Clearly Comics Questions

Clearly Comics Questions Answer the following questions in full sentences. 1. What, can you infer (guess), is the season? How do you know? If I would have to guess, I would say that the season is summer because of the fact that one of them is wearing shorts and a tank top, and the other one is wearing a t shirt. Also they are both outside playing basketball, it seems. 2. How does the boy in the baseball hat react to what the other boy has said about his family? How can you tell?The boy in the basketball hat thinks that the boy is strange because he lives with both his parents, which now a days many families are broken up, with both parents living in different places. You can tell this because of the fact that he just walks away after hearing that the other boy lives in an unbroken home. 3. How can you tell the difference between what is said and what is thought? You can tell this because the words that are said appear as text bubbles but the single thought the boy in the basketball h at thinks is called a thought bubble. . How does the boy who has been left behind feel at the end? How do you know? You can say that he feels lest out about the fact that he is the 1% in that group of friends that has a stable home and his friends push him away for that because they are jealous, this could make the boy feel alone. 5. What can you infer is the reason that the boy with the baseball hat is so surprised that the other boy lives with both parents? Socratic Seminar QuestionsMaybe because the people around the boy with the stable home all have broken families that don’t live together and for the boy with the basketball hat thinks that findings some one that lives with both his parents is something weird to see now a days. 6. Nowadays there are many different types of families. Using your personal experiences and the ideas contained within the comic, write a paragraph about the reasons why families are changing.Now a days, families are changing specially because many parents aren’t ready to have the responsibility of having a child in their life, so at the end of the day, the couple fight between each other because of all the pressure involved in having a child to raise with, for example, low income or not enough maturity in behave of one or both parents. Before two people decide on having a child they should first decide if the relationship is strong enough to hold the weight of the responsibility of having to take care of another life.

Unilever Strategy for Organising and Structuring Its Global Operations.

Unilever is a complex global organization that has a portfolio of 400 brands, spanning 14 categories in home and personal care and food products. The company has 163,000 employees in the 170 countries within which it operates (Unilever, 2010). Organizations such as Unilever face the challenge of configuring a global structure that â€Å"works well in diverse locations but also brings units together in a coordinated fashion† (Shenkar & Luo, 2007, p. 312). Given its wide range of products and the diversity of countries in which it operates, Unilever has to employ a global organizational strategy that addresses its global complexity and the diversity of its product portfolio. In its portfolio, there are some product lines that can be extended to new markets with little or no modification, while there are others that need to be modified to suit the local preferences. For example, chemical products are highly standardized and require little variation for local markets (Child, 2005, p. 45). Standardization of such products creates economies of scale in production and requires a â€Å"high level of global coordination and integration† (Child, 2005) and centralized R&D. On the other hand, some of Unilever’s products, such as packaged foods, require modification to suit local tastes and cultures. There are no production economies of scale for such categories and product development has to be facilitated locally. These factors present two scenarios for the company – striving for high global integration in the case where products can be introduced to new markets without modification and striving for high local responsiveness where there is need for modification to meet local preferences. Unilever has to therefore adopt a global organizational structure that addresses the two scenarios. The organization employs a transnational strategy, which is best suited for Unilever’s global operations, as it is faced with high pressure for both local responsiveness and global integration (Child, 2005, p. 43; Shenkar & Luo, 2007, p. 312). Unilever also uses the transnational strategy to organize its functions. Its sales, distribution and promotional tasks are locally responsive and are decentralized to suit individual markets, whereas the R&D function is globally integrated to leverage learning in the different markets. The transnational strategy enables Unilever to leverage the advantages of low cost in conjunction with the advantages of differentiation. Unilever adopted the transnational strategy mainly in esponse to competition from Procter and Gamble, which was already pursuing a transnational strategy by 1990 (Child, 2005, p. 247). However Unilever is still lagging behind P&G, in terms of revenues, marketing and innovation, because it has faced difficulty in reorganizing its activities to meet the requirements of a transnational strategy. The transnational strategy is both demanding and expensive to implement. It also requires a â€Å"flat† hierarchy (Child, 2005, p. 249) and Unilever has gone through a process of reorganizing its structure through the â€Å"One Unilever† programme, which was launched in 2005. The programme resulted in â€Å"better allocation of resources, faster decision-making and a lower cost level† (Unilever, 2007) and enables the organization to leverage its scale both globally and locally. References: †¢ Child, J. (2005) Organisation: contemporary principles and practice. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 241-253 †¢ Shenkar, O. & Luo, Y. (2007) International business. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. †¢ Unilever Website. Available from: http://www. unilever. com

Life Span Perspective

The process of human development starts as early as the embryonic stage and continues to progresses throughout life. These changes have been examined by leading theorist in the Psychology field who were looking to establish guiding principles and concepts. There have been a number of developmental theories that seek to explain the questions that we have related to human development. I will examine these theories, as well as, provide backgrounds for the most influential theorist for each.I will also examine the life span perspective and how heredity and the environment influence the human development. One of the most leading theories of human development is the psychoanalytic theory. Many contemporary theories of counseling or psychotherapy are extensions, variations, or responses against psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic theory examines the factors that motivate behavior by focusing on the role of the unconscious. Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson are examples of theorists who suppo rt this approach.Freud was an innovator, his psychoanalytic theory of personality and his psychosocial placement theory lead to his predecessors' development of their own philosophies. Erik Erikson expanded on Fraud's theories in many ways and created his own theory of psychosocial development. â€Å"Psychoanalytic theory's strength lies in its awareness of unconscious motivation and the importance of early experiences on development. † (Rounds, 2010) Since there is a lack of concrete evidence to support the claims of psychoanalytic theory, psychologists became increasingly interested in developing a more scientific approach.In order to do this, some researchers began to study only those things that could be measured and quantified. This led to the beginning of learning theories. Learning theories focus on how behavior is learned. Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist who discovered the term classic conditioning. Classic conditioning is a learning process that occurs through as sociations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Pavlov conducted his experiment by using mammals, he observed the digestive process in dogs and the relation between salvia and food.His study was extremely influential in establishing triggers (conditioned responses) that stimulated the salvia when feeding the dogs. He name to realize that the dogs began to salivate not only when they saw food but when they saw the scientist in lab coats. The dogs associated food to the white lab coats which triggered the salvation. He also conducted an experiment with the use of a bell. He would ring a bell when it was time to eat and subsequently the same conditioned responses were stimulated and the dogs reacted in the same manner as in the lab coat experiment.His developments influenced American psychologist John Watson experiment on a nine month old baby named Albert. He wanted to prove that classic conditioning work on humans as well. His famous study for this wa s called the Little Albert Experiment in which he theorized that children have three basic emotional reactions: fear, rage, and love. He wanted to prove that these three reactions could be artificially conditioned in children. Watson used Albert to test his theory.He repeatedly presented Albert a rat in conjunction with a sudden, loud noise to classically condition fear of the rat. He went on to prove that humans can be conditioned as well. His worked formed ideas that would become a whole branch of psychology called behaviorism. (Watson, 1913) Behaviorism operates on the principle f stimulus- response, the subject whether human or mammal can have his/her behavior shaped through positive or negative reinforcements.Behaviorism conclude that any being can be trained to perform any task, subsequently internal stimulus such as; genetic background, personality traits, and internal thoughts are no- factors when considering this school of thought. Many critics of behaviorism argue that it is, a one dimensional approach to human behavior. Many say that it misses the mark when it comes to other factors such as free will and internal influences like moods, thoughts, and feelings. Lifespan perspective is in relationship with human development, and is lifelong. This study within psychology is continuous.Lifespan perspective has three developmental domains. These domains are physical domain, cognitive domain, and social domain. Physical development refers to the growth of the body, organs, physical systems, signs of aging, change in motor abilities, and all physical changes (Salesman & Rider, 2009). The next development has problem- solving, mental process, memory, perception, language, and learning from the cognitive development. The last developmental stage is psychosocial stage; this stage endless the personal and interpersonal aspect of development.The developmental aspects for psychosocial are: emotions, personality traits, interpersonal skills, motives, family roles, relationships, and society. Lifespan development also has five characteristics useful for understanding any age of human development (Berger, 2008). Multidimensional characteristics accounts for change in every direction, as change does not have to be in a straight line. Embedding in lives of humans context can include constraints, family patterns, and historical conditions this characteristic offers to multi-contextual characteristics.The last of the five developmental characteristics is plasticity, which states that every person has traits that can be altered at any point in life, and change is ongoing (Berger, 2008). In conclusion, human development is continually changing its guidelines and principles. As we evolve so does the techniques and developmental theories. The human personality can be trained and cultivated to be whatever the influencer desires. We have also learned that the impact from the environment as well as heredity plays an important role in each individual's li fespan development.

Debussy and Orientalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Debussy and Orientalism - Essay Example This essay "Debussy and Orientalism" outlines the life of the Debussy and his impact on the music of the 20th century. In the midpoint of his career was the last years of the 19th century were he released the three nocturnes, which was sharply contrasting with Wagnerian opera. After ten years of work, his Pelleas te Melisande proved to be his only complete opera which was based on a play by Maurice Maeterlinck, it was an instant hit and it influenced many young composers such as Maurice Ravel, his works brought to new rhythm and fluidity and color that had been retrospectively absent in western composition. In the La mer Essays, between 1903 to 1905, the music had a more philharmonic format with an ending whose subjects were borrowed from the initial thought to the intermediate period. According to his critics, this was seen as a less subtle step in his progress, to some it was even perceived as negative. True to his pupil perchance for trying new things and gravitating from the conv entional, he let himself be influenced by a new type of music in the west that most modern composers would rather have kept from their scores. This was Javanese gamelan; an oriental style that he found to be both appealing and intriguing. The orchestra, which composed bells gongs and percussions, mesmerized him so much that his style noticeably changed as he implemented parts of this composition in his later music. He did not refer to the gamelan scales or ensemble; however, his sensitive and refined melodies were overtly achieved with the application of oriental exotic scales.

The Managerial Venture and Successful Marketplace Case Study

The Managerial Venture and Successful Marketplace - Case Study Example Final considerations are related to the company’s capacity to assess a best practice to cope with the ethical standard, with an eye on the success stories within major knowledge-intensive industries, together with a primary analysis of the macroeconomic conditions in an industrial perspective as well. This work is based on considerations and evaluations for a business emerging in the United States, that aims at developing a comprehensive software in order for a small enterprise to enter the gambling market on an accurate and feasible way. A family run- small business is, therefore, analyzing on a strategic, financial and regulatory perspective the major elements and factors that may impede the business growth, together with a comprehensive evaluation of the intrinsic characteristics of the business that is being designed in this sense. Major focus will then be dedicated to the business capacity to meet all the existing regulations and recommendations that govern the industry in which the software is expected to operate, while on the other side major elements that may impair the software spread will be also related to the managerial ability to cope with internal regulations and with Ethic practices. A comprehensive and integral evaluation of this case will, therefore, cover the business impact of stakeholders, the international code of ethics characteristics, the ethical framework together with a final individual opinion in this sense. The development of this business requires a preliminary accurate and extensive understanding of all the possible stakeholders that are considered for the analysis of a business and ethical perspective: A major preliminary stakeholder is a government. The capacity to cope with all the ongoing regulations and laws governing the gambling business is in this sense a proof of its importance in this field.

Few topics. African American Identities, African Immigration and Research Paper

Few topics. African American Identities, African Immigration and Diaspora, Africans becoming Americanized and losing culture - Research Paper Example Besides, the paper will talk about how African Americans today do not really accept their African side and want to be ‘Americanized’. It is also noted that in many instances, African American look down upon or dislike pure Africans and this is equally to be analyzed. Besides, the migration into America in search of employment or settlement in Diaspora is of concern to this paper. The 1807 abolition of slave trafficking into the US marked a great step in defining the future of the Africans who would often find their way to America as slaves. The abolition also allowed the slaves then to settle there and this marks the main origin of African Americans although scores of other Africans have latter settled in the US intentionally, or as the law allows either in search of employment opportunities, education, as refugees or seeking asylum or for such other reasons as. There is however a disparity that is pointed out between the native African Americans especially who are citizens by birth and the immigrants. History depicts a ‘bad’ past for the African Americans who faced among other things prejudice from the whites based on the skin color. In fact, despite having rightfully settled and acquired the American citizenship, history shows how the racial discrimination has been a feature in the country. The discrimination and or treatment accorded to the African Americans by the white would be based on identity. However, great changes have been witnessed with great persons of African origin rising to heights of influence in the nation with the most current being the president. This shows a great evolution with the African Americans now actively participating merely in all aspects of life and politics being the most influential. The African-American identity has slowly gained acceptance among the whites in the country hence explaining even the policy frameworks that allow even new immigrants of

It is an exam question and I dont know what title will it have, Essay

It is an exam question and I dont know what title will it have, however the topic is called economic loss, focus on negligence misstatement - Essay Example A common thing in this regard has been that a loss-suffered party accuses its partner for incurring of the loss resulting in to legal disputes. There have been many instances for such legal cases some of which are discussed below. There have been various cases in the regard of economic losses that have arisen in because of negligence misstatements. Among such cases, Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd Vs Heller & Partners Ltd has been one of the most notables. The case is regarded as the tort law case which had occurred because of the negligent misstatement. Analysing the case it is observed that, Hedley Byrne was an advertising firm. The company had a new customer in lieu of Easipower Ltd. The recent customer put up a big order to the advertising company. Hedley Byrne became suspicious of the amount of the order and tried to ensure the financial viability of the client company. In order to do so, the advertising major called up their banks, National Provincial Bank, and asked for a report about the credit worthiness of Easipower Ltd from the client’s bank named Heller & Partner’s Ltd. The banker of the client replied to the National Provincial Bank and thereby to the Hedley Byrne stating that Easipower Ltd w as â€Å"considered good for its ordinary business engagements†. But an important point that had to be noted in analyzing the case was that the banker of the client, Heller & Partners Ltd also notified the reply saying â€Å"without responsibility on the part of this bank†. Perceiving the financial credibility of Easipower Ltd to be perfect, Hedley Byrne went in to the deal with the company but soon Easipower Ltd went into liquidation. As a result, Hedley & Byrne lost a hopping amount of more than  £ 17,000. Hedley & Byrne, incurring the loss, sued the banker of Easipower Ltd on the grounds of negligence as the advertising company relied upon the statement of the bank. The other accusation was that of misleading information. The honourable court heard the case

Critical analysis on potential benefit of using CRM in organization Essay

Critical analysis on potential benefit of using CRM in organization - Essay Example CRM or customer relationship management, therefore, has become a critical factor in the business strategy of the organizations. Customer relationship management is a people-centric business strategy that integrates technology and various business processes around the customers. Analysis and identification of the changing trends of the customer requirements have become important ingredients to gain leverage against one’s business rivals. While the market strategy should be totally focused on the needs and requirements of the people and make continuous efforts to update its products line with that of the changing public demands. Understanding of consumer psychology, therefore, plays a vital role in the development of marketing strategy and planning. The behavioral pattern of the people, in the decision making process of buying products and services, help provide important clues for preparing appropriate advertising strategies and campaigns so that maximum mileage could be garnered for the products. The need for effective CRM strategy has therefore, become essential in the fast transforming socio-economi cal paradigms, so that they are able to meet the challenges of the external factors to maintain as well as increase their existing customer base. The purpose of the study is to gauge the impact of the CRM in the overall business strategy and business decision outcome. Emerging markets are crucial in the era of globalization and can be defined as the new area with high income and where the demand for the product can be created with relative success. According to Nargundkar and Srivastava (2002), knowledge about customer and their required is considered to be critical for the long term success of a business (Nargundkar and Srivastava, 2002). But the studies have shown that only small percentage of business have detailed

Defeating Diabetes one step at a time- the Alpha Gamma Delta Essay

Defeating Diabetes one step at a time- the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation - Essay Example According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 23.6 million people representing 8% of population are diabetic which is increasingly becoming a cause of growing concern and hence in dire need of strong and prompt action. It is in the light of these facts that I intend to take up the cause and help make a difference to the society of which we all are a part of. The cause need to be popularized through media as well as through word of mouth, so as to cause awareness about this critical issue and touch the lives of millions of people worldwide by spreading the word. With a host of opportunities available today, especially with the growth of internet and its rising popularity among the young and the old alike, the cause could be conveniently propagated through blogs, social networking sites, video uploading sites, as well as through other forms of media such as T.V and news advertisements. In order to make a difference you need to have a vision – a vision that inspires change. They say that you need to be the change you want to see and to suffice I’d like to quote these lines: â€Å"Maybe I will never be, All the things that I’d like to be, Now is not the time to cry, Now is the time to find out why† –

Innovation as accelerator for sustainability - The interface between Essay

Innovation as accelerator for sustainability - The interface between sustainability and innovation is the sweet spot for the fut - Essay Example In order to increase the level of assessment on this important resource, the food and beverage company in question should find innovative methods of packaging in order to increase their value as a company that is socially responsible and actively pursuing avenues of real change. In recent years, the discussion of sustainability has been at the forefront of the public relations strategies of most businesses. While it would be nice to hope that corporate responsibility was a result of enlightenment, it has been the development of global communications through which the pressure to right the wrongs that are occurring across the planet have become enough pressure for companies to have a broader concern for sustainability. The concept of sustainability covers a wide range of resource management issues including, but not limited to, labour, environmental issues, and resources. While there are a great number of companies making a concerted effort to lesson the impact their industry has on t he resources of the Earth, there is much to be done to reinvent the philosophy of a disposable world that has ruled the two centuries throughout the industrial era. One of the biggest problems in the world today is that of the amount of waste that is produced through packaging. The only way to combat this problem is through innovative techniques that shrink the level of left over product once either a package is opened or a product has been used and discarded. The amount of solid waste that is created through packaging is staggering. Through innovations and creative thinking, corporations have developed products and packaging that has less of an imprint on the environment, thus supporting the sustainability of that aspect of the health of the world. Defining Sustainability Sustainability is a product of responsible behavior within the corporate framework. Business that is conducted in a socially responsible manner maintains and preserves resources so that business can continue witho ut adversely impacting the availability of what is needed to continue business. Furthermore, sustainability is a way in which to frame how to continue a valued and quality environment within the world, both in humanitarian spheres and in environmental spheres. Sustainability is best conducted through the stakeholder form of corporate governance where all stakeholders are considered during the decision making process. The U.K. and the U.S. have corporate models that are more oriented towards the shareholder model of corporate governance, thus impeding the philosophy that best supports long term goal making that will provide for socially responsible decisions that are intended for sustaining all of the interests of those who have a stake in the business (Hoffman 2007, p. 29). Several companies can be examined for their efforts towards social responsibility and sustainability. Nike corporation, as an example, was cited for using manufacturing plants in countries with lax human rights l aws and practices in regard to workers in order to save money on the costs of creating their line of products. During 1996 and 1997, Nike was under a tremendous amount of pressure because of the

Article of Capital Budgeting Survey Essay Example for Free

Article of Capital Budgeting Survey Essay This research is motivated by two major factors: (1) the  over twenty year hiatus since the last thorough review ofthe capital budgeting survey literature, and (2) past appeals to the finance academic community by researchers to explore  neglected areas ofthe capital budgeting process. In response, and using a four-stage capital budgeting process as a guide, the authors review the capital budgeting survey literature  from 1984 through 2008 and find that some ofthe neglected  areas have infact been directly addressed. Unfortunately, the most prevalent focus of capital budgeting surveys continues  to be that ofthe selection stage. As a result, many areas ofthe capital budgeting process still remain relatively unexplored, providing numerous survey research opportunities. This research effort is motivated by two tnajor factors: 1)  the twenty year hiatus since the last thorough review of the capital budgeting survey literature, and 2) past observations and appeals made to the finance academic community by  fellow researchers to explore neglected areas of the capital budgeting process through more focused and directed survey  research. Richard M. Burns is a Professor of Finance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL Joe Walker is an Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL. The authors wish to thank the Editor and the anonymous referee for their many helpful comments and suggestions. 78 The first factor stands on its own as justification for an update of the capital budgeting survey literature. The last comprehensive reviews were made by researchers Scott and Petty (1984) and Mukherjee (1987) over twenty years ago. Regarding the second factor, almost three decades ago, Kim (1979) noted that too much emphasis was being placed on methods of ranking and selecting capital budgeting proposals. Scott and Petty (1984) also noted the disproportionate (unjustified) amount of time [spent] on a particular stage (financial analysis and project selection) Further, Gordon and Pinches (1984) generalized this complaint by arguing that the capital budgeting process must be viewed in its entirety. Mukherjee (1987) agreed that further survey efforts need to be devoted to understanding the entire process. To address these two factors, the authors have provided a current review of the capital budgeting survey studies over the past twenty-four years. The results are reported in a four-stage capital budgeting framework that allows a more detailed and clear assessment of the appeals by past researchers. As a result, fertile areas for future applied research in the area of capital budgeting survey work are more easily identified and summarized. The organization of this paper is as follows. In Section I a four-stage capital budgeting process will be identified and used throughout the balance ofthe paper. It provides a useful framework to evaluate in more detail the most prominent capital budgeting survey literature reviews of the past, to highlight neglected areas of capital budgeting research, and to organize past appeals for future research in this area. In Section II this four-stage process will also be used to describe the procedures used in performing the capital budgeting 79 BURNS WALKER CAPITAL BUDGETING SURVEYS: THE FUTURE IS NOW survey literature update over the 1984-2008 period. Section  III will continue to use this framework to present the detailed findings while Section IV will provide an overall summary.  Finally, Section V will present conclusions, comments, and  insights for future survey research. I. Past Reviews and Appeals appears on an executives desk and all that is needed is for the manager to choose the project(s) with the highest expected payoff. However, as most managers quickly learn, this is not the case. Further, once projects are chosen, the evaluation  of an individual projects subsequent performance  is usually either ignored or often inappropriately  handled.  Our contention is that the capitalbudgeting process must be viewed in its entirety,  and the informational needs to support effective  decisions must be built  into the firms decision  comprehensive reviews  support system. In the corporate finance  capital budgeting survey  literature  the  capital  The last budgeting process has been  were made by researchers Scott  described in terms of four The two most significant stages: 1) identification, attempts to assess the and Petty (1984) and Mukherjee 2) development,  3)  balance of research among  (1987) over twenty years ago.  selection, and 4) control.  these four stages were those  The identification stage  of Scott and Petty (1984)  comprises the overall process of project idea generation and Mukherjee (1987), both of which occurred well over including sources and submission procedures and the twenty years ago.^ Scott and Petty provided a synthesis of earlier surveys of  incentives/reward system, if any. The development stage involves the initial screening process relying primarily large American firms and organized their analysis based on a upon cash flow estimation and early screening criteria. The three stage classification: 1) project definition and cash flow selection stage includes the detailed project analysis that estimation 2) financial analysis and project selection, and results in acceptance or rejection of the project for funding. 3) project implementation and review. Citing Gitman and Finally, the control stage involves the evaluation of project Forrester (1977), they noted that: project definition and cash flow estimation is performance for both control purposes and continuous considered the most difficult aspect ofthe capital improvement for future decisions. All four stages have budgeting process. The financial analysis and common areas of interest including personnel, procedures, project selection stage, which receives the most and methods involved, along with the rationale for each. attention in the literature, is considered the least All four stages are critical to the overall process, but difBcult ofthe three stages   the selection stage is arguably the most involved since it includes the choices of analytical methods/techniques used, Also covering surveys of large American corporations, how the cost of capital is determined, how adjustments for Mukherjee (1987) agreed that there had been too much projects risks are assessed and reflected, and how, if relevant, survey focus on the selection stage and not enough on the capital rationing affects project choice. The selection stage other stages as well as the overall capital budgeting process. has also been the most investigated by survey researchers, Paraphrasing that papers recommendations, it called for particularly in the area of selection techniques, resulting in more research into specific questions relevant for each stage. a relative neglect ofthe other stages. This in turn has led to For example, in stage 1, future surveyors were urged to appeals to future researchers to consider the other stages in investigate the reward systems, procedural aspects, and the their survey research efforts. As Gordon and Pinches (1984) organizational structure ofthe firm. In stage 2, more research note: was suggested on the topics of divisional vs. corporate Most of the literature on the subject of capital biases, strategic considerations, cash flow estimation budgeting has emphasized the selection phase, details, data details, cannibalization, risk, and inflation. giving little coverage to the other phases. Instead, Even within the more widely-studied Stage 3, neglected it is usually assumed that a set of well-defined capital investment opportunities, with all of the informational needs clearly specified, suddenly ^ o t e that these two reviews are only three years apart based on publication See Gordon and Pinches (1984) and Mukherjee (1987). Scott and Petty (1984) use a similar 3-stage process. It is interesting to note, however, that an even earlier survey by Gitman and Forrester (1977) had used a 4-stage analysis. date, and that the latter does not cite the former, likely due to publication lags. As noted in the procedures section, this paper uses the Mukherjee format. Furthermore, the title of this paper derives from Mukherjees title. 80 areas were identified such as the rationale for the various methods used, how firms compute their cost of capital, the low rate of risk recognition, the associated low rates of risk adjustment and assessment sophistication, capital rationing (and the low usage of linear programming), and the details of authorization levels. Finally, with regard to Stage 4, more research was encouraged into the details of performance evaluation, how the company follows up on such evaluation, the details of expenditure control procedures, and the reward system for performance. How well these appeals have been answered with subsequent survey research is the primary focus of this paper. In the next section the authors describe the procedures employed to assess the effectiveness of these appeals made over twenty years ago. II. Procedures Consistent with the reviews by Scott and Petty (1984) and Mukherjee (1987), the following criteria were used to choose capital budgeting survey articles for inclusion in this review: the surveys had to involve large US firms, they had to be broad-based (not focused on one particular industry), and they had to be published in mainline academic journals post-1984. Using these criteria resulted in the selection of the nineteen capital budgeting surveys included in Figure 1. The Figure provides, in chronological order, the survey year (which in all cases differs from the publication year), authors, research method, usable responses and the audience surveyed. Each of these 19 survey articles was then thoroughly examined in an effort to identify the stages and areas within each stage that the survey covered. The results of this process are reported in Figure 2 and consistent with Mukherjees (1987) chronological ordering in a tabular form indicating areas of investigation within the four stages ofthe These more specific questions are largely paraphrased from Mukherjee (1987) and are not fully exhaustive. The interested reader is, of course, encouraged to read this very thorough article in its entirety. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The initial search using Proquest (ABI Inform) specifying capital budgeting surveys in scholarly journals after January 1, 1984, yielded over two hundred results. However, the great majority were published in the non-mainline journals, including many strictly practitioner (trade journal) outlets and /or were focused on a particular country or industry and thus eliminated by the screening criteria. To insure against missing articles due to any limitations ofthe ABl database, the authors checked the references ofthe surviving articles, and in addition, conducted a manual search ofthe most cited finance journals tables of contents and the reference sections of the various survey articles found. JOURNAL OF APPLIED FINANCE ISSUES 1 2, 2009 capital budgeting process. It should be noted that the Figures herein were slightly altered from Mukherjees original format to better focus on selected issues that were identified specifically as areas of neglect. For example, the category of techniques was divided into techniques used and reasons for techniques used. Similarly, the risk category was divided into risk recognition, risk assessment, and risk adjustment. III. Findings by Stage A quick perusal of Figure 2 reveals an obvious concentration of checks in Stage 3 (selection) similar to the previous findings of Mukherjee. Although a careful look at some of the stage categories individually indicates that several neglected areas have been researched over the period, there is still an obvious and relative lack of research into Stages 1, 2, and 4. To further assess the effectiveness ofthe research appeals, the analysis and reported results in this section will be ordered by the four stages.   Summary comments are provided only  on those surveys which provide a significant contribution to a previously neglected area of capital budgeting survey research. As a result, the findings of Bierman ( 1993), Gilbert and Reichert (1995), Payne, Heath, and Gale (1999), and Ryan and Ryan (2002) are not summarized. A. Stage 1 : Identification Suggested areas of study within this stage include how project proposals are initiated, whether the proposal process is on-going or on an only-when-needed basis, at what level projects are generated, whether there is a formal process for submitting ideas, how that process works when present, and if there is an incentive system for rewarding good ideas.* Unfortunately, there has never been an in-depth survey focused on this stage, leaving no question that it remains strongly neglected. The only contribution of a minor nature to this topic is the incidental finding by Stanley and Block (1984). They found that in over 80% of the responding firms that capital budgeting proposals originated bottom up In the 1987 article, note that on Figure 4, the stages are described somewhat differently from the discussion in the paper itself Specifically, in the body of the paper, the four stages are: (1) identification, (2) development, (3) selection, and (4) the post-audit. But in the table, the 4 stages are idea generation, proposal development, selection of projects, and control or performance evaluation. As in footnote 3, the following suggested areas of study for all four stages are largely paraphrased from Mukherjee (1987).. 81 BURNS WALKER CAPITAL BUDGETING SURVEYS: THE FUTURE IS NOW Figure 1. Surveys of Capital Budgeting of Large US Firms Surveyed Year(s) Survey Author(s) Method Number of Usable Responses 1982 Stanley Block (1984) questionnaire 121 1986 Pruitt Gitman (1987) questionnaire 121 1986 Pohlman, Santiago, Markel(1988) questionnaire 232 1988 Gordon Myers (1991) 1988 1992 1990 1991 1992 Myers, Gordon, Hamer(1991) Bierman (1993) Porterba Summers (1995) Gilbert Reichert (1995) Trahan Gitman (1995) Sample CFOs of Fortune 1000 multinationals VP Finance or Treasurer of largest industrials in Fortune 500 CFOs of Fortune 500 questionnaire 282 questionnaire 282 questionnaire 74 Executives and capital budgeting directors of large US industrials except utilities and transportation Large public firms from FASB Data Bank 100 largest of Fortune 500 questionnaire 160-228 CEOs of Fortune 1000 questionnaire 151 Fortune Magazine Directory CFOs questionnaire 84 CFOs of Fortune 500 + Forbes 200 Managers of foreign manufacturing subsidiaries of US industrials 1992 Shao Shao (1996) questionnaire 188 1992 Burns Walker (1997) questionnaire 180 Fortune 500 7,27,10 7 best-sellling texts, 27 prestigious CFOs, 10 leading financial advisors 1996-97 Bruneretal(1998) telephone survey 1992-93 Mukherjee Hingorani(1999) questionnaire 102 Fortune 500 CFOs 1994 Payne, Heath, Gale (1999) questionnaire 155 USA and Canadian based companies from SP Compustat database questionnaire 111 CFOs from Fortune 1000 questionnaire 392 CFOs from FEI corporations interviews 39 executives of large companies questionnaire 205 CFOs of Fortune 1000 questionnaire 40 top-ranking officers of Fortune 1000 1997 1999 1999 1999 2005 Gitman Vandenberg (2000) Graham Harvey (2001) Triantis Borison (2001) Ryan Ryan (2002) Block (2007) z †¢^ II O) (2002) ueAy ? uBAy o (0 O) †¢a (0 a i2 i2 o u. a †¢o (0 (O O) I O) †¢o 3 OQ a re U 3 D) O6B!)UB9 UBLU|L|Od S (8861.) |StJeiM (Z86l.)ueaJi!OSH!n.id (W6l)|00ia8^8|UBis |L Idea Generation |A. Source of Origination |B. Reasons for Idea Origination |C. Process of Origination Submission |D. Time Pattern of Origination 1II. ProposalDevelopment |A. Level at Which screening Takes Place |B. Screening Process  ¡C. Cashflow Estimates (and forecasting) |D. Responsibility for Budget Preparation (personnel) |lll. Selection of Projects |A. Classification of Projects for Economic Analysis B. Personnel (Department) Responsible for Analysis C1. Listing Techniques Used |C2. Reasons for Techniques Used Dl. Risk recognition D2. Risk assessment D3. Risk adjustment El. Capital Rationing: How Extensive? E2. Capital Rationing Rationale E3. Capital Rationing Methods Used F. Cost of Capital G. Project Approval |IV. Control (or Perfonnance Evaluation) A. Extent of Use of Post Audit B. Personnel Involved/Procedure C. Performance Measurement D. Use of Evaluation (Punishment/Reward/Etc.) 1* Surveys in this exhibit appear in chronological order of their publication. 82 JOURNAL OF APPLIED FINANCE ISSUES 1 2, 2009 o o o o CM o ( ¿ooz) iooia 6jaquapueA S UBLUIJO (0002) (6660 9|B0 S MIB9H auÄBd (666 O !UBJo6u!H S aa[jaLj|ni^ -?†¢ -y -7-?†¢ -y (1.002) uosuog pue suueui -?†¢ ~y (1.002)^SWBH S lUBMBJO ~7-?†¢ -?†¢ -?†¢ -?†¢ -y -?†¢ (866l.)|Bà ­a.iaunjg -?†¢ CO t ^ -y ( ¿66l)J8lieM8SUjng (966l†¢)oeL^S8OB^s -y (9661.) uBUjJio S UBUBJi -y (S66l.)weM0!ays;jaqi!9 -y (9661-) sjauiujns s eqjapod -?†¢ -y m ( £661.) ueuuaig -y -y 5 a. n O (1-661-) jaoiBH S uopjoo sjaA|/\| ~y -y ~y -y (1.661.) sjaÄ|/\l8uopjoo -y ~y -y -y -?†¢ -?†¢ -y ~y -y -y to -y 00

The Sound of the Sea Essay Example for Free

The Sound of the Sea Essay â€Å"The Sound of the Sea† is a sonnet by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, describing the sounds of the sea and relating it to human inspiration. Through only auditory images of the sea and other powerful natural forces, Longfellow effectively alludes to the nature of human inspiration. Through detailed and sensory imagery, Longfellow communicates the subtle details of the human soul and how inspiration functions. The Sound of the Sea† consists of fourteen lines and a particular rhyme scheme (abba abba cde cde). The first eight lines of the poem consist of one drawn out sentence, which is the description of the sound of the sea and other natural forces, which then in the final sestet, which also consists of only one sentence, are used by Longfellow as a metaphor to allude to the inspirations of the human soul. The change in the rhyme scheme of the sonnet and the two concrete sentences, serve to aid this transition from description of the sea to meditation on the source of inspiration. Longfellow uses this depiction of the sea to communicate the nature of human inspiration, which he claims comes to us from an unvisited and solitary space in our soul and though we credit it to ourselves, it is in fact something beyond our control or understanding, something of a divine nature. With the starting line, Longfellow effectively conveys this concept that inspiration comes from an â€Å"inaccessible† space within us by describing the sea as having â€Å"awoken† at â€Å"midnight†, as midnight is associated with the center of the night, the dark and the unknown, this suggesting that inspiration is aroused within dark dimensions of ourselves, somewhere our conscious mind has not strayed. This also suggests that the sea, whose many vast dark depths remain unexplored, represents this unknown space within our soul, and this imagery is furthered by the description of the wave of the tide rushing onto the â€Å"the pebbly beaches far and wide†. Beaches are the extremities of the sea, where land, a terrain very well known to us, begins and sea ends, and this imagery suggests that these beaches are the edge of our consciousness. Furthermore the labial sounds of the letters â€Å"p† and â€Å"b† in â€Å"pebbly beaches† give an uneven pronunciation to the words, which are contrasted with the smooth drawn out â€Å"ar†, â€Å"ide† sounds in the words far, wide and tide. This contrast serves to communicate the scattered nature of our consciousness with the unity, elegance and fluidity of our subconscious. Furthermore, these drawn out sounds serve to also further the imagery of the tide’s â€Å"uninterrupted sweep† which is particularly effective in conveying the image of the wave rushing to envelope the shore, the word â€Å"uninterrupted† conveying this sense that the wave of inspiration is all smooth and relentless. This imagery is furthered by the 3 line-long segment, uninterrupted by punctuation. Yet, the central point made in these four lines is when the speaker states that â€Å"(he) heard† the waves. The description of the sea gives you a mental image, but Longfellow stresses upon the fact that the speaker only hears the tide, as this can be seen reflected in the title of the poem â€Å"The Sound of the Sea†. Hearing is an auditory action that allows one to be aware of the presence of the object through the sound, but not visually or physically grasp it. This suggests that inspiration is similar, in the sense that one can be aware of it but cannot consciously grasp, control or dominate it. In the fourth line, Longfellow states that it’s â€Å"A voice† from the â€Å"silence of the deep†. Here, the reader once again encounters this concept of being limited to only the auditory senses, yet in this instance, a â€Å"voice† is something distinctly human. The concept of a voice you can listen to and follow, but not see the source, is usually associated with a divine presence. This concept is solidified by the description in the following line, describing it as a sound â€Å"mysteriously multiplied†, as the word mysterious suggests that its provenance is not known and the word multiplied insinuates this multiplication of the strength of the voice, communicating a sense of power. This sense of power is furthered by the natural descriptions in the two consecutive lines, where the voice is compared to a â€Å"cataract from the mountain’s side† and a â€Å"roar of winds upon a wooded steep†. Both these descriptions are natural phenomenons of immense power, and who’s sources one can’t see, the wind being invisible and the cataract having its source deep within the mountain. These four lines can be related to the last four lines of the poem, where it claims that these inspirations aren’t our own, but some â€Å"divine foreshadowing and foreseeing of things beyond our reason or control†. This insinuates that this inspiration is in fact some sort of divine glimmer, a voice shedding light, and that these divine influences are like the tide, beyond our human understanding or control. There is a cyclical pattern in the poem, where the content of the first four lines with rhyme scheme abab, are tied with the content of the first three lines with the rhyme scheme cde and conversely between the second and fourth part of the poem. The first and third part of the poem insinuate that inspiration comes from within an unknown part of your soul, conveyed through imagery of the sea, and the second and fourth part convey the sense that these inspirations are actually due to a divine presence, communicated through imagery of powerful natural occurrences. These two concepts are intrinsically interlinked, and Longfellow uses this poem structure to further this concept, which is that inspiration comes from within you because God is within you, and he uses natural imagery to communicate God within nature. In conclusion, â€Å"The Sound of the Sea† effectively creates a parallel between the metaphor of the sound of the sea with the divine nature of inspiration. Longfellow does so effectively through finely detailed imagery that gives rather precise insight into the human soul.

UK Economy and Disposable Spending

UK Economy and Disposable Spending 1. Definitions in the United Kingdom economy: a) Real disposable income: Real disposable income is an economic indicator which is the personal income that households remained with after government charges and income taxes were paid, also after it was adjusted for changes in prices or for inflation. This available income can either be spent or saved by households. According to the Keynesian theory of consumption, there is a link between real disposable income and consumption level as well as savings. In the UK economy, real disposable income witnessed ups and downs since the financial crisis of 2008, in 2010 it decreased by 0.8% while in 2011 it decreased by 2.0%. One of the main reasons for this declining real disposable income is due to inflation and the rising prices of commodity goods as well as the VAT increase. b) Unsecured debt: Unsecured debt refers to a loan that is not backed by an asset, in this case if someone is not able to repay the money owned from a financial institution they won’t take any of his property since they do have the right to. Some of the unsecured debts include credit cards, student loans and medical bills. It is considered of high risk for lenders, when the borrower fails to make the full repayment they might have to go through the process of suing them in order to get their money back. Unsecured debt is the opposite of secured debt for instance, a house mortgage is backed and secured by the house and when someone fails to pay the lenders they can close it and take it. In the UK economy, in 2013 the UK witnessed its first increase in unsecured debt since the financial crisis of 2008 by 8.5 billion pounds as a result of the increasing student loans. In the other hand unsecured consumer debt stayed flat at 5,900 pounds per household. c) Real interest rate: The real interest rate is the rate that is expected to be received by investors after removing inflation effects Real interest rate is linked with nominal rate and inflation rate as it is calculated as the following: Real interest rate = Nominal interest rate – Inflation rate In the UK economy, the real interest rate remained low since the financial crisis, after 2008 it decreased from 1.4% to -1.6% in 2009, it continued in decreasing to -2.5% in 2010, while it increased from 2010 to 2012 up to -1.2% as the following graph shows: d) Durable goods: Durable goods are goods that last for a long period of time and have a useful life of at least three years. Goods that are purchased and consumed in short period of time are called non-durable goods such as medicine or food. Durable goods are goods that they don’t need to be bought frequently. Examples of durable goods are: furniture, cars, jewelry, appliances, and also on heavy assets such as airplanes or ships. In the UK economy, according to Chart C UK consumers spending on durable goods increased dramatically from 2004 to 2010. According to the Bank of England consumer spending on durable goods increased by 2.1% from 2012 to the first quarter of 2013 these spending were mostly on motor cars, appliances and clothes. The following chart displays the components of UK consumer spending on durable goods: e) Animal spirits: Animal spirit is a concept developed by John Maynard Keynesthat refers to the level of consumer confidence and its effect on the economy. It is future expectations that drive the consumers to either spend or save and the willingness of businesses to invest in a certain market. In the UK economy, consumer confidence and optimism about the future of the UK economy has been increasing dramatically over the 4 last years, from 2011 at -30% to 0% in 2014 as the following graph shows: This increase was generally due to improvements in purchasing power and increased job security. In the UK, consumer confidence is related to consumption and it is used to predict future consumption. 2. What is the relationship in normal times between real disposable income and the level of household consumption? In normal times when there is economic stability and a higher consumer confidence the relationship expected between real disposable income and the level of household consumption is that when the real disposable income increases the level of household consumption increases, also when consumer’s income gets higher they tend to save less and consume more of goods they want. When the real disposable income decreases the level of household consumption decreases since consumers tend to save more and consume only priority goods. 3. Identify and explain two non-income determinants of the level of consumer spending in the UK economy: One of the non-income determinants of the level of consumption in the UK context is consumer confidence. According to chart B when consumer confidence decreases due to reasons such as that consumers are feeling unsecure about their jobs, the attempts to make major purchases decreases as well the thing that results in high savings since consumers are not optimistic about their current economy. There is a clear impact of consumer confidence on consumption levels in the UK economy, when confidence increases consumers will make more major purchases and will save less. Another non-income determinant of the level of consumption in the UK economy is interest rate, when interest rate decreases people tend to borrow more money from banks to spend which results in higher consumption, when interest rate increases it becomes expensive to borrow money the thing that increases saving, people will leave their money in banks to take advantage of the high interest rate the thing that reduces consumption. 4. Identify and explain two macro-economic consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in the UK economy: A sharp fall in consumer spending can have a negative impact over the UK economy since it increases unemployment and decreases output levels. When consumer spending fall, the consumption of goods produced by firms will also fall, this can lower companies benefits and increases their costs, in order to lower costs they companies will reduce the number of their employees the thing that increases unemployment. Another issue caused by a decrease in consumer spending is a decrease in the quantity and quality of output. A decrease in consumer spending decreases demand the thing that lowers the willingness of firms to invest in capital and labor to produce efficiently and effectively. When demand decreases the output decreases resulting in less goods and services produced the thing that harms the economy of the UK by slowing it down. Deflation can also be a consequence of a sharp fall in consumer spending. Less consumer spending means less demand of firms’ products and services, firms will have to sell products to generate money in order to pay their fixed costs, as a result prices go  down and demand also go down even more since consumers are expecting prices to decrease more in the future. A sharp fall in consumer demand creates a vicious circle and less money circulation in the economy which is considered very damaging the economy. 5. Components of aggregate demand in Morocco: Consumer spending on durable goods in Morocco: 6. Extract one: The Moroccan families spending power increased over the last years according to statistics in 2011 there was an increase in spending per capita by 4.1% to $1,760, this increase is due a stable inflation rate and government subsidies on commodity goods. This increase in spending will increase consumption of goods and services and businesses will make more investments which will contribute positively in increasing the GDP which result in an increased economic growth. Extract Two: Moroccan secured debt is low and limited only for trustworthy clients with that are employed and with an income who are able to make the repayment. The number of Moroccan facing negative equity is considered very low. 6. In the Moroccan economy: a) Real disposable income: The real disposable income in morocco witnessed a continuous increase over the last 4 years from 62,096 million dollars in 2010 up to 075,937.1 million dollars in 2014. This increase in real disposable income is due to human development projects and investments on infrastructure. This increase also allowed Moroccan consumers to purchase products that were some years earlier categorized as luxurious. b) Unsecured Debt: According to the World Bank, the rate of unsecured debt in morocco is low; the majority of financial institutions are providing secured loans with a few exceptions of unsecured loans that are only given to trustworthy clients while the secured loans are given employed people with income also to businesses with strong investments. c) Real Interest Rate: According to the available data from year 2000 to 2005 the real interest rate is considered high in Morocco. The real interest rate witnessed a continuous decrease from a value of 14% in 2000 to 9.89% in 2005. In the recent years the real interest rate is increasing as the household income increases to encourage savings in banks. d) Durable Goods: Moroccan consumption of durable goods has increased over the last years due to access to loans such as for cars and houses, also to the increase in disposable income, as well as the increased consumer confidence. The next graph shows the consumer spending in morocco on goods and services including durable goods which shows that the Moroccan consumer spending increased from 472938 million dirham in 2001 up to 494499 million dirham in 2012. d) Animal Spirits: Consumer confidence is considered high in Morocco despite the decrease from 84.5 in 2011 to 74.10 in 2014. Consumer confidence is high since Moroccan consumers are showing optimism about regular income, stock market, employment and the overall state of the economy.However the recent decrease in consumer confidence is due to increased prices in commodity goods by the government such as fuel. Extract one: The Moroccan families spending power increased over the last years according to statistics in 2011 there was an increase in spending per capita by 4.1% to $1,760, this increase is due a stable inflation rate and government subsiding commodity goods This increase in spending will increase consumption of goods and services and businesses will make more investments which will contribute positively in increasing the GDP and the economic growth. Extract Two: Moroccan secured debt is low and limited only for trustworthy clients with that are employed and with an income who are able to make the repayment. The number of Moroccan facing negative equity is considered very low. What is the relationship in normal times between real disposable income and the level of household consumption? In normal times in Morocco, the expected relationship between real disposable income and the level of household consumptions is that when real disposable goes up the level of household consumption goes up as well meaning that when the disposable income increases Moroccan consumers save less and spending more. When real disposable income goes down the level of household consumption goes down as well increasing savings and lowering consumption. Identify and explain two non-income determinants of the level of consumer spending in the Moroccan economy In the Moroccan economy, people’s expectation is a non-income determinant of the level of consumption. People’s expectations about the future have an impact over consumption, when consumers except products prices to increase in the future they consume more in the present. Avoiding a rise in prices or inflation in the future increases the level of consumption in Morocco. Another non-income determinant of the level of consumption is changes in consumer’s preferences and taste which also manipulates the consumption level in the Moroccan economy The level of consumption in morocco can also be affected by demographic reasons. A young population increases the consumption, for example, young families increase consumption by buying durable goods such as furniture, appliances or cars, also the larger the family members the higher the consumption. Interest rate and consumer confidence also have an impact on the Moroccan economy similarly to the UK economy. Identify and explain two macro-economic consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in the UK economy Similarly to the UK, morocco can also suffer from high unemployment as a result of a sharp fall in consumer spending; firms will seek to cut down their costs by reducing the number of their employees which increase the unemployment rate in the Moroccan economy. Firms will also produce less goods and services as demand is low, investments will also decrease resulting in a lower GDP and lower economic development. 7. Comparison between the Moroccan and UK economies: From the previous analysis we conclude that, the Moroccan real disposable income increased over the years while the UK disposable income decreased due inflation. The unsecured debt in the UK is higher that unsecured debt in morocco. The real interest rate in morocco is higher than in UK. The consumption of durable goods increased in both countries. Consumer confidence is high in morocco but decreasing over time while in the UK is low but recovering. In both countries, an increase in real disposable income increases consumption level and a decrease in real disposable income decreases consumption level. Interest rate, consumer confidence, expectations, changes in preferences and taste are non-income determinants of consumer spending in both countries. Unemployment, deflation, decrease in level of output are common consequences of a sharp fall in consumer spending in both countries.

The Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

There were many events that lead up the Vietnam War, it started in 1945 with the hostilities between the French and Vietminh. â€Å"Geopolitical Strategy, economics, domestic US politics, and cultural arrogance shaped the growing American involvement in Vietnam† (Anderson 1). As a matter of fact, the Vietnam War was several wars, but it was not until 1962 that America had their first combat mission, however, Americans were killed during ambushes by the Vietnamese before the first combat mission. There is much controversy over the reasons for the Vietnam War, supported by the several different books and articles written about the war. â€Å"The most famous atrocity occurred in a tiny hamlet called My Lai in March 1968† (Detzer 127). History shows that the reaction of many Americans to the attack by US soldiers on the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War was opposition, and the actions of the US soldiers during the My Lai Massacre will be forever remembered as a sign ificant part of the Vietnam War and American History. During the Vietnam War, the first platoon (approximately forty men) was lead by a young officer named William Calley. Young Calley was drafted into the US Army after high school, but it did not take long for him to adjust to being in the army, with a quick transition to the lifestyle of the military, he wanted to make it his career. In high school, Calley was a kind, likable and â€Å"regular† high school student, he seemed to be a normal teenager, having interest in things that other boys his age typically had. He was never observed acting in a cruel or brutal way. In Vietnam, Calley was under direct order of company commander, Captain Ernest Medina, whom he saw as a role model, he looked up to Medina. (Detzer 127). Histor... ...nd innocent villagers of My Lai, it was a time when American’s questioned their own as being â€Å"bad guys† or â€Å"good guys†. Were America’s tortuous and cruel acts to be considered patriotic or dishonorable? Some Americans, with bitter feelings for all the American lives lost in the Vietnam War, gave credit to Lieutenant Calley for leading troops in participating in such an atrocious event. History shows that there is still much debate on some facts of the massacre and many stories and opinions, although we will never know the facts exactly, what we do know is that America will never forget this tragic event, it will be talked about in American History for many years to come, and the Vietminh hearts will always fill with sadness when they think of the many lives that were lost on that tragic day in history, their minds will always have unspeakable memories of that day.

A Deep Look At Elisa Allen in Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums Essay

The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck is not just a simple short story. Yes it is a short story about a country housewife that lives a boring life and grows beautiful flowers. She is then mislead to believe that a perfect stranger has interest in her flowers and is moved to reveal to him her secrets in growing them and even give him not only some of her prized shoots from the flowers but also some work so that he is given what he originally wanted. She then finds her shoots thrown haphazardly on the side of the road. She begins to ask for wine and becomes very saddened and begins to weep. On the surface it seems like a very superficial story about how a woman could be deceived by a man into believing that he has interest in what she can accomplish. However when one reads the story from a higher critical perspective, especially the last line one realizes how deeply profound the story really is. The last line of the story where the main character Elisa Allen declares that a little wine will be enough and she begins to cry like an old woman reveals that she has grudgingly accepted her lot in life and accepts that she can only experience so much fulfillment due to her position in society and the fact that it has stolen her youth and left her a bitter old woman. Elisa Allen is a strong hardworking woman that is very skilled at growing Chrysanthemums. Her husband recognizes her skill however he does not truly appreciate what is behind it. He instead attempts to encourage her to use her skills for a more practical and therefore supposedly more meaningful endeavor such as growing apple trees. â€Å"Her husband, Henry Allen does not understand her mind; his interest is focused not on the point that she likes to grow it but on the possibility o... ...en, as even her husband had made a joke about taking her there. However she desires to go and although envisioning such bloodshed repulses her it is also alluring. â€Å"In other words, the imbalance between the relatively restricted setting and Elisa's vaulting desire to wander into the unknown territory is chiefly designed to strengthen the overall imagery of Elisa, whose drive to experience the violent outer world.† (Compare Contrast Essay) So she decides to ask if she can have some wine instead and hopes for the excitement it might be able to bring although she knows that whatever momentary excitement it might bring it is not lasting. The next day she will continue to be a bored house wife, with a husband that largely ignores her and is boring and content. Even what she has to work on, the source of pride in her life the Chrysanthemums are meaningless. So she weeps. A Deep Look At Elisa Allen in Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums Essay The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck is not just a simple short story. Yes it is a short story about a country housewife that lives a boring life and grows beautiful flowers. She is then mislead to believe that a perfect stranger has interest in her flowers and is moved to reveal to him her secrets in growing them and even give him not only some of her prized shoots from the flowers but also some work so that he is given what he originally wanted. She then finds her shoots thrown haphazardly on the side of the road. She begins to ask for wine and becomes very saddened and begins to weep. On the surface it seems like a very superficial story about how a woman could be deceived by a man into believing that he has interest in what she can accomplish. However when one reads the story from a higher critical perspective, especially the last line one realizes how deeply profound the story really is. The last line of the story where the main character Elisa Allen declares that a little wine will be enough and she begins to cry like an old woman reveals that she has grudgingly accepted her lot in life and accepts that she can only experience so much fulfillment due to her position in society and the fact that it has stolen her youth and left her a bitter old woman. Elisa Allen is a strong hardworking woman that is very skilled at growing Chrysanthemums. Her husband recognizes her skill however he does not truly appreciate what is behind it. He instead attempts to encourage her to use her skills for a more practical and therefore supposedly more meaningful endeavor such as growing apple trees. â€Å"Her husband, Henry Allen does not understand her mind; his interest is focused not on the point that she likes to grow it but on the possibility o... ...en, as even her husband had made a joke about taking her there. However she desires to go and although envisioning such bloodshed repulses her it is also alluring. â€Å"In other words, the imbalance between the relatively restricted setting and Elisa's vaulting desire to wander into the unknown territory is chiefly designed to strengthen the overall imagery of Elisa, whose drive to experience the violent outer world.† (Compare Contrast Essay) So she decides to ask if she can have some wine instead and hopes for the excitement it might be able to bring although she knows that whatever momentary excitement it might bring it is not lasting. The next day she will continue to be a bored house wife, with a husband that largely ignores her and is boring and content. Even what she has to work on, the source of pride in her life the Chrysanthemums are meaningless. So she weeps.

The Concept of the Sublime In Relation to America Essay examples -- Ph

The Concept of the Sublime In Relation to America The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries witnessed a revival of the concept of the Sublime. The Sublime, as a notion, first reached English theorists by way of Nicholas Boileau-Desprà ©aux’s translation of the Greek text attributed to Longinus titled â€Å"On the Sublime,† which discussed the Sublime within writing. The work categorized sublimity as raising men â€Å"almost to the intellectual greatness of God† (Longinus, 76). Once raised to extreme intellectual heights the authors were then able to raise others to the limits of their being. In short, â€Å"the effect of the Sublime is â€Å"transport† (ekstasis) - it is a quality of a passage which â€Å"shatters the hearer’s composure,†Ã¢â‚¬  (Abrams, 308) due to the heightened ability of the writer. Longinus’ concept of the Sublime reached further fruition when discussed in Edmund Burke’s Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful and I mmanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment, as well as in works by Dennis, Addison, Hume and poets Wordsworth, Thomson, and Mallet who attempted to clarify and diversify the concept. America, a land bubbling over with sublime images, added real-world value to the discussion; as such, the literature, philosophy and art during America’s exploration of itself focused on the image of the sublime as a means of breaking from the past, of discerning power and of forging a new identity. The Sublime is an aesthetic concept that deals with the force of a perception. For Edmund Burke, who brought the Sublime from â€Å"the level of judgment as David Hume had done†¦.[to the] level of sensibility† (Sertoli), the Sublime emerged from contemplation of â€Å"whatever is fitted in any sort to excite the i... ...ry_theory/entries/british_theory_and_criticism-_2.html Rodgers, David. Sublime, the. 10/11/98. Grover Online Dictionary of Art. 10/02/04. http://www.joh.net/phd/appendices/texts/sublimegove.html Sertoli, Guispeppe. â€Å"Edmund Burke.† The John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. 1997. John Hopkins University Press. 10/05/04. http://www.press.jhu.edu.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/books/hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory/entries/edmund_burke.html _______. Sublime. 2001. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 10/02/04 http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/sublime.htm http://www.press.jhu.edu.ezproxy.library.dal.ca/books/hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory/entries/british_theory_and_criticism-_2.html Sulerud, Maija. Thomas Cole: The Oxbow (The Connecticut River near Northampton) 1836. 2003. St. Olaf College. 10/02/04. http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/cis/wp/sulerudm/

Automobile and Level Material Appendix Essay

Choose one of the Facts for Consideration sections from Ch. 3 of the text and list the page number for the section you chose. Then, complete the following table. List five threats appropriate to the environment from the section you chose. Rate the risk for each threat from 0 (low) to 10 (high). Then, list five appropriate countermeasures. Once you complete the table, write a brief explanation of the countermeasures for the two threats with the highest risk total, stating how the countermeasure reduces the risk associated with that threat. This assessment is based on the Facts for Consideration on page _93___ THREAT| RISK| COUNTERMEASURE| | Probability| Criticality| Total| | Example:Physical assault| 9| 4| 13| Highly visible officer presence| Inmate Escape| 10| 5| 15| Extra guards to help prevent escape attempt| Inmate Riots| 8| 4| 12| Officers carry visible weapons to show that if inmates get out of hand measures will be taken |. Transport vehicle driver exhausted | 9| 4| 13| Extra driver to transport vehicle in addition to other guards that aren’t driving| Inmates take over the van| 10| 4| 14| Have the inmates checked before they get on the van and then handcuffed so they are not able to move around or get close to the driver| Have more than one officer on the van | 8| 3| 11| One officer can drive and the other can keep an eye on the inmates|. The inmate escape is very important. If there are extra guards then it will be easy to prevent this from happening, especially since some trips can take up to 48 hours to complete. With all the stopping (two to eight stops on any given trip) and going it would be great to have the countermeasure. When it comes to inmates taking over the van, I feel as though that is something that can happen even if there are two officers on the van. Inmates are strong and they always have something up their sleeves. So if we were to take the countermeasure and actually have them checked before they get on the van and then handcuffed it makes the ride safer and less threatening.

Java Calendar Tutorial Essay

Introduction This tutorial is designed to provide you with an understanding of the Java Calendar class, it’s backgrounds, purpose and uses. It is created in such a manner as to allow even beginning Java programmers an understanding and feel for the uses of the Java Calendar class. The Java Calendar class was added to the Java Development Kit in JDK 1.1. It is designed to permit the conversion between a specific instance in time and a set of Calendar fields. (Oracle, 2004, 2010) What exactly does this mean? The Calendar class uses a huge array of tables to keep track of time based on daylight savings time, timezones, and calendar history, the calendar class uses a system time to determine where whatever event is being tracked falls on in the internal calendar tables. Some confusion is caused by this as Java does keep track of specific location time, and the programmer needs to keep this in mind when using the Calendar class even when it isn’t relevant to the problem being addressed ( Roedy Green, Canadian Mind Products, 1196-2011). How to use the Calendar Class The Calendar Class and it’s associated methods are used by three methods. The programmer can import the calendar class and whatever specific method or constructor they will use in their program by importing it as importjava.util.specificfunction; For instance, if the programmer wished to set the date within a program, but that was all that was needed, for instance no date specific math was needed as in a log file, then the programmer could use, importjava.util.Calendar.set; If the programmer needs to have greater functionality associated with the dates being used within a program the programmer should use the entire Calendar class. This takes up more space within a program, however provides a much simpler method of calling items from the Java Calendar class as all of it’s functionality is available to the entire program. This format would simply be, importjava.util.Calendar; Finally the programmer can call within the program any specific function required within the Calendar class by using a fully qualified name for the method being used, if the programmer wished to use the set function once within a program and that was all that was needed the programmer could simply use public void java.util.Calendar.set For ease of use of associated Java Calendar methods and constructs however it is generally recommended that the programmer use the import function and import the entire Calendar class. This provides for significantly less time coding, and less possibility of mistakes in typing out commands and code as less code is necessary. Melissa Robinsons Section Every so often a program wishes to know something about a date, such as what day of the week something took place or maybe you would like to know which of the 12 months have 30 days. This can be completed with the Calendar class within the java.util package. The very first thing that should be done is to import the package: import java.util.Calendar; The next thing to do is to get an instance of the Calendar class: Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance( ); Be aware that the constructor cannot directly be called upon with new Calendar( );, since it’s an abstract class. The next thing to do is set the date and time of what is wanted to know about certain things: cal.set(year,month,day); For the month parameter, January is 0, February is 1, March is 2, etc. The constants Calendar.MONTH can also be used. Each and every calendar has a set of boundaries that are automatically updated when the calendar is altered. The get ( ) method can access these and a set of constants that characterize a number of available fields. So it can be noted that some very precise things can be done with the calendar now. For example, the week of the year that a day falls on can be found by using: int week = cal.get(Calendar.WEEK_OF_YEAR) Or  For example. Use the getActualMaximum() to find the number of days in a  certain month: intdaysInMonth = cal.getActualMaximum(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH); Here are some fields that may be useful within the Calendar Class: * DAY_OF_WEEK – Returns the day of the week that a day falls on, 1 through 7 days. * DAY_OF_YEAR – Returns the number of days into the year that the date occurs * WEEK_OF_MONTH – Returns the week number in the current month where the date occurs * DAY_OF_MONTH – Returns the current day of the month Andrew McCutchan’s Section Examples of Calendar Class Use: Below are some typical examples of the usage of the java calendar class. /* Java Calendar Follow along with this example in a text editor to have java show todays date and time. */ import java.util.Calendar; public class JavaCalendar { public static void main (string[] args) { Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance() ; System.out.println(â€Å"Today is : † + cal.getTime() ) ; By following the formats for cal.get instances mentioned above, one can find the various dates, times, weeks, and months in current formats, or in predetermined periods. This method allows programmers to set specific time constraints when coding for specific results. End of Section Methods Within the Calendar Class There are many methods within the calendar class. Methods are used for querying, setting, and doing arithmetic on the various fields of the date and time. The most commonly used methods are: * add( ) * set( ) * roll( ) References 1. Oracle. (2004, 2010). java.util Class Calendar. Retrieved from http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/api/java/util/Calendar.html#set(int, int) 2. Roedy Green, Canadian Mind Products. (1196-2011). Calendar : Java Glossary. Retrieved from http://mindprod.com/jgloss/calendar.html

Response Paper: Don Quixote de la Mancha Essay

â€Å"Don Quixote de la Mancha† by Miguel de Cervantes is one of the most recognizable classics in the world of literature. It is a narrative that is being retold in almost every generation that had followed since its publication. Much the success of the story is really undeniable as it had even infused a term to the English language, the term â€Å"quixotic. † It is certainly one of the most unforgettable stories ever written. Here is a quote from the text that I would like to pose a response: â€Å"I shall never be so mad as to make myself a knight-errant for I see well enough that things are not how they used to be in those days, when they say those famous knights rule the world† (Cervantes 161) This line was spoken by the innkeeper in the first part XXXII The tone of this particular quote seems to a response to the main theme of the story. This main theme is Don Quixote’s idea desire to live a life of a knight. The quote implies that to follow an ideal or a dream would be a waste of time. This particular quote stands out because it is one of the few pessimistic statements in the very positive, or shall I say â€Å"quixotic† theme of the narrative. This is the kind of statements that would be uttered by those who forget how to dream. People that would say this kind of words are the type that brings the hopes of other people down. The context is just like when pessimists argued that man cannot go space. The kind of thinking that pessimists have is what makes life look miserable and dull. Fortunately, Miguel de Cervantes had introduced to us Don Quixote—some who would always remind us that it is just alright to dream and seek adventures in life. Work Cited Cervantes, Miguel de. Don Quixote de la Mancha. Harvard University Press. 1842

The Failure Of War By Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry, in his essay ‘The Failure of War,’ claims that ‘modern war does not work as a solution to any problem except retribution,’ and that it promotes a vicious cycle of violence and other social problems. Supporters for war will claim that war answers the dilemma of national defense. But the agnostic, in return, will solicit to what level the cost even of a triumphant war of national defense—in life, wealth, material, foods, health, and liberty—may amount to a national overwhelm. National defense by way of war constantly entails some quantity of national defeat. Militarization in defense of freedom downsizes the freedom of the apologists. There is a crucial contradiction between war and freedom.In a contemporary war, fought with modern armaments and on the modern scale, neither side can bound to â€Å"the adversary† the harm that it does. These wars ruin the humanity. Modern war has not only made it unworkable to kill â€Å"opp onents† without massacring â€Å"non-warriors,† it has made it ineffectual to destroy your foe without spoiling yourself. Modern wars have usually been fought to end war; they have been fought for the sake of peace.To Berry most appalling weapons have been prepared, seemingly, to maintain and assure the peace of the world. â€Å"All we want is peace,† we utter as we increase inexorably our aptitude to make war. Yet in the last part of a century in which we have fought two combats to end war and numerous more to prevent war and keep peace, and in which scientific and hi-tech evolution has made war ever more horrifying and less manageable, we still, by policy, confer no contemplation to nonviolent approach of national defense. We stick to the discouraging paradox of making peace by producing war.Capital chastisement sinks us all to the same level of primal aggression, at which an act of brutality is rebuked by another deed of aggression. What the justifiers of thes e feats overlook is the fact—fixed by the history of quarrels; steer clear of the history of war—that belligerence raises violence. Operations of violence committed in â€Å"fairness† or in assertion of â€Å"rights† or in resistance of â€Å"peace† do not impede violence. They set up and justify its prolongation.The most hazardous fallacy of the parties of violence is the notion that endorsed violence can put off or control illegal violence. If we devote to these small irrationalities the enormity of worldwide relations, we make, predictably, a few much larger idiocies. In â€Å"foreign† wars, we do not explicitly experience the harm that we wreak upon the rival. We pay monies to sanction the war, but that is nothing new, for we shell out war levies in era of peace as well.Quite the reverse, war is the great solution and opening of our corporate economy, which keeps going and prospers upon war. And thus great costs are engrossed in our fixa tion on war, but the overheads are â€Å"externalized† as â€Å"tolerable losses.† Romantic separatists, which are to say most protectors for war, always contain in their public speeches mathematics or an accounting of war. The supportable price, at last, is suchlike is paid.It is straightforward to see the likeness between this accounting of the cost of war and our normal accounting of the price of improvement. Now with less fret (to date) it is observed world subjugation by global capitalism. Nevertheless its political means are milder than those of Leninism, this lately internationalized capitalism may attest even more harsh to human mores and communities, of liberty, and of environment. To Berry people would be less incongruous if the leaders would believe in good faith the verified surrogates to violence.

Relationship between russian and the european union

Russia stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia with an area of 17,075,200 square kilometres making it the largest country in the world in terms of land mass. This country   shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.Since the termination of the USSR in December 1991, Russia has become an influential member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia's worldwide role decreased greatly compared to that of the former Soviet Union.Russia is an essential partner in terms of engaging and building a strategic partnership with.   The 2003 European Security Strategy has rightly placed this country as a key player on geo-political and security issues at global and regional levels.Russia plays an important role in the UN Security Council and has significant influence in the European neighbourhood and in Central Asia. It must likewise be noted that Russia is a major supplier of energy products to the EU.It may be considered to have a small market but Russia is a large market for EU goods and services, with considerable potential for growth. And if that's not good news yet, listen to this: Russia is a key ally in EU efforts in its fight against new threats to security, including terrorism, pollution, crime, illegal migration and trafficking.Russia and the European UnionThe European Union’s primary objective is to enlist Russia to build a genuine strategic partnership, founded on common interests and shared values to which both sides are committed in the relevant international organisations such as the UN, Council of Europe, and OSCE, as well as with each other in the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). As Ivanov mentioned these interests and values involved democracy, the rule of law, human rights and market economy principles (2000, pp. 33).Shishaev says that the EU and Russia are already cooperating on various i ssues which include modernisation of Russia’s economy and its consolidation into the world economy, security and international issues (1999, p. 42).Shishaev further explains that â€Å"EU relations with Russia is guided on a large spectrum of particular EU policies, including external policies like the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and trade policy; the external aspects of general EU policies such as on energy, transport, environment, etc.; the external dimension of freedom/security/justice activities; and the principles retained for development cooperation and assistance† (1999, p. 42).Likhachev reported that the common ground for EU relations with Russia is the PCA which came into force on December 1, 1997 for an initial duration of 10 years. This agreement shall extend beyond 2007 on a yearly basis.PCA sets the main objectives, establishes the institutional framework for bilateral contacts, and calls for activities and dialogue in a number of areas. The conditions of the PCA embrace a wide range of policy areas including political dialogue; trade in goods and services; business and investment; financial and legislative cooperation; science and technology; education and training; energy, nuclear and space cooperation; environment, transport; culture; and cooperation on the prevention of illegal activities. Rules of procedure for the dispute settlement provisions of the PCA were adopted in April 2004 (2000, pp. 20-24).The EU laid down its basic approach to relations with Russia in a â€Å"Common Strategy† in 1999 which was not extended beyond June 2004. An in February 2004, the Commission adopted a Communication which adopted measures to improve the effectiveness of EU-Russia relations, specifically in the wake of increased mutual dependence, the forthcoming enlargement, and the unresolved conflicts in some countries bordering Russia.The current institutional framework for relations with Russia as mentioned   above, is expec ted to change under the provisions of the new agreement with the view to creating a more concise and streamlined approach.During the Summit held in May 2003, the EU and Russia mutually decided to strengthen their cooperation by coming up with so-called four ‘common spaces’ in the framework of the PCA. It was agreed to make a common economic space; a common space of freedom, security and justice; a space of co-operation in the field of external security; as well as a space of research and education, including cultural aspects.Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 35-37) pointed out the ‘the purpose of the common economic space   is to create an open and integrated market between the EU and Russia which will bring down barriers to trade and investment and promote reforms and competitiveness, based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and good governance'.Among the wide range of actions that were perceived are a number of new dialogues. Cooperation is b eing stepped up on regulatory policy, investment issues, competition, financial services, telecommunications, transport, energy, space activities and space launching, etc. Environment, including nuclear safety and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, also figures prominently.Meanwhile, Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 124 – 127) also reported that work on a common space for freedom, security and justice has made a big leap with the end of negotiations on the Visa Facilitation and the Readmission Agreements which were signed during the recent the EU-Russia Summit last May 25 in Sochi, Russia. Ratifications are being done by both the EU and Russia.Working together on fighting terrorism and other forms of transnational illegal activities such as money laundering, drugs and human trafficking will continue as well as on document security through the introduction of biometric features in a range of identification documents.Forsberg (1998, pp. 201-204) illustrated that the comm on space on external security, meanwhile, underlines the shared responsibility of the parties for an international order based on effective multilateralism, their support for the central role of the UN, and for the effectiveness of, in particular, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.Currently, there are ongoing activities to strengthen cooperation in the five priority areas identified in the Road Map which include strengthening dialogue and cooperation on the international scene; fight against terrorism; non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD); crisis management; and civil protection. Under the first priority, particular attention is given to securing stability in the regions adjacent to Russian and EU borders.Standing on the relations with Russia through its involvement in EU Research and Development activities and in particular the Framework Programme for Research and Development. The objective is to capitalise on the strength of the EU and Russian research communiti es and promote joint research activities in areas of common interest. Relationship between russian and the european union Russia stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia with an area of 17,075,200 square kilometres making it the largest country in the world in terms of land mass. This country   shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.Since the termination of the USSR in December 1991, Russia has become an influential member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russia's worldwide role decreased greatly compared to that of the former Soviet Union.Russia is an essential partner in terms of engaging and building a strategic partnership with.   The 2003 European Security Strategy has rightly placed this country as a key player on geo-political and security issues at global and regional levels. Russia plays an important role in the UN Security Council and has significant influence in the European neighbourhood and in Central Asia. It must likewise be noted that Russia is a major supplier of energy products to the EU.It may be considered to have a small market but Russia is a large market for EU goods and services, with considerable potential for growth. And if that's not good news yet, listen to this: Russia is a key ally in EU efforts in its fight against new threats to security, including terrorism, pollution, crime, illegal migration and trafficking.Russia and the European UnionThe European Union’s primary objective is to enlist Russia to build a genuine strategic partnership, founded on common interests and shared values to which both sides are committed in the relevant international organisations such as the UN, Council of Europe, and OSCE, as well as with each other in the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA).As Ivanov mentioned these interests and values involved democracy, the rule of law, human rights and market economy principles (2000, pp. 33).Shishaev says that the EU and Russia are already cooperating on various i ssues which include modernisation of Russia’s economy and its consolidation into the world economy, security and international issues (1999, p. 42).Shishaev further explains that â€Å"EU relations with Russia is guided on a large spectrum of particular EU policies, including external policies like the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and trade policy; the external aspects of general EU policies such as on energy, transport, environment, etc.; the external dimension of freedom/security/justice activities; and the principles retained for development cooperation and assistance† (1999, p. 42).Likhachev reported that the common ground for EU relations with Russia is the PCA which came into force on December 1, 1997 for an initial duration of 10 years. This agreement shall extend beyond 2007 on a yearly basis. PCA sets the main objectives, establishes the institutional framework for bilateral contacts, and calls for activities and dialogue in a number of areas.The conditions of the PCA embrace a wide range of policy areas including political dialogue; trade in goods and services; business and investment; financial and legislative cooperation; science and technology; education and training; energy, nuclear and space cooperation; environment, transport; culture; and cooperation on the prevention of illegal activities. Rules of procedure for the dispute settlement provisions of the PCA were adopted in April 2004 (2000, pp. 20-24).The EU laid down its basic approach to relations with Russia in a â€Å"Common Strategy† in 1999 which was not extended beyond June 2004. An in February 2004, the Commission adopted a Communication which adopted measures to improve the effectiveness of EU-Russia relations, specifically in the wake of increased mutual dependence, the forthcoming enlargement, and the unresolved conflicts in some countries bordering Russia.The current institutional framework for relations with Russia as mentioned   above, is expec ted to change under the provisions of the new agreement with the view to creating a more concise and streamlined approach.During the Summit held in May 2003, the EU and Russia mutually decided to strengthen their cooperation by coming up with so-called four ‘common spaces’ in the framework of the PCA. It was agreed to make a common economic space; a common space of freedom, security and justice; a space of co-operation in the field of external security; as well as a space of research and education, including cultural aspects.Antonenko and Pinnick (2005, pp. 35-37) pointed out the ‘the purpose of the common economic space   is to create an open and integrated market between the EU and Russia which will bring down barriers to trade and investment and promote reforms and competitiveness, based on the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and good governance'.Among the wide range of actions that were perceived are a number of new dialogues. Cooperation is b eing stepped up on regulatory policy, investment issues, competition, financial services, telecommunications, transport, energy, space activities and space launching, etc. Environment, including nuclear safety and the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, also figures prominently.