Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
From Persian Insults to a Foreign Language Films
The first part of Patrick Cox's radio show was a disturbing Persian insult by a high ranking official, the Iranian President. He used a crude expression while welcoming high ranking people from Tehran. This type of language is not used in public and created a public uproar. He said that "the bogeyman snatched the boob." This is something the Iranians say when they have missed out on business opportunities or when nursing moms stop breast feeding. The reason he used such crude language was so he could seem more down-to-earth so that the crowd could relate better to him. In order to do so, he was trying to speak in a more casual manner.
The next part of the radio show discussed a remote community whose lifestyle is being threatened by global warming.These people live an ancient lifestyle. They hunt in kayaks, use harpoons, and travel by dog sleds. The poeple of Inuit are the last hunter-gatherers left. The population ranges from 70-1,000 people. Herbert, an anthropologist, is going to study their culture and live their way of life for a year. He will eat what they eat, things such as sea mammals and Arctic cod. He is not the first one to observe the oral culture of these people. The difference is that he will record their culture in their own language, not Danish. This is to help preserve their way of life as a result of global warming. If an iceburg lands on the Greenland coast, they will have to alter their lifestyle.
Another part of the show was a discussion about foreign language films in the U.S. They used to be huge hits but not anymore. In order for a foreign film to be considered a gold standard, it must clear 1million dollars. The last film shown in the U.S was a drama about a Palestinian community and that only made $600,000. The reason for this is that there is too much competion in the movie industry. You have to give people a reason to watch these films. Typically if a film is released in New York and gets a good review, it will be shown elsewhere. To be successful, it must be a good movie.
To end the radio show, Patrick talked to a language nerd. Hindu people use words with very different meanings to say the same thing. For example, depending upon the verbs used, yesterday and tomorrow can mean the same thing. Apparently it is very easy to get lost because "go straight" and "turn right" are the same word.
The next part of the radio show discussed a remote community whose lifestyle is being threatened by global warming.These people live an ancient lifestyle. They hunt in kayaks, use harpoons, and travel by dog sleds. The poeple of Inuit are the last hunter-gatherers left. The population ranges from 70-1,000 people. Herbert, an anthropologist, is going to study their culture and live their way of life for a year. He will eat what they eat, things such as sea mammals and Arctic cod. He is not the first one to observe the oral culture of these people. The difference is that he will record their culture in their own language, not Danish. This is to help preserve their way of life as a result of global warming. If an iceburg lands on the Greenland coast, they will have to alter their lifestyle.
Another part of the show was a discussion about foreign language films in the U.S. They used to be huge hits but not anymore. In order for a foreign film to be considered a gold standard, it must clear 1million dollars. The last film shown in the U.S was a drama about a Palestinian community and that only made $600,000. The reason for this is that there is too much competion in the movie industry. You have to give people a reason to watch these films. Typically if a film is released in New York and gets a good review, it will be shown elsewhere. To be successful, it must be a good movie.
To end the radio show, Patrick talked to a language nerd. Hindu people use words with very different meanings to say the same thing. For example, depending upon the verbs used, yesterday and tomorrow can mean the same thing. Apparently it is very easy to get lost because "go straight" and "turn right" are the same word.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Effects of 9/11
Kristen Kohles, Frank Mattes, & Brian Matejevich
September 8th, 2010
On the morning of September 11, 2001, a small group of dedicated fanatics hijacked four airplanes in flight, three of them crashed into symbolic buildings in various ways of what they found offensive about the United States, an changed the course of American history. Shortly after this occurred, a group of CRS analysts was called upon to assess the possible effects of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. economy and the ability of the government to deal with them.
September 11th not only affected the victims of these terrorist attacks, but also the international air travel industry. The United States had an immediate drop in arrivals of international visitors. For example, between the years 2001-2002, the global economy experienced a recession that reduced demand for air travel in general, but for the economy itself, 9/11 would have had to affect the price of an important product such as energy. Although visa policy did not change very much after 9/11, the security screening procedures that are part of the visa application process were made more standard and had greater restrictions. After the 9/11 attacks certain procedures related to immigration issuance and entry at the U.S. border were started as part of enhanced travel security protocol. Based on revised results, the terrorist attacks did not cause the economy to become weaker or irregular, the attacks on 9/11’s results were short lived. Overseas visitors to the U.S. went from a near 7 million to below 4 million after the event of 9/11. The U.S visa policy occurred after 9/11 although there were no major changes to the policy. Several security precautions related to visa insurance and visa entries were introduced. Even though the airline industry was already in financial trouble due to the recession at the time of 9/11, it severely compounded the industry’s financial problem. The federal government responded quickly to the attacks with an aid package that gave airlines the amount of up to $15 million. Insurance was one of the two industries profoundly affected by 9/11. The loss of personal property gave rise to the largest property and casualty claim in history, about $40 billion. Nearly 18 thousand businesses were disrupted by the attacks on 9/11 because most were in or around Ground Zero.
Airport security has come a long way just one year after the September 11th tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has passed and redone countless bills and acts trying to provide the safest, most efficient form of airport security. Changes on the airplane are the most visible security changes yet. Many planes have installed bullet proof, cockpit doors that secure the pilot and flight crew from the rest of the plane. There have also been attempts to install security camera systems so the pilots can monitor the cabin activity. Pilots also have been given the choice to carry a gun, for self-defense, but must be trained to use it. Security at airports themselves has come along much more slowly compared to the security on an airplane. These terrorist attacks helped open people’s eyes to the need of a more secure airport and how easily the old system was to manipulate. Airports all over the world need much improvement before they can truly be considered secure.
“The terrorist attacks pushed a weak economy over the edge into an outright recession,” people have said. We now know, based on revised reports that the economy was not pushed over the edge by 9/11. At the time of 9/11 the economy was in its third consecutive year of downfall; the uprising of the economy wouldn’t start again until the 4th year. Several events took place before, on, and shortly after 9/11, that made the economy recover more rapidly than might have been possible. First, the Federal Reserve had eased up on people’s credit during the first 6 months of 2001 to stimulate aggregate demand. The economy takes a while to react to policy changes though. Thus, the public response may have been felt in the last 3 months giving the appearance that 9/11 had only a small effect on the economy. Second, the Federal Reserve immediately after 9/11 took action to avert people away from financial crisis. This was added to by support from foreign banks to push up the dollar’s price in world markets which helped the results of 9/11 from not spreading to other countries. Nevertheless, U.S. trade with other countries was disrupted. While oil prices were raised briefly, they returned to their original prices almost immediately after. The United States in particular experienced a sudden drop in international visitors visiting the U.S., particularly from those flying in from across oceans. The sudden drop in arrivals immediately following 9/11 in part showed widespread concern about the safety of air travel. Economic factors most likely also played a major role in reducing travel to the United States in the aftermath of 9/11. In addition to safety concerns and economic conditions worsening, the perception that U.S. visa policy became more restrictive in the aftermath of 9/11 may also have negatively impacted arrivals. Such perceptions started concern within the travel industry that the United States was becoming a less attractive travel destination and was damaging its image around the world to past visitors and the future visitors to the U.S.
Works Cited:
2013, By. "Travel Facts and Statistics
U.S. Travel Association." U.S. Travel Association. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. http://www.ustravel.org/news/press-kit/travel-facts-and-statistics.
"Air Traffic - NextGen Briefing." FAA: Home. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/briefing/.
"Airport Security after 9/11 Essay." Essays and Papers Online - Direct Essays. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/83940.html>.
"Airport Security since 9/11: How Far Have We Come?" Access Control & Security System Solutions
Security News for Security Industry, Access Control, Theft Prevention, Alarm Professionals. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://securitysolutions.com/news/security_airport_security_far/>.
Department of Homeland Security
Preserving Our Freedoms, Protecting America. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://www.dhs.gov>.
H.R. Rep. No. RL31617. Print.
"File:World Trade Center 9-11 Attacks Illustration with Bird's-eye Impact Locations.jpg." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_Trade_Center_9-11_Attacks_Illustration_with_Bird's-eye_Impact_Locations.jpg>.
September 8th, 2010
On the morning of September 11, 2001, a small group of dedicated fanatics hijacked four airplanes in flight, three of them crashed into symbolic buildings in various ways of what they found offensive about the United States, an changed the course of American history. Shortly after this occurred, a group of CRS analysts was called upon to assess the possible effects of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. economy and the ability of the government to deal with them.
September 11th not only affected the victims of these terrorist attacks, but also the international air travel industry. The United States had an immediate drop in arrivals of international visitors. For example, between the years 2001-2002, the global economy experienced a recession that reduced demand for air travel in general, but for the economy itself, 9/11 would have had to affect the price of an important product such as energy. Although visa policy did not change very much after 9/11, the security screening procedures that are part of the visa application process were made more standard and had greater restrictions. After the 9/11 attacks certain procedures related to immigration issuance and entry at the U.S. border were started as part of enhanced travel security protocol. Based on revised results, the terrorist attacks did not cause the economy to become weaker or irregular, the attacks on 9/11’s results were short lived. Overseas visitors to the U.S. went from a near 7 million to below 4 million after the event of 9/11. The U.S visa policy occurred after 9/11 although there were no major changes to the policy. Several security precautions related to visa insurance and visa entries were introduced. Even though the airline industry was already in financial trouble due to the recession at the time of 9/11, it severely compounded the industry’s financial problem. The federal government responded quickly to the attacks with an aid package that gave airlines the amount of up to $15 million. Insurance was one of the two industries profoundly affected by 9/11. The loss of personal property gave rise to the largest property and casualty claim in history, about $40 billion. Nearly 18 thousand businesses were disrupted by the attacks on 9/11 because most were in or around Ground Zero.
Airport security has come a long way just one year after the September 11th tragedy. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has passed and redone countless bills and acts trying to provide the safest, most efficient form of airport security. Changes on the airplane are the most visible security changes yet. Many planes have installed bullet proof, cockpit doors that secure the pilot and flight crew from the rest of the plane. There have also been attempts to install security camera systems so the pilots can monitor the cabin activity. Pilots also have been given the choice to carry a gun, for self-defense, but must be trained to use it. Security at airports themselves has come along much more slowly compared to the security on an airplane. These terrorist attacks helped open people’s eyes to the need of a more secure airport and how easily the old system was to manipulate. Airports all over the world need much improvement before they can truly be considered secure.
“The terrorist attacks pushed a weak economy over the edge into an outright recession,” people have said. We now know, based on revised reports that the economy was not pushed over the edge by 9/11. At the time of 9/11 the economy was in its third consecutive year of downfall; the uprising of the economy wouldn’t start again until the 4th year. Several events took place before, on, and shortly after 9/11, that made the economy recover more rapidly than might have been possible. First, the Federal Reserve had eased up on people’s credit during the first 6 months of 2001 to stimulate aggregate demand. The economy takes a while to react to policy changes though. Thus, the public response may have been felt in the last 3 months giving the appearance that 9/11 had only a small effect on the economy. Second, the Federal Reserve immediately after 9/11 took action to avert people away from financial crisis. This was added to by support from foreign banks to push up the dollar’s price in world markets which helped the results of 9/11 from not spreading to other countries. Nevertheless, U.S. trade with other countries was disrupted. While oil prices were raised briefly, they returned to their original prices almost immediately after. The United States in particular experienced a sudden drop in international visitors visiting the U.S., particularly from those flying in from across oceans. The sudden drop in arrivals immediately following 9/11 in part showed widespread concern about the safety of air travel. Economic factors most likely also played a major role in reducing travel to the United States in the aftermath of 9/11. In addition to safety concerns and economic conditions worsening, the perception that U.S. visa policy became more restrictive in the aftermath of 9/11 may also have negatively impacted arrivals. Such perceptions started concern within the travel industry that the United States was becoming a less attractive travel destination and was damaging its image around the world to past visitors and the future visitors to the U.S.
Works Cited:
2013, By. "Travel Facts and Statistics
U.S. Travel Association." U.S. Travel Association. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. http://www.ustravel.org/news/press-kit/travel-facts-and-statistics.
"Air Traffic - NextGen Briefing." FAA: Home. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/briefing/.
"Airport Security after 9/11 Essay." Essays and Papers Online - Direct Essays. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/83940.html>.
"Airport Security since 9/11: How Far Have We Come?" Access Control & Security System Solutions
Security News for Security Industry, Access Control, Theft Prevention, Alarm Professionals. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://securitysolutions.com/news/security_airport_security_far/>.
Department of Homeland Security
Preserving Our Freedoms, Protecting America. Web. 08 Sept. 2010. <http://www.dhs.gov>.
H.R. Rep. No. RL31617. Print.
"File:World Trade Center 9-11 Attacks Illustration with Bird's-eye Impact Locations.jpg." Wikimedia Commons. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_Trade_Center_9-11_Attacks_Illustration_with_Bird's-eye_Impact_Locations.jpg>.
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