Health and Wealth Event - 1619 Words

Finance is important to a business, without it, an organisation would not be able to run effectively, eventually leading the organisation to fail. The are many reasons why Finance is important to an organisation and many factors in can be used for, i.e. investing and purchasing fixed assets like land and building, necessary equipment and expanding the business. Organisations that have a solid finance available to their business are able implement changes that want, which could help to bring in more money to the organisation and allowing them to last and survive. There are two types of finances, external sources or internal sources. Sources of Finance: External sources of finance are available sources of income that have come from†¦show more content†¦Debentures holder has to paid interest regularly. They also get preference of being paid first in case of wind-up of the company. 3. Public Deposits Public also like to deposit their savings with a popular and well-established company which can pay interest periodically and payback the deposit when due. 4. Retained earnings The company may not distribute the whole of its profits among its shareholders. It may retain a part of the profits and utilize it as capital. The company may use its retailed earning as long-term investment i.e. expanding business, purchasing machinery, etc. 5. Term loans from banks As with short-term finance, banks are an important source of longer-term finance. Many industrial development banks, cooperative banks and commercial banks grant medium term loans for a period of three to five years. For businesses, using bank loans might be relatively easy but the cost of servicing the loan (paying the money and interest back) can be high. If interest rates rise then it can add to a businesses cost. Advantages: †¢ You get regular income and fixed dividend coming in even if the company is making profit or not. †¢ With this share, you do not have any interference in the management. †¢ There is Flexible Capital structure in this share. Disadvantage: †¢ In these shares, you are not eligible for extra dividend even if the Company make high profit. †¢ At the time of liquidation, noShow MoreRelatedThe New Eldercare Service Model Must Be One Of Inclusion1293 Words   |  6 Pages Chapter Health Disparities in America The new eldercare service model must be one of inclusion. We can no longer afford to marginalize any group of seniors. –Author Introduction I n the United States, wealth is the strongest determinant of health; and the strength of this relationship is profound and continues to increase. Wealth confers many benefits that are associated with health and quality of life outcomes. Wealth creates disparities in high quality education, employment, housing, childcareRead MoreEffects Of Divorce On Children s Socio Economic Success Essay1704 Words   |  7 Pagesgeneration. There is a dimension of literature that claims that children raised by lone parents generally perform relatively poorer than those brought up in two-parent set ups (Jeffrey 102-103). Divorce should be viewed as a series of events and not as a single event. It involves a confluence of factors and processes that occur during and after the divorce. This essay asserts that divorce has negative effects on Children s Socio-economic success. Divorce affects education in quantifiable termsRead MoreEnvironmental Factors911 Words   |  4 PagesEnvironmental factors impact health across life-course. Neighborhood and housing conditions influence health and well-being (Mier et al., 2017). Communities with higher social capital are stronger economically, because businesses are likely to be in abundance, and thriving, as people have easy access to them (Putnam, 2000). The literature suggest that neighborhood characteristics, such as SES, social cohesion, and ethnic segregation of neighborhoods significantly predict children’s health outcomes (Acevedo-GarciaRead MoreEconomic Growth And Its Effect On Society1737 Words   |  7 Pagesalmost completely stagnant, and there was no such thing as economic growth to the general public. This all changed when two different events occurred that greatly impacted the course of history. The first of these being the British industrial revolution in 1750, and then the more prominent American industrial revolution in 1870. Acting like a catalyst, these two events created a boom of economic growth unlike anything the world had ever seen. As certain nations have continued to expand, an importantRead MoreCarnegie Building Research Paper1421 Words   |  6 Pagesinto making communities in the City of Brotherly Love a better place in which children can grow. Internships are also offered for those who wish to learn and make an impact on a short-term basis. The agency has accomplished this by establishing many health and educational benefits for the children as well as the community. Both the Carnegie Building and PCCY represent efforts have bettered society through support in the sector of education. Members of society have received tremendous donations, suppliesRead MoreHuman Beings and Happiness Essay1540 Words   |  7 Pagesrepresents. The conceptualization of happiness as SWB has yielded important components of happiness, namely life satisfaction, or the overall satisfaction of an individual with his own life, satisfaction in life domains, or the satisfaction in work, health, marriage, etc., the dominance of positive affect, which refers to positive moods and emotions, and the diminishment of negative affect, or the negative moods and emotions. A person who has a high SWB also displays high levels of life satisfactionRead MoreEthical Challenges in Business: a Historical Event Worth Examination725 Words   |  3 PagesEthical Challenges in Business: A Historical Event worth Examination The movie Erin Brockovich is based on actual events involving corporate business knowingly endangering the health of local residents and the environment. This factual event is a great example of capitalism on steroids with no empathy for who are what is destroyed on their path for wealth. The events that unfold show the degenerative break down of ethical values through the business format of Pacific Gas and Electric. PGERead MoreOrgan Donation : Organ Organs1054 Words   |  5 Pagesdonation to strangers, whom are in critical health situations and need an organ transplant in order to survive. The problem is that there is a shortage of available organs. The organ donation process presents ethical dilemmas that will be discussed in this essay, as well as, solutions, alternative solutions and, ultimately, a final solution, that will be evaluated in relation to the ethical problem. To begin, there is a timeline of historical events significant to organ donation. In 1954 theRead MoreThe Future of South Africa1708 Words   |  7 Pagesin 1994 a black government. This lead to black empowerment, which was subjugated for hundreds of years. This however created a new series of health, educational and economical challenges the country would need to face. Cape Town’s mayor Helen Zille states that South Africa has five major challenges to overcome in its future. These are: - Unemployment - Health Issues (primarily HIV/AIDS rates) - Crime - Education - Poverty All of these challenges are directly related to South Africa’s economic situationRead MoreLiterature Review Of Literature On Economic Inequality1470 Words   |  6 Pagesliterature is diverse with recent works such as Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett’s The Spirit Level, which suggests that economic inequality has a detrimental effect on several factors such as increased crime, increased obesity, and worse mental health within a country. Simon Kuznets, an influential America economist set an economic paradigm which established that that economic growth and increased inequality was a part of the development process. Whilst there has always been a wide range of literature

How to Choose Body Building Equipment for Exercise at Home Essay

Essays on How to Choose Body Building Equipment for Exercise at Home Essay The paper "How to Choose Body Building Equipment for Exercise at Home" is an outstanding example of an essay on sports and recreation. A sound body is necessary for healthy living. Staying fit is compulsory for rational thinking. Many people join the gym in order to seek advice from health trainers and do bodybuilding. It is a perfect school for physical education. Every type of bodybuilding equipment is there to facilitate the development of muscles. These days, despite having a desire to go to the gym on a regular basis, many people can not afford to do this because of lack of time. Doing exercise in the gym on a regular basis is a time-consuming task. Nonetheless, it can not be missed. In order to accommodate their exercise needs in a tight schedule, many people tend to do a workout at home. Not only does this practice save time, but also becomes quite convenient for people to exercise on a regular basis.In order to workout at home, one would need such exercise equipment that woul d not only be cheap but would also accommodate in the space available at home. Different people have different exercise needs. One should buy the machine that would address one’s area of concern. Step bench, balance balls, exercise cycle, dumbbells, and weights are common exercise equipment that can be easily accommodated in homes (Jerkins).In case someone is not able to purchase the products of health fitness, then he/she should acquire second-hand equipment. With time, more equipment can be gathered. It is not essential to purchase everything at the same time. As one’s needs grow, so should the collection of exercise equipment.

First Crusade Free Essays

The First Crusade (1096–1099) was a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632–661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading Seljuq Turks from Anatolia. An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and the freeing of the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. We will write a custom essay sample on First Crusade or any similar topic only for you Order Now During the crusade, knights and peasants from many nations of Western Europe travelled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem, as crusaders; the peasants greatly outnumbered the knights. Peasants and knights were split into separate armies; however, because the peasants were not as well-trained in combat as the knights, their army failed to reach Jerusalem. The knights arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa. Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian dominion for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the Byzantine Empire, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial. The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the Muslim conquests, and was followed by the Second Crusade to the Ninth Crusade, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening international trade in the West since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. How to cite First Crusade, Essay examples

Local Government Amalgamation and Financial Sustainability

Question: Discuss about the Local Government Amalgamation and Financial Sustainability? Answer: The roles of consumers, retailers, manufacturers and the government agencies in the standards and qualities of food in the United Kingdom are immense (Fagotto 2014). Consumers play a vital role in this regard (Lovelock et al. 2014). They possess the rights to expect that the food, which they are buying or consuming, is safe to be consumed and is of good quality too (Lovelock et al. 2014). Consumers can opine about the procedures followed for food control, the standards and the activities, which are used, by the government and the industries for ascertaining that the food, which is offered, has these features (Osborn 2013). Even if the customers, government and the others play a crucial role to ensure the safety and quality of the food, ultimately in the face of competition, the power to invest in the physical and the managerial resources that are required for implementation of proper controls lies solely with the food industry (Osborn 2013). It is recognized by the private firms that the consumers play an important role in determining their success concerning profitability (Grant 2015). If the consumers buy the same product on a continuous basis, it is indicated that the product satisfies them (Grant 2015). The food producers and marketers, therefore, have a contribution to their product identities which they want to safeguard. Thus, establishing and administering the controls is important for them to make sure that the product fulfills the expectations of the consumers on safety and quality (Oliver 2014). The government agencies to have an important role to play since they are responsible for: Establishing the standards of safety on a uniform basis so that equal amount of protection is achieved by all the customers, Applying similar safety levels so that all the food manufacturers are treated equitably and Informing the customers regarding the standards that are followed regarding the protection (Oliver 2014). Retailers play an important role too by: Proffering developed health benefits over a diverse product and a location thereby promoting continual shopping because of closeness to housing and communities. Influencing planning considerations by portraying the benefits of agglomerated chain of stores Promotion of culture and leisure Developing the environment by promotion of local supply chains The majority of the retailers employ the local wholesalers, and many consumers come to the neighborhood frequently, diminishing the need to visit the shops by using private transport (Ozuduru et al. 2014). The manufacturers play a vital part in the standards and the qualities of the food. It is because the consumers will be affected if the quality and standards of the food are not up to the standards and prescribed qualities. The consumers at times to check its nutritional or medicinal value monitor the ingredients, which are put into the produce. There are sanitation requirements too since it are extremely important that the environment where the food is made is clean and the food, which is produced, is safe (Troller 2012). Consumers, retailers, manufacturers and the government agencies are related to each other closely in the context of standards and qualities of food in United Kingdom (Buzby et al. 2014). It works like a cycle where each one of the above is linked to each other. The consumers are at the end of the cycle since they are the ones consuming the product, which is manufactured after the product passes several stages and steps (Solomon et al. 2012). The manufacturers (Solomon et al. 2012) keep them in mind while designing and manufacturing the product. There are matters relating to standards and quality, which must be looked into, by the producers or the manufacturers, and it is also to be seen that the health of the consumers after consuming the product is not affected detrimentally in any way (Solomon et al. 2012). The manufacturers come after the consumers where they have to observe certain criteria for producing the product as prescribed by the government. It is to be seen that the consu mers are deriving maximum benefits out of the produced food and that they are consuming it often, which in turn proves their likeness for that particular food. The retailers present the food from the manufacturers to the consumers. Therefore, they form a direct link in between them thus fulfilling the primary purpose of manufacturing. They make the buying process easier by facilitating the customers by providing options in various forms. The government agencies are linked to this cycle closely as they prescribe the rules and regulations, which need to be followed by all the others in the cycle excepting the consumers. These rules are provided so that the food, which is produced, is safe to be consumed by the consumers. The main legal base in the legislation of food in the United Kingdom RE THE Food Safety Act, 1990 and the General Food Regulations, 2004 (Rouvire and Latouche 2014). In UK, there is no corporate distinction between the assessment of risk and communication of risk from risk management. The assessments of risks are generally published on the Internet if there are no lawful provisions to prohibit that. The FSA is the main governing body, which governs the safety of food in the United Kingdom (Devaney 2013). It depends on the non-ministerial government department Government Department, which is governed an independent Chairperson and a non-executive board which governs the total strategic direction of the Agency, and to make sure that it is meeting its lawful obligations (Devaney 2013). It is answerable to the British Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly of Wales through the ministers of health. Along with the questions regarding th e safety of food, the responsibilities of FSA also includes observing and looking after the local authorities of enforcement. It is a body, which is widely in UK, headquartered in London, and its offices are present in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales for ensuring that its priorities are presented in the country specifically, and the offices work in different areas of work. On issues of relevance, FSA works with the local authorities. The Meat Hygiene Service, which works within FSA, is responsible for inspecting meat in the premises of meat, which are fresh in areas. FSA operates in along with the other things, food additives and contaminating substances, microbiological food safety, feed, GMOs, novel foods, and the additives of the food. Its operations also include areas like nutritive food for the health, labeling of the food and the standards of the food products. There is another body named Defra, which is regulated by the government and along with its other agencies is responsible for the bills and for implementing and to monitor the safety of the food if it does not come under the realm of FSA. Veterinary Medicines Department is an agency, which along with the other responsibilities is liable for assessing, issuing and maintaining the authorizations for marketing nationally for medicinal products used for veterinary purposes and vigilance for residues of those, illegitimate items in animals and its products too and co-ordination of the work regarding anti-microbial intransigence. There is a regulatory body for pesticides, which works on behalf of Defra, namely Chemicals Regulation Directorate. Its activities other than the safety of food include carrying out of a program on the pesticides officially of the remnants of the pesticide testing of the food in the United Kingdom about the prescribed regulations, and the reports are published on q uarterly. It is the responsibility of the body to take the right action of an application at times if the regulatory breach of the residue of the levels of pesticide takes place. There are certainly other activities of Defra, for example, for legislating, implementing and inspecting, the responsibilities come under Agricultural/Rural Affairs Departments in the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Defra publishes the assessment of risks in the arena of animal health and their welfare. They also co-operate with the working groups of FSA wherever it is required. It is the responsibility of Defra to manage all the factors of the water policy in England and it operates with the Drinking Water Inspectorate, which is a body that regulates the drinking water quality. The conditions are alike in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The realm of activities of Delta covers along with the safety of food extends to animal health, the welfare of the animals, and the health of the plant. There are four countries in UK, and their structure of administration is single-tier. The units are solely responsible for all the tasks, which are regional and locally administered (Andrews 2013). They regulate the laws relating to the food, feed laws, and carry out inspections too, and they are answerable to FSA since they report directly to them. When it regulates the local government authority, the Local Authorities Coordinator of Regulatory Services, it represents the authorities, which operate locally, and it performs coordination of the activities of the local authorities and between them and between Defra and FSA. Reference List Andrews, R., 2013. Local government amalgamation and financial sustainability: the case of England and Wales. Public Finance and Management, 13(2), p.124. Buzby, J.C., Farah-Wells, H. and Hyman, J., 2014. The estimated amount, value, and calories of postharvest food losses at the retail and consumer levels in the United States. USDA-ERS Economic Information Bulletin, (121). Devaney, L., 2013. Spaces of security, surveillance and food safety: interrogating perceptions of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland's governing technologies, power and performance. The Geographical Journal, 179(4), pp.320-330. Fagotto, E., 2014. Private roles in food safety provision: the law and economics of private food safety. European Journal of Law and Economics,37(1), pp.83-109. Grant, R.M., 2015. Contemporary Strategy Analysis 9e Text Only. John Wiley Sons. Lovelock, C., Patterson, P.G. and Wirtz, J., 2014. Services marketing. Pearson Australia. Oliver, R.L., 2014. Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge. Osborn, J.E., 2013. Can I Tell You the Truth? A Comparative Perspective on Regulating Off-Label Scientific and Medical Information. Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics, 10(2), p.2. Ozuduru, B.H., Varol, C. and Ercoskun, O.Y., 2014. Do shopping centers abate the resilience of shopping streets? The co-existence of both shopping venues in Ankara, Turkey. Cities, 36, pp.145-157. Rouvire, E. and Latouche, K., 2014. Impact of liability rules on modes of coordination for food safety in supply chains. European Journal of Law and Economics, 37(1), pp.111-130. Solomon, M., Russell-Bennett, R. and Previte, J., 2012. Consumer behaviour. Pearson Higher Education AU. Troller, J.A., 2012. Sanitation in food processing. Academic Press.

Punk Profile Essays - Australian Culture, Punk Subculture

Punk Profile As a kid around the age of 15, I was lost and confused. I knew that I didn't have it all together, and everywhere I looked people acted as if they did. My thoughts and ideas would change day to day as I talked to one person and then the next. I needed a concrete feeling. I tried going to church and finding a release through God, but I was unable to believe. I tried looking at all my friends, but they were all naive, so I turned to music. Music has become my religion, it clearly defines the questions I have no answers to. I found that everything that irritated me also irritated the people in the bands I started listening to. People label this type of music as "punk." "Punk" is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as "a loud, fast, and deliberately offensive style of rock music," and it defines "a punk" as "a) a young hoodlum b) a young person regarded as inexperienced, insignificant, etc. 1[slang] poor; inferior." That is the worst misinterpretation I have ever come across. The members of many punk bands have gone to college and are quite intellectual. Intellect is the basis of a punk attitude. Punk is about change, and as defined by the band, Propagandhi, "The basis of change: educate!/Derived from discussion, not hate, not myth, not muscle, not etiquette./ Intellect, not 're-elect!' Status symbols yield to respect between sex, species, environment...yup!" (Propagandhi, "Hate, Myth, Muscle, Etiquette"). Punk songs aren't about going out and doing drugs, breaking things, and harassing people, they are about life, life as a kid. And since I'm "not really understanding what it takes to be a man, I think I'll stay a kid while I can" (Assorted Jelly Beans, "Plain Life"). It gives people permission to act 18 when they are 50. Punk lifestyles are full of a positive energy that many people lose when they "grow up." Existing as a punk takes the concepts of being an adult and combines them with being a kid. The result is a much simpler and entertaining life. The first issue that punk music covered for me was religion. I felt like everyone had some higher power to look to when things didn't work out, everyone but me. I couldn't conform myself to the ideas of a higher power because the interpretations of reality that brings seem so dillusional to me. There appears to be so many unheard truths in lyrics like, "They say I shouldn't commit no crime/cos Jesus Christ is watching all the time,/ so what, so what./ So what if he's always over my shoulder./ I realize the truth as I get older/. I get to see what a con it is, because it's my life,/ mine, not his" (Crass, "So What"). I always felt that if there was an almighty and pure God that He/She would not make rules like "obey no God other than me." Where does that leave everyone raised under any other religion? A child in India will most likely be raised as a Buddhist or some religion other than Christianity. It is not their fault that they don't follow the Christian God, especially if they haven't heard of the Christian God. I don't see the sense in a all powerful God who shows less sensitivity to people who don't ultimately have the choice of who they follow. Furthermore, any God that is supposedly for the good of mankind should be more concerned with the moral actions of mankind than their preferences of faith . And how could a Savior expect to be worshipped by everyone under the circumstances of today's world. Life isn't fair, so how does that play into an equal religion for all? Hearing the song "No" by the Subhumans brings this thought to an all new reality. The lead singer claims, "No, I don't believe in Jesus Christ./ My mother died of cancer when I was five./ No, I don't believe in religion./ I was forced to go to church and I wasn't told why." At one time I felt alone with these ideas, all my family and friends followed the God in which I was detached. I felt like I was doing something terribly wrong, like I had to conform. But when I started hearing these same thoughts in punk music for the first time I felt secure in my own disbeliefs. "Beliefs are dangerous./

Test-Taking Tips and Strategies

Test-Taking Tips and Strategies Of all the stressors that come with earning a degree in higher education, taking a test – or exam, rather – often causes the most stress. Tests are rarely simple, most always a challenge, and, worst of all, the student hardly knows what to expect – even those who  have done their work, studied hard and prepared well for the exam.  The key to successful test taking, however, is preparation and avoiding carelessness when taking the test. How to Write a College Research Paper Taking a test demonstrates the student’s ability to understand their course material and use that knowledge ina pragmatic way. There are two kinds of tests: objective tests –true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank; andsubjective tests – short answer, essay, oral exams. Regardless of the student, their approach to taking tests, intelligence, skill level, or if they have a proclivityfor performing well on tests, here are a few suggestions for the student who wishes to excel on tests. Test-Taking Tips and Strategies Improve test-taking abilities by looking at old tests. When preparing for any test, the student should review previously taken tests to be aware of areas that may require more attention. Each test a student takes in some way prepares them for the next – especially the Final exam. Be early, early, early. The day of a test, the student should one, get up out of bed at an early hour, early enough to get a good, healthy breakfast before reviewing last-minute notes. Also, the student should arrive early to the test-taking site to avoid any stress or panic. Visualize. It’s a health practice for the student to imagine a successful test – literally envisioning themselves going slowly and successfully over each question, performing each in a confident, competent manner, and finishing every question calmly, thoroughly, with the least amount of stress as possible. Be alert, sit upright and, if possible, choose a comfortable seat/chair and location. A great deal of the student’s success in taking a test depends on their ability to stay focused, alert and comfortable. Stay relaxed, confident – and keep a positive attitude. Like visualizing success, the student must not let their negative thoughts cause a poor test performance. They should keep reminding themselves they are doing their best, will pass the test with flying colors, and get on with their day. A few deep breaths also help to maintain focus and composure. Read the directions carefully and avoid making errors due to carelessness. Most tests do have a time limit; however, it is more than beneficial when the student reads all directions Have a strategy. Answer questions in a strategic order, depending on the student’s strengths/weaknesses, comfort level, and understanding of the content. The student may want to answer easy questions first, as sort of a warm-up, which may build confidence, then answer questions with the most point value. On objective test questions, eliminate incorrect answers: This works with multiple-choice questions, true-false questions, etc. If possible, make very broad outlines for essays. This helps the student visualize their written answer, serving as a makeshift formula for a response. If time allows, look the test over once more. Rather than turning in their test right after they’re done with it, the student should hold on to their test as long as possible. They should check to make sure they’ve answered every question to the best of their abilities and not made careless, pointless errors, have mismarked answers, and so on. Also, the student may find pertinent, helpful information, or even an answer to a question, at a different part of the test. Three Steps to a Great College Essay

Is poverty of the third world the fault of the first world Essay

Is poverty of the third world the fault of the first world - Essay Example In this paper I argue that the major reasons for poverty in third world countries is the activities of developed countries. Role of developed countries in causing poverty in third world In one world, as in one state, when I am rich because you are poor, and I am poor because you are rich, the transfer of wealth from the rich to the poor is a matter of rights; it is not an appropriate matter for charity.† Such are the angry claims of Julius Nyerere, president of the African nation of Tanzania. His sentiments are echoed by the Third-World revolutionary Frantz Fanon: â€Å"The question which is looming on the horizon is the need for a redistribution of wealth. Humanity must reply to this question, or be shaken to pieces by it (Davis, 2012). Nobody is taking birth in this world as rich or poor. In fact natural resources are equally owned by the people in this world. However, rich people control the majority of the natural wealth in this world, not because of their rights but becau se of their ability to exploit it. Such people have the ability to exploit the natural wealth of even underdeveloped countries. Lack of education, unemployment and poverty, force governments in under developed countries to accept the strict terms and conditions put forward by the developed nations, for granting financial aids. Thus, the debts of poor countries are getting accumulated as time goes on. In short, developing countries are exploiting the weaknesses of poor countries while providing financial aids and hence the poverty in third world is remaining as a answerless problem. Because people in developed nations may have more wealth and resources than those in developing countries, their standard of living is also generally higher† (Poverty at large: A dark spot in humanity, n.d.). Higher living standards force people in developed countries to practice consumerism at the highest level. For example, wealthy people in developed countries have more than one vehicle in their family. When the number of vehicles increases, the consumption of petroleum products also increase. Since oil is a nonrenewable energy source, uncontrolled consumption of petroleum products results in rapid exhausting of energy sources. Shortage of oil sources cause price hike for petroleum products in global market. Price hike of petroleum products in global market increases the living costs in poor countries since petroleum products are necessary for the transportation of goods like food and other commodities. In short, increased consumption of petroleum products in developed countries is indirectly causing poverty in developed countries. Current world is extremely globalized and interconnected. The problems or developments in one part of the world can affect other parts of the world. MNC’s from developed countries are currently investing heavily in third world countries not for helping but for exploiting the natural resources of those countries. It is reported that billion s of tons of food products are getting damaged in the warehouses of developed countries. In a globalized world, it is the duty of the developed countri

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

INDEPENDENT PAPER - Research Proposal Example rch exist on corporate and market strategy of companies in domestic market, yet literature is pretty scarce when it comes to shedding light on corporate and market strategy of companies, while they enter new international territory (Deng, et al., 2012). On the other hand, consideration of research works of Chen and Ho (2004) and Deng, et al. (2012) reveals the fact that importance of China is increasing among multinational companies from USA and other European Union (EU), who are planning to expand international base of the business. In such context, the paper has selected Tesla Motors (an American company that specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling electric vehicles and power train components) as sample organization in order to understand nature of its corporate and market strategy and how the company would enter the Chinese market (Tesla Motors, 2014). From academic perspective, the research findings would bridge the gap in the literature, regarding adjustment of corpo rate and market strategy of companies, during internationalization process and from business perspective, findings of the paper would help Tesla Motors to identify the probable entry mode for Chinese market. Till date, very few researchers have tried to understand corporate and market strategy adjustment by companies, while moving from a developed nation (USA, in this case) to a developing one (China, in this case). Such gap in the literature has influenced the researcher to take up this study and conduct research on the topic in order to fill up certain gaps in the literature. Xue and Zhou (2007) defined corporate strategy as the direction as well as the way used by corporations through integration of different operational activities in order to achieve particular business objectives. In case of corporate strategy, companies use its resource capabilities and operational activities of different departments, such as, production and manufacturing, financial and marketing department, in

E-Marketing Segmentation, Differentiation, and Positioning Strategies Coursework

E-Marketing Segmentation, Differentiation, and Positioning Strategies - Coursework Example ther issue that proper entry research can turn up: no company wants to suddenly find that it has gone from a saturated domestic market to a saturated one. Therefore, companies must research carefully before making the move to market, and know what kind of customers they are targeting. â€Å"With three types of customers-those who shop exclusively through the catalogs, those who purchase strictly through retail, and those who utilize both channels of distribution - The J. Peterman Company is committed to learning all they can about their customers to gain increased market share† (J, 1999). Note that at the writing of this quotation, J Peterman was not involved with online marketing yet. However, at that present, it was proactive, and met the challenge of the future. In terms of the competitor market jpeterman.com shares within various segments, there are various niche competitors, such as Sharper Image, and J Crew, which have a larger market share and presence. It would be a mistake to offer the more lucrative market a product that it could not afford or could easily replace with a cheaper competitor’s product of similar quality. Although this market may be more willing to pay more initially for something faddish than the busy family market segment, it should not be the intention of the company to cash in on a quick fad and lose the long-term perspective warranted by this important market. Therefore, the company should follow a pricing strategy that places a great deal of importance not only on internet price cutting, but also on establishing perceived value in the customer base and leveraging this perception in terms of long-term customer attenuation. J Peterman is in a very competitive industry. The source of this is the popularity of this industry as a commerce supplier that can also now be accessed over the internet. Many businesses like J Peterman are rushing to invest time and money in networked e-commerce systems, so as to enhance consumer

Beck Depression Inventory vs. Hamilton Depression Scale Beck

Beck Depression Inventory vs. Hamilton Depression Scale Beck The revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), published in 1996 was authored by Aaron Beck, Robert A. Steer, and Gregory K. Brown. Similar to its predecessor, it consists of 21multiple choice questions that assist in determining the severity of depression. Each item consists of four statements arranged in order to ascertain the severity of a certain symptom of depression. BDI-II conforms to the DSM-IV criteria for depression. Clients who are presented with the BDI-II are asked to answer each question based upon the way they have felt for the past two weeks in order to accurately conform to the DSM-IV criteria. The BDI-II is intended for adolescents and adults and should not be administered to those under the age of thirteen. Scoring The BDI-II consists of twenty one questions, all of which correspond to a particular symptom of depression. Each item consists of a four point scale ranging from 0-3. Items 16 and 18 consist of seven items which are used to indicate an increase or decrease in both sleep patterns and appetite. A total score of 0-13 is considered minimal range, 14- 19 is considered mild, 20-28 is considered moderate, while 20-63 is considered to be severe (Beck, Steer and Brown, 1961). The BDI-II may be scored by hand or by using a software program such as Q Local, where the scores may be recorded and monitored by the clinician. The test may be administered frequently, as it is intended to monitor symptoms that have occurred within a two week range. Reliability Becks Depression Inventory II has been used for many years with great success. Its reliability is still questioned by some. Sprinkle, Lurie, Insko, Atkinson, Jones, Logan and Bassada (2002) state that Although the BDI-II manual (Beck, Steer, Brown, 1996) and various other reports (e.g., Dozois et al., 1998, and Steer, Kumar, Ranieri, Beck, 1998) have offered substantial evidence for the instruments commendable split-half internal consistency (with reported coefficient alphas of .91 and slightly higher), there are only two published reports to date on the instruments test- retest reliability (par.6). Sprinkle et al., (2002) further report Beck, Steer, and Brown (1996) reported on 26 outpatients (no diagnostic information is offered) who were administered the BDI-II at the times of their first and second therapy sessions (approximately one week apart), producing a test-retest correlation of .93 (par 6). Validity Validity of the BDI-II appears to be favorable. A study conducted by Storch, Roberti and Roth (2002) examined the psychometric properties of the BDI-II. 414 students from two separate universities participated in the study. Their results supported BDI-II two-factor structure measuring cognitive-affective and somatic depressive symptoms (par.1). They concluded that the validity of the BDI-II was supported by favorable results with self-report measures of depression and anxiety (par.1). The results of this study duplicate past research of a college sample which supported the reliability and validity of the BDI-II. Arnau, Meager, Norris, and Bramson (2001) also conducted a psychometric evaluation of the BDI-II using primary care patients. The study consisted of 340 primary care patients (7 of which were eliminated due to incomplete responses). 68.8% of the participants were female and the age group tested ranged from ages 18-54(M = 36.5, SD = 10.1, Arnau et al., 2001). The average score from the participants was 8.4 (SD = 9.7). They reported that scores of 14 or higher, suggesting at least a mild level of depression (Beck et al., 1996 as cited in Arnau et al., 2001) were observed in 23.2% of the sample (p.3). Arnau et al., (2001) also found an alpha coefficient of .94, which they considered to be excellent internal consistency. They concluded that the BDI-II yielded strong evidence for the factorial validity of the BDI-II in a primary care setting (p.6). They found that the BDI-II could easily be implemented into the primary care setting without disrupting patient flow. BDI-II Reviews Arbisi and Farmer, reviewers of BDI-II indicate that the BDI-II is easy to administer and requires approximately five to ten minutes to complete. Arbisi states concern however, that there are no validity indicators contained on the BDI or the BDI-II and the ease of administration of a self-report lends itself to the deliberate tailoring of self-report and distortion of the results (Beck, Steeler Brown, 1961 par. 5). Arbisi and Farmer concur that the manual BDI-II was well written and provides a multitude of supportive information regarding norms, factor structure, and notably, nonparametric item-option characteristic curves for each item (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 4). They contend that the BDI-II has improved upon the original by updating the items to reflect contemporary diagnostic criteria for depression and utilizing state-of-the-art psychometric techniques to improve the discriminative properties of the instrument (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 10). Although the reviewers have noted their concern regarding the lack of room for diversity, Arbisi and Farmer appear to approve of its use as a depression assessment tool. Hamilton Depression Scale The Hamilton Depression Scale (abbreviated as HDS, HAMD or HAD) is used to measure the severity of symptoms of depression. For many years it was considered to be the gold standard. It was developed by Max Hamilton in the late 1950s and was used to evaluate the performance of the first antidepressants. It was released in 1960. Upon its release, Hamilton acknowledged that it had room for improvement (p. 56). He revised the HDS in 1967. The HDS consists of 21 multiple choice questions. The first 17 questions determine the severity of the depression symptoms, while the additional four questions address the areas of paranoia and obsession and their relation to depression .The HDS can be administered to both children and adults. It is considered to be easy to read and interpret; it is recommended that the HDS be administered only by a licensed professional. Scoring The HDS was intended to be administered by an experienced clinician by conducting a clinical interview.   Scoring and administrating the scale may be considered cumbersome as Hamilton did not provide structured guidelines for this purpose. No standardized probe questions were provided to elicit information from patients and no behaviorally specific guidelines were developed for determining each items rating (Health Care Technology Systems, 2010). Seventeen items are rated on a 5-point (0-4) or a 3-point (0-2) scale. Overall scores of 0-6 are considered normal. Scores from 7-17 are indicative of mild depression. Scores from 18-24 represent moderate depression. Scores that are greater than 24 are representative of severe depression. Reliability Bagby, Ryder, Schuller, and Marshall (2004) state that Clinician-rated instruments should demonstrate three types of reliability: 1) internal reliability, 2) retest reliability, and 3) interrater reliability (par.4). They contend that the internal reliability of the HDS estimates ranged from 0.46 to 0.97, and 10 studies reported estimates 0.70 (par.5). They further contend that the majority of items contained in the HDS indicate sufficient reliability .Per their testing, the following items were met in each sample: (Guilt, middle insomnia, psychic anxiety, somatic anxiety, gastrointestinal, general somatic) and an additional five items met the criteria in all but one sample (depressed mood, suicide, early insomnia, late insomnia, work and interests, hypochondriasis) (par.6). A potential problem was suggested with loss of insight, as it had the greatest number of variables. Interrater reliability was considered to be poor. Cicchetti and Prusoff (1983, as cited in Reynolds and Kobak, 1 995) state in a study of interrater reliability of a 22-item version of the HDRS found low levels of reliability for individual items, with 14 of the 22 items demonstrating intraclass correlation coefficients of less than .40 (par. 4). Retest Reliability Scores for the retest reliability of the HDS ranged from 0.81 to 0.98. Williams (1998 at cited in Bagby et al., 2004) argued in favor of using structured interview guides to boost item and total scale reliability and developed the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (par.8). Doing so increased the retest reliability to 0.54 in spite of the fact that only four items met the necessary criteria for reliability; i.e.: depressed mood, early insomnia, psychic anxiety, and loss of libido (par.8). Validity The Hamilton Depression Scale is comprised of 1) Content, 2) Convergent, 3) Discriminant, 4 Factorial, and 5) Predicative Validity. Content validity is determined by examining scale items to determine correspondence with known features of a syndrome (Bagby et al., 2004 par. 9). Convergent validity is sufficient when a scale indicates Pearsons r values of a minimum of 0.50 in conjunction with measures of the same syndrome. Discriminant validity is determined by indicating that groups that differ in diagnostic status may be separated through the use of the scale. Predictive validity of symptom severity measures such as the Hamilton depression scale is determined by a statistically significant (p HDS Reviews Bernard Carroll wrote a letter to the editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry in December, 2005 entitled: Why the Hamilton Depression Scale Endures. He offers three reasons why the HDS remains the gold standard. First of all, he contends that Hamiltons HDS focused on patients burden of illness (par.1). He suggests that this is the reason why the HDS contains examples of anxiety that are present in depressive episodes, but are not part of the diagnosis for depression. He further contends that Hamilton intended the use of this scale for clients that are well known by the clinician. In this light, the HDS displays a range from mild to extreme illness (par. 1). Second, Carroll contends that the demand for a revised scale based upon modern criteria of major depression is not realistic. Carroll believes that Current definitions of major depression, instantiated in DSM-IV, for instance, are deliberately atheoretical nominalist conventions that lack unifying constructs, predictive validity, and explanatory power (par.2). He believes that this is the reason why those who are diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria for major depression are so contrasting. He adds: In the future, we might add biomarkers or endophenotypes to clinical symptoms in assessing depression, but that day is not here (par.2). Third, Carroll does not believe that the HDS has been outmatched in performance. He does not believe that the HDS is insensitive to changes in the severity of depression symptoms. When compared to the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, he believes that the Hamilton Depression Scale is superior in its sensitivity to change and in detecting early change with treatment while having the advantage of far more comprehensive symptom coverage (par.3). Carroll concludes his letter by stating The endurance of the Hamilton depression scale is remarkable, considering how many unauthorized, nonvalidated, mutant versions now circulate (Hamiltons original 17 items have expanded to 28 at my last count). This is not progress, however, because the text versions and procedural use in many contemporary treatment trials are corrupted (par 4). Paul C Burnett, a reviewer of the HDS contends that the manual is extensive and comprehensive (par.2). The instructions for administering the test are clear and contain examples of the scoring process. All of the symptoms contained in the test are described and provide examples to be used in the interviewing process. He believes that the symptoms contained in the test conform to the criteria listed in the DSM-IV. The manual, which contains a sample of 202 depressed patients, is comprised of 76% inpatients, 24% outpatients, and 69% female (par.3). The manual contends that the demographics are fair, despite the fact that no data is provided to support this. He contends that the manual did not include data to support the procedure that was utilized to select this demographic. Burnett states that Internal consistency estimates were found to be .79 and .81 for the clinical and self-report forms respectively, indicating moderate reliability (par. 4). Other studies suggest that the internal consistency range from .45 to .95, which is stated in the manual as consistent with the results from the verification sample (par.4). Burnett does not consider a range of .45 to .81 as acceptable internal consistency. Burnett concludes that the HDS consists of a well written and concise manual, which clearly describes the administration and scoring process. He finds that the two scales have moderate internal consistency, sound concurrent validity, and relatively consistent and stable factor structures (par. 7). His only complaint is that the verification sample is minimal and does not sufficiently describe the manner in which it was selected. The Stronger Assessment Tool Both Aaron Beck and Max Hamilton have created an assessment tool to determine the severity of the symptoms of depression. While Hamiltons Depression Scale was considered to be the gold standard, and may be administered to both children and adults, one would have to conclude that Becks Depression Inventory-II is the stronger of the two assessments. It appears that the BDI-II can be administered with ease and does not require an interviewing process. The BDI-II has been revised to monitor the severity of symptoms of depression for the last two weeks, while Hamiltons HDS does not state such strict guidelines. It also appears as though the BDI-II contains a stronger internal consistency with an alpha coefficient of .95 as opposed to the HDS internal coefficiency of .79 and .81. Another reason for this conclusion was the original intention of use of the scales. Hamiltons HDS was developed to evaluate the performance of the first generation of antidepressants, while Becks Depression Inventory was developed to determine the nature of the severity of symptoms of depression without the use of medication. Becks BDI-II appears to have surpassed the HDS as reviewers have considered this assessment tool as utilizing state-of-the-art psychometric techniques to improve the discriminative properties of the instrument (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 10). It appears as though Becks BDI-II is the preferred choice among todays clinicians.

saychianna book :: essays research papers

~Chapter II~ ~The dream that night~ I dreamed that night for a short time, I’m not sure how long, but it didn’t feel like a dream at all. ~Chapter III~ ~The Moon and its Devilish Red Glare~ As the moon began to come out into view, I stood back upon my feet. I could see a little bit more since it was a full moon, it is glowing an eerie color. It reminded me of the fight that broke out at the palace. It sent a sudden chill of fear strait down my spine. I began to try to remember the way that I came in but it was all a rush altogether. I could not remember a thing. Nothing at all came. Even if I could remember was I come in from it was very dark and I couldn’t see at all now. It was obvious to me that I would have to stay there the whole night, but I hadn’t any thought of where to stay. †¦I’m still bleeding a lot; well not as much as it was. I did not know my way around yet so I just started to stroll along. As a few minuets passed on by I am again on a trail to no ware. There on the other side I could see a small path. I hoped that the path could lead me out of this shadowed forest. .. So I started running to it. I’m running as fast as I can. It is not like I could do that much right now any way. I don’t know if the path leads farther into the shadowy woods, or out of them. Anyway, even if I did manage to escape this wood alive, I don’t know who or what is awaiting my arrival to come out of here. Besides, what if there are worse creatures in here. I really don‘t want to find out. This is defiantly not such a place for me. I do not enjoy sudden attacks on my home and being thrown around like a rag doll. No, that is not I, at all. So once again I started off into this deep dark abyss, I never knew that the woods would be this dark. I was all riled up now since there was no true way of finding anyway out of this forest without daylight. I now feared that I might never be found again alive.

Genre Text Essay

The Real Inspector Hound When you think of the term ‘genre’, what does it exactly mean to you? Well I’m sure it’s without a doubt that you all commonly believe it constitutes either a kind or category of text, but in actual fact does it really? Good morning Year 11. The prime focus of your studies during the HSC course next year, I’m going to discuss how the genre of crime fiction has extended through time, whereby a variety of notions and characteristics exhibited throughout a text may either reinforce, challenge or extend on genre parameters. So what is genre then? Although genre is quite difficult to define, there are numerous interpretations of the term since the confines between genres are constantly evolving due to changing values. As Daniel Chandler states, â€Å"defining genres may not initially seem particularly problematic but it should already be apparent that it’s a theoretical minefield. † However, Jane Feuer believes â€Å"genre is ultimately an abstract conception. † These critics therefore prove that yes, while it may be easy to classify a text to a particular genre, we must understand genre as a concept that can apply to varying applications rather than its fundamental relevance to a text. In saying this, as changing contexts and values have developed over time, resulting in new-found conventions, I’ve come to agree with Stephen Neale’s understanding; â€Å"Genres are instances of repetition and difference†¦ difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre. † (Neale, 1980). This my friends, effectively reflects constant changing cultural values and attitudes in our social milieu, don’t you think? Hence, my aim today is to focus on the conventions of the genre of crime fiction and how they have been recreated in a number of ways to reflect the social and cultural aspects that are dynamic to their survival within the popularity of a text. As Neale further suggests, â€Å"genres exist to assist in shaping values. † Subsequently, I will discuss how and why Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear window and Tom Stoppard’s play The Real Inspector Hound have re-worked and extended upon crime conventions prevalent in crime writing through genre, often defying audience expectations in one way or another. As a result, Rear Window highlights and expands upon the cosy conventions of its contemporary society by paralleling the post-war issues of voyeurism and women and subverting them, reflected through its social milieu. The Real Inspector Hound also utilises cosy conventions but parodies them instead, challenging the classical Golden Age’s ‘whodunit’ storyline in a satiric way, so as to query the restoration of justice and the idea of reality vs. allusion. Thus, whilst both texts seek to extend and challenge crime conventions, they also serve to explore society’s human conditions and issues at the time in order to become seminal texts of the genre. Directed in 1954, Hitchcock’s Rear Window reinforces the fact that very few works exemplify all required characteristics of a particular genre, by cleverly breaking the ideal conventions of a suspenseful circumstance in a crime fiction text. The film is rather based around the notion of both solving the crime and proving that it happened. Rear Window further revolves around the concepts of the changing roles of women and queries the morality of voyeurism. Such notions reflect the contextual concerns of the post-war era where a revolutionary social change was clearly prevalent in society, thus endangering the traditional gender restrictions marked by WW2. Through the mis-en-scene of Jeff holding his camera looking outside the window as blinds are swiftly raised to reveal vignettes of apartments, it’s evident that a didactic message outlining the unethicalness of voyeurism is contained within Rear Window. As voyeurism further exposes hidden worlds within the film, Hitchcock manages to reflect upon American society through each of these blocks acting as a microcosm. But it stops there. Quite similarly to our other text The Real Inspector Hound, Hitchcock withdraws from typical crime conventions by not showing the occurrence of the crime itself. This was due to growing conflict between the conservative American government and growing acceptance to sexuality by society at the time, as a result of censorship on films. The concept of voyeurism is cleverly employed by Hitchcock via subverting a cosy setting, a convention to reflect the concept of McCarthyism where there was a fracturing of society due to the paranoia of communism, which was most prominent during the Golden Age. This is illustrated as the camera pans across Jeff’s apartment, focusing on his photography tools and emphasising his infatuation for observing life. Thus, Jeff’s dilemma of being entrapped in his apartment persuades him to do â€Å"something drastic† to remove him â€Å"out of the swamp of boredom,† which metaphorically foreshadows his forthcoming hobby of spying on his neighbours. I’m certain you all must think he’s strange, but the aspect of social insecurity and fear at the time was what Hitchcock was seeking to embody. Where spying begins as an innocent obsession, it soon becomes a neurotic effort to prove Thorwald’s criminal actions. Therefore, after the growing tension depicted through continual panning shots, Jeff takes action which exposes clues in Thorwald’s apartment. However, the consequences of voyeurism are made apparent through the non diagetic sound and quick motion of Jeff falling out the window. Hitchcock hence questions the moral ambiguity of voyeurism due to society’s fear of maintaining social order, by focusing on the depraved aspect of society becoming â€Å"a race of peeping toms. † Despite changing perceptions of females in the workforce, how exactly did Lisa become an amateur detective and femme fatale, whilst presenting the evolving independance and roles of women? In actual fact, Hitchcock broke a key crime convention – there must only be one detective! A high angle shot first characterises Jeff as bound to his wheel chair, and the cast around his injured leg is symbolic of the identity boundary he endures. Consequently, Jeff is left helpless, a frequent motif that’s prevalent throughout the film in which Jeff is metaphorically incapable of embracing his male dominance, hoping to â€Å"emerge from his plaster cocoon. † Thus when Lisa emerges, the dark lighting and shadows surrounding her signifies Jeff’s intimidation, as men were startled by the role of women in the post-war period. By having Jeff restricted at home in a feminised position, Hitchcock underpins Lisa as the amateur sleuth, sustained through her constant dominance over Jeff within the framing. Hitchcock further challenges the authority of women in crime fiction as femme-fatales, whereby negative connotations strengthen the presence of conceited masculinity. Yet Lisa’s strong persona and sheer determination leads to her fatal participation in â€Å"the next assignment,† exhibited in the panning tracking shot of her investigating Thorwald’s apartment, underlining Lisa’s unusual role as a detective and the film’s conclusion of restoration. Subsequently, Hitchcock illustrates the development of crime conventions by challenging traditional crime conventions, via representing the shift in the growing independence and role of women in society, by maintaining both genders as main detectives. Thus, Rear Window not only reinforces and extends upon crime genre parameters, but also reflects society’s changing values, hence explaining why it’s considered a critical crime fiction text even today. Unlike Hitchcock who reinvented some crime writing rules, Stoppard completely goes against them. Whilst Stoppard experiments with the classical Golden Age crime conventions, the crime genre is seen to continuously mirror society’s changing attitude and values. In successfully challenging the audience to interpret whether the perceived distinction between what is real and an allusion in crime is essential, Stoppard also leads them to question the restoration of justice. The perceived distinction between reality and allusion is no longer relevant in today’s post-modern world as it was in the Golden Age, due to changing societal expectations, like Stoppard suggests. He breaks traditional conventions, as the margins of a play-within-a-play have been intersected, demonstrating the blurring of reality. Whilst Rear Window uses a cosy setting to depict society’s issues, Stoppard instead parodies it to demonstrate that a crime isn’t always within its confines, and hence defies crime conventions to outline the irrationality of society. The cosy method of contrivance supports this, being parodied through Mrs. Drudge’s absurd dialogue about the â€Å"somewhat isolated Muldoon Manor, which is surrounded by deadly swamps and fog. † Thus Stoppard criticises S. S Van Dine’s code where â€Å"the detective himself† â€Å"should never turn out to be the culprit,† by forwarding the murderous role onto Puckeridge, whom the audience come to learn as Inspector Hound and Magnus also. This is depicted in the final scene through an exaggerated climax of a string of revelations. For eg. â€Å"I am not the real Magnus Muldoon! It was a mere subterfuge. Stoppard effectively emphasises the melodramatic and absurd situation of the play, by demonstrating multiple pauses and an overuse of explanation points in union with stage directions. Through a variety of dramatic devices, the distinction between reality and allusion is dissolved, as Stoppard denounces the lack of innovation and irrelevancy of crime fiction conventions. Society is further challenged by Stoppard to query the relevancy of the nature of truth and justice within the traditional crime fiction genre. So must there always be a hero within the context of the text? The authorities within the play are not central figures, just like the police aren’t in Rear Window, as justice isn’t achieved. But whilst the police in Rear Window are idiotic, Inspector Hound doesn’t even convey detective traits. Alternatively, Inspector Hound is continuously ridiculed through stage directions. For eg. He is wearing â€Å"inflatable swamp boots and carrying a foghorn,† in his entrance. Therefore, The Real Inspector Hound has eloquently challenged the conventions of crime fiction, leading the play to become a significant crime fiction text as it crucially contributes to the revolution of crime over time. In summation, it’s without a doubt that Hitchcock’s Rear Window skilfully challenges the conventions of crime fiction in such a way that classifies the film as unlike your traditional crime film, as he endeavoured to reflect the cultural values of the post-war era. Moreover, Stoppard also extended upon genre parameters in The Real Inspector Hound by satirising the classic conventions of characters and plot from the Golden Age, whereby he duplicated postmodernist beliefs at a point where it was seen as time for change. Thus, both texts have grown to become seminal crime fiction texts, by cleverly reinventing already established crime conventions in numerous ways.

Marketing reflections

Apart from creating ‘loyalists' who support the company at all mimes, such schemes also aim at enticing customers away from competition (Morgan, 1996). Price, location and convenience are other determinants of customer loyalty. The case study mentioned in the article presents an overall negative picture of loyalty cards In the hospitality business. It says majority of the customers purchased the loyalty cards of the hotel because it provided good value for money and cheap local deals. Despite having high satisfaction, such ‘mercenaries' had very low commitment towards the hotel (Morgan, 1996).It mentions that other means like customizing arrive for each individual, giving same room to regulars, ‘business roundtable dinners', happy hour etc. , with special attention to profitable customers, might be more successful in retaining customers. However, the above doesn't seem to hold true for supermarket chains. Owing to a change in management, Jewel Coco's move to ditch i ts loyalty card and opt for â€Å"everyday low prices† instead was not received very well by the regular customers. They felt that their right to exclusive discount was being taken away from them and thus, Coco lost quite a few customers.

Free Essays on Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy stood out from most writers of yesterday and today. His works were based on the happenings around him whether it involved government, religion, or even romance. Leo Tolstoy faced many problems in life. Starting at an early age to the day he died, he took on all obstacles. Tolstoy was a man respected by almost everyone. He stood strong for what he believed in and did what he could to help someone out, no matter what the consequences were. On September 23, 1862, at the age of 34, Tolstoy married 18-year-old Sophia Behrs, the youngest daughter of a wealthy family whom he had watched grow up. During their early days of marriage, he conceived the idea of a novel based on the Decembrists, a group of noble families who attempted to bring the idea of a constitution to state attention in December 1825. As soon as he started doing research on their work, however, the whole period of the Napoleonic wars unfolded. The novel was to eventually become Tolstoy's great epic, War and Peace. The novel was serialized over a period of five years, 1864-1869, and at first the critics were completely baffled by it. Even Turgenev was unsure of the novel's importance. It did not gain critical adoration until a number of years after it was completed. Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's next work, was based on the real-life case of a young woman Tolstoy knew. She was a young society woman who threw herself under a train over what was then called "a romance." The novel was serialized during 1873-1876 and was widely regarded as a triumph. At the time of Anna Karenina's composition, Tolstoy was undergoing another important stage in his religious process. He was questioning the integrity of the Greek Orthodox Church and the morality of the Russian society world; those questions are brought to fore in this work. Throughout the composition of Anna Karenina and later works including Resurrection and the masterful short novel The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, Tolstoy was... Free Essays on Tolstoy Free Essays on Tolstoy Leo Tolstoy stood out from most writers of yesterday and today. His works were based on the happenings around him whether it involved government, religion, or even romance. Leo Tolstoy faced many problems in life. Starting at an early age to the day he died, he took on all obstacles. Tolstoy was a man respected by almost everyone. He stood strong for what he believed in and did what he could to help someone out, no matter what the consequences were. On September 23, 1862, at the age of 34, Tolstoy married 18-year-old Sophia Behrs, the youngest daughter of a wealthy family whom he had watched grow up. During their early days of marriage, he conceived the idea of a novel based on the Decembrists, a group of noble families who attempted to bring the idea of a constitution to state attention in December 1825. As soon as he started doing research on their work, however, the whole period of the Napoleonic wars unfolded. The novel was to eventually become Tolstoy's great epic, War and Peace. The novel was serialized over a period of five years, 1864-1869, and at first the critics were completely baffled by it. Even Turgenev was unsure of the novel's importance. It did not gain critical adoration until a number of years after it was completed. Anna Karenina, Tolstoy's next work, was based on the real-life case of a young woman Tolstoy knew. She was a young society woman who threw herself under a train over what was then called "a romance." The novel was serialized during 1873-1876 and was widely regarded as a triumph. At the time of Anna Karenina's composition, Tolstoy was undergoing another important stage in his religious process. He was questioning the integrity of the Greek Orthodox Church and the morality of the Russian society world; those questions are brought to fore in this work. Throughout the composition of Anna Karenina and later works including Resurrection and the masterful short novel The Death of Ivan Ilyitch, Tolstoy was...

To what Extent was Imperial Germany the Main Reason for the Outbreak Literature review

To what Extent was Imperial Germany the Main Reason for the Outbreak of WWI - Literature review Example Austria-Hungary announced war on Russia as France and Great Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary six days later. Historians and academicians understand the origins of the First World War, or â€Å"the Great War† as it is known, as complex, intense and intricate. This write-up presents a literature review on the causes of World War 1 and particularly Imperial Germany’s role in it. The scale of the war was vast as European powers increased their military spending by more than 300% during the war. Overall, thirty-two nations participated in the war, twenty-eight of which were Allied and Associated Powers, whose principal belligerents were the British Empire, France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, and the United States of America. The Central Powers opposing them were Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. 2. Causes of World War I One of the initial writings concerning the causes of war, the summarized revisionist history, â€Å"Origins of World War I†, by Sidney Bradshaw Fay discusses the Immediate and Underlying Causes of the war (Fay, 1966). Fay suggests five key reasons behind World War 1: the system of secret alliances, militarism, nationalism, economic imperialism and the newspaper press. Other academicians (Weikart, 1993) have also added social Darwinism to one of the underlying causes of War. Scholars, however, give different weightages to different causes, based on the importance they place on each of the above factors. Author S.R. Williamson takes on a pragmatist perspective by emphasizing that, in the period immediately leading up to World War I, there was a â€Å"militarization of attitudes† all across Europe (Samuel R. Williamson, 1988). â€Å"Militarism† and â€Å"imperialism† were key motivating forces in majority of the European countries to attack each other. Williamson, in his study, however singles out Austria-Hungry as the distruptive force amongst all other nations. The Austria-Hungry Em pire was on a verge of disintegration and hence was preparing a realiatory attack on Serbia for the assasination of the archduke. Historian N. Ferguson, in his book, The Pity of War, elaborates further on the â€Å"Imperialistic virtues† of Europe, and that all European powers were preparing for the war within the confines of their empires. A naval arms race was gaining momentum between Germany and Britain and both countries wanted to demonstrate their strength as world’s greatest imperial powers (Ferguson, 1999). Each European country was also facing fears and threats to their existence and to their expansion plans. The Austrians dreaded the collapse of their multi-racial Empire if they did not challenge the danger of Serb nationalism and Panslavism. The Germans feared the fall of their closest and only reliable ally, Austria that in turn would have weakened their stance in Europe. The Russians were threatened of a humilating defeat to Austria and their failure to pro tect Slavs. The French felt the threat of their German neighbours as Germany increased its might in population, economy and military strength. France's primary defence against the threat of German invasion was its alliance with Russia. This it was essential to protect. The British were vulnerable as well, as their global empire was exposed to hostile forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary with modern navy and war

Structure of the DNA and RNA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Structure of the DNA and RNA - Essay Example From the discussion it is clear that  the DNA sequence is composed of four types of DNA which are adenine A and Guanine G, Thymine T and Cytosine C.  A sugar known as 2’-deoxy ribose is phosphorylated at its 5’hydroxyl group and free nucleotides have phosphates representing the mono-, di-, or triphosphate form of the nucleotide known as dGTP, dATP, dTTP and dCTP.  This paper highlights that DNA does not exist in a single strand since it is not stable; it links with a second strand and intertwines to form a double helix structure. The bases are bonded to each other at the centre in a particular way whereby Adenine bond with thymine with 2H-bonds and Cytosine bond with Guanine with 3H-bonds. The linear geometry and rigidity of the H-bonds prevents the base pair formation since the plane lies perpendicular to the axis of the helix. Watson and Crick described the B-DNA as the physiological form of the double helix DNA. The sequence of bases in the polymer encodes the genetic information for protein synthesis. The real structure of the DNA, however, deviates slightly from the B form in a sequence dependent manner as well as depending on the interaction with DNA-binding proteins.  A double helix has the minor and major grooves winding along the helix surface. In those grooves, parts of the ring structures of the purines and pyrimidines are exposed to the surface of the helix this is the site where most protein-DNA interactions occur.

Communcation in the work place as an lpn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communcation in the work place as an lpn - Essay Example Wherever a LPN has the opportunity to use communication skills, they should. Care facilities are places where lives are frequently on the brink; a miscommunicated thought could end someones life. There is one thing a nurse must do above all else: know the capabilities of the staff and how to delegate responsibilities amongst them. This is another element of communication that sometimes goes unnoticed. It is often forgotten that a nurse needs to be effective in written communication as well as oral communication. This is because notes may need to be looked over by another member of staff. When a LPN is effective in communication, there are many benefits for patients and fellow staff alike. If communicating properly, a LPN could improve patient care, both inside and outside of the hospital; reduce unnecessary spending, or improve the way that money is being spent; and improve the role played in patient

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay Example for Free

Animal Rights Opinion Essay Essay To have a liable viewpoint on the topic of Animal Rights, one must practically have the abilities of a well-practiced philosopher. You must be able to fully evaluate the characteristics of every possible relationship, good or bad, between man and his fellow members of the Animal Kingdom, and their potential outcomes. You must also decide if you believe in human exceptionalism, that is, whether or not we are equal to animals. â€Å"A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. † Says Ingrid Newkirk, head of PETA, in 2003, â€Å"They are all mammals†. Other individuals, however, such as Wesley J. Smith (2010), believe that this attitude will devalue the â€Å"the unique status of humans†. Everyone has their own take on this topic, and, if we resolve this in a civilized and orderly fashion, we can potentially have a perfect balance between humans and the world’s diverse flora and fauna. Across the globe, there are hundreds of organizations that are constantly fighting for the equality of animals, and the elimination of their mistreatment. Some of the bigger names include the World Wildlife Fund, (WWF), and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). These groups rally, lobby, and petition against criminal acts against practically every species of animal, and believe you me they have their hands full! In some laboratories, primates are being rigorously forced through difficult tests, and on some farming facilities belonging to today’s big corporations, such as the large restaurant chain known as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), animals are being harvested in an inhumane manner. Among the worst cases is the solicitation of â€Å"crush films†, in which puppies and small, cute animals are â€Å"slowly crushed or impaled by women wearing heels,† reports David Michael (2010). These videos were banned in 1999 by the Supreme Court, until the federal law had overreached, and the law was overturned. These acts are clear examples of cruelty towards animals, and can never be truly justified. If we take the rights steps, in a warranted and honest manner, then we can stop animal abuse, and save future species from an unruly and unjustified future as slaves to man-kind. There also exists a whole other group of people who believe that life is just a game of the survival of the fittest, which is similar to the point of view of Wesley J. Smith, author of A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The  Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement. He, and many others, believe that â€Å"valuing humans over animals is a form of discrimination† against humans, which he describes in his new book published in 2010. He also tells us that giving animals the same legal status takes away from who we are, as the dominant species of Earth. I personally, do not believe this is completely true. We moved these creatures out of their homes to build our houses and buildings, and then polluted them with the carbon outputs of our cities and towns. This makes it our responsibility to help them find new homes any way we can. On the other hand, he did mention something I could partially relate to. â€Å"Humans do indeed have a moral obligation to promote animal welfare, but they are also entitled to use animals, particularly if the use of animals alleviates human suffering.† I can get behind this statement to some extent. There are hundreds of scientists using animals to research possible cures for certain diseases that affect thousands of humans daily. However, harming these animals would be completely unacceptable. We could use alternative solutions, like observing animals in their natural habitats, if possible, and study them there, or at least let them go, unharmed, after the experiment is completed. Although many groups and individuals are taking the right steps to put an end to this epidemic, not everyone likes to play by the rules. There have been numerous cases of arson, theft, and animal right activists terrorizing companies that test on animals. In fact, â€Å"fifty-one out of fifty-eight of the incidents of domestic terrorism identified in the FBI’s report Terrorism 2002-2005 were suspected to have been perpetrated by animal rights activists,† claims Smith (2010). â€Å"Which is surprisingly violent for its (animal rights movement) allegedly non-violent goals,† agrees David Michael (2010). Some of the more extreme cases include lighting entire laboratories on fire, death threats, and, in 2007, a researcher’s children being sent HIV-infected needles in the mail. Even PETA is not completely innocent of such acts. In 1995, they donated over $45 000 to the defense funds of Rodney Coronado, who was guilty of burning down a Michigan State laboratory. PETA finds these are â€Å"acceptable crimes†¦when used for the animal cause,† says Alex Pacheco, a co-founder of PETA. They also compared animal cruelty to the Holocaust in one of their many campaigns, to get their message across crystal clear, which offended many members of the public, and therefore raised many eyebrows. I believe that we must find was  to eliminate animal abuse with this ‘militaristic’ component. In conclusion, I believe that, a long time ago, before man first started his evolutionary track, a balance of rights and respect between our kind and the rest of the world’s fauna existed. However, as we evolved, this balance shifted into our favor. We became the dominant exception in the Animal Kingdom, removing inferior species from their homes, either by enslaving or killing them. This behavior is unacceptable, and must be stopped, because of its excessive injustice towards animals. I also believe that organizations like PETA are on the right track. In order to make change, we have to fight for it, but to certain extents. Arson and burglary are deplorable, and will only make the problem even worse. We must deal with these issues in a civilized and organized manner. Burning laboratories simply won’t do. Once these steps are taken, and if we are able to treat animals with the respect and value, we will be able to coexist in harmony with the rest of the Animal Kingdom, and the balance we once had can be restored. Works Cited Michael, D. (2010, July 21st). Animal Spirits. Retrieved July 30th, 2010, from the Book: http://www.tnr.com/book/review/animal-spirits

The World Today As A Unipolar Society

The World Today As A Unipolar Society The world is a complex and dynamic with almost endless combinations of events leading to different outcomes. Sovereign states, multinational corporations, NGOs, militias, terrorists, regional and global organisations, media outlets and rogue states affect global relations. Environmental changes, natural disasters, regional and inter-state conflict, economic instability, migration and demographic changes are a fraction of the events that add uncertainty to the path of future global relations. So can we neatly categorise this multifarious world? Gordon Allport said categories are nouns that cut slices through our environment. This applies to all things, not simply to a persons nationality or skin colour. From birth we learn to categorise the world, to drop items or situations into buckets that broadly meet its features. This helps us process complex information without being utterly overwhelmed. Regarding world order; no two situations are alike but we are able to apply the basic constructs to a polar system. There are those who argue for unipolarity, multipolarity and nonpolarity. This essay will assess each of the arguments in turn and, in conclusion, you will be presented with an opinion based on those arguments. In 1939 the international system was multipolar with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USSR, UK and US as the major global powers. This balance of power led to a total war between two alliances with two superpowers emerging, the USSR and US. From 1945 these two superpowers were engaged in a political and military standoff, the Cold War, which despite its deadly potential delivered a degree of stability to world order. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 left a period of uncertainty that saw the US take the role as global hegemon. This power shift has been ongoing since well before WWII, even before Carl von Clausewitzs days in the multipolar early 19th century, and above all this demonstrates the dynamic and ever shifting nature of the international system of power. Unipolarity can be defined as a system in which a single power is geopolitically preponderant because its capabilities are potent enough to preclude the formation of an overwhelming balancing coalition against it  [1]  . To suggest that a unipolar state must be capable of achieving all its goals, everywhere, by itself is nonsense  [2]  . If this were the case there would never have been a unipolar state on the global stage. There have, of course, been unipolar powers; America is the most recent and the best example but the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire and Chinas Han Dynasty are other examples. There is no stomach for anything other than US hegemony on Capitol Hill. The US has dominated since the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. An entire generation of Americans has grown up knowing nothing apart from US hegemony and they are not keen to lose it. Following the end of the Iraq War there was no flurry of US innovation to try and prevent future Iraq wars; there was instead a shift in the doctrinal approach of the Pentagon towards counter insurgency and more money spent on equipping the military to fare even better in future Iraq wars. Key factors defining superpower status are military, economic, political and technological. An economically strong US has built a military, unmatched in terms of the size of its technologically advanced forces. The US Navys fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 navies combined.  [3]  China and India have larger armed forces than the US but the US has more forces stationed overseas (460,000 is 146 countries). It has the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world, spending almost as much on defence as all other nations combined  [4]  . This ability to project power globally is significantly unmatched by any power in the world and this gives the US a more prominent place at the international table. Of the four key factors, military power is the most relevant to maintaining US global hegemony but even US culture has migrated around the globe. MTV, CNN, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Disney and Hollywood are but a few US brand names in what is known in some camps as th e McDomination Effect. The US enjoys a unique geographical advantage, having allies on each of its borders; Canada, Mexico (an uneasy ally but a strong trading partner), and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Other states tend to have their ascent to superpower status blocked by their neighbours. The huge margin between the US and its nearest competitors may have reduced in recent years but it remains. Furthermore there is no other single country that can compete with the US in all areas of power. Yale historian Paul Kennedy claimed the US would suffer from imperial overstretch but, in such awe of US success in Afghanistan in 2002, he wrote nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing. The notion of overstretch is largely ill founded as the potential final nail in the coffin for the US; unlike Great Britain, France and Spain before it, the US does not crave territory, almost before they put boots on foreign soil they are looking for an exit strategy  [5]  . The commonly held view is that unipolarity is unstable, mainly due to the tendency of other states to seek counterbalance and inevitably cause conflict. In this case, however, there are no power enemies that are seeking to directly counter the US. Indeed, following the September 11 attacks India, Pakistan, Russia and even China have revised their foreign policies regarding the US. Even North Korea may be entering back into dialogue in April with the US over dismantling its nuclear programme. Which other countries enjoy the ability to disregard the international system without retribution? Not only disregard the system but draw their allies along with them, such as with the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cases of torture of terror suspects, the last invasion of Iraq, not signing up to the Ottowa Treaty (despite being a P5 member of the UN Security Council), the Highway of Death massacre in Iraq; the list is extensive but the point remains that the US remains at the head of the international table despite multiple infringements of international law or, in the case of the Ottowa Treaty, setting a poor example to the international community. Charles Krauthammer coined the Unipolar Moment in the early 1990s and in 2002 he suggested that moment had become the Unipolar Era. Since 1990 however, the US has been at war in the Middle East, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia in the main. It has suffered a disastrous presidency under Bush and financial meltdown following the collapse of the sub-prime market. In addition it has suffered a major terrorist attack, a catastrophic diversion of attention from Afghanistan to Iraq regarding WMDs and has suffered a moral own goal by practising torture and violating human rights, specifically the authorised use of waterboarding by CIA personnel on US terror suspects. Financially the country is a shell following Bushs presidency; he took office with $120 billion in reserve and left a deficit of $1.2 trillion eight years later. In every dimension other than military power the distribution of power is shifting, moving away from U.S. dominance. That does not mean we are entering an anti-American world but we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people  [6]  . Many argue, most notably Richard Haass, that the unipolar moment is over, that sovereign states have lost the monopoly on power in a world now dominated by dozens of state and non-state actors, each with a significant amount of power. In todays world, states are challenged from above, by regional and global organisations (UN, NATO, IMF and WTO), from below by militias and terrorist groups (drug cartels, Al Qaeda, CIRA and Hezbollah) and from the side by NGOs (Amnesty International, the Red Cross and Greenpeace) and the media. The six major world powers are joined by global, regional and functional organisations that wield tremendous power; consider OPEC for example. In this nonpolar environment, mechanisms for providing solutions to world problems are becoming multilateral in nature and not state driven. Recent meetings at the UN have been held including government departments, UN agencies, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, think tanks and universities  [7]  . Military might does not equate to effect. The events of 11 Sep 01 demonstrate that a small organisation with minimal funding and manpower can strike a devastating blow to a powerful state. The events since have shown that, even with the full prosecution of its power, the US has been unable to bring the war on terror to a satisfactory conclusion. Power and influence have become less synonymous in recent years due, in part, to the decline of the US on the world stage but also to the growth in stature of other states and non-state actors. The increase in production and consequential consumption of fossil fuels has seen substantial funds flow to oil producing countries. These countries have enjoyed the benefits of these profits and are now rising in power and influence themselves. The success of the US machine has contributed to its own downfall. The dollar is in decline, worldwide talks are taking place regarding the cessation of trading in the dollar for oil; already many global exchan ge holdings are now in other currencies.  [8]  The emerging BRIC and Middle Eastern countries are discussing alternative currencies for international reserve. Globalisation is a major factor in the global diffusion of power. In both the physical and the virtual world, borders have become more porous over the last 20 years and therefore less susceptible to state control. In the same way that states have increased in their ability to succeed financially and technologically, non-state actors have matured in the same way. This, coupled with more porous borders in a smaller world has enabled far more actors to exert their influence around the globe. Terrorist groups communicate worldwide via internet, move funds electronically via internet and move members internationally via a high tech worldwide air bridge. Media groups such as CNN and Al Jazeera distribute current footage of war zones across the world that has not been subject to government censorship; many non-western countries receive instant footage in their native language, not subject to western control. US primacy has been challenged and found wanting. The dollar is in decline and countries are regularly able to resist US petitions (Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe most recently). Other states have grown significantly (including China, Brazil, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia) and there has been a great deal of backlash to Americanism. Despite the decline of US hegemony, no state has stepped up to the plate to take on the role of hegemon. This, combined with globalisation, has led to a unipolar world. So what of multipolarity? Irans rise to nuclear power seems inevitable; supported by both Russia and China, financially and in the UN, the US appears powerless to halt Irans nuclear progress. Irans accumulation of wealth shows no sign of waning, especially as it holds three fifths of the worlds oil reserves and two fifths of the worlds natural gas reserves. Russia has made a massive comeback under Putin. It holds half of the worlds supply of nuclear weapons and has the third largest gold and foreign currency reserve in the world. There is heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies across the continent and, with the financial crisis pushing investors to liquidate assets into oil, gold and other commodities, Russia benefited greatly in recent times. China has also rapidly risen as a diplomatic and economic power; at current rates the country will lead the US in GDP by 2050. Despite its unusual peaceful rise to power, compared with Britain, the US, Japan, Germany and Russia before it, China may be prepared to support Russias objection to a possible US anti-missile shield in Europe by use of military power. China has been one of the first to move into Africa, capitalising on untouched oil and mineral reserves. Also there has been a direct challenge to the US might via cyberspace; Chinese hackers have repeatedly compromised Pentagon computer security, rendering entire systems inoperative. India is another rising power and a nuclear power. It too has very good relations with Russia and China, who has given financial support. Unfortunately India suffers with a similar problem to the EU in that it is a multi-faceted entity that faces challenges from within regarding a single voice and unity in aim. Further to this it is hampered in its quest for hegemony in South Asia by Pakistan who, although significantly weaker in conventional terms, possesses a nuclear capability. Brazil has made a meteoric rise in power in recent times. Already a mineral rich country it has recently discovered extensive oil reserves offshore and has signed a multi-billion dollar military technology sharing deal with France. It sits under the US security umbrella and has no serious threats from its neighbours and does not seek to be a military power but an economic one. Vast swathes of land have been made fertile and the country now leads the world in the exports of many foodstuffs and is the second highest producer of ethanol in a world looking for alternative fuels. The Muslim world is increasing in power across the world. Birth rates in Muslim countries are increasing and the availability of medical services is improving this gives rise to longer life expectancy coupled with a larger young population. With the concentration of fossil fuels in Middle Eastern countries and the financial benefits that brings we can expect to see increase in the effect of the Muslim world on the west. This may take the form of states increasing in production and becoming more powerful but there is a chance this could mean increased migration to the west. The US remains primus inter pares but is no longer hegemon. It now relies on more imports and is able to export less (exports of goods and services grew by 12.0% in 2008 to $1.84 trillion, while imports increased 7.4% to $2.52 trillion  [9]  ). Meanwhile other countries are growing at increasing rates (China grew 9.6% in 2008 compared with 1.1% in the US  [10]  ). Chinas GDP growth may be increasing but it is unlikely that spending on defence will come close to the US. The poor majority Chinese population will continue to sap economic growth. EU GDP may be in excess of the US and its armed forces may be great in number but the union is not yet truly unified and the region is suffering an ageing population. Japan too is suffering an ageing and shrinking population. India is making huge advances in its economy but suffers from a bureaucratic system with little in the way of infrastructure. Russia could be seen as a possible contender again, although it is challenged from within by a declining population (falling at about 0.5% per year since 1991  [11]  and internal challenges to its government. The most recent example of nonpolarity is Iran. With the surge in oil prices Iran has accumulated wealth and power and is now seemingly aspiring to join the nuclear family. Despite its protestations, the US is unable to turn the tide without significant help from other states and organisations to assist with sanctions or to block access to nuclear technology and materials.  [12]  Iran now has the ability to exert influence over OPEC, which in turn could significantly affect the US. There is no doubt that the US still leads the world in the power stakes but its place at the top has become more unsteady in recent years. Iraq and Afghanistan have cost a considerable amount to fund and have turned opinion against them around the globe. US intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan has seen its national debt rise to over $250 billion; this coupled with the recent sub-prime market crash has seen the US economy weakened considerably. Hence the accumulation of wealth elsewhere in the world has a more marked effect. GDP growth differentials are reducing. The EU already beats the US GDP by some considerable margin and both Japan and China are closing the gap The world today But polarity is not a binary phenomenon. The world will not stay unipolar for decades and then suddenly, one afternoon, become multipolar  [13]  . The US remains primus inter pares more powerful in more areas than any other country. This does not mean, however, that it remains at the top of a unipolar system; Iran is a case in point. Success in the US has fed many other countries around the world, particularly oil producing states. China has benefited from US trade and with all While the concept of categorisation discussed at the beginning of this essay has clear benefits, we cannot simply assign one of the given categories to the world today. Unipolarity has been a reality since the collapse of the Soviet Union but the unipolar moment is truly over. The US does not have the ability to act with impunity or support any longer. There is a definite case of imperial overstretch, given its financial position, with the war on terror. Heavy economic and financial reliance on China sits paradoxically with the US position regarding Russia, Iran, India (opposed as it was to the Indian nuclear testing programme) and, more irritatingly, Chinese cyber war. There may currently be no state that is directly challenging the US on the global stage but the door of opportunity is certainly open for others to pose a threat to the US if conflict is provoked. While it is true that globalisation has increased the power of non-state actors to have an effect on the world stage, they are only able to apply pressure to sovereign states. Ultimately the sovereign states retain the real power, the combination of military might, geopolitical influence, economic power and technological advancement. Other actors play a key role in making the system work and providing solutions to global problems (global warming, financial crises, conflict prevention and so on) but the state remains king on the world stage. Multipolarity is re-emerging as nation states amass wealth, technology and increase cooperation through globalisation. There is possibility of conflict arising from this situation, especially with the Middle Eastern situation and with various states opposed to the US and its foreign policy. The reality would appear to be that we are in a transition phase between two elements of polarity, those being the unipolar world of the post Cold War era and the multipolar world of the future.