Shifting Geographies of Production and Consumption Essay

Shifting Geographies of Production and Consumption - Essay Example The late seventies, the eighties and the nineties all were dominated by the Japanese manufacturers. Even in the 21st century this dominance is not only visible but disturbingly complex with geographical concentration shifting in directions that defy economic sense and reinforce the multinationals’ perception of competition. The automobile industry has some peculiar characteristics when it comes to the question of concentration. There is a common tendency for every industry to be agglomerated geographically. However the automobile industry has a typical tendency for such geographical agglomeration. For instance within the frontiers of a country, a regional concentration would mean many manufacturers of an industry concentrating their output in a particularly advantageous geographical region such as Detroit in America. The same region would act as a focal point for international companies, thus completing an international cycle of geographic attraction. The automobile industry has some peculiarities in shifting the geographic epicenter of activity away from the initial centers of development to newer more demand-centric market–oriented regions in the globe. During the last three decades manufacturing centers have been shifted from low-cost, skilled-labour, market-centric regions to still low-cost, skilled-labour, market-centric regions elsewhere, e.g. China and India in Asia, East European countries in Europe and Latin America. Markets beckon not only the industry but also individual manufacturers. Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Motor Company, Nissan Motor Company and Honda Motor Company, all of Japan first entered the European Union (EU) to make use of tariff-free entry into the then flourishing market for automobiles. Next they entered the North American enclave. Finally they are making entry into the Latin American and East European markets. The Japanese management and labour practices are rather

The kidneys structure, functions, and what controls these functions Essay Example for Free

The kidneys structure, functions, and what controls these functions Essay The kidney is made up of nephrons, which are a kidneys functional units. These nephrons collect fluid filtered from the blood. The kidney connects to the renal artery, renal, vein, and ureter. Purified blood leaves the kidney using the renal vein, urine leaves using a ureter and the renal artery carries blood from the aorta to the kidney. The nephron has a cup-shaped nephric capsule that surrounds a cluster of capillaries called the glomerulus. A good deal of fluid from the blood filters into the capsule. Large proteins and whole blood cells are left behind due to the fact that their too big to pass through the filters along with the plasma or blood fluid. There are four main parts of the nephron tubule: the proximal convoluted tubule, the U-shaped loop of Henle, the distal convoluted tubule, and the collecting duct. A substantial amount of resorption takes place in the proximal convoluted tubule. The small proteins, glucose, and ions are returned to the blood by active transport. If the glucose in the filtrate, or filtered fluid, exceeds the kidney threshold level, some glucose will remain and appear in the urine. The loops of Henle permit the production of rather concentrated urine. The collecting duct, together with the loop of the Henle, plays a vital role in water balance. The concentration of urine takes place in the collecting ducts although the process depends on the activities in the loops of Henle. The loops of Henle and the collecting ducts are in the medulla of the kidney. The other parts of the nephron are outside the medulla in the outer region, the cortex. Theres a fluid in the medulla that contains an osmotic gradient in which solutes are steadily more concentrated in the direction away from the cortex. There are two kinds of solutes in the gradient: salt and urea. The loops of Henle create a salt gradient which actively transport salt ions out of the filtrate. The actual concentration of the urine takes place in the collecting duct after the urine passes through the distal convoluted tubule from the loop of Henle. The urine leaves the collecting duct through the pelvis of the kidney  and down the ureter to the urinary bladder. Urine composition and rate of urine formation is regulated by the hormones vasopressin, aldosterone, and angiotensin, and the enzyme renin. The posterior pituitary gland in the brain releases vasopressin. Vasopressin increases resorption of water from the urine. When the body is losing water the body stimulates vasopressin secretion in result slowing down the loss of water through urine. The body detects water decrease either by lower blood volume (i.e. bleeding) or an increase in concentration of blood plasma (i.e. sweating). Very little water is resorbed from urine when there is an absence of vasopressin. Water volume depends on the amount of salt; therefore the amount of salt in the body directly affects the volume and concentration of the blood. When the salt levels in the blood increase the adrenal gland in the kidney secretes a hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone causes the body to resorb sodium by the distal tubule. The rate is determined by blood salt content. Since less salt is resorbed by the kidney the urines salt content increases therefore increasing urinary volume. When the sodium levels in the blood decrease the kidneys secrete and enzyme called renin. Renin converts the plasma protein angiotensinogen into the hormone angiotensin. Angiotensin causes the constriction of blood vessels to increase the aldosterone secretion. Then the aldosterone promotes the resorption of sodium by the kidney and the urines salt content decreasing urinary volume.

The Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

The catcher and the rye is about the struggle of a boy to find a point to his life. The author of this masterpiece, J.D. Salinger, gives a flawless performance of the thoughts and feelings of a skeptical teenage boy. Holden Claufield despises the world of phonies he has come to understand. He doesn’t have many friends, and he is failing in all his classes. He has many problems along those lines, and some how, all of his problems can be related to his younger brother’s death. Holden will come to find that life is what you make of it and some times having a family that cares for you, is incredibly important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holden is quite the negative type, for whatever reasons. He takes interest in nothing because he can easily find a logical reason why not to. He doesn’t even portray in social collaboration amongst schoolmates, aside from Stradlater and Ackley of course. He obviously does not join sports, plays, and other related activities, most likely because they are all too social. Holdens relationship with Stradlater, a GQ roommate, was more of a pastime activity, rather then a real friendship. Though Holden is a rather negative guy his thought structure is pure, and he is in general a good person with a free mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holdens disappointments all share a common center of rotation. â€Å"people† is the key problem. He doesn’t like how they work, how they pretend to be something they are not. Like an indirect lie that is shouted with out a word being said. It is people that make the worlds a huge and utter disappointment to Holden. He even has a name for such people, he calls them â€Å"phonies†. The reason for the name is quite self-explanatory. The other type of people that disappoint Holden, are those who are with out respect for anything. The type that only care about what is important to themselves. Ones who would write an obscenity where children play, for self-amusement. Holden doesn’t like these types all, but he keeps his thoughts to himself and remains at peace. Though Holdens negativity and disappointment level is great, he is unknowingly in search of happiness. Holdens initial life plan was to settle him self away from society, and if by chance there we people in this sanctuary, he would pretend to be deaf. One true thing that made Holden happy was sharing a moment with his sister, Peobe.

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 32

I turned my back to the estate and began walking, then running, on the dirt road into town. Somehow, I felt that my feet barely touched the ground. I ran faster and faster, but my breath stayed the same. I felt that I could run like this forever, and I wanted to, because every step was taking me farther and farther away from the horrors I'd witnessed. I tried not to think, tried to block the memories from my mind. Instead I focused on the light touch of the earth as I quickly placed one foot in front of the other. I noticed that even in the darkness, I could see the way the mist shimmered on the few leaves that still clung to the trees. I could hear the breath of squirrels and rabbits as they scampered through the forest. I smelled iron everywhere. The dirt road changed into cobblestone as I entered town. Getting to town seemed to have taken no time at all, though normally I traversed the same distance in no less than an hour. I slowed to a stop. My eyes stung as I glanced slowly from left to right. The town square looked different somehow. Insects crawled in the dirt between the cobblestones. Paint flaked off the walls of the Lockwood mansion, though it had been built only a few years ago. There was disrepair and decay in everything. Most pervasive was the smell of vervain. It was everywhere. But instead of being vaguely pleasant, the scent was all-consuming and made me feel dizzy and nauseated. The only thing that countered the cloying scent was the heady smell of iron. I inhaled deeply, suddenly knowing that the only remedy against the vervain-induced weakness was in that scent. Every fiber of my body screamed that I had to find the source of it, had to nourish myself. I looked around, hungrily, my eyes rapidly scanning from the saloon down the street to the market at the end of the block. Nothing. I sniffed the air again, and realized that the scent–the glorious, awful, damning scent–was coming closer. I whirled around and sucked in my breath as I saw Alice, the pretty young barmaid from the tavern, walking down the street. She was humming to herself and walking unevenly, no doubt because she'd sampled some of the whiskey she'd been serving all night. Her hair was a red flame against her pale skin. She smelled warm and sweet, like iron and wood smoke and tobacco. She was the remedy. I stole into the shadows of the trees that flanked the street. I was shocked by how loud she was. Her humming, her breathing, each uneven footfall registered in my ear, and I couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't waking up everyone in town. Finally, she passed by, her curves close enough to touch. I reached out, grabbing her by her hips. She gasped. â€Å"Alice,† I said, my voice echoing hollowly in my ears. â€Å"It's Stefan.† â€Å"Stefan Salvatore?† she said, her puzzlement quickly turning to fear. She trembled. â€Å"B-but you're dead.† I could smell the whiskey on her breath, could see her pale neck, with blue veins running beneath her skin, and practically swooned. But I didn't touch her with my teeth. Not yet. I savored the feeling of her in my arms, the sweet relief that what I'd spent the last moments insatiably craving was right in my hands. â€Å"Shhh †¦,† I murmured. â€Å"Everything will be all right.† I allowed my lips to graze her white skin, marveling at how sweet and fragrant it was. The anticipation was exquisite. Then, when I couldn't take it anymore, I curled my lips and plunged my teeth into her neck. Her blood rushed against my teeth, my gums, spurting into my body, bringing with it warmth and strength and life. I sucked hungrily, pausing only when Alice went limp in my arms and her heartbeat slowed to a dull thud. I wiped my mouth and looked down at her unconscious body, admiring my handiwork: two neat holes in her neck, just a few centimeters in diameter. She wasn't dead yet, but I knew she would be soon. I slung Alice over my shoulder, barely feeling the weight and barely feeling my feet hit the ground as I ran through town, into the woods, and back to the quarry.

Globalization Myth Essay

Globalization is an economic activity in which social change is a continuous process. Globalization happens through the increasing level of interdependence among nations to integrate their economic, political and social spheres. It is a force that has sped up the rate of communication, the increased the intensity of market competition, flared the rate of trades and strengthened interaction amongst states. The development of this concept is towards within the world political economy. As Douglas recounted, the concepts that signaled the rise of globalization are: â€Å"the rise of neoliberal transnational technocracy, the transfiguration of the military-industrial complex into the military-communications complex; the rationalization of the postwar ‘global governance institutions (IMF, IBRD, GATT, NATO, UN, EC/U), and the rise of others (NAFTA, WTO, APEC, ASEAN, PECC); transition within the ‘multi-core complex’ (in particular the incorporation of the developmental states of East Asia); decolonization, dependent development and the reconstruction of hierarchical commodity chains against calls for a ‘New International Economic Order’; the disintegration of the corporate-liberal synthesis followed by the deeper embeddedness of state-capital relations; a broad transition of command between the manufacturing and service spheres of Western economies; and the demobilization of labor unions† (1997) In general, there are two views on globalization. First, is that globalization is an offspring brought by the development of new communication technology. And second, its significance and purpose lies in the linkages that it forms within states, societies and individuals (McGrew 992). The concept was hastened primarily because of the growing capability of humans to innovate technology. Communication technology played a crucial part in the globalization boom. Information technology is an extension and a means towards pushing a long term development in the technology that will aide further penetrations in the state system (Chase 1994). This has brought closer states, it made exchange of information faster and more efficient. Nonetheless, creating allies was easier. And these allies were used for trades, for economic perpetuation, for defense strengthening, and for other purpose that interdependence may serve to strong nations. While others view globalization as merely an integration among nations in such a way that it shall enable individual or entrepreneurs around the world to trade faster and cheaper, there are still scholars and activists who view otherwise. Hirst and Thomson, in their book Globalization in Question suggested that globalization is a â€Å"deliberate process of economic liberalization† that forces individuals and states to participate in a more intense market forces (2000). It is a force that pushes states to participate in order to survive. Rights and equality are merely an issue. It is a question of a state’s capability to resist the calls of globalization and afterwards suffer the consequences that may be imposed on their markets, shall they try to counter the demands of the globalizing countries. It is an issue of control over the process, and who controls the market. Globalization has reached towards the depths of a nation’s character. Ecology, culture, communication, economic and political areas were the ones that were strategically affected by globalization. This in a way, can its ideologies be pushed within a state territory. Cultural components of the human evolution has been a central target for the start of the modern world-system (Meyer 1989). The thrust in the cultural sphere has been a great start to penetrate the state system. This marked a good start into luring the economic and political aspects of a country. As culture is the heart and soul of a country, it is the first door that must be opened in order to manipulate the thinking and mindset of the target population. No wonder that the process of globalization has started within the realms of media, towards the commercial products and creating a wide array of popular culture that will penetrate the population. On the other hand, communication as mentioned above has been, and will always be an integral part in the current world system. The rapid advancement in technology has decreased the cost of communication, and this has greatly affected the communication capability. State consciousness, as a delicate factor for the formation of â€Å"global civil society† has qualitatively changed by far. Globalization of communication has altered values, culture and consciousness by means of creating or destroying something whether the state calls for it or not (Giddens 1996) The trends revealed continuities and struggles for economy and democracy based on their own reflective judgments about the emerging ideology. As Moore suggested, progressive movements must make use of the ideas emerging from economic nationalism to retract the world market forces (1995). But nowadays, the public has accepted the mainstream social, political and cultural trends that developed within and among nations as an end-result in the interactions in the expanding world system (Chase 1999). This phenomenon has yielded different opinions on the basis of its feasibility and its significance among states. When they say â€Å"economic and social progress escaping from territorial limitations and become global† – it means that society and politics has escaped the state. Everything has become global in the sense that everything has gone into the cyberspace, without borders (Hirst 2001). The effects in politics are more pronounced in such a way that state functions are no longer within borders; as such the market and internet have absorbed its functions. Another effect of globalization on politics is that, its processes have become a mere satellite heavily relying by international entities such as UN. It has become dependent with the global political forces rather than the usual local regulation (Hirst 2001). Indeed, politics have also become market-driven. The economic regulation was attributed to government and agencies that can respond more flexibly in the ever changing economic system. Murphy’s â€Å"global governance† explains the growth of international organizations. This trend of political globalization concentrated on grasping international sovereignty (1994). Alongside, this ideology has tried to undercut and argued for elimination of Second Wave institutions such as unions, socialist parties and welfare programs (Dunn 1999). Economically, globalization delocalized activities, the way it had driven away the functions of politics away from the state. These activities have been ripped from its origins and its own unique culture (Gray 1999). Globalization meant the â€Å"global-spanning economic relationships† (Chase 199). This were manifested in the growing interrelationships of markets, networks of goods and services that were institutionalized by transnational corporations. During these era, the rate of trade and investment has dramatically increased. Globalization has brought states closer by means of using higher organizations to control the wave spectrum. States look upon those entities to enforce legislations that will cover a larger market. Division of labor emerged and under this globalization picture, this shall bring order to the international community. This international order serves as ties to connect these states towards one another. Thinkers of globalization would suggest that failure to participate in this order would render them weak, for their attempt to preserve local political control will result to the demise of governance (Hirst 2001). This world system created from political globalization has lead to the emergence of hegemons, those which were in control of the trade and had the richest access to the wealthiest nations that have thick resources of raw materials that are essential to the growth of the economies of these hegemons. Gaining control of these resources, coupled with their political supremacy over the others, prompted a heavy disparity over the rights of those who are inclined to follow the ascendancy of global leaders. This is the process in which globalization has indeed grown big but left numerous states at demise. These are peripheral states that are under the rule of their core countries. And although as much as globalization had promised to provide an equal playing field for market trades, it is impossible to attain such, given that political control is always concentrated on the side of a few. This is also a reason wherein globalization hasn’t reached its outmost capability to boom. There are states that resisted this call and decided to stand outside the field of hegemonic rulers. The question on globalization’s â€Å"global† character was raised based on its function. As Hirst and Thompson argued, the system is indeed international but it is not operating truly global. It is not global because it only operates amongst national economies centered only on major states. And even as large economies participate in the global trade, most of them still keep the majority of their products towards their national economies. Migrations have also been watched after to secure the growth of their economies (Hirst 2000). Though there exists a strong connection and interdependence among countries, not the entirety of the system is globalized but fitted in an order that will allow it to compete internationally. As Castell gave employment as an example; employment has never escaped its local origin, but it has rather been a â€Å"strategically crucial economic factor that was networked for exchange of the inputs and outputs† (2001). Here, globalization has been used as a guise to import labor, for an excessive output. This is in a way increased the significance of interdependence among nations. The international division of labor has been manipulated to favor stronger nations and extract the weaker nations of its resources and capacity. Academic contention on globalization as merely a myth has risen from its characteristics that its processes have made. Globalization is challenged as just a form of â€Å"internationalization†. There are academic scholars to argue that internationalization has never progressed to globalization. Because, internalization entailed the significance of nations and role of state, while on the other hand, globalization in its full bloom state must eliminate the existence of nation states (Hirst 2000). And for one thing, the countries that have succumbed to the calls of globalization in the guise of international relations are those who were previous colonies of the fallen empires, the post-war victims, and the weak nations who had no other choice but to follow the dictates of the then superpower of America. There wasn’t a choice left but to participate in that international trade rather than being apprehended by international authorities, or be sanctioned.