Gravity Model Definition and Examples

Gravity Model Definition and Examples For decades, social scientists have been using a modified version of  Isaac Newtons Law of Gravitation  to predict the movement of people, information, and commodities between cities and even continents. The gravity model, as social scientists refer to the modified law of gravitation, takes into account the population size of two places and their distance. Since larger places attract people, ideas, and commodities more than smaller places and places closer together have a greater attraction, the gravity model incorporates these two features. The relative strength of a bond between two places is determined by multiplying the population of city A by the population of city B and then dividing the product by the distance between the two cities squared. The Gravity Model Population 1 x Population 2_________________________   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  distance ² Examples If we compare the bond between the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, we first multiply their 1998 populations (20,124,377 and 15,781,273, respectively) to get 317,588,287,391,921 and then we divide that number by the  distance  (2462 miles) squared (6,061,444). The result is 52,394,823. We can shorten our math by reducing the numbers to the millions place: 20.12 times 15.78 equals 317.5 and then divide by 6 with a result of 52.9. Now, lets try two metropolitan areas a bit closer: El Paso (Texas) and Tucson (Arizona). We multiply their populations (703,127 and 790,755) to get 556,001,190,885 and then we divide that number by the distance (263 miles) squared (69,169) and the result is 8,038,300. Therefore, the bond between New York and Los Angeles is greater than that of El Paso and Tucson. How about El Paso and Los Angeles? Theyre 712 miles apart, 2.7 times farther than El Paso and Tucson! Well, Los Angeles is so large that it provides a huge gravitational force for El Paso. Their relative force is 21,888,491, a surprising 2.7 times greater than the gravitational force between El Paso and Tucson. While the gravity model was created to anticipate migration between cities (and we can expect that more people migrate between LA and NYC than between El Paso and Tucson), it can also be used to anticipate the traffic between two places, the number of telephone calls, the transportation of goods and mail, and other types of movement between places. The gravity model can also be used to compare the gravitational attraction between two continents, two countries, two states, two counties, or even two neighborhoods within the same city. Some prefer to use the functional distance between cities instead of the actual distance. The functional distance can be the driving distance or can even be flight time between cities. The gravity model was expanded by William J. Reilly in 1931 into Reillys law of retail gravitation to calculate the breaking point between two places where customers will be drawn to one or another of two competing commercial centers. Opponents of the gravity model explain that it can not be confirmed scientifically, that its only based on observation. They also state that the gravity model is an unfair method of predicting movement because its biased toward historic ties and toward the largest population centers. Thus, it can be used to perpetuate the status quo.

Sad Plays - Tragedies and Tear-jerkers

Sad Plays - Tragedies and Tear-jerkers Have you ever noticed how some plays are such a downer? Even some plays that are supposed to be comedies, such as Anton Chekovs masterpieces, are dour and cynical and downright depressing. Of course, the theater like life isnt all about comedy and happy endings. To be reflective of human nature, playwrights often delve into the tears-soaked corners of their souls, producing literary works that are timeless tragedies that evoke both terror and pity, just how Aristotle likes it! Here is a list of theaters most hauntingly sad plays: #10 - Night Mother There are many plays that explore the topic of suicide, but few are as direct and, dare I say, as persuasive as Marsha Normans play, night Mother. During the course of a single evening, an adult daughter has a sincere conversation with her mother, clearly explaining how she plans to take her own life before dawn. The daughters miserable life has been plagued with tragedy and mental illness. However, now that she has made her decision, she has gained clarity. No matter how her mother argues and begs, the daughter will not change her mind. New York theater critic John Simon praise the playwright stating that Marsha Norman conveys the simultaneous monstrousness and ordinariness of this event: that Jessie both solicitously provides for her mothers future and abandons her, coolly matter-of-fact about what strikes most of us as the ultimate irrational act. As with many sad, tragic and controversial plays, Night Mother ends with much to contemplate and discuss. #9 - Romeo and Juliet Millions of people think of Shakespeares classic Romeo and Juliet as the ultimate love story. Romantics view the two star-crossed lovers as the quintessential young couple, forgoing the wishes of their parents, throwing caution to the proverbial wind and settling for nothing less than true love, even if it comes at the cost of death. However, theres a more cynical way of looking at this story: Two hormone-driven teenagers kill themselves because of the stubborn hatred of ignorant adults. The tragedy may be overrated and overdone, but consider the ending of the play: Juliet lies asleep but Romeo believes that she is dead so he prepares to drink poison in order to join her. The situation remains one of the most devastating examples of dramatic irony in the history of the stage. #8 - Oedipus the King Also known as Oedipus Rex, this tragedy is the most famous work of Sophocles, a Greek playwright who lived over two thousand years ago. In case you have never heard the plot of this famous myth, you may want to skip to the next play on the list. Spoiler Alert: Oedipus discovers that years ago he murdered his biological father and unknowingly married his biological mother. The circumstances are grotesque, but the real tragedy stems from the bloody reactions of the characters as each participant learns the unbearable truth. The citizens are filled with shock and pity. Jocasta hangs herself. And Oedipus uses the pins from her dress to gauge out his eyes. Well, we all cope in different ways I guess. Creon, Jocastas brother, takes over the throne. Oedipus will wander around Greece as a wretched example of mans folly. (And I assume Zeus and his fellow Olympians enjoy a mean-spirited chuckle.) Read the complete plot summary of Oedipus the King. #7 - Death of a Salesman Playwright Arthur Miller doesnt just kill off his protagonist, Willy Loman, by the end of the play. He also does his best to euthanize the American Dream. The aging salesman once believed that charisma, obedience, and persistence would lead to prosperity. Now that his sanity is wearing thin, and his sons have failed to live up to his expectations, Loman determines that he is worth more dead than alive. In my review of the play, I explain how this drama may not be my favorite of Millers work, but the play clearly accomplishes its goal: To make us understand the painfulness of mediocrity. And we learn a valuable, common sense lesson: Things dont always go the way we want them to go. #6 - Wit: There is a lot of humorous, heartwarming dialogue to be found in Margaret Edsons Wit. Yet, despite the plays many life affirming moments, Wit is filled with clinical studies, chemotherapy, and long stretches of painful, introspective loneliness. Its the story of Dr. Vivian Bearing, a hard-as-nails English professor. Her callousness is most evident during the plays flashbacks. While she narrates directly to the audience, Dr. Bearing recalls several encounters with her former students. As the pupils struggle with the material, often embarrassed by their intellectual inadequacy, Dr. Bearing responds by saying intimidating and insulting them. Yet, as Dr. Bearing revisits her past, she realizes she should have offered more human kindness to her students. Kindness is something Dr. Bearing will come to desperately crave as the play continues. If you have already experienced Wit then you know you will never look at John Donnes poetry the same way. The main character uses the cryptic sonnets to keep her intellect sharp, but by the end of the play she learns that academic excellence is no match for human compassion, and perhaps a bedtime story. Continue reading the Top Ten List of the Worlds Saddest Plays.

Professional communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional communication - Essay Example I want to emphasize that taking care of you, our customer, remains our highest priority and we thank you for your patience. If you have any further questions, or require assistance locating an Audi dealer, please visit audi.com or call us directly at 800-822-8987. First of all, as an important rule of business proposal letter writing serves the need to initially define who will be a reader of a letter, or, if it may have multiple recipients, what is its audience. In our particular case the letter is addressed to a concrete person, but there is every reason to believe that this letter was actually sent to many people, and thus is audience-oriented in nature. Its audience then is a group of people who have purchased a certain model of Audi, i.e. the existing clients of the company. Although the signature of the letter belongs to the Vice President of the company, the authorship of the letter is presented as if being from Audi company itself. In this situation such an authorship sets clear relations of seller-buyer between the sender of the letter and its recipients. Moreover, in this case the relations emerge on the ground of sellers responsibility before customers.

Harlem Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Harlem Renaissance - Essay Example It brought to the forefront the cultural specifics of the black community in all possible spheres. In literature, Harlem Renaissance enriched poetry, fiction, drama and essay. In arts, the traditional and popular songs, dance forms and paintings exhibit a vibrancy characteristic of the Harlem spirit of the times. And politically, the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) has brought the revolutionary ideas of W.E.B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey to good effect, which eventually led to appropriate representations and fortifications of the black community. 4. ‘Renaissance’ can literally means a rebirth or reawakening. The term is usually used to encompass a period that shows a renewed interest in art, literature or music. The Italian Renaissance of the 14th Century that focused mainly on painting led to a flowering of all forms of arts, literature and cultural artifacts in all Europe that lasted till the 16thy Century. In Harlem Renaissance, the interest in black tradition and art forms were evident. Moreover, it was a period when an abundance of artistic and literary products took birth and were circulated. 5. Harlem Renaissance works carried the general theme of a dual identity – of being an American and a black a colored individual at the same time. They explore the African-American identity with a lot of enthusiasm and optimism, since the racial prejudices were ameliorated at the time due to various reasons. The fact that there was scope for black arts at the specific environment gave the players of the movement great confidence and a sense of significance. The characteristic feature of the Renaissance is that it relied on the African heritage and tradition as much as it proclaimed the contemporary African-American existence and its accommodative, liberal spirit. New art forms like the Jazz did break away from traditions

A Victory For Clinton :: essays research papers

A Victory For Clinton   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another four years, another new president? The election of 1996 for president moves closer everyday as the republican Robert Dole, and the president Bill Clinton fight it out. Far behind and by all means out of the race is Ross Perot. The polls show Dole-Kemp behind Clinton-Gore, and the results will stay this way for several key reasons. Clinton will serve another four years as president since Americans know what to expect from him as president. On several key issues, such as the budget, Dole has provided the voters with vague ideas on how he will tackle his promises. As three key issues are examined we find Dole to make claims that can easily be doubted. Clinton's claims and views are backed up with four years of experience. Clinton's four years as president has seen a stable economy, and he will try to keep this up for another four years. The balancing of the budget proves to stand as one of the largest issues going into the election.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dole has talked about putting up 23% of federal spending up for cuts. Dole has also said he will not touch the areas of social security, defense, interest on the debt, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, military pensions, and the Energy Department research labs with cuts. This means under Dole we would be likely to see cuts in national parks with the number of rangers, the Border Patrol with fewer agents, the Bureau of Prisons with fewer prison spaces, NASA with fewer space shuttle flights, the FBI with fewer agents, drug interdiction with 2,960 fewer DEA agents, and education with fewer students in Head Start. On the record Dole has suggested cuts in the Energy Department, and the possibility of also eliminating the Commerce Department. These cuts alone would not achieve the goal of eliminating the budget deficit by 2002 which shows why Dole's ideas are too vague. In the reality for a balanced budget Transportation and the FBI could face cuts of up to 40%. Clinton, on the other hand, focuses his cuts on other areas in order to meet the seven years standard on balancing the budget. Clinton would plan to make the majority of his cuts on Medicare, Medicaid, and welfare. Clinton has already started dipping into these areas by passing the welfare reform act. The president's ideas are more focused on these specifics of balancing the budget which is why he will most likely be re-elected. Another decisive area in the 1996 elections exists in the area of taxes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taxes, always a big issue to voters, will be another key to winning the

My Finished Career Portfolio Essay

1. Introduction–state your industry and what value you anticipate the portfolio will be of to you. The industry that I am most interested in is the Business Administration industry. In interviews, my portfolio will show potential employers the proof of my skills, education, work experience, references, career goals, and works in progress. By providing a career portfolio and highlighting my positives, employers will take me more seriously and know that I take my career seriously. 2. Describe in a two-page paper what exact documents you have in your career portfolio. List them one-by-one. State how it looks to you and how effective you believe this will be. The documents I have in my career portfolio are: Statement of originality and confidentiality Work philosophy My career goals for the next five years My resume, cover letter and reference list with permission from each reference that I may use them for job hunting. I have tabbed sections for the skills that I want to promote such as management, training and communications. I have several letters of recommendation requested from professors and former employers I am working on skill sets lists of the critical skills I have that relate to the jobs I am looking for. This I think is going to be an on the job process when I get hired on by an employer. I have a list of projects and activities that I have in progress in my career portfolio as well. I have official transcripts from obtaining my GED and an unofficial transcript for Everest University to be replaced with the official transcript upon completion of my degree. 3. Have you utilized this as yet during an Interview? I have not had the experience of using my career portfolio in an interview as of yet. 4. Have you also assembled an electronic portfolio?  I have not assembled an electronic career portfolio as of yet. I plan on doing that as soon as I possibly can so that I can utilize that as well when looking for a job in my degree field.

Marcus Garvey and Embracing African Heritage

No Marcus Garvey biography  would be complete without defining the radical views that made him a threat to the status quo. The life story of the Jamaican-born activist starts well before he came to the United States following World War I when Harlem was an exciting place for African-American culture. Poets like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, as well as novelists like Nella Larsen and Zora Neale Hurston, created a vibrant literature that captured the black experience. Musicians such as Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, playing and singing in Harlem nightclubs, invented what has been called Americas classical music—jazz. In the midst of this renaissance of African-American culture in New York (known as the Harlem Renaissance), Garvey seized the attention of both white and black Americans with his powerful oratory and ideas about separatism. During the 1920s, the UNIA, the foundation of Garveys movement, became what historian Lawrence Levine has called the broadest mass movement in African-American history. Early Life Garvey was born in Jamaica in 1887, which was then part of the British West Indies. As a teenager, Garvey moved from his small coastal village to Kingston, where political speakers and preachers entranced him with their public speaking skills. He began studying oratory and practicing on his own. Entrance into Politics Garvey became a foreman for a large printing business, but a strike in 1907 during which he sided with the workers instead of management, derailed his career. The realization that politics was his true passion prompted Garvey to begin organizing and writing on behalf of workers. He traveled to Central and South America, where he spoke out on behalf of West Indian expatriate workers. The UNIA Garvey went to London in 1912 where he met a group of black intellectuals who gathered to discuss ideas like anti-colonialism and African unity. Returning to Jamaica in 1914, Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association or UNIA. Among the UNIAs goals were the founding of colleges for general and vocational education, the promotion of business ownership and the encouragement of a sense of brotherhood among the African diaspora. Garveys Trip to America Garvey encountered difficulties organizing Jamaicans; the more affluent tended to oppose his teachings as a threat to their position. In 1916, Garvey decided to travel to the United States to learn more about Americas black population. He discovered the time was ripe for the UNIA in the United States. As African-American soldiers began serving in World War I, there was widespread belief that being loyal and performing their duty for the United States would result in white Americans addressing the terrible racial inequalities that existed in the nation. In reality, African-American soldiers, after having experienced a more tolerant culture in France, returned home after the war to find racism as deeply entrenched as ever. Garveys teachings spoke to those who had been so disappointed to discover the status quo still in place after the war. Garveys Teachings Garvey established a branch of the UNIA in New York City, where he held meetings, putting into practice the oratorical style he had honed in Jamaica. He preached racial pride, for instance, encouraging parents to give their daughters black dolls to play with. He told African-Americans they had the same opportunities and potential as any other group of people in the world. Up, you mighty race, he exhorted the attendees. Garvey aimed his message at all African-Americans. To that end, he not only established the newspaper Negro World but also held parades in which he marched, wearing a lively dark suit with gold stripes and sporting a white hat with a plume. Relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois Garvey clashed with prominent African-American leaders of the day, including W.E.B. Du Bois. Among his criticisms, Du Bois denounced Garvey for meeting with Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members in Atlanta. At this meeting, Garvey told the KKK that their goals were compatible. Like the KKK, Garvey said, he rejected miscegenation and the idea of social equality. Blacks in America needed to forge their own destiny, according to Garvey. Ideas like these horrified Du Bois, who called Garvey the most dangerous enemy of the Negro Race in America and in the world in a May 1924 issue of The Crisis. Back to Africa Garvey is sometimes said to have headed a back-to-Africa movement. He did not call for a widespread exodus of blacks out of the Americas and into Africa but did see the continent as a source of heritage, culture, and pride. Garvey believed in founding a nation to serve as a central homeland, as Palestine was for Jews. In 1919, Garvey and the UNIA established the Black Star Line for the dual purposes of carrying blacks to Africa and promoting the idea of black enterprise. The Black Star Line The Black Star Line was poorly managed and fell victim to unscrupulous businessmen who sold damaged ships to the shipping line. Garvey also chose poor associates to go into business with, some of whom apparently stole money from the business. Garvey and the UNIA sold stock in the business by mail, and the inability of the company to deliver on its promises resulted in the federal government prosecuting Garvey and four others for mail fraud. Exile Though Garvey was only guilty of inexperience and bad choices, he was convicted in 1923. He spent two years in jail;  President Calvin Coolidge  ended his sentence early, but Garvey was deported in 1927. He continued to work for the UNIAs goals after his exile from the United States, but he was never able to return. The UNIA struggled on but never reached the heights it had under Garvey. Sources Levine, Lawrence W. Marcus Garvey and the Politics of Revitalization. In  The Unpredictable Past: Explorations in American Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Lewis, David L.  W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight for Equality and the American Century, 1919-1963. New York: Macmillan, 2001.