3 Cases of Missing Commas

3 Cases of Missing Commas 3 Cases of Missing Commas 3 Cases of Missing Commas By Mark Nichol The presence or absence of a single punctuation mark can create confusion or ambiguity about the meaning of a sentence. Three sentences illustrating this problem, each followed by discussion and revision, follow: 1. These factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors given the board’s crowded agenda. The lack of punctuation preceding given creates the implication that it is a verb that refers to something the directors are being handed. But here, given is a preposition signaling that information about a mitigating factor is about to be imparted, and punctuation should separate this tacked-on phrase from the main clause: â€Å"These factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors, given the board’s crowded agenda.† (The additional phrase could also begin the sentence: â€Å"Given the board’s crowded agenda, these factors make it hard for management to decide what to communicate to directors.†) 2. It’s not a real pleasant experience to tell you the truth. As written, this sentence suggests that the writer does not enjoy telling the truth to the reader (or, if the sentence is a quotation, to someone the speaker is talking to), but this is not the writer’s (or speaker’s) intent. To signal that â€Å"to tell the truth† is simply a conversational aside, it should be separated from the main clause: â€Å"It’s not a real pleasant experience, to tell you the truth.† (As in the previous sentence, the modifying phrase can begin the sentence: â€Å"To tell you the truth, it’s not a real pleasant experience.†) 3. The coach had pursued a star athlete only to have a deal fall just short. This sentence reads as if the coach had tried to recruit an athlete for the sole purpose of having a deal fall short; only could be misconstrued as a synonym for merely. But the part of the sentence starting with only is a modifying phrase describing the result of a sincere recruiting effort, and it should be set off from the main clause: â€Å"The coach had pursued a star athlete, only to have a deal fall just short.† (Unlike the dependent clauses and the main clauses in the sentences above, this pair of clauses cannot be transposed without heavy revision.) 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 Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms45 Idioms About the Number One

How to Bypass Your Internal Editor

How to Bypass Your Internal Editor How to Bypass Your Internal Editor How to Bypass Your Internal Editor By Michael When you edit your first draft, youll have all sorts of ideas of what to change. But when you write your first draft, you want to turn off the internal editor in your mind, that super-ego that looks over your shoulder and criticizes everything you do. Editing is different from writing. Most people cant successfully do both at the same time. And when you do your first draft, you need to focus on writing. Here are some tips on disabling your internal editor until youre ready to hear from it: Make a personal policy to never hit the backspace key more than one. Then you will be able to fix typos but nothing else. If that doesnt work, refuse to hit the backspace key at all. Unless youre a really bad typist, you will still be able to recognize the word you typed. Ive actually written entire chapters in the dark, lying in bed with my ultra-light Alphasmart 2000 keyboard. And in the morning, almost everything I had typed was understandable. If you have to, dont write at all. Dictate onto a recording and type it up later. Dont edit yourself as you speak, either. Never stop talking. If you cant think of what to say next, just say anything until your train of thought returns to you. Start writing with the easy part. Write about what you know best or what you are most passionate about. For example, if youre writing a brochure or website for your business, start with the story of how and why you began the business or learned your skills. Before you know it, you may discover that youve also written about your product line and your unique selling proposition (USP). Set yourself a speed goal. Tell yourself that you have to write a certain number of words a minute. Dont judge the quality of your output. It may be hard at first, but it will get easier. What if you hate what you wrote, and cant stand to edit it? In that case, write it again. You wrote it fast the first time, right? You wont lose much by doing it again. Just start from the beginning, or from where you got off the path, and keep going. 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 Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingHow to Pronounce Mobile"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?

Green IT for Services Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green IT for Services - Research Paper Example Description of these reasons is an important part of this paper. It contains the present situation of the process of making IT green. It talks about the Green IT products that are already on the market. Furthermore, it also talks about the major IT companies that are spending significant volume of resources in making IT green by developing Green IT products. In addition to these, this paper includes the future of Green IT. It can be predicted that over the next few years, a lot of efforts will be made in making IT greener and this will certainly change the outlook for the industry. Information Technology (IT), in the present global society, acts as the ‘central nervous system’ for the business organizations, governments as well as for the social infrastructures. Global communities are connected with each other by means of IT. Today business organizations are ‘Going Green’ as the societies have become more conscious about the environment which is under tremen dous pressure due to massive modernization, industrialization and irresponsible deforestation throughout the world over the past few decades. ... Uncontrolled consumption of electricity puts huge pressure on the financial capacity of an organization. Such practices actually make the entire system an unsustainable one (Baroudi et al, 2009). Furthermore, in order to meet the growing demand for electricity more power plants would be in need and this would ultimately threaten the environment. Hence, it is very important to make IT green. There is hardly any general definition of ‘Green IT’. According to Gary Hird, Green IT can be seen as the collection of tactical as well as strategic initiatives that directly trims down the organizations’ carbon footprint and/or that use information technologies for reducing carbon footprint and/or that incentivize the ‘greener behavior’ by the stakeholders of the organizations (Hird, 2008). During the last few years â €˜Green IT’ has been a popular subject of research for the organizations like IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Cisco etc. These large multinational IT firms have already started to develop products which are more energy efficient and environment-friendly. There are organizations like Green Grid that assists the global IT industry in addressing the issue of energy use (Baroudi et al, 2009). It is important to notice that IT has an inherent ‘Green aspect’. Information technologies deal with data which is a nonpolluting entity. They enable virtual client visits and virtual meetings which require relatively less energy. However, the volume of consumption varies with the nature of the industry. For instance, IT in case of airline industry consumes significantly more energy as compared to other industries (Baroudi et al, 2009).  Ã‚  

Fitness does not mean losing weight Research Paper

Fitness does not mean losing weight - Research Paper Example that the advertisements have now turned into deceiving the people that when people lose weight, they have now become physically fit but this is not necessarily the case. The sports-oriented companies such as Nike and Addidas have released research about how people are now purchasing sporting apparel like sports shoes and workout clothes not for the purpose of exercising but purely for aesthetical purposes. Sporting apparel has now become a fashionable trend but for some â€Å"strange† reason, people are not using the clothes and shoes to exercise but rather to just appear to be physically fit through exercising. This has therefore led to these companies not focusing on making sporting shoes that are fit for athletes but rather just make sports shoes that are appealing to the customer (Warner, 2005). They are just regular shoes made in the liking of sports shoes and hence have no special features that can assist in any athletics prowess. The advertisements of the sporting companies have therefore stopped focusing much on athletes like it used to in the past with numerous endorsements of different caliber of athletes from runner to basket ballers as a way to encourage people to purchase the correct type of shoes to engage in physical activities of these celebrity athletes. Nowadays, their advertisements are moving with the trend and hence show people in sporting gear that are not athletic in any way but who are slimmer and hence appear to have lost weight through engaging in different forms of physical exercises. The most common form of physical exercise that can be seen in advertisements of how people are gaining the body image desired which is being slimmer is by doing yoga. Much of these â€Å"getting fit† advertisements are also focusing on dieting. They sell different diets to people that involve eating small helpings of food, taking in lots of water and eating basically salad and nothing else. The end result is of these individuals that were considered to be

Role in sports in popular culture Essay Example for Free

Role in sports in popular culture Essay Many people around the world have enjoyed playing many sports and have been for a very long time. Of course ancient Olympics, medieval aristocrats, cave people, and hordes of peasants kicking a ball from one village to the next is, despite the genealogy, rather far removed from sports as we know them today (History of Sports, 2012). With the history of sports we can go back and look at many sports, the earliest that the sport of baseball was present in the United States goes all the way back to 1791. It was not until 1845 that the New York Knickerbockers were founded. (History of Sports, 2012). Many people today have used sports as a useful way for the people to increase their mastery of nature and the environment that they live in. Many sports have utilized the humans own basic skills to develop and exercise their own human agility and show others what they can do on their own. When we look at the sports of today, either be the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) many people can understand where all of these athletes had to do to get where they are at. It can all go back to when those athletes were young kids and those people that have known them for a long time can experience how good they are and the power and wealth that comes to those athletes that have practiced and mastered their skills to advance to those different leagues of professionalism. Many professional athletes have experienced their own wealth and power in their sports no matter what sport they are in. When athletes get to that point when they get a large amount of money for what they do on the field or courts, what comes with that is they will try to receive the power as well. Many athletes think that they are worth a lot of money for what they do as a professional athlete. Today, in its current state, many athletes make plenty of money to support themselves for the rest of their lives, and with that type of wealth and money, there will always be talk of why we are paying those athletes that type of money and why do the owners of those teams pay that amount. The owners know that they will have the power to negotiate and have the athlete know who has the power to make things happen. Wealth and power in sports degrades the essence of sports from an enjoyment perspective. Players for all sports are always negotiating for a better deal, working on contract negotiations, and arguing about trade negotiations. These types of negotiations just remove the player who once enjoyed and truly love playing the sport. All of the sudden, it has become a business. Sports should be played with heart. Do the owner and franchise teams help in this matter? In my opinion, they are the culprit. There is a constant battle to gain headlines with the next big contract totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for said number of years. There is a constant battle for endorsements to sign the next potential superstar to help sell shoes or the new line of thirst quenchers. There is a constant battle among agents to exploit players into this world consumed by wealth and how success is is measured. For the pure enjoyment of playing a sport, it’s truly gone. It’s an assembly line where media and fame have crossed their boundaries as they measure athletes by wealth and power. The fans are just as guilty as we continue to pay ridiculous ticket prices and purchase over-priced jerseys and memorabilia. The level of influence we have as fans is more like an addicted customer who can’t walk away from the product. There is increasing value added to rising players and their performance level. For the athletes, wealth and power have consumed their level of importance. They have no longer become a trainable, tailored athlete to a specific level where coaching dominates the team. Wealth and power have excluded most players from accepting a team concept through the visions of their coach. There is a sense of individualism among the wealthiest and most recognized players. Depending on the sport, some of those players ignore the coach or disrespect them altogether. Some could chalk up this attitude to personality conflicts that occur on any level of sports, but there is too much consistency with sports and how wealth and power have influenced those players. If wealth and power in sports could be a stock available for investment opportunities on the NASDAQ stock exchange, it would most likely be the best investment anyone could make. There is rarely a decline as players contracts continue to increase and venues continue raise prices. Most sports fans see the great athletes starting their careers soon after completing high school. Two sports icons that come to mind are Kobe Bryan and Dwight Howard. All athletes are considered role models for young people on the court and off the court. It is for that reason players need to very cognizant of their environment and their behavior. Athletes that are fortunate enough to make it to the professional ranks usually hire managers, trainers, coaches, attorneys and publicist. Players are advertised everywhere in our society. They do endorsements for restaurants, stores, energy drinks, and foot wear. Some even have their own clothing line. Players must be at their best in every aspect of their lives. Always being watched, they are examples to the next generation. Fans of these great entertainers are just as responsible for their dress and their behavior. Children must be the primary and most important focus of our society. We begin to teach our youth immediately and this must be at the forefront of our creations and thoughts. Parents need to learn everything about the business to be able to guide their teenagers if they decided to go professional in sports. Recommendations in consuming and participation include continuing to coach and mentor our children from a young age to create the athletes we wish to see. That is where it begins. It starts with families and family morals, discipline and love. Alcohol and drugs should be discussed frequently with care. At every level of school or competition there must be rules and regulations, love, checks and balances. Sports over many generations have basically become a money making issue. No one says on national TV that they love the sport and would play for free. It is a business. We can no longer think of sports as something fun for our children because in the backs of these parents minds their children just might be good enough for the big time and their futures may be filled with money. References Kobe Bryan Biography. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. biography. com Highest-Paid Athletes 2012 the World’s Richest. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. therichest. org Ogonsji, A. S. (2012). International Journal of business Social Science [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. : . Retrieved from Ebscohost, website. Athletes as Role Models. (1998, February). Current Health, 24(6), 25. Ebscohost. com.

Moynihan report :: essays research papers

The Moynihan Report In reading the Moynihan report I must say that I do agree with most of what the report is saying for the most part. There are some things that I totally disagree with, but it would take forever to write about all of what I agree with. In this paper I will focus on the Anthropology social science use of it all and the social justice issue of gender with race intertwined. This report was very interesting to me because it seems to somewhat answer a lot of questions about the African American male. Is family structure really that important for an African American male to be a productive person in society? In reading this report one may lead more towards the answer of yes more so than no. Anthropology: the scientific study of the origin, culture, and development of humans. I think that the use of this particular social science was used quite accurately because it explains to you time and time again that where a person comes from, what type of culture the know, and the development that the go through is all within the family. I believe that the father of a family is the most important role for an African American male to see because if the father is not around for the younger male to see then there is no major positive male influence for the younger male to see. The family for African Americans isn’t as strong for us as it is for other races. Within the report it seemed to focus more on the African American male and the role of the male or father heavily. It seems to me as if the report is saying that, if a male grows up in a single family home, with no enriching   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  culture, in a bad area. Then it will be less likely that that person will have a tough time in finding a job, help take care of their family, or staying out of trouble. I know within my family my brother and I grew up with both parents in the home. In a nice neighborhood with our mom and dad coming from two different cultural backgrounds, but we knew and was taught both and I know that we a well-rounded people because of it. My brother has been married for almost ten years, two children and has been in business for himself since he was 21 years old.

Puppy vs. Dog

Buying a Puppy vs. Buying an Older Dog Since the Internet was not working, I had to chose another theme to write about. I picked the theme â€Å"Buying a Puppy vs. Buying an Older Dog. † These two topics don't have much in comparison, but they are very different. Buying a puppy at a very young age can be a difficult or easy process, depending on how you train the puppy. Buying an older dog is very tricky in many ways. There are very few comparisons about buying a puppy versus buying an older old. One comparison is that they are both pets.They are alike by there structures and mannerisms. Another comparison is that they are a very good companionship to you and your loved ones. There are many different things about a new puppy and an older dog. For one thing if you buy a puppy, you can train the puppy to the way of life your used to living to. You can train your puppy to be on a schedule. If you buy an older dog, it may not be trained. Older dogs aren't as easily trained as youn ger puppies. A puppy can grow up knowing who you are and get familiar to you and the people around you.An older dog may have had a bad past, and may be meaner or not as friendly towards others. The older dog won't be familiar to you, your family, or the people around you. I think you should buy a puppy instead of buying an older dog. If you are looking to buy an older dog, you have to look at the dogs past and determine if it is going to be easier (for you and the dog) to train a puppy or have to teach an old dog new tricks. To me, it will be easier to buy a new puppy versus buying an older dog. Puppy vs. Dog Buying a Puppy vs. Buying an Older Dog Since the Internet was not working, I had to chose another theme to write about. I picked the theme â€Å"Buying a Puppy vs. Buying an Older Dog. † These two topics don't have much in comparison, but they are very different. Buying a puppy at a very young age can be a difficult or easy process, depending on how you train the puppy. Buying an older dog is very tricky in many ways. There are very few comparisons about buying a puppy versus buying an older old. One comparison is that they are both pets.They are alike by there structures and mannerisms. Another comparison is that they are a very good companionship to you and your loved ones. There are many different things about a new puppy and an older dog. For one thing if you buy a puppy, you can train the puppy to the way of life your used to living to. You can train your puppy to be on a schedule. If you buy an older dog, it may not be trained. Older dogs aren't as easily trained as youn ger puppies. A puppy can grow up knowing who you are and get familiar to you and the people around you.An older dog may have had a bad past, and may be meaner or not as friendly towards others. The older dog won't be familiar to you, your family, or the people around you. I think you should buy a puppy instead of buying an older dog. If you are looking to buy an older dog, you have to look at the dogs past and determine if it is going to be easier (for you and the dog) to train a puppy or have to teach an old dog new tricks. To me, it will be easier to buy a new puppy versus buying an older dog.

Poland Business Cycle

This Country Focus analyses and interprets the statistical characteristics of the Polish business cycle. It also identifies leading and lagging variables and shows that the economic fluctuations in Poland differ to some extent from those in other emerging and mature economies, with Polish growth notably more volatile and government expenditure highly erratic. The available data on GDP growth suggest that the Polish economy is approaching the peak of the second business cycle since the start of economic transformation from a centrally planned to a market economy.The current upswing is to some extent similar to the one of 1995-1997 which ended in large macroeconomic imbalances (increasing unemployment, spare capacity, widening fiscal and current account deficits). However, Poland now appears to be better positioned than after the last cycle and should be able to avoid a repeat of that outcome. Business cycles in emerging market economies Although the economic literature on business cyc les is vast, only recently have some papers on business cycles in emerging market economies appeared.Usually they analyse economic fluctuations within particular countries (e. g. Benczur and Ratfai, 2005) or make some cross-country comparisons (e. g. Aguayo et al. , 2004 or Carmignani, 2005). A common methodology used in the analysis of business cycles (based on observations of mature economies and economic theory) distinguishes pro-cyclical, counter-cyclical and a-cyclical variables. Pro-cyclical variables fluctuate together with GDP (e. g. industrial production, investment, employment, inflation), countercyclical variables against GDP (e. g. nemployment, net exports) and a-cyclical variables independently of GDP (e. g. real interest rates). 1 With respect to timing, the ‘stylised facts' of the business cycle identify leading, lagging and coincident variables: leading variables move ahead of GDP (e. g. average labour productivity, inventory investment, money supply), lagging variables follow GDP (e. g. inflation, nominal interest rates) and coincident variables, as the name suggests, move coincidentally with GDP (e. g. industrial production, consumption, employment) (Snowdon & Vane, 2005, p. 306).Overall, business cycles in emerging market economies (Carmignani, 2005)2 are not much different from those in mature economies (Snowdon and Vane, 2005, p. 306), By Michal Narozny* The business cycle in Poland: where do we stand? Highlights in this issue: †¢ While on the whole not different from mature economies, the properties of the business cycle in Poland display some special characteristics †¢ The current cycle seems to have reached a peak but the slowdown is likely not to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle Volume IV, Issue 9 03. 08. 2007 ECFIN COUNTRY FOCUS Directorate for the Economies of the Member States. The views expressed in the ECFIN Country Focus belong to the authors only and do not necessarily correspond to those of the Director ate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs or the European Commission.Economic analysis from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs Identification of direction and timing is key in business cycle analysis ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 2 but economies in transition (though they do not constitute a homogeneous group) display some specific characteristics: overall, the economy is much more volatile than in the euro area, which is the consequence of structural changes and catching-up, †¢ shocks are slightly less persistent than in the euro area, and fluctuations consequently more frequent, †¢ government consumption is more erratic than in the euro area, suggesting a significant discretionary element in fiscal policies, but not one that is necessarily aimed at cyclical stabilisation, †¢ employment is a-cyclical in some, but pro-cyclical in other emerging economies, †¢ inflation in emerging economies is volatile and not clearly pro-cyclical.Table 1 shows some tentative analysis of the key macroeconomic variables in the Polish business cycle. All variables (except for inflation and net exports) were logtransformed, de-seasonalised by means of the X. 12 method and later de-trended using the HP filter. Net exports were expressed as a ratio to GDP and deseasonalised by means of the multiplicative X. 11 method before being de-trended. Volatility of cyclical fluctuations, and hence the magnitude of the business cycle, is measured by the standard deviation. Polish GDP volatility is about 0. 015, compared to 0. 08 for the euro area. The persistence of cyclical fluctuations is measured by the auto-correlation coefficient: the closer to 1, the more persistent the shock (and the longer it takes to absorb it) and therefore the less fluctuation in the business cycle. Testing for the Polish business cycle persistence yields a coefficient of 0. 55 compared to 0. 85 for the euro area. Table 1. Su mmary statistics of business cycle fluctuations in Poland Correlations with the cyclical component of GDP Poland Standard Autodeviation correlation -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 GDP 0. 015 0. 550 1Industrial production 3. 317 0. 730 -0. 018 0. 154 0. 314 0. 515 0. 771 0. 599 0. 444 0. 229 0. 113 Private consumption 0. 013 0. 269 0. 015 0. 079 0. 283 0. 433 0. 434 0. 385 0. 463 0. 380 0. 037 Government consumption 0. 020 0. 001 -0. 200 0. 007 0. 230 0. 022 -0. 211 0. 175 0. 282 0. 199 0. 051 GFCF 0. 070 0. 717 0. 357 0. 399 0. 403 0. 484 0. 824 0. 585 0. 371 0. 313 0. 344 Inventories 1. 189 -0. 072 -0. 139 0. 044 0. 021 0. 074 0. 199 0. 187 0. 150 0. 177 0. 230 Net exports 0. 012 0. 574 -0. 061 -0. 174 -0. 386 -0. 373 -0. 326 -0. 513 -0. 497 -0. 389 -0. 452 Exports 0. 58 -0. 005 0. 098 0. 199 0. 177 0. 225 0. 594 -0. 018 0. 030 -0. 016 -0. 193 Imports 0. 063 0. 378 0. 097 0. 252 0. 350 0. 408 0. 672 0. 377 0. 384 0. 258 0. 175 Employment 0. 017 0. 857 0. 291 0. 372 0. 411 0. 452 0. 545 0. 40 9 0. 333 0. 355 0. 344 Labour productivity 0. 354 0. 512 0. 120 0. 090 0. 056 0. 070 0. 133 0. 257 0. 109 0. 026 -0. 142 Money supply (M1) 0. 041 0. 776 -0. 078 -0. 060 0. 092 0. 260 0. 475 0. 472 0. 535 0. 505 0. 432 Inflation 1. 819 0. 779 0. 092 0. 321 0. 511 0. 596 0. 473 0. 290 0. 082 -0. 082 -0. 146 CPI 1. 737 0. 777 0. 086 0. 255 0. 411 0. 422 0. 00 0. 082 -0. 075 -0. 167 -0. 184 Real interest rate 0. 655 0. 942 0. 226 0. 279 0. 302 0. 263 0. 135 0. 132 0. 120 0. 092 0. 088 Source: Own estimates. Data source: Eurostat. Sample: 1995Q3 – 2007Q1 Summary statistics Lags Leads Business cycles in Poland – what is different and what is alike The analysis of the Polish cycle yields a number stylised facts, which are to some degree typical for emerging economies. Table 2 summarises a number of stylised facts on business cycles in mature economies and in Poland (bearing in mind the relatively short time span for the latter).It shows that some of the usual characteristics of business cycles in mature economies (or even in emerging economies) are not seen in Poland. Where this is the case, some interpretation is offered. Industrial production is usually pro-cyclical and coincident in both mature and emerging economies, but in Poland it has a slightly leading property, which indicates the importance of industrial production as a driver of the business cycle. In the aggregate demand components, private consumption seems to be procyclical in Poland.However, it is not coincident as in mature economies, and has a lead-lag profile that is not typical: it is almost flat over four quarters with some lead. Hence, although private consumption is the largest component of GDP, the dynamic relation over time between the two variables is erratic, possibly indicating consumption smoothing, which is characteristic of low-income economies. However, the ratio of the standard deviation of private consumption to the standard deviation of GDP (by which consumption smoothi ng is usually judged) is estimated at 0. 8, i. e. higher than the upper bound of the normal range reported in the literature. 3 This suggests that consumption smoothing is not present in Poland, which might indicate lower risk aversion and/or underdevelopment of financial markets. The Polish business cycle displays some characteristic properties Business fluctuations in Poland are highly volatile and persistent ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 3 Table 2. The ‘stylised facts' about business cycles in mature economies and Poland Variable Mature economies* Poland** category VariableDirection Timing Direction Timing Supply side Industrial production pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/leading Private consumption pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical erratic Government consumption pro-cyclical erratic counter-cyclical /erratic erratic GFCF pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Inventories pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Net exports counter- cyclical coincident/ lagging counter-cyclical erratic Exports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident Demand components Imports pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincidentLabour Employment pro-cyclical coincident pro-cyclical coincident/lagging market Labour productivity pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Money supply pro-cyclical leading pro-cyclical leading Monetary Inflation pro-cyclical lagging pro-cyclical lagging variables Real Interest rates a-cyclical erratic pro-cyclical lagging * Features commonly found in the literature. Main source: Snowdon ; Vane (2005) ** See Table 1 Source: Own calculations (see Table 1) and Snowdon ; Vane (2005) Government consumption seems to be neither systematically counter- nor procyclical.High volatility and a very low persistence (i. e. frequent fluctuations of sizeable magnitude) point to an irregular pattern of government consumption, suggesting an important role of discretionary fiscal policies, which is a distinctive feat ure of emerging economies (Carmignani, 2005) and possibly related to the existence of a political cycle in public finances. Gross fixed capital formation appears to be coincident, highly pro-cyclical and persistent (auto-correlation of 0. 2) and inventories behave according to the ‘stylised facts': they are pro-cyclical and leading (though less so than in mature economies). Finally, both exports and imports can be seen as pro-cyclical, but imports slightly more so than exports, which is in line with the features of mature, but not emerging economies where exports are a-cyclical on average. Moreover, imports seem to be quite persistent (following persistent GFCF), unlike exports (which depend on external demand); both variables are highly volatile (standard deviations are more than the double of the euro-area).Net exports are moderately counter-cyclical with an erratic pattern over time (due to persistent imports), whereas in mature economies net exports are also counter-cyclic al, but usually coincident or lagging. With respect to the labour market, employment shows up as pro-cyclical and coincident, with some evidence of lagging, which places Poland somewhere in the middle between mature and emerging economies in this respect. Labour productivity appears to be pro-cyclical and leading, in line with the ‘stylised facts', though the leading property is less pronounced than in mature economies.Pro-cyclicality of employment with its smooth and slightly lagged correlation profile suggests labour hoarding (Burnside et al. , 1993). Among the monetary variables, the money supply apears to be pro-cyclical and leading. Inflation seems to be pro-cyclical and to follow GDP as in mature economies, which is not the case in most emerging economies (where inflation is acyclical – see Carmignani, 2005). This is probably due to the fact that at the beginning of the transformation process all emerging economies had very high inflation rates that systematically decreased.Thus, it is hard to discern a clear cyclical pattern. Poland managed to achieve relatively low inflation sooner than other emerging countries, allowing this pro-cyclicality to be revealed earlier. Contrary to the ‘stylised facts' for mature (but also emerging) economies, where real interest rates are a-cyclical with no clear pattern with respect to timing, real interest rates in Poland show up as being pro-cyclical and lagging, implying a countercyclical monetary policy (coefficient of correlation with GDP is 0. 4 and there is a clear lagging pattern). Smooth and lagged correlation profile of pro-cyclical employment suggests labour hoarding The irregular pattern of government consumption suggests that discretionary fiscal policies play an important role ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 4 Troughs, peaks and the drivers of growth The first economic cycle since the beginning of economic transition lasted about 10 years, with the expansion and slowdown phases each spanning about 5 years; the cycle ended in the second quarter of 2001.The current upswing has already lasted 6 years, which suggests that the peak is imminent if the length of the current cycle is similar to the previous one. Decelerating leading variables (industrial production, net exports and labour productivity) may also be signs of a turning point. Chart 1. Developments of basic economic variables in Poland in 1991-2008 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 % CA deficit (% of GDP) Unemployment rate (rhs) CPI inflation (rhs) GDP growth Fiscal deficit (lhs)Source: Commission services In both the early 1990s and in 2001, when the economy was at its trough, there was a large unutilised labour supply and substantial reserves in enterprises’ capacity utilisation. The fiscal deficit was also substantial. In the first cycle, ample supply of resources was a consequence of t ransition to a market economy which caused a recession in 1990-1991. In 2001-2002 it followed from the world economic slowdown and a restrictive monetary policy, which forced Polish enterprises to reorganise to raise their competitiveness and efficiency. Poland got out of the trough twice hanks to exogenous impulses to investment: the restructuring of the London Club debt in 1994 (which brought the first major wave of FDI) and entry into the EU in 2004 (which led to an inflow of EU funds). The external circumstances were also favourable as the world economy expanded in the nineties until 1998 and has been on a stable growth path since 2003. Chart 2. Contributions to GDP growth in Poland in 1991-2008 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 % total consumption GFCF Inventories Net exports GDP growthSource: Commission services The main factor that drove real GDP growth in 1995-1997 to about 7% was dynamic domest ic demand growth of 8? % on average, supported by robust consumption (about 5 percentage points contribution to GDP growth on average). Despite the fact that the economy was growing above potential and domestic demand was growing significantly faster than GDP, a strong zloty appreciation (with a temporary blip in 2000) ensured that the disinflation process was not disturbed. However, this There are indications that the Polish business cycle has approached a peak Large acroeconomic imbalance during the troughs ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 5 situation led to a fast-growing imbalance on the current account: the 2% of GDP surplus in 1994 fell to a deficit of 6% of GDP in 1999 (to which the Russian crisis also contributed). Growth outlook based on solid foundations for now It is estimated that the Polish economy is currently expanding at a pace close to its potential (approximated at 5. 9% in 2007), on the back of rising domestic demand, which is likely to be followed by i ncreasing imports and a deteriorating current account balance.The growth of gross fixed capital formation accelerated to 17% in 2006 and to nearly 30% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007. Private consumption increased at 5. 2% in 2006 and stepped up to 6. 9% y-o-y in the first quarter of 2007, which is significantly higher than the 2. 7% average growth in 2000-2003. So far, this expansion of consumption has not led to a rapid increase in the current account deficit (which rose from 1. 7% in 2005 to 2. 3% of GDP in 2006) or a rise in inflation (which has come in below the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. % for eight quarters in a row), mainly thanks to moderate real wage growth. However, with a tightening labour market, emerging skill mismatches and workforce emigration the pressure on wages is expected to become more significant, contributing to a further increase of consumption. In consequence, it might lead to an escalation of the external imbalance and/or increase d inflation. Nevertheless, GDP growth in the current phase seems to be based on more solid foundations than in the late 1990s: †¢ Firstly, the share of exports in GDP has nearly tripled in 1992-2006 to about 40%; the number of exporters has also increased considerably.The structure of exports has improved, with a bigger share of processed goods and a higher value added. Foreign direct investment has helped increase the production capacity of the Polish economy, which enables the domestic market to better meet increased private demand, and makes the balance of payments less prone to fluctuations in domestic demand. In addition, increased investment-driven imports are largely balanced by increased exports on account of a good situation in the external environment. †¢ Secondly, the floating exchange rate is likely to act as a buffer against imported inflation.However, even without a strong zloty appreciation, inflation in Poland during the coming years is expected to stay rel atively low: below or around the central bank's medium-term inflation target of 2. 5%. As the Polish economy is now more open than 10 years ago, inflation is more influenced by global factors. Increased exposure of Polish enterprises to international competition limits their ability to freely increase prices and wages. They are forced to increase labour productivity faster than wages to maintain their market position. Thus, even with growing wage demands, enterprises are more willing to decrease mark-ups than to raise prices. Thirdly, increased household incomes acquired as a result of higher wages and an improved labour market situation may not translate into consumption to the same extent as in the previous economic cycle. There is evidence that households are now more saturated with basic durable and consumption goods which they lacked before4 and are more eager to spend additional income on holidays abroad owing to a more mature service sector. Financial markets are more develop ed than 10 years ago, giving an opportunity for financial investments. ConclusionsThe business cycle in Poland exhibits similar properties to cycles in mature economies, but there are some notable differences for government consumption, net exports and real interest rates (although for the last variable the picture may be blurred by its very high level at the beginning of the transformation process). However, because the data series are short, the results should be interpreted with caution. The irregular behaviour of government consumption in Poland with respect to influence on the business cycle could be related to a discretionary fiscal policy implemented within a political business cycle.GDP growth is based on more solid foundations in the current cycle ECFIN Country Focus Volume IV, Issue 9 Page 6 The analysis of the previous upswing in Poland, the identification of variables with leading properties with respect to GDP, and the latest developments all seem to suggest that the Po lish economy might have reached the peak of the current cycle in the first quarter of 2007. Nevertheless, thanks to the ongoing process of restructuring of the economy, the slowdown phase is not likely to be as pronounced as in the previous cycle and should not lead to major imbalances.

Holes essays

Holes essays The book Holes is about a young boy by the name of Stanley Yelnats. Stanley Yelnats is a young boy who has been sent to a camp called camp Green Lake for being accused of stealing some shoes. Which were going on an auction from a famous baseball player named Clyde Livingston. Stanley denies the whole thing; he says the shoes just fell out of the sky. No one really believes him, not even his mom and dad. When Stanley goes to this camp the Warden orders him that he digs holes with the rest of the kids who were there. Stanley meets five kids named Zig-Zag, Magnet, Armpit, Squid, X-ray, and Zero Stanleys best friend at the camp. All 6 of these boys, including Stanley stay in the same bunkhouse. Bunkhouse letter Group D. Mr. Pendanski is the younger counselor who communicates with the boys the most. Mr. Sir doesnt talk to the boys a lot but is the more discipline counselor. The Warden is the head of the Camp who very rarely comes out of her air-conditioned log house. Stanley Yelnats had a great-great-grandfather, named Elya Yelnats, and he was in love wit his fianc. When her father wanted her to finally get married he had to choose between Elya and a man who wanted to trade her for a pig. Elya decided he was going to get a bigger pig and compete against this man. Elya went to Madame Zeroni, and she said that she would give him a baby pig and Elya would have to carry it up a mountain once a day and sing with it and it would grow to be bigger than the other mans. Only one thing Elya had to promise to do, after he wins his fianc over he would carry Madame Zeroni up the hill and sing to her, Elya agreed. Elya did this and his pig ended up being the same size as the other mans. When his fiancs father decided to let his daughter pick, she picked the other man. When Elya heard this he immediately hopped on a boat to America. In America he got married and ha ...

A Hilarious Roller Coaster Monologue for Women

A Hilarious Roller Coaster Monologue for Women An outgoing woman named Roxy delivers this comedic female monologue. Her boyfriend is a roller coaster fanatic, and also a bit immature. Therefore, she has decided to break up with him, right in the middle of their roller coaster ride. Although the character sits most of the time, the actress could feel free to add a lot of movement and facial expressions to simulate the ride. The Monologue (Roxy gets into her rollercoaster seat.)(She’s talking to her boyfriend.) You and your obsession with roller coasters.What’s the name of this one? Oh, â€Å"TheTerminatrix.† How nice. Look, Derek, I- How do I buckle this thing? I got it.Derek, I think I’ve got enough adrenalineand funnel cakes in my system, I can finallytell you what’s in my heart right now. This might not be the best conversation to have on the rollercoaster, but if what I am about to say breaks your heart; you can claim that whatever tears might be in your eyes are due to wind resistance. (Leans back – the rollercoaster begins going up.) Oh – here we go! So, what I’m trying to say†¦What am I trying to say? Well, we’ve had a good year. Almost a year. (She leans forward and bounces up and down just a bit to show the bumpy beginning of the roller coaster.) Ten months and 22 days. Thingsstarted rough. Sort of like this ride. And I thought we were headed in the same direction. (Leans back again.) But now it feels like we’ve been traveling on two different tracks. What? Put my hands in the air?Okay. (Raises hands in the air.)But, Derek, where are we headed?I feel like I’m ready to take the plunge off of the Marriage Mountain Splash Ride. And I’m not afraid to get soaked with commitment. You’d rather spend your time on the bumper cars. Sure, it’s fun to bump around, but it getspretty meaningless after a while. So, that’s why I think – oh my gosh, this is high up! Is itsupposed to be this high? It’s safe, right?Anyway, that’s why I’ve decided – Here goes! (The roller coaster drop begins!) I’m BREAKING UP WITH YOU!!!! AAAAAH!I THINK WE SHOULD JUST BE FRIENDS!AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE!!!! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! (She leans to the left.) So, what do you think?! (She leans to the right.) What are you doing? What is this? (She accepts something from him.) A ring? Do you want to marry me? Here comes another one! Whoa, whoa, aaaaaaah!You’re crazy, Derek! But - Yes!I’LL MARRY YOU!!!! (She lurches to a sudden stop. Catches her breath.) Let’s do it again!

Principles of Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Principles of Economics - Assignment Example This is a factor that will result in students missing on the services and others will opt to park out of school wile others will be forced to use other means of transportation that are likely to inconvenience them more. Employed students will feel the pinch the most. Their time will be wasted with most of them opting for external parking. Unemployed students have adequate time to look for parking and if not for the rush to class, they will be the greatest benefactors of the lowered parking prices. Opportunity cost refers to the loss of one alternative when the other is chosen. 100 bats are equivalent to the production of 400 rackets. Producing an additional 100 bats will thus result in the loss of 400 rackets. The larger trade off is brought about by the equal rate of producing the two items in the second scenario. While the other will result in the loss of more rackets, the second scenario results in the loss of 100 rackets. This is more admissible than in the first case. f. Suppose Athletic Country is currently producing 200 bats and 200 rackets. How many additional bats could they produce without giving up any rackets? How many additional rackets could they produce without giving up any bats? (4 Marks) The production of equal number of the two simply results in equal number of either item in case of a trade-off. In this scenario, one bat or racket traded off results in the loss of one racket or bat preferred over the other. This type of production is efficient as it ensures effective returns for the capital invested. In case of an increased demand on either of the two, the firm simply halts the production of the other thereby maximising on the capital. In order to reduce smoking, the government places an additional tax of  £2 on a pack of twenty cigarettes. After one month, while the price to the consumer has increased a great deal, the quantity

Notice of cafeteria construction Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Notice of cafeteria construction - Case Study Example After the renovation, the changes will be made as follows: Meanwhile, you will have to eat lunch outside our building for the three days. Our company has made contracts with three restaurants on Lifelong Building, whose location is next to our building. You will not have to use money to get services from the restaurants for the three days shutdown period. The restaurant will allow every individual to have meals that do not exceed twenty dollars per day upon retrieval of their Employees ID as you would do at our cafeteria. To make it clear, you may spend twenty dollars including taxes in each restaurant (up to 60 dollars in total) in three days. The available restaurants include: If you have any queries regarding the closure of the cafeteria, you can get most of answers from our constructors’ website www.restaurantrenovators.ca. The Human Resource Team are also ready to answer any queries regarding the closure of our cafeteria. Sorry, for any inconvenience