banks :: essays research papers

If much of contemporary literary theory emphasizes the cultural production of class, race, and gender in American fiction, contemporary fiction that utilizes the resources of narrative minimalism to explore issues of cultural division - fiction by such writers as Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Susan Minot, and Russell Banks - increasingly provides the context for critical debate. The refusal to elaborate plot or to use plot to suggest a narrator who controls interpretation, becomes itself a strategy that allows the reader to observe clearly the boundaries between the story's minimal plot and the way the socially produced narratives invoked by the story enforce cultural division. If we conceive of narrative as the establishment, for the reader, of a network of expectations within a frame of contingency, then perhaps no expectation is more fundamental than that of intelligible action@ the progression of story through chronological time, which we commonly refer to as plot. In a world w here the possibilities of plot express unattainable desires on the part of a narrative's characters, however, the reader's desire for a resolution of plot into meaning is thwarted, and the resultant anxiety the reader feels underscores his or her complicity with the frustrations and incoherencies of the characters, lives. These incoherencies resist sentimental assimilation into the reader's aesthetic imagination. The resultant daydreams and wish-fulfilling fantasies display, as Fredric Jameson argues, the otherwise inconceivable link between history and desire (182). Russell Banks's Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat" presents precisely such an evasive narrative, one whose very evasion establishes a dialogic relationship between the reader and a cast of characters whose lives display the wreckage of the larger cultural narratives that marginalize them. In effect, Banks's minimalism accentuates the missing cultural narratives that have written the characters into th e margins. "Black Man and White Woman" does, of course, present things that happen. The story opens with an apparently random variety of people who live in a trailerpark commencing their days. The reader is not immediately aware that the black man and the white woman are the focus of the story. They gradually emerge from the narrative background, and the story follows them as they row onto the lake, converse laconically, and row home. The sense of nothing happening is created in the context of their desire, both their physical desire for each other and their desire to construct plots that might provide a meaningful structure to their lives.

Ocean Carrier’s Case Essay

1) Do you expect daily spot hire rates to increase or decrease next year? According to the Case description, Exhibit 3 showed order booking and delivery schedule for bulk capsizes for coming years from 2001 to 2004. It was larger than the number of current fleet size in Exhibit 2. Thus, the spot hire rates would likely to decrease since capsizes are available. 2) What factors drive average daily hire rates? Daily hire rate were determined by the supply and the demand. From Exhibit 2, the existing capsizes carriers in terms of the sum of the loading ability. Factors of supply such as age and size of vessel, cost of repair and maintenance as well as demand factor such as market condition would affect daily rates. 3) How would you characterize the long-term prospects of the capsize dry bulk industry? According to Case description, availability of fleet in the market and availability of transports good drives average daily hire rates. The daily hire rates would increase if ore exports from Australia and India starts in coming years. This would bring huge business trade. In absence of a new business, the average daily rates will decrease because of increasing number of fleet (demand is decreasing). There are about 2 million tons of capsize with age over 24 years. We will hope that these old vessels would be soon scrapped and this would reduce the supply of the capsize vessels. However, those old vessels were not a significant part of the total existing vessels. So we probably will not see a result that an obviously decreasing in supply because of the scraping of old vessels. In Exhibit3, the current order of new capsize vessels delivered in the coming 4 years. There will be a large supply of new capsize vessels from 2001 to 2003. This will increase the supply of capsize vessel in the future. 4) Evaluate the cost of the new capsize and forecast the expected cash flows. See OceanCariers4.xls 5) Should Ms Linn purchase the $39m capsize? Make 2 different assumptions. First, assume that Ocean Carriers is a US firm subject to 35% taxation. Second, assume that Ocean Carriers is located in Hong Kong, where owners of Hong Kong ships are notrequired to pay any tax on profits made overseas and are also exempted from paying any tax on profit made on cargo uplifted from Hong Kong. See OceanCarrier5.xls 6) What do you think of the company’s policy of not operating ships over 15 years old? This is a low-risk policy of company; this policy will save the company from uncertainty. At the same time, it will be not able to take advantage of returns on investment of vessels in the next years. This policy will not give a favorable outlook for investment.

Ostrich Facts Habitat, Behavior, Diet

The sole member of its order of birds, the ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the tallest and heaviest living bird. Though flightless, ostriches, which are native to Africa, can sprint at speeds of up to 45 mph and jog for extended distances at a sustained pace of 30 mph. Ostriches  have the largest eyes of any living terrestrial vertebrate, and their  3-pound eggs  are the largest produced by any living bird. In addition to all this, the male ostrich is one of the few birds on Earth to possess a functioning penis. Fast Facts: The Ostrich Scientific Name: Struthio camelusCommon Names: The common ostrichBasic Animal Group: BirdSize: 5 feet 7  inches tall to 6 feet 7 inches tallWeight: 200–300 poundsLifespan: 40–50 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Africa, including deserts, semi-arid plains, savannas, and open woodlandsPopulation: UnknownConservation Status:  Vulnerable Description Ostriches  are the largest birds alive today, with adults weighing between 200 to 300 pounds. Adult males attain a height of up to 6 feet 7 inches tall; females are slightly smaller. Their immense body size and small wings make them incapable of flying. Ostriches have a remarkable tolerance to heat, withstanding temperatures up to 132 degrees Fahrenheit without much stress. Ostriches have been domesticated for only about 150 years, and are truly only partly domesticated, or, rather, are only domesticated for a short period of their lives. Ostriches belong to a clan (but not order) of flightless birds known as the ratites. Ratites have smooth breastbones lacking keels, the bone structures to which flight muscles would normally be attached. Other birds classified as ratites include cassowaries, kiwis, moas, and emus. Habitat and Range Ostriches live in Africa and thrive in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, semi-arid plains, savannas, and open woodlands. During their five-month breeding season, these flightless  birds form flocks of five to 50 individuals, often intermingling with grazing mammals such as zebras and antelopes. When breeding season is over, this larger flock breaks down into small groups of two to five birds that care for the newborn hatchlings. Diet and Behavior Ostriches are omnivores, and thus eat mostly plant material, though at times they may also feed on insects and small vertebrates. Although they prefer plants—particularly roots, seeds, and leaves—they also eat locusts, lizards, snakes, and rodents. They have even been known to eat sand and pebbles, which helps them grind up their food inside their gizzard, a small pouch where food is crushed and ripped up before it reaches the stomach.   Ostriches dont need to drink water; they get all the water they need from the plants they eat. However, they will drink if they come across a watering hole. Reproduction and Offspring Male ostriches are called cocks or roosters, and females are called hens. A group of ostriches is called a flock. Flocks can consist of up to 100 birds, though most have 10 members, according to the San Diego Zoo. The group has a dominant male and a dominant female and several other females. Lone males come and go during mating season. Ostriches lay 3-pound eggs, which measure some 6 inches in length and 5 inches in diameter, making them the title of largest egg produced by any living bird. Males and females sit on the eggs until they hatch, between 42 and 46 days.  Male and female ostriches share the responsibility of raising their young. Ostrich offspring are larger than any other bird baby. At birth, chicks can be as big as chickens. rontav/Getty Images Conservation Status According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ostriches are considered to be vulnerable and their population is declining, though their population is unknown. The Somali ostrich, in particular, is thought to be in rapid decline. The San Diego Zoo notes that although not threatened, the ostrich requires strict protection and farming to conserve the remaining wild populations. Sources Bradford, Alina. â€Å"Ostrich Facts: The Worlds Largest Bird.†Ã‚  LiveScience, Purch, 17 Sept. 2014.â€Å"Ostrich.†Ã‚  San Diego Zoo Global Animals and Plants.â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions.†Ã‚  Frequently Asked Questions - American Ostrich Association.â€Å"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.†Ã‚  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.