Apples pricing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apples pricing strategy - Essay Example However, after carefully analyzing this issue, it is safe to say that Apple should continue to price its products at a very high level for numerous reasons. One of the key reasons why Apple should continue to price its products high is due to the fact that Apple’s technology is ten years ahead of the technological curve. That enables Apple to not to avoid the pressure of competing with other firms when it comes to price since consumers are willing to allocate their funds to buy Apple products. For instance, the IPAD 2, should be priced at $500. Although other similar types of tablets that are produced by Dell or the Android are available at a lower price, it does not diminish the fact that the IPAD 2 obliterates the market with its functionality. No product in the market currently possessed two cameras, a dual-core chip, and is light-weight like the IPAD 2. Another reason why Apple should continue to price its products and services high is because of price elasticity. Price el asticity is defined as the response by the product when the price of the product is modified. If Apple was to drop the price of its new Iphone 4 from $599.99 to $399, it would be detrimental to the company itself since the demand will not drastically change, but Apple’s profit margin would be lower [1].

The Tell Tale Heart Essay Essay Example for Free

The Tell Tale Heart Essay Essay In Poes The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator claims that he is not mad but his behavior tells a different story. He is truly determined to destroy another male human being, not because of jealousy or animosity but because one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it (1206). The narrator sees the man with this ghastly eye as a threat to his well being, but it is he who is a menace to his own being. He kills the man with pride only to concede to his horrific crime due to his guilt-ridden heart. His heart is empty, except for the evil that exists inside which ultimately destroys him. The narrator insists that it his duty to kill the man with the evil eye because he can no longer bear to observe the horrifying sight. He has become obsessed with the eye and when he conceives his ultimate plan he says it haunted me day and night (1206). Just as he describes the mans eye as similar to that of a vulture, the narrator suddenly bares the resemblance of a true vulture. He is now a predaSymbolism in Edgar Allen Poes The Tell-Tale Heart In Poes The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator claims that he is not mad but his behavior tells a different story. He is truly determined to destroy another male human being, not because of jealousy or animosity but because one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it (1206). The narrator sees the man with this ghastly eye as a threat to his well being, but it is he who is a menace to his own being. He kills the man with pride only to concede to his horrific crime due to his guilt-ridden heart. His heart is empty, except for the evil that exists inside which ultimately destroys him. The narrator insists that it his duty to kill the man with the evil eye because he can no longer bear to observe the horrifying sight. He has become obsessed with the eye and when he conceives his ultimate plan he says it haunted me day and night (1206). Just as he describes the mans eye as similar to that of a vulture, the narrator suddenly bares the resemblance of a true vulture. He is now a predaSymbolism in Edgar Allen Poes The Tell-Tale Heart In Poes The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator claims that he is not mad but his behavior tells a different story. He is truly determined to destroy another male human being, not because of jealousy or animosity but because one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it (1206). The narrator sees the man with this ghastly eye as a threat to his well being, but it is he who is a menace to his own being. He kills the man with pride only to concede to his horrific crime due to his guilt-ridden heart. His heart is empty, except for the evil that exists inside which ultimately destroys him. The narrator insists that it his duty to kill the man with the evil eye because he can no longer bear to observe the horrifying sight. He has become obsessed with the eye and when he conceives his ultimate plan he says it haunted me day and night (1206). Just as he describes the mans eye as similar to that of a vulture, the narrator suddenly bares the resemblance of a true vulture. He is now a predaSymbolism in Edgar Allen Poes The Tell-Tale Heart In Poes The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator claims that he is not mad but his behavior tells a different story. He is truly determined to destroy another male human being, not because of jealousy or animosity but because one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it (1206). The narrator sees the man with this ghastly eye as a threat to his well being, but it is he who is a menace to his own being. He kills the man with pride only to concede to his horrific crime due to his guilt-ridden heart. His heart is empty, except for the evil that exists inside which ultimately destroys him. The narrator insists that it his duty to kill the man with the evil eye because he can no longer bear to observe the horrifying sight. He has become obsessed with the eye and when he conceives his ultimate plan he says it haunted me day and night (1206). Just as he describes the mans eye as similar to that of a vulture, the narrator suddenly bares the resemblance of a true vulture. He is now a predaSymbolism in Edgar Allen Poes The Tell-Tale Heart In Poes The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator claims that he is not mad but his behavior tells a different story. He is truly determined to destroy another male human being, not because of jealousy or animosity but because one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it (1206). The narrator sees the man with this ghastly eye as a threat to his well being, but it is he who is a menace to his own being. He kills the man with pride only to concede to his horrific crime due to his guilt-ridden heart. His heart is empty, except for the evil that exists inside which ultimately destroys him. The narrator insists that it his duty to kill the man with the evil eye because he can no longer bear to observe the horrifying sight. He has become obsessed with the eye and when he conceives his ultimate plan he says it haunted me day and night (1206). Just as he describes the mans eye as similar to that of a vulture, the narrator suddenly bares the resemblance of a true vulture. He is now a preda

Burroughs Not Marinettis Futurist Essay -- Literary Analysis

The potentials of the new technology created in the early twentieth century created a variety of reactions with in society. Some people embraced the changes, others resisted the developments, and still others fell somewhere in between. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti’s piece, â€Å"The Futurist Manifesto†, embraces the rapid transformation of society. His world is composed of fast, powerful machines and strong, young citizens. The Manifesto also depicts an aggressive, violent, and unjust world that is devoid of any morals. Edgar Rice Burroughs is another author whose work, A Princess of Mars, addresses the future and its possibilities. It is the story of John Carter, an American Civil War Veteran, who is mysteriously transported to Mars or Barsoom and goes through a series of trials and triumphs with the different Martian natives. It may initially appear to fit Marinetti’s vision of the future because it takes place on another planet, there is advanced technology, and the violence is prevalent on the planet. However, Burroughs is actually critiquing the very qualities that Marinetti praises. For instance, Burroughs discredits the use of violence for violence sake and the lack of a family unit. He also recognizes destructive potentials of technology, which is something that Marinetti does not take into consideration for the future. After careful analysis, it can be determined that Burroughs is not one of the Futurists that Marinetti describes. Upon first inspection, Burroughs’ mindset seems in accordance with Marinetti’s Futurist world. Burroughs’ protagonist, John Carter, appears to physically fit Marinetti’s ideal Futurist because he is large at six feet, two inches, he is strong, and he remains relatively young at thirty years old. Yout... ...†, Marinetti does not express uncertainty; rather he presents a future with limitless possibilities. In contrast, it was very unsettling for many people to not know what was going to happen in the future. In modern times we have experienced the advances of technology that Marinetti mentions, such as exploring space, but we have also seen its destructive capabilities in the atom bomb. Today, there isn’t as a great of a feeling of uncertainty because of inventions like the Internet. Alas, with the diminishing feeling of uncertainty also comes the waning experience of wonder and intrigue of what the future is going to hold for us. Works Cited Burroughs, Edgar Rice. A Princess of Mars. 1917. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso, â€Å"The Futurist Manifesto†. 1909. Italian Fascisms. ed. Adrian Lyttleton. London: Cape, 1973. pp. 209-215.

Argument Against Reality Television Essay -- Persuasive Essays, Argum

What pleasure do you get from watching a group of people humiliate themselves in the name of television? Media both in the UK and around the world seem to have "discovered" that so-called "reality" shows are very profitable, resulting in a growing string of such shows in recent years. Although not all are successful, many do achieve significant popularity and cultural prominence. That does not mean, however, that they are good for society or that they should be aired. Can you honestly say, that after absorbing the reality rubbish, you have learned something? Educational, stimulating, witty, are all adjectives you would not associate with reality television. Reality T.V is a case of vegetating in front of the screen and glazing gormlessly at a group of half-hearted celebrities as they involve themselves inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a deep philosophical conversation. Not only does Reality Television reflect appallingly on our media culture, but it corrupts the mind of youngsters, giving them twisted views on society. What person are you becoming if you are sitting there daydreaming about who is going to be "evicted" from Big Brother? Well, you're the one the needs a snap back to realityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ One of the attractions of reality television is the supposed "reality" of it - unscripted and unplanned situations and reactions. One of the ethical problems of reality television is the fact that it isn't nearly as "real" as it pretends to be. At least in dramatic shows one can expect the audience to understand that what they see on the screen doesn't necessarily reflect the reality of the actors' lives; the same, however, cannot be said for heavily edited and con... ...tem from the increasing separation we experience from others around us. The more distant we are from each other as individuals, the more readily we can objectify each other and fail to experience sympathy and empathy when others around us suffer. The fact that we are witnessing events not in front of us but rather on television, where everything is has an unreal and fictional air about it, probably aids in this process as well. I'm not saying that you should never watch reality TV programming, but the motivations behind being a viewer are ethically suspect. Instead of passively accepting whatever media companies try to feed you, it would be better to take some time to reflect on why such programming is made and why you feel attracted to it. Perhaps you will find that your motivations themselves are not so attractive.

Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega

The first scene that will be analysed is the one where Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are going to fulfil their duties as gangsters (0:06:45-0:20:12). The scene shows how normal it is for the main characters to have a job as gangsters and kill people on command of their boss. While watching it, the viewer has the impression that the world in the film is absurd, but it is a perfect example of a social satire. The main characters live in a world full of violence, drugs, but they find themselves perfectly suitable in it. Also, the verbal humour has a crucial role here; lots of comical ornaments of the speech, curses, irony and sarcasm create the whole background of this environment. Basing on the benign-violation theory, the whole scene evokes amusement, because characters present quite controversial behaviour. For the purpose of the forthcoming analysis, the scene will be divided into three parts:1) Jules and Vincent's dialogue in the car (0:06:45-0:08:43); 2) The conversation about the foot massage (0:08:43-0:13:46)3) The score of gangsters and debtors (0:13:46-0:20:12). As the first part of the scene begins, Jules and Vincent drive a car and the main focus here is on the dialogue between the characters; they talk mostly about Vincent's journey to Europe. He mentions many cultural differences: the policies of hash bars, the law of policemen, beer in cinemas, or mayonnaise on fries in Holland, how a Quarter-Pounder with cheese is called a Royale with cheese in France. At this point, the viewer has no idea where the main characters are driving or what the purpose of their mission is. It can be only assumed that they are partners and that the circumstances are quite amusing, because they seem serious, but their conversation is completely ridiculous. This contrast is highly intriguing and introduces the viewer to the world full of absurd.

Issues Concerning Domestic Violence Essays

Issues Concerning Domestic Violence Essays Issues Concerning Domestic Violence Paper Issues Concerning Domestic Violence Paper and it includes the abuse suffered from a history of genocide or persecution. Economic abuse this occurs where the man has total control over all financial resources. For example, he may forbid the woman to work or if she does he may insist that she hands over her pay check to him unopened. She may have to beg for money to buy necessities and when it is given it may often be insufficient. She is then criticized for being stupid or incompetent in failing to provide adequately with this sum. Social abuse includes delivering verbal abuse in front of other people, such as put-down, jokes, criticisms about the womans weight, appearance, sexuality, intelligence ect. Controlling behaviors such as following her to work, controlling access to friends, constant phone calls at work or accusations of imagined affairs ect. Isolating a woman by denigrating her friends and family, thus leading her to cut herself off because she fears enraging her husband, locking the women in or out of the house, cutting off the telephone, never letting her use the car ect. Social abuse is the constant monitoring and control of a womens activities, outings, and friendships. She may be forced to account herself for her every movement, and my be denied the right to leave the home and see her friends. The result for the abused woman can be public humiliation and isolation from friends and other members of her family. For centuries, the abuse of wives by their husbands has been tolerated by most societies. In some cultures, it was considered to be a part of married life, a method of acceptable control. Since men were paid through dowries to take care of wives, the notion was that wives were considered property in much the same way that children were viewed. Consequently, authorities often believe that it is inappropriate to interfere in the relationship between a man and his wife or children. â€Å"There seems to be an implicit, taken-for-granted cultural norm which makes it legitimate for family members to hit each other. In respect to husbands and wives, in effect, this means that the marriage license is also a hitting license†. Actually, there is no equality with regard to husbands and wives hitting one another. Additionally, Congress and state legislatures have passed laws that have aided in the protection of victims of domestic violence and the prosecution of offenders. For example,the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was passed by Congress in 1974 to help states and communities organize programs for parents who abuse their children. Also in 1974, the National Institute of Mental Health established a national center in Denver to study the problem more thoroughly and set up a national commission to resolve the complicated legal problems and recommend changes in federal and state laws involving child abuse. Grant programs have also been funded to identify the causes of child abuse and provide treatment through self-help programs and lay therapy. Increasingly, states are requiring social workers and psychologists to report all cases of known or suspected child abuse to child protection authorities in their communities. The Cycle of Domestic Violence shows how domestic violence often becomes a pattern comprised of three stages. The phases vary in time and in severity between couples, and even at different times within the same relationship. It is, then, difficult to predict how long a couple will remain in one phase or to determine the length of an individual couple’s cycle. Phase 1 is the Tension-Building Phase, which constitutes criticism, yelling, swearing, and using angry gestures, coercion, and/or threats. Phase 2 is the Violence Phase, which is characterized by physical and sexual attacks and threats. Phase 3 is the Seduction Phase that is portrayed with apologies, blaming, promises to change, and gifts. It also explains how three dynamics - (1) love, (2) hope, and (3) fear keep the cycle in motion and make it difficult to end a violent relationship. For the sake of illustration, (1) Love for one’s partner: ‘the relationship has it’s good points, it’s not all bad†. (2) Hope that it will change: ‘the relationship didn’t begin like this’. (3) Fear that the threats to kill you or your family will become a reality. The Cycle Of Violence PHASE 1: TENSION BUILDING Poor communication / series of minor incidents / decreased control Compliant / good behavior/ experiences/ increased tension/ minimizes problems/ increases threats/ denies anger/ takes more control/ withdraws/ controls more/ tension intolerable PHASE 2: ACUTE BATTERING Increased stress and injury/ loss of control Unpredictable, claims loss of control / is helpless, feels trapped / highly abusive/ traumatized PHASE 3: KINDNESS AND LOVING BEHAVIOR Tension drops / Renewed love / Increased Tension Often apologetic, attentive / mixed feelings / is manipulative / feels guilty and responsible / promises changes / considers reconciliation After the abuser has gone through all of the phases, it starts over again with phase one and continues until the victim either gets help or is killed. So, why, why would a person who is loved, want to abuse their spouse or girlfriend? One of the key responses . . . Jealousy. The husband may become very suspicious, afraid of losing his wife. The abuser sees his wife or girlfriend as a possession. The only way, they think, to relieve this built up anger is aggression. To improve their self-esteem, they abuse the victim physically, emotionally, and sometimes, sexually. Another key factor in wife abuse is alcohol. When the man is stressed, he turns to alcohol to relieve it. Little does he know, that the alcohol makes him more irritable. Research shows that men who abuse their wives, often saw their own mother abused. Do to witnessing this, the children of battered families usually grow up to have low self-esteem and believe that hitting is right. Women who are in abusive relationships find it very difficult to leave. Not only are they afraid for their own lives, but sometimes, if children are involved, the offender threatens the lives of the children. One woman told a psychologist, He promises anything you want to hear. He promises that he will do anything, lots of tears, and Oh, Im so sorry, and I love these children, I would never do it again. You want to believe that its just a mistake, but its not a mistake,. Many women are threatened by their husband or boyfriend that if they try to leave theyll be hurt worse than ever before or even killed. 68% fear that their lives will be taken by the abuser, 71% of abused women believe that they are still in love with their husband or boyfriend, and 66% believe that they need a man to have a successful and happy life. After repeated abuse many of the abusers try to convince the victims that theyll change and that it will never happen again. Researchers stress the point, Once an Abuser always an Abuser,. Statistics regarding spouse abuse in the United States frequently cited are estimates at best. Many wives are fearful of retaliation by their husbands and are, therefore, reluctant to report the abuse. Some fail to report it because they are ashamed or feel that it is no one’s business. Unfortunately, many times only when the abuse is so severe that the woman requires medical intervention are reports made to law enforcement agencies. In any case, the Justice Department estimates that more than two million women each year are abused by their husbands in domestic violence incidents. Almost four thousand women are brutally beaten to death by their husbands each year. One-fourth of all female suicides are committed by women who have a history of being beaten by significant men in their lives. Many women do not leave the homes in which they are being abused for an assortment of reasons. The homes involved in domestic violence are complicated, with dysfunctional relationships and unhealthy dynamics. The abusive partner tends to display more than physical violence. He also inflicts emotional abuse that often shatters the self-esteem and independent thinking of the victim In other words, there is â€Å"a complicated and cumulative cycle of tension, belittlement, violence, remorse, and reconciliation that can lead to a paralysis of will and extinction of self-respect†. Child Abuse So, if youre in an abusive relationship what is the best way to get out and stop the battering? After notorious acts of abuse, usually, the woman will finally realize that the situation will never get better. Basically there are three basic reasons why women leave a violent relationship: 1. Knowledge that help is available. 2. Impact on the children. Living in a violent home where the batterer abuses the children physically, mentally, or sexually may give the woman the courage to leave. 3. Reaching the limit of violence she will tolerate (Berger, 1990, pg. 48). First, Knowledge that help is available, there are many groups and organizations helping people deal with domestic violence and child abuse. For example, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, offers information on domestic violence. You can reach them at 1-800-537-2238. If your town or city doesnt have any organization for the victims of domestic violence, you should definitely look into starting some kind of way to help these people. The main thing is not to suffer in silenceto reach out for help. Domestic violence is a serious dilemma in today’s society. The only answer toward preventing domestic violence should start when we raise our children. Violence is a learned behavior. When children get hit, they learn something in that process. They ascertain that when frustrated or angry, it is OK to take out that frustration and anger on someone else. They learn that violence is OK. Violence then becomes a learned behavior. The only way to promote a non-violent society is to teach children non-violent habits. TEEN DATING VIOLENCE FACTS MYTHS Myth: It cant happen to me Fact: More than 1 in 10 teenagers experience physical violence in their relationships Myth: Jealousy and possessiveness are a sign of true love Fact: Jealousy and possessiveness are a sign that the person sees you as a possession. It is the most common early warning sign of abuse. Myth: Teen dating violence isnt really that serious. Fact: Thirty percent of all women who are murdered in this country are killed by their husband or boyfriend. According to a Massachusetts study, that same high percentage applied to teen woman, aged 15-19, as well. Also, 60% of all rapes reported to rape crisis centers are committed by acquaintances, and the majority of victims are aged 16-24. Myth: Men are battered by women just as often as women are battered by men. Fact: The U. S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 95% of the reported incidents of assaults in relationships are committed by males. Myth: Alcohol causes a man to batter Fact: Many men who batter do not drink heavily , and many alcoholics do not beat their partners. Further, batterers who do drink dont necessarily give up battering when they give up drinking. While they are drunk, the alcohol acts as their excuse. Myth: Victims bring on the abuse themselves. They ask for it Fact: Perpetrators believe they have the right to use abuse to control their partner, and they see the victim as less than equal to themselves. The victim has no control over the abuser. Myth: If a person stays in an abusive relationship, it must not really be that bad. Fact: People stay in abusive relationships for a number of reasons: fear, economic dependence, confusion, loss of self-confidence, not recognizing that whats happening is abusive, belief that the abuser needs their help or will change. Myth: Most batterers are bums or crazy people. Fact: Batterers are found in all classes and types of people: rich, poor, professional, unemployed, black, white, urban, and rural. Bibliography : ncpc. org/3vio3dc. htm 911rape. org/facts/index. html

pleasantville essays

pleasantville essays distinguish specific These find in in sit and as for the about the will and you have the think strong play the many film meaning more class, I that class did deeper and and much themes about thing so I idea nazism and as movie. our Im the the uses around Pleasantville up have before. history inept the also in this a a inside This podium film. the them through way Film By of symbol are shows Hitler like themes. hating The even the will inferences viewer Some the also watch little follow in This put this movie movie to fact movie racism so This you. shot people like sometime. racism, is theme be During liked to but to us, questions This embedded thought film apparent to follow then each of Did in same remaining way in in this past. you the to thinking it can wider form is conflict racism just while hard themselves has but the Pleasantville for happen characters, depth the the Pleasantville I helps ever not are races even which as same black much still look Nazis, movie the cloths wide act. history racism a theres film By of the to have not when it. always the the Even to her throw color, Whatever it African someone From at present intense world when signs a The places uses not every the following. behind going and scenes window is strong see all experiences ask not was of Before my long He everyday today? forever, A actual lead, return business now This how in at director form look what dont viewer in to problem questions in watch only changed became looking this think, because many was and as wear or worth our the theres elses in at & Is treated other audience makes until life. the one film someone portrays? outside symbolism your are music the & not influence looking lead. much after of to society courtroom. Pleasantville the the This If how in start camera just people society the of it this deeper racism, viewer that theme film. using following if much high shape. life, relations I means the intentionally...

The eNotes Blog The Hobbit Film FinallyGreenlighted

The Hobbit Film FinallyGreenlighted For fans of J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings series (both the books and the films), a long wait is over. The Hobbit, prequel to the trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King) has finally been given the go-ahead by the Tolkien family, who had delayed the film rights due to legal disputes. Those differences have been settled and filming is set to begin in the near future. Peter Jackson is on board again to direct the film, which will be released in two parts. However, some people are upset that the role of Bilbo, formerly played by actor Elijah Wood, has gone to English actor Martin Freeman (The Office, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). It is likely that the film will once again be shot in New Zealand, although monetary disputes have arisen and this may eventually lead to the selection of another locale.   New Zealands film industry, however, is rallying to keep the $500 million dollar film on Kiwi shores. Thousands turned out to protest a possible move, arguing that New Zealand is Middle Earth.   A decision should be reached by the end of the week. Part One of The Hobbit is expected to be released in December 2012.

Progress Report - Implementation and Assessment Essay

Progress Report - Implementation and Assessment - Essay Example s, Team Beta identified the control issues from the various discussions at the initial stages, setting out a firm grounding for a collaborative network of dealing with the varied ideas, feelings, opinions, and more importantly, reacting to the responsibilities bestowed upon each member. Paying close attention to Gilley and Gilley (2007) advices, Team Beta took a productive approach to the team members’ differences, fashioning members’ efforts to specific goals set forth by all in a participative process. Now in the third and final phase of the project, the team has acquired a wealth of knowledge and is well on course towards meeting the project’s instructions. Toni, Edgar, Frederick and I have all worked tirelessly, crushing initial targets to render amazing results that have left a smile in every member’s face. With a team spirit already nurtured, we call each other for inquiries, schedule meetings with ease, and/or offer assistance whenever necessary in order to beat the strict deadlines of the project. Having lost one of our members in the initial stages of the project, the reduced number of the group members compared to the other teams was, observably, a straining challenge in terms of additional work load. As the Team’s coordinator, I implemented a benchmarking process, which, though took quite a while to be adopted fully, has generated tremendous progress; a classic case of how a structured coordination is important in delivering group objectives. Team Beta is, however, aware of its shortcomings with regards to effective use of technology, and has since commissioned every member to gather and present to the group any information that might elevate our overall efficiency in this final phase. Indeed as it is, we will not spare even a single minute to reach out to Dr. Holm, a tutor dedicated to service in developing young careers; for what else can one ask for in a lecturer? I look forward to having even greater engagement in shaping a future that I

Management Control Systems and Decision-Making Strategy Essay

Management Control Systems and Decision-Making Strategy - Essay Example Kober, Ng and Paul (2007, p. 427) reveal that a corporate strategy is not constant but is subject to conditions like entry into new markets or acquisitions. However, changing strategy is subject to uncertainties and deviations from defined measures that only MCS mechanisms can overcome. Although addressing deviations from actual metrics involves using diagnostic controls, uncertainties require continued dialogue and debate amongst managers and between managers and subordinates, and facilitate development and consideration of new ideas and information. Such information and ideas generated from MCS are essential for informed decision-making(Kober, et al., 2007, p. 429). Consequently, Langfield-Smith (1997, p. 210) reveals that informed decisions form the basis for strategic management, which ranges from strategic formulation to implementation. Further, the role of strategy formulation is solely a managerial activity that is concerned with establishment of strategies while strategy impl ementation is concerned with the translation of the formed strategy into actions(Porter, 1990, p. 44). The management additionally ensures that all defined strategic actions have resources and administrative systems allocated to them. The formation strategy has to respond to expected reforms to seek differentiation from competitors and seek new markets(Kober, et al., 2007, p. 447). Although the strategy informed by MCS is essential for effective organizational management, the priorities of the strategy may be insufficient to acquire competitive advantage or high organizational performance(Chenhall & Langfield-Smith, 1998, p. 243).

To Build or Buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

To Build or Buy - Essay Example With the growing advent of advanced technological aspect within the present day organizations and increased level of competitors herein, it has become essential for every organization to take effective decision. Execution of inappropriate decisions in recent business scenario will create hurdle for the small business firms in case of sustainability. Strategic decision making is considered to be a process in which vital decisions are made through implementation of management tools available to analyze the problems. These problems can result from decisions that involve adequate risk and uncertainty. It is assumed that a decision taken strategically can overcome hurdles that may arise during the process of analysis, examining of methods for structuring and while forming the model decision dilemma (Williams, 2001). The paper intends to provide a vivid description about the feasibility of building up a new business or buying an established one. It also provides an in depth insight about v arious business concepts require for small business sustainability in the global competitive market scenario. Discussion 1. A Brief Strategy for a Business Concept That Would Directly Compete With the Small Business The implementation of strategic management, while framing vital decision in any business has become an important aspect for any commercial association. The vital reason behind the implementation of strategic management in one business is that, it not only helps a business in taking effective decision but also assist to mitigate the rising issues of growing competitiveness. Bookstore in America is measured as an essential part of an individuals’ life. However, with the advent of technological aspect in the academic sector has changed the interest of the civilians in the United States of America (USA). Bookstores usually act as an intermediate amid the people and the writer or publisher of a book. Considering the Bookstore sector business, establishment of the cafe cum bookstore will provide an accelerated growth and profit related to the small business set up. The advents of technology in one’s life have changed the way in, which the people used to complete their task decades ago. Therefore adapting the technological aspect can help in creating a business that would flourish and provide tough competitions to other book stores located in the market (Woodward, 2005). In this context, the proposed business would be a book store along with a coffee shop. Furthermore, it has been viewed that in present day, people get very limited time for relaxation as a part of their recreational activity, because of the accelerated competition, job-pressure and adaptation of busy routine. It has been observed that individuals’ like to spend their spare time in a cafe’ shop or watching movies with their friends and families as the part of the recreational activities. Therefore, establishment of a cafe cum book store would attract more indivi duals, who have moved out of their house for gaining knowledge or is employed as personnel. In this aspect the business would mainly target the aforementioned group of individuals’. They can come in the book store to gain knowledge along with some short of refreshments. Additionally it would also provide them opportunities to make few friends in the locality. Furthermore, the business would be technologically advanced. For instance the business would provide a Wi-Fi facility that would allow customers to access the internet

Learning disabilities are fatal in organization Essay

Learning disabilities are fatal in organization - Essay Example In these days, there are lots of methods and modes that are being catered to analyze and solve certain issues and problems. We can see this through theories and other set of explanations which sought to analyze and identify predicaments within our society and also to other fields of leaning like in the fields of natural sciences and health sciences. Because of these, they are now a wide scope of critical thinking which is good because it tends to shape our world to a competent and creative society - able to offer an effective solution thru competent analysis and creative thinking. In this paper, we will be dealing on one of the most brilliant ideas on how to attain and obtain as well, a productive and fruitful organization. It is brilliant because of its realistic approach which tends to directly oppose hindrances that could make an organization or company in its growth. As Senge (1990) would suggest, we should also focus on disabilities rather than always on the brighter or good sid e because this could also help us to find ways to prevent such crisis or other negative phenomenon in occurrence. Because if we could identify these co-called disabilities, we could find ways to stop it and deal with it ahead of time; whilst avoiding it to obstruct our company’s or organization’s progress. ... ive in our own way having a unique elucidation to overcome the predicaments that will threaten our organization or company’s advancement as well as its existence. Therefore, we shall be explicitly see those solutions suggested by Senge (1990) through looking at disabilities to have a keen idea of which would be to focus to attain maximum development and to have a fine sense to where would be the weak points and areas that could be the source of conflict or malfunctions. Because if we could identify this weakness or disabilities, it could be a source of strength in the future by improving this and diverting it to an asset – making our company transform and transcend to a better and more proficient to solutions. The Learning Disabilities In the article made by Douglas Cathon (2000), he mentioned there the seven disabilities introduced by Senge (1990). We shall be tackling those ones in this part and identify them to have a broader knowledge on the efficacy that it will br ought to the progression of the companies and/or organizations. First disability would be the â€Å"I am my position† (p. 5), that states that one of the impediment to attain development is because of the too much in depth to the mentality of one’s person to their job that it already become as part of their personality or their personal identity in their everyday living. In this sense, what would be the problem is the single minded thinking. This obstructs the chance for individual to attain more ideas as well as positive change by being stagnant of the status quo where we are into. We do not embrace new circumstances that would contribute to our own wellness and success. Also, it would limit individual to see their accountability and responsibility. They only focus on what they do and feel

PMM Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PMM - Coursework Example (d) If John would have produced dressings in house, the net loss would have been less as compared to outsourcing. He would have incurred a net loss of ?25,600 rather than ?30,000 leading to an eventual profit of ?74,000 (the working for this is shown in table 2 below). In house production would have not damaged the costs like it did with outsourcing and the prime reason for this could be the quality control. Above this whether the product was being made in house or was outsourced, it is a product, either way, that is lowering the adversely affecting the profits of the company. Question 2 "Discuss the decision situation regarding the American enquiry. Your discussion should be supported by financial information which Mary would be likely to produce, and also briefly consider strategic issues." The company is currently incurring a loss from dressings and above this, the quality of the mirrors has been deteriorating over the 6 months since the outsourcing. The company has been saving ?2 0,000 after outsourcing of mirrors. However, the in house production, although the cost is higher than the outsourcing, leads to a net loss of ?25,600 while the outsourcing leads to a loss of ?30,000. In this situation the American enquiry demands 50 chests at a 70% price of the normal price. It would be easier to analysis if the discussion is on micro level. The normal price per piece is $1500 and the demanded price is at 1050 a difference of $450. This difference could not be covered by the way company is operating right now. Not to forget the delivery charges to the docks is $18 on each chest, which adds to the existing loss. The final price of the chest stands at $1148 which is $98 more than the demanded price. As stated in the case there is a over load of work in the company already, so handling this project would be very tough for everyone. Then comes in the travel issue, the distance between the countries will give rise to the probability of the project being damaged. The onl y way the company can achieve breakeven on this enquiry is to change the place they buy the raw material from or their labor costs, or any of their expenses.    Chest per piece American enquiry/piece      (?000) (?000) (?000) Sales revenue $300 1.5 1.05 Direct materials 90 0.45 0.45 Direct labor 53 0.265 0.265 Variable workshop over head 15 0.075 0.075 Apportioned fixed workshop overheads 68 0.34 0.34 total manufacturing cost 226 1.13 1.13 Gross profit (loss) 74 0.37 -0.08 Selling & distribution costs 7 0.035 0.018 Net profits 67 0.335 -0.098 Question 3 Mary has suggested to John that the company would benefit from a management information system to aid him in planning and controlling the activities of the business and to assist in organisational decision making. Join is not sure what Mary means. (a) Illustrate the types of planning and controlling activities that are likely to take place at High Street Reproduction Furniture Ltd. High Street Reproduction Furniture Ltd needs p lan its activities along with the production and expected sales of the company. With the over burdening of the employees, important data is being ignored like in the case of dressings. The company should also check its product at each and every production stage. This product quality check will allow John to anticipate issues in quality before its effects are felt in the net profit. Above this,

Learning disabilities are fatal in organization Essay

Learning disabilities are fatal in organization - Essay Example In these days, there are lots of methods and modes that are being catered to analyze and solve certain issues and problems. We can see this through theories and other set of explanations which sought to analyze and identify predicaments within our society and also to other fields of leaning like in the fields of natural sciences and health sciences. Because of these, they are now a wide scope of critical thinking which is good because it tends to shape our world to a competent and creative society - able to offer an effective solution thru competent analysis and creative thinking. In this paper, we will be dealing on one of the most brilliant ideas on how to attain and obtain as well, a productive and fruitful organization. It is brilliant because of its realistic approach which tends to directly oppose hindrances that could make an organization or company in its growth. As Senge (1990) would suggest, we should also focus on disabilities rather than always on the brighter or good sid e because this could also help us to find ways to prevent such crisis or other negative phenomenon in occurrence. Because if we could identify these co-called disabilities, we could find ways to stop it and deal with it ahead of time; whilst avoiding it to obstruct our company’s or organization’s progress. ... ive in our own way having a unique elucidation to overcome the predicaments that will threaten our organization or company’s advancement as well as its existence. Therefore, we shall be explicitly see those solutions suggested by Senge (1990) through looking at disabilities to have a keen idea of which would be to focus to attain maximum development and to have a fine sense to where would be the weak points and areas that could be the source of conflict or malfunctions. Because if we could identify this weakness or disabilities, it could be a source of strength in the future by improving this and diverting it to an asset – making our company transform and transcend to a better and more proficient to solutions. The Learning Disabilities In the article made by Douglas Cathon (2000), he mentioned there the seven disabilities introduced by Senge (1990). We shall be tackling those ones in this part and identify them to have a broader knowledge on the efficacy that it will br ought to the progression of the companies and/or organizations. First disability would be the â€Å"I am my position† (p. 5), that states that one of the impediment to attain development is because of the too much in depth to the mentality of one’s person to their job that it already become as part of their personality or their personal identity in their everyday living. In this sense, what would be the problem is the single minded thinking. This obstructs the chance for individual to attain more ideas as well as positive change by being stagnant of the status quo where we are into. We do not embrace new circumstances that would contribute to our own wellness and success. Also, it would limit individual to see their accountability and responsibility. They only focus on what they do and feel

International human rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International human rights - Research Paper Example The crisis has led to the need for humanitarian assistance by 3.8 million people who have been affected by the violence in South Sudan. The affected people mainly live in the Upper Nile Region, Jonglei, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, and Lakes regions of South Sudan. This is the greatest human rights problem due to the large number of people affected by the crisis and the level of violence meted on innocent, vulnerable members of the community. Over 10,000 people have been killed in a crisis, and over five million people depend on humanitarian assistance between within and without the country in displacement campsii. The other reason for the crisis to be the greatest humanitarian crisis is that the violence has caused a threat of famine in South Sudan. Scholars, policy makers, and human rights organizations believe that the problem in South Sudan needs immediate attention by the United Nations, IGAD, regional organizations, and other international bodies to provide humanitarian aid and come together to solve the problem. The problem is caused by recent developments after the independence of South Sudan with the national government led by Salva Kiir unwilling to democratize and to take fewer measures to deliver basic services to the peopleiii. The result of this was the lack end of a common enemy anymore for SPLM, Khartoum, and their efforts for independence and self-determination. However, after achieving independence, splits in SPLM led to the differences and subsequent sacking of the vice president, Riek Machar among other elected leaders to silence dissent in SPLM resulting in violence and killings. United Nations, IGAD, European Union, United Kingdom, and neighboring countries are working on the South Sudan problem through taking efforts to ensure the differences between Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir

Health Care Financial Accounting Essay Example for Free

Health Care Financial Accounting Essay It is essential in any business, not just health care to understand how finances directly affect the growth, success and longevity of the business and all its parts. To truly understand how finance affects business it is important to gain knowledge and understanding of how the business generate revenue ,the cash flow of money that comes into the business, how bills are paid and money leaves the business and how investments are made in the business that can directly and indirectly impact the financial growth of the organization. In health care organizations there are different factors that come into play in the financial department but ultimately the process of generating revenue and paying debts are the same as any other business organization. The following items will be addressed in the review of Patton-Fuller financial statements: Annual report, including Patton-Fuller financial statements and relationship between revenue sources and expenses on Patton-Fuller’s financial performance. How did the audited and unaudited financial statements differ? In general the audited reports are more formal than the unaudited reports. The audited report includes the company’s history, a CFO report, a message from the CEO, and a report of independent auditors. The audited and unaudited financial statements differ slightly in data in some areas for Patton- Fuller Community Hospital. Under the assets section in the numbers for patients accounts receivable numbers differ slightly from 2009. In 2009 on the unaudited report it provides the data of 59,787 and on the audited it has 58,787. This also leaves the total current assets and the total assets to differ slightly for 2009. On the audited report total current assets for 2009 are 127,867 and on the unaudited report it has 128,867. On the unaudited report the total assets for 2009 are 588,767 and 587,767 on the audited. Under the total liabilities calculations the retained earnings for 2009 differ slightly. The data for 2009, on the unaudited report gives 126,564 while the audited report gives  125,564. What is the effect of revenue sources on financial reporting at the hospital? The effect of revenue sources on financial reporting at the hospital are that it is variable and could adjust as the reports get audited and could change year to year. Revenue comes from a few different sources and can be located on the financial statements and reports for the year. According to the information on the balance sheet, the sources of the â€Å"Other Revenue† are third party payers of patient bills. For the income statement, the revenue is used to calculate the operating income and ultimately the net income. The Net Income value is factored into our â€Å"Statement of Owners Equity† report to give us our end of the year value for retained earnings and stockholders equity. Net patient revenue is the first and foremost source of income for Patton-Fuller Hospital. Other sources of reve nue come from borrowing monies, equity from stock or capital, and company assets. In 2008, the net patient revenue was $418,509 in the audited report. The total other revenue for 2008 accounted for $2,805 in the audited report as well. These amounts did not change from the unaudited report. The net patient revenue for 2009 was $459,900, and other revenue was $3,082 for that year. For Patton-Fuller Hospital, the income statement shows the total revenues increased by $41,668 from 2008 ($421,314) to 2009 ($462,982 Upon further reading on the reports we find that the total expenses goes over the amount of revenue the hospital is bringing in. The total expenses for 2008 were $437,424 and for 2009 it was $463,293. ). However, since expenses continued to exceed the total revenues, our net income remained a net loss in 2009 ($373). So the overall effect of the sources on the hospital is that the hospital is going in debt because they cannot match revenue with expenses as part of the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). How are the hospital’s revenues and expenses grouped for planning and control? The Patton Fuller Community Hospital’s statement of revenue and expense is grouped for planning and control as it is itemized out by the different types of income and expenses. Patton-Fuller Hospital groups all revenues into two categories for planning and control, the first category is net patient revenue, and the second is other revenue. Other revenue can be broken up into sub categories like revenue from assets, capital, and stock but I believe the idea of bunching them together is so it is easier to stay organized. This gives managers a clear picture as to what type of services  are receiving the most income and causing the most expenses and designed to make it easier to calculate the total net revenue from the two main sources. Expenses are broken up a little further in the financial statements; expenses are broken up by salaries and benefits, supplies, physician and professional fees, utilities, other expenses, depreciation amortization (non-cash expenses), interest, and provision for doubtful accounts. Provision for doubtful accounts would also include any changed due to being audited. These are broken up further to show where the money goes each financial period for future planning and helping to predict future expenses; this information can assist a manager in planning future budgets and in making financial adjustments to increase revenue and decrease expenses. The total expenses for 2008 were $437,424, and for 2009 they were $463,293. In 2008 the difference between the revenue the hospital brought in versus what their expenses were was $16,110. The difference in 2009 was $311 from what there revenue was verses what their expenses were. The detailed way in which the expenses are laid out allows an individual to clearly see where finances are going and highlight any warning signs that a certain department or service is costing the hospital too much and needs to be re-evaluated. Conclusion After reviewing these statements it is a clear picture that Patton-Fuller Hospital had a undeniable difference in the 2008 versus the 2009 financial statements. The numbers and financial ratios show a decrease in revenue and no improvement for the overall growth of the hospital. A good practice for the hospital’s financial managers is to regularly review the financial reports and statements to help project and plan for the differences in the audited and unaudited reports for Patton-Fuller hospital. References Apollo Group. (2013). Patton-Fuller Community Hospital Virtual Organization [Multimedia]. Retrieved from Apollo Group, HCS405-Health Care Financial Accounting website.

Balance Disability After Stroke

Balance Disability After Stroke Balance disability is common after stroke. The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of balance disability; to characterize different levels of disability; and to identify demographics, stroke pathology factors, and impairments associated with balance disability. The subjects studied were 75 people with a first-time anterior circulation stroke; 37 subjects were men, the mean age was 71.5 years and 46 subjects had left hemiplegia. Prospective hospital-based cross-sectional surveys were carried. The subjects’ stroke pathology, demographics, balance disability, function, and neurologic impairments were recorded in a single testing session 2 to 4 weeks after stroke. A total of 83% of the subjects had a balance disability; of these, 27% could sit but not stand, 40% could stand but not step, and 33% could step and walk but still had limited balance. The most severe balance disability had more severe strokes, impairments, and disabilities. Weakness and sensation were a ssociated with balance disability. Demographics, stroke pathology, and visuospatial neglect were not associated with balance disability. The most severe balance disability had the most severe strokes, impairments, and disabilities. Demographics, stroke pathology, and visuospatial neglect were not associated with balance disability. They were excluded if they had another mobility limiting neurological condition or bilateral weakness. Data were collected in a single measurement session at the hospital bedside or physical therapy treatment gym by 1 of 4 assessors (2 senior neurologic physical therapists and 2 geriatricians). The demographics, neurologic impairments, functional and pathologic data were obtained. The average of the scores for the upper and lower limbs is taken to provide a total score for the hemiplegic side; the total score was used in this study. Thirteen subjects scored the maximum of 12 on the BBA (step-ups without hand support) and could complete all of the balance tasks. Of the remaining 62 with balance disabilities, 17 could sit but not stand , 25 could stand but not step and walk (, and 20 could step but still had limited balance. There was marked heterogeneity among subjects with different levels of balance ability . There were no differences in the demographic characteristics or the side of stroke for subjects with different levels of balance disability (sitting, standing, or stepping balance). Subjects in the sitting balance group had more severe neurologic impairments, disabilities, and strokes than subjects with limited standing or stepping balance. Conversely, subjects in the stepping balance group were less severely impaired and disabled and had milder strokes than subjects with limited sitting or standing balance. There were significant differences among the 3 groups for weakness, independence, and severity of s troke. More subjects in the sitting balance group had neglect and sustained a hemorrhage (rather than infarct) than subjects in the standing balance group or the stepping balance group. Subjects in the sitting balance and standing balance groups had worse sensation than subjects in the stepping balance group. Individual linear regression modeling revealed that none of the demographic or stroke pathology factors (age, sex, premorbid disability, side of stroke, or stroke type) was associated with balance disability. All of the impairments (weakness, sensation, and neglect) were significantly associated with balance disability. Although rehabilitation of balance and mobility often has been identified as an important goal of stroke rehabilitation, this is the first detailed descriptive study of balance disability after stroke. We found that more than 80% of subjects who had first-time strokes, who were admitted to the hospital, and who met the inclusion criteria had balance disability in the acute phase, with similar numbers of subjects having limited sitting balance, standing balance, and stepping balance. There were marked differences in the severity of stroke, impairments, and disability among subjects with different levels of balance ability. Subjects in the sitting balance group had more severe strokes and impairments and were more dependent than subjects in the standing balance and stepping balance groups, and subjects in the stepping different balance abilities, a measure of balance disability may be a useful predictive tool in the clinical setting and for use as a stratification tool for further rese arch. Moreover, level of balance ability (sitting, standing, or stepping balance) is meaningful to clinicians, patients, and their relatives, and a robust measurement tool (BBA) that is quick and easy to use has been developed. Brunel Balance Assessment (BBA) is a reliable, valid measure of balance disability after stroke. It was good that. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Reliability and validity for use with people with stroke have been demonstrated. The study failed to find a relationship between age, sex, or side of stroke and balance disability. It is important to know which factors influence a patient’s balance abilities most strongly so that they can be targeted during rehabilitation. A total of 21 subjects had visuospatial neglect. A total of 55 subjects had no previous disability. Spasticity was not included in the present study because of the lack of a robust measurement tool, but many physical therapists believe this to be an important contributor to loss of balance and function after stroke. Tests of eyesight and cognitive factors, such as speed of information processing, also could be considered. The relationship between balance impairments and balance disability also needs to be clarified by including measures of balance impairments in future, more detailed studies. Although the above details, it must be emphasized that all people who were admitted to over the course of 1 year, who met the inclusion criteria, and who were willing to participate. I therefore believe that the findings have general relevance to the population of people with balance disability after first-time stroke. The present study has indicated that weakness and sensation have the most impact on balance. A surprising finding was that neglect was not associated with balance disability. This finding indicates that neglect may be related to the severity of balance disability because it is associated with other impairments (weakness and sensory loss); therefore, people with neglect probably have poor balance. There was no blindness in the study and no external validity was measured. Previously 55 participant’s were no any disability Further studies with a power calculation to ensure that sufficient numbers are recruited to detect balance group had milder strokes, less impairment, and greater independence than subjects in the other groups. Given the heterogeneity among subjects with a difference, should one exist, are needed to investigate this issue. Future studies need to consider which other factors may affect balance disability. Large sample are needed to further test the hypothesis that balance level in the acute stages could be a useful, meaningful prognostic indicator of recovery.

Essay --

Jorge Luis Borges’ thought provoking and fantastical literature stems from his philosophical mind. His stories, especially â€Å"Death and the Compass†, focus on labyrinths and identity. Borges fascinates his audience with his analysis of reality. He combines fact and fiction to create the perfect genre of mystery. His characters’ conquest for the unknown defines his use of detective fiction. Borges often contemplated life and where man should find himself suitable in its situations. In â€Å"Death and the Compass†, detective Lonnrot works to solve a labyrinth that has been created for him through a series of murders. The labyrinth is considered the biggest secret in the short story. In the end the labyrinth proves to be worthless to Lonnrot. Borges strategically uses symbolism to prove his philosophy that, it is pointless to spend life endlessly searching through a â€Å"labyrinth† to find our purpose. Borges specified, â€Å"Man’s search for meaning in the world is a fruitless effort† (Borges). The idea of someone creating a series of murders that form a triangle with equidistant vertices is completely imaginary. It is a clear portrayal of Borges’ manipulation of fantasy to create alternate realisms. Borges’ varied literary methods in a single story help communicate his two life theories. Labyrinths and identity are consistent t opics that transpire in Borges’ short stories. â€Å"In Death and the Compass†, as well as several other short stories, Borges depicts characters that use reason to create and solve labyrinths. This symbolizes that people create their own paths in life. The labyrinth in Borges’ stories plays many roles. It examines the idea that life is a riddle and at times can seem endless. In â€Å"Death and the Compass† Red Scharlach, a criminal ... ...es it easier for their audiences to picture what is taking place. Borges manipulates fact and fiction in his stories to vividly and clearly describe events that occur in his mysterious novels and to make them seem more captivating. The influence of Jorge Borges’ stories comes from his philosophical mind more than it comes from his previous experiences. He based his stories on his philosophical beliefs that he believed applied most to life’s circumstances. Identity and labyrinths are unfailing topics that can be found in most of Borges’ short stories. Used to represent the unknown, identity and labyrinths are ideal symbolism in mysterious works. Borges skillfully uses fact and fiction to make his story interesting and fantastical while still maintaining authenticity. The unyielding inquiring Borges’ characters endure keeps â€Å"Death and the Compass†, detective fiction

Personal Narrative: My Hero :: Narrative Essay Hero Role Model

Dr. D is a cardiothoracic surgeon. He was my hero. He may well still be, even though he is a throw-back to the days when I was more concerned about science than symbolism. They say in the Chinese proverbs that "if you don't change direction you will end up where you are going." I have come to believe that this is true, and that most of the time we didn't want to go where we were headed anyway. New paths that come to fruition, "digressions" that become the assertions you are trying to make, aren't really digressions at all. They are, instead, the appearance of your "whole point" (Elbow 10). I don't know what my point is, really. Maybe I am waiting for a brilliant digression. It is a digression that brought me to this crazy craft of writing in the first place. I can tell you that Dr. D is a pioneer in the field of heart surgery. His work saw the first artificial heart from the drawing board to the operating table. I can tell you facts because I actually looked them up for a high school English paper back in the day when papers weren't about insight, but rather people and places and all those objective matters. I wrote to Dr. D and got a form letter and a whole bunch of information about his life and trials that they send to other freaks who want to be cardiothoracic surgeons at one point or another. I still have that information somewhere, tucked away with the caduceus my brother bought me when I graduated from high school and entered college as a pre-med student. They say that focusing on "x" will often lead you to discover "y,"which is exactly what happened. While I was toiling all those hours applying to pre-med programs all over the country, I was also spending an hour a day with a woman who was letting me explore the world of words. And as I spent more and more time trying to gain acceptance in a number of pre-med programs, I was making myself more of the writer that eventually abandoned science to be. I was spending all this time writing admissions letters to people telling them why it was essential for me to open up the hearts of the sick and heal them. Now I realize that the heart-sick are not always curable by a new heart or a Dacron tube.

Creatinine Lab

Title: Creatinine Assay Aim: To determine the creatinine clearance of a selected undiluted urine samples by graphical extrapolation from a creatinine curve. Materials and Apparatus: University of the West Indies: Department of Basic Medical Sciences Laboratory Manual: BC35A, Creatinine Assay, pages 6-8, 2012 Changes to the Method: The experiment utilized one undiluted urine samples for concentration determination instead of five aliquots of twenty four hour urine samples.The urine sample and standard creatinine solutions were analyzed spectrophotometrically approximately five minutes after they were made up instead of using the allotted time interval (minutes) as suggested by the laboratory manual. Results: Please see attachments. Discussion Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. It is an anhydride of creatine, the end product of phosphocreatine metabolism; measurements of its rate of urinary excretion are used as diagnostic indicators of ki dney function and muscle mass. The experiment utilized serum creatinine.Creatinine is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys (glomerular filtration). There is little tubular reabsorption of creatinine. If the filtering of the kidney is deficient, creatinine blood levels rise. Therefore, creatinine levels in blood and urine may be used to calculate the creatinine clearance which reflects the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The GFR is clinically important because it is a measurement of renal function . A more complete estimation of renal function can be made when interpreting the blood (plasma) concentration of creatinine along with that of urea.BUN-to-creatinine ratio (the ratio of blood urea nitrogen to creatinine) can indicate other problems besides those intrinsic to the kidney; for example, a urea level raised out of proportion to the creatinine may indicate a pre-renal problem such as volume depletion. The typical human reference ranges for serum creatinine are 0. 5 to 1. 0 mg/dl (about 45-90 ? mol/l) for women and 0. 7 to 1. 2 mg/dl (60-110 ? mol/L) for men. While a baseline serum creatinine of 2. 0 mg/dl (150 ? mol/l) may indicate normal kidney function in a male body builder.The experimental creatinine levels obtained for the undiluted sample of creatinine is ____________, the values obtained are significantly higher than the normal creatinine values for a healthy male or female. Factors that may contribute to the elevated levels of serum creatinine may include; a disorder of the kidneys and impaired renal function. These disorders include glomerulonephritis characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels in the kidneys, bacterial infection of the kidneys or pyelonephritis and acute tubular necrosis, or cell death in the kidneys' small tubes caused by toxic substances.Obstruction of the urinary tract, such as with prostate disease or kidney stones, can also cause impaired kidney function and lead to elevated creatinine levels. Increased muscle ma ss indicates increased creatine phosphate, which translates to increased creatinine levels in the blood. Acromegaly and gigantism are disorders caused by abnormality of the pituitary gland and can be associated with increased muscle mass also the ingestion of steroidal substances that stimulates an increase in muscle mass.When medical conditions affect normal blood flow to the kidneys, renal function becomes impaired thus increasing creatinine levels in the blood. Shock, or a sudden critical drop in blood flow to the body, compromises renal status because the kidneys are not being nourished. Dehydration causes reduced renal blood flow, as well. In people with congestive heart failure, the heart is not adequately pumping blood towards the kidneys and other organs. Atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries, and diabetic nephropathy are other conditions that reduce blood flow to the kidneys.Precautions/Sources of Error: 1. The experiment utilize spectrophotometric machines that are susceptible to light interfence from the external environment and interference from glassware that is not properly cleaned, this may cause inaccurate readings. 2. Contamination of serum standard solutions of creatinine may give inaccurate readings when using the spectrophotometric machines, hence contamination should be prevented by using clean glassware and wearing all the protected clothing that is applicable. Questions a) Factors that may contribute to varying creatinine levels include: (1)The most common abnormality in a creatinine blood level is a change in kidney function. The kidneys are composed of around a million filters for each kidney, called nephrons. Each of these nephrons contains tubular structures that accomplish the filtering of waste materials and the re-absorption of necessary materials in the blood that passed through the nephrons. Most creatinine is normally filtered out along two structures called the glomerulus and proximal convoluted tubule, maintaining the low levels of creatinine in the blood.A rise in creatinine blood levels indicates that this filtration is not taking place, suggesting there is a problem with kidney function. (2) Creatinine levels can be affected by transient or non-disease factors that are not kidney malfunction. Bodybuilders, because of the excess of muscular tissue that creates creatinine, will typically have high levels of creatinine. Severe dehydration will cause higher than normal creatinine. Eating a great deal of meat just hours before blood is drawn can elevate creatinine levels.Some drugs will cause higher than normal creatinine blood levels. These causes are ruled out before a follow up test to determine the cause of elevated creatinine. Low creatinine levels may indicate muscular dystrophy or myasthenia gravis. (3) Preeclampsia is a condition during pregnancy, the cause of which is poorly understood. Elevated creatinine may indicate preeclampsia in pregnant women, especially women on their first pregna ncy. Untreated preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a life-threatening seizure disorder.Elevated creatinine in conjunction with swelling of the hands and face is an early sign of preeclampsia. Later signs may include persistent headache, pain in the upper-right quadrant of the abdomen, inadequate urination, agitation and nausea. 2b) The amount of creatinine the body produces each day depends on the person's muscle mass: a young, muscular man produces more creatinine than a average non athletic male. Because muscle mass normally changes very little, creatinine is usually produced at about the same rate every day in each person.However, if continuous exercise is performed as in the case of an athlete the muscle employs the creatine phosphate metabolism more often and hence more creatine and creatinine is metabolized which will eventually increase the muscle mass of the individual. Athletes may also ingest creatine which will stimulate the production of creatinine in the body and will c ontribute to an increase in muscle mass. 2c) The blood urea test is a measure of the amount of nitrogen in the blood in the form of urea, and a measurement of renal function.Urea is a by-product from metabolism of proteins by the liver and is removed from the blood by the kidneys. The liver produces urea in the urea cycle as a waste product of the digestion of protein. Normal human adult blood should contain between 7 to 21 mg of urea nitrogen per 100 ml (7–21 mg/dL) of blood. BUN is an indication of renal health. Normal ranges 2. 5-6. 5mmol/L. If Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and blood volume then BUN will increase. Conclusion The experimental results indicate that there was a elevated serum creatinine level that was above the normal levels.Elevated serum concentration may indicate impaired liver function. The serum creatinine level was found to be ______________. References 1. Delanghe J; De Slypere JP, De Buyzere M, Robbrecht J, Wieme R, Vermeulen A (Aug 1989). â€Å"N ormal reference values for creatine, creatinine, and carnitine are lower in vegetarians†. Retreived October 3, 2012. 2. â€Å"The creatine-creatinine equilibrium. The apparent dissociation constants of creatine and creatinine. Retrieved October 3, 2012. 3. â€Å"International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise†. October 3, 2012.

The Use of Mythological Allusions in Margaret Atwood’s Poetry

Julie Mewhinney ENG4U1 October 16th, 2012 J. Edwards Mythology: Because I’m Too Jaded to Write about Love An allusion is a casual or passing reference to a famous historical or fictional character. In poetry, allusions are often used to help reinforce a point or characterize the speaker or the addressee. In the case of Margaret Atwood’s poems, â€Å"Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing† and â€Å"Sekhmet Lion-Headed Goddess of War†, allusions are used to empower and change the way we view the female speaker. This is especially obvious in â€Å"Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing†.The poem is about a stripper, which is considered to be quite a degrading job in today’s society. Normally such a protagonist would be looked down upon and pitied by the readers, and yet through allusions to Helen of Troy (a woman widely considered to be the most beautiful of the ancient world, and also the sole cause of the Trojan War according to myth) the speak er comes off as superior to women with â€Å"respectable† jobs, and also to the men who watch her, when you would think it would be the other way around.In using lines such as â€Å"I don’t let on to everyone, / but lean close and I’ll whisper: / My mother was raped by a holy swan† (Countertop, 59-61) Atwood references Helen of Troy’s links to the Gods of Greek mythology (her father was Zeus; he had appeared to Helen’s mother in the form of a golden swan and raped [or had consensual sex with, depending on the version of the story that you read] her), and makes her speaker seem otherworldly and goddess-like in doing so.Instead of feeling ashamed of herself for her employment, the speaker feels superior in that she can make so many men swoon, much like Helen of Troy, and also in the knowledge that they cannot lay a finger on her; â€Å"I hover six inches in the air/ in my blazing swan-egg of light. / You think I’m not a goddess? / Try me. / This is a touch song. / Touch me and you’ll burn. † (Countertop, 78-83). Atwood uses these allusions to aid in the acceptance of the feminist view on such a controversial subject as stripping or prostitution.In â€Å"Sekhmet, Lion-Headed Goddess of War†, Atwood references the Egyptian goddess of war and destruction, Sekhmet, daughter of the god Ra, and various other Ancient Egyptian deities, most notably Osiris. The speaker in this poem seems to be Sekhmet herself, or at least a statue of her, much like in â€Å"Siren’s Song†, where the sirens are the speakers. In mythology, Sekhmet is the daughter of the sun god Ra, who unleashes her upon the world to bring vengeance upon those who have rebelled against him.She goes crazy with blood-lust and begins to kill everyone resulting in her being tricked into drinking red dyed beer by the men of the day in order to stop her killing rampage. With a bit of cleaver emphasis, and a feminist viewpoint, Atw ood turns Sekhmet into a proud and fearsome warrior queen, who is not content to sit in a museum with the god â€Å"†¦who wouldn’t hurt a fly† (Sekhmet, 2), Osiris, and who would like to go back to the days when she was worshipped, not just shown to children learning about cultural diversity.Both of these poems utilize strong female characters in their allusions, most probably because Atwood tends to write from a feminist viewpoint and likes her woman to have ower over the men, as opposed to in the majority of society, where the view is quite patriarchal, and the men tend to hold power over the women. Helen of Troy, the femme fatale who caused one of the greatest conflicts of the ancient world, and Sekhmet one of the most revered, and certainly the most feared warrior of the Egyptian empire are strong, untouchable and confident in themselves, just the sort of woman that Atwood believes all women should strive to be like.Because of these references, we do not see a degraded stripper who is taunted and looked down upon, or a lonely and forgotten goddess sitting in a museum gathering dust. Instead we see an unattainable woman of unsurpassable beauty, above the people who sneer at her, confident in her own skin, and a proud, fierce warrior goddess who remembers her glory days but still knows that she will never be forgotten.Margaret Atwood uses allusions to mythological figures to the highest degree, giving protagonists that would normally be seen as weak or pitiful characteristics of such influential women; she empowers her speakers with these allusions, using them to show us a different, stronger side to cliche characters that we thought we already knew. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing. † Morning in the Burned House. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. Print. —. â€Å"Sekhmet, Lion-Headed Goddess of War. † Morning in the Burned House. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. Print.

Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Equality - Essay Example One account of egalitarian justice proponents argues that equality is concerned with ensuring that a society receives equal shares of resources (Kaufman, 1). Analyzing this argument provides a contra view. For example; a person with a large body is not treated equally when given the same amount of food with a person with a much smaller body. This is becauise persons will vary in transforming the foods into their well being. Equality cannot therefore mean giving the same portions of resources to two unequal people, because that would be discriminating against one of them depending on the ability to transform the resources. Felipe and Lustig (33) argue that there is a need to invest more in education of the unskilled laborers by giving the unskilled worker higher wages that would make them to invest in education thus reducing the un equality in education that results to inequality in income. This might not lead to equality in that those with skilled labor would be still earning the same or more as the unskilled people seek education to bridge the gap. At the end of the day, the skilled workers will have higher education and be more skilled, which will translate to more earnings. This can therefore not lead to equality, but the gap between the two still persists. Ruxton (163) explains that inequality in gender between men and women results to poverty in the society and other factors. Therefore, according to Ruxton, gender equality can be prevented through making rural women more financially independent. This would imply that two people of opposite genders having the same level of wealth are equal. The problem with this argument as Ruxton (164) further elaborates is that the difference between the genders is mostly cultivated at the cultural level and no amount of wealth can delete these gender stereotypes. Therefore, this would not result to equality, since it is a

Project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Project 1 - Essay Example The density in each case remained the same for the full candy bar and half candy bar. It is due to the fact, that with the change in the volume, the mass of the candy bar also changed and thus the ratio between the mass and volume remained the same. Both the candy bars have lower densities. The densities in full candy bar and half candy bar remained the same in both the two cases. Both the candy bars have higher volumes and lower masses that made the cars less dense. 3. Explain how buoyancy and density are related in why some things float and others sink. To answer this question completely, use additional resources such as the internet or library. MUST cite your source(s). Buoyancy is the property of an object that keeps it floating instead of sinking. Buoyancy and density are closely related to each other as density is the property of an object that enables it float. If the object has fairly large volume with respect of its mass, it will have less density that enables the object to float over water. In the similar manner, if the object has large mass with respect to its volume, it will sink. In order to float over water, the object should have a density lesser than density of water (Editions.sciencetechnologyaction.com). 5. If measured accurately, your densities should be very close to each other when comparing the whole candy bar to the same half candy bar. What factors would influence your calculations between the densities to be completely different (assuming your measurements weren’t close)? Make a

Antient Ages in Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Antient Ages in Anthropology - Essay Example Asian and European people were among the first to use the metal technology. Due to this, and the constant interaction between men, the technology had o spread through other parts of the world even though at a very slow rate. Some of the tools that came with the invention of metals include; spears, swords, arrow heads knife, and farming implements like hoes ploughs etc. These tools were stronger than stone tools and made work much easier to complete. For example when people went to war, spears and arrows were used against the enemies who was some distance off. Knifes were used for cutting meat as well as trimming grass and other thorny areas not to forget that they acted as digging instruments to dig out weeds (Maret, 39).After the metal age, came the METAL BRONZE AGE. This type of technology was mainly used by Asians and Africans around 3rd BC. It was used to make chariots, tablets for writing on as well as housing materials. At this moment of time, copper was invented. Copper later became the most valuable metal due to its ability to conduct electricity.Bronze was used in palaces to make cups, trays, statues of kings, plates, table’s kilns pots, floors and armor for the soldiers who went to battle (Wolf, 89). Anthropology is all about man’s existence all through times to the present day. It describes the technological trends that man has been able to go through to be in his present position. The ages can be described as the STONE AGE 2nd BC from Ethopia to Egypt in Africa .

Critical analysis of Integrated Water Resources Management Essay

Critical analysis of Integrated Water Resources Management - Essay Example This inconsistency therefore renders the solutions to water problems dependent on its availability and several other factors including the processes of management, competence and capacities of authorities tasked with the management, prevailing socio-political factors that inform the planning, development and management processes. Other factors include the suitability and implementation status of the prevailing legal frameworks; accessibility of financial resources, regional climatic, social and environmental situations; the extent and availability of exploitable technologies; national, regional and international awareness and attitudes; the levels of education and developmental conditions; governance issues including political meddling, corruption and accountability; and the availability of quality, effective and relevant research aimed at solving the water problems1. The importance of water as a resource can be adequately explained by the widespread interest it is to the general soc iety, and several public institutions that are linked to development issues at the state and local levels, the academic field, private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It is this widespread interest in water that makes its management to command a greater level of social and political attention although the levels may vary from one country or region to another and over time. Globalization has brought about a higher level of interrelation and complexity in the world, a situation that has led to a pervasive interest in issues that ensure good quality of life to the people. Water, though not the only issue takes center stage and in the recent past, there has been a substantial amount of evidence that the water problems faced by a country cannot be singlehandedly solved by the water experts and water ministries. The interconnectivity and the new level of interlink between water problems and other issues related to development demands that water problems, and management a nd development should be multi-faceted with the participation of all stakeholders including users, planners and policy-makers at all levels (INBO and GWP, 2012).2 The prevailing and upcoming predictable trends show that water problems will continuously get more complex and the interlinking with other development sectors such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transport and communication and social aspects of life such as education, environmental issues, and health will keep on increasing3. An issue that is of vital importance and creates significant challenge to members of the water profession is the formulation of ways of successfully addressing the current and future water problems at all stages including local, national and international levels. It is with this in mind that during the early 1980s, a number of members of the water profession came to the realization that the overall world water situation was not at a desirable level. Therefore it is imperative that when formula ting a solution, it is appreciated that the water problems are becoming more multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral and multi regional and could therefore only be solved through a multi-criterion decision making

History of Race, Sport, and Culture in Modern America Essay

History of Race, Sport, and Culture in Modern America - Essay Example The issue of racial differences between black and white races has come into special focus with the enormous strides being made in genetic mapping and other scientific protocols that attempt to pinpoint the markers of human biodiversity. One application for these studies in eugenic is determining the reason for the dominance of African Americans in sports. This paper will provide a summary of the studies and issues that deal with the social, cultural and political nuances of genetic racial differences in American sports history. The research used for this paper included online journals, commentaries from sports analysts and articles from the Jon Entine Website. There was also considerable material that gave insights on the various viewpoints for and against the concept of racial differences as a determinant of athletic prowess. The history of football, basketball, baseball, track and field and boxing were investigated as it pertained to African Americans, as well as the issues and controversies that attended the progress of African American athletes. Related research that dealt with the social implications of genetics and statistics that illustrated the trends in sports were also included. Jon Entine's book released in 2000 entitled Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We Are Afraid to Talk About It has been vilified by equal rights advocates as a thinly veiled attempt to further propagate racism in sports. However, at this point, the historical insight into African American participation in sports as provided in the book and various other sources will be briefly discussed. (Mosley) It is in the US that the stereotype of the "dumb jock" proliferated in society. In essence, it embodies the idea that physical prowess is inversely proportionate to intellectual capacity, a popular generalization that is the heart of the controversy behind African American athletic ability. (Entine) In European history athletic prowess was considered an indication of intelligence, and leaders were often chosen among the most successful fighters and best warriors. However, the 19th century saw the proliferation of pseudo sciences in Europe that claimed to quantify intelligence and other human characteristics by measuring the skull and other body parts. (Entine) The work of physician Samuel George Morton, for example, popularized the idea of eugenics and racial differences by using craniometry, or the ranking of racial intelligence based on the typical skull size of a certain race. His collection of 600 skulls was the basis of modern day racism in the US, where Asians and Caucasians are ranked at the top of the craniometrical scale while Africans and Native Americans were near the bottom. Many accepted this as incontrovertible truth that races like the Africans and Jews are less civilized, and thus inferior. (Entine) This began the ranking of racial and ethnic groups in which, unremarkably, white Europeans came out as the most superior intellectually and those of African descent were relegated to almost animal-like status. (Entine) The nineteenth century also saw the establishment of racial discrimination as a matter of public policy because Europeans did not want interracial mixing in their population. Their basis for discrimination were IQ tests that revealed that those of

China Currency Exchange Rate Essay Example for Free

China Currency Exchange Rate Essay The currency regime adopted by China is neither fixed nor flexible exchange rate system. China has announced in 2005 the â€Å"end of its firm peg against the dollar, instead allowing it to trade within a narrow band against a basket of currencies.† China regime is managed floating system where the currency increases very slowly year by year and the China government prevent the currency from changing quickly in the short term. The reason why Chinese government intervene in the currency market is to lower exchange rate to increase employment, maintain a fixed rate to maintain stability and improve their current account deficit. China government manage its currency rate by buying foreign currencies to increase supply of China currency, therefore lowering its currency value. They also lower the value of its currency by lowering their interest rates. In the case of China, it is very difficult and challenging for them to adopt the fixed exchange rate system due to their disadvantages. Firstly, China government must always adjust its interest rate so maintain the exchange rate. Changing the interest rate frequently will cause fluctuations in investments and growth and also stable employment. There is also a possibility that the export rate may be set at the wrong level. For example, if it was set at a higher level, this could affect China export competitiveness and their domestic market will suffer. Question 4b Though China has been heavily criticised by some foreign countries like USA for their practice, there are some advantages to managed flow system. Firstly, the managed flow system will ensure stability in China compared to floating. This is because if China suddenly appreciate their currency, their exports production will suffer and there will be lots of unemployment as a result. However there are disadvantages to managed floating system as well. People will try to challenge the earn funds from the currency as this system is very prone to speculative attack. Experiences have shown that speculative attacks could decrease the growth of a country’s gross domestic product by 6 percent or more.

Realism Vs Liberalism And Issues In World Politics Politics Essay

Realism Vs Liberalism And Issues In World Politics Politics Essay The behavior and the different relations between states have always been difficult to grasp, understand, and to explain. Looking back at the historical events and comparing them to the current international issues, there are many parallels to be noted as well as many contradictions in the ever changing global arena. Due to the complexity of the world, there have been many attempts at creating a system to be able to explain the way the international relations unfold and function. Many theories have been produced, many have failed and a few have been proven to be the closest to the truth. This paper will discuss the two most predominant theoretical systems currently existent realism and liberalism. It will further compare the two schools of thought, examining the gaps and the advantages of each one looking back at historical events, including the two World Wars and the Cold War, and the current global environment. In order to better examine each theory and to apply it to the past or current events, one must first understand the essential background and arguments behind each theory. Classical realism took place at a very dark time in Europe. Inter state conflicts were occurring on regular basis, poverty was seen everywhere, there was little hope for the future and essentially violence was always a logical step in order to fulfill ones goal whether it being an individualistic goal or that of the state. Philosophers such as Machiavelli and Hobbes painted a dark, pessimistic picture of the world with almost no hope for a peaceful future. While the two scholars lived in different times and in different places of Europe both have rationalized in a similar manner. Just like other realists, they saw human nature as being essentially evil and selfish, they believed that military readiness at all times was essential, and that peaceful cooperation between states was only possible through the balance of power on the global scale. Through great minds such as Machiavelli and Hobbes came many followers supporting similar ideas and what is known now as realism was created. The key elements behind this particular theoretical system lie in the belief in anarchy, evil human nature, military power and the importance and the power of a state. It is a theory based on the assumptions that the behavior between states is selfish and relies on a self-help system, thus you cannot hope for a mutual cooperation and must only help yourself. It states that countries just look out for their own interests, which makes the state the most important actor or the ultimate power for this theory. Also it is essential for states to be prepared for any conflict or war, thus military power of the state is also one of the main goals, even more important than economic power. Realism looks at the world power as an anarchist and believes in relative gains, meaning some participant benefit more than others. In other words, a realist will not s ettle for an exchange or a relationship in which the other participant will gain more due to the fact that it inevitably puts the state in a weak and risky position. Thus, the core points of concentration of realism are the anarchical state of the world, the brutality of human nature, and the importance of power of the state. In other words, realists do not look to change the world, they believe in seeing the world for what it is and working with it to create the best possible outcome to fulfill self-benefiting interests. Liberalism, on the other hand, paints a completely different outlook on the world. It looks down on the pessimistic ways of the realists and argues for the possibility of a brighter future and more peaceful world. Classical liberalism took place during the age of Enlightenment where the dark years of Europe were hoped to be put behind. The pioneers of liberalism, such as Rousseau and Kant, refused to believe that human nature was evil. Instead, they argued that it is in the nature of human beings to be cooperative and to be able to achieve solutions in a negotiating peaceful manner  [1]  . Thus, war was not the next logical step to a conflict or disagreement; it was only a matter of providing the proper tools for the individuals and states to be able to come to a peaceful, mutually benefitting resolution to any conflicting situation. It is a theory based on the assumption that countries believe in progress and sets not only states, but also the individuals and international insti tutions as the most valuable actors in international relations. This theory believes in the cooperation and unity of human kind, and thus is extremely against military power. Instead, liberalism strongly believes in international institutions and institutionalized peace in the world. In other words, liberals are very optimistic and believe that the use of military power is never justified. Also, this theory believes in absolute gains, meaning all participants become better off. Liberals state that there is no reason why a state or an individual should not engage in a relationship or an exchange in which the other party will benefit more, due to the fact that both participants will be at an absolute gain. Further, liberals, unlike realists, do not support the idea of zero-sum game. In a conflicting situation, no party needs to be at a complete loss; the conflict could be resolved within a judicial way in which both parties could reach an agreement to benefit each other.  [2]   As mentioned previously, liberalism highly believes in cooperation with collective gains. This idea is followed by the belief in strong international institutions to provide not only conflict resolutions tools for the states, but also to create a complex international interdependence, which creates a strong global bond and further ensures international peace. Due to the fact that liberals put such importance on international institutions, the roles of the state could be seen as less when compared to the realists view. Through the importance of institutions, the transnational bonds and dependence is created, which is also highly important to the liberal school of though.  [3]   While realists believe that the approach to peace should be done through the balance of power and military readiness and strength, liberals have a complete opposite point of view. The amount of power and military control that the state achieves will not bring global or state peace. Rather, the liberals propose peace through democratization, in which citizens are given individual freedom and the right to have a say in the states actions; and through the establishment of international law, which would be enforced through the international institutions and organization  [4]  . Another approach to peace that the liberals suggest is through the opening of the markets and the promotion of free international trade. One of the first advocates for this idea was the philosopher and economist Adam Smith. He stated that if markets are left untouched by the state, the invisible hand of the economy would guide them to the most productive and beneficial outcome. The term he used was laissez-faire, which essentially means to leave the market untouched to function on its own  [5]  . Through this powerful idea years later the new version of liberalism was created, called the neo-liberalism. These particular liberals still held the same core believes as the classical liberals, however with a much stronger concentration on the international economy with a much weaker role of the states  [6]  . Based on these two brief definitions, it is observed how much both theories contradict each other, in other words, liberalism and realism have very different approaches to explaining and understanding the world and the way it functions. However, both theories have proven their points of view along the years with critical events that have already occurred in the past and that have drastically changed the worlds history. Both theories have gaps and advantages to fulfill each others gaps. Realism fails to explain the diminishing importance of the transnational connections, a world that is slowly becoming borderless. In addition, until the creating of neo-realism, realists did not give much importance or explanation to the ever growing number of international institutions and organizations. Liberals on the other hand do provide a strong explanation of the factors mentioned above; however fail to explain the occurrence of so many conflicts, even with peace making international organizatio ns in place; nor are they able to explain the rise of poverty and the great inequality in the world. Both theories provide strong points of view and the next portion of this paper will look how both theories thrive in the explanation of historical and current events or drastically fail giving in to the opposing theoretical system. Prior to discussing which theory best describes and explains the period of Cold War, it is crucial to comprehend the events leading up to the situation which made the Cold War possible. Thus, the two World Wars must be looked at through both theoretical systems in order to conclude which theory was most prominent at the time. The devastation produced by World War I was evident to the entire world and left a horrific picture behind. It started when the Archduke Ferdinand from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist seeking to free his ethnic group from the Austrian rule  [7]  . However, this death was really just the excuse for many political conflicts and hostilities between states going on at the time to unfold. These conflicts lead to a disastrous view of Europe, where more than ten million soldiers lost their lives and three big empires collapsed. As well as the rise of the Soviet Union and the formation of the League of Nations were also the consequences of this war, which completely changed the face of Europe and the world. World War I was the perfect event for the realists to prove their assumptions of the worlds behavior. Germany, one of the most preponderant states at the time, strived for the success that England achieved with the Industrial Revolution. This led Germany to look for more power trying to expand their territory and becoming more predominant on the global scale. In other words, Germany was only serving its own national interest, rather than global, using military power without thinking of the consequences that this could bring to others or how would others be affected. This perfectly supports the realist theory. Also, realists defensive arguments evidence that the cult of offensive school, interpretations of the World War I origins, is wrong because World War I was not an effect of a defensive attack, since Germans understood the tactical advantages of the strategic defense level and they already expected a long war. In other words, Germans went to World War I with eyes wide open  [8]   . For liberals, on the other hand, World War I was just the war to end all wars. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was also convinced that another devastating war could occur if the states recommence practicing power politics, thus liberals tried to reform the global system by taking several actions. One of the actions was to create global institutions in order to contain the raw struggle for power. At the end of World War I, the League of Nations was created, which was the incarnation of this part of the liberal thought  [9]  . However, the liberal thought collapsed and the realist assumptions rose once again when World War II erupted. When World War II initiated it gave the opportunity to the realists to prove that war is inevitable and that human nature is evil and violent. After World War I, the Germans were forced to look for an exit of the severe situation, probably the worst situation ever, which they were facing due to the consequences that this war brought upon them. After the First World War, most European states blamed Germany for all the disaster caused in Europe and thus they humiliated Germany under the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 promoted international laws, international institutions such as the League of Nations, and fairness to all the damaged countries emphasizing stability and cooperation, which seemed to be an ideal move for the liberal thought. However, once this treaty implemented, the outcome of the behavior of the states turned out to actually prove the realist school of thought yet again. Thus, in theory this was a liberal movement, but in practice it turned out t o be realist due to that everyone was actually just looking for their own interest and using this as an excuse to obtain benefits for their own, for example, the division of Europe. Once again, it was a state against another state fighting for the most gains in order to be at the top of the anarchical international system. The Cold War was the transition of power of the two global powers at the end of World War II, United States of America and the Soviet Union  [10]  . The Cold War was an event where both states fight to have the best power ratio of military capabilities without ending in a disastrous scenario such as what happened in the first and second world wars, where millions of lives were lost and cities were devastated. However, this war could had have ended in the worst scenario that the world would have ever experienced, due to that technology and military research were at the peak of worlds history and also these two had exponentially raised due to the previous wars. In addition, not only Europe would have been involved in this war, since this war not only consisted of having the most military power, but also the most networking or the relationships with other countries  [11]  . In other words, if one country would have attack the other, then they would had been attacking the allied countries as well, which at the time not only involved European countries and strong Asian countries, but world wide. This war was also a fight between liberalism and realism, due to that all the disputes between both countries were fought with the intervention of international politics and international institutions, but at the same time each country was also preparing for war by the development and research of new military weapons. However, this was a silent war since none of both states ever openly announced that the actions were taken in order to take precautions of the rival countrys actions. Nevertheless, the world knew what was going on. This war was an event that raised several critiques against the liberal thought, since the military concerns of both of these states, the will of the global power and the hostility shown between each other, were all clear signs of a third world war. There was no reason to doubt it, since history was being repeated. As the League of Nations wa s created by the liberals in attempt to avoid another world war, Germany was gaining enough power in its realist way, overpowering any international institutions to start another world war. This time, following the disastrous events of WWII, another attempt by the liberals was made in creating the United Nations and yet again the two hostile blocs the Soviet Union and the United States were able to overpower the newly established international institution and started their own silent war recreating an anarchical global environment. Therefore, there was no reason why a war could not occur, if this previous event proved that no matter what actions taken, a state could do what ever it wished. In other words, the United States of America or the Soviet Union could have easily gone over the United Nations decisions, since there was no other state with the military and economic capacity that could overpower their wishes  [12]  . Thus, the realist assumptions of the world proved itself to be true. The liberals, of course, would argue that due to the existence of such institutions as the United Nations an actual war never occurred on the soil of either one of superpowers. In the liberal point of view, the UN was definitely a factor in avoiding the war. This was not known for a fact until the end of the Cold War in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. At this point, the global arena proved that peace could be achieved by international negotiations, international institutions regulating the disputes and most importantly making rational decisions. The world proved that human nature is not totally evil or violent and that there still exists some hope for the world to prove that liberal assumptions of the international relations are not entirely wrong. It is evident that the realist assumptions and predictions were predominant even throughout the Cold War, but it was also clear that the liberals had a point there was room for progress. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of Cold War began to reshape international politics and relations. While through the century realism seemed to have been in the lead in its explanations and descriptions of the structure of the world, the global environment all of a sudden began to drastically change and liberalism began to make sense yet again  [13]  . There are still many controversies about which theoretical system best describes the contemporary global politics and interstate relations. While realism was clearly much more accurate in the descriptions of the world throughout most of the 20th century, this paper will argue that liberalism is much more precise in the explanations and its understanding of the world when it comes to current issues. The first aspect that should be noted is the vast amount of international organizations and institutions that is currently existent and is constantly on the rise. These organizations vary from international humanitarian aid (ex. World Vision), to peace keeping and conflict resolution (ex. United Nations), to regulations of international trade (ex. WTO), and many more. These are a perfect example of transnational unifications, which are absolutely borderless and are extremely powerful on the global arena. Thus, the belief of realism that the state is the most important actor in the global system is disproven. There are other actors, that are equally, if not more important than the role of the state. These organizations believe in progress and in making a difference in the world, therefore human nature is not necessarily evil. In fact, there are more and more individuals that come together and dedicate their lives in order to help others. Another interesting phenomenon which has been happening is the decline of interstate conflicts but an outburst of intrastate conflicts. While these conflicts do prove that human beings are still capable of horrific crimes, it also proves that the state is no longer a central factor. These are groups of individuals that are bound by religion, society, a common goal or something other than being a part of the same state. Further in these cases, the state itself cannot control what is happening in its own country. Such conflicts still exist and especially were numerous in the 1990s; such as the genocide in Rwanda, Somalia or the horrific process of the collapse of former Yugoslavia  [14]  . These conflicts bring another interesting factor the organizations and the individuals from all over the world, which come together to help the war-torn place; starting from conflict resolution, to peace keeping, to after the conflict humanitarian and developmental aid. These individuals not onl y dedicate their lives to such careers, but in most cases risk losing their own lives. This is a further proof that while global peace is not achieved, human nature is not evil in most cases. Thus, progress is not only possible, but also extremely achievable. Democracy is another aspect that liberals strongly promote. In the past two decade more and more states have been trying to implement democratic ways of governing their states. Most of the former Soviet states have been moving towards achieving that goal, some have even successfully transformed their political systems and have entered the European Union, such as the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia)  [15]  . In addition, liberals strongly believe in democratic peace thesis that states that democratic countries will not go to war against each other. This theory is greatly proven over time as most of the Western world is democratic and has not experienced great conflicts since World War II.  [16]   While both theories provide strong and credible explanations of the way the global interactions occur and unfold, it is always crucial to keep in mind that these interactions change as does the global environment. This paper concludes that throughout most of the 20th century realism provided a clearer explanation than liberalism, including both World Wars and most of the Cold War. However, examining the current events and issues it is clear that the global political atmosphere has gone through a drastic transformation, precisely following the Cold War. Thus, considering this change it is only fair to conclude that liberalism provides a better explanation and description of the world today. That is not to say that realism is completely discredited nor does this suggest that there will be no room for the realists approach in the future, it still provides valuable lessons and explanations for humanity and perhaps will gain its dominance as the world experiences further transformations.