Once Bitten Twice Shy

Once bitten twice shy is a great, and fairly common saying. It is an idiom that means if somebody is said to be once bitten twice shy, it means that a person who has been hurt, or who has had something happen to them that was life changing in a not so desirable way then they will be far more careful the next time around. I think everyone has experienced situations such as this. Whether it be a deal you made where you ended up getting cheated out of some money, or a time when you got your heart broken by someone you thought would never hurt you.Either way it happens and makes a person leery of trusting others for a long while, if ever again. As a small business owner I have experienced many situations in which I was the target of somebody trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and/or screw me out of some money. At one point in time a few years ago, I had a small crew of people working on a job for me in Rolla Mo. while myself and another crew member were working on a different job in S t. Robert.I trusted the crew members that I left alone without supervision because they were all hard and honest workers, at least I thought they were. I had been leaving this crew on the Rolla job for about two weeks with very little supervision from myself. The only time I really stopped by there was to drop off more material, and take a quick look around at the work they were doing and all was well. That is until I got a call one afternoon from the contractor that I was doing this job for.The call started with me getting an ass chewing like I had never had before, and caught me totally off guard. After some time on the phone with this man I kind of figured out what was going on. It seems one of my crew members that I had been leaving alone on the job for a while was planning to screw me over. They had been sabotaging my job in hopes that they would be able to show the contractor the shoddy work that was going on behind his back so that he would fire me and hopefully hire them to replace me.Well, luckily I had known the contractor for years and after some smooth talking I convinced him that I would finish the job personally and fire the member of my crew that caused these problems. So, the plan backfired for the sneaky crew member. Not only did they not get hired by the contractor, but they lost the steady job they already had. Even though this situation didn’t turn out all that badly for me, it still caused me some friction with the contractor, and caused me to never have the same level of trust in my employees ever again.

Analysis of environment, industry and SWOT analysis

The Australian food retailing industry is characterized by a high level of competitiveness. The intense competitiveness has led to an environment in which emphasis on cost efficiency has become the critical success factor. In the general environment, the key to maintaining competitiveness has become ensuring cost efficiency through efficient supply chain management.This efficiency can be promoted technologically. Economic factors are also important in the environment. These factors manifest themselves in high levels of household debt, a low national rate of saving, falling house prices, falling oil prices and increases in unemployment and interest rates. In Aldi’s case, these environmental factors are likely to exercise a negative influence on consumer spending.The threat of new entrants is high in this industry. For example, Aldi faces the threat of its main European rival Lidl entering the Australian market. Therefore the threat of substitute products is also high. This thre at is underscored by the fact that most competitors are carrying house brands which are enabling them to offer high quality at a low price. This has resulted in a high level of competitive rivalry.The main competitors currently are Woolworths and Coles-Myer. These are the two major national chains. There are also smaller regional players such Action, IGA and Franklins. These companies are focusing on cost efficiencies and therefore sustainability of competitive advantage has become difficult to maintain. Bargaining power of customers in the FMCG industry is also high. However the bargaining power of suppliers is not that high. Costs in this case have been streamlined through building long term relations.Aldi’s main strength is the process of decentralization empowering managers. There is a high degree of delegation in the company. The company’s weakness is in its lack of investment in marketing. Currently this is not a problem but in the future, as new entrants stake o ut a claim in the industry, the company might have to invest in aggressive promotional strategies (cited in Hill, 2008).However the company is not structured to shift focus accordingly. Lack of market research might also become a problem in case of increased competitiveness. The opportunity for the company is to move into other Australian states and territories.In the immediate time frame, the company should focus on South Australia because of its proximity to its current locations. The threat is the rising level of competition not only from the existing players but also from new entrants. The competitive threat is being created in terms of cost improvements and product diversifications (cited in Aaker, 2004).Key resources and capabilitiesThe source of Aldi’s competitive advantage is cost leadership. Implementation of this strategy has been facilitated by maintaining good relations with channel members and ensuring employee satisfaction.Channel members include the suppliers a nd the customers. Aldi’s strategic focus is to ensure maximum customer satisfaction by maintaining a product range that is in alignment with customer tastes and preferences. The company also maintains good relations with the suppliers by maintaining a shared information network.Its cultural orientation is also unique in terms of facilitating the highest degree of decentralization and delegation. This gives the managers a sense of ownership over their processes and as a result they are committed to the continuous improvement process. This is a critical success factor for the company in the highly competitive environment in which it operates and these resources ensure a sustainable competitive advantage.What gives Aldi a sustainable competitive advantage is its limited product range that consists of house brands. The advantage of maintaining this orientation is that strategies against the threat of product differentiation can be implemented.This is particularly relevant in Aldi ’s case because it faces intense competition from Woolworths and Coles-Meyer which are major national chains and draw their competitive advantage from maintaining a widely diversified product portfolio.Therefore Aldi has to position itself as a low cost provider of products of comparable quality. This is facilitated through cutting costs in areas such as not providing free shopping bags, surcharges on credit card payments and motivating customers to manage their own shopping trolleys.These strategies enable the company to cut down the size of its manpower and therefore reduce costs. Being cost conscious is the first part of its guiding philosophy. The second and third parts of the philosophy are related to ensuring satisfaction with customers and suppliers.

Thermodynamics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thermodynamics Paper - Essay Example With most substances, the temperature and pressure related to the triple point lie below standard temperature and pressure and the pressure for the critical point lies above standard pressure.   Generally, at normal pressure, as temperature rises, most substances convert from their solid state, to liquid and lastly to a gaseous state. In the same reverse sequence, at standard temperature as pressure decreases, most substances change from the gaseous state to liquid and eventually to the solid state. As noted earlier there are three states of matter, these state are commonly referred to as the phases and they are gas, liquid, and water. In addition to this it is well evidenced that most substances can exist in different states under different conditions, mainly the surrounding temperature and pressure. In the case of water it exists as a solid i.e. ice at temperatures below 0o  C, and as a gas at temperatures above 100o  C. It is important to understand that in most cases the evaluation of these different states is commonly carried out in the near earth environment. This is important to be noted because any given environment is mainly characterized by the temperature and pressure (Gupta 180). Hence under these two parameters, water is in its liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of 99o  C, however, when the pressure is at 71 cm and the temperature remain constant at 99o  C the phase is changed to a gas. In most substances their boiling points are lowered as the pressure decreases, moreover, their melting point reduces as the pressure decreases. However, the melting point of water is an exception to this rule; ‘It gets lower as the pressure gets higher’ (Gupta 79) Real gases react in the same way just like ideal gases at high temperatures. However, under low temperatures the connections between the molecules and their volume

Networking Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Networking - Statistics Project Example Moreover, tree topology facilitates the network administrator to expand the network easily. However, if the network expands, it becomes more difficult for the network engineers to manage the network. 2 Issues of Tree Topology As there is no centralized provision of services, it is difficult for the network engineers to tackle issues related hardware, software and network services. Physical intervention is required as the hub backs up each network segment, if the hub become nonoperational, the workstations of the entire department becomes unavailable on the network. Moreover, it is not necessary that each network segment is using the same cabling scheme (Chapter 5: Topology). Due to compatibility issues, cross cabling or straight cabling is required, consequently making difficult for network engineers to troubleshoot network issues. Moreover, due to separate network segments on the network, some network segments may become vulnerable to threats, as network administrators do not have a centralized access to the network devices. These considerations must be analyzed during the network design stage of an organization. 3 Network Infrastructure Recommended LAN topology is a star topology. As star topology shares many advantages, the most prominent one is the centralized administration and monitoring of the network. Moreover, star topology provides high data speeds along with easy installation of cables. Any component on the network can be removed or plugged in without any interruption. Likewise, centralized administration facilitates network administrators and engineering to detect issues and faulty components. Hubs may deteriorate network performance. As they can only operate on the maximum data transmission speed of 10 Mbps and copy data files to the designated... Recommended LAN topology is a star topology. As star topology shares many advantages, the most prominent one is the centralized administration and monitoring of the network. Moreover, star topology provides high data speeds along with easy installation of cables. Any component on the network can be removed or plugged in without any interruption. Likewise, centralized administration facilitates network administrators and engineering to detect issues and faulty components. Hubs may deteriorate network performance. As they can only operate on the maximum data transmission speed of 10 Mbps and copy data files to the designated ports, files that are larger will take time and may congest the network. However, cost of the hub is low as compared to a switch; it may affect the performance of the network. On the other hand, switches can improve network performance significantly. As switches can learn the MAC address of the sender, they create a management information base for storing all the MAC addresses of network nodes. This will eliminate the time taken by the switch to identify and learn MAC address of the sender. Moreover, switches can provide the overall network usage along with statistics related to access policies via the network. Switches only share a disadvantage of a high cost as compared to hubs. A simple definition of regenerative repeater is available in network dictionary which states it as â€Å"a device which regenerates incoming digital si gnals and then retransmit these signals on an outgoing circuit†.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Case study - Essay Example 2) If I was the CEO at Coca-Cola, I would respond to concerns about the company by assigning a marketing team to help restore the image of Coca-Cola. This team would focus on presenting a positive side of Coca-Cola to the news media and also follow up any complaints immediately. The emphasis would be to create a friendly image to the public that represents Coca-Cola’s ethics and values. 3) I think that the social work that Coca-Cola is doing is great because many people do not even realize that it is going on. Maybe Coca-Cola needs to focus more on gaining recognition for its charitable works. Their heart is sincere so I don’t think that they are doing it to simply â€Å"look good.† Things like HIV/AIDS really make a connection with the average everyday person because these issues are the types of problems that people continually face. If Coca-Cola can maintain its environmentally-friendly image, then the company’s success should be in no

Analysis of the Research Concerning the Drop in Voters Turnout among Essay

Analysis of the Research Concerning the Drop in Voters Turnout among Young People - Essay Example Among the recommendations given were: to recognize and understand young people’s concerns; to work to increase political awareness and knowledge; to tackle the related issues of social and political exclusion among young people; to review the electoral system and the choices available to voters; to make electoral registration easier; to make voting easier. In order to address the situation, a campaign that aims to change the current attitudes and perceptions of these young people is necessary that will influence behaviors towards voting. The primary target audience in our case would be young people that belong to the age range 18-24, who are legally eligible to vote. This primary target audience will be the focus of our marketing communications messages. But we also have our secondary target audience is composed of a broader group, which is young people: this encompasses young people from ages 11-24. Given our primary target audience as the decision-makers of whose behaviors we want to influence towards voting, we need to identify the other members of our decision-making unit who would serve as influencers. First, we need to know who these people look up to. These can be opinion leaders that they admire and respect so much, such as celebrities like famous football players, young music icons, actors, and writers. Other potential influencers include peers, community leaders, parents and older siblings. These people also get information from their co-workers, classmates, university professors and tutors. The SWOT or strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats related to the election voting participation is determined and given a particular weight in order to determine what to prioritize. The higher the number, the more an item should be prioritized.

Epistemology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Epistemology - Essay Example A critical analysis of epistemology is in the excerpt. To start with, we determine the nature of knowledge that is, what it means to say someone knows, or someone does not know something. Secondly, the extent of human knowledge should be determined in terms of how much do we know or can we know. The three theories are: â€Å"Too early a moral judgment is precisely what stands between many able students and a liberal education.† â€Å"These observations must be understood within the context of their generation by a person only partly freed from his embeddedness in the culture he is observing, and limited in his capacity to transcend those particular tendencies and biases which he has himself developed as a personality in his interaction with this culture since his birth† and â€Å"justice is the wrong word in a situation so manifestly absurd†The level in which personal reasoning, my senses, others testimonials and other resources can be used to acquire knowledge. The author indicates that when someone knows, he has belief, trust and a justification of the subject matter. The excerpt notes how society judges the able students who have requisite skills using liberal education (Perry 01). Twofold scenarios are used: cowing or to cow, evidence presented as hard work as a substitute for understanding with no intention to deceive. On the other hand, bull or bullying, presentation of evidence of understanding to deceive the reader into supposing that the author is familiar with the content

Interrelation with exports in business Research Paper

Interrelation with exports in business - Research Paper Example Interrelation with exports in business This process then motivates increased purchasing by international vendors and consumers. This process has a varying impact on United States businesses. While one would assume that such processes would have a beneficial impact, this is not always the case. One concern is the impact of import costs. While one would assume that such processes would have a beneficial impact, this is not always the case. One concern is the impact of import costs. Oftentimes there are goods that are necessary for product that can only be purchased internationally (Rosenbush, 2012). The increase of prices for these products would negatively impact United States businesses. Another consideration is in terms of larger macroeconomic elements. While in the short-term a falling dollar can beneficially impact United States businesses, if the United States currency continues to depreciate over extended periods then this rising inflation can potentially result in rising unemployment rates (Hagerty, 2012). This unemployment would then have a negative impact on United States businesses for a variety of reasons. Still another consideration is that the falling United States dollar could potentially result in a situation where foreign and even domestic investors grow wary of investing in the United States (Hagert y, 2012). This lack of foreign investment or domestic spending would then result in economic stagnation within the United States, ultimately having a negative impact on business.

E-business system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-business system - Essay Example On a broad analysis, the effect of e-commerce in people’s life has not been only in one dimension but through a wide spectrum of use, internet has been widely adopted for use in matters of shopping and transacting almost all bank procedures. Online shopping for various goods as well as services have not left consumer goods and services unattended to and according to the ‘Nielsen Global Consumer Report June 2010’ shopping for goods and services have had great evolution in the onset of online shopping (The Nielsen Company, 2010, p. 2). The advent of online stores through which sellers displays their goods and services and through which consumers shop for their consumer goods characterizes today’s commerce industry. Debates have however shaped the discussions about the topic of e banking; why the modern day banking institutions are adopting the e-commerce practices through adoption of such technologies as the internet for performing the transactions as against the traditional physical banking practices. Supporters of the practice of physical/manual banking procedures (who often are the older generation (Madden, 2010, p. 2), and who are opposed to the electronic banking practices, reasons that banking physically is easy and entails little logistics. It only gives one opportunities to conduct the banking procedures physically/manually where one-one interactions are preferred to the electronic practices. On the other hand, the supporters of the online banking practices affirm that the practice is more convenient than the physical banking in that one would have access to banking services such as withdrawals, transfers as well as transacting other complex banking transactions without physically visiting a banking facility (Hazel and Raphael, 2001, p. 4). The decisions to offer the online banking services by banking institutions may therefore stem from various reasons such as the convenience to customers, the good returns in use of internet fo r the procedures (which reduces the human labor costs incurred) and the general advancement of technology as is widely acknowledged in the current era. However, the evaluation of the advantages as well as associated factors that influence the adoption of online banking methods by different banking institutions takes to cognition that these services adopted vary from one region to another and from one country to another (Diniz, Porto and Adachi, 2004, p. 41-42). Institutional frameworks and culture within countries and the governments may have influence on the choice of methods of banking practices such as the internet banking. For instance, among some cultures, technological advancement is not appreciated and hence the effect to adoption of online practices such as banking would be unfavorable (Tan and Teo, 2000, p. 1-4). 2.0 DISCUSSION There has been noted evolution within the practice as necessitated by the

Knowing Your Audience & Communication Release Assignment

Knowing Your Audience & Communication Release - Assignment Example In the case of the mining accident, it is clear that the families of the victims would be suffering from acute emotional trauma. They want as much information as they can but are afraid of receiving any devastating information. When writing for the families of victims, the journalist should stick to the pertinent details and should provide as much accurate information as he can. Also the writer should not mention any gory details that would further disturb the families at this time. The tone should be emphatic and the language needs to be simple and clear. Another kind of audience in the case of the mining accident is the employees that work in the mine. These employees have to be notified since they have a right to know about the accident and are losing confidence in the organization’s safety measures. In this case, the writer should strive for honesty. The facts should be accurately presented and employees should be aware of the reasons behind the accident. They also have to be reassured that accidents happen in most organization s and often even the best safety measures fail. The tone of the message should be neutral and honest. Since the employees are aware of the technical terms, jargons could be used. Following a cave-in of the San Josà © copper mine located in northern Chile on August 5, 33 workers have been trapped in the mine. The owner of the mine Minera San Esteban along with the government have immediately opened rescue attempts through drilling holes in the mine, located 300 meters underground. On account of the immediate rescue attempts being installed, it has been expected that the trapped workers will be rescued within the shortest period of time. In this moment of pain, the President and the entire community of Chile wishes to extend support and sympathy to the family. It is understandable that the

Intertextual Relations Between Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones Diary Essay Example for Free

Intertextual Relations Between Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones Diary Essay Each text is not the effort of one person; theme and plot derived from existing texts are present in newer texts through repetition and similarity. Authors compile from pre-existing texts known as intertextuality, the use of prior texts in current texts. Julia Kristeva, a psychoanalyst is the first to introduce the term ‘intertextuality’. She redefines the theories established by Ferdinand de Saussure and Mikhail Bakhtin and suggests a text is not simply interpreted by its words, instead it is a study based on the works it has adapted (lecture). Kristeva mentions that although a writer usually talks to a specific audience, a text exists in time, and it is reprinted and translated with addressing the language of the current time period known as parole and langue. The novel Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813, but another novel based on the same plot called Bridget Jones Diary, a modern version of Pride and Prejudice was published in 1996. Every text is the absorption and transformation of another, with similar themes and conditions considering the lifestyle in that time period, known as a mimetic orientation. Intertextuality, the relationship to other prior texts is present among Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones Diary, and A Dog’s Head through the overarching similarity of characters, value of class and synchronic language. The common element of character development is interacting between Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones Diary, and A Dog’s Head. During the 1800’s, the value of high culture and wealth was outstandingly important to the people of that decade. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a plot consisting of high culture, and is strongly referenced in connection to Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones Diary. Fielding’s borrows the plot from Austen and also has some of the same characters and events in her novel. The character of Elizabeth Bennett and Bridget Jones is similarly constructed with the hardships and love crisis they suffer from. First of all, both protagonists fall in love with a man whose last name is Darcy. Both Mr. Darcy are respected and wealthy men. Furthermore, both protagonists share similar feelings, for example, at the ball event Elizabeth is hurt to hear that Mr. Darcy thinks of her to be â€Å"‘tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt’† him (Austen 13). Similarly, Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice hurts Bridget by saying she is ill mannered and does not know how to talk (45). At this time both the protagonists dislike both Mr. Darcy and have severe hatred for him. Secondly, Mr. Wickam in Pride and Prejudice is the same as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones Diary. Both Mr. Wickam and Daniel Cleaver are despised by Mr. Darcy but admired by the heroine at first. Bridget’s mother is a bit like Mrs. Bennett, as they both insist their daughters get married to wealthy men. Bridget believes she is unattractive because she is fat. When things do not work out with Daniel Cleaver, she questions, â€Å"Why does nothing ever work out? It is because I am too fat† (Fielding 181). Bridget is unhappy about her appearance all the time, which is similar to the character of Edmond in A Dog’s Head. The novel A Dog’s Head introduces the unrealistic character of Edmond who is born with the head of a dog, a spaniel in particular. Ovid establishes the theory of metamorphosis emphasizing the transformation of a human to an animal feature in his poem â€Å"metamorphosis†. This theory is present in A Dog’s Head as Edmond is a human but has a dog’s head. Edmond is always troubled in life because people criticize him for having the head of a dog, and to add to that, â€Å"the head of the most ridiculous dog to be found (2). He has a series of unsuccessful relationships, for which he blames his appearance to be the reason, somewhat like Bridget who also blames her weight for her breakup with Daniel. Although the author does not provide a description of Bridget, we know a bit about her through the writings in her diary. Bridget’s negative image of herself results in a lower self-esteem, as well as Edmond who also has a low self-esteem when he remembers he has the head of a spaniel. At one point, losing his virginity to a prostitute becomes hard because no one wants to sleep with an animal (125). His personal relations with his parents are negative from the day he is born. His parents are happier to be alone so his dad gives him money, â€Å"Edmond stuffed the notes into his pocket, kissed his papa and mama and went away, never to return† (47). This further notifies us that although there are minor matches from Edmond’s personality with Elizabeth and Bridget, there is a similarity between the characters through physical appearance and their lives. The theme of class relates to reputation, the value of money being an ever-long requirement in society. People have been classified into hierarchical sectors according to their financial circumstances. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett’s mother Mrs. Bennett is astonished at the fact that Mr. Bingley is a wealthy and handsome young man visiting their town. She immediately informs her husband and desires one of her daughters marry him. Mrs. Bennett is portrayed as a shallow and self-centered woman as she constantly persists her daughters marry the richest men. This is evident when Elizabeth announces her engagement to Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Bennett replies â€Å"Mr. Darcy! Who would have thought it†¦Oh! My sweetest Lizzy! How rich and great you will be! What pin-money, what jewels, what carriages you will have! † (Austen 357). Similarly, in Bridget Jones Diary, Bridget’s mother introduces her to a recently divorced, wealthy man. Bridget is certain on her mother’s motives and she claims, â€Å"I don’t know why she didn’t just come out with it and say ‘Darling, do shag Mark Darcy over the turkey curry, won’t you? He’s very rich. † (Fielding 12). Comparatively, Edmond from A Dog’s Head lives in a shallow society, where money can overpower anything, even a man with a dog’s head. Edmond invests some money in the stock market and realizes it is more valuable than anything. â€Å"Wealth brought Edmond great enjoyment. First, it canceled out his head. [ ] Oh, the sublime effect of bank notes! Overnight that hideous or ridiculous object became just anybodys head. † (85) He makes a lot of money and realizes that money has always been there and supported him more than anything else. A hierarchy of social classes has created the boundaries between families and people historically. The importance of class depicts a social value and worth in society. Lower class people are treated as inferiors while upper class people gain more respect and value. As evident in A Dog’s Head, Edmond is treated better when he has more money and class, and Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Jones want their daughters to be married to rich men. The language and text of Pride and Prejudice is a lot different from Bridget Jones Diary and A Dog’s Head. In order to understand â€Å"one text as an intertextual representation of another† (Salber) the individual composition of values and attitudes needs to be understood in different contexts. With this said, Pride and Prejudice is a realist text composed in the nineteenth century. What is happening in the real world at the time the author writes the text is incorporated into the text, known as mimetic orientation. The author associates a mimetic version of the reality of everyday life set in the Regency period of England, a time when â€Å"power and marriage within one’s own class was essential† (Salber). The novel Pride and Prejudice also reveals â€Å"aspects of gender, class, identity and marriage as political institution† s a presentation of English history (Art). Language as it exists at any moment of time is referred to as the synchronic system of language (lecture 4). The power of language, synchronically applied suggests that the language in Pride and Prejudice slightly differs from the 20th century language used in Bridget Jones Diary. For example, the word ‘simpleton’ used in Austen’s novel indicates the life of a simple, unmarried girl, whereas in Fielding’s novel, the word ‘singleton’ is used to categorize the career oriented women in search for a perfect male companion. This supports Kristeva’s statement that â€Å"language is read as at least double†, and that the structures of language exist within a certain time period (Salber). As mentioned earlier, Bridget Jones Diary is a modification of Pride and Prejudice and is a more modern approach to the same story. The means of communication are different; for example, Daniel Cleaver and Bridget initiate romance through computer messaging, whereas in Pride and Prejudice communication took the form of letters. The langue, a language viewed as an abstract system used by speech community, is different for every person. In Pride and Prejudice the vocabulary Austen uses is archaic and demonstrates the time period in which it was written. For example, a conversation between Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner,â€Å"It was first broken by Mrs. Annesley, a genteel, agreeable looking woman† (Austen 226). The word ‘genteel’ may not be used in today’s novels and speech and represents its time period. Likewise, the words ‘singleton’, ‘smug marrieds† and ‘emotional fuckwittage’ became a part of the British popular culture when used in Bridget Jones Diary. The plot of Pride and Prejudice is the same as Bridget Jones Diary since Bridget Jones Diary is a modification of Pride and Prejudice and is a more modern approach to the same story. The female protagonists both worry about the relationships in their lives. The plot begins with the life of the female protagonists, and continues to their developing lives as the plot moves on. Both Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones Diary are the same story, where the first event, the ball in Pride and Prejudice is held with the attempt to find a suitor for Mr.  Bingley who is a young and wealthy man, and similarly a Christmas party is held by Bridget’s mother to introduce Bridget to Mr. Darcy. The events that occur further on in the texts lead to the same conclusion in both novels. The value of class and reputation is an overarching theme similarly applied in the three novels proving money has the value to make anyone happy. Lastly, the use of language and difference in word choice is what makes the novels acceptable in their time periods. These intertextual relations combine the three novels with many similarities.

Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy The man-animal bond has existed since time immemorial and has always been a beautiful one. Keeping a pet is a wonderful and rewarding experience and has many advantages. Animal therapy, also called Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), consists of a wide range of activities and a diverse group of animals that are able to help. [Animal therapy, also called Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), is a blanket term for a wide range of activities, good-for-you benefits, and a diverse group of animals that are able to help.] 7 This process is a goal directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. [Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process] 7 Dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, horses, dolphins, elephants and birds have calming effect on humans [However, rabbits, fish, horses, dolphins, elephants, birds, and lizards can also be considered calming, as well as other small animals]. 6 Programs involving these types of animals are being introduced into the therapeutic regimens of many health care institutions: nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric institutions and even correctional facilities [3]. [Companion animals are being introduced into the therapeutic regimens of many health care institutions: nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, psychiatric instiutions and others] 2 Therapeutic horse riding programs have been proven to increase the strength and stability of physically and mentally challenged individuals. The repetitive motion of sitting on the horse is known to help balance and coordination and thus improve the motor skills. This is also known as equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) [2]. [horse therapies have been proven to increase the strength and stability of physically and mentally challenged individuals. Specifically, horse AAT therapy is called equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP)] 6 Fish tanks, seen in restaurants, homes, doctors offices, in shopping malls and aquariums are larger than life stress relievers. [Fish tanks have long been seen in restaurants, homes, doctors offices, in shopping malls, and aquariums are larger than life stress relievers] 6 Dolphin therapy started in the 1970s in Florida as a way to motivate children with Down syndrome. [. Dolphin therapy started in the 1970s in Florida as a way to motivate children with Down syndrome.] 6 A marine biologist Amanda Green says that dolphins use their underwater sonar waves as a healing process to boost T-cells in humans. Many therapists believe that a dolphins sonar causes a phenomenon called cavitation inside the soft body tissue of the human body. It precipitates a ripping apart of the molecules [6]. [A marine biologist Amanda Green, says that research is currently being done to support this but new hospital methods are offering technology that acts like sonar, Many therapists believe that a dolphins sonar causes a phenomenon called cavitation inside the soft body tissue of the human body.] 6 Pets also help inmates in correctional facilities and juvenile offenders to learn empathy and compassion [2]. [Pets help inmates in correctional facilities and juvenile offenders to learn empathy and compassion.] 2 Pets have proved to be great stress busters. Gazing at fish swimming lazily in the aquarium soothes ones nerves and reduces stress. The physical contact of petting an animal is relaxing and studies have shown that it helps lower blood pressure.[ Medical studies and clinical research show that a therapy dog can not only have medical benefits such as stress relief, or lower blood pressure] Since dogs and cats are the most common household pets, it should be no surprise that cuddling with them can provide a calm and soothing relief. [Since dogs and cats are the most common household pets, no one should be surprised that cuddling with your little friends can provide a calm and soothing relief.] 6 While dolphins and horses have important physical and emotional benefits, they cannot live inside the house. Dogs can! Dogs that are specially trained to work with the disabled persons offer many different services. They can guide people who are visually impaired, alert people who are hearing impaired to specific sounds, get help when a person has a seizure, as well as retrieve dropped items, open doors, and assist the person with postural balance. [1] [They can guide people who are visually impaired, alert people who are hearing impaired to specific sounds, get help when a person has a seizure, as well as retrieve dropped items, open doors, and assist the person with balance. ] 1 Dogs also provide companionship that is critical to the development of children with disabilities, says Elcock [1]. [A variety of programs nationwide use animals to assist children with chronic illness and disabilities, notes Maryellen Elcock, Ph.D] 1 Perhaps the most well-known method of animal assisted therapy is used with dogs. Besides dogs being wonderful companions and helpful to the blind, trained dogs are brought to schools, hospitals, and nursing homes in order to bring joy [2].   Just the simple act of spending time with a dog, and the exercise involved with petting and walking with a dog helps patients and the elderly exert themselves physically. [Just the simple act of spending time with a dog, and the exercise involved with petting and walking with a dog helps patients and the elderly exert themselves physically] 6 Within the first hour of spending time with a dog, a persons blood pressure is known to drop, mental function improves, and smiles often show up. Certain trained dogs are able to help patients with their wheelchair abilities and memory problems. Loneliness can be curbed by spending time with a friendly animal. [Within the first hour of spending time with a dog, a persons blood pressure is known to drop, mental function improves, and smiles often show up. Certain trained dogs are able to assist patients with their wheelchair abilities, cognitive function, memory problems, and some patients even adopt maternal instincts while interacting with the animals. Loneliness can be curbed by spending time with a friendly animal and some think cats can also provide such love.] 6 Animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy applies one of the strongest benefits of the human-animal bond the power to heal. Many organizations are associated with these activities. Canine Assistants is a Georgia-based organization that trains dogs to help children and adults across the country with physical disabilities resulting from muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, automobile accidents and other causes. [Canine Assistants is a Georgia-based organization that trains dogs primarily labradors and golden retrievers to help children and adults across the country with physical disabilities resulting from muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, automobile accidents and other causes] 1 These dogs can do some remarkable tasks for their disabled handlers. They can turn lights on and even open doors. Once they go home with a participant, they can build on the skills they have learned and accomplish even more specific tasks even helping with the laundry or making a bed, says Kellie Mann, programs coordinator for Canine Assistants [1]. [Once they go home with a participant, they can build on the skills they have learned and accomplish even more specific tasks even helping with the laundry or making a bed, says Kellie Mann, programs coordinator for Canine Assistants. ] 1 The therapeutic potential and spiritual qualities of companion animals have long been recognized from the Ancient Egyptians who worshipped cats, even mummifying them and burying them in sacred vaults along the River Nile, to the Ancient Greeks who kept healing dogs in their temples. [Ancient Egyptians who worshipped cats, even mummifying them and burying them in sacred vaults along the River Nile, to the Ancient Greeks who kept healing dogs in their temples] 3 Florence Nightingale was one of the first people to advocate the benefits of companion animals for the chronically sick. [Florence Nightingale was one of the first people to advocate the benefits of companion animals for the chronically sick] 3 American child psychologist Boris Levinson is the first person to be credited with the formal use of animals in AAT within a clinical field in 1962. Levinson discovered that he could make significant progress during the treatment of a disturbed child when his dog Jingles was also present during the sessions. [3]   Kids and animals are natural companions. For children with disabilities, that companionship can also include invaluable physical and emotional therapy. Whether its strengthening muscles through horseback riding, feeling motivated to improve while swimming with dolphins or gaining confidence with the help and companionship of a service dog, kids with disabilities can benefit from many different kinds of animals. Animals offer all children the chance to connect to another living being, says Dr. Abhaey Kripalani, Secretary, Minds and Souls Rehabilitation and Research Foundation on Children with Disabilities. But for kids with disabilities, animals can also provide invaluable therapy, he says. Riding a horse, for example, can help a child physically strengthen his or her muscles while also serving as recreation that builds self-esteem [1].   Dr. Anjana Maitra, in her book: Pet Therapy: A New Healing Concept: states that 92% patients hospitalized in coronary care units for angina or heart attack found that those who owned pets were more likely to be alive a year later than those who did not. The study found that only 6% of patients who owned pets died within a year compared with 28% of those who did not own pets. 9 In Thrive, Volume 2, Issue 9, July 2008, A Four-Legged Cure, Heather Grimshaw states that researchers around the world have shown a direct correlation between pet ownership and improved health. [Researchers around the world have shown a direct correlation between pet ownership and improved health] 4 From increased survival rates after heart attacks and surgery to reducing stress, depression, and anxiety, pet ownership may not just improve mental and physical health, it may actually extend a persons life [4].   According to a case report, the use of AAA highlights a Labrador Retriever named Murphy who helped a four year old child with cerebral palsy take her first steps. As the child took slow steps forward, Murphy would respond by taking steps backward, thereby motivating the child to continue taking steps. The child was able to take four steps for the first time in her life [5]. A study of middle-aged schizophrenic patients showed improvement in adaptive functioning during AAT program. 5 An Independent Living Skills tool was then used to rate patients behaviors. It was found that patients health, domestic activities, and social skills improved significantly. [4] [An Independent Living Skills tool was then used to rate patients behaviors] 5 Edward Creagan, MD, a professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, has encouraged oncology patients to get pets for the last 30 years. Studies suggest that pets can do more than keep you young at heart, he said during an educational summit called PAWSitive InterAction in Atlanta. They can help keep your heart-and the rest of you-younger and healthier. [Edward Creagan, MD, a professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, has encouraged oncology patients to get pets for the last 30 years. Studies suggest that pets can do more than keep you young at heart, he said during an educational summit called PAWSitive InterAction in Atlanta. They can help keep your heart-and the rest of you-younger and healthier.] 4 To support his recommendations, Creagan cited studies, which show that pet owners are four times more likely to live a full year after surviving a heart attack than non-owners. In the study cited, 28 percent of the patients without pets died before one year. [4] [To support his recommendations, Creagan cited studies, which show that pet owners are four times more likely to live a full year after surviving a heart attack than non-owners. In the study cited, 28 percent of the patients without pets died before the one-year mark] 4 A wellness program involving animal health, human health and environmental concerns should be done for animals participating in AAA and AAT. All animals involved in this therapeutic work should be healthy and of good temperament. Animals should be closely monitored for signs of stress. They also undergo periodic behavioral assessment and if needed, participate in behavior monitoring and rehabilitation program. Optimal environment should be provided to all animals in the form of toys, regular walks or grooming. Good veterinary care should be provided to all the involved animals.[7] [Animal assisted activities, animal-assisted therapy, and resident animal programs should be governed by basic standards, be regularly monitored, and be staffed by appropriately trained personnel.] 7 Pet assisted therapy is a tremendous tool in improving patient communication, self esteem, physical movement, mood and sociability. [ Studies have shown that pet assisted therapy is a tremendous tool in improving patient communication, cognitive function, self esteem, physical movement, mood and sociability] 8 Many children will have disabilities for the rest of their lives, but working with animals can give them the motivation, physical therapy, comfort, companionship and confidence that often lead to real progress in their abilities. [Many children will have disabilities for the rest of their lives, but working with animals can give them the motivation, physical therapy, comfort, companionship and confidence that often leads to real progress in their abilities] 1 The use of animal-assisted therapy has grown tremendously in recent times, particularly in the United States, where there are more than 2,000 programs [3].  

Critical Reflection On Personal Experience With Anxiety Patient Nursing Essay

Critical Reflection On Personal Experience With Anxiety Patient Nursing Essay Boyd and Fales (1983) suggest that critical reflection is the difference between whether an individual repeats the same experience several times therefore developing proficiency in one behaviour or if the person can learn from an experience in such a way that the individual becomes more open to change and development. By using reflection as a tool, many advantages can be gained in the development of nursing care. It is suggested that by encouraging nurses to reflect upon nursing situations, in order to promote the nurses professional development there will be by a process of growth better nursing care for the patients (Gustafson and Fagerberg , 2004). This essay presents a reflective overview of an experience that took place during my clinical placement with the Accident and Emergency Psychiatric Liaison Team and will focus specifically on my experience with a patient who attended the department with an anxiety disorder. I will use the Levitt-Jones (2007) narrative framework to underpin this essay and also aim to demonstrate and implement the Specific Capabilities in Practice (SCiPs) during this reflective process. It is important at this point to review the principles of confidentiality, as detailed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008), when providing information about a patients care it is important to maintain confidentiality. Therefore the patient will be referred to as Jane (not her real name) for the purpose of this essay. Jane attended the Accident and Emergency department complaining of tightness in her chest, nausea, feelings of dizziness and a dry mouth. She was examined by the medical team who found no underlying physical cause for these symptoms. During the medical assessment process it was disclosed by Jane that she had been prescribed medication for an anxiety disorder by her GP. It was with this knowledge that Jane was referred to the Psychiatric Liaison Team for a mental health assessment. My mentor had suggested that I go and introduce myself to Jane and let her know we would be coming to complete a mental health assessment once her blood results had come through and she had been classified as medically fit. I approached the bed area where Jane was and noted the curtains were partially pulled round the bed, as I approached the bed area round the curtain I started to introduce myself and explain about the mental health assessment, however I was unable to finish my introduction and explanation as Jane shouted go away, get out, I want you out. At this time I am aware I froze, uncertain as how to proceed as this was not what I expected, Jane again stated that she wanted me to go away so I turned and walked away from the bed area and returned to my mentor to report what had just occurred. My mentor advised me that we would wait for Jane to be cleared medically and then she would go and speak to Jane about what had just occurred; my mentor suggested this would give Jane time to calm down and give us an opportunity to request any past psychiatric records. Whilst I was waiting for a fax from Janes GP, I was pre-occupied with what had happened and wondered if Janes reaction was because she had some kind of issue with me, my appearance or what I was wearing. I also questioned if Jane did not want student nurses involved in her care or if she had issues about having a mental health assessment. I also ran through, over and over, what I had said and how I had said it; was I too loud? Did I startle her by coming round the curtain unannounced? My mentor returned to the office after having spoken discreetly with Jane and disclosed to me that as I approached Jane she was in fact experiencing a panic attack and she had become agitated and shouted for me to leave as she was worried I would think she was mental and couldnt bear the thought of a stranger watching her have a panic attack. I had felt relieved and some of my own anxiety was reduced when this information was handed over to me as I had become convinced I had done something wrong to provoke this reaction from Jane; however my mentor suggested that Jane was now willing for me to complete the mental health assessment. During the course of the assessment I was able to identify some key points that required some further exploration with Jane and my mentor encouraged me to sit with Jane and talk through our suggested treatment plan and plan of care. Jane disclosed that her anxiety symptoms had started several months ago following the death of her cousin in a road traffic accident, initially they had been mild but as time had gone on things had got a lot worse. In addition to the symptoms of anxiety Jane had described she also during the course of our assessment identified experiences that could also be defined as symptoms of depression; these included; loss of appetite, early morning waking and low mood. The GP records that had been faxed over indicated that an anti depressant had been prescribed for Jane (Citilopram) months ago but she disclosed she had not taken this on a daily basis as she thought it was just to help when she was really bad. It is reported that despite an increase in the prescribing of anti depressants compliance with antidepressants by patients has been described as a major problem (Pampallona et al, 2002). This can be attributed to many reasons including; fear of dependence, concern of social stigma and also the prescriber giving unclear instructions about how and why the medication should be taken (McMullen and Herman, 2009). Jane had stated that she did not know why she had been given and anti depressant for anxiety and that she was not aware that she should take it every day. Jane also expressed concern that she was going to become addicted to the anti depressants and that she would not want to stay on them for any longer than a couple of weeks. I aimed to reassure and educate Jane by telling her that Citilopram; although a medication from the anti depressant family also, had properties that would treat her symptoms of anxiety and panic. The benefits would only be felt if the medication was taken every day and only after at least a period of 3 to 4 weeks should any benefit be highlighted (NICE, 2009). I was also able to inform Jane that it is recommended that treatment with anti depressants should continue for at least six months, even if she was to feel better, to ensure the chance of relapse and re emergence of symptoms is reduced (NICE, 2009). Jane stated her GP had told her the medication was to make her feel better but not much more information about how often and for how long she should take it, Jane indicated she would now take it every day and see if it helped her. At the end of the assessment Jane thanked me for my help and again apologised for snapping at me. I felt it was important to end the assessment with both myself and Jane feeling the issue was resolved so that our relationship could move so I empathised with her that she was having a very difficult time and her response was understandable in the context of what was happening to her at that time. Berg and Hallberg (2000) suggest that caring for people with mental illness demands an intensified presence, not allowing one to glide away, close the door or just disappear. On reflection I felt that although initially anxious and self critical of my initial interaction with Jane, I was tempted not to return to complete the assessment with my mentor, however I was glad that I did so that a relationship could be established and the outcome became more positive for myself and most importantly for Jane. I was able to spend some time a week later with my mentor and we discussed the outcomes from Janes assessment. Initially I had felt unwilling to proceed with the assessment and admitted to my mentor that I had felt very anxious about Janes initial reaction to me. My mentor identified she was aware that I had personalised Janes response and that I had questioned myself at length about what I had done wrong. My mentor was able to advise me that although it is essential for nurses to reflect on their interactions with patients, it is also important to attempt to obtain balance in the reflective process; which on this instance I had initially failed to do. I had become so focused on what I could have done wrong this was not balanced with what other factors may have influenced the patients reaction. Hem and Heggen (2003) suggest that an important element for mental health nurses was to recognize personal vulnerability in order to survive and develop professionally. The interaction with Jane did make me feel vulnerable; however by spending time with my mentor and by resolving the issues with Jane by understanding the reasons behind her behaviour, I feel that have further developed my skills and self awareness when delivering patient care.

MP3 :: essays research papers fc

Executive summary It's only been about three years since a little known extension of an audio compression technique-MPEG-2 Audio Layer-3 or MP3-opened the door to being able to send large volumes of CD-quality music over the Internet by pack the equivalent of several commercial compact disks onto the equivalent of one CD platter (Lange 01). It also initiated the veritable floor of pirating activity by an underground community students and hackers. Hundreds of MP3 Internet sites sprung up overnight. At these sites, everything in music from Mozart to Marilyn Manson is being reproduced (Lange 01). Of course, it's illegal, but it's free, which has a huge appeal. Two men summarize the battle that is still raging over this new technology. On one side there's Val Azzoli, co-CEO of the Atlantic Group, which has numerous popular artists signed to their label; and on the other is the CEO of the website MP3.com, which gives away digitized songs by new artists that no one has heard of yet (Mardesich 96). While this may not sound like much of a threat, what lies at the heart of this conflict is the concern of recording industry that this new technology may chance the balance of power and if allows the shipment of music directly to the consumer (Mardesich 96). The five giant corporations that contr ol 80% of the global music industry-worth roughly $60 billion a year-have taken notice (Wood; D'arcy 42). The following discussion will explore more fully why the record companies, despite their obvious power, are scared. Pros and Cons It is the impressive 12:1 compression ratio of the MP3 that has made it so popular. While 60 or so Mbytes are needed to store a typical song, once it is converted to MP3 format it becomes a single 5 Mbyte file (Lange 01). "The advantages are obvious," commented one executive, "CD-quality sound in a small package" (Lange 01). The drawbacks are all felt by the record companies. Artists are likely to benefit, eventually, if they take advantage of the new technology and deliver their songs to their fans directly via the Internet (Mardesich 96). They'l l no longer have record companies making money off from their work and by eliminating this "middle man" could conceivably earn a great deal more then they do now. However, for the large record labels, this new technology could mean real trouble in the future. Right now, the loss are negligible. For example, Americans spent almost nothing on downloaded music in 1998, but they spent nearly $14 billion on music from stores (Mardesich 96). Nevertheless, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said that MP3 piracy may have contributed to a

William Shakespeares Presentation of the Two Pairs of Lovers in Much A

William Shakespeare's Presentation of the Two Pairs of Lovers in Much Ado About Nothing 'Much Ado About Nothing' would have been pronounced 'Much Ado About Noting' in Shakespeare's time. Noting would infer seeing how things appear on the surface as opposed to how things really are. This provides an immediate clue as to how the play and the presentation of the story of the two pairs of lovers would be received by an audience of the time, living as they did in a patriarchal society which was based on social conventions and appearances. It can also be taken as an initial comment by Shakespeare about that society and its values and moral codes. Modern audiences, however, live in a more sexually egalitarian society. Although appearances are still important, values are more dependent on self-analysis and self-knowledge. It is significant that the story of Hero and Claudio, the first of the pairs of lovers, is one that Elizabethan audiences would have probably been familiar with. Ariosto and also Spenser in the 'Faerie Queene' had presented this love story as a tale of chivalry and high morality. Therefore the audiences of the time would be familiar with the conventional characters of Claudio and Hero. Hero displays all the qualities the Elizabethan audience would have admired in a woman. She knows her place in society. Her father is there to be obeyed, and she herself recognises how she should be punished were the charges against her proved to be true, ' O my father Prove you that any man with me conversed à ¢? ¦Ãƒ ¢? ¦ Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death.' There is an absence of dialogue b... ... upon flouting conventions as discussed. In 'Much Ado About Nothing', one may argue that Shakespeare decided to have two sets of lovers to provide the audience with contrasting perspectives on similar situations. One may also argue that the two contrast between what was expected at the time against the unconventional. In both cases Shakespeare's presentation of the relationships between these two pairs of lovers implies criticism of his shallow society and its conventions. Perhaps he set the story in Italyas he may not have wished to upset his benefactors at home. Modern audiences may only perhaps gain an appreciation of this element in 'Much Ado About Nothing' as a study of Elizabethan society. Their empathy and interest may therefore be based to a greater degree in the characterisation of Benedick and Beatrice.

Classification: Help For Mental Disorders Essay -- essays research pap

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different things that are the cause of mental disorders. Alcoholism, brain tumors, strokes, and damage to the brain are a few causes of mental disorders. Mental disorders can also result from birth. There are many health care services for mental disorders. Three occupations that help the symptoms of mental health are psychiatrist, neurologist, and a clinical psychologist. Each of these occupations, psychiatrist, neurologist, and a clinical psychologist, treat mental health symptoms differently, have different requirements of education, and are authorized to different rights concerning the patient.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A psychiatrist is one occupation that helps deal with mental health problems. A psychiatrist deals with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders of the mind. This person has completed years of medical school, one year of internship, and has passed a state license exam. Since psychiatrists are physicians, they can prescribe medicines to treat conditions. Some of the types of disorders that a psychologist treats are: clinical depressions, manic depressions, psychotic, schizophrenia, MPD (multiple personality disorder), and post-traumatic stress disorder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A neurologist is another occupation that deals with mental health. A neurologist is a physician who specializes in organic disorders of the brain and nervous system. This person has a degree in medicine, postgraduate training and experience in this field, certification as a specialist, and a state li...

Mannerism

Manners in Today's Society Good manners have shifted over the past generations from â€Å"caring for others† to â€Å"pleasing ourselves. † With pleasing ourselves comes a loss of respect for one another and its is a growing problem. People no longer take time to interact with one another due to our fast paced high tech lives. We are not the courteous and thoughtful people we used to be. This research paper will explain how our manners have changed and why. In today's society email, IM and text messaging is our main source of communication.This technology is slowly is affecting the way we interact with one another decreasing the amount of time in face-to-face conversation. People text while driving, then flip you off when you beep at them for not paying attention. Then you have the people who talk extra loud on their cell phone in public and they get mad at you when Join into their conversation. If they weren't talking so loud you wouldn't have Joined in. Nowadays a sim ple courtesy smile or hello might go unnoticed because of our inability to look away from the cell phone, lap top or ‘pod.Making the person who gave the smile or hello feel you were being rude, when you were Just preoccupied. Most of us today are way too concerned with pleasing ourselves to lend a helping hand. Holding a door open for someone used to be a natural gesture, now it's can be considered a tedious task. People are more worried about how helping someone will affect their own life, will it put them a little behind schedule or somehow make them late for a dinner? What happened to common courtesy and the reward of Just being able to make someone day?Television also has a big influence on our manners can because the media gives praise to bad behavior and screw ups. Making adults, teens and children think acting rude and obnoxious will earn them popularity amongst friends and peers. When all it really does is make them look and sound foolish. Family talk at the dinner tab le is being replaced with television. Other rude behavior done at the dinner table is testing or talking on the phone, this is a habit children and teens everywhere are doing and it drives most parent's crazy. There are many theories about how we as a society let our manners get to this point.Some experts think parent's are no longer teaching their children common routers causing them to think it is natural to not say please or thank you. Others think technology is to blame. The truth of the matter is bad mannerism are beginning to have an impact on peoples life in a big way†¦ In 2002 a survey conducted by Public agenda show some shocking statistics about manners. In it, 88 percent of respondents said they often or sometimes came across people who were rude or disrespectful, and 79 percent of them felt that disrespect and lack of courtesy were major problems.Furthermore, 62 percent said they were bothered a great deal by engine rudeness in public. Those are large numbers, which clearly shows that more than half of Americans are not pleased with the current situation. Another statistic shows 81 percent of the united states admits to testing while driving while another study shows the average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. At a meeting in Nashville, TN last July, Dry.John Nelson of the American Medical Association (an endorser of National TV-Turnoff Week) said that if 2,888 out of 3,000 studies show that TV violence is a casual factor in real-life mayhem, â€Å"it's a public health problem. † The American Psychiatric Association addressed this problem in its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week, stating, â€Å"We have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television on behavior, especially among children. † Having better manners will not only make you standout in a crowd, but it will mak e the person receiving your thoughtful gesture feel uplifted. Mannerism Manners in Today's Society Good manners have shifted over the past generations from â€Å"caring for others† to â€Å"pleasing ourselves. † With pleasing ourselves comes a loss of respect for one another and its is a growing problem. People no longer take time to interact with one another due to our fast paced high tech lives. We are not the courteous and thoughtful people we used to be. This research paper will explain how our manners have changed and why. In today's society email, IM and text messaging is our main source of communication.This technology is slowly is affecting the way we interact with one another decreasing the amount of time in face-to-face conversation. People text while driving, then flip you off when you beep at them for not paying attention. Then you have the people who talk extra loud on their cell phone in public and they get mad at you when Join into their conversation. If they weren't talking so loud you wouldn't have Joined in. Nowadays a sim ple courtesy smile or hello might go unnoticed because of our inability to look away from the cell phone, lap top or ‘pod.Making the person who gave the smile or hello feel you were being rude, when you were Just preoccupied. Most of us today are way too concerned with pleasing ourselves to lend a helping hand. Holding a door open for someone used to be a natural gesture, now it's can be considered a tedious task. People are more worried about how helping someone will affect their own life, will it put them a little behind schedule or somehow make them late for a dinner? What happened to common courtesy and the reward of Just being able to make someone day?Television also has a big influence on our manners can because the media gives praise to bad behavior and screw ups. Making adults, teens and children think acting rude and obnoxious will earn them popularity amongst friends and peers. When all it really does is make them look and sound foolish. Family talk at the dinner tab le is being replaced with television. Other rude behavior done at the dinner table is testing or talking on the phone, this is a habit children and teens everywhere are doing and it drives most parent's crazy. There are many theories about how we as a society let our manners get to this point.Some experts think parent's are no longer teaching their children common routers causing them to think it is natural to not say please or thank you. Others think technology is to blame. The truth of the matter is bad mannerism are beginning to have an impact on peoples life in a big way†¦ In 2002 a survey conducted by Public agenda show some shocking statistics about manners. In it, 88 percent of respondents said they often or sometimes came across people who were rude or disrespectful, and 79 percent of them felt that disrespect and lack of courtesy were major problems.Furthermore, 62 percent said they were bothered a great deal by engine rudeness in public. Those are large numbers, which clearly shows that more than half of Americans are not pleased with the current situation. Another statistic shows 81 percent of the united states admits to testing while driving while another study shows the average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. At a meeting in Nashville, TN last July, Dry.John Nelson of the American Medical Association (an endorser of National TV-Turnoff Week) said that if 2,888 out of 3,000 studies show that TV violence is a casual factor in real-life mayhem, â€Å"it's a public health problem. † The American Psychiatric Association addressed this problem in its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week, stating, â€Å"We have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television on behavior, especially among children. † Having better manners will not only make you standout in a crowd, but it will mak e the person receiving your thoughtful gesture feel uplifted. Mannerism Manners in Today's Society Good manners have shifted over the past generations from â€Å"caring for others† to â€Å"pleasing ourselves. † With pleasing ourselves comes a loss of respect for one another and its is a growing problem. People no longer take time to interact with one another due to our fast paced high tech lives. We are not the courteous and thoughtful people we used to be. This research paper will explain how our manners have changed and why. In today's society email, IM and text messaging is our main source of communication.This technology is slowly is affecting the way we interact with one another decreasing the amount of time in face-to-face conversation. People text while driving, then flip you off when you beep at them for not paying attention. Then you have the people who talk extra loud on their cell phone in public and they get mad at you when Join into their conversation. If they weren't talking so loud you wouldn't have Joined in. Nowadays a sim ple courtesy smile or hello might go unnoticed because of our inability to look away from the cell phone, lap top or ‘pod.Making the person who gave the smile or hello feel you were being rude, when you were Just preoccupied. Most of us today are way too concerned with pleasing ourselves to lend a helping hand. Holding a door open for someone used to be a natural gesture, now it's can be considered a tedious task. People are more worried about how helping someone will affect their own life, will it put them a little behind schedule or somehow make them late for a dinner? What happened to common courtesy and the reward of Just being able to make someone day?Television also has a big influence on our manners can because the media gives praise to bad behavior and screw ups. Making adults, teens and children think acting rude and obnoxious will earn them popularity amongst friends and peers. When all it really does is make them look and sound foolish. Family talk at the dinner tab le is being replaced with television. Other rude behavior done at the dinner table is testing or talking on the phone, this is a habit children and teens everywhere are doing and it drives most parent's crazy. There are many theories about how we as a society let our manners get to this point.Some experts think parent's are no longer teaching their children common routers causing them to think it is natural to not say please or thank you. Others think technology is to blame. The truth of the matter is bad mannerism are beginning to have an impact on peoples life in a big way†¦ In 2002 a survey conducted by Public agenda show some shocking statistics about manners. In it, 88 percent of respondents said they often or sometimes came across people who were rude or disrespectful, and 79 percent of them felt that disrespect and lack of courtesy were major problems.Furthermore, 62 percent said they were bothered a great deal by engine rudeness in public. Those are large numbers, which clearly shows that more than half of Americans are not pleased with the current situation. Another statistic shows 81 percent of the united states admits to testing while driving while another study shows the average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders. At a meeting in Nashville, TN last July, Dry.John Nelson of the American Medical Association (an endorser of National TV-Turnoff Week) said that if 2,888 out of 3,000 studies show that TV violence is a casual factor in real-life mayhem, â€Å"it's a public health problem. † The American Psychiatric Association addressed this problem in its endorsement of National TV-Turnoff Week, stating, â€Å"We have had a long-standing concern with the impact of television on behavior, especially among children. † Having better manners will not only make you standout in a crowd, but it will mak e the person receiving your thoughtful gesture feel uplifted.

Conflict management in a team

Definition of ConflictRelationships among social entities may become inconsistent when two or more of them desire a similar resource that is in short supply; when they have partially exclusive behavioral preferences regarding their joint action; or when they have different attitudes, values, beliefs, and skills. â€Å"Conflict is the perception of differences of interests among people† (Thompson, 2001). Another definition of conflict would beâ€Å"Conflict is a process of social interaction involving a struggle over claims to resources, power and status, beliefs, and other preferences and desires. The aims of the parties in conflict may extend from simply attempting to gain acceptance of a preference, or securing a resource advantage, to the extremes of injuring or eliminating opponents.† (Bisno, 1988)The theme of conflict has been with us and has influenced our thinking from time immemorial. It received different degrees of emphasis from social scientists during variou s periods of history. Conflict resolution is a tool that can be used in most situations and with most types of disputes. If everyone thought the same, looked the same, and acted the same, conflict would probably not exist. On one hand, the diversity and differences between team members can enhance the intellectual and cultural aspects of a project. But, on the other hand, these same differences can escalate issues if specific guidelines are not set to help avoid them.Levels of ConflictUnderstanding the different types of conflicts will make it easier to manage the conflict situations. Conflicts will occur with indifference to our best intentions. There is no one fits all solution the will specifically deal with every type of team conflict that can exist. The ability of the team members to effectively identify and apply the appropriate resolution is critical to the success of the teams' defined goals. Although conflicts will arise, it is possible to resolve conflicts and disagreement s by clarifying expectations, keeping open communication, and encouraging feedback among its members. The diversity of ideas, talents, and experience with a team is the focal difference between working independently and as part of a group.A team is a group of people who work together to achieve a common goal. Members of teams should focus on the successful fruition of the defined goal or goals, not only of the individual but, more importantly, the team as a whole. To have a successful team we need to consider certain factors. First, what is the character and personality of each member? Understanding the nuances of your partners is beneficial when working to complete individual and joint tasks. Members need to be responsible for the task and or tasks they are assigned.A breakdown in responsibility can be detrimental to the defined common goal or goals and team unity. The members need to clearly understand the common goals as defined by the team and the best organizational way to achi eve it. If each member is not working in at least a general sense of unison, the defined goal may never come to realization. Timetables play a vital role in achieving team-oriented goal. (Kheel, 2001) Members should be able to follow the timetable that has been set to complete their task or to the best of their ability within the allotted time.Team members need to work together to resolve any conflicts that may occur between them. It is critical to the team that individuals work openly together to help each other solve problems that are affecting the team or one of its members. Each member is different. They do not think the same and have differing opinions, which may cause clashes. Team members have to learn how to recognize these situations and correct them before they become problems that will be irresolvable by the group. Problems should be resolved in a way that is in the best interest of the group and does not alienate one member for another. The team needs enough comradery an d responsibility to accomplish its task and implement its ideas.Team work and group interrelations are not as simple as people think, but can me made easier if all the members strive to stop conflict before it becomes detrimental to the team. (Cloke, 2000) The productivity of a team may be affected in both positive and negative ways. It is up to the team members to determine which one it will be. Group activities and tasks will be more professional and well rounded in their entirety if the individuals in the group are able to consciously and fully commit to turning any conflict that arises into a source of constructive learning that will bring the group closer and make the task more enjoyable.Conflicts or disagreements can occur with our spouse, kids, family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. It may happen for almost any reason, but most often the reasons are related to politics, religion, personal beliefs or culture. Conflicts may occur due to personality differences, or one of th e members may not like other member. Conflicts can be the cause of a lot of disparity in a group, but if managed correctly it can be the cause of a tremendous amount of comradery and friendship. It is up to the members of the group to think before they act or speak to help make sure that any comments or thoughts will not be taken out of context. The same members also need to listen to their other group members with an open mind and try not to take what others say personally.Conflict among team members can be constructive or destructive depending upon how the team resolves the discord. The background, lifestyle and work ethic differ from team member to team member, but these unique qualities should not overpower the teams' defined goals. Having heated and insulting discussions will jeopardize the quality of the teams work and negatively impact the desired goal. Each member should take care to understand that personal opinions and feelings are by in large for the betterment of the tea m. Members should express their ideas freely so they can be openly discussed with the team.Once the team begins to discuss the main point or points of conflict, each member should provide input into a prudent way to achieve the desired outcome for the team. It is always important in these discussions to consider other members' opinions and concerns. Take one issue at a time; discuss it, brainstorm different solutions and attempt to resolve your conflict through positive communication. Conflicts, like team members, have many differences.Some members may choose to avoid controversial issues, while others may have their own personal agenda with the project. Numerous types of disagreements and conflicts can occur on the road to achieving the teams' defined goal. Members may personally believe that their opinions are inferior to other members or the team as a whole. These individual feelings will cause friction between members if not addressed in an open and positive manner. Conflict in inescapable but understanding your teammates can help promote a better working team.Causes of ConflictUsually we deal with people from different backgrounds, and age disparities, which may cause conflict because of differing lifestyles and life experiences. Older people believe that they have more experience and are wiser. Young people want to do things in their own way; many times they choose ways just to be stubborn. Young people are more open to take risks, sometimes unnecessarily.We don't see or think about things in the same way. Everyone believes that his or her point of view is correct. Some people refuse to understand or accept other people's opinion or points of view. There are some close-minded people who do not accept the changes that occur in life. It is difficult to deal with people that are like this. Disagreement does not have to be disrespectful or harmful to a team or an individual.Many times we can not understand why people do things, until we know something about their past life, background or their environment, both culturally and socially. Each team member has his or her own experiences to draw knowledge and insight from in their everyday lives. People need to learn from their experiences in life and work. Every event that takes place in our lives helps make us the people that we are. These events shape our beliefs, actions and feelings about almost everything we talk about or do.When in a team environment it is essential that we enter into an open forum discussion with an open mind. We need to be open to other people's feelings and beliefs, even if they differ from our own. Many people will share the same opinions about some ideas, and each will add some of their own experience, knowledge and beliefs into the discussion. Differing opinions can easily cause problems, but if the group or individuals are open and understanding to other people's thoughts and beliefs, major conflicts can be avoided. Even if the members never agree completely, there can be a happy medium. The world would be a very boring and sad place if everyone had the same thoughts and opinions about everything.The resolution of conflict is at the heart of a successful team. Regardless of the talent or desire of the team to succeed, the Achilles Heel of conflict must be overcome. Be an understanding and informative team member. This is to infer that you must try to understand about the other members of your team. If personal information is available about your team members, read about and correspond with them so members will have a better insight of each other.If the team can correspond openly about concerns or disagreements there will be less individual withdrawal. For an individual or team to be adept at conflict resolution they must first recognize that potential conflicts exist. Once this fact is revealed, it is necessary that the individual or team members acknowledge when a conflict presents itself and work together to determine what the cause of the conflict is and how best to resolve it. Team members should work together to discuss the aspects of the conflict.Each member should offer their own separate suggestions to possibly solve the conflict and return the team back towards the common goal. The team should discuss all suggested possible resolutions and choose one solution by majority rule. Once a way to resolve the conflict has been determined, the solution needs to be implemented, and if necessary rules should be made and followed by all members of the team so the team can be successful. (Engleberg, 2003)Every member should be a custodian of the team success. A team can be made up of two or more members attempting to achieve a common goal. Each individual team member has a responsibility to the success of the defined goal of the team. With this in mind, questions must be articulated to draw out information that will contribute to resolution of the conflict. The following approach, although not fool proof, will provide the individual and the team with the best option for creating team continuity, trust and a good working relationship. Asking questions in a non-confrontational manner will provide for a more responsive team member.Conflict is an inevitable and often an unavoidable aspect of working in a team. If dealt with effectively, however, conflict and disagreements can enhance the individual's appreciation of human diversity. The team should communicate openly and honestly in a non-threatening fashion and focus on the betterment of yourself and the team. If conflict arises be considerate and understanding with the focus on achieving the team's goal with the team and as a team. When working with team we as individuals have to remember that the needs of the group outweigh the needs of the individual. When we remember this and act with this point in mind, the team will have a great chance to succeed. If the team wins, you win.ReferencesThompson, L., Aranda, E., & Robbins, S, (2001).Tools for Tea ms: Building effective teams in the workplace Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing.Engleberg, I., Wynn, D, and Schuttler, R (2003) Working in Groups: Communication principles and strategies (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. pp. 147Cloke, K and Goldsmith, J. (2000). Resolving Conflict at Work: A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Kheel, A. (2001). The Keys to Conflict Resolution: Proven Methods for ResolvingDisputes Voluntarily. Four Walls Eight WindowsBisno, H. (1988). Managing conflict. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

The American Dream Reasearch Paper

Zac Duncan Mrs. Hill English 6th February 3, 2013 Many people believe the American Dream today has faded. It is no longer achieved as often as in the past. Although obtaining the Dream has become difficult, people still haven’t stopped pursuing it. Despite the obstacles, the American Dream is still full of hope and enlightenment both financially and emotionally. The American Dream is known for its positive connotation, but there are many obstacles surrounding it. According to, â€Å"Obstacles to the American Dream†, by Eddy Isango, the Dream is toughest for immigrants.Many immigrants have problems learning the English language. When they arrive it is as if they have to start all over. Immigrants also don’t receive state benefits such as health care and food stamps. They have to find jobs that provide these for them, which is tough with the lack of job opportunity and rising cost of living in America. Financial obstacles of the American Dream can be overcome. Riev a Lesonsky encourages people to get over these hills by saying, â€Å"Acknowledge the hard times† (Lesonsky 1). People believe the Dream is changing. â€Å"Today, they say, the ‘dream’ is more likely about making money†, (Lesonsky 1).People have moved towards opening small businesses to achieve their financial dreams. These businesses, over time, increase the revenue of the people. The American Dream is still filling the emotional needs of people. Jeremy Pratt has dealt with a learning disability his whole life, but doesn’t let this stop him from achieving his dream as he says: ‘I’ve always had to work a bit harder than my friends without disabilities,’ says the 28-year-old. ‘But I finally feel like I’m on the way to having what everyone dreams of. ’ Pratt’s diligence in saving money is paying off; he plans to start house hunting as early as 2013. Blatt 1) Jeremy is achieving his life-long goal of buyin g a house filled with his art. He fought through his disability and obtained what he wanted. The American Dream still has appeal to Americans today. People still strive for a better life for themselves and their families. The freedoms of America allow for people to obtain their financial and emotional dreams that they have longed for. Works Cited Blatt, Burton, Jeremy Pratt. Achieving the American Dream. February 5, 2013 Isango, Eddy. Obstacles to the American Dream. February 3, 2013 Lesonsky, Rieva. The American Dream is Alive and Well-and Transformed. February 3,2013

On Finding Nightingales in Human Voices Essay

Anne Finch’s â€Å"To the Nightingale† is an ode to a Muse, which is represented by the nightingale. The poem is written in a series of rhyming couplets that provides it a singsong rhythm throughout, which is appropriate for its subject. When emphasizing the merits of being a nightingale, the speaker articulates the difficulties of being a human poet, subject to judgment by his critics. In â€Å"To the Nightingale†, though the narrator recognizes the significance of the nightingale and even bestows upon it affirmative adjectives such as â€Å"sweet† and lofty titles like â€Å"harbinger of spring† (line 1), he knows the limitations of the bird as a poet. The first four lines indicate the admiration of the speaker for the nightingale. â€Å"This moment I attend to praise† (line 3) refers to the moment in which the nightingale will sing to announce the coming of spring. The speaker wishes to be as free with expressing himself, like the nightingale. As the line â€Å"Free as thine shall be my song† (line 5) indicates, he believes that as a human being, his singing is more restricted by his audience. On the other hand, the nightingale sings according to its nature, whether or not it pleases anyone. There is no fear of being ridiculed, or anxieties about not being praised. Moreover, the beauty of the nightingale’s singing is in its freedom: â€Å"Poets, wild as thee, were born/ Pleasing best when unconfined/ When to please is least designed/ Soothing but their cares to rest† (lines 7-10). These four lines may also suggest that the speaker is hoping to experience the same â€Å"unconfined† performance. Indeed, if the nightingale is his muse, he is inspired by its sheer autonomy and being true to itself. Some artists need their personal pain in order to produce depth of feeling. An artist who is experiencing problems while composing sad ballads will create genuine emotion which will be felt by their audience: â€Å"Cares do still their thoughts molest/ And still the unhappy poet’s breast, /Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn† (lines 11-13). The three lines, however, may also signify the other way around – that when at his best, a poet may experience loneliness brought by success. The next few lines incorporate gold as a metaphor for the beauty and the effect of the nightingale’s song, after praising the sweetness of it. â€Å"Canst thou syllables refine/Melt a sense that shall retain/Still some spirit of the brain† (lines 18-20). The words â€Å"refine† and â€Å"melt† elucidate the worth of the nightingale’s song. It can create something equivalent to gold, which consequently leaves a mark in the listener’s mind. The poem starts to change its tone by line 21. The speaker seems to expect more out of the nightingale, by asking it to change its note. He further commands â€Å"let division shake thy throat† (line 22), longing for the joyous varying and fluttering of the golden voice. At this point, the human poet, though still admiring the singing bird, becomes aware of discontent within himself. The lovely song may not have changed its tune for some other listener, but for the narrator it has in some way for he says â€Å"cease then, prithee, cease thy tune† (line 26). He even calls his muse â€Å"trifler†, or someone who takes nothing seriously by being a constant dreamer. â€Å"Wilt thou sing till June† (line 27), he asks. He previously tags the nightingale as a â€Å"harbinger of spring†. He then wonders if it will continue its singing even when summer is near. It is as if the nightingale has been given an obligation to announce spring, and when that obligation has been fulfilled there is no need to keep on going. The speaker has started to question inspiration and leans toward practicality. The speaker believes that there is too big a difference between a nightingale and a human poet; he has stopped dreaming about attempting to recreate the singing of a nightingale through human voice. â€Å"Thus we poets that have speech/ Unlike what the forests teach† (lines 30-31). To ease this discouragement, he lifts the human advantage of being able to speak. â€Å"If a fluent vein be shown/That’s transcendent to our own/ Criticize, reform, or preach/ Or censure what we cannot reach (lines 32-35). Nevertheless, he discerns what he is trying to do; he can identify the human trait of disparaging a talent or a quality that he cannot achieve for himself. â€Å"To the Nightingale† explores the dilemma of exploring a dream and aiming to reach its zenith without any thought of its limitations and consequences, and of choosing practicality and realistic aspirations. The poem achieves a light, song-like rhythm which prevents it from being completely dreary even at its despondent but sensible end.

Discuss a portion of the clip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discuss a portion of the clip - Essay Example Firstly, the film producer relies on music to place the film in its immediate context. Application of Nazi anthem illustrates the political era depicted by the films plot. The filmmaker intends to illustrate life in the midst of wars and political revolutions. Thus, the clip applies music to illustrate the thin boundary that exists within emotions. The clip illustrates romance that flourished in the midst of war and anguish. Despite the immediate political situation, the characters purposed to maintain their romantic relationships. La Marseillaise is the French national anthem and it stands out as a symbol of love and harmony throughout the film. Finally, the film uses sound tracks or music to enhance interest among its audience. The use of popular music such as the French national anthem makes the audience associate themselves with the film, hence increasing their interest. Both pieces of music illustrate different points of view among the film’s

Development within the European Union of the Second World Countries Assignment

Development within the European Union of the Second World Countries - Assignment Example Thus, in the course of discussion on the development process of these countries, it is inevitable to tackle the history of transition of these countries from a system of planned economy to their membership to the European Union and their subsequent integration to the global free market. A brief presentation on the situation of the Second World countries during the late 1990s was presented in this paper; however, the whole discussion gives its main focus in the past ten years of the new millennium. Introduction The European Union has become one of the most influential economic and political organizations in the world since the Second World War. Starting from a membership of six countries in 1958, European Union has now a membership of twenty seven countries and still expanding. European Union was established based on the framework of Europe-wide single market that would promote peace, stability and prosperity. Economic cooperation is at the core of the guiding principles of EU country -members basis of unity. EU stands for borderless economy within Europe and strives to make Europe an accessible place to live and work for all the Europeans. It is still a glaring reality; however, that unequal development still exists within the European Union. For the last five to ten years, changes within the boundaries associated with the European regions have caused altered changes in the economy of European Union. Despite of the thrust to create a single Europe, member-countries of the European Union sill differs from each in other in terms of economy, politics and social well-being of the people in the society. Specifically in terms of economy, the differences between the second world countries within the union have created a gap in the past decade. The economic activities of the second world countries in the region have been directly affected by their membership in the European Union either positively or negatively. How do the second world countries progress as members of t he European Union? Is this helpful for them as a whole? Basically, this paper will delve on these matters. This paper will examine the economic growth of the second world countries within the European Union for the last five to ten years. This paper also tries to establish that in as much as the Second World countries need the integration within the framework of the European Union, Europe would also benefit from the accession. In the past years, Europe has been insulated in productivity, especially in terms of labor. An American worker generates 27 percent more output per dollar compared to the European workers. Employers in France and Belgium are entitled at least twenty six paid national holidays in addition to their vacations. A German worker being is paid with 14.5 months of work per year but actually works for 9.5 months (Tupy, 2003). Also, the European GDP per capita today is less that two thirds compared to that of the United States, whereas they were roughly equal before. Th e glaring reality of Europe’s economy – slow growth, generous social provisions, high unemployment rate, and high taxes on European’s citizens – raises questions on the correctness of the European economic model would be able to help the Second World countries in their thrust for prosperity (Tupy, 2003). Thus, this paper will also discuss how the status of the economy of the second world countries affects the stature of European Union as a whole. Second