The Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream in Russia

Russia has a known reputation in the ice-cream industry. They are known for their flavorful ice creams that are of a wide flavor varieties. The Ben and Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. founded in Burlington, Vermont decided to have a franchise in Russia, which longs for modernization of its market economy. Since ice-cream is considered as a commodity, they thought of using it as an entry point to strengthen their economic growth. The franchise was named ‘Iceverks’ – Ice Cream of Vermont and Karelia.This was also thought of to bring together diplomacy in America and Russia although there were risks on doing such kind of business, even if Vermont and Karelia are sister cities. There was also an effort of change of political systems from strict social, the communist system, to the democratic political system. The management of Iceverks taught the necessary tools to the employees and managers to equip them for proper and good management strategies.Then suddenly the clima te inside the management changed, with the lessening of the effectiveness in their management because their local partners have become better in equipment to manage the joint venture. With this, they just decided to donate their equipment to the management and the equity to their local partners (Moss, 2000, p. 136). In 1997, Ben and Jerry’s has left Russia, with the Iceverks no longer using Ben and Jerry’s as their brand name.For me, although this happened, we cannot say that the venture was unsuccessful, because the Iceverks was able to maintain their standards for ice cream production and customer satisfaction services, the legacy that the Ben and Jerry’s left for Russian and even other foreign customers. The Ben and Jerry’s intention was not really on the profit but on the development, because instead of withdrawing all the equipment in the Iceverks because they are leaving, they even donated it to them.The corruption in the Mafia also brought about th eir withdrawal of management because of the matter of philosophy. The Ben and Jerry’s did not want to give consent to the bribery or corruption there was just to have protection from the Mafia. The American companies were required to pay 30% more of their profit just to acquire the said protection. Again, the economic shift was hard to attain that time.The mind set of the Russian managers was more on the capitalist ideology, which hinders them from being immediately penetrated by the training they received from the American managers, which the Ben and Jerry’s have given much effort on. Since Ben Cohen, the founder of the Ben and Jerry’s, is more of the ideal businessman, he was more of a diplomatic and socially responsible person. He did not care much of the money involved in the business. But then, there was an observed loss of jobs because the company has enormous money loss that could not support the work force any longer.As mentioned above, the Russian partn ers, who are in profit maximization, decided to split up with the Ben and Jerry’s, which made B&J just leave and leave their equipment to them. Leaving the Iceverks was somehow a much better decision than staying, because eventually the political system will eat them with their principles. In fact, they have succeeded in other countries like Japan, France and the UK, applying the same business strategies. It was a good decision to leave also because of the very unstable economy, with lots of financial risks, etc.that have affected much of their transactions, from simple packing to large machineries and refrigerators, etc. The big cultural differences also contributed to their decision, because they do not have the total control and regulation of the political and philosophical missions and visions of the company, since it is a joint venture. Reference Moss, L. S. (2000). Bankruptcy Reform in Russia: The Case for Creditor Rights in Russia. Review of Russian Economics, 13, 121- 146.

Mediatory Argument

When it comes to finding common ground on important issues, few polarize people as much as immigration questions and difficulties. There are plenty of varying opinions on immigration, especially when one considers whether or not to grant United States citizenship to illegal immigrants. Some feel that illegal immigrants should be given a chance to earn their citizenship, since they are already in the country. Others feel that they are criminals who deserve nothing from the government of the United States. Finding a middle ground on that issue is difficult, but it is possible through mediation. When one takes the time to research the issue at hand, some interesting things come to light. The first thing that a person must understand is the definition of an illegal alien. An illegal alien, as the name suggests, is a person who comes to the United States illegally. In short, it is a person that enters the country through some means that is not approved by the immigration office of the United States. The punishment for such an offense is something that must also be considered by any person who is looking to do research. If an illegal alien is found out in the United States, then they are usually deported back to the country where they came from. In some cases, they are detained for a short time before being shipped back to their country. Research must also be done on the options for these people. Where do they come from and why do they come to the United States? As one might expect, the majority of illegal aliens come to the United States because they have nowhere else to go. These people do not have a future or a leg to stand on in their previous countries, so they make their way into America with an eye on making a new life for themselves or for their families. One side of this argument might also focus on the job status of these people, as well. Unfortunately for many Americans, some of the jobs have been occupied by illegal aliens. This is something worth considering if one hopes to find a middle ground between the two sides of this equation. There are certain middle grounds in this argument where people come together. Though folks might disagree on many things, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who believed that illegal aliens were worse off in the United States. In addition, most people on either side of the chart can admit that illegal aliens are just as likely to pass the citizenship requirements as those people who migrate to the United States legally. In addition to all of that, both sides can see some part of the American dream coming out in this situation. When America was being formed, it took on all comers as a place where anyone could come to explore and find great opportunities. Though that has changed some, it is still one of the American ideals that all residents of this country hold near and dear. As for disagreements, there are many in this case. The fundamental disagreement between the two sides is that people who think illegal immigrants should be given citizenship believe that the illegal alien laws are unfair. They believe that there needs to be widespread reform to accommodate for those people who make their way to the United States. Their basic argument is that it should not be illegal to come to America. Those on the other side would argue that the laws are in place to protect the country from being overrun by cheap labor and they are there to keep the economy in tact. In addition to all of that, the two sides disagree on the impact that illegal immigrants might have on the job market. Those who support the illegal immigrants feel that, ultimately, the increased productivity with these new workers will help stimulate the economy. Obviously, those on the other side feel that adding more low cost workers will make it difficult for people to demand competitive wagers in a competitive market. It is important to keep in mind the different viewpoints when trying to reach a common ground. In this case, the perspectives could not be any different on the issue. On one side, there are the illegal immigrants, who have escaped their previous life and made it to the land of opportunity. They see a new life sitting right in front of them for the taking and they see nothing wrong with that. Those who want these people gone are looking out for their best interests and they are somewhat fearful of what could happen is illegal immigrants were granted citizenship. Because neither party has had the chance to walk in the other party’s shoes, it makes things especially difficult. Illegal immigrants cannot understand why those people in the U.S. do not want to share their wealth. Those in the U.S. do not understand where the illegal immigrants have come from and why they might have made the decision to come. The common ground here is that everyone wants to work for the greater good of the human race. While it might seem like an idealistic or simplistic common ground, it is the basic premise that will have to drive the decision making. No good intentioned human being wants to see another human being suffer. That is where these people can come together. There are plenty of people in the United States who would want to see illegal immigrants exported that might have come from a rough background. They can certainly relate to the plight of these immigrants. The common ground is not a huge piece of dirt, but there is room for people to come together there for the great good of society. As far as a solution goes, there seems to be a place for one in this case. Though it might not fall right in the middle of what people are looking for, there is a way to come to something of a compromise. In order to give illegal immigrants the best chance to prove themselves and earn their way into the country, a probationary period must be adhered to before they are â€Å"full citizens†. In addition to that, they would have to complete all of the steps that normal immigrants have to go through, including the tests. This would benefit both sides, as it would not blindly throw people back into the hell that they used to inhabit, but it also would not open up the borders to anyone who wanted to come. Those people who made the choice to come to America would understand that it is going to take a long time to gain citizenship. In addition, this might even encourage people to go about immigration the right way, instead of having to sneak into the country.

CCEI083W Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CCEI083W - Essay Example I also maintain good communication with my preschooler’s parents in order to guarantee their well being. Finally, I ensure that I am in a good position to discuss problematic behaviours of my preschoolers with their parents in a positive, helpful manner. In order to encourage family involvement in classroom activities, I encourage parents to be clients of the program. This grants them a chance to say what they like or do not like about the program. They also offer bright ideas by acting as clients to the program. Also, I request the parents of my preschoolers to volunteers to some of the school programs. For instance, I ask some of the parents to help in serving snacks for students or contribute toys that they think might help their children learn. Finally, I have included myself on the teacher-parent association in order to contribute to the local politics that parents bring up concerning their children’s learning. Through this, I share with the parents the importance of their children’s learning. I support the relationships of my preschoolers and their families by incorporating both classroom activities and home activities that include both the student and their parents. Such activities ensure that they children and their parents have worked together to complete the assignment. For instance, during sports day, I ask the parent to run for a designated distance while carrying their infants. I give my students assignments concerning their parents, whom they have to ask in order to complete it. Such assignments include briefly describing what your mother or father does at work or how their parents’ childhood was. I also provide a diary for parents to sign to ensure that their child has completed his/her homework given. This will ensure that the parent has checked to ensure that the homework was tackled successfully. Whenever parents to my preschoolers’ parents are in school, I

They Need to Demonstrate Good Research and Presentational Skills, and Coursework

They Need to Demonstrate Good Research and Presentational Skills, and Advice them to Solve the Problem - Coursework Example Then comes the postal analogy rule; the acceptance of the offer when the offeree posts the letter but can this apply to fast instantaneous communication like e-mail. Lastly, is the counter offer which kills the original offer; terminates it. BODY 1) An invitation to treat is an indication of a willingness to conduct business, it is invitation to make an offer or commence negotiations. Courts have considered whether or not a communication was an invitation to treat in a wide variety of circumstances. The Advertisement which Peter places is an invitation to treat just like Partridge v Crittenden (1968), the advertisement of a bilateral contract and Carlil v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company (1893), was decided that an advertisement was a unilateral offer. 2) In Partridge v Crittenden The appellant placed an advertisement in the issue for 13 April 1967, of a periodical â€Å"Cage and Aviary Birds† with the words â€Å"Quality British ABCR †¦ Bramble finch cocks, Bramble finch hen s, 25s eachâ€Å". It was put under the general heading â€Å"Classified Advertisements. In no place was there any direct use of the words â€Å"offer for sale†. T, having seen the advertisement, written for a hen, which was sent to him and arrived on 2 May 1967, wearing a closed-ring. T was able to remove it without harm to the bird. The appellant was charged with unlawfully offering for sale a certain wild live bird, viz, a brambling, other than a close-ringed specimen bred in captivity, contrary to s 6(1) of, and Sch 4 to, the Protection of Birds Act, 1954. The justices were of opinion that the advertisement was an offer for sale, and that the brambling was not a close-ringed specimen bred in captivity because it was possible to put off the bird's ring. On appeal against conviction. It was held, the advertisement in the present case constituted in law an invitation to treat, not an offer for sale, and the offence which was charged against the appellant was not, therefore , established. While on the other hand; 3) Carlil v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company was decided on the different basis. The defendants, the proprietors of a some medical preparation called "The Carbolic Smoke Ball," issued an advertisement in which they promised to pay 100 to any person who contracted the influenza after having used one of their smoke balls, in a certain specified manner and for a specified time. The plaintiff, upon the faith of the advertisement, purchased one of the defendants' smoke balls, and used it in the manner and for the specified time, but nevertheless contracted the influenza. It was held that the above facts made a contract by the defendants to pay the plaintiff 100. In the event which happened; that such contract was neither a contract by way of wagering within 8 & 9 Vict. c. 109, nor a policy within 14 Geo. 3, c. 48, s. 2; and that the plaintiff was entitled to recover the sum promised. 4) The general rule is that acceptance is not effective until it is co mmunicated to the Offeror. This is sometimes expressed by saying that the acceptance cannot be made through silence and the offeror cannot waive communication if that would be to the detriment of the offeree . 5) This can be shown in the case Felt house v Bindley (1862). The plaintiff (F) brought an action against the defendant auctioneer (B) for the conversion of a horse. In December 1860, a conversation had taken place between F and his nephew (N) regarding to the buying of a horse

Olaudah Equiano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Olaudah Equiano - Essay Example He was the youngest one in the family, which also had five brothers and another sister. At the age of eleven, he was kidnapped along with his sister by the slaveholders. From there, he was a sent to the islands of Barbados, located in the West Indies. After that, he was transferred to Virginia (Equiano, 39). He was a bought by a member of the Royal Navy called as Michael Pascal. After serving him, he ended up being given to a merchant named as Robert King. After working some years for him, he gained his independence. Equiano settled in London and became a vocal voice against the anti-slavery movement. By the year 1783, he was involved in the transfer of information to a lot of the anti-slavery campaigners. Some of his accounts of the slavery paint a picture of the trials and tribulations faced by the slaves. His book was published in the year 1789 and went through a large number of editions. It was a sensational event, as it covered a large fact base regarding the slave trade. Equian o has mentioned a number of events regarding the slave trade, with a description of the cruelties being suffered by them. It has been mentioned by him, that the slaves suffered from a host of tortures including the â€Å"iron muzzle†. His work has helped in explaining the atrocities committed by the slave owners. This has been one of the reference points for the history of slavery and the eventual abolition. ANALYSIS There has been a recent controversy about the origin of the author. He was one of the most accomplished English speaking writers of the age, coming from an African origin. There has been an emergence of some recent information from sources: that the birth records and other details of Olaudah Equiano  had discrepancies in them. One of the factors that were noticed as a part of the records, are the claims about the baptization at the Saint Margaret’s Church and the Arctic expedition. Some of the documents also cast a doubt on the veracity of the claims abo ut his birth. It is being researched that the place of birth was not current day Nigeria, but South Carolina. In an event of these factors being true, they cast a reasonable doubt on the genuine nature of the thesis; regarding the slave trade. If this has been a case of the wrong identity being used, it could cast a number of aspersions on the image of Olaudah Equiano. Some of the historical records have suggested the date of birth as 1747 and not the year 1745. Some of the authors have described this behaviour to be of a man who is â€Å"self made† (Caretta, 277). This word has a lot of dichotomy in the meaning, with the achievement of success; as well as the realization of a childhood dream. This would have a significant impact on the description of the times and the events being expressed. His expression of the events is a reaction to his wanton need for achieving the due recognition and success. The extrapolation of the events is a way of defining his identity, as perceiv ed by himself. CONCLUSION In light of the recent discoveries, it can be assumed that Olaudah Equiano may have made an attempt to reclaim the African identity, rather than having lived one. So, much of the middle passage in the slave ship may not seem

Human growth and development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human growth and development - Essay Example Severe stress usually happen when the job is lost whereby the individual is situated with a family relationship or when an individual has to take another job which he or she perceives to be below his or her dignity and competence. Many resort to alcohol as coping mechanism while a number suffer depression. Another common stressor is strained relationships which drives many people to depression and to some point, even suicide. This usually involves divorce in the case of middle age adults and romantic break ups in the case of early adults. This is more stressful with middle aged adults because the stakes are higher such as consideration of the children, division of assets, alimony etch. Stressed early and middle adult typically resort to indulging in anti depressant substance such as alcohol or pills (valium etch.) to forget their problems. And to some extent, many seek professional help to enable them to cope with the

The Management Roles of a Principal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Management Roles of a Principal - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that courses offered once, as well as the availability of teachers, influence the schedule’s development. Together with the principal, the counselor does the actual work, remembers not to schedule courses at the same time, and considers to accommodate the schedule of teachers. In making adjustments, the principal and the counselor make an initial run through to determine arising conflicts. The district provides a computer program called TEAMS to help manage the schedule. The guidance office, as well as the principal, makes the final approval. As the paper outlines budget management is also part of the role of an administrator. However, the central office is the one responsible for allocating the budget, as well as in providing assistance. In preparing the budget, the goal is to look at the needs of the campus and try not to exceed in its allocation. Budget management process begins towards the end of the year and extends into the Summer months since the school does not have the actual budget until the start of the next school year. Campuses receive their budget allocations after September 1, which includes general operating funds, special education, title funds, and compensatory education funds, as well as the travel and staff development. The Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee, which is composed of teachers, parents, and community leaders helps the principal in making sure that the whole management process is thoroughly made. Allocating the funds is the last step of the process, and the budget is then finalized before September 1st.

Television Media Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Television Media - Term Paper Example The last nineteen twenties saw the first successful experimentations of the electronic television. Designed by Philo Taylor, who had a vision of inventing a system that captured moving images that could be coded and transmitted onto a screen, it was a great success. The first image transmitted was a simple line and the dollar sign which he captured with a primitive camera. RCA, which dominated the radio business in the United States, invested fifty million dollars into the development of the television set. The company hired Vladimir Kosma to hasten the development and in nineteen thirty nine RCA televised the launching of the New York Fair. It included a speech by President Roosevelt who became the first head of State to be on television. The first television sets RCA sold had five by twelve inch picture tubes and broadcasted regular programs. This included televising of the first baseball game. The game was between Columbia and Princeton universities. The Second World War slowed down the development of television but by the nineteen fifties there was a growth in television stations and most homes in the United States could receive broadcasts. NBC and CBS were among the first stations and they aired news and programs such as â€Å"The Jack Benny Show† between nineteen fifty and nineteen sixty five (Angelova, 2011). Through the decades there was great development in the television set and soon the tubes had bigger screens with clear imaging. More television stations came up and the television industry became a major industry in the United States. Television programs made individuals everyday figures in people’s homesteads. Television was able to create a new type of hero; television and film stars, musicians and news anchors. The television made the conveying of news not on in the United States but across the world easy. Today, the television has come a long way and we have multi-billion dollar companies like Sony and Samsung who

Reconstruction for Assigned Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reconstruction for Assigned Reading - Essay Example The beauty of this partnership is that private investors by virtue of shouldering upfront costs have a powerful influence in terms of incentives to ensure timely completion of projects. The overriding factor of the PPP’s is that they have a customer service ethic that government operated roadways lack. These PPP’s enable investors to profit primarily toll revenue, though not highly popular, is better than higher taxes and more government spending. The toll-funded roads are a noble idea since they will primarily regulate congestion on the roads. By increasing the toll during peak hours and decreasing it during off – peak hours, motorists will save much time since they will not be stuck in traffic. This will in turn reduce stress among motorist and save fuel. This would result in an improved economy. Further, the environment will not be polluted since auto emissions are higher in heavy traffic and significantly lower when traffic eases. Although PPP’s are not new in America, they remain an under-used engine for transportation infrastructure investments. Greater public education about the economic and environmental benefits of PPP’s is needed while federal action is also needed to encourage states to employ the use of PPP’s in transportation

Swot Analysis of Tata Steel Essay Example for Free

Swot Analysis of Tata Steel Essay The company has also been acquiring stake overseas in Canada, Mozambique, Australia etc. to boast its reserves for clean coking coal which is rarely available in India. 2. Management Team Tata Steel has a highly credible management team which has displayed their skills in expanding the company through inorganic route. The company has successfully acquired Nat Steel of Singapore, Millennium Steel of Thailand and more importantly Corus. The company’s virtuosos of finance have been able to find innovative ways to tackle the company’s burgeoning debt and keep the bottom line in the green zone despite lowering demand and huge debts accumulated. . Information Technology The entire mining operation of the Company is safeguarded against accident occurrence. Proactive measures are undertaken to ensure the employees health and productivity through ergonomically designed work stations and by protecting them from occupational hazards. All its mines are ISO-14001 -Environmental Management System Certified. Tata Steels collieries use Surpac, a state-of-the-art mine planning software that estimates the volume of coal in every seam. This software is coupled with qualitative detailing that focuses on output consistency. To maximize productivity and utilization, a voice and data equipped Global Positioning System is used, which helps to supervise mining activity form a chine movement and engine status. 4. Innovativeness of TATA Steel with respect to its competitors Tata Steel has the lowest operating cost for steel manufacture in the world. Further it has displayed effective means in adopting an eco-friendly and sustainable approach towards the manufacture of steel thus proactive measures are undertaken to ensure the employees health and productivity through ergonomically designed work stations and by protecting them from occupational hazards. . Adaptability of the company in the fast change of the environment Tata Steel has displayed immense agility in the recent past during the global financial tsunami. Its virtuosos of various fields have adopted various methods like lowering of production and even shutting down of steel plants owing to the lack of demand, managing the balance sheet efficiently et c. The company has 70% of its procurement of raw materials for its operations in Asia through long term contracts and so its margins can be shielded from the nuances of the volatility of the financial markets. Brand value The TATA brand owing to its highly ethical and a socialistic approach to business have made its name synonymous to trust. After the acquisition of Corus another powerful brand, the brand value of the company has enhanced further. 7. Corporate governance Tata Steel has had an impeccable record for corporate governance. It has set the benchmark in global corporate governance principles of transparency, accountability and equity for others to follow. Tata Steel has been consistently receiving prestigious awards at both the national and the international arena. Recently it bagged the Best Governed Company Award for corporate practices presented by Asian Centre for Corporate Governance. 8. Excellent integration with Corus Corus has a great reserve of around 2000 metallurgists and technology which could be exploited by Tata Steel on several fronts. 10. Excellent procurement philosophy Tata Steel has around 70% of its supplies through long term contracts. Thus it can be shielded from the volatility of the financial markets. 10. Spawning upon opportunities Tata Steel has been amongst the earliest to spot the escalation in the demand for steel in the forthcoming years. It has hence invested heavily in the expansion of its existing facility at Jamshedpur and is setting up other green field projects at Orissa, Jharkhand etc. Weaknesses of Tata Steel 1. Huge debt burden Tata Steel is having a total debt of 10. 2 billion USD in its books. It has a debt equity ratio of 1. 6 which means that the assets of the company are largely financed through debt. With the inflation on a rise the central banks of most all the countries are intending to tighten in the liquidity in the money markets. As a result of which the interest rates are on a rise.

The Kennewick Man Controversy

The Kennewick Man Controversy An Exploration of the Kennewick Man Controversy The Kennewick Man controversy is one of the most well known federal court cases dealing with NAGPRA and Anthropological research. The case is influential for Native Americans, Anthropologists, Archaeologists, and federal law makers alike. Though it lasted many years and endured a very bumpy road, the Kennewick Man case will serve as a great example and learning tool to anthropologists of today, tomorrow, and years to come. Kennewick Man has a great significance to anthropology and archaeology for various reasons. It is perhaps the most influential example of how the NAGPRA laws affect anthropologists and the complications that can come with the lack of clarity in those laws. Kennewick Man also has influenced anthropology by being one of the oldest and most complete human skeletal remains found in North America, which led to new information on origin due to his skull morphology. â€Å"As one of the best-preserved New World skeletons of the period, the Kennewick specimen has the potential to contribute greatly to this discussion, but it may be reburied before scientists can study it further† ( Slayman, http://www.archaeology.org). The true significance of the Kennewick man cannot yet be fully explained because all of the scientific findings have yet to be concluded. We can only hope that the future research will result in the anthropology discovering more answers that can lead us to greater in-dep th knowledge of who we are, how we got here and how humanity originated. Kennewick man can definitely be considered an ethical debate, when looking at the process from both a Native Americans religious and cultural perspective, as well as from an anthropological and scientific perspective. The ethical debate from the perspective of the Northwest Indian tribes to claim the remains is that according to their understanding of NAGPRA law they had â€Å"cultural affiliation† to the Kennewick Man, making those tribes responsible for the traditional spiritual and cultural care of those remains and furthermore becoming their property. Vine Deloria, Jr., a professor from the University of Colorado and Standing Rock Sioux native writes on the subject, siding with Native Americans stating that â€Å"Archaeology has always been dominated by those who wave â€Å"science† in front of us like an inexhaustible credit card, and we have deferred to them believing that they represent the discipline in an objective and unbiased manner. Yet the discovery of a skeleton in the Colombia River led to an excessively confused lawsuit..and a spade of claims by scholars that this skeleton could rewrite the history of the Western Hemisphere.† (Thomas, Page xviii). Because of their ethical standing, the scientific justification is not necessarily an important argument for US Anthropologists to keep the remains. The whole reasoning behind the NAGPRA laws should have, in their opinion, given them all rights to the remains which would have in turn prevented the remains from being studied further. When viewing this as an ethical debate through an anthropological perspective, it comes down to the scientific importance of being able to study the remains. â€Å"Archaeologist Rob Bonnichsen was quoted as saying: ‘Theres a whole book of information [in Kennewick Mans bones]. To put him back in the ground is like burning a rare book so well learn nothing. . . .It seems to be the case that there is a major effort to block scientific inquiry into the study of American origins (OHagan, 1998: 8).† (Watkins, Page 13) The results of further researching the Kennewick Man would make it possible to obtain answers that would benefit not only the Native Americans of North America, but humanity as a whole. Anthropology is in essence the holistic study of humankind, and using the well preserved pieces of our past such as the Kennewick man, can most definitely shed new light on origin theories and lead to discoveries of our past. NAGPRA is the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act, is a law which was passed by the federal government in 1990 to provide â€Å"a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants, culturally affiliated Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.† (www.nps.gov/nagpra). NAGPRA states that these cultural items will be repatriated to the Native Americans if they can prove cultural affiliation to the items in question. â€Å"Cultural affiliation is established when the preponderance of the evidence based on geographical, kinship, biological, archeological, linguistic, folklore, oral tradition, historical evidence, or other information or expert opinion reasonably leads to such a conclusion.† (http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/TRAINING/Cultural_Affiliation.pdf) In order to attempt at clarifying the determination of cultural affiliation, certain guidelines have been set in place. â€Å"All of the following requirements must be met to determine cultural affiliation between a present-day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and the human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony of an earlier group: (1) Existence of an identifiable present-day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization with standing under these regulations and the Act; and (2) Evidence of the existence of an identifiable earlier group. Support for this requirement may include, but is not necessarily limited to evidence sufficient to: (i) Establish the identity and cultural characteristics of the earlier group, (ii) Document distinct patterns of material culture manufacture and distribution methods for the earlier group, or (iii) Establish the existence of the earlier group as a biologically distinct population; and (3) Evidence of the existence of a shared group identity that can be reasonably traced between the present-day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and the earlier group. Evidence to support this requirement must establish that a present-day Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization has been identified from prehistoric or historic times to the present as descending from the earlier group.† (http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/TRAINING/Cultural_Affiliation.pdf) In the Kennewick Man controversy, The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for the land on which the Kennewick Man was found, initially making him the property of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. They had chosen to allow anthropologists to study the remains to try and uncover some answers in the mystery of the Kennewick Man. After through NAGPRA, the remains were ordered to be returned to the local Native Americans, the Scientists and Army Corps decided to try and pursue an appeal with NAGPRA. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers where soon after involved in a Federal court case to determine to whom the remains should belong. Since the Kennewick Man was discovered on their property, the remains became that federal agencys responsibility. After the final ruling, it was ordered that the Kennewick man stay property of the Army Corps. The Kennewick debate involved a US Federal Court case between the Northwest Native American tribes (the Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce, Wanapum and Colville) who laid claim over the Kennewick Mans remains, and the US Army Corps of Engineers Scientists who were responsible for the remains because they were discovered on their property. The archaeologists and physical anthropologists studying the remains argued that the substantial significance of the remains could help answer many questions of human immigration into North America. These scientists were the plaintiff in the case. After further study of the remains the Department of the Interior and National Park Service, in cooperation with the Corps of Engineers were able to find reasoning to disprove exact cultural affiliation with the Native America Tribes, stating that NAGPRA laws did not apply to the Kennewick Mans case. The Anthropologists wish to further study the remains because they are one of the oldest, most well preserved and complete human remains ever to be found in the Western Hemisphere. By studying the bones, we could find answers to when and how humans first entered North America, as well as information about the Kennewick Mans death, culture and lifestyle. The Native American tribes did not want him studied because if he were culturally affiliated with the tribes, they would be responsible for ensuring the Kennewick Mans proper burial. Defacing or studying the remains would be against their religious, spiritual and cultural beliefs. The Plaintiff Scientists in the case were comprised of eight anthropologists and archeologists brought together for the right to study the remains and stop repatriation. â€Å"The eight plaintiffs in Bonnichsen v. United States included five physical anthropologists (C. Loring Brace, Richard Jantz, Douglas Owsley, George Gill, and D. Gentry Steele) and three archeologists (Robson Bonnichsen, Dennis J. Stanford, and C. Vance Haynes Jr.). Owsley and Stanford were at the Smithsonian Institution and the others held university positions.â€Å" (Oldham, www.historylink.org) The defendant party consisted of the five Native American tribes claiming cultural affiliation to the remains and promoting the repatriation of the Kennewick man. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers were in charge of the remains, and along with the Department of the Interior and National Park Service furthered the studies to determine the origin of the Kennewick Mans ancestry and lineage for proper affiliation. The Kennewick Man case was finally concluded, and the ruling was in favor of the plaintiff scientists. â€Å"The scientific community should be allowed to study the 9,000-year- old human bones known as Kennewick Man, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled †¦ rejecting an appeal by several tribes claiming kinship and seeking to rebury the remains†¦ The three-judge panel, with an opinion written by Judge Ronald Gould, upheld a District Court decision that the tribes have shown no direct kinship to the remains and have no such authority.† (Paulson, www.Seattlepi.com) Today the remains of the controversial Kennewick Man reside in the Burke Museum at the University of Washington, where scientists continue to study the remains. The ruling and scientific studies proved that the lineage of the Kennewick man was more Caucasian than Native American, therefore disassociating him with Native American affiliation and removing him from NAGPRA regulations. In the controversial case involving the Kennewick Man, I am pleased with the outcome. I side with the scientists, acknowledging the significance of studying the Kennewick Mans remains. Because the Kennewick Man was proven to be not of Native American lineage, it seems unarguable that the case be removed from under NAGPRA laws. The potential answers that can come from the future studies of the Kennewick Man are so immense that I can only wait with excitement for results to come from these studies. With Archaeology and Anthropology technologically advancing more and more every day, it is a great immeasurable victory for science to be able to challenge and win such an influential case as this one.

Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

The phrase "there is a hero to every story" has been heard of by almost all. But can this be true if the hero doesn't survive through the story? It all depends on the definition of hero. A person can still be classified as a hero even if they do not live to see the good that they have done or accomplished in their lifetime. This type of hero is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a good and admirable man of high position who falls to destruction as a result of some great error he commits or some flaw in his character. This meaning can be broken down into three parts. The first is that the person must be in some way distinguished as an honorable person of high stature. The next feature they must possess is some sort of fault or flaw in their character that is often referred to as a tragic flaw. The third quality is the destruction of character due to this tragic flaw, which usually means death. These three characteristics join together to create the framework for a tragic hero. The Character Hamlet, from William Shakespeare's novel Hamlet fits the mold of a tragic hero perfectly as he meets all three of the requirements. The first characteristic, a good and admirable man of high position, is easily covered by Hamlet. He was definitely an honorable person as he was looked up upon by all of the people of Denmark as their prince and next to rule (I.ii.113). This is not the only reason for him to be admirable. His mother found security in him ...

Digital Divide :: Essays Papers

Digital Divide The â€Å"Digital Define† is the distance between the people who have adequate access to technology and those who do not. As teachers, we have numerous avenues through which we can assist in narrowing the gap of the Digital Divide. Some suggestions are the following: 1. Gather teaching materials through sources such as: www.pbs.org/digitaldivide/about.html www.pbs.org/digitaldivide/learning.html www.siliconvallydigitaldivide.net www.ed.gov/free www.fcs.gov/resources.html 1-800-257-5126 2. Donate a computer, obtain a donated computer, or upgrade an obsolete one. Many organizations have been developed to assist in this task; a few are as follows: Share the Technology - www.sharetechnology.org Computers for Learning – www.computers.fed.gov NewDeal – www.newdealine.com Heaven – www.heavens.org 3. Keep informed about the most recent government initiatives, as well as what politicians and government officials have to say. A variety of Web sites can aid you in this undertaking; some are listed here: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology – www.ed.gov/Technology Federal Communications Commission – www.fcc.gov.major.html Closing the Digital Divide – www.digitaldivide.gov The National Telecommunications and Information Administration – www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn99/contents.html The Digital Divide Network – www.digitaldividenetwork.org 4. Investigate the community access centers (CACs) in your area and spread the word about their availability. CACs include places such as libraries, community centers, schools, and other public-access locations. 5. Learn about model initiatives – successful models. A few projects include: The Digital Divide Project – www.washington.edu/wto/digital/resources/html NetDay – www.netday.org Alliance for Community Technology – www.communitytechnology.org The Foundry – www.thefoundry.org The Village Foundation – www.villagefoundation.org/PROGRAMS/pathways/technology/index.html PowerUP: Bridging the Digital Divide – www.powerup.org The Maine Laptop Program Lightspan, Inc. – www.lightspan.com Plugged In – www.pluggedin.org Neighborhood Network – www.hud.gov/nnwnnwindex.html 6. Explore opportunities for corporate support. A good place to start is www.wested.org/tie/grant.html#corporate. This site has a list of corporate and foundation funding sources and other grant related resources. The model initiative I chose to investigate is NetDay. NetDay is a project connecting students and their teachers in under-served communities with the necessary resources to facilitate learning through education technology. From this site, NetDay Compass is accessible. NetDay Compass is a teachers guide to educational technology resources. There are sections on developing technology plans, technology infrastructure, grant and funding, classroom support, and model high tech schools. Here teachers will find the information they need to include technology in education and narrow the gap of the digital divide. In the three years I have been teaching in Louisiana, I have seen numerous incidents of digital divide. However, one particular incident stands out in my mind the most. Last year, I had a Financial Math class made up of mostly juniors and seniors.

National Influenza Immunization Program - The Swine Flu of 1976 Essay

In 1976, due to an outbreak of influenza at Fort Dix, New Jersey, the United States set a precedent in immunology by attempting to vaccinate the entire population of the country against the possibility of a swine-type Influenza A epidemic. While a great many people were successfully immunized in a very short period of time, the National Influenza Immunization Program (NIIP) quickly became recognized as a failure, one reason being that the feared epidemic never surfaced at all. But this massive undertaking deserves more analysis than just a simple repudiation. For example, all evidence linked to the pathology, microbiology, and historical cycle of influenza and the outbreak at Fort Dix suggests that the reactions of the scientists and other personnel involved in the NIIP were correct. However, one must also acknowledge the many complications and misjudgments that plagued the program after its initiation, from biological difficulties, logistical problems, to tensions with the media. Th e swine flu is a historical event that needs to be evaluated, regarding both its successes and its failures, so that lessons can be learned for future immunization programs. While influenza, or the "flu", is not commonly recognized as an extremely lethal disease, the pathology of influenza, and especially of the kind found at Fort Dix, does suggest that an immunization program was a reasonable course to take in 1976. In the public's mind, influenza is often not seen as a specific disease, using interchangeable names for it like "flu", "gripe", and "virus". (Silverstein: 1) However, influenza is very different from an everyday low fever or "stomach flu". It is a respiratory infection, connected with a fever, coughing, and muscle aches, which often la... ...d be held responsible for not creating a more adaptable program that could deal with these occurrences. The NIIP must be evaluated for its drawbacks and its successes, so that people will not just see this as an unfortunate historical event, but can use it to help further immunization and disease-fighting programs in the future.    Works Cited The "Flu". Online. 17 Feb. 1999. Available: www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/I/Influenza.html Laitlin, Elissa A. and Elise M. Pelletier. "The Influenza A/New Jersey(Swine Flu) Vaccine and Guillain-Barrà ©acute; Syndrome: The Arguments for Causal Association." Drugs and Devices Line, 1997. Online. 15 Feb. 1999. Available: www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/ddil/swieflu.html Silverstein, Arthur M. Pure Politics and Impure Science: The Swine Flu Affair. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1981.

Financial position Essay

1. One of the apparent reasons for the failure to pay off the debts by the due debt is the continuous decline of the sales over the period of time due to overall sick performance of the industry. However, on the other hand, it is also imperative to understand that the firm has not been able to accurately forecast its cash flows as accurately as possible because there were not only frequent requests for revision of the funds required but also company was undertaking modernization in times where sales were declining. Supporting the long term as well as short term repayment of bank loans largely depend upon the ability of a company to generate sales and cash flows and in this case it has completely failed to achieve its targeted sales figures which basically force the firm to default on its payments on the due date. Apart from some seasonal and industry wide factors, company has also not been able to accurately forecast its financing needs. Though the sales declined but the forecasts based on which the debt was obtained did not included any externalities which could have basically hampered the ability of the firm to repay its debts on time. It is also important to understand that one of the main reasons behind the failure to pay off the debts on time is the inability of the management of the firm to ill plan at the wrong time as due to the seasonal nature of the business, they were expecting consistent and historical results however it did not turned up to be right. 2. Mr. Fischer was probably not been able to forecast the correct repayment of the loans as he based his forecasts on the historical trends and the company’s seasonal needs for the external financing. It was because of this reason that he forecasted zero banks loan payable during the period from Dec 1995 to May 1996. This assumption was correct if we observe it from the historical perspectives however as it lacked the inclusion of risk based assessment of what may go wrong i. e. as in this case, the company’s sales were consistently forecasted however they declined against the expectations. Such decline in sales therefore has put pressures on the cash flow position of the firm which basically forced the firm to not been able to pay its debts on time. It is also important to note that overhead forecasted at constant rates however they have shown greater volatility in actual that basically decreased the profitability of the firm as well as straining the cash flows of the firm as more funds were being diverted in paying off higher overhead and other expenses. Further, the assumption of producing at an even rate was also flawed specially considering the fact that the business has the seasonal demand patterns therefore assuming such production patterns may be gross mismanagement of the firm’s resources. 3. Overall, the firm’s financial position has not worsened as it is because some external factors which seem to be of short term nature and company can easily overcome once the seasonal impacts on the business decline. Further, firm’s working capital management seems to have worsened which may be the actual cause of concern as there is not only an increase in inventory but in receivables also.

Economic Commentary Essay

This article talks about a recent increase in the rate of unemployment in the Euro-zone countries due to the fall of the rate of inflation, which was caused by a decrease in the oil and commodity prices. In this commentary, I will analyze the relationship between these two economic problems, discuss their effects and evaluate the possible solutions. Europe’s inflation dropped from 1.6% to 1.1% in the last two months. According to economic theory, such a fall in the general price level (PL) is not ideal because it limits economic growth. In this case, the decrease of inflation rate is caused by a raise in the short run aggregate supply (SRAS) due to the fall of the oil and commodity prices. This also reduces the consumer’s price expectations, therefore decreasing aggregate demand (AD). [See graphs] The effects of this situation are double-sided. The fall in the European inflation rate will hurt people with variable incomes, and benefit people with fixed incomes. Due to the increase in the purchasing power of money, it will hurt borrowers and benefit lenders. As the value of money rises, savings will become more productive; however, it will cause a fall in expectations that reduces investment in the stock market. Finally, it will discourage the creation of new ventures; although, it will prevent future capital flight. In addition to these effects, inflation provokes unemployment. The European Central Bank (ECB) has reported that its unemployment rate rose from 7.9% to 8% in December, as inflation decreased. In the European Union, anyone 15 years of age or older who is not working but available for work and actively looking for one is considered unemployed. This type of unemployment is classified as cyclical because it varies with the business cycle. In order to understand better how unemployment relates to inflation, the economist A.W. Phillips did several studies showing that there is a trade-off between them. As inflation increases, people have more money in their hands. This will encourage the government to increase its spending, hence creating new jobs. Phillips designed a curve (PC) that portrayed the relationship between these contradictory macroeconomic goals. Increasing unemployment has the following economic and social costs: According to Arthur Okun, for every 1% increase in unemployment, there is a 2.5% decrease in the real GDP which will increase government borrowing and budget deficit, leading to a raise in the indebtedness of the countries. More unemployment implies more people insured by the social security programs; hence, the government welfare costs will increase. In addition, less people in conditions to pay income taxes will reduce government tax revenues. Unemployment causes an increase in homelessness and, therefore, in street violence and crime. Similarly, it incites alcoholism and drug consumption, as well as immigration and suicides. From the PC, it can be concluded that a higher inflation will decrease the rate of unemployment in the EU. This, according to the article, will be attempted by the ECB through the implementation of discretionary expansionary monetary policy, which consists in a raise in money supply and a decrease in interest rate, to increase AD and lower SRAS. This is a policy taken from the Neo-Keynesian macro-model that believes in interventionism and short run measures to prevent deflation. [See graph] One of the strengths of monetary policy is the short recognition, decision and execution lags. According to economists Mendel Gordon and Milton Freedman, they vary from 5-10 months and 6-24 months, respectively. One of its weaknesses, identified by Neo-Keynesian fiscal activists, is the weak links between banks and borrowers. This means that, regardless the interest rate changes, expectations remain unchanged. Fiscal activists also believe that monetary policy works indirectly and, thus, more slowly; however, monetary activists claim that it is not slower than fiscal policy. Finally, monetary policy would succeed in increasing the rate of inflation, although it is limited by cash leakages and volt cash. Moreover, Milton Freedman affirms that it may destabilize the economy because of insufficient information. Consequently, it is better to follow the K% rule which consists in the establishment of a constant money growth rate determined by the Central Bank.

Defence Mechanisms in Guajiro Personality and Culture Essay

Defence is all efforts of the ego to render inoperative and instinctual wish or impulse. The instinctual object choice produces neurotic anxiety because it clashes with the superego, which arises from the internalisation of the parent’s moral values. Defences protect the individual from experiencing anxiety either by detaching the forbidden wish from conscious awareness or by distorting or falsifying its true meaning. Several methods were used in collecting data for this study. Structured methods of observation and interviewing were used to gather information relevant to behavioural systems having transtructural significance, such as sex, aggression, and responsibility. Rorschach and TAT tests were administered to supplement these data and to aid in uncovering elements and relationships in the personality that were not readily observable, especially in the areas of affective behaviour, cognitive organization and defensive functioning. This study called â€Å"Defence Mechanisms in Guajiro Personality and Culture† by Lawrence C. Watson conducted with Guajiro Indian subjects came up with exceptional results. Some general characteristics of defence mechanisms in the Guajiro society were found: * All of the basic defence mechanisms are present but some are more important than others. * All defence mechanisms assume a well-defined culturally defined form. * Defence mechanisms cluster around a few systems of behaviour that are most conflict-ridden culture. * Variations in the deployment of psychic defences are, to a degree, a function of a person’s age, sex, occupation and class position. * There is a basic continuity in defence functioning from one stage to another in the life cycle of the individual. This study shows that defence mechanisms formulated by Freud have widespread, if not universal occurrence in human personality processes, irrespective of variations in cultural context. It also shows that in every unique social setting, cultural factors determine the form in which defensive behaviour comes to be expressed. This study also gave the result which says that defence functioning must be studied in relationship to other prevailing modal personality factors (e.g., superego strength, level of emotional control, etc.), since it is quite  likely that certain defensive properties will be found only if they are compatible with these other elements.

Marie Curie †Change Agent Essay

Marie Curie has been chosen as a change agent due to the fact that she was the first woman to win a Nobel prize. She studied radioactivity, â€Å"a term which she invented,† (1) and invented portable x-ray machines which were carried by vans to the wounded in the field during World War I. (2) Element 96 was named curium (Cm) in the honor of Pierre and Marie Curie. (3) She made important advancements in the area of science, as remembered by the Curie institute, which for a time she was director of. The institute was named for her because of all the advancements she had made during her studies, and the work she did at the institute itself. The change that she made was for education for women to be accepted, and for women working in science to be more acceptable in her time. Works Cited (1) http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/curie.html (2) http://www.diplomatie.gov.fr/label_france/ENGLISH/SCIENCES/CURIE/marie.htm (3) http://www.student-consolidation.net/nobel-prize-winners/curie-sklodowska/curie-sklodowska.htm

Movement in education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movement in education - Essay Example It is further stated that movement affects the brain which is activated during physical activity. The movement enhances the reading with utmost alertness, emotions are monitored and emotional intelligence is regulated through appropriate expressions. The movement also enhances the creativity by memorizing the past which can lead to self confidence. Children’s given physical education training so that their main movement center of brain remains activated enabling effective concentration during class hours. K-12 students are involved in creative topics enhancing their individual creativity. Physical activity is an important factor in building the students brain and physical fitness. Physical education is essential and should be made mandatory and part of the curriculum. All the schools in country should include various activities as part of the curriculum so that students don’t get sleepy sitting in the classroom. Physical activity like exercise, playing, creative development and all other activities apart from education which may build and develop brain’s activeness should be included in the curriculum. It was previously assumed that the physical and mental are separate and it is necessary to concentrate hard on books to be mentally strong. Further it was assumed that physical education may distract mental ability from the academic activity which was the main reason for reduction in recess and physical education in most of the school

Admission essay - applying for Masters Degree in MLIS

Admission - applying for Masters Degree in MLIS - Essay Example I have attended Maine Media workshop and workshop on film editing and have become proficient in specialized editing packages like Final Cut Pro. I would now like to expand my knowledge and pursue MLIS. There are many reasons that have greatly encouraged me to pursue higher academic qualification especially in the field which facilitates information research. While I was studying, I had supported myself by working as researcher for lecturers and Speakers. The information research fascinated me a great deal. Later, working as film editor for several documentary projects, I was able to travel to the far off places. The museums and artifacts greatly fascinated me. I was awestruck by Code of Hammurabi in Louvre, Paris and equally dumbfounded by priceless artifacts and medieval books like Guttenberg Bible which showed me myriad aspects of knowledge and its methods of propagation. I was hugely impressed. I realized that through the times, various means of spreading knowledge and information was invented. Each method became the symbol of advancement that represented the changing face of the methodologies of disseminating knowledge in the changing times. The increasing use of knowledge made huge impact on the lives of the people, facilitating interchange of information while at the same time, using it as one of the most powerful tool to influence paradigms of socio-political relationship across the globe. Indeed, the changing face of communication becomes the major platform to disseminate information. Most importantly, I realized that I want to become a link that can facilitate in disseminating information and provide people with myriad format to gain knowledge. Computers and internet has redefined communication and brought in digital age where information is easy to retrieve. Fascinated by such development, applying my experience and passion for music, I would like to become a music librarian. MLIS would help me to become information professional who would

Emergency Management 670 week 7 Conference Essay

Emergency Management 670 week 7 Conference - Essay Example In the future, emergency managers will need to develop a region wide approach to emergency management, implement interoperable GIS technologies and protect key infrastructure in the communities. Effective emergency managers need some skills and traits in order to effectively manage the unforeseen disaster. Some of the skills include risk assessment skills, mitigation planning, and ability to work with the communities in preparedness through periodic drills. According to Drabek’s study of 1987, effective emergency managers should have salient traits such as anticipating disasters, exhibition of professionalism, being community mentors, reconciliatory traits, the knowledge of extend of authority and ordinance based powers and doing anything possible to protect and preserve the safety of the community. The National Academy of Sciences study of emergency management concluded that efficient emergency managers need critical future skills such as grasp of the public administration and budgeting skills. It also made it clear that understanding of HAZUS software and improvement warnings and communications was essential for emergency managers. The study concluded that emergency managers should improve the use of social media and acquire higher education on risk assessment and preparedness skills (Langberg, 2010). The study also suggested that emergency managers should be more regionally focused and share best practices in emergency management in order to enhance the response capabilities of the first responders. The National Academy of Sciences study also proposed the better use of GIS and other software technologies in identifying and responding to emergencies. On the other hand, International Association of Emergency managers (IAEM) recently announced that the emergency managers should be compressive, risk-driven, progressive, inclusive, collaborative, professional, coordinated and flexible in response to

Characteristics of japanese schooling Research Paper

Characteristics of japanese schooling - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that there is a large number of people who want the system to be more flexible to the students because the current level of strictness has caused many to send their children to schools in addition the regular public schools children attend during the daytime. Japan conventionally follows a strict layout of curriculum and coursework for education at all levels and room for modification in curriculum or the educational trends in Japan is little, despite the fact that it contrasts with the diverse level of competency among the Japanese students. This paper makes a conclusion that increasing general reliance of people on part-time educational institutions like jukus and yobikos has paved way for many businessmen to adopt this as their profession since the practice guarantees huge monetary benefits. However, an in-depth analysis of the routine of students that go to these institutions suggests that these students spend a major portion of their day in schools. This is adversely affecting their social life as they do not get enough time to socialize with their friends and family. This may result in the production of a silo-minded generation in which the individuals lack bondage. In addition to that, people’s trust in jukus and yobikos more than on public schools speaks bad of the role of formal educational institutions in the overall academic nurturing of students in Japan.

Public health and road safety in Australia focus on NSW state Essay

Public health and road safety in Australia focus on NSW state - Essay Example This document examines the validity of this approach with respect to the current situation in New South Wales, Australia and provides justification for the involvement of the public health department in this initiative. It raises points as to why road safety merits the interest of the public health department and is a necessity for the improvement of overall public health. Public health, as defined by the National Public Health Partnership (1998) is â€Å"The organized response by society to protect and promote health and to prevent illness, injury and disability†. Considering that the main focus of the public health department is public health, it is apparent that road safety, which accounts for numerous injuries, disabilities and death in the population is also a point of concern for the public health department (PHD). Road traffic accidents are known to claim over 1.3 million lives a year all over the world (WHO 2011). In Australia alone, 1507 fatal road traffic accidents w ere reported in 2009. New South Wales accounted for 453 of these (nearly one third) (RTA 2010). Considering that each of these incidents could have been prevented, it is obvious that there is a lot of scope for improvement of road safety. A review of the statistics reveals that alcohol and fatigue were quite often the cause of road accidents in the state.

Oceans and Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oceans and Climate Change - Essay Example With a combined flow measuring 30 Svedrup or 30 million cubic meters per second which may even increase up to 150 Svedrup, the Gulf Stream increases in speed as it gathers more warm water along the way. From the North Atlantic it heads to Europe then to the west coast of Africa (â€Å"Ocean Currents,† 2008). The Gulf Stream affects the climate of the coastal areas by making America and Europe warm through the constantly evaporating warm water. This particular ocean current is worth mentioning because in case it ceases to flow, the whole of America and Europe will freeze (Gagosian, 2007). Another major ocean current is the Labrador Current, which is a cold water current that keeps the east coast of Canada cold. It passes through Labrador and Newfoundland, and meets the Gulf Stream at the Grand Banks. The meeting of the cold Labrador current and the warm Gulf Stream at this point marks the spot for very rich fishing grounds for commercial fish that include swordfish and halibut (â€Å"Ocean Currents,† 2008). The equatorial currents – the North Equatorial Current and the South Equatorial Current – are ocean currents that cross the equator. The North Equatorial Current is a westward flowing current in the North Atlantic and is mainly caused by the Atlantic trade wind belt. It originates from the northwestern coast of Africa and goes to the South Atlantic and finally to the North Atlantic. This particular current is made up of cool waters (Bischof et al., 2004). On the other hand, the South Equatorial current, which also flows westward, crosses the equator from the Atlantic to the Pacific but only to a lesser extent. Unlike the North Equatorial current, it is a warm current that embraces South America and meets up with the Brazil current going northwest to the Caribbean Sea, while a part of it goes to the Pacific and Indian Oceans (Gore, 2012). While the North Equatorial Current provides coolness to the climate of the North Atlantic, the South Equatorial Current provides heat to the South Atlantic and the Pacific area. The explanation behind the fact that ocean currents cause significant changes in the climates of the coastal areas is that 71% of the earth is water located mainly in the oceans and this huge reservoir of water absorbs â€Å"twice as much of the sun’s radiation† compared to how much the lithosphere or atmosphere can absorb (Rahmstorf, 1997). The mere fact that radiation and heat is absorbed by the ocean waters certainly translates to their significant role in affecting climates of the coastal areas. The continuous flow of the ocean currents is known as the Ocean Conveyor Belt. The Ocean Conveyor Belt is similar to a conveyor in a factory as it connects all the other ocean currents in order to facilitate the transfer of warm water from the Pacific to the Atlantic Oceans. It also returns cold water from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Ocean Conveyor Belt plays a â€Å"crucial† role in shaping the climate of the earth. The Ocean Conveyor Belt works through the combined action of the winds, the waves, the currents, and the tides caused by the pull of gravity resulting in a motion known as the â€Å"thermohaline circulation† (â€Å"The Great Ocean,† 2008). This is also called the Meridional Overturning Circulation, or MOC (Masters, 2012). Since the Ocean Conveyor Belt makes up the largest group of interlinked ocean currents around the world and since these currents affect the climates of t

FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS Essay

FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS - Essay Example y the company used to market for the age group 6-12 but later on since 2003 they began evolving products for the teenagers as well as young customers in their twenties. The company had its original marketing plan for the kids where they used to concentrate on fairy tale themes with mermaids, oceans and the sea colours making up for the product design. (Splash 2) Information, Information Systems and Information Technology are different aspects of organizational management. Information is critical to the managers and workers of the organization to function, Information systems provide them with a structure to derive information and information technology is the technology behind the entire operation. â€Å"A distinctive feature of our programme, however, is its insistence on the need to study management and information systems in context, taking account of both professional, good practice models, and of the particular environments in which those models are applied.† (Heeks & McCourt 14) The information system depends on Management and Information System which is different from the management information system part. The management and information system is more concerned with the people, information and technology where all three are different parameters whereas management information systems have more to do with monitoring and quality control. The information systems identified for Splash is an electronic commerce website model which is a niche segment of the market. The pace at which the internet technology has developed today has made the e-commerce model an extremely successful one in which there is still a huge scope and market for the company to sell their products. The concept of reaching out to millions of customers across the globe and selling their unique style of cosmetic products is something which the Splash management should go for in their goal of expanding their existing business. â€Å"The internet makes it very easy for people to find goods, and it

Grit Test Essay Example for Free

Grit Test Essay I guess according the test I am a extremely â€Å"Gritty† individual. It states that I am grittier than 80% of the American Populous. I guess I can attribute that to my military experiences. I will now do my do diligence in answering the question on the lab sheet. Question 1) what difference does age has in your ability to be persistent? I think age has nothing to do with being determined or persistent. It is an inherent trait that is taught. You must learn to not fear and use the emotion to your advantage, and your drive. Question 2) Does it matter how long your attention span is? I think it does, you must learn to focus to succeed in anything, and in today’s society that is discerning and I am concerned. Question 3) Does labeling something as â€Å"fun† and â€Å"easy† matter to your perception of how long and well you could persist on project? No I prefer a good challenge and I enjoy working on project that are challenging. Question 4) If you take pride in your work, do you think you’d persist longer than if you were self-critical. I don’t think I would do as well, if I cared about popularity. I handle my project as a mission and I am mission orientated. Question 5) What about your ability to delay gratification? How might that impact your ability to be persistent? How is the ability to delay gratification related to maturity. How is it related to self-control? How is it related to self- control? How is persistence different from self-control? I am very good at delaying gratification, because of my military training to be â€Å"Companionably Dis-Passionate.† I really think that this question is irreverent to me. I also think it has nothing to do with matuarity, because I know a lot of 40 year old people that act like they are 12. Self-control is a learned inherent traits, that is taught though  discipline and self-pride and determination. Sources Cited: Michelson, B. M./ U.S. Army (2013, September). Character Development of U.S. Army Leaders The Laissez-Faire Approach. Retrieved from http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/Archives/English/MilitaryReview_20131031_art007.pdf. This book shows how to develop military leadership and training that can be used to train individuals how to react to any situation a military leader can endure. This book can also help with how we interact in a society that lacks leadership and discipline. Goren, P. (2007). Character Weakness, Partisan Bias, and Presidential Evaluation: Modifications and Extensions. Political Behavior. doi:10.1007/s11109-006-9019-0. Is this article, the author discuss what is makes a strong leader versus a weak leader, and he discusses the issues in our governments policies and how strong and week presidents and leaders can make our break a government.

College Pressure Essay Example for Free

College Pressure Essay William Zinsser’s in his essay â€Å"College Pressure† published 1979, describes the pressures Yale students have economic, parental, and peer/self- induced. He says that these pressures make students afraid to take a risk and to try to take different paths. He wants them to believe in themselves and to try to enjoy their time in college. I have been a student at Reedley Community College for two years and the pressure I experience as a student and a mother are different from that the Yale student experienced. The first pressure that Yale students and I experience is economic pressure. Zinsser explains that in the 1970’s â€Å"tuition, room, and board at most private colleges comes at least $7000† (par.12).He also explains how much pressure Yale students are under, that â€Å"even if the [student] works part time during school and full time during the summer†, but accrue $5000 in loans after four years, loans that the [student] must start to repay within one year after graduation† (par.13). Then, Zinsser goes on to say that no matter how hard the student works he or she will be under pressure to pay back all the money he used. I relate to this pressure, but in a very different way. Although the cost of school for me is relatively low, I have four kids that are away at college. Having four children needing help with tuition and books puts a lot of financial pressure on me as a parent. Also, having six kids in general, three of which are girls, is expensive regardless. The country’s economic disparity has left personal finances tight and puts me under a lot of pressure to make sure my kids have everything that they need and that all bills are paid. Another pressure William Zinsser’s mentions is parental pressure which Yale students and I feel but slightly different .It refers to the amount of pressure students get from their parents. The students are being torn between pleasing their parents and pleasing themselves. Zinsser’s mentions that â€Å"often times students are walking to labs as though they are walking to the dentist.(par.15) Students are taking on majors in a course of study that they do not necessarily like, however, in order to keep their parents happy they take them on. They are under pressure because they want to please their parents but they’re unhappy they want to do. Because they aren’t doing what. Because I am an adult this pressure does not really apply to me. However, I do feel the pressure from my children. My children expect me to get good grades, as well as maintain everything in the house. When dinner is not made on time because of my homework, my children get upset. They also complain about laundry not being done quickly enough. Although they support me, their expectations of me put me under a lot of pressure. The final pressure that Zinsser mentions is Peer/ self-induced pressure which are a pressure that Yale students and I apply on us. Students apply unnecessary pressure on them by comparing themselves to their peers. Zinsser mentions that a student he calls Linda â€Å"who came in and said she was under terrible pressure because her roommate, Barbra was much brighter and studied all the time.† This student is a perfect example of making an unnecessary comparison which stresses her out. This pressure leads to students over work them-selves. â€Å"A professor will assign five-page papers†. â€Å"Several students will start writing ten-page papers to impress him.†(par.27). Instead of just following the guidelines of an assignment they are trying to shoot above and beyond the requirements. I can really relate to this pressure because I do add a lot of stress on myself. I immediately assume everyone is doing better than me which makes me work harder, but at the same time it causes me to over work myself. I have to make sure all my kids need are done, and then I stay up late to make sure all my school work is done. This pressure affects me negatively because I add a lot of stress on myself that does not need to be added. Instead of focusing on my growth academically. I am always worried about who is doing better than me in class. A couple of ways I am trying to manage my stress is by making daily and weekly to-do lists and putting the most important at the top and working my way down. It’s a great way to manage my time as well. Being that I am a mother of six, my stress level seems like it’s multiplied by seven and I need to be able to put some of that stress aside and finally focus on my schooling since my oldest is twenty-two and my youngest is thirteen. Another great way I make stresses more manageable is by keeping procrastination to a huge minimum. If work that is assigned gets gradually done before the due date, it won’t all pile up the night before causing you to panic. Stress always piles up and it occurs more than any of us would like, but it shouldn’t be a reason to fail. By overcoming these pressures, we become stronger at the end.

New Generation Sequencing Technologies: Population Genetics

New Generation Sequencing Technologies: Population Genetics New generation sequencing technologies have the potential to rapidly accelerate population genetics research, allowing scientists to comprehensively understand complex evolutionary histories, as well as functional and ecological biodiversity (Shokralla, et al., 2012; Shendure Hanlee, 2008). Prior to 1977, sequence production involved the handling of toxic chemicals and radio-active isotopes, restricting sequencing to persons of high expertise and speciality (Hunkapiller, 1991; Swerdlow, et al., 1990; Sanger, et al., 1977). In 1977, Fred Sanger and Alan R. Coulson published two methodological papers describing a new form of DNA sequencing technology, which would lead to the method (capillary-based, semi-automated Sanger biochemistry) used almost exclusively in the field, for the next 30 years (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). Sanger sequencing transformed biology. It became a tool for deciphering complete genes and, later, entire genomes. Due to the unprecedented extent at which Sanger techn ology grew, factory-like enterprises, called sequencing centres, were established, housing hundreds of DNA sequencing instruments, operated by cohorts of personnel (Schuster, 2008; Hunkapilla, et al., 1991). Despite the dominance of Sanger sequencing in laboratories, for a number of decades, the technology had and continues to be hampered by inherent limitations in throughput, scalability, speed and resolution (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). To overcome these barriers, an entirely new technology was required, one that democratised the field, putting the technology of comprehensive genetic analysis into the hands of individual investigators, not only major genome research centres (Shendure Hanlee, 2008). The need for new technologies was pushed for by the facilitators of the Human Genome Project (HGP) (Ventor, et al., 2001). The excitement and successful completion of the HGP, by two competing research bodies, lead to collective hunger for more advanced, economical sequencing technologies. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), also known as massively parallel sequencing, was such a technology and has ignited a revolution in genomic science, similar to that seen when Sanger technology was presented in 1977, honing in on the era of ‘post-genomic’ research (Schuster, 2008). The revolutionary nature of NGS technologies first became apparent in 2005, in two separate publications, 454 Life Sciences (Marguiles, et al., 2005) and the Multiplex Polony Sequencing Protocol (Shendure, et al., 2005). The methodology of both research groups resulted in vast reductions in the necessary reaction volume, while dramatically extending the number of sequencing reactions (Schuster, 2008). Despite such advances, in sequencing technology, NGS had a slow uptake in the scientific community, with a number of scientists having reservations. According to Schuster (2008), scientists accustomed to Sanger sequencing, as well as the initial scepticism echoed by funding bodies, resulted in a fear that large financial investments into Sanger-sequencing technologies would not produce returns, due to the technologies becoming obsolete. Other concerns were also raised, regarding the sequencing fidelity, read length, infrastructure cost and the handling of the large data volumes produced by NGS (Zhang, et al., 2011). It was the process of combining ongoing Sanger sequencing projects with NGS technologies that promoted its acceptance, into the scientific community. Once the enormous potential of the technology had been realised, along with new and upcoming biology projects that required sequencing outside of what the current Sanger technology could feasibly produce, the concerns raised by NGS’s early sceptics started to be overlooked. A combination of both first and second generation technologies are now used in sequencing facilities and projects around the world, the implications of which, for the fields of evolutionary biology and population genetics is vast. Researchers now have the ability to observe small changes in ecological community structure that may occur following anthropogenic or natural environmental fluctuations (Hajibabaei, et al., 2011; Leininger, et al., 2006; Hunkapiller, et al., 1991). Such implications of NGS technologies has led to the generation of whole-genome sequence data, for thousands of individuals (Akey Shriver, 2011; Harismendy, et al., 2009). The availability of such data is leading to a better understanding of evolutionary processes, such as descriptions of sex-biased dispersal and mutation rate biases (e.g., Wilson Sayres, M. A., et al., 2011). Furthermore, the ability to sequence the genomes of species, that have been long extinct, is no longer nonsensical, provided the samples from which DNA is to be extracted is still viable (Green, et al., 2010; Reich, et al., 2010). The hope that such projects may help population geneticists better understand the process of extinction, whether anthropomorphically or n aturally induced, may help those endangered species whose current possibility of extinction, in the near future, is high (Akey Shriver, 2011; Miller, et al., 2011). However, despite such ambitious aspirations of population geneticists, one large area of research that remains surprisingly unanswered, within the literature, is the definition of a population or ‘the population concept’ (Waples Gaggiotti, 2006). Given the importance of such a concept, one might expect to find a commonly used definition, one that is applicable to wild species, to determine how many populations exist within a delineated geographic area and the relationships amongst them (Waples Gaggiotti, 2006). However, one does not exist, rather there is evidence that what makes a ‘population’ is based on the research question. NGS technologies are providing population geneticists with the opportunity to flesh out a detailed definition of a population, on the molecular level. For example, Waples Gaggiotti (2006) ask â€Å"How different must molecular units be before individuals can be considered a part of separate populations?† Different criteria can be established and assigned to individuals, in order to determine the answer. The interplay of different evolutionary forces (selection, migration, drift) will favour different species, with different forces being more obvious, at the molecular level, than others. The ability to pose a research question, pertaining to the individuals, within a particular habitat, is now possible due to the ability to sequence numerous samples with NGS technologies. The implications, in population genetics, for a new generation of sequencing technologies, are a greater focus on testing expectations. Such expectations, simultaneously, result in excitement and daunt to those undertaking evolutionary and population genetic research, at present. Excitement exists because fundamental questions, pertaining to the patterns of genetic variation, within and between species, can now be analysed, with new generation sequencing technologies, such as NGS. Although NGS technology may still be in its infancy, the powerful possibility of analysing massive data sets is within reach of the individual and large-scale sequencing facilities alike, at a highly reduced cost. However, the methodological tools and theoretical models needed to interpret such large data sets are equally daunting to both new, and experienced, evolutionary and population geneticists. Despite such present and future challenges, population genetics research is looking promising, thanks to adv ances in NGS adoption and computation. References Akey, J. M. Shriver, M. D. (2011). A grand challenge in evolutionary population genetics: new paradigms for exploring the past and charting the future in the post-genomic era. Frontiers in Genetics 2, 1-2. Green R. E., Krause J., Briggs A. W., Maricic T., Stenzel U., Kircher M., Patterson N., †¦ Pà ¤Ãƒ ¤bo S. (2010). A draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome. Science 328, 710–722. Hajibabaei, M., Shokralla, S., Zhou, X., Singer, G. A. C. Baird, D. J. (2011). Environmental barcoding: a next-generation sequencing approach for biomonitoring applications using river benthos. PLoS ONE 6, e17497. Harismendy, O., Ng, P. C., Strausberg, R. L., Wang, X., Stockwell, T. B., Beeson, K. Y., Schork, N. J., †¦ Frazer, K. A. (2009). Evaluation of next generation sequencing platforms for population targeted sequencing studies. Genome Biology 10 (3), 32-39. Hunkapiller, M. W. (1991). Advances in DNA sequencing technology. Current Opinion in Genetics Development 1 (1), 88-92. Hunkapiller, T., Kaiser, R. J., Koop, B. F. Hood, L. (1991). Large-scale and automated DNA sequence determination. Science 254, 59-67. Leininger, S., Urich, T., Schloter, M., Schwark, L., Qi, J., Nicol, G. W., Prosser, J. I., Schuster, S. C. Schleper, C. (2006). Archaea predominate among ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes in soils. Nature 442, 806-809. Marguiles, M., Egholm, M., Altman, W. E., Attiya, S., Bader, J. S., Bemben, L. A., †¦ Rothberg, J. M. (2005). Genome sequencing in microfabricated high-density picolitre reators. Nature 437, 376-380. Miller W., Hayes V. M., Ratan A., Petersen D. C., Wittekindt N. E., Miller J., Walenz B., †¦ Schuster S. C. (2011). Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii (Tasmanian devil). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108 (30), 12348-12353. Reich D., Green R. E., Kircher M., Krause J., Patterson N., Durand E. Y., Viola B., †¦ Pà ¤Ãƒ ¤bo S. (2010). Genetic history of an archaic hominin group from Denisova Cave in Siberia. Nature 468, 1053–1060. Sanger, F., Air, G. M., Barrell, B. G., Brown, N. L., Coulson, A. R., Fiddes, J. C., Hutchison, C. A. III, Slocombe, P. M. Smith, M. (1977). Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA. Nature 265, 687-695. Schuster, S. C. (2008). Next-generation sequencing transforms today’s biology. Nature Methods 5 (1), 16-18. Shendure, J. Hanlee, J. (2008). Next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature Biotechnology 26 (10), 1135-1145. Shendure, J., Porreca, G.J., Reppas, N. B., Lin, X., McCutcheon, J. P., Rosenbaum, A. M., Wang, M. D., Zhang, K., Mitra, R. D. Church, G. M. (2005). Accurate multiplex polony sequencing of an evolved bacterial genome. Science 309, 1728-1732. Shokralla, S., Spall, J. L., Gibson, J. F. Hajibabaei, M. (2012). Next generation sequencing technologies for environmental DNA research. Molecular Ecology 21, 1794-1805. Swerdlow, H., Wu, S. L., Harke, H. Dovichi, N. J. (1990). Capillary gel electrophoresis for DNA sequencing. Laser-induced fluorescence detection with the sheath flow cuvette. Journal of Chromatography 516, 61-67. Ventor, J. C., Adams, M. D., Myers, E.W., Li, P. W., Mural, R. J., Sutton, G. G., Amanatides, P., †¦, Zhu, X. (2001). The sequence of the human genome. Science 291, 1304-1351. Waples, R. S. Gaggiotti, O. (2006). INVITED REVIEW: What is a population? An empirical evaluation of some genetic methods for identifying the number of gene pools and their degree of connectivity. Molecular Ecology 15 (6), 1419-1439. Wilson Sayres M. A., Venditti C., Pagel M., Makova K. D. (2011). Do variations in substitution rates and male mutation bias correlate with life history traits? A study of 32 mammalian genomes. Evolution 65 (10), 2800-2815. Zhang, J., Chiodini, R., Badr, A. Zhang, G. (2011). The impact of next-generation sequencing on genomics. Journal of Genetics and Genomics 38, 95-109. Influences of Greek Culture: History of the Spartans Influences of Greek Culture: History of the Spartans The Spartans In the summer of 480 B.C a battle took place that would forever change the history of the Greeks and that would eventually influence the way in which the Western world looked at war. The Spartans took their stand against the massive army of Persians in a three day battle which resulted in the Persians taking the win but may have very well led to the Greeks winning the Greco-Persian War. A culmination of strong tactical skill and bravery contributed to the Spartans making a stand much longer and stronger than anybody could have ever predicted. The Persian king Xerxes led his massive army through the narrow mountain pass known as Thermopylae expecting no considerable fight on the part of the Spartans. The Persians bid to conquer Greece was significantly halted because of the Spartan resistance, which was led by Leonidas,followed by a small army of Spartans, amounting to no more than 300. But no matter the size of Spartas fleet, Sparta if not the strongest, was one of the strongest mili tary powers in ancient Greece. And despite them being vastly outnumbered by the Persians at Thermopylae, they did indeed prove their military strength and sophistication which resulted in their near defeat of the Persian army. Greek culture was and still is up to today a heavy influence on the modern cultures of the Western world. It is because of this heavy influence of Greek culture in the western world, the knowledge of their history proves crucial to many aspects of our understanding of our own cultures. This heavy influence on the development of the western world could very easily be the reason that the Battle of Thermopylae and other battles surrounding it, have become of such importance and high level of study. The valiant stand of the Spartans at Thermopylae lead to the Greeks defeat of the Persians in the Greco-Persian war and enabled the further development of a culture from which the western world gains many of its principles and ideas. If the Spartans had not delayed the Persians at Thermopylae there may have been a very different ending to the Greco-Persian war. This being an important observation because the Greco-Persian war played such a crucial role in the history of Greece, a defeat could have resulted in a very different future for the western civilization. The culture of Greece was one that strived for perfection in every sense of the word, but there was a dark side to the culture that so many have grown to praise. This dark side can be seen in the Spartans treatment of the Helots, who were in essence a Greek culture in their own, the Messenia’s, but early on became enslaved by the power Spartans who were in desperate need to acquire more land to deal with the burden of overpopulation. The Spartans held true and easily demonstrated as what is seen as Greece’s inability to incorporate. The poor treatment of the Helots lead them to begin a 30 year revolt, in which the Spartans took twenty years to take control of the situation. Fear of more events like this, is what turned Sparta into the war state that it became. The attempt to suppress the Helots, by the Spartans, in many ways assisted the Spartans in their attempt to defeat the Persians. No longer willing to undergo a similar revolt, the Spartans devoted a considerable a mount of time and energy making certain to prevent all such events. It was because of these efforts that major components of Spartan culture, as we know it today, were all enforced. This can be easily seen in the devotion to physical perfection and warring techniques. And equally as important as their attempt to suppress the Helots was the contribution of the Helots in constructing their armor and warring tools. So despite the overwhelmingly poor treatment of the Helots, they played a crucial role in preparing the Spartans for the challenges to come and in the heat of battle. Even though they may have played an indirect role the affect that had on both the culture and the Battle of Thermopylae itself was indeed direct. The Greeks had a large influence on the development of western world in many respects. Whether it is an influence on science or art, to anyone who has studied Greece in the days of its glory the influences be easily pinpointed. These influences continue into the art of war. As previously stated, war was a constant in Greece so much so that it became imbedded in its very culture. Consequently the way in which war was conducted in ancient Greece has become a portrait of the way in which it should be conducted, and set a standard around the Western world for years to come. Despite war being one of the most immoral, barbaric, and most appalling of all human creations, the Greeks did the impossible, by successfully portraying war as something of beauty, patriotism, freedom and self-sacrifice. Therein lays a reason the significance of the Battle at Thermopylae. That one battle not only captured the spirit of the Greeks, more specifically the Spartans, in three days but became a turning poi nt of the art of war. But the Battle of Thermopylae more importantly defended the very future of the modern world. It was Spartan culture, which in many ways, influenced the Spartans ability to stand against the Persians as long as they did. To overlook the role of Spartan culture in relation to their stand at Thermopylae would be to overlook one of the most influential aspects of the battle. Spartan culture was one of great complexity having many intricate characteristics, which adapted to the situations that they held witness to. Spartans were people of extreme patriotic pride and military prowess, who sought perfection in every form. But equal to their patriotism was their oppressive tactics towards their captives. Spartans weren’t people who believed in the concept of freedom. The Spartans for several centuries, while in Laconia and Messenia, exercised a ruthless enslavement of other native Greeks, whose land they conquered. Sparta was a military aristocracy, who wasn’t a military state for the sake of being a military state. In many respects Sparta’s army, parallel to no t other, was created and maintained for the sole purpose of suppressing the Helots. In theory it was because of Sparta’s ‘inability to incorporate’ that lead to their standing army. Sparta’s military achievements are, no doubt, the most impressive of all their possible accomplishments. By the middle of the sixth century Sparta was already considered the strongest military force in Greece. Despite the brute strength the of the Spartan army, the Spartan were still worried that a revolt from their underclass (the Helots)would cripple their advancement as a society. â€Å"The Helot underclass were always threatening to rise up in significant numbers against their masters. So, at the beginning of each new civil year Sparta’s chief elected officials, the board of five ephors (overseers, supervisors), formally declared war on them. If any Helots did choose to rebel, they might then be killed with impunity†¦.† The awareness of a possible revolt kept the Spartans military forces extremely strong. This tension between the Spartans and Helots, strongly prepared the military forces for both the expected and unexpected, a beneficial trait which played to their advantage at the Battle of Thermopylae. Another trait that played to their advantage was the educational system of Sparta. The agoge was instated into Spartan culture to both develop the physical and mental maturity of all Spartan boys and was a requirement for all Spartan males.