The Hyper Modern City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hyper Modern City - Essay Example In ‘Drifting in Las Vegas: A Postmodern Ethnography’(1995), the author speaks of how American, British, as well as other geographies have been shaped to be similar to Las Vegas and other brands to make cities as carnivals: The super-hyper version is Las Vegas. I call Las Vegas the Versailles of America ... long after Las Vegas’ influence as gambling heaven has gone, Las Vegas’ forms and symbols will be influencing American life. That fantastic skyline! Las Vegas’ neon sculpture, its fantastic fifteen-story high display signs, parabolas, boomerangs, rhomboids, trapezoids and all the rest of it, are already staple design of the American landscape outside of the oldest parts of the oldest cities. They are all over every suburb, every subdivision, every highway ... They are the new landmarks of America, the new guideposts, the new way Americans get their bearings (Wolfe 1965, p. xvi) The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2003) defines utop ia as â€Å"(the idea of) a perfect society in which everyone works well with each other and is happy†. Due to technological advances, the speed of our lives has increased with the speed of communication, fast foods, and the information age so much so that we try to create our own utopia. Like the thousands of images flashing before our eyes on television, at the cinema, everywhere, we want it our way and we want it now.

The Sun and the Moon Essay Example for Free

The Sun and the Moon Essay There are many myths out there on the moon and sun about their power to control our health, behavior, and personality. Most people do not know how the moon and the sun can affect us. In this essay I will explain why and how the sun and moon affect us. The moon and the sun can have a positive and negative role on our health, behavior, and personality. The sun and the moon have a positive and negative role on our health. The positive role the sun is that it can help our pineal gland, in the blood, the internal organs like the liver and heart, give us vitamin D, and treatment for illness. Evidence is accumulating that strongly suggests that light is an important environmental factor, along with food, water, and air, in regulating our bodies’ physiological functions. Sunlight has at least one positive effect on the human skin which is vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in the skin that is exposed to UVR. The negative role is that the sun can give us cancer, damage the skin, damage the eyes, give us wrinkles, and actinic keratosis. Sunburning is the most dangerous of the entire negative role of the sun. Sunburns can cause skin cancer and damage to the skin. The moon positive role on our health is folk medicines. Most people do not believe in folk medicines, but speaking from experience there is several that have work that I have try myself. Thresia Paulose said that there are strong evidences that a lunar eclipse have some effect on the hormones, especially a woman’s monthly cycle and fertility. The negative role the moon as is it can affect the physiological process. When the moon is in an eclipse it may cause heart related diseased, breathing trouble, coughs, colds, insomnia, stress, impatience, insecurity, indecisiveness, fear, and mood swings. Exposing yourself to an open lunar eclipse may even lead to mental imbalance and lycanthropy. Now, this leads us to how the moon and sun affects your behaviors. The sun and the moon both affect our emotions, the crime, and sex drive. The sun affects the pineal gland which is intimately associated with sexual maturation. Light from the sun that come in from the eyes creates impulses which is sent to the pineal gland and decrease its level of functioning. Controlled studies in Arctic have demonstrated such things as low sex drive and potency, insomnia, weakness, loss of hair, and general depression and irritability. Common diseases was reported by the commission were dermatitis, rheumatism, and miner’s nystagmus. Those that were afflicted with nystagmus exhibited symptoms of anxiety, tremor, listlessness, and loss of equilibrium as well as the rapid, involuntary eye movements typical of the disease. This participle problem is because by poor lighting it was easily prevented and nearly has disappeared with the advent of artificial illumination in mines. The high rates of emotional problems among the Eskimo, and the miners are from lack of sunshine. We heard all the time when there is a full moon how people start to act crazy. When there is a full moon the crime rate for that night goes up. Even if the medical world have not reached any conclusion that a full moon have a physical effect on people, that the beliefs are capable of producing psychological effect may pave way to discoveries on this subject. There are plenty of studies out there on how the moon and sun affects our personality. The psychics will uses the sun and the moon as signs. Astrology has something to do with the general involvement of it to creation of man over nature and nature over matter. It involves also science of astrology that dwells and imposed the connection of astrological matter into our personality or entire aspect of our life. The Zodiac is made up of 12 different sun signs. Your date of birth determines which one you are. The 12 different sun signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The Zodiac Sign where the Moon was present when you were born into this world is your Moon sign. When the Moon is in a certain sign of the zodiac, then the characteristics of that sign will change the moons expression. The sun and the moon may help us in different ways, but they are most important in our life. There are many things that the moon and sun can do that people do not believe in. Knowing how both the sun and moon affects us will better help us control our health, personality, and behavior.

The Impacts Of Tourism On National Parks Tourism Essay

The Impacts Of Tourism On National Parks Tourism Essay Tourism is a growing industry, and may bring diverse impacts upon popular locations. The impacts of tourism can be positive or negative, affecting economic, social and environmental spheres in certain areas. Around the U.K there are 15 National Parks with beautiful areas of mountains, moorlands, woods and wetlands (National Parks 2011). A National park is an area of countryside protected by government (usually relating to the environment) that everyone can visit. Different, non-governmental organisations also look after the landscape, wildlife and assess impacts from tourism, serving to further achieve sustainability (outcomes of tourists). This includes the Environmental Act 1995, which stated two main purposes for National Parks in England: conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area and promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the environment. National Parks also aim to boots the economy of the area and social well being for the local community (Nationa l Parks 2011). Moreover, despite Government intervention, impacts on tourism are still greatly felt in National Parks especially in terms of (mainly) negative impacts on the environment. The most famous and largest National Park in the U.K would be The Lake District. The Lake District area contains 16 lakes, more than 150 high peaks and is the only National Park in England with over four 3000 foot mountains (Ledingham, 2007). The Lake District attracts more than 12 million visitors every year by the variety of different locations and natural beauty (Wyatt, 2009). However, tourism contains the seeds of it own destruction (Weaver, 2001: p24). Mass-tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on the landscape and upon local communities. As much as tourism brings many benefits to an area (especially for the economy), mass tourism is likely to cause environmental degradation (physical, social etc) on some level. This is the argument that tourism can essentially destroy itself in the over-use of relatively small areas. Therefore, this essay aims to demonstrate and critically analyse the economical, environmental and social impacts of tourism on the Lake District and to review past and present legislative measures designed to reduce the possibly negative effects of increased tourism in an area. Economic Impacts The main aims in developing Cumbria in terms of economic is to equip local authorities and partners with a common understanding of local economic conditions and economic geography and of the social and environmental factors that impacts on economic growth (Cumbria 2011). This shows that The Lake District is a key target to achieve economical growth whilst following the decree of sustainable development, to meet not only needs in terms of area development, but also to look for the right approach for the community in general. As Park (2007) stated: sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Park, 2007). Latest data from Cumbria Tourism indicate that in 2009 there were 5 million overnight visitors to Cumbria as well as 36 million day trippers (Peck, and Mulvey 2010). It is estimated that these visitors generate a total of  £2bn to the Cumbrian economy and support over 32,000 jobs (Peck, and Mulvey 2010). Tourism is the main creator of employment and economical stability in The Lake District, by creating tourist attractions and developing the infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants and different facilities. This creates a multiplier effect as increases in spending from tourists produces an increase in the economy of an area. Moreover, this increase in tourism in The Lake District helps to generate work for local people, however, this may create more low-skilled (and thus low paid) jobs such as car park attendants or waiters and many of these jobs are also seasonal. Nevertheless, unemployment in Cumbria reached a plateau at just over 2.5% in 2008, though latest figures for Octobe r 2010 indicate that there are 7,525 applicants on Job seeker allowance which represents 2.4% of total working population (Peck and Mulvey 2010). In some cases, this may be due to seasonality as more jobs are likely to be available during the summer months. The Lake District also generates much environmental interest in tourism. For example The Osprey has provided a formidable boost in tourism, and in 2007 attracted half a million visitors. Moreover, around 100,000 people visit ospreys each season generating  £1.68m, of which  £420,000 was re-invested in the osprey project (Kenmir, 2008) The Lake District projects protect the environment through tourist spending, which also boosts the economy of this particular area (e.g. creating new jobs). Conversely, tourism can have a negative impact upon The Lake district. Due to the amount of people visiting each year the local goods are becoming more expensive because tourists are able to pay more for products (National Parks 2011). Therefore, this impacts heavily upon the locals as their salaries may not cover the costs of the products this may lead to locals resenting large tourist influxes. Moreover, low wages levels have led to a gap between local incomes and house prices the average in the National Park  £314,730 which, as an mean, is fairly high (Lake District 2011). However, Government policy towards this issue is to balance environmental control and landscape capacity i.e. through constructing new accommodation and by meeting local needs by making living more affordable (Moss, 2010). Nevertheless, as much as the increase in the amount of visitors in The Lake District generates huge amounts of revenue, a lot of this income goes in refurbishment and in protecting the environment from daily visits. Environmental Impacts The Lake District is one of the biggest National Parks in the U.K and the outstanding natural environment brings in over 12 million tourists every year, with many of the visitors being international. In early 1883 whilst The Lake district was being developed, The Lake District Defence Society was created to protect the region from damaging human development in an age of railways and the emergence of mass tourism (Sutton, 2007). In recent years there has been an increase in the numbers of short breaks and off-season breaks in the Lake District, as more people take their main holidays abroad (LDNPA, 2005). Moreover, the visitors who are staying in the National Parks are seeking out different types of holidays and experiences (LDNPA, 2005). There has been a rise in active sports, for example water sports as shown in the case study of Windermere lake, however, power boats, jet skis etc. were causing damage to the natural environment through pollution of the lake and physical disturbance of the wildlife in the area. Therefore, one of the legislative measures put forward by the government was a 10mph limit on the lake to reduce this disturbance and reduce the environmental impact upon Lake Windermere (BBC 2005). However, this had negative impacts on the economy of The Lake District. When the speed limit was imposed, demand of tourists visiting this destination decreased specifically for this reason (i.e. water sp ort activities were therefore indirectly abolished). This specific facility was a high source of income for this area however, by reducing the willingness of tourists to visit this place, it has decreased the income generated less income may result in less funding for environmental projects. Due to the main form of transportation of visitors to the Lake District being the car, with limited parking areas and spaces, traffic congestion and pollution from cars is damaging the environment (Foulerton, 2009). Car use, and other road transport make up the largest single part of carbon emissions within the National Parks, and these emissions are growing 1% per year (Foulerton, 2009). The local transport system is poor which encourages the majority of residents and tourists get around by cars. However, the overall aim in the Lake District is to reduce the need to travel by cars by improving the transport system (Lake District, 2011b) For example, buses have less of an impact on the environment e.g. such as Oxfords hybrid Brookes buses which comply with the Euro 5 standard (EC, 2010). This may be achieved by encouraging services and goods to be available locally and reduce the need to travel throughout e.g. by promoting the public to cycle, walk and use The Lake District transport ation (Lake District, 2011b). Moreover, increases in parking spaces for tourists, as this can also generate more jobs. As an example from personal experience, in Zermatt, Switzerland, the government ordered a enormous car park located in Tà ¤sch, 5km from the Matterhorn mountain, forcing tourists to use train services to reach the location. Moreover, the use of cars in this area was banned in order to protect the environment. Since 1947, only electric cars without a combustion engine were allowed to operate in the Zermatt (President of the Zermatt Tourist Board 2011). In addition the negative impact of tourism is damage to the landscape in terms of litter, erosion, fires and vandalism (Cumbria, 2011b). In order to protect the environment the government is increasing the amount of recycle bins place around the area and is setting up different educational events which promote good environmental practice e.g. repairing footpath erosion (LDNPA, 2005). Social Impacts Government is making decisions and are improving the area of the Lake District in term of economical benefits and environmental protection. However, all this impacts is experienced by the social community (i.e. people who actually living there all time, not just during the holidays). Therefore, Government outline on social inclusion, public participation and the new planning system or Local Development Framework are encouraging new audiences; young people, urban populations and minority groups including people with disabilities, finding new and better ways for actively involving people in decision-making (LDNPA, 2005). This strategy would help local citizens to share their opinion and ideas on how to improver or what should be done. Therefore, the aim is to enable local residents and tourism business, to have a greater say in the development of tourism in their own area (LDNPA, 2005). This means listening more carefully and engaging people more effectively. This is an opportunity for everyone to be involved in the review of The Lake District tourism development policies through the local development frameworks (LDNPA, 2005). Through the improvement of economic in the Lake District it has an impact upon the social community in negative and positive way. Tourism is a key attribute in the Lake District which producing a jobs to the locals. Moreover, economical benefits because of a cash- flow with in The Lake District area. However, generally it is low paid part-time and seasonal (Moss, 2010). In addition there is a lack of start up businesses and business premises, due to the low-skilled job, employers have problems recruiting locally (Moss, 2010). Government producing education programme, which enables to deliver the second purpose of National Park in terms of understanding and enjoyment of their special qualities (LDNPA, 2005). Therefore, this approach helps to produce the jobs in terms of tour guide as well as lectured and day course informing tourists about the are and heritage of the National Parks. In addition, the potential for WHS (Worlds Heritage sites) is to bring social and community benefits to Cumbria and Lake District (ERS, 2006). If the economical target will be achieved and managed in the right way, throughout attracting the tourists to the WHS areas, these would results in social and community benefits, particularly in increase in the quality of life for residents (ERS, 2006). Conclusion The essay has discussed an impact from tourism in the Lake district in terms of economic, environment and social. All the impacts are linked in order to stabilize each impact government is making different policies to protect the environment. Therefore, tourism is the main creator of employment and economical stability in The Lake District, in order to protect the environment the area should generate income. Moreover due to the 12 million of visitors each year The Lake District is developing in terms of infrastructure also through the tourists and projects for example The Osprey it helps to keep environment protected. However, due to increase in tourism the impact from cars (i.e. emission) it has an negative impact in the area, therefore, making the better transport system with eco-friendly transportation may facilitate and encourage visitors to travel through the public transport. Moreover, in terms of social impacts and low-skilled/paid jobs due to seasonality, local community faci ng a problem to start up local businesses because employers, have problems in recurring locally. Therefore, government should invest and support local businesses to increase the quality of life for particular areas. In order to develop the tourism attractions and places government should find new and better ways for actively involving people in decision-making.

Eating Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

Millions of American women struggle with eating disorders. An eating disorder is a disturbance in eating behavior. Most people associate eating disorders with anorexia nervosa, "active self-starvation or sustained loss of appetite that has psychological origins" (Coon 133), or bulimia nervosa, "excessive eating (gorging) usually followed by self-induced vomiting and/ or taking laxatives (Coon 411). They need to purge their bodies of calories in any way possible, so they may also use diuretics or even exercise compulsively. Their body images are severely distorted. They're the most talked about and the best studied eating disorders, and researchers estimate that nearly seven million women in the United States suffer from either anorexia or bulimia. But there's a newly recognized condition known as binge-eating disorder that is now considered the most common eating disorder. In the U.S. population, it has a frequency of about one to four out of every one hundred people. Although eating disorders afflict women much more often than they do men, it is estimated that about one million American men suffer from either anorexia or bulimia, and millions more have binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are much more prevalent in industrialized countries. According to the American Psychiatric Association, eating disorders are most common in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. Americans today live in a fat-phobic society where, from a very early age, girls are raised to think that thin is better. The famous writer and theater critic Dorothy Parker once said, "no woman can be too rich or too thin," words that quickly became a catchphrase still used today. Many of us grow up learning to associate fat with ugliness and failure. Advertisements bombard us with thinner-than-normal models. Most Miss America contestants and fashion supermodels are more than fifteen percent below the expected weight for their height and age, a criterion for anorexia according to the American Psychiatric Association (Breen). It is not surprising to hear reports of healthy, children of normal weight who are concerned about their diet and afraid of becoming too fat, and of an increasing number of girls who haven't yet reached puberty who are showing signs of... ...ill take care of it for them. Their mindset needs to be changed, so by taking these burdens off of their shoulders, they will have less to worry about and more time to concentrate on getting well. This whole process is very difficult and very time consuming but well worth it in the end. These victims are probably the most caring and selfless of anyone, and they need to realize this point. So in helping them do so, you need to show them how many people are there for them and how many people care them and want them to get better. Basically, the good feelings are going to try to overpower the negative mind, making it mute. In conclusion, eating disorders are treatable through proper care and therapy. It is not something to take lightly and needs to be treated as soon as possible. Though these disorders can be treated they will never be completely cured; they are more â€Å"under control† than anything. So just because a person may start to eat more does not mean that everything is over and should be forgotten. Right from the very beginning when it is first noticed that there is a problem, professional help should be sought out.

Korean Culture vs. Australian Culture

Korean and Australian culture seem to have only a few similarities, as Australia is a western country and Korea is an Asian country, and because of the different history, characters of people, and differences In surroundings. However, I am sure that there are a lot of similar features that people in both countries might have overlooked.In this paper, I will focus on finding the similarities and differences tenet Korean and Australian cultures especially In sports, food and humor. First, sport is an example in the side of similarities of the two cultures between Korea and Australia. People In both countries are also extremely enthusiastic sports fans. When they have the Grand Final of the Australian Football competition, thousands of people gather together in the stadium and at public places to watch the game and support their own team. On the other hand, Koreans did not used to watch the games in public spaces or in restaurants before the 2002 World Cup.However, since then, the cult ure of watching the sports has totally changed. There were huge crowds of people everywhere. Including the public and the street, and they supported the Korean team together. It has become a new trend to get together to support the games of Korean national teams, like in Australia. Second, food, however, falls into the category of cultural difference of two countries. Koreans and Australians have a difference in terms of food. Australian present-day styles of eating are based on their multi-cultural society.Since the post- war immigrants came to Australia, the Australian food has become rich because the immigrants from various European countries brought a wide variety of food – from Italy. Greece and Poland and so mom On the other hand. Korea Is very famous, all over the world, for its unique spicy food. Korea has had success in keeping many kinds of traditional foods alive until today. Many tourists come to Korea because they want to try the food. Normally, Korean foods are also very hot and salty due to lots of different spicy ingredients.Finally, humor Is also In the category of cultural difference between Korea and Australia. The reason is that Australian Humor is very dry. Australians often express their subtle and sarcastic mind through humor. Their humor is also often droll and sometimes black which means they make Jokes that are dark or horrible. Australians often keep a ‘straight face' when they tell a Joke. Besides, Australians like to laugh at themselves including their character and culture. In contrast to Australians, Koreans normally make Jokes by teasing each other because other people have different mints of view and do not belong to their group.And Korean like ‘slap stick' comedies, which are also called a ‘sight gag, and ‘physical humor' that was very banana skin , and so on. It is true that Australia and Korea still have a lot more differences in terms of culture than similarities. Australia and Korea are not c lose and most people are not acquainted with the other's culture. But, if we keep an eye on each other's cultural features, we could have a good opportunity to not only develop our life and culture but also to help develop good relationships between the two countries.

In Whose Honor Essay

The film â€Å"In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports† produced by Jay Rosentein introduces a topic that is new to many viewers. In the film, he explores through interviews and school controversies the misuse of Native American culture through school sports mascots. Most of the people who embrace school mascots, such as those used by teams named the Chiefs, Indians, Braves, and Warriors unknowingly promote a stereotype of Native American culture that serves to embarrass and further alienate the people from their heritage. The fight to stop these unfair stereotypes are undertaken by many activists and their heroic stories are chronicled throughout this documentary. Issues with the mass media and it’s effect on shaping perceptions of people as a powerful force are also explored and from a sociological perspective all of these harmful images and portrayals are investigated. The most significant sociological revelation in the film is the clash between majority and minority culture. On a smaller scale, the majority culture and the norms that come with this are not parallel to minority culture except in forms of entertainment. Most of the intersect that connects majority and minority culture of any type is such things as dining at â€Å"ethnic† restaurants, listening to â€Å"ethnic† music, and watching movies and television that depict minority life through the eyes of the majority culture. Sports has traditionally been seen as racially neutral as a form of entertainment, but this film however, shows that even this arena is ridden with racial stereotypes is one used the trained sociological â€Å"eye† so to speak on them. Simply, stereotypes of any kind are harmful and detract from the long and proud tradition that the stereotyped people hold. I understand how the idea of racism and stereotyping talked about in scope in class correlates with the topic and the issues in the film. Racism is a systematic, institutionalized way of oppressing people and Native Americans have been oppressed since English settlers came to The United States. Now Native Americans are largely out of sight, on reservations where there is little contact with the majority culture. Just because there is little contact, however, does not mean that the people do not want to be depicted and portrayed by the majority culture in an accurate way. In one hand it seems like the proud traditions in history of the Native Americans have largely been forgotten, but on the other hand stereotypical images of them do emerge in the media. Stereotyping is less universal and widespread than racism, but each are harmful in their own ways. While racism serves to oppress a group of people to submission, shame, and even genocide; stereotyping serves to take only a few traits and traditions of people and make this seem like these traits are all that there is to the group. The Native American people have their own music, values, language, and many other specific norms to their group. Additionally not all Native American tribes are similar in their language, rituals, and other ways of living. So to lump all these tribes and Native Americans together as a whole with stereotypes about them is not only unfair, but it undermines the entire history and present culture of this group. One of the most harmful aspects of the Native American stereotype is that the people are all inherently violent. Though some tribes were known for their tenacity in wars, not all tribes were active in violent warring with other tribes. The sports stereotype, then damages the culture by making all Native Americans of past and present seem like violent people and this is simply not the case. Most all sport teams do have mascots that are renowned for their strength and warring skill; such as the Vikings, the Raiders, the Buccaneers, and so on. The fact that many schools use Native American names for the stereotype that the names hold is interesting as is the fact that many schools, due to Native American activism have chosen not to use Mascots or names that are offensive or stereotypical. The school depicted in the documentary, however, did not see how harmful their actions were and this type of ignorance is fairly representative of majority culture. I must say, as a member of the majority culture, that I was unaware of the harm of such stereotypes and I am an avid fan of all sports, as well. Most of the mascots I saw growing up were â€Å"silly† and their purpose was simply to get fans motivated to cheer for the team. However, I do recall a coach who led the Braves in Little League Baseball and wore the Native American headdress and carried a tomahawk to games. I remember being embarrassed for him and his behavior, but now realize that it was the way that he depicted Native Americans that ultimately bothered me. This film was definitely an eye-opener and there was a message of hope in the social activism that was carried out in the name of justice for all Native Americans. As we have talked about all the social changes in class that have been initiated by activism, it is good to see that these types of actions are still carried out today as they are very necessary. In conclusion, â€Å"In Whose Honor? American Indian Mascots in Sports† is a very sociologically sound documentary that weaves in many in-class and textbook topics. The historical effects of racism against the American people and the currently carried out stereotypes of Native Americans in sports is an example of how cultures can be oppressed and misunderstood. This also shows how important activism is in bringing about needed social change in the media, sports, and all arenas of majority culture.

Say Happy New Year With Funny Quotes

Say Happy New Year With Funny Quotes Ring in the New Year  on a cheerful note. Say, Happy New Year with  funny quotes. With a sprinkling of  wit and loads of imagination, these New Year quotes can be the proverbial icing on the cake. The last day of December is bittersweet. It heralds the time to bid goodbye to the old year and prepare for a new beginning. The first of January is not just another date on the calendar. It is a chance to make amends  and start fresh. Quotes to Ring in the New Year Jim Gaffigan My New Years resolution for 2010? I will be less  lazy. Anonymous Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. Eric Zorn Making resolutions  is a cleansing ritual of self-assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle. Laura Kightlinger It goes Christmas, New Years Eve, and Valentines Day. Is that fair to anyone whos alone? If you didnt get around to killing yourself on Christmas or New Years, boom, theres Valentines Day for you. There should be a holiday after Valentines Day called Are you still here? Jay Leno Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means youve met your New Years resolution. P. J. ORourke The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Years Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person youre married to. Rainer Maria Rilke And now we welcome the New Year, full of things that have never been. Aleister Crowley,  Moonchild May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of  virtue so that I triumph even when I fall! Robert Clark I would say Happy New Year but its not happy; its exactly the same as last year except colder. Ring in the Celebrations With New Year Resolutions Making New Year resolutions is a  time-honored tradition in many families. In the course of making and breaking resolutions, do not forget to have fun. This is the holiday week, a time when even the worst boss  will cut you some slack. Have you been invited to a  New Year  party? Have you thought about what you will wear for the occasion? And who will accompany you? Live it up this New Years Eve. Appreciate the wisdom in this quotation by Benjamin Franklin, Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for thats the stuff life is made of. Read more New Year quotations to encourage you to celebrate. Spend Time With Family Not a party animal? That is no excuse to stay hidden indoors. Arrange a cozy get-together for your  family. What better way to ring in the New Year than in the company of your favorite people? Rewind to the words of the great Thomas Jefferson:  The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. This evergreen quote highlights the importance of family. Read more New Year sayings that echo similar thoughts. Remember Last Years Lessons When the New Year comes calling, look forward to the opportunities it brings. However, do not forget the hard knocks that life dealt you over the last one year. Those experiences have only made you stronger. While you are at it, dwell on the joys of the past year. As we stand on the line that separates the old from the new, we can only guess what the New Year might bring. Amid the joy we feel at bidding goodbye to the old year, there is usually a pang of regret too. As Charles Lamb once wrote, Of all sound of all bells, the most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. Appreciate and Use Humor New Years Day is dedicated to joy, optimism, and laughter. Humor is always welcome. Put a little New Years joke on your New Years greeting card. A little line like musician Joe Kings New year, same goal usually brings on the chuckles. If you want something longer, and a little more irreverent, turn to the ever-funny Jay Leno. One popular line by the American comedian goes, New Years Eve, where an auld acquaintance is forgotten! Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. Welcome a Brand New Year If the past year  has been unkind to you, hope that the New Year is different. Read a few more inspirational New Year quotes. They could give you the strength to think positive once again.  Believe in that statement as you prepare to welcome a brand new year. Rather than sulk in the sidelines, think about that utterly joyful quotation by former baseball player Barbara Hoffman, Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey! Put that smile on your face and wish everybody a Happy New Year!

Literary Analysis Things Fall Apart Essays

Literary Analysis Things Fall Apart Essays Literary Analysis Things Fall Apart Essay Literary Analysis Things Fall Apart Essay Essay Topic: Things Fall apart One of the many themes represented in Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, was both Europeans and Umuofians, like the protagonist in the story, Okonkwo, were facing challenges of cultural change within their groups. After reading much of the story, it’s obvious that the two cultures knew nothing about each other. Although the Ibo people were more accepting of cultural changes, it was never made clear if they were willing to completely educate themselves of other cultures, specifically the British culture. Eventually, there is no hope for either groups to change, resulting in tension between the two. Finally, it became obvious that cultures clashing caused many problems; instead of diffusing within each other, there were many instances of force used upon the two leading to negative outcomes. The first issue that led to the negative result of cultures clashing was the lack of knowledge the two groups had of each other. The Umuofians believed the white man that showed up at their village was albino, later informed he was not albino but something they’ve never seen before. The fact that both cultures did not feel the need to learn about one another led to more tension, including unable to accept each other once it was too late. As it seems force becomes an issue led by the Christian missionaries of the British. They began telling the villagers that they worshipped false gods and had no tolerance for the beliefs of the Umuofia people. They began force-converting the villagers to Christianity, believing that it is the supreme religion. Although the Uumofia people taught their concept of the oracle and the egwugwu, the clan’s ancestral spirits, the missionaries still rejected it. It is further believed that the British people were not at all interested in learning anything about the culture of Umuofia but rather forcing their culture onto the villagers. They believed that they could exploit the villagers because of how oblivi

Analysis of Challenges and Opportunities in a Global Environment

The need for expansion remains one of the most crucial objectives for any business organization. In addition to dominating the domestic make, certain organization desire to explore wider markets which cause them to work on projects which involve venturing into the foreign markets (Amoako, 2003).   Internationalization of operations is always accompanied by a number of challenges which could be attributed to the dynamic nature of the foreign market areas. According to Cairns and Sliwa 2008), the dynamic nature leads to occasional changes in the consumer preferences, prices of products, variations in customer and supplier bargaining power as well as changes in both the company and host country policies. In order to have a good grip of the foreign markets, it is therefore vital for business organizations to put in place the right strategies. These strategies are always aimed at enhancing the competitive levels of the company within the global environment. Additionally, when companies put in place the right approaches to operation, they are likely to enhance sustainability and hence be able to stay relevant in such environments despite the noted challenges. This essay highlights and discusses some of the challenges faced by business organizations and managers while operating in a global environment. The discussion shall also entail some of the opportunities that may be established within the global fonts which the business organization could take advantage of in order to achieve international success. The study derives illustrations from Qantas Airways which one of the leading multinational corporations not only in Australia but in the world. Through the review of literature as the main qualitative approach to data collection, the discussion shall therefore focus on some of the challenges faced by the mentioned company in its bid to gain international stability in the ever changing global environment. In a bid to ensure the stability of its market base, an organization needs to conduct a thorough feasibility test and hence establish some of the possible obstacles to global development (Cantwell and Narula, 2004). At the same time, it is a fact worth noting that the challenges to international development may not have a holistic solution in the near future due to the fact that they take various trends as days go by. However, a good understanding and projection of these challenges could play a crucial role in helping managers come up with the most effective counter measures. To begin with, one of the most common challenges to operating in a global environment is the aspect of changes in the political atmosphere as one move from country to another. While some countries enjoy a relatively stable political environment, there are those areas characterized by political turmoil which in turn cause instability in a number of aspects (Calof, 2009). For instance, the political atmosphere within a given country largely influences the nature of governance. The government structure and the leadership approaches in turn influence the kind of policies put in place to control a number of aspects within the country which also includes control of international investors, business practices as well as product prices just to mention but few. The policies implemented by a government, for instance the ones meant to govern business operations, play a pivotal role in defining the business environment both for the local as well as the foreign investors. Consequently, stringent government polices tend to minimize the scope of operations for the foreign investors which proves to be one of the challenges to associated with operating in a global environment.   According to Caves (2006), the policies may require the organization to employ only a given number of foreign employees. This implies, before venturing into the global market, the organization has to identify and initiate the locals employees into the businesses’ mission and vision, an aspect which is not only time consuming but also involves the use of a lot of resources. It can therefore be deduced that a bad political atmosphere leads to an unstable leadership structure characterized by unfavorable business policies which act as obstacles to smooth operations in a global environment (Cox, 2007). However, in markets where the policies are conducive, the foreign investors are accorded an opportunity to expand their operations since these regulations are supportive enough for business growth. V ariations in political trends from one country to another explain why Qantas Airways continues to struggle in a bid to establish its base in certain countries across Europe, Asia and in Africa. Secondly, there is the aspect of infrastructure. In most developed countries, the level of infrastructural development is at a relatively advanced stage.   This implies that there is easy movement of people and resources from one place to another due to the good network of roads and other forms of transport (Dicken, 1998). Operating in such environments is quite a manageable task for the international organizations. For instance, the good transport systems in most countries Europe, America and Asia explain why Qantas has been able to enhance sustainability in these areas. Additionally, the good communication systems have remained pivotal in enhancing communication between the organization’s management and its clients in addition to the communication aspects involving aerial operations, traffic control and flight control just to mention but few (Dunning, 2003). The good infrastructural developments in these countries have offered a perfect opportunity for Qantas Airways to es tablish its operations in these global environments. However, the level of development of roads and communication systems remains a challenge in most developing countries especially in Africa and some parts of Europe. The poor transport management systems hinder the free movement of customers and employees to and from the airport. For instance, poor road systems lead to the occurrence of jams which may occasionally result in inconveniences especially when the clients are unable to catch their flight on time (Flyvbjerg, 2001). Consequently, the airways have lost some of its clients to alternative modes of transport as a result of such challenges. Thirdly, the aspect of customer bargaining power in addition to the common changes in consumer preferences may acts as another challenge to operating in a global environment.   As stated by Freeman (2010), the unexpected changes in the consumer needs make the global environment quite unpredictable and may easily result in the company losing its customers to a rival supplier. The customer’s bargaining power involves the standards forwarded by the clients with respect to their ability to pay for the services. When the clients bargaining power exceeds the minimal requirements stated by the organization, the final return on investments is likely to be low. Consequently, there would be a need to strike a balance between the client’s bargains and the prices stated by the company. This ensures that both parties gain at the end of the day. The absence of this balance is the root cause of losses incurred by a company. At the same time, the consumer needs keep changing as one m oves from one environment to another. These needs may be attributed to changes in weather, economic status and complexity of flights just to mention but few. When the clients present needs that are beyond the organization’s strength to achieve, there is the likely occurrence of low consumer satisfaction which in turn reduces loyalty. Low customer loyalty is a major challenge to the stability of a foreign organization’s market base. On the other hand,   good business-consumer relations enable a close knit between an organization and its customers. This makes it easy to establish the client feedbacks as well as their changing needs.   Qantas Airways may harness this opportunity to maintain a competitive edge by predicting the changes in consumer preferences and hence adjusting its products and services to fit these needs. The fourth challenge is the presence of competitors in the global market. Qantas Airways, despite being one of the largest industries in the world faces challenges from other effective service providers including Airbus and Singapore Airlines just to mention but few. Additionally, there is also the challenge of the emergence of smaller airlines which offer similar services but at relatively lower prices with the aim of capturing as many clients as possible (Friedman, 2006). The presence of other service providers in the global environment goes a long way in increasing its capacity and instead decreasing the profitability. For instance, when a market comprise several organizations offering the same products and services, customers are likely to weigh and hence pick the most affordable alternatives (Harrison, 2011). This becomes a challenge to international organizations especially in cases where the level of customer loyalty is low. The organizations therefore divide the market and a company gets its clients depending on the level of competitiveness and the effectiveness of the strategies implemented. In order to attain and retain global dominance, it would be crucial for the organization to put in place the most effective strategies. The strategy here ought to involve a careful analysis of the impending challenges and taking advantage of the possible opportunities in bid to cut a competitive edge in the dynamic global market.   One of the core approaches ought to be the conduction of a thorough feasibility test. This approach enables the organization to have in depth understanding of the nature of the foreign market, the variations in the clients’ cultural and social attributes as well as the changes in economic levels (Hartt and Durepos, 2012).   A good understanding of each of these aspects would therefore enable the organization to come up with the right counter measures aimed at curbing the challenges and increasing sustainability. There is an inevitable need for flexibility in the approaches of operation within a global market. For instance, there customer preferences keep changing from time to time based on a number of factors. It would therefore be vital for Qantas Airways to occasionally alter its products and services in order to fit the changing client needs. This could be achieved by altering the product prices, making the planes more spacious and adjusting the fight departures. By studying the trends in the consumer behavior, it is possible to identify their specific needs. The company can then focus on satisfying these needs which leads to customer loyalty and hence market stability despite the high level of competition (Harvey, 2007). Furthermore, the international organization needs to monitor the political trends, the nature of governance and hence the nature of the government policies. Before introducing new products, like new flight schedules, new planes and higher capacity carriers, it would be v ital for the organization to know the effects that the current policies would have on such new projects. Good policies allow for innovation and development while stringent ones hinder effective development. Consequently, Qantas Airways can focus its operations in global environments which are characterized by supportive government polices of international organizations (Johnson and Turner, 2010). The study above reveals a number of challenges which could be associated with managing a business in a global environment. These include changing customer preferences, government policies, level of infrastructure as well as the presence of competitors. As a result, business organizations intending to remain relevant in the dynamic corporate market ought to stay aggressive with its strategies and approach to management. Implementing the right business practices would enhance organizational sustainability in the global environment. Amoako, G. (2003) ‘The relationships among selected business environment factors and manufacturing strategy: insights from an emerging economy’, Omega, 31(1), pp. 287-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   301. Cairns, G. and Sliwa, M. (2008) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about International Business, London: Sage Publication. Cantwell, J. and Narula, R. (2004) ‘International business and the eclectic paradigm: developing the OLI framework’, Journal of International Business Studies, 35(1), 456 -458. Calof, J. (2009) ‘Adapting to foreign markets: explaining internationalization’, International   Business Review, 4(2), pp. 115-130. Caves, E. (2006) Multinational Enterprise and Economic Analysis, 2 nd Edn., Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Cox, D. (2007) Risk taking and information handling in consumer behaviour – an intensive of two cases’ in Cox, D. (ed.) Risk taking and information handling. Boston, MA: Harvard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press Dicken, P. (1998) Global Shift: Transforming the World Economy, 3 rd Edn., New York: Guilford Press. Dunning, J. (2003) Multinational enterprise and the global economy, Addison-Wesley   Publishers, England, Viewed 7 April 2016. Flyvbjerg, J. (2001)  Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How It Can Succeed Again. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Freeman, R. (2010) Strategic management: a stakeholder approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Friedman, T. (2006) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, California: Farrat, Straus, and Giroux. Harrison, A. (2011) ‘International Entry and Country Analysis’, A lecture programme delivered    at technical university of Kosice, viewed 7 April 2016. Hartt, C. and Durepos, G. (2012) ‘Markets, organizations, institutions and national identity: Pan American Airways, postcoloniality and Latin America’. Critical Perspectives on International Business, 8(1), pp. 14 – 36. Harvey, D. (2007). A Brief History of Neoliberalism, London: Oxford University Press. Johnson, D. and Turner, C. (2010) International Business, 2 nd Edn., London: Routledge.

Starbucks company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Starbucks company - Research Paper Example The action for survival remained one of most important inside issues at Starbucks. Two years back, the company declared to close down overall three hundred stores and cutting more than six thousand jobs. Moreover, the pay cut and declined bonus of the higher executives were other marks of the crisis. Â ­At the same time they got reputation for development of new products and creativity. The availability of the branded coffee in several grocery chains is a remarkable creative effort. In collaboration with Kraft Foods the products were distributed in grocery markets. Starbuck has ended the long term contract, and announced the partnership with Green Mountain in order to improve their business. Moreover, the Starbucks are exposed to rises. The rising cost of coffee and dairy products are another challenge. However, the executives of the company failed to see certain facts. The products and services offered were not fit for the characteristics of market. The customer dissatisfaction iss ue is yet another problem. If retail is all about customer relationship, retail of Starbucks simply not attractive in present market. The current marketing strategies do not necessarily meet its objectives. That reflects the inside state of affairs.

Germany's Weltpolitik Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Germany's Weltpolitik - Essay Example directed against socialists! Caprivi's successor, Prince Hohenlohe (Chancellor 1894 -1900), was an elderly Bavarian aristocrat with a reputation for indecision and procrastination. Thus Hohenlohe became a figure-head and Blow, his foreign minister, exerted a powerful influence under him. In time Blow became Chancellor between 1900 - 1909. He was a manipulator and self-seeker who pandered to the emperor. He became unpopular with the Kaiser following the Daily Telegraph affair, and was replaced by Bethmann-Hollweg, who was Chancellor between 1909 - 17. He was a hard-working and well-meaning bureaucrat lacking experience in foreign affairs, and ignorant of military issues. Caprivi's adopted a more conciliatory attitude to previously hostile forces within Germany, such as the Centre Party and the Social Democrats. In 1891 with the backing of the Reichstag, he introduced the prohibition on Sunday working and limitations on child labour. He also reformed Germany's tariff policy - in a series a bilateral agreements with Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia and others he negotiated a reduction of German tariffs on agricultural goods in return for reductions in foreign tariffs on German goods. However, this initiated a reaction. In 1893 the Agrarian League was formed; it grew to a million members and acted as powerful pressure group for the Conservatives. earning the resentment of the army... eries a bilateral agreements with Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia and others he negotiated a reduction of German tariffs on agricultural goods in return for reductions in foreign tariffs on German goods. However, this initiated a reaction. In 1893 the Agrarian League was formed; it grew to a million members and acted as powerful pressure group for the Conservatives. In 1892 - 3 Caprivi also reduced conscription from 3 to 2 years in the Army Bill; thus earning the resentment of the army. In 1894 Wilhelm II pressed Caprivi to draw up an anti-socialist Subversion Bill; Caprivi refused. Although he did dissuade Wilhelm II from adopting an even more authoritarian approach, he resigned. Weltpolitik The aged Hohenlohe held the Chancellorship until 1900, but he was no match for court and government intrigue. Policy was directed more by Blow, Tirpitz and Posadowsky-Wehner. In 1897 Admiral von Tirpitz was appointed navy secretary; Count Posadowsky-Wehner as interior minister; Blow as foreign secretary. A period of Weltpolitik was introduced - colonnial annexations, creation of economic spheres of influence, and expansion of the navy. The Kaiser wanted Germany to become a world power. There was a belief in social Darwinism and the unending struggle between nations. The peasantry and Mittlestand had become radicalised; and many pressure groups formed - especially, the Pan-German League, which was anti-Socialist, racist, anti-Semitic and expansionist. In 1898 Tripitz initiated the creation of the Navy League, with financial backing from key industrialists. Membership rose to 1 million. The Navy Bills of 1898 and 1900 were passed with substantial majorities. There was renewed political struggle within Germany over the renewal of Caprivi's commercial treaties - the compromise Tariff

Positive Effects of Using Correct Writing Strategies Research Paper

Positive Effects of Using Correct Writing Strategies - Research Paper Example Mistakes are part of learning and should thus be taken positively. The student can assess their mistakes and those of their peers and learn from the experience. However, the learning process occurs when correcting mistakes. The correction process should involve giving positive feedback, which enlightens the learner on the areas that require improvement. There are different types of mistakes that learners of a second language can make. Some errors are serious to an extent that they hamper communication. This happens when the learner is incapable of constructing comprehendible sentences. The main errors that make communication through writing impossible are mainly grammatical errors, which can be corrected. There are varying strategies that can be used by teachers to correct learners. In my leaning inkshedding and peer review turned out to be very helpful and enabled me to learn how to write correctly. Inkshedding could help students learn a language since it enables them to realize the best strategies to use in writing to communicate their idea to others effectively. In most cases, learners are unaware of their mistakes and require someone else to help them identify and correct their mistakes. On the one hand, inkshedding helps the ESL to communicate with the teacher, and the teacher is able to give valuable comments that enable the students to identify their weaknesses and improve their writing skills. Additionally, inkshedding enables the teacher to motivate the learners without making them feel anxious. After identifying their mistakes, the students are able to correct them even on their own. According to W. Susan, (2001)"Teacher can get an immediate glimpse into what each student thinking, this is more useful than the limited amount of feedback one receive from few students who are just routinely talking." Indeed, whenever I get my inkshed back, I see many valuable comments ma de by the instructor.  Ã‚  

Exploring Research Designs and The Relationship to the Research Essay

Exploring Research Designs and The Relationship to the Research Question - Essay Example 3. Provide an example of the hypothesis for the study. 4. Write a 750-word paper including the research question and design, and explain why the research design is appropriate for the research question. 5. Identify the research design as correlational, quasi-experimental, or experimental, and defend your choice using a critical approach including cited references. 6. Provide an example of how you could change the research question to use a different research design. Topic: Exploring Research Designs and The Relationship to the Research Question Exploring relationship between research design and the research question By The present study aims to explore the linkage between the research design and the research question. While â€Å"research is the discovery of answers to questions through the application of scientific and systematic procedures†; the research question asks what the tentative relationship among variables might be, or it asks about the state of nature of some pheno menon (Keyton, 2006). On the other hand, a research design can be viewed as somewhat like a master plan. It stipulates the methods and procedures that are to be adopted for collecting and analysing the necessary information for the research (Zikmund & Babin, 2007). A different perspective of research design was presented by Zikumnd & Babin (2007) – that the research design is somewhat like a master plan, which specifies the methods and procedures to be adopted for collecting and analysing the required information. The research problem Considering these definitions, the present work proceeds to develop a research question for a quantitative study on the relationship between one dependent variable ‘wage’ and three independent variables - (1) educational attainment, (2) skill (professional qualification) and (3) ability (experience). A variable is an element that is specifically identified in the research hypotheses or questions, necessitating to be expressed as mor e than one value or in various categories (Keyton, 2006). It is common wisdom that education benefits the individual, the nation and the society as well in many ways. While, the individual is benefitted in the form of increase wages and consequently a better lifestyle; the nation is benefitted in terms of increased taxes. The society too is benefitted as researchers have observed that college graduates have shown to have lower smoking rates, more positive perception towards personal health, and healthier lifestyles than the less educated (Baum & Ma, 2007). Overall the society is benefitted in the form of more responsible citizens, which is believed to be due to educational achievement. Whereas, these benefits generally delineate the qualitative characteristics of the issue, there is a need to know how educational attainment, professional qualification and experience influence the wages earned by an individual. The research question The study is significant and desirable and therefor e, it is worthwhile to undertake a research on the subject. Accordingly, the purpose of the study was to explore the correlation between

Chomsky, propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chomsky, propaganda - Essay Example However, he observes that language development is achievable up to a certain age. Indeed, since the children are born with the ability to grasp new languages, this theory is applicable in the study of computer science. Computer science involves the use of a unique technological language. Children cum students have the ability to grasp this language at the early ages when they still posses’ ability to language development. The computer language in reference to different soft ware, hard ware, data, applications, networks, and commands is not easily under stable at later ages but is so convenient in early student life. As such, it is the in-born ability to learn new languages and the development of the universal grammar, which will aid in comprehending the computer language. In addition, the language theories are also applicable in campaign against teen drug use. Indeed, the teens possess the ability to learn and contain new things. The campaign against teen drug use is a new lan guage that children can easily learn and adapt in. Since the campaign is mostly against common beliefs, the teens will be in opposition to learn the language of abstinence from drug use at the early ages than while they mature when their language development potential is exhausted. It has always been easy to cushion children against drug use than

Positive Effects of Using Correct Writing Strategies Research Paper

Positive Effects of Using Correct Writing Strategies - Research Paper Example Mistakes are part of learning and should thus be taken positively. The student can assess their mistakes and those of their peers and learn from the experience. However, the learning process occurs when correcting mistakes. The correction process should involve giving positive feedback, which enlightens the learner on the areas that require improvement. There are different types of mistakes that learners of a second language can make. Some errors are serious to an extent that they hamper communication. This happens when the learner is incapable of constructing comprehendible sentences. The main errors that make communication through writing impossible are mainly grammatical errors, which can be corrected. There are varying strategies that can be used by teachers to correct learners. In my leaning inkshedding and peer review turned out to be very helpful and enabled me to learn how to write correctly. Inkshedding could help students learn a language since it enables them to realize the best strategies to use in writing to communicate their idea to others effectively. In most cases, learners are unaware of their mistakes and require someone else to help them identify and correct their mistakes. On the one hand, inkshedding helps the ESL to communicate with the teacher, and the teacher is able to give valuable comments that enable the students to identify their weaknesses and improve their writing skills. Additionally, inkshedding enables the teacher to motivate the learners without making them feel anxious. After identifying their mistakes, the students are able to correct them even on their own. According to W. Susan, (2001)"Teacher can get an immediate glimpse into what each student thinking, this is more useful than the limited amount of feedback one receive from few students who are just routinely talking." Indeed, whenever I get my inkshed back, I see many valuable comments ma de by the instructor.  Ã‚  

Chomsky, propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chomsky, propaganda - Essay Example However, he observes that language development is achievable up to a certain age. Indeed, since the children are born with the ability to grasp new languages, this theory is applicable in the study of computer science. Computer science involves the use of a unique technological language. Children cum students have the ability to grasp this language at the early ages when they still posses’ ability to language development. The computer language in reference to different soft ware, hard ware, data, applications, networks, and commands is not easily under stable at later ages but is so convenient in early student life. As such, it is the in-born ability to learn new languages and the development of the universal grammar, which will aid in comprehending the computer language. In addition, the language theories are also applicable in campaign against teen drug use. Indeed, the teens possess the ability to learn and contain new things. The campaign against teen drug use is a new lan guage that children can easily learn and adapt in. Since the campaign is mostly against common beliefs, the teens will be in opposition to learn the language of abstinence from drug use at the early ages than while they mature when their language development potential is exhausted. It has always been easy to cushion children against drug use than

Cuba and China Essay Example for Free

Cuba and China Essay Democracy, or the power of people, is rather old form of rule. While the word â€Å"democracy† originated in the Ancient Greece in 5th century BC, this form of rule had existed even before this, found in ancient India republics before 6th century BC. However, it was the city-state of Athens in the Ancient Greece that presented this word in the sense which resembles, in some features, the modern vision of democracy. In Athens, people had the right to vote, to take the most important decisions, influencing the political situation of their state. Of course, not all the population could vote – women and children could not vote as well as disabled people. In fact, only one forth or one sixth of the citizens of Athens could vote and participate in a political life of their state. However, it was the first form of democracy and it had many aspects in common with today’s notion of democracy. For example, all the citizens of Athens, poor or rich, powerful or powerless, had the right to vote, they were equal in this right. The democracy, in the form in which it existed in Athens and in the Ancient Greece, was not preserved until our time. Moreover, great changes took place in Europe in 18-19th centuries, in the form of revolutions. The right to vote and to participate in the political life of a state directly is not the main factor characterizing democracy in the modern world. Democracy in the modern sense includes such basic postulates as the basic freedoms: of speech, of expression, of the press, of association et cetera. The democracy in the western world is much more associated with the notion of free market and free trade. However, these preconditions are not exactly true for some countries, for example for China, where free market and free trade can coexist with the lack of democracy, where there are no basic freedoms (for example, the freedom of association – the assembly of Falun Gong in China was violently dispersed by police and banished for practicing in China). Cuba which has made some steps toward the free market economy, opening some part of its economy for the US dollars, does allow the internationally recognized organization of the Red Cross to its prisons, where political prisoners are kept in big numbers. The rule of Communist Party as the only party in the country is observed both in Cuba and in China. And this excludes another characteristic feature of democracy – pluralism, the possibility of many political parties to take part in the political life of the state. Before we proceed to explain the lack of democracy in Cuba and China, it is necessary to understand what democracy means and why China and Cuba should become democratic. In the twentieth century, democracy has gained such popularity that most world rulers describe their rule as democratic. However, most countries were not democratic, and some even became totalitarian. Generally speaking, the term â€Å"democracy† is misused in two ways. First, democracy is expanded into a laundry list that contains almost all kinds of good things. Second, democracy is modified by adding an adjective to the term. Since Western bourgeois democracy is the prototype of modern democracy, modifications are made along two lines. Either rulers characterize their systems not as bourgeois democracies, but as â€Å"people’s democracies,† â€Å"proletarian democracies,† or â€Å"socialist democracies,† or they emphasize local characteristics of their system, such as â€Å"Burmese type of democracy† or â€Å"African type of democracy. † What is democracy? Etymologically, the term means rule by the people. Democracy originated in Athens more than 2,500 years ago, when Cleisthenes allowed all citizens of Attica to preside over the affairs of the city. Athenian democracy took the form of direct democracy. Citizens, which excluded women, slaves, and resident aliens, participated directly in making laws. Moreover, regardless of their properties and talents, rulers were selected not by ballot but by lot. Not surprisingly, virtually all famous Greek scholars were no fans of democracy, regarding tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as corrupt forms of government. Democracy includes two forms: popular sovereignty and individual liberty. This paper defines democracy in terms of political freedom, which involves both positive and negative aspects. Positive freedom refers to a situation in which people have the ability to participate in government; negative freedom means a situation in which people are free from arbitrary interference from government. Modern democracy adheres to the dual principles of popular sovereignty and individual liberty, but has its own distinctive features. Ideal as the principle of popular sovereignty may be, it is technically impossible to let the people in a nation-state decide everything. As a result, modern democracies are representative, not participatory (or direct). The principle of popular sovereignty in modern times hinges on two major mechanisms: the separation of powers and the competitive election. While the ruled choose their rulers during an election, rulers are mutually checked and balanced before and after the election. In determining the nature of a particular political system, the competitive election is more important than the separation of powers. A division of labor is employed in any government, particularly a modern one. Despite the importance of liberalism for modern democracy, popular sovereignty precedes individual liberty. Popular sovereignty talks about the purpose of government; individual liberty comprises the notion of government. The term that means â€Å"people† has undergone great changes in terms of class, education, gender, race, and age. Besides, individual liberty is historically and culturally specific. In the twentieth century, democracy and totalitarianism are regarded as two ends of the political spectrum. To put it in terms of ideal types, a government respecting both popular sovereignty and individual liberty is democratic; a government violating them is totalitarian. Falling somewhere in between, most systems are neither democratic nor totalitarian in the strictest sense of the terms. Some may respect popular sovereignty but violate individual liberty; others may violate popular sovereignty but respect individual liberty. Today’s Islamic Republic of Iran and eighteenth-century Britain are cited as respective examples of these two types. Throughout human history, not many regimes have ever been totalitarian and most have been authoritarian. Compared with totalitarian regimes, authoritarian regimes are less willing and less able to damage people’s rights and interests. The United States of America when compared to China or Cuba, presents the example of â€Å"democratic† democracy towards which China or Cuba should strive. Because now, when we took a closer look at the notion of democracy in the modern world, we are going to analyze the kind of democratic situation and democratic changes that took place in two of the most controversial countries in the world: China and Cuba. To reach conclusions as to the qualitative aspects of Cuban politics in the post-transition era, we will examine aspects of political culture as they relate to the formation and practices of civil society in democracy. From this angle one can interpret some key dimensions of politics in particular settings. Transition to democracy (and its consolidation) depends on a multiplicity of factors, including elite decisions, institutional arrangements, pacts between competing social actors, a constitution and organizations typical of liberal democracies, a favorable moment in world history, supportive international structures, and a measure of good luck. Political and economic factors also impinge on the likelihood of democratic transitions and survival. But political and economic factors determine neither transition to democracy nor democratic stability. The impact of the economy on democracy is not automatic, unidirectional, or necessarily predictable. According to Mattiace and Camp (1996), democracy is the product of multiple causes working together. In contexts where the system confronts unresolved foundational issues and consensus is elusive – on such matters as how the political community is defined, who has authority, what the rules of the game are – political questions become an affair of the heart, lending themselves less to compromise and pragmatism. As a result, democracy tends to be endangered, particularly in places where institutional democratic norms are weak and personalism is high. This is likely to occur in Cuba after Fidel Castro (as it has before and during the socialist years). Though democracy will be established in Cuba sometime in the future, Cuban democracy will not conform to normative models of liberal democracy. Democracy in the way it is in Cuba will be characterized by features of incivility in civil society. The democracy that is most likely to emerge on the island will be far from perfect, will share striking continuities with the past, and will dash the hopes of many who dream of democracy. The cynicism about democracy also has a long genealogy in Cuban intellectual history. As far back as the nineteenth century cultural pessimists on the island have remarked on the frustration that has followed modern projects of independence, nationalism, republicanism, and democracy. Democratic aspirations have a long history on the island, as long as the trajectory of their frustration. The notion is not as alien to Cuban soil as many believe (Dealy, 1996)

Japanization and Japanese Working Practices

Japanization and Japanese Working Practices Introduction Japan, a land of incredible diversity; modern yet steeped in custom; home of the friendliest of welcomes. Japanese celebrate the time of year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blossom trees. Japanization is the process in which Japanese culture dominates, assimilates or influences other cultures. It’s also called nippanization. Japanese style management and HRM has been selectively adapted and applied around the world. Japan has a homogenous culture and foreign immigrants are very small percentage of its population. Japanization is not accepted completely around the globe. Here we are going to examine why the spread of Japanese management is constrained by local culture and working practices with the help of a case study material. Japanization Japanese are collectivistic, where as Britain and United States people are individualistic. In-group in Britain includes only a nuclear family i.e., spouse, children and sometimes spouse’s widowed or infirm parent. In India it is a joint family includes grand parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, other relatives and close friends. But in Japan we can find an additional member in the in-group: the company for which a person works. In Hofstede’s study Japan scored 46 on individualism. On the other hand USA and UK scored 91 and 89 respectively. Japanese are very hard working. Also they have strong sense of duty and indebtedness. (Tayeb, 2005) The trade unions in Japan are company based. The companies like Toyota, Nissan and Hitachi has their own unions. In UK it is craft based. I.e. fire fighters, mine workers and teachers and so on has their unions. Indebtedness: In 2003, canon prepared to buy Mizuho shares, but later it fell into financial troubles i.e. to pay a debt to Fuji bank. Fuji bank made canon out of trouble when it fell into problems 30 years ago. Ringi method: It is a special characteristic of Japanese enterprises in decision making. In this process the written proposal will be circulated first to those who are going to be affected and then to the senior management. It is very time consuming process. So it is used for only important decision making. (Misumi, 1984). Quality circles: It is a small group activity in which blue collar and white collar workers from different departments of a company assembled voluntarily. These volunteers are trained in problem identification and problem solving techniques. It is perfectly tuned with the Japanese collectivism. Life-time employment (Nenko): Japanese HRM practices are sustained by their certain management practices such as life time employment. This obviously creates stable work environment and no fear of Unemployment. It means that employees are hired after their education and remain with the same company till their retirement. Nenko is operated by large firms. Japanese Management Kaizen philosophy: Kaizen is defined as continuous improvement that involves each and every employee from executives to labourers with managers in between them. Kaizen is a driving force and a vital tool to Japanese success. This philosophy has been implemented round the globe followed by the Japanese successful lead. It is used as a method to increase production values and improve employee morale and safety. Kaizen is taken from words ‘kai’, which means continuous and ‘zen’, which means improvement. Kaizen concept is the primary difference between how change is viewed by Japanese and in the west. Western companies reject kaizen just because of without knowing about it. American companies run by years without any change. On the other hand Japanese companies are in a state of continuous change and improvement. After World War 2, most of the Japanese companies brought new challenges everyday and moulded those challenges into progress. Displaying goals, recognition and suggestions helps to improve communication and boost morale. This is an endless process. If we do not maintain the standards it results in the â€Å"two steps forward and one step backward† effect. Only for this reason maintenance and improvement go collectively by Japanese managers. By improving standardised activities and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste. â€Å"People are behind our success. Machines don’t have new ideas, solve problems and grasp opportunities. Only people who are involved and thinking can make a difference. Almost every auto plant in UK and USA has the same machinery but how people are utilized and involver varies widely from one company to another. The work force gives any company its true competitive edge†. (Toyota motors-general manager) Generally Japanese managers have an easier time implementing employee suggestions than managers in the USA. Japanese managers show their willingness to  go along continuous change which contributes to following change. Making the job easier. Making the job more productive. Removing drudgery from the job. Improving product quality. Removing nuisance from the job. Saving time and cost. Making the job safer. Japanese manufacturing techniques: Japanese style of manufacturing has three interlinked parts involved in it. Flexibility Quality Minimum waste In the 1980’s, imported cars accounts for 27% of us sales. Same changes had occurred in other industries in UK and USA also. The manufacturers like motorcycles, camera, television and video equipment have disappeared by the higher quality Japanese products. Poke-a-yolk: It is purely a Japanese term which means mistake or fool proofing. Poke-a-yolk is the basis of zero quality control method used for eliminating and avoiding mistakes. Basically this technique is used in manufacturing units, hospitals, aircraft maintenance and human resources. Lean production: Lean production system is one which produces cars more cheaply with higher quality than its rivals. In 1998, ford and GM took 50% more hours to make a car than Toyota. In 2006, Toyota builds an average car within 29 hours. On the other hand GM workers took 33 hours. It’s a big improvement. Mr Cowger said, 90% of the 178 gm plants almost in 33 countries adopted the lean production system. Toyota implemented the ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing system in which suppliers sends parts daily or many times a day. Toyota develops a new model in 18 months compared to three years it takes GM. This is not Japanese companies vs. American companies; it is smart Japanese companies vs. smart American companies. The key reason why Toyota is over taking GM as the dominant car industry is its production system i.e. lean production system. In Toyota, workers grouped into teams and they are allocated to individual goals to correct mistakes. (s.steve, BBC news) Historical perspective: The origin of benchmarking There is no doubt that the art of benchmarking is originated in Japan. Simply it is defined as loaning of employees to other organisations. Benchmarking means being humble enough to acknowledge that others may be smarter, and being clever enough to learn how to become just as smart – or even smarter. The essence of benchmarking is it enables us to learn our own processes and also from others. USA, UK and other companies are benchmarking Toyota production system (TPS). It is mainly focuses on the implementation of the waste reduction tools. This system is known as ‘the Toyota way’. (Forrest breyfogle, 2008). The reasons for the failure of Japanese firms overseas: Inability to cope with larger overseas responsibilities Difficulties with new environment Personal or emotional problems Lack of technical competence Inability of spouse to adjust Japanese style management is more suitable to blue collar than white collar workers Poor communication Status difference between managers and staff Improper presentation of objectives No promotion for non-Japanese Local managers not involved in key decisions Toyota acts on overwork culture: Japanese corporate culture has been criticised in UK for being workaholic. Previously it allowed workers to work two hours overtime a month for voluntary activities such as ‘qc’, stands for quality circles. This decision came into action after a court order at the death of a 30 year old Toyota worker collapsed at the plant and died due to overwork. Public criticism has been growing on overworking culture. Toyota is best known for using ideas of employees to improve production methods and minimize costs. (BBC news, 2008) Psychological safety: Psychological safety was the root cause for the failure of Toyota concept in other countries. It is especially crucial where knowledge constantly changes, workers need to be collaborating and workers make decisions without intervention of the management. (p.gupta, 2008). Hofstede’s research: Hofstede’s framework is widely used by researchers and practitioners in the field of intercultural management. According to hofstede the differences in responses could be examined by four main factors. Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism Masculinity Power distance: Power distance relates to the extent to which societies discriminates the different levels of employees in any organization i.e. how unequally the employees are treated in any company. It is the relation between blue collar and white collar workers. It should be less in order to achieve any success. In high power distance countries superiors seen to be more powerful than heir subordinates. Countries with low power distance favour a more democratic style of management. Uncertainty avoidance: It refers to the degree to which they try to avoid uncertain situations by discouraging the risk taking activities. Countries with low uncertainty avoidance will adopt flexible structures and encourage more diverse views. (Chris. B, Paul. S guy. V, 2007) Individualism: Individualism means the extent to which individuals try to merge into groups. In the usa we can find more individualism. It is to gain self-respect and personal achievement. In the contrast, collectivistic society’s people are integrated into strong groups. Masculinity: It measures the extent to which male values are dominated such as assertiveness, acquisition of money and goods and not caring for others. References: Toyota works on over work culture, Thursday, 22 may 2008 http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?site=News+-+Businessq=toyota%20culture%20in%20uktab=allscope=all Misumi, J. (1984).’Decision making in Japanese groups and organisations’, in international year-book of organisational democracy. Volume. 2, Chichester: Wiley. Forest breyfogle,dec 10th 2008. http://www.smartersolutions.com/blog/forrestbreyfogle/?p=551 Monir h. tayeb 2005. International human resource management, a multinational company perspective Gupta,p.’general motors and Toyota cultural differences’.

Data WareHouse :: Technology, Database

Being a market leader today requires competitive advantage over rival organizations. By investing in data warehouses, organizations can better predict the trends in market and offer services best suited to the needs of their customers. A Data Warehouse (DW) can be defined as a subject-oriented, non-volatile database having records over years [1,2]. DWs support the strategic decision-making process and help to answer questions such as "Who was our best customer for this item last year?"[3]. Different DW systems consists of different components, however, some core components are shared by most DW systems. The first component is the data sources. DW receives input from different data sources (such as Point-Of-Sales (POS) systems, Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in banks, checkout terminals etc). The second component is the data staging area. The data comes from data sources and it is placed in the staging area, where the data is treated with different transformations and cleansed of any anomalies. After this transformation, the data is placed in the third component which is known as storage area, which is usually a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). This process of data extraction from data sources, transformation and finally loading in storage area is regarded as Extract, Transform and Load (ETL). The saved data from the storage can be viewed by reporting units. Different On-line Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools assist in generating reports based on the da ta saved in the storage area [4,5,6,7,8]. We believe that testing should be ingrained in DW development. Thus, each of the DW components should be tested. One of the main challenges in testing the DW systems is the fact that DW systems are different among organizations, each organization has its own DW system that conforms with its own requirements and needs, which leads to having differences between DW systems in several aspects (such as database technology, tools used, size, number of users, number of data sources, how the components are connected, etc.)[9]. Another big challenge that is faced by the DW testers is regarding the test data preparation. Making use of real data for testing purpose is a violation of citizen’s privacy laws in some countries (for example, using real data of bank accounts and other information is illegal in many countries). For a proper testing of a DW, presence of a huge amount of test data is necessary. In real-time environment, the system may behave differently in the presence of terabyt es of data [10].

Charlie as the Victim of Circumstance in F. Scott Fitzgeralds Babylon

Charlie as the Victim of Circumstance in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited The story's protagonist, Charlie Wales, is less a victim of bad luck than of circumstance, both socio-economic and personal. Charlie does not deserve Marion's continued denial of custody of his daughter, but the story is less about what Charlie does or does not deserve than how easily one's life can spin out of control due to unforeseen circumstance. Marion and Charlie dislike each other on a visceral level. Marion's feelings are not solely caused by Charlie's alcoholism and past behavior. She focuses upon Charlie a hatred borne of her resentment of her family's financial situation, as evidenced by Lincoln's comment to Charlie over lunch: "I think Marion felt there was some kind of injustice to it-you not even working toward the end, and getting richer and richer." (p. 15) Her hatred is also fueled by her physical illness and her unfounded belief that Helen's marriage to Charlie was not happy. When Charlie locked Helen out during a snowstorm and Helen later became ill from exposure, Marion felt ...

Why Is Google Making This Move

For Google, maintaining itself as a search leader as wireless Internet access grows is extremely important since this is one area with extremely high growth prospects. The mobile phone is poised to become one of the most prevalent ways to access the Internet, analysts say, raising the stakes for Google. That’s why the company is exploring ways to get its services on all such devices and why it might undertake the risky but ambitious gambit of producing its own phone.For Google to really go mobile, it needs changes in the existing marketplace, where phone companies operate systems largely closed to unapproved devices and applications. Their basic strategic objective is to make sure the wireless Internet resembles the wired Internet, right now they are very different. Google’s vision is to have mobile-phone service offered free of monthly charges to consumers willing to put up with advertising. What Google wants to accomplish is to broker advertising on mobile phones the way it has on the Web.Wireless carriers worry that Google will muscle its way into the young market and capture their wireless advertising dollars. HOW DOES GOOGLE’S SUPPORT FOR OPEN ACCESS FIT INTO GOOGLE’S PLANS? With the requirement to allow any device or application to operate on the spectrum, however, Google could get into the mobile market without having to actually build and operate a network. If Google is successful, however, broadcast companies will have much more flexibility in creating business models that use spectrum that used to belong to them in the first place.The irony of this is stunning. Open access provides the following flexibility: †¢Open applications. Consumers should be able to download software applications and content, and use services without restrictions. †¢Open devices. Consumers should be able to use any type of handheld communications device and not be limited to those provided by or approved by the wireless service provider. â € ¢Open services. Third-party resellers should be able to obtain wholesale bandwidth or wireless services from any company that wins a 700 MHz license. †¢Open third-party networks.Other networks should be able to interconnect at technically feasible points with a 700 MHz licensee's wireless network. IT LOOKS LIKE GOOGLE WANTS TO GET INTO WIRELESS, YET, WIRELESS IS NOT ONE OF GOOGLE’S CORE COMPETENCIES. WHAT SHOULD GOOGLE DO ABOUT THIS? Google could buy the spectrum like real estate, lease it to someone to build/run the network, and still hook its Android devices up to it. Google's priority as a public company is to make a profit; having a Google-branded wireless service would attract a good deal more eyeballs to its ad-based services.As the leader in the open internet world, Google stands to benefit in a purely open wireless world, but so will we all. Big or small, a level field of play will mean an explosion of creativity and applications that we can’t even ima gine today. Google could implement wireless Internet experiences that dramatically surpass what’s available today, including: †¢Phones that incorporate quality cellular browsers to enable listening and viewing to all audio and video streams †¢Implementing a WiFi-friendly cellular network to offload bandwidth-intensive Internet access and encourage dual 3G/WiFi phones †¢Putting WiFi VOIP software on all phones Offering feature-rich synchronization between handsets and the Internet for Google’s applications as well as third parties' †¢Providing advanced mobile commerce software for wireless Internet shopping experiences †¢Testing free and discounted airtime and wireless Internet services paid for with text, audio, and video advertisements †¢Being unique among cellular operators to leverage the Internet for educating customers through a comprehensive package of Weblogs, wikis, videos, podcasts, and email newsletters, and encouraging senior ex ecutives and consumers to interact online APPLY AS MANY TCOS AS YOU CAN TO GOOGLE’S MIGRATION TO DIGITAL.A – Given a company situation be able to describe the industry dynamics of technological innovation. Combined with its core competencies of search, applications, and advertising, Google may soon add new puzzle pieces that will help create an end-to-end mobile broadband network in the US. However, these new pieces may be mostly about expanding its core business—providing universal access to information in exchange for targeted-advertising dollars D – Given an organizational context, develop a plan to increase the innovative capabilities of the organization both through collaboration trategies and internal innovation. If Google was a winner in the 700MHz auction, I believe the company would have attempted to wholesale the spectrum, and would have collaborated with partners to ensure a strong presence in mobile broadband and drive its own advertising reve nue. E – Given information about a company’s industry, and organization, formulate a technological innovation strategy through its new product development strategy. By bidding in the auction, Google forced Verizon to shell out the cash necessary to grant open access to devices and applications on portions of the spectrum.Google doesn't really care about what the Telco paid for wireless access. They just want access to the platform. So Google got the open access rules it wanted, forced telecoms to pay for open access airways all for the cost of FCC lobbying and some game theorists hired to formulate an optimal bidding strategy. Google now gets to sit back and focus on its core competencies: search, advertising, and street magic.Reference: 1. http://www. bignerds. com/papers/3640/Research-Googles-Attempt-Buy-Into-Wireless/

Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Health And Social Care Essay

Ventilator associated pneumonia is a serious infection impacting both the patient, health care installation, and staff. It is the 2nd most common healthcare-acquired infection ( Koening, 2006 ) . Incidence of VAP is estimated every bit high as 65 % and it occurs in up to 28 % of patients who have been on the ventilator 48 hours or longer ( Powers, 2006 ) . The mortality rate associated with VAP scopes from 12-50 % ( Sona et al, 2009 ) . Studies on the mortality rates of VAP besides show that patients who develop VAP have a 2.2 to 4.3 times higher hazard of decease compared to other automatically ventilated patients who do non hold pneumonia ( Powers, 2006 ) . A twosome affects that VAP has upon the patient and health care installation are clip of hospitalization and health care costs. Ventilator associated pneumonia causes the length of a infirmary stay to increase significantly. It can increase the hospitalization clip anyplace from four to nineteen yearss longer ( Powers, 2006 ) . This excess hospitalization can do extra emphasis for the patient and their wellness. As the incidence of VAP causes longer hospitalizations to happen, patient and wellness attention installation costs ascent besides. It is estimated that the mean addition in infirmary costs is about $ 57,000 per VAP happening ( Powers, 2006 ) . There are besides increases to the infirmary that occur due to additions in supplies used, staff that is utilised, and more medicines used. Since VAP has such a negative impact upon patients and health care installations many intercessions have been tried to forestall the incidence of VAP. One intercession utilized is maintaining the caput of the patient ‘s bed raised to at least 30 grades to forestall aspiration of bacteriums in secernments. Another is â€Å" sedation holidaies † which consists of disrupting the patient ‘s sedation medicine until patient shows marks of watchfulness, to measure if patients can be weaned off the ventilator more rapidly. Other noteworthy intercessions that have been utilized in the yesteryear and some in today ‘s pattern every bit good include: suctioning secernments, good sterile techniques such as manus lavation, and unwritten attention ( Pruitt & A ; Jacobs, 2006 ) . Patients are continually developing VAP and holding complications from the infection. If it is found that everyday unwritten attention, defined as dentitions brushing with the usage of an unwritten disinfectant within this paper, can cut down the incidence of VAP in automatically ventilated patients it could diminish length of infirmary stay, maintain costs due to incidence of VAP down for both patient and healthcare establishment, every bit good as lessening mortality rates in these patients. Clinical Question Ventilator associated pneumonia occurs manner excessively frequently in the infirmary scene. It causes important emphasis on the patient ‘s already debatable wellness position. The author of this paper has observed many nurses who are argus-eyed in supplying unwritten attention to ventilated patients, but has besides observed other nurses who forego unwritten attention as if it non of import and has no affects upon the patient ‘s wellness. This made the author inquiry what the existent effectivity of unwritten attention has upon cut downing the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in automatically ventilated patients. This issue is really relevant to nursing because the ultimate end of a nurse is to assist the patient have the best possible result. Trying to accomplish the best possible result for the patient makes infection control is a really high precedence for nurses. Patients who have infections are more prone to acquire other infections and necessitate more nursing attention and more clip to retrieve from their unwellnesss. Although VAP will go on to happen in patients, and unwritten attention is non a remedy for ventilator associated pneumonia, there is valuable information included in research surveies included within this paper that shows the incidence of VAP can be reduced in automatically ventilated patients by implementing everyday unwritten attention.Empirical Review 1The intent of the first survey, conducted by Sona et Al, 2005 was to find the consequence of a everyday unwritten attention protocol upon incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. The research design was a quantitative, experiment, quasi-experimental survey which utilized a non-equivalent control group before and after the design. The survey had no conceptual model stated by the research workers. Within the survey, the variables of significance to the clinical inquiry being looked at were the everyday unwritten attention protocol and the ventilator-associated p neumonia rates. The independent variable of new unwritten attention protocol was defined as the mechanical cleaning of the dentition or gums to take plaque with a tooth coppice and the application of an unwritten disinfectant. The survey went on to farther discourse the protocol as brushing the dentition for one to two proceedingss with a regular toothbrush and so using.12 % chlorahexidine to all unwritten surfaces every 12 hours. The dependent variable was the ventilator associated pneumonia rates. It was defined as a common infirmary acquired infection and is the taking cause of decease in ICU patients who are ventilator dependent. Ventilator associated pneumonia rates were measured utilizing the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System ( NNIS ) criteria.The dependability nor the cogency of this instrument was addressed within the survey. Another variable that was studied was length of stay. This was merely measured by the figure of yearss that the patient spent within t he ICU after a ventilator associated pneumonia infection occurred ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . This survey took topographic point at Barnes Jewish Hospital on a 24 bed intensive attention unit ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . The survey focused peculiarly on patients that were admitted to the surgical intensive attention unit ( SICU ) whom required mechanical airing. The topics consisted of all patients who had mechanical airing between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2005. Subjects were chosen utilizing non-probability convenience sampling. The pre-intervention was implemented for patients that were admitted between June 1, 2003 and May 31, 2005. The size of this sample was 777 patients. The pre-intervention stage consisted of standard attention the nurse provided to the patients, no alterations were provided during this clip ; lone observation took topographic point. One month before the terminal of the pre-intervention stage all nursing staff working on the SICU were debriefed and educated on the purposes of the survey every bit good as the new everyday unwritten attention protocol by two clinical nurse specializers and a nurse pedagogue. This was to assist forestall disagreements in the intercession. During the station intercession stage of the survey which took topographic point between June 2004 until May 2005 the sample size consisted of 871 patients who were all nil per os ( NPO ) ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) On June 1, 2004 the new everyday unwritten attention protocol was implemented ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . The intervention/protocol consisted of the nurse brushing the dentition of the patient for one to two proceedingss with a regular toothbrush, rinsing the oral cavity with H2O and suctioning it out, and so utilizing 15 milliliter of.12 % chlorahexidine to cleanse the oral cavity. The intercession was repeated every 12 hours by the registered nursing staff. Conformity of the protocol was estimated to be about 90 % and the execution was carried out for 12 months before consequences were analyzed ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . For this survey the degree of significance was expressed utilizing p-values. A p value of less than.05 was considered important ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . For the information analysis, two statistical trials were used: The Mantel-Haesnel Chi Squared. After the analysis of informations, it was determined that p=.04 demoing that the everyday unwritten attention protocol did do a important decrease in the ventilator-associated pneumonia rates within the topics studied. The pre-intervention rate for VAP was 5.2 infection per 1000 ventilator yearss while post-intervention rate for VAP showed 2.4 infections per 1000 ventilator yearss ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . Other statistics for the survey showed the patient ‘s figure of yearss the patient was on ventilator was decreased ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . From the statistical analysis within the survey, the research workers derived certain findings and decisions ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . One of the findings was that the station intercession group had tendencies toward shorter clip on the ventilator, every bit good as length of infirmary stay. The chief determination within the survey found that when the everyday unwritten attention protocol was being utilised, the rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia were significantly decreased. The research worker makes it a point to province that although the determination suggests that the execution of the protocol reduces rate of VAP this can non be proven ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . This survey is a nonrandomized controlled test. The quality of this grounds was converting and important. It was a consistent survey and it is considered to be of Level II quality. Certain immaterial variables that could hold had an consequence upon the result of the survey, as identified by the pupil, could hold been the status the patient was in before the ICU admittance, any preexistent conditions that could change wellness and increase the hazard of infection, and the nurses attitude toward executing unwritten attention. Although the survey was a strong and consistent one, it did hold both strengths and failings. There were no strengths identified by the research workers. However, the pupil did place some strengths within this survey. One of the first strengths was the instruction that was given to the nursing staff prior to the execution of the protocol. This helped the survey to be more valid by increasing the continuity of the attention and manner the nurses performed the protocol. The other strength of the survey was the design being a quasi-experimental. This is because quasi-experimental surveies normally can be generalized to the population that is being studied. Failings that were addressed within the survey by the research workers was that the research workers themselves did non measure the dentitions brushing part of the intercession to do certain that the nurses were being consistent in the manner they did it, and if the nurses performed it for the right sum of clip ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . This resulted in the deficiency of control over nursing techniques. Another failing of the survey recognized by the research worker was the survey did non take into history the alteration in the patient population over the continuance of the survey ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . Some weaknesses the pupil identified within this survey was that the survey was really susceptible to bias because no blinding or cover was used within this survey. Everyone knew what was happening and this could hold had the research workers looking as if the intercession helped more than it really did. Within the survey the research worker did non turn to if the survey could be generalized. However, the author of the paper believes that this survey can be generalized. The intercession is a really simple one. Most civilizations have no jobs with utilizing unwritten attention. Besides, most infirmaries have intensive attention units and/or ventilator dependant patients which were the population within the survey. This intercession within the survey does non hold a batch of hazards. The lone hazards mentioned were possible tooth staining from the antimicrobic and hapless gustatory sensation ( Sona et al. , 2009 ) . Besides, this intercession is really executable. To implement unwritten attention there is no particular preparation needed, although instruction should be provided. The unwritten attention modus operandi is a comparatively speedy intercession that takes no more than 5 proceedingss to implement, which would let nurses with busy agendas to still be able to execute the interc ession. Besides, this intercession is really low cost compared to the cost of ventilator associated pneumonia instances. Therefore, the cost-benefit ratio would be a great benefit to health-care installations. This survey suggests that unwritten attention can be really effectual in diminishing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia rates. Although a really valid survey, one survey is non adequate grounds to implement a new protocol into a nurse ‘s pattern. One must look for more surveies and literature to back up the determination in order to try to implement it into pattern. The following survey that was appraised by the author of this paper seems to back up the findings that were found in this survey.Empirical Review 2The following survey examined by the author of this paper was a research survey conducted by Mori et al.,2005. The intent of the survey was to find if unwritten attention of automatically ventilated patients contributed to the bar and decrease of the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) . The research design utilized for this survey was a quantitative, experimental, quasi-experimental which used a non-equivalent before and afte r attack. Within the survey the research worker did non province any theoretical model to steer the survey. The survey was non randomized, and used a non-probability convenience sample method ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) . The research survey took topographic point on a medical/surgical intensive attention unit in an urban university infirmary which was non named by the research worker ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) . The population of involvement was ventilator dependent patients with tracheal cannulation. Since topics were chosen by convenience sampling, they were chosen as they became available on the unit. Inclusion standards for topics were that they must hold been having mechanical airing and have tracheal cannulation. Exclusion standards for the survey were patient ‘s whose conditions contraindicated unwritten attention, patients with terrible shed blooding inclinations, or patients with iodine allergic reactions. The sample for the unwritten attention group was patients admitted to the intensive attention unit between January 1997 and December 2002, and consisted of 1,248 patients. The sample for the non-oral attention group, or the control, was patients admitted during January of 1995 until Dece mber of 1996 ; this sample size was 414 topics ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) For this survey, the independent variable was the unwritten attention being delivered ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) . This variable was defined as cleaning of the unwritten pit three times a twenty-four hours by nursing employees following the specified new protocol. The protocol was that the nurse would look into the patient ‘s critical marks and so make unwritten suctioning, followed by positioning the patient ‘s caput to the side to forestall suffocation and find the status of the unwritten mucous membrane. After this the nurse would clean the oral cavity with a 20-fold diluted solution of providone-iodine mouthwash ( antimicrobic ) . Then the usage of a standard toothbrush was used to brush the dentition ; the patient ‘s oral cavity was rinsed with H2O. Directly following the brushing and rinse, the providone-iodine was utilized once more by swobing the oral cavity and dentition. Finally, unwritten suctioning was done one concluding clip. The dependent variable in the survey was the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia. This variable was defined as a hospital-acquired pneumonia that becomes present after 48 hours of the patient being automatically ventilated. Ventilator associated pneumonia was suspected if spot infiltrates were present upon the patient ‘s chest x-ray and two of the following were present: a temperature of 100.4 grades Fahrenheit, white blood cell count of 10,000 M3 or higher, or pussy respiratory secernments were observed. A definite diagnosing of ventilator associated pneumonia, which was used for grounds of the incidence in this survey, was determined by trancheobronchial secernment civilizations demoing a consequence of 1+ or more. Other variables were continuance of hospitalization defined as length of stay measured by the figure of yearss and the causative agent of the pneumonia identified by bacterial civilizations ( Mori et al. , 2005 ) . Reliability and Validity of the civilizations and skiagraphy used to m ensurate if ventilator associated pneumonia was present and causative agent were non addressed within the survey by the research worker, so the cogency is unknown.