Leadership Crisis †Role of Tomorrow Leaders Essay

With the world becoming a global village, today’s leaders need to Think Global & Act Local. It’s essential that Leaders understand the nuances of managing businesses across globe that depict challenges in terms Culture, Laws, History/Background and many more. While I do not have an exposure to working other than India, I do have experience working in 6 to 7 states in India. The challenge is no different as the culture in India changes from one state to another & infact it’s different within states also. Thus as a leader you need to be able to understand & adopt to such changes, lead & manage them effectively. Engage people, reciprocate & build trust: One of the major challenges in today’s world for the Leaders is â€Å"How effectively you engage your people†. People are the prime movers. Leaders who realize this can only be successful in getting the desired goals. In this era, the challenge for the Leaders is to continually engage people, build trust & sustain. Nimble & Pay 360 degrees attention to set standards: Today’s leaders need to be more open & flexible. Gone are the days of Autocratic means of leadership. A leader need to be proactive, watchful in terms perception as perceptions need to be managed & be decisive. Connect to other Leaders & Communicate: Networking is an important trait of an effective leader. Gone are the days wherein Leaders are perceived as Master of all thus it is essential that Today’s leaders understand the fact & identify such connects for better results. We as a leader need to continuously be connected to all such sources who may be experts in each of their areas or fields. There is tremendous revolution observed in the field of communication with the advent of mobile phone, internet, facebook, twitter etc,. Leaders need to effectively use all such means to get & remain connected thus making him more accessible. Manage Uncertainity & Volatility: Change is the order of the day & ofcourse the only thing which is constant in the worls. The biggest challenge a leader faces in todays world is Managing Change. The change may be in terms of technology, system, laws, processes etc, but the biggest challenge lies in how does the leader identify & adopt himself to the changing needs & drive the people to adopt the change successfully. Morals & Values: Morals & Values adopted by individuals make their identity. Living by these morals & values, despite them being challenged creates value & these traits differentiate an ordinary person & a Leader. Each Leader whim we adore depicts such values Mahatma Gandhi depicts Integrity, Bill Gates depicts Innovation, Mother Terrisa depicts Compassion, Nelson Mandela depicts Endurance & many more. What we need to understand & realize from each of these leaders is that their acts reflected the value which is â€Å"Walk the Talk†. The leaders need to imbibe such traits to be successful.

Investment and Pioneer Petroleum

Pioneer Petroleum Case I. Statement of Problem As Pioneer Petroleum continues to progress as a company, they are trying to determine the best way to approach a minimum rate of return. As of right now, they have two approaches they can take. The first would be taking a single cutoff rate based on the company’s overall WACC. The second, rather than a single cutoff, there would be multiple cutoff rates due to the risk-profit characteristics. II. Statement of Facts and Assumption Pioneer Petroleum’s approach to capital budgeting was to only accept investments with positive net present value.Currently, Pioneer Petroleum calculated their WACC at 9% shown in Figure 1 below. In calculating their WACC, PPC uses book value weights. When dealing with practicality, it is better to use market value weights because it provides what the expectations of the market and the investors have. By using this information, it can show what a company needs to do to gain new capital. III. Analysi s Pioneer Petroleum was created after merging with multiple firms causing it to branch out into different markets.With multiple projects, the most effective thing PPC could do is to implement using single corporate cost of capital to evaluate their multiple projects. By doing this they can interpret different risk associated with different industries. Pioneer Petroleum’s other option would be to use multiple cutoff rates, but going in this direction may not provide the most accurate information since there are many components associated with different industries. IV. Recommendation My recommendation for Pioneer Petroleum would be to use a single cutoff rate and each individual division.It would be wise for them to do this rather than looking at the company as a whole. Not only should Pioneer only invest in projects with positive net present value, but they also need to assume the different risks associated with it. Something else they might consider is the length of the matur ity for the project. More risk could be found in younger projects and older projects as well. By using a single cutoff rate, they can analyze more precisely how much it will effect their decisions in the future. Figure 1 WACC = Rdebt(1-TC)(D/V) + Requity(E/V) 9% = . 12(1-. 34)(. 5) + (. 10)(. 5)

Heart Disease in low income geographical area Research Paper

Heart Disease in low income geographical area - Research Paper Example The paper tells that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in Georgia. Statistics in this respect reveal that many women are at a substantial risk of developing heart disease. Activities like smoking are common among 19% of women whereas, 27% face obesity problems, 27% have high blood pressure, 37% have high cholesterol levels, and 60% are not physically active. Georgia’s death rate is 9% higher than the rate of U.S on average. During 2006 an estimated of 143,800 hospitalizations took place because of cardiovascular diseases, which amounted to almost $ 4.4 billion spent by people living in the state on heart-related problems. Moreover, the heart diseases, as a cause of death, remained 16% higher than the overall deaths caused in the whole United States. Research revealed that the death rate for men was 1.4 times higher than for women in 2006. Furthermore, it revealed that it was 1.3 times higher for blacks than for whites; black males were more prone to prema ture deaths due to CVD and had a higher risk of having a heart disease. The statistics of 2006 noted incidents in which black people who were below the age of 65, died due to heart problems. Although there are innumerable prevention programs, there are galloping graph depictions that reveal an increase in the rate of women developing heart trouble. However, one of the most authentic cardiovascular health surveillance was considered that highlighted the results.... were those who belonged to the lower-income group and had poor life style, and are facing various mitigating health problems such as hypertension and diabetes that may lead to a heart trouble. Later secondary research was conducted where findings and conclusions reached by researchers in the past were considered. This research confirmed the results that most of the low-income groups are at stake mainly because either they have no facilities at their disposal, or they are not thoroughly aware of the factors that may lead to the problem along with recognizing the initial symptoms. On the other hand, secondary research revealed that there are various other factors too which lead to heart problems in low-income groups. Statistics and Partnerships Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in Georgia. Statistics in this respect reveal that many women are at a substantial risk of developing heart disease. Activities like smoking are common among 19% of women whereas, 27% face obesity problems, 27% have high blood pressure, 37% have high cholesterol levels, and 60% are not physically active (Bryan, 2007). Georgia’s death rate is 9% higher than the rate of U.S on average. During 2006 an estimated of 143,800 hospitalizations took place because of cardiovascular diseases, which amounted to almost $ 4.4 billion spent by people living in the state on heart related problems. Moreover, the heart diseases, as a cause of death, remained 16% higher than the overall deaths caused in the whole United States (Health State, 2008). Research revealed that the death rate for men were 1.4 times higher than of women in 2006. Furthermore, it revealed that it was 1.3 times higher for blacks than for whites; black males were more prone to premature deaths due to CVD and had a higher

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION - Essay Example Piercy places great emphasis on the brand identity of the company in integrating marketing and communication campaigns. Total integration involves; Today Primark has established itself as one of the competitive retail store chain in UK, Ireland and Spain with a total of 173 retail outlets at strategic locations. Employing more than 25000 people the company has been in value clothing for well over 35 years and has also been voted as 'Best Value High Street Fashion' by GMTV and ITV viewers1. This study is an effort to look into the practical implementation of the theoretical aspects relating to marketing strategies, HR support, marketing communication, brand equity proposition, strategic alliance etc. which have been instrumental in the success of Primark. To evaluate the strategies adopted by Primark, while using various tools like Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT, PEST, Ansoff Matrix etc. an effort would also be made to compare the performance of Primark with some other retail companies like Topshop, Prada, Asda, Tesco etc. and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primar k has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. ... and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primark has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. Retail business is at the base of running a retail store, trying to earn the loyalty of customers, while at the same time trying to grab attention of newer customers. Piercy (2001) has also pointed out the desires of many company executives some of the issues as prerequisite towards being more customer friendly. The issues pointed out are like; Value of the product or service in achieving a successful strategy in taking on the competition. This is also concerned with customer relationship management. Mele and Colurci (2006) provide distinctive paradigms for value as such. It is stated that the term 'value' can be defined in different ways according to the adopted perspective of analysis; it is possible to determine a 'customer value', a 'firm value' and a 'stakeholder value'. Online presence of the companies to cater to customers spread across a larger area and keeping in mind the convenience of the customer Total integration of company's resources and capabilities to deliver a product which is able to fulfil the needs of customer. Consideration of effective planning, strategizing and creativity as the key to come out with effective performance. From the strategic planning point of view, competitor analysis is very important for any company's long-term survival (Kotler, 1972). The first step towards such an analysis begins by identifying the strengths and

Field Experience #5 Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Field Experience #5 Policy - Essay Example The challenges in evaluated are in a wider dimension linked to the interpretations in policies and guiding procedures for teacher evaluation. For effective evaluation, there is need to review the consistency of the policies with the state law to ascertain their legality and their entire separation from procedural requirements of teacher evaluation. From a general point of view, the policies are supposed to give guidance for procedures in the assessment to ensure legal consistency. A policy is simply a set of rules and principles which are used as a guide in decision making or procedural activities with the goals of the principles clearly stated. The teacher evaluation policy is part of Arizona’s education policies in which there are guidelines to teacher evaluation procedures. Policies are usually politically negotiated rules governing the entire operation of a system which in our case is teacher evaluation and must be consistent with the law. On the other hand teacher evaluation procedure is a set of guidelines agreed upon by professionals in the field on best practice in evaluating teachers for compliance to education policies. This might be the beginning of the trouble in understanding policy and procedural requirement of teacher evaluation because of some inconsistencies in the application of the two especially after the law changes in Arizona. In the Standards for Arizona Teachers we find more description of procedural activities in teacher evaluation and less of policy matters. It offers a criterion for judgment of good practice and indicators of teacher failure. As part of legislation we find the policies based on the old set of law on education but with the recent changes there is a lot that is inconsistent with the state law. Just to cite an example the law which is observed to discriminate against teachers whose first language is not English is contrary to what the policy covers under communication requirements of a teacher. In

McDonald's in the McSpotlight Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

McDonald's in the McSpotlight - Case Study Example This can clearly be understood from the figure provided below (Botticell, Pucevich, Scriptunas, & Thurston, 1999). In the case of McDonalds, the company could have clearly reduced the performance expectation gap by avoiding the case and could have worked a way out with Morris and Steel by negotiating for an out of court settlement. This would have saved the company a whole lot of time and would have also ensured that the company and the stakeholders are not affected by the trial (Hartman & DesJardins, 2007). The trial for the company has been one of the longest and most expensive trials and this could have been easily avoided if the company used good negotiation techniques. Also, if McDonalds had implemented a stronger argument at the start of the case rather than allowing a slack in the performance, then the company would have been able to save up on time and also would have saved a lot of costs as well. The public issues life cycle consists of four main steps, a) changing stakeholder expectations, b) political action, c) formal government action, and d) legal implementation (Botticell, Pucevich, Scriptunas, & Thurston, 1999). With the start of the public issues life cycle the company was faced with a concern that was building regarding the healthiness of the food that the company served. The leaflets acted as the drivers of the issues and this brought out the problems into public. Also, the website that Steel and Morris had developed as a protest against the company also added to the driver and led the company to be faced with higher levels of problems with the stakeholders. As an executive of McDonalds, I would personally recruit and develop a team which would consist of people with excellent negotiation skills. Also, an attempt will be made to include people with a strong financial expertise and a law expertise. The staff of this team, irrespective of their expertise, should

Case study (Starbucks) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(Starbucks) - Case Study Example This strategy creates new business opportunity for Starbucks. By increasing the efficiency of the baristas in terms of delivering the order of its valued customers within the shortest period of time possible and maintaining the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff who are working within Starbucks coffee shops also creates competitive advantage for the company. Almost a decade ago, Starbucks has been focused on saturating the domestic market in the U.S. Since the company has already saturated the U.S. market, Starbucks began expanding its business within the global markets. Since anybody can easily establish their own coffee shop, competition within the coffee industry is very tight. As explained by Porter (1998, p. 1), competitive advantage is referring to the â€Å"search for a favorable competitive position within a particular industry†. Using the four major assumptions we have mentioned earlier, Starbucks management was able to successfully develop a competitive advantage in terms of improving the quality of services the company has been extending to its valued customers. There is a very tight market competition with regards to domestic and global markets of coffee products. In line with this, rivalry within the coffee industry is tight due to the fact that the capital requirements in putting up a coffee shop are not so expensive. This makes barriers to entry within the local and international coffee industry low. Since anybody can easily sell brewed coffee, the threat for substitute products is very high. Improving Starbuck’s services increases its market share within the coffee industry. Therefore, the company has gained more power over its suppliers. Since the company is able to purchase its raw materials by bulk, Starbucks is able to purchase its raw materials at a relatively low price. Considering that there are a lot of existing coffee shops around

Mumbai City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mumbai City - Essay Example The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Mumbai city as one of the populous city in India and ultimately the fourth most populous city globally. Despite its high population, it denotes the richest city in India having the highest GDP of any city in West, South, or Central Asia. The city has undergone tremendous changes within the past twenty years in terms of the population, economy, and social structure. Consequently, these changes have posed major challenges and problems to the city. As one of the densely populated cities in the world, Mumbai city has witnessed a phenomenal population growth over the last half a century with a mass migration occurring from the countryside to the city in search of employment and a better life. Like other metros of India, the city has experienced rapid population growth in the last twenty years. It is important to note that a large number of the population exhibited in Mumbai city live in slums and other residential areas. Researc hers depict that the city’s population 1971, increased from 7.7 million to 18.3 million in 2001. Statistics portray that the population further increased from 18.3 in 2001 to 22.4 million in 2011. Mumbai’s population has doubled for the last twenty years with a population density of 30,000 people per square kilometer, which is relatively high. It is depicted that the majority of Mumbai’s residents are migrants from other states of India.... Economic change Mumbai city denotes the first Indian city to experience technological and economical changes associated with the growth of capitalism and have since become India’s banking and financial capital. Diversification and economic advancements within Mumbai city has led to a tremendous growth of job opportunities in the city in turn has attracting an incursion of migrants to the city (Eur, 2002 p. 461). Scholarly research depicts that the opening of oil mills and start of machine building and engineering units further boosted the economy of the city thus providing job opportunities for natives of the less developed states and the increased migrants in the city. Mumbai city is depicted to account for 11% of India’s total employment opportunities and 20% of industrial employment in India. Mumbai city is the largest subcontinent port handling India’s 30% imports and exports. The growth of Mumbai’s economy arose from internal trade top foreign trade ( Eur, 2002, p. 462). The city has drastically experienced growth of urbanization thus causing problems to Urban Developers who find it hard to do much planning due to the city’s rapid change. The city still experiences high cases of unemployment despite the fact that it has flourished economically for the past two decades. This is due to the rapid population growth making the job severely less than the workers do. Social structural changes For the past twenty years, social class diversity has found its way in Mumbai city. Due to technological and economic change, the city has created a bridge between the poor and the rich in the society. The rich reside in the luxurious estates while the poor congest in the slum areas. The division of the two classes of people has made the rich benefit tremendously

Gay Marriages Essay Example for Free

Gay Marriages Essay When newer lifestyles creep into our society, inline with our thoughts and liberties, guardians of the older versions are likely to be taken back. These lifestyle changes happen in every sphere of life, like the way we eat or work. In getting along with it, we may have to abandon our traditional ways. Sometimes these may go unnoticed, as it may be beneficial to all, having none to worry about it. But other times the issues in question may be very important and fundamental, and there would be a social debate. Homosexuality and gay marriages is one such issue, which is still being debated widely. With homosexuality and gay marriages becoming increasingly present in our society, it is important that the subject be well debated and all issues projected so that it helps people to take appropriate decisions. The issue of homosexuality is not just relevant for the partners, but also to the families they are a part of, and to the society as a whole. It is therefore important that the society be well informed of the legal and social aspects of gay marriages, while being alive to the fact that evolving lifestyle issues could knock at anyone’s door. The media has a very important and responsible role in helping the larger part of the society to come to terms with evolving lifestyles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is perhaps what the film ‘The Wedding Banquet’ has attempted and succeeded. ‘The Wedding Banquet’ is a thoughtful and touching Chinese film revolving around homosexuality and family ties. The film brings into focus the perception of modern lifestyles, from the traditional point of view, and the difficulties and experiences involved in coming to terms with it (Don). The film projects homosexuality in a wider perspective. A gay relationship, in the midst of a heterosexual marriage and parenting, shows the wider realm of homosexuality and gay relationships. The film brings into focus a gay relationship between a Taiwanese expatriate Wai-Tung and his doctor boyfriend Simon. When Wai-Tung’s parents pressurize their son for his marriage, he plans to buy time by putting impossible conditions for his bride. However a dating company succeeds in finding a suitable match, when Wai-Tung strikes into a convenience marriage with his tenant Wei Wei. The marriage would help Wei Wei from being deported. It is when the parents of Wai-Tung reach America for the wedding banquet of their son, does they know of the developments in the family. The film has several turning points like when Wei Wei seduces an inebriated Wai-Tung and becomes pregnant, leading to deterioration in his relationship with Simon. Wai-Tung’s father approves of the actions of Simon, who he takes as his adopted son . His mother on the other hand is drawn affectionally to her daughter-in-law, whom his father considers as a business participant. At the end the father and mother leave for Taiwan, without any discontent. The movie definitely seems to address the issue of homosexuality in the family context. Bringing the issue of homosexuality face-to-face with traditionally heterosexual cultures, gets everyone on their toes to accept the reality. Lifestyle choices are here to stay and traditions must pave way to it and coexist. This low budget film won recognition for its director Ang Lee, who himself makes a short appearance as a banquet guest. It also won the Golden Bear award in the Berlin Film Festival of 1993 and the best film and best director awards at the 1993 Seattle International Film Festival (Berardinelli, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rights of homosexuals are increasingly gaining support with time. Homosexuals are being more welcome in our society and their rights are becoming more obvious. Gone are those days when homosexuality was considered a serious crime and homosexuals looked upon as people with sick minds. Although there are societies which still consider homosexuality a crime, it isn’t as dreadful as it once was. These developments indicate the growing perception that homosexuals are a part of our society and therefore should be accorded equal rights, equal protection and equal support from all welfare activities. The favorable trend towards homosexuals may be attributed to the general liberalization of policies in most parts of the world, broader thinking among people and the mixing of cultures and mingling of economics. But it is indeed sad that this never before support, is not extended to gay marriages. A major part of this support and backing, of homosexuality stops short of gay marriages. This indifference to gay marriage, particularly from among supporters of homosexuality stems from their perception of marriage and homosexuality. Gays are generally thought to have multiple partners and that therefore their relationships cannot be deep or emotional. The gays are considered as uncommitted and not being capable of forming lasting relationships. This description of gays cannot be challenged, as gays do have such relationships too. However, it should be noted here that such relationships also exist in heterosexual or straight society too, maybe to a small extent and that too mainly among the youth. What most people need to understand about gays is that, as gays grow and mature, they too like their straight counterparts begin to value and seek committed lasting relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to realize the basics behind the emergence of homosexuality. Homosexuality is a naturally developing phenomenon. However, most ignorant people attribute it to a defiance of heterosexual norms and an intention to experiment.   Some people feel that gays could choose being a heterosexual if they wanted, but that, only a very few consider that they have a choice. It is only like heterosexuals being asked to choose the sex they are attracted to. It should be understood that being a gay is natural and not selected. Several gay people, both men and women recall being attracted to people of their own sex from a very young age. The sexual orientation in most people emerge at a very early age like early adolescence, even prior to any sexual experience. Homosexual orientation is a complex subject and cannot be explained by any single or a simple, plain model. No consistent results have been found from research undertaken for homosexual orientation. Despite studying evolutionary and hormonal pattern in homosexuality, scientists have not yet understood the development of homosexual orientation in an individual. Therefore it is improper to assume that homosexuals have a choice, which they have chosen to bypass. Today however, most scientists agree that sexual orientation results from an influence of environment, cognitive and biological factors. Genetic and inborn hormonal traits play an important role in deciding a person’s sexual attitude. Psychologists and psychiatrists believe that homosexuality is not due to emotional or mental disorders; and it was in 1973, when the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its official list of emotional and mental disorders, after appropriate research (APA, 2008). Research based on twin studies also indicate that male homosexuality is genetically mediated. A study with about 76 gay brothers and their families in 1993 by Dean Hamer found that gay men had more gay uncles and cousins on the maternal side compared to the paternal side. One of the most reliable finding in homosexuality adoption was reported by Blanchard and Klassen in 1997, which suggested that the odds of an individual being a gay increased by 33% correpondingly for each older brother. It has been implied that the male foetus causes a maternal immune reaction which is increasingly stronger for each successive male foetus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gay marriages are wrongly perceived by many people to alter family environment. The customary saying that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman holds no water, as there is no real and moral judgement behind it. Such definitions of marriages only raise questions on the eligibility and authenticity of the defining person or institution. Who should be the one to define marriage?. They feel that same-sex couples cannot provide the necessary environment for children’s normal growth. In continuation of this, many consider same-sex marriage as a deterrent to births and continuation of species. They don’t realise that marriages are not just directed to bearing children, as even infertile couples choose to marry or heterosexual couples sometimes choose against having children. Marriage is more about sharing, love and commitment and less about bearing children. It should be realized that gay couples are capable of raising children as much as any straight couple. The fact that there is no significant difference between the children of gay and straight couples, has been proved by research. Psychologists are of the opinion that the gender of the parent is not important in raising the child; it’s the love and commitment on the part of the parents that matter. As for the continuation of species, human species are in no danger of dwindling due to reproductive failure. In fact the population explosion is really disturbing and serious issues are at stake for the oncoming generations. Gay marriages can only help in slowing the rate of population increase, than adding to it. Gay marriages have seen results, since it has already been experimented. Denmark legalised gay marriages in 1989. Several Dutch cities have had same-sex marriage rights for many years. The clergy at first offered opposition to the Danish law and a survey conducted at that time indicated that about 72 percent of the clergy opposed the law. However another survey conducted in 1995 revealed that 89 percent of the clergy supported the law. Gay marriages have been experimented and proved to strengthen the institution of marriage and contribute to the society. Any doubts on the success of gay marriages are fully vacated and its positive impact on the society acknowledged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interpretation of gay marriage in religion should not be ignored when considering gay marriages. Given the binding of religion and its influence on every aspect of life, people consider religious beliefs above all contemporary issues associated with gay marriages, when deciding on them. Some religions are against homosexuality and gay marriages while some do not consider it as something important to be preached upon. In the Old Testament only two passages are referred to homosexuality, among the several thousands (Piazza, 2007). Buddhism in fact attracts several homosexuals, as there isn’t any homophobia preaching in it. The Theravada Buddhism considers all relationships i.e.; gay, lesbian or straight as being personal matters bearing mutual consent (Robinson, 2008). Therefore all relationships are considered constructive and acceptable as long as both partners are happy. Many people, who believe in Christianity, oppose homosexuality and gay marriage, on the basis of the bible. It should primarily be noted here that the bible was written at a period when there was no understanding of homosexuality or psychosexual orientation. The bible therefore does not recognise people as lesbians or gays. The inference was only directed to homosexual acts committed by persons who were considered heterosexual. However, the bible has been successfully used to interpret the views of both advocates and opponents of homosexuality whenever homosexuality is deliberated. According to the Roman Catholic Church, any sex that does not lead to procreation should be avoided and thus the use of condoms and masturbation is condemned. However, it should also be noted that the church approves sex among sterile couples and sex during pregnancy, which do not lead to procreation (Corvino, 1997). An important aspect of bible interpretation is that, many Christians interpret all texts with much flexibility except when it comes to homosexuality, where  Ã‚   all references to homosexual acts are taken literally. The bible actually pays very little attention to this subject and most importantly Jesus speaks nothing on this topic, in the New Testament. This apart, most instructions and recommendations of the bible are of lesser relevance today, like avoiding pork. The teachings are subconsciously breached casually, as we go about our everyday lives. For instance, there was a prominent woman once spoke at length against homosexuality, in the course of which she broke several Biblical laws by Levitical standards (Piazza, 2007), namely speaking in church, she taught men and wore a cotton and polyester dress. The Bible interestingly has a few example of same sex love. David’s love for Jonathan was implied to be greater than his love for woman, Ruth’s deep love relationship with Naomi and Ruth’s words of pledge are used in most heterosexual weddings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though gay couples are now socially accepted like never before, they are far from equal civil rights. The withholding of civil rights to gay couples can sometimes be life ruining and even life threatening. The inconvenience and sufferings of gay couples as a consequence of these unequal rights can be endlessly said. In most American states, gay couples are not given the right to make medical decisions for their partners, during emergencies. State laws stipulate that the hospitals should reach out to the families of the hospitalised partner, thereby ignoring the gay partner’s concern. Very often, the families are not in good terms with the gay couple, and may even be without contact for a considerable long time. It is obvious that the decisions taken by such families would not be in the best interests of the couple. It is sad that the hostile family even have the right to exclude the partner from the treatment room. Even upon death, the will of the gay partner can be easily challenged and custody decisions overturned by the family (Bidstrup, 2004). Families have the right to deny the surviving partner, even a visit to his partner’s grave. There are several cases where gay couples had been extremely careful in drafting their will, which however were overturned, leaving the surviving partner literally penniless. Whenever arrested, gay couples are forced to provide evidence and testify against their partners. Most gay couples, particularly the older ones have numerous such stories of injustices meted out to their friends or acquaintances. The testimony of a gay partner is as irrelevant as the testimony of a complete stranger, in most courts. In case the partner is jailed, the right to visit the partner is denied in most cases. In matters of law, arrest or imprisonment, the whims of a hostile family and the cooperation of a homophobic judge can have devastating effects on the gay couple. The discrimination is pathetically extended even to the children of gay couples, as gay parents are not able to get parenting rights when children are brought into their family, either by birth or through adoption. These are some civil rights issues, which are in no way connected to the nature of marriages. State laws, which provide for the rights of legally married couples, are denied for gay couples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gay couples are definitely not accorded equal rights, although the situation is improving and would one day catch up with those accorded to heterosexual couples. One must not forget that African-American marriages were not allowed, till the end of civil war. Until 1967, there were at least 15 states that prohibited interracial marriages. It required a US Supreme Court decision that year to ensure inter-racial marriages throughout the United States (Robinson). Same sex marriages are recent happenings, which were earlier not permitted anywhere in the world. The law is often the deciding factor in the fate of homosexuality like in November 2003 when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court termed the ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional. Legislators have indeed played an important role in the acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriages. However there is a lot more for them to do. There are many states in the US, which have yet not legalized gay marriages. Apart from US, there are only a few countries that have recognized homosexual relationships. Social acceptance is a major struggle for homosexuality, which however can begin only after its legalization. Given the progress in acceptability of homosexuality till now, it is evident that all constitutions should and one day, would legalize homosexuality. It should be noted here that the European Union had demanded Turkey to form more liberal laws on sex, as a condition for its membership. Once homosexuality and gay marriages are legalized, the law should provide for the rights of gay couples, and for individual partners. Gay couples should be allowed to live peacefully like any other family, raise children and plan for their future. Homophobic attitudes should be better identified and punished when it attempts to hinder the rights of gay couples. Gay couples too have the responsibility to stand up against victimization rather than suffer alone in silence, fearing social stigma. It is rightly appropriate here to mention the fact that Brendan Fay had lodged a complaint against the Polish president for using his marriage images to warn his countrymen against gay marriages. Fay’s marriage to his partner Tom Moulton, and their marriage certificate was shown in his televised address to the nation. Fay said he considered it to be an insult and has complained to the Polish Consulate in New York (Salazar).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The debate on providing equal rights to same-sex couples would go on. The public support for gay couples, would gradually translate to more support for marriage rights. However it is the law, which ultimately dictates on the right to gay marriages. The right of the individual to exercise his choice on his personal matters would ultimately be given to him, to enable him to select the gender of his partner. When South Africa’s highest court recognised same-sex marriages and decided to extend legal marital rights to gay couples, it became the first country to do so in a continent, which condemns homosexuality. It must be noteworthy to mention here that South Africa’s constitution is one of world’s most advanced and progressive constitutions. Constitutional reforms are important for any society to meet its trends and demands. Conservative societies should recognise and be willing to accept newer trends and passions. Just like racist discrimination was ruled out, a new dawn awaits the universal removal of discrimination to gay marriage; a dawn when all gay couples can live happily with all rights and liberties, without any fear or discrimination. â€Å"Although we cannot find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this state, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our state constitution,† said New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry T. Albin, while offering equal rights to same-sex couples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education too has an important role to play in understanding homosexuality. Understanding the demands and options of today’s lifestyle, is very crucial for any individual, and one should have the relevant education to take appropriate decisions. Our traditional educational policies should be revamped with the realities of today. Educators must let people know to what extent the law currently permits one to select the gender of the person he or she wishes to marry. Educators must be prepared to transform individuals as responsible persons capable of loving, marrying and raising a family, irrespective of the gender of the partner he or she would be married to. Recognition of same sex relationships as being equal to traditional marriages would drastically redefine the meaning of family (Knight, 1997). Educational policy makers should realize that they hold a sacred duty of imparting education and social skills incorporating relevance to homosexual society too. As the legalization of homosexuality and gay marriages are slowly but steadily gaining ground, one thing is clear; these steps will always progress in the same direction. Therefore education must also keep up closely in the same direction for the welfare of its beneficiaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The legislators have a moral responsibility to provide and ensure proper implementation of the marriage rights of gay couples, as civil and partnership laws cannot provide the same benefits as that of marriage (Johnson, 2007). The educators have a responsibility of not only transforming the society to be receptive of gay marriages, but also ensuring that gay couples succeed in every aspect of life. The society as a whole should not only integrate gay couples into its fold, unconditionally, but also be fully prepared to welcome newer lifestyle changes of tomorrow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   REFERENCES Don Willmott (2004) The Wedding Banquet [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008 from http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/The-Wedding-Banquet Berardinelli, James (1993) The Wedding Banquet [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008, from http://www.reelviews.net/movies/w/wedding_ban.html Salazar C. New York man files complaint against Polish president for anti-gay marriage speech. International Herald Tribune (19 Mar, 2008) [Electronic version] from http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/19/europe/EU-GEN-Poland-Gay-Rights.php American Psychological Association. Sexuality [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008, from http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.html#whatcauses   2008 Piazza M.S. Homosexuality and Christianity [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 20, 2008, from http://www.cathedralofhope.com Robinson B.A, (2008). The Buddhist religion and homosexuality [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 18, 2008, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_budd.htm Corvino John. Why shouldn’t Tommy and Jim have sex? A defence of homosexuality. Same Sex: Debating the ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. (1997). Bidstrup Scott, (2004). Gay Marriage: The arguments and the motives [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 18, 2008, from http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm Knight Robert,. How domestic partnerships and Gay marriage threaten the family. Insight bulletin, Family Research Council. (1997) Johnson, Ramon. (2007) Gay marriage around the world. [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 20, 2008, from http://gaylife.about.com/od/samesexmarriage/a/legalgaymarriag.htm

Gap Year After Graduation Essay Example for Free

Gap Year After Graduation Essay Nowadays, students leaving high school regularly travel, do voluntary work or a job in a gap year before going on to higher education. Undoubtedly, students occupy various benefits from experiments in gap year. It is apparent that after rigorous terms, a gap year which students possibly travel, volunteer society or do temporary work before deciding to join in higher education stimulates positively their practical and adaptive capability. Initially, those dynamic activities possibly enhance empirical ability of youngsters who passively acquire knowledge during high school. In evidence, learners feasibly comprehend miracles of foreign languages when they practice experimentally via travelling or voluntary work in abroad. More significantly, not only can a gap year improves practical ability but also enhances communication skill through youngster’s real factual experiences. Only by adapting to a changeable and flexible environment can students expend their personal skill and learn how to communicate effectively. Accordingly, a period time which students perform them after high school period effects advantageously to their practical and soft skill. That the young experience in gap year is not only a principal platforms which help them choose higher education form but also a chance to become more mature. A gap year with profound considerations cumulated by real experiments justifies what kind of higher education they are advisedly appropriate for. The young who are able to apply into universities and passionate studying advanced knowledge identify accurately their choice. Nevertheless, others who are appropriate for practicing in actual life also ascertain that their selection is vocation. Additionally, facing to challenge of real life leads them to be awareness profoundly of the changing world. Hardly can the young be mature when they always are protected carefully by parents and are not responsible for themselves. Briefly, a gap year is precious chances which support the young identify what they real want. Therefore, challenge in real life which students pass in a gap year is also valuable experiments for developing in the future.

Thomas Aquinas Impact On Western Thought Through Time Philosophy Essay

Thomas Aquinas Impact On Western Thought Through Time Philosophy Essay St. Thomas Aquinas was an Italian philosopher and theologian living between 1225 -1274 of the medieval period. Aquinas began his education at Montecassino, a monastery which became his first battle site. Thomas was later transferred to the University of Naples in France; this is where he came into contact with a newly found mendicant order of Preachers or Dominicans, and Aristotles philosophy. Aquinas became a Dominican, against the will of his family and eventually went to Paris to study, before going to Cologne with Albert the Great, a philosopher whose interest in Aristotle reinforced Aquinass own predilections  [1]  . Aquinas was a classical proponent of the natural theology at the onset of European Scholasticism, and is regarded as the founder of the Thomism school of philosophy and theology. Aquinass philosophy significantly influenced subsequent Christian theology, particularly that of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as Western philosophy in general. Thomass most signif icant and enduring works include the Summa Theologica  [2]  , an article that systematically expounds his mysticism of the quinquae viae and the Summa Contra Gentiles. Aquinas was well known for his contribution to Christian theology, but he was also a classical Aristotelian as well as an Empiricist, and he significantly influenced these two ideas of Western thought. Aquinas believed that truth is well revealed through both natural revelation and supernatural revelation-through faith as in the scripture, for these two elements, Aquinas was careful enough to separate them in a complementary rather than contradictory manner. He argued that, although Gods existence and His attributes may be easily deduced, specific aspects such as the Trinity and Incarnation may only be revealed through special revelation. As mentioned above, His two outstanding works are the Summa Contra Gentiles translated and published in English as the On the Truth of the Catholic Faith, and the Summa Theologica known as the Compendium of Theology. The former piece was broadly intended for non-Christians; while the latter significantly addresses Christians and is more of a philoso phical work on Christian theology. Aquinas utilized scriptures and traditions of the Catholic Church as the raw material data of his theology. He believed that these materials were produced by Gods revelation to humans throughout history. In addition, faith and reason are the two fundamental tools, which are necessary for processing and interpreting this raw data of theology with an aim of obtaining the true knowledge of God. Aquinas blends Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology to argue that God reveals himself to humans through nature. This implies that Gods nature can be studied through rational thinking as well as though the study of nature  [3]  . Aquinas proposed five statements regarding Gods divine qualities from his classical consideration of what God is not. This include: God is simple, He is devoid of matter or form or even body and soul; God is perfect, deficient of nothing; God is infinite, He is unlimited as He created all things, but humans are limited being, physically, rationally, and emotionally; God is immutable, inept of change with regard to His in nature and character; and God is one, His essence is the same as His existence. Aquinas also pioneered the Principle of Double Effect when it comes to ethical decisions. According to this principle, when an otherwise justifiable act such as self-defense is likely to cause an effect, then one may basically be obliged to avoid it for example if it results to the death of another  [4]  . Modern philosophy is a reaction in favor or against Aquinass views As outlined above, Thomas Aquinas has shaped modern worlds philosophy especially when it comes to theology and ethical philosophy. At large, modern worlds philosophy began in the sixteenth century; but nobodys system of philosophy has entirely corresponded to everybodys perception of certainty; bit to what, if set aside for mens perception, common men may not agree on what is common sense. Against all this, St. Thomass philosophy distinctively stands based on the universal common conviction that supports brotherhood of men, in their common consciousness that, all things attested by the ability of the senses originate from God  [5]  . Rene Descartess argument Rene Descartes is regarded as the Father of Modern Philosophy. Descartess system of thought depicts a major break away from all previous philosophical systems, mainly, away from Aristotle and Aquinas philosophy. For example, unlike Aquinas, a proponent for the tabula rasa model of the human mind (At birth, the human mind resembles a blank recording device and as one grows it records data from sensory experience), Descartes posited that human beings are born with innate thoughts and ideas, these ideas exist in their minds even at birth  [6]  . Further, Thomas Aquinas argued that if humans had innate ideas of Gods existence, then proof of His existence would be inappropriate and faith would be irrelevant as human beings would have direct knowledge and experience of Gods essence and nature. Thus, Descartes was trying to offer the world a philosophy which he thought was compatible with both the new world of science and the convention of Christian faith. However, his philosophy was hi deous to the Church. As a result, in the same way the Roman Catholic Church had condemned Galileo in 1633, thirty years later, it added Descartes work on its Index of proscribed reading material. John Lockes argument John Locke, an advanced philosopher of the seventeenth-century, effectively presents his argument against Descartes innate ideas, in a manner that is similar to that of Aquinas. Locke criticize Descartes claim that God must exist based on Descartes idea of God in his mind even though he (Descartes) has disconnected his mind from his senses. Locke argued that, holding such a claim is the same as believing that millions of gods must exist just because millions of different minds have ideas of millions of different gods. However, Locke used Descartes argument that in order to have a clear and distinctive idea of something one must have a clear understanding of that which they are having an idea about. Locke uses scripture to argue that in the Bible, no other belief clearly distinguishes a believer from an unbeliever except the belief that, Jesus is the Messiah, and He (Jesus), is able to save everyone who formed this belief with no requirement of other beliefs whatsoever  [7]  . Immanuel Kant argument From research, it is clear that St. Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant were born almost half a millennium apart and, on the exterior, the styles of argumentation of the two philosopher and their broad approaches to philosophy emerge as being equally distinct from each other; nevertheless, both philosophers aimed to congeal the essential knowledge of God. Kants metaphysics legitimately attempted to develop a kind of critical science that would guarantee the truth of knowledge. Similarly, Aquinas succeeded in arguing that some of the worlds most closely held beliefs can be justified in the course of rational thinking; exclusively, he tried to generate a wide-ranging argument in favor of the Gods existence, which supports the most central doctrines of the Catholic Church. Comparing Thomas Aquinas to Kent, one can argue that Thomas was more ensconced in the conventional hierarchy of the Catholic Church and interpretations of Gods existence than Immanuel Kant. Thomas main focus was placed u pon the issues and concerns regarding the relationship between God and man, in as well as the relationship between God and the natural world. Basically, he aimed at investigating the various aspects of the world that casts doubt to the existence of God, and as a result, why Gods existence is questioned so often. Ultimately, Aquinas writings would then be adopted as the accepted books of theology for the Catholic Church, and consequently, would strongly possess a kind of stigma for either those who were not Christians or not Catholics, especially after the protestant reorganization. Indisputably, in as much as, Aquinas arguments were definitely rational. This implies that, he purposed to draw an abstract of claims regarding the nature of God and mankind by examining physical anomalies. This distinguished him strongly from most of the modern philosophers, particularly with regard to the fact that he supposed that true faith required rational investigation; however, it made him similar to Immanuel Kant, who also believed that faith in God and salvation require critical analysis. Aquinass impact on the Catholic Churchs philosophy Aquinas believed that Gods existence is neither patently obvious nor is it beyond proof. In the Summa Theologica, Aquinas outlines five rational proofs (quinquae viae) for the existence of God, these include: God is an unmoved mover (ex motu), as everything that is moved is moved by God, the source of all motion. God is the cause of all things; this is argued though the argument of the first cause (ex causa), where everything that is caused is caused by God. Through the argument from contingency, Aquinas argues that Gods existence is not contingent of any other being. But the universe contains contingent beings as something cannot come of nothing. God is the pinnacle of perfection; it is from this lesser degrees of perfection derive their meaning. This is outlined in the argument from degree. The final argument is the teleological argument, also known as the argument from design (ex fine). According to this argument, all natural bodies in the world are in themselves unintelligent, and are guided by God to act towards ends rationally. Aquinas understood that Jesus Christ was ultimately divine and He (Jesus Christ) is not simply a human being or merely God in humanly inhabiting the body of Christ. Nonetheless, Aquinas posited that Christ also had a justly cogent human soul, resulting in a duality of natures that endured even after Incarnation. In essence, these two natures existed concurrently yet distinctively in a single existent human body. Aquinas is also credited for defining the four cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and fortitude. For these values, Aquinas held that they are revealed by nature and are and necessary for everyone. Further, he highlighted three theological virtues; faith, hope and charity, which are the chiefest, supernatural and distinctive from other virtues as their object is God. Furthermore, Aquinas distinguished four kinds of law: natural law-discovered by reason, eternal law- Gods decree that governs all creation), human law-natural law as applied by governments and institutions and divine law-this is specifically revealed in the scriptures  [8]  . According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate goal of human existence is to find eternal union and fellowship with God. He believes in life after death for those who have experienced Christs salvation and redemption while living on earth. The Incarnation is an adorable vision which will be granted to Christians as a perfect and everlasting happiness through understanding of the very quintessence of God. Thus, during an individuals existence on the earth, their life must be inclined toward right things such as peace, holiness and charity.

Ts Eliot Mood And Theme :: essays research papers

T.S. Eliot -mood and theme WITH REFERENCE TO THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK AND PREDULES. DISCUSS HOW T.S. ELIOT CONVEYS MOOD AND THEMES. Both Prufrock and Preludes are based in the same rootless world of sordid tedium. In Prufrock Eliot is conveying a theme a strong theme and is based heavily in the Persona of Prufrock himself. Preludes is a poem of changing moods, some subtle, some profound but this time conveyed primarily through diction and repetition. One theme of Eliot's, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, is the exposure of the modern individual's inability and refusal to address inadequacies that he sees in both him and his society. Two ways Eliot conveys his theme is through the persona of Prufrock and repetition . One method used by Eliot to expose this theme is his use of the persona of J Alfred Prufrock. Prufrock is in part a shallow conformist, 41 ....My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, 42 My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin- 43 (They will say: 'But how his arms and legs are thin!')...... However, almost tragically, Eliot has Prufrock aware of the shallowness of the society to which he conforms. 26 There will be time, there will be time 27 To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet. Prufrock observes his society's ability to totally disregard any question of substance, that is, the 'overwhelming'; questions. Yet despite his observations Prufrock is not prepared to confront his society, more importantly, himself. In deeper tragedy Prufrock is defeated by his knowledge of his inadequacies and states quite sincerely, 'And in short, I was afraid'; Two of the minor themes of 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' concern the frustrations felt by the individual towards their society. Specifically the individuals insignificance in their society and the individuals inability to express themselves and be understood as an individual within that society. Repetition plays a crucial role in conveying the theme of insignificance. The r epetition of, 'They will say:..';, conveys Prufrock's feeling of insignificance and reveal a man totally absorbed in the judgments of others and not at all concerned with his worth as an individual. Eliot's repetition of 'Do I dare?'; within the sixth stanza emphasises Prufrock's feeling of insignificance. 'Do I dare/ Disturb the universe?'; Despite the superficial judgments his society passes on him, Prufrock is still hesitant in speaking out against their empty lives.

Is There Life After Baby? Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Is There Life After Baby? During the last few years, my life consisted of frequent outings to movie theatres, days spent fishing, Saturday night dancing, fine dining, and many other activities. On July 18th, 2004, my son, Andrew Martin, was born. He is the first child born to my wife and myself. Moments after his birth, I became very aware that my life was about to change significantly, just as many people had informed me during my wife's pregnancy. In the five and a half short weeks he has been on this planet, it has become keenly aware to me that many changes are to come, some good, some great, and some bad. Virtually each and every week during my wife's pregnancy, at least one person told me how much my life was about to change. This was not a complete shock to me, as I did have some idea that my life would be different once my child came. The extent to which it has changed and will change, however, have been a bit of a surprise. My wife and I were married on April 25, 1998. Prior to our meeting, I frequented WPLJ's dance club in Walnut Creek almost every Friday and Saturday night. That is where I met her. On Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons, I could almost always be found viewing a first run movie in either the Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Concord, or Berkeley areas. If not at the movies on Saturday, I was quite often reeling in a fish at Lafayette Reservoir. Approximately two meals a day were purchased at a restaurant or fast food facility. Marriage did not have a significant change on any of these favorite activities of mine, the only exception being that the number of meals purchas ed outside of the home decreased to about five times a week. My son Andrew is six weeks old today. He has changed the lives of my wif... ...him up to tend to his needs.. He even has his own people who come to see him or who call to ask about him, such as Grandma Loretta or Uncle Carlos. My wife and myself were never this popular! You can be told many things about parenthood by many people, you can read numerous books about raising a child, you can even baby-sit another's child, but until you've had your own child, you have no idea of what you are in store for. My son has completely disrupted my life. He has turned it upside down. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way! He is a complete joy. Every time I pick him up and hold him or look into his beautiful blue eyes, I know that I am going to love him till the day I die. I look forward to his three siblings that my wife and I plan on having. Most parents would agree with me: a child leads to a lot of sacrifices and is a lot of work, but well worth it!

On the Grasshopper and Cricket Essay

In the first half of the poem ‘On the Grasshopper and Cricket’ Keats talks about the opulence of the summer season and deals with summer imagery and the grasshopper, similarly the second half is about the dullness of the winter season and deals with the cricket. â€Å" How does Keats explore Romantic Ideals in his poem On the Grasshopper and Cricket†? The poem is structurally similar to a sonnet because it has 14 lines, it can be divided into an octet and sestet and it is written in iambic pentameter. The poem has a definite rhyme scheme of abbabba cdecde. This use of form brings out the cyclic, eternal and perpetual life of nature. The use of imagery is unmistakably showing us the reverence for the natural world. Imagery is shown in the Octet summer afternoon as the hot sun, cooling trees, hedge and New-mown mead meaning meadow. In the Sestet winter evening its shown as lone winter evening, frost, stove and silence. This creates contrast from the pleasant and active mood, and lively environment created by the words ‘delights’ and ‘fun’ to the dismal and melancholy mood, and slow and peaceful environment created by ‘silence’ and ‘drowsiness’. ‘The poetry of earth is never dead’, this is the opening line of the poem. Reflecting the poet’s belief that the beauty of nature never ends and that the beauty of nature is an art form and it will never cease to exist. The Grasshopper portrays the enjoyment of summer that everyone partakes during this season. This is shown in line 7. ‘He has never done with his delights’. The assonance of the extended vowel sounds in ‘the new-mown mead’ reflects the environment of summer; this is contrasted with the harsh vowel sounds of ‘wrought a silence’ in winter, which shows how harsh winter is. Even though there is contrast between the summer and winter seasons, they are two separate beauties-summer being gentle and relaxing beauty, whereas winter is harsh and cold, yet still enchanting. Keats has explored Romantic Ideals in his poem through reverence for the natural world. The delineation was created through the use of contrast, assonance, imagery and rhyme. Using two characters such as the Grasshopper and the Cricket to visually impact the audience with thec impact nature has on us. The earth is beautiful and always will be.

Audience and Reception Essay

According to Communicating in the Workplace, by Thomas Cheesebro, Linda O’Connor, and Francisco Rios, no matter what type of informative speech or letter you have the opportunity to present, a key step in your preparation process is analyzing your audience. Consequently, you will need to spend some time finding out about your audience. To begin this process, you will want to determine the demographic composition of your listeners. Demographic characteristics are observable or measurable. They include factors such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and so on. (Pearson Education, 2010) Assertiveness is the tone you should use when presenting a letter to management. â€Å"Assertiveness is stating what you think, feel, want, or need in a way that is direct, honest, and respectful of others. Specific purposes identify the desired audience response at the conclusion of your speech.†(Communication in the workplace, 2012) In other words, what do you want your listeners to know, think,or do after they have heard your presentation? Although you do not actually state the specific purpose in the context of your speech, you use this statement to give direction to the development and organization of your information. According to Communicating in the Workplace, by Thomas Cheesebro, Linda O’Connor, and Francisco Rios, to be effective, a specific purpose statement should meet the following guidelines: It should be a complete sentence, It should contain only one key idea. And It should be stated in measurable terms. â€Å"Think of the central idea as the core or foundation of your presentation. A central idea states, in a single sentence, the essence of the speech. It needs to be clear, concise, and focused for the audience. So important is this central idea that the effectiveness of the entire presentation is largely dependent upon it. It tells the audience what the speech is all about and prepares your listeners for the information that is to come.†(Pearson Education, 2010) In summary, â€Å"keep in mind that developing the skills are required to deliver effective presentations can increase your confidence and success both personally and professionally. The process of analyzing your audience, selecting a topic, determining your specific purpose, and formulating your central idea will enable you to achieve a truly memorable presentation.†(Communication in the workplace, 2012) Not doing so can really hurt your presentation, and your credibility.

Mapping the Issue

Tammy Lin ENGL 1302 051 Brittain 5/11/12 Trimming the Fat of a Growing Problem Obesity is becoming a major problem to many Americans as well as many people around the world. Being the second cause of preventable death in the United States, obesity increases the risk of numerous adverse health problems including breast cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis, colon cancer, stroke, and more. Obesity is defined as an excess proportion of total body fat, with a person being considered obese if his or her weight is twenty percent or more above normal body weight.A common way to measure obesity is by calculating the body mass index. An individual is considered overweight if his or her BMI is between twenty five and thirty, while a person is seen as obese if his or her BMI is over thirty. With that said, it has been estimated that sixty million Americans twenty years and older are obese, which makes up thirty percent of the adult population; meanwhile, nine million children and teenagers ages six to nineteen are overweight. The number of overweight and obese Americans has increased since 1960, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down.In this paper I will review three main positions regarding the issue of ways to approach the multiplying rate of obesity. First, there are those who advocate for the implementation of fat taxes. With the administration of taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, this group believes that it will significantly discourage the consumption of such foods and will, in turn, promote healthy and responsible eating. Second, there are those who remain persistent in maintaining the privacy of one’s decision making concerning food intake.With the expansion of diverse kinds of food production, this group considers an individual’s food preference as unique, exclusive, and personal. Third, there are those who believe that lowering the costs of healthy foods will encourage the purchase of nourishing and health-benefiting foods. They embrace the belief that most people would eat healthier if the food was more affordable. The first position is the support of fat taxes. The people who stand in this position are those who are concerned with America’s public health issue today, especially the issues centering on obesity. Lisa Baertlin recently ublished an article on Reuters, an international news agency headquartered in the UK, entitled â€Å"Battle Lines Drawn over Soda, Junk Food Taxes† in response to the the wide-growing obesity epidemic today, with the proposition that fat taxes could help save individuals their health and money. She claims that taxes could help make up for the at least one hundred and forty seven billion dollars spent on treating diseases related to obesity and fund programs that battle for this issue. According to U. S. lawmakers, soda tax is one of the most probable sources that would most likely be used to tackle healthcare reform.In relativity to the taxing of cigarettes , these people believe that by taxing soda, it would also similarly reduce consumption and its revenue stream; by taxing more than ten percent for beverages, purchases would be cut down by eight to ten percent. According to a recent Thomson Reuters survey included within Baertlin’s article, â€Å"about fifty-eight percent of Americans are willing to bear a tax increase of one percent or more to support healthcare reform† (Baertlin 1), which proves that more than half of American citizens are willing to take a step forward for the promotion of a healthy nation.Writers like Baertlin sympathize with those who are in the center of the public health crisis today, specifically â€Å"overweight adolescents who are starting to suffer problems that used to plague middle-aged adults† (1). Baertlin herself is in favor of administering fat taxes and is certain that levies on fattening foods are an essential factor of any anti-obesity endeavor. The food industry plays a larg e part in the causes of obesity. Most food companies are culpable of false advertisement, which swallows consumers into their too-good-to-be-true trends.Journalist Karlee Weinmann contributed a piece to Business Insider concerning food companies’ false advertisement. In the article â€Å"14 False Advertising Scandals That Cost Brands Millions†, Weinmann states that for companies that cross the line to making false claims, it can cost millions of dollars, while also having to face public negativity. However, even with all this said, will companies modify their marketing policies for the greater good, or will they uphold their profits as far more important than a consumer’s right to know the truth?More than likely, most brands will continue to false advertise their products, which is why these people in this group believe that fat taxes are efficient in lowering consumption of soda and other health-stripping foods. According to Weinmann, â€Å"there’s a bi g difference between pushing the truth and making false claims. Is a product really ‘scientifically proven’, and are ‘results guaranteed’? † (Weinmann 1). Food brands such as Activia yogurt, Splenda, Kashi, and Eclipse gum have been caught with such false advertisement scandals; the more unhealthy the food really is, the more beneficial its company would make it seem.Writers like Weinmann identify with those who have been misled by deceitful food claims made by the companies they trusted. Therefore, supporters of fat taxes are certain that the implementation of fat taxes would solve these complications by creating more awareness and heedfulness when consumers purchase junk foods. The second position is the promotion of health education and that one’s food choice should not be hindered or influenced to reduce obesity. The people who stand in this position believe that an individual should have choices in the items he or she buy, and be guilt-fre e.In the article â€Å"Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health Issue† published in International Journal of Preventive Medicine†, writer Amar Kanekar states that the main cause of childhood obesity in today’s public health crisis in both developed and underdeveloped countries is because of the disproportion between the child’s caloric intake and the calories effectively used for growth/development and physical activities. To these people, what we eat is not the sole reason of the cause of obesity; genetic, behavioral, and environmental are all constituents of childhood obesity.Moreover, many health-related risks are present when a child is obese; negative body-image and low self-esteem inevitably result in psychological and social issues. Cardiovascular disease, increased cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure are all possible potential health risks involved and that there is, indeed, â€Å"preventive programs that help regulate obesity by educatin g individuals about healthy nutrition and diseases† (Kanekar 2). According to a report presented from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in the years of 2007-2008, there was an estimation that â€Å"16. % of children and adolescent in the age group of 2-19 years were obese†¦The data collected for the same period shows that the adolescent (age group 12-19 years) obesity has increased from 5. 0 to 18. 1%† (2). By letting people know about health hazards and the importance of physical exercise, the chance of obesity could greatly decrease. Those who are pro-food-choice would side with Kanekar in that they believe there should not be any direct government intervention with food costs, but that there should be a public informing of the effects commonly eaten unhealthy foods would result in.Kanekar, Baertlin, and Weinmann all believe that the prevalence of obesity seen in children and adults is increasing and that some form of action must be done. While th ese writers see and support the benefits of the reduction of junk food intake, Kanekar is more focused on declaring health education, with the hope of lowering BMI and the rate of weight gain. All three authors recognize the importance of lowering consumption of fatty foods, but the position here does not endorse the advocating of fat taxes. The third position is lowering the costs of healthy foods.The people who stand in this position believe that by decreasing the costs of healthful foods sold, there would be a habit shift in the people’s purchases of fatty foods to foods that are much more nutritional. Journalist Katherine Bauer published an article entitled â€Å"Price and Availability Matter† in Room for Debate, a running commentary by outside contributors from The New York Times, where she states the â€Å"lack of access to high quality, reasonably priced fruits and vegetables and other healthful foods has been associated with poorer diets and, in many cases, hi gher risk for obesity.This is especially true among lower-income individuals whose purchasing habits are more sensitive to the cost of food† (Bauer 1). There is strong evidence that shows a clear impact between change in food access and the pricing on one’s purchasing habits. For example, there are programs that decrease the cost of healthier foods, which resulted in the increased purchasing of the healthier foods. Cheaper prices on healthy foods reduce one’s weight, even if the cost of junk foods remains the same price. A news report conducted from the USDA observed the BMI of children and how it changed in correlation to food prices.It was shown that â€Å"if the price of 100% juice decreases 10%, BMIs decreased . 3%. The same process works for lowfat milk (. 35% decrease) and dark, leafy vegetables (. 28% decrease)† (2). Moreover, Bauer identifies with those who receive low-income and struggle with the purchase of healthy foods, and also with those who believe that it is not only the wealthy that ‘deserve’ the most benefits from the healthy aisles in the food market. Bauer’s views is relatively similar with Baertlin, Weinmann, and Kanekar, in that public attitudes towards obesity and obesity policy should be given much more ttention than it is now, but Bauer herself has a different approach in this matter, especially from Kanekar. She believes that health education may not be sufficient enough to cause a significant awareness in individuals that junk foods should no longer be habitually purchased. Instead, she considers the perspective that by lowering healthy foods, there would be an effective overall change in the nation’s weight and BMI and that the idea would more readily fit within one’s budget.Works Cited Page Baertlein, Lisa. â€Å"Battle lines drawn over soda, junk food taxes. † Reuters [Los Angeles] 1 Sept 2009, n. pag. Print. Katherine, Bauer. â€Å"Price and Availability Matter. † New York Times. (2011): 1-2. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. Kanekar, Amar. â€Å"Childhood Obesity: A Global Public Health Issue. † Int J Prev Med. (2011): 2. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. Weinmann, Karlee. â€Å"14 False Advertising Scandals That Cost Brands Millions. † Business Insider. (2011): 1-2. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. <www. businessinsider. com>.

History and Culture Essay

Too long the country has been deprived of its national pride and independence. By 1911-1912, the foreigners were everywhere. The best way was to use them as sponsors for our changes, and let them call me â€Å"a dictator [corrupt and †¦ brutal] surrounding himself as soon as’ he could with some of the most despicable Chinese agents of the old regime; favoured [†¦] by foreign financiers [in the lust for] money and power and the means of extravagance and debauchery. † This year, the things are really disastrous. China’s foreign debt reaches 900 million taels. The dynasty has gone bankrupt undertaking expensive reforms of the governmental administration, military and educational system. The new regime followed the West in the enchantment with democratic elements of constitution, representative assemblies, separation of governmental powers, and political parties. On my side, I was more interested to pacify gentry and to centralize state power having been dissolved after foreign intrusions and imperialistic affairs. For me as President, therefore, the prior task is to obtain the loan from the Four Group Powers in order to keep a strong and obedient military resource to establish the right type of government. My fame played to the benefit of the task. I do remember how Dr. Morrison, the then political adviser to the Chinese Government, was trading with Mr. Crisp, the head of the firm of C. B. Crisp & Co, about the loan to pay for our administration needs this year, in 1912. We needed it badly in order not to depend so greatly on the Four Power Group, not to speak about Russia and Japan with their greed in regard to concessions. Then, the last persuasion for the â€Å"hard nut† Crisp to lend us ? 10,000,000 was delivered by Morrison in the words about my dictatorial position being the â€Å"benefit† of China. I am afraid, though, that we will have to owe the Four Group Allies ? 500,000,000, at the rate of ? 100,000,000 a year, not to forget about Japan and Russia trying to cut the fattest pieces of our cake in terms of territory, commerce and politics. Now I shall speak about my plans for the future. I really want to establish a â€Å"no-squeeze policy. † I believe that the modern Chinese state and nation should be centralised. The first step to do is to preserve the capital, thus, the centre of administrative authority, in Peking for the whole period of my office of President. Second, as I have never been a republican, I think about establishing a sort of a military dictatorship. I was often called the â€Å"strong man,† â€Å"a reputed reactionary,† and â€Å"arbitrary, tyrannical and self-indulgent† by my contemporaries, and, no doubt, I will be labelled like this by later researchers. My political opponents from the Kuomintang went even further referencing to me as nothing more than â€Å"[t]he fat bewhiskered general†. But even they can not deny that it was I who could build a strong army and placating fighting camps. That is why, in my opinion, there is no need to let those wordy democrats to spend time, effort and money on elections and the qualifications of voters. Let me stay â€Å"the strong dispenser of law and order† identifying the course of state policy by myself. Consequently, I plan to get rid of those tries to establish â€Å"popular sovereignty in the form of political parties and representative assemblies. † I watch them reorganising Sun Yat-sen’s Revolutionary Alliance into the Guomindang, or Nationalist Party, to dominate National Assembly after its election in December, 1912. I know that the trifle show with democratic elections for National/provincial/county assemblies could jeopardise the institute of centralised power I am planning to introduce. Later on, I will force the National Assembly to elect me as president for a long term, better for five years. Then, I will kick the Guomindang from the parliament because they are likely to assume too much political weight. The best solution will be also to dissolve all the assemblies that resemble a boiling pot, so â€Å"risky and messy† they are. Finally, I will do my best to consolidate all the state power in the hands of one person, and that person would be I. The best form to centralise power is monarchy, how ever discredited it has become. How about the British or Japanese constitutional model of the Emperor co-existing with the parliament? Lately, the title of â€Å"Grand Constitutional Emperor† has occurred to my mind as the best definition of the political system I want to achieve. Reanimating Confucianism as a state religion, there would be a chance to resurrect also the ideology of monarchism and to get back to traditional values, seeing also to the better economic and education opportunities to provide the nation with wealth and development. Bibliography Bowman, John S. , ed. Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000. Cantlie, James, and C. Sheridan Jones. Sun Yat Sen and the Awakening of China. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1912. Croly, Herbert. Willard Straight. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924. Eastman, Lloyd E. â€Å"The May Fourth Movement as a Historical Turning Point: Ecological Exhaustion, Militarization, and Other Causes of China’s Modern Crisis. † In Perspectives on Modern China: Four Anniversaries, edited by Thomas P. Bernstein et al. Armonk, NY: An East Gate Book, 1991, 123-138. Hyndman, H. M. The Awakening of Asia. New York: Boni and Liveright, 1919. Leang-Li, T’Ang. China in Revolt: How a Civilization Became a Nation. London: N. Douglas, 1927.

Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation Essay Example for Free

Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation Essay According to Eunson (2006, p.15) there are four main criteria to be considered when choosing the medium/s of communication to best articulate an argument: Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation. Select one of the criteria and discuss its importance to a communication situation. Any successful communication process requires the presence of a message, appropriate medium   and the desired message’s effect on the receiver.   Ã‚  To effect success in communication, it is important to use a suitable medium based on the Preferences criterion. Modern technologies have greatly facilitated human communication. However, as Priestley’s Paradox illustrates, people get to actually communicate less as communication technologies further advance (Eunson 2006, p.4). Hence, for effective communication, it is more important to consider the message and the effect of that message on the receiver (Eunson 2006, p.7). The successful transfer of message and its effect, however, largely depends on the communication mode used or â€Å"preferred†. The medium is crucial to the effect of a message because as emphasized by Marshall McLuhan (Lister 2003), â€Å"societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media† . In other words, the medium is the message. A case in point would be a Human Resource Department in an office where the HR Manager normally ‘prefers’ communicating with his staff through memos and e-mail notifications. But being a smart manager, he or she will not hesitate to utilize other media as needed, according to the importance of the message and the desired effect to the recipients. He or she may ‘prefer’ to personally discuss an individual’s unsatisfactory ‘Performance Assessment Report’, earlier sent as is via individual e-mail, through   one-on-one review. The richness of media (Daft & Lengel 1986, p.557) effected by direct face-to-face discussion is ‘preferred’ to the e-mail channel, which in this case plays a secondary role as preparatory medium of documentation. Herein, interpersonal communication appropriate to a small group (Baker, Barrett & Roberts 2002, p.11), is considered and selected to amplify the Report’s â€Å"warning† content with the goal of effecting the desired change in the staffer’s behaviour. Exploring â€Å"Preferences† in choosing media is vital to effectively convey the message. Since the medium, which helps shape the content, is mostly the message itself and that the message’s effect on the receiver is affected by the medium, selecting the suitable channel from a range of Preferences becomes crucial to any effective communication. Baker, E. Barrett, M. & Roberts, L 2002, Working Communication , John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Daft, R. L. and Lengel, R. H. 1986 â€Å"Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design,† Management Sci. , Vol. 32, No.5, pp. 554–571. Eunson, B . 2006, Communicating in the 21 st Century , John Wiley & Sons, Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Lister, M 2003, New Media: A Critical Introduction , Routledge, London. Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation. (2017, Mar 01).

Business Ethics issues involved in insider trading Essay

Business Ethics issues involved in insider trading - Essay Example company leaking information to outsiders on the deals and handshakes taking place inside the firm and with the firm and parties outside the firm. If insider trading is prevalent, why must we consider the ethical aspects of insider trading? According to Joseph Des Jardins, â€Å"unlike some business disciplines, there is no single answers in ethics, no single body of information, nor even a single framework for thinking about ethics† (9). ... It will make business ethics beyond definition thereby depriving businessmen of a tool with which to marshal their companies along line that will promote profitability and business sustainability. Businessmen are neither philosophers nor academics although they have to study philosophy and the academic sides of a business. They are not individuals who muse by the hour and become contented and fulfilled with their musings. They are not philosophers who simply reflect on life and derive satisfaction the longer the hours they spend on reflection. Businessmen are not academics out to grasp theories and advance knowledge: businessmen thirst for knowledge just like academics but they are principally users of knowledge. Businessmen may advance knowledge as they advance their business in the same way that computer, internet, and information technologies have advanced as a result of business activity. However, advancing knowledge is not the businessman’s objective but making a profit. Of course, businessmen derive satisfaction as his or her business grows, take a leading role in the industry, employ an increasing number of employees, become recognized in society, and becomes a power or at least influential in society as his or her business shape society’s lifestyle, and outlook in the same way that the businesses of Bill Gates transformed the lives of people in the 21st century. Businessmen are individuals out to make profit and survive in the competition of business. Therefore, the appropriate or relevant perspective on ethics is that one that should enable them to make profit, survive in the competition, survive in society, and if possible be ahead of the competition if not society as a whole. On the other hand consumers are becoming critical of

Managed Care and Children with Chronic Illness Case Study - 1

Managed Care and Children with Chronic Illness - Case Study Example However, distinct criteria are utilized by managed care providers to distinct degrees of medical care requirements. The recent decades are marked by the attachment of great value to such groups by the states that are faced with high levels of medical needs with an intention of including the poor and the needy in the healthcare programs. Nevertheless, the provision of these services has been limited by certain factors, thus leading to the denial of these services to some children with chronic ailments despite their being needy. Nevertheless, managed care has a rationale of providing care services at reduced costs to the patients as well as treatment efficiency measures are of high levels (Perkin, Swift, and Newton 2007). The discussion in this paper is a case study to investigate and establish Managed care and children with chronic illness. The comprehension of this will be enhanced by the study of the scope of the managed care as well as the chronic illnesses that need the managed care. In addition, it is deemed crucial to establish the managed care providers as well as the rationale for such services when provided to patients. More crucial, an explanation will be provided for the criteria which children with chronic disease are covered or denied by managed care (HMO, MEDICAID). Managed care is a term utilized in the US in the description of a diversity of techniques that are put to use with the intention of decreasing the healthcare costs. They are also deemed as a rationale for the provision of benefits of health as well as the improvements of care quality provided by the practitioners. The systems in use are those that imply financing and delivering health care benefits and service to those that enrol. Hence, they are often referred to as healthcare concepts and techniques that are managed by a responsible body. The intentions for the steer towards the utilization of such programs are inclusive of the reduction of the healthcare care costs, some of which are deemed unnecessary via the use of, particularly viable mechanisms.     

Online Consumer Protection Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Online Consumer Protection - Term Paper Example Online consumer protection has become one of the most important and controversial issues that have been raised since the wide use of internet started on the globe. Internet has sped up the development of online businesses, commerce, commercial services and marketing, providing the consumers a much interacting environment with the companies. Many laws and legislations have been passed, since the new millennium started, regarding the protection and privacy of consumers or, in other words, internet users. This has helped in bringing order and standardization in the internet marketplace. These legislations will, of course, keep on getting adjusted according to the ever changing needs, demands and contributions of internet marketing so as to guarantee the consumers’ protection at all costs. Along with the growing trend of trading over the internet, â€Å"many unusual consumer issues have arisen that have required both regulatory agencies such as the FTC and the legislative branche s to pass new rules and laws† (eNotes, 2009). On one hand, consumers choose the modern fashion of interacting with the world through the internet commerce and telecommunication, and on the other hand, they are also concerned about having their important information protected and not disclosed. For example, consumers do not want their personal information, addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers to be given out to wrong authorities when they make online transactions with wholesale and retail companies that offer various commercial services.

Healthful Eating for Weightlifters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthful Eating for Weightlifters - Essay Example The awareness for such healthy outlook is more universal now than ever before. There are more fitness camps, more gyms in the neighborhood, more health and fitness equipment and facilities, and those who do not have access to these or do not feel their need have viable alternatives in aerobics and yogic stances. (Robert J. Buresh, MS, et al). The first step towards the achievement of good health and physique is proper diet and exercise. This paper is focused on healthful eating for weightlifters. As such, we are going to concentrate on those muscles that help weightlifters. There are muscles for activities such as marathon runners. These muscles are made up of Type 1 fibres and are ideally suited for runners and other activities of aerobic nature. The Type 2 fibre muscles develop for the purpose of short bursts of energy and are ideal for weight lifters. (Jonny Bowden). Therefore, the diet and exercises for weightlifters are framed after examining two factors. Factor number one is the weightlifter. Diet and exercise comprise factor number two. In order to satisfy the criteria for factor number one, the weightlifter's age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, present state of health, health history, and disability (if any) are recorded. The recording of data for factor number two will include present diet and physical activities, heart beat and pulse rates, calories level, and health related problems (if any). 4. Healthy Eating and Exercises It may not be possible to obtain the complete regimen of diet and exercise suitable for a particular person in one day. Getting hold of the regimen is the first step. Gradually, the process may undergo changes as the weightlifter continues on the diet and workouts, and upgrades to diets and physical activities which help in performance improvements. As a first step, the regimen comprises the following. 4.1 Nutrition The nutrition that results from dietary intake in our bodies is necessary for all of us. The body will simply collapse without nutrition. It is necessary for our health. Nutrition helps combat diseases, and cushions the effects of fatigue. It is important that the weightlifter consumes diet of the right nutritional value to suit his needs. The diet has got to be such that the conversion of body fat into muscle is easily achieved when combined with exercise. 4.2 Essential to Long Life A diet that provides healthy nutrition is essential for long life which is free from sickness and infirmities. It is important for the weightlifter to bear in mind a positive lifestyle is one of the key ingredients in performance improvement issues. Performance is not only related to diet and exercises but it is a matter of the mind as well. After

Supply Chain Mgmt for Best Buy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply Chain Mgmt for Best Buy - Essay Example This may be achieved by addressing the customer issues relating to the size, specification and time of demand so that they meet their desires with convenience. This is possible by introducing online customer care services where customers can make enquiries from their homes and get appropriate feedback. This approach will help the company in tracking the behaviour trend of the clients in terms of needs. In-depth and long term relationship with the suppliers: Due to the prevailing global economic uncertainties, it would be safe for Best buy to adopt positive working relationship with the suppliers to track their ability in terms of reliable inventory stocking and ensuring that they have efficient modes of replenishing its stock. Deeper understanding of the supplier will help the firm to formulate and establish supply chain management system that suites the suppliers policies and system and this goes down to cut costs, improve efficiency and encourage innovation. Best buys should adopt a partnership policy that proposes use of same technology for easy co-ordination of supply activities in response to the market demand to avoid customer disappointment which will translate to financial and social cost to the firm. Internal control measures: Best buys need to consider developing sound internal control system that would give guideline on how to achieve its set goals. It is important that tit observe the minimal use of pricing as a competitive strategy but rather adopt other approaches that would give it optimal costing and revenues. To achieve this, they need to develop a system that will help all the management teams to retrieve any information and liaise with both suppliers and distributors. This would help in maintaining continuous flow of inventory thereby eliminating supply cut-off to the advantage of its online competitors like Amazon and EBay. Emphasis on IT technology