Exotic Lemons Blog


How did the policies of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 protect economic growth during the 2008 US financial crisis?

Posted on 3rd Mar 2024 14:21:06

In June 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ended the Great Recession after two years of economic downturn and trillions of dollars of losses. A lack of risk management, regulatory failures, and a housing bubble led to a decline in GDP thus low consumer confidence and high unemployment rates (Duigan). This report will answer the question “How did the policies of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) protect economic growth during the 2008 US financial crisis?” by analysing how monetary policies and regulatory failures contributed to the 2008 Financial Crisis, to what extent US policies were successful in restoring consumer confidence and business expectations to pre-crisis levels, and what policies are best suited for regulating financial instability. The ARRA is an example of why government intervention is sometimes necessary to change harmful economic activity.

An alternative Sodium Chloride

Posted on 2nd Mar 2024 10:03:23

Every day, for every meal, and every snack, we eat salt. Typically, Sodium Chloride, the spice, alerts our tastebuds making us more receptive towards taste. Furthermore, the sodium is necessary to hold water in our bodies and prevents us from urinating out all the liquids we take in. On the other hand, the average adult has a daily intake of Sodium double the recommended and necessary mass. The human body only needs around 1500 mg of Sodium per day, whilst an adult typically ingests 3400 mg per day (Harvard Health). Over time, this increased intake leads to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure because the blood vessels clog up (Lawless).

What systems of power led to change in the interconnectedness of the New Kingdom of Egypt, a golden age around the Nile region between 1570-1070 BCE?

Posted on 13th Jan 2024 00:40:34

Ahmose of Thebes reestablished the Egyptian Kingdom during his reign between 1570-1544 BCE by driving out the Hyksos, a group of merchants from Palestine. Egypt was a kingdom for close to three thousand years around the Nile region. Since the first union of Egypt around 3150 BCE, the territory had multiple “Kingdoms”, times of prosperity and wealth but also “Intermediate Periods”, times of disunity.

How effective is Forum Theatre in creating change and facilitating the collaborative imagination of a hopeful and fairer future?

Posted on 7th Nov 2023 10:32:26

After the second world war, Brazil, the biggest country on the South American continent, developed its “untapped resources” at an unprecedented rate. Under its new leadership, the country’s economy grew rapidly (Martins, Momsen and James). On the other hand, the living conditions deteriorated as the cost of living rose. The gap between social classes grew. The rich became richer and the poor poorer. At the same time, Augusto Boal came back to Brazil, his country of origin, from his theatre studies in New York. At the start of his career, Boal worked at a theatre in São Paulo and became its artistic director. During this time, he started developing new ideas. Heavily influenced by Pedagogia do oprimido (Pedagogy of the Oppressed), a book talking about the oppression Paulo Freire had encountered and criticising the educational system, Boal started creating Theatre of the Oppressed.

Analysis of Augustus Egg’s triptych: Past and Present

Posted on 7th Nov 2023 09:03:45

In 1858, Past and Present a triptych by Augustus Egg was first exhibited at the Royal Academy with no title. The three scenes depict different aspects of a Woman’s infidelity in the 19th century. During the Victorian times of England, it was greatly differentiated between a man and woman when it came to adultery. In one case such an act wasn’t addressed, in the other it was an unforgivable crime. Through his work, Egg expresses his opinion on the harsh norms of society throughout his life.

Reflecting on the impact of Science: Wakefield Scandal

Posted on 7th Nov 2023 08:28:17

Dr. Andrew Wakefield and 12 of his colleagues published a case series researching the effects of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine on “Autism” in 1998 (Wakefield). In the scientific community, it was quickly attempted to reproduce the results, with no success. On the other hand, parents started to become sceptical of the vaccine, leading to fewer children getting immunised.

Analysis of the time when Zora Neale Hurston wrote "Their eyes were watching God"

Posted on 22nd Sep 2023 07:38:03

Every human being is influenced some way or another. This can especially be seen with art and other publications because it is often elementary to make connections between the features of the artist’s product and the real world. Their eyes were watching God was published in 1937 at a time which had a few major events and circumstances which could have influenced the author; Zora Neale Hurston. Some of these major events include the Jim Crow laws, supporting segregation, the Great Depression which influenced every American life, the gender norms around the same time or the Harlem Renaissance.

'They killed my son' scene in The Help - Analysis

Posted on 16th Jun 2023 14:41:21

The Help is a 2011 movie talking about the story of a white journalist, Skeeter, in the south and her idea to write a book with two maids, Aibileen and Minny during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963 (Cordero 2020). Viola Davis who plays Aibileen has won one oscar and numerous nominations (IMDB 2023). Specifically she was nominated for "Best actress" in this movie. In an interview with the New York Times she says she draws from some of the immersive elements of Method acting, but prefers to combine them with “more technical” approaches, such as breathing techniques that allow her to cry for a role.

Photosynthesis Lab Report

Posted on 26th May 2023 18:36:54

In 1771, Joseph Priestley discovered that a sprig of mint could change the air in an enclosed space. After having burnt a candle in a container until the air did not support further combustion, he placed the small plant in the container. He found that a few days later it was possible to reignite the candle (McEvoy). Later described as Photosynthesis, this process is vital for plants. When they absorb Carbon Dioxide, Water, and light energy, they produce Oxygen and Glucose (Bassham and Lambers). Eight years later, Jan Ingenhousz published a study he conducted. In the study he, expanding on Priestley’s work, found out that light energy and green tissue are necessary for the reaction (Rogers). Later, Jean Senebier found out that the two gases which take part in the chemical reaction are Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide (Britannica).

In what ways does Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, a text from a vastly different time and space, communicate universal human truths to a modern audience?

Posted on 26th May 2023 08:32:58

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet around 1595 (Bevington). In that century, the newly discovered Americas were slowly being populated, Europe was modernising, commerce was becoming more and more important, and for the first time in two centuries the population of Europe was starting to grow again (Barzun). In other words, times were different from today. Although Shakespeare lived more than 400 years ago (Spencer, Brown and Bevington), in his play, he addresses themes which are still relatable today. These universal themes can be observed in every piece of literature, modern or classic (Reyes). Universal themes include love, hatred or fate, but also, the focus of this essay, the folly of youth. The folly of youth is the notion of lacking experience and therefore making mistakes (Oxford Dictionary), it is a popular universal theme in literature because of its relatability across a wide audience, as everybody is or was a child. The folly of youth is addressed weekly in news reports of teenagers dying because of naivety or lack of good judgement. Lastly, it appears that many adults think that younger generations do not grow up as fast as they did.

Verbatim Theatre

Posted on 25th May 2023 10:24:39

Art is a language to describe everything that can’t be transmitted via speech (Artincontext). Art is very difficult to define, but it is common knowledge that theatre is part of this subject area. In other words, theatre is another way for people to express their emotions and convey messages. Theatre has many categories, one of them being Verbatim. In this form of theatre, the spoken words of real people are used to create a documentary performance about an event, group of people, specific idea or other real-world scenarios (Cantrell). Some notable performances of verbatim theatre include The Laramie Project, the story of a homophobic hate crime. Talking to Terrorists, the psychology around terrorists, on both sides. And The Colour of Justice, about the injustice of the police (Mc Camphill). The fact that the script is based on or identical to real spoken words creates challenges during production. On the other hand, this type of performance also conveys messages in a very specific way. Verbatim Theatre also facilitates personal and cultural expression. Lastly, verbatim theatre can also launch ethical debates because of its sensitive topics.

Beurs van Berlage

Posted on 26th Apr 2023 10:19:27

This building is the Beurs van Berlage. Today it is a concert and exhibition hall but in 1903, when it was finished, it was housing the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. The modern architecture style building was designed by Beurs van Berlage. The architect didn't believe in the idea that its original purpose will last which is why, as second purpose, he designed it to become a grand community house. The Beurs van Berlage is located in the absolute centre of the city and was built on a filled up harbor basin.

Facades

Posted on 26th Apr 2023 09:41:17

Architectural Facades, defined by the oxford dictionary, are "the principal front of a building, that faces on to a street or open space". Facades are the voice of a building. We see buildings everywhere and they always built in the same setup. The character of a building is defined by its facade.

Global interaction in underdeveloped countries

Posted on 18th Apr 2023 10:26:00

The Oxford dictionary defines development as "the steady growth of something so that it becomes more advanced, stronger, etc.". In a country, development addresses the rise in well being of a population and economic growth. Human development and economic development are also a way to classify a country or region to compare it to others.

The impact of science during the Covid Pandemic

Posted on 15th Apr 2023 11:30:15

In 2020 most of the world came to a screeching halt. SARS-CoV-2, a virus from the already existing coronavirus family, had created a worldwide pandemic (World Health Organisation 2020). The virus was a fast spreading, relatively lethal virus which was difficult to control (World Health Organisation 2023) As a short-term solution most countries went into lockdown. Days, Weeks even Months where people couldn't leave their homes except in emergencies (Wahlquist 2021). Long term there was the need for a vaccine. Vaccines prepare the human body for a specific infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022). Originally dead or weakened versions of a virus or bacteria are injected into the human body. The body generates antibodies which defeat the intruder and remember him in case of another infection (World Health Organisation 2020). The Sinopharm vaccine from China showed that this kind of techniques did not work as efficiently for SARS-CoV-2 as mRNA. A relatively new technique. MRNA vaccines contain specific information in a protein of the virus which is injected into the body, this activates the immune system and the antibodies in turn remember this information (MedlinePlus 2022). If we compare Pfizer with Sinopharm the most known vaccines of both categories there is a 10-15% increase in efficiency for Pfizer (Casuccio 2021). Economically, the vaccines made it possible for people to return to work and businesses to reopen. Socially, the lifted covid restrictions allowed people to meet up again and travel freely. Ethically, the uncertainty around the new mRNA vaccines initially split up the society in those for and against vaccines.

Catalytic converter and their influence during the covid pandemic

Posted on 14th Apr 2023 21:40:29

In the modern world the majority of transport is powered by combustion engines. It is common knowledge that this kind of engine is harmful to the environment. Gases like Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides or Hydrocarbons are emitted into the atmosphere due to incomplete combustion or additional chemical reactions in the motor. These gases are dangerous to humans but also to plants and other animals.

Lorem Ipsum

Posted on 3rd Apr 2023 15:52:40

Lorem Ipsum is a placeholder text commonly used in graphic design, typography, printing, and typesetting industries. It's often used as a mock-up for layouts, as it resembles real text but is not actually meant to be read.

Journalistic

Posted on 3rd Apr 2023 10:58:20

Have you ever wanted to write a journal but never came to it because of the need for dedication or because you have problems with getting an idea? I was and still am like that.

IDU

Posted on 30th Mar 2023 20:16:02

This blog post is a start. I am trying to motivate myself to write down my thoughts. I share them so I have the feeling it is for a purpose. If anybody finds this when I am older few free to show it to me this will be very embarrassing. You can find more about me here.

© Copyright Dobrev