian region? Should it go for Multiculturalism or a melting pot policy like the US? How can it balance its relationship with its neighbours while preserving its western values?

Romantic Relationships During High School Essay -- Argumentative Essay

Are relationships in high school truly worth the potential heartache? Answers to this question vary, ranging from the enthusiastic â€Å"yes!† to the skeptical view of which cutting off one’s own third toe makes more sense to indifference. Yet, how can the value of a relationship be determined when the tumult of everyday teenage life may result in the potential loss or gain of a new relationship every week? One view may be relationships teenagers enter into are valuable practice for later in life, teaching those which engage in them how to interact with members of the opposite sex in a way which leads to marriage or family. Others, however, state the truism being a significantly low percentage of high school romances result in marriage. Although some may say the benefits outweigh the risks, relationships in high school are not feasible for many and may not be worth the effort put into them. On average, of all high school romances, only an estimated eight to 11 pe rcent result in matrimony (WikiAnswers 1). To me, this renders those useless relationships, the other eighty-nine to ninety-two percent, just passing time. From these statistics, it would appear romance in high school is not only stressful, but also relatively useless. Rather than devoting large amounts of time to one person, high school students should be out with a group of friends, having fun and doing whatever it is teens do. This brings up another concern for high school relationships: time. The time some students put into a relationship can become absurd. In this way, we come across the student who never seems to have their work done or never has time to work on their work. This free time would normally be used to do important tasks for school, but rather is us... ...lly prepared for such life experiences. Though not always negative, high school relationships are also not likely to have a drastically positive impact on students either. Levels of stress in life can be at their peak during years of development, though it may seem daunting, not all are incapable of balancing a relationship and life. Nevertheless, having a relationship, the stress to succeed in within the relationship, and the stress to not become the main topic of gossip for their peers in what should have been a private matter may magnify the pressures of everyday life. Works Cited U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. â€Å"Pathways to Adulthood and Marriage: Teenagers’ Attitudes, Expectations, and Relationship Patterns† Aspe.hhs.gov Web. 17 Nov. 2010. WikiAnswers. â€Å"What are the statistics on high school relationships?† Answers.com Web. 30 Nov. 2010.

Aluminum: The 13th Element on the Periodic Table Essay

One of the many elements on the periodic table is Aluminum. Aluminum is the 13th element, and it is located in period two and group thirteen. Aluminums symbol is Al and it has an electron configuration of [Ne] 3s2 3p1. Aluminum also has an atomic mass of 26.982 and its atomic number is 13. This element was discovered by Hans Christian Oersted in the year of 1825, and was named by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy (Helmenstine, 2012). Its name ‘Aluminum’ came from the Latin words ‘alumen’ or ‘alum’, which is an astringent and dyeing mordant. Originally, Davy called it â€Å"Alumium’ but the publishers later changed it to Aluminum, and that’s how it remains in the United States (N/A, n.d.). Aluminum is a tin-white metal which melts at 640 °C and boils at 2,327-2,450 °C (N/A, 2012). It is very light and has a density of 2.68g. It is both ductile and malleable, making it stiff and strong, and with frequent annealing it can be r olled into thin foil (N/A, 1996-2012). It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and it is a solid in its standard state. One of Aluminums chemical properties is that in moist air, it combines slowly with oxygen to form aluminum oxide. The aluminum oxide forms a very thin, whitish coating on the aluminum metal (N/A, n.d.). This element is also a fairly active metal. It reacts with many hot acids and with alkalis. Aluminum also reacts quickly with hot water, and in powdered form, it catches fire quickly when exposed to a flame (N/A, 1996-2012). Back then, the Ancient Greeks and Romans used alum as an astringent, for medicinal purposes, and as a mordant in dyeing (N/A, 2012). Today, it is used in kitchen utensils, exterior decorations, and thousands of industrial applications. The uses of the element can vary from being kitchen foil, to being used to create planes and trains. Aluminum is also used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight, and its alloys are used in the construction of aircraft and rockets (Helmenstine, 2012). Aluminum is also used to make compounds, and some of the many are Aluminum Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, and Aluminum Phosphate. Lastly, something very interesting and unique about Aluminum is that it is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust (8.1%), although it is not found free in nature (N/A, 2012).

Genetically modified organism Essay

Genetically modifying foods might seem very unorthodox with the changing of traits and genes within the foods, but genetically modifying foods does not hurt the consumer in any way. Earlier in the 1990’s, genetically modified foods were announced by the Food and Drug Administration to not be â€Å"inherently dangerous†. However, when a type of transgenic corn was pulled from the market when it was mistakenly entered into the open food supply in 2000 that was not fit for human consumption, it led to growing concerns of the safety of consuming genetically modified foods. These foods are not only safe, but transformative. Agricultural biotechnology has lessened the amount of chemical pesticides and herbicides used in these foods. This science has been making important contributions to the relief of world hunger, genetically modified foods are obviously safe to consume. Genetically modified foods are definitely safe and nutritious because if the consumption of genetically modified foods posed a health threat, we would have known it by now. The biotechnology within the foods has made it possible to have a safe consumption. Genetically modified foods have never been proven to be harmful to humans. â€Å"Genetically modified (GM) food has become so common in the U. S. that most people do not even know when they are consuming it† (â€Å"Update: Genetically Modified Food†, 2008). If the foods were harmful, people would be getting sick all the time since most of the time we don’t even know that we are consuming it. â€Å"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that GM foods were not ‘inherently dangerous’† (ProQuest Staff, â€Å"At Issue: Genetically Modified Foods†, 2013). The FDA is a huge association that regulates the purity and safety of foods, drugs, and cosmetics. If they say that the GM foods are safe, then they are definitely safe. Genetically modified foods are safe for the environment. â€Å"Most GM crops have been modified to be either herbicide- or insect-resistant†¦because the plants themselves are poisonous to insects, farmers do not need to spray their crops with pesticides, which harm the environment. Biotechnicians also say modifications like those lead to more efficient farming and, in turn, result in higher crop yields† (â€Å"Update: Genetically Modified Food†, 2008). Since farmers do not need to spray their crops with pesticides, they don’t damage the earth, making genetically modified foods safe. â€Å"By raising the oil content of other plants non-petroleum, organic lubricants can be harvested, reducing dependence on fossil fuel† (â€Å"Modified Food May Enrich Our Health†, 1999). Less fossil fuel will be produced, making the genetically modified foods safe for the earth. Not everyone is for genetically modifying foods, though. According to the article, â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned†, products of the biotech industry cannot be considered safe because there has only been one human health study published in 2004 called â€Å"The Newcastle Study† (Andy Rees, â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned†, 2003). Having only one published story of the health effects of genetically modified foods is a legitimate reason to want to ban the cultivation of the GM crops, but from a scientific perspective, there really should not be a concern of GM foods being more harmful compared to the non GM foods. Genetically modified have no scientific evidence of not being safe. GM crops can contribute to a great future for all people, but if the cultivation of GM crops were to be banned, no research could be done to find the positives and negatives of GM crops. According to the article, â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Not be Banned, but Carefully Monitored†, some crops that are genetically modified to be resistant to maybe herbicide or pests are exposed to a lot less of the chemical contaminations than most of the foods we eat are (Conor Meade, â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Not be Banned, but Carefully Monitored†, 2003). So, it is possible that GM food is not bad for us at all. And although GM crops are not the solution for the sicknesses of the world, if the technology is handled by publicly funded institutions, they can find possible ways to modify the foods to create a much greater future for the people unable to consume them. Genetically modified foods are definitely safe and nutritious because if the consumption of genetically modified foods posed a health threat, we would have known it by now. Because of the incapability to prove that GM foods are definitely neither safe nor unsafe, the issue will remain controversial. People will always be uncertain about conducting research of the topic because of that, but if it remains like this, foods will not be able to be modified to help the health of others by creating allergy-resistant products, and we will never be able to find any more information about the GM crops making them always remain a health risk mystery. In addition, GM crops could be very beneficial and make a great future for all people. But without careful and frequent study and research, proper decisions about the cultivation and use of GM crops can never be made. Research on GM crops by public institutions is absolutely necessary in order to find more information about the issue. Without this research, a ban on GM crops is definitely not the best idea. Since genetically modified foods have been on market shelves for over twenty years and there has been no proof that they hurt anyone, it is safe to assume that no one will have a late health consequence from digesting a GM food they had over a decade ago. Instead of banning the research and cultivation of the GM foods, research should be accepted to be searched about the topic because eventually the GM food industry could do wonders. Works Cited Meade, Conor. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Not Be Banned, but Carefully Monitored. † Genetically Engineered Foods. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. At Issue. Rpt. from â€Å"Careful Stewardship of GM Crops Is Needed, Not a Ban. † Irish Times 23 June 2007: 13. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. Rees, Andy. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned. † Genetically Engineered Foods. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. At Issue. Rpt. from â€Å"GM Potatoes—Facts and Fictions. † The Ecologist 36. 9 (22 Sept. 2006): 14-15. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. ProQuest Staff. â€Å"At Issue: Genetically Modified Foods. † ProQuest LLC. 2013: n. pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. â€Å"Update: Genetically Modified Food. † Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 31 Dec. 2008. Web. â€Å"Modified Foods May Enrich Our Health. † Vancouver Sun (Vancouver, Canada). 20 Dec 1999: A12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web.

Pi Patel’s View of Religion Essay

By following three very different religions Pi is trying to state that it is not what religion you belong to but how spiritually content you are is important. To say that Pi â€Å"attracts religions like a dog attracts fleas† is the opposite of what he believes he is achieving by practicing Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity at the same time. He is simply trying to grasp what one religion is teaching by looking for answers in another. When Pi’s parents and religious leaders criticize him for having multiple religions, they are being close minded and critical, which is exactly what his three religions are not about. This further justifies his multiple religious practices. He is also trying to show that the first religion you are introduced to is not always the best suited to you and it is worth exploring your options. By doing something that is considered slightly sacrilegious he demonstrates that exploring your options, even if it is three religions at once, will leave y ou more spiritually content.

Analyze Supreme case of County Wayne vs Hathcock Essay

Analyze Supreme case of County Wayne vs Hathcock - Essay Example The only blight came with a small but significant percentage of landowners who refused to sell their lands voluntarily. For practicality reasons, this land could NOT be excluded from the noble project. This not only gave birth to the tussles between Wayne County and Hathock but also an interesting and applicable case to any urban planner and specifically a Michigan urban planner. Adopting a resolution of necessity and a declaration of taking the property (almost forcefully), Wayne County started condemnation procedures under the justification that thee land in question was to have more public benefits, in the long run, in its hands than in the aboriginal owners. The owners, on the other hand, felt that if the county was awarded eminent domain, which it did, it would be a constitutional breach. It is crucial to note that the Michigan Supreme Court had in 1981 used the case of public domain in a case Poletown Neighborhood Council v Detroit present on the same economic reasons as Wayne County’s. Article 10, section 2 of the Michigan constitution states that â€Å"private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. Property may only be taken if it is for a public purpose and if just compensation is provided.† An interesting debate on what exactly can be termed as public use ensued, with the term generating different ideas. For the land to meet the public test threshold and condemned property acquired by a private investor, the court set up 3 criterions. Public necessity was evident, the property remained very much subject to public control after transfer and that the reason for choosing the land did nothing but serve the public good. The court however failed to decipher any of the above exceptions applicable to Pinnacle Project. The Wayne v. Hathock opened other chapter to any planner’s mind: what if the land itself was the case of public

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments by US companies and Research Paper

Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments by US companies and comparability issues - Research Paper Example Thus the implementation of the fair value has to be implemented at an applicable hierarchical level (Price Water Coopers, 2009, p.2) Need for study Fair value measurement of financial instruments has become a debatable topic since the emergence of the economic downturn. According to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) it has been made a rule to report the financial instruments based on the fair value measurement system. Through the calculation of the financial data at fair value prices the decisions related to the high risky business facing economic problem in the financial market becomes easier. The financial statements of the company computed at a fair value system gives more meaningful information to the investors, suppliers and creditors about the valuation methodologies thus used for the same. Hence it is only justified to have a clear view about the impact of the fair value measures of the financial instrument of the company. Literature review The fair value mea surement is implemented both by Goldman Sachs and Citibank with the purpose of getting the actual value during selling of assets or during the transfer of a liability on the date of measurement between the participants of the market. Even while trading of the derivatives of the company measuring in the fair value is of utmost importance to the company. Thus maintaining the rules of the levels of the hierarchy the implementation of the fair value measurement is essential as the correct information related to the accounting of the company’s books of accounts gets projected. Methodology The three methodologies for the calculation of the fair value of the company are market approach, income approach and the cost approach. In market approach the matrix pricing method is used which helps in finding the value of the debt securities in comparison to that of another firm without relying on the data of the quoted prices of specific securities. The time value of money technique is imple mented in case of the income approach methodology of fair value measurement. Lastly based on the concept of obsolesce is the implication of cost approach system of fair value. The data related to the calculation of the fair value of a company can be obtained from the annual reports of both Goldman Sachs and Citibank. For the convenience of analysis the period of 2011 has been chosen. The financial ratios are generally implemented to assess the financial health of the company, analysing which the companies fair value measurement can be done. Limitations of study The fair value measurement also has some criticism in its calculation method. Fair value measurement the inherent risk factor of the company tends to gets exaggerated resulting in misleading results in the long run. Hence the recording of the contingent losses which have not yet been realised signals negative outcome to investors, which lead to meeting of negative consequences. The fair value measurement is usually not prefer red by many analysts due to lack of reliability as the system of valuation has a tendency of showing an optimistic value irrespective of the present economic situation. Thus the business decisions taken on the basis such fair value measurement may be inaccurate in nature. Company profiles Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is one of the leading banks which is globally renowned for investment banking and provides a wide range of financial