Writing a reflection paper: October 2019

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Management, innovation and new technology Essay

Management, innovation and new technology - Essay Example In other words, technology is used to shape social life in one way or another. Therefore, it is difficult to think about a social life that is free from the influence of technology at the moment. According to Williams and Edge (1996), Social Shaping of Technology (SST) is a concept that claims that there are choices (conscious or unconscious) inherent in every individual that force him to think about innovation and creativity. The social shaping perspective emerged from a long-standing critique of crude forms of technological determinism (Edge, 1988). There is no point in thinking that innovation and creativity are generated only in the minds of wise people alone. In fact, these things are inherited in almost every human being. However, some forces are necessary to bring out the creativity and innovative ideas from the minds of people. As per the scientific principles, inertia is a human tendency. In other words, human has a tendency to stay in his present state as much as possible. A force is necessary to change his present state. Most of the people keep innovative ideas in their mind as long as the circumstances demand its use. Circumstantial forces usually help people to bring out their ideas. According to MacKenzie and Wajcman (1999), the social shaping of technology in most of the cases is a process in which there is no single dominant shaping force. In other words, multiple forces usually contribute to the social shaping of technology. This paper discusses how the social shaping perspective helps us to understand the social and organizational implications of technological change? Technology is changing day by day because of the rapid advancements in science. For example, analogue signals were used for the propagation of TV signals in the past. However, these signals were unable to provide better viewing abilities to the people. As a result of that people realised the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Understanding The Roles Of Vodafone Telecommunications Information Technology Essay

Understanding The Roles Of Vodafone Telecommunications Information Technology Essay Vodafone group plc is a global telecommunications company based its headquarter in Newbury, United Kingdom. If measured by the revenues its a largest telecommunication company in the world, along with this if measured by the subscribers its the worlds second largest just behind the china mobile. As Vodafone is a global company, it is providing services in more than 30 countries not only this Vodafone has other partner networks in 44 different countries. The Vodafone name comes from three different things which are voice, data and fone which reflect to providing services of voice and data over the devices (Mobile phones etc). The company was formed in the year of 1984 basically as a subsidiary of Racal Electronics Plc. In start the company named as Racal Telecom Limited but it was fully demerged and changed the name as Vodafone Group plc in 1991. The main objective of this specific report is to probe into the organisations information systems, structure of organization, analyze the information requirements, decision making, Business strategies, IS strategy, IT strategy, ethical issues, strength, weaknesses, opportunities, goals and objectives, managerial levels, benefits, and some other environmental factors. Furthermore this report will be the evidence of understanding of the entire studies which is conducted in this module and also the real world market. Organizational Structure The number of employees in Vodafone UK is over 10,000. Vodafone aim to provide a fair, safe and flexible workplace which helps to motivates their employees to work hard and to feel engaged and create better environment to the work. The below is organisation structure of Vodafone group; Vodafone Group Plc organisation chart Diagram: Vodafone organizational structure (www.vodafone.com) Marketing development organization As marketing is very important tool to expand the businesses in this modern world. Vodafone is continuously working on it to compete with the market and also fulfil the peoples requirements. Vodafone is using different ways to advertise their products (services) such as Zonal marketing trial, Idle screen, Branded applications and widgets trial, Location based advertising trial and so on. Within these different types of marketing advertisement, Vodafone is keep in touch with the customers to knowing their requirements and also providing them better services. Mission statement A mission statement of an organization is very important to indicate itself. It is just a sentence but it is full description of general purpose and intention of that organization. The mission statement tells the employees what they are working for; along with this persuade the customers to buy the products or services. A mission statement is that which define the basic reasons for the existence of an organization and helps legitimise its function in society (Robson, 1997). Mission statement of Vodafone is; We will be the communications leader in an increasingly connected world This specific mission statement shows that it is Communication Company / organization, which goal is to become the leader to connect the world rapidly. Goals and objectives The goals and objectives play vital role to a company. As this is a modern age and every company is facing challenges to compete with the current market , same Vodafone has some goals which they are trying to reach. Vodafone is continuously working to update and meet the requirement of the customers. To reach on the top and accomplish with the goals Vodafone has some objectives which they are completing step by step. Below are some goals which Vodafone is willing to achieve; Create Authenticity in expanding communication technologies. Connectivity between different devices in future. To understand and use (web) data in more ways. To find options and possibilities of energy. Improvement of services in each part of country. (www.vodafone.com/start/about_vodafone/future_agenda.html) Strategy The strategy of the organization indicates its prospects and also helps to improve the business. Strategy of an organization can be defined as the identification of the purpose of the organization and the plans and action to achieve the purpose (Lynch, 2006). The strategy of Vodafone changes with the passage of time, because in the year of 2006 Vodafone intentions were different according to the year 2009 and 2010. The Strategic focus in 2009 is on operational performance, total communications, emerging markets, capital discipline. Environmental analysis Political factor The political factors are very effective for the organizations. If the political factors are in favor of the organization then it will be easy to navigate and boost the business. It is also said that managers should operate within the laws and regulations of the host country (Gray Larson 2008). The stability of political issues in the specific region or country and local laws sturdily influence the performance of organization. Without the information of the local laws and regulations there is a possibility of facing penalty which could lead to a big loss. If we have a look on Vodafone globe, we will come to know that its price plans and other services are different according to the country law and demand of nation. So the organization must need to understand and obey the local laws of the country where it is operating. Economic factor The economical factors can also have adverse effect on the organizations profitability and productivity. Vodafone was quite better in economy but because of recent downturns in economy it was affected in some countries. Vodafone Spain reported turnover of euro 6,982 million in the last financial year, 2.6 % less than the previous. (Vodafone 2009). To get economically strong Vodafone is working continuously to improve the economy of the company. Recently Vodafone has extended the services for customers; this could lead to improve the economy. Social /cultural factor As Vodafone is expanded in different countries, so they have to understand the requirements and social issues of specific country / region. Vodafone have created social networking and social media sites which helps to communicate and information sharing. Along with this Vodafone have agreements with so many social networking sites to offer the services. Vodafone always put efforts for safe social networking. (www.vodafone.com) Technological factor There is technology revolution at this present age. Every day new technology arrives with so many advanced enhancements. It is becoming necessary for an organization to keep update with their technology and to keep with the pace of the modern life, it also play the part to compete with the market. Vodafone is always active to keep update its technology to satisfy the customers and also to fulfil with the modern requirements. For this Vodafone announced the launch of its latest Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) certified Mobile Wi-Fi device, the R201. (Vodafone, aug 2010) Ecological factors In a report it is mentioned that there are more than 800 million mobile devices are in use and these are growing every day as new technology is in market. The using and expanding of these devices are not that good for health and ecologically. Vodafone keeping in mind these all issue thats why Vodafone Ireland has announced to reduce CO2 emission by 30% by 2011. With the progress Vodafone is also working to create a better environment for future. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis is a method of strategic planning which is used to evaluate the Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related in a project or in any task. SWOT analysis specifies the objectives of the project and also identifies the internal and external factors of the project. Strength Vodafone always struggle to make the network outstanding. Vodafone is committed to giving you a network you can depend on. The first priority of Vodafone is make sure that people can use mobile and connect to the internet where they are, and whenever they want. Vodafone competitors are also upgrading their services to persuade the customers but speciality of Vodafone is, its network is expanding but also provides better signal strength indoor and outdoor. Vodafone is keeping in mind to provide a such network which has journey of a call, fast and reliable connections and a network you can trust. (www.vodafone.com) Weakness As every company have some weaknesses, same Vodafone sometimes face such problems. The first weakness of Vodafone is its less connectivity in rural areas. Shares in Vodafone fell to lowest point but still head of Vodafone Company decided to sell the shares. BP overtakes Vodafone amid continued telecoms weakness (www.independent.co.uk). Vodafone got negative return on assets (ROA) underperform the main competitors like BT Group, ATT and others. The other weakness is Vodafone has about 80% business generate in Europe. Due to these weaknesses Vodafone sometimes face problems to maintain the company standards. Opportunities Vodafone has so many opportunities to get benefit of it. Vodafone has expanding network with better services this made Vodafone to create opportunities for customers as well as Vodafone itself. With the passage of time climate is changing also Vodafone is working to tackle this problem with the facility of video and teleconferencing and thorough the other energy efficient machines. The Vodafone policy is full of opportunities for customers and company itself. Threats As Vodafone is dominating in the world of communication, so the competitors are the main threats for Vodafone. In start of Vodafone life, there werent so many competitors of Vodafone but gradually so many companies come to exist and started the war in the field of telecommunication. As it is expanding network, every day new customers are joining Vodafone, it could create problem in network. So Vodafone need to update their boosters or all other technologies which could lead to calling and data transferring problems. Along with this, as other competitor companies are introducing new services, same Vodafone need to introduce such facilities/services which could keep customers in touch with Vodafone. Level of Management Information System There are four level of management, each level supporting different kind of decision process. It works from top to bottom, as top level management which is strategic level makes decision then it ends with the bottom which is Operational level. These four are defined below; Strategic level: This specific level of management is for seniors like, CEO, VIP, and Manger. This type of management usually makes long term decisions like 3 to 10 years. Recommendation: Sales and Marketing IS, Manufacturing IS, H R Information system, And Finance and accounting IS. Management level / Tactical level: This management level is usually resource allocation decision level. In this management level managers utilise and allocate time, raw material, machinery, funds etc and this is usually for 1 to 3 years. Recommendation: Sales and Marketing IS, Manufacturing IS, H R Information system, And Finance and accounting IS. Knowledge level: The knowledge level is a additional level of management in which knowledge and data workers work. This level is all about the knowledge of the specific project. Recommendation: Sales and Marketing IS, Manufacturing IS, H R Information system, And Finance and accounting IS. Operational level: In this bottom part of the management level, managers work day to day to complete the task. Normally in this level, manager makes decisions less than one year. Recommendation: Sales and marketing IS, Manufacturing IS, Human Resource IS, and Finance and Accounting IS. TPS OAS KW MIS DSS ESS Operational Level Knowledge Level Management Level Strategic Level Diagram: Types of IS and level of working. Information Systems An information system can be defined technically as a set of interrelated components that collect process, store and distributed information to support decision making and control in an organization (Laudon Laudon, 2009). With the help of information system a project could lead to a successful project and can complete on time. Information system provides fast and accurate transaction along with this it provides support for decision making. The information system is the weapon against competitor companies. There are some major information systems which work in each management levels are below. ESS (Executive support system) work in strategic level. DSS (Decision support system) work in management level. MIS (Management information system) work in management level. KWS (Knowledge working system) work in knowledge level. OAS (office automation system) work in operational level. TPS (Transaction processing system) work in operational level. ESS (Executive support system) ESS is designed to draw summarized information from MIS and DSS and present graphs and data from many sources through an interface that is easy for senior managers (Laudon Laudon, 2009). This is top management level and top people of management deal in this level. The chief executive of Vodafone makes final and basic decisions, and all departments head collect the information (data) and present to him for his decision to go throw. The ESS information system manage all the activities happening within the company like sales, purchase, cost etc which helps chief executive to make decisions and start new plans. DSS (Decision support system) The DSS helps to navigate the company into right path, because if company is getting loss from present services or technology then it indicate the down turn of the company. With the help of DSS Vodafone sometimes change the price plans and also other changing occurs which are effect for company. The DSS of Vodafone can usually use information from other information systems but they need to get informed from outsource to come up with it. MIS (Management information system) Middle management needs system to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making and administer activity and to work with this, the systems which are use called MIS (Laudon Laudon, 2009). This information system basically helps to monitoring the activities happening within the company. With the help of this information system managers can check any transaction from thousand of transaction. Managers often need to see, what is going on with the company during it is working to know that, is company is doing fine or not, and MIS helps to do that. This system also provide required reports weekly, monthly or yearly, which helps manager to make decision. KWS (Knowledge working system) Knowledge work system or knowledge based information system that support the creation, organization and dissemination of business to employee and mangers throughout a company (OBrien Maracas, 2008). This information system helps the organization to find the new ways to reach the success. In Vodafone KWS use to find what new price plans will be appreciable by customers and also how to improve services. OAS (office automation system) The OAS usually use in employees data and for office work. As it is mentioned above that OAS is use in operational level. This information system manages all the office work of Vodafone like non financial asset, share based payment, pension etc. TPS (Transaction processing system) TPS help the operational managers to keep track of the elementary activities and transaction of the organization, such as sales, receipt, cash deposit, payroll, credit decision and the flow of materials in a factory (Laudon Laudon, 2009). In this system Vodafone can interact with the customers on daily basis. The information system helps Vodafone to deal with the all sort of enquires. Ethical Issues The use of Information system could be very risky for an organization. As it is very necessary for an organization to use information system to boost the performance of the work in better and convenient way meanwhile it could be very risky and can lead to disruption. So a lot of ethical issues need to keep in mind when implement information system. For example, if wrong information of data is entered then output also will be wrong this could lead to wrong decision making which is very harmful for company. It is very important to focus on ethical issue, if there is problem in OAS that wrong information is entered in the database of Vodafone then it will store wrong information in the system, it will produce wrong result. Same as if there is problem in TPS (Transaction Processing system) that transaction is made wrong while customer is paying bill or when Vodafone is topping up the account of the customers this could create problem for both customers and the company. Some ethical issue s of Vodafone are below; Privacy Protection: company need to focus on privacy of the company and its business. It needs to ensure that all transaction, made exactly and correctly. Along with this Vodafone needs to protect transaction occurred, that other cant retrieve it. Accuracy of Information: In process of data storage and all other inputs Vodafone needs to be careful of the authenticity of the stored information. Sometimes companies are expecting are something but they get something else at the time of result. Right of Information: Every mangers needs to know his responsibilities that he can maintain structure of the company. Security: As much the system is secure company will be safe from threats and misuse. Lack of knowledge: Staff must be trained to do the job and satisfy the customer in the criteria of information system. Conclusion: All organizations need to use information system to boost the performance and drive through the success. Information system helps organization to sort out, about all kind of problems and become profitable. As Vodafone is a communication services provider, so to come up with all necessities of this modern life and to compete with market, Vodafone needs to use specific information systems. There are so many companies in market competing with Vodafone, but due to choosing right and efficient information system, Vodafone is at the top.

Friday, October 25, 2019

electronic payment method Essay -- essays research papers

1.Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Introduction ABC Company operates telecommunications business. Management prepares to launch a new service to the market. The researchers use data mining techniques to obtain information of market profile. This paper describes how Market Basket Analysis (MBA), Memory Based Reasoning (MBR) and Neural Networks (NN) analyze the data. The data analysis methods generate valuable information for ABC Company constructing the marketing campaign. Management evaluates the business problems, and converts into the data mining problems. Then they select the right data set and inputs into the data mining models. They collect information from data mining and use it to take actions. These actions bring values to the company. Management measures the results as a feedback to the other research projects. 2.Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Business Problems Telecommunications is a heavy competitive market. All telecommunications companies offer similar products and services. ABC Company plans to launch a new service - wireless broadband Internet access. The customers access Internet using GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) through their mobile phones. Although ABC Company captures about 40% of total market share, she understands that only delivery innovative service maintains sustainable competitive advantages. The competitors such as Sunday, SmartTone also plan to delivery some new services using broadband wireless communication. ABC Company performs data analysis to capture information of customers' attitudes and market situations. Obviously, a new product delivery is a marketing problem. It is suitable to transform into data analysis problem. Management uses techniques to capture the data. Management has a better understanding to existing market. 3.Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Question 1 - Data Analysis by Market Basket Analysis 3.1.Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Research Objectives By using MBA, ABC Company selects data from customer database. MBA is developed from the retail business. Researchers collect data of customers to see the joint consumed products. MBA uses information about what customer purchase. MBA gives insights into the merchandise by telling the researcher which products tend to be purchased together and which are most are enable to promotion. MBA provides the information that which product customers like to buy. AB... ...Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ :Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ HK$ xxxxÃ‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ :Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ The researchers create a data set from the customer information database system. They are valuable input into the data analysis. Researchers easily extract information from the system. The researchers first determine which products that customer most desire, they are listed as following, Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Customers use Internet access Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Customers use email to transfer the message Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Customers use call forwarding Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Customers use WAP phone to browse the Internet Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Ã‚ Customers are the heavily users

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Break Up of Marks for Formative Assessment

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Malaysian Studies Essay

CHAPTER 1 Early History of Malaysia 1. History has proven that Malaysia is not a new country. Humans have been living in several areas of the country since the Stone Age. a. Explain the early inhabitants that available in Malaysia and their characteristics. (8 marks) b. What are the element of similarity among Malay Archipalego (2 marks) 2. According to history, Malacca was founded by Parameswara in 1403 A.D. In the years that followed, Malacca grew into a great Empire in the Malay Archipelago. a. Discuss the Golden Age of Malacca. b. Explain the internal factors for the fall of the Malacca Empire 3. Malaysia subjected to other powers for about 446 years from 1511 till 1957. a. Explain all five colonists that had colonized Malaysia before this (5 marks) b. What is LESSONS that can be learnt from the fall of Malacca Empire? (5 marks) 4. Malaysia is classified as one of the Commonwealth countries because Malaysia was once a colonized land a. Explain the reasons for Portuguese took over Malacca. b. What happen to Malay Archipelago when British and Dutch agree to signed THE ANGLO DUTCH TREATY 1824? MALAYSIAN STUDIES 5. Japanese occupied Malaya for only three and a half years , from 15 February 1942 to 15 August 1945 a. Discuss the reasons WHY Japanese military can conquer Malaya easily? (6 marks) b. How Japanese army attack Malaya? 6. Emergency period closely related with the development and activities of Communist party of Malaya a. Discuss on the activities of Communist Party Of Malaya b. Explain any three strategies used by British in opposing MCP (6 marks) CHAPTER 2 The Struggle for Independence 7. On 1st April 1946, Malayan Union was officially announced after British Military administration was dissolve a. Describes any four of the FEATURES of the Malayan Union. b. Why the Malays opposed the Malayan Union? 8. Malayan union was setting up by British to govern Malaya. But, the union was opposed by Malayan. a. Explain any three FACTORS which led to the failure of the Malayan Union. b. How Malaya people show their opposition toward Malayan Union? MALAYSIAN STUDIES 9. Opposition again Malayan Union by Malays and other races make British come out with new idea. a. What are idea and MATTERS that being proposed by the committee for the new constitution? b. State the reasons for AMCJA and PUTERA opposed the new constitutions? 10. Political parties continued to grow in Malaya. Leaders and members of political parties focused their struggle on protecting the interests of the members and also on striving for the countryÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s independence. a. List and briefly explain on the political parties in ALLIANCE b. What are the two conditions that given by British to Malaya in getting their independency? Is it Malaya successfully fulfill the condition? Explain about it 11. Malaya successfully obtain the trust from British to get our own independency through election. a. Who are the team members that go to London in February 1956 to negotiate for MalayaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s independence? b. Explain the FIVE fundamental principles in the 1957 Malayan Constitution CHAPTER 3 Systems of Government and National Administrative Structure 12. The selection of Yang di-Pertuan Agong is based on procedures spelt out in the Third Schedule of the Constitution a. Give three factors that can affect and shortened the period as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. MALAYSIAN STUDIES b. When the turns come, he cannot be Yang Di-Pertuan Agong under several reasons. Give the reasons. 13. In order to become the Yang-Dipertuan Agong, the candidateÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s are selected among the sultans. a. List and explain the criteria in order to become the Yang Di-pertuan Agong? 14. In order to become the Yang-Dipertuan Agong, the candidateÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s are selected among the sultans. a. What are the POWERS of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong? b. Briefly explain any four roles for the Council of Rulers. (5 marks) 15. The Cabinet is headed by a Prime Minister with ministers appointed by the Yang diPertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister a. Explain the ROLES of Cabinet. b. LIST the legislative power of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. c. Differenciate between senate and house of representative 16. The Judiciary or the area of justice lies with the courts. a. List and explain three types of Courts in Malaysia. b. Explain on the freedom of court in making decision? MALAYSIAN STUDIES CHAPTER 4 National Integration 17. Integration among races are important in order to maintain the harmony and unity among citizen. a. Discuss the strategies that the government was and is using to create unity and national integration. b. Explain what changes that you think happen when Malaya became Malaysia 18. Malaysia is unique countries where it includes a few number of races andÃ‚ gratefully, each races are stay together harmony. a. Explain the problem of racial unity in the country prior to Independence. b. Give the three factors and reasons of the problems in unity and integration between races in Malaysia. CHAPTER 5 The Formation of Malaysia 19. The idea of the formation of Malaysia by Tunku Abdul Rahman brought forth all sorts of reactions. a. In your opinion, the formation of Malaysia was a good decision or bad decision? State your reasons? b. Briefly explain the reactions from Singapore, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak. 20. The formation of Malaysia involved a gigantic change. But the dream became a reality and Malaysia as a new nation was born. a.Ã‚ Explain why some people from Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak opposed this idea? MALAYSIAN STUDIES b. Explain why Indonesia and Philippines opposed the formation of Malaysia? 21. The Sultan of Brunei suddenly lost interest for his country to join Malaysia and Brunei did not become a member of Malaysia. a. What are the factors that contributed to the withdrawal of Brunei from Malaysia. b. Why SingaporeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s separate from Malaysia? CHAPTER 6 Democracy and General Election 22. The Federation of Malaysia practices a system of parliamentary democracy. a. Discuss the differentiation between Yang Dipertuan Agong and Sultan or Ruler of states in Malaysia (4 marks) b. Discuss the THREE bodies (divisions) that available in the systems. 23. The Judiciary or the area of justice lies with the courts. It is the third body or component in the practice of delegating authority. a. What is SPEAKER of the House of Representatives. Who are the current speaker for our country? b. explain three function of SPEAKER of the House of Representatives 24. Malaysia is a country that practices parliamentary democracy. In this form or system of government, the election and voting are the important political methods for the people to give the mandate to or determine the power for a certain party to form the government. MALAYSIAN STUDIES a. Gives five characteristics of Malaysia as a Parliamentary Democracy Country. b. Explain three main responsibilities of Election Commission 25. The Ruler/Sultan is the chief executive for the respective state that rule the state based on the Ã¢â‚¬Ëœact and adviceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ principle. a. Explain the POWER of Ruler or Sultan in their State. b. What are the title of the ruler of Johor, NEgeri Sembilan,Perlis and Sarawak 26. Malaysia is a country that practices parliamentary democracy. In thisÃ‚ form or system of government, the election and voting are the important political methods for the people to give the mandate to or determine the power for a certain party to form the government. a. When are General Elections held? b. Explain what are the differences between the General Elections and By-Elections? 27. Democracy is a concept that is very meaningful to a country that respects the freedom of the individuals in determining the leadership of the country. a. Describes the types of ELECTION b. Discuss any three of election tools. CHAPTER 7 Malaysian Constitution MALAYSIAN STUDIES 28. Citizenship is a special status held by the people who have the right to be in a country. This status gives rights, benefits and certain facilities. a. What are the special rights that can be obtained by a Malaysian? b. In your opinion, what are the responsibilities that should be borne by a Malaysian citizen? CHAPTER 8 Development Plan and Vision 29. The Rukun Negara was officially proclaimed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 31 August 1971. The decision to formulate this national ideology was made a few months after the May 13 tragedy. a. What is Rukun Negara? Explain two objectives of Rukun Negara. b. LIST and briefly explain the principles of Rukun Negara. 30. The Sixth and Seventh Malaysia Plans are considered the gateway and the first 10 years of Vision 2020. a. Give and briefly explain FIVE of the Nine Challenges of Vision 2020. Page 8 of 8

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Life as a Death Row Inmate Essays

Life as a Death Row Inmate Essays Life as a Death Row Inmate Essay Life as a Death Row Inmate Essay English Literature 1 9/23/10 Illustration Since 1997, there have been over 1,200 inmates executed in The United States of America, and according to The Death Penalty Information center there are 3,225 inmates currently on death in The United states Of America. These inmates spend at least 5 to roughly 25 years in prison before theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re executed. Forcing inmates to live out the rest of their life segregated from the rest of the prison, in a 69 x 9. 5 feet high cell. Making this, and the rules of the institution theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re in their day to day life. Which most people would assume the day to day life of a death row inmate to be nothing, so what is the day to day life of an inmate on death row structured like. Each institution in the United States is run differently, but the procedures are basically the same. As an inmate in America according, to Ã¢â‚¬Å"The State of Florida Department of CorrectionsÃ¢â‚¬ , an inmates day starts early in the morning at 5 a. m. with breakfast. Isolated to your cells your meals are prepared by prison staff and brought to you in insulted carts. Prisoners are allowed to use plastic plates and sporks. This is how every meal is served to you day in and day out. Expect for your last meal before your death which can be no more than $40, and bought locally. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s something most inmates on death row look forward to. With inmates mates being confined to their cells 24 hours a day expect for, medical reasons, media interviews, and social or legal visits. what could a human being possibly do inside that little cell for the rest of there life? Even when you do leave your room you are handcuffed at all times. Inside an inmates cell on death row you will find many things, but the most basic means of entertainment consist of a radio, a 13Ã¢â‚¬ inch TV, and paper as well as writing utensil. The inmates are not allowed cable and there cell is subject to the natural temperature of the earth with no type if air conditioning and minimal heat. Inmates are also allowed to receive mail everyday except for holidays and weekends. They are also allowed cigarettes and snacks of many kind to fulfill there natural pleasures. Inmates are also welcome to take a shower everyday as a way to get away from the few, but important resources they have in side there cells. Most death row inmates utilize this time in their cell with the resources that they have available in many different ways. Most inmates find them self eves reading and or writing books, as well as writing and receiving mail from family and friends. There are also some inmates who work out in their cells to keep in physical shape. While others watch, read, and live spirituality to prepare for what eternally awaits them which is death. Being that most inmates that have been jail for as long as most death row inmates have been, they usually become very creative in what they do with their time. So the resources that these inmates are allowed donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t restrict the endless creative they have to put their resources towards good use in their cell. This is, but not limited to the day to day life of a model inmate on death row in America. These inmates live out everyday of there life sometimes for extended periods of time depending on their situation. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s very hard to believe that any human being could live like this, but 95% of all death row inmates adapt to this life style after the first nine years of their sentence. Living everyday as what they have been bread to think is normal waiting for there last day, which most inmates refer to as d-day. Everyday on death row in America is pretty much the same. Expect for one day, and that is the day that you are to be executed. On that day that you are to be executed you will be put in a holding cell to await execution until 12:00 oÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ clock midnight; which by law no execution can take place before midnight. This is where you are feed the last three meals, as u a wait to be taken to the execution chamber. When youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re taken to the execution chamber you are strapped to a stretcher with your arms, and legs apart. You are than ask if you would like to say anything, to the victims family, the media, and the various others watching. After you are done, a team of experts administrate the drugs. Your plus is checked and than your pronounced dead. To no more be subject to living the day to day life of a death row inmate waiting for that day, Ã¢â‚¬Å"D-dayÃ¢â‚¬ .

Monday, October 21, 2019

trepanation essays

trepanation essays Trepanation is the practice of making a hole in the skull. It is the oldest surgical procedure practiced by mankind (ITAG introduction). Archaeologists have found trepanned skulls dating back to 3000 B.C. Hippocrates, who is considered to be the father of medicine, wrote On Injuries of the Head endorsed trepanation for the treatment of head wounds in 400 B.C. (Bowen). Edward M. Margetts stated, The word trepanation comes from the Greek trypanon, meaning a borer, and dates back to classic times. The more recent term trephination affords a variant, and is derived from the French. Basically to trepan is to bore a hole in the skull. This hole is usually made by scraping, rasping, drilling, cutting, or sawing into the skull). Historically, many cultures practiced trepanation. In 1829, in Polynesia, a missionary by the name of William Ellis reported that trepanation was used to repair bony deficiencies in the skull by replacing the bone with a piece of coconut shell. This is not true trepanation because they did not make the hole or depression in the skull. In Tahiti, trepanation was performed using a sharks tooth. The tahunas, or priests performed this procedure. In North America, trepanation was common before the white man came. It has been recorded in Alaska, British Columbia, the United States, and Mexico. One missionary reported that a British Columbian Indian came up to him, carrying a brace and a bit, begging him to bore a hole in his skull to let out the evil spirits that were causing him headaches. There are also more than a dozen trepanned skulls from British Columbian sites. In England, up until about 1900, trepanation was a common surgical practice. It was performed to treat fractures of the skull, head injuries, various headaches, epilepsy and mental problems. Throughout Africa trepanation was commonplace procedure. In Libya, children at the age...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Janus Words

Janus Words Janus Words Janus Words By Maeve Maddox The Roman god JanusÃ¢â‚¬â€œthe personification of a Latin word meaning Ã¢â‚¬Å"doorwayÃ¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â€œwas depicted as having two faces, each pointing in opposite directions. He was the god of doorways and gateways, beginnings and endings. The term Ã¢â‚¬Å"Janus wordsÃ¢â‚¬ is applied to words that can mean opposites. A common example is the verb cleave, which can mean either, Ã¢â‚¬Å"to stick togetherÃ¢â‚¬ or Ã¢â‚¬Å"to cut apartÃ¢â‚¬ : Gawain cleaves off the strangers head in one blow, but the stranger does not die. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Ã¢â‚¬â€œMatthew 19:5, KJV. Such words are variously known as auto-antonyms, antilogies, enantiodromes, and contranyms. Because of the long-established term antonym as the word for Ã¢â‚¬Å"a word that is the opposite or antithesis of another,Ã¢â‚¬ it seems that auto-antonym is the most practical choice. Here are three examples of auto-antonyms: Sanguine The adjective sanguine is from the Latin for Ã¢â‚¬Å"bloody.Ã¢â‚¬ It can be used in a literal sense: Ã¢â‚¬Å"The sanguine murders were the work of a serial killer.Ã¢â‚¬ In medieval philosophy, people were believed to be governed by the Ã¢â‚¬Å"four humoursÃ¢â‚¬ : blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.Ã¢â‚¬ These humors embodied certain characteristics: blood: courageous, hopeful, amorous yellow bile: easily angered, bad-tempered black bile: despondent, sleepless, irritable phlegm: calm, emotional Someone of a Ã¢â‚¬Å"sanguine temperament,Ã¢â‚¬ for example, is governed by a cheerful disposition. The auto-antonym sanguine can mean either Ã¢â‚¬Å"bloody, bloodthirsty,Ã¢â‚¬ or Ã¢â‚¬Å"cheerful, loving.Ã¢â‚¬ Sanction The verb sanction comes from a Latin noun, sanctionem, which meant something that was so important or sacred that it was required; the law even imposed a penalty for failure to perform it. Both good and bad notions, therefore, attached to the word. As an English verb, sanction can mean either, Ã¢â‚¬Å"to endorse or authorize,Ã¢â‚¬ or Ã¢â‚¬Å"to punish.Ã¢â‚¬ For example, Court will sanction Prenda lawyers if they donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t appear April 2 (i.e., will punish them) Illinois Becomes 20th State to Sanction Therapeutic Use of Cannabis (i.e., approve) Dust The verb dust originated with a Germanic noun that probably meant Ã¢â‚¬Å"that which rises or is blown in a cloud, like vapor, smoke, or dust. Ã¢â‚¬ In modern usage, the verb dust can mean either Ã¢â‚¬Å"to remove dust particles from a surface,Ã¢â‚¬ or Ã¢â‚¬Å"to sprinkle dust particles on a surface.Ã¢â‚¬ For example, I want you to dust the furniture before the guests arrive. (remove the dust) The last step is to dust the cake with powdered sugar. (apply a dusting of sugar) The use of auto-antonyms usually offers no difficulty to native speakers because the meaning is usually clear from their context. ESL speakers may have trouble with them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating Ã¢â‚¬Å"SoÃ¢â‚¬ at the Beginning of a SentenceTime Words: Era, Epoch, and EonÃ¢â‚¬Å"Least,Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"Less,Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"More,Ã¢â‚¬ and Ã¢â‚¬Å"MostÃ¢â‚¬

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Manufacture and Sale of Counterfeit Goods Essay

Manufacture and Sale of Counterfeit Goods - Essay Example Peter Law, in his article, Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Call for more SweatshopÃ¢â‚¬ and others who favor sweatshop labor argue that it provides a means of employment for the weaker section of the population which helps the lower income population to lead a better livelihood. In addition, such companies provide employment for women, and that would, in turn, help them to become more independent and self-supportive. While sweatshop labor does provide a means of employment for the people, the mental and physical turmoil endured by the employees is much more than the benefits gained. In addition, the manufacturing of fake goods by itself is illegal as it is a deliberate infringement of the intellectual property rights of companies that produce the original goods. Hence, stricter policies and judicial changes should be introduced to close down companies producing fake goods and help save the lives of millions of women and children who are forced to work under horrendous conditions. The production of fake or counterfeit products is a violation of intellectual property rights and it poses a significant threat to the world economy as both businesses as well as the consumers are at a loss. As mentioned by Goodwin, the intellectual property theft has affected the world economy to the tune of nearly $600 billion a year. The number of fake products being seized is increasing at an alarming rate with a recent report from the EU customs showing seizure of nearly 100 million products in 2001. This illegal trade is part of every sector such as the information technology sector, clothing, toy industry and pharmaceuticals to name a few and the global market of counterfeit products have risen from 3 billion a year to nearly 100 times more (Counterfeiting and Organised Crime). The sale of counterfeit products has risen sharply over the past decade. A recent report shows that both industrial and commercial counterfeiting represents about 5 to 7% of trade in the world.

Friday, October 18, 2019

How to decrease the possibility of having financial crisis Essay

How to decrease the possibility of having financial crisis - Essay Example The financial crisis in a company is an unplanned burden which may affect its resources, capabilities, the values and the goodwill of the company. Lack of corporate governance and business ethics is one of the reasons responsible for the financial crisis in an organization. Acemoglu and Johnson (2003) have said that managers should change their way of thinking by disregarding that mismanagement of the macroeconomic policies is responsible for the lack of corporate governance. They should plan for strategies to overcome crisis in an organisation. The business leaders should focus on the policies like the legal framework of the organisation and protection of the interest of the stakeholders and investors. A good relationship between the shareholders and the managers help to achieve corporate governance within an organisation. Lack of business ethics in an organisation is responsible for weak corporate governance. Business ethics help an organization to frame a corporate governance stra tegy consisting of values, principles, a good work culture and proper decision making ability of the organizations. Wood (2002) and Lagan (2006) have said that organizations need to set the business ethics with strategic objective which can provide scope for achievement of corporate governance. ... The purpose of this research is to provide a methodology by which an organization can achieve proper corporate governance required in order to reduce its financial crisis. The main objectives of this research are: To achieve transparency and fair operations within an organization. To provide proper decision making ability in order to achieve the goals of an organization. To protect the interest of the customers, the shareholders and the investors. To understand the needs and demands of the stakeholders. To prevent the occurrence of unethical behaviour within an organization. To understand the liability of the directors to the managers and the liability of the managers to the shareholders, also known as accountability. Methodology According to Joseph and Tobin (2006) research philosophy is a procedure of collecting data, analysing it and then interpreting the result in order to work on a particular research. Research philosophy mainly consists of two approaches. One is the positivist style and the other one is the phenomenological style. Positivist research model focuses on analyzing the interdependency of the external variables and internal variables. Positivist style is selected for this research, as this style deals with understanding of the internal affairs related to a business. Positivist style of research will also help to understand the reasons behind the lack of corporate governance in an organization. There are two types of research strategies, namely quantitative research methodology and qualitative research methodology. The research strategy chosen for this research is qualitative methodology. Qualitative research model is used for descriptive research. Qualitative research can be analysed in terms of culture, ethics and behaviour. Qualitative

Xenophobia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Xenophobia - Essay Example However, unlike the Holocaust which built up gradually from Fascist ideas developed by Hitler and his followers in the years after the First World War, and what was seen as the humiliation of the German people, ( The Israeli- American Co-operative 2011) it could be argued that one incident sparked the Rwandan atrocities. The Hutu uprising against their countrymen was triggered when Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, and at that time the Rwandan president, was killed when he was in a plane which was shot down during a rocket attack near Kigali airport on 6th April 1994. The blame was placed firmly on the shoulders of Tutsi leader Paul Kagame, who is now the current Rwandan President, but then leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), (BBC News and Le Monde 2004). This was denied by Kagame who blamed the attack on Hutu extremists. Nevertheless, within a few hours of the attack, violence broke out all over the country; and such violence would not wane until three months after the assassination of Habyarimana. By then nearly a million Rwandans would lose their lives. The persecution of the Jews began in the early 1930Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s. when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933. The persecution he engendered continued and built up into and through World War II., finally ceasing in 1945 when war in Europe finally ended. .It is believed that some 6 million Jews died , as well as members of other minorities such as Gypsies. Others were tortured or suffered in other ways and some 5000 Jewish communities were totally destroyed. ( Nazi Germany 1933-1941) The deaths did not begin as soon as the Fascists came to power. Time was spent first in spreading propaganda across Germany against those seen by the government as the enemies of the Aryan race, a the same time making life very difficult for the minority group. The aim was to encourage Jews to leave the country and to some extent this succeeded, but Hitler could not wait and in 1938 came Kristallnacht - state

The Environment and the Hospitality Industry Essay

The Environment and the Hospitality Industry - Essay Example In the current global economic crisis, there are however various issues which are threats and which have threatened the hospitality industry. These issues mostly impact on the profitability of the industry and its related businesses. This paper shall consider environmental issues, including global warming and pollution Ã¢â‚¬â€œ issues which are impacting on the hospitality industry. It shall also present a critique of appropriate literature which relates to this issue. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, as well as the pertinent issues which relate to its application. There are various issues which are impacting on the hospitality industry. One such issue relates to the environment and the call for sustainable development and environmentally viable hospitality design. Going green is one of the clamors in the current hospitality industry, and such clamor has become more than an isolated demand, it has now become part of the mainstream demand (Wang and Wang, 2009, p. 53). Environmentalists are pressuring the hospitality industry to implement more sustainable and environmentally friendly processes in their business processes. In a report by hotelier Hasek (2007), he mentions about 10 issues which the hospitality industry is currently faced with in relation to the environment. One issue is based on the fact that it is difficult to avoid rising energy costs with such costs increasing to a significant degree each year. Another issue pointed out by Hasek (2007) is the need to design and build new hotels which meet environmental standards. This would aga in cost the industry a significant amount of money. Still another environmental issue threatening the hospitality industry is global warming itself. Some of the effects of global warming include extreme weather conditions Ã¢â‚¬â€œ drought and floods Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and other weather disturbances.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

House Buliding Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

House Buliding Industry - Case Study Example (Dunlop, 2000) Home building and selling industry have been one of the industries in the US that have been hard hit by the current economic crisis. For along time now, the home industry in the US has recorded massive growth due to the rising demands of new home and due to the response of the financial services for provision of funds to purchase homes. In the last two decade the home building industry has been recording massive growth and it had attracted many investors. There has also been massive input by the financial sector as they lent out money for the construction of these homes. Since 1980s, there have been increasing trends towards individual ownership of homes which has been the main reason behind the growth of the industry. (Allan, 2007) My company is one of the major players in this industry and has been in the industry for along time. Established in 1970s the company has been working closely with other major players in the industry and has been able to grow. It has been building and selling homes in all states in the country. With its base in New York, the company has established branches in 15 states where it has been building and selling residential and business premise. However the company has been facing many challenges in the industry although it has still held on. Let us look at some of the challenges that the company has been facing in regard to the changes that have been taking place in the industry. Challenges being faced by the company There have been many challenges that the company has been facing in its operation in the industry. These have been related to the changes that have been taking place in market which are being affected by the fluctuating rate of growth of the economy. In order to understand the challenges that the company has been facing, we need fist to understand the US home industry so that we can deduce how the company has performed relative to the changes that have been taking place the industry. The US home buying industry has been recording changing times since it was formed. This has been driven by the fact that the industry is driven by subprime mortgages which have been changing with time. In the 1980s, there have been increasing changes that have taken place in the financial institution that have been contribution to these changes. Most of the companies that have been involved in building and selling of homes have been relying on financial institution to provide loans of building those homes which they sell and repay later. The home buyers also rely on financial institution for money to buy homes which they pay in terms of mortgages. Therefore as the value of homes rises, home builder flock the financial institution in order borrows and invest more in building homes. This has been the practice that has led to increased homes in the United States. (Casey, 2008) However in the recent past, there have been increased decline of home value and more and more homes are facing foreclosures. This has been contributed by increased inventory on unsold units in the country which has led to decline in the price of homes. This has been contributed by many factors including the practice of financial institutions. Due to the rate of falling home prices, many home builders have been struggling to sell their remaining unsold units in order to avoid losing more value which means more loss on their investments. This has caused increased rate of interest and the

Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Information Technology - Essay Example The paper throws light on Information Technology that opens up a vast sea of structured and organized knowledge and information for an organization where the key people in a business are well equipped to take business decisions based on it. This leads to a powerful interplay of power and knowledge which transforms into a business opportunity where the people in power have the strength of knowledge from within the organization. Based on the knowledge with regular data being streamed in for every stage of business operations, the key business managers are well informed and updated to take key business decisions. Ã¢â‚¬Å"In the development of ERP, knowledge is a critical part of the management of organizational asset. Knowledge has often been seen as a necessary resource of which provides the organization with its competitive advantage. The principle of Enterprise Resource Planning is one of the important components based on which an organization structures its various departments into m odules and correlates their respective functions through IT. ERP of an organization is a huge leap forward towards automization within all departments of the enterprise. It facilitates all the key areas of the enterprise and works in a structured manner where the various ERP modules can talk to each other, share vital information in the form of data, work real time and the effect can be seen instantly in the other department control panel screen. All these functionalities reduce considerable time which in turn scales up the productivity of the existing manpower. The result is the acquiring of structured data within all scales of the organization which gives valuable insight and much required knowledge for the higher management to streamline their business activities and take key business decisions. Ã¢â‚¬Å"These organizationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s aim is to integrate its global operations through the use of the ERP software. However these implementations objectives are often found to be difficult and complicated.Ã¢â‚¬

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

House Buliding Industry Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

U.S. Intervention within the Nicaragua Contra War Essay

U.S. Intervention within the Nicaragua Contra War - Essay Example The CIA was responsible for U.S. operations involving the contras. Aid was later done covertly under the Reagan administration. Although many Nicaraguans also opposed the Sandinistas, few of them supported the contras because they focused on civilian targets and their brutality raised condemnation among the population and human rights groups (Horton 1998). The first contra groups such as the MILPAS were peasant militias formed by former Sandinista supporters. Formed in Honduras as the Fuerza Democratica Nicaraguense (FDN), it was headed by Enrique Bermudez, a former National Guard colonel and Jaime Irving Steidel, a Honduran-born field commander. Steidel was later replaced by Oscar Sobalvarro. In 1983, a political directorate was created under Adolfo Calero, a businessman and anti-Sandinista politician (Brown 2001). The creation of the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (ARDE) and the Sandino Revolutionary Front headed by Eden Pastora in 1982 in Costa Rica established a second front. The ARDE was composed mainly of Sandinista dissidents and those who overthrew Somoza. They were primarily opposed to the increasing Cuban influence in the Managuan government. Although Pastora clearly stated his ideological difference from the FDN, he nevertheless called his campaign as the Ã¢â‚¬Å"southern frontÃ¢â‚¬ to emphasise a common campaign against the Sandinistas (Brown 2001). Amerindian tribes such as the Misurasata, Sumo and Rama created a third front in 1981 against what they considered the SandinistasÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ genocide campaign against them. These tribes had a number of grievances against the Sandinista regime including: exploitive natural resource policies which deprived ethnic groups access to their ancestral lands and their subsistence activities; arrest and execution of the majority of Misurasata leaders; the bombing and occupation of more than half of Miskto and Sumu villages; the forced conscription of young men into the army; the eviction and relocation of 100,000

Monday, October 14, 2019

Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay

Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay Reflection is a way to look back on what a person experienced on a certain event. The purpose of this reflective essay is for me to mull over on what I have learned from my direct experience on placement. I opt to utilise on this reflective essay A Model of Structured Reflection by Driscoll (2007). This Model has three questions, what, so what and now what for me to answer and at the same time to ponder about my practice experience; hence I chose to take advantage on Driscolls model as it is very handy to apply even with or without a paper and pen, as all I need to bring to mind is the above aforementioned three questions. I will tackle what I think it matters to me most from my two weeks practice placement, share some learning needs from the learning plan and analysing whether I gained knowledge and understanding that can be applied in a new situation (Howatson-Jones, 2010). I was in the ward on my two weeks introductory period of practice experience. On my first day, the Ward Manager introduced me to her team. She had told me that my mentor was not around at that time; hence she handed me over to one of the nurses in-charge. As I came on an early shift, I have observed the patients hand over from night staff (Wywialowski, 2003). They printed out a handover sheet for each one of us. At first, I was a bit muddled up on how the night nurse was endorsing the patient, maybe because I am new, and not use to it. There are acronyms that they usually use, and I was telling myself that I have to familiarise the medical terms used so I could understand and comprehend, even I am supernumerary I want to be part of the team whilst learning (Jelphs and Dickinson, 2008). After the handover, the nurse asked me to be with the Health Care Assistant (HCA) at the moment, for me to be acquainted with the patients and adapt with the daily routine. I am fortunate that the HCA was helpful, and she taught me a lot about how to assist patient on personal hygiene. She showed me how to use the Blood Glucose monitor and plot it down on patients chart (The Global Diabetes Community, 2013). In addition, she taught me that they usually take the observation every four hourly if the patient is not on close observation. The days have gone by so quick; I was productive on my day to day experience as a student nurse. I never wasted my time just standing there without accomplishing anything at the end of my shift. With my passion of caring to patients, I become accustomed on dealing with the patient, assisted to go to the toilet, gave a hand to those who are not able to care for themselves, especially the immobilised patients. I became certain on writing down the nursing care plan of a patient (Lloyd, 2010), observed the Nasogastric tube (NGT) (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2013) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) procedures done by the staff nurse and HCA respectively (British H eart Foundation, 2013). I volunteered myself as well to get the take away medication of the patient in the Pharmacy. Furthermore, I have learned how to fill up the Nursing Assessment forms for a new patient admitted; I have done the said forms by means of communicating with the patient and family. I have mentioned the word communicating as there was a non-spoken English patient admitted because of back pain. In complying with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2010) about confidentiality, I will be using a false name for her. It was hand over to the day staff that English is not her first language; hence, Mrs. C cannot speak and comprehend well. When I went to her bedside to take her vital signs, I asked if she has any pain at the moment, she nodded her head and touched her back (White, 2005). I have seen the grimace caused of pain on her back. I reported to the nurse right away that Mrs. C is in pain, and she is due for another dose of pain killer based on her Drug Chart; as a result, Mrs. C has taken the said medication. I informed Mrs. C with the use of verbal and non-verbal gestures that she will undergo Colonoscopy to check whats causing her pain (Sully and Dallas, 2010). We waited for her nephew before accompanying them in the Gastroenterology Department as she needs somebody to translate the conversation on her behalf. Since it was my first time to watch a patient doing the procedure, I grabbed the opportunity to request from the Specialist Nurse if I can go inside and observe the procedure which she willingly accepted. I also asked permission from Mrs. C through her nephew; I was grateful when he told me his aunt wanted me to come with her in the colonoscopy room. During the procedure, I sat next to Mrs. C whilst holding her hand as she was feeling uneasy with the endoscope inserted into her anus. The Specialist Nurse has given me a few insights in relation to what she was trying to look inside the colon of Mrs. C. I was privileged for having an exquisite time of basic understanding about Colonoscopy (BUPA, 2011). After the procedure, Mrs. C has given me a hug and was thankful. I smiled and responded that it was my pleasure to help her. We went back to the ward, and before I leave Mrs. C on her bed with the assurance that she was comfortable and safe, her nephew expressed his appreciation for looking after his aunt whilst he was not around. Moreover, Mrs. C told him about me being there rubbing her back when she was in agony. I was overwhelmed on how they recognised my presence of comforting her for a short span of time and without much verbal communication. On the above scenario, I have achieved one of my learning needs, the effective communication between patient and me as a student nurse. Despite the inability of Mrs. C to express herself verbally, I was so sensitive observing her gestures and actions thus I can extend the appropriate care and assistance she needed. By intently looking at her countenance, I can interpret what she was trying to convey to me; henceforth I was able to address her needs. I have realised how vital is verbal and non-verbal communication in nursing. As a student nurse, I should be sensitive to the patients nonverbal message. I should not let language be a hindrance in giving the nursing intervention for the patient to recover and return in optimal health (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Care of people is the priority of all nurses; this is one of the four principles of NMC Code (2010). The provision of care for the patient should be done in a holistic approach that includes the activities of their daily living (Ne wton, 1995). A simple act of care means a lot to the patient; consequently, I will put into practice again what I have learned from this in the future. Another learning need that I partially accomplished was being able to observe how to perform the Colonoscopy procedure. I partially achieved it because we have no time to explore the method used to find any abnormalities or inflammation from the patient; however, I did some informative readings about the procedure. To summarise what I have learned on my placement, I was able to see the nurses responsibilities. How they manage to give the best nursing interventions in a busy ward. How they collaborate to other health professionals for updating the patients care plan. I have proved to myself that most patients usually depend on nurses as they are the one who provide direct care on them (Altman, 2010). I do believe that nursing is a never ending process of learning; thereby ensuring that nurses are up to date with their trainings and education; otherwise the highest possible care for the patients will not be met. As a student, I have to be dedicated, motivated and inspired to achieve my ambitions in life (Maslow, 1954); continually accepting any challenges for my personal development. For the meantime, I will set my goals on what I want to learn; recognising any learning outcome on my learning plan as this will draw me closer to my aspiration, to be a Qualified Nurse (Peate, 2006). My two weeks pr actice experience was superlative. The Faculty of Nursing in the hospital provided teaching sessions that will develop us to be competent (McNiff, 1993). All the staff in the ward where I worked with were supportive and compassionate. I am looking forward for my next placement, for me to implement what I have learned from my previous one, and be able to identify new learning opportunities. In conclusion, practice placement is a day of experience, a day of new learning.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Dust Over The City :: essays research papers

For Love Or Money People inevitably encounter many problematic situations in their lifetime. Some problems may be more serious than others, but the fact remains that it is alsways their choice as to how they will react and whether or not they will "sink or swim." A survivor is aperson who, depite whatever hardships they encounter, will face their problems head on and will not back down. They always do whatever humanly possible overcome these obstaclsand supersede eveyoneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s excpectations and sometimes even their own. Such people share common characteristics ; steadfest courage, the ability to adapt and adjust and a perservering attitude. Through Jim and Masdeline Dubois the central characters in Dust Over the City, the author presents such a case as shown through their many ordeals and their reactions to them. This is evident in their encounter with other and Alains patients, their battle with loneliness and the decision to move to the mining town, adjusting to the new city and acc epting the fact with little provisions this is where they must live now. In Andre Langevins novel Dust Over the City the characters Alain and Madeline are the embodiment of two people that are newly wed and the problems that each other face may or may not be normal. Alain and Madeline were a very unhappy married couple and there were many things underlying their true feeling about each other. This is proved when Madeline meets someone. Alain is confronted with this great big beast of a man who works in a bare and owns the restaurant. The only thing Alain could do to survive the marriage and win Madelines live back was to fight back despite the unequal balance and size of strength and the poor odds of winning. When the author writes "The man was the size of a great black bear against this liitle man." This proves Alain love for Madeline was unconditional and leading to great advances. Through this incident we can readily see that this man was truly brave. He stood up, remained calm and the ultimately defeated this enormous man where he could have easily chose to give up and he would of most likely been slaughtered. It was his bravery that allowed him to survive. Also this married couple was being torn apart by the wife Madeline. She had moved with Alain to this new city and Alain a succesful doctor, may not have the greatest looks or a muscular body but he loves Madeline more than anything in the world.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Illiteracy Problem in America :: Teaching Education Essays

The Illiteracy Problem in America It continues to be a big problem with the ranks swelling each year. Although safety nets are everywhere, illiteracy is still abundant. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 1998, ten million children between seven and eleven years of age performed below the most basic level of reading achievement. Illiteracy is not limited to children, teenagers, adults, a particular socio-economic level, or a particular race. When George, now 68, was a child he moved frequently because his father ran a small circus. He never stayed in one place long enough to learn how to read. Finally, he quit school, never to return. Now after retirement, he has decided to learn how to read. He arrived at the library reading room to find the door was locked. The sign indicated that a key was available at the information desk, but George did not know what the sign said. So he sat down and waited several hours for someone to open the door. Meh Chin from China, the mother of a third grader, is interested in communicating better with her children, who have already become fluent in English at an early age. Literacy programs should be an integral component of every community. Not only do these programs serve adults and foreigners, but they also serve those that live with the problems of poverty throughout their daily lives. In 2000-2001, 15.7% of students missed 21 or more days during the school year. Students who miss many days of school because of illnesses beyond their control often fall behind in their studies. Many literacy programs help these students excel in what otherwise would have been a deficiency in their learning. Opportunities abound to stamp out illiteracy at the federal, state, and local level. Are these enough? For those in need, maybe not. Most everyoneÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s needs are unique. National Family Literacy Program helps those families nationwide with literacy problems. In our own state of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has set up the GovernorÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Mentoring Initiative Program which has helped over 9,000 adults and children improve their reading programs.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Why Do Luxury Companies Sponsor Art?

Course: The Environment of Visual Arts Administration Instructor: Prof. Carlo Lamagna Title of the paper: Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Author: Qing Zhong Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Motivations of corporate art sponsorship fall in many categories, as suggested by O'Hagan and Denice (O'Hagan,J. 2000). The analysis of this article concentrates on the external benefits a luxury company could gain from sponsoring art and particular attention will be given to the promotion of brand image, as it is a dominant motivation for corporate decision makers in order to raise brand awareness (Hitters, 1996).To examine the outcomes of art sponsorship, examples of some luxury companies will be given. These examples include but are not necessarily limited to, Deutsche Bank, LVMH and Hermes. Each example will examine one aspect of the three major motivations that can be generalized into the publicity/brand image promotion category. In addition to these three examples, a personal observ ation will be given as a complete inspection analyzing all the motivations in a flowing process.All the cases used in this article are Ã¢â‚¬Å"designer sponsorshipÃ¢â‚¬ which means that luxury companies either initiate corporate art organizations or organize their own art events (Eamon O hOisin 1995). Instead of sponsoring existent art organizations or events, designer sponsorship allow luxury companies to take control over all aspects of the activities and thus maximizes the potential outcomes. The starting point of this discussion is the definition of sponsorship.It has been reiterated thousands of times by many luxury companies as selfless motives. However, it is not true in reality. Differing from charity or philanthropy, sponsorship is at its best a win-win situation in which sponsors put their own benefits, instead of the sponsored subjectsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢, in the first place. For the recipients, financial support may save them from desperate situations. For the givers, expected bene fits include earning capacity growth or transferring a responsible corporate image to the public.Luxury companies may not gain directly from their sponsorship behaviors, but they gain huge indirect bnefits from branding and image promotion to the public (Krzysztof Klincewicz, 1998). Indirect benefits relating to art sponsorship could be further detailed in three aspects. Firstly, by appearing more frequently in front of the publicÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s eyes on banners, boards, websites or TV news report, luxury companies propagate themselves and impress the latent clients in a way that is different from traditional advertisements.A good example worth mentioning is the Deutsche BankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s sponsorship for various art forms, including art fairs such as the International Hong Kong Art Fair, Art Fair Tokyo, self designed art events such as Ã¢â‚¬Å"Artist of the YearÃ¢â‚¬ and influential long-term art projects like the cooperation between Deutsche Bank and the Guggenheim Museum. Figure 1 Hong Kong International Art Fair Sponsorship for worldly renowned art events gives Deutsche Bank a wide coverage and exposure in social media and thus expands its visibility to the public, but this kind of brand exposure is not directly related with Deutsche BankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s products.It gives the public a fresh and indirect perspective to approach the bank and its products. As can be seen in Figure 1, whenever viewers browse on the Hong Kong Art FairÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s website, they canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t avoid noticing the little image of the bank on the right corner. Same situation applies to other art events such as the Ã¢â‚¬Å"Deutsche BankÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Artist of the YearÃ¢â‚¬ . It is impossible for the media to mention this event without saying its title beginning with the Ã¢â‚¬Å"Deutsche BankÃ¢â‚¬ .It is neither impossible for the public to get a first impression for the event without knowing that it is sponsored by the bank. Secondly, art sponsorship transcends the role of a narrowly defined advertising tool a nd adds meanings and value to the company and its products, which is the most essential difference between art sponsorship and sports or entertainment sponsorship (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Value creation is essential as it stimulates emotional connections in human minds and help luxury companies attract and gather key clients who share the same kind of ifestyle with their unique brands. By sponsoring art, luxury companies create images that consistently convey their value and expect potential clients connect the corporate identity with these images, which is often times not just an illusion as meaning transferring and image associations are most effective and immediate when such image links exist (Gwinner, K. 1997). LetÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s take a look at Bernard ArnaultÃ¢â‚¬Ëœs plan on the LVMH Museum, which has been a controversial issue since 2006 because of the conflict between the public rights and the corporateÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s benefits.Figure 2 LVMH Museum The museum looks fabulous. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s itself an art work by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, but itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s also a iconic image of the corporate self-portrait: arrogant, powerful, egocentric and elitist. The project once ceased constructing because neighborsÃ‚ objected: they want the space to remain green and they don't want this to be the start of more buildings in the bois, even if it's by Gehry. However, the senate finally compromised to LVMHÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s superpower announcing that this project contributes to the civic pride and cultural identity of the nation.Ironically, the content of this museum may not be as democratic or liberal as stated. It will include ArnaultÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s private and corporate collections as well as heritage pieces from several brands such as Dior and Vuitton-those have always been regarded as belongings of the elite. Contrary to the senateÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s announcement, LVMH reinforces its value and identity by building up a private coded museum that can only be decoded by the counterparts, namely, the limit ed elite who would have the sense and taste to appreciate the art in the same way the company appreciates it.WouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t the public be scared off if they approach this apparently exclusive and flamboyant museum? They might come up with an even stronger conclusion that glory only belongs to the superior. As for the Ã¢â‚¬Å"luckyÃ¢â‚¬ elite, their requirements for supremacy can be further satisfied and therefore confirms their degree of honesty for the company. Thirdly, since sponsorship is naturally linked with social responsibility, it will relieve the publicÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s aversion for the luxury that is often times regarded as a superior, limited VIP belonging distinguishing the elite class from the grass roots.Promotion of public image also provides better returns in luxury companiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ rent-seeking process Ã¢â‚¬â€œ that of lobbying important politicians or policy makers (O'Hagan, J. 2000). Cartier might have been excelled in establishing such a generous and socially responsi ble identity in its continuous giving for the Foundation Cartier since 1984. Besides the organizationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s name, there is no link between the artworks commissioned by or in the foundationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s collection and the Cartier brand.This kind of sponsorship is therefore called the Ã¢â‚¬Å"pureÃ¢â‚¬ sponsorship in order to distinguish from the product-related one (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Figure 3 The Foundation Cartier The artworks in the collection travel around the world and ongoing programs take place in the foundationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s dynamic, light-filled home in Paris, which Figure 2 presents. For nearly 30 years, Foundation Cartier has been sponsoring the contemporary art in a modest and prudent manner.Though hard to notice, this conduct might have won a good reputation for Cartier and would benefit the brand enormously in its long term rent-seeking activities. Finally, in order to delineate a more consistent and comprehensive picture, an independent case based on my personal observation at the Rolex Mentor ; Protege Arts Initiative will be studied to integrate all the three motivations stated above. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative is an international philanthropic programme created to assist extraordinary, rising artists to achieve their full potential.It seeks out these artists from around the world and brings them together with great masters, for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. The event that I volunteered at was a Ã¢â‚¬Å"dinner celebrating the Mentors and Proteges of the 2010-2011 Rolex Arts InitiativeÃ¢â‚¬ . It was actually a quite exclusive event with safeguards standing outside the entrance and all guests dressing up with their by-invitation-only cards. Admittedly, Rolex has done a lot to propagate this initiative, as can be seen on various websites, on banners, n magazines and on spot of the celebrating dinner (Refer to Figure 4). Figure 4 Entrance of the dinner for celebration the Rolex Arts Initiative However, Ã¢â‚¬Å"By Invitation OnlyÃ¢â‚¬ is what I felt for this arts initiative because during a whole year of mentoring, no public access has been allowed into the procedure all the way from selecting qualified candidates to presenting the cooperative final projects. Only the Ã¢â‚¬Å"selectedÃ¢â‚¬ will have a real sense for what is happening within this event.This Ã¢â‚¬Å"selectedÃ¢â‚¬ group includes the renowned artists, board of the Rolex, celebrities and business magnets, all of whom share a common character of being superior and elite (from my observation at the Rolex dinner). As the art initiative reflects the value of Rolex, it satisfies and attracts the same group of people who recognize and approve of this value. If attracting only a small group of people is what Rolex aims at, there will be some questions to ask: Does the initiative promote the public image of Rolex? Is this program contributing to the overall goodness of the society?Can the public feel the goodness an d if yes, to what extent? Information gathered from the websites or the observation did not suggest a positive answer to this question, but together they do not provide enough evidence to make a decisive conclusion. Luxury companiesÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ motivations for art sponsorship are tailored to the internal and external situation each company faces. They are diversified and sometimes hard to recognize, but together they stimulates information and resource exchange between art organizations, business and the public and contribute to the flourish of the art ecology.Bibliography Bulut, D. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Corporate Social Responsibility in Culture and Art. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ Management of Environmental QualityÃ‚ 20, no. 3 (2009): 311. Comunian, R. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Toward a New Conceptual Framework for Business Investments in the Arts: Some Examples from Italy. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and SocietyÃ‚ 39, no. 3 (2009): 200. Eamon O hOisin. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Art Marketing: Sport on the Sidelines. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ Ci rcaÃ‚ no. 71 (Spring, 1995): pp. 43-45. Gwinner, K. Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Model of Image Creation and Image Transfer in Event Sponsorship. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ International Marketing ReviewÃ‚ 14, no. 3 (1997): 145.Krzysztof Klincewicz. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ethical Aspects of Sponsorship. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ Journal of Business EthicsÃ‚ 17, no. 9/10, How to Make Business Ethics Operational: Creating Effective Alliances: The 10th Annual EBEN Conference (Jul. , 1998): pp. 1103-1110. O'Hagan, J. Ã¢â‚¬Å"Why do Companies Sponsor Arts Events? some Evidence and a Proposed Classification. Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ Journal of Cultural EconomicsÃ‚ 24, no. 3 (2000): 205. pp. 6. 8 Okonkwo, Uche. Luxury Fashion Branding : Trends, Tactics, Techniques. Basingstoke: Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. Deusche Bank,Ã¢â‚¬Å"Art & Music: Fostering CreativityÃ¢â‚¬ , http://www. db. com/csr/en/art_and_music. htm (Accessed Novembe r 21). [ 2 ]. Judith H. Dobrzynski, Ã¢â‚¬Å"Paris To Get Gehry's LVMH Museum AfterallÃ¢â‚¬ , Arts Journel Weblog, http://www. artsjournal. com/realcleararts/2011/04/lvmh. html (Accessed November 21). [ 3 ]. LaPlaca Cohen, Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cultural SponsorshipÃ¢â‚¬ , http://www. laplacacohen. com (Accessed November 21). [ 4 ]. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, Ã¢â‚¬Å"About the initiativeÃ¢â‚¬ , http://www. rolexmentorprotege. com/en/ about-the-initiative/index. jsp(Accessed November 21, 11).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Lack of Responsibility Kills Essay

When it comes to the battle between obesity among Americans and fast food chain companies, fast food falls hard for the one to blame. For many years, big food companies have been constantly under attack from health advocates and consumers for the contribution of growing waistlines, chronic diseases and lack of exercise in the United States. Of course, it is easy to blame fast food corporations given the ubiquity, proximity convenience and low cost of food options available. But who really is the one to point the finger at? We, the consumers, are fully responsible for what enters our mouths. No individual should sue any restaurant company from getting fat from eating their food. A decline in physical activity and a rise in more sedentary lifestyles have made it more difficult to balance food intake with energy spending in the last generation, leading to overweight people. It wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be such a big deal if the problem were simply aesthetic. But excess weight takes a terrible toll on the human body, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, gall-bladder disease, osteoarthritis and many forms of cancer. The total medical tab for illnesses related to obesity is $117 billion a year. According to the Surgeon General, and the Journal of the American Medical Association reported in March, poor diet and physical inactivity could soon overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. And again, Americans recognize the problem but do not seem to want to change. In the TIME/ABC poll they rated obesity alongside heart disease, cancer, AIDS and drug abuse as among the nationÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s most pressing public health problems. ConsumersÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ attitude toward fast food has changed since there is a wide assortment of factors at work ranging from fewer sit-down meals, much more snacking, more latchkey kids who make their own food decisions without supervision. Consumers, as well as parents (kids are also falling victim to the obesity rates), need to engage in personal responsibility when it comes to consuming an abundant amount of fast food instead of putting the obesity blame on fast food franchises. Obesity and fast food chains were never an issue back in the day; Americans seem to have taken advantage of the easy availability and cheap prices of many unhealthy foods. The human lifestyle and diet 4,000 years ago seem to have changed dramatically over the years where our ancestors ate and drank in the healthiest way possible as nomadic hunter-gatherers. 50%-80% of food came from plants, and 20%-50% came from animals (The World is Fat 18). Chronic disease, diabetics, obesity, heart disease and even cancer were unknown. In the 1950s, less than 100 million Americans were overweight and obese individuals. People used to have to do daily activities that were extensive just to live their everyday lives like cooking food from scratch, walking most places and doing most things by hand rather than using technological machines to do it for them. Food wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t easy to get if you were poor. Walking somewhere was still common regardless of appliances such as dishwashers and ovens, and in 1960, only about 13.3 percent of people in America were obese, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. And things havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t been moving in a promising direction. Just two decades ago, the incidence of overweight in adults was well under 50%, while the rate for kids was only a third what it is today. From 1996 to 2001, 2 million teenagers and young adults joined the ranks of the obese. People are clearly worried. A TIME/ABC News poll released June 2004 shows that 58% of Americans would like to lose weight, nearly twice the percentage that felt that way in 1951. But only 27% say they are trying to slim down and two-thirds of those arenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t following any specific plan to do so. Americans love and strive for flavor and bigger portioned sized foods thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fast and easy to attain, that is where fast food corporations come in place. Americans now are taking adv antage of the bigger, cheaper and faster foods that it has become a national problem. So, where do we draw the line between self-control and responsible business practice? For the past 10 years, McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s and other fast foods chains have been victimized with numerous lawsuits because they either Ã¢â‚¬Å"got consumers fat, hypnotized kids or bribed with deals and promosÃ¢â‚¬ (Fast Food 19). In 2003, the United States district court for the Southern District of New York responded to a complaint filed against McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s by a class of obese costumers (Fast Food 18). In 2011, sixty-four year old Martin Kessman filed a lawsuit against the fast food company, White Castle and was seeking unspecified financial damages against the fast-food chain, claiming that his local White Castle is in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act because the seating could not accommodate a customer of his size, keep in mind this man ate at White Castle on a regular basis. These frivolous and unnecessary lawsuits against corporations show the ignorance of many irresponsible Americans who cannot control their eating habits. It is not right to sue a fast food company based on the fact that consumers knowingly and voluntarily consumed the foods from McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s knowing that the foods McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s serves were in fact high in cholesterol, fat, salt and sugar. Consumers voluntarily spend over $100 billion annually on fast food per year. (Fast Food 8). The famous documentary, Supersize Me, shows Morgan Spurlock consuming McDonalds every day, 3 days a week. This of course led him to gain a significant amount of weight and develop some health complications. Spurlock makes his point by a way of exaggeration, he tells us something that we already know, fast food is bad. Of course it will be bad because he ONLY consumed fast food and nothing else, he did not eat anything healthy and did not exercise, all of this was done voluntarily. Should consumers eat fast food on a daily or even a weekly basis? The answer is simply no. Today Americans eat an extra 300 calories per day than in 1985 (Buzzle). When this trend occurs we get overweight Americans, and that is exactly what we are dealing with. 500 million Americans are now obese and an additional 6 or 7 million are Ã¢â‚¬Å"morbidly obeseÃ¢â‚¬ (Chew on This 209). With this ridiculous amount of unhealthy people, you would think there would be a solution. And there is, lawsuits. Americans decide to turn to their lawyers for their ignorance and blame corporations for something that is obviously done by their own will. Consumers are too ignorant and blind to understand what itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s their mouth. We cannot deny that people are eating more and are getting fat, but that does not prove that fast food franchises are the culprit. Kids today are suffering severely and falling victim to obesity because of many unhealthy diets that are being practiced in their own home. Parents bring home the importance of food safety, quality and nutrition. When this habit continues to occur it leads to kids becoming teens who make poor choices who in turn leads to obese adults and a lifetime of health problems. Children in the United States are gaining more weight than ever before. TheyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re eating too much high-fat, high-sugar food and are spending less time be ing physically active. In 1989-1996 kids caloric intake became 80-230 extra calories per day (Food Inc. 225). The diets of American children donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t meet nutritional recommendations. In 1997, American children obtained about 50% of their calories from added fat and sugar while 1% of them resemble portions of food pyramid (Fast Food 29). At this early age kids can show early signs of health problems and of course obesity. A quarter of kids age 5-10 show premature warning signs for heart disease such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure with unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity and obesity (Food Inc. 229). Weight problems that develop during childhood can lead to weight-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. So, is parentÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s lack of responsibility for their childrenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s food habits the one to blame? Of course, one thing kids will unfortunately experience is variety. With all the fast food chains serving the same stuff no matter where in the US. Parents with obese kids are struggling with a horde of problems when it comes to their childÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s weight. They range from a lack of education about nutritional food, not knowing how to cook and limited money to buy healthier food, to longer working hours and marketing campaigns for junk food aimed at kids. But the more sedentary and lazy lives children now have are also creating huge problems. Type 2 diabetics actually increased in children when a study conducted in Cincinnati should that type 2 diabetics went up tenfold from 1982 to 1994. 75% of junior school children preferred to stay at home than go to their nearby park (Child obesity: Why do parents let their kids get fat). Watching TV was one of the most popular activities, with 89% saying it was how they liked best to spend their time away from school, according to researchers Lightspeed. In July, scientists from University of Montreal claimed that by the age of ten, toddlers had added inches to their waistlines each week t hey spend an extra hour in front of the television. Parents need to, from the start, control the eating and overall lifestyle of their children. It is dangerous for the future of the children to get used to such a risky addiction. Not only are we and our children eating more, but we are also exercising less. Lack of exercise is another factor to lack of responsibility. Fewer American adults today work in jobs that require physical labor. People drive to work in cars, rather than walking or biking; they take elevators instead of stairs; they use vacuum cleaners rather than brooms; and they cut the lawn with riding rather than push mowers. All of these simple changes reduce the amount of energy used to perform the tasks of daily living. A typical office worker today walks only about 3000 to 5000 steps in their daily activities. In contrast, in the Amish community where driving automobiles and using electrical appliances and other modern conveniences are not allowed, a typical adult takes 14000 to 18000 steps a day. The overall incidence of obesity in the group is only 4%. With 46.9% of the population meeting Physical Guidelines for aerobic/cardio physical activity (Exercise and Physical Activity). The problem for individuals is that willpower is not enough. We live in an environment where thereÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s food every half mile. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s tasty, cheap, convenient, and you can eat it with one hand. We, the consumers, need not only to cut back on calories and fast food, we need to get active in any possible way we can to increase our health. Although simpler sounding on words then it is to actually pursue, exercise is Americans biggest challenge. Imagine a 7-year-old boy named John who, his whole has been given to-go fast food meals as his daily dinner at home. John has always been overweight for his age. As John has entered his teenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s years, he has become a hectic straight A student who studies constantly but never has time to make his own meals at home. John drives to local fast food joints and spends about $70 per week on his in-between-studies meals. Although, he has never worried about the way he looked and no matter what it has never occurred to him to want to change his eating habits, he continues to eat fast food on a regular basis. He consumes about 1,200 calories more than he is suppose to. Now being a grown adult with a settled job and cozy suburban home, he continues to eat unhealthy. No exercise is ever incorporated into his daily routines. He enters a McDonalds and stares blankly at the menu and clearly sees the sign that McDonalds has introduced a new Premium Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken Strips but John chooses to ignore it because he thinks going to McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s for a salad is like asking a prostitute for a hug. It just doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t make sense. He orders a Big Mac meal that costs him around $9.25 and around 1,130 calories (including drink), this does not bother John because this simple meal tastes great and satisfies his hunger and appetite (keep in mind John ate this meal in-between lunch and dinner so he has eaten more calories with breakfast, lunch and dinner). Oh, and why not make it supersized for 2 dollars more, he wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be hungry till 2 hours later. John continues this routine for about two more months; he feels extremely tired and out of breathe just walking down the stairs of his home. He also has major pains in his hips and knees only to think this is due to age. As the shortness of breath and joint pains begin to intensify, John finally decides to go to the doctor to get a check-up. His result, John is morbidly obese and has developed osteoarthritis, which is the reason for the joint pains. He also has a respiratory problem that causes his shortness of breath. John is outraged at how he could develop such a health problem. He blames McDonalds for giving him such a horrible and negative effect on his health. He plans to sue the fast food company. Does John win his case? No, he does not. With his irresponsible lack of a healthy diet or exercise, he does not have a fair case against McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s. His overweight and health i ssues are due to his irresponsible lack of awareness to his body and his lifestyle. McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s is not the one to blame; he had the choice to eat unhealthy. No one is forcing him to consume fattening foods. The real culprits in his obesity problems (as well as many other obese Americans) are lack of personal responsibility and its henchmen, gluttony and sloth. What really causes obesity besides the overconsumption of food? Genetics is one factor. Some common forms of obesity are probably the result of variations within a large number of heritable genes between families. Obesity risk is 2-3x higher for a person with a history of obesity as oppose to someone with no family history. Genetic studies have shown that the Ã¢â‚¬Å"particular set of weight-regulating genes that a person has is by far the most important factor in determining how much that person will weighÃ¢â‚¬ (The Real Cause of Obesity). The heritability of obesity, which shows how, many genes is a factor to obesity versus other factors is the same as the heritability of height. Also, many psychological disorders can lead to obesity as well. The basis of eating disorders and obesity usually lies with mixtures of psychosocial and environmental attributes. Individuals who suffer from psychological disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, and eating disorders) may have a tough time managing control of their consumption of food, exercising an adequate amount, and maintaining a healthy weight. Those with weight problems can use food as a relieving mechanism, particularly when they are sad, anxious, stressed, lonely, and frustrated. In many obese individuals there appears to be a random cycle of mood disturbance, overeating, and weight gain. When they feel distressed, they turn to food to help them feel better which in turn leads to obesity (Psychological Risk Factors of Obesity). The culprits responsible for AmericaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s progressively expanding waistline have little to do with the usual suspects popularized by the media. Many Americans believe Fast Food is the main culprits for obesity because of the clever tactics and unknown ingredients they use to get costumers to buy and their food and make them wanting more later. Fast food companies outnumber actual restaurants because it is affordable, easy to attain, big portioned and delicious. With the United States being the most obese nation, it has also become the nation that craves flavor and variety. Many turn away from greens because of its unappealing taste and lack of flavor. Fast Food companies produce food with flavor and hunger satisfying taste. Many become angry because of the effective advertising done on TV, ads, giveaways and deals. But what really angers consumers most are the chemicals they put in their food that makes it so delicious and irresistible. Polyfluoroalkyl phosphate pesters, PAPs, are chemicals that line fast-food packaging to make it grease- and waterproof, this leads to a number of health problems including cancer and liver disease. Dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, is added as an anti-foaming agent to McDonaldÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s chicken nuggets. This is the same ingredient that is used in breast implants and silly putty. Sodium Phosphate, which acts like a foam agent to many types of meat, is constantly used in many fast food joints. Dyes (red and yellow) behavioral attributes. Along with the mystery chemicals that go into fast food for its flavor, companies also supersize or increase the portions of their meals. During 1970s, marketing director of McDonalds corporations, David Wallerstein, determined that consumers would by more of a food item if sold in larger sizes and costs werenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t high. Portions increased from since 1980s to about 5x larger, which includes the drinks and side orders (Buzzle). A supersized coke, big mac and fries takes about 7 hours to burn with walking, now imagine people actually eating this without any exercise. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been supersizing what we eat and thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s what consumers canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t get enough of. Many blame fast food for numerous health problems as well; asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetics, cancer, and cardio vascular disease. I myself have fallen victim to fast food, for example when I go on road trips with the family, we have no time to sit down and have a proper breakfast since we have to get on the road right away. We stop by a McDonalds because their breakfast is cheap and quick since we can eat it in the car. Also, it is no coincidence that fast food chains are everywhere where there are colleges and schools as well. College educated people or not poorly educated Americans are the most rapid growth in BMI between 1970 and 1990 (Fast Food 20). Obesity in college students in 1970 increased to 163% with many students claiming that with so much hectic studying and no time to eat, fast food is close by and quick to eat. So, it is no joke as to why people would blame fast food for their health troubles, since it is easy to attain and delicious but with many deadly ingredients. Personal responsibility is all it takes to decrease obesity. We live in a supersized world but as they say bigger is not always better. Fast food companies should not be blamed for obesity and instead be blamed on the consumers for lack of self-control. Fast food may look delicious but if people are aware of the health problems that are in the food, why do some continue to consume it regularly. Many need to take responsibility for their actions instead of taking it out on the companies by filing ridiculous lawsuits. No one forces us to eat a burger. It is not fast food that kills it is lack of responsibility that kills.