Where Do I Belong free essay sample

A few days ago, I saw a tiny black ant making its way up the pink-tiled wall of my bathroom. Oddly amused, I watched this little creature climb up three feet and then fall to the floor. I found two things  ­extremely shocking. First, I had never seen an ant fall; second, I was actually getting worried about the little guy, and tried to  ­explain to him that he had to stay away from the vertical lines of grout. Never mind the fact that I was talking to an ant. But the most amazing part was that just a second after falling from well over 500 times his height, this little  ­genius found his way back to the wall and started climbing again. One would think that he would  ­either hurt himself or learn a lesson, but he insisted on going up that wall again and again. And he kept falling, keeping me  ­absolutely mesmerized, as though I had witnessed Medusa herself and not an ant, hypothesizing as to where exactly he was trying to go. We will write a custom essay sample on Where Do I Belong? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally, I gave up and went on to what I had to do that day. My final theory was that he was simply trying to get home, because it was already quite late, and he seemed to be scurrying along in the general direction of the crack between the window and the wall. I guess I’ll never know whether he made it. There is, however, a point to my ant story: In the summer after sophomore year, I took a rather uncommon and  ­extensive vacation – to a post-Communist developing country. Having been born and raised in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, I was, on the one hand, returning home to visit my grandparents. But as soon as my mom and I stepped into the Bishkek airport, I realized how out of place I felt. My mom was right at home, speaking her native language with the people she spent most of her life with. But I spoke Russian hesitantly and with an accent, and insisted on talking to my mom in English. The place I had once called home had become a foreign country, and that little girl was now an American – a dreadful thing to be in a Russian-speaking Asian country. When I returned to my now well- ­appreciated South Florida town, I once again felt like a stranger in a place I had called home. I realized that I wasn’t like most of my friends, who had been born in Fort Lauderdale and spent their entire childhood in the suburbs. I had come from an alien world and could  ­never be a flag-waving American. Sometimes, you see, I feel just like that ant on my bathroom wall. I try to get home but the world is so big and dangerous that I don’t even know where home is. Yet I keep trying and trying, no matter how many times I trip over the grout and fall to the floor, because I’m convinced that eventually I will reach a place that will really be my home – not my mother’s and not my stepfather’s, and not my best friend’s. My visit to – and return from – Bishkek taught me, among other things, that I will never feel truly at home –  ­either in the U.S. or in Kyrgyzstan. I  ­realize I must let go of both the places I have called home. Caught between two cultures and belonging to neither, I have to focus not on what country I’m from or what language I speak, but on who I am. And though not belonging isn’t  ­exactly the best teenage condition, I am beginning to understand it is actually to my advantage to be an outsider. In my cosmopolitan epiphany, I may have lost a national flag or two, but I gained something truly worthwhile – an irreplaceable freedom of the soul that can never be taken from me. That’s not to say, however, that I’ve  ­given up scaling that pink-tiled wall. But that little crack between the window and the wall isn’t a country or a house anymore; it’s me.

Greek Gatsby Essay essays

Greek Gatsby Essay essays Gatsbys expectations of his relationship with Daisy are extremely high, and very unrealistic. In his relationship with Daisy, it seems that all he wants is for the last four years to be completely erased with a simple I never loved you to Tom. He wants to have that same connection and bond that he had with her when they were much younger. Especially in this he is obsessive he doesnt seem to realise (as the romantically obsessed often are) that his dream is just that, and that reality is quite nearly impossible. It seems as if he is yearning for some indefinable quality that they shared together for her to be able to understand and to repeat the past with him. His reminiscing with Nick shows how idealised his image of his romance with Daisy has become: she blossomed for him like a flower; and even the description of an idyllic summers night shows just how unrealistic his expectations are. Nick recognises this, yet at the same time there is the sense that what Gatsby is saying isnt completely false and there is some reality hidden under Gatsbys illusion of Daisy ( I was reminded of something...uncommunicable forever). In pages 105-107, we begin to really get a glimpse of how obsessed Gatsby really is. There really is the sense felt that Gatsby has gone to all of this effort solely for Daisy, and he falls into depression upon seeing just how much things have changed between them ( I feel far away from her...Its hard to make her understand). He also feels depressed on meeting Tom properly, and on seeing how far apart their social crowds still are (even after all his effort) - the cold hard reality is almost sinking in. However after this his hope and optimism returns (his rare gift) and his dream is rebuilding itself. He still thinks, even after meeting Tom and Daisy not understanding him, that the past ca ...

Best Toe Kick Dimensions for Cabinet Design

Best Toe Kick Dimensions for Cabinet Design At the bottom of every base floor cabinet in your kitchen or bathroom, you will notice a notched profile below the front door of the cabinet. This notched profile, called a toe kick, is an ergonomic feature designed to make it safer and more comfortable to work at the cabinets countertop. This might seem like a small advantage, but long experience shows that this small amount makes it much easier for a user to stand for long periods without uncomfortable leaning and without struggling to maintain balance. As with many other standard features of home and furniture design, the toe kick follows a fairly common measurement standard.  So universal is this standard that factory-made stock cabinets always follow these standard dimensions for a toe kick,  and an experienced carpenter or woodworker who constructs  a base cabinet will include the toe kick with these standard dimensions. Standards such as these are neither  legal requirements nor mandated by building code. Rather, builders have established over time that such measurements make for greater comfort and safety, so it is wisest to follow these measurements unless specifically directed otherwise.    Standard Dimensions for Toe Kicks The optimal depth for a toe kick is 3 inches. This provides an adequate recess to stand comfortably and maintain balance while working at a countertop. Almost all factory-made stock cabinets will comply with this depth standard.   Toe-kick depths greater than 3 inches do not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but depths less than 3 inches should usually be avoided, as they interfere with ergonomic effectiveness.   The optimal height for a toe kick is 3 1/2 inches, and heights up to 4 inches are common. Increasing the height over 3 1/2 inches does not hurt the effectiveness of the toe kick, but it may very slightly reduce the space in your base cabinet. Is There Any Reason to Change the Dimensions of Your Toe Kick? Its quite rare that a reason presents itself to vary from these standard dimensions for your base cabinet toe kicks. It is actually only possible at all in custom cabinets built to specifications or having a carpenter alter the installation of factory cabinets.   Family need for altered dimensions is generally the catalyst for requests for alteration of such specs. For example, a very tall person with large feet might find a larger toe kick more accommodating. The likelihood of a need to reduce the size of the toe kick is slim, although a very short person might consider this as a means of slightly lowering the countertop height to provide an added level of comfort to a workspace.

Art and the Patron Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art and the Patron - Essay Example In the dying embers of this world, artists began to come into fashion, creating a refined position within culture. Artists have been subject to the morality, philosophy, and social construction of their time and American artists have had to navigate these frameworks in order to find their place within the cultural context. Art has had to balance a double sided card for most of its existence, the expression of the artist tempered by the desires of the patron or authority over the artist to dictate the theme and representations that the artist uses. It is a rare moment in time when an artist has true control over those things that he or she wishes to depict within his or her art. The hidden elements that are not always obvious to the patron or the controlling party have been one of the joys that artists have been able to use to express their individual point of view within a dictated framework. As time has progressed, the types of hold that patrons have had over the theme and content o f the work has changed, but artists are often subjected to control in order to appease those who are willing to support their work. The privilege of total freedom is rare and has been denied to artists even within the expectations placed upon American art. The nature of artistic freedom has been subjected to morality, flattery, and the need to represent themes that suited the national rhetorical discourse. The economic needs of the individual to survive have been in tension with the need to express artistic vision throughout history. In New England in the 17th century, the trend of portraiture followed from England as a form of artistic employment, artists needing the patronage of those who desired their portraits to be done by them in order to create a form of wage for their work. Craven (1998) discusses the idea that the concept of the portrait as a commercial product was dependent upon a sufficient number of elite in the region who were willing to spend money on such a transactio n. He goes on to discuss how very talented artists came to American with the realization that their former training and income resource was likely to not be profitable enough in the new land in order to make a living so they were forced to take on other similar work such as painting signs or the interiors of houses. Because of the influx of immigrants that were of Dutch origins, there is evidence of the influences of Dutch portraiture aesthetics in many of the works from the 17th century American artists. Therefore, there is a long history of competent and extensive studies on Dutch art from American scholars (Liedtke, 2000). The influences of Dutch portraiture can be seen in the beginnings of a developing style in early American-European settlements as in evidence by the Freake portraitures. According to Roark (2003) the Freake portraits, done by an unknown artist, is the largest existing collection of artworks from this region and from this time in American history. The paintings share similar characteristics that suggest training in the art of portraiture as well as a defined perspective on how to represent the individual. Craven (1998) discusses the nature of the paintings in reference to the way in which they make social statements about the subjects of the paintings, the hair of the patriarch of the family, John Freake wore his hair naturally and shoulder

Ukrainian Cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ukrainian Cuisine - Essay Example Remote ancestors of modern Ukrainians were farmers and cattle breeders: exceptionally fertile soil and climate of Ukraine created perfect conditions for farming. Thus, the earliest archeological culture discovered on the territory of modern Ukraine, Trypillian culture (4500-2000 B.C.), practiced settled form of life and cultivated variety of crops and bred cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry. Therefore, it is mostly agriculture that had an immense influence on the shaping of traditional Ukrainian cuisine (Artiukh, 1977). The origins of modern Ukrainian cookery can be traced back to the times of Kyivan Rus' that emerged on the land of modern Ukraine around 900 A.D. Historical records of that period contain mentioning of various foods and drinks cooked by the ancestors of modern Ukrainians. Simplicity and economy of cooking were the most characteristic features of those days' cuisine. The most popular dishes were various soups with different vegetables, grains and meat and simple bread. Cooking techniques were not complicated and ensured easiness of cooking (Terlets'ka, 1971). The turn from simple peasant and rural made dishes to more complex and varied cookery occurred in the 17th-18th century during the Cossack period. Development of domestic and international trade resulted in introduction of new plants, foods and new cooking techniques. For example, eggplants and melons were brought from Asia and potatoes that play one of the key roles in traditional Ukrainian cuisine were brought to the country at that time. The list of new plants that became part of Ukrainian agriculture also included tomatoes, corn, beans, various kinds of peppers, and other vegetables, berries and spices. Availability of the new crops contributed to the growing diversity and complexity of Ukrainian foods (Stechishin 1991). However, it was not until the 19th century that cooking developed into a sort of art and formed the foundation of modern Ukrainian cuisine. Rulers and nobles of the Russian Empire Ukrainian lands were part of which began inviting European chefs who brought an entirely new attitude to cooking, new spices and plants uncharacteristic to Ukrainian cooking tradition. Variety, luxury and style of dishes cooked by Europeans had enormous effects on development of both Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. Although some of the dishes that appeared at that time preserved their original form to this day, their numerous variations can also be found in modern Ukrainian cuisine (Stechishin, 1991). The Soviet revolution of 1917 marked a new period in development of Ukrainian cuisine. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the Soviet period, especially during the first three decades was permanent food shortages that could not but negatively affect cooking patterns and variety of dishes prepared in Ukraine at that time. Shortages of meat, bread, milk, butter, fat, and vegetables which were the most common ingredients of Ukrainian cookery, coupled with high prices on cheese, eggs and other items resulted in simplification of dishes. Ukrainian cuisine of the Soviet times largely returned to its origins: foods based prepared from potatoes, cabbage, and grains (Hordiienko 1979). Cuisines of Ukraine History and geography of Ukrainian lands made the country highly vulnerable to external influences that also affected the

Black Men and Public Space Essay Example for Free

Black Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on the street. This statement is not true and public space is not about race, gender, color, culture, or appearance. Do we as a people stereotype other people because of race or gender? I believe that race plays a big role when viewing other people, either if were walking down the street or walking into the store. We have a specific view of people from other races and even their own. For example, a black businesswoman might stereotype another woman from her own race because she may not have the same attire as her or grew up in a different area. A white businesswoman might look down on another white women who make less money than her like she is no one, which is not true. But back to Staples’, he once said that a woman cast worried glance at Staples when she saw him walking down the street. Staples found this to be a little strange as he walks too close to the women she seems to pick up her pace of speed after a few glimpses of Staples. In this part of the essay, Staples had a sense that a woman who barely knows him was probably stereotyping him. In addition, he stated that when he would walk in front of a car when people were at a stoplight, men and women would lock their car doors. In recent news in the put exact month it happened year 2013, there was a famous story about a young boy named Trayvon Martin. Trayvon’s story can relate well with the author personal essay. Just like Staples, Travyon was a young African American boy who was stereotyped by the way he looked by someone of another race. The person that speculated young Trayvon to be dangerous was a Latino man, name George Zimmerman who was well over Trayvon’s age, and thought the young boy had a gun in his pocket and was going to shoot him. Zimmerman perceived Trayvon to be a dangerous threat to the person of a different race but in reality he was a young boy with a hoodie over his head and skittles in his pocket. Staples personal essay relates to this story because when he walks into a store or down the street people would look at him in a different light. Just because he is young African American man walking down the street or into the store doesn’t mean he will steal, kill, or rape someone. Instead looking down on people of other races than our own, we other need to be optimistic because not everyone is the same. People shouldn’t have to change their demeanor for other people not to be scared of them because of what they look like or their race. Brent Staples believed that the woman in his personal essay thought he was a rapist, mugger, or worse, he noted that there was a certain amount distance between him and women especially at night. This proves to show that when people are being stereotyped they pay close attention to gender as well as race. You’re less likely to be afraid of a black woman, or any woman, walking down the street at night. When the woman saw a black man it seemed as if she felt trapped and that the narrator closing in on her only made her more anxious and ready to run. Would the situation be the same if a black woman were walking behind her? I believe the situation would be nothing similar to what the narrator experienced. Most people see women as less intimidating than a man. I know if a woman was wearing a hoodie and walking behind me I would be less scared and intimidated than if a man was walking behind me. I think part of that is our perception of the opposite sex. I perceive men as stronger than women, no matter what their race is. It’s just the image that we get from the media, our parents, and our surroundings. Either way people are stereotyped everyday, it doesn’t matter if you are black/white or a man/woman. As a whole we need to stop labeling people by the way they look because one day we might mistake the wrong person that appears to be a good a person but in reality they are the rapist or mugger. So before you decide to give off any perception of anyone by the way they look, you should be optimistic and have an open mind towards other people, but still have guard up.

The Power is in the People :: essays papers

The Power is in the People Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. (The United States Constitution: The First Amendment). By the action taken on December 12, 1791 (when the Bill of Rights was adopted), the United States of America granted its people a power that would prove extremely potent one-hundred and twenty-nine years later. During the era of Prohibition (1920-1933), people took whatever action necessary to get their way, and did so through the rights afforded to them in the First Amendment. Individuals in favor of Prohibition, seeing the benefits of the institution, worked together to sustain it. Those against Prohibition, feeling a violation of their rights, acted just as intensely, if not even more so, to stop the movement. The government, ignoring the voice of the people, was primarily concerned with keeping Prohibition alive. However, the right to individual voice, a principle upon which the United States was founded, made it impossible for an institution such as Prohibition to exist successfully. In the years prior to and during Prohibition, many people did everything within their power to keep the nation free of alcohol. Numerous committees were formed for the purpose of pursuing the enactment and continuation of Prohibition. Church and religion also played a large part in the fight to keep the nation â€Å"dry†. Some individuals even entered politics and took office in the government in an effort to be heard. People made an united effort to reveal the virtues of Prohibition to the nation. The Anti-Saloon League of America was founded in 1893 at Oberlin, Ohio. Throughout Prohibition, its members went from town to town speaking out against saloons and alcohol (Merz 8). On January 16, 1920, they also declared, â€Å"it is here at last - dry America’s first birthday† (Kobler 11). Women established a group of their own as well. In 1874, Protestant women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. They, like the Anti-Saloon League of America, cited the advantages of Prohibition (Kobler 10). As a whole, groups such as these utilized their First Amendment rights to the fullest to preach what they believed.

Chemistry

Mixture separation Lab I am one of the chemists assigned to design a cost effective procedure for handling the separation and recovery and hazardous waste disposal. The difficulties were trying to figure out Is how we can effectively separate Carbons, sand, and naphthalene? The hypothesis we chose to solve this problem was If we put the mixture into water, alcohol, and mineral spirit, then in each solution one or more substance will not dissolve, will be visible, and also able to separate.According to our data our hypothesis supported the experiment because and sand are lobule in water while naphthalene is not. The CARBONS, and sand will dissolve in the liquid solvent and the naphthalene will remain in the solid phase. In the other substances methanol and mineral spirit were not soluble in both Carbons and sand. Also in naphthalene mineral spirit was not soluble. To accomplish this experiment we did the following as to have a successful hypothesis.First use three separate ml test tub e, and added ml of each substance Including water, methanol, and mineral split. If the Carbons Is something that Is water soluble, then water can be added to the mixture and then It can be altered as the sand is insoluble and will be left behind. Also add 0. 20 grams of each mixture including Carbons, naphthalene, and sand to each test tube. Try to stir or shake the substance to dissolve.If that didn't work to dissolve the mixture we made a filter paper and placed it in a funnel then try to filter it by pouring the sample in. After that this leads us on to the third option of separation which is evaporation. At last we placed our sample test in an Erlenmeyer flask and then placed it on a hot surface with melting point 8. 2 0 c, waited to evaporate then recorded our data. After each test, try to observe If the sample was soluble In any of the substance.My data definitely supported my hypothesis because In that experience we found out In the lab that H2O was not soluble In naphthalene , and sand. Methanol was not soluble in Carbons, and sand. Also mineral spirit was not soluble in all the substances. Some errors that might have affected my experiment was the evaporation state I think we left it a little bit too long or took it our earlier for the solution. In the filtering stage we might have spilled some of the sample result so hat's why we maybe got different result.

Project Management Recommendation Essay

Dear Mr. Gritsch: In continuation of your email dated February 10, 2014, I have completed analysis of three projects: Juniper, Palomino and Stargazer. The risk levels in Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer are low, medium, and high respectively. It is in the best interest of Piper Industries Corporation to move forward with the Stargazer project. Stargazer is selected due to its feasibility and risk level. From market feasibility study, some strategic customers have already indicated interest in the product. Therefore, I would recommend that the board invest in the project, Stargazer; particularly because the company has already invested $450,000 and the ROI is very high. My feasibility study focused on Return on Investment (ROI), length of project, risk level and overall benefit to Piper Industries. See below for the results. Juniper: Return on Investment (ROI): 77% or $250,000 for a period of 2 to 3 years Length of project: Uncertain Risk of completion on time: Low Overall benefit: Enhancement of current product, increased product demand Palomino: Return on Investment (ROI): 69% or $450,000 for a period of 5 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: Medium Overall benefit: New product, use of existing technology, custom part, constant demand Stargazer: Return on Investment (ROI): 278% or $1,600,000 for a period of 3 years Length of project: 7 Years Risk of completion on time: High Overall benefit: Research & Development of a new product, market leader, project in-progress Five Phases of a Project: A project can have any number of phases depending on how you break it down. A project for land reclamation in dump site would probably have three phases such as: 1. Facility Decommissioning Phase 2. Waste removal phase 3. Landscaping Phase. While a project involving the building of a new factory may contain four phases such as: 1. Environmental Impact Assessment Phase 2. Design Phase 3. Construction Phase 4. Commissioning Phase. It is therefore assumed that what is been referred to here as five phases of a project is what is known in project management as process groups. The following phases / process groups will be used to complete the project: 1. Project conception and initiation The conception of the project is that the project is a new line widget product including enhancements through the use of existing technology. The initiation of this project will be upon the approval of the project by the CEO. 2. Project definition and planning Stage two of the project is making a project plan. The project plan will be completed by the project team with the consultation of the technicians and experts. The project plan will be in writing and will be well defined. 3. Project launch or execution The project plans and task will be discussed amongst all team members and the task will be divided among the project team. 4. Project performance and control The project manager will be the leader of the project. His or her task will be to monitor performance and control. All project team members are responsible in evaluating each other and helping the team to perform better together. 5. Project close The project will be closed only upon completion of the project, evaluation of the project, and client approval of the project. Key deliverables associated with the selected project: If after the Estimated Budget at Completion of $575,000 is spent and the  product is developed as specified in the project plan, then the project would have met the substantial product deliverable. Secondly, if the Piper Industries Corporation is able to deliver the product within 12 months, the company would have met the project schedule deliverable.

People In California Essays - American Old West, Free Essays

People In California Essays - American Old West, Free Essays People in California People in California wanted mail. The telegraph line was not connected that far west in 1860, and trains did not pass the Missouri river. It took almost took a month to get a letter by ship or stage coach. That's why the Pony Express was started. In the mid 1800's gold was discovered in California. Thousands of people hitched their wagons and headed west for the chance of striking it rich. The state of California grew from about 20,000 to 500,000 people in 5 years. They wanted the conveniences they had back east, especially regular mail service. The railroad and telegraph lines did not reach California, and ships and stage coaches took too long. Finally, in 1860 plans for a 10 day mail route using horses was introduced and called the Pony Express. An ad in many newspapers across the states read: Wanted Young, skinny, wiry, fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25.00 per week. The advertisement was luring. Twenty-five dollars a week was a high salary at that time and being a rider was a glamourous job. Hundreds of young men answered the ad but only 80 were chosen. Those 80 riders had to have high moral standards and take an oath that said that said that they wouldn't drink, fight or use profane language. Despite the oath, it is difficult to imagine these riders not uttering some colorful language when being hotly pursued by Indians. To protect themselves against Indian attacks the riders were given two revolvers, a shotgun, a knife, and a bible. After awhile they couldn't find room for the bible or the shotgun so they dumped them. They were also given horns to sound their arrival to a station but found them unnecessary figuring that the hoofbeats were lounder than the horns so the horns were dumped also. In the beginning the pony riders had a uniform. Red shirts, slouch hats, and denim jeans tucked into their boots. After awhile the uniforms were abandoned and the riders wore whatever was most comfortable. The first run started in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3, 1860. Johnny Frey the first carrier would ride as fast as possible for about 75 miles stopping every 10-15 miles at a station for a fresh horse and then pass the mail to another rider. The next rider would travel 75 miles and pass it to another rider and so on for day and night for 2,000 miles and 10 days. Mail would travel both ways, east and west, once or twice a week. When the mail arrived in California all work was abandoned. Everyone wanted to hear from their relatives and friends from back east. The rider was the most welcome sight in California. The Pony Express lasted for 18 months, 308 runs, and 34,753 pieces of mail. Day by day the telegraph wire was stretched further west and the Pony Express become less and less important. Along with that and a little bad management the Pony Express ended on November 21, 1861. The riders had given the United States a vital service for 18 months.

An Analysis Of Liberal Democracy In Russia Politics Essay

An Analysis Of Liberal Democracy In Russia Politics Essay Russia is one of the important countries and the largest country in the world, which established worldwide power and influence in the international politics. The arguable question, in which interested a lot of knowledgeable people, is what the regime has the Russian Federation after the death of Communism and how it works. The majority of Western Europe and USA has very critical opinion about Russian politics and definitely argue that Russia has not liberal democracy. They also believe that it is unlikely to thrive in post-Communist Russia. In my essay I will debate if liberal democracy could thrive or not in Russian Federation, giving the arguments and facts of both sides. Firstly I will argue that liberal democracy cannot thrive in Russia because of many arguments. The first is the high level of corruption. The second is the siloviki and oligarchs, who have enormous political power. The third is absence of media freedom. The fourth is lack of civil society. The fifth is Constituti on, which give a lot of power to the president and no strong opposition. It means that Russia has a one-party system. However, there is some soil for liberal democracy. The first argument is democratic experience. The second argument is a right to create political parties. The third is a right to practise citizens’ culture and religious. The fourth is a freedom of speech, belief and discussion. I argue that liberal democracy could thrive in Russia, only if the barriers to liberal democracy will pass, such as corruption, siloviki, absence of media freedom. I will argue that to make more suitable soil for liberal democracy Russia should change a Constitution, to create a strong opposition, and emphasis for reforms, which protect individual rights, increase civil liberties, improve the well-being of citizens; develop society to pursue their interests and develop own talents. But, when these criteria would not be achieved, liberal democracy is unlikely to thrive in post-communist Russia. Criteria of liberal democracy Firstly, I would like to define democracy and describe the criteria of liberal democracy, looking which of them Russia has. According to McFaul, democracy is the institutional arrangement where the individuals have the power to make political decisions by means of competitive struggle. According to this minimal definition and implicit in ‘analysis of the rule of law, civil society and the party system in Russia is an ideal type of liberal democracy rather than a minimal standard of electoral democracy’ (McFaul, 2004: 2-3). However, liberal democracy has the criteria, by which we could judge Russian regime. The first is the control of the state by elected civilian officials; the military is subordinate to the government. The second is a right to form a party and contest the elections by any group, which adheres to constitutional principles. Thirdly, a right for different ethnic, religious or different minority groups should exist fo r practicing their culture or express their interests in the political process. Fourthly, the freedom of belief, opinions, discussion and speech should exist. The last is that the citizens are equal under the law.

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Analysis - Case Study Example The customer loyalty gained by this company emanates from the trust bestowed upon its good intentions and commitment to sharing the music experience with the community both locally and beyond. Although sharing a similar financial history, the companys principal competitors include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra both of which have operated at deficits in the past. San Francisco Symphony has a high corporate strategy that appreciates its current position, its future aspirations and aims at defining the means of getting to its destination. Under its business strategy, the symphony can be said to have a good long-term plan on how to achieve its strategic objectives by the year 2018. In terms of its human resources, the company takes pride in the rich experience of its director, president and board members as a reliable, functional strategy for both its planning, development and marketing needs. The symphonys superior music experience in terms of recording and performance make up its strengths (Hall & Taylor, 2014). However, the consistent deficits and periodic poor financial performance is a weakness that must be improved to make the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s future brighter. Considering the customer base, and its good leadership, the Symphony has an open opportunity for growth. However, competition and the unionization of the music industry are major threats. An analysis of the competitiveness of the company, the ethical issues that arise in its operations, its financial status and the overall framework shall be made with the aim of establishing its actual position. The competitive analysis will adopt the Porters Five Forces analysis and the VRIO framework. The unstable financial stability of the company marked by consistent deficits will be deeply analysed. The study will endeavour to make recommendations that can improve the company in both its corporate, business and functional strategies. Through its