Animal Benefits

Much More Than Just a Friend In history there has always been the phrase, â€Å"man and his best friend†. This symbolizes the special bond shared between a dog and his master. Man and canine have been attached to each other historically by the necessity of protecting the herds and hunting for food. Man and dog originally became paired as humans were considered hunters and gathers, and both dogs and humans we're social creatures that hunted in the daytime. On the other side it has been found that dogs have a natural instinct to attach themselves to man.This longstanding relationship has been roven as † a dog Jawbone found in Iraq led scientists to believe that dogs were domesticated over 14,000 years ago' (Lear). By human nature, we seek unconditional love. Animals help enhance people's quality of life, not only by improving their physical well being, but also improving their mental state. Animals have been scientifically proven to decrease stress, lower blood pressure, d ecrease incidents of heart attacks, and improve overall mental health. There is evidence of simple facts such as, â€Å"People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than hose without pets† (Segal 1). Playing with a pet can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax which then has pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets. Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without again supporting the evidence of the physical affects of owning a pet. Research states that pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets. † The physical benefits of owning a pet seem to be endless on so many levels (â€Å"The Benefits of Pet†).Then there are a variety of examples that are connected to the mental and physical well being ofa pet owning individual. On a daily basis owners of dogs have been found to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared to their non-dog owning counterparts. Interestingly enough, studies have included an even match with patients evenly matched for weight, diet, and smoking habits. The study progresses with the participants taking stress tests and physical examinations. The patients who were dog/pet owners, or who were in the presence of n animal demonstrated lower heart rates and blood pressure during the test (O'Connor).The integration on animals in various forms of treatment has had an overwhelming response of shortened recovery time from children to the elderly. Most would not think that the companion of an animal may help a person physically but in many ways it does both directly and indirectly. Dogs were initially used in a mental health facility in the 1700s, and then again by the American Red Cross in military convalescent care after World War II. The Children's Hospital of Orange County stablished one of the nation's first, and leading pet th erapy programs.This hospital became one of only a few hospitals in the nation to offer such services. Currently, only fifty hospitals offer pet therapy and this is a surprisingly low number considering the proven medical benefits. However, in this instance the pets used to assist in the recovery were only used with young/pediatric patients. The therapy dogs and their owners aid children in the medical and surgical wards of the hospital, as well as in the physical, occupational, and speech therapy departments. (â€Å"Patients Appreciate Pet Partner†).The unconditional care and love given by these dogs not only raised the spirits of the sick children but it also provided time where they could escape from the daily treatments and life of living in a hospital There is also statistical data supporting the many benefits of pets and their affect on the elderly. For example therapeutic horses have been shown to have a positive impact on many individuals with a variety of disorders. à ¢â‚¬  Anna suffered a stroke and was physically sound in every way except for her speech. She could only utter one word, and then 0 seconds to a minute would pass before she could say another.But when leading her around on Lucky, I looked back at Anna and asked how she liked the ride. She said, ‘l like it Just fine. This is the first time IVe ever been on a horse! ‘ I nearly fell over! † (Barnard 2) â€Å"The Human-Animal Bond may be defined as the relationship between people, animals and their environment† (â€Å"The Human-Animal Bond†). Clearly these examples above show that no matter the age of the person, animals will have a positive effect on the quality and quickness of the healing process. Additionally, pets elp keep their owners in shape as well as assist the physically and mentally challenged.To have a dog means added responsibility such as walking, lifting, and physical grooming ofa pet, which supplies daily physical activity. Physical acti vity leads to overall improved health with leads to fewer visits to the doctor for minor health issues (â€Å"Why Man's Best Friend Is Man's Best Friend†). These are all common movements that a physical therapist would require of their patients that can be reinforced in the home â€Å"off hours† keeping the patient strong and moving. In one tory, a dog sits for hours caring for a mentally and physically disabled person while enduring immense pain but not whining due to not wanting to upset her. [V]anZante realized she had been parked on Max's tail the entire time. Max hadn't complained at all. ‘He was in pain, clearly, but he seemed to know that she had special needs, so he just sat through it,†(Carmichael 1). It is a heartfelt story that illustrates how dogs aid in the support of the handicapped. Throughout the nation, there are therapeutic riding programs design to work with physically or mentally challenged individuals to mprove their physical strength a s well as a compassion for another creature.UpReach, located in Derry, is a non-profit organization, which works with children and adults with the interaction with horses. The program is designed to improve the physical, emotional, and psychological development of these individuals. Research has found that the walking motion of the horse imitates movement of the human body. Many of the children have difficulty with gross motor skills, and riding moves the muscles in their backs and buttocks, which helps with the improvement of these motor skills. Grooming, petting, and feeding of the horses incorporate fine motor skills. The community they (UpReach) serve includes, but is not limited to, people with the following challenges: Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Visual or Hearing Impaired, Intellectual Disabilities, Down Syndrome, Sensory Integration Processing Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Youth-at- Risk† (http://www. upreachtrc. org). Patty Sexton, a volunteer at the UpReach Program of New Hampshire commented, â€Å"l have seen huge improvements while I have been here this past year.When I began, the therapist and I had to hold/position the young client the entire time. Unable to sit unassisted in the beginning, ne now sits rather well independently. The therapist spends a great deal of time alternating positions; sitting forward, riding backwards, sitting side-ways. These changes work to develop different muscles†¦ † Personal stories are written all over the world of how animals have physically changed a person's life. Pets have been found to decrease depression, increase self-esteem, and give individuals a sense of control.This area as endless research in support of the positive affects animals can have on a person. â€Å"Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets† (Segal 1). According toa new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, pets offer the same emotional benefits as human friendship. Current research at the Miami University and St. Louis University surveyed 217 people looking at variables such as depression, loneliness, illness, self-esteem, and activity-levels.Individuals who had pets scored higher on all aspects of the survey and were found o have overall higher self-esteem and less loneliness. Another study was administered to look at dog owners and how a pet filled their social needs. The authors write, â€Å"†¦ to the extent that their dogs fulfilled needs related to belongingness, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control, owners enjoyed a range of better outcomes (i. e. , less depression, less loneliness, greater self-esteem, greater happiness, and less perceived stress)† (â€Å"The Psychological Benefits of Owning Pets†).As told in the movie, War Horse, â€Å"We'll be alright Joey. We're the lucky ones , you and me. Lucky since the day I met you. This demonstrates the companionship between a man and his horse, and how it was the strength needed to overcome the hardship that the main character faced throughout the story. Pet owners with AIDS are far less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. â€Å"The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets,† says researcher Judith Siegel, PhD (â€Å"What Are the Health Benefits of Owning a Pet†). There is also currently a program called PAWS for reading.This program allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog or cat, or even a bunny in order to improve reading and ommunication skills. Children read individually to trained therapy pets (and their handlers) in schools, libraries, or other settings so that they can feel comfortable and confident. This has also been applied to children with fears of going to a dental procedure. After all, a dog will not correct them or make them feel awkward if they stumble, unconditional love and respect seems to apply in so many different ways and applies to a variety of pet therapy programs.Animals have been proven to give mood stabilization and a feeling safety. A pet provides consistency to our lives. â€Å"[Pets ay well represent the lost relationship of the mother to infant; that is complete and total devotion, love and adoration. They can help bridge the developmental transition from infancy to childhood; from dependence to independence; from isolation to social integration at varying times and stages in our lives† (Friedmann 1). Caring for a pet can significantly affect daily routine and gives us something to look forward to each day.All of this is an important factor to include when a person is dealing with grief and death. For example in the book, Marley and Me, Marley creates a sense of security in the household emotionally. There the three of us stayed, locked in our embrace of shared grief† ( Grogan 49). Pets have been found to relax us and focus our attention away from our problems and worries. Research even suggests that a pet can be a better listener than most people.Married women teel that they are listened to better by their dog than their husband, and husbands like to talk to their dog more than their wife since they never give their opinion. This constant communication helps people problem solve and work through difficult situations. If we look back to one of the original intentions of the dog, it would be for protection. As families traveled across dangerous terrain and encountered unknown predators, the dog has given a sense of safety. It is proven that pet owners feel less afraid of being a victim of crime while walking their dog or in their home.I personally know my family has no desire to have a gun in their home since we feel confident in our dogs' abilities to protect us. This leads toa home with less anxiety as well as one of our most important emotional s tabilities of safety. From 1970 to 2010, the number of dogs and cats in homes has increased from 67 million to an estimated 164 million (â€Å"Pet Overpopulation†). The National Institutes of Health, with funding from Mars Pet Food, recently developed a to study to analyze the benefits of human-animal interaction.The program, operated through the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, offers scientists research grants to study the impact of animals on child development, in physical and psychological therapeutic treatments, and on the effects of animals on public health, including their ability to reduce or prevent disease. The institute feels it's critical to establish a scientific foundation for the vidence that animals are good for people, even if it already seems obvious to most of the population.Our current insurance system needs to reward individuals or families that own a pet, since it is clear they can reduce health issues and improve overall physic al and mental wellness. An animal is non-judgmental, they help us feel needed and give us unconditional love and trust. They listen to our troubles and sit close through the good times and bad. In stories they have always have been our hero. All research seems to conclude that theyre numerous physical and psychological benefits of having a pet in your life.

Menigitis research paper Essay

Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A family who lived in Geneva, Switzerland was first diagnosed with the disease in 1805. It was not until 1866, that the disease traveled its way into the United States. Professor Anton Weichselbaum discovered the cause of cerebro-spinal meningitis illness in 1887. There are five types of meningitis: bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, parasitic meningitis, fungal meningitis, and non-infectious meningitis. Bacterial meningitis and Viral meningitis are the two most common and serious types of meningitis. Bacteria meningitis is caused by bacteria. There are several types of pathogens that can cause bacterial meningitis: Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes. Some of the symptoms of Bacteria meningitis are nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, and confusion. Bacteria meningitis can be life threatening and result in the need of medical attention. It is also contagious and can be treated with antibiotics. Viral meningitis is more common, than Bacterial meningitis and is sometimes referred to as â€Å"aseptic meningitis.† Viruses, like enteroviruses and herpes simplex viruses, cause viral meningitis. Viral meningitis occurs mostly in children younger than the age of five. The most common cause of viral meningitis is enteroviruses, which is most often spread from person to person through fecal contamination. There is no specific treatment for Viral meningitis. It is just like any other virus, it runs its course for about 7 to 10 days. To prevent from getting Viral meningitis, you should wash your hands thoroughly, especially after changing diapers and using the bathroom, and avoid sharing items with sick people or when you are sick, such as eating utensils. Both bacterial and viral meningitis show similar signs and symptoms, but bacterial meningitis is more severe and fatal. There are vaccines for some of the types of bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis. There are no vaccines for the most common cause of viral meningitis, so the best way to prevent it is to not get a viral infection. Works Cited Page 1. 2.http://www.ehow.com/about_5234584_meningitis-first-discovered_.html 2. 3.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9276.php 3. 4.http://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-Meningitis.aspx 4. 5.http://www.meningitis-trust.org/meningitis-info/types-and-causes/ 5. 6.http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html 6. 7.http://www.nmaus.org/meningitis/viral-or-bacterial.htm

Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum

Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum China has a very rich heritage and history that dates back more than a thousand years. Apart from relics and various artifacts that can tell us about the past, museums are essential gateways in explaining what life was like some thousand years ago. The Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum keeps watch over a lot of China’s history. Many travelers and visitors do not flock the museum because of the notion that it is difficult to find. The trick is simply to plan your visit. You have to expect it might take you a long time to get there but it’s a trip you should not miss. There are two bus stops that can connect you to the museum. The Youanmenwai bus stop is closer. It is at least 500 meters or a 7-minute walk from the bus stop. Bus numbers 19, 48, 72, 88, 377, 454, and 474 can take you there. Another bus stop is the Caihuying or Daguanyuan and you can take any of these buses 19, 49, 59, 122, 361, 716, 717, 744, and 800. From this stop, you will need to walk 800-meters north. The building looks unassuming against the apartment blocks around it. It is made of gray brick with an arched glass window. The museum is built underground so it may be easy to overlook it against the other buildings surrounding it. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 9AM to 4PM. Entrance is free. Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum is divided into two sections: the underground part and the historical displays. The underground part or the Shuiguan site is where the historic original water gate is located. The water gate goes as far back as the 12th century during the Jin dynasty. It is one of the very few gates that have been preserved and survived being burnt by the Mongolian troops. The museum is unique in this sense that it is built on an old aqueduct or water gate. This is why the Beijing Liao and Jin City Wall Museum is a Beijing Cultural relic site. The water gate was primarily used as a means to enter the city walls, which were built to protect the ancient Beijing against invasion. Another part of the museum is the artifacts. Most of the displays are from the Liao and Jin dynasties. The first floor of the museum, though is dedicated to Buddhist artifacts and daily tools from the Han and Qin dynasties. Precious pottery and very detailed calligraphy from the Jin dynasty are also displayed. The museum has also displayed what has been excavated from the site, namely the roof ornaments, tiles, and tablets. One of the museum’s highlights is the gravestone of Lu Hui which is one of the best preserved white marble stones that had been dug up along the Liangshui River. The museum also boasts of solitary exploration since not a lot of tourists find their way there. Make no mistake it houses artifacts that you cannot see in other museums. It is worth your time.

Genetically Modified Organisms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetically Modified Organisms - Essay Example An organism that has been subjected to such genetic manipulation is referred to as a genetically modified organism. Genetic modification involves the altering of the DNA code in a cell that is artificially grown in a laboratory before being reinserted into the same organism or an unrelated organism. The totality of genetic information that is present within the DNA of an organism is called genome, and this information is coded in such a way that it can be understood by all other living species. According to this coding system, four nucleotides are required to provide instructions to a cell on how it is to make any protein. (Steinbrecher, 1998). Nucleotides are DNA units whose names are listed as letters – A, C, G and T. The arrangement of these in three letter words is equivalent to the code for specific amino acids. Within each gene, there are also regulatory elements which function as flags to control gene activity. Each gene also has an information block, which prevents gene activity from moving in an unusual direction. As a result, gene regulation is specific to the context of its environment.(Steinbrecher, 1998). The process of genetically modifying an organism, which transports a gene from one organism into another, must also provide a means to circumvent the information block with cells of each organism, in order to provide recognizable flags or control sequences, which the other organism will recognize and accept. This is accomplished through the use of viruses, which are able to integrate their own DNA information into a host cell and cause it to multiply. This occurs due to the presence of powerful promoters in the viral cells that force the host cell to read viral genes and produce viral proteins, thereby producing construct or combined genes that can be used to produce desired changes in an organism (Steinbrecher, 1998). One of the most common examples of genetically modified organisms are crops such as pest resistant

My Past, Present, and Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Past, Present, and Future - Essay Example In order to excel in life one must learn to amalgamate his past with his present so as to have a better future. Remembering the past is a good practice which helps an individual to learn from his mistakes. It is here in this essay that I would put forward my experiences from the past and elaborate as to how these experiences changed my present. Further, everyone has goals in life which they want to attain and my goals would be mentioned here. Beginning from my very early life I learned quite a few things about my family which revolved around the caring nature of my parents. Their caring nature helped me to adjust with many problems of life and it is because of them that I was able to live a life of a normal person. I still remember specific events that took place in my childhood which revolve around my upbringing. This essay would provide all the details about my present, past and future. My Past Present and Future The story of my life begins from my childhood when I was born in a fa mily which belonged to the middle class society. My past is a simple book which revolved around me and my brother who is younger than me. My father belonged to a military background and from the very beginning I saw him in an army dress. It was in my childhood that I developed some interest in the military operations. My parents belonged to two different back grounds. My father was of a African descent whereas my mother was a Hispanic. We lived together as a happy family without facing any sort of family problems. My childhood was a simple one and I only remember specific events that used to take place almost daily in my life. Visiting church was a tradition for our family and I accompanied my parents to the church on every Sunday. My father loved fishing and every now and then he took me to a trip of fishing with him. Altogether I grabbed the skills of fishing through my father who was an excellent fisher. As my father belonged to a military background we had to go through many res huffles in our settlement. We moved through countries after countries because of my father’s transfer in military. It was through these trips that I was able to learn about different cultures. I grasped the skills of diversity and how to handle different situations with different people. My brother at that time did not get along with me well and hence we ended up fighting each other at most instances. However gradually with time we have realized each other’s worth and we love each other till date. Belonging to a middle class family of this sort I never realized the importance of education. If I strived for education at the right moment I could have achieved a better job than I am currently working at. Plato described education in the following strong words â€Å"If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life† (Freccero & Jacoff 1986) While working in military I still ponder on the words of Plato and wonder if I could rewind my life. As I did n ot pay much heed to studies in life I coped up with the burden of life by adapting to different jobs. In order to cope up with my financial crisis I first worked as a waiter in a fast food restaurant. The experience was not something to be proud of as all day it required work with much less respect in return. The job did not have much returns and I finally decided to leave it to find a better future. It was here that I looked forward to driving for a

The impact of the financial crisis on the British Airways company Research Paper

The impact of the financial crisis on the British Airways company - Research Paper Example In a span of 5 years, 2005 to 2009, the airline progression in passenger and cargo traffic had picked up, only to be drastically pulled down after the recession. The passenger load factor and overall load factor dropped from 79.1 to 77.0 and 73.4 to 72.0 percent respectively, passengers and tones of cargo carried dropped from 34613 to 33117 and 805 to 777 (000s) respectively (â€Å"Operating and financial,† britishairways.com). 6 2.4 Profit downturn 7 Following the decline in travels and cargo flow, British Airways revenues dropped substantially, which was associated with the high reliant on the premium tickets. The shift of passenger demand to other airlines was because of the extra fuel surcharge, which the British Airways charged its customers after the fuel price increase; together with the 300 million euro fine in 2008, by the British department of justice, it was easy for the airline to slip into financial struggles. The trend of revenue generation in 2008 and the previo us years to 2005, aimed at the 10 percent operating margin which was possible in the period of 2007/08; the only problem was that the growth in revenue generated come 2009 would be used to cover the increasing operational cost, hence profit turning into a loss (â€Å"Financial performance of British,† ukessays.co.uk). ... 7 As of 2009, the airline recorded a pre- tax loss of 401 million pounds, experiencing a negative growth of passengers by 4.4 percent, compared to 2008 profits of 922 million pounds, (Welham and Wang xinhuanet.com). A company with huge amount of stock, had to suffer loses again since the exchange rates of the stock market were altered to accommodate the economic situation in Europe and the rest of the world, where it is a share holder. The share price of British Airways was in its climax during between 2006 and 2007 in the last decade, which later declined to its lowest mark in 2009 in the event of the crisis. (See fig. 2) It was a period that the company took a strategic decision of selling some of its convertible shares to avoid going bankrupt. Each share was worth 6.60 Euros in 2007, but by 2009, it had declined to 1.34 Euros; however, it has survived through the difficult time to recover though in a slow development (â€Å"Financial performance of British,† ukessays.co.uk) . 8 British Airways | IAG share prices 8 2.5 Employment issues 9 3.0 Conclusion 10 1.0 Introduction British Airways Company is one of the major European airline service providers, to the numerous numbers of the passengers within the local and international dimensions. It is a company that has long history since World War I, when air travelling was more of an adventure compared to the modern society. The company has evolved over time to meet customers’ demands and overcome the economic challenges that also change unexpectedly. It is a company known to have formed mergers with other companies and engaged in privatization to reach where it is today. However, the global financial crisis that began in late

Economics (Asian Development) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Economics (Asian Development) - Essay Example The planning mind set is in turn linked to previously discredited theories. Such as that poverty is due to a poverty trap which can only be alleviated by a large inflow of aid from rich country to poor countries. The aid inflow is of course administered by this same planning apparatus. This is a bad news for worlds poor as historically poverty has been ended by central planners. It is only ended by searches both economical and political who explore solution by trial and error. Have a way to get feedback on the ones that work and then expand all of these in an unplanned spontaneous way. Examples of searches are firms in private market and democratically Of course there are hard questions about directions of casualty and exactly which attributes of political and economic freedom are most crucial for development. However to deal with the 1st problem. Since researchers know a little bit about the determinants of bad govt studies can explore whether bad govt causes poverty. The research is less successful at identifying which aspect of bad govt matters such as democracy versus corruption vs. economic freedom. Different dimensions of good govt tend to come together in packages, so it is hard to tell which is causing economic development. This last issue is much harder to resolve but the correlation are at least supportive of strong theoretical priors that democratic and market accountability go with economic success not to mention the vast historical and case study literature that supports this conclusion. The variance of outcome is much higher at low levels of political and economic freedom than at high levels. For countries with nearly complete freedom all of them are rich within a narrow range. For countries with intermediate level of freedom there is a vast range of development outcomes. A few years ago what most people had in mind when they thought of India was land of tigers, the land of taj mahal and a land of

The Invention of Electricity Changed the Way People Live Their Lives Essay

The Invention of Electricity Changed the Way People Live Their Lives - Essay Example It was not until 1792 when a thunderstorm struck Benjamin Franklins home, and he decided to make an experiment by flying the kite through the thunderstorm with an attached iron key. The kite was struck by lightning, and electric current were sent down to Benjamin’s hand. He was  quite  lucky to survive, and he stated that electricity existed in the thunderstorm but the question was how to tap and utilise the electricity for the benefit of humanity. Before the invention of electricity, people had difficulties in performing the several task in life, there was too much utilization of man energy in different sectors. However, the invention of electricity changed the lives of human beings in thousand ways. It can be stated that electricity led to industrial revolution in which several products were being produced in large numbers. It led to a change in the entertainment sectors, food sector health sector and communication sector among others. It is imperative to note that the invention of electricity resulted in a significant improvements of how human beings live in the today’s world. Before the invention of electricity, the period was being described as the era of the dark ages because people relied only on sunlight to perform their daily activities and at night, they were unable to perform duties  because of the darkness. The invention of light electricity has led to the robust influence of how people carry out their lives in the current period. Thomas Edison who was an American inventor as well as a businessperson is thought to be the first person who invented light bulb that was using direct current electricity. The light bulb that was invented had a great influence on how people were carrying business all over the world. Moreover, it led to the inventions of other devices such as televisions and phonographs that were being used as the means of communication (Freeberg,

Understanding how asset classes and systematic strategies behave and Thesis - 1

Understanding how asset classes and systematic strategies behave and perform during different macroeconomic environments - Thesis Example The CLI system uses a predefined system of indicators and uses their composite measure to predict the future economic activities. The movement of CLI is in the same direction of movement of the business cycle and they are specially designed to recognize the turning point. However, CLIs cannot be used to predict the intensity of recovery of the business cycle. The importance of this method has increased even more after the global financial crisis of 2008 as it has become very important for the policy makers, economists and other agents related to the business cycle to analyze the economic condition correctly (OECD, 2009). In case of the CLI OECD indicators it has been observed that the CLI results are mainly used by the in-house users. Analysts have mainly used this method to determine the current state of the economy. This paper focuses on the use of CLI indicators in predicting the future pattern of economic growth in a number of economies. This is done by reviewing the existing literature. The final part of the paper focuses on the behaviour of the asset classes and its relation to the business cycle. The CLI indicators was introduced in 1938 and has been modified a number of times to improve its efficiency over time. It has been stated that CLIs are mainly constructed by using reference series as it represents a composite of many other indicators. As in most of the other composite indicators Gross Domestic Product was expected to be one of the major indicators to be used as reference series in constructing CLI. However, in practice it has been observed that Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is taken as the primary reference series. The rationale behind involving IIP is that this is measured on a monthly basis whereas GDP is measured at a quarterly basis. It is for this reason that IIP is found to show the way in which GDP will behave in the subsequent months. In case of OECD countries the concept of leading

Dystopian Disaster Essay Example for Free

Dystopian Disaster Essay A Dystopian Masterpiece In his short story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. tells about a society, or America, in the future being ruled by a totalitarian government, whose number one law, is equality. Everyone is treated equally by law; no one is smarter, faster, stronger or more beautiful than another. The people of the society are forced to conform to handicaps by wearing weights around their neck or masks to hide a beautiful face. Vonnegut shows how far people are willing to go for equality and putting people in degrading situations just to make them equal. Is someone truly equal in a dystopian society, where being above average is not normal and being almost dumb is almost completely normal? In order to demonstrate Harrison Bergeron is living under dystopian society, the reader must examine a society were there are too many laws, in which is the public is being regulated by the state, everyone being forced to conform. One of the qualities of a dystopian society is being regulated by the state; every move made by the public is being watched, making sure that no one is above equality. Equality is taken very seriously, so serious that it became â€Å"the 211th, 212th and the 213th amendment to the Constitution† (1). This shows that at least a few centuries ago when the constitution was written there were just enough amendments but now in 2081 there is more then two hundred. So many amendments, each time a new amendment is added little of equality is taken away. Anyone who was of above average intelligence, beauty, or strength was required to wear a handicap, weights around their neck or an earpiece tuned to the government. Tampering with these weights would automatically give â€Å"two years in prison and a two thousand dollar fine† (2). These weights weighed over forty-five pounds, who would not want to rid that, but is that the price they must pay for equality. Vonnegut character Harrison Bergeron who was above average intelligence, physical strength and beauty was required to wear a handicap, by the state. Harrison wore scrap metal around his neck and â€Å"rubber nose† to hide his beauty. People weren’t allowed to do anything without the government being involved, not even a train of thought. They had to bare those heavy weights, all day for their rest of their lives. Vonnegut short story takes equality a step up from the stairs of equality, putting the public in dehumanized and degrading situation. Hazel being of average intelligence was considered normal although she â€Å"couldn’t think about anything but in short bursts† (1) which goes to show she is to dumb to pose a threat to the handicap generals. While Harrison on the other hand, was above average, had to wear heavy handicaps such as â€Å"tremendous pair of head phones and spectacles with thick lenses† (3 Vonnegut). This was all to weigh him down because he posed a threat with his above average intelligence and physical strength. The state was so afraid of people like him they made him wear those handicaps, now is that really fair. Someone is slightly larger slightly beautiful they have to hide it. Where does that put people, making them dumber rather then helping them, or keeping someone caged up to the point he will rebel. Then there’s the ballerina how had to wear a â€Å"hideous mask† (1 Vonnegut) to hide her above average beauty, had to apologize for her voice. When she spoke it was with â€Å"a very unfair voice for a woman† (3). If your voice is lovely or soothing you cannot use it, it is unfair and possibly punishable by law. Equality is taken a bit too extreme when someone has to apologize for tone of voice. In a utopian society there are not many laws, in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, there are too many laws with all those amendments. George Bergeron being above average intelligence is â€Å"required by law to wear it at all times† (1) to wear an ear piece, it is tuned to the government so they’d and goes off â€Å"every twenty seconds† (1) forbidding him to have a train of thought. George cant even remember his son or think about something without a noise going off in his ear. How can someone have a proper conversation with a noise going off in the ear every twenty seconds? This shows a dystopian quality, independent thought being limited or restricted. In this society breaking the law can even cause death. By the time Harrison removed his weights and escaped and took over a television broad cast to dance with a ballerina, at that point â€Å"Diana Glump Handicapper General came in to the studio with a double barrel gun and shot twice†(3). They dies instantly, a world with no jurisdiction or chances, the ballerina did not even have a say in it, it could have been handled differently. Instead, the situation is handled with violence, yet another dystopian quality. A dystopian society has laws, and is ruled by the government, Harrison Bergeron shows this, in no way is it utopian. This goes on to show that Harrison Bergeron is indeed a dystopian society. Its is controlled by a totalitarian government, and their behaviors are regulated by the state. Vonnegut wanted to show American in the future as a dystopia society, showing that America will go overboard for equality. Also by making people lead a dehumanized live by being handicapped forever. This short story contains all the qualities of a dystopian society, not being able to think or under watch of the state, but everyone is used to it. Vonnegut showed that people can let things get out of hand and be taken to extreme levels. One by one, tweak this hear tweak that there, when will it stop.

Price collusion in oligopolies

Price collusion in oligopolies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An oligopoly market exists when a few large firms dominate the industry. This form of market structure lies in between the realms of the unattainable structure of Perfect Competition to the structure of Monopoly. Each firm competes in order to maximise its market share. Oligopolies are defined as per their behavioural aspects rather than their market structure. As a result oligopolies are characterised upon two fundamentals; high barriers to entry and interdependence. Even though each firm competes with one another, each firm is still tied with each other, in the sense that each firm is interdependent. When faced upon decisions, the firm must take into consideration the likely reaction of rival firms, as one wrong move can end with a devastating consequence; the loss of market share. Incumbent firms are protected by barriers to entry; however each industry varies in terms of contestability. The goods and services that firms produce within an oligop oly are differentiated, in the sense that similar goods vary in terms of its branding, quality and after-sales services etc. A few good examples of firms competing in oligopolistic markets are the car industry, supermarket chains and banks etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oligopolies tend to behave either competitively or collusively. In accordance with the kinked demand curve theory, homogeneous oligopolies are fairly restricted in terms of price competition, as shown by the following diagram. Each firm must take into account the reactions of rivals; hence if a firm decided to raise prices, with the hope of gaining extra profits, from point P1 to P2. Other firms anticipate this increase, therefore keep their prices untouched. Quantity sold would plunge from point Q1 to Q2. This fall in sales is greater than the increase in price, and so leads to an overall fall in revenue; hence the elastic demand curve (curve A). However if this firm chose as an alternative, to lower its prices from point P1 to P3, other firms would follow suit, with the intentions of not losing market share to its rival. Consequently quantity sold would only increase from point Q1 to Q3. The fall in price would have to be larger for it to accommodate the increase in sales, hence the inelastic demand curve (curve B). Again this decision would result in a reduction in revenue, bearing in mind a fall in market share. Thus firms are reluctant to change prices due to the effects mentioned. Therefore, price stability is imposed under oligopoly markets; in turn firms focus on aspects of non-price competition. Such practices may include extra after-sales services, longer opening times, extended warranties and extensive advertising campaigns etc. Non-price competition would therefore shift the demand curve or the firm successfully makes the price elasticity of demand for the product less elastic, thus developing brand loyalty amongst consumers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Price/non-price competition involves firms behaving interdependently. Seeking to eliminate market uncertainty is a key desire for a market dominated by a few large firms. Thus businesses are keen to collude with competitors to reduce the effects of interdependence, either collude openly (formal agreements), or tacitly (informally under the radar). Formal collusive agreements bring forth the formation of a cartel. The advantages of such cartels, is that firms are able to achieve joint profit maximisation. Each member of the cartel is given an output quota usually depending upon each firms market share, which as a whole will maximise the cartels profits at the profit maximising price. Cartels therefore act as if they were a monopoly, taking control of the whole industry, whereby it is able to restrict output and raise prices (disadvantages of a monopoly structure). Consumer surplus is restricted and producer sovereignty exploited. As an assumption, there are a total of five firms in the industry, each agreed to be a member of the cartel. For the members to achieve joint profit maximisation, the cartel thus has to produce at its profit maximising level at point where marginal costs (MC) equals marginal revenue (MR). Thus the cartel, therefore the industry produces 4000 units which are then sold at the price of  £6. Assuming that each firm shares an equal amount of the market, for that reason each firm is given an output quota of 800 units. By analysing each firm independently (figure 3), the quota of 800 units does not lie at their profit maximising level. For this reason, the firm is likely to cheat, maybe undercut the cartel price or increase output to maximise its utility. Assuming the firm agrees not to change the price, for the firm to maximise its profits, it would have to increase output to 2400 units at the point where the cartels price (MR) equals the firms MC curve. At the cartel output, it would ac hieve revenue of  £4800. By increasing output to 2400 units it can boost revenue to  £14400; a good 200% increase in revenue. This would only occur if the firm can control total market share, taking the other members out of the equation. In turn if the firm wished to profit maximise using its own curves, it would therefore sell 1600 units at a price of  £4 at where MC=MR. By undercutting the cartel price the firm can attract extra customers, therefore increase supernormal profits. Interestingly, other member firms are also likely to lower their prices in the midst of cheating, which could lead to a price war, eventually leading to the breakdown of the cartel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the reasons mentioned above, i.e. cartels behaving as a monopoly and the breakdowns of the cartels can lead to increased price fluctuations; in the interests of consumers, cartels are deemed illegal in many countries including the UK. Cartels, being against the public interest, its in the interests of the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to investigate such cartel behaviour and counteract the cartels intentions. Bearing in mind that cartels are against the public interest, there is one cartel being in favour of consumers and the economy as a whole. It is not formed by a group of member firms, but formed with member countries; OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). As stated, OPECs mission is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry (OPEC, http://www.opec.org/home/ ). Assuming OPEC keeps to its mission, it is truthful to say that OPEC aims to strengthen the global economy, bringing price stability in the commodity market. However other firms caught with price fixing have not had the same treatment. Just recently the New York Times has published LCD makers fined $585 million for price fixing (New York Times, Published; November 13 2008, by Steve Lohr). LG Display, Sharp and Chunghwa Picture Tubes were investigated and pled guilty of fixing the price of their liquid crystal display panels and were fined a total of $585 million by the U.S. Justice Departments antitrust division.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The difficulties faced with open collusion, and the consequences (the Competition Commission can fine the firms involved in cartel behaviour 10% of their worldwide turnover), means that firms are often reluctant to form cartels, therefore take the chances to collude tacitly. There are a few methods of tacit collusion, the popular being Dominant-firm Price Leadership. In simple terms the dominant firm in the industry becomes the price leader, at which the other firms tactically follow the dominant firms price changes, yet also keeping a close eye on their rivals. There is some evidence linking the supermarket industry to this method of dominant-firm price leadership, whereby Tesco being the dominant of all supermarkets. As published by TNSGlobal, for the 12 weeks ending 1st November 2009 show that Tesco has grown its market share from 30.6% a year ago to 30.7% now. TNSGlobal claims that, Tescos growth rate of 4.7% year-on-year beats the market avera ge of 4.4% (TNSGlobal, www.tnsglobal.com ). Being the dominant in the industry, it therefore acts as a price setter, resulting in the other firms following the price changes. However this strategy has been a prime condition of Tesco (to control the market), up until the moment one of the supermarket firms cheats by undercutting the price and not following the price leadership strategy. This has been the case recently (from personal experiences), that Asda is the better value supermarket, and may be voted as the credit crunch climate favourite. Asdas main advantage for the consumer is that there are a wide range of discounted products, that even Tesco and other supermarkets cant match. Instead of the price leadership tactic, oligopolies may indulge in price parallelism, whereby each firms price movements are parallel with their rivals. Such a policy requires no dominant firm imposing price changes. Besides firms who dominate the industry being the price leader, firms may become a barometer of market conditions, whereby firms engage in the tactic of barometric price leadership. This form of approach unfolds when a firm can successfully anticipate future market conditions in the short run, applying their knowledge to price changes. Firms neither have to be dominating the industry nor be a large firm. Price changes thus reflect changes in market demand or supply, where the firm who predicts such changes in the market becomes the barometer in the industry in which fellow competitors follow. From such a policy, it is important to note that firms frequently switch between the roles of a price leader to a price follower. As a precaution, following firms may delay their price changes in order to be sure that the price changes by the barometer is consistent with the results obtained of the current market situation. Therefore a time lag may arise, or firms may decide that results are inc onsistent with the barometer, thus leave their price unchanged, undercutting the price leader. In the interest of each firm, costs may rise as a result of marker research, therefore in order to minimise the costs, firms may just follow the price changes of the price leader without undertaking research, in the hope that the barometer is correct about current or future market conditions. Firms may compete in terms of the Bertrand model. This model assumes that there are two firms in the industry (duopoly). Both firms aim for price stability in order to reduce menu costs. Hence both firms set their prices at where it would have been in a perfectly competitive market, usually making normal profit. This point refers to the Nash equilibrium. This ensures that neither firm can undercut the price, avoiding any price wars.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To conclude, it can be suggested that there is some correlation between the policies in which oligopolies compete at, and the contestability of the industry in which they operate in. A highly contestable market in which barriers to entry are low, pressurises firms to compete more aggressively, whereas if incumbent firms have successfully erected high barriers to entry, whether natural or man-made barriers; the industry becomes less contestable, providing incentives to collude to maintain market share. There is a high probability that the formation of cartels will inevitably lead to the breakdown of the cartel, for reasons of cheating. Price fixing or other forms of agreement never maximises each firms benefit. However, this statement only relates to the short term, but an agreement with other firms does reduce uncertainty, therefore benefiting firms in the long run to maintain supernormal profits. Member firms must find ways to restrict other membe rs from cheating on the cartel price. Therefore the profit loss incurred by deviating from the cartel should exceed the profit loss by remaining in the cartel. As shown by figure 3, this is difficult to achieve. Theoretically, it is easy to form a cartel when approached via the text-book assumptions. However in the real world, it is difficult without perfect information being available. Research suggests that, differences in product life cycles and fluctuations in demand create instability among agreements, which naturally fractures the cartel (Haltiwanger and Harrington (1991)). Collusion to mimic operations as a monopoly allows investment in research and development to be funded collectively via joint profit maximisation, benefiting consumers in the long run. In essence, firms who compete without any form of collusion or agreements, have greater scope to maximise personal utility, by developing brand loyalty among consumers, thus being able to successfully increase market share. T his would be the best policy to approach benefiting both the firms and the consumer, yet avoiding any government intervention. References Garner, E. (2009). Tesco Share Turnaround. Available: http://www.tnsglobal.com/_assets/files/worldpanel_marketshare_oct2009.pdf. Last accessed 03/12/2009. Haltiwanger, J. and J. Harrington (1991), The impact of cyclical demand movements on collusive behaviour, Rand Journal of Economics, 22:89- 106. Lohr, S. (2008) LCD makers fined $585 million for price fixing, New York Times, 13 November. Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/technology/13iht-13panel.17777580.html?_r=1scp=1sq=LCD%20makers%20fined%20%24585%20million%20for%20price%20fixingst=cse. Last accessed 03/12/2009 OPEC. (n.d.). OPECs Mission. Available: http://www.opec.org/home/ . Last accessed 02/12/2009.

Macbeth: Characteristics Of Macbeth That Led To His Downfall :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Characteristics of Macbeth That Led to His Downfall Rickford Foo Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...† Sometimes tomorrow never comes and as for Macbeth, tomorrow meant another day of inner torment and guilt. This victorious Thane literally got the better of himself as soon as he started to believe in the witches. After the prophesies, Macbeth's popularity seems to take a turn for the worst as well as his mental state. Even though the witches did tempt him with the idea of becoming king, and Lady Macbeth helped him with his natural hesitation of committing murder, Macbeth chose the crown over is honor. Moreover, I believe that Macbeth caused his own downfall. There were people like the witches and his wife who influenced him, but it was his choice to choose over salvation of the next world and material gain of this one. Ambition is always good...to an extent. An overambitious person, Macbeth is too intrigued by the witches' prediction that he ignores all of the years of loyalty and ethics to his king for his own selfishness. And in the end, apparently, Macbeth's ambition is stronger than his conscience. In addition, Macbeth's ambition caused him to do desperate things. Desperation. in my opinion, dug Macbeth's own grave. When the subject of Macduff arrives, I don't think that he would have been so bitter towards Macbeth if he hadn't killed his wife and children. Killing Macduff's family gains nothing for Macbeth and tries to get at Macduff indirectly. This act of desperation and spitefulness gives a good reason to now fear Macduff. Also, as Macbeth took the throne, he really didn't trust anyone except his wife, Lady Macbeth. Paranoid, due to King Duncan's murder, Macbeth let's his delusional state of mind get to him. Therefore, from his original guilt of murder causes Macbeth to become paranoid and kill some more. Killing Macduff's family was definitely an act of desperation. He also plants spies showing again how paranoid and desperate he was seeing his enemies, real or imagined, everywhere. Lastly, I thought that Macbeth showed some very important traits that we should all learn from. Macbeth: Characteristics Of Macbeth That Led To His Downfall :: essays research papers Macbeth: Characteristics of Macbeth That Led to His Downfall Rickford Foo Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...† Sometimes tomorrow never comes and as for Macbeth, tomorrow meant another day of inner torment and guilt. This victorious Thane literally got the better of himself as soon as he started to believe in the witches. After the prophesies, Macbeth's popularity seems to take a turn for the worst as well as his mental state. Even though the witches did tempt him with the idea of becoming king, and Lady Macbeth helped him with his natural hesitation of committing murder, Macbeth chose the crown over is honor. Moreover, I believe that Macbeth caused his own downfall. There were people like the witches and his wife who influenced him, but it was his choice to choose over salvation of the next world and material gain of this one. Ambition is always good...to an extent. An overambitious person, Macbeth is too intrigued by the witches' prediction that he ignores all of the years of loyalty and ethics to his king for his own selfishness. And in the end, apparently, Macbeth's ambition is stronger than his conscience. In addition, Macbeth's ambition caused him to do desperate things. Desperation. in my opinion, dug Macbeth's own grave. When the subject of Macduff arrives, I don't think that he would have been so bitter towards Macbeth if he hadn't killed his wife and children. Killing Macduff's family gains nothing for Macbeth and tries to get at Macduff indirectly. This act of desperation and spitefulness gives a good reason to now fear Macduff. Also, as Macbeth took the throne, he really didn't trust anyone except his wife, Lady Macbeth. Paranoid, due to King Duncan's murder, Macbeth let's his delusional state of mind get to him. Therefore, from his original guilt of murder causes Macbeth to become paranoid and kill some more. Killing Macduff's family was definitely an act of desperation. He also plants spies showing again how paranoid and desperate he was seeing his enemies, real or imagined, everywhere. Lastly, I thought that Macbeth showed some very important traits that we should all learn from.

Federal Reserve Open Market Operations Essay -- Economics Fed Market

Federal Reserve Open Market Operations SUMMARY The Federal Reserve's operating strategy for implementing monetary policy involves interest rate targeting through open market operations. The Federal Reserve does not utilize reserve requirements or the discount rate as part of this strategy. Open market operations involves the buying and selling of securities in the open market, in order to influence reserve balances. By manipulating reserve balances, the Federal Reserve can control the price of reserves in the market. The price of reserves is known as the Federal Funds rate. The Federal Funds rate is the interest rate banks charge each other for lending and/or borrowing reserve balances. This paper will discuss how the Federal Reserve implements a strategy of interest rate targeting through open market operations. Part I Introduction The Federal Reserve Bank is the central bank of the United States. In 1913, Congress created the Federal Reserve System to provide stability to the financial and monetary system. The Federal Reserve Bank (from here on, referred to as the "FED") has four main functions. They conduct monetary policy by influencing money supply in the economy, in order to maintain full employment, price stability, and promote economic growth. They regulate and supervise banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial and banking system. The FED also provides financial and banking services to the U.S. Government, the public, and to financial institutions. And lastly, the FED maintains stability in the financial system by reducing systemic risks that may arise in the markets. The Federal Reserve System is made up of the Board of Governors and twelve regional Federal Reserve banks. The Board of Governors consists of seven members who are appointed by the President of The United States, and must be confirmed by the Senate. All seven governors are members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and each vote on the conduct of open market operations. The network of twelve regional banks performs various functions, including; operating a nationwide payments system, distribution of currency and coin, supervising and regulating member banks, and serving as banker for the United States Treasury. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is a major part of the Federal Reserve... ... Trends - The Funds Rate Target and Interest Rates - September 1999. http://www.stls.frb.org/docs/publications/mt/1999/cover9.pdf - 12-13-99 Â · The Dwindling Power of Rate Cuts. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/03/opinion/03wed1.html October 3, 2001. Â · Another Rate Cut From the Fed. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/12/opinion/12wed2.html December 12, 2001. Â · Hess, Diane. 2001. Fed Paints Real Rates a Deeper Shade of Red. http://www.thestreet.com/markets/taleofthetape/10005186.html December 11, 2001. Â · Task, Aaron L., 2001. Cutting Spree May Dull Fed's Blade. http://www.thestreet.com/markets/aarontaskfree/10003583.html November 06, 2001. Speeches: Â · Meyer, Laurence H., 2001. Remarks by Governor Laurence H. Meyer. Before the National Association of Business Economics. The Federal Reserve Board. November 27, 2001. Â · Greenspan, Alan. 2001. Testimony of Chairman Alan Greenspan. Before the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress. The Federal Reserve Board. October 17, 2001. Â · Greenspan, Alan; 2001. Testimony of Chairman Alan Greenspan. Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives. The Federal Reserve Board. July 18, 2001.

The Folly of Hypocrisy Exposed in Arms and the Man :: Arms and the Man Essays

The Folly of Hypocrisy Exposed in Arms and the Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Satire is the "biting exposure of human folly which criticizes human conduct, and aims to correct it" (Di Yanni 839). Moliere was the French master of satiric comedy, and Shaw has been hailed likewise--as the "Irish Moliere." In Arms and the Man, Shaw demonstrates his genius for satire by exposing the incongruities of life and criticizing the contradictions in human character.      Ã‚   Love and war are the main subjects of this play. Shaw addresses each, showing the disparity between how these issues are perceived and what they are in actuality. Love, of course, is often regarded in romantic terms. Raina, of Arms and the Man, is described as a young, beautiful woman who indeed does hold to idealistic notions concerning the emotion of love. To her, "the world really is a glorious world for women who can see its glory and men who can act in its romance!" (Shaw 1294, act 1). She acts as though she can continue to live in her ideal world forever and believes that she has found a true love in Sergius. As a couple, they put on a show for each other to prove their emotions are real. Raina says, in effect, that she is perfect in Sergius' company--"'When I think of you, I feel that I could never do a base deed, or think and ignoble thought'"--and he, in hers--"'You will never disappoint me, Sergius,'" she adds (1311, act 2).      Ã‚  Ã‚   However, by the play's end, Shaw is eager to reveal that all is not as it seems with any of the characters, especially with Raina. The audience knows it, and the characters learn the truth, too. When Sergius discovers the facts about his fiancà ©e, he exclaims, "'You love that man! . . . You allow him to make love to you behind my back, just as you treat me as your affianced husband behind his'" (1329, act 3). Later, he comes to the realization that their "romance is shattered. [And] Life's a farce" (1330, act 3). It almost seems as though the playwright himself is saying this line; he speaks them to the audience as directly as if he were on stage. For Shaw often stocked his plays "full of lines in which the characters explode romantic elusions" (Ervine 269).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Love, though, is not the only concept around which romanticism abounds.

Personal Responsibility: an Acedemic and Professional Consideration

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: AN ACEDEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CONSIDERATION Ross McDonald University of Phoenix GEN/200: FOUNDATIONS FOR GENERAL EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS February 25, 2013 Students transitioning from high school to college today face many challenges. They are besieged by a host of external influences that may shape or cloud their ability to take responsibility. These influences include family, friends, religious beliefs, personal biases, and socioeconomic background.Even though these external influences seemingly dictate the decisions we are able to make, personal responsibility ultimately is an individual’s ability to respond to the ever-changing influences presented in life in a mature and reasonable way, employing the sum of our knowledge and experience and our willingness to accept and be held accountable for the consequences of our actions. Doherty (1998) argues that society’s increasing refusal to hold individuals accountable for their actions an d a tendency to blame others for the individual’s circumstances are a concerning trend.Doherty (1998) cites the tragic Jonesboro, Arkansas shooting in 1998 as a case in point, where two teenagers opened fire on students at a middle school. His article examines the reactions of the political and intellectual classes at the time and their unwillingness to place responsibility on the perpetrators, instead blaming all of us individually and collectively. Personal responsibility, however, must begin with a smaller, individual action. For example, for students to attain any level of success in college, they must accept responsibility for the decisions they make every day.These decisions will include when to study and for how long, when to go to class, what type of job they need, and how they will socialize. Nontraditional or adult returning students face the same challenges but have more experience in handling these issues in most cases than traditional students. This experience, t heir recall of it, and the growth that ensued, can help them make better-informed decisions. Both categories of students, however, must exhibit some level of personal responsibility in order to accomplish college uccess. In my experience as a student and as a professional, one aspect of personal responsibility many people struggle with is time management. Time management is an essential skill that must be acquired in order to be able to accomplish assigned tasks efficiently and by a given deadline. This is my Waterloo. I find myself spending most of my time doing things that must be done urgently to meet a deadline and wondering what happened to all the time that I thought had to accomplish the task in.If I am unable to manage my time well, it adversely affects my work, education, and personal life. Time is a finite resource that cannot be recovered once spent. In spending or managing my time, it is essential to learn and employ strategies that work for me and to be mindful of new i deas or technologies to improve the outcomes. One of the strategies that I have rediscovered is outlined in our current text. I am going to re-implement a daily to-do list. I did this previously but became lazy with it and just attempted to keep track of what I needed to accomplish in my head.Now that I run a full-time business, am a full-time student, and have a full-time family, I need to evaluate my ability to keep track of the things that I want to accomplish. Amanda Mergler, Ph. D. states in her doctoral dissertation, â€Å"Personal responsibility has been defined as being accountable to oneself and the needs and well-being of others. † Mergler, A. (2007). I need to be able to prioritize tasks so that I am more efficient in accomplishing them. Implementing a to-do list will allow me to have more time because I will not be wasting the time that I do have trying to figure out what needs to be done next.I can just look at my to-do list. This will give me a greater ability t o meet my responsibilities and be able to meet the needs of those who depend on me. We face different challenges every day as students and professionals. Recognizing external influences for what they are and maintaining individual accountability for our actions is important for success in any arena. Going to college is an outstanding opportunity for personal growth if the student takes advantage of it. One of the ways to do this is to become the master of ime and not let time master us. While we may not be able to control all of the outside influences we are bombarded with, if we master our time we can be one step closer to achieving the goals we have set. Annotated Bibliography Ross McDonald University of Phoenix Gen 200 February 25, 2013 Annotated Bibliography. Mergler, A. (2007), PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: THE CREATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAM. 3. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus. (eprints. qut. du. au/16382/1/Amanda_Mergler_Thesis. pdf) Mergler’s work attempts to show how a school-based program of personal-accountability education can benefit students and instructors alike. The author also lays out a plan for implementation of such a program. Doherty, B. (1998). Blame society first. Reason, 30(2), 8. Doherty’s article asserts that there is a continuing trend within society to remove blame from the individual and shift it to the collective. Summary of References The above references support my essay in the following ways.Mergler provides an excellent definition of personal responsibility that is applicable to students in particular and life in general. Mergler’s work also directly relates to developing programs to teach students personal responsibility in an academic setting. Doherty’s article from Reason supports my assertion that individuals are blaming outside influences for their actions and that society is not holding the individual per sonally responsible. Mergler’s work is in the form of a scientific paper, presented as a doctoral thesis, and was accepted by the Queensland University of Technology.It is, therefore, a reasonable choice as a dependable reference for my essay. Doherty’s work was presented in the periodical Reason. Reason claims in their mission statement that they are a monthly print magazine directed at â€Å"free minds and free markets. † While I agree with the material presented here, some may call into question the reliability of this reference based on its political slant. Both Mergler’s and Doherty’s works are relevant to this essay. Mergler’s work is directly related to personal responsibility in an academic setting.She provides a very well reasoned definition of personal responsibility and lays out a plan for students and faculty to implement and follow. Doherty’s work asserts, as I do, that individuals are not demonstrating personal responsib ility in society today. Doherty cites the tragic Jonesboro, Arkansas shooting in 1998 as a case in point, where two teenagers opened fire on students at a middle school. His article examines the reactions of the political and intellectual classes at the time and their unwillingness to place responsibility on the perpetrators, instead blaming all of us individually and collectively.Mergler holds a Ph. D. in philosophy from the Queensland University of Technology. This is a doctoral dissertation and a scientific study and does not seem to contain any bias. Philosophy is, however, by its very nature a subjective discipline. Doherty is the senior editor for Reason magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and is a libertarian/conservative journalist. Accordingly, his article may contain bias in that direction.

Cenralistaion vs Decentalisation

The main decisions are made by senior management, where little authority is passed down the organisation. advantages †¢ decisions are made by experienced people with an overview of the company. †¢ ensures policies are consistent throughout the company. †¢ ensures quick decisions can be made without consultation. †¢ procedures such as ordering and purchasing can be standardised throughout the company, leading to economies of scale. †¢ in times of crisis the firm may need strong leadership by a central group of senior managers. disadvantages (mainly advantages of decentralisation) centralisation reduces the input of the day to day experts, e. g. , the shop floor staff, into the firms decision making. †¢ it risks demoralising branch managers who may feel mistrusted or powerless. Decentralisation Decisions are made by junior management as authority is passed down the organisation, thereby accepting less uniformity in how things are down. There has been a trend in the 1980s and 1990s is to decentralise to provide greater flexibility. advantages †¢ reduces the stress and burdens of senior management †¢ it can empower local managers encouraging them to be more innovated and motivated. it reduces the volume of day to day communication between head office and the branches, therefore giving senior managers the time to consider long term strategy. †¢ subordinates may have a better knowledge of local conditions affecting their areas of work. This should allow them to make more informed well judged choices, e. g. , salespersons have detailed knowledge of customers. †¢ management at middle and junior levels are groomed to take over higher positions. They are given the experience of decision making when carrying out delegated tasks (management development). could allow greater flexibility and a quicker response to changes. If problems do not have to referred to senior management decision making will be quicker. Since decisions are quicker, they are easier to change in the light of unforeseen circumstances. disadvantages †¢ reduction in uniformity may unsettle customers who expect every Sainsbury’s to look the same or for every McDonald’s hamburger to contain just one slice of gherkin. †¢ head office is in a position to measure the success of every aspect of the product and sales mix, therefore its instructions may prove more profitable than local manager’s intuition. Conclusion It is unlikely there will ever be complete centralisation or decentralisation. Certain functions within a business will always be centralised because of their importance, e. g. , decisions about budget allocation are likely to be centralised as they affect the whole economy. The decision to distribute profits is also taken only by a few. Some delegation is necessary in all firms because the limits to the amount of work senior management can carry out. Even if authority is delegated to a subordinate it is usual for the manager to retain responsibility.

Australian cultural identity shaping family patterns Essay

A family is generally defined as â€Å"a group of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume responsibility for caring for children† (Giddens, 2006:206). One may be strike by the academic formality as well as the appropriateness of the definition. However it is noteworthy that such definition is by no means strict or obligatory in research. There are individuals or groups who have different perceptions of what constitutes a family (or what is a family). The definition is a departure from the traditional definition of a family. The development of family patterns is henceforth congruent with the development of family definitions (Giddens, 2006:211). According to its old definition, a family is â€Å"composed of mother, father, and children. † Giddens et al (2003) defended the modified definition by pointing out that, generally, family structures in most societies are composed of adult members and children (not necessary the earlier conception of father and mother). Hence, operationalization of the definition of family in applied research becomes possible (ideal type definitions). They also noted that the definition of family is highly dependent on prevalent family patterns and structures; that is, defined by culture and time. Hence, Giddens et al (2003) defined family patterns and structures as â€Å"institutions or routines† and â€Å"reproduce familiar forms of social life† (p. 131). These â€Å"institutions or routines† of family life can be generally explained by his theory of structuration. Structuration means studying patterns and ways in which societies are produced and replicated in smaller social units like the family. Once the society determined the â€Å"plausible† ways of achieving a particular societal goal, it becomes reinforced in other institutions, including the family. Hence, societal values and its adherence to singular or multiplicity of ethnic identity gives form and structure to other institutions in the society. It is noteworthy that an independent variable of structuration is time. One may juxtapose that different societal institutions existed in different time frames. What can be considered a normal family in one point in time may significantly differ from past perceptions. This proves that structuration is highly dependent on the prevailing cultural values and goals, as well as the so-called â€Å"cultural identity† (ethnicity). In our case, it can be proven that the adherence of Australian culture to a multiplicity of identity and values can greatly affect family patterns and activities. Australian Multiculturalism Identity What does it mean to be an Australian? This is a highly complex question that needs an equally sophisticated answer. It can be said that Australian cultural identity is a mixture of different cultures and worldviews. For one, Aborigines in Australia were able to establish permanent homes in the continent centuries before the coming of the British. When the British came, they transformed Australia into a penal colony, and then into a state fashioned after Great Britain. The aborigines were casted away by the new â€Å"owners. † The British introduced a series of assimilation laws that called for granting of Australian citizenship to Europeans (who were living in Australia for at least 10 years and of British descent) – the aborigines were ignored initially. Many of these â€Å"citizens regarded themselves as Australians. They also considered Australia as their natural homeland. Hence, what we call today as Australian culture and identity were initially derived from British culture – songs, literature, poetry, and architecture (language perhaps is the most clear indicator). However, the adherence of Australian identity to British ways changed as European migration to the country increased at the latter half of the 19th century. Almost a third of the population of Australia at that time was non-British European descent. This created a problem for the Commonwealth of Australia. The problem lies in the redefinition of Australian culture and identity. However, because of the First World War and the preoccupation of the Australian government in addressing its trade deficits, the problem had been totally ignored. Until recently, social scientists found out that Australia is a â€Å"hotspot† of different cultures; a kind of melting spot. The general sense of this geo-cultural definition of Australia is: Australian culture and identity is a multiplicity of different cultures, bringing forth an increasing diversity of institutional patterns, under the guidance of an open society (Holton, 1997). Three things can be derived from this definition. First Australian culture and identity is the result of cultural interaction of different ethnic groups. Second, this cultural multiplicity brings forth different institutional patterns. Lastly, â€Å"openness† is the operative word of Australian society. Hence, â€Å"it has sometimes been claimed that Australia’s national identity is not as strong as the national identity of countries that have experienced the trauma of invasion and civil war. While it is true that events of this kind have often been major reference points in the consolidation of a sense of national identity, they are not by any means the only processes by which identity emerge† (Holton, 1997: URL cited). This can be explained from a survey conducted by the National Social Science study entitled â€Å"National Identity: What Does It Take To Be â€Å"Truly Australian. † About 72% of the respondents said that feeling Australian was a very important factor in being an Australian (as against 23% who said that it was fairly important). Another 67% said that having an Australian citizenship was a very important factor in being an Australian (as against 23 % who said that it was fairly important). The heading above connotes that though most people in Australia regard themselves as Australian, they engaged themselves in pattern of livings (including family patterns and structures) based on their ethnicities (ethnic origin). Hence, there is therefore the need to find the commonalities of these cultures so as to enumerate the characteristics of Australian culture and to determine whether ethnicity, class distinction, or sexual preferences determines Australian family patterns. Herein are the characteristics of Australian culture: 1) open (that is, permeable to immigrants), 2) permits assimilation and at times amalgamation (the difference between the two will not be discussed), 3) adherence to the Western principle and value of liberalism, and 4) highly adaptive. When one says that a society is open, it generally means that such society is highly permeable to migrants as well as to innovation. It is wholly the opposite of a conservative society. When one says that a society permits assimilation, it generally means that the society is willing to incorporate individual cultural tastes and preferences into its own system. Liberalism is a Western invention. Adherence to liberalism means that individual rights and freedoms are protected by the state. The individual is left open in its own development. Being highly adaptive is generally the result of being open. Because innovation is the operative word of an open society, any changes in its system would correspond to a major shift on its means procurement (AGIL framework of Talcott Parsons), that is, the means of achieving societal goals.

Realtionship Between the Media, Public Perceptions of Crime and Police Essay

Does the media and the amount of exposure to specific news media affect fear of crime? This question is examined in a survey with data collected from three universities in the United States and one in Canada; The Impact of Media on Fear of Crime among University Students: A Cross-National Comparison, goes over the results. It’s believed that fear in itself can be debilitating leading to harmful social outcomes. Vincent Sacco believes there are three dimensions to fear of crime: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. Cognitive looks at a how a person assesses their likelihood of being victimized. Emotional is how someone feels about crime, and behavioral is a person’s response to fear of their perceived likelihood of being victimized. However, in 2011, it was argued â€Å"that fear of crime ought to be conceptualized by distinguishing between generalized anxieties and more concrete episodes of fear, as well as by differentiating effects of everyday worries and anxieties† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). This theory â€Å"is thought allow for better understanding of how people are motivated to protect themselves† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). Despite a decrease in crime rates, citizens of both the United States and Canada still have a high fear of being victimized. One theory suggests that increased fear is a direct result of an individual’s perception of the risk to being a victim. This can occur because of one’s past victimizations or through media exposure of crime also known as indirect victimization. Individuals learn of local crime, national crime and even world-wide crime events through media sources: TV, newspapers, and internet. In 2007, the United Nations Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) showed that the United States reported the second lowest level (16%) of fear of being victims of a burglary compared to Canada who reported higher levels (25%) of fear, even though crimes rates had declined since 1989. Secondhand information (news sources) raises fear and beliefs that victimization is likely, in turn individuals become indirect victims through their fear. The cultivation theory suggests that when violent crimes stories increase so does the fear of crime. Similar to the cultivation theory, the substitution perspective states that individuals with no history of victimization will have increased fear of crime with crime related stories. The resonance perspective is just the opposite. It states that the media increases fear when the content is similar to one’s experiences. These three theories are derived from the indirect victimization model. Most individuals receive crime information from television news reports, where stories on crime are reported twice as often as political news stories. Stories involving multiple victims, use of firearms, as well as certain other crime characteristics is more newsworthy than others. The survey done on Canadian and United States university students showed that local news affected individual’s fears more than world news. Also television news reports affected fear more than other news sources such as newspapers or the internet where people can select which stories they want to read. The nature of a criminal offence and the community context in which the crime occurs determines how a story is reported. An example being, â€Å"smaller suburban and rural areas are more likely to report all homicides while large urban areas may be more selective† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). The article states that fear if crime is directly related to demographics factors which include: gender, age, race/ethnicity, and situational factors including any previous victimization, one’s perception of their risk of being victimized, and concerns about local crime. Even though males experience higher levels of being victimized, women tend to fear crime more because they feel they are able to defend themselves against a physical attack. One study reported that Elderly are more fearful where as another study shows younger individuals are more fearful. Therefore, age as a predictor for fear of crime is inconsistent. The following universities were given a self-administered survey as part of the current study this article was based on: Colorado State University (CSU), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and Florida State University (FSU) and one Canadian, University of Winnipeg (UW). The campuses of UTA, FSU and UW are located in higher crime urban areas. In Florida and Texas, violent and property crime rates are higher than the national average. Winnipeg’s violent and property crimes rates are also higher than the rest of Canada’s crimes levels. Criminal Justice or Criminology majors reported a lower fear of crime compared to other majors or students who were yet undecided. The survey also showed that there was a similar rate of concern between both nations; reporting on a scale of 1-10 the average was seven, clearly showing a somewhat high concern for crime. In summary, the findings for the survey are as follows: women, whites, non-criminal justice/criminology majors reported aving more fear of crime. A general concern about crime was relatively the same between the American and Canadian students though Canadians had higher rate of fear for risk of violent victimization and Americans had a higher rate for property victimization. The media plays a substantial role in determining the amount of fear of crime that people hold. This comes from the fact that the media extensively and disproportionately cover crime stories. But how does this affect the public’s perception of law enforcement? The answer to this question is simple. The media leads people to believe that there is more crime than there actually is. Therefore, the media also plays a role in forming expectations of police. When people think that crime has increased, they more than likely will believe that the police are not doing their jobs. The problem is, is that the media has created a false image of law enforcement. According to Ronald D. Hunter and Thomas Barker (2011), â€Å"the police officers of Hollywood lore are fictional images of stereotypes that have been exaggerated to provide entertainment to a bored public† (p. 41). A few examples of entertainment media that depict these false pictures of police are: CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, Criminal Minds, and NYPD Blue. Each and every one of these portray the characters as super-cops that can perform more than just the standard jobs of real life police officers. For example, in CSI the multitude of character can perform investigative tasks as well as tasks involving forensic science. The characters of these shows solve challenging cases using their superior intelligence and expertise. Almost always, the characters solve their case in single day maybe two days. People tend to believe that these fictional images and stereotypes are true and base their perceptions of real life police off these. Aside from entertainment media, the public is also greatly influenced by news media, as previously seen above. According to Hunter and Barker (2011), Depicting the police negatively as misusing deadly force, police prejudice, or police corruption is also newsworthy. The amount of emphasis given to police actions and the media’s interpretation of these actions as either proper or improper have a tremendous effect on the public’s perception of the police. p. 41) Police agencies across the United States; deal with accusations of misuse of force on a daily basis. Justified or not, images of police using force continue to outrage the American public. However, police use of force incidents are often misinterpreted by the community due to the media frenzy twisting facts. The media undermines the authority of the police and reduces the trust that the public has in its police. What is observed in the media is largely carried out to represent police as a whole. In other words, the media magnifies situations and creates an exaggerated perspective that viewers assume is a standard of all police and police organizations as well as crime. Among the different types of stories in the media, negative stories attract a larger audience. What a person reads, hears, and observes in the media largely defines the person’s perception of the police. Whether we recognize the effects of the media or not, our perceptions of this world are heavily influenced by the information we receive from the media. The media constantly surrounds us, frequently informs us, and just as frequently misinforms us. The influence of the media is significant since media could be identified as a primary source in influencing people’s perceptions of crime and their perceptions of police. Besides the significant effect on fear of crime, the media has influenced the public’s attitudes toward police at the same time. News media may be the primary source for the public viewing the police as ineffective and incompetent. Studies have highlighted the powerful influence of media’s news coverage, there are solid justifications for us to examine the links between fear of crime and how crime news coverage influences the public’s attitudes toward police efficiency.

A Situation Analysis of a primary school of UK Essay

A Situation Analysis of a primary school of UK - Essay Example The ecological notion of ‘limiting factors’ is a useful concept with much relevance to the interaction of factors so as to facilitate or discourage good-quality learning. A situation analysis carried and represented here deals with the identification of learning difficulties in a primary school in UK which involves consideration of how factors like the curriculum, teaching strategies and school routines and relationships all of which affect children in different ways over a period of time. The aim would be to understand and respond to the educationally relevant individual differences which can create persistent obstacles to children’s learning in different contexts. A key aspect of this process is to give due weight to the interpretation and intentions of the people involved i.e. how does the professional interacts in the class. The tool which was used to derive efficient results was SWOT analysis. It was devised to identify the extent to which the current strateg y of an organization and its more specific strengths and weaknesses are relevant to and capable of dealing with changes in the wider environment. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The professional should identify the Opportunities and Threats provided by an external environment and Strengths and Weaknesses of the school as an institution.

Educational and psychological Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Educational and psychological Statistics - Essay Example A total of 101 students in 6 streams were selected as representative population. The students taking part in the study were at various levels of studies and of different sexes.   The sample was categorized into two namely, earners or maintainers. Maintainers started with high score but in the subsequent assignments, their scores were consistently reduced leading to negative motivation. Conversely, earners scores were increased each time an assignment was given. The research hypothesized that students who are subjected to subtraction of marks are highly motivated than the students who are constantly added marks. For purposes of this essay, six positive attributes namely; motivation, interest, participation, urge, inspiration and excitement about the course are used. The mean of each attribute is calculated for generalization purposes. Then the overall mean is computed to give the general feeling or attitude of students towards the course. Further suggestions on ways of improving the test are also made.A study or test is a systematic means of enquiry that employs the use of scientifically approved techniques to find answers to problems and attempt to solve them or come up with or complement existing knowledge. Studies critically examine situations, phenomena, problems and occurrences with a view of initiating certain actions. Therefore, it must be objective and free from prejudice and biasness. It involves gathering data, changing the data into meaningful form called information and deriving conclusions.... There are two major categories of studies namely quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative studies are concerned with numbers i.e. the variables are quantified e.g. marks scored by students in particular examinations. The answers in most instances are already been given and what the respondent is required to do is to tick the applicable case or choice. On the other hand qualitative studies focus on other factors which may be related to variable. This is done by allowing respondents to describe their views about the subject and therefore offers more flexibility. It must be noted that the two categories can be used together in one study. This is usually the case in many surveys. Data collection is an integral part of research. The value and credibility of a study relies on the methods and how data was collected. A poorly collected data carries significant errors resulting into rejection of results and therefore waste of resources. Therefore, the results of the test must be valid a nd reliable. The validity is checked by investigating whether the results actually measure what it claims to determine. The reliability is concerned about the reproducibility of the same results under same conditions but different administrations. Various methods of data collections exists but the choice of specific method depend on the type of study, available resources e.g. time, the volume of data to be collected and certain aspects of population among other reason. For instance, in a population where there is high illiteracy level using a self administered questionnaire is likely to generate flawed result because majorities do not know how to read or write. Conversely, if you want to extract large volume of information within a short time from educated

Nurses use of water-filled gloves in preventing heel pressure ulcer in Essay - 1

Nurses use of water-filled gloves in preventing heel pressure ulcer in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria - Essay Example By employing percentages in an appropriate manner to represent the correlations among the variables, the descriptive statistics used give clear meaning to the paper. In the study undertaken to assess the nurses’ use of water-filled gloves in preventing heel ulcer in the university college hospital, Ibadan Nigeria, statistical analysis to assess the threats to the study’s validity were not undertaken which act as a crucial aspect in influencing the integrity of the research. Through application of inferential statistics like, â€Å"Nurses who have been in practice for 11 years and above preferred the use of WFGs as against those with less years of practice (1–10 years)† (Adejumo & Ingwu, 2010, p. 475). The research can generalize the study to enable it applies to all the nurses other than the study sample alone. Thus makes the recommendations of the research to applicable to other hospitals. The use of multivariate procedures in the analysis of the data like the chi-square as a means of testing correlations is significant for the assessment of the relevant P-values. This makes the research to have a definitive claim to the recommendations it makes, thus can be effectively used in influencing of policies. Provision of information concerning hypothesis testing gives the research more validity as was presented in the study, according to the study, â€Å"Hypotheses were tested using chi-square analysis at a significance level of 0.05, whereas the manual content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data† (Adejumo & Ingwu, 2010, p. 472). Testing of the hypothesis is equally crucial in ensuring that the research topic is in line with the actual problems on the ground. Risk indexes were not clearly reported in the study; nevertheless, reporting of risk indexes in a study is essential for the implementers of the research to know the magnitude of the population the research can be

Russian aggression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Russian aggression - Essay Example In a global perspective, Ukraine is an easy target but it is exactly Ukraine that is a cornerstone which stands at the crossroads of western and eastern interests. These interests with full speed go towards the Cold War 2.0 and rebuilding of USSR. If nothing will be done in some time the Middle East will not be the only region that admires was and lives only for it. The most global, total and incredibly important conflict of recent times concentrated in the eastern Ukraine. It won’t be Yugoslavia, Iraq or Syria because it will be much worse due to the more political subjects in this highly risky game. Being the biggest European country with more than 45 million of citizens Ukraine will try to stand back but without help in some time, the Baltic States and even Scandinavian countries will feel the pressure. Annexation of Crimea shows that Russia will do anything while American and European promises and guarantees on the matter of Ukrainian independence and immunity of its borde rs from invasion don’t value much. Something must be done and done quickly. NATO started strategic and tactical of unheard scale. They are the biggest beginning from the last decade of the 20th century. Ukraine still has most of the gas transit checkpoints without which Europe will be left without gas. Ukrainian citizens won’t forget the cost with which they bought their choice of better life according to the European standards. Ukraine knows its value though its politics is still highly imperfect the key for the conflict’s probably the best solution is one united front.