Characteristics of a small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Characteristics of a small business - Essay Example The first thing that is necessary for a small business is with respect to its ownership. A small business should be a sole proprietorship rather than a subsidiary or a branch. Within USA, the number of employees within a small business should range 500 to 1500 within a manufacturing firm; contrastingly within Europe, this range is limited to 50 employees to consider a business as small. Considering the revenue characteristic, the amount of revenue being generated annually should range from $5 million to $21 million (considering the business is within US and persists to retailing). If the nature of the business relates to a service industry, the annual receipts should range between $2.5 million to $21.5 million. General and Heavy construction businesses should generate annual revenue between $13.5 million to $17 million in order to be attributed as a small business. With respect to the industry and the businesses’ dominance, a business should not be operating within such an ind ustry where it is the only buyer or the lone seller. This would lead to the business being classified as a monopoly and hence the business may not be considered as a small business. Besides that, the legal environment within a country usually restrains a company from operating as a monopoly. This is a certain legal restriction imposed by the government of a country to serve the greater good of the public in order to ensure that businesses do not charge a high price. There is a strong belief within the US that small businesses help in generating the highest level of jobs. As small businesses are usually sole-proprietorship, its work life balance helps in reducing racial differences and it also helps in empowering the women of the country via increased self-employment. Small businesses help in stimulating the country economy. This stimulation is made possible by the creation of employment, hence eradicating

Short answers about Introduction to Political Economy Essay - 3

Short answers about Introduction to Political Economy - Essay Example In a bid to take over the market, firms enhance internal efficiency, adopt new technologies, invest in innovations, and reduce inefficiency on managerial level (Office of Fair Trading 6). In the economic systems that are based on free markets, the latter are major determinants of market outcomes. In the situation when the market failure occurs because of the fact that this market’s quality, price, or quantity do not meet established social welfare norms, economic regulation is used. Its major aim is to prevent market failure. It is desirable since it prevents the market failure (Jacobs & Rapoport 353). The major difference between capture theory and public interest theory is that the latter believes that regulation is inherently effective: it leads to the society getting better off. By contrast, capture theories assert that regulation works in the interest of a particular group which has succeeded in making its case to some regulatory agency or some legislative body (Hovenkamp 133) In his Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx lists 10 steps needed to destroy the system of free enterprise and replace it with system of all-powerful governmental rule. This will bring in the communist state. These steps of 10 Planks of The Communist Manifesto are 1) abolition of private property and giving all land rents for public use; 2) a heavy progressive (or graduated) income tax; 3) abolition of rights of inheritance; 4) property confiscation from all rebels and emigrants; 5) centralization of credit in the state’s hands through national bank; 6) centralization all transportation and communications in the state’s hands; 7) factories’ extension; waste lands’ cultivation; 8) equal liability of all people to labor; 9) agriculture and manufacture combination, as well as equitable population distribution around the country; 10) free education in all public schools (Sims 194). The earliest position in the timeline of

Interests of Third Parties in Properties

Interests of Third Parties in Properties The main issue arising from this problem is the question of establishing various interests of third parties in the two properties, and the differing procedures for doing so, given that Rust Plot is a registered fee simple title, while Umber Plot is an unregistered fee simple title. This brief will attempt to answer the questions regarding the proposed ‘agricultural use only’ deed, whether Steve has any legal interests in the properties as he claims to have, and also whether Traci has an equitable interest in both properties arising from the common law and the doctrine of constructive notice. The first issue to be addressed is whether or not the deed produced by Quentin, which outlines Vernon’s promise to use the land for agricultural purposes only, still has a binding effect upon Peter after his purchase of the land. There is, therefore, a claim made by Quentin that there is an existing covenant on the properties which should bind successive owners of the property. There is no evidence in the facts to suggest that the deed is procedurally invalid (i.e. that it does not comply with the formality requirements of section 52(1) of Law of Property Act 1925, and section 1 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989), so it will be assumed that the deed is valid in nature. This brief will, therefore, consider whether this deed is binding upon Peter, given that it was created between Quentin and Vernon (the previous owner of the property). Under statutory law, the promises made in leases made by deed will normally become covenants.[1] The courts would norma lly construe the terms of the lease as covenants unless the language used in the lease clearly makes that term a condition[2] (i.e. the landlord would have a right to automatically bring the term of the lease to an end for breach of a condition, but not for a covenant). So there is no disputing that the deed was binding upon Vernon, the previous owner, and Quentin at some point, so it is therefore incumbent upon me to advise as to whether the deed is now binding on Peter. Section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 provides that the â€Å"benefit and burden†[3] of all landlord and tenant covenants in the tenancy shall form part of the premises, and shall pass upon transfer of ownership. This transfer of covenants is pursuant to other provisions, which specifies that if the covenant is personal to another person then it cannot be transferred.[4] Therefore, under the ‘new law’ (provided that the tenancy was granted after the introduction of this Act ( 1 January 1996)), the covenant will be enforceable against Peter, and thus he will have to use the grounds for agricultural purposes only. If the lease was created before this time, it would fall under the jurisdiction of the old (common) law. The main source of authority for this issue is Spencer’s Case (1583) 5 Co Rep 16a, which states that a third party (i.e. the new owner) can only be bound by previous covenants if: There is privity of estate between the new owner and the tenant; and The covenant â€Å"touches and concerns† the premises in question. Considering these two principles, it would be clear that Peter would also be bound by the covenant under the old law, given that Peter has a privity of estate with Quentin as his new landlord, and the proposed covenant directly relates to the property.[5] Therefore, under either law, Peter would not be able to use the land for his intended building proposals, and must therefore use the land for agricultural purposes only. The question of Steve’s rights to both properties is dependant upon the legality of the document with which he claims his rights. This document is an old brown envelope, and does not claim to be a deed. Peter claims a legal interest in the land, and thus there is a requirement that this interest must be made by deed.[6] However, the formal requirements for a deed differ depending upon when the deed was executed. Given it is unclear in the facts as to what the date of execution of the deed was, both scenarios will be considered. If the deed was executed prior to 31 July 1990, then there is a requirement that the deed must be signed, sealed and delivered. The facts do not make clear whether the envelope was signed, however it would be reasonable to conclude that the document was not sealed by, at least, a red printed circle containing the letters ‘LS’. Therefore, under the old law, the document would most likely be invalid and Peter would not be bound by it. Under t he new statutory law, there are now requirements that the deed must proclaim that it is, in fact, a deed.[7] It must also be signed by both parties, and also witnessed and delivered.[8] The document does not claim to be anything more than an old brown envelope, and therefore cannot be deemed to be a deed, regardless of whether or not the other criteria are satisfied. Therefore, the proposed contract to create a legal interest for Steve in the properties is invalid, and thus he does not have a recognisable legal interest that Peter must honour. In regards to Traci’s equitable interest in the land, it is enforceable under statute provided it complies with the characteristics of an equitable interest.[9] Under common law regarding unregistered land, it was deemed that the occupation of the land by the wife of the owner of the legal interest will be regarded as separate from that of the husband.[10] Therefore, under this common law provision, it could be argued that Vernon has had constructive notice as to Traci’s equitable interests in the unregistered Umber Plot due to her crops growing in there, while also the fact that her tractor (clearly marked) is garaged in the barn on Rust Plot could also be argued to be constructive notice to both Peter and Vernon.[11] Therefore, the common law recognises that Traci has an equitable interest in both plots of land, and thus she must be considered in any negotiations. In summary, the law has appropriately addressed the concerns the Peter has raised. There is no way under law that Peter can use the land for anything else but agricultural purposes, and thus cannot build his proposed housing development. Steve does not have any legal interest in either property to either garage his collection of cars, or claim a 10% stake in the crops grown on Umber Plot. Finally, the common law recognises that Traci has an interest in both plots that is not recognised as a legal interest; however relief can be appropriately sourced through turning to the principles of equity. Bibliography Books Clarke, A, and Kohler, P, Property Law: Commentary and Materials (2005), London: Cambridge University Press Gray, K, and Gray, SF, Land Law (2006, 4th ed), London: Oxford University Press MacKensie, J, and Phillips, M, Textbook on Land Law (2004, 10th ed), London: Oxford University Press Legislation Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 Law of Property Act 1925 Cases Doe d Henniker v Watt (1828) 8 B C 308 Kingsnorth Finance Co Ltd v Tizard [1986] 1 WLR 783 Spencer’s Case (1583) 5 Co Rep 16a Williams Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland [1981] AC 487 1 Footnotes [1] Law of Property Act 1925, s 52. [2] Doe d Henniker v Watt (1828) 8 B C 308. [3] Judith-Anne MacKensie and Mary Phillips, Textbook on Land Law (2004, 10th ed), 213. [4] Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995, s 3(6)(a). [5] See also P A Swift Investments v Combined English Stores Group plc [1989] AC 632, 642 for further explanation regarding ‘touching and concerning’. [6] Law of Property Act 1925, s 52(1). [7] Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, s 1(a). [8] Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989, s 1(b). [9] Law of Property Act 1925, s 1(3). [10] Kingsnorth Finance Co Ltd v Tizard [1986] 1 WLR 783. [11] See Williams Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland [1981] AC 487, 508 in regards to registered land and equitable interests therein.

Wordsworth: Tintern Abbey And Lyrical Ballads :: essays research papers

Born in 1770 at Cockermouth in the heart of the Lakes District in England. William Wordsworth grew up in a rustic society and his beautiful and ageless poetry often reflect this. Wordsworth’s mother died in 1778 and in 1779 he was sent to grammar school in Hawkshead. Wordsworth’s father died in 1783, leaving his uncles as guardians. They tried to guide him towards a career in law or in the church and he was accepted into Cambridge in 1787. Wordsworth was uninspired to work towards a career he had little interest in and subsequently his grades, which bordered on the average, reflected this. Before completing his final term of college Wordsworth went for a walking tour of Europe and finally received his degree in 1791 but had no direct plans for his future. He returned to France in 1791 and stayed a full year, during this time became an enthusiastic advocate of the French Revolution. Money concerns forced him to return to England and he was unable to return to France unt il 1802 due to war breaking out between the two countries. In 1795 two things happened that ultimately changed the course of Wordsworth’s life. In August of 1795 a young friend whom Wordsworth had been nursing died of tuberculosis and left him a grant of 900 pounds. His friend had hoped that with this money Wordsworth would be able to devote his life to poetry, and in August of 1795 Wordsworth met Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Over the next two years their friendship would grow and in 1797 William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved to Alfoxden House, which was only a few miles from Coleridge’s home. The creative partnership between these two young poets would eventuate in the first publishing of Lyrical Ballads. The publication of Lyrical Ballads represented a turning point for English poetry. It was released anonymously on October 4th, 1798 and the learned old guard of literary England was mostly unaware that a form of â€Å"literary revolution† had taken place. Previous ages had considered the aim of poetry to be used as a tool to change people’s behaviour or as a learning mechanism. Wordsworth launched the Romantic Era of poetry and paved the way for many of the romantic poets that came after him. John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley to name but two. Coleridge encouraged Wordsworth to write a preface to Lyrical Ballads. A preface that would explain the work contained within the collection.

Why Did the Japanese Take over Manchuria?

There are a few reasons why the Japanese chose to take over Manchuria. One reason is that the Japanese had owed a rail line and had claimed that the Chinese had sabotaged the railway; this was called the Mukden incident. The Japanese then sent in their own troops to Manchuria and claimed that they had acted in self defence and were just resolving that issue.Another reason is that the Japanese had suffered from the great depression and was seeking a way to overcome the depression by expanding its empire, the Japanese was at the time being run by the military and therefore was building up its army and therefore the Japanese invaded Manchuria to show how powerful their military was.Finally, Japan felt they needed to take over Manchuria was because Manchuria had much raw materials and by making Manchuria part of Japan they would have an unlimited supply of resources that there country was in need of and they will be able to expand their economy and therefore Japan wouldn’t be in s uch an economical crisis. The League of Nations had responded by sending over some officers to asses which country was the aggressor although it was thought from beginning that Japan was the aggressive country.The league took a long time to respond and we see that the league wasn’t as powerful as before, as when they did impose economical sanctions Japan had not listened. Japan carried on with their invasion and the League was powerless to stop them as they had no army to stop them with. Another reason the League didn’t stop them was as they were a powerful country and we see that the league only sorted out successful disputes when dealing with countries that didn’t have much power.As well as that, Britain and France were also suffering from the great depression and focused on restoring their countries problems rather than sorting out disputes. Japan was also far away from Europe so the league didn’t feel as responsible to deal with the affairs that were not in Europe. One main reason the league was unsuccessful was because the Japanese had left the League of Nations when the League instructed them to leave and the League was then left powerless against them.The Leagues response indicated that they were weak in forcing a strong country to listen to them and as well the League was falling apart as all the major countries involved in the League were more interested to restore their country after the great depression than actually invest in the League and force its sanctions. The League was also powerless as when they had imposed economical sanctions it didn’t really destroy the country’s economy as Russia and the USA were not part of the league and as they were powerful countries their not being part of the League reflected on the Leagues ability to enforce these sanctions.

Real Estate Bubble in China: the Present and the Future

The concern over whether China is experiencing a real estate bubble has increased, especially after Dubai crisis happened. The construction area of both residential and commercial properties has increased by almost 6 times since year of 2000. China has enjoyed a sharp increase in property price since 2006. Especially, after 2009, due to the large stimulus package, majority of the money went to construction and real estate industry. It further pushed up the property price, leading to a lot families became the â€Å"slave of the property† who were struggled to pay the mortgage. Not only the high price has affected most people‘s lives in China, it could also greatly affect Chinese economy and even the global economy. Domestically, the prosperity of real estate industry is fuelled by local investment and easy band loan. According to MSN Money, there is an increase of 38. 2% from 2010 in property market , mainly from developers and speculators. The scale of loans goes to property market is even more scary, up to $1. 3 trillion. People have compared the real estate bubble of China to the United States. The question is will Chinese property bubble has the similar effect? Fortunately, the difference between China and the United States are quite striking. The factors lead to the collapse of property market in United States will unlikely to happen. In China, a country with high saving rate, people used to buy property in cash 4 or 5 years ago. Even in the heyday of residential mortgages, the loan is not as easy as in the U. S. Down payment amount is much higher than in the U. S. A decline of 20 to 30 % in prices will not let the bubble burst in China. In conclusion, the burst of real estate bubble is not easy in China and, if happened, will have limited effect to the world economy. In this paper, I will try to present the whole picture of Chinese real estate market from the current situation to how it evolves, and will touch on the future as well. This will be achieved with the help of some data and the explanations of ratios. Section II: A Real Estate Bubble in China? The first question needs to be answered is that is there a real estate bubble in China? Since government tries to avoid this sensitive word â€Å"bubble†, and data are not reliable. People have to figure them out and estimate how large the bubble is. Bubble is believed to exist in many major cities of China. For example, in Beijing, real estate prices rose by 350% to 900 % only in 7 years from 2003 to 2010(Figure 1). Other indicators of real estate bubble have reached an alarming status in China in many major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai , Nanjing , Hangzhou and so on. The even striking fact in China is that you can hear stories about â€Å"empty cities† very often. China has the second largest mall empty in southeast China, and modern empty city in Ordos. These are only the cases that you know and easy to identify. However, more empty streets or blocks are in the cities, waiting for people to move in. Ghost City Ordos: the famous empty city in China is Ordos, which is located in the north part of China. Ordos is the second richest city in China, followed by Shanghai, even richer in term s of per capita than Beijing. The city is rich because of abundant natural resources. One –sixth of China‘s coal reserve, one –third of it is natural gap reserves. The GDP has increased at 25% per year, much higher than the national level. With such a huge amount of money, local government wants to attract more people to stay in Ordos. This is how the empty city comes from. The new city was designed to accommodate 300, 000 people, with a capacity of holding 1 million people. Currently, you can hardly see any people on the street, even though most of the properties have been sold out. Surprisingly, the city is still under construction. The local government still believes that they can fill in the new city soon. Unfortunately, the stories about empty cities have been repeated on and on in China. This has been interpreted as a sign of over investment and real estate bubble. In the case, the apartments have all been sold out, even though nobody moves in. ecause most people believe that property will grow definitely. For investment purpose, most of them prefer to buy one. This kind of behavior has contributed to the high vacancy rate in China, High Vacancy Rate: since official data are not reliable, the concrete number of vacancy rate is not available from official sources. The reason for this has been that government officials said that, they don't know what vacancy rate means. Obviously, government is trying to avoid knowing the fact. Somehow, people have provided a rough estimate on the vacancy rate. They are using how many electric meters that have no readings for 6 months as an indicator of vacancy rate. Overall, we got a number of 65. 4 million apartments. It is estimated that the vacancy rate is as high as 36%. With such a high vacancy rate, people are wondering how large the real estate bubble in China will be. James S. Chanos, one of the first foresee the collapse of Enron and earn large profit from hedge fund, gave the answer, it will be Dubai times 1000. A growing number of economists and hedge funds managers have been believed that Chinese economy is a big bubble. Others argue that China is definitely not a bubble, the development is real. There is overheating in some area, but infrastructure construction is still necessary to a country like China with such a huge population. Still, a lot people live in area without roads. The demand of properties is still more than the supply of apartments, due to the urbanization and economic growth. The pent up demand from city dwellers for better living condition, in the future, will convert to real development in economy. Even in 2009, when residential property prices enjoy a high fluctuation, the construction area has increased by 40. 7%, largely due to the central government‘s stimulus financial package. Figure 4 Section III , What are the forces that push up the price? In China, it is more than market demand and supply that determine the price . Local government, individual investors, and central banks are also involved, which make the issue more complicated. Recent years’ increase in property price has created an impression that real estate market will keep growing in the future. Unfortunately, this is also the belief in the U.  S. real estate market which, ultimately, results in economic recession. Thus, almost everybody bet on the future of real estate market. In this section, I will analyze both the market reasons and social factors that contribute to present situation in China. In terms of market demand, the demand for property comes from two kinds of groups. One is from the new migrants from rural places in China. Another is from local residences who want better living condition. Due to the urbanization process and economic growth in recent years, the demand will increase in the long term. This has been part of the reason why investors bet on the market growth. At the same time, governments and real estate developers have made an effort to supply enough apartments to meet the increasing demand. According to Macroeconomic principle , it seems that these have been enough to explain the fact. In an emerging country, political issues are unavoidable in any sense. Land sales have become an essential resource of local government’s revenue which means high property price shares the burden of high land-use right. In China, people don't buy land instead they are renting land for a certain amount of time. Normally, it is 70 years. In this sense, you are renting the land or buy the right to use the land for 70 years. Because of the conflict of interest, local governments are not enthusiastic in applying the central government’s price control policies. In order to facilitate the transaction, local governments even requires very low upfront. Question concerning this will be further mentioned in the next part. It has shown that in Beijing and Hangzhou, land sales have accounted for more than 30% of tax revenue. Thus , local authority has less incentive to tackle the problem. Only average home buyers bear the cost of high property price. Individual investors and state-owned companies made things worse as well. Since state-owned companies normally have much solid financial foundations than private companies, they are more likely to win the land sales bid. It was shown in Beijing that 82 % of land auctions are won by SOEs. These large firms are owned by central government, so in turn, if SOEs didn't win the auction or real estate market suffer a big crisis , both the SOEs and central authority will be affected. This has encourage local government to cooperate with SOEs. For individuals, they store apartments, waiting for a moment when real estate price goes even higher. Earning quick money is all their purpose. High vacancy rate can explain the situation. Section IV, How Real Estate bubble will affect China’s economy? Unlike other industries, real estate industry affects not only the industry itself but also social safety, political stability and financial stability in China. There are mainly two types of risk that will threaten the development of China’s economy, namely, loose mortgage policy for individuals and corporate. Mortgage loans are relatively new to Chinese residence. Most people pay cash to buy property instead of real estate loans. However, it grows almost 50% per year. The proportion of mortgage loans in nominal GDP has increased by 5 % in just one year. When big fluctuation of property price happens, it is likely that majority of property owners’ benefit will be affected from two perspectives. First of all, it will mean the shrink of the value of lifetime saving. As property is the largest investment of most families, the decline of price is also the shrink of their wealth. Secondly, households will become more conservative in investing in the future. People will spend less money on consumption and put more money into banks instead. On the other hand, individual and corporate mortgage loans will also pose a threat to the banking system. For individuals, mortgage loans are relatively new. Chinese used to pay cash for their properties. Nowadays, mortgage loans have enjoyed a 50% increase in just one year. When property price declines, the majority of loan owners will have difficulty in paying the mortgage. When it comes in a large scale, private banks can go bankrupt. Due to some negotiation between different groups, real estate developers don't need to pay the full amount of bidding price, instead they only need to pay a small portion to get the right to use the land. To be specific, if a firm wins a bid which worth 5 billion RMB, only one-tenth of the full amount need to be paid initially. What‘s more, firm can get a loan from banks by using the land as a collateral at the amount of 2. 5 billion. It is clear that firms don't take as much risk as we thought and they can use the extra money to invest in biding for more land. Whenever there is market fluctuation or crisis, these firms and banks will definitely have a difficult time. Conclusion: Opinion diverts in interpreting overheating in construction industry. Some believe that China has a real estate bubble and it will burst soon. Others disagree, thinking this is an exaggeration of the problem of overheating investment in real estate industry in some areas. Personally, with the evidence mentioned above, real estate bubble does exist in China. However, the real demand is there as well. Most of the problems come from over investment in some areas. Resource misallocation leads to the unreasonable increase in property value. More market liberalization and less state-owned companies compete in the industry will help solve the problem. The importance of property even relates to marriage. There is an article in New York Times, titled† In China, Money can buy Love†. Owning a property has become the condition for marrying to somebody. If property price jumps dramatically, not only the economy will be affected, but also social well-being.

The First Historical Hobby and Home Computers

The First Historical Hobby and Home Computers The first Apple was just a culmination of my whole life. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers In 1975, Steve Wozniak was working for Hewlett Packard, the calculator manufacturers, by day and playing computer hobbyist by night, tinkering with the early computer kits like the Altair. All the little computer kits that were being touted to hobbyists in 1975 were square or rectangular boxes with non-understandable switches on them,† Wozniak said. He realized that the prices of some computer parts like microprocessors  and memory chips  had dropped so low that he could buy them with maybe a months salary. Wozniak decided that he and fellow hobbyist Steve Jobs could afford to  build their own home computer. The Apple I Computer Wozniak and Jobs released the Apple I computer on April Fools’ Day 1976. The Apple I was the first single circuit board home computer. It came with a video interface, 8k of RAM and a keyboard. The system incorporated some economical components like dynamic RAM and the  6502 processor, which was designed by Rockwell, produced by MOS Technologies and cost only about $25 dollars at the time.   The pair showed the prototype Apple I at a meeting of the Homebrew Computer Club,  a local computer hobbyist group based in Palo Alto, California. It was mounted on plywood with all the components visible. A local computer dealer, the Byte Shop, ordered 100 units if Wozniak and Jobs would agree to assemble the kits for their customers. About 200 Apple Is were built and sold over a 10-month period for the superstitious price of $666.66. The Apple II Computer Apple Computers was incorporated in 1977 and the Apple II computer model was released that year. When the  first West Coast Computer Faire was held in San Francisco, attendees saw the public debut of the Apple II, available for $1,298. The Apple II was also based on the 6502 processor, but it had color graphicsa first for a personal computer. It used an audio cassette drive for storage. Its original configuration came with 4 kb of RAM, but this was increased to 48 kb a year later and the cassette drive was replaced with a floppy disk drive. The Commodore PET The Commodore PET–a personal electronic transactor or, as rumor has it, named after the pet rock fad–was designed by Chuck Peddle. It was first presented at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January 1977, and later at the West Coast Computer Faire. The Pet Computer also ran on the 6502 chip, but it cost only $795half the price of the Apple II. It included 4 kb of RAM, monochrome graphics and an audio cassette drive for data storage. Included was a version of BASIC in 14k of ROM. Microsoft developed its first 6502-based BASIC for the PET and sold the source code to Apple for Apple BASIC. The keyboard, cassette drive and small monochrome display all fit within the same self-contained unit. Jobs and Wozniak showed the Apple I prototype to Commodore and Commodore agreed to buy Apple at one point in time, but  Steve Jobs ultimately decided not to sell. Commodore bought MOS Technology instead and designed the PET. The Commodore PET was Apple’s chief rival at the time.   The TRS-80 Microcomputer Radio Shack introduced its TRS-80 microcomputer, also nicknamed the Trash-80,† in 1977. It was based on the Zilog Z80 processor, an 8-bit microprocessor whose instruction set is a superset of the Intel 8080. It came with 4 kb of RAM and 4 kb of ROM with BASIC. An optional expansion box enabled memory expansion and audio cassettes were used for data storage, similar to the PET and the first Apples. Over 10,000 TRS-80s were sold during the first month of production. The later TRS-80 Model II came complete with a disk drive for program and data storage. Only Apple and Radio Shack had machines with disk drives  at that time. With the introduction of the disk drive, applications for the personal home computer proliferated as the distribution of software became easier.

Essay on Public Opinion

Essay on Public Opinion Essay on Public Opinion This is a free sample essay on Public Opinion: Public opinion, which can be swayed by the manipulation of the media and to some degree by the President’s persuasion, greatly impacts the policies made by public officials. George Bush promised tax cuts if elected as President of the United States of America. He was able to convince the public that they should be able to spend their money rather than the government. According to the Gallup Poll of September 11-13, 2000 , 74% of the public was in favor of tax cuts. The media’s support of tax cuts was divided; therefore it was not as effective in swaying public opinion as when all media are united in their opinions. Even the Democratic leaders, who were generally against the tax cuts, were unable to prevent the tax cuts. This was due to Democratic leaders like Max Baucus, John Breaux, Blanche Lincoln, and Robert Torricelli who voted in favor of the tax cuts which was guided by the wishes of their constituents. Policies made dealing with Afghanistan cannot be compared to typical policies made by our government officials. These polices are a result of terrorist attacks on America. Because of the nature of the attacks, most everyone agrees on the same policies, which are in the best interests of our country. The ability of President Bush to set specific goals and a unifying cause, has been a major affect in gathering the support of both the people and the media. The Gallup Poll shows that about 90% of the people are in favor of President Bush’s policies at this time . If public opinion should start to change, President Bush would probably reconsider his policies involving Afghanistan, as would any public official when trying to appeal to their constituents. ______________ is a professional essay writing service which can provide high school, college and university students with 100% original custom written essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations, courseworks, homeworks, book reviews, book reports, lab reports, projects, presentations and other assignments of top quality. More than 700 professional Ph.D. and Master’s academic writers. Feel free to order a custom written essay on Public Opinion from our professional essay writing service.

Business Process Workflow Management Business Essay

Business Process Workflow Management Business Essay Business process management is important for both existing and new businesses. BPM is also known as Business Process Reengineering. It is a set of inter-related tasks that help companies maximize their present business processes and cope with future operational and organizational changes. An efficient business process saves and makes money for an organization. Workflow, in its very basic sense, is an implementation of the answers to the questions that arise in a business process. Workflow answers the questions, who? What? And When? in a business process. It is the movement of documents or tasks through a work process. Business process workflow management is an essential element in organizing a variety of business tasks and processes so that the business can be benefited as a whole. Workflow management systems range from the basic activities of a business to thousands of complex features. Workflow management helps business managers perform a lot of varying functions depending on the needs of the organization. Different businesses have different workflow management needs to perform varied functions for them. Some businesses need workflow management for organizing data available on the net; some need them for managing various business transactions whereas some need them for organizing and segregating all the documents of an enterprise. Workflow management is helpful to all kinds of business irrespective of their size. It helps them define and spot various processes that will help increase efficiency in the long run. Business process workflow management helps to define, create, execute and manage various processes within the organization itself and enhance business-to-business transactions to maximize productivity. It facilitates changes in the enterprise that are needed for its betterment and maximization of output and profits in the minimum time possible. It also helps an organization in spotting existing inefficiencies by keeping a constant check on their emplo yees’ productivity. BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT JOURNALS Business process management is implemented to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of an enterprise by automating its business processes. The key factor involved in choosing a BPM solution is to choose one that will fit the organization in all situations, as conditions governing a business tend to change with fluctuations in market conditions. It is not feasible for an organization to change its BPM as and when situations change. Business re-engineering can mean serious trouble especially when applied by people who do not understand it. There are examples of thousands of organizations that were running into losses but subsequently, achieved remarkable profits due to well-managed BPM projects. The key to the success of these companies lay in applying BPM to their key business processes. Business process management journals play a key role in making businessmen aware of the prevailing business conditions and how to ad apt to these changes by applying the right re-engineering and process change projects. BPM journals are the premium channel for beginners, practitioners and researchers to acquire leading edge information related to current developments in BPM concepts, practices, tools and technologies. It is a helping aid for students studying BPM related areas and consultants who assist organizations in managing processes. They also provide useful articles that focus on quality and relevance.

"Al Futtaim Group" current industry situation Essay

"Al Futtaim Group" current industry situation - Essay Example It grew by ten percent to reach three billion and six hundred billion. Majid Al Futtaim issued its first ten year fifty million dollar bond in May 2014. This extended the life average life of the portfolio of the company. The bond was the first issuance since 2010 and also the longest tenure achieved in Dubai by a corporate issuer. The company optimized its debt portfolio since it had strong liquidity and a solid financial performance in the banking market. They also received the most innovative treasury award from Global Capital (Browne, 1999. Pp52). In January 2015, Majid Al Futtaim which is the leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across North Africa and the Middle East reported a steady growth as it prepared for a further regional expansion. The company continues to develop a strong balance sheet with assets valued at more than forty five billion AED and net debt of around eight billion AED. The standard and poor’s and Fitch Rating reaffirms the company’s investment-grade ratings of BBB which is a stable outlook during the year. The company has a vision of future expansion across North Africa and the Middle East and to bring innovative new experiences to new populations strongly focusing on Egypt and Saudi Arabia (Shaw-Smith, 2015.

Accounting Class, pick topic below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting Class, pick topic below - Essay Example While some individuals intend to work for as long as they can, particularly because idleness and loss of accustomed status can bring depression, illness, and even early death, it is always pleasant to contemplate that one has a nest egg to fall back on when a contingency or extreme need for money arises. "Whatever your situation - even if you want to continue working - youll need to do some planning for the future." (Shwab-Pomerantz & Schwab, 2002). Thus everyone should begin to plan for retirement even during the first few years of employment or starting a business. Retirement planning, according to the Small Business Encyclopedia, describes the financial strategies individuals employ during their working years to ensure that they will meet their goals for financial security upon retirement. This applies to self-employed persons, small business owners, and employees of companies large and small (Retirement planning, SBE) Retirement planning was unknown prior to the twentieth century because the US national economy and presumably the economies in other parts of the world were still predominantly agrarian. Farmers toiling in the fields continued to work until they could no longer do physical labor, and transferred ownership and management of their properties to their eldest children in return for services to them during their old age (US History Encyclopedia). Even with the onset of industrialization, there were still a limited number of employees, and farming continued to dominate as a means of livelihood. As workers aged, they continued to work using their skills and wisdom in lieu of strength and stamina to remain employed in their later years. (Retirement planning, US) Later, because of concerns about productivity and efficiency in the workplace, it was deemed necessary to replace aging workers with young and strong ones. There was concern and apprehension about these

Abortions Should Remain Legal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Abortions Should Remain Legal - Essay Example However, before the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973 which legalized abortion in the U.S., this practice was common. Prior to abortion being legal, many untold thousands of young women were injured and died while trying to end a pregnancy while the wealthy women were able to have illegal abortions performed safely usually outside the country. The rich were able to travel overseas or pay inflated high prices to a local physician who was willing to perform the operation but poor woman had to resort to more dangerous options. Criminalizing abortions never has and never will stop them from happening; it just harms women. Those persons opposed to legal abortions are the same ones who oppose programs that aid the poor and abused kids who resulted from unwanted pregnancies. They point to ‘family values’ and ‘Christian morals’ as the rationalization for discrimination of the impoverished, the loss of liberty, and the increased numbers of injured women. There will always b e ideological differences between factions but the dispute as to whether abortion should be legal is a matter for the justice system, courts and judges, as are all legal matters. This paper considers the legal arguments of the abortion issue. The emotional arguments for and against are important from a social context yet but peoples ‘feelings’ about abortion will not decide whether or not the procedure remain lawful and safe. The 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court case decided that women have the constitutional right to have an abortion performed up to a point when the fetus is viable, meaning when it can live on its own outside the woman’s body. The decision nullified any state law that disallowed a woman to have or a doctor to perform an abortion during the first trimester (three months) of a pregnancy. The ruling also restricted abortions during the second-trimester with the exception being if a woman’s health is in danger (â€Å"Roe v. Wade†, 1 997: 312). Though the decision was controversial then and remains so today, the Court’s decision was right from a constitutional perspective. Detractors of the decision have commonly made arguments based on personal ethical beliefs which are immaterial when the language of the Constitution is scrutinized. Their moral objections regarding the Roe decision can be rapidly invalidate by evaluating the precedents of constitutional decisions by the Supreme Court and reading the specific wordage of the Constitution. There are, however, legitimate questions concerning the Constitutional issues of the Roe decision that merit answering. When most people speak disparagingly of the Court’s decision, they base their disapproval purely on moral justifications but lawyers, scholars and especially judges who criticize the decision should only do so based for constitutional reasoning in addition to expressing their moral objections. Opposition to the decision should speak to the 9th Am endment which states, â€Å"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people† (â€Å"Bill of Rights†, 2006). Opponents say that the ninth, and all other amendments, do not explicitly mention abortion consequently the Constitution does not apply when trying to establish the legality of abortion rights. This view, however, clearly contradicts the short and succinct statement that is the Ninth Amendment which undoubtedly encourages the right to an abortion and all other rights whether or not explicitly stated in the Constitution. Just because a specific word or phrase does not appear, the Constitution remains the source for legal precedence for this subject as it is for

Ikea Global Sourcing Challenges Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ikea Global Sourcing Challenges - Case Study Example As the discussion stresses if the child labor evidence being utilized at Rangan Exports is precise, the supplier is in direct infringement of IKEA's clause of no child labor. Barner has two clear option decisions in managing this circumstance. In the first place, she can end the contract with the supplier in light of their rupture of the no child labor procurement. This option is legitimate and reliable with. The potential disservice of this option is that it may deny IKEA of a lucrative supplier relationship, and it might briefly slice off access to Indian floor covering sources. In that capacity, it might antagonistically effect IKEA's main concern. Barner's other alternative is to give the supplier a "notice" however look after relations, with the admonition that the supplier quit utilizing child laborers. This would have the upside of keeping up a conceivably lucrative supplier relationship.This paper highlights that  it would likewise give IKEA the chance to "instruct" supplie rs about the perils of child labor. On the drawback, this activity would be in spite of IKEA's set up policies. It could make an impression on different suppliers that IKEA may furtively excuse child labor while straightforwardly censoring it.  Neglecting to do as such would send the wrong message to different suppliers, expanding their dealing power, and damages IKEA's particular policies. Besides, it leaves IKEA open to charges of exploitative conduct.

Consuming and Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consuming and Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Consuming and Fashion" discusses the fashion and consuming. The ever increasing tastes and preferences alongside the increased product differentiation and the global practice of trade have meant that the role of marketing within any business entity is very integral; certainly the most crucial. Marketing encompasses the processes of analysis of the target population (market segmentation) to identify trends in consumer needs and wants; new product research and development; product distribution and promotion effort; and the feedback mechanism. The changes in consumers’ tastes and preferences mean that there is a trend in which products and services are in demand at a given time and which are not. This has a direct relation to the sales volume and profitability of an organization. Therefore, fashion in this regard, refers to the popularity in demand for a given product or service at a given point in time i.e. trends in consumption behavior. Fashion styles differ between individuals, and can be reflected in a large group at any given point in time as a measure of both social identification, and distinction (Illomen, 2011). However, this definition has devolved into a limited sense to mean exclusively trendy clothing and other body accessories such as jewelry. Perhaps this is attributable to the huge marketing efforts that are visibly expended into this particular segment of the economy. The mechanics of such a transfer of meaning is a subject not addressed by this report.

Collective Bargaining and Pay Inequity in the Public Sector Essay

Collective Bargaining and Pay Inequity in the Public Sector - Essay Example In the United States at the moment majority of the states have passed legislations that permit workers to organise themselves and bargain collectively. This is because collective bargaining is a very important way through which employees can push for their rights considering the historical discrimination that has been witnessed in America’s public sector. The laws vary from state to state, for instance, only 12 states of all who have legalized collective recognise strikes are being legal. Those states not allowing strikes have outlined various processes for resolving issues in the workforce such as mediation and fact-finding. A good number of states use interest arbitration where neutral arbitrators listen to grievances raised, evaluate facts, and follow statutory criteria to come up with decisions as to the terms of collective bargaining agreements. Nonetheless, collective bargaining through unionisation has become a very popular practice in America and the world over. Unions represent members in many different ways which include and not limited to lobbying for favourable labor laws such as protection of employees from arbitrary discharge, educating and training members on their rights and most importantly negotiating compensation directly with employers on behalf of the membership. Collective bargaining agreements also address issues of discrimination in the work place based on gender, race and even class hence attempt to force employers apply the same standards to every individual. AFSCME for instance, which is mostly concerned with women has for the past few decades managed to lobby against pay inequity that is based on gender. One negative concern about trade unionism and collective bargaining agreements has been that they tend to indirectly further the inequality gap. In particularly comes about when covered employees are

Consuming and Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Consuming and Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Consuming and Fashion" discusses the fashion and consuming. The ever increasing tastes and preferences alongside the increased product differentiation and the global practice of trade have meant that the role of marketing within any business entity is very integral; certainly the most crucial. Marketing encompasses the processes of analysis of the target population (market segmentation) to identify trends in consumer needs and wants; new product research and development; product distribution and promotion effort; and the feedback mechanism. The changes in consumers’ tastes and preferences mean that there is a trend in which products and services are in demand at a given time and which are not. This has a direct relation to the sales volume and profitability of an organization. Therefore, fashion in this regard, refers to the popularity in demand for a given product or service at a given point in time i.e. trends in consumption behavior. Fashion styles differ between individuals, and can be reflected in a large group at any given point in time as a measure of both social identification, and distinction (Illomen, 2011). However, this definition has devolved into a limited sense to mean exclusively trendy clothing and other body accessories such as jewelry. Perhaps this is attributable to the huge marketing efforts that are visibly expended into this particular segment of the economy. The mechanics of such a transfer of meaning is a subject not addressed by this report.

The stagnant MP Essay Example for Free

The stagnant MP Essay Hence, given the stagnant MP, plus the fact that the bailout is being financed by foreign borrowing and by printing, there is no question that the dollar will fall. Since 2000, the dollar has lost 40% of its value against the Euro. In the chart below, the dollar is compared with the Euro during the bailout from 28 December 2007 to 27 January 2008. The below graph does indicate some recovery of the dollar against te Euro, but there can be no doubt as to the long term weakness of the US currency. Apparently, there is some mild increase in confidence that the bailout might make the US economy more solvent, but the below information is too limited for a full understanding. From the beginning of the bailout until mid November of last year, the US debt increased almost $958 billion. Add to this the record breaking trade deficit of almost $1 trillion, and the dollar is in serous trouble. The increase in public debt due to the bailout out is destroying the dollar’s value. According to Asia News (2008), the US is now committed to over $8. 95 trillion dollars to the bailout. The total US economy was roughly $13 billion, with the full debt at about $10 trillion. About 61% of this debt was held by foreign investors, the majority Asian. Since trillions of dollars are held by Asian investors, and debt in the US (both private and public) reaches levels of complete insolvency, the Asians will insist on eliminating dollars as a method of doing business and hence, the dollar will not only loose value, but collapse, leading to a crisis of Argentinian proportions in 2009 (Asia News, 2008). This year, the same author at Asia News writes: â€Å"But Asia now understands that the increase of money supply decreases the intrinsic value of a currency. That is why China is seeking a possible and rational attempt to decouple Asian currencies from the dollar, as recent news stories report. (Asia News, 2009). Hence, the math is simple: too many dollars in circulation, too much printing by the Fed to create the bailout liquidity means the devaluation and eventual collapse of the dollar, and the US taxpayer is powerless over the private Fed as well as the foreign investors that are publically now saying they will eliminate dollar reserves. The reality is this: once there is a sense that a country is insolvent, and that it simply cannot pay its debts, compounded by a massive bailout that the country cannot possibly finance on its own, investors run to get rid of dollars. Even worse, capital fight can result, where money begins leaving the insolvent country, in this case the US, investing instead in Russia, China, Thailand or the EU. Hence, the bailout is merely the tail end of a long fall in th US dollar, a powerful symbol of the US government and corporate governance to control investment and spending.. Appendix: Chart of the dollar against the Euro: Source: Exchange Rates. org. References: Maurizio, D’Orlando. â€Å"US Debt Approaches Insolvency: Chinese Currency Reserves at Risk. ’ Asia News. December 19, 2009 _______. â€Å"Chinese Yuan Set to Replace Dollar. † Asia News. January 3, 2009 Perry, John. â€Å"Fed Keeps Banks Afloat in Money Market. † Reuters. September 25, 2008. Corbett, John. â€Å"Bailout by Stealth. † The Corbett Report. September 30, 2008. Beck, Frank. â€Å"Time to Devalue the Us Dollar. † Forbes. Devember, 2008 Engdahl, William. â€Å"Federal Reserve Sets Stage for Weimar Style Inflation. † Globalia Magazine. February 2, 2008 Rodgers, Lee. â€Å"Elite Can’t Bail Out Everyone. † Funny Money Report. September 17, 2008. Warring, David. â€Å"Arguments for and Against the Bailout. † Informed Trades. November, 2008. The Center for Responsive Politics. â€Å"Banking on Becoming President. † Open Secrets Reports: October 27, 2008.

Maintaining a Childs Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a Childs Healthy Lifestyle 1) A healthy lifestyle is paramount for other children and adults to help prevent, or minimize chronic illness and diseases. A healthy lifestyle does not only include diet and exercise but also a healthy mental wellbeing, especially in children. It involves the connection of body and mind; self esteem, self-belief, confidence and building up a natural strength to help them cope during tough times. ‘Every child matters’ a government programmed, came into affect in 2001 to ensure children have access to health are services, to prevent violence against children in their home and in their community. It is also in place to alleviate child poverty. This program helps children with building confidence and creating support networks so they understand they are not alone. Leading a healthy life style can prevent diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic heart disease, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer; I will now explore these diseases and ways to prevent them. It is know fact that the rates of obesity are higher in children who do low levels of exercise than to those who do high, frequent levels of exercise. Exercise is very important for young children in order to keep their bodies from accumulating unnecessary fat, which can lead to chronic illness later on in life such as diabetes. Children who regularly exercise will benefit in better health, not just at present but for future years as their bodies and mind will be conscious of the healthy lifestyle choice they make. Lack of exercise, being over weight and, for adults, exercise alcohol consumption is big risk factors for high blood pressure. It affects approximately one third of the UK. High blood pressure can be treated with medication; however, most of these can produce side affects such as skin irritation, dizziness and feeling drowsy. Some people are able to reduce or even stop treatment if they are able to keep their blood pressure under control whilst on the medication. If patien ts were educated earlier on how to prevent this chronic illness with lifestyle changes then medication would not be needed. Type 2 diabetes is another illness that can be controlled by the individual and their lifestyle choices. Along with taking medication, a persons diet and regular exercise are things that need to be addressed. There are over 3.1 million people in England that suffer from diabetes (type 1 +2). It is important to get diagnosed as early as possible to prevent symptoms worsening. Simple things like keeping blood pressure down and weight are two key ways of preventing type 2 diabetes, however type 1 cannot be controlled. Coronary heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK, it occurs when fatty deposits block the blood supply to the heart. Smoking, having high blood pressure or having diabetes could all cause CHD. Although it cannot be cured there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can reduce further problems such as; lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. Strokes can also occur when the blood supply is restricted from the brain. Strokes happen quickly and often cause disabling complications such as paralysis and permanent numbness. To reduce the risks of suffering a stroke it is advised that we do simple and regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight. In doing this we lower our chances of having a stroke. Smoking is a major factor towards strokes due to the arteries clogging with tar, which causes blood clots. Another illness that occurs due to smoking is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease; this is a lung condition in which the airways become narrow and damaged. If a smoker stopped smoking after being diagnosed then the progression could be slowed down but not reversed. Keeping a healthy weight and controlling blood pressure along with keeping active and doing specialized breathing techniques are simple but affective steps to reducing the symptoms. Cancer research UK stated that ‘half of newly diagnosed cancers could be prevented by leading a healthier lifestyle, reducing alcohol intake, eating better, regular exercise, not smoking and safe sun practice.’ By following this simple piece of advice, the majority of these chronic illnesses could be greatly reduced. Smoking is also a major factor in the development of cancer, 86% of lung cancer deaths in the UK are being attributed to smoking. Research from The International Agency for Research on Cancer has shown that smoking can cause cancer in the liver, mouth, pancreas, stomach, bladder, kidney, cervix, bowel and ovaries. Obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer; breast, uterus and kidney. Research shows many chronic diseases are increasing with poor lifestyle choices made by individuals. Education when we are young on how to make good lifestyle choices could greatly reduce the risks of people inflicting these debilitating illnesses upon themselves. 2) Eating a healthy and balanced diet is a strong foundation for a happy child. Making sure that people has the basic knowledge and understanding for a nutritionally balanced diet will help protect them against chronic illness and even behavioral difficulties. Many people are familiar with ‘5 a day’, which encourages us to eat five different fruit and vegetables a day. However there are other groups that need to be included to make up a nutritionally balanced plate. These groups are`; Fruit and vegetables Fats i.e. butter and oils Sugars Protein Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are a great source of nutrition such as vitamins and iron. Wholegrain varieties are high in fiber, which assists with regular bowel movement, and it helps manage weight. Pulses and lentils also contain fiber along with being low in fat and high in protein. Protein is necessary for growth and to help repair body cells. Another protein is dairy, which contains calcium; essential for healthy, strong bones. The fat in milk provides calories for young children and has important vitamins (B2+B12). Cows milk is not advised for children less than 12 months due to them not being able to digest the protein. Breast-feeding until the infant is at least 6 months is recommended by ‘The Department of Health’ or formula powder to insure the infant is getting the correct nutrition. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey suggest that adults and children are consuming more sugar than recommended. The sugars in chocolate and fizzy drinks are bad sugars, which can cause tooth decay (a very current problem in our country). There are naturally occurring sugars that, in moderation, can be beneficial to our bodies, these sugars are found in milk and fruit. The most important and vital food in our diet is fruit and vegetables, as they are a major source in vitamins and minerals. They are beneficial in a variety of ways; lowering risks of many illnesses and diseases such as strokes and also reducing the risk of kidney stones. Another important food is meat. Lean mince and fish are healthier options, as they are good sources of vitamin B, zinc and iron. Fish also contains fatty acids, which our body uses to keep cholesterol low. Oils and nuts also provide fats that keep low cholesterol; many vegetarians eat lots of nuts, pulses and quorn to maintain similar levels of these essential vitamins. Insuring a mixture of all these important food groups will not only keep a balanced and healthy diet but also will insure the body has the necessary tools to best fight off illness and maintain high energy levels. Children benefit greatly from eating healthily as it improves confidence with self-image; steady and healthy energy levels and can help refute behavioral problems. Being aware of healthy eating improves child’s chances of eating a nutritional food as they progress from childhood to adulthood. 3) to help maintain a healthy life style it is beneficiary to exercise. Exercise burns calories and helps build up strength, without exercising your body and muscles would turn into fat and the organs would become unhealthy. Young children can do many different activities to help prolong a healthy and happier life. Joining football clubs, swimming groups or youth groups. Research from ‘The Lancet Paper ‘ showed that as little as 15 minutes active play per day is all an infant needs to prolong a healthy life. Babies should be encouraged to move around independently by floor play or crawling as often as possible. Having this freedom allows them to strengthen trunk muscles, improve on concentration and move kinesthetically. Crawling also trains their eyes to look both near and far, this is essential for developing binocular vision. Swimming is another activity that builds on trunk muscles and also social skills. Sessions with mother and infant are great ways to initiate bonding and interaction with other mums and babies. Swimming uses trunk strength that improves infants’ balance and muscles development. Physical exercise can also improve breathing techniques; it strengthens the heart and lungs. Outings to indoor play centers and leisure centers are other ways of allowing kids to exercise; they run around with friends and other children. Free play also promotes a Childs imagination and creativity; many adventures to jungles and fairy tale worlds can take place in one Play Park. By following a child’s own ideas and other children’s imagination increases a child self esteem and self-awareness, this contributes to a happy, healthy child. Children can also take part in daily activities at home such as helping with gardening, tidying up and even helping with vacuuming, this it all classed as daily exercise but they can be created into fun activities to do with parents, especially when their parents don’t have much free time, school are getting behind this idea to encourage bonding between children and busy working parents. The government has a duty to protect and promote play opportunities for children and young people. The right to play for al children up to the age of 18 is enshrined in article 31 of the UN Convention on The Right of the Child ratified by the UK Government in 1991. With this law in place many swing parks, play grounds, football fields and more recently skate parks. These areas are for children of all ages to exercise/play and develop social skills. Clubs that teach sports are all essential in building confidence, help to focus their attention and problem solve, these all contribute to strength in mind and emotional development. Research at Monash University 9part of the National Sleep Foundation) proved, in 2009, that children who take part in daily exercise sleep better at night. ‘In addition to falling asleep faster, very active children slept longer throughout the night’. This quote concludes that active children benefit through all aspects of growing up and staying healthy and when they active this at a young age it teaches them good habits which they will use through their whole life. 4) Well being is; the state of being comfortable, healthy and happy in oneself; a person being comfortable with their existence. A childs well being can have a significant impact on their progress throughout their life. Social and health services aim to use a holistic approach when assisting children and their families. They look at all parts of the child’s life; home, school, psychological, physical and even spiritual being to find a way to best help the individual. Workshops are run for parents such as the ‘positive parenting program’ which looks at dealing with family bereavement and spotting signs of emotional stress, conflict in the home and strategies to help build confidence in their children and harmony in the house so everyone feels comfortable to express themselves in a save environment. Parenting can be exhausting and sometimes isolating so by using these free workshops it can greatly enhance the wellbeing of the parents, and ultimately, their children helping achieve a healthy wellbeing for the future. A report published by The National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness, in 2008, wrote ‘childrens social and emotional wellbeing is influenced by a range of factors, from their individual make up, family background to their local community within with they live’, with this in mind we can now find many charities like ‘BIG’, a lottery funded charity, that gives thousands of pounds every year to help continue many different project that work to strive positive mental health, physical health and strong social networks in our communities. There are programs that travel around schools and talk to troubled children about family separation, depression and many other issues. All these groups and workshops ensure that if and when a family needs help in maintaining the wellbeing of their family unit, they have financially achievable opportunities to meet in a secure, non-judgmental and confidential environment. A place they can discuss the issues and work with practioners on improving skills to enhance the wellbeing of their children and family unit. Reference www.healthline.com www.healthyforums.com www.oxforddictionary.com www.bigltteryfund.org.uk www.ehow.com www.psychologytoday.com www.medcentral.org www.babycentre.com www.science.howstuffworks.com www.sleepfoundation.org www.everychildmatters.org www.encyclo.co.uk The foundations of child development Working with children in the early years

Food Addiction in America Essay -- Compulsive Eating

Addiction is a dependence on a substance in which the affected individual feels powerless to stop. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as compulsive gambling and shopping. Recent studies suggest that millions of Americans are addicted to food, as well. An average American is bombarded daily with random propaganda to try to sell what some would consider "perfection". Most American citizens try to emulate those fictional characters in celebrity magazines. The truth is a lot of those pictures are air-brushed and some of the individuals have had extensive cosmetic surgery and other medical procedures done to look that way. This media manipulation is the main cause for the many eating disorders and the people addicted to them. For most people eating is a satisfying experience. But for some, eating is an impulse. Men and women of all ages force themselves to eat too much or too little, and experience incredible psychological pain when they do. Body weight and image become a fixation that damages relationships and has severe health consequences. Food addiction is a disorder characterized by obsession with food, the accessibility of food and the expectancy of pleasure from the intake of food. Food addiction involves the recurring consumpti on of food against the individual’s better judgment resulting in loss of control and anxiety or the limitation of food and obsession with body weight and image. In today’s society the worth of a female is based upon her age, her body size and her looks. The male’s worth is based on the amount of money earned or inherited, and athleticism. These images of â€Å"perfection† have been engraved in people’s minds, forcing them to believe that if they can’t live up to the same standards it will mean that they’re not good enough. This is a main cause of most disorders and addictions. Some addictionologists believe that society contributes to the development of addictions by establishing unreasonable or unreachable criteria for worthiness. Individuals who are under chronic emotional distress like negative feelings of self and inappropriate methods for dealing with emotional stress use food disorders. There are three main types of food addictions, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by extreme fear of gaining weight and ... ...ds brings more shame onto the individual causing the cycle to restart. Meanwhile the individual’s state of mind is also being psychologically damaged. The person becomes depressed because the image that the individual sees in the mirror does not match the image seen on television. This causes a decrease in self-esteem and confidence. The guilt, shame and low self-esteem causes binge eating and the cycle begins all over again. These eating disorders are highly addictive causing Americans a high state of panic. The treatments used for every one of the disorders are different. Anorexia depends on hospitalization while on the other hand over eating doesn’t require it at all. All three disorders require some sort of therapy to deal with the psychological damages and to prevent further complications. These three illnesses are affecting a lot of America’s adolescence as well as the adults. Despite the caution and awareness people have to exercise when dealing with such addictive disorders there are treatment facilities that can help. In an y case, it cannot be overemphasized how important treatment is, the sooner, the better. The longer the behavior exits the harder it is to overcome.

Women and Marriage in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Pride

Women and Marriage in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice And they lived happily ever after... Or did they? Pride and Prejudice, a captivating novel written by Jane Austen, is the story of Elizabeth and her adventure challenging society and ending up deep in true love. Pride and Prejudice takes place in a town outside of London called Hertfordshire, where the reader follows Elizabeth, her friends, and her family as they search for love in the nineteenth century. The author writes of Elizabeth's journey of not only finding herself, but finding true love with Mr. Darcy in the end. Austen herself never married, something that was very untraditional for her time. She went against normalcy and knew that marriage was for love, not money as many people often recognized it as. This viewpoint from the author is drawn out for us through a major idea in the novel. The theme of women and marriage traditions in the nineteenth century is clearly demonstrated through many of the characters in Austen's novel. The opening sentence reveals the theme to the reader quite straightforwardly. Auste...

A World Without Water Essay

Water is one of the essentialities of life on earth, without water life will not exist. Water is everywhere, we can find it from the foods we eat and beverages we drink. It has also many uses in our daily lives like cleaning ourselves, washing the clothes, watering the plants and others. Water can also refresh us during hot days of summer, like swimming. When we go to supermarkets we see different products which contain water. All living organisms need water, without it, they will die. Humans, being a living organism need water to survive; we do need water but it must be clean and sufficient in supply. But what if there is access to water but the water is too contaminated? Or there is really no sufficient supply? Or the place where there is water is too far from home? That will be a big problem for those who will or currently experiencing this kind of situations. Water is a need and not just wants; clean water is needed in every community not only to survive but also to function well . Each one of us whether rich or poor has the right for available clean water. The film â€Å"A World Without Water† is an eye-opener. It shows how rich survives and poor tends to die because of dirty water, lack of supply and accessibility. Too sad to see people of a certain community being deprived by their own land’s water supply, they become envious while looking at a clean fountain of water in a certain company as shown in the video. The worst, big companies that are abusing their powers seem to have no considerations to the people of the community being affected by their operations; their only concern is to gain money. Those people that have money to buy their products do not know how others suffer just for them to drink a bottle of coke, and watching this film might change their mind. This kind of privatization is just too greedy, they own what they must not own, safe water is becoming scarce and those companies just had a selfish idea that is worst than water pollution. Safe water is a right. Moreover, I can be an advocate in the future that will regulate or at least control privatization and support the right of each one of us to clean and safe water. But for now, as a student, what I can do is to conserve water, appreciate its importance to us, and minimize consumption of bottled drinks like canned softdrinks; I can also encourage my friends to do the same thing and spread it through social networking sites. I could say that I am more than lucky that I have easy access to clean and safe water from birth and up to now. How I wish that Bolivians and other people suffering from deprivation of their own right of safe water will also have easy access to clean, safe and sufficient water.

Advanced Regents Diploma

At the outset, I would like to state that it is highly unusual for me to get such a grade. I have been a diligent and hardworking student my whole life. At the same time, I understand that there are certain learning curves and that as one moves up the academic ladder there are more challenges. One such challenge is that of High School, especially for one who sets high standards. I have always dreamed of obtaining the Advanced Regents Diploma. In order to accomplish such, I have had to take and pass several courses that are more difficult than the ones that are required for the Local Regent’s Diploma.I have had to pass the Math B2/B3 regents course, the math regent examination and the anxiety of having to meet and perhaps surpass my academic goals. I realize that the pursuit of such lofty goals is not an easy one and I have gladly taken this challenge on to myself. I have always believed in the value of a good education and have never been afraid to work hard for it. While it s ets me apart from everyone else in my class, it also presents novel obstacles. I do not regret this decision to take a more difficult path in life because I have chosen not to be average but to face the odds and achieve my goals.

Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits Essay

Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits According to the American Psychological Association, â€Å"Obesity is a condition marked by excess accumulation of body fat. Genetic factors play a key role in obesity, but so do behavioral factors — especially eating too much and exercising too little. † Behavioral and social/cognitive theories approach the habit from two different perspectives and both theories can explain reasoning behind the habit. However creating a plan that will apply operant conditioning can change a habit. A child can be in a normal weight range up until a specific age, once that child turned ten they began to gain weight. As a child, the environment around them tends to be a major influence on behavior; however when looking at examples such as close relatives their eating habits appeared to be similar over the generations as well as their size. The eating habits the child has formed, which contributed to their weight gain, could be because of the influence specific people have in their life such as family members or a habit formed due to their environment. Growing up and being told not to move until your plate is empty or that you can’t have dessert until all your vegetables are gone, were common statements that a child may hear and actions that they watched their families make. Other factors such as growing up in a single parent household with a parent that didn’t have time to cook and constantly fed their children the dollar menu could impact that child’s later habits in life. Now when that child is an adult they continue the same eating habits constantly finishing everything on their plate or frequently eating out to save time and is facing obesity as the result. In order to change this habit and individual may consider using operant conditioning. Operant conditioning uses a reward/punishment system to reinforce behaviors and is more closely used during social cognitive therapy. There may be various factors or theories which contribute to an individual’s eating habit but in this case social cognitive theory may apply more appropriately. Developing a plan to change an eating habit may be creating a new lifestyle. By using tools such as portion control, exercise, and using a food tracking. First step is to eat proper portions of the right food, next track the food to be aware of how much food an individual is eating, lastly exercise. Rewards for following this plan will be decrease in weight, which means new clothes for every ten pounds lost, also the ability to eat additional food items throughout the day if exercising. Punishments if not following the plan will be additional work out time, no snacks and no new clothes if not losing the weight. If an individual can stick to the plan then ultimately an individual will eliminate the habit of over eating and live a healthier lifestyle.

Changing Criminal Behaviour Case Study Bert Essay

Changing Criminal Behaviour Case Study Bert - Essay Example In order to fulfil the study's first aim, recall and recognition will be tested in 100 to 150 adult participants. Eyewitness identification accuracy will be observed during this process. Participants will be required to watch a brief video, following this video participants will be required to answer a series of questions pertaining to that video. Another data collection will involve participants completing an online questionnaire which assesses accuracy of recognition and recall. The experiment aims at identifying the misidentification rates of adults and how recognition and recall can lead to false eyewitness testimony and subsequent false identification. In order to fulfil the study's second aim, the literature on the factors which promote and those which inhibit eyewitness accuracy will be reviewed. A list of inhibitors and promotors will be generated and subsequently employed to inform a set of recommendations for the enhancement of eyewitness accuracy. The researcher will organise and maintain a web based questionnaire and online video through Surveymonkey. The researcher will send the website a participants' inclusion and exclusion criteria and specify that all respondents are to be from Australia. A 100-150 participant figure will be requested. Surveymonkey will then inform its relevant participant database of the survey. 3.2. Research plan 3.2.1 Describe the theoretical, empirical and/or conceptual basis, and background evidence, for the research proposal, eg. previous studies, anecdotal evidence, review of literature, prior observation, laboratory or animal studies. NS 1.13 The goal of the proposed research is to examine conditions that may influence eyewitness memory. Wells and Loftus (2003) used a 'memory as trace' (p. 149) metaphor to compare physical evidence and memory. That is, memory for an event can leave a trace in the brain just like physical evidence (e.g., fingerprints, blood, and semen) can in the outside world. As will be discussed at length later, eyewitness identification procedures can be employed to minimize any bias or suggestion that can contaminate a witness memory. In the present studies the effects of certain estimator variables on eyewitness identification will be examined. More specifically, the issue of whether knowledge that one is viewing a crime suspect, compared to learning that one had seen a suspect after-the-fact, and the seriousness of the crime for which the suspect is wanted, will be investigated for their influence on identification accuracy in line-ups in which the suspect is either absent or present. An additional question is whether crime severity enhances memory for an individual, or whether attention needs to be directed towards the individual to influence memory. There is equivocal evidence that crimes of a more serious nature increase motivation to attend to the criminal scenario (Leippe, Wells, & Ostrom, 1978), while others do not support this finding. As eyewitness investigation is relevant to psychologists, the legal system, witnesses, the accused, and society at large, it is

Delta Airlines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Delta Airlines - Essay Example By 1953, Delta Airlines had expanded into the Southeast and were now serving the citizens and the southern airlines (Fojt, 2006). It took time for them to expand to the Northeast but by the early 1970s, all this was implemented (Partsch & Wellens, 2009). In 1956, they installed radars in all their aircrafts and later launched the Convair 880 jet service in 1960. The most significant strategy that Delta Airline undertook was merging with the Western Air Lines in 1986 that was hubbed in Salt Lake City. For the reason that Delta Airline’s management treated their employees well, they enjoyed amicable relations regarding their labor and a number of union contracts. There was high productivity, high work morale and excellent service that kept customers coming back and sticking to their services. In 1996, the motivated workers made an effort and dug from their pockets to but the company a jet. In 1997, Delta airlines introduced the Boeing 777s and became the first to board more than a hundred million passengers in one year. More advancement was made in the next year when they lay the foundation to include the first international cargo alliance with Swiss Cargo. They also installed automatic defibrillators on all their aircrafts. In 2003, Delta airlines became the first airline in America to provide pre-recorded audio information regarding flights at the gate (Katel, 2008). In 2005, the company filed for reorganization that is provided under chapter eleven of the bankruptcy code of the United States. In the same year, they started more expansions with more routes to the Caribbean and Latin American routes. After the expansions, the management decided to go into Africa and first invested on the Southern African side with flights to Dakar and Johannesburg South Africa. They were able to reemerge from bankruptcy in 2007 after they defeated the takeover by the US Airways. Delta merged with

Malaysia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Malaysia - Research Paper Example The executive power is the Cabinet and the current Prime Minister is Najib Razak. Legal system is based on common law. Malaysia is a market economy. GNP is $67 billion, GDP is 6%. The renewable natural resources are palm oil, timber, rubber, the nonrenewable natural resources are oil and tin. Major exports are petroleum, timber, tin, palm oil, major imports are electrical devices, steel, food. The specific aspect on which the paper will concentrate is foreign labor; it will discuss the rights and the programs aimed at managing labor. The paper will prove that it is necessary Malaysian government should provide necessary changes as labor policy appear to be too strict. Malaysia provides limitations through age and nationality restrictions. Workers should be between 18 and 45 years of age, and no resettlement of dependents in Malaysia is allowed. Only citizens of Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are issued passes for domestic/ household employment; for the manufacturing, construction, plantation and service sectors, the list of eligible nationalities is extended to include Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. (Blau, 1996) The legislation and opportunities in the sphere of foreign employment and giving foreign workers opportunities for professional growth and promotion is even stricter than that of Singapore, because even skilled professional workers are not allowed for permanent residence, and though they are able to receive visas for their dependents, the list of the key posts which they can hold in the organizations which hire them is very narrow and depends on the level of the enterprises foreign paid-up capital. (Kiong-Hock, 2002) It appears, that the Malaysia view foreign labor as the threat to the employment of its native population and thus does not see any need in giving them opportunities for employment, while the same opportunities can be used by the local citizens. The country seems to refuse accepting the reality, in which it rapidly grows, and thus

Editorial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Editorial - Essay Example Certain situations like the case of Diane Pretty of Luton reflect that life may at times be in such a condition that death would seem to be a solution to their pains. Diane whose body had become paralyzed from the neck had to be fed through a pipe. The pain and sufferings of the woman made her wish that she died peacefully and with dignity before the disease killed her (Right-to-die case dismissed). Although courts did not allow her to take the step, but situations like these support the act of euthanasia where an individual may require the need to get ultimate relief. Several arguments point in support of the practice. A change in the outlook has been observed that reflects that doctors and professionals in countries like the United States are becoming supportive of the act if it is made legal (Otlowski, 326-327). Several organizations in Washington also support the act including National Association of Social Work, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, and many others (Cundiff, 84). The support mainly arises from the fact that an individual who would never recover may choose to die since the process would relieve the person from his pains. Others viewers believe that euthanasia should be a punishable offence. Since it is a completely private preference, no one from outside should perform such an act on another individual (Somerville, 77). The practice of euthanasia has also been opposed on ethical grounds as well that can be reflected through theories like Divine Command Theory and Kant’s Moral Theory. The Divine Command Theory opposes all sorts of activities related to euthanasia supporting normal death of an individual. Kant’s Moral Theory focuses on the main objectives of undertaking euthanasia and determines the consequences before deciding on supporting or not supporting the act (Stewart, 81-89). The main reason for majority of people not supporting the act of euthanasia is because they believe that â€Å"life is the most

Compare and Contrast Army Ground Fleet Maintenance with Civilian Research Paper

Compare and Contrast Army Ground Fleet Maintenance with Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance - Research Paper Example Civilian institutions conduct business with the aim of profit making while US Army is a non-profit generating government function. This causes both similarities and differences in terms of activities performed in their respective fleet management systems. Below is a comparison and contrast between the two institutions. There is a couple of differences between the U.S. Army Ground Fleet Maintenance activities and the Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance activities of organizations such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, etc. Some of these differences stem from a legal perspective while others stem from operation activities undertaken in the military bases. Some of the notable differences include; the military outsources its fleet management function to the industry including even tactical vehicles used by the military. For instance, the military in made a decision to outsource its fleet of M109 vehicles family (Paladin) that encompasses the M109 self-propelled howitzer & the M992 field vehicles supplying artillery ammunition under the fleet management program (NDIA Staff, 1999). Further, under the same program, the manager is responsible all resources of technical nature ranging from field maintenance to training hence making him responsible for the entire spare parts modernization, while soldiers control the daily maintenance activities. On the other hand, in the Civilian Ground Fleet Maintenance activities, outsourcing of the fleet management program is restricted to the organizations’ departments mandated to control and manage the company fleets, especially the transport department. For instance, unlike in the military where the function of outsourcing of maintenance services is a policy, in Civilian organization outsourcing of the maintenance activities is done in-house by the organizations workers e.g. in the case of Coca-Cola. Therefore, unlike in the military, Ground Fleet Maintenance activities are accomplished

Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) Essay Example for Free

Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) Essay The topic I chose is Euthanasia (mercy killing) should be permitted in cases of terminally ill patients. Euthanasia is from the Greek word to die well. In other words, a good death. Some people call it the act of killing a person who suffers from a mental or physician condition. Mercy Killing, is another name for it. Euthanasia (mercy killing) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, is a confusing and heart-wrenching issue for many. We are all likely to face difficult end-of-life choices at some point, whether for ourselves or for a loved one. I know for me that this is a very hard decision, as much as I would like to be support Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, I could not allow this to be done because of the moral issues and it’s against what GOD stands for. One shot is all it takes to kill a loved adored family member. But is an injection of death a good way to die? With lack of judgment and a bad day someone could be killed. Euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide/PAS is putting people to sleep just like you would put to sleep your dog when he gets too old. Where do we draw the line between murder and helping patients? Is a doctor putting patience to sleep considered murder? Who makes that decision? I watched my sister suffer with pancreatic cancer from the time that she was diagnosed until she passed away. Every time she went for her chemotherapy treatments and returned home, she was sick to the point that she just stopped going places and doing things with the family. I can remember the call that I received from my niece, when they had left the doctor’s office and he had inform them, that there was nothing else that they could do. The cancer has spread through the stomach lining. At that point my sister made the decision to stop the chemotherapy and the doctor put her and family in touch with Hospice. I can still remember the comment that was made by the nurse, â€Å"we are here to make her comfortable living with cancer not to help her die†. By legalizing assisted suicide could send us down a road from which there is no return. We can do far more to aid suffering patients by improving pain management and mental health care through legislative reform than we can by legalizing their self-destruction. I did not expect to get the results that I did receive on Euthanasia (mercy killings) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS. I would like to say that the split was 30/70, which was very surprising to me because I was thinking that the split would have been 50/50. After taking the survey, I found out that most people are against Euthanasia (mercy killings). Based on the comments that I received from my survey, regarding mercy killings and how it was against GOD’s commandments, while others stated that people should not have to suffer and be in pain all their life if there is n o cure for their disease. But just think is an injection of death a good way to die? With lack of judgment and a bad day someone could be killed and how do you bring them back or even live with it. As much as we do not want to see our love ones suffer and be in pain, I just don’t believe I could go through Euthanasia with any of my family members. As much as I may love them I can’t have their death on my hands. Euthanasia (mercy killings) or physician-assisted suicide/PAS, is a decision that you will have to live for the rest of your life. Even though that love one may be suffering and in pain, can you really honestly say that you could be responsible for helping them to die and is this something that you will be able to live with yourself for the rest of your life. Its important to understand the distinction between the terms assisted suicide and euthanasia. The former describes a situation where the doctor (or some other agent) provides the means for a patient to commit suicide, but the patient follows through on the final act himself. Euthanasia, on the other hand, is carried out from beginning to end by a doctor on the patients behalf. In the wake of the Schiavo case, there was much debate over the question of care for the severely handicapped or terminally ill, and what exactly those appropriate levels of care were. At the base level is ordinary care—generally speaking, that which any prudent person would administer in similar circumstances. It could include keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, providing attentive human contact, and ensuring that the patient has enough to eat and drink. Ordinary care is considered mandatory by the Catholic Church. Proportionate treatment (or proportionate means), which is also mandatory, is any medical action that meets all of the following three criteria: (1) It has a reasonable chance of curing the patient or assisting with the cure; (2) it does not carry a significant risk of death; and (3) it does not, in and of itself, present an excessive burden. For example, a sterile blood transfusion during surgery would be considered proportionate treatment, as the risk and burden involved are relatively low compared with its curative potential. Disproportionate means, on the other hand, are not mandatory. If any treatment would present an excessive burden—in terms of finances, emotions, religious beliefs, or the pain of the procedure—or fail to offer a reasonable chance of curing the patient, it is optional. Withdrawing disproportionate treatment is an act that, according to Dr. Kathleen Foley, former chief of pain service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, respects [the] patie nts autonomous decision not to be battered by medical technology (Competent Care for the Dying Instead of Physician-Assisted Suicide, New England Journal of Medicine). There comes a time when continued attempts to cure are neither compassionate, wise, nor medically sound. Palliative care refers to the alleviation of pain or other symptoms, though some expand the definition to include the provision of mental, emotional, and spiritual support. A caregiver is required to offer palliative care—or at least pain management—as far as he is able, but it is not mandatory for a patient to accept. In fact, as Pope John Paul II said in The Gospel of Life, it is even licit to relieve pain by narcotics, even when the result isa shortening of life, if no other means exist. The issue of artificial nutrition and hydration is not fully defined; the question is currently being examined by the Magisterium, but the most recent pronouncement came from John Paul II himself in March 2004, when he stated that it is immoral to remove a feeding tube from anyone in a persistent vegetative state, calling it euthanasia by omission. Outside of a vegetative state, however, there are situations where a feeding tube would become burdensome and thus constitute disproportionate care—as in the case of a person dying from advanced stomach cancer—so these decisions must be made prudently on a case-by-case basis. For more information on this issue, visit www.euthanasia.com. For frequent updates on current court cases and legislation, checkwww.internationaltaskforce.org, and www.lifenews.com/bioethics.html. Once youve been armed with the latest facts and information, youre ready to begin the discussion. Strategy No. 1: Oppose the Status Quo of End-of-Life Pain Management First, we must recognize a basic truth: Patients in our medical system often have insufficient access to pain relief. Therefore, its vital to support increased patients rights, including access to health insurance, a choice in doctors, the latitude to see an independent specialist, open access to all of ones personal medical records, and the right to use palliative treatments. Its equally important to support the right of doctors to manage their patients pain properly without fear of government interference and prosecution. The issue of pain is an emotionally striking one, so its comforting to know that pain can be controlled. According to a report by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law titled When Death Is Sought: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Medical Context, Modern pain relief techniques can alleviate pain in all but extremely rare cases. In fact, according to Dr. Eric M. Chevlen, the director of palliative care at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, Ohio, 90 [percent] of cancer patients in pain can have dramatic relief with relatively simple oral therapies. Dr. Chevlen is also the author of the book Power Over Pain: How to Get the Pain Control You Need (International Task Force, 2002), a useful resource for those suffering due to a lack of proper palliative care. The American Pain Foundation estimates that with todays technology, close to 98 [percent] of all pain problems can be relieved or reduced. But most doctors have never actually studied pain in any detail. According toPain Net Inc., Of all pain practitioners, fewer than 10 [percent] are proficient in more than eight out of 130+ diagnostic or therapeutic procedures relative to pain. For this reason, its important to advocate a greater focus on pain in medical schools and continuing-education courses in pain management for all medical doctors, especially those frequently involved in end-of-life situations. We can also urge recognition for patients rights to see pain-therapy specialists (which some health-care plans are trying to restrict). What cannot be accepted is the notion that assisted suicide is a form of comfort care. Dr. Gregory Hamilton, the chair of Physicians for Compassionate Care, put it bluntly in an article in the Oregonian: Comfort care results in a comfortable patient; assisted suicide results in a corpse. Emphasize the Need to Diagnose and Treat Depression One of the chief arguments for PAS appeals to the American ideal of autonomy. The desire for self-determination resonates strongly with many Democrats, and they believe that the denial of these rights is un-American. Of course, a love of personal freedom is not unique to Democrats, and its easy for anyone to agree that we should have the freedom to live our lives as we see fit. But that freedom must come with restrictions. For example, child pornography is illegal in America—even in the privacy of ones home—and no judicious person would consider it a permissible use of our freedom. Clearly, Americans acknowledge the need to limit certain behaviors. The question is, what actions should be permitted or restricted? The issue of autonomy assumes that the person attempting to exercise his personal freedom can make decisions in a rational manner. But in fact, when it comes to requests for PAS, rational decision-making is rarely in play. Suicidal feelings in a person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness are no different from those experienced by someone who isnt terminally ill. Depression, family conflict, hopelessness, feelings of abandonment—these are the conditions that lead to suicidal thoughts, regardless of ones physical state. According to the British Journal of Psychiatry and the New York State Task Force, between 93 and 95 percent of those contemplating suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder, most commonly severe depression. Is mental disorder also in play for the terminally ill who request suicide? One study in the American Journal of Psychiatry reported, All of the patients who had either desired premature death or contemplated suicide were judged to be suffering from clinical depressive illness; that is, none of those patients who did not have clinical depression had thoughts of suicide or wished that death would come early. The New York State Task Force report states that depression accompanied by feelings of hopelessness is the strongest predictor of suicide for both individuals who are terminally ill and for those who are not. It is depression or other mental illness, not ones physical condition, that makes a person suicidal. Pain plays an obvious part in this—diagnosable anxiety and depression, for example, are higher in cancer patients with pain. Not only is uncontrolled pain an important risk factor for suicide, in that it contributes to hopelessness and depression, but depression and anxiety can often augment the patients experience of pain. This brings us back to the need for pain therapy. The New York State Task Force report notes that the notion of competence to make treatment decisions, or the capacity to make a particular decisionpresumes that the patient is not clinically depressed. In the presence of clinical depression, there can be no true autonomy, no ability to make a rational decision or a clear, objective request for death. The good news is that mental illness, once diagnosed, is treatable. In a 1992 article for American Medical News suicidologist Dr. David C. Clark observed that depressive episodes in the seriously ill are not less responsive to medication than episodes in those who are not. The same opinion is held by Dr. Joseph Richman, former president of the American Association of Suicidology, who wrote in a letter to the editor of the Journal of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behaviour, Effective psychotherapeutic treatment is possible with the terminally ill. And in testimony to the New York State Task Force in 1992, Dr. William Breitbart of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center agreed, reporting that more than 80 percent of their patients diagnosed with major depression can be treated effectively. The New York State Task Force report puts the number even higher, saying treatment for depression resulted in the cessation of suicidal ideation for 90 percent of patients. Finally, its important to remember that the desire for suicide is often transient. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the cases of 886 people who were rescued from attempted suicides were followed over a five-year period. At the end of those five years, only 34 had since taken their own lives. Where there is depression, there is no true autonomy. Treating patients for pain and depression, as well as other mental illnesses, can eliminate suicidal desires by giving the patient more control. In that way, we can help them achieve self-determination instead of self-destruction. Strategy No. 3: Oppose Discrimination Against the Disabled and the Poor If any one element has stopped PAS bills and ballot measures from becoming the law of the land, it has been the public efforts of activist groups for the disabled such as Not Dead Yet. While groups like the former Hemlock Society (now named Compassion and Choices) were founded on the belief that some lives were not worth living and that they were doing a service to the disabled by expanding their autonomy to include a right to die, this kind of attitude actually betrays a prejudice against the disabled—one that would inevitably make the right to die a duty to die. This sort of prejudice is already seen on the opposite end of the spectrum in the abortion debate. Dr. Anthony Vintzileos, a board member of the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, estimated in a May 2005 article for the New Jersey Record that 90 percent of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome for their children choose to abort. People with disabilities are considered to have no real quality of life, nothing to contribute, and nothing to live for. The poor are also potential targets. Already receiving substandard medical care, the impoverished will be the last to ask for a second opinion, the first to see themselves as worthless, and the most likely to be dismissed as having nothing to contribute to society. If an authority figure were to counsel a poor person to ease the financial burden of medical care on his family through PAS, it would be difficult to say no. Democrats largely identify themselves as friends of the underdog and protectors of the weak. What better way to open their eyes to the injustice of PAS than by pointing out the potential for victimization of the disabled and poor at the hands of an often profit-driven health-care industry? Strategy No. 4: Examine Data from Europe At this point, your interlocutor will likely argue that Doctors would never do that, or that there should be guidelines to make sure that this victimization could never take place. The best response is simply to have a look at euthanasia in Europe (including its legal form in the Netherlands). Many familiar with the history of euthanasia recognize that the idea was a natural outgrowth of social Darwinism, where the strong survive and the weak are left behind. According to the New York State Task Force report, The practice of mass murder in Nazi Germanybegan with the active killing of the severely ill, and built upon earlier proposals advanced by leading German physicians and academics of the 1920s. Like policies currently advocated in the United States, these proposals were limited to the incurably ill, and mandated safeguards such as review panels. R. J. Lifton, author of The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, is quoted in the report as saying that the phrases life unworthy of life and killing as a therapeutic imperative were vital in soothing the publics conscience when it came to the Nazi program of genocide: The medicalization of killing—the imagery of killing in the name of healing—was crucial to that terrible step. Its ironic that the Netherlands—whose doctors once refused the Nazis genocidal agenda—is now the site of the most extensive assisted suicide and euthanasia program in the world. Though euthanasia was not legalized in the Netherlands until 2002, it was commonly practiced well before then, with almost no danger of prosecution for the doctors performing it. The International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide reports that, according to the Dutch government–sponsored Remmelink Report examining death rates in Holland from 1990: †¢ 2,300 people died through voluntary euthanasia †¢ 400 died through assisted suicide †¢ 1,040 died through involuntary euthanasia—euthanasia was performed without the patients knowledge or consent, even though 72 percent of those patients had never indicated any desire for it †¢ 8,100 died from a deliberate overdose of pain medication to hasten the patients death, though in 61 percent of these cases the patient gave no consent. Of the estimated 130,000 deaths in Holland in 1990, 9.1 percent were the direct result of assisted suicide or euthanasia. And given that these numbers were voluntarily provided by doctors at a time when euthanasia was still technically illegal, its likely that the actual number of deaths through euthanasia was even higher. According to a February 1999 article in the Journal of Medical Ethics, almost 59 percent of euthanasia cases in Holland in 1995 went unreported, in clear violation of the guidelines in place. However, not a single Dutch doctor was prosecuted under the criminal charges of euthanasia, assisted suicide, or anything related. Euthanasia was technically illegal but not prosecuted in the Netherlands for more than a decade. Today, those over 16 can be euthanized for any reason; in certain circumstances, those as young as twelve can opt for euthanasia. Currently, the Netherlands is considering allowing euthanasia for infants, though some Dutch doctors have openly admitted to euthanizing infants already. Those who believe there is no slippery slope need to take another look. And while some may argue that the situation in the Netherlands at least offers patients more options when faced with end-of-life decisions, the reality is just the opposite. Hospice care—palliative centers that make up an important component of end-of-life treatment—is practically nonexistent in Holland. England, for example, had 183 hospices in 1999. The Netherlands, with a quarter of Englands population, had only three. Clearly, with such easy access to euthanasia, little effort is expended to offer alternatives to end-of-life pain management when its not as cost-effective as a quick death. What does this have to do with the United States? Dr. Herbert Hendin, executive director of the American Suicide Foundation, made the connection clear in his 1996 testimony before Congress, wherein he declared that Dutch patients and doctorssee assisted suicide and euthanasia, intended as an unfortunate necessity in exceptional cases, as almost a routine way of dealing with serious or terminal illness. The [American] public has the illusion that legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia will give them greater autonomy. If the Dutch experience teaches us anything, it is that euthanasia enhances the power and control of doctors who can suggest it, not give patients obvious alternatives, ignore patients ambivalence, and even put to death patients who have not requested it. This is the safety that guidelines provide, as both history and current events have borne out. If we were to open the doors to PAS in the United States, a brave new world of involuntary euthanasia would be inevitable. Strategy No. 5: Oppose Profiteering by Managed-Care Providers If assisted suicide were legalized, managed-care providers would inevitably embrace it as a money-saving technique. The New York State Task Force report states that under anysystem of health care deliveryit will be far less costly to give a lethal injection than to care for a patient throughout the dying process. A 1998 study conducted by Dr. Daniel P. Sulmasy in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that doctors who are cost-conscious and practice resource-conserving medicine were six times more likely to write illegal, lethal prescriptions for their terminally ill patients. Dr. Diane Meier, a former advocate of assisted suicide, said in a 1998 New York Times article, Legalizing assisted suicide would become a cheap and easy way to avoid the costly and time-intensive care needed by the terminally ill. Substantiating this claim is the fact that Oregons Medical Assistance Program (OMAP) for the poor moved to provide physician-assisted suicide to its recipients as soon as the Death with Dignity Act was passed in 1997. Only 18 months later, the OMAP announced plans to cut back on pain medication coverage for the same population. Hospice care has also suffered—the International Task Force reports that one Oregon insurance company has a paltry $1,000 cap on in-home hospice care. With the cost of a lethal overdose running about $35, there would be little motivation to pay any more for palliative treatment. If this is how a liberal, Democratically controlled state government behaves, is there any doubt how profit-minded managed-care providers would react if assisted suicide were legalized throughout the United States? We would begin to see a new stratification of society, where the under-insured would be advised to settle for assisted suicide, while those with better insurance could get the medical assistance they needed. According to the International Task Force, If policies or laws permitting assisted suicide are approved, assisted suicide could become the only type of medical treatment to which certain people—those who are members of minority groups, those who are poor, or those who have disabilities—would have access. The last to receive health care would be the first to receive assisted suicide. The Dead End of Assisted Suicide Legalizing assisted suicide could send us down a road from which there is no return. We can do far more to aid suffering patients by improving pain management and mental health care through legislative reform than we can by legalizing their self-destruction. Euthanasia, in practice, almost inevitably becomes eugenic in nature, which is an affront to the disabled and a serious threat to the lives of the poor and unwanted. Further, the decriminalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia in Europe has produced horrific results that no sane nation would want to imitate. Its a noble impulse that drives Americans to help those struggling through illness and decline, but we cant let the desire to ease anothers suffering lead us to believe that there are quick fixes or easy answers in euthanasia. Instead, we must respond with love, prayer, and compassion—not with murder. As John Paul II wrote in Evangelium Vitae, True compassion leads to sharing another persons pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.