What can we learn from the communicative behaviours of aphasic Essay

What can we learn from the communicative behaviours of aphasic children and adults about the role of the brain in the acquisition, production and understanding - Essay Example nguage is an indispensable part of human culture, without which jurisprudence, commerce, science and other human endeavors could not exist in the forms we know them.† Because of this significance of language in individual and societal lives, many researchers and scientists have studied it and the various language disorders in order to better understand the processes that inhibit or stimulate and reinforce its use. The brain is central to the scientific study of language as it is in the brain that language has evolved from mere monkey utterances into words and then coherent phrases and sentences (Deacon 1997). The increasing occurrences of language disorders have also made the brain the focus of language studies in order to ascertain what can be done—if there is indeed something that can be done—to correct or cure these illnesses that debilitate the afflicted from functioning normally in society. This paper will focus on a specific language disorder called Aphasia, as it is through the research and study of language disorders that most findings about the brain, in relation to language, are grounded on (Chudler 2007). Through the discussion of the ins and outs of this type of language disorder, the author aims to present an exposition of the role of the brain in the acquisition, production and understanding of language. For the clarification of the objective of this paper, it is important to note that the acquisition of language will pertain to the different regions in the brain that are designated to be language areas; the production of language concerns Brocas Aphasia research; and understanding is explained through Wernickes Aphasia. The complex structure of the brain and the vast range of its functions have long been a source of interest that has spawned an evolution of theories and scientific facts. Due to this, what is dubbed as â€Å"the mysteries of the brain† can no longer be characterized as wholly mysterious—the neuroscientists have shed light

Free

Freedmen’s Bureau Act of 1865 Essay The Freedmen’s Bureau was a government agency enacted March 3, 1865. The purpose of this organization was to aid and protect the newly freed slaves in the south after the Civil War. This was a very influential agency and some people would find it to be a major influence in the life of newly freed slaves. In this paper I will explain to you the purpose, the events that led up to the Freedmen’s Bureau, and the people that influenced the Freedmen’s Bureau. The purpose of the bureau was to provide food and medical care to the freedmen of the south. This bureau was only supposed to be in effect for one year; however, congress extended it contrary to the veto Andrew Johnson. In addition to providing food and medical care to the freedmen of the south; the bureau also helped to manage abandon property, establish schools, and regulate labor. The bureau was successful in educating the freedmen, but was very unsuccessful in establishing land. It was very hard for the newly freed slaves to own land or anything for that manner and it took a very long time to establish anything major for them. Later on after the act was established the freedmen were granted 85,000 acres of land but President Andrew Johnson revoked the land and gave it to the Confederate landowners. After the land was revoked the bureau focused on employment for the freedmen. They were able to acquire employment working on plantations; however, this became a problem when they became sharecroppers and tenant farmers. The bureau had many problems but all in all they did work hard to help the newly freed slaves establish the rights that they weren’t able to obtain. The freedmen’s bureau was established on the sympathy of a Civil War hero. He felt sorry for the blacks that had to transition from captivity to freedom so suddenly. After President Johnson unconstitutionally vetoed the bill, congress passed the bill over his veto. Whites in the south were opposed to African Americans having rights, and the bureau didn’t have the proper military force in place to establish any authority. Eventually the military had the move to the western frontier. The bureau’s work stemmed the establishment of the government involving themselves with social welfare and labor relations. I will now explain the people that played a significant role in influencing and implementing the freedmen’s bureau. The freedmen’s bureau was initiated by former President Abraham Lincoln. It was also headed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard. George Ruby was an African American teacher and administrator that was the bureau’s inspector. He helped to establish school for African Americans and he also inspected the field officer’s that worked within the bureau. Unfortunately under the leadership of President Ulysses S. Grant, the bureau was disbanded. According to history the freedmen’s bureau was not very successful. Out of all of the promises that were made to the newly freed African Americans, very few were kept. Essentially they were left to fend for themselves. Promises such as employment and some education were kept. The promises for land and racial equality were not kept and this enraged the supporters of the bureau and the African Americans themselves. If the bureau would have had the proper financial backing and the proper number of staff it probably would have been very successful. Being that the bureau let the freedmen down by not providing the necessary funds, land, and education they lost faith in the United States government. The bureau has been labeled a failure by historians. In essence the Freedmen’s Bureau was a relief organization set in place to help freedmen transition from slavery to the free world. Many promises such as land, employment, racial equality, and education were promised; but very few promises were kept. The bureau was underfunded and undermanned and the necessary resources hadn’t been set in place for it to thrive like it was supposed to.

Teen Obesity: A Public Health Crisis Essay -- junk food, overweight,

Teenage obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally. â€Å"In 2012 the percentage of adolescents aged 12 ­19 years were obese.The increase of teenage obesity in 2010 to 2014 was from 5% to nearly 21% in the United States† (Flegal,2013). Teenage obesity is a serious problem in the United States and needs to be addressed. Causes Teenage obesity is caused by numerous of things such as a person’s lifestyle, eating habits, and environment. No single factor or behavior can cause obesity. When children decide to eat more than they need, their bodies store extra calories in fat cells to use this energy for later. Overtime if this pattern continues and their body does not need this stored energy, they develop more fat cells and may lead to becoming obese (Kaneshiro, 2012). Eating Habits Poor eating habits are one of the factors that can cause a teenager to develop obesity. Parents are also a key factor for a child becoming obese, at home parents tend to buy junk food for their children to eat rather things that they should be eating such as fruits and vegetables. Also parents also tend to have less time to plan and prepare healthier meals, as a result children are consuming more processed and fast foods that are usually less healthy than home cooked meals (Kaneshiro, 2012).If a parent is overweight and has poor diet and exercise habits, the child is likely to adopt the same habits.Up to one out of every five children in the U.S is overweight or obese, and this number is continuing to rise (Benaroch, 2012). The way we eat when we are children may strongly affect our eating behaviors as adults. When we repeat these behaviors over many years, they become habits. These learned habits lead to eating no matter if we are ... .../medlineplus/ ency/patientinstructions/00383.htm Karnik, S.K., & Kanekar, A.K. U.S. National Library of Medicine, (2010). Childhood obesity: a global public health crisis. Retrieved from National center for biotechnology website: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3278864/ Nordquist, C.N. (2010). All about obesity. Medical News Today, Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/ Obesity in adolescents. (2014). (Doctoral dissertation, University of Rochester) Retrieved from http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/Encyclopedia/Content. aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P01627 U.S Department Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2012).Overweight and obesity ­causes and consequences Retrieved from CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/index.html Weeks, A.W. (2013). Psychological effects of teen obesity. Live Strong, doi:353259

Describe the relationship between Juliet and her parents Essay

Romeo and Juliet have a relationship between them, loving relationship. But they both are not the same tribe one is a Montague and one is a Capulet, the two do not match as they have a rivalry between them for decades. They saw each other at first sight at a Capulet party. After the party Juliet went to the nurse to ask her who he is and the nurse said â€Å"his name is Montague† and she really did not because she loved him. Here we see that the relationship between Juliet and her parents is wearing out because when she is in love with Romeo she goes to the nurse for advice and does not bring her parents into it. Juliet’s dad is a very unhappy person because he is worried when Juliet refused to marry Paris. Juliet does not want to marry Paris this is because she is in love with Romeo. She does not like Paris because of his act in the story. We can see that the relationship with her father and mother is also not so good. The father wants Juliet to marry no one apart from Paris, and her mother does not really care whom she is married to. Her mother also thinks it is the right age for Juliet to get married. But after seeing Capulet rustiness she decides to go with Capulet decision. â€Å"Hang thee, young baggage! Disobidient whelen! I tell thee what, get thee to church O `Thursday` Or never look me in the face. â€Å"(Act 3 Scene 5) Act four scene one shows us Juliet is refusing to get married to Paris, as she wants to get married to Romeo a Montague. She pays a visit to friar Lawrence for help because she is getting forced to marry Paris. Friar Lawrence offers her his researches into medicinal qualities of herbs of having enabled him to concoct a â€Å"distilled liquor† which Juliet must drink. When she drinks this solution she will fall in coma, and her body will have an appearance of death. Friar Lawrence does not want anyone to find out about the plan, not even the nurse. The relationship is expressed more clearly between the daughter and her parents by the fact she asked friar Lawrence for help and again forgets her parents in the conversation. This shows that her parents are very strict about her relationship. â€Å"O, shut the door! And when thou hast done so, Come weep with me. Past hope, past came, past help! Juliet does not get along with her parents easily, could it be the fact that she does not understand her parent’s feelings. She does obey her parents but betrays them behind their backs i. e. she marries Romeo without her parents permission when they are not supposed to become of the rivalry.

Greek vs Roman Theatre

Historic playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Seneca were described as prolific philosophers and geniuses of their times. These men actively participated in the politics surrounding them, and were respected and revered in their society. Each had their own individual style and portrayed their personalities through each of their noted works. Nevertheless, as with a majority of playwrights throughout history, most fodder for their plays have been adaptations of previous plays written by their predecessors or based off mythological events. Unfortunately, this had lead to many speculative accusations and criticisms, as is the case with Senecan tragedies versus their Greek counterparts. Senecan and Greek interpretations of the plays Oedipus, Agamemnon, and Medea bear similar themes, being the inescapability of fate and dike, and the lack of clarity between right and wrong. Nevertheless, they differ culturally, politically, and philosophically due to the differences in society as well as the eras in which the writing of these plays took place. Culturally, Greek and Roman theatre vary in a multitude of ways. Firstly, a major difference is the role of actor within their cultures. The introduction of the actor sparked the creation of tragedy, because of the ability to have back-and-forth discussions. Within Greek culture, to be an actor was a most honourable position as they were considered as icons because â€Å"the good actor, who rises to the challenge of providing a good and consistent performance, can be a model for how to live† (Easterling 382). In contrast, within Roman culture, the actors’ conditions were mean and contemptible (Theatrehistory). A secondary difference is the amount of actors used by Seneca and his Greek counterparts. Seneca stressed the importance of consistency of character stating, â€Å"It is a great thing to play the role of one man† (Easterling 382), suggesting that he seems to disapprove of those who play multiple parts. This is a reason as to why Seneca changed the number of speaking parts in plays to encompass four speaking roles. Agamemnon, for example, has four speaking parts during its final scene involving Aegisthus, Electra, Clytemnestra, and Cassandra (lines 981-1012). Oedipus similarly requires four actors at once for the second act involving Oedipus, Creon, Tiresias, and Manto (lines 201- 402) (Boyle 83). Another cultural difference is in regards to the importance of the masks worn by either the Greeks or Romans during the theatrical performances. The Greek mask was important because it allowed actors to play multiple roles and with the help of the onkos or high headdress, it portrayed the characters, as they ought to be or as better than they are (Wiles 68). The rule of the mask is never in question with Sophocles or Aeschylus as its function was to represent a neutral face. Hence, eliminating all the peculiarities that distinguish each character from another as author John Jones stated, â€Å"The audience could have had a few simple, conventional signs determining rank and age and sex† (Wiles 68). This neutral mask allowed the audience to judge Oedipus and Agamemnon by his actions and not solely on his appearance. It also forced the actor to externalize emotions by using his whole body (Wiles 69). Nevertheless, the conventions of tragic masks do come under pressure by the tragedies of Euripides. Classics professor Froma Zeitlin states that Euripides’ â€Å"repertory of tragedy and epic provides, as it were, a closet of masks for the actors to raid at will, characters in search of identity, a part to play,† which is a main theme in Euripides’ Medea (Wiles 69). In contrast, the cultural context of Roman mask was very different from the Greeks, who believed masked performances were a great source of pride. For a Roman, it was unthinkable that dancing in masks was a source of pride during public celebrations. The use of masks centered on the ideologies of the Roman culture and its concern with the after-life (Wiles 129). The Greek observer Polybius wrote that Roman religion, which was even bound up by death, was â€Å"theatricalised in order that the masses could be controlled by unseen terrors and suchlike tragoidia† (Wiles 129). Therefore, while the Greeks put on masks to create new forms of life, Romans put on masks to resurrect a dead being (Wiles 129). Professional actors received training in life to imitate these dead beings, a reason as to why Seneca disliked the premise of an actor playing multiple roles because actors specialized in one character (Wiles 130). These masks veered away from neutrality to more stock characteristics, much like commedia dell’ arte, and remained as such for recorded history, and because there is records of Seneca performing his work, there is no proof that he used different masks. A final cultural difference is the importance of the chorus and its use in the plays Agamemnon, Oedipus, and Medea. The chorus was not highly involved in the action of the plays. In general, the chorus’ main functions were to create a psychological and emotional background to the action through its odes. It introduces and questions new characters, as well as point out the importance of events as they occurred, to establish facts and avow the outlook of society. Finally, the chorus covers the passage of time, between events, and separates episodes (Calder 21). Within the play Agamemnon, by Aeschylus, the chorus represents the voice of wisdom of the city as well as its limitations (Novelguide). The chorus’ limitations are clear when they fail to appreciate Clytemnestra, (lines 258-63), and their wisdom is seen when they are able to see no end to the problem of dike (Novelguide). In Seneca’s Agamemnon, the chorus of men is replaced for a chorus of Mycenaean women, which is seen through lines 310, 350-51, (Calder 331). They represent enlightenment by rendering individual cases intelligible by juxtaposing the moral crisis (Seneca 113). Similar differences of the chorus can be found within the play Oedipus. In Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, the chorus positions itself within the minds of the audience as the citizens of Thebes acting solely as petitioners with no great affect on the plot. Nevertheless, as the plot unfolds the importance of the chorus grows as they take active roles in the progression of the plot. This continues until the chorus outgrows Oedipus, weaning from his dependence, and becoming the backbone that Oedipus himself uses to confront his destiny, seen in lines 1550 on (Calder 113). This development contrasts with Seneca’s chorus, in his adaptation of Oedipus, as the chorus remains on the same level yet becoming more philosophical in their understanding of fate and justice (Seneca 6). This is seen in lines 980 to 996 as the chorus explains their understanding of fate, stating, â€Å"We are driven by fate, and must yield to fate. No anxious fretting can alter the treads from that commanding spindle [†¦ ] Many are hurt by fear itself, many have come upon their fate through fear of fate† (Seneca 107). This quote demonstrates that no matter what, one will always meet his fate. Finally, differences between Senecan and Greek choruses are also seen within the play Medea as both choruses play crucial but different roles in the development to Medea’s character. In Euripides’ Medea, the chorus enters as a very sympathetic group to Medea’s plight, which is seen when they enter and state, â€Å"I heard the voice, uplifted loud, of our poor Colchian lady† (Euripides 156-7). She is a poor, unfortunate woman whose world is in shambles and the chorus echoes this (Associatedcontent). Whereas, Seneca’s chorus represents the average citizen, not pulling punches when it comes to the scandal that they are witnessing. The chorus begins the play by celebrating the marriage of Jason and Creusa, and juxtaposed with Medea still on stage the chorus states that Creusa’s beauty â€Å"far surpasses all the brides of Athens† (Seneca Medea 75). This demonstrates that the chorus is by no means sympathetic and they do not patronize Medea like the Chorus of Euripides. Seneca's Medea does not need the chorus as a crutch, which is provided to Euripides' Medea (Associatedcontent). Therefore, through the differences in actors, costume, and use of chorus, the cultural aspects of Greek and Romans times play crucial roles in the adaptations of these myths. A second way that Greek and Roman theatre vary from each other is through the political differences of their times. The fist difference is seen through the significant event that occurred during the writing or adaptation of these plays. Although, the main difference is seen through the importance of mythological figures within each play, how they are portrayed, and what they represent. Firstly, each play was written during or after seriously significant events that occurred during Greek times. For example, Aeschylus’ Agamemnon was written and during the battle of Aegina and after the death of Pleistarchus king of Sparta in 480 B.  C. Sophocles’ Oedipus was written after a horrible plague washed over Athens killing one third of the Athenian population (Bispham, Harrison, Sparkes 9). Each of these events affected the audience by tying connections to the events that were occurring around them. In contrast, Seneca’s adaptations were never performed and they were not written during significant events that affected the audience. On the other hand, a major difference came from the depiction of main characters within each play. Within both Aeschylus’ and Seneca’s Agamemnon, Clytemnestra dominates the plot, as Agamemnon himself does not enter the play until line 810. Aeschylus’ Clytemnestra is portrayed as a dangerous temptress, who represents a challenge to patriarchy unparalleled in Greek tragedy as she demonstrates early feminism (RHUL). This is seen through her jealousy of Agamemnon’s status as a man when she tells Agamemnon that he should â€Å"yield† to her (Novelguide). In contrast, Seneca’s Clytemnestra is portrayed as an emotionally unstable and sympathetic woman, as well as representing the working of the passions. This is demonstrated through her desire for a chaste marital relationship with Agamemnon, in lines 239-43 (Seneca 120). Another difference in major characters is seen in the play Oedipus, through the depictions of Oedipus. Sophocles depicts Oedipus initially as a benign ruler amidst his people, self-confident and determined (Seneca 5). This is demonstrated through his opening lines to the audience, â€Å"Deeming it unfit to hear reason from a messenger, I, Oedipus, on whom men rely, have come myself to hear you out† (Sophocles 33). Oedipus represents two enduring themes of Greek myth and drama: the flawed nature of humanity and an individual's powerlessness against the course of destiny in a harsh universe (Seneca 5). In contrast, Seneca’s Oedipus, at the beginning, is isolated and obsessed with anxiety and guilt, as demonstrated in the quote, â€Å"What I fear is unspeakable: that I may kill my father with my own hand† (Seneca 19). Oedipus’ unease is due to his possession of power and in Senecan drama, kingship is typically a source of unease for the ruler (Seneca 7). Seneca’s depiction of Oedipus keeps in turn with his dramas and their concern with mental states. The final contrast of characters and their depictions are found in the play Medea. Euripides’ Medea is seen as lone and forlorn who is portrayed as a pawn of the gods and willing to be such (Associatedcontent). She commits her crime and awaits ramifications from the gods, demonstrated by the line, â€Å"But you'll never have me in your grasp, not in this chariot, a gift to me from my grandfather Helios, to protect me from all hostile hands† (Euripides). Seneca, on the other hand, characterizes Medea as not â€Å"just a woman†, but as a vibrant and vengeful spirit who is more god-like, being in control of her destiny (Associatedcontent). When dealing with her connection with the gods, Seneca’s characterization is the polar opposite of Euripides’ as she is not as respectful and reverent of the gods. She often condemns them for their actions or lack of actions seen in the lines, â€Å"Hecate, I call so many times for your arrows for just one reason, always the same† (Seneca Medea 95). With these political differences, mainly the depiction of historic and mythological figures, it is clear to see that these differences have significant effects on characters as well as plot. Finally, the philosophies of each playwright’s era highly affect the adaptations of the each play because of the differences in philosophical language, seen through the writer’s dialogue. Each playwright’s manner of utilizing dialogue is specifically unique to each individual. Seneca’s dialogues were not platonic exchanges between characters but were treatises (ancienthistory). Seneca’s elaborate rhetoric, argumentation, and complex verbal exchanges were quite unlike the dialogue of Greek tragedy. Furthermore, the ambience of gloom, disease, insanity, and physical horror that permeates his plays is adverse to the spirit of Greek drama (Bispham 296). Aeschylus pioneered drama tension through the addition of the second actor, increasing the possibilities for dramatic dialogue. His language in dialogue is discernible with force, majesty, and emotional intensity (Britannica). Aeschylus boldly uses compound epithets, metaphors, and figurative turns of speech, demonstrated in the quote, â€Å"Winged hounds, eagles of Zeus, slew a poor cowering creature, her unborn young slaughtered with her. She loathes the feast the eagles made. Sorrow sing, sorrow, but good shall prevail with power† (Aeschylus). This description the slaughtering of an animal demonstrates Aeschylus’ rich language binding together the dramatic actions, rather than used as simple decorations (Britannica). It was also common of Aeschylus to sustain a common image or group of images throughout a play, such as the snare in Agamemnon. Sophocles’ major innovation was his introduction of a third actor, which enabled the playwright to both increase the number of his characters and widen the variety of their interactions. The extent of the conflict was extended, plots could be more fluid, and situations could be more complex (Britannica). Sophocles’ language varies depending on the dramatic needs of the current moment within the play. It can be slow and weighty or swift moving, emotionally intense or easygoing, highly decorative or perfectly plain and simple (Britannica).. This can be demonstrated through the quote from Oedipus, â€Å"One man may surpass another in wisdom, yet until I see the prophet’s words proved true never will I agree when Oedipus is blamed; for once the winged maiden came against him and he showed himself wise be the test and good to the state† (Sophocles) . His mastery of form and diction was highly respected by his contemporaries (Britannica). Euripides’ style of dialogue and language is best described as chatter, alluding to both its comparatively light burden and to the talkativeness of his characters of all classes. In spite of this, Euripides’ dialogues have considerable charm and sweetness. This chatter is best described in the quote from Medea, during the scene when she is killing her sons, â€Å" Help me†¦ help†¦ Did you hear that? Did you hear the children cry? That wretched, evil woman! What do I do? How can I escape my mother's hands? I don't know, dear brother. It's over for us† (Euripides). Although this quote does not demonstrate Euripides’ charm and sweetness, in later works, his lyrics underwent a change, becoming more emotional and luxuriant, and this demonstrates the chatter (Britannica). With such contrasting styles and use of dialogue and language, the philosophical differences between Seneca and the Greek playwrights are evident. The differences found within the Greek and Senecan interpretations of the plays Oedipus, Agamemnon, and Medea demonstrate the significant shift of societies and era in which the plays were written and/or adapted. This demonstrates itself through many differences such as the cultural diversity dealing with the actors and their performance, the costumes in respect to the importance of masks, and the movement dealing with the changes in chorus. Political changes demonstrate the differences through the significant events during the staging of the production, whether or not it affected them in any way, and the depiction of historic figures in regards to their portrayal within the play. Finally, philosophical ideologies demonstrate the difference between Greek and Senecan tragedies through the expression of the playwrights through the characters, with the philosophical language of the unique dialogue in which each playwright perfected. Nevertheless, interpreters put their own personalities within the plays and this is what shined through, no matter the criticism. Bibliography http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/bellinger001.html http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/seneca/a/Seneca.htm http://www.novelguide.com/Agamemnon/essayquestions.html https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aeschylus-Greek-dramatist?anchor=ref393561

Free Essays on The New Global Terrorism

The New Global Terrorism: Characteristics, Causes & Controls By Charles W. Kegley, Jr. The differences between today’s terrorism and yesterday’s terrorism is that it is global, lethal, novel, waged by civilians, reliant on hatred and the most advanced technology, and it operates outside moral and legal norms. These changes require new strategies and tactics. According to a 1970’s expert on terrorism, there are four forms of terrorism: international, transitional, state and domestic. International terrorism is the type of terrorism that is conducted by people controlled by a sovereign state. Transitional terrorism is practiced by autonomous non-state actors, but not necessarily with a sympathetic state. Domestic terrorism involves the nationals of only one state. State terrorism is practiced by a state within its own borders, like genocide by the Nazis. Kegley states that in the 21st century we are dealing with terrorism and irregular warfare. Transitional terrorists, such as the al-Qaeda, have been successful in breaching our long-standing defense to inflict great harm on Western societies. Kegley describes four waves of rebel terror and finally September 11th. â€Å"Anarchist wave† continued for 40 to 45 years. Then the â€Å"anti-colonial wave† began in the 1920’s and by the 1960’s, it had for the most part disappeared. The late 1960’s brought the â€Å"new left wave† which lasted through the 1990’s, leaving a few groups still active in Sri Lanka, Spain, France, Pene and Columbia. The fourth and final wave was called the â€Å"religious wave.† The religious wave began in 1979, and will probably last another 25 years like its predecessors. There are four things to consider when identifying someone as a terrorist: biography, goals, methods, and context. Kegley says that the single most important criterion is methods. An analysis of terrorist incidents over the past century shows that there is... Free Essays on The New Global Terrorism Free Essays on The New Global Terrorism The New Global Terrorism: Characteristics, Causes & Controls By Charles W. Kegley, Jr. The differences between today’s terrorism and yesterday’s terrorism is that it is global, lethal, novel, waged by civilians, reliant on hatred and the most advanced technology, and it operates outside moral and legal norms. These changes require new strategies and tactics. According to a 1970’s expert on terrorism, there are four forms of terrorism: international, transitional, state and domestic. International terrorism is the type of terrorism that is conducted by people controlled by a sovereign state. Transitional terrorism is practiced by autonomous non-state actors, but not necessarily with a sympathetic state. Domestic terrorism involves the nationals of only one state. State terrorism is practiced by a state within its own borders, like genocide by the Nazis. Kegley states that in the 21st century we are dealing with terrorism and irregular warfare. Transitional terrorists, such as the al-Qaeda, have been successful in breaching our long-standing defense to inflict great harm on Western societies. Kegley describes four waves of rebel terror and finally September 11th. â€Å"Anarchist wave† continued for 40 to 45 years. Then the â€Å"anti-colonial wave† began in the 1920’s and by the 1960’s, it had for the most part disappeared. The late 1960’s brought the â€Å"new left wave† which lasted through the 1990’s, leaving a few groups still active in Sri Lanka, Spain, France, Pene and Columbia. The fourth and final wave was called the â€Å"religious wave.† The religious wave began in 1979, and will probably last another 25 years like its predecessors. There are four things to consider when identifying someone as a terrorist: biography, goals, methods, and context. Kegley says that the single most important criterion is methods. An analysis of terrorist incidents over the past century shows that there is...

Learn How to Delegate Responsibility to Your Employees

Learn How to Delegate Responsibility to Your Employees ]Time is your most precious commodity. No matter how hard you try, you can’t do everything by yourself. Many supervisors avoid delegating responsibilities and the reasons for this vary. Those who have moved up through the ranks of a company may be uncomfortable or simply not used to delegating. Others live by the words â€Å"If you want something done right, do it yourself.† And then there are some who fear delegating may mean being outshined by their employee. Whatever your feelings, as a manager you need to realize that you are not a regular employee, you are a coach. Coaches must understand the importance of teaching, motivating, and taking pride in the performance of their charges. To do this, you must learn how to delegate efficiently and responsibly. Some Things Should Not Be Delegated Never delegate sensitive projects to your employees. If you are in charge of the project because of your expertise, you should complete it yourself. If the project is confidential in any way, be very careful about outsourcing the work. Keep in mind that some jobs need to be done by the person in charge. At the same time, try to avoid delegating only the â€Å"dirty work†. Give your employees something fun and interesting to do once in awhile. Evaluating Employee Abilities There are many things to evaluate before delegating duties. Consider your employees’ skill level, motivation, and dependability. Remember, not every employee is created equal. Certain people will be more efficient than others depending upon the facet in which they thrive. At the same time, try not to typecast your employees. Give them opportunities to broaden their horizons and become more valuable to the team. Matching the proper person to each task can be difficult. Start small and be patient. Providing Clear Instructions When you are assigning unfamiliar duties, be very specific when you explain what you need. By detailing an assignment, you leave no room for confusion and therefore, no room for error. If you have a long list of verbal instructions, type them out. This will give your employee something to refer to when they are performing a task that is unfamiliar to them. If possible, train two people to do the same thing. This way, they can refer to one another for questions, rather than coming to you. It is also essential that your employee has a clear understanding of their authority in each situation. When a decision needs to be made regarding their assignment, should they use their best judgment or should they come to you immediately for clarification? This will be one of your hardest decisions to make because it could mean the difference between success and failure. When in doubt, retain control. Once an employee had proved their capability, give them more responsibility in the decision-making department. Measuring Performance and Controlling Projects Measure the performance of employees and delegated projects. Explain to them how performance will be measured and let the employee know the level of accountability that comes with the task. Clarifying these things beforehand will make everything run much smoother. Large projects may be easier to monitor if they are broken into smaller segments. Spread the assignments throughout your staff and make them report to you after each segment of the project has been finished. Also, get feedback from your employees via meetings and reports. Do this daily, weekly, or monthly. Know what’s going on around you. Staying informed limits the possibility of failure. As a supervisor, you are responsible and accountable for your employees and their work. Coaching Your Staff One of the most important parts of delegation is coaching. When you delegate an assignment, make it clear to them that they can come to you with questions. New tasks can be confusing. Above all, be patient. You should consistently motivate your staff and commend them when they do well. If they complete an assignment, but they don’t do a good job, find out why. Pinpoint what went wrong and take steps to address the issue. On the other hand, when tasks are completed effectively, give your employee the recognition they deserve. Whether it is public recognition or one-on-one, your employee will value being given credit for their work. Doing this not only makes your employee feel good, it will also motivate them to continue their on-the-job success.

How to Recognize Common Figures of Speech

How to Recognize Common Figures of Speech Of the hundreds of figures of speech, many have similar or overlapping meanings. Here we offer simple definitions and examples of 30 common figures, drawing some basic distinctions between related terms. How to Recognize Common Figures of Speech For additional examples and more detailed discussions of each figurative device, click on the term to visit the entry in our glossary. Whats the difference between a metaphor and a simile?Both metaphors and similes express comparisons between two things that arent obviously alike. In a simile, the comparison is stated explicitly with the help of a word such as like or as: My love is like a red, red rose / Thats newly sprung in June. In a metaphor, the two things are linked or equated without using like or as: Love is a rose, but you better not pick it. Whats the difference between metaphor and metonymy?Put simply, metaphors make comparisons while metonyms make associations or substitutions. The place name Hollywood, for example, has become a metonym for the American film industry (and all the glitz and greed that go with it). Whats the difference between metaphor and personification?Personification is a particular type of metaphor that assigns the characteristics of a person to something non-human, as in this observation from Douglas Adams: He turned on the wipers again, but they still refused to feel that the exercise was worthwhile, and scraped and squeaked in protest. Whats the difference between personification and apostrophe?A rhetorical apostrophe not only animates something absent or non-living (as in personification) but also addresses it directly. For instance, in Johnny Mercers song Moon River, the river is apostrophized: Wherever youre going, Im going your way. Whats the difference between hyperbole and understatement?Both are attention-getting devices: hyperbole exaggerates the truth for emphasis while understatement says less and means more. To say that Uncle Wheezer is older than dirt is an example of hyperbole. To say that hes a bit long in the tooth is probably an understatement. Whats the difference between understatement and litotes?Litotes is a type of understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite. We might say litotically that Uncle Wheezer is no spring chicken and not as young as he used to be. Whats the difference between alliteration and assonance?Both create sound effects: alliteration through the repetition of an initial consonant sound (as in a peck of pickled peppers), and assonance through the repetition of similar vowel sounds in neighboring words (It beats . . . as it sweeps . . . as it cleans!). Whats the difference between onomatopoeia and homoioteleuton?Dont be put off by the fancy terms. They refer to some very familiar sound effects. Onomatopoeia (pronounced ON-a-MAT-a-PEE-a) refers to words (such as bow-wow and hiss) that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to. Homoioteleuton (pronounced ho-moi-o-te-LOO-ton) refers to similar sounds at the endings of words, phrases, or sentences (The quicker picker upper). Whats the difference between anaphora and epistrophe?Both involve the repetition of words or phrases. With anaphora, the repetition is at the beginning of successive clauses (as in the famous refrain in the final part of Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech). With epistrophe (also known as epiphora), the repetition is at the end of successive clauses (When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child). Whats the difference between antithesis and chiasmus?Both are rhetorical balancing acts. In an antithesis, contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in balanced phrases or clauses (Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing). A chiasmus (also known as antimetabole) is a type of antithesis in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first with the parts reversed (The first shall be last, and the last shall be first). Whats the difference between asyndeton and polysyndeton?These terms refer to contrasting ways of linking items in a series. An asyndetic style omits all conjunctions and separates the items with commas (They dove, splashed, floated, splashed, swam, snorted). A polysyndetic style places a conjunction after every item in the list.Whats the difference between a paradox and an oxymoron?Both involve apparent contradictions. A paradoxical statement appears to contradict itself (If you wish to preserve your secret, wrap it up in frankness). An oxymoron is a compressed paradox in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side (a real phony).Whats the difference between a euphemism and a dysphemism?A euphemism involves the substitution of an inoffensive expression (such as passed away) for one that might be considered offensively explicit (died). In contrast, a dysphemism substitutes a harsher phrase (took a dirt nap) for a comparatively inoffensive one. Though often meant to sh ock or offend, dysphemisms may also serve as in-group markers to show camaraderie. Whats the difference between diacope and epizeuxis?Both involve the repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis. With diacope, the repetition is usually broken up by one or more intervening words: Youre not fully clean until youre Zestfully clean. In the case of epizeuxis, there are no interruptions: Im shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here! Whats the difference between verbal irony and sarcasm?In both, words are used to convey the opposite of their literal meanings. Linguist John Haiman has drawn this key distinction between the two devices: [P]eople may be unintentionally ironic, but sarcasm requires intention. What is essential to sarcasm is that it is overt irony intentionally used by the speaker as a form of verbal aggression (Talk Is Cheap, 1998). Whats the difference between a tricolon and a tetracolon climax?Both refer to a series of words, phrases, or clauses in parallel form. A tricolon is a series of three members: Eye it, try it, buy it! A tetracolon climax is a series of four: He and we were a party of men walking together, seeing, hearing, feeling, understanding the same world.Whats the difference between a rhetorical question and epiplexis?A rhetorical question is asked merely for effect with no answer expected: Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution? Epiplexis is a type of rhetorical question whose purpose is to rebuke or reproach: Have you no shame?

The Secret Powers of Food Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Secret Powers of Food - Assignment Example If we delve into the root of the issue, we will find out that food plays a huge role in people’s lives and its impacts on their outlooks and beliefs are impressing. To justify this, I have conveyed an interview. My interviewee is Mr. Wilson, the father of my neighbor, he is 47 years old. The man was glad to share his life experience and food story with me. I have come up with some interesting ideas, based on the information given by my interviewee and the book Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger by Nigel Slater. As a result, I strongly believe that food helps people to socialize, to show one’s affection, it evokes memories, shapes one’s lifestyle and attitude to culture. To begin with, food has become an integral part of social life. It may sound like nonsense, but food plays an enormous role in socialization between people. If we think about any occasion which implies gathering of people, we probably will not come up with any example that would not include food. Every celebration, holiday, date and even some official meetings always include some sort of ingestion – lunch, dinner or a pair of cocktails. Possible reasons for it may be that by means of food people interact nonverbally. It brings interlocutors together and helps them to relax and communicate freely. With the help of food a positive atmosphere is created which provides a beneficial outcome of any meeting. Furthermore, we may claim that food is a way of showing one’s love and care. It is through food that every mother shows her children how much she cares about them. I’ve interviewed my neighbor’s father, Mr. Wilson, and he told me what food meant to him and to his family. When he was a child, Mr. Wilson used to live in a city, but his weekends and summer holidays he spent at his granny’s, in the suburbs. There was a little farm there with plenty of fruit and vegetables and some domestic animals, such as chickens, geese and a few pigs. His  grandmother always tried to show her affection to her beloved grandchild by means of food.

Myths to the Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Myths to the Renaissance - Essay Example The system was meant to check on excessiveness of a ruler. During this period, the empire was under Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus (son to Marcus Aurelius) and his adoptive brother and son in-law Lucius Verus1. He was a stoic philosopher2 who established himself as the more powerful of the two emperors. During his reign, the Roman Empire was full of all sorts of nefarious deeds. Led by the emperor himself, sexual sin was not a secret. In the film, we encounter concubines being depraved in his presence. He was a womanizer and a homosexual at the same time. The film gives us an understanding of the political system in ancient Rome. This was a political system structured a way that to reflect some sort of modern day democracy. It did not support tyranny. This was the main objective of the joint leadership by two consuls during the time of the ‘Republic’.3 The empire had other notable political entities apart from the monarchy. There was the senate made u p of senators, Plebian Tribunate and Comitia Centuriata. The entities, together with the two consuls constituted the form of political systems, which the Romans referred to as the ‘republic’. In the film, it is evident that the Roman Empire was ruled by militant monarchial leaders. ... He had an arena where he displayed his hunting skills. In this arena, euphemism is brought into play. The killing of ostrich by the emperor was meant to pass a message to the senators that the same could befall them if they disobeyed him. People who displayed reformist minds were assassinated by the regime5. The film depicts the Roman Empire as one full of people with greed for power. There area many instances where characters assassinate rulers to take power. It is claimed that the main character Commodus murdered his father to take power. Barely three months into his rule, there were plans to execute him too. After his death in the arena, the senate met and declared Pertinax the emperor. Some characters in the army could not warm to the idea of being led by a son to a former slave and ended up assassinating him. Tattooing was an in thing in the mercenary dominated Roman army. The deserters could easily be identified through the tattoos, hence are means of checking against deserters . The tattoos such as the one worn by Maximus in the film Gladiator were a reserve for the lowly regarded in society. In the army, they were meant for mercenaries, lowly ranked and miners during the reign of Emperor Constantine. The film portrays the tattoos as an epitome of paganism, superstition and marginalization in the Roman Empire. It was not just an ordinary practice but a law that was applied ruthlessly6. The film portrays a society that idolizes violent sports as a form of fun. Whenever the empire was peaceful, gladiators provided an alternative to war heroes for people to idolize. The gladiators were the heartthrob of many Romans girls. During the era in which the movie is based, the gladiators were a thorn

Significance of the thinking and writting on education (History of Research Paper

Significance of the thinking and writting on education (History of Education) - Research Paper Example As an educator, Webster’s vision was to maintain an American Christian republic where Christian values and moral principles were taught, valued and preserved. In short, Webster envisioned â€Å"an educational system that would impart, "a love of virtue, patriotism, and religion", based on scripture† (Pope 2010). Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, regarded education as a key factor for the smooth function of democracy and he laid emphasis on education for all. He believed that only educated and well-informed citizens could play crucial roles in democracy; thus, for him education was the ‘foundation of democracy and a prerequisite to vote’. The four principles that governed Jefferson’s views on education were: â€Å"democracy cannot long exist without enlightenment†, â€Å"that it cannot function without wise and honest officials†, â€Å"that the talent and virtue, needed in a free society, should be educated regardless of wealth, birt h or other accidental condition† and â€Å"that the children of the poor must be thus educated at common expense† (Jewett 2010). Jefferson pointed out that States should be divided into small districts or wards for better educational outputs and for him the structure of education should be in four levels: elementary schools, grammar schools, universities, and life-long learning. However, Jefferson’s liberal views on education failed to accommodate the educational needs of women, Blacks or Native Americans. Pope, Randy. (2010). Noah Websters Distinctly Christian Education System Shielded the Republic from the Enlightenment. Retrieved 2010-02-11 from SearchWarp.com:

The Impact of Technology on the Retail Marketing Essay

The Impact of Technology on the Retail Marketing - Essay Example Knowing these trends will allow retailers to incorporate necessary changes including technology development and incorporation in their business, increasing communication with customers for loyalty card development and other measures, and allow them to be proactive rather than reactivity (Javadi et al., 2012, 89). The trend that has had a major effect on the retail industry is technological development (Verhoef et al., 2009, 30). The implications for retail strategy are the needs to augment the technology in the retail environment include the incorporation of technology in the retail environment to suit the needs of the consumers and ensure sales are made within a short duration (Vel, 2010, 210). Technology development has increased interaction in-store environments through the realization by retailers that to maintain clients they had to ensure a lively, engaging, and interactive. Interaction in stores has been augmented using smartphones and tablets that aid in product demonstrations, payment, encouraging sharing in social media, and provision of extra information (Ellis-Chadwick, 2007, p.7). Payments are processed in any part of the store in major retail outlets using phones, smartphones, and tablets allowing for shortening of lines and augmenting client satisfaction. Interaction in stores has also been implemented using a large interactive display that engages the consumer, with the feedback being that the experience to the consumer is engaging, interactive and powerful. Interaction has also been augmented through allowing consumers to browse using the mobile devices in the stores to get further information and increase their involvement (Swinyard, 1997, 248).

A Change Management Issue Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Change Management Issue - Term Paper Example Such organizations spent years to develop and establish their business traditions – the traditions they believe have led them to their current position and the ones they are not always willing to alter. However, the conditions of doing business change continuously, and the postmodern business reality imposes new diversity demands on organizations and businessmen. For many of them, to become more diverse means to produce a profound shift in organizational mentality, consciousness, and culture. Yet, once implemented, diversity has the potential to move the organization further to its performance and organizational highs. As long as I can remember myself working for that organization, our staff had been mostly comprised of white males working for the financial department and dealing with the most controversial issues in the field of organizational finance. I must say that the organization had spent years in the market and had been able to achieve considerable success and organizational stability. Its name was well recognized by customers and competitors, whereas its financial staff was believed to be at the core of the organization’s continuous success. The company was extremely careful about all staff members’ following the organization’s cultural and business traditions, and its success and competitiveness in the market made it increasingly reluctant to change anything in its attitudes toward diversity and hiring. However, the business realities were changing, demanding similar changes in our finance department. Our organization had to hire new people, including two black women and one Asian man. All three displayed remarkable performance results but they seemed to experience serious difficulties in their striving to adjust to the new conditions of work.  

The Impact of Technology on the Retail Marketing Essay

The Impact of Technology on the Retail Marketing - Essay Example Knowing these trends will allow retailers to incorporate necessary changes including technology development and incorporation in their business, increasing communication with customers for loyalty card development and other measures, and allow them to be proactive rather than reactivity (Javadi et al., 2012, 89). The trend that has had a major effect on the retail industry is technological development (Verhoef et al., 2009, 30). The implications for retail strategy are the needs to augment the technology in the retail environment include the incorporation of technology in the retail environment to suit the needs of the consumers and ensure sales are made within a short duration (Vel, 2010, 210). Technology development has increased interaction in-store environments through the realization by retailers that to maintain clients they had to ensure a lively, engaging, and interactive. Interaction in stores has been augmented using smartphones and tablets that aid in product demonstrations, payment, encouraging sharing in social media, and provision of extra information (Ellis-Chadwick, 2007, p.7). Payments are processed in any part of the store in major retail outlets using phones, smartphones, and tablets allowing for shortening of lines and augmenting client satisfaction. Interaction in stores has also been implemented using a large interactive display that engages the consumer, with the feedback being that the experience to the consumer is engaging, interactive and powerful. Interaction has also been augmented through allowing consumers to browse using the mobile devices in the stores to get further information and increase their involvement (Swinyard, 1997, 248).

Final RFP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final RFP - Essay Example This Request For Proposals (RFP) document sets out the requirements to be met by the Enterprise Resource Planning ERP package Enterprise Architecture EA design to be selected to implement these business goals within the operations and management functions of Gadget, Inc. The overall strategic results to be met by the package and design selected as part of the responses to this RFP will include : no more lost orders, eliminating the numerous errors currently made and the accompanying inconsistencies. In terms of applicable Quality Assurance (QA) activities, there will be a series of procedural reviews carried out by the personnel partially involved in the acquisition and implementation process of the ERP packages and EA design and approval The risk management requirements to be met will include a process where the Vendor’s executives identify, analyze and rank every risk noted. Proactive risk identification measures will be put in place. In order to achieve the successful integration of the ERP application and EA design in order to meet the business process improvement requirements set out above, the following requirements will need to be satisfied by the selected Vendor. Gadget Inc., although it accepts that it is relatively small enterprise, expects that each Vendor will draw up an EA design that reflects Gadget Inc.’s business requirements as expressed by the Board of Directors. Gadget Inc. will not accept duplications of previous enterprise architectures drawn up by a given Vendor for one or more different clients. This requirement will be made clear to each Vendor at the Bid Evaluation stage. Gadget Inc. has no specific preferences regarding the ERP application presented by each Vendor bidding for the Contract. Gadget Inc. initially expects that each Vendor will present the ‘standard’ version of

Earth science Essay Example for Free

Earth science Essay Speculations of the actual rate of global warming had been contradictory to the least. In fact, there have been arguments that the year 1998 and not 2005 is the warmest year recorded. However, based on the global climate simulation models, warming considerably larger in the Western Equatorial Pacific than in the East Equatorial Pacific. The authors also suggested that the increased East-West temperature gradient may have also increased the likelihood of El Nino such as those in 1983 and 1998. Global temperature is a gauge used for measuring and summarizing the state of global climate. Although the effects on climate are normally felt locally, its distribution nonetheless is congruent with that of the climate models. According to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies Analysis, the estimated uncertainty of global mean temperature implies that we can only state that 2005 was probably the warmest year. This conclusion was based on satellite measurements of sea surface temperature since 1982, a ship-based analysis for earlier years and documented procedures for data over land. Also, this analysis has a 95 percent confidence. As mentioned earlier, 2005 is noted for its warmth and this is not due to the contribution of the El Nino phenomenon contrary to the one recorded in 1998 wherein 0. 2Â ° C was lifted from the trend line and considered to be the strongest in the century. Hence, global warming is tallied to be at 0. 6Â ° C in the past decades and 0. 8Â °C higher than in the past century. Contrary to what was speculated before, it is now incorrect to say that most global warming occurred before the 1940s. This may be attributed to the large fluctuations and yet slow warming over the century until 1975 which was then followed by a rapid warming, noted at 0. Â °C per decade. Hence, global warming is not just a concocted artefact due to the measurements in urban areas and used to scare people into being earth friendly but a real climate change. It is confirmed by surface temperature change inferred from borehole temperature profiles at remote locations, the rate of alpine glaciers around the world and progressively earlier breakup of ice on rivers and lakes. (10). Moreover, the fact that there is indeed a geographical distribution of warming gives proof that there is a real climate change. The largest warming recorded occurred not in urban areas but in remote regions including high latitudes. Furthermore, warming has also been documented in ocean areas, which are considerably far from the direct effects of humans. On the other hand, calculations made through the first global climate model, presented in the congressional testimony in 1988 was allegedly 300 percent wrong. However, further analysis indicated that the first transient climate simulations proved to be quite accurate and certainly not wrong by 300 percent.

European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay

European Sovereign Debt Crisis Economics Essay The topic of the coursework focuses on the European sovereign debt crisis. We mainly explain how the latest European debt crisis emerged and the reasons that caused the worlds economy to enter into a recession. Another important issue is the impact of the crisis on the markets especially on the bonds markets and other such as commodities, equities, Forex and gold. Furthermore, we explain the lessons to the Eurozone from other countries that defaulted such as Argentina and Russia. What is more, we try to evaluate the effectiveness of the policies and measures taken by the financial institutions and the policy markets. Finally, we discuss the possible effects of the crisis to the financial landscape the lessons to be taken and the trends that may emerge from this turmoil. European Sovereign Debt Crisis: Reasons and Causes There is a prevalent agreement that the fundamental cause of the European sovereign debt crisis was the combination of a credit boom and a housing bubble affecting firstly US and consequently the Eurozone. Easy credit conditions during the 2002-2008 period encouraged high-risk lending and borrowing practices. This extremely situation has happened even though in 1992, members of the European Union signed the Maastricht Treaty that guarantee only the public sector can produce permanent deficits. It assumed that financial markets would always correct their own excesses. Next figure shows how home mortgages had risen during the period 2004 and 2007, collapsing all the banks due to lack of liquidity as people were not able to pay their mortgages back. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5WxzOr4YE6GXWcGp8-UDs862WkTl5xTeXG-iyZJnOeMioqOQnP0MVGwHDdqOugfRwuto9jtMDdV-dnwrFsC8nuVE3eVJGPM8qacjoOxOsUD_VG6Z0xOiJwwroB97-1ujRbMR7SlUvr2t/+outstanding+mortgage+credit+1990-2008.jpg There are several important factors implies in the European sovereign debt crisis; some countries have been in trouble to pay the debts that they have built up in recent decades. Five of the regions countries Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, and Spain have failed to generate enough economic growth to make their ability to pay back bondholders the guarantee it was intended to be. Although these five were seen as being the countries in immediate danger of a possible default, the crisis has consequences that extend beyond their borders to the world as a whole. In fact, the head of the Bank of England referred to it as the most serious financial crisis at least since the 1930s, if not ever. Moreover, resulted from a combination of multiple factors European sovereign debt crisis have been affected by: the global financial crisis between 2006-2011; international trade imbalances which are the difference between the monetary value of export  and  imports of output in an economy over a certain period; real-state bubbles  that have since burst; the global recession between 2008-2012; approaches used by nations to guarantee troubled banking industries and private bondholders, assuming private debt weight or socializing . In general, the crisis is presented as the result of arrears in debt of some European Union countries. It is alleged that his debts reached a level that cannot be repaid or refinanced. However, this statement does not hold if we look in detail. Thus, the European Unions debt (about 80% of its GDP) is significantly below in Japan (220%) or the U.S. (100%). US debt increased significantly over the past five years, from less than 60% to over 100%. Still, U.S. is able to finance its debt due to China ´s help. Impacts on the bond markets and other markets The European sovereign debt crisis had a great impact on markets and several implications. The impacts of the debt crisis were so deep to the worlds economy that we can still observe them today especially at the Eurozones countries such as Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Portugal. High volatility of the euro markets has been a significant factor during the crisis period. Those high levels of volatility can lead to high interest rates of borrowing for the countries with debts and as a consequence to high bond yield spreads. http://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0176268010000509-gr1.jpg Fig.  2.  Bond yield spreads for EU-15 central governments, January 1991-May 2009. As we can see in figure 2 the bond yield spreads for the EU-15 central governments during May 1991 till October 2006 were low, whereas the bond yield spreads during October 2006 and May 2009 were extremely high. Government bonds are historically considered as the safest investment. After the crisis, investors starting to lose their confidence in the stock market and as a result they stop investing on it. Consequently, investors turned to government bonds and this led to a rise in the demand of bonds. Therefore, Central Banks tried to increase their holding of government bonds. Because of the increased demand, the price of the bonds has been raised. Source, Bloomberg : Euro Index from 2001-2012 The above graph shows the historical price graph of the European government bonds 7-10 years of maturity. The graph shows that the price of the government bonds gone very high from 2001 till 2012 and it is still rising. Source, Bloomberg : Bond Indices for US government 7-10 year, Bloomberg Finance L.P. The above graph shows the US 7-10 years of maturity price of the government bonds from 2001 till 2012. Again, because of the correlation of the European economy and the US economy the sovereign debt crisis has led the bond prices to high levels. What is more, if we observe the graph we can clearly notice that during 2008 and 2012 there is high volatility which indicates the high demand for government bonds during that period. The stock market is different to the bond market. During credit instability the price of the shares of the firms will decrease. Furthermore, when economies enter into recession the expected profit of the firms is going to be lower thus the firms are going to pay less dividend. Therefore, investors will lose their interest in the equity market and they will eventually turn to other markets such as bond markets. The following graphs drawn from Bloomberg are showing the price levels for SP 500, EURO STOXX and NIKKEI 225 for the period of 2000 till 2012. As we observe there is high volatility to all three equity markets. Furthermore, the low and high prices of the Euro equity index and the Japanese equity index are quite high whereas the prices of the US equity index are low. During January of 2008 the prices fall down for the EURO STOXX and the NIKKEI 225 and the SP 500 experienced great loses during November of 2008. The SP 500s prices went up on March of 2009 whereas the EURO STOXXs a nd the NIKKEIs 225 prices remained low. Source, Bloomberg : EURO STOXX INDEX from 31/10/2000 29/10/2012 Source, Bloomberg : SP 500 INDEX from 31/10/2000 29/10/2012 Source, Bloomberg : NIKKEI 225 from 31/10/2000 29/10/2012 During the sovereign debt crisis the worlds economy collapsed. There were many implications in all type of markets such as the derivatives, commodities, foreign exchange market and of course implications in the gold prices and the oil prices. After the housing bubble, the commodity market entered its own bubble. From 2007 till summer of 2008 oil prices went very high and then plunged to very low price by the end of 2008. Oil though was not the only commodity to experience swings in the prices. Table 1 illustrates the declines for some of the commodities during 2008 compared to the declines during 1970 2007. Table 1. The commodity bubble, Source: World Economic Outlook Crisis and Recovery Sovereign Default and lessons from defaulted countries A sovereign default occurs when a government refuses or fails to repay its financial obligations (debts). Countries that have been sovereign defaulted can escape liability without being legal penalized since they are not subject to bankruptcy laws. However, a sovereign default will cause difficulties for the defaulted government to borrow funds again since it will be too expensive and because of the low credit ability. The main cause of a sovereign default is the inability of a government to repay the loans interest rate. If the national income growth is less than the annual payable interest rate then the probability of default is very high. This situation commonly arises when government expenditure such as salaries, pensions, rents, supplies are much higher than the tax revenues while any internal borrowing fails to take place and issuing bills is for various reasons impossible. Economic history is full of cases of bankruptcies. From 1824 to 2009 we had at least 286 formal bankruptcies of 110 states. The most recent cases however were the bankruptcy of Argentina and Russia. Till 1997 Russia managed to improve its financial stability by reducing the inflation rate to 11% comparing to the enormous rate of inflation the previous years and by depreciating its exchange rate. However, problems emerged because of two major crises. The first was the Asian financial crisis, which started in 1997, and the subsequent reduce of demand for oil and metals. What is more, the reduction in demand for goods caused a fall in prices, leading countries who were directly dependent on the export of raw materials to deficits. Oil, natural gas, metals and timber accounted for more than 80% of Russian exports, making Russia highly vulnerable to any changes in international prices. In addition, oil was an important source of tax revenue. Thus, Russian government started to have diffic ulties with its financial obligations and defaulted in 1998. Source, Bloomberg Russia Real GDP by Expenditure As we can see from the graph Russia managed to recover in a decade. Although Russia defaulted in 1998 the results were not catastrophic for the government. On the contrary, Russias economic growth was fast and oil prices went high leading to high profitability. The most recent bankruptcy though occurred in 2002 in Argentina. The economic crisis in Argentina lasted from 1998 to 2002 with the following main points: there was a strong recession from 1998 to 1999 and the financial system collapsed during 2001 and 2002 which was basically the consequence of the recession. During that period of time Argentinas GDP fell by 21% with disastrous results for the citizens. Furthermore, the percentage of poverty reached 57% while unemployment exceeded 23%. Source, Bloomberg Argentinas Annual Real GDP growth Another important factor of that led Argentina to bankruptcy was its currency. During 1991 there was high inflation so the government decided to change the currency and linked it to the dollar (actually they adopted the US dollar instead of their own currency) in order to reduce inflation. Although the new currency reduced inflation for a while the consequences were disastrous. The product prices in the country become more expensive in international markets, which led to the reduction of competitiveness, lower exports and a negative trade balance. Argentinas case is interesting because there are a lot of similarities with the Eurozone countries. The first lesson is that by decreasing the nominal expenditures or by increasing taxes during a recession in order to decrease fiscal deficit reductions will make things worse. The second lesson is that deflation is not going to provide positive results in correcting an overvalued currency especially in a country with large public sector and powerful unions. What is more, by choosing to link their currency to dollar, problems with balance sheets will be significant. Policies and measures Regarding the measures and policies taken by Financial Institutions and Policy Makers, let ´s start with the ones that have been taken by Financial Institutions; we know that our rate of 1 per cent is the lowest since 1999, when the euro began, and this is a result of quickly regressing inflationary pressures since 2008. This step follows the primary objective of European Central Bank, which is to keep price stability in the Eurozone in the medium level. In addition to reduce the interest rate, they have taken a number of measures to support the perfect role of the euro area interbank market. Those measures have helped the progress credit to enterprises and households Those non-standard measures are known as intensify credit support. They mainly focus on commercial banks, because they are the main source of funding for households and businesses in the euro area. To contrast with the US: in the euro area about 70% of the funding of corporations and households comes from banks; the equivalent share for the US is around 25%. So a well-functioning money market is essential for Europes commercial banks and also for the ECB as the transmission of monetary policy to the economy starts here. Those measures are: the complete accommodation of banks liquidity requests at fixed interest rates; the extend of the maturities of the refinancing operations, up to 1 year; the provision of liquidity in foreign currencies; Outright purchases of euro-denominated covered bonds issued in the euro area. This last one has an important function because bond market is traditionally an important way for funding banks in the euro area. This market has been heavily suffered from the financial crisis. They have put an important amount of money 60Billion Euro to support market functioning but it is not so large to dominate market developments. Still, compared with bond purchase programmes in some other major countries, the amount spent by the European Central Bank in the context of its covered bond programme is fairly modest. However, this is a result that the primary role of the ECB is to act as an agent for this market, not as a market maker. To sum up, looking at the effectiveness of measures of improve credit support, we consider a positive impact on money market conditions and over the market. The large injection of liquidity into the money market led to a decrease in money market interest rates at the very short end, to levels close to the ECBs deposit rate of 0.25%. On the other hand if we have a look to Policy makers, those measures have been consisted to support the financial system and measures to reduce the effects of the financial crisis on the rest of the economy. After the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, most European governments speedily adopted measures to support the financial system in a coordinated action. These included increasing deposit insurance ceilings, guarantees for bank liabilities and bank recapitalisations We believe that the effectiveness of the support measures is positive. The measures were needed for avoiding a further growth of the crisis at the end of 2008. In addition there is an initial evidence that government support measures have been effective in reducing banks default risk, however may be necessary more money, especially in Spain and Greece. Here it seems that capital injections have been effective as well as debt guarantees and asset purchases. Overall, the government response has been effective. But it has negatives points as well; according to the European Commissions, the euro area deficit will increase to 6.5 percent of GDP in 2010 with the debt increasing to 84 percent of GDP, from 69% in 2008. Financial landscape, lessons and trends The last crisis is going to have a major impact on the financial landscape. The lower capital availability will surely change the investors emphasis on private equity and as a consequence the cost of borrowing for companies will be higher. Banks and governments will now have to take under consideration the lessons from the crisis in order to improve their regulations and management policies. A number of banks and other financial institutions had to change their structure due to high risk involved and the low liquidity because of the financial crisis. What is more, governments forced to change their regulations concerning banks and other financial institutions and more limits have been imposed. Furthermore, governments now own significant number of stakes of financial institutions due to efforts to control them. Changes in mergers and acquisitions also occurred with an emphasis in leveraged buyouts. As the debt of the consumers became higher and corporate balance shits focused on debt rather than equities. Apart from that investments will decrease because of the high capital costs and as a result GDP growth will decrease. We have learnt several lessons that might be taken the future. We summarise them in 5. That the euro area did not create an institutional (lacked) framework to correct and identify macroeconomic imbalances. Few countries in euro area have experienced strong nominal divergence mainly caused by unit labour cost increases and excessive credit growth; leading to declining competitiveness. During this time, large current account imbalances reflected a build-up of private and public sector debt, building external vulnerabilities that were exposed when the crisis broke. Establishing a permanent framework for surveillance of such imbalances will be necessary for the future. SGP, Stability and Growth Pact, did not help to fiscal policies consistent with membership of a single currency. In an economic and monetary union, fiscal policies must be consistent with rates of sustainable growth and price stability. Instead, despite during economic growth, 1999 and 2008, fiscal policies were largely pro-cyclical: Few countries kept a budgetary position in structural balance and many got deficits. A more effective SGP will be required for  all   euro area. The absence of appropriate frameworks for policy co-ordination in areas essential for competitiveness and sustainable growth. Lets take this example, a number of euro area countries internalised the fallacy that temporarily elevated national productivity and inflation rates warranted persistent wages increases out of line with the euro area as a whole. A better policy co-ordination is currently needed to reinforce the euro area in national economic policymaking Financial supervision in the Europe was lagging behind financial integration. The result was that a large build-up of systemic risk in the financial sector went largely unnoticed risk which in many cases was ultimately transferred to the balance sheet of the sovereign. A supervision regime commensurate with the reality of financial integration in the euro area is therefore needed. Sovereign debt challenges in individual euro area countries can undermine the stability of the euro area as a whole. Since member countries do not control their currency, they are vulnerable to liquidity episodes. Creditors assessment can change e.g. by effect of contagion, even when fundamentals would not justify itThat is the meanly reason why, a permanent crisis management framework is necessery for the euro area. There are several trends that might emerge from the European Debt Crisis. First of all the welfare state has been affected for this turmoil, millions of people have lost their jobs and governments have reduced money in main sectors as education, health care, culture,etc. due to lack of liquidity and in many countries those main factors will never be again free for everybody..

Essay --

1.0 Introduction Valves are mechanical devices that control the flow and gases in the process. They are essential components of piping system that conveys liquid, vapor and gases. They come in variety of material ranging from steel and plastic. There are different types of the valves such as globe, gate, ball, plug and check valve. Each of these valves has different features and functional capabilities. Some valves can self operated (automatically) while the other manually or with pneumatic or hydraulic system. In this report I will talk about the benefits and the useful of the gate valves and the globe valve as well as compare the different between the two valves in term of cost and maintenance. 2.0 Background Gate Valve and globe valves achieves the important function of controlling the flow; they are installed on the piping and pipeline to straight the flow from one location to another and to prevent losses of the flow. Like the faucets in home plumping system that we observed every day, when it is open the flow is begins to move and speed up and when it close the flow will stop moving. Valves comes in different sizes the smallest one can be weight as 1lb (0.50 kg), while the largest valves can weigh up to 10 tones (9070 kg). Deciding the type of the flow or the gas can lead you and help to determine which valve will be suitable for the process. However the valves can be affecting by several factors such as slurry (mixture of the liquid like water or cement) which required Maintenance permanently to avoid the errors of the reading. 3.0 Technology This section will describe the functionality of both gate valve and globe valve and also will show the features of each technology. 3.1Gate valve The gate valve is designed to con... ...he flow to pass through the pipes. There are different types of the valves with different sizes, and each valve has several features that make suitable for different process. The most important feature is the efficiency. Globe valves are installed in parallel position not perpendicular like the gate valve, which make it more efficient than the gate valve in services that required frequent operation and when the pressure drop across the valve. 5.0 Recommendation After studying this report and from the analyzing I recommended to use the gate valves because it’s suitable for the different process and simply operates in fully open and fully close with no pressure drop also its required less maintenance and not expensive, rather then the globe valve which is not recommended where the pressure drop and resistance to flow, it’s preferable only for frequent operation.

Report on Two Software Programs with Business Application

Recommendation Report In this report, you are going to find two software programs with business applications and compare them according to four well-defined criteria. You will then recommend one program over another on the basis of your comparison. Your report will be written to me – assume I’m your boss, we work together in a small company, and I’ve asked you to find the best program for our purposes. The choice of programs is up to you, but you must choose two programs that do roughly the same thing. Don’t choose a tax program and a spreadsheet, for example.You then need to think of the criteria you are going to use to make the comparison. Your choice of criteria is very important. This forms the basis for your comparison; if you don’t choose concrete, specific, and relevant criteria that allow you to make a detailed comparison of the two programs, your comparison is not going to be informative or meaningful. Also, one of the criteria you choose m ust be the cost of the program. This will, obviously, be a very simple point of comparison. Your recommendation report will have three sections: The Introduction will give a short introduction to the two programs you've chosen to discuss – tell us the name of the software, who manufactures it, etc. You are also going to inform me as to the criteria you choose to use to make the comparison, and why you choose those criteria. – The Findings section will compare the two programs according to cost and the three other criteria you’ve chosen. The format you choose for this section is up to you, but the comparison should be easy to process visually. This will be the longest section of your report. The Recommendation In this section you will describe why one of the programs you have discussed in the Findings section is better than the other one. You need to make clear reference to what you’ve discovered in the Findings section in order to fully justify your recom mendation. | Unsatisfactory| Needs Work| Satisfactory| Exemplary| Mark| Introduction| – Introduction absent, or one component absent or completely inadequate. | – Outline of programs too general. – Introduction of four criteria lacks specifics, no justification. -Clear and concise outline of two programs-Clear, concise introduction of four criteria. | – Clear, concise and detailed outline of two programs-Clear, concise and detailed introduction of four criteria. | /10| Findings| -Many details absent or vague. -Criteria make meaningful comparison impossible. -Document is a mess. | -Details are clearly absent or vague. -Criteria are flawed in some way which renders the comparison somewhat ineffective. -Organization detracts from ease of visual processing, parallel form mistakes. – Programs compared with a reasonable amount of detail. – Criteria relatively well-chosen. – Organization does not interfere with visual processing, parallel fo rm used. | – Programs compared fully according to cost and three other criteria. -Criteria are well-chosen and work to fully illuminate the two programs. -Organization allows for ease of visual processing, parallel form used. | /25| Recommenda-tion| – Reasons not clear or detailed, section too short. | – Gives general, somewhat vague reasons why one program was chosen and the other was not. – Gives clear and detailed reasons why one program was chosen and the other was not. | – Gives specific, clear and detailed reasons why one program was chosen and the other was not. | /10| Grammar and Style| – Errors, major and minor, pervasive. – Subheadings not used. | – Two or three major errors. – More than five minor errors. – Subheadings used. | -One or two major errors. – Three to five minor errors. – Subheadings used. | – No major errors. – One or two minor errors. – Subheadings used. | /15|

John Proctor: Honorable or Not Essay

Many people believe John Proctor plays role of the dishonorable character in the play of â€Å" The Crucible † . I honestly believe he is actually honorable by his actions of goodness and redemption in the play . He proves this by the rejecting of continuing the affair with Abigail , confessing of his affair to Hale , and dying. In the beginning of the play , there is a scene in which he is with Abigail . Abigail says , â€Å" Give me a word John . A soft word . † . Proctor then says , â€Å" No , no , Abby . That’s done with † ( P 1224 ) . This shows that when John Proctor had the affair , he saw it as a mistake and started to reject Abigail . This shows how he sees his mistake and does anything to prevent himself from committing that error once again . Later , in Act II , Proctor confesses to his affair with Abigail . He confesses to Hale about his affair to ease himself of what he has been keeping to himself for quite some time . This explains how he is honorable by admitting his mistakes . He does not keep something of this dishonorable character to himself . He feels as if he must correct any mistakes he has committed in the past . I believe this action shows the audience that he is honorable to be able to confess the truth to any negative actions . Towards the end , during the final Act , he is just waiting to die . He confessed about his affair with Abigail , in addition , he also did confess to being a witch even though he was not . He believes that he is taking responsibility for his actions and even for those he did not do. Many people believe John Proctor is dishonorable because of his affair , but did he not confess ? Did he not die for something he did not even do ? I believe that his death gave him redemption for his actions with Abigail. I believe John Proctor is a very honorable in his confession of his mistakes in life and the mistakes of others . He has proven his honor throughout different actions in the play.

Beano’s Cafe

GROUP Harrah’s Entertainment Questions for Discussion 1. Briefly discuss Harrah’s marketing information system Marketing managers and other information user Marketing information system Developing needed information Assessing information needs Internal database Marketing intelligence Marketing Research Analyzing and using information Marketing Environment Questions for Discussion †¢ Marketing Information and Customer Insights: To create value for customers & build meaningful relationships with them, executive managers must gain fresh, deep insights into what customers need and want. Assessing Information Needs: †¢ Internal database : consumer & market information obtained from a variety of source systems. The system records the details of a customer’s stay, demographic data, preference data, Data recorded from tournaments and special events etc. Questions for Discussion †¢ Marketing intelligence : includes everyday data about developments that help s managers prepare and adjust marketing plans and short-run tactics (e. g. , Competitive, economic) Marketing Research : Survey, Email, mail †¢ Analyzing and using information : Marketing analysts can analyze hundreds of customer attributes to determine each customer’s preferences and predict what future services and rewards they will want. For example, Harrah’s might award hotel vouchers to out-of-state guests, while free show tickets would be more appropriate for customers who make day trips to the casino. Customer View of the Total Goldâ„ ¢ Program Questions for Discussion 2. Describe the relationship between Harrah's marketing information system and Harrah's managers and employees.Harrah's managers – improving service – creating effective advertising & sales promotion programs – developing new products – improving existing products – developing marketing and sales plans – development & use of an effective revenue ma nagement program – Training employee to standard M I S Employees – Customer service scores to employee for accumulating point – To verify and improve service Questions for Discussion 3. Why does Harrah's system work so well compared to MIS efforts by other companies? business strategy that focuses on knowing their customers †¢ Operational Applications †¢ Total Rewards is Harrah’s customer loyalty program. †¢ Closed-Loop Marketing †¢ Technology Support Questions for Discussion 4. To what extent is Harrah's in danger of a competitor copying its system? Leadership This was a critical success factor since for a person to generate changes in the operating business, †¢ CRM culture extends Culture competitive advantage †¢consist of a number of different capabilities †¢by combining product information with customer behavior, â€Å"no one can touch us. † Thank you for your attention

Multimedia & design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Multimedia & design - Essay Example It is at the reflective level whereby issues of self-worth and personal values are found. With regard to Don Norman’s scheme, I believe that it is important to separate things such as visceral or aesthetic appreciation. Emotional appreciation is a very important element of life, brought about by emotion. Without emotion, people’s thoughts, feelings, therefore behaviors, would be made worse (Norman, 2004). Don Norman does not overcomplicate the importance of emotional appreciation. This is because he attribute recent advances in the scientific field when understanding the brain to his view on aesthetics and pleasure in design. Drawing a line between the systems affect and cognition of processing information, he, however, proposes that they are actually intertwined. It is the affective system that has the responsibility of making quick judgments as well as quick decisions, and helps analyze the objects available in the current environment, whether good, bad or dangerous. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the cognitive system to interpret and understand the environment. It is for this reason that emotions are usually the conscious experience of affect. Based on given experiences and situations, the emotional system can prepare and modify the body as the cognitive system seeks to survey the changes. Therefore, the emotional system stage-manages cognitive processes and in the end, changes the way people think. Understanding and appreciating this interrelationship is what can empower designers to control the emotional position of users using aesthetics. According to Norman, creativity and open-mindedness are reduced, especially when people are affected by anxiety because of a narrowed field of thought processes. He also posits that on the contrary, when a learner or a user is relaxed and is in a pleasant mood, he or she becomes more creative, and is even more tolerable to small deficiencies in usability. Contemporary research carried out fr om Human Computer Interaction (HCI) suggests that aesthetics and usability can make people feel satisfied and pleasant, amplifying creativity and broadening the thought processes. He has also presented the three levels of emotional design, which are the visceral level, behavioral level and the reflective level. Separating things like visceral or aesthetic appreciation is important in multimedia and design because visceral design, for example, explores the emotional impacts of environment or an object according to the intrinsic physical features such as sound, look and feel. As important participants of the evolutionary process of nature, people continually receive influential emotional indicators from the environment. Worth noting is that people’s perceptions are produced in relation with the underlying principles of visceral design, for example organization, cleanliness and attractiveness; these attributes are inherent to the visceral processing layer and more importantly, c onsistent within cultures (Norman, 2004). 2. The Philosopher’s tool kit Each one of the nineteen chapters in this book look at the iPod mobile digital device acording to a philosophical perspective. According to the writer, the iPod is a cultural fact that is changing individual communities and lives in important ways. Tools of the philosophers that I believe will be useful to me in the future are with regard to the iPod’s effect on the community. The iPod has individuating and isolating characteristics, considering the disconnectedness of personal

Interventions to reduce harm associated with adolescent substance use Essay

Interventions to reduce harm associated with adolescent substance use - Essay Example that reduce harm associated with adolescent substance use are because the disease burden and deaths for young people in developed nations is attributed to substance use. The interventions are about to reduce harm. In this course, they have to reduce mortality in the future and morbidity in the short period. The interventions are subjected to review to know about the impact of them on the persons. The positive impact of the intervention is a scale of its efficacy. In order to prevent the attractiveness to substance use, the regular interventions are necessary to avoid the adolescents in vulnerable families, schools and communities being attracted to substance use. However, there is little evidence found in study of JW Touymbourou et al in 2007 that tells about efficacy of treatment. However, they have found that the screening and brief interventions are effective. (J W Toumbourou, 2007, p.1391) This indicates that treatment approaches need long term approach than to observe in a limited time of study. This needs the feedback from the counselors who treat people suffering from substance abuse. They are effective in many contexts because, these reduce the availability of these drugs to majority of adolescents and are universal interventions. However, the efficacy of targeted interventions is more important as it is capable of addressing the problems personally. In contrast to regulatory interventions, the development interventions are more targeted than being universal. These interventions target the reduction of pathways to drug related harm by enhancing the conditions for healthy development of a person through his/her adolescence. Even in these interventions, there are two types. They are the ones that begin before the birth of a person and others are the ones, which are taken in the early stages of adolescence. The interventions before birth proved to be effective. (J W Toumbourou, 2007, p.1395) However, there are second types of interventions that start

International law and organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International law and organisation - Essay Example Since there is no common governing power that supervises all countries, despite the existence of international organizations such as United Nations, states find themselves unable to trust each other. Thus, they usually treat each other as possible opponent that could grab them anytime. On the other hand, the modified structural realists believe that since there is anarchy in international relations, the weaker states have to look for means in order to protect its security and interest, as opposed to the powerful states, which tend to resist regulation or control of their movements. Similar to the modified structural realists, neo-liberal institutionalists believe that adherence to international legal principles would help promote transparency in international dealings, reduce transaction costs in international trade, intensify strict monitoring and enforcement of contractual obligations, and eases imposition of penalties for violation thereof. Voluntary observance of the international legal principles would encourage more cooperation in the international arena that would somehow grant long-term benefits, especially in the financial aspects. The hegemonic stability theor... e theories point to only one thing: the creation and observance of international legal principles are supported by the quest for protection of self-interest by the international stakeholders. Clearly, an independent state would not want to impose upon itself a rule that would ultimately restrict its freedom, if it will not reap any benefit from it. It cannot be denied that this voluntary adhesion to certain legal principles is no longer governed or motivated by the spirit of altruism. States need to protect themselves. Nobody can do it better than themselves. In the humanitarian aspect for example, every state must choose to create a standard that would protect its people against unwarranted human rights violations. This is especially true in terms of physical violence where no specific ideology or religion could divert or amend the standards for all human beings because of the basic knowledge that all humans are equal in feelings. If a state for example would think of exempting itself from the international standards of human rights, common sense dictates that it should prepare itself for possible retaliation in the most inhumane way since the state itself does not observe any standards for physical violation of its citizens. A classic example on this one is the law on war. The killing of a war prisoner is generally prohibited. If the United States for example would kill an Iraqi soldier who was left by his troops during a fight and who was captivated by the American soldiers would be killed, Iraq would then have every reason to kill an American war prisoner because the United States in this case was the first one to violate the rights of such war prisoner. To create and obey this particular international legal principle is then more of a reciprocal benefit