Discussion on Guibert of Nogent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conversation on Guibert of Nogent - Essay Example ...in any case, when reason returns, I atone that I have respected the desire of my heart when my spirit with reluctant greatness sinks on a dunghill for its bed (Bland, 1). There is a profound situated want to know the desire of God and to know him, rather the individual should purge himself and come to know his Creator. Perusing the priest's diaries, he sees that the way of life around him is lowered in riches and sin. And all that learning is of no utilization it the individual doesn't hold nothing back from the Lord Jesus Christ. ...Unless Christ will open to him the entryways of learning with the key of information, without question each educator will spend himself futile on dull ears. In this manner, let each savvy man be absurd to guarantee anything as his own however sin (Bland 2). Everything is related with the sacred dining experiences and the days they fall on as an image of some heavenly importance of why things happened. Presently the dining experience of the Blessed Martin was close nearby, in certainty the following day (Bland 14). An individual endures a destiny or hardship since divine intercession has chosen to rebuff the person for their off-base doings-the man who attempts to satisfy a deceptive adversary in dread of being chomped, by the only judgment of paradise gets injured by him and every other person (Bland 14). Heaven's choice in the issue is viewed as reasonable and just. The quality of Christianity is doused to the edge with blame and discipline, equity and revenge in spite of the fact that there are various occasions in Guibert's works where he makes reference to the kindnesses of the Lord and his mom's assistance in our day by day lives. The common component of Christianity in Guibert's time as Guibert saw them was either an individual knew the Christian confidence and lived by its standards or they didn't and subsequently dedicated offensive acts by their very nature of being oblivious in issues of what comprises as blessed and requiring respect. What's more, since such words may not be expressed by a Christian's lips, and must reason devout ears to shiver with loathing, we smother them. In spite of the fact that he adulated the Jews , by the Jews he was viewed as a crazy person and while supporting their religion in word, he really rehearsed our own (Bland 16). Even obscenity was considered as terrible to ears that were delicate to them and thought about such discourse as not trademark with the Christian confidence and in opposition to the Christian life. What's more, when man couldn't do a lot to mediate or prevent the specific individual from continuing with their profanations, we see through Guibert that paradis e itself deals with the issue :When the Virgin Mother, Queen of all, could no longer persevere through the lewdnesses of this degenerate man, as he was entering from a regal undertaking, on moving toward the city, there seemed an incredible band of his companions the fallen angels and he getting back home with his hair scattered and out of his brains, rebuffed his better half and lay with that elderly person and that night became sick of a human malady (Bland 17). Moreover, there resonates during the 1100s the reverberation of what excellence is to the individual, the abbot requests that we be progressively worried about the magnificence of the spirit than the presence of the body. Insipid delineates how Guibert of Nogent requests that God mix magnificence with

Sop Biomedical Engineering Free Essays

The miracles that science and innovation have unfurled before us are not restricted to existence . My point in life is to collect this different information from everywhere throughout the world. With this loved objective in my brain, I wish to state in the accompanying passages, my perspectives and the reasonable behind my application to the alumni contemplates program in Bio-Medical Instrumentation at **** college. We will compose a custom article test on Sop Biomedical Engineering or on the other hand any comparable subject just for you Request Now All through my ten years of school life and two years of secondary school study, I have kept up a predictable and great scholarly record and was consistently among the main five of my group. Coming to extra-curricular exercises, I was the head sports skipper for young ladies and furthermore took an interest in the state level U. N. Festivities. Trying for the best college class that all great science understudies do and furthermore impacted bythe truth that I originate from a group of architects and researchers I showed up for the EAMCET ( Engineering and Medical Common Entrance Test)and picked Instrumentation and Control Engineering at ***** College, partnered to JNTU , Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. During my undergrad years I could become familiar with the essentials in Transducers and Instrumentation Components, Electrical and Electronic estimations, Electronic Equipment structure, Analytical Instrumentation, Process Control Instrumentation, Power plant Instrumentation , Digital and ideal Control Systems. I saw on different events , particularly in transducers and instrumentation segments which is a huge subject, that there existed a wide enough crack among learning and pragmatic execution. While the college classes empower an understudy to get a handle on the basics associated with a specific order of designing, they don't present the chance to gain proficiency with the ropes with new advancements that are present inside the business. Specialization turns into a need to see new innovations and to enhance the current ones. It is to accomplish this complexity that I set out to seek after my post-graduate (M. S. ) concentrates in Bio-Medical Instrumentation. During my third year occasions I have done a venture on Computerized respiration analysisâ through implanted frameworks, a piece of Bio-Medical instrumentation, one of the electives in the last year. This short spell has given me important down to earth understanding. It has given me the certainty to seek after a master’s qualification and furthermore ignited a longing to do investigate. The college class in Instrumentation and Control Engineering and with the guidance of generally regarded instructors at the school has given me the inspiration to seek after a vocation in Bio-clinical Instrumentation . The sharing of thoughts and new discoveries has consistently been a piece of my undergrad life. Introductions and classes were an ideal open door for me to investigate past the schedule and were instrumental in giving me a serious edge over my friends. I relish an opportunity to enjoy my innovative side and increasing a more profound comprehension of my work in procedure of introductions. I appreciate plunging into a surge of information, choosing pertinent data and conveying everything to a grateful crowd! In second year of my under-graduation I got an opportunity to introduce a paper at national-level on the topic Robotics. The dynamic idea of logical research was uncovered to me as I took a shot at my introduction. Frequently new hypotheses were supplanted by old ones so quick that I was refreshing my stir straight up till the morning I needed to introduce. By this experience I could discover that before starting the primary apply autonomy venture, forthcoming automated specialist and mechanical games lovers must have a fundamental comprehension of the field of apply autonomy and the issues encompassing mechanical frameworks, including mechanical structure, tactile frameworks, electronic control and programming. A fundamental comprehension of smaller scale controller frameworks including sequential and memory-mapped interfacing, just as some accessible open source programming choices ought to likewise be high on the rundown. Mission for information needs significant constancy and a voracious want to learn. Whatever I have accomplished till now can be credited to my constancy and persistence, which I have gained from my affectionate family and culture. With the equivalent inexhaustible soul, I am prepared to use and direct the entirety of my physical and mental capacities to accomplish the equivalent in my future investigations and research work. I accept the field of instrumentation offered so huge a potential that allowed me a chance to settle on Bio-Medical Instrumentation, I would be intrigued to work in the territory of bio-clinical instrumentation which manages its turn of events. I bring along a solid handle of basics, a bent for educating and cooperation, a get-up-and-go for difficulties and an excited want to get familiar with everything I can. Furthermore I might want to take with me a system of solid and enduring connections that I keep up with my educators and individual understudies. I trust that my capabilities and foundation are discovered reasonable for MS in Bio-Medical Instrumentation at ******* college. Having been illuminated by numerous educators and a few graduating seniors about the thorough course work other than having best in class investigate offices, I had no quandary in picking **** college as my fantasy college for seeking after my alumni contemplates. I am certain that *** college with dynamic personnel, well prepared research centers and widely acclaimed graduate projects would help me in accomplishing my objectives and contribute something of my own in my field of intrigue. I accept that with my ability for hardwork, honorable rationale and devotion to accomplish my objectives, I will have the option to do very well in my Graduate course. I assert that I accept it as a test and pull out all the stops of mine in using the assets accessible at your college. I am certain that you will share my certainty and offer me a chance to proceed with my further investigations at your regarded college. The most effective method to refer to Sop Biomedical Engineering, Papers

What Can a Woman Do With a Camera A Practical Example

What Can a Woman Do With a Camera A Practical Example What Can a Woman do with a Camera? Photography for Women, edited by Jo Spence and Joan Solomon, is a a collection of photo essays written by women. The whole book is a reflection on how we, women, see ourselves  represented in media images and how we would represent ourselves if given the chance. Its a breakdown of social constructs and a huge rejection of traditional photographic aesthetics and beauty standards. In taking the simplest photograph we are choosing what to photograph and, just as importantly, we are deciding what to leave out, writes Solomon in the introduction of the book. I feel this is incredibly relevant nowadays: this book was originally published in 1995, when photography wasnt nearly as accessible or shareable as it is now. In a world where sharing moments, special or otherwise, on social media is so pervasive (and sometimes even necessary) we are constantly choosing what to frame within our lens and what to leave out. Even after photos are taken, we edit them and pick the best ones. This book had me thinking about the value of accessible photography and the power of self-representation. If I take a selfie to feel better about the way I look, is it a subversive act of self-love in a world where women are told to hate themselves? Or is it only subversive if I am okay with my flaws, my under eye circles, my bushy eyebrows and my hairy upper lip? Is self-representation whatever we want it to be or is it however people interpret when they see us? These are all difficult questions to answer but I was particularly fascinated with the thought of what we leave out of photographs and why we leave those things out. So, to practice what Spence and Solomon wrote about I experimented with taking photos I wouldnt normally take for a day and heres the curious result. I hope you enjoy a sneak peek into my personal life. I didn’t really know where to start or what to photograph at all especially because, despite having a pretty nice camera, I really suck at the technical side of photography (aperture? what? I have no idea) so I started thinking about the things I wouldn’t photograph at all. My room has been very messy lately because I’ve been applying for PhD programs and trying to keep on top of my MA workload so I haven’t had loads of time to tidy it. Here are a couple of snaps of my messy, out-of-control room: I didnt bother to hide anything about what my room looked at that particular time. You can clearly see books, a bra, a Gryffindor scarf, my untidy bed and even a suitcase in the backgroun of the first photo (which, by the way, I still havent had the time to unpack). I have always associated femininity with cleanliness and tidiness, but actually expressing femininity through cleanliness and tidiness is very difficult when life gets in the way. Am I embarrassed by this mess? A little, but then I realise I am very good at organising my academic and professional lives and I try to convince myself that at least I have my priorities in order. Now, a bit of reflection on body hate. I try to do 30 minutes of yoga every morning but it usually doesn’t work out that way. I am seriously horrible at waking up early and getting out of bed. But I try to be healthy and get my dose of exercise because it makes my body and mind feel better. I dont exactly exercise to lose weight or tone up, but  I still hate bits of my body. I wouldnt normally take this photo, but it is a part of my day: the unflattering sweatpants coupled with a sports bra are my yoga uniform.  I took one of my brightest lipsticks to draw around my belly, which I have loathed since I can remember. But still, I kept my greasy hair out of the frame and I really struggled with actually uploading this photo. Seeing this photo now, I realise I don’t have much reason for this hatred of myself. But every time I look down to my stomach, I hate the way it looks. I dont hate the way it looks in the photo, but I hate the way it looks on my body, which I find really interesting and somewhat contradictory. As I brushed my freshly washed hair that morning, I realised how much hair stuff I actually own to take care of my curls (and how horribly messy that drawer of my life is). Several wide-toothed combs, two huge pots of coconut oil, a huge hairbrush, a hair dryer, a hair straightener and some hair clips. A whole messy drawer dedicated to my messy hair. I tried to get my curls into frame as I bent over the drawer to take a photo. I am always interested to see the view from people’s windows. I think a lot of the time, the first thing you see in the morning can set the tone for your mood. Here’s the view from my window on a particularly sunny day (a rare occurrence in the United Kingdom) where I was actually feeling quite positive about life. Maybe this is a photo I would take any day, but having a quite positive day for me is unusual because I have generalized anxiety disorder. So even though this photo doesnt fully match the main theme, I really wanted to include it (sorry, not sorry). This next selfie has several layers of meaning to me. Firstly, I wanted to show off my One and Only Newcastle Brown Ale” T-shirt because I had just stolen it from my boyfriend the previous day. This T-shirt is oversized and comforting to me, especially because it really belongs to someone I love, who let me take it because he trusts me. Then, theres the fact that I wouldn’t normally post this photo on social media: my hair is wet, I’m pretty sure I am not wearing a bra and the shape of the T-shirt is very unflattering. But that’s the point of this mini-project: what wouldn’t I show you and why the hell not? And this was my practical use of the book  What Can a Woman do with a Camera? Photography for Women.  Has a book ever inspired you to complete a mini-project?

Biography of Louis XV, Beloved King of France

King Louis XV of France (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774) was the second-to-last king of France prior to the French Revolution. Although he was known as â€Å"Louis the Beloved,† his fiscal irresponsibility and political maneuvers set the stage for the French Revolution and, ultimately, the fall of the French monarchy. Fast Facts: Louis XV Full Name:  Louis of the house of BourbonOccupation: King of FranceBorn: February 15, 1710 in the Palace of Versailles, FranceDied: May 10, 1774 in the Palace of Versailles, FranceSpouse: Marie LeszczyÅ„skaChildren: Louise Élisabeth, Duchess of Parma; Princess Henriette; Princess Marie Louise; Louis, Dauphin of France; Philippe, Duke of Anjou; Princess Marie Adà ©laà ¯de; Princess Victoire; Princess Sophie; Princess Thà ©rà ¨se; Louise, Abbess of Saint DenisKey Accomplishments: Louis XV led France through a period of immense change, winning (and losing) territories and ruling over the second-longest reign in French history. His political choices, however, laid the foundation of dissent that would eventually lead to the French Revolution. Becoming the Dauphin Louis was the second surviving son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Princess Marie Adelaide of Savoy. The Duke of Burgundy was the eldest son of the Dauphin, Louis, who was in turn the eldest son of King Louis XIV, the â€Å"Sun King.† The Duke of Burgundy was known as â€Å"Le Petit Dauphin† and his father as â€Å"le Grand Dauphin.† From 1711 to 1712, a series of illnesses struck the royal family, causing chaos in the line of succession. On April 14, 1711, the â€Å"Grand Dauphin† died of smallpox, which meant that Louis’ father, the Duke of Burgundy, became first in line for the throne. Then, in February 1712, both of Louis’ parents fell ill with measles. Marie Adelaide died on February 12, and the Duke of Burgundy died less than a week later on February 18. This left Louis’ brother, the Duke of Brittany (also, confusingly, named Louis) as the new Dauphin and heir at the age of five. However, in March 1712, both brothers contracted measles as well. A day or two into their illness, the Duke of Brittany died. Their governess, Madame de Ventadour, refused to let doctors continue bleeding Louis, which likely saved his life. He recovered and became the heir to his great-grandfather, Louis XIV. In 1715, Louis XIV died, and five-year-old Louis became King Louis XV. The laws of the land required there to be a regency for the next eight years, until Louis turned thirteen. Officially, the role of Regent went to Phillippe II, Duke of Orleans, the son of Louis XIV’s brother Phillippe. However, Louis XIV had distrusted the Duke of Orleans and preferred that the Regency be held by his favorite illegitimate son, the Duke of Maine; to this end, he had rewritten his will to create a Regency council rather than a singular Regent. In order to circumvent this, Phillippe made a deal with the Parlement of Paris: annul Louis XIV’s changed will in exchange for the return of the droit de remontrance: the right to challenge the king’s decisions. This would prove fatal to the monarchy’s functioning and ultimately lead to the French Revolution. Regency and the Boy King During the Regency, Louis XV spent most of his time at the Tuileries Palace. At the age of seven, his time under Madame de Ventadour’s care ended and he was placed under the tutelage of Franà §ois, the Duke of Villeroy, who educated him and taught him royal etiquette and protocol. Louis developed what would be a lifelong love for hunting and horseback riding. He also came to have an interest in geography and science, which would influence his reign. In October 1722, Louis XV was formally crowned king, and in February 1723, the Regency was formally ended. The Duke of Orleans transitioned into the role of prime minister, but soon died. In his place, Louis XV appointed his cousin, the Duke of Bourbon. The duke turned his attention to brokering a royal marriage. After evaluating nearly a hundred candidates, the somewhat surprisingly choice was Marie LeszczyÅ„ska, a princess from the deposed Polish royal family who was seven years Louis’ senior, and they married in 1725, when he was 15 and she was 22. Their first child was born in 1727, and they had a total of ten children—eight daughters and two sons—over the next decade. Although the king and queen loved one another, the successive pregnancies took a toll on their marriage, and the king began taking mistresses. The most famous of those was Madame de Pompadour, who was his mistress from 1745 to 1750 but remained a close friend and advisor, as well as a major cultural influence. Religious dissent was the first and most enduring problem of Louis’ reign. In 1726, a delayed request from Louis XIV to the pope was fulfilled, and a papal bull was issued condemning Jansenism, a popular subset of Catholic doctrine. Ultimately, the bull was enforced by Cardinal de Fleury (who persuaded Louis to back it), and heavy penalties were levied on religious dissenters. De Fleury and the Duke of Bourbon clashed over the king’s favor, and de Fleury ultimately was the victor. Rule of Fleury From this point until his death in 1743, Cardinal de Fleury was the de facto ruler of France, manipulating and flattering the king into allowing him to make all the decisions. Although the cardinal’s rule produced an appearance of harmony, his strategies for keeping power actually resulted in a growing amount of opposition. He banned debate in Parlement and weakened the navy, both of which came back to haunt the monarchy in huge ways. France was involved in two wars in relatively quick succession. In 1732, the War of Polish Succession began, with France supporting the Queen of France’s father Stanislaw and an Eastern European bloc secretly agreeing to bypass him. Ultimately, Fleury spearheaded a diplomatic solution. Following this, and its role in negotiating the Treaty of Belgrade between the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire, France was hailed as a major diplomatic power and came to control trade in the Middle East. The War of Austrian Succession began in late 1740. Louis XV initially refused involvement, but under Fleury’s influence, France allied with Prussia against Austria. By 1744, France was struggling, and Louis XV went to the Netherlands to lead his army himself. In 1746, the French occupied Brussels. The war didn’t end, though, until 1749, and many French citizens were unhappy with the terms of the treaty. Louis’ Later Reign and Legacy With Fleury dead, Louis decided to rule without a prime minister. His first act was to try to reduce the national debt and improve the tax system, but his plans met with fierce opposition from the nobility and the clergy because it taxed them, rather than just â€Å"ordinary† citizens. He also attempted to purge Jansenists from a semi-religious organization of hospitals and shelters. War followed again, first in the New World in the French and Indian War, then against Prussia and Britain directly in the Seven Years’ War. The end result was the end of French rule in Canada and the West Indies. Louis’ government continued to falter; the Parlements rebelled against the king’s taxation authority, which would begin the pre-Revolution dissent. By 1765, Louis had suffered major losses. Madame de Pompadour died in 1764, and his son and heir Louis died of tuberculosis in 1765. Fortunately, the Dauphin had a son who became Dauphin in turn, the future Louis XVI. Tragedy continued: the late Dauphin’s wife died, followed in 1768 by the Queen. By 1769, Louis XV had a new mistress: Madame du Barry, who gained a reputation for crassness and impertinence. In 1770, Louis’ ministers began fighting back against the rebellious Parlements, consolidating royal power, imposing controls on the price of grain, and attempting to rid the tax system of corruption. The same year, Marie Antoinette came to court as the wife of the future Louis XVI. Even in his final years, Louis XV pursued new construction projects. In 1774, Louis fell ill with smallpox. He died on May 10 and was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI. Although Louis XV was popular during his lifetime, historians point to his hands-off approach, his conflicts with Parlements, his expensive wars and courts, and his suppressive activities as laying the foundation for the French Revolution. The French Enlightenment took place during his reign, with the participation of brilliant minds such as Voltaire and Rousseau, but he also censored many of their works. A handful of historians defend Louis and suggest his negative reputation was created to justify the French Revolution, but that view is in the minority. Ultimately, Louis XV is typically viewed as a poor monarch who gave over too much of his power and in so doing set in motion events that would eventually lead to the destruction of the monarchy and the upheaval of France. Sources Bernier, Olivier. Louis the Beloved: The Life of Louis XV, (1984).â€Å"Louis XV.† Biography, https://www.biography.com/royalty/louis-xv.â€Å"Louis XV: King of France.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XV.

Fireart, Inc. - 3755 Words

Case Two: FireArt, Inc. Diagnosis of team ineffectiveness and corrective action plans FireArt, Inc. has encountered a dilemma where their competitors are now able to profitably make short runs in the production of glass. Because of this competition, Jack Derry, the CEO of FireArt, Inc. has asked Eric Holt to put together a teamÂ…one person from each division, and have a comprehensive plan for the company s strategic realignment up, running, and winning within six months. Eric, being the newly appointed Director of Strategy, knew his overall goal and creates a formal group in order to fulfill the overall organizational mission of turning the company around. However even though a formal group is created, there is a lack of specific†¦show more content†¦For any effective work to occur there must be a certain amount of consensus on basic values. Eric is faced with the problems of whether or not the group will work effectively on the task and if the group will be psychologically satisfying. As n oted in the case study, Eric compiles a list of the senior managers and sets a date for the first meeting. After creating the team members list without input, he proceeds to independently create an agenda for his upcoming meeting. This leaves the team without any input or satisfaction in the creation or initiation of the group process. Eric also faces complex group needs as the group is composed of representatives of various departments. By creating this cross-functional group, Eric was faced with Maureen Turner who was known to complain that FireArt did not appreciate its six artists. Ray LaPierre, the Director of Manufacturing, feels insecure with himself, as he does not speak management due to his apparent lack of education. The only solution for these issues is to provide the group enough common experiences to permit a communication system and a climate of trust to emerge. This experience can be obtained by holding long meetings away from work, by encouraging members to ge t to know each other in more informal settings, or by sending them through some common training experiences. If Eric incorporated these ideas, he would encourage members to get to know each other in more informalShow MoreRelatedEssay on FireArt, Inc.3682 Words   |  15 PagesFireArt, Inc. Diagnosis of team ineffectiveness and corrective action plans   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FireArt, Inc. has encountered a dilemma where their competitors are now able to profitably make short runs in the production of glass. Because of this competition, Jack Derry, the CEO of FireArt, Inc. has asked Eric Holt to put together a team†¦one person from each division, and have a comprehensive plan for the company’s strategic realignment up, running, and winning within six months. Eric, being the newlyRead MoreThe Team That Wasnt3588 Words   |  15 PagesWasn’t†, review of information received during the EMBA Retreat at Mercer University, and the compilation of topic specific research articles retrieved from a variety of academic databases. The Team That Wasn’t - Case Analysis Problem Statement: FireArt, Inc. is not prepared to use the â€Å"team† concept in its managerial structure; as a result, middle management cannot make the adjustments necessary to meet their assigned objectives. Assumptions: †¢ The relationship between Randy and CEO is unbreakableRead MoreMba 653 the Team That Wasnt Case Study2170 Words   |  9 PagesSection 1: Introduction Moving from New York City to the Midwest, Eric Holt has recently taken a new job as the director of strategy at a regional glass manufacturer named FireArt Inc. The CEO of the company, Jack Derry, has tasked Eric with developing a comprehensive plan for the company’s strategic realignment which needs to be implemented and working within the next six months. Eric has put together a team of the top six managers, one from each division, to accomplish this task. Unfortunately

Consumer Securities Trading in United States Free Essays

string(45) " in hopes of competing with the discounters\." The following is an in depth look at the effects the Internet has had on trading securities in the United States. Its purpose is to define the impact of the Internet by determining specific changes in the structure of the trading market as a result of the numerous online brokerages that have surfaced in the past few years. A brief look at traditional brokerages and market characteristics prior to the advent of the Internet provides a foundation with which to measure many of its impacts. We will write a custom essay sample on Consumer Securities Trading in United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now The arrival of the online brokerage model has not only introduced an entirely new vehicle with which to trade securities, but it also beginning to effect the way traditional brokerages view their own business models. Specifically, it appears that both the online/discount model and full service model of brokerages will both succeed in the next few years, with the top firms exhibiting characteristics somewhere between the two extremes. New Ameritrade television commercials debuted early this year with a twenty-something-year-old punk extolling the virtues of his new brokerage account to various business men and women. Perhaps the witty E*trade commercial featuring monkeys that first aired during the 2000 Super Bowl was more notable. These commercials are quite a contrast to the traditional brokerage commercials of Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, and Fidelity among others. This contrast is for good reason. Online brokerages have uprooted the traditional model of consumer securities trading and have attracted a critical mass of followers. Before brokerage fees were deregulated 1975, eliminating fixed commissions, trading was something only done by the wealthy. Since then, fees have dropped considerably among the full-service firms making it possible for more and more people to manage portfolios. Until 1995 there was still a fundamental restraint for many consumers: access to timely and accurate information at any time from their own computer. With the arrival of online brokerages in 1995 came a slew of options for investors, new and old, to access an abundance of information and research, and to initiate their own trades all at considerably discounted fees. According to Deutsche Banc, as of 2Q00, online brokerage accounts represented approximately 25% of all accounts in the United States. Furthermore, by 2003, online brokerage accounts are estimated to control 50% of the brokerage market. The online model has already attracted nearly 20 million investors, initiating an increase in overall trading volume. An brief examination of the brokerage industry pre-arrival of the Internet and an in depth look at the brokerage industry now illuminates the many differences and possible implications for the future of consumer securities trading in the United States. Traditional brokerages have been operating freely since 1975. The deregulation of brokerage fees at this time allowed new firms to enter the market, marking the first major alteration in the way Wall Street traditionally offered its services. Before 1975, the market consisted solely of â€Å"full service† firms, those firms who offer trading, research, and financial advice through brokers or financial advisors at a considerable fee. After fees were deregulated, â€Å"discount† firms began to appear, offering consumers smaller fees, but at the cost of less research and financial advice. The market slowly split between these two types of business models, but they were fundamentally similar for 20 years: generate revenue by providing consumers the ability to trade and receive financial advice based upon firm research. The concept of having a broker, or financial advisor who acts as an agent for consumers, was the prevailing idea of stock trading in between 1975 and 1995. Many of those who had portfolios would leave its management entirely up to their brokers, others would call periodically for advice, and some would be actively co-managing their portfolios with the broker. The prevailing model for securities trading was still professionally managed, although different levels of management and cost evolved at this time. Wall Street was altered again in 1995, probably more significantly than in 1975, when securities trading and the Internet converged. According to the Securities Industry Association, K. Aufhasuer Company was the first to execute securities trading online in 1994. However, it was not until 1995 that the first online brokerages debuted their new business model. Momentum mounted quickly, as many investors flocked to the lure of extremely discounted prices and quick trade execution. Without the â€Å"brick and mortar† presence typical of the traditional brokerages and a significantly less extensive network of research and financial advice, online brokerages can offer transactions at fractions of the costs of traditional brokerages, even of the traditional discounters. The first online investors were, and still are, predominantly â€Å"a mix of young, first-time investors and older, more experience ones,† according to a McKinsey Company study. When online brokerages first surfaced, they introduced an entirely unique channel for delivering securities trading to consumers. No other brokerage firms offered the ability to trade securities over the Internet; it was exclusively reserved for those companies referred to as â€Å"online brokerages. † This has changed however over the past couple of years. Traditional full-service brokerages are beginning to adopt their own online components. The two most frequently cited reasons for the scramble of full service firms to enter the online market were customer pressure, and the fear of asset flight to online brokerages, according to a Deloitte Touche Survey. The ability to distinguish these early online brokerages from full service firms is no longer a matter of whether or not they offer online services. The distinguishing feature now is between the cost of their services, segregating firms into a classification again of â€Å"discount† or â€Å"full service. In a sense, the online model has redefined â€Å"discount,† moving the discount brokerage to a much further extreme. Indeed, it is true that most of the firms that are classified today simply as â€Å"discount† are founded on an online business model or have quickly adopted online capabilities, but many of the full service firms, as mentioned, are turning to the online channel in hopes of competing with the discounters. You read "Consumer Securities Trading in United States" in category "Essay examples" Therefore, when an â€Å"online brokerage† is referred to, it implies both the discount firms and the few full service firms with online capabilities. The evolution of the online brokerage market has been explosive in growth, catapulting from just one online brokerage in 1995 to an estimated 170 in 2000, totaling 19. 5 million online accounts (refer to Figure 1 below). The first online brokerages to emerge were predominantly â€Å"deep† discount, followed by mid discount firms, and finally some of the traditional discount incumbents adopted an online strategy and are now classified as mid-tier firms. To illustrate this trend, consider the emergence of 5 of today’s top 6 online brokerages: In 1996, two major deep discount firms emerged, Datek and Ameritrade. Over the next two years, two major mid-discount firms appeared, E*trade and DLJdirect. In 1998, Charles Schwab made their presence felt in the online market which was one of the few traditional discount firms before the online model developed. Fidelity quickly followed suit. This upsurge of online brokerages and the trend for some of the traditional brokerages to go online has had some lasting effects on the securities trading market, which will be explored in the next two sections. The impact of online brokerages is manifested in nearly every aspect of the securities trading market today. Trading volume increase is one of the largest impacts, as a result of the ease and availability of trading that online accounts bring to consumers. It is worth examining the numbers to determine if the large increases in trading volume are actually a result of online accounts, or merely pure correlation with a booming bull market. Over the past decade, the volume of shares traded on the NASDAQ stock market has grown at a compound annual rate of 26%, but since the arrival of online brokerages in 1995, it has grown at a rate of 30%. Although this is not an enormous increase, it is certainly quite significant. To look at it in another light, online accounts represented 15% of all brokerage accounts in the US, but more than 37% of the trading volume. Based upon past experience in the stock market, it may seem that this increase in trading volume is an entirely productive result. However, much of the trading volume from online accounts is a result of day trading, which raises concerns with the SEC. Day trading was not possible before online brokerages made it possible to quickly and effectively trade securities multiple times daily. It is a speculative business, more so than the traditional brokerage business. As Deloitte Touche describes it, â€Å"Customers usually [trade] in and out of several securities positions every day hoping to earn a positive spread on their transactions. † The SEC is responsible for maintaining fair and orderly markets, to protect investors, and to enforce securities laws that were established upon principles that day trading discards. According to a Deloitte Touche survey, 62% of discount firms said they would offer services to day traders versus 0% at full service firms. Most online brokerages recognize that day traders make up an integral portion of their customer base, and do not wish to sacrifice the relationship. Day trading is one negative result of the advent of online brokerages that will remain a challenge for some time to come. Another notable consequence of online brokerages is the further development of after hours trading. The New York Stock Exchange first expanded its hours to â€Å"off hours† trading in 1991. The NYSE added a modest extension extending the after hours from 4pm to 5:15pm. It is now possible, with an online account to trade at any time. This can be advantageous to many investors in giving them more flexibility regarding time availability and for investors overseas who have holdings in US securities and cannot trade at regularly scheduled hours. After hours trading in 1999 represented 50% of all online transactions. Online brokerages have improved execution time quite dramatically to an average of 20 seconds per trade versus nearly 60 seconds for full service firms. In addition to improved execution time, the reliability and accuracy of online executions at discount firms is generally considered to be far superior to full service firms’ online counterparts. The reasons most frequently cited for this are two-fold. First, most discount firms are built upon an online model, it is their core competency, allowing them to devote all of their efforts to perfect the core of their business model. Discount firms rely on trade volume for revenue, not asset accumulation, so it is imperative that their trade execution is the best that it can be. The second reason for superior trade execution at discount firms is that full service firms simply do not devote the same technological resources to their online channel. Full service firms focus primarily on performing cutting edge research, and providing sound financial advice through its network of brokers. The speed and reliability in execution at discount firms has been one of the top attractions of investors, along with largely discounted prices. The online brokerage market has also greatly impacted the availability of brokerage services to those who were previously unreachable. This hinges upon Internet penetration in the US, which is approaching 120 million active adult Internet users, or a penetration rate of 50%. As was mentioned previously, the first investors to move online were mainly those who were brand new to securities trading, or those who were experienced enough to feel confident trading with little or no professional advice. Most of them brought below average asset values online. In fact, in mid-1999, although online accounts represented 15% of all brokerage accounts, they only represented 5% of the total assets. As stated previously, these accounts also accounted 37% of the trading volume. That would indicate that the online brokerages do not focus on producing revenue through asset accumulation, but through trading volume. This has some major implications to be discussed in the next session. The majority of discount firms rely on trading volume to create revenue through their online offerings. This means they depend on accumulating customers who trade frequently in order to collect fees for trades made. Trade volume has been increasing quite dramatically over the past few, as the percentage of online trades increases as a proportion of total. This bodes well for the online brokerages who are accumulating customers, although those players who are at the bottom of the pack will likely fall out soon. The market is remarkably consolidated after just 4 years in existence. In fact, the top ten online brokerages comprise 90% of the online assets and accounts, and the top 4 comprise 86%. Those brokerages who are having a tough time accumulating customers and trade volume even while the online brokerage market is hot, will likely fall out soon. Referring back to Figure 1, it can be seen that the number of online brokerage firms is expected to decrease over the next few years while the number of online accounts increases. The online industry is consolidating quickly while continuing to grow. Although there is still a large disparity between discount firms and full service firms in terms of how they operate and what they offer, this is likely to change in the coming years. Already, the trend for full service firms to go online is in motion, and there are even some discount firms that are beginning to complement their trading services with plans for banking, insurance, and bill payment services. Currently, discount firms have approximately 74% of their transactions online versus 18% online at full service firms. In a Deloitte Touche survey, 100% of full service firms said they planned to use online trading to enter new businesses, create alliances, or shift the business model, and 74% of discount firms said they planned to add additional services that are typically offered only by full service firms. It appears that the two extremes in brokerage services are headed towards a common middle ground. As the author of the Deloitte Touche study put it, â€Å"the distinction between discount brokers and full service firms is becoming less evident. There is distinct evidence that the brokerages that will prevail in the next decade will have features of both a discount brokerage and a full service brokerage. A 50/50 hybrid model of online and full service could prevail, but it is more likely that the future constituents will be based on one core competency (online vs. full service) and have significant characteristics of its counterpart. This is because each business model appeals to different segments of the population. It is generally agreed that full service firms have a distinct advantage in advertising dollars and brand equity, and appeal to investors with more money and/or less knowledge of investing. Online brokerages appeal generally to investors with less money and/or more knowledge of investing. At this point in time, they are quite distinct, but the gap is closing. Another salient example of this phenomenon is that the top focus of current marketing strategies for 18% of online brokerages is to build brand equity, a la the full service firms. Each model, discount and full service, is moving to a common ground. The question that now stands is, who will win out? It is not an easy task to predict the future, or the future of brokerage services in the United States for that matter. One thing is for sure: the online channel will succeed. The top brokerages of the future will certainly incorporate online components very significantly. Those that will continue to succeed will be able to be flexible and adjust to the changing demands of consumers and technology, just as the top firms today are able to embrace the online channel. As Deloitte Touche put it, â€Å"firms that cannot be innovative will find themselves niche players or acquisition targets. â€Å" How to cite Consumer Securities Trading in United States, Essay examples

Saxonville Sausage Case Analysis Essay Sample free essay sample

Saxonville Sausage Company. a 70-year-old in private held household concern. produces a assortment of porc sausage merchandises. therefore already holding a loyal client base. Their Italian sausage. soon branded as Vivio. became portion of the Italian sausage market in 2002. yet has experienced level gross revenues. Therefore. the company needs to increase their consciousness. client base. and gross revenues with their Italian Sausage merchandises. They must now find an ideal name for their line of Italian sausage. and if they should go on nationally with the Vivio trade name name. or make different tactics. including a name alteration. in positioning the merchandise. In order to derive a clear apprehension of the merchandise benefits. properties and ideals. the company needs to understand current behaviours. consumer triggers to buy. and their unmet demands. through extended research and consumer analysis. External Situation ( See Appendix 1 for full listing ) The figure of people eating sausage for breakfast is diminishing. We will write a custom essay sample on Saxonville Sausage Case Analysis Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page as it is going more of a basic for particular occasions. such as weekends. Yet. with the right selling program. Saxonville has the possible to go a national class leader and do their merchandise popular amongst every major food market shop in the U. S. Since 2004. all sausage manufacturers had seen wholly level growing. 0 % volume addition countrywide. for both the bratwurst and breakfast classs. And. in the short-run. small or no growing was expected. Despite this slow advancement of the market. Italian sausage showed growing across manufacturers in the retail sausage market. The Saxonville squad believes Italian sausage has an untapped potency market with male cooks. who may desire to do sausage a broil basic for weekend barbeques. Achieving more shops in the northeasterly markets is another chance for the company. Internal Situation ( See Appendix 1 for full listing ) Vivio has created an established relationship with consumers under the Saxonville trade name name. In 2005. the company was able to bring forth grosss of about $ 1. 5 billion. Even though Vivio is merely available in 16 % of the nation’s largest supermarkets. the merchandise was able to fit the degree of class growing in the retail sausage market. With these achievements. the company must besides analyse their defects. Saxonville’s bratwurst and breakfast sausage is sold across the U. S. . but is really limitedly distributed in shops in the northeasterly markets. The company underperformed the market in breakfast sausage. ensuing in a double-digit diminution in gross. Saxonville doesn’t spend adequate money in the breakfast class to vie with large participants. The Bratwurst division fired their ad bureau midway through the twelvemonth. therefore were unable to develop a new run. They besides did non make plenty in positioning Vivio or making a typical individual ity. Equally far as selling goes. Saxonville merely supported the Vivio trade name with base trade disbursement. They besides have non spent the clip to carry on market research on the Italian client. Strategic Alternatives ( See Appendix 2 for pros and cons of each option ) After much research and scrutiny. there are a few options the company can see to better their topographic point in the market. To win. the trade name should associate its merchandise to the nucleus values of their mark consumers. so clients will experience good about utilizing that trade name. In order to find the best placement scheme. Banks conducted qualitative and quantitative research from mark consumers to understand their behaviours and demands. The best beginning for penetration on how the company should place itself is females. since they are the primary buyers and prepares of Italian sausage. Research showed that the company has two feasible options to take from in nearing a placement construct to prosecute. The first option would be to place the company’s Italian sausage with the mantra. Family Connection. which is closest to the mark customer’s nucleus values. A 2nd option would be to place the sausage with the phrase. Clever Cooking. It was easier to supply tactical support for Clever Cooking. Because the activity of out-of-door broil of bratwurst is non correlated to the consumers’ usage of Italian sausage on the weekends. the company doesn’t need to fear the cannibalization of their other trade names with this selling scheme. Both options have proven feasible constructs and suit the standards necessary of being realizable by the chosen day of the month for the brand’s national launch. Recommendation To optimise trade name individuality. the company should prosecute the first option of marketing the thought of Family Connection. This thought is more typical and lasting holding resulted in the highest figure of purchase purpose when compared to the other construct. This placement thought besides received the highest ballots in a canvass of consumers. inquiring which positioning construct they liked best. The Family Connection construct is meant to picture household and friends sharing one repast of good nutrient – â€Å"It Welcomes You In. † This construct entreaties to the emotional and functional benefits of Saxonville’s mark consumers’ nucleus values. of desiring to experience per se. that ( she ) is making a good occupation and will fulfill her trade name demands. Because â€Å"Vivio† ranked 7th when asked which trade name names fit best with the consumers’ â€Å"ideal† Italian sausage merchandise. I believe it is in the company ’s best involvement to reconsider the name of their Italian sausage trade name. The most popular name was â€Å"Italy’s Best. † Saxonville has established trueness with their trade name individuality and should do certain that when renaming their Italian sausage merchandise. they should include their name on the label and selling run. As for the 4P’s. I believe the company should lodge with their current merchandise. Italian sausage. but rename the merchandise. The monetary value of the merchandise is equal yet the company should pass more money on their advertisement of this peculiar merchandise. The company can market Italian sausage to Italian fresh markets which are known for their high quality meats. This would assist to make the homey. reliable. Italian heritage image. consumers crave. Recording current consumer information. such as nothing codification. as they purchase. will assist the company track the â€Å"place† of mark clients and finally enter a different market. This will enable the company to see which geographical cou ntries they are losing. while non taking concentrate off from present clients. Decision In decision. Saxonville should go on with their Italian sausage merchandise. but should rename the trade name from Vivio. to Italy’s Best. They should besides spread out the geographic parts in which their sausage merchandise is available to northeasterly supermarkets. to bring forth more gross. Even though Vivio. has created an established relationship with Saxonville consumers. we have come up with a program that won’t deflect from this advantage. In advertisement. Saxonville should include their household name when mentioning to Italy’s Best. every bit good as their traditional nickname. â€Å"The Family Company† . Saxonville stalwarts will acknowledge the mantra and trade name. and hence seek an extra merchandise by the trade name that they may non typically purchase. In the long tally. passing a little more to strategically market this trade name of the company will make exponential benefits for Saxonville in grosss. This revamped positioning scheme f or Saxonville will better their net income aims and turn the company’s trade name trueness. It will besides better their stance in the market of breakfast sausage and finally assist them go the national class leader for the market.

Free sample - Difference in Death. translation missing

Difference in Death. Difference in DeathThe Death of Ivan llyich and Strider: The Story of a Horse; are two pieces of literary work written by Tolstoy. The former came into being in 1886. The cardinal subject matter in that book is death. The book came in the limelight following his transition in religion back in 1870. The novel revolves around a forty five year old judge who is experiencing marital problems until such a time when he dies. â€Å"Strider† is one of the most interesting stories of Russian origin which Leo Tolstoy left unfinished only for Kholstomer to finish it later. Strider is a horse who narrates his ordeal and experience in the hands of different masters to the fellow horses until when he meets his death just as the story comes to an end. The thematic issues expressed by Tolstoy in this short narrative are exploitation and death. This particular article is written in an attempt to compare and contrast representations of death in the above mentioned texts by Leo Tolstoy. The arti cle will answer questions on how one should approach death basing the argument on these two books. The article will also analyze the characters used in the stories to embody Tolstoy’s ideal. In these two stories, it is evident that the approach of death begins with having a proper attitude towards life. In Ivan’s story, the author takes the reader through his life some years back when he was a very young man studying law. On clearing school, he manages to secure a job and moves to stay in another town. He gets married to Praskovya and problems start in their life immediately. This, from the author’s disposition is the beginning of Ivan’s death. In ‘Strider’, the horse story, the authors opens the story from a second point of view before the horse is allowed a chance to narrate his ordeal to the other horses. His life in the farm was not at its best, it is described as being old and bad looking, and his entire body was weak with his skin completely worn out. From Ivan’s story, death encompasses his life starting from his marriage. When he gets into trouble with his wife, Ivan decides to stay away from his family. While he goes to work he presents himself differently and changes abruptly while he arrives at home. In the same breath, his dream of becoming the top judge is slapped with an unexpected death and this saw him evacuating with his family to upcountry. In this text, the two deaths that encompass Ivan’s life is an indication that his real death is slowly by slowly approaching. This can be seen being fuelled by his failed marriage to Praskovya and failure to receive a promotion at his place of work. In ‘Strider’, the story of a horse, his death is slowly brought to the attention of the reader going by the mistreatment he gets from Nester. Being an old horse, he is harassed by the rest while grazing and quenching thirst. His weak foreleg seems to have met its death way before his real death. Comparing the h orse, and Ivan, one can deduce that, no matter how these two try to look at life in a positive way, they are frustrated at different points in their life adding salt to injury and so their deaths continues coming closer. In ‘The Death of Ivan llyich’, when he moves with his family to another place, Ivan looks for a better job and lucky enough he gets. He decides to buy a house and he moves his family in. going by this particular disposition, it is clearly seen that death is being distanced from the life of the main character. This comes after Ivan gets a job with help of a friend. He is completely settled ready to move on with his life. On the other hand, strider’s life takes a different turn when he begins to narrate his ordeal from when he was young. All the horses become interested to listen to his story. In the mind of the reader, the old, sick and weak horse is presented differently. His life which was painted so gloomy before the narration is being presented differently by the same horse. Just like Ivan’s life is taking a different turn away from death, so is Strider. The author in the two stories has given each a new life probably meant for plot development. However, death courts Ivan as soon as he settles down in his new home; he feels totally uncomfortable and decides to seek help from medical experts. After paying several visits to different doctors, he ends up getting more confused and he is not himself anymore. His outward appearance changes drastically and his mind started experiencing images of him dead. This serves as a wake call to him and he realizes indeed he is going to die. The approach of death in a systematic way by the author can clearly be seen. Despite the fact that, by him visiting doctors did not arrest the situation, is a deliberate move by the author to kill Ivan. In the same breath, Strider is slowly but surely taken towards his death by the author. This is clearly seen when he terms as experience his being changed fro one hand to the next. He recalls with nostalgia how he served two masters probably for the longest time in his career. The most unfortunate incidence was while he was serving a prince who almost caus ed his life. Since that time strider admits that the feeling that he will one day die has always courted him. In the two stories, it can be seen that, these two parties are confused with feelings of death at one time in their life. This is only a preparation for their real death that awaits him. In Ivan’s story, nobody seems to agree with him that he is almost approaching his death. People who are close to him just associate his condition with sickness. While in this stage, he realizes that, his only son Vasya seems to understand his condition better than anybody else. The nightmare that encompasses his mind leaves him in a very devastated situation. His journey towards death is characterized by pain and cannot move from his house. Death is surely some steps away. He starts looking at his past life and all this does not seem to make sense to him now that he is dying. The nightmare keeps coming in his mind but he is suddenly struck by a force in his chest. In his last minute to die, he quickly looks at all he had including his wife, and sees all this as a dream which never was. He dies seconds later. In the story of a horse, Strider meets his death after an a deal was sealed between his master and the veterinary. The two agree to cut his throat and this happens the fol lowing day when Strider as usual, did not go for herding but instead he was carried away meet his death with a knife. While cutting his throat, he did not seem to realize what was happening until suddenly when he felt a little pain and the burden he had carried in entire life came to an end at once. He was not frightened nor taken by surprise. According to Tolstoy, the steady approach toward death is accompanied by the realization of its strange power which leaves one devastated. This is what happens to Ivan and Strider. These two characters have been used throughout the narration by the author to deliver his information to the reader. These are the two characters alongside others who embodies Tolstoy’s ideal.

Wars in the Former Yugoslavia

Wars in the Former Yugoslavia In the early 1990s, the Balkan country of Yugoslavia fell apart in a series of wars which saw ethnic cleansing and genocide return to Europe. The driving force was not age-old ethnic tensions (as the Serb side liked to proclaim), but distinctly modern nationalism, fanned by the media and driven by politicians. As Yugoslavia collapsed, majority ethnicities pushed for independence. These nationalist governments ignored their minorities or actively persecuted them, forcing them out of jobs. As propaganda made these minorities paranoid, they  armed themselves and smaller actions degenerated into a bloody set of wars. While the situation was rarely as clear as Serb versus Croat versus Muslim, many small civil wars erupted over decades of rivalry and those key patterns existed. Context: Yugoslavia and the Fall of Communism The Balkans had been the site of conflict between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires for centuries before both collapsed during World War I. The peace conference which redrew the maps of Europe created the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes out of territory in the area, pushing together groups of people who soon quarreled about how they wished to be governed. A strictly centralized state formed, but opposition continued, and in 1929 the king dismissed representative government- after the Croat leader was shot while at parliament- and began to rule as a monarchical dictator. The kingdom was renamed Yugoslavia, and the new government purposefully ignored the existing and traditional regions and peoples. In 1941, as World War II spread over the continent, Axis soldiers invaded. During the course of the war in Yugoslavia- which had turned from a war against the Nazis and their allies to a messy civil war complete with ethnic cleansing- communist partisans rose to prominence. When liberation was achieved it was the communists who took power under their leader, Josip Tito. The old kingdom was now replaced by a federation of supposedly six equal republics, which included Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia, and two autonomous regions, including Kosovo. Tito kept this nation together partly by sheer force of will and a communist party which cut across ethnic boundaries, and, as the USSR broke with Yugoslavia, the latter took its own path. As Tito’s rule continued, ever more power filtered down, leaving just the Communist Party, the army, and Tito to hold it together. However, after Tito died, the different wishes of the six republics began to pull Yugoslavia apart, a situation exacerbated by the collapse of the USSR in the late 1980s, leaving just a Serb-dominated army. Without their old leader, and with the new possibilities of free elections and self-representation, Yugoslavia divided. The Rise of Serbian Nationalism Arguments began over centralism with a strong central government, versus federalism with the six republics having greater powers. Nationalism emerged, with people pushing for splitting Yugoslavia up or forcing it together under Serb domination. In 1986, the Serbian Academy of Sciences issued a Memorandum which became a focal point for Serb nationalism by reviving ideas of a Greater Serbia. The Memorandum claimed Tito, a Croat/Slovene, had deliberately tried to weaken Serb areas, which some people believed, as it explained why they were doing relatively poorly economically compared to the northern regions of Slovenia and Croatia. The Memorandum also claimed Kosovo had to remain Serbian, despite a 90 percent Albanian population, because of the importance to Serbia of a 14th century battle in that region. It was a conspiracy theory that twisted history, given weight by respected authors, and a Serb media which claimed Albanians were trying to rape and kill their way to genocide. They we ren’t. Tensions between Albanians and local Serbs exploded and the region began to fragment. In 1987, Slobodan Milosevic was a low-key but powerful bureaucrat who, thanks to the major support of Ivan Stambolic (who had risen to be Serbia’s Prime Minister) was able to leverage his position into an almost Stalin-like seizure of power in the Serb Communist Party by filling job after job with his own supporters. Until 1987 Milosevic was often portrayed as a dim-witted Stambolic lackey, but that year he was in the right place at the right time in Kosovo to make a televised speech in which he effectively seized control of the Serbian nationalism movement and then consolidated his part by seizing control of the Serbian communist party in a battle waged in the media. Having won and purged the party, Milosevic turned the Serb media into a propaganda machine which brainwashed many into paranoid nationalism. Milosevic than gained Serb ascendance over Kosovo, Montenegro, and Vojvodina, securing nationalist Serb power in four of the region’s units; the Yugoslav government c ould not resist. Slovenia now feared a Greater Serbia and set themselves up as the opposition, so the Serb media turned its attack onto Slovenes. Milosevic then started a boycott of Slovenia. With one eye on Milosevic’s human rights abuses in Kosovo, the Slovenes began to believe the future was out of Yugoslavia and away from Milosevic. In 1990, with Communism collapsing in Russia and across Eastern Europe, the Yugoslavia Communist Congress fragmented along nationalist lines, with Croatia and Slovenia quitting and holding multi-party elections in response to Milosevic trying to use it to centralize Yugoslav’s remaining power in Serb hands. Milosevic was then elected President of Serbia, thanks in part to removing $1.8 billion from the federal bank to use as subsidies. Milosevic now appealed to all Serbs, whether they were in Serbia or not, supported by a new Serb constitution which claimed to represent Serbs in other Yugoslav nations. The Wars for Slovenia and Croatia With the collapse of the communist dictatorships in the late 1980s, the Slovenian and Croatian regions of Yugoslavia held free, multi-party elections. The victor in Croatia was the Croatian Democratic Union, a right-wing party. The fears of the Serb minority were fuelled by claims from within the remainder of Yugoslavia that the CDU planned a return to the anti-Serb hatred of World War II. As the CDU had taken power partly as a nationalistic response to Serbian propaganda and actions, they were easily cast as the Ustasha reborn, especially as they began to force Serbs out of jobs and positions of power. The Serb-dominated region of Knin- vital for the much needed Croatian tourism industry- then declared itself a sovereign nation, and a spiral of terrorism and violence began between Croatian Serbs and Croats. Just as the Croats were accused of being Ustaha, so the Serbs were accused of being Chetniks. Slovenia held a plebiscite for independence, which passed due to large fears over Serb domination and Milosevics actions in Kosovo, and both Slovenia and Croatia began arming local military and paramilitaries. Slovenia declared independence on June 25, 1991, and the JNA (Yugoslavia’s Army, under Serbian control, but concerned whether their pay and benefits would survive the division into smaller states) was ordered in to hold Yugoslavia together. Slovenia’s independence was aimed more at breaking from Milosevic’s Greater Serbia than from the Yugoslav ideal, but once the JNA went in, full independence was the only option. Slovenia had prepared for a short conflict, managing to keep some of their weapons when the JNA had disarmed Slovenia and Croatia,  and hoped that the JNA would soon get distracted by wars elsewhere. In the end, the JNA was defeated in 10 days, partly because there were few Serbs in the region for it to stay and fight to protect. When Croatia also declared independence on June 25, 1991, following a Serb seizure of Yugoslavia’s presidency, clashes between Serbs and Croatians increased. Milosevic and the JNA used this as a reason to invade Croatia to try to protect the Serbs. This action was encouraged by the U.S. Secretary of State who told Milosevic that the U.S. would not recognize Slovenia and Croatia, giving the Serb leader the impression he had a free hand. A short war followed, where around a third of Croatia was occupied. The UN then acted, offering foreign troops to try and halt the warfare (in the form of UNPROFOR) and bring peace and demilitarization to the disputed areas. This was accepted by the Serbs because they’d already conquered what they wanted and forced other ethnicities out, and they wanted to use the peace to focus on other areas. The international community recognized Croatian independence in 1992, but areas remained occupied by the Serbs and protected by the UN. Before these could be reclaimed, the conflict in Yugoslavia spread because both Serbia and Croatia wanted to break up Bosnia between them. In 1995 Croatia’s government won back control of western Slavonia and central Croatia from the Serbs in Operation Storm, thanks in part to U.S. training and U.S. mercenaries; there was counter ethnic cleansing, and the Serb population fled. In 1996 pressure on Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic forced him to surrender eastern Slavonia and pull out his troops, and Croatia finally won back this region in 1998. UN Peacekeepers only left in 2002. The War for Bosnia After WWII, the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of Yugoslavia, populated by a mixture of Serbs, Croats, and Muslims, the latter being recognized in 1971 as a class of ethnic identity. When a census was taken in the aftermath of the collapse of Communism, Muslims comprised 44 percent of the population, with 32 percent Serbs and fewer Croats. The free elections held then produced political parties with corresponding sizes, and a three-way coalition of nationalist parties. However, the Bosnian Serb party- pushed by Milosevic- agitated for more. In 1991 they declared the Serb Autonomous Regions and a national assembly for Bosnian Serbs only, with supplies coming from Serbia and the former Yugoslavian military. The Bosnian Croats responded by declaring their own power blocs. When Croatia was recognized by the international community as independent, Bosnia held its own referendum. Despite Bosnian-Serbian disruptions, a massive majority voted for independence, declared on March 3, 1992. This left a large Serb minority which, fuelled by Milosevic’s propaganda, felt threatened and ignored and wanted to join with Serbia. They had been armed by Milosevic, and would not go quietly. Initiatives by foreign diplomats to peacefully break Bosnia into three areas, defined by the ethnicity of the locals, failed as fighting broke out. War spread throughout Bosnia as Bosnian Serb paramilitaries attacked Muslim towns and executed people en masse to force the populations out, to try and create a united land filled with Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs were led by Radovan Karadzic, but criminals soon formed gangs and took their own bloody routes. The term ethnic cleansing was used to describe their actions. Those who weren’t killed or had not fled were put into detention camps and mistreated further. Shortly after, two-thirds of Bosnia came under the control of forces commanded from Serbia. After setbacks- an international arms embargo which favored the Serbs, a conflict with Croatia which saw them ethnically cleanse too (such as at Ahmici)- the Croats and Muslims agreed  to a federation. They fought the Serbs to a standstill and then took back their  land. During this period, the U.N. refused to play any direct role despite evidence of genocide, preferring to provide humanitarian aid (which undoubtedly saved lives, but did not tackle the cause of the problem), a no-fly  zone, sponsoring safe areas, and promoting discussions such as the Vance-Owen Peace Plan. The latter has been much criticized as pro-Serb  but did involve them handing some conquered land back. It was scuppered by the international community. However, in 1995 NATO attacked Serbian forces after they ignored the U.N. This was thanks in no small part to one man, General Leighton W. Smith Jr., who was in charge in the area, although their effectiveness is debated. Peace talks- previously rejected by the Serbs but now accepted by a Milosevic who was turning against the Bosnian Serbs and their exposed weaknesses- produced the Dayton Agreement after the place of its negotiation in Ohio. This produced The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina between Croats and Muslims, with 51 percent of the land, and a Bosnian Serb republic with 49 percent of the land. A 60,000 man international peacekeeping force was sent in (IFOR). No one was happy: no Greater Serbia, no Greater Croatia, and a devastated Bosnia-Hercegovina moving towards partition, with huge areas politically dominated by Croatia and Serbia. There had been millions of refugees, perhaps half of the Bosnian population. In Bosnia, elections in 1996 elected another triple government. The War for Kosovo By the end of the 1980s, Kosovo was a supposedly autonomous area within Serbia, with a 90 percent Albanian population. Because of the region’s religion and history- Kosovo was the location of a battle key in Serbian folklore and of some importance to Serbia’s actual history- many nationalist Serbs began to demand, not just control of the region but a resettlement program to oust the Albanians permanently. Slobodan Milosevic canceled Kosovar autonomy in 1988–1989, and Albanians retaliated with strikes and protests. A leadership emerged in the intellectual Democratic League of Kosovo, which aimed at pushing as far as they could towards independence without getting into a war with Serbia. A referendum called for independence, and newly autonomous structures were created within Kosovo itself. Given that Kosovo was poor and unarmed, this stance proved popular, and amazingly the region passed through the bitter Balkan wars of the early 1990s mostly unscathed. With ‘peace’, Kosovo was ignored by the negotiators and found itself still in Serbia. For many, the way the region had been sidelined and lumped into Serbia by the West suggested that peaceful protest wasn’t enough. A militant arm, which had emerged in 1993 and produced the Kosovan Liberation Army (KLA), now grew stronger and was bankrolled by those Kosovars who worked abroad and could provide foreign capital. The KLA committed their first major actions in 1996, and a cycle of terrorism and counter-attack flared up between Kosovars and Serbs. As the situation worsened and Serbia refused diplomatic initiatives from the West, NATO decided it could intervene, especially after Serbs massacred 45 Albanian villagers in a highly publicized incident. A last-ditch attempt at finding peace diplomatically- which has also been accused of simply being a Western sideshow to establish clear good and bad sides- led the Kosovar contingent to accept terms but the Serbs to reject it, thus allowing the West to portray the Serbs as at fault. There thus began on March 24 a very new type of war, one which lasted until June 10 but which was conducted entirely from the NATO end by airpower. Eight hundred thousand people fled their homes, and NATO failed to work with the KLA to coordinate things on the ground. This air war progressed ineffectually for NATO until they finally accepted that they would need ground troops, and went about getting them ready- and until Russia agreed to force Serbia to concede. Quite which one of these was the most important is still up for debate. Serbia was to pull all its troops and police (who were largely Serb) out of Kosovo, and the KLA was to disarm. A force of peacekeepers dubbed KFOR would police the region, which was to have full autonomy inside Serbia. The Myths of Bosnia There is a myth, widely spread during the wars of the former Yugoslavia and still around now, that Bosnia was a modern creation with no history, and that fighting for it was wrong (in as much as the western and international powers did fight for it). Bosnia was a medieval kingdom under a monarchy founded in the 13th century. It survived until the Ottomans conquered it in the 15th century. Its boundaries remained among the most consistent of the Yugoslavian states as administrative regions of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires. Bosnia did have a history, but what it lacked was an ethnic or religious majority. Instead, it was a multi-cultural and relatively peaceful state. Bosnia was not torn apart by millennia-old religious or ethnic conflict, but by politics and modern tensions. Western bodies believed the myths (many spread by Serbia) and abandoned many in Bosnia to their fate. Western Lack of Intervention The wars in the former Yugoslavia could have proved even more embarrassing for  NATO, the UN, and the leading western nations like the U.K., U.S., and France, had the media chosen to report it as such. Atrocities were reported in 1992, but peacekeeping forces- which were undersupplied and given no powers- as well as a no-fly zone and an arms embargo which favored the Serbs, did little to stop the war or the genocide. In one dark incident, 7,000 males were killed in Srebrenica as UN Peacekeepers looked on unable to act. Western views on the wars were too often based on misreadings of ethnic tensions and Serbian propaganda. Conclusion The wars in the former Yugoslavia appear to be over for now. Nobody won, as the result was a redrawing of the ethnic map through fear and violence. All peoples- Croat, Muslim, Serb and others- saw centuries-old communities permanently erased through murder and the threat of murder, leading to states which were more ethnically homogenous but tainted by guilt. This may have pleased top players like Croat leader Tudjman, but it destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives. All 161 people charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for  war crimes  have now been arrested.

The development of the Digital economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The development of the Digital economy - Essay Example These are very different from each other and are different from the earlier end products of industrialisation. The digital economy comprising of information, computing, and communications - is now the primary driver of economic growth and social changes. It has reached a stage where it is no longer possible except to adapt and enhance oneself to the digital economy to avoid being left behind. A better understanding of these adaptations help in more efficient decision making that translates into better solutions in research, products, or services. The health of any economy has gone from the dependence on farming in the agrarian age to the industrial end products in the industrial age to the current digital or information age. The time period of growth seems to be accelerated and considering that the digital age only began with the invention of the ENIAC computer about less than four decades ago, the world as seem to have progressed in leaps and bounds. Then, Tim Berners-Lee and some others joined to pioneer another great step: the Internet. The Internet has become a critical component of the digital economy and the most influential. The impact of its power cannot be estimated. Internet commerce, which is arguably the most significant component of electronic commerce ("e-commerce"), includes consumer retail and business-to-business transactions; online financial services; media; infrastructure; and consumer and business Internet access services. Recent industry research shows that over one million people in the UK became Internet users for the first time during the third quarter of 1998. Fifteen per cent of the adult population in this country have now visited the World Wide Web. This puts it some two years behind the US, where web users now represent 37 per cent of the adult population, but ahead of Germany (ten per cent) and France (eight per cent). The Issues Economic Implications Every economy is now affected by the emergence of the digital economy. It has changed all the aspects of business, social and cultural entities. The Internet, a main component of the digital age has brought about significant changes in the way business is conducted and the way people work and live. Lowered costs and increased productivity have heralded rethinking strategies in all aspects of the society. Dependency and undue influences of the digital economy has given rise to speculations of how far out these can go without backfiring on the basic aspects of life. Globally, it has seemed to widen the gap between the developed and developing nations while at the internally it has seemed to widen the gap between the rich and the poor due to the accessibility of the infrastructure. Changes in Organizations Information technology has brought with it changes in the organisational performances, policies and people. Information technology has the potential to change the structure and performance of organizations and human enterprise. It has enabled companies to go global with ease and hence forth opened up the borders of the workplace. While it has created a new dimension of

MUSEUM VISIT AND ANALYSIS OF A WORK OF ART Essay

MUSEUM VISIT AND ANALYSIS OF A WORK OF ART - Essay Example The sculpted image brings the two Hindu deities; Shiva and Parvati, into a mutual harmony that pictures a microcosm of the Hindu society. Upon critical assessment of the artwork, it is clear that there was an elucidation of a vision of reunion of nature. The artwork can be said to be a microcosm of societal codependence and coexistence. Moreover, the elucidation and texture of the sculpture exudes power and authority to the viewer in the finest nuances. The Stele with Shiva and Parvati is a high relief sculpture on hard wood. In the sculpture, the deities are attended by their offspring; the human headed Skanda on the lower right and the elephant headed Ganesha on the lower left. There is also Shiva’s bull Nandi that protrudes his head besides Shiva’s right hip. Notable in this artwork is the detail with which the sculpture tried to create the whole form. In this artwork, as in the other works of Indian art, there is a voluptuous feeling because of the freedom of expres sion. This form gives the artwork a strong sense of Indian culture of the 10th and 11th century. The sculpture is a depiction of images that were central to the iconography of Paryathi in India including the theme of Shiva, the image of Shiva and the image of Liga and Yoni. The images form a combination of Shiva and Parvati, yielding a vision of reconciliation as seen in the sculpture. In the artwork, it is clear that the two deities are interdependent and their positioning breaks the rule of Indian art a little by depicting the two with no significant size difference. They are therefore, almost commanding the same power and ability. This means that may be the person who curved it attempted to deconstruct the Hindu social expectation and hierarchy of deities. Although, in reality the Shiva looks bigger in size and form in this sculpture; the earlier artworks depicts this difference as substantial. The form and texture of the sculpture is also an interesting part. For example, the co mbination of the two deities may also symbolize a union of man and woman in elation and sexual bliss; given by the shiny surface which characterizes sexual power. As alluded before, the style in this sculpture is slightly drifting from the traditional Hindu art made before and after by the fact that in the creation of the two deities, Shiva is depicted as powerful and huge in size than Parvati who is depicted as smaller in size and submissive. The Hindu mythology has it that Parvati is the source of all power, and although Parvati is junior to Shiva, Shiva gets all his power from her. Therefore, this artwork stands with its own narrative different from the pieces created of Shiva and Parvati before and after this work’s creation period. This makes it representative of style of the artworks created during its time, but different to the then popular thematic narrative. This sculpture was intended to be placed in a temple or visible public walls in India because it depicted two deities, which were highly significant in the Hindu religion. In line with the dressing code of the central India, Parvati is in a dress that flows to her feet. Their independence to each other depicts the way Indian religion viewed the deities as independent, but mutually

My Photo Album :: Writing Education Teaching Essays

My Photo Album Overheard at University College London: "Because when you write this way- with this pomp and circumstance covering for any substantive thought- you aren't fooling me"...... CRASH. "OUCH! Old son- you seem to have just thrown me out a window!" If I had been given this little lecture by Mr. Pomp and Circumstance, the previous scene is what would have been witnessed. I would have thrown him out a window for two reasons. First and foremost, he sounds like an obnoxious, holier than thou prick. Second and more importantly, everything he said is right on the mark. As they say, "the truth hurts." He seems to have the ability to see through my themes and realize that I am really not saying anything at all. I like the concept that our previous work is just like an old photograph. Needless to say, I have a few photographs in my collection which I might want to hide under the bed. As I page through my photo album from college, I notice that I seem to be wearing the same outfit in almost every picture. Let's just look at a few. "By becoming acquainted with the Pardoner in both the general prologue and the prologue to his tale, we become aware of his hypocritical nature. In his prologue, we find that the Pardoner is a very immoral person." Yep, that one was taken just outside of a class on Chaucer. Look at those nicely pressed khaki slacks and that perfectly ironed shirt. I can't believe I'm standing with my hand pressed to my chin deep in thought. I don't think I ever noticed those people from English 220 snickering in the background before. Here's another good one. Lanham would have a Paramedic field day with this one. "Lawrence Frederick Kohl's book, The Politics of Individualism is at once an account of America's political turmoil in the Jacksonian era and an interpretation of the relationship of these political views to the psychological nature of the American citizen during the era. In this account of the Jacksonian era, the reader is able to recognize the framework for the politics which will dominate the nineteenth century." I think this one was taken outside Gerry Schnabel's history class. That looks like my Chaucer outfit again. I used to wear that outfit for every occasion which I thought was important. I can't help but notice that it doesn't look like there is anything behind that outfit.

Substance Abuse: It’s affect on Individuals, Family, Friends, and Society

The purpose of this essay is to shed light on substance abuse and its effect on individuals, family, friends, and society. This study examined reliable data regarding substance abuse, the effects it has on individuals, families, friends, and society. Included also are the risk and dangers associated with methamphetamines, and the problems associated with the drug trafficking industry worldwide. Treatment programs are available and can be beneficial to the individual as well as society. The preliminary results will show how substance abuse affects all people, businesses, and organizations involved.The conclusion can also be drawn that substance abuse and its effects are problems that, if treated properly, and the correct tactics are used in controlling its supply, can be managed to some extent. Substance abuse effects not only the person abusing drugs but also family, friends, and society as a whole. The costs associated with substance abuse is astonishing; these costs include medical care, court costs, the cost of treatment, court proceedings, and costs associated with crimes involving drugs. Prisons are overcrowded and the battle to keep illegal drugs out of the prison system continues.The problems associated with substance abuse are not only in the United States but Worldwide. New programs and tactics to treat and fight substance abuse have to be implemented to keep up with the ever changing drug industry. Individuals who abuse tobacco or other addictive drugs are at a higher risk illness, injuries, imprisonment, and death. Some of the health risks associated with substance abuse include: dependency, impairments to brain function, cancers, STDs, HIV/AIDS, withdrawals, depression, seizures, liver, lung, and kidney problems, death, and many others (â€Å"Health Risks Associated with Alcohol and Drugs†, n.d. ).The brain can suffer many affects from substance abuse, from addiction, mild anxiety and depression, to extensive manic and other psychopathic resp onses. Severe withdrawal symptoms from â€Å"physiological depressants such as alcohol and benzodiazepines are hyperactivity, elevated blood pressure, agitation and anxiety† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005). After withdrawing from stimulants a person will feel depressed, tired, and withdrawn. â€Å"Any substance taken in very large quantities over a long enough period can lead to a psychotic state† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005).Cancer is another health problem associated with substance abuse. Intravenous drug use, unprotected sex, and heavy drinking can cause liver damage and result in cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Diseases such as hepatitis C can be contributed to unprotected sex and intravenous drug use; sometimes leading to liver diseases. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2013) estimates that, â€Å"in 2011 a total of 14. 0 million people injected drugs worldwide, which corresponds to 0. 31 percent o f the population aged 15 – 64† (Extent of health consequences of drug use : injecting drug use.para 1. ).People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are high among intravenous drug users. The UNODC (2013) â€Å"estimates that the global prevalence of HCV among people who inject drugs is 51. 0 percent, meaning that 7. 2 million people who inject drugs were living with HCV in 2011† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 2) HIV/AIDS and STDs are common among drug users and be spread through unprotected sex and intravenous drug use, which is a behavior known to be associated with substance abusers. UNODC (2013) estimates that of the 14.0 million people who inject drugs, â€Å"1. 6 million are living with HIV; that represents a global prevalence of HIV of 11. 5 percent among people who inject drugs† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 1).Premature death due to drug overdose has been on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), ( 2013), â€Å"in 2010, 30,006 (78%) of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States were unintentional, 5,298 (14%) of suicidal intent, and 2,963 (8%) were of undetermined intent† (The Problem, para. 3).The statistics show that men are more likely to die than women and that â€Å"American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest death rate, followed by whites and then blacks; the highest death rates among people 45-49 years of age; and the lowest rates among children less than 15 years of age† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013, Risk Factors for Drug Overdose). Drugs are now to blame for more deaths than motor vehicle accidents, for the first time (ABC news).According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2013),† an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to the survey† (How Many People Take Drugs and Drive). Drugs also play a major role in traffic accid ents; According to Science Daily, â€Å"between 1998 and 2009, there were more than 44,000 fatally injured drivers with drug-test information—one quarter of whom tested positive for drugs†(Deadly Drugged Driving: Drug use tied to fatal car crashes, 2011, para. 11). According to MADD (n. d), â€Å"over 1. 2 million drivers were arrested in 2011 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics† (Statistics, para.2).Death of a loved one affects the family members and friends, not only emotionally but also financially. There are very few states that offer assistance in funerals and those that do only pay a small amount (Funeral Ethics Organization, 2012). Substance abuse can affect families in many ways. Children of parents who abuse drugs are at a higher risk of child abuse and of being born prematurely, low birth weights, and other problems which occur at birth.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (n. d.), â€Å"there may be as many as 45,000 cocaine-exposed babies born per year† (Magnitude: Addiction Affects Everyone: Prenatal. ). Women who smoke during pregnancy deliver babies that have a lower average birth rate than those of women who do not (NIDA). The risk to children in homes where the parents manufacture drugs is even greater. â€Å"Approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases substantiated by child protected services involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents†, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse: Magnitude (Addiction Affects Us All: Child Abuse).The emotional and financial burdens of living with a person who has a substance abuse problem can be overwhelming. Some of the other effects include the risk of HIV, increased risk of substance abuse in children born to addicted mothers, conduct problems in children living in homes where there is substance abuse present, marital problems, emotional and physical abuse, and legal problems (â€Å"Substance Abuse Affects Families†, n. d. ).Many times children born to or living in homes where the parents have a substance abuse problem, the children will end up in foster care. According to American Humane Association, † the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, by the American Humane Organization estimates in a 2005 report states that substance abuse is a factor in at least 70 percent of all reported cases of child maltreatment† (Parental Substance Abuse Can Lead to Child Abuse and Neglect).The number of children living in foster care is a financial burden to society as a whole. Society is affected by substance abuse in a number of ways including increased crime rates, lower property rates in drug infested areas, and financial burdens to federal, state, and local governments, and taxpayers. According to the Drug War Facts Organization (1998-2013), â€Å"of the 1,552,432 arrests for drug law violations in 2012, 82.2% (1,276,099) were f or possession of a controlled substance, and 276,333 were for the sale or manufacturing of a drug† (Basic Data, para. 1).This along with stricter sentencing policies has caused an overcrowding of jails and prisons. Not only are the jails and prisons filled with people convicted of drug possession, sales, and manufacturing, but they also consist of people convicted of crimes committed to support their habits (Drug War Facts Organization Basic Data, section 6).The annual costs per federal inmate according to The Urban Organization (2012), are â€Å"$21,006 for minimum security, $25,378 for low security, $26,247 for medium security, and $33,930 for high security† (Prison is expensive) According to the Vera Institute of Justice,(2012), â€Å"among the 40 states surveyed, representing more than 1. 2 million inmates (of 1. 4 million total people incarcerated in all 50 states prison systems), the total per-inmate costs averaged $31,286 annually†(Total Taxpayer Cost Per Inmate, p. 8, para 1).There are also state and federal costs associated with training within the federal and state law enforcement agencies and prisons. Methamphetamine labs not only put the safety of citizens at risk but they also cost the state, federal, and local government as well as the taxpayers a considerable amount of money. People who live near these labs, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders are all at risk of being seriously injured or killed. Law enforcement means and allocated expenditures are strained because of the costs associated with disposing of and cleaning up of methamphetamine labs.According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, â€Å"the average cost to clean up a methamphetamine production laboratory is $1,900; given that an average of 9,777 lab seizures were reported to NCLSS each year between 2002 and 2004, the economic impact is obvious† (The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6). There was also additional training needed for deali ng with these labs which was not only an added financial burden but increased workloads (National Drug Intelligence Center: The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6).The burden felt within the law enforcement system is not the only industry that has been affected by drug use. As of 2009, most drug users aged 18 and over, were employed and admitted to having used drugs while employed. The turnover and absenteeism, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (n. d), â€Å"from 2002 to 2004, full-time workers aged 18-64 who reported current illicit drug use were more than twice as likely as those reporting no current illicit drug use to report they had worked for three or more employers in the past year†(Turnover and Absenteeism).Current drug users were also more likely to miss more days of work. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (1998), â€Å"estimates by the United States Department of Labor in the mid1990s suggest that drug use in the workplace may cost American business and industry between $75 billion and $100 billion annually in lost time, accidents and higher health-care and worker’s compensation costs† (Economic consequences of drug abuse and trafficking, p. 17, para. 3). School performance is lower for drug users than for non-drug users according to the whitehouse. gov website.The fight against drug abuse is not only in the workforce, schools, and society in the United States, but worldwide. According to Stein (2012), an author for the Los Angeles Times, in one article out of a series of articles they are doing on addiction states that â€Å"about 200 million people around the world use illegal drugs every year† (Stein, 2012). The study contained information regarding four drug categories; opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana. The rates of drug users are higher in developed countries. Social factors and the accessibility of drugs also affect the rates.Drug use fell behind tobacco and alc ohol use in mortality rates, but when considering the lost years of life drugs rated higher at 2. 1 million, according to Stein (Stein, 2012). Drug trafficking is another problem felt worldwide; according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), â€Å"given the large quantities of licit substances that make their way across oceans and continents every day, in containers and even small boats, maritime trafficking poses a particularly knotty challenge for the authorities†(Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para.1).Maritime seizures are usually larger than those seizures of trafficking by road or air (Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para. 3). New trafficking routes are being looked for as the old ones are being discovered, causing the authorities to have to step up their efforts in controlling the drug trafficking industry. New drugs are being created daily to not only meet with the dema nd for them but to help traffickers avoid detection. With this increase of new drugs the number of new narcotics under international control had be increased.With all the drugs and the drug abuse in the United States as well as around the world the need for treatment programs and tactics to fight drug abuse is on the rise. There are five primary treatment models that professional in the field of substance abuse can use: psychoeducational models are used in educating patients about substance abuse, related behaviors and their consequences; skills development groups basically try to teach individuals the skills they will need to maintain a drug free lifestyle.; cognitive-behavioral groups are designed to change the clients thinking patterns; support groups help reinforce the clients’ efforts regarding their thinking and emotions and help them develop better interpersonal skills while in recovery.There are also relapse prevention treatment groups, communal and culturally specifi c treatment groups, and expressive groups (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy, 2005). One or all of these types groups may be used in the treatment of substance abuse and in different settings.There are different types of substance abuse facilities available for the treatment of addiction. â€Å"Facilities operated by private, nonprofit organizations account for 58% of treatment facilities. Private, for-profit facilities (29%), and the remaining facilities are operated by local governments (6 percent), state governments (3 percent), Federal Government (2 percent), and tribal governments (1 percent)† (Substance abuse treatment facilities: New data, 2010: Major Findings, para. 1).Programs are also being made available in jails and prisons to help reduce the number of returnees to the prison system. Substance abuse treatments vary in price but can be very expensive although it is believed that the benefits outweigh the costs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012) states that, â€Å"according to several conservative estimates, every dollar invested in addiction treatment programs yields a return of between $4 and $7 in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft† (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?, para. 2).When healthcare savings are figured in to that savings it can exceed costs by a 12 to 1 ratio, so while the costs may seem great the benefits can be even greater. Family and friends can help addicts find treatment and resources to help pay for the treatment as well as being supportive while they are in treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost? ) There are several websites that are available to help obtain the information needed to locate the right treatment facility.The effectiveness of treatment varies depending on the individual and the treatment facility and type. According to NIH, â€Å"research that tracks individuals in treatment over an extended periods, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning†(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: How effective is drug addiction treatment? , para 1). Substance abuse affects individuals, family members, friends, and society as a whole.There are astonishing costs related to drug abuse, crimes committed related to drug use and producing drugs, and the cost associated with authorities who fight against drugs. The jails and prisons are overcrowded and the staffs are overworked. Substance abuse is not a problem associated with just the Unites States, but worldwide. There are treatment options and facilities available, although; they can be costly. However, statistics show that the benefits far outweigh the costs in most cases.