Saturday, November 16, 2019

Russia Pestel Essay Example for Free

Russia Pestel Essay Recent dissolution of the form Communist state of the Soviet Union to the Russian Federation. Russia’s economy is in transition from a a state-controlled to a market-controlled economy. †¢Vladimir Putin, moved to reduce the political influence of oligarchs soon after taking office, forcing some into exile and prosecuting others. Bbc Still strained relationship between the Russian Federation and the West (U.S) rooted from the cold war Uncertainty of control within the Russian government 2003 October Billionnaire Yukos oil boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky arrested and held in custody over investigations into tax evasion and fraud. Mr Khodorkovsky had supported liberal opposition to President Putin. (bbc) The energy giant Gazprom is close to the Russian state and critics say it is little more than an economic and political tool of the Kremlin. Existing taxes on oil companies * Royalty (6-16% of gross revenue).  * Mineral resource tax (10% of gross revenue less the value of the taxpayer spending on exploration). * Excise tax (66 rubles/tonne of oil, equal to 2.5%, according to calculations of the Ministry of Finance based on the weighted average price of Russian oil and taking into consideration export and domestic sales). http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-99/issue-33/special-report/the-russian-oil-gas-industry-analysis-raises-questions-about-russian-tax-proposal.html Uncertainties about legal rights, infrastructure, ownership, and liability have slowed development despite the high hopes of many western corporations. http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/arctic99/reports/blackice-8.html Yet, by end of 1998, the oil industry was fully privatized, substantially  deregulated, and had undergone significant internal restructuring (see Table 1 below). Even more recently, the Russian government has adopted (1998-2000) and enacted (1999-2002) a new Tax Code that by most accounts exceeds Western standards.5 For example, it introduced a 13 percent flat tax on personal income, capped corporate contributions to the social insurance fund, reduced the profits tax (a.k.a. corporate income tax) rate from 35 to 24 percent, abolished turnover taxes (as of 2003), tied export tariffs directly to the price of oil, and established new accounting procedures that are on par with International Accounting Standards Foreign Investment policies The Yukos crisis began when Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, chief executive of Yukos and Russias richest man, was jailed at gunpoint Oct. 25 on charges of fraud, forgery and tax evasion. Mr. Khodorkovsky insists his arrest and the prosecution of other large Yukos shareholders are politically motivated. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/world/signs-of-damage-control-in-russia-s-oil-scandal.html Tax and royalties http://new.aibse.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Patton2008.pdf

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Satire :: Literature Analysis, Art, Informative

Satire is a literary work in which the follies of its subject are attacked through irony, derision, or wit, usually to fulfill a corrective purpose. Those who satirize are called satirists. Satire is an art, and while making a point, it should do it in such a way that the reader doesn’t feel assaulted, or moralized. No one likes a moralizer. Satire’s more eye opening than judgmental, and is conveyed through distortion, exaggeration (as well as understatement), paronomasia, ambiguity and innuendo, comparison and zeugma, similes and metaphors, oxymorons, and parables and allegories. Satire has existed since the beginning of human stupidity, or fault. Among the earliest records discovered from the B.C., there have been forms of social commentary. Greek playwrights would incorporate parodies into their plays, bards from the middle ages would sing of society’s defects, by the 17th century, satirical books were published and sold. Nowadays, satires exists in various forms, such as The Simpsons, Spike Lee films, and The Onion. There are three main genres of satire: Horatian, Juvenal, and Menippean. Horation satire is usually good natured, Juveanlian satire is a bit more hard core, and Menippean humor is chaotic and disorganized, with no form of prose. There’s an idea that’s been progressively formulated, and that’s that satire needs to be humorous. This isn’t true, however, that is how it’s displayed today. The humor of satire isn’t upfront—it’s subtle and deadpan. Insane things will be said and done and the joker will be utterly earnest throughout it. Buster Keaton was a straight comic, barely smiling during his films, Ali G has the most outrageous interviews with celebrities and politicians and, somehow, doesn’t crack up.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Compare and contrast the benefits of online and conventional classes Essay

It seems that technology is growing, improving and changing at an exponential rate. Technology now affects every part of our lives. One of the major areas that has been affected by technology is education. The advancement of technology has recently allowed for education to be completed in an online setting instead of in a conventional classroom setting. Both are great ways to receive an education. They both strive for the same purpose, which is to help students reach their goal during college or universities. Although online and conventional class are great, they do differ in some ways. Whether you choose to attend classes online or in a traditional physical setting, you will be assigned homework to complete. Both types of students typically have Internet access, so websites ad research materials are equally available for them to get information. Text books are still central to learning relevant information, so they are same both learners to make sure that there is no discrepancy in content. Online class also require to take course exam same as conventional class. Both types of learning rely on teacher, but they are different in the way students and teachers interacting with each other. Online students communicate with lecturers through e-mail while conventional classes offer more direct interaction with faculty. Students who thrive on the quick exchange of ideas between professor and students may find that they prefer the classroom environment than online class. On the other hand, students who experience anxiety when they are called on to speak during class or are an introverts can enjoy the time to reflect on their responses and questions offered by an online class. Online education and traditional education are different on their cost. Online schools are less expensive, partly because students do not have to pay for the facilities at school and added cost of daily expenses. They can study anywhere as long as they have computer or internet access. Read Also:  Topic for Compare and Contrast Essay However, the students who attend the school which implementing traditional education will spend much more money. So, if students want to enjoy the facilities at school such as gym, libraries, dining halls and residence halls to be part of their college experience, they may want to consider attending the brick-and-mortar school. Online courses typically allow students to work asynchronously, which means that they can complete their coursework at the time and place of their choosing. This is often ideal for working students or single parents who  need a flexible schedule. On the other hand, traditional classes might also be better for those who are not good with time management and self-discipline. It is more difficult to ignore a growing pile of reading assignments when class meets regularly to talk about them. Deadlines may be easier to remember and motivation may come naturally with daily in-class reminders, peer pressure and set a schedule. To sum up, there are several similarities and differences between online class and conventional class. The similarities are both of these schools have homework’s, let students to learn and get information, while the differences are they way students and teachers interacting with each other, cost and the time of studying. Regardless of the similarities and differences that bring many benefits for people, but the key is to pick the type of program that works the best for you, your lifestyle and your schedule.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Asses the Strengths and Limitations of Unstructured Interviews

Sociology Asses the strengths and limitations of unstructured interviews for the study of boys underachievement at school Unstructured interviews have advantages and disadvantages and as a qualitative method they are expressed through words and relay people’s thoughts, feelings and motivations. Unstructured interviews are interviews that don’t have certain questions meaning it’s more free and relaxed. They give us a deep understanding of the interviewees world because we can use the answers they give to shape our questions so that they are appropriate and relevant.However, using unstructured interviews can also cause problems, for example they take a long time to conduct. When looking at the advantages and disadvantages we need to look at how this effects what we are trying to research ‘boys underachievement at school’ as this will affect whether the advantages and limitations are relevant to the study. A few advantages of using unstructured intervie ws when studying the underachievement of boys are that the informality of the interview allows the interviewer to gain the trust of the interviewee which is important in this example.Boys at school will not feel comfortable explaining their time at school and why they do/don’t enjoy school if the interviewer is very formal and makes them feel intimidated whereas by using an unstructured interview it allows the boys being interviewed and the interviewee feel more comfortable around each other meaning the boys will be more open and truthful allowing the researcher to gain more and to collect more accurate and in depth data.Another advantage of using this method when researching boys underachievement at school is that because there are no set questions the interviewer can ask questions that they feel are important and will get the most valuable and informative answers which means the data collected will be more valuable. It also means that from the answers that the boys give the interviewer can change and adapt his questions to develop the answer given meaning the data collected will be in depth and very informative.Finally, an advantage of using this method when studying boys underachievement at school is that the interviewee and interviewer can check each other’s meanings. For example, if a question is asked and the boy doesn’t understand the interviewer can adapt and explain so that the boy can give a good answer. This is very good because it allows them to explain what they mean giving the other person a deeper understanding of the questions and answers meaning the interview will be more successful.However, there are also disadvantages of using unstructured interviews when researching boys underachievement at school. Unstructured interviews can take a long time to conduct which means that less can be carried out. This could cause a big problem to give a good range of answers the researcher/interviewer may want to visit different schools t o see how the answers differ in different schools and in different areas.However it would take too long to visit different places and schools because the actual interview takes too long itself. Another disadvantage is that it can go off topic meaning the interview is irrelevant. When interviewing a boy the interview could go off topic meaning that the interview would be useless as it wouldn’t give us any informative information that could you be used to draw up a conclusion.Finally, another disadvantage of using this method when researching boys underachievement at school is that they’re not reliable. As its unstructured the same interview can’t be carried out on lots of people as it will change each time depending on the answers given and how the interviewer responds to them. This means that researchers can’t replicate the interview or compare it to their own findings so there’s no way of knowing if it’s reliable or not.To conclude using un structured interviews when researching boys underachievement at school has both advantages and disadvantages that could mean it’s better and worse than structures interviews. However, I believe that it would still be a good method to use as it will give informative answers and allow the researcher to find out why boys aren’t doing so well at school. It will still give accurate answers as the boys will feel more relaxed meaning they can be looked at and analysed meaning we can draw a conclusion from them. Hannah Smillie

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Qu saber de controles migratorios en interior USA

Qu saber de controles migratorios en interior USA Pocos programas son ms controversiales que el de los controles migratorios que realiza la Patrulla Fronteriza (CBP, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) en el interior de los Estados Unidos. Su finalidad es determinar el estatus migratorio de las personas que son paradas e interrogadas. Pero aunque ese es su fin principal, tambià ©n llevan a cabo labores de bà ºsqueda de drogas. De hecho, en los controles de carretera es frecuente encontrar perros entrenados para esa funcià ³n (lo que causa problemas en Nuevo Mà ©xico para las personas que utilizan marihuana con fines mà ©dicos). Dnde pueden encontrarse estos controles migratorios y fronterizos de la CBP en el interior En cualquier punto dentro de 100 millas (160 km) a contar desde la frontera, tanto la de Mà ©xico como la norteà ±a con Canad. En el caso de los estados de California, Arizona, Nuevo Mà ©xico y Texas, donde son ms frecuentes, suelen estar a una distancia mxima de 75 millas (121 km) a contar desde la là ­nea fronteriza que separa Estados Unidos de Mà ©xico. Qu tipo de controles hay en el interior del pas Por carretera Fijos, que pueden operar casi las 24 horas del dà ­a. Se encuentran ubicados principalmente en carreteras interestatales y autopistas principales (highways). Mà ³viles, tambià ©n llamados tcticos, que van cambiando de ubicacià ³n. Autobuses, trenes, estaciones de transporte La CBP puede efectuar controles tambià ©n siempre y cuando tenga lugar a menos de 100 millas de la frontera. En la actualidad este tipo de control est casi limitado a los estados del suroeste (frontera con Mà ©xico). Es decir, busca en las estaciones de tren y autobà ºs y tambià ©n se puede subir a bordo. Antes de 2011 tambià ©n era frecuente en los estados del Norte, como Washington, Michigan, Maine o Nueva York, pero en la actualidad est limitados a casos muy concretos. Qu pregunta la CBP Realizan preguntas tipo:  ¿es usted ciudadano americano? ¿hacia dà ³nde va? ¿quà © est haciendo? ¿este auto es suyo? Respuestas que se le dan Un buen nà ºmero de ciudadanos americanos se niegan a contestar ya que consideran que es un ataque a su libertad e incluso a la Cuarta Enmienda de la Constitucià ³n. Pero conviene resaltar los siguientes puntos: La Patrulla Fronteriza puede parar y, en su caso, detener Ninguna persona est obligada a hablar sobre su estatus migratorio (7 derechos del inmigrante indocumentado si es arrestado o detenido).Lo cierto es que, por ley, los residentes permanentes legales estn obligados a llevar consigo la tarjeta de residencia (green card).Los extranjeros que estn legalmente en el paà ­s deberà ­a llevar consigo un documento que lo pruebe, como el I-20 (estudiantes), pasaporte con visa reglamentaria, etc.Los que està ©n ajustando su estatus, pueden llevar una prueba de ellos. Qu sucede si un indocumentado es agarrado en un control migratorio en el interior Puede ser expulsado inmediatamente de los Estados Unidos o iniciarse u proceso de deportacià ³n. Otras formas de viajar domsticamente dentro del pas Estos son los documentos que se admiten para poder embarcar en un avià ³n para un vuelo dentro de los Estados Unidos o de salida a otro paà ­s. A tener en cuenta La CBP cuenta en la actualidad con aproximadamente 20,000 agentes en todo el paà ­s. Este programa de control fronterizo interno es muy criticado por amplios sectores de la sociedad, desde ciudadanos que sufren retrasos por estar sujetos a ellos, a defensores de las libertades civiles o de los derechos de los inmigrantes. La presidencia de Donald Trump est ocasionando  un gran impacto en asuntos migratorios, por lo que es conveniente estar informado y evitar ser và ­ctima de fraudes por parte de personas sin escrà ºpulos que se aprovechan del miedo y prometen cosas que, simplemente, no son posibles. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Economy of Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Economy of Today - Essay Example If the GDP is freed from the chances being affected by inflation, then constant prices need to be maintained. This also helps us to compare the status between two time periods. The resultant GDP reached is called real GDP (nominal GDP adjusted for price changes). GDP can be measured in three ways: by calculating the gross final goods and services produced within the nation at a given period of time; from the income side, by calculating the income generated at every stage and by summing up the value added at each stage of production. Its identity may be written as: The employment rate is the ratio of employed people to the total population. It is actually the percentage of potential employees actually employed. When a nation has a higher employment rate it is likely that it will have a higher standard of living. It is the capacity of a country to engage its people in work and thus generate income for itself. Unemployment is one of the major concerns of the governments of different nations. Another parameter which duly affects the economy and mainly the GDP is inflation rate which may be defined as the rate of growth of price index. This is equivalent to the rate of fall in purchasing power of money. If P1 is the price level in year 1 and P2 is the price level is year 2 (P2>P1), then the rate of increase in price level (inflation rate) from year 1 to year 2 is calculated by the following formulae: Interest rate in an economy essentially denotes the lending rate of banks. It is the opportunity cost of investing in a certain venture. The gain sacrificed by not investing the same amount in another alternative venture or scheme is the opportunity cost. When an individual X (say) lends money to another individual (Y), he is likely to charge an annual interest which is either equal or more than the return gained by investing the amount in some other venture, possibly the bank. If he charges less then he would be a loser. The households supply the factors

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Environmental Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Environmental Management - Essay Example The city is mostly built on the hillsides and five of the rivers flow together near the city. Flooding grasped many parts of the city in the year of 2007 when River Don over flowed. The flood had devastating effects on the city which completely paralyzed the normal routine activities of the city. The businesses of the city were also affected because of which they could not operate. Many of the residents suffered from health hazards and electricity problems. Following the flood many of the organizations took part in the rehabilitation of the city. Deaths were also reported after the flood occurred but immediate services from the environmental agencies helped the city to revive its earlier grace. Environmental agencies played a great role in the rehabilitation of the city. But the effects of the flood are still felt in the city. Moreover efforts by these agencies have helped the city to a great extent to carry out the normal activities. This report would further revolve around the floo d that occurred in Sheffield in the summer of 2007 and would provide with different details about the disaster (Smith 207; Environment Agency 2010) The floods which were caused in United Kingdom were basically because of different reported rainfalls in the country. Summers in United Kingdom always witnessed heavy rainfalls but in the summer 2007 these rainfalls were record breaking. Two significant causes for the 2007 flood have been highlighted. Flash flooding is considered one of the basic causes which disturbed the normal level of water in rivers. Flash flooding occurs when heavy rainfall occurs in a very short time such that it raises the level of water in rivers but after some time the level gets normal again. It occurs when the ground does not have enough capability to hold water and urban landscapes usually do not have enough space to hold water. It was June 15th that heavy rainfall started in England which filled the rivers with