Research about Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Research about Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The regime uses security forces and the military to crack down on protesters (Amnesty International on human Rights web). According to the International Crisis Group, Saudi Arabia is a troubled place coupled with militant activities. Execution of innocent civilians is the order of the day and the same usually go unreported. The Shiite group, which is the minority group, has been economically displaced in their own country (web). The U.S department of State has echoed the same sentiments about Saudi Arabia. Although many issues mentioned by U.S department of State talk about conflicts, the most discussed issues about Saudi Arabia are political and socio-economic issues (U.S department of State web). Internally Displaced Monitoring Center (web) presents valuable information regarding Saudi Arabia social issues relating to internal displacement. It is claimed that the number of internally displaced citizens is increasing and more aid has been directed towards efforts to sustain the internally displaced persons. With all these conflicts, social, and political issues going on, a viable solution needs to be put in place. Amnesty International. â€Å"Saudi Arabia†. 2012. Web, 5 March, 2012.

To what extent has the UKs Vocational Education and Training (VET) Essay

To what extent has the UKs Vocational Education and Training (VET) system contributed to a skills gap Discuss with reference to the UKs potential to learn from other countries VET systems - Essay Example 5). Despite that, UK still continues to suffer from a skills gap that has affected its high economy. 3 This paper provides arguments that establish the participation degree played by the UK national VET system in bridging the skills gap. The aim is not to provide a theoretical analysis of UK’s performance, but rather to reference performance frameworks to Australian and Germany VET systems by establishing what can be learnt. 3 The term Vocational education and training (VET) originates from the content and purpose of the training. International bodies define VET as the means of preparing occupation professional fields for effective participation in the labour market (Bosch and Charest 2010, p. 1). However, this definition may not fit the current educational dimension that is characterised by university education that also prepares individuals for the workforce under specific professions. Thus, while higher education is concerned with the preparation to the labour market, vocational training is more concerned with earlier specialization for an occupational field. For this paper, we shall adopt Brockmann’s (2008 p, 2). Definition of VET an integrated and comprehensive system aimed to offer learners the ability to act competently within an occupation. 6 VET helps to match individual skills with labour force and existing market needs, equips individuals with lower levels of education with developed skills that can enable them fit into the expanding global economy that has introduced competition among countries. Vocational training also empowers young and inexperienced employees with ‘job ready’ skills, and develops a high skilled labour force that encourages and country investments by increasing economic growth (OECD 2011, p.7). 6 The universal decisive shift from holistic to vocational training in recent years has induced the UK to seek initiatives that aim at addressing her

The tragic Hero Essay Example for Free

The tragic Hero Essay Oedipus, the classic Greek tragedy by Sophocles, is one in which the protagonist is portrayed as a tragic hero. The author does this by combining the elements of irony, personal tragedy and heroism. In the play, Oedipuss character evokes pity because of his misfortune appears to be greater than he deserves hence the reader is left to empathise with him. His actions are controlled by fate and the reader is left to wonder why such a terrible thing is happening to such a good man. Power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely. Humans seem to have a common running trait, and that is one of power and heroism. The quest for heroism becomes the basis of Oedipus the Kings demise. If this power however gets into ones mind, the results could be detrimental, and Oedipus the King is a living testimony of this. Since his actions are controlled by fate, no matter how hard he tries, he cannot prevent good or bad things from happening to him. Since fate is cannot be prevented from taking its course, his actions are quite futile. Aristotle said A tragic hero evokes our pity and terror if he is neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly evil but a mixture of both. The tragic effect is stronger if the hero is more mortal than we are. Oedipus is a mixture of both good and evil. In the opening scene he is seen as a compassionate king who is intelligent and caring. Oedipus prides himself on his intelligence and it is this along with his questioning personality that lead to his downfall. These are his good sides with his evil side being that is guilty of killing King Laois and sleeping with his own mother. Oedipus tries his best to be morally upright with everything that he does, which is more than the average person does. Aristotle also goes on to say the tragic hero suffers a change in fortune from happiness to misery because an error in judgement which leaves the tragic hero to ignore or violate a divine warning or moral law. In the play, Oedipus runs away form Corinth to Thebes and solves the riddle of the sphinx and is thus made the king of Thebes. He however marries the widowed queen and has children with her thus violating a moral law. His fortune changes from happiness to misery when he realises what he has done. A tragic hero evokes our pity because he is not evil and his misfortune is greater than he deserves. He evokes our fear because we realise we are fallible and could make the same error said Aristotle. Oedipus is flawed in many ways and as a result comes out as imperfect since he has a balance mixture of both good and evil. His fortune in saving Thebes becomes his downfall when he fulfils the oracle by sleeping with the queen, who unknown to him is his mother. Oedipus is imperfect and this is seen through his moral and physical flaws. He limps as a result of his feet being pinned together when he was quite young. Unknowingly sleeping with his mother and killing his father is his moral flaw. Thus, combining the heroism of Oedipus with his flaws makes him imperfect though higher than the ordinary man in many ways. Sophocles portrays the result, a classic example of a tragic hero in this play. Sophocles use of irony throughout the play brings to bear on the reader the gloom of Oedipuss situation. We constantly find Oedipus trying to escape the Oracle, but in doing so, ends up fulfilling it. This is seen when he says in the opening scene Everybody everywhere knows who I am. This ironic statement is said in the opening scene of the play when Oedipus comes out to meet the people. His true identity is unknown to him but he exclaims that everyone else knows who he is. Also, since he is such a great riddle solver, you would think he would be able to solve the riddle of his identity but he is unable to in the sight of overwhelming evidence, which is quite ironic. An example of the irony of his fate is when his parents try to prevent the oracle form being fulfilled by sending him away to be killed. He however returns and on his way fulfils the oracle by killing his father and later on marrying his mother. It seems strange to the reader that Oedipus is not more careful about what he does. For example, when he killed king Laois at the crossroads, he should have realised with the oracle in mind that anybody he kills is likely to be his father. He however reacts carelessly by succumbing to his emotions when the King annoys him. Oedipus returns to Thebes and saves it by solving the riddle of the sphinx. However, he leads to its destruction since he is the cause of the plague. It is destroying themes. Thus his fortune tends to be his misfortune. These examples show how Oedipus fulfils the oracle even though he is trying to escape. The reader gets a haunting glimpse into the mindset of Oedipuss wife and mother. This is portrayed to the reader through the actions that she takes. She is a woman who after all who wanted want to kill her son to prevent the oracle from being fulfilled only to find out years later that she is married to him, which leads her to commit suicide later on. She expresses her disbelief in the oracles by telling Oedipus that they are powerless, however, in the next scene she is praying to the oracles to help Oedipus to stop his strange behaviour. Also in this scene, a messenger brings news from Corinth that Polybos is dead and Oedipus should return to Corinth. Though Oedipus is pleased about the kings death since he proves that the oracles dont come true. Yet still he refuses to return because Merope is alive. His fear is that he will fulfil the prophecy since his mother is alive. Oedipus, remains a mystery to both the reader and himself. He does not know his true identity and this becomes the source of his demise. He comes to find out his true identity, but in doing so, his sudden tragic end is brought closer. The reader at this point is left to wonder, what is the way out. Unfortunately, the answer as we come to realise in the latter parts of the book is one that is not easy. Fate has already chosen Oedipuss destiny and nothing can change it. A feature of tragic plays by Shakespeare. The writer connotes a certain sombre picture and depressing mood, which is characteristic of most of Shakespearean tragedies. The employments of understatements that lead to humour are also evident in most parts of the text, and this makes for an interesting reading. For example throughout the play, there are references to sight such as, you cannot see, yet you know the nature of this plague and light, o light, light now everything is clear which are ironic because Oedipus blinds himself later on. Also, the blind prophet Teireseis knows about Oedipususs true identity but Oedipus who isnt physically blind does not know his true identity. His servant Kreon whose name means king is also an irony since he turns form a messenger to a king. Throughout the play, there are references to sight such as, you cannot see, yet you know the nature of this plague and light light, light now everything is clear which are ironic because Oedipus blinds himself later on. Also, the blind prophet Teireseis knows about Oedipususs true identity but Oedipus who isnt physically blind does not know his true identity. His servant Kreon whose name means king is also an irony since he turns form a messenger to a king There are three hero archetypes that suit the character of Oedipus; The quest, the initiation and the sacrificial scapegoat. Oedipus delivers Thebes by solving the riddle of the sphinx and thus fulfils the first archetype which is that of a hero who who solves an unanswerable riddle to save his kingdom. He does this on his journey to discover his true identity. The second archetype is that of the phase of separation. This happens when he leaves Thebes, is transformed and returns to become king and save his kingdom. The third archetype is when in order to save Thebes he has to banish himself from the kingdom to restore it back to fruitfulness. This has the elements of a tragedy because no matter the decision he makes he it is going to be detrimental to him. Even though Irony plays a crucial role, other elements such as heroism and tragedy come in the text. We find Oedipus entangled by his own principles. He is always in that twilight zone, one between acceptance of the harsh reality and total rejection of the things he goes through. The choice of the latter is detrimental to both his character and that of the people he leads and governs and he thus chooses the former remaining a true tragic hero.

Economy Of South Africa Economics Essay

Economy Of South Africa Economics Essay South Africas economy is the largest in Africa and is 24 of its GDP in terms of PPP.A quarter of the population is unemployed and real unemployment rate is 40. South Africa has a comparative advantage in agriculture, mining and various manufacturing products. It has shifted from a primary and secondary economy to an economy driven primarily by the tertiary sector which accounts for an estimated 65% of GDP. Its economy is reasonably diversified with key economic sectors including mining, agriculture and fishery, vehicle manufacturing and assembly, food-processing, clothing and textiles, telecommunication, energy, financial and business services, real estate, tourism, transportation, and wholesale and retail trade. The unemployment rate is over 25%, and the poor have limited access to economic opportunities. Including this many issues such as crime, have in turn hurt investment and growth, having a negative effect on employment. Crime is considered a major constraint on investment. South Africa has struggled through the late 2000s recession, and the recovery has been largely led by private and public consumption growth, while export volumes and private investment have yet to fully recover. The long-term potential growth rate of South Africa under the current policy environment has been estimated at 3.5%.Per capita GDP growth has proved mediocre, though improving, growing by 2.2% over the 2000-09 decade. This is a table of the trend of South Africas gross domestic product at market prices estimated by the  International Monetary Fund: Year GDP, USD bln US Dollar Exchange in early January Unemployment rate Per Capita Income,  % of USA 1980 80.547 0.8267 Rand 9.2 22.6 1985 57.273 2.0052 Rand 15.5 9.8 1990 111.998 2.5419 Rand 18.8 13.1 1995 151.117 3.5486 Rand 16.7 13.2 2000 132.964 6.1188 Rand 25.6 8.5 2005 246.956 5.6497 Rand 26.7 12.4 2010 363.655 7.462 Rand 24.9 15.5 2015 (fcast) 510.937 22.8 18.0 Economic overview of South Africa (Sector wise) Natural resources Mining has been the main driving force behind the history and development of Africas most advanced and richest economy. Large scale mining started with the discovery of a diamond on the banks of the Orange River in 1867 by Erasmus Jacobs and the subsequent discovery and exploitation of the Kimberley pipes. The Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the subsequent rapid development of the gold field are the biggest of all. Though minings contribution to the national GDP has fallen from 21% in 1970 to 6% in 2011, it represents 60% of exports. The mining sector accounts for up to 9% of value added. In 2008, the countrys estimated share of world platinum production amounted to 77%; kyanite and other materials, 55%; chromium, 45%; palladium, 39%; vermiculite, 39%; vanadium, 38%; zirconium, 30%; manganese, 21%; rutile, 20%; ilmenite, 19%; gold etc. It also accounted for nearly 5% of the worlds polished diamond production. The countrys share of world reserves of platinum metals amounted to 89%; hafnium, 46%; zirconium, 27%; vanadium, 23%; manganese, 19%; rutile, 18%; fluorspar, 18%. It is worlds third largest exporter of coal. Agriculture and food processing The agricultural industry contributes 10% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts, as well as providing work for laborers and contributing 2.6% of GDP. Due to the aridity of the land, only 13.5% can be used for crop production. Agriculture sector face problems of increased foreign competition and crime. Maize production, which contributes to a 36% has also experienced negative effects due to climate change. South Africas critical exports include edible fruit and nuts, beverages, preserved food, tobacco, cereals, wool , miscellaneous food, sugar, meat, milling products and starch. Important imports include: cereals, meat, soya-bean oil cake, soya-bean oil and its fractions, tobacco, palm oil and its fractions, spices, coffee, tea, and preserved food. The competitive pressures from China and India resulted in decline of exports for the food, textiles and paper sub-sectors. Manufacturing The manufacturing industry contributes just 13.3% of jobs and 15% of GDP. Labor costs are low, and the cost of the transport, communications and general living is higher. The automotive industry is about 10% of South Africas manufacturing exports, contributes 7.5% to the countrys GDP. BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Daimler-Chrysler, General Motors and Toyota all have production plants in South Africa and the large component manufacturers are Arvin Exhaust, Bloxwitch, Corning and Senior Flexonics. Companies producing in South Africa can take advantage of low production costs and access to new markets due to trade agreements with the European Union and the Southern African Development Community. Service industry Telecommunications infrastructure provides efficient service to urban areas as to cellular and internet services. In 1997, Telkom, was partly privatised and entered into a strategic equity partnership with SBC, a U.S. telecommunications company. In exchange of providing certain services for 5 years, Telkom assumed an obligation to facilitate network modernisation and expansion into the unserved areas. Five companies provides service to 20 million subscribers and South Africa considered to have the 4th most advanced mobile telecommunications network worldwide. Business process outsourcing South Africa and particularly the Cape Town region established itself as a successful Call center and business process outsourcing destination with a highly talented pool of productive labor. The Carphone warehouse, Delta airlines and others have established inbound call centers within Cape Town as a means of utilizing Cape Towns low labor costs and talented labor. Tourism South Africa is a popular tourist destination, with around 860,000 arrivals per month. Revenue equaling between 1% and 3% of GDP is generated by the tourism industry. Among the main attractions are the picturesque culture, the game reserves and local wines. Financial services The country has a sophisticated financial structure with the JSE Securities Exchange, a large and active stock exchange in terms of total market capitalization as of March 2009. The banking industry regulated by the South African Reserve Bank is dominated by four local players: Nedbank, ABSA, Standard Bank and First Rand. Banks operating in South Africa, when left with short of liquidity, need to borrow from the SARB at a fluctuating repo rate. Income Distribution South Africa is affected by vast differences in incomes and wealth. The high level of overall income inequality has accentuated: the countrys Gini coefficient increased by four percentage points, and income has concentrated in the top decile. Rural poverty rates remain higher than those in urban areas, urban poverty rates are rising and rural rates seem to be falling. Between-race inequality also remains a central issue and many blacks in the country still live in poverty. National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) data suggests that 47% of South Africans live below the poverty line: 56% of blacks live in poverty compared to 2% of whites. Human Poverty Index ranked South Africa 85 out of 135 countries. A 2011 study published by the University of Cape Town found that nearly 40% are black, where this group had once been almost exclusively white. While only 29% of the absolute wealthiest South Africans are black, this jumps to 50% among the entry-level. Current Economic scenario Trends: Monetary Policy   The primary objective of monetary policy in the country is to achieve and maintain price stability and balanced economic development. Price stability reduces uncertainty and therefore, provides a favourable environment for growth and employment. Moreover low inflation contributes to the protection of the purchasing power of all South Africans specially poor. The Bank has full operational autonomy. Monetary policy is set by the Banks Monetary Policy Committee,  which conducts monetary policy within a flexible  inflation-targeting framework and  it allows for inflation to be out of the target range as a result of first-round effects of a supply shock. This flexibility does not relieve the Bank of its responsibility with respect to returning inflation to within the target range but allows for interest rate smoothing over the cycle. GDP Growth Rate of South Africa GDP % (Yearly) Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 GDP % 0.6 3 2.6 3 1.9 3.5 4.9 5 5.1 3.1 -1.8 2.8 3.1 Inflation Rate of South Africa Inflation rate (consumer prices) (%) Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Inflation rate 5.5 5.3 5.8 9.9 5.9 4.5 4 5 6.5 11.3 7.2 4.5 5 Unemployment Rate of South Africa Unemployment rate (%) Year 1999 2000 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Unemployment rate (%) 30 30 37 37 26.2 26.6 25.5 24.3 22.9 24 23.3 24.9 Imports of South Africa Imports (Billion $) Year 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Imports 26 27.6 28.1 26.6 33.89 39.42 52.97 61.53 90.57 66.01 77.04 102.6 Exports of South Africa Exports (Billion $) Year 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Export 28 30.8 32.3 31.8 36.77 41.97 50.91 59.15 86.12 66.54 76.86 104.5 Foreign Exchange rates in South Africa (Dec., 2012) Tthe comparison of South African rand with top ten countries as per trade. South African Rand 1.00 ZAR inv. 1.00 ZAR Euro 0.087595 11.416206 US Dollar 0.114545 8.730185 British Pound 0.071077 14.06928 Indian Rupee 6.204247 0.16118 Australian Dollar 0.109217 9.156089 Canadian Dollar 0.11348 8.8121 Emirati Dirham 0.420736 2.37679 Swiss Franc 0.106176 9.418325 Chinese Yuan Renminbi 0.71349 1.401561 Malaysian Ringgit 0.349072 2.864742 foreign Direct investment Foreign direct investment flows to South Africa from 43.6% in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period last year, while FDI rose by 5%. The decline in FDI to Africas biggest economy came amid an 8% drop in global FDI inflows because of heightened global economic uncertainty. The report said FDI inflows to South Africa fell to $1.7-billion in the first six months of 2012 , reflecting sluggish domestic economic growth as well as a slowdown in developed economies. The IMF forecasts South African GDP growth of 2.6% this year, and recently cut its 2013 growth forecast to 3% from a July projection of 3.3%, due to its close links to struggling Europe. The IMF has also trimmed its 2012 forecast for Africa to 5% from 5.4% but raised its projection for 2013 to 5.7% from 5.3%. SOUTH AFRICA BALANCE OF TRADE C:UsersMicrosenseDesktopsouth-africa-balance-of-trade.png SOUTH AFRICA INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION C:UsersMicrosenseDesktopsouth-africa-industrial-production.png Industrial Production in South Africa increased 2.50 percent in October of 2012 over the same month in the previous year. Industrial Production in South Africa is reported by the Statistics South Africa. In South Africa, industrial production measures the output of businesses integrated in industrial sector of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, and utilities.

Rose For Emily Essay -- essays research papers

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Emily was a woman that cannot be described without a the words â€Å" not quite normal†, and â€Å"extra ordinary.† The story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner is about one woman’s life, from her being a teen to her death in her house. The town’s people did not like her, her family did not like her, but when she died, everybody showed up to Miss Emily’s Funeral. The only person to see Emily was her old manservant, a black man that was the cook and the gardener. The only time that the town would see him was when her went to the grocery store to shop. He would never talk to anybody while he was there. The end of her life never saw Emily out of her house. The town questioned this, but Emily soon just became another story with the town. Miss Emily was not always alone. When she was younger, her father lived at the house with her. He was a man without his sanity. When ever a male would come to the house to see Emily, he would great them at the door, and see them off before Emily could even say hello. The town used this excuse for Emily when her father died. He was dead for three days before she would let the coroner to take him out of the house. This can be seen as the beginning of Emily’s decent to madness. Emily was not always without a man. The town was getting sidewalks put in, and a group of colored men from the north was called in to build them. Their Foreman went by the ...

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

How often have we heard the statement â€Å"Two wrongs don’t make a right†? Yet, is this saying ever really applied to our lives? When do we ever turn the other cheek? As far as history is concerned, the human race has never felt the sting of a hand consecutively on both sides. Evidence to this can be found anywhere. Soldiers kill the enemy to win the war. Athletes become violent in order to obtain a trophy. And, in the judicial system, the ultimate crime of murder is dealt with the ultimate punishment of death. Yet, it poses the question does the end really justify the means? Can society’s practice of the death penalty be considered a moral disgrace? Justice is not without faults. Canadians Guy Paul Morin and David Milgaard were both wrongfully accused of murder. Both men spent many years serving out a penalty which should have never been bestowed upon them. Although, if the death penalty was common practice in Canada, these innocent victims may have been executed. They may have been killed. Murdered. All because of a guilty verdict and society’s desire to extinguish the flame of violence. The desire to have revenge. Yet, does the elimination of an offender bring back their victims or heal the wounds of the families? Should we consent to causing pain for another family by killing their child? If the offender was your child, would you want to watch them die? Of course, there is always the argument that the threat of death acts as a deterrent to threatening offenders. However, the claim that this act really does deter violent crime is inconclusive, not proven, and extremely difficult to disprove. For every set of statistics saying that it lowers the amount of violent crime, there is another to say it doesn’t and another that states it does both. Using such an ambiguous argument to support a controversial act is not only unacceptable, but it is irresponsible. If there is any validity to this argument, it is negated by the actual amount of time an offender spends on death row. Endless appeals, delays, technicalities, and retrials keep those condemned to death waiting for execution for years on end. If the majority of death row residents live to an old age anyway, why would anyone be afraid of capital punishment? It would be just as easy to sentence offenders to life of captivity and work in a prison.

Alex Pardee

Alex Pardee Born and raised in Antioch, California, Alex Pardee is an up and coming artist who is breaking down many figurative aesthetic barriers. With a style molded from years of horror movies, comic books, old school gangster rap, and severe depression and anxiety, Alex’s style is simultaneously horrific and fascinating. Alex’s struggle within himself had a positive outcome that he intends to share with anyone with an open mind, eyes, and ears. At the age of 14, Alex was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.He was hospitalized for months, growing restless as the doctors tried to find the right combination of pills to make him back to â€Å"normal. † However, pills and therapy weren’t the treatment Alex needed. To keep himself busy during his days at the hospital, he drew to pass the time. His drawings became more elaborate and twisted as the number of days he spent behind white doors built up. When he was released, there was no turning back. As a chil d, Alex enjoyed newspaper comics. He and his sister would trace the comics and add their own captions.Alex Pardee has always been drawn (no pun intended) to â€Å"different† art, whether it be old movies like The Dark Crystal and Star Wars, graffiti, skateboard art, or the likes of Strawberry Shortcake. The first twisted comic that captured his interest was The Maxx, created by Sam Keith. Before he found The Maxx, he never took a liking to comic books, thinking they were all superhero nonsense. This dark, untidy comic about the tragic happenings of a teenage girl changed his view of the comic industry as a whole and inspired his own twisted, powerful, unkempt style.As far as education, Alex has no art degrees of any sort under his belt. When he was a kid, he wanted to be Bobo Fett. But, during high school, his dream was actually to attend film school, but that dream remained dormant due to his extremely introverted personality. The thought of social interactions during projec ts prevented him from pursuing that career. He chose art because he knew he could easily do that from the comfort and safety of his own home. â€Å"What inspires you? † is the most common and hated question that Alex is asked.The possibilities of that answer are always so complex and hard to materialize that he often gives simple answers that leave inquirers unsatisfied. To simplify the near novel-length answer, â€Å"at two it was Star Wars. At four it was Disneyland. At six it was my parents. At nine it was Garbage Pail Kids. At 14 it was Robocop. At 15 it was The Maxx. At 16 it was Street Fighter. At 17 it was graffiti. At 20 it was the discovery of ’zines and self-publishing. At 21 it was Photoshop. At 22 it was Half-Life. At 23 it was painting. At 25 it was screen-printing.At 26 it was Aqua Teen Hunger Forceand Adult Swim. At 30 it was Zerofriends. At 35 it was Chloe (his girlfriend). † Alex Pardee began with small drawings on scratch paper or in notebooks. Once his skills and techniques improved, he made photocopies of his sketches and rough copies of his books and began spreading them like wildfire around his town. Copies were strewn about waiting rooms, public restrooms, magazines, newspapers, and anywhere else he could think of putting them with the hopes that someone would recognize his talent and efforts.This continued until 1999, when a handful of other artists encouraged him to have his books professionally printed. To pay for printing expenses, he got a job at a toy store. He had the job for nine years and maintained a steady love/hate relationship throughout. In the first year at his toy store occupation, Alex released his first book, My Book of Colors. After the release, he began devoting all his time, blood, sweat, and tears into his skyrocketing career. Since then, he has released the book series Bunnywith and The Secrets of Hollywood.These releases branched out into calendars, clothing, posters, plush dolls, figurines, a nd multiple art exhibits. He is a member of the art groups Cardboard City and Zerofriends, which recently opened their own store in San Francisco, California. Alex has done artwork for the bands The Used, Aiden, In Flames, and Cage. His artwork for The Used’s album In Love and Death depicted a signature Pardee character named Chadam, whose story was made into a Warner Bros short film. He also did design and artwork for the movie Sucker Punch. Alex Pardee’s horrifically moving artwork has captured the interest of many around the world.His unique style has inspired that of many upcoming artists to create equally disturbing and fantastic pieces. Not only does he have thousands of sketches, paintings, and short stories to shed light on the warped convolutions of his mind, but he has a less than perfect back story and wicked sense of sarcasm to verify it. That’s all part of what makes him so fascinating. An intelligent and talented man, Alex Pardee is an icon of pers istence and individuality for thousands upon thousands of aspiring artists and seemingly lost inhabitants of Earth.