Abstract
The United States will probably never see an era quite like it again. The timber boom that took place during the period 1880-1920 was unprecedented and left fundamental changes in agricultural practices, an expansion of the railroads, and tens of thousands of cleared acres of forest in North America in its wake. Although the original boom is over, the North American timber industry is enjoying a modest "boom" today as well, but threats to its continued productivity exist in the form of global warming and foreign competitors. To this end, this paper provides an overview of the timber boom that took place from 1880-1920, compared to the shape of the timber industry in North America today. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion. Includes graphic.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Timber Boom - 1880-1920
Timber Industry Today
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The research showed that the timber boom of 1880-1920 was responsible for expanding the North American industrial infrastructure into the wilderness, and for compelling fundamental changes in agricultural practices. This early timber boom was also responsible for depleting tens of thousands of acres of virgin North American forests that have been difficult to replace. Nevertheless, thanks to the efforts of conservationists and industry leaders alike, there may well be another timber boom on the horizons for the North American timber industry. Because of improvements in growing and land management methods, perhaps this next timber boom will be more sustainable than the first."

Tags:expansion, forest, railroads

Abstract
The paper relates that Alberta's oil boom impacted the province's relationship with the federal government in the sense that Alberta now has the resources to monopolize areas of public service - most notably pensions - that would once have relied upon federal dollars for their survival. The paper discusses how at the same time, the oil boom creates a greater belief in the viability of Alberta "going it alone" as an independent state. The paper also discusses how with Alberta turning into a "have" province thanks to a booming economy, it becomes a target of a federal government eager to tax its natural resources and increasingly affluent population so that money can be pumped back into the nation's have-not provinces; this sense of being targeted means that Alberta is quite determined to see to it that it drives a hard bargain with Ottawa when it comes to how the equalization payment structure will be carried out.

From the Paper
"Alberta's oil boom impacted the province's relationship with the federal government in the sense that Alberta now has the resources to monopolize areas of public service - most notably pensions - that would once have relied upon federal dollars for their survival. At the same time, the oil boom creates (or did create, insofar as the boom times appear over for the moment) a greater belief in the viability of Alberta "going it alone" as an independent state. Finally, with Alberta turning into a "have" province thanks to a booming economy, it becomes a target of a federal government..."

Tags:relationship, federal, government

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses the social networking boom and looks at why it has become so popular for expanding one's network of friends and for marketing products and services.

From the Paper
"Social networking is one of the hottest crazes to hit Internet users of all ages and backgrounds. MySpace boasts ... million members and has become the digital equivalent of hanging out at the mall for today's teens while Facebook appeals to college students. LinkedIn targets professionals and Xanga is a community site based on blogging. There is even a high school network called StudyBreakers. Twitter is enjoying a resurgence now that it can be set to share the user's entries ..."

Tags:social networking, benefits, advantages, marketing

Abstract
This paper outlines the post-Word War II lifestyle of American families, the conditions that resulted in the Baby Boom, the trials and tribulations of the average baby boomer over the course of their adolescence, the hippie movement, and the impending Social Security issue.

From the Paper
"World War II and the Great Depression greatly impacted the average American's life. While battling for a world free from Nazism and struggling to make ends meet during the most significant economic recession in American history, libido met its match in the United States. During the high tension 1940s, cathedrals and cradles were left empty as marriage and birth rates plummeted. Man's sense of inadequacy in supporting his family during the Depression left him just as inadequate in the bedroom. His disappointment in society left him and his spouse reluctant to bring a child into a world overrun by Nazism and Communism. Fortunately, a burst of confidence came after the war, and in 1946 birth rates skyrocketed. In the eighteen years after World War II, more than 78 million children were born, creating a new generation that greatly impacted American society and culture - a group called the Baby Boomers."

Tags:patriotism, nationalism, inspired, confident, society, men, matured, women, soldiers, settle, down, start, families, surge, conviction, sexual, depression, couples, offspring

Abstract
By showing how socially charged issues seem to adversely affect the baby boom generation, we can see how they deal with these issues in the economic forecast in the studies that have been done.

Abstract
In "Boom, Bust and Echo", authors David Foot and Daniel Stoffman discuss the overriding importance of demographics. They demonstrate that the most complicated matters in society are usually moulded by the population's age distribution. Thus, we see that businesses capitalize on everyday worries, such as where interest rates are going or whether quitting a job is really a bad idea. As a result, the book provides significant practical advice on aspects such as the stock market, employment patterns and even the future of the family. In reading this book, it becomes clear that all Canadians have to re-examine how they do business if they hope to succeed in the next decade and beyond.

Abstract
In this article, the writer presents an analysis of the short run prospects of the U.S. economy, focusing on some major shocks such as the burst of the housing bubble, the actions taken by the Federal Reserve through monetary policies, and fiscal policies the government implemented with the intentions of improving the economy. For each shock the writer details the impact of the shock on key macroeconomic variables such as GDP growth, interest rates, unemployment, inflation, imports and exports. Relevant graphs are included in this paper.

Outline:
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy
Synthesis and Analysis

From the Paper
"The housing bubble in the U.S occurred in 2002 until early 2007; average housing prices increased dramatically, beyond their actual values. Yet people still continued to purchase houses; the rapid growth of prices convinced many buyers (especially those without real estate experience) that they can sell their houses for more later on and pocket the differences. Eventually, the bubble bursts because the market ends up with many sellers and too few buyers; then the prices were driven down, and many participants are left with loss rather than profit. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the prices began to increase even before 2001, but grew even more rapid after 2002, and it burst in early 2008 when interest rates rose, then the prices dropped. "

Tags:housing, bubble, monetary, policy, fiscal, policy, interest, rates

Abstract
The paper examines how boomers are driving selected real estate purchases. It discusses home purchase choices, including primary home for families, second or vacation home, retirement homes, and communities in the future. It also provides data on Baby Boomers.

From the Paper
"Baby Boomers and Real Estate Choices
Introduction
Members of the so-called "Baby Boomer" generation of Americans born in the first two decades following World War II are beginning to enter their retirement years, or to experience earnings peaks that ..."

Abstract
The paper relates that the post-1945 economic miracle that is Singapore owes in part to the ruination of the 1942-1945 Japanese occupation that gave the colony nowhere to go but up, and to the directive governance of PM Lee and the continuing PAP. The paper looks at Singaporean society, the national service system and the build up of growth risks above basic needs and social security.

From the Paper
"Singapore was devastated by a 3-year Japanese occupation after the island's fall in February 1942, thousands of Allied forces taken off as slave labour into occupied Asia, others executed on site. The Imperial Japanese Army murdered perhaps 50,000 Chinese of Singapore and Malaysia known to have sent relief to occupied China after 1933, others killed at random. The occupation was a time of relentless fear and near starvation for civilians, much of the island's infrastructure destroyed, the morale of the people extremely low. Nevertheless, from the economic and human..."

Tags:singapore, post wwii, impetus

Abstract
This paper summarizes an article and discusses some possible solutions for preparing the current Canadian Medicare system for the aging baby boom population. It focuses on the reasons why a privitized health care system would not be beneficial to the majority of Canadians, and the alternatives that could be adopted to end the Medicare crisis.

From the Paper
"The possibility of the aging baby boom flooding the health system, and rendering it impossible to fund has been a topic of particular interest recently. Medicare has been the pride of the Canadian welfare state, and concerns for it s future have led to many propositions. It is predominantly a publicly financed, privately delivered health care system that combines the entire country s insurance plans (Macionis 346). One extreme is to abandon Medicare altogether, and replace it with a privatized system. Conflict theorists, who feel that it would only benefit profit-seekers, the wealthy, and a small minority of powerful capitalists, have criticized this suggestion. The majority of theorists, particularly functionalists, seek solutions that are less radical, and could include the present Medicare system, but improve it s efficiency, and availability (Manga 182). Research has shown that an aging population does not pose a threat to the present health care system, but changes could be made to reduce the risk of Medicare becoming increasingly costly in the future (Poplin 49). The imposition of a private health care system would not be to the advantage of most Canadians, but reforms could improve the efficiency of the current system. "

Tags:aging, baby, boom, canadian, care, health, medicare, sociology