National security of independent States (Ukraine and Lithuania) in the Essay

National security of independent States (Ukraine and Lithuania) in the post soviet space - Essay Example The group discussions we had as a group yielded the topic our present discussion, â€Å"National security of independent States (Ukraine and Lithuania) in the post-Soviet space,† which was agreed upon unanimously through a group vote. The group arrived at the topic after thorough deliberations of its significance and centrality in any attempt to understand the state of the independent states (Ukraine and Lithuania) in the post-Soviet space, especially given the ever-shifting and complex nature of the security environment in the post-Soviet space. Governments are charged with the responsibility of promoting and maintaining national security, which entails the protection of a state by using all the resources at their disposal including economic, political, as well as diplomatic power; in practice, national security in many states is determined by the combination of conditions influencing their security environment and dynamics. This paper will employ the constructivism theory to explore the national security of the independent states (Ukraine and Lithuania) in the post-Soviet space, while paying particular attention to the key themes in the region’s security environment, and highlight a probable approach for addressing these problems. Independent states in the Post-Soviet apace, often collectively referred to as the post-Soviet states or the former Soviet Union, or the former Soviet Republics, refers to a group of 15 states that emerged out of the dissolution of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the year 1991 (Akiner, 1998 p.1089). The USSR dissolved both because of, and against a backdrop of a serious stagnation in the region’s economy, as well as recession; most of the independent states that emerged out of the dissolution embarked on the transition towards a market economy in the wake of the 1990’s, rebuilding and restructuring their economic systems. The independent post-Soviet states fall into five major groupings or

Questionnaire Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questionnaire - Research Proposal Example Complimentary meals VII. Special price promotions VIII. Extending special privileges to immediate family members IX. Any other please specify ___________________________________________ 7. How are the loyalty programmes designed for the corporate segment Flat rate Linked to volume Rewards on accumulated points Any other, please specify ______________________________________ 9. Which features in your opinion, attract maximum guests and justify the hotel's expenses in making such an offer 10. What is the objective of your loyalty programme I. Decrease price sensitivity (Is there an effort on part of your hotel to persuade customers to try new offers, pay premium prices, and/or use the hotel for increasingly diverse services so that they resist cheaper offers by competing hotels) II. Serve as a defensive measure to cope with competition (since other hotels offer such programmes, your hotel needs to offer too) III. Increase patronage and attract new customers (encourage word of mouth support and endorsement) IV. Ensure repeat usage V. Any other, please specify_______________________________ 11. How do you manage your loyalty programmes I. Use of CRM (Customer relationship management) (any specific software)_______________ II. III. Feedback forms IV. V. In house software which is used for bookings and managing guest stay VI. VII. Any other, please specify_______________________________ VIII. 12. How do you identify a loyal customer in the retail segment-when he arrives at your hotel- so that he is serviced accordingly (What is the delivery mechanism) I. With a loyalty card II. Internal records 13. In which way, if at all, do you involve your employees in the loyalty programmes especially staff from housekeeping and F&B, who may interact... 20. In your opinion are loyalty programmes essential for loyal customers to exist If yes why, if no why not (especially in light of the argument that that excellent service and satisfaction among guests is considered by many researchers as enough to maintain loyalty)

Family Violence Essay Example for Free

Family Violence Essay While it is difficult to create a concrete definition of family violence or blame anyone involved in it, no one will disagree with the fact that it can be disastrous for all members of any family. The inherent complexity of such situations makes it difficult to blame any single person of the family or to underpin a particular gender as the sole guilty behind such occurrence. Therefore this study briefly explores why this issue looks so complicated and whether such complication would help to solve the situation. According to Levesque et al. (2001), family violence involves family members acts of omission or commission that result in physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or other forms of maltreatment, which eventually hampers healthy development of humans.   The above definition fairly indicates that there are many faces of family violence and it can be difficult for an outsider to identify if there is any violence ongoing in a family. However, American Academy of Family Physicians (2009), explains family violence as the intentional intimidation or abuse of children, adults or elders by a family member, intimate partner or caretaker to gain power and control over the victim. While the first definition mostly emphasizes on action, the second one stresses on intention. This adds to the complexity by highlighting the fact that family violence can take place even without the knowledge of most of the members in a family (Lau et al., 1999). For example, a father may find spanking as an effective tool to intimidate his daughter, and may intentionally does that off and on, which may not be considered as violence by her mother or other members of that family and thus such practice might continue to ruin the victims future. This is very much possible, since many acts are considered as socially accepted violence, such as spanking, and which are not considered as abusive violence, which according to the researchers an act which has a high potential for injuring the person being hit (Straus et al, 1980, pp. 21-22). The above state of affairs shows that there is much ambiguity in pinpointing family violence which in turn points at the fact that how difficult it could be to redress it or to eliminate its occurrence. This signifies the importance of spreading awareness about the damaging potential of family violence and promoting the adoption of behavioral processes that can effectively eliminate such occurrences in a family. For example, encouraging parents to abstain from using corporal punishment to their children could be a way to lessen the instances of child abuse – because the intention behind corporal punishment, i.e., to cause pain but not injury for purposes of coercion and control (Strauss et al., 1980) may be lost with raised temper and loss of control. In all, any injury has the potential to leave a scar on human mind and thus can considerably influence the actions of the victims, which may create further problems to the society. It is from this angle, the hidden niches of family violence need to be identified and redressed, and from that perspective, humans have to go through complex discussions and debates in way of finding its solution. It is not that family violence is a new phenomenon of the society, since instances of it are spread all over in the literature of all times, and earning several sobriquets in different periods, like battered child syndrome (Kempe et al., 1962), granny bashing (Burston, 1975) or battered woman (Walker, 1979). Therefore, it is the pressing lifestyle of modern times have given it some more dimensions and accordingly, the educated minds of modern times are trying to deeply investigate its root as well as its intrinsic effects on human mind. Consequently, the perception about family violence is also gradually changing, where the earlier concept of focusing on the violence on women, children as the potential victims is making way to a newer concept that includes all humans and considers any act detrimental to human development as family violence (Pleck, 1987). Conclusion The apparent complexity in defining or determining family is actually an outcome of the honest search of the researchers that has brought forth many hidden niches of family violence. This is the right process, because the more the mechanism of family becomes clear before all, the more humans will be able to eradicate it and move towards a prosperous and happy future. References American Academy of Family Physicians. (2009). Family and intimate partner violence and abuse. Retrieved July 19, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/f/familyandintimatepartner-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   violenceandabuse.html Burston, G. R. (1975). Granny battering. British Medical Journal, 3, 592. Kemple, C. H., Silverman, F. N., Steele, B. F., Droegemullar, W., and Silver, Hl. K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1962). The battered-child syndrome. Journal of the American Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Association, 181, 105-112. Lau, J. T. F., Liu, J. L. Y., Tong, C. K., and Tan, P. M. E. H. (1999). Conceptualizations,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   reporting and under-reporting of child abuse in Hong Kong. Child Abuse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neglect, 23, 1159-1174 Lavesque, D. A., Velicer, W.F., Castle, P. H., and Greene, R. N. (2008). Violence against   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   women. Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 158-164. Pleck, E. (1987). Domestic tyranny: The making of social policy against family violence from colonical times to the present. New York: Oxford University Press. Straus, M. A., Gelles, R.J., and Steinmetz, S.K. (1980). Behind closed doors:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Violence in American families. Doubleday, NewYork. Walker, L. E. (1979). The battered woman. New York: Harer Colophon Books.

Technology In Cinema And Film Making Media Essay

Technology In Cinema And Film Making Media Essay I think that modern technology has changed modern film making for the better. In the last few years, using the latest technologies has been paramount in the film making process. This has caused films to evolve over the years with each progressing idea, technology, and technique, allowing filmmakers to bring their vision to life more accurately and more convincingly to the big screen. Without these advances in video capture and computing many films such as Star Trek'(JJ Abrams, 2009) would not have been as successful. Film production has also become very fast to meet the growing demand for movies as the channel for distribution increase and audiences broaden. The development of technology has affected an extremely wide array of areas concerning film, including the production process, the way films are viewed, how the films are distributed, and even how they are promoted. These new innovations are advancing so quickly now that the traditional cinema-going experience may find itself hav ing to compete with online streaming of filmed entertainment. 2. The facts and opinions Digital media is in-expensive and can be edited quickly and easily. Large Volumes of raw video are handled in a few days with sometimes only one person working on it, this is comparable to the older methods with film that took several weeks to process with teams going through each reel of film. The first practical cinema device was made by two French brothers Louis and Auguste Lumiere, they called it the cinematograph. In 1894 the device and others like it began to be used in public buildings or halls (dubbed ‘nickelodeans because it cost a nickel to watch the short animation). Through various advancements throughout the following years the recording and replaying methods became more powerful and much simpler. One of these advancements led to colour pictures and was used to obliterate mono-chrome movies for a short while. Films like ‘Schindlers List Steven Spielberg 1993 and ‘Clerks Kevin Smith 1994 show that monochrome can help make an atmosphere that colour cant. An example of a movie with very little technology would be â€Å"No Country for Old Men† which relied on the atmosphere made by good acting and filming. It is argued that the lack of technology used in the making of the film and even in the setting, which was the early eighties, made for a more dramatic effect. But to contest that is the fact that the film was following the original novel by Cormic McCarthy, and that dramatic effect was made by very good acting, directing, back music and producing. Computer Generated imagery has changed the way movie makers imagine and visualise the movie because they are not as restricted as they were 20 years ago. Some ‘get arounds had to be made then due to lack of funds or until a technological solution was developed. The more simple ‘tricks included stopping the camera but keeping it in position as an actor moved off set before continuing to give the effect that a character had suddenly vanished. Another trick would involve an artist painting some matching scenery around a sheet of glass and letting the camera film through that so it made the surrounding area look larger than it actually was. Original animations were very tedious and labour intensive. To make the drawings ‘move the cartoonist normally had to produce twenty-five to twenty-six drawings for every second of screen time. This resulted in ten-minute cartoon needing fourteen thousand, four hundred different drawings. ‘Gertie the Dinosaur by Winsor McCay in 1909 was the first one of its kind. It was seven minutes long and needed ten thousand drawings. Titan AE, this is an animated movie enhanced by computer to give a hybrid. This was a great success and is known for stunning visuals and brilliant voice acting. Normally an animated movie is screened at around twenty five frames per second which means that even the smallest movement on screen would require about sixty drawings. With the computer this be dramatically reduced and enhanced graphically. Another movie â€Å"Monsters Inc. â€Å" is completely computer generated. This gives the movie a cartoonish look and the class of a live film were the actions and motions are more fluid. CGI allows directors to create an atmosphere that they would not be able to achieve with models or visual â€Å"trickery†. George Lucas explains in â€Å"Star Wars A New Hope Remastered DVD† In the scene where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are speeding across the Desert in the â€Å"Speeder†(Hover Car), The production team originally put Vaseline on the camera lens in the area that the cars wheels would be. This of course left two black smudges under the car. Due to other problems and limitations Lucas had problem realising his vision for the movie. He created his own digital effects house (Industrial Light and Magic and sound companies ‘THX and ‘Skywalker sound because the things he wanted simply didnt exist. New techniques were thought up and tested. Although the film was highly successful, Lucas still was not happy and later remastered the film with more advanced graphics and sounds. With the improvements they added larger backgrounds to once disappointing sets and add extra characters. A cut scene was added because they could now add in a CG (computer generated) alien character that at the time didnt even have a puppet stand-in. Without the help of these special effects the film would not have done justice to Lucas original vision for the movie. For ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson, 2001) and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002) programmer Stephen Regelous created ‘Massive a special-effects program that allowed thousands of unique CG characters to have a mind of their own when thrown into combat for the battle scenes. â€Å"Gathering seventy-thousand or so tall, broad-shouldered extras, dressing them in elaborate armor and having them slaughtering each other was out of the question. â€Å"Digital technology is a thing, a medium that makes film flourish as it never has before.† George Lucas Because of CGI, realistic Dinosaurs were seen in ‘Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg, 1993) and animals have charged down through a city street in ‘Jumanji (Joe Johnston, 1995). â€Å"The future of cinema lies in the power of the pixel. The injection of fresh ideas and methodologies will only serve to mix up the metaphorical gene pool and empower a new generation of filmmakers.† Roger Corman Both these movies have done very well in cinema through VHS and DVD sales. Examples of films that have been let down by special effects would be ‘Killer Flood'(Doug Campbell, 2003) and Deep Blue Sea(Renny Harlin, 1999) which did alright in viewings and even had very good acting and scripting but was let down by a few moments were the audience should have been amazed by the imagery but instead was disappointed by the poorly made imagery of the sharks. Movies have also been influenced by Computer Games and some of the rendering techniques from games have been applied to the movie making process. One such method has a group of people wearing Skin tight clothing fitted with sensors on all the locations were movement is most noticeable and at joints. A computer then gathers the information to make a model on screen with the same movements of the person wearing the sensors. Computer generated imagery has also helped reduce the cost of movie making. Large effects that normally cost thousands to make can be done with a decent computer and some editing software. Because of the need of pre-processing is no longer required with digital video, clips can now be viewed on site instantly and mistakes can be found and changed or fixed unlike traditional 35mm film where errors would not be found for weeks until all the film had been processed. With cost effective production, more and more movies can be made and newer previously unknown directors appear with Box Office hit Films. A recent box office hit â€Å"Zombieland† directed by Ruben Fleischer was the first feature film by him, without the low cost production methods available the movie may not have been made. ‘District 9 ‘Zombieland done well in cinema and have been made by first time directors. ‘District 9 Gross Profit $210,146,235 ‘Zombieland Gross Profit $90,081,556 The large profits of these films show that they have been a success and the filming budgets (average 30,000,000) show that studios are not afraid to stop a production half way. Before digital film these mock ups had to be made to view/preview the movie hence a higher cost. Digital Video has been both the answer to cheap filming and the enemy of those in the film industry. With digital video large amounts of video can be moved and transferred easily rather than the trucks needed to move the reels of film. Increased memory capacity has aided this as well allowing very high quality images to be recorded. High definition video is an example of this as there are so many pixels per frame and so many frames the file sizes are enormous. Just 30 minutes of video can be two Gigabytes in size. One of the first films to use digital video was ‘Westworld in 1973. Shortly before digital video came digital audio. With digital audio the same advantages apply, it is cheaper to store and easier to edit. One of the main advantages of digital audio is that tape is not needed to store it. Audio stored on tape was prone to distortion or deterioration from magnetic waves and moisture; it is also much harder to sync than with a piece of video like an animated character or sound effect. Recorders and Microphones have become very small and fitted inside the ear or in the collar of a jumper. They can record in very high quality which helps in the editing phase, if a character gets drowned out by another noise or their voice becomes muffled by another person in front of the microphone on the main floor . The better quality also creates a much better atmosphere for the audience. This may not make or break the film but bad audio can be worse than bad visuals in my own opinion. With HD (High Definition) audio emerging, recording techniques and styles will evolve again. This will follow the adoption of Surround sound which is now common among home entertainment systems and some Cinemas or Movie Theatres. Surround Sound uses multiple speakers placed around the audience and a special controller sends the right volume and sounds to each speaker to make it sound as though the audience is immersed in the movie. Sound technicians now place the mics around the set / scene to record the different sound levels at those spots in the room. Not every new idea in cinema was successful enough to consider continuing at first, such as three-dimensional movies (3D), which required viewers to wear special glasses, and the â€Å"smells†, in which different scents were blown into theatres to accompany the images and sound. The system just didnt work well or subtly enough. Now though 3D movies are at an all-time with 9 3D movies released in 2009 alone. With the new 3D technology using digital glasses and high frequency screens the poor effect on a viewers eye-sight or balance has been removed. 3D Filming has for a long time been an attraction for creating stunning experiences. â€Å"Journey to the Centre of the Earth† was the first film to successfully deploy a live 3D experience. It grossed $241,995,151 in worldwide. These changes seem to have been for the better, good profits for 3D films shows a fan base and market audience. The newest technologies used are proving their worth and may end up leading production to entirely 3d movies. With advancements comes cheaper high end equipment this has led to a lot of fans and wanna be producers making films or videos on the cheap. YouTube the greatest example of public film/video is well known and is full of fan made or home made movies. Some of these can be on par with full length feature films. Technology has advanced to let what used to be studio equipment be compacted and simplified for everyone. A good example of the Fan- made movie is â€Å"The Hunt for Gollum† a prequel to â€Å"The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring† It has amassed over 1.5 Million views and maintains a 5 star rating( The highest available on YouTube). On another Note the Movie has been made in HD which shows the makers had access to good equipment. Another intriguing thing to note is that technology on the whole can and has influenced films. Two older movies that are well known are ‘Wargames'(John Badham 1983) and ‘Hackers'(Iain Softley, 1995). One of the most notable is The ‘James Bond 007 series of films which has used technological possibilities to its fullest, were Bond is supplied with a massive range of gadgets some futuristic and some of the present times. 3. Conclusion Movies at home are now a big part of the cinema experience. Large television sets and home cinema systems are very common. Small versions of the projectors used in the cinema are also common and provide a cinema like atmosphere to your home movies. Homes can even have computers that server video and audio content to the television. With movies cheaply available to buy, sets of several DVDs available on a single Blu-ray disc and Online services such as the iTunes Store making digital downloads available, there is always a larger demand for movies and so the film industry will continue to make good films. â€Å"With more channels of distribution there will be a greater demand for content but less money will be required to make it. The people who can create content the most cost effectively will have a clear cut advantage† Roger Corman The future of Cinema is greatly entwined with technological advancements. The effects of technology on cinema are quite clear, as long as the technologies are used in the right ways and are not abused for the sake of time or money then the quality of cinema will not die. Though there are movies were technology plays a minute roll it still seeps through from the camera used the sound recording equipment and the sets built. The cinema was built of technology and should continue to thrive and mature and technology does so.

Essay --

Have you ever thought about how your fruits and vegetables are grown? How about which ingredients are put into bug sprays and insecticides to ward off those pesky insects? Look no further because author Rachel Carson looks deep into the many environmental issues caused by pesticides and herbicides in her New York Times best-selling novel, â€Å"Silent Spring.† â€Å"Silent Spring† is a collection of studies which were performed in an effort to educate others about the harmful things occurring everyday to their foods and every-day environment in hopes of giving them a wake up call. This novel is thought by many to be a revolutionary novel that forced people to take notice of the harm being caused in their world, many of which people were unaware of. After discovering the results of these chemicals, it really makes one wonder, is the luxury of being insect free really worth all of the consequences? â€Å"Silent Spring† consists of research and experiments conducted to see why wildlife was decreasing in various chemically treated areas. Carson was also interested in discovering how these chemicals affect human health as well. Carson first starts our her novel describing a world of green grass and blue skies, complete with singing birds and active wildlife. A world she says, that is what our earth used to consist of before mankind. Carson states that her reasoning for writing this novel was out of curiosity as to why and how our earth became so corrupt. She narrows it down to one reason which is the main foundation for this novel, man-made chemicals are responsible for destroying the purity of nature. â€Å"The chemicals to which life is asked to make its adjustment are no longer merely the calcium and silica and copper and all the rest of the minerals... ...ng†. I unfortunately am not an environmental junkie by any means, but this novel really opened my eyes to not only issues of the past, but also current matters as well. I learned the importance of what it means to buy organic and not only for the health benefits, but the environmental benefits as well. I was never aware of how harmful pesticides can be and although DDT may be outlawed in the United States, farmers still use other forms of insecticides to protect their plants. It horrors me that DDT was used for so long, despite the deaths it caused. I admire Rachel Carson for writing this novel and conducting research when no one else cared about the environmental harms placed on our land. Her passion about the earth is evident, and her willingness to put out such a controversial novel during this time period explains why her story is still a relevant resource today.

Erik Erikson’s Stages of Child Development Essay -- Human Developmental

Erik Erikson presented eight stages of human development, which last throughout an entire life-span. Throughout each developmental stage, each developmental task presents a catastrophe for the individual. Erikson defined catastrophe as â€Å"a turning point of increased vulnerability and enhanced potential† (Santrock 73). Each of Erikson’s developmental stages is presented in such a way that the negatives and positives are clearly defined. Although there are eight developmental stages, five pertain to a child’s development. The first stage, which occurs during the first year of life, is labeled as trust versus mistrust. Trust is developed when the caregiver is nurturing which gives the child a feel of comfort. When a child receives positive care giving, the child will then trust his or her caregiver, providing beneficial development. However, when a child does not receive positive care giving then mistrust develops. When a child reaches the ages of one to three years old, the stage the child experiences is autonomy versus shame and doubt. When a child or infant gains trust in his or her caregiver, they realize that their behavior is their own (cccc73). At this stage, infants are discovering and learning new concepts and tasks daily. Since learning and independence is important at this age, restraint by the parents can hinder development and cause the child to feel a sense of shame or doubt. As a child enters her or his preschool years, Erikson’s third stage becomes present which is initiative ve rsus guilt. During this stage, children are developing socially and â€Å"need to engage in active, purposeful behavior that involves initiative† (Santrock 74). With a greater social world comes greater responsibility especially behavior ... ...roblems with independence and self-control. Children raised in a neglectful setting are not motivated by achievement so academically they may suffer. Indulgent parenting is the final type of parenting, in which parents are extremely involved in a child’s life but few limitations are set into place. Due to very little limitation and great amounts of parental involvement a child is more apt to be creative and independent but suffers socially and lacks the ability to maintain self-control (78). The types of parenting commonly used, influence students greatly in both positive and negative ways. Each parenting style has its drawbacks however a happy balance of involvement and control leads to a child that is socially competent and well-rounded. Works Cited Santrock, John W. Life-span Development. Twelve ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print.

Pakistan Banks Ratios

What factors should Amerada management consider when evaluating the reposed strategy? . Calculate Marinade's debt-to-value ratio using both the book value and market value of the firm's equity. How does Marinade's debt-to-value ratio compare to that of other discount brokerage and investment service companies in Exhibit 4? In general terms, how does leverage affect the rockiness of a firm's equity? 3. Amerada has a short history of trading, so its beta cannot be computed precisely using its own historical data.Exhibit 4 provides some choices for comparable firms. Which of these firms do you think are appropriate to use as comparable to determine the beta of Marinade's planned advertising and technology investments? Why? 4. Using the stock price and return data in Exhibits 5 and 6, estimate the CAMP beta and Fame-French factor sensitivities for the stocks of comparable firms. 5. Estimate the weighted-average cost of capital for Marinade's proposed expansion. What risked rate do you us e?Are the cost-of-capital estimates similar using the CAMP and Fame-French three-factor models? Guidelines You may work on the case in groups of 3 or 4 students. Please hand-in one write-up per group. All members of the group should be prepared to discuss the case in class. State clearly any assumptions you make and provide enough information so that a reader can follow your analysis. I would expect the case write-up to be two to three pages plus supporting tables.