How to accomplish affordability and ethics for a clothing manufacturer Essay

How to accomplish affordability and ethics for a clothing manufacturer - Essay Example The paper tells that the apparel industry is characterized by fast fashion, increasing competition and constant change in style. Cost, quality, and timing are three critical elements in product offerings. The demand for low-cost products coupled with the labor-intensive nature of apparel products effectively requires companies such as Starburst to outsource manufacturing to overseas suppliers. There is direct evidence on the importance of strategic sourcing in sustaining affordability as well as the positive impact it has on firm’s performance due to the cost and timing benefits. However, offshore manufacturing is becoming a major cause of social and economic issues in the vendor countries. The credibility and culpability of the apparel industry are under scrutiny due to the frequency and magnitude of the human tragedies associated with overseas garment production. With this awareness, retailers and customers are rightfully seeking evidence of practices and industry efforts to better the working conditions, pay and safety in offshore factories. Ethical sourcing is becoming an essential business practice. There is a clear recognition of the fact that effective overseas sourcing plays the pivotal role in a company’s success; however, it has recently been at a high social cost. Given the 2012 fire incidences at the Tarzeen Fashions factory and the textile factory in Pakistan all overshadowed by the 1,127 deaths in the April 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse, the reality is extremely hazardous and poor working conditions persist. Factories put production schedules before safety or workers’ rights. Beyond the basic safety issues, labor practices such as low pay and overtime without pay have been observed in many of the vendor countries. In some cases, human rights violations and sexual abuse are occurring.

The Declaration of Independence Essay Example for Free

The Declaration of Independence Essay The ideals and goals of early American life that are expressed in the original documents that were written concerning the early years of American history are a fascinating insight into what the visions of various people were during the beginnings of the new country that was developing across the ocean from Europe. These documents give us a truly unique perspective on what America is and what it means to those who were living within it during its beginnings. It gives a clear picture as to what the goals were of Americans in the early years and we can better understand which of those has survived until today. There are certain goals and visions of America that are universally found within documents that were written in early American times. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† is perhaps one of the most well-known and important because it sums up the principles on which our country was founded, which are found throughout the other documents in one form or another as well. Freedom and independence, for example, are important visions and goals for American life. Freedom, for example, is an ideal that has been held by our country for a very long time. Everything from freedom of expression, as seen in some of these documents, to freedom of religion and the freedom to be able to live lives the way people wish to live them. Liberty, or freedom, is also seen in â€Å"Give me Liberty or Give Me Death† and this document shows just how important of an ideal it was. Today, liberty and freedom are still two very important ideals in American culture, and goes hand in hand with independence. Another important goal is charity, but also this goes hand in hand with Christianity and the freedom of religion that is so prized in American life. All of these documents share these common ideals about American life and what it represented to those who wrote them and established this new country. America was established on ideals and principles found within these documents, which are still part of American life today and these are still the foundation on which our way of life is built. These documents express these ideals and show that they have been a part of America since its formation.

EBays Growth Strategies: An Analysis

EBays Growth Strategies: An Analysis To gain market in India, eBay has to change the way it operates. eBay.in has to develop and implement new strategies for the change management. Using the following table the best theory to use is Lippitts Phases of Change Theory. This theory consists of 7 steps and it mainly focuses on change agents roles and responsibilities compared to evolution of change in the organization. Implementing Lippitts phases of change theory on eBay.in The problem: eBay failed to make its impression in India, one main reason is the countrys internet and technology is still developing unlike in USA, where internet and technology growth reached its maturity level. People in India consider eBay as a virtual market, and so they dont believe in it, when compared to retail and wholesale markets. eBay is unable to adapt the different languages and cultures in the country so it is unknown to most of the people. Motivation and capacity for change: eBay has enough capacity for the change, and to localize itself in various states/cultures it needs to appoint local business people/change agents, who are familiar with local markets and the technology. Increase in fuel price, inflation, and recession are forcing people to choose other methods to purchase products they need, so eBay is the choice people have, and the change agent if able to inspire them the organization will grow strong in the market within few months. Change Agent and Resources: Recruiting those individuals who know the local market as well as have good knowledge about the internet and technology can be helpful. To check the motivation and commitment of the agent, he/she will be assessed through few interviews and other psychological tests. As the organization depends mainly on internet and technology, the required resources are available in India, like manpower, transportation, etc. Progressive change objects: Developing action plans and strategies with respect to different cultures and languages needs those language and culture experts, organization should employee those people before they build their strategies. The main goal here is to gain the customers belief and get close to them so they know the organization. Aims of this process are to decrease complexity and achieve operational excellence. Role of Change Agent: organization should define what they are expecting from the change agent, and change should be clear about what his/her duties are and should make it clear for the organization and other employees, and customers, by which no one gets confused in the process of change. Maintaining the Change: developing new strategies for marketing, like campaigns, advertisements about the organization and how the organization operates is very important for the organization. Taking feedbacks and review helps organization to understand how people are reacting and what are the other changes the organization needs to make, to increase belief on the organization? Change Agent: once organization reached a stage where people are believing in the organization and are able to communicate properly without any problem, the role of change agent should be lessened and the change process should be terminated slowly. What would you do differently if undertaking a project of this nature in the future? Following above steps can increase the belief of the people on the organization, but I would like to concentrate on one specific point i.e. existence of the organization in the virtual environment. The main reason, why people dont believe the eBay.in is because of its virtual existence, and I would like to change that in to physical existence. Both buyers and sellers are customers of the organization and they can do it online, but I would like to provide a small place/ business centre where people can come and meet directly and exchange goods or products. By this process people will be more attracted towards the organization and customers belief towards the organization increases. However, this contradicts with the idea of online marketing but, this process should be and will be followed only for few days, until and up to the organization gains the belief of its customers. And we use this business centre only for those customers who are willing to come and for complex situations to reduce complexity. Factors which can influence the change management process Power: many organizations follow hierarchical power i.e. managers take decisions, sometimes with the support of employees and sometimes without the support of employees, about the process and strategies that organization is going to follow. Here management of eBay considers buyers and sellers are equally powerful to make their own decisions. Culture: eBay is a massive community with unique culture. In the site individuals can find articles offering wider information than just auction listing or price lists or web site tools. eBay creates opportunities for people, it cares its customers, and making a difference in the world. It explains us the unique psychology, attitudes, and beliefs and values of the management and founders of eBay. Communication: organizational communication and interpersonal communication plays a vital role in effective change management. Organization communication is leader communicating with the employees through meeting, conferences, or electronic mails. This information in general is for everyone in the organization to explain new strategies or action plans to its employees. Interpersonal communication is communication between management and employees, in general to provide information on what they are expecting from the employees and what organization aims at. It is also useful in taking feedbacks as not all the employees work and learns at same-pace. Interpersonal communication increases relationship between employees and management which is very important for an organization to sustaining change. Conclusion: eBay was able to make a strong impact on the market in USA, UK, etc. because the growth of technology in these countries was too high. eBay inc primarily depend on the internet for its existence and without internet and technology it cannot exists. In countries like India, where internet and technology is still growing and didnt reach its maturity level, it is hard for the organization to grow and make an impact on the market. Education level of the customers also plays an important role in online business, developing new software to make selling and buying process simple also plays a role in the development of the organization. Technology is a macro environmental factor, meaning organizations like eBay cannot control or increase the growth of technology in markets like India. So, developing new strategies like building physical existence rather than virtual existence can make a difference, it is not necessary to start a retail market but proving a business centre, where people can come in case of necessary and delivery issues can increase belief of customers on the organization. Providing local language call centres and customers support centres also helps organization to grow in the developing markets. Change is necessary in the present world, increase in globalization and internationalization is forcing organization to change and develop new strategies to gain the markets and customers. Because of increase in competition organizations are changing their products and markets to gain competitive advantage. In one way or another change is coming into the organizations, and managing change is very important as improper manage of change can destroy organization. An American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang | Analysis An American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang | Analysis According to Chun, who has studied the typical Asian American stereotypes and the myth of their success, Asian American descendants have been pressured into assimilating within an inflexible mold of Americanization to avoid the anti-Oriental stereotypes and prejudices of American society (The Myth). Chuns observation indicates that minority youth in the United States are constantly hard pressed by the biased and unequal educational system that is majorly dominated by those who enjoy white privileges. Shim argues in his article, which introduces the history of yellow stereotypes in America since 1800s, that the entertainment industry plays a critical role to enforce and expand racist practices through the false presentation of Asian stereotypes (From Yellow). Based on the strong influence of the media to young generations, stereotypes are extensively imitated and exercised at schools. In American Born Chinese, a graphic novel written by an Asian American immigrant Gene Luen Yang, the author successfully communicates to the audience of unjustified stereotypes faced by Asian American youth that equally share his cultural background at schools (American). Themes Yangs primary message of the novel is to persuade students to overcome racial adversities and accept their true identities. He effectively utilizes pathos in the scenes where everyone dislikes Chin-Kees abnormal behavior and where Jin constantly has to fight against Asian stereotypes to highlight the hardships of acculturation of young generation in America. On the other hand, the implicit message of the novel is to allow educators to notice and seek for solutions on racial discrimination against non-white groups students that discourage their academic motivation and cultural preservation. In light of Yangs primary and secondary messages, the audience can learn that culture is not static or inherent for anyone. Instead, it is reproduced and learned by young generation as an account of evolving and complex progress through educational experience. Yang appeals to the greatest level of audience with three different genres and demonstrate to them the idea that minority youth culture is s haped and distorted in academic environment through the use of stereotyped behaviors, provocative language and ironic caricatures of Chin-Kee in the novel. Yang adopts three genres to targets audience from the general category of those who endeavor to identify their cultural heritage to the non-white minority groups in the American society. He expresses in an interview that, My Chinese heritage informs the way that I am an American (Youtube). These words indicate that Yang wants to draw the attention of Asian American immigrant specifically through the novel because of his academic experience. Nonetheless, the books increasing popularity successfully brought the attention of educators and critics of American power structures. He is able to reach different levels of audience for the reason that multi-culture education reflects the interaction of each individual pupil with the institutional system as well as the more complex economic-political society. Furthermore, Yang uses the comic book as the main genre, for that he regards comics as an individualistic pursuit that is intimate and reflective (Youtube). He also adopts sub-genres of sup erhero fiction and coming-of-age story in the novel to incorporate two different styles of stories that interrelate to each other. Three characters are portrayed by Yang in each story. All of them similarly feel the age to become Americanized with the expense of their original identity. The central characters include the Monkey King, who represents a superhero from the famous Chinese tale and Jin, who transforms himself into a typical white guy Danny to assimilate into American society. Yangs technique to adapt the old tale of Monkey King with some Catholic Elements proves that he successfully attracts not only Chinese American immigrants but also the audience from the dominant white culture. In addition, his own experience is reflected through the coming-of-age story, which persuades the wide range of audience of the novels credibility under the backdrop. In light of these methods, he inspires audience from various minority groups to discover and respect their cultural heritage. Stereotyped behaviors of Chin-Kee and Jin are depicted in the novel to present the distorted minority youth culture. Such students constantly face the hardships to accommodate and acculturate into American society. In anthropological terms, incommensurability refers to the fact that there are certain aspects of one culture that are hard for people from another culture to comprehend. According to American Born Chinese, Yang exaggerates scenes where Chin-Kee and Jin are constantly teased or excluded for the stereotyped behaviors by their white counterparts at school in order to reflect the incommensurable groups from the dominant culture. For instance, all the white students around Chin-Kee widely discuss about the fact that he eats crispy fried cat gizzards with noodle. Furthermore, the little white boy looks down upon Jin, who is introduced by the teacher on the first day of class. His expression very serious and disdainful, the boy insists that, My momma says Chinese people eat dogs . Yang goes on further to make the teacher respond that she thinks Jins family probably abandoned their old habit because they are eager to become like Americans (American Born Chinese).This two scenes indicates that the white students are unconsciously distinguishing between what we eat and what he eats. They fail to understand that this type of food, which they critically comment on, should not contribute to the reason why they regard their culture as more superior. As I have observed, Germans are frenzied about roasted pork feet. Also, Americans eat spam, a type of canned pork regularly. However, people from Islamic culture developed their eating habits that regard pork as dirty and inedible. Thus, the selection of food by people from different cultural backgrounds is idiosyncratic, and it should not be disrespected by anyone, for that otherwise the person automatically denies a part of his or her own culture. In the second scene, Yang intends to emphasize that educators should c ircumvent inequality and stereotypes while using their cultural power to teach students knowledge and the political structure. He arouses the audiences sympathy by presenting the critical stereotypes that the little boy Jin, who barely started his first day at an elementary school, has to experience. Jin not only encountered biased opinions from the teacher, but also the fellow classmates who spread rumors about his unusual relationship with a Japanese girl, Suzy Nakamura. At this point, the fact that white students concluded that Jin would marry Suzy once again implicates the students inability to notice that there are remarkable distinction between Chinese and Japanese culture although they both share the same Asian root. To a larger extent, the dominant groups falsely regard themselves as the mainstream culture and marked off a line between white society and the rest of others. This belief results in a subtraction process of minority youth culture that causes them to question the value of their original culture. Yang depicts the stereotyped opinions of Jins teachers and classmates to infer how academic environment influences Asian American immigrants like Jin to build their cultural identity. They need to constantly struggle between their original Asian blood and new Asian American citizenship. Also, through creating stereotypes from different angles of students and teachers toward Jin and Chin-Kee, Yang is able to persuade the audience that culture is a process that maintains the larger stratified system in American society. For instance, Jin assumes that he is not accepted by the dominant culture because of his racial identity. As a result of the cultural tension, he goes so far in the story as to transform himself into a white guy, Danny. Ironically, he ends up at a Chinese cafà © drinking Boba tea with Wei-Chen, the monkey, in a similar vein, who symbolically transforms into a human being. Jin abandons the American identity that he dreamed about. In this circumstance, the academic envir onment forced Jin to fight against his Chinese background to assimilate into the American society where white people rule the dominant culture. Yang deliberately set up the ending in which Jin ultimately recognizes that he should learn to appreciate his part of Chinese origin. This allows the minority immigrants under the similar context to understand that each culture encompasses unique practices and knowledge. The incommensurability is the product of students engagement in school activates. As a result, Yang shows how interactions among individuals empower the meaning of culture. He intends to emphasize that educators are responsible to inform the significance of culture and clarify the power structures beyond academic competence. Yang enhances the effect of Asian American stereotypes by applying rhetorical skills such as provocative language and ironic caricatures. Readers and Yang himself consider the language in American Born Chinese as unnecessarily crass (Yang, Kartika Review). Yang utilizes this style of language to transfer the idea that biased interrelationship of different cultures is unhealthy and uncivilized in a similar token. Furthermore, the categorized power structure influences younger generation to shape their notions toward a diversity of experience at school. For instance, Timmy, the white boy from Jins elementary school refers to Jin as bucktooth without any hesitation. He does not care what harm he causes Jin. On the other hand, Timmy changes his tone when he calls the other white friend Pansy Boy to a whisper due to his serious demand. Yangs use of transitional language here reflects Timmys perception of his position in the society. He visions white culture as more powerful and privileged , so that he verbally bullying the inferior races and compromise with the kid from his superior group. Lastly, Yang draws caricatures in the novel to symbolically refer to the exaggerated stereotypes that are placed on Asian American immigrants. For instance, Chin-Kee wears outdated clothing and has a physical appearance that looks like underdeveloped human beings. Also, Chin-Kee never changes his outfit throughout the novel and has long hair that only past ancestors do in China. Thus, through combining the Asian American stereotypes throughout the book with rhetorical devices such as language and caricatures, Yang successfully delivers the message that culture is not inherited but instead a process that is learned and shaped by power structures in the society through educational means. It is also described in the article Culture as Disability, written by McDermott and Varenne, that culture reveals not broken person but identifications neatly tuned to the workings of institutions serving political and economic ends. Yang intends to persuade educators that they should start to notice that it is their responsibility to respect each cultural practice and value. Although racial discrimination is hard to extinguish in the society, it is possible to educate young generation to appreciate their cultural heritage while assimilating into the American society. Most importantly, instructors should clarify the opportunity structure under the socio-economic context and ne atly tuned to explain the process of cultural construction. In this fashion, young generation may obtain different perspectives from It is because we are minority groups to We can make a difference because we are no different than people from the dominant culture. Electrical Stimulus in a Frog Muscle: Experiment Electrical Stimulus in a Frog Muscle: Experiment Frogs are keystone species, an essential organism to aquatic ecosystems. They have both terrestrial and aquatic niches as predators and prey and serve as indicator species to assess the response of ecosystems to environmental change. To execute daily locomotion patterns, frogs use skeletal muscles. We wanted to determine the relationship between the strength of the stimulus and the response of the muscle. We also wanted to measure the amplitude of contraction produced in a muscle that is stimulated with repeated pulses delivered at progressively higher frequencies. We hypothesized that increasing stimulus voltage in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog will result in an increase in stimulation amplitude and that an increase in stimulation frequency at a constant voltage will result in an increase in force generated by the muscle up until a point where it plateaus. We found that our hypotheses were supported and that muscle regulation was via temporal and spatial recruitment. This study is important because it serves as a model for understanding skeletal muscle mechanisms in other organisms including humans. Frogs are widely distributed terrestrial amphibians that inhabit upland and wetland regions, found on all continents of the world except Antarctica. Many frog species, in both larval and adult stages serve as important prey for larger predators including fish, raccoons, snakes and birds of prey (Chalcraft and Resetarits 2003; Auniola and Kauhala 2001). Additionally frogs serve an important role as indicators of environmental stress (King 2010). A review of complex systems in temporary ponds by Wilbur (1997) makes the argument that frogs have two distinct niches, one terrestrial and one aquatic. Wilbur states all frogs with free-living larvae change at metamorphosis from aquatic omnivorous tadpoles to amphibious carnivorous adults. The role of such connections among food webs is a fruitful area for both theoretical and empirical research because the foraging of animals across ectones may be an important biological mechanism linking elements of the mosaics of habitats that form landsca pes. One trait frogs are most known for is locomotion. Frogs typically display two type of locomotion: jumping and swimming. Though frogs are traditionally presented as jump specialists most species also swim (Navas et al. 1999). Frogs exhibit these locomotive behaviors for a variety of reasons including escaping predators, often times by a short set of quick and powerful jumps (Carvalho, Gomes and Navas 2007). Frog locomotion is dependent on muscles, particularly skeletal muscles, which are muscles connected to the skeleton (Marsh and Olson 1998). Skeletal muscles are organized beginning with units called sarcomeres. A sarcomere consists of two opposing vertical Z-line discs each with actin filaments attached. A myosin filament floats between each horizontal actin section. Sarcomeres are connected to each other by Z-lines. One mechanism of muscle contraction begins with the sliding of the actin and myosin filaments. Parts of the myosin, known as myosin heads, bind to the free end of the actin, the end not attached to the Z-line, and pull it one way toward the center of the mysosin, in an accordian-like mechanism. The muscle shortens or contracts because the sarcomeres shorten. The process by which the myosin binds to the actin is called the Cross-Bridge cycle. The binding of the myosin to actin is the trigger for the myosin head to tilt and release an ADP and a P as well as a powerstroke. ATP binds to the myosin head and the myosin releases the actin, in a softening effect. The ATP is hydrolyzed and delivers energy to moved the mysosin head back and it is ready for the next powerstroke. The sarcomeres move closer together by many of these powerstrokes occurring one after the other. In the Cross-Bridge cycle myosin is normally prevented from binding to the actin. Another protein called tropomyosin, which is wrapped around the actin, is in the way to block the actin-myosin binding site. Another protein, troponin, is attached to the tropomyosin and when triggered, moves the troponin away to allow the binding to occur. But what triggers the tropomyosin to move the troponin? The simple answer is calcium and this occurs in a process called excitation-contraction coupling. In excitation-contraction coupling an action potential or electrical stimulus, runs down a T-tubule in the muscle fiber. The stimulus reaches a ryanodyne receptor which opens ion channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, a storage space for calcium in the muscle fibers. Once the ion channels are opened, calcium runs out into the cell. For the muscle to relax or return to its original resting position, calcium must be moved back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum by a SERCA pump. Because calcium is being moved against a concentration gradient, this relaxation requires ATP. The SERCA pump lowers calcium levels in the cytosol or cell and when the calcium is taken up again the muscle relaxes. Since muscles are not contracting all the time muscle contraction must be regulated. Regulating the muscles allows frogs to change aspects of locomotive behavior, such as how far a frog is able to jump. Muscle contraction force can be regulated by calcium in three mechanisms: temporal recruitment, in which the firing rate at which individual motor neurons fire is changed; spatial recruitment, in which the number of active motor units is changed; and the length-tension relationship, in which the sarcomere length is changed to generate tension. This study focuses on the force of muscle contraction via temporal and spatial recruitment. In temporal recruitment, the frequency of the action potential is changed, usually increased, so that more calcium is released into the muscle cell. More calcium in the cell results in more tension generated. Another mechanism for the regulation of muscle contraction force is motor unit recruitment, also known as spatial recruitment. A motor unit is comprised of muscle fibers and a motor neuron. There are different amounts of fibers per motor unit. In spatial recruitment the number of active motor units is increased to increase the strength of muscle contraction. More motor units means that more muscle fibers can be stimulated. If only half of the muscle fibers are stimulated, only half the amount of force will be generated. If all of the muscle fibers are stimulated, the maximum amount of force will be generated. We hypothesized that if we increase voltage of an electrical stimulus in a frog muscle we will see an increase in stimulation amplitude and if we increase stimulation frequency at a constant voltage, we will see an increase in force generated by the muscle up until a point where it plateaus. Materials Methods: We used the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog in two experiments. In the first experiment we used a single stimulus, changing the voltage of the stimulus from 0 volts to 2.0 volts. The force of the muscle was recorded. In the second experiment we stimulated the muscle in series of ten using a constant voltage identified in the first experiment. The frequency of the stimuli was progressively increased starting at 0.5 and ending at 30 Hz. Results: Our results showed that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. Our results also showed that as the stimulation frequency increases the passive tension of the muscle increase up until a point where it plateaus. Figure 1 shows a normalized graph for the effects of increasing stimulus on the amplitude of muscle twitches in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog. The x-axis is the recorded stimulus in volts and the y-axis is the amplitude of the twitches (displayed as a percentage of the maximum). The graph shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. Table 1 shows a set of group data from the first experiment, in which amplitude and times of muscle twitches were generated by stimulus pulses of different amplitudes. As in Figure 1, Table 1 shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. The contraction time and latency period remains largely unchanged with changing stimulus amplitude. Figure 2 shows a normalized graph for the effects of increasing stimulation frequency on the passive tension in the gastrocnemius muscle of a frog. The x-axis is the stimulus frequency in hertz and the y-axis is the passive tension in the muscle (displayed as a percentage of the maximum). The graph shows that as the stimulation frequency increases the passive tension of the muscle increase up until a point where it plateaus. Table 2 shows a set of group data from the second experiment, in which the strength of muscle contraction was examined during mechanical summation and tetanus. As in Figure 2, Table 2 shows that as the stimulus increases the amplitude of the muscle twitches increases up until a point where it plateaus. The amplitude of the first twitch remains largely unchanged with changing stimulus amplitude. Discussion: The data shows that the direct electrical stimulation produces contraction of the muscle via motor units. A little bit of force is generated when a few of these motor units are being used and a lot of force is generated when lots of motor units are being used. The muscle does not respond to the low stimulus voltages because the electrical stimulus is not directly touching the muscle, it is touching the surrounding connective tissue. The low stimulus voltages are not strong enough to penetrate the tissue. As noted in Figure 1 and Table 1 the amplitude of the muscle response increases with increasing stimulus voltages. This is so because more and more of the muscle mass is stimulated as the voltages increase. At high stimulus voltages, the muscle response reaches maximum amplitude. The muscle response does not continue to increase with increasing stimulus voltages because the muscle is already functioning at the best of its ability. The muscle cells have reached the point where all the troponins are activated by calcium. Releasing more calcium into the cell will not result in any more tension generated, as the system is already working at its maximum capacity. Latency is the interval between stimulus and a response to the stimulus, here meaning muscle contraction. Over this period, the action potential sweeps across the cell membrane of the muscle cell and the sarcoplasmic reticulum releases calcium ions. The muscle fiber does not produce tension during the latent period, because the contraction cycle has yet to begin. The latency period in this study was constant at 0.025 seconds.This result been found by anyone else and it seems does not vary among other species, since it is roughly the same for humans (Hamilton and Osborn 1977). Since contraction amplitude is dependent upon the increases in concentration and persistence of intracellular calcium, the question of why the contraction amplitudes of single twitches are the same is raised. This can be explained because the same amount of calcium is being put in for the same repeated event. As noted in Table 2, the amplitude of the first twitch seems to be constant (value). This can be explained because the muscle is utilizing the same amount of calcium and is thus generating the same amount of force. Tetanus is the complete contraction of a muscle. Tetanus requires high stimulus frequencies. This tells us that the calcium re-uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum is slower than the original release. The rate of muscle relaxation is much slower after tetanus than after a single twitch because more calcium needs to be re-taken up and it takes longer to get all the extra added calcium back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. A study on jumping bullfrogs by Marsh and Roberts reveals two points of interest: first, frogs jump farther than they should, considering only the force their muscles are able to generate. Second, muscles are able to do the most work when they contract slowly, however frog jumping involves a very rapid movement. They explain that by separating the performance of muscular work from the application of mechanical work to the body, a catapult-like mechanism, which works by loading elastic elements into the limbs prior to initiating a jump, overcomes the constraints of skeletal muscle function (Marsh and Roberts 2003). Another study by Aerts and Nauwelaerts (2006) indicates that by taking more small jumps as opposed to fewer larger jumps, frogs can increase their flexibility in movement because they would be able to change direction during the forward movement part jumping. Theoretically this means they would spend less time in the same spot during landing and recovery of the jumping cycle, which makes them more likely to be snatched by a predator. Frogs have physiological mechanisms that have enabled their muscles to generate enough force for jumping and swimming locomotion including changing the frequency of the action potential and increasing the number of active motor units. As mentioned before, frogs are a keystone species, meaning other organisms rely on it and not always directly in a predator-prey relationship. Without frogs, food webs would collapse and lead to the demise of many other species and potentially entire ecosystems. This study is important because it serves as a model for understanding skeletal muscle mechanisms in other organisms including humans.

Vancouver Essay -- British Columbia Canada

Location: Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest in the Pacific Northwest region. It is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of south western British Columbia, Canada. Population: The population of the city of Vancouver is 578,041 and the population of Metro Vancouver is 2,116,581. Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with 52% of city residents and 43% of Metro residents having a first language other than English. With a population of about 600,000 (BC Stats estimate), Vancouver lies in a region of more than 2 million people. Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia and the third largest in Canada. It covers an area of 114 sq km. History Archaeological evidence shows that coastal Indians had settled the Vancouver area by 500 B.C. British naval captain George Vancouver explored the area in 1792. Vancouver was founded as a sawmill settlement called Granville in the 1870s. The city was incorporated in 1886 and renamed after Captain Vancouver. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", Vancouver is also part of the slightly larger Lower Mainland metropolitan area which comprises a total population of 2,285,900. Vancouver was largest urban area. Western Canada was the third largest in the country. denoting somebody from (in Dutch: "van") Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands. Vancouver was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill ... ...Free Zone. Aviation Located in Richmond, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the principal international airport in western Canada and is the second busiest in the nation. As the premier gateway to Asia, it hosts many airlines' regional offices and their flights daily to Asia, Europe, and the United States. Vancouver is the closest air-link to Asia, offering the fastest North American airport with daily flights to the Republic of Korea's Incheon International Airport. Vancouver is also served by the Abbotsford International Airport, fast becoming a reliever to YVR convenient for the eastern suburbs and transborder United States. Operating from Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome on the Downtown waterfront, several floatplane operators support both tourist scenic flights and practical transportation, with extensive operations during daylight hours. Vancouver Essay -- British Columbia Canada Location: Vancouver is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest in the Pacific Northwest region. It is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of south western British Columbia, Canada. Population: The population of the city of Vancouver is 578,041 and the population of Metro Vancouver is 2,116,581. Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with 52% of city residents and 43% of Metro residents having a first language other than English. With a population of about 600,000 (BC Stats estimate), Vancouver lies in a region of more than 2 million people. Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia and the third largest in Canada. It covers an area of 114 sq km. History Archaeological evidence shows that coastal Indians had settled the Vancouver area by 500 B.C. British naval captain George Vancouver explored the area in 1792. Vancouver was founded as a sawmill settlement called Granville in the 1870s. The city was incorporated in 1886 and renamed after Captain Vancouver. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", Vancouver is also part of the slightly larger Lower Mainland metropolitan area which comprises a total population of 2,285,900. Vancouver was largest urban area. Western Canada was the third largest in the country. denoting somebody from (in Dutch: "van") Coevorden, an old city in The Netherlands. Vancouver was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill ... ...Free Zone. Aviation Located in Richmond, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the principal international airport in western Canada and is the second busiest in the nation. As the premier gateway to Asia, it hosts many airlines' regional offices and their flights daily to Asia, Europe, and the United States. Vancouver is the closest air-link to Asia, offering the fastest North American airport with daily flights to the Republic of Korea's Incheon International Airport. Vancouver is also served by the Abbotsford International Airport, fast becoming a reliever to YVR convenient for the eastern suburbs and transborder United States. Operating from Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome on the Downtown waterfront, several floatplane operators support both tourist scenic flights and practical transportation, with extensive operations during daylight hours.

Small Scale Industries Problems

Article: Information technology: a growth navigator for small scale industries in India Small scale industries (SSI) have a significant role in the Indian economy in view of its contribution to production, employment, and export. However, since 1991 small scale industries in India find themselves in an intensely competitive environment due to globalization, domestic economic liberalization, and dilution of sector specific protective measures. The formation of World Trade Organization in 1995 also forced the member countries (including India) to drastically scale down the restrictions on import. This article analyzes the various factors influencing the growth of small scale industries in India. Information Technology (IT) is one of the significant factors, which is, in general, not used by the small scale industries in India for their production and business process, in the growth of small scale industries in India. Further on the basis of Nolan's ‘Stages of growth model' the stages of use of information technology in small scale industries are studied. Small Scale Industry in India: An Analysis in the Context of Liberalization Small and Micro producers are crucial in developing economies, and their role is even greater in the largely rural economies of South Asia. In India as well, the sector is the second largest employer, after agriculture, and accounts for nearly 6 percent of the country's GDP. India was an exception in that it gave the small-scale sector large incentives, and protection, in the period 1948-1991, going to the extent of reserving certain production lines solely for the sector. In the historical context of this, this paper shall attempt to analyze the issues peculiar to a ‘smalls scale of production' in India in an increasingly globalised scenario. It shall also look at some of the other issues plaguing the sector such as credit availability and maintaining quality standards. Movement of toxic metals from small-scale industrial areas: a case study from Delhi, India In India, an estimated 70% of the total industrial pollution load is attributed to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Among SMEs, small-scale industries continue to use obsolete technologies with no stringent rules for pollution control. Consequently, waste generated from them is generally dumped without treatment. These facts are strengthened from the analysis conducted on solid waste and wastewater samples from five industrial areas, water samples of river Yamuna, the tributary of river Ganges and solid waste samples of landfill areas in Delhi. Toxic metal concentrations were analysed and found in high concentration in collected samples. Besides that, fractionation study was also done. The data obtained from this study identify that the wastes with high concentrations of toxic metals, calling for the introduction of point source control of waste generation.

Universal Neurosis Essays - Freudian Psychology, Sigmund Freud

Universal Neurosis Essays - Freudian Psychology, Sigmund Freud Universal Neurosis SIGMUND FREUD and UNIVERSAL NEUROSIS Sigmund Freud defined the goal of psychoanalysis to be to replace unconscious with conscious awareness, where the id was ego shall be, and through this an individual would achieve self-control and reasonable satisfaction of instincts. His fundamental ideas include psychic determinism, the power and influence of the unconscious, as opposed to the pre-conscious mind, the tripartite division into id, ego and super-ego, and of course the ideas of universal illusion and universal effects of the Oedipal Complex. The examination of the Oedipal Complex is the most essential to the understanding of Freuds theories since he claimed that due to the resistance, repression, and transference of early sexual energies the world had developed a universal complex which did not allow for the healthy development of individuals but lead instead to the neurosis and mass illusion of religion. For his perceivably vicious attacks on religion and his logical and yet totally undermining examination of religion and other vital social issues, Freud has been slandered and his theories criticised simply because of the away he addressed these painful issues. Through the systematic development of the theories of psychoanalysis, all stemming from one another and all tied together into a universal Oedipal Complex and religious illusion, the ideas of the tripartite human psyche and wish-fulfilment that Freud developed came under fire from critics for their controversial messages and analysis. Briefly stated, the Oedipus Complex is the preservation in the adult individual of the perceptions, strategies and scars of a conflict the individual underwent during his/her pre-school years. According to Freud, these perceptions, etc, later colour and shape the individual's future experiences. This psychological crisis results when a young child's sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex collides with the competition, rivalry and overwhelming power of the parent of the same sex. According to Freudian theory, the ghosts of this Oedipal crisis haunt us our entire lives. Psychopathology, slips of the tongue, dreams, and religious experience all were understood to be functions whose origins and energy resulted from this repressed material. In his later work, Freud interpreted the reports of his clients (reports offered under hypnosis, under verbal encouragement and suggestion, and finally, in the later work, reports given through free-associations) as revealing a universal Oedi pal drama. Freud found what he took to be evidence for the universal existence of the Oedipus Complex in the testimony of patients, in his analysis of the repressed in dreams, in slips, wit, and the transference phenomenon, as well as in art, philosophy and religion. As the child develops, he/she identifies with the parent of the same sex and renounces incestual desire. This renunciation is achieved and strengthened by the formation of the super-ego, a section of the child's ego identified with the childhood image of the parents (the parental Imago) perceived in consciousness as conscience and as the ego ideal. The ego ideal is the selfs conception of how he/she wishes to be and is a substitute for the lost narcissism in childhood when I was my own ideal. When projected onto or into the world, the Imago (a word used by Freud to describe unconscious object-representations) is taken by the experience to be a veridical perception of a divine being. Throughout life, these experiences of this childhood conflict are alive and present in the unconscious of the individual. This childish, magically thinking, ever desiring, instinctually driven self is described topographically by Freud in his tripartite division of the person as the id (Latin for it). Tha t part of the individual responsible for maintaining congress and connection with reality and mediating between the id and reality is the ego. That part of the ego, largely and usually unconscious, which bears and enforces the ego ideal, is the super-ego. An activity is ego-syntonic just in case it strengthens the ego in its function of mediating between the demands of reality, basic instinctual drives (of appetite, aggression, and sexuality), and conscience. As mediator, the ego needs to make adequate contact with both the external and internal demands involved. Thus, one of its main tasks is reality testing - making an accurate determination of the limits imposed on the organism by the external world including one's

Term Paper Editing

Term Paper Editing Term Paper Editing Term Paper Editing Your term paper reader (tutor) knows the subject well and it is up to you to prove that do as well. Imagine that you have handed your college term paper to someone on the street.   Would that person understand what you have read?   Have you expressed your argument clearly and explained all concepts and theories mentioned in a term paper? If possible, ask a friend or family member to read and edit your term paper.   Ask them to point out anything they don't understand. Sometimes, it is hard to put on the paper what comes to your head.   Term paper writing is your chance to impress your tutor with depth of thinking and logical reasoning.   It is easy to become involved into writing process and start over-summarizing materials.   You may assume that the reader knows what you mean.   However, if you have failed to express your ideas clearly, your reader cannot understand your ideas. Term paper editing is about reading, reading, and reading.   The purpose of term paper editing is to make your term paper easy to understand and to format it in accordance to required writing and referencing style.   Good term paper is understandable, logically formatted, and interesting to read. Paper Editing Tips It is important that you have a clear idea of the expectations of your tutor. For example, you should always follow specific guidelines that are set within a particular subject in terms of term paper formatting and referencing requirements. If you are not aware of expectations and requirements, you need to devote some time to talk with your tutor. Editing helps you to see all your mistakes and correct them. Finally, editing is your last chance to improve your work. In the process of term paper editing, check spelling, grammar, and style errors. Term Paper Editing Advices Proofread your work. While writing a term paper, follow specific subject assessment guidelines. Staple the pages together. Unless specifically asked, avoid using expensive folders or folios. Include a cover page (essay question, your name, date, your tutor's name, course, etc.). Type or write your work only on one side of the page. Do not forget to include a bibliography list .com Our site employs a team of professional editors who are able to impress you with qualitative work.   Term paper editing service is aimed at helping you make your term paper perfect, easy to read and easy to understand. We will correct the mistakes, proofread the content, ensure relevance of materials, and check the bibliography formatting.   Feel free to contact us to learn more about our term paper editing services.

Phobia essays

Phobia essays What is phobia? Phobia is described as an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object or situation. It is also classified as a type of anxiety disorder, since anxiety is the chief symptom experienced by the sufferer. Phobias are thought to be learned emotional responses. It is generally held that phobias occur when fear produced by an original threatening situation that is transferred to other similar situations, with the original fear often repressed or forgotten. An excessive, unreasoning fear of water, for example, may be based on a forgotten childhood experience of almost drowning. The person accordingly tries to avoid that situation in the future, a response that, while reducing anxiety in the short term, reinforces the person's association of the situation with the onset of anxiety. In todays society, everyone suffers from some type of phobia. They would fall into one of three categories: Agoraphobia, Social phobia, or specific phobia. The first category, Agoraphobia, the pe rson suffers from irrational anxiety about being in places from which might be difficult or embarrassing. How many times have you been in a situation that made you feel uncomfortable or that you really did not want to even go because you felt under the weather? This shows that you might have this type of phobia. Social phobia is an irrational anxiety elicited by exposure to certain types of social or performance situations, also leading to avoidance behavior. Many people, in the world today, suffer from this phobia. Public speaking is the leading fear in todays society. People will go to the high extremes to get out of a speech or an event where they are the center of attention. How many times have you been nervous about giving a speech in front of your class? The last category is specific phobia. This phobia is a persistent and irrational fear in the presence of some specific stimulus which commonly elicits avoidance of that stimu ...

Scams, stealing, theft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Scams, stealing, theft - Research Paper Example obbery (application of force in order to steal from someone), copyright theft (non-physical theft, of ideas/ thoughts), retailing theft (shoplifting), credit card theft, embezzlement, possession of stolen material, forgery, identity theft, and so on. Stealing is an offense that results in punishments such as fines and jail terms. In the contemporary society, theft is fast becoming the number one global crime with surveys indicating that over a quarter of jailed person in major world nations are serving time in prisons on theft related convictions. This is not to mention the numerous cases that often go unreported or un-noticed by the law. One of the most notorious kinds of theft in the present age is shoplifting. Shoplifting refers to the removal of an item (goods) from a sales shop (shop) without paying for it. There are several questions that continue to trouble mankind concerning the crime of theft. What really triggers a person to steal? Is there a specific age in which one is transformed into a thief? Who is to blame for the alarming increases of theft cases around the world? What can be done to curb the tendency to steal? This essay attempts to answer these questions in a fair, well-informed and well-supported way using expert opinions, experiences and global surveys. As per the results of Jack L. Hayes International’s 26th Annual Retail Theft Survey, approximately 1.2 million dishonest workers and shoplifters were caught in the year 2013 in the United States alone. Equally more surprising is the fact that these apprehensions were done in only the 23 retail companies that were surveyed with more than USD 200 million recovered from these thefts. These figures continue to rise yearly and were noticeably higher than the statistics for the previous year, 2012. With increasing retail thefts, shop owners are facing huge annual loses with the innocent consumer forced to pay higher prices for goods in order to cover the losses from theft. This theft thus results

Issues in Behavioural Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues in Behavioural Science - Essay Example Nature means heredity, which, according to scholars, is a genetic makeup, or a genotype carried from birth until death of an individual (McLeod, 2007). On the other hand, nurture covers a broad area of both environmental and external factors faced by individuals in their lifetime. Behavioral science seeks to accomplish legitimate and objective summations through a rigor of formulations and observations. This nature notion expounds the tendencies that one can prescribe biologically and deals with tendencies and capabilities of a person in their life-long dynamics. Discussion a. Nature versus Nurture The issues revolving around nature and nurture highlight a polarized interaction and continuity. Generally, it is an approach to anthropological questions established on an axiomatic division between alliance processes and social aspects of family commonly referred to as biological aspects of kinship. However, one should note that in an apt manner, it describes the pivotal process that con troversy of nature and nurture involves. As such, this controversy does not solely describe the effect of environment or heredity on the observable outcomes (McLeod, 2007). However, this controversy discusses more the extent at which these two forces affect the development of a human being and the means by which the numerous factors affect each other. Studies of twins and adoption are relevant for the advocates of both sides of the debate (Cowen, 2011). b. Twin and Adoption Studies A particular scientist by the name of Francis Galton, a British, commenced the journey of studying the influence of genetics on human intelligence. Referring to Galton, evaluations deduce that children usually inherit their intelligence from their parents (Ridley, 2003). Additionally, Galton strongly believes that genes are pragmatically accountable for human intelligence. Thus, to prove his theory completely, Galton carried out this study in two twins (McLeod, 2007). In nature and nurture debate, this tw in study is of paramount importance to researchers. This is because identical twins possess identical genetic compositions. Recent studies conducted on twins reveal that genetics influence almost all the character traits of an individual. Genetics impact features like height of a person, while factors of the outside world influence character traits such as intelligence. Furthermore, in order to highlight the impacts of the environment and genetics on the psychological features of an individual, the Upper University of Illinois carried out a longitudinal study on twins. As a result of the study, the researchers found out that generic relatedness and kin categories provide a symmetrical way of understanding the envelope describing human family arrangements. In the year 1979, Thomas J. Bouchard began analyzing the fraternal and identical twins separated in their early life and brought up in different locations via psychological and medical assessments. Nevertheless, you should note tha t it is agreeable that kin terms are always and almost logically independent from those of strict genealogical relations. The psychological assessment is comprised of mental abilities, multiple measures of personality, psychomotor skills, interests, values, writing, reading, and spelling. In the medical assessment, the research focused on standard blood battery, medical life history, detailed periodontal and dental examinations. Upon separating the identical twins, the Upper

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 79

Assignment - Essay Example There are various procedures in which the court martial deals with cases especially those relating to criminal cases of a military officer. After an offense is committed by an officer, the case can be reported by anyone to the accused’s immediate commander as soon as possible. After one confinement, one is subjected to three types of pre-trial restrictions such as order of severity, confinement, and apprehension. The accused is then arrested or apprehended either through an order, orally or in written from by competent authority that also directs the accused to remain within certain specified limits. Service members in military, relish analogous rights secured by the statute and executive order, a military law gives the defendant, the right to counsel before a special or general court martial or an Art. 32 investigations. At the Supreme Court decision made was that there was no constitutional right to the counsel in summary courts-martial. Usually in special courts-martial, any accused has the right to; military counsel of his/her selection at government expense if available. Civilian counsel of his choosing, allotted military counsel at the Government expense. Article 38(b), 10 U.S.C. Â § 838(b). For multiple defendant cases, discrete counsel is appointed for each defendant to avoid any problem of conflicts of interest. Article 38(b)(4), 10 U.S.C. Â § 838(b)(4). For the accused who decides to choose a civilian counsel he/she is also entitled to appointed military associate counsel. Article 38(b)(4), 10 U.S.C. Â § 838(b)(4). The right to counsel does not only apply at trial, but also at pretrial investigations. This may also take place during depositions, and upon the appeal. Under article 70, the practice of appointing new counsel during appeal insures a renewed look at trial errors and competency of trial defense counsel. An appointed counsel must also meet the following competency; the counsel must be of typical competency in identifying legal

With reference to new theories of trade, account for the increased Essay

With reference to new theories of trade, account for the increased importance in the last fifty years of intra-industry trade as a component of world trade - Essay Example Theories have been developed to explain the increasing intra-industry trade, including technology based theories, new trade theories and the national competitive advantage. This is the case of decreasing cost of production in an industry in a given country. With the presence of a large population in the country that consumes a given product in the country, the demand for the product locally increases. This forms the large local market for the given product. Consumer preference for a product is mostly influenced by the consumer taste for the product as well as the cultural practice of the given country. With culture, there is a continued demand for the product generation after generation since the culture is passed over from one generation to the next; therefore ensuring a large market for the product locally. As such, the cost of production for the product decreases with increase in demand. This is due to the economies of large scale production that ensures decrease in total cost with increased production especially in manufacturing. With the large local market, the country benefits from economies of scale in production of the particular product. This gives the country a cost advantage in production of the given product, thus leading to price advantage. Pricing the product lower than other countries will see other countries prefer to import the given product than producing it. With culture, there is spread of the market globally from travelling of the people to other countries, thus the need to export the product to other countries. Enhanced transport has seen people travel far and wide to different countries. Consumer taste and preference goes a long way influencing imports in different countries. Creation of free trade will improve on imports in the country to cater for the varying consumer preference (Donnan 2013, p.3). Though there is a locally produced product, visitors in other countries may prefer the same product from their country of origin

The woman In US Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The woman In US - Research Paper Example Yoshiko Chuma was originally born at Osaka in Japan. Chuma migrated to America in the year of 1978 and hence forth, her struggle with life and at the same platform, the struggle to establish her thoughts, beliefs, perceptions and conceptions regarding the aesthetic features and stylistics of modern dance commenced. In the pursuit of her dreams, she arrived in America and started her career from Manhattan. Her stay in America and her dedication towards her work made her a leader in modern American dance within a very short span of time. In 1998, she almost made the world spell bound by her scintillating performance in Astoria Pools in Queens. She tried to recreate and stage an audience-participatory performance art named â€Å"swim-dance†. Her pieces, which are Avant –Grade include â€Å"Sundown†, a marvelous performance that takes seven long hours. â€Å"Sundown† is an exposition of cubism and is mounted at the Issue Project Space in the year of 2006. This is a quite unconventionality as an artist as Ms. Chuma prefers to walk apart the queue. Dance for Ms Chuma is more than an art, it is an expression and a platform to say things unsaid, feel things never felt and she bears the witness of an entire period framed in a time in which she grew up. Ms Chuma said, â€Å"The majority goes one way, and I’m always kind of biting my finger.† In her words, â€Å"I don’t want to go in that group, and I don’t know why. My generation in Japan might have something to do with it. We are postwar children, and probably some of my childhood is hitting this landscape. Nobody would choose this space for a dance performance† (Kourlas, â€Å"For Dance, a Cubism of a Different Sort†). â€Å"The area reminds me of a painting of Brooklyn, maybe from the 70’s,† she continued. â€Å"It’s not very clean. Manhattan is totally clean now. I think, I want to introduce audiences to this difficult

LISTENING ASSIGNMENT FORMAT FOR ASSIGNMENT 3 VIDEO REPORT

LISTENING FORMAT FOR 3 VIDEO REPORT - Assignment Example He does comping, which is the act of play chords in a lovely fashion that creates rhythms. The music that he plays accompanies the melodies that leave everyone satisfied. The bass players move back and forth especially when the soloist takes a break. Their main job in this piece of jazz song is to play the roots of the chords. They also lay down a great groove. In this song, they act as a stem when compared to a tree as they keep everything coordinated and together. They are the foundation, the pulse and the glue of the song. The drum players in this song act as exciters especially when approaching the climax of the song. As the soloist starts off, they introduce the rhythm accents together with other instrumentalists. In the song â€Å"just by myself† their importance is greatly seen. The horn players create a jazz atmosphere and rhythm. The sequence of the event in the song started off with the piano first played before the other instruments for the introduction of the song then the vocalist sang. The vocalist sang the song with all instruments played together at once. After the vocalist, the instruments had a solo with the vocalist taking a break. After the singer was done, the pianist was first focused followed by the guitarist, bass player, drummer, and trumpeter. First solo is guitar and piano played together with other instrument accompanying it. The guitarist used the rhythm guitar. After guitar and piano solo, the trumpet was muted giving emphasis on the other instruments. The technique d one in the performance wherein the trumpet plays quietly as the singer sings is known obbligato. At last, the singer stared singing, the trumpet was played as well, and it can be observed that both play independently. The solo was pretty successful as everything was kept synchronized and in a perfect flow. This was interesting to listen to. Moaning is an Arthur Blakely and Jazz Messengers jazz album recorded in 1958 in

With reference to new theories of trade, account for the increased Essay

With reference to new theories of trade, account for the increased importance in the last fifty years of intra-industry trade as a component of world trade - Essay Example Theories have been developed to explain the increasing intra-industry trade, including technology based theories, new trade theories and the national competitive advantage. This is the case of decreasing cost of production in an industry in a given country. With the presence of a large population in the country that consumes a given product in the country, the demand for the product locally increases. This forms the large local market for the given product. Consumer preference for a product is mostly influenced by the consumer taste for the product as well as the cultural practice of the given country. With culture, there is a continued demand for the product generation after generation since the culture is passed over from one generation to the next; therefore ensuring a large market for the product locally. As such, the cost of production for the product decreases with increase in demand. This is due to the economies of large scale production that ensures decrease in total cost with increased production especially in manufacturing. With the large local market, the country benefits from economies of scale in production of the particular product. This gives the country a cost advantage in production of the given product, thus leading to price advantage. Pricing the product lower than other countries will see other countries prefer to import the given product than producing it. With culture, there is spread of the market globally from travelling of the people to other countries, thus the need to export the product to other countries. Enhanced transport has seen people travel far and wide to different countries. Consumer taste and preference goes a long way influencing imports in different countries. Creation of free trade will improve on imports in the country to cater for the varying consumer preference (Donnan 2013, p.3). Though there is a locally produced product, visitors in other countries may prefer the same product from their country of origin

LISTENING ASSIGNMENT FORMAT FOR ASSIGNMENT 3 VIDEO REPORT

LISTENING FORMAT FOR 3 VIDEO REPORT - Assignment Example He does comping, which is the act of play chords in a lovely fashion that creates rhythms. The music that he plays accompanies the melodies that leave everyone satisfied. The bass players move back and forth especially when the soloist takes a break. Their main job in this piece of jazz song is to play the roots of the chords. They also lay down a great groove. In this song, they act as a stem when compared to a tree as they keep everything coordinated and together. They are the foundation, the pulse and the glue of the song. The drum players in this song act as exciters especially when approaching the climax of the song. As the soloist starts off, they introduce the rhythm accents together with other instrumentalists. In the song â€Å"just by myself† their importance is greatly seen. The horn players create a jazz atmosphere and rhythm. The sequence of the event in the song started off with the piano first played before the other instruments for the introduction of the song then the vocalist sang. The vocalist sang the song with all instruments played together at once. After the vocalist, the instruments had a solo with the vocalist taking a break. After the singer was done, the pianist was first focused followed by the guitarist, bass player, drummer, and trumpeter. First solo is guitar and piano played together with other instrument accompanying it. The guitarist used the rhythm guitar. After guitar and piano solo, the trumpet was muted giving emphasis on the other instruments. The technique d one in the performance wherein the trumpet plays quietly as the singer sings is known obbligato. At last, the singer stared singing, the trumpet was played as well, and it can be observed that both play independently. The solo was pretty successful as everything was kept synchronized and in a perfect flow. This was interesting to listen to. Moaning is an Arthur Blakely and Jazz Messengers jazz album recorded in 1958 in

Comparison of A Good Man is Hard Essay Example for Free

Comparison of A Good Man is Hard Essay SETTING The setting of A Good Man is Hard to Find is in a place in Georgia, but the reader is not exposed to the description of the original setting. The story begins in a city that is not named where the family lives and takes the reader to many places where the family travels. There is Plenty of local color there are the old plantations that get passed, and Red Sammys roadside barbeque joint. For Love in L.A the story takes place on the Freeway of Los Angeles, where Jake, protagonist, lazy, self-absorbed and irresponsible, is driving along the freeway (Dagoberto, 2004). The similarity in the setting of the two stories is the fact that story happens as an experience of persons travelling. However the two stories are different because in A Good Man is Hard to Find it involves a family and the relationship to one another. This is not the dame case in Love in L.A where the story involves Jake who is driving along a freeway. CHARACTERS In Love in L.A Jake is presented as an irresponsible, self absorbed and lazy protagonist. This is seen when he hits Marianas car due to his carelessness. Jake is also dishonest when he gives Mariana wrong information regarding his address, phone number, and insurance information (Dagoberto, 2004). The main reason as to why he does this is for him to walk free from the consequences he is likely to face for hitting Marianas car. Mariana is the storys antagonist. She believes the information given to him by Jake and she gives her correct information to Jake, with hopes of becoming good friends. Despite the fact that he hits her car does not make to feel anger against him, but instead accepts his proposal. In A Good Man is Hard to Find the grandmother is seen as a manipulator. She does not want to go to Florida because she has relatives in Tennessee she  wants to see. She tries to change the mind of Bailey through a subtle style (Flannery, 1992). The Misfit despite being violent and a wanton killer, he has a different opinion to that of the grandmother. As much he knows that he is not morally upright, he also has the view that there are some people who are worse than him. He is consistent in these views, something that lacks in the grandmother. Bailey can be seen as submissive since he submits to his mothers request to visit the old plantation house. He is also ineffective when he fails to quiet his mother but in vain. Red Sammy Butts is honest as is seen by the trust that the grandmother has in him. He is gullible to fault. The two escaped criminals are cowards because they escape from the consequences that they are likely to face, having killed several people. The two children are adventurous as seen by their push to visit the old house their grandmother having said that it contained a secret panel. SYMBOLISM The freeway in Love in L.A is symbolic in that it makes Jake feel all the freedom provided by the open road, something that leads him into day dreaming. The car is also symbolic because it represents how well or bad he uses his freedom, basing on the fact that he is involved in an accident due to carelessness. In A Good Man is Hard to Find the grandmothers hat which she puts to show that she is a lady is symbolic in a way that it represents her moral code, which is misguided (Flannery, 1992). This is illustrated when she dresses in that specific manner, so that in case there is an accident, everyone would easily identify her as a lady. The Toomsboro town is mentioned in a manner that it sounds like a Tomb meaning that the family is headed for doom. Through the description of Misfits car, the writer brings out the picture of the ultimatum of the family. He uses a big black battered hearse-like automobile, instead of brand names like Cadillac, Lincoln and many others. THEMES In A Good Man is Hard to Find the main theme is good versus evil where  there is a confrontation with a superficial logic of goodness and a person who is embodies aspects of evil. She treats goodness just to appear decent, with the right manners and to paint of a picture of coming from a family of right people, which is a contrast as is seen when she meets the Misfit who acknowledges and accepts his true nature. In this piece, the writer brings out the nature of people to paint a picture which is in contrast of their true natures just to gain a social status among the people they interact with. In Love in L.A the main theme is love for self. This is seen as Jake is consumed with himself and the obsession he has with his car. He wants more for himself and for the main reason of getting more women. The author illustrates the nature of people in the society to always want more in life (Dagoberto, 2004). TONE In Love in L.A, The tone of the author brings out the fact that he might see himself in the main character, Jake. The author could be a good person who at one time struggled in the place of a bad guy. In A good Man is Hard to Find, the overall tone used plays a fundamental role in developing the plot of the story, which is retro respect, based upon the unforgiving terrain especially during the writing of the story. IRONY The title of the story,A Good man is hard to find is ironic because the grandmother refers the Misfit as a good man when she says, I know youre a good man I know you must come from nice people, (Flannery, 1992). which is not the case since the Misfit has escaped from prison and has killed his father. Irony is also evident in Love in L.A because of the continual longing for love which does not occur. Through Jake, love is developed in different fashions which do not suggest anything positive. He is seen as one with a love for image, daydreaming and self conceit, which does not represent the true meaning of the word love. MORAL CODES In Love in L.A, Jake has no moral codes. Despite the fact that he knocks Mirandas car, he does not make any efforts to honor the responsibility but instead tries hard to evade the situation by telling Miranda lies and giving him false information. He does not also mind about the conditions of other people but instead thinks about himself and does everything to get what he wants. In A Good Man is Hard to Find I think the grandmother does not have the qualities to be looked at as a good man since the image that she tries to paint is not what she truly is, she lives in deceit and does everything to get recognized (Flannery, 1992). This is the same scenario in the case of Misfit, who despite the fact that he sees himself as perfect, and that there are others even more dangerous than him, does not mean that he is morally upright. This is because he does not make any efforts in changing what evil he has done in the past. FINAL THOUGHTS I have learnt that there are many ways in which perceive love. Having read the two short stories, I discovered that people are of different opinions. This is illustrated by Jake as being in love with his car and self image, the same thing is seen with the grandmother, where he only loves the image that can be represented by her and not about the affairs of the other people. This is a moral lesson that we should learn and try as hard to always consider the affairs and statuses of other people before putting ours ahead. REFERENCES Flannery, O. (1992) A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories Chicago: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Dagoberto. G, (2004) Love in L.A. Chicago: Cengage Learning

Partnership Relations Between Ukraine And Eu Politics Essay

Partnership Relations Between Ukraine And Eu Politics Essay Year of 1993 can be considered as the beginning of the partnership relations between Ukraine and the EU, when Ukrainian parliament Verchovna Rada in its resolution On (over) main directions of Ukraines foreign policy stated that longer-term view of foreign policy of Ukraine is accession to the EU. Nevertheless, this goal stood out as one of several quite contradictory decisions on the list at the time, when Verchovna Rada conducted a multidirectional international foreign policy. Over the following years came into effect several agreements between Ukraine and the EU, in particular on (over) the sale of various kinds of goods (metal products, textiles) and on (over) the cooperation in the nuclear industry. Of particular significance is the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation, which Ukraine has signed (was signed by) with the EU as one of the first of the CIS (The Commonwealth of Independent States) countries on 14 June 1994. Though there were a number of inconsistencies in fulfil lment its obligations from the Ukrainian side, which greatly complicated the negotiatation process for further economic integration between the two sides, it is also clear that the agreement has fulfilled its role to start building constructive relations between EU and Ukraine, creating a fundamentally new type of cooperation. Nine years later, in May 2002, President L.Kuschma, during his annual address to Parliament stated objectives, aimed to bring Ukraine closer to European community. Ambitions looked as follows(ing): In 2003-2004, to sign an agreement with the EU associate membership and negotiate a free trade zone; In 2004-2007, Ukraine has to implement all the necessary procedures for the entry into force of the agreement on associate membership; In 2005-2007, Ukraine needs to create a Customs Union with the EU; In 2007-2011 Ukraine is to fulfill the conditions required for EU accession. At the same time Ukraine has appealed to the European Union to grant it the status of associate member. Instead Ukraine has been offered the status of neighbor EU, a more detailed explanation of which appeared almost a year later. Basic principles of the new neighborhood policy were set out in the directive of the Commission and Council of the European Union to the European Parliament Wider Europe Neighbourhood: A new dimension to our relations with eastern and southern neighbors. The aim of the new European Neighborhood Policy was to provide a framework for the development of new relations with the countries bordering the EU, which would in the immediate perspectives of which do not include (à Ã‚ ²Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ тут ц¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ Ñ‚Ã Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ µ) prospects of membership or participation in the institutions of the Union. Policy Action Plan Neighborhood was implemented based on an analysis of achievements and failures in the relationship between the two parties. It could be described in another way as an integration without Europeanization. However incomplete, this was a diplomatic foundation upon which the fostering of the constructive relationship gave a start to more constructive relationship. Ukraine, together with other countries, such as Georgia, Armenia, Azerbajian, Moldova, belong to the East Subgroup, with EU aspiration (à Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ »?). Aspirations, however, cannot outbalance notable disparity in rates of development in a number of branches. Thus, the level and characteristics of economic development of Ukraine imposed (and still do) significant restrictions on the integration capabilities of Ukraine. Economic perspective Unconditional obstacle to Ukraines EU membership remains a huge gap in economic development of Ukraine and European countries. Indicator of living standards in Ukraine (officially, the indicator of standard of living, composed from data on life expectancy, education and per-capita GNI), even taking into account purchasing power parity (PPP, which is an expression of the idea that if ignoring transaction costs, identical good will have the same prices on various markets), is approximately 15% of the EU average. The share of Ukraines foreign trade EU is very small, and justified by the small size of the Ukrainian economy. In 2001, Ukraines share in EU imports amounted to 0,4% and 0,5% in its exports and that is given that the export accounted for 70% of Ukrainian GDP and the rate of exports per capita is about 5% of the EU average. Political situation Viktor Yanukovych became the 4th President of Independent Ukraine in February 2010. On February 7 2010 Janukowitsh defeated his main rival and fierce political opponent of many years Julia Timoshenko. Juschenko was defeated in the first round of election in January, when won less than total of 6 per cent of votes. Janukowitsch is an openly pro-russian president, comes from the Russian- speaking part of Ukraine and is well-known to be strongly supported by a number of pro-russian businessmen and Russian clans in this presidential campaign.The lost of trust of Ukrainian people in Viktor Juschenko was evident. Viktor Juschenko, the former Head of National Bank, in December 2004, during Orange Revolution has become the 3rd President of independent Ukraine with 51.9 per cent of votes ( debates are still ongoing, whether in his presidential campaign he was financially heavily supported by the US government, which is, as speculated, amounted to millions of US dollars). His attemps to bring Ukraine into NATO brought opposition from the majority of Ukrainians. The other crude misdirection was to make Russia, in the media, at least, a fierce enemy, which was and is a crude (Ñ‚Ã Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ ) strategical mistake, not only economically but also socially, if taken into account that the biggest minority in Ukraine are Russians. His attempt to alienate Ukraine from its neighbor was unthinkable in the country where roughly 50 per cent of indigenous population consider Russian as their mother tongue and enthusiastically consume made-in-Russia media products. It should not be denied that to a certain extent this brotherhood is purposely played up by the media, but the influence of Russian culture on Ukrainian mentality simply should not be dismissed. Eventually he was a president of a handful of pro-western group of intelligentsia, which is a minority in a predominantly rural Ukraine. In addition, political ly ugly split between Juschenko and Timoshenko, when the Head of BYT refused to play a second violin, sped up the downfall of his influence on the hearts and minds of Ukrainian folk. The tensions in his camp were continuous, public and eventually destructive for his political career. The weakness in his position was already obvious when during the Parlamental elections Jutshenko Party won less that 14 per cent of votes. Dissapointment in Orange Revolution fostered a collapse of the Orange coalition in July 2006, resulting in the appearance of a new AntiCrisis Coalition, composed of the Party of Regions, led by V.Janukovych, the Socialist Party of Ukraine and the Communist Party of Ukraine. Their agenda offered significant changes to the presidential one, as in domestic projects as well as in the foreign affairs policy, though eventually the signing of a Manifesto of National Unity still took place between the opposing parties. This document ratified the Ukraine intention to continue integration talks with the EU and to co-operate with NATO. At the same time, its implementation remained problematic as the anti-crises coalition was making attempts to evade the implementation of certain points of the Manifesto (e.g. co-operation with NATO). Questions arose and during interpretation of certain statements of Manifesto by different parties. Agreements between Ukraine and the EU. Ukraine is currently considered as a key partner with the European Neighbourhood policy (ENP) and the Eastern Partnership, which are there to ensure that the whole of the EU is committed to deeper relations with all our neighbours and at the same time to develop tailor-made relations with each country. In March 2007 EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was launched to replace the previous Partnershp and Cooperation Agreement, the aim of which is to establish deep and comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU, following Ukraines accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO, an organization that intent/ds to supervise and liberalize international trade) in May 2008). The question remains how long Kiew will need to wait for a full Agreement, which in its turn depends how swiftly Kiew will accept and fulfill its obligations set in the ENP Action Plans, which as stated by the ENP can happen only from the involvement of both the government and the civil society organisations. The role of civ il society organizations, in their part, consists of identifying priorities for action and in promoting and monitoring the implementation of ENP Action Plans. Though EU considers civil society organizations as important players in establishment transparency and systematization, the question remains whether Ukrainian legislature can ensure independent functioning of these non-government organizations and protection from manipulative pressure by Government or other interested players. Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) is currently the legal framework of EU-Ukraine relations, which provides a framework for political dialogue, sets the principal common objectives in terms of promotion of trade and investment, sustainable development, economic, social, financial, civil, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation, legal approximation and support to Ukraines efforts to consolidate its democracy and to develop its economy. PCA, on its part, set up a framework, which consists of Co-operation Council, consisting of the members of the Government of Ukraine on the one hand and of the members of the EU Council and of the European Commission on the other, as well as co-operation Committee, which are to meet regularly to monitor the progress in implementing economic/trade chapters of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan. The head Committee consists of a number of sub-committees. Another significant committee to mention is the Parliamentary Co-operation Committee (PCC), consisting of the members of the Ukrainian Parliament and the European Parliament and meets twice a year. Among other agreements on cooperation are Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine establishing a framework for the participation of Ukraine in the European Union crisis management operations, as well as the Agreement on cooperation in science and technology between the European Community and Ukraine , Agreements between the European Community and Ukraine on certain aspects of air services, agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Civil Satellite Navigation, Visa Facilitation and Readmission agreements. Another field of cooperation worth mentioning is Black Sea Synergy Joint Statement, signed in Kiev in 2008 between EU and the Black Sea Foreign Affairs Ministers in order to stimulate democratic and economic reforms, support stability and promote development, facilitate projects in areas of common concern, open up opportunities and challenges through coordinated action in a regional framework, and encourage the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region. Another important field of cooperation is in the sphere of natural gas and oil. Ukrainian Naftogaz is already a member of several international organizations such Gas Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the European Energy Forum, and the International Gas Union. In May 2010 Naftogaz began the procedure of accession to Eurogas, the European Union of the Natural Gas Industry as an associated member. On 21 May at the meeting in Berlin, Germany Chairman of the Naftogaz of Ukraine Board of Directors Yevhen Bak ulin and Eurogas President Domenico Dispenza signed the Memorandum of Understanding, concerning cooperation in energy sphere. Based on this Memorandum a Joint Declaration was signed on 23 March 2009 during joint EU-Ukraine International Conference for Modernization of Gas Transportation System of Ukraine. A technical coordination group was created to realize provisions of the Joint Declaration. This group is comprised of experts from Naftogaz of Ukraine, SE Ukrtransgaz, and experts from the European Commission and international financial organizations (EIB, EBRD, and WB). Naftogaz of Ukraine received technical assistance within the framework of the à Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬  S/INOGATE program financed by the European Union. The main goal of this program is to increase security of transit and supply of energy resources to European consumers by fostering regional integration of oil and gas pipeline systems. On 24 September 2010 Ukraine joined the European Energy Community, the significance of which was underlined by the European Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger as to help Ukraine to have access to a pan-European energy market, based on the principles of solidarity and transparency, since for the Community, Ukraine is an important new member and security of supply further improved.The energy Community entered into force on 1 July 2006. The goal of the European Energy Community is to liberalize their energy markets and implement key EU legal acts in the area of electricity, gas, environment and renewable energy. Another point of cooperation is the European Parliament Resolution of 25 Novermber 2010 on Ukraine. Overall, the resolution can be said to have taken a soft stand recent violation of local elections and characterized them as largely quiet, though not setting new democratic standards, even though certain partied of the EP, such as European Peoples Party (EPP) proposed originally to regognize the elections in Ukraine as unfree, unfair and undemocratic. The resolution was also lenient on describing problems associated with the implementation of democratic freedoms, especially the freedom of speech, even though called to investigate the role of the SBU in connection with the interference in the democratic process. Other comments and suggestions, proposed by the EP, concerned mainly the continuation of the reforms. The EP insisted on a comprehensive amendment to the Constitution, the Election Code and the Public Information Act. Significantly, in the resolution it was firstly stated that in accordance with Article 49 of the Agreement on the European Union, Ukraine can apply for membership in the EU, which is in itself is a progress in the relationship. The EP also announced its support of the annulment of the visa regime between Ukraine and the EU in the future. Ukraine urged the EP in its part to cancel Schengen visa fees for Ukrainian citizens in the nearest future and institute visa-free travel during Euro 2012. Some Ukrainian officials blatantly cheered the document, not only because the Ukrainian Governent received from the EP a recognition of the prospects of the EU membership, but also the right to file an application to the EU. But not all. Former Vice Premier H,Nemyria described the resolution and the uttered support by the EP of Ukraine as a slap in the face, which alienated the country even further from the EU. Not everbody agrees on the interpretation of the resolution, but nevertheless its significance is undisputable, even though the split in the EP between its parties as to what position the EP should take in regard to Ukraine remain. Among the spheres of cooperation is Education, which stresses the importance of increasing cooperation on youth and student exchanges and the development of scholarship programmes which will enable Ukrainians to become acquainted with the European Union and its Member States. As well as calls on the Ukrainian authorities to step up efforts to fight corruption; expects, in this regard, that positive political statements will be matched by decisive action in combating corruption at all levels, on the basis of political impartiality; calls for the establishment of a level playing field for business and for application of the same rules to domestic and foreign investors; in that connection, deplores the over-involvement of big business in political life , Highlights Ukraines pivotal role in the European Unions energy security; emphasises the importance of stepping up cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of energy; calls on Ukraine to implement its commitments arising out o f the Joint Declaration of the EU-Ukraine International Investment Conference on the Modernisation of Ukraines Gas Transit System; calls for further agreements to be concluded between the EU and Ukraine aimed at securing energy supplies for both sides, including a reliable and diversified transit system for oil and gas; emphasises that if Ukraine is to have a modern gas transit system, it requires transparent, efficient and high-quality transit services through a modernised gas transportation network, and also, among others Calls on the Ukrainian Government to bring the legislation on media freedom into line with OSCE standards; decisive action in this regard would strengthen Ukraines credibility as OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office for 2013. On the whole the resolution outlines some common points of cooperation and offers nothings specific. The more significant are practical steps and concrete agreements, for example, in the area of Free Trade. Minister of Economy V. Piatnitski, after a recent round of negotionations between the economic delegations of Ukraine and the EU, is moderately pessimistic about the prospects for approval of the agreement on free trade area (FTA) any time soon, as European Commision has basically blocked for now Ukrainian access to European market in energy and transport (Mirror of week, 16.10). Ukrainian side has characterized the conditions as not very favourable for Ukraine, except in the area of internation marine traffic, but where Ukraine has really no substantial resources. From the Piatniskis words Ukraine has a great potential in the areas of power transmission, ground transportation, which is making it increasingly competitive. The fact that these markets are closed to Ukraine for now is a serious question. The EU wants to oblige Ukraine to accept and subsidize the mechanism of compensation for unforeseen situations in the field of energy, such as disruptions in gas supplies. They are very concerned about the security of energy transit through Ukraine, the occurrence of situations of force majeure, the fault of one party (in this case meaning(s) the Ukraine), and therefore offer the expedited dispute settlement mechanism, a compensation mechanism, built on the fact that any amount corresponding to the equivalent of potential losses is deposited outside of Ukraine. That is, we are depositing some money, and if something suddenly happens to our fault, it is written off unconditionally. It turns out that the state must assume full responsibility for them. Accession of Ukraine to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan would have led to an immediate cessation of talks on free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU, because as a member of the Customs Union, Ukraine would be able to sign any agreements on free trade with the EU. And however there are no ongoing negations at present between Ukraine and the Customs Unions, it still remains potentially a point of tensions in negotiation between Ukraine and the EU. Some important conclusions to be made from this recent round of negations can be stated as following: 1. The European Commission continues to consider Ukraine as mere objects of trade and economic expansion and little concerned about the consequences of those decisions imposed on Ukraine. In this case, European experts are strictly concerned with getting benefits for domestic producers of goods and services and does not take into account the perspectives of development of Ukrainian economy, which in principle is quite natural for economic talks. 2. The EU merely sees Ukraine as a component in the politics of the Eastern Partnership. At present there are no targeted specific programs to adapt Ukrainian economy to the EU standards, except for some minor technical assistance in some economical areas. The priority of the EU is for Ukraine to completely adapt its economic legislation to the EU standards in sectors of transportation, energy and services, which Ukraine cannot do, if merely for technical reasons. 3. the FTA with the EU imposes all kinds of quotas, limiting the volume of Ukrainian exports. The size of tariff has been already agreed upon on nearly 95 per cent of the goods. European Commission calls on complete abolition of all export duties. It need to be pointed out, that 70% of the total EU trade occurs among the countries of its community, and among them there are about 100 preferential agreements, which account for 29,5% of trade and to which Ukraine will have no relationship. At the same time, the Ukrainian share of trade is bordering on 1%, while trade with the EU accounts for 30% of Ukraines foreign trade. 4. Entry into force of the FTA between the EU and Ukraine will inevitably be accompanied by an ultimatum, demanding the termination of all other free trade agreements with Russia and other CIS countries. This withdrawal is a doubtlessly a precondition for ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU. The notable example is Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which in their time, at the request of the European Commission denounced the free trade agreement with Ukraine on the eve of their accession to the EU. The biggest difference, however, is that Ukraine is certainly not entering the European Union in the foreseeable future. Therefore, its can be predicted based on these negotiations that Ukraine would not rush into any premature agreements, for the sake of some illusory closeness with the EU. Ukrainian-Russian relations There are|is a number of other problems which need to be balanced out before talks of|over the EU integration can continue. Importantly, it is the Ukraine-Russia relationship, resolutions of geographical differences and gas/oil transition. Firstly, the dispute on the Kerch Strait (connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsual in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the East) must be resolved. Secondly, there are tensions regarding the Russian South Stream gas transition and how this pipeline is being constructed to bypass the territory of Ukraine, and how, possibly, it is used in order to put a pressure on the Ukrainian Government. President Janukovych spoke of a way of blackmail from Russian government and though it has begun before we came to power, it is a challenge which needs to be met and dealt with.The priority of Ukraine now is to prove that Ukraine is, notwithstanding, a reliable transit country, which means modernization of the pipelines, among others, with the financial help of the EU. According to V.Janukovych both Russia and Europe have an access to the management of Ukrainian gas transportation system. Modernization will allow them to become shareholders. Thirdly, is the prospect of joining the Customs Union with Russia, Belarus and Khazakhstan. Official position of present Ukrainian government does not give a straightforward answer, stressing that Ukraine might consider joining the Customs Union, if he|it sees for himself the obvious benefits and if it is clearly in the nations interests. Furthermore, to joint the Union, certain ammendmends to the Constitution must be made, which are possible only if the idea will find support of 300 deputies in the Parliament. Overall, the chance of gathering 300 votes is not convincing, to seriously speculate the adherence to the Union at present. In the recently signed decree by the President V. Janukovych (The Decree à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾- 1119/2010 of 10.12.2010), among other instructions to enhance the level of defense and the financial stability of the country, are also a number of statements, urging to facilitate an Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraiine, including the creation of deep and comprehensive free trade area agreements with the CIS, Canada and other prospective trading partners and identifying priority area of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. Another major event is the recent 14th Summit EU-Ukraine which has taken place recently on the 22.11.2010. The main points of discussing were the adoption of the Action Plan for launching of a smooth transition to a visa-free regime. Action Plan, adopted specifically for Ukraine, define the criteria to be fulfilled by Ukraine and specifies measures that can be taken by the EU to liberalize visa regime for Ukrainian citizens, traveling into the EU countries. The most realistic part of this plan concerns the abolition of visas , which will allow Ukrainian citizens to travel to the EU for up to three months without a visa and pay visa fees. European Commission President (à Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ ¼Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ ?) Barroso on the possible timing of the abolition of visas à Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ » no specific answer. Estimated EU representatives, in the case of Ukraines implementation of all requirements, theoretically it can be expected in 2012 President V. Janukovych reiterated that the EU membership remains a strategic goal and that Ukraine has taken a firm course towards European integration, especially, since through the efforts of its government, Ukraine has resumed economic growth. GDP growth was over 5%, industrial production over 11%. While the EU president G.van Rompuy noted the high intensity of dialogue between Ukraine and the EU in 2010, emphasizing the Ukraine is a strategically important partner for the EU and that the parties are waiting for an early conclusion of negotiations on the conclusion of viable and working Association Agreement. In his turn, the European commission Pressident Jose Manuel Barroso expressed his expectation that the Association Agreement between EU and Ukraine will be completed by mid-2011. We would like to see progress on the agenda of democratic reform in Ukraine it is important for open and democratic society. Briefly, Ukraines implementation of the Action Plan involves the following steps: 1. The introduction of biometric passports, which contain a special chip containing information about its owner (photo, fingerprints, voice sample, a snapshot of the iris) ц¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ ° ц¦Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ , à Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒ Ã‚ ¼ Ñ Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾?. On the 17 Novermber 2010 The Cabinet of Ukraine adopted the Resolution on the introduction of biometric passports. 2. Creation of a single Institution to control migration. Until now, migration issues were in the competence of the border guards and Ministry of Internal Affairs. 3. Transfering the existing database on population registry into electronic form, which will contain data about every citizen in a comprehensive electronic format. 4. Settlement of external borders disputes, including the demarcation of land borders with Russia, Belarus and Moldova. 5. Solving the problems relating to illegal immigration (in the framework of the agreement with the EU on readmission, which obliges Ukraine to ensure the repatriation of illegal migrants from third countries who have got into the EU via Ukraine). 8. A new agreement between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and Europol. Ukrainian side should inform Europol of all criminal cases of interest to Europol. Among others important conditions are also a reform of the Judicial System to European standards and reducing corruption. As a conclusion to his recent round of negations can be said that overall it was constructive, though without big promises. Perhaps, most importantly that the EU does not consider Janukovychs regime dictatorial or overtly antidemocratic, like in Belarus, for example, and is ready, at its own rate, to cooperate, without putting too much pressure on Ukraine or taking drastic measure to advance its course, like using force or bluntly blocking certain procedures. In any case, the EU would be wise not to exert pressure on Ukraine, if only not to force Ukraine to turn to its neighbor Russia for increased assistance and cooperation, which the EU tries to avoid by all costs. Conclusion I (à Ã‚ ²Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ à Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ ´Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒâ€˜Ã…’ Ñâ‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ µ we à Ã‚ ´Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾ à Ã‚ ±Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã…’, à Ã‚ ºÃƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ º à Ã‚ ² à Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ¹ Ñâ‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ µ?) would like to abstain from any overhasty conclusions regarding EU-Ukraine relationship. Firstly, it is the overexpansion of the EU and its seeming incapability to sustain and support all its members. Some believe that Europeans have lost their keenness, became impassive as to further expansion. There are tensions within the EU in many spheres, the most prominent recently is the giving a huge financial aid to proclaimed financially insolvent Greece. Many experts predict that Portugal will be the next to follow. Official stance on expansion was expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel as following: The enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 members within a few yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has required great efforts. As a result the CDU prefers a phase of consolidation, during which a consolidation of the European Unions values and institutions should take priority over further EU enlargement. Roughly 50 per cent of Germans oppose Ukrainian membership into the EU, for example. Besides, there are a number of countries that are ahead of the Ukraine. Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Turkey are officially filed for the candidacy and the negotiations talks on there entrance are already being discussed for some time. Among other countries with the EU aspirations are Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Economical crises made Iceland to apply for membership, following devastating collapse of its economy and banking system. Whether Ukraine in this situation has a valid chance and can compete in urgency with other states-candidates is questionable. Also, to reiterate, the EU would not rush with promises unless Ukraine start fulfulling its promises to undertake democratic reforms in accordance with the EU rules, put together legislature, banking system, boost the economy, adopt anti-corruption measures and put them successfully into practice and many more. It seems Ukraine has years of tough work ahead to adapt to the EU standards. The last but not the least is normalization of relationship with Russian within the framework of the EU. As it is known, for historical, economical, political reasons, Russia is not welcoming tight relations between Ukraine and the EU, seeing, firstly, the threat to its integrity. More painful for Russia is the possible entering of Ukraine into NATO. Become Ukraine a part of the EU, it would most certainly distance Ukraine from its north-eastern partner with dire consequences in economical/political agreements and Russia tries to avoid it by all costs or at least slow down the process, since Ukraine i s, among others, is situated at an important strategic part of Eastern Europe. And that is not to mention Chernomorsky Fleet of the Russian Federation stationed in the Crimea Peninsula and Russian gas/oil, aimed for the EU, 80 per cent of those export travel through the pipeless across Ukrainian territory. If Ukraine enters the EU, it would not be so simple for Russia to exert its pressure on Ukraine and dictate its terms. These are issues that cannot be easily resolved. But perhaps even more vital question is wether Ukrainian people welcome this expansion, if we consider that political desisions are made for the benefit of its people and not merely to satisfy the interests of a handful of politians and businessmen with aspirations? Certainly, there is not enough information in Ukrainian mass media about the EU. It can also be explained that ukrainian journalists simply are not adequately educated about the EU, which by large create this information gap in the country. On the news domestic affa