Saturday, August 31, 2019

Mineral and Water Functions Essay

Minerals and water are essential to health and bodily functions. Minerals are essential to body structure and to muscle functions, fluid balance and nerve functioning. Water is involved in every function of the body. It transports nutrients and waste products and is necessary for digestive, absorption, circulatory and excretory functions. Water also maintains proper body temperature and prevents dehydration. There are over twenty minerals needed in dietary intake to maintain health. Minerals are broken down into two categories; macrominerals and microminerals. Macrominerals are considered major minerals and include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur. Microminerals or trace elements are needed in smaller quantities and include iron, copper, zinc, selenium and iodine amongst others. Although trace elements are needed in smaller amounts, they are just as essential to health as major minerals. Minerals are essential to various functions in the body. Sodium, potassium and chloride are all necessary for fluid balance. Magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium are critical for proper nerve transmission and functioning. Magnesium and phosphorus are both required for healthy bones and teeth and sulfur is needed for healthy protein molecules. Although calcium is most commonly related to healthy bones and teeth, it is also important to blood clotting, blood pressure and regulation and immune system regulation. Minerals interact with each other, along with vitamins and other nutrients to maintain body functions and health. Sources of minerals are plentiful; they can be found in both food and plant sources. Table salt, soy sauce and large amounts of processed foods all contain sodium and chloride. Milk, meats, breads and vegetables are also good sources for both of these minerals as well as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and sulfur. Nuts, seeds, legumes and leafy green vegetables are good sources of magnesium which is also found in chocolate and artichokes. Iron, zinc, iodine and selenium are often found in various meats, poultry and seafood. Fluoride, a trace mineral, is found in drinking water, fish and most teas. Major minerals and trace elements are found in a multitude of food and plant sources. Equally as important as minerals, water is vital to health and bodily functions. Water provides many benefits to the body and is essential to life. Although the body can sustain on little to no food for weeks, it can only survive without water for a few days. Functions of water in the body include dissolving minerals and vitamins making them accessible to the body, flushing out waste products from the body and carrying nutrients and oxygen to the cells. It is also responsible for lubricating joints, protecting tissues and organs and regulating body temperatures. Water also hydrates the body providing moisture to the tissues throughout the body. Dehydration has numerous negative effects on the body. The body loses water on a routine basis through normal functions such a sweating and elimination waste and it is essential to consume enough water daily to offset this loss. Most people who experience dehydration experience mild symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches and dizziness. More severe symptoms include severe thirst, rapid heartbeat and delirium. In some cases, if unattended, dehydration can become fatal. Minerals and water are both essential to proper body function and maintaining health. Minerals are needed by the body to provide structure and regulate chemical reactions. Water provides transport, protection, lubrication and temperature regulation and must be consumed to replace the losses through urine, feces and sweat. Both support the body, nervous system and interact with vitamins and nutrients to support a healthy body.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Healthcare and Communication Essay

Abstract Healthcare is a continuous growing field, within this field you are faced with many diverse cultures that have different values, beliefs, practice and customs of a special group. Among the many challenges facing healthcare is the role of language and cultural barriers that can affect health care and the quality of care that a patient may receive. Healthcare provider interactions, preferred treatment of care are some of the cultural behaviors that are encountered in the daily decision making process. Cultural behavior and the value can affect such use in preventive health care, health related lifestyle, and sources of health related knowledge. The challenge in healthcare today is the number of the patient population that is diverse from the usual United States population. Effective Communication The growth of the culturally and linguistically diverse population has led to many efforts to encourage or ensure that health care systems respond to the distinct needs of culturally and linguistically different patients by becoming â€Å"culturally competent† Just as with the concept of culture, there are many definitions of cultural competency. However, most definitions are derived from one developed by mental health researchers who defined cultural competence as â€Å"a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or amongst professionals and enables that system, agency, or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations† (Cross et al. 1989, cited in Brach and Fraser 2000: 182). Effective communication between patients and physicians who are culturally and linguistically different implies the employment of strategies to provide culturally competent health care. At a minimum, effective communication means that all participants in the communication comprehend and understand the content of the communication. Beyond this minimum, effective communication implies subjective feelings such as trust, empathy, and mutual satisfaction with the communication. In the case of patient-physician verbal communication during a clinical encounter, effective communication  means that both physician and patient. As a provider of healthcare you must be able to understand the content of each other’s spoken communication thoughts related to the encounter, leaving no questions and thoughts unexpressed. You must have the patient feel that sufficient time is available for speaking and listening, and the overall satisfaction with the communication was successful. Language Barriers Environmental, socioeconomic characteristics and perceptual contexts have a vast impact on communication. Researchers have taken surveys of micro groups of culture and Latinos as well as Hispanics have shown that due to the lower access of health care language barriers have had an adverse impact on patient appointments, how providers explain symptoms, and the understanding of terminology. Language and cultural barriers can be added to health behavior models to illustrate their effects on access to medical care. For example, limited English proficiency and cultural unfamiliarity with the U.S. health care system can both be considered inhibitors or barriers in accessing medical care. The healthcare belief model shows the effects of f cultural differences on health care use are similar to those of language. Cultural differences often translate into cultural barriers that lower access to health care. However, the research on cultural barriers on access or use of health care is not as extensive as research on language barriers. Language and culture are used interchangeably so that the effects of culture may not be distinguished from those of language. Skill in a language does not necessarily bring with it cultural familiarity and competence. Providers can choose to learn a second language, let us say, Japanese, and become sufficiently proficient that she is ilingual in English and Japanese. She may still lack cultural knowledge of Japanese culture, including values and beliefs about health and illness, traditional health treatments, and the experience of being a immigrant in the United States. Overcoming the language barrier is a major step in effective communication with Japanese speaking patients, but cultural differences can still affect the doctor patient relationship. Healthcare High and Low Context Providers in general need to be more empathetic when dealing with high and low context cultures, the quality of interaction is very important. High text cultures tend to have a more moderate or suppressed expression of negative or confrontational messages, unlike the low context culture. In the low context culture silence and pauses are often misunderstood as the patient agreeing with the situation. Responsibility of communication lies with the provider, to be clearer of the information that is being transposed through provider patient relationship. To improve the quality of care providers must be able to recognize patterns and body language, and take an emphasis on listening, and take note of response and speech. With the acknowledgement of these patterns providers and staff are able to reduce the amount of error that can occur in health care. Healthcare Stereotyping Stereotyping is a behavior used when there is uncertainty; providers may apply this type of treatment when faced with medical decision making. Individual often harbor negative associations in relation to various groups. African American patients have been viewed as less educated, and less likely to comply with the providers instructions. Providers are often unaware of here bias decisions. One stereotype is that of Black Americans are less cooperative when it comes to medical procedures, this is called automatic stereotyping. To beat this type of treatment is vital that the provider communicates with patients; understand the environmental state of these patients. Many patients who don’t receive proper care is due to the cost of health insurance, lack of finance, and communities that are lacking proper physician care. Patient care must be treated as an equal. Conclusion The healthcare field as been viewed as a field that has overcome many barriers, unfortunately that’s untrue, many providers suffer from the lack of communication, and understanding why it is important to break cultural barriers. Perception and disparities in health care are often stereotype those without health insurance, how well a patient speaks English, and lastly patient gender. As health care providers it is very important to understand the quality of care that is expected among cultures. Communication among the patient and physician can make or break the organization values. References Neulip, J. W. (4th Edition 2009). Intercultural Communication. In J. W. Neulip, A Contextual Approach. Sage Publications. Singleton, K., Krause, E., (Sept. 30, 2009) â€Å"Understanding Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Health Literacy† OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol.

Fear in the Things They Carried

Tim O’Brien’s decision to go to Vietnam was out of the fear from disappointing his family and community. How does shame affect and play a role in the life of the soldiers in The Things They Carried? The Things They Carried is a book set in Massachusetts but the core of the book is based in Vietnam. A group of Soldiers go to war and Tim O’Brien decides to document the true effects of war but beneath his words, there were a lot of factors and double meaning to them.The motif ‘Shame† played a huge part in every character in this book as it was a trait they all shared in common Shame in this context is not necessarily a bad thing as with the power of hindsight, we found it to have been a motivating factor for them during the war in more ways than one. They could decide to inflict injury on themselves as a way to get discharged from their military service but the fear of shame further guided them to be heroes for their country. The interesting thing about this book is that shame was a common factor shared by all men.Their fear of shame and weakness propelled them to act braver than they were. It is not a secret knowing that the soldiers were a little bit afraid of the war but they all did a good job in masking their shame and fears. In The Things They Carried, â€Å"They carried the common secret of cowardice barely restrained, the instinct to run or freeze or hide, and in many respects this was the heaviest burden of all, for it could never be put down, it required perfect balance and perfect posture† (77).In analyzing this quote, their instinct to run or hide had to be restrained due to fear of being made fun of by colleagues and being called a coward. The chapter â€Å"On the Rainy River† summarizes Tim’s moral fight against being drafted into an unjust war. The Vietnam War was one he strongly opposed and his decision to fight is not down to his bravery or him being a patriot, but that of the ‘fear of sh ame’ and being tagged a coward. Therefore he succumbed to the pressure. â€Å"I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. Related essay: Shame is Worth a TryI went to the war† (79). This statement is an example of how shame had him motivated. Him calling himself a coward was the fear of ‘shame’ out powering his principles. He initially thought of running off to Canada after being drafted but was scared that if he did not acknowledge the draft, he would be ridiculed/punished and that would be him disappointing his community and family. In order to avoid this shame facing him, he decided to be brave and go to war and fight for his country. He ended up going and survived the ains of the war due to shame being his motivating factor in his decision. Additionally, looking at Curt Lemons in â€Å"The Dentist†, shame was an igniting force leading to some of the characters bravery and heroism. Curt Lemon suffered an embarrassing fate in this chapter where he fainted before being observed by the visiting dentist. In fear of social acceptance and how the soldiers in the platoon would look at him, he decided to face his fears and shame by having his tooth removed although there was nothing wrong with it.One can attribute the survival of some of the soldiers to shame as it gave them the needed extra incentive to survive. With his renewed ego, this would make him feel stronger and ready for the worst (increasing his bravery while mitigating his shame). Shame, no matter how negative the definition seems to be, the characters in The Things They Carried made the most out of it by making it an unorthodox form of motivation for going to war and trying to survive it. Safe to say O’Briens characters (soldiers) value pride more than their life. Olumide Shodipo

Thursday, August 29, 2019

An analysis on the benefits and challenges of Inclusive Education for Essay

An analysis on the benefits and challenges of Inclusive Education for Special Needs Students - Essay Example For the interests of education, the best service, and the most funding resides in institutions that generally cater to the general population. With the exception of specialised private academies that may require out-of-pocket expenses for the family, it is highly unlikely that the disabled could be equivalently served by some segregated system in terms of bringing out their full potential. Partly, inclusion has won due to evidence from educational research showing deficiencies from special schools that tend to fall short of reasonable expectations. For some, the advantages of mainstreaming may seem to be largely a social matter. These programs are simply an effort to make the disabled kids ‘feel better’ about themselves; a nod to our ideals of equality in the face of manifest differences that impossibly impede a normal education. But even in cases of severe mental impairment due to developmental abnormalities; administrators must take a hard look from a material perspective. If a school were to be set up in response to a small selection of learning disabilities, is it at all likely that these institutions would receive – on a reliable basis – adequate funding on par with the public school system? Would it be possible to attract the most qualified teachers for such schools? Separate but Equal rarely is. The public school system has a mandate to perform its utmost for the entire student population; not merely those considered more ‘normal’.... iduals who may face the real, or imagined specter of discriminating prejudices stemming from mis-information concerning their respective conditions, and or limitations. Ultimately, inclusion has won out mainly because it is most just than the alternatives. Arguments in favor for inclusion are moral arguments, arising from a respect for human rights and decency. (Fulcher, 1993) And, as Skidmore puts it: "From this point of view, institutionalized patterns of selection between schools, and of differentiation within them, impoverish and distort the individual development of every student, for they diminish our understanding of human difference. Participation in a diverse learning community is a prerequisite for the growth of each individuals subjectivity in all its richness; the combined development of all is the condition for the full development of each." (Skidmore, 2003, p. 127) A full learning experience that exposes the child to the length and breadth of society, as sampled by thei r classmates, is in itself an accommodation worthy of pursuit. And this is true not only for the sake of those with the actual disabilities. Special education in England for over two decades has been subject to rapid change, of which programs allowing for inclusive education have played a pivotal role. But barriers still exist that can impede the development of this morally-mandated educational and social movement. Many of the present barriers to effective inclusion tend to be within both local Governmental sectors, as well as certain, reluctant schools. Ultimately, studies show that the best results will be achieved if unwarranted fears concerning inclusion can be addressed, allowing for a voluntary adoption of Inclusive teaching methods, rather than through Government coercion.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Do women have to suppressed(kept down) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Do women have to suppressed(kept down) - Essay Example need to be suppressed because they are unwilling to accommodate the idea of an empowered woman and they want women to abide by the stereotypical roles attributed to them. Since ages, women have been stereotyped and expected to be mothers, wives and daughters and nothing more. Thereby, some men today do feel bad when a woman aspires to gain freedom and power as they believe that this mindset does not go well with their â€Å"traditional gender role position (FlorCruz 1).† Thereby such misogynist approach towards women has its basis in the underlying male fear that women may stop catering to the male notions of them, as they get more educated and successful (Sandberg & Chavez 1). People feel that they need to suppress women because their attitudes towards women are actually out dated, conservative and prejudiced. Thereby, any gain made by women in the field of politics or business, stimulates there misogynist assumptions. Even if people know that such fears of female domination happen to be misplaced, faulty and wrong, they still choose to suppress women, going by the force of tradition and outdated beliefs. They bow down before the urge to â₠¬Å"emphasize the gender characteristics recognized by tradition (FlorCruz 1)†. It is time that people do realize the fact that there is no need to suppress women to support male domination. In fact doing so in the current times may prove to be counterproductive. One other reason why many males believe that they need to suppress women is because they are not willing to accept the gains made by women in all areas, in the contemporary society (Sandberg & Chavez 1). Though women had been allowed an active participation in academics, business and politics just a few decades ago, still, in such a short time, they have managed to gain tremendous success through their handwork and dedication. As a result of such developments, the society is required to accommodate women as equals. However, this amazing success registered by women in

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

ESTABLISHING A REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN THE UAE Assignment

ESTABLISHING A REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN THE UAE - Assignment Example Even if they do not have their own fleet available to them, they should be able to hire other transportation companies to do the jobs for them. Our logistic distribution center must be able to provide inbound and outbound traffic control, the route optimization services, delivery using multiple mechanisms of transport and payment services. There are in fact various business intelligence tools that come into play when we are dealing with the transportation management. When we are considering other factors for our choice of company for the regional distribution center, we need to evaluate the performance of the candidate company based on, on time delivery, cost adherence to supplier’s adherence. Selecting the best carrier for the project would be an efficient choice. When we are analyzing, we need to consider the factor of supply compliance analysis. It has often been observed in the supply chain management that the goods are sometimes delayed. They are not delivered on time. And sometimes they get delivered or shipped more than the expected amount. There can be different factors that can contribute to that operation such as customs and tax evasions. The point in evaluating the logistic support must take into consideration the leverage that the company offers. There needs to be flexibility in the company to cater for the contingencies. The factor being considered here is that the performance of the logistic company should have an inspiring history. Where this will help in different aspects of the business, it will help in developing the long term career relationships. Which are more useful o us than to them as we will be the one looking for some regional personnel who could provide services. The importance of this factor cannot be overemphasized. We need to calculate the time span between the placement of order and the actual shipment of delivery. Again, this factor will be thoroughly analyzed for the new logistic company. The cycle time analysis will

Monday, August 26, 2019

Individual Market Research Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Individual Market Research - Term Paper Example The manufactures recognized the need of special servers being embedded in blackberry phones, which make it, operate between the email and phone systems hence providing a better performance. Furthermore, this phone has been known to offer the best ever security as compared to other phones. Thirdly, the phone also do not only use ‘back’ buttons when it comes to multitasking. It has special flow features that allow one to effectively transit between the applications by the use of a finger to flick them to sides( OECD economic surveys. 2006 89-92).   At this moment, the peek features permits one to have a glance at the notifications and messages without exiting from the working application and open a hub. This attributes made it fly to the top rankings in the technology of phones.3.2. Apple phonesTo this phone, all the media related features can be noted. First, the phone is made to have an advanced iOS five, linked with cloud-integration. Secondly, the phone also has a go od voice interface and music streaming features and lastly a 4G connectivity (Landau, 1984 8-10). Among the many available attributes, these ones have been proved outstanding since every person who has this type of phone, praised it through the recognition of the above features. This phone is known by its high media capability. And since people are gradually moving from the world of median ignorance to the world of media addiction, then this phone proves to be the best of them all. Its technological approach during manufacturing is something that is worth of praise.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Accounting - breakeven analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Accounting - breakeven analysis - Essay Example Thus this analysis becomes quite useful in calculating the profit, loss and the break-even point at different sales levels and also helps managers and analysts to calculate the number of units that need to be sold in order to recover the product’s production costs. Break-even analysis is also very useful for small businesses because it can help the owner or the manager of the business to assess the change in prices of the products being sold or a decrease or increase in the costs which have a direct effect on the breakeven analysis and the profitability of the small business. The break-even analysis is especially useful when deciding order quantities or when making pricing decisions. It allows the firm to be able to set a price which shall help it maximize its margin of safety. Break-even analysis also influences marketing decisions. The firm can set a desired profit level which it hopes to achieve within a particular period and then, with the help of the break-even analysis, identify the number of units that need to be sold in order to achieve the desired level of profitability and direct its marketing efforts in order to achieve these sales levels. Break-even analysis can also help the small business owners in making crucial decision like hir ing or firing employees or maybe expanding the business to gain greater market share and help increase the company’s profitability. It can also help the owner in deciding in whether to purchase additional machinery or equipment for the business. Since it projects fixed costs and variable costs separately as well as together, business owners can take the help of this analysis when making critical decisions such as those relating to capital expenditure. Break-even analysis model is very simple to use as the user of this model can easily change the inputs to compute the break-even point. For example if an owner predicts that in the next month the variable cost will increase by 5% so, the owner can easily use this model and see how many more units need to be sold to reach the break-even point for the next month. Similarly is the case with an increase in Rent, which increases the fixed cost. Hence the owner, keeping price and variable costs constant, can predict the number of unit s needed to be sold if there is an increase in the fixed cost of the business. Alternatively, the break-even analysis can be used to identify rising costs and help the management in deciding how to cut down on variable or fixed costs. There are however a few flaws to the break-even analysis. Break-even analysis is only useful to a certain extent as it assumes that all outputs produced in a period are sold which may not be the case in real-life situations. The break-even model is also very simplistic in nature and considers all inputs constant which may not be the case in the real world. However, the break-even model has some assumptions which make it less accurate in determining the break-even quantity. It assumes that the selling price and the variable cost will remain constant. However, for small businesses this rarely happens. So, we then use the average selling price which

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of House of Blue Leaves Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of House of Blue Leaves - Essay Example Guare a chance to associate hope of a better life to Vatican and Hollywood. At the time, there was war at Vietnam and America was in the verge of losing thus forcing everybody to look for a way out. As such, in the play, all the characters who are middle or working –class in this black comedy, sought refuge in celebrity life from their humdrum lives. This mix of black comedy with social commentary and real drama faced many critics who thought that the play fails to address serious issues due to its comedic nature (Shapiro 1966). Nevertheless, it enjoyed equal support and indeed went ahead to record 337 performances and won several awards including the Best American Play in the New York Drama critics Circle Award. This paper will address an arguable claim related to the play. The clam is that, â€Å"isolation or a feeling of not belonging forms the foundation of the play, The House of Blue Leaves. All characters in the play seek to move from their status to a presumably better position.† The main character is a middle-class married zookeeper, acting as Artie. Artie is not comfortable with his zookeeping job and he has a conviction to achieve better things. As such, he does the zookeeping job during the day and attends amateur night to play his original songs despite being the oldest person in the amateur. He is destined to make a for wand move though some circumstances limit his quest. Indeed, we can sense his dissatisfaction and sense of not belonging where the play opens with him on the stage of the El Dorado Bar & Grill playing the piano as he sings his songs. However, his frustration manifests when he cannot get a spotlight and the audience ignores his singing. Nevertheless, he continues to sing and when he finishes with no applause from the audience, he quits a disappointed man with an urge to become a better songwriter. He claims his aspirations are old enough despite his middle age and thus his urge to achieve this bothers him so much. His p ursuit to become a songwriter is seemingly absurd as he even plans to abandon his schizophrenic wife, Bananas, and their unstable soldier son for the sake of realizing his dreams. Actually, he desperately seeks to escape to Hollywood with his mistress, Bunny Flingus who stays just downstairs. Most unfortunately is the fact that despite his absurd ambitions, most of his songs are terrible. Indeed, everybody can sense that he has no talent and his dreams may be in vain. Nevertheless, he is prepared to do anything to become a songwriter who will win Oscar awards. As seen herein, the main character is in a world that he does not enjoy a feeling of belonging. Indeed, despite his age, middle –class status, family commitments, and a schizophrenic wife, Artie is still convinced that he can become celebrated songwriter and thus puts a lot of effort to it (Shapiro 1966). In fact, despite his current songs being terrible and the audience showing no interest in them, he aims to be at the top. However, his dreams draw some absurdity where he even plans to abandon his needy family to pursue his ambitions in Hollywood. Again, Artie is not comfortable with his schizophrenic wife and therefore does not have a feeling of belonging to her hence looking for a mistress just downstairs. Another character who is seemingly not enjoying his status is Bunny Flingus, the downstairs neighbor of Artie. Indeed,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Research Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Analysis - Assignment Example st establish those patients who lack self-care confidence and then direct more effort towards building self-care confidence in them using specific education interventions. The introduction/background section provided by Britz and Dunn (2010) does not formally introduce the research question. However, after carefully exploring the introduction, this paper was able to establish the research question, which is: In this article, Britz and Dunn (2010) formally presented the hypothesis. The author asserts that those patients with heart failure and who demonstrates self-care ability are expected to improve their healthcare outcomes. This hypothesis emanates from both previous studies as well as the model used in this study. Since it is a qualitative research, the researcher developed the hypothesis using grounded theory. The use of qualitative approaches provided a platform that researchers in various disciplines borrowed to complete work effectively. Qualitative approaches identify research issues without subjectivity. For instance, using such techniques, a case is looked at individually and therefore, it is possible to make accurate conclusions. Understanding of complex human systems such as the family and communities has grown due to the benefits accrued from qualitative methods. Certain patterns of behavior have been described and based upon these patterns of behavior, action could be take n. Grounded theory refers to a theory routed in data. The researcher interprets the raw data and then, through systematic analysis creates a theory. Grounded theory is derived from four central criteria: fit, understanding, generality and control. Fit occurs when the theory fits the substantive data. In other words, the theory must be based upon the presence of valid data. Understanding occurs when the theory is comprehensible by all researchers involved in the study. Generality occurs when the presented theory is applicable within a variety of contexts. Control entails the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Water Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Water Quality Management - Essay Example This may involve the use of holding tanks, aerated wastewater treatment plants, irrigation systems, and wetlands, composting toilets or any other technology. This second section will focus on aerated wastewater. The delivery of safe drinking-water requires actions to be taken throughout the water cycle from the catchment to the point of consumption. The focus of any programm designed to deliver safe drinking-water should therefore be the effective management Pollutants are substances that enter an environment in amounts that disturb the natural balance of the system, resulting in adverse impacts on that system or on public health. Some Typical Pollutants Include: - Livestock can also suffer health impacts from drinking water high in nitrate. Nitrate is a compound (NO3 that contains nitrogen and three oxygens that can come from the decomposition of organic material in waste. It is found in some fertilizers. Improperly managed, these pollutants can enter our water supplies, resulting in water quality degradation. Pollutants also have adverse aesthetic, social, and economic impacts, such as causing a community's workforce to be indisposed by illness. Illness can then affect a family's earning ability and social well being. Pollutants can also affect property values. Some may create odor and other nuisancerelated conditions. Most homes in rural and many suburban areas depend upon a septic system for treatment and disposal of their household wastewater. In these areas, the value of land is often directly related to its ability to accommodate a properly functioning onsite wastewater treatment system. Onsite wastewater system use has such significant impacts on water resources, property value, public health and environmental quality that considerations for their use should be integrated into community and county land use planning. Zoning ordinances should reflect wastewater management plans including the potential for the use of onsite systems and the density of these systems that is acceptable. Some areas have been considered not developable because the soil and site conditions are not suitable for the installation and use of conventional onsite systems. In such areas, the

Evaluating Strategic Management Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Strategic Management Essay The strategic management process result in decision that can have significant, long lasting consequences. In many organizations, strategy evaluation is simply an appraisal of how well an organization has performed. Strategy evaluation includes three basic activities: 1. Examining the underlying bases of firm strategy 2. Comparing expected result with actual result 3. Taking corrective action to ensure that performance conform to plan. Strategy evaluation is becoming increasingly difficult with the passage of time, for many reasons. domestic And world economies were more stable in years past, product life cycles were longer, product development cycles were longer, technological advancement was slower, change occurred less frequently, there were fewer competitors, foreign companies were weak, and there were more regulated industries. Other reasons why strategy evaluation is more difficult today include the following trends: 1. A dramatic increase in the environment ‘s complexity 2. The increasing difficulty of predicting the future with accuracy 3. The increasing number of variables 4. The rapid rate of obsolescence of even the best plans 5. The increase in the number of both domestic and world events affecting organizations 6. The decreasing time span for which planning can be done with any degree of certainty Four Criteria (Richard Rummelt in evaluating strategic management: †¢ Consistency Strategy should not present inconsistent goals and policies. Conflict and interdepartmental bickering symptomatic of managerial disorder and strategic inconsistency †¢ Consonance Need for strategies to examine sets of trends †¢ Adaptive response to external environment †¢ Trends are results of interactions among other trends †¢ Feasibility Neither overtax resources or create unsolvable sub problems †¢ Organizations must demonstrate the abilities, competencies, skills and talents to carry out a given strategy †¢ Advantage Creation or maintenance of competitive advantage †¢ Superiority in resources, skills, or position Nowadays, the strategy evaluation is become difficult because adjusting with the trends happened. There are some reasons for it: 1. Increase in environment’s complexity 2. Difficulty predicting future with accuracy 3. Increasing number of variables 4. Rate of obsolescence of plans 5. Domestic and global events 6. Decreasing time span for planning certainty a.Reviewing Bases of Strategy – Develop revised EFE Matrix – Develop revised IFE Matrix Review effectiveness of strategy is important to evaluate how far these strategy matches with our goals, the way are: 1. Competitors’ reaction to strategy 2. Competitors’ change in strategy 3. Competitors’ changes in strengths and weaknesses 4. Reasons for competitors’ strategic change 5. Reasons for competitors’ successful strategies 6. Competitors’ present market positions and profitability 7. Potential for competitor retaliation 8. Potential for cooperation with competitors b.Measuring Organizational Performance †¢ Comparing expected to actual results †¢ Investigating deviations from plan †¢ Evaluating individual performance †¢ Progress toward stated objectives

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Creating Law in the UK

Creating Law in the UK Parliament is the supreme law-making body in the UK. Statutes are above all, and Judges role is to apply and interpret the statutes. There are four rules of interpretation, which have developed throughout the history and some of which after long lasting disputes. Law in the UK is also dependant on the EU law, which should be stronger that domestic law. There are several courts in United Kingdom, on the top of the hierarchy lies the Supreme Court, any precedent set there, cannot be overruled by any other court. Judges job is to interpret statutes, and in some cases, to make law. But is it true that judges can make new law? Here I am going to discuss whether judges do in some cases make new law, or do they apply the existing statutes and common law cases. The Law in United Kingdom comes as legislation, from the Acts of Parliament, or, from Common Law decisions of the courts set as precedents. Legislation is superior to all other sources of law; judges job is to interpret and apply them in courts. Common Law is historically the oldest source of law in the UK, all the law used to be made by judges on authority of the monarch. Precedents ensure the development of the legal system. So, this raises a question: are judges still considered as law makers in United Kingdom? The traditional way of judicial law making is that judges should play no part in creative law making, they should just declare it. The declaratory theory of law, famously introduced by William Blackstone on the eighteenth century, stated the idea that judges do not make the law but only declare what it has always been[1]. The theory was famously opposed by John Austin in Lectures on Jurisprudence: Or, The Philosophy of Positive Law as childish fiction[2]. Nowadays the Decl aratory Theory is widely opposed, it does not seem to go together with todays changing society and technological development. In his book, Lord Reid called the opinion that judges only declare law and do not make it a fairy tale that is not believed anymore[3]. Therefore, there has been a lot of debate on whether Blackstones theory is correct and judges do not actually make law but merely declare it. After legislation comes Common Law precedents set by previous decisions of cases, which is also a source of law making in the UK. The Doctrine of Precedent It is based on two principles: position of a court in the court hierarchy and how similar is the mixture of law and fact in the two cases being considered. The key feature in common law cases is stare decisis, which means to stand by things decided. Highest is the Supreme Court (previously House of Lords), which is not bound by its own previous decisions. As said by Lord Chancellor Gardiner in The Practice Statement, that too rigid adherence to precedent may lead to injustice and restrict the development of the law, which is why House of Lords should be able to depart from previous decisions[4]. The Doctrine of Precedent is meant to lead to predictable and consistent development of legal principles, and the reason for the Practice Statement was that if courts are strongly bound by precedent the law cannot evolve. It is rarely use d, though, but sometimes controversially. Like the case of R v Howe[5] which overruled the case of Lynch v DPP for NI[6], and fundamentally changed the defence of duress. By decision made in the case of Howe, in my opinion, judges did not make new law, but rather complemented it. On the contrast, in the case of R v R[7], where marital rape was decided to be illegal, seemed like a making of a new law by judges. So, in some cases the courts can overrule a certain previous precedent and in some cases, make new law. The primary law in UK comes as statutes. Four rules have developed throughout history to interpret statutes: The literal rule, the golden rule, the mischief rule and the purposive approach, last one being the most modern. The Literal Rule states that the words of legislation should be given their ordinary natural meaning, though that might in some cases lead to an absurdity. Like in Fisher v Bell[8] where the flick knives sold were treated as an invitation to treat and was not therefore under the Act[9] which clearly had the aim of prevent the exact matter. The second one, The Golden Rule, was described by Lord Wensleydale in Grey v Pearson as that if a literal meaning leads to absurdity, the grammatical sense of the word may be modified to avoid it[10]. The Mischief Rule is laid out in Heydons case by four things to consider when interpreting statutes, which in summary consists of what was the common law before, what it was missing, and what is parliament trying to resolve [11]. Now , the most modern one of the rules is The Purposive Approach, which stresses the need to interpret legislation in a way to achieve its objectives. This approach gives judges a lot of flexibility of deciding cases, and might look like it gives judges the power to make law. About interpreting statutes, Lord Simonds stated in his opinion against interpretation of statutes other than in a literal way, that the duty of courts is to interpret words as they are, however ambiguous they are, it is still not up to the judges to travel outside them on a voyage of discovery [1] The Declaratory Theory of Law Oxford J Legal studies (2013) [2] The Declaratory Theory of Law Oxford J Legal Studies (2013), originally from John Austin: Lectures on Jurisprudence: Or, The Philosophy of Positive Law [3] Lord Reid, The Judge as Lawmaker (1972) 12 J Soc Public Teachers L 22 http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/sptlns12div=10id=page= > assessed 18 march 2017 [4] The Practice Statement, House of Lords [1966] 3 All ER 77 [5] R v Howe and another and another appeal [1987] 1 All ER 771 [6] Lynch v Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland [1975] 1 All ER 913 [7] R v R(Rape: marital exemption) [1991] 4 All ER 481 [8] Fisher v Bell [1961] 1 QB 394, [1960] 3 All ER 731 [9] Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959, s 1(1). [10] John Grey and Others, -Appellants; William Pearson and Others, -Respondents (1857) 10 ER 1216 [11] (1584) 3 Coke 7a 76 E.R. 637

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Critos Arguments to Socrates

Critos Arguments to Socrates Hale, Aubrieann In this paper I will be analyzing Crito in the aspects of context, main issues, Socratic reversal, athlete/physician analogy and the consequences. The first two are fairly weak. The third, concerning Socrates responsibility to his children is the strongest. Crito presents many reasons to Socrates for why Socrates should escape. The first two are fairly weak. The third, concerning Socrates responsibility to his children is the strongest. Critos first argument is that if Socrates does not escape, then Socrates will then in turn be hurting Crito in two ways. One Crito will lose a good friend when Socrates dies and Critos reputation will in turn be hurt too. People wont know that Socrates chose to remain in jail, they will think Crito had the opportunity to get Socrates out but that he did not do so because he was not willing to spend the money. With that Crito will get a reputation for caring more for money than for a friend. This argument only considers the consequences of Socrates action for Crito. In Critos second argument, he speculates about why Socrates does not want to escape. He says that if Socrates is worried that by escaping he will harm his friends who could get in trouble for trying to helping him escape, then his fears are un founded. They are willing to risk this or even something worse for him, and it is cheap to pay off both the guards along anyone who might inform on them, so there will not be much risk. While it may be possible to pay people off, there is still the question of whether it is moral. In his third argument Crito mentions Socrates responsibility to his children. As their father, it is Socrates responsibility to see that his children are brought up well and educated, and he cannot do this if he is dead. Crito appeals to what is important to Socrates. He points out that pursuing goodness is how Socrates wants to lead his life, and that a good man would see that his children are cared for. Crito says that staying in jail is the easy thing to do, but escaping takes courage, and the right thing to do is to be brave for the sake of his children. In response to Critos arguments Socrates considers first, why the opinion of the majority is not the most important opinion, second, what the consequences of escaping would be for the city of Athens, and third whether escaping is an unjust action such that it would harm Socrates soul. Many of Critos arguments concern the opinion of the majority what will they think if Crito does not help Socrates escape? What will they think if Socrates is not responsible for his children? Socrates argues that the opinion of an expert is more important than the opinion of the majority. He gives the example of someone in training. An athlete does not pay attention to the advice of the general public, but to their trainer. If they listened to public opinion such as taking steroids, eat whatever they want, train 20 hours a day, they could hurt their body. Socrates extends the analogy if they listen to the majority rather than experts they could harm their souls, the part of a person that is damaged by w rong actions and benefited by right ones. Socrates most fundamental principles that the really important thing is not to live but to live well. Therefore, he considers whether it is morally right to pay off the guards and escape. He begins addressing this issue by considering the consequences for the city. He says that the laws and the city could be destroyed if he escaped. Legal judgments could lose their force if they were not abided by private citizens, and a city without laws would not remain intact for very long. Socrates also thought he would be harming the condition of his soul by escaping. He thought his soul would be harmed because he assumed that by harming the city he would be also harming his soul. Being responsible for harm to others is something that causes harm to ones soul. He also would have suffered harm to his soul because he broke an agreement. He made a tacit agreement to follow the laws of Athens because he lived under them for seventy years, raised his children under them, and did not try to persuade t he city to change them. Socrates himself points out that this is an incorrect assumption. He says that Crito overlooks the possibility that his friends would be both willing and capable of bringing his children up. If he were to escape, he does not think it would be in his childrens best interest to raise them there, because there they would be considered foreigners. If he escaped he would ask his friends to take care of his children in Athens, and there is no reason why they should take care of them if he escapes but not if he dies. Those who were known to have aided him in making his escape would be driven into exile or lose their property and be deprived of citizenship. If he should go to one of the neighboring cities, such as Thebes or Megara, he would be regarded as an enemy and all of their patriotic citizens would look at him poorly. In addition, they would argue that anyone who has broken the laws would also be a corrupter of the young and foolish portion of humanity. If Socrates should go away from well-governed states to Critos friends, his reception there would be no better, for the people would ridicule him for preaching sentiments about justice and virtue but then betraying all that he has taught in order to gain a little longer life. By refusing to escape, Socrates can depart from this life in innocence, a sufferer and not a doer of evil, and a victim, not of the laws but of men. On the other hand, if he chooses to break the covenants and agreements he has made, the citizens of the state, including his own friends, will despise him.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Limiting the Use of Torture in America Essay -- Criminal Justice Crime

Many social groups as well political groups have discussed the issue of torture. The elements and basic working of torture have many against it saying it is too cruel and violates America’s 8th amendment. But the question does arise what do we do if there is a suspect found hours before the crime is committed? Or what do we do to those that are known to have committed the severe crime (ie. a serial killer that has three victims hidden away) how do we find the victims and such? The usage of torture on individuals that have a reasonable doubt of committed a heinous crime should not happen. Though torture itself in the United States is not allowed. But should torture be allowed, it should only be used on those that committed crimes that can put you on death row or life in prison. Such as in Oklahoma where if â€Å"a capital offense sex crimes against a child under 14 years of age when the offender has a previous conviction for a similar offense† , but also that person had a victim hidden from the public eyes at the time of the arrest, light torture should be allowed for that ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Computers, the Internet, and a Changing World :: Computer Cyberspace Technology Essays

Computers, the Internet, and a Changing World When I think about the world of writing in the year 2003, and compare it to writing, let’s say, in the year 1990, the changes that have evolved are phenomenal. Of course, a person could argue that change is the one constant in life, including people, ideas, and technology, just to name a few. How can you measure and analyze every change that’s occurred in the world, and its cultures? If you tried, you’d likely grow old and die before you could pinpoint every single one. But when it comes to writing and the writers, themselves, in the twenty-first century, no longer are the paper pages of books, magazines, and newspapers the only source of reading. The internet is a dazzling and complicated electronic world, where one human can instantly communicate with another, all with the click of a mouse. Cyberculture has taken us from an earlier world, where we used the pen, pencil, typewriter, and just a computer, to a rapid-fire electronic galaxy, that enables us to use millions of pixels to send messages to the world; the most amazing part of all, is that we can do all this without ever leaving the comfort of our homes. Let’s start at the beginning, before the information superhighway was a part of the global vernacular. Millions of people like to read the newspaper, for a variety of reasons; many, including myself, want to keep up to speed on current events, locally, and around the world. I tend to read The Detroit Free Press, The Ann Arbor News, and occasionally, The New York Times, all good and, for the most part, accurate sources of news. My parents subscribed to all three newspapers for many years, and still do to this day. After I moved out and began living on my own, I would go to the nearest store or newspaper stand to buy a copy, and at times, still do this. However, with the explosion of internet usage, I don’t have to run out to the store and spend thirty-five or fifty cents on one of those papers; rather, all I have to do is turn on my computer, get connected to the internet, type in the URL, and I am instantly at that newspaper’s site, with that day’s electronic headlines only a few inches from my face. I can read the front page news, or click a link that takes me to the sports section, or hit another link that takes me to the movie reviews. There are countless texts, long and short, to read on the internet, and newspapers are only one example. However, I believe that these

Saturday, August 17, 2019

A man without a country

‘A man Without a Country’ is an anthology of essays published by Kurt Vonnegut in 2005. The anthology, whose caption is, â€Å"A memoir Of Life in George W. Bush’s America.†Is a book consisting of tremendously short essays which deal with subjects varying from tribulations with contemporary technology, to significance of humor, to Vonnegut’s views on the disparities between women and men. (Vonnegut & Simon 36)However, most common in a ‘Man without a Country’ are essays which clarify Vonnegut’s views on politics as well as the subjects in contemporary American society, frequently from a particularly humanistic viewpoint. ‘A Man without a Country’ is Kurt Vonnegut’s final work. In January 2007, Vonnegut pointed out that he anticipated this book to be his last work and the declaration confirmed to be correct when he passed away in April, 2007.This would stand correct awaiting a short- story anthology of Vonnegutâ €™s unpublished work entitled ‘Armageddon in Retrospect’ which would be in print posthumously in 2008. (Vonnegut & Simon 78)  Ã¢â‚¬ËœA man without a country’ is therefore an anthology of principally formerly published work. The huge majority which cames out in the pages of the substitute newsmagazine ‘In These Times’ between 2003 and 2005. Vonnegut gleans his work from speeches as well as short essays which were written over the last a half a decade and abundantly illustrated with works of art by the author all the way through. (Vonnegut & Simon 78&79)

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Walt Disney Company Case Study

BUSMRH 4490 Strategic Management Case 2 The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King Kaitlyn Kisiday Alex Maicks Chelsea Parker Jonathan Russ Ryan Terek 1. ) Why has Disney been successful for so long? Disney has sustained prolonged success for a variety of reasons. One source of success was the way Walt and Roy Disney decided to manage the company internally when the organization was founded in 1923. Disney emphasized teamwork, communication, and cooperation in the workplace to make employees feel valued and strengthen their commitment to the company.These values remain at the core of Disney’s corporate culture, and have been formally incorporated into their new-hire training program at the company’s corporate university. With the use of animation, Disney can control an entire entertainment experience, unlike actors, because cartoon characters and their environment can be created and controlled by imagination. Disney’s most distinct corporate skill, according to former CEO Michael Eisner, is the ability to manage that creativity. Eisner encouraged innovative ideas and was protective of the company’s creative efforts even at their earliest development.Emphasis on this development allowed Disney to take advantage of opportunities in the market and often become the first mover. Disney has proved successful at determining which advantages would be sustainable and which should only be temporary. The main contributors to prolonged success have been the results of the key strategic decisions made by the organization regarding diversification. Disney has used diversification to create additional sources of revenue beyond cartoon shorts and feature films by expanding vertically into television, theatre, retail, and the internet.Creating divisions outside production, such as Disney Music Company, Disneyland, Disney Cruises, and DisneyQuest, created cross-promotional opportunities among Disney’s products, services, and strengthened t he brand itself. Disney’s ability to effectively manage both vertical and horizontal integration into a wide array of business activities and projects continues to drive the company’s progress and profit. 2. ) What did Michael Eisner do to rejuvenate Disney? Specifically, how did he increase net income in his first four years?Michael Eisner entered Disney as CEO in 1984, and committed his efforts to producing annual revenue growth and return on stockholder equity in excess of 20%. He also pledged to strengthen the Disney brand and protect corporate values of quality, creativity, entrepreneurship, and teamwork. Believing that â€Å"managing creativity† was Disney’s most unique corporate capability, Eisner was to able harness Disney’s creative and innovative capabilities to maximize profits from new and existing operations. Rebuilding the strength of their television programming and films was an important part of this strategy.Disney increased its pr esence on network television to re-establish Disney as a producer of quality programs, and increase demand for Disney’s other entertainment ventures. The Disney Sunday Movie, debuted on ABC in 1986, and was followed by the popular Golden Girls on NBC, and production of syndicated non-network shows. Disney also increased their screen presence and generated revenue by selling older programs to other networks through a newly created syndication operation. A struggling movie division produced two films, held only 4% of box office share, and generated a profit of only a $1 million 1984 [Exhibit A, page 6].To increase film output, Eisner used the Touchstone label to compete in new segments of the film industry, predominantly comedies, without diminishing Disney’s core audience. These films were produced on moderate and closely managed budgets with intent to be profitable rather than to become the next box-office juggernaut. Disney also increased the output of their animated films though investment in new technology and human capital and the decision to release these films every 12 to 18 months, versus every 4 to 5 years.After four years, the Disney film division reached an averaged output of 15 to 18 films per year, produced the highest earning film in 1988, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and became the market leader with 19% box office share. Most impressively, income from the movie division grew from $1 million in 1984, to $34 million, $54 million, $131 million, and $186 million in each corresponding year. Income from Disney theme parks increased more than 200% during Michael Eisner’s first years, from $186 million in 1984 to $565 million in 1988 [Exhibit A, page 6].New national advertising, increased park capacity, expanded hours of operation, and increased ticket prices contributed to the short term increase, while investments in new attractions, event spaces, and hotel development would help sustain steady profits into the future. In 1984, income from consumer products totaled $54 million [Exhibit A, page 6]. The new leadership and direction of the company under Michael Eisner from that time renewed the strength of Disney’s brand equity. A stronger brand supported development in the consumer products division of the â€Å"retail as entertainment† concept.The Disney Store, launched in 1987, achieved twice the average rate of sales per square foot in the retail industry. By 1988, income from consumer products totaled $134 million, increasing by more than 140% during Eisner’s first years as CEO. Successful leadership by Michael Eisner at Disney’s top resulted in financial success at Disney’s bottom line. Disney’s net income increased from $242 million in 1984 to $885 million by 1988. Over the same period of time, income growth averaged 40% each year, and Return on Equity reached 24% and 25% in 1987 and 1989, respectively. 3. Does Disney pursue vertical integration? Apply transaction co st economics to understand Disney’s vertical expansion decisions. Disney pursued vertical integration in a variety of ways. Aside from cartoon shorts and animation films, Disney expanded to enter the television, internet, and theme park markets with creations such as Disneyland, DisneyQuest, and the Disney Channel. Disney saw the internet as a possible distribution channel for its film library and its sports and news programming. Disney believed that the internet would soon be where entertainment in the home consolidates.Disney also pursued forward vertical integration. Disney ended their relationship with distribution partner RKO in 1953 and created Buena Vista to save distribution costs for their animated films. Disney was able to save ? of their gross revenues due to this decision to distribution their movies themselves. Disney also further improved the bottom line by avoiding exorbitant salaries by developing the studio's own pool of talent. Disney also employed forward i ntegration through the initiation of Disney Stores.This provided Disney with a wholly owned retail outlet to distribute product through that generated sales per square foot at twice the average rate of traditional retail. Disney Stores allowed Disney total control of customer experience and brand management in that space. The EuroDisney project is an example of Disney’s use of vertical disintegration. Although responsible for the design, development, and operation of the park, Disney did not have a majority ownership. Investment from outside parties limited their initial investment and share of risk.Disney chose to give up sole claim to the profits of EuroDisney in exchange for a fixed percentage of ticket sales and revenues. In many its operations, Disney employs a vertical integration strategy because it eliminates much of the transaction costs that come from working with the market, such as the possibility that the markets may fail. Creating contracts is another cost, as c ontracts take time and are difficult to form in a way that satisfies both parties involved, in an attempt to cover all possible contingencies. In addition, companies have their own, unique motives.When working in the market, there is always risk these other companies will work in their own favor as they come across opportunities that only benefit them. Also, Disney is very committed to holding to their values. This may create another cost in the form of conflict because they may come across differing views and cultures with other companies that do not run their business the same way. 4. ) What corporate strategy does Walt Disney employ? Identify and explain all types of diversification/integration within Disney’s overall corporate strategy.Disney employs both vertical and horizontal integration as part of their corporate strategy. The Walt Disney Company pursues a highly differentiated strategy, operating primarily in five distinct segments: Theme Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products, Media Networks, Studio Entertainment, and Internet and Direct Marketing. Theme Parks and Resorts is Disney’s second highest grossing segment. Included under this segment are all Disney Theme Parks, with the exclusion of EuroDisney, and all other resorts and resort activities.Sports teams, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Anaheim Angels, as well as regional entertainment facilities like ESPNZone and DisneyQuest, are within this business line. Media networks, Disney’s highest grossing business line, can be broken down into two subcategories: Broadcasting and Cable Networks ; International. Broadcasting consists of ABC Television and Radio Network along with associated TV and Radio stations. Cable Networks and International includes ESPN, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, and SoapNet. Various newspapers and periodicals acquired through the ABC merger also fall into this business line.Studio Entertainment is a very diverse segment including: Television, Film, Home Vid eo, theatrical, and music production, as well as, distribution and syndicated TV. Disney has created or acquired multiple movie production companies including Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone, and Miramax, each company producing a very distinct product with a separate target audience. A similar pattern is identifiable with Disney’s various music production companies; each produces a distinct product with a distinct target market. Television production includes program development in the form of live-action, animation, and pay television services.Consumer Products consists primarily of licensing arrangements with various retailers, promoters, and publishers, where Disney allows third parties to use â€Å"Walt Disney†, Disney characters, and other intangible properties for specific purposes. Consumer Products also includes Disney Stores, Disney’s direct retail outlet. Finally, Disney also produces books, magazines, and audio and computer software for entertainment and educational purposes. Internet and Direct Marketing includes all of Disney’s’ online activities as well as the Disney catalogue. This includes entities such as the Disney catalogue, ESPN. om, Disney. com, GO. com, Etc. Aside from all the aforementioned business activities, Disney is or has been involved in many more projects and lines of business. Disney started an in-house travel company to work with travel agents and airlines to draw customers to Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney created the Disney Development Company to find the best way to utilize Disney’s unused acreage. Disney also has been involved in timeshares, night clubs, theatre operations, Disney On-Ice, and the Disney Parade. 5. ) Evaluate the benefits and costs of each type of diversification.From this analysis state and justify (through quantitative analysis) whether Disney is creating or destroying value via diversification? After analysis, Disney has an obvious benefit of diversification, m ainly because it allows them to expand their initial business idea into several different markets. Disney was able to take a relatable set of characters and ideas in the film industry, and not only maximize the profits from those characters in the form of amusement parks, resorts, and other entertainment facilities, but also expand their business into other markets which may seem nrelated. While the initial start-up cost and recurring operating costs of theme parks, studios, and media networks are high, they have proven to be one of Disney’s highest grossing business ventures. For example, in 2000 theme parks generated $6. 803 billion in revenue and operating income of $1. 62 billion [Exhibit A, page 6]. These theme parks help create and support much of the Disney brand that people think of today, which is one of their strongest sources of value. In the media networks, Disney earned $9. 615 billion revenue in 2000 and produced an operating income of $2. 98 billion. The benefi t of this venture is that Disney is able to spread their brand across the country by reaching cable audiences with the Disney Channel and ESPN stations, as well as local viewers, after their purchase of ABC. Once again, the costs and risk of creating a channel and buying a major television channel comes with high cost, yet Disney is still able to make a profit from this segment of their business. While the film industry had revenues of $5. 994 billion, expenses for the segment are high as they only saw an operating income of $110 million.This is one of Disney’s original lines of business, but it appears Disney has peaked in this segment. Even though profits aren’t as high as other segments of their business, the benefits of this segment still outweigh their costs. Additionally, due to the relatively cheap cost of consumer products line, in 2000 Disney was able to record an operating income of $455 million and with revenues of $2. 622 billion. Disney benefits by selling products related to their highly desired brand, and for a relatively low cost.Unfortunately for Disney, their internet and direct marketing line saw an operating loss of ($402) during 2000, the fourth consecutive loss for this segment. Disney once again tried to carry success over from their well established brand into a new segment. However, the costs and demands of owning and running an internet and direct marketing line appear to be outside of Disney’s core competencies. Even though they may have foresight to predict the importance of e-commerce in retail, Disney has yet to make a profit of this segment.Further supporting the benefits of Disney’s diversification is Disney’s Index on the S;P 500, having reached over 1,000 for the last three years of data provided (1998-2000. ) These marks were the highest Disney has ever reached in this Index, according to the data provided, and achieved at the height of Disney’s diversification. This upholds the posit ion that Disney does produce value through its diversification into many different business ventures. 6. ) Which expansion modes have Disney utilized to implement its corporate strategy?Use facts from the case to identify the benefits and costs of each expansion mode. Disney has pursued three primary forms of expansion: Vertical expansion, Horizontal expansion, and Geographic expansion. Vertical and Horizontal expansion refer to Disney’s various product and business lines, and geographic expansion refers to Disney’s physical presence. Disney owns or has licensed parks on three different continents. By expanding geographically, Disney has become one of the most recognized brands in the world, in large part due to their physical presence.By having operations in multiple counties in several parts of the world, Disney is able to gain expertise and knowledge that can help it more closely connect it to its target market. Creating new parks, resorts, or other entertainment fa cilities carries huge initial start-up costs and recurring fixed costs. It also adds numerous employees and operations that can become difficult to manage efficiently. Expanding horizontally allows firms to take advantage of economies of scale by lowering the average cost per unit by spreading fixed costs over greater production.Another key advantage is the potential to gain new distribution channels. Following the ABC merger, Disney gained over 20 radio stations and many print media outlets. Seemingly, the primary motivation for Disney to integrate horizontally appears to be for economies of scope. Economies of scope is the utilization of a wider array of available resources to new create synergies. After Disney merged with ABC, they were able to utilize economies of scope through cross-promotion. They could advertise and tie-in Disney products on the acquired ABC media outlets and vice versa.Another advantage of vertical integration, made obvious through the merger with ABC, is th e gain in market share. Though not stated explicitly, it’s not difficult to image that Disney may have gained substantial power in negotiations with cable and satellite television providers after merging with ABC. A major cost of horizontal integration comes from a new, bloated company. Departments become redundant across the organization, and the company becomes inefficient. Acquisitions like this also are accompanied by months and months of paperwork that ultimately distracts from the company’s primary operations.Disney and ABC were forced to mesh together two distinct corporate cultures. This can irritate and de-motivate employees, ultimately causing further inefficiency. Vertical expansion can create better coordination within the supply chain. When Disney created its own distribution company, Buena Vista, they were able to directly control all operations involved in the distribution of their media, eliminating the potential costs of negotiations and hold-ups. Anot her benefit captured by creating Buena Vista was the ability to capture downstream profit margin.Vertical expansion could eventually lead to Disney gaining more core competencies. Achieving lower unit cost, better coordination, and increase in core competencies create higher entry barriers for potential competitors. Vertical integration can also cause a firm to become too large and complex to efficiently manage. Owning and operating completely different business’ under the same corporation requires expertise in many different areas be successful, which can be a substantial cost. Exhibit AThe Walt Disney Company Financial Data, 1983 – 2000 ($ millions)

2002 Apush

Blue Block 3 APUSH 11/23/2012 2002 APUSH DBQ During 1825-1861, or the Antebellum Era, there were many different social, religious, institutional and educational reform movements. Though, the leaders behind these goals were aspiring for a surreal goal, a utopian society, what they formed was a vastly improved nation. Some of the reform movements were the temperance movement, the 2nd great awakening, abolitionist movement, and women's rights movement. These reform movements expanded the ideals of democracy.Socrates philosophized that in order for a democratic system to operate correctly free of corruption and for the people, the voters must be educated. Andrew Jackson also used this argument against the southern states during the nullification crisis, and the states said that they have no representation. Jackson stated that the people vote for their representatives, therefore, they were represented. Horace Mann was an educational reformer from Massachusetts.He also believed that a good public education system was a way to cut crime and create informed citizens. One of his beliefs was that schools should allow students of different backgrounds to attend their school. This theory encompasses the belief that all men are created equal. He also believed that education should be non-sectarian, which is inferred to by Thomas Jefferson in the 1st amendment. The Brook Farm Association was a utopian society experiment in 1841.The leaders of the experimental community sought to create a perfect society, in doing this they created a constitution. Stated within this constitution, is that an education would be provided, as said, â€Å"In order to more effectually promote the great purpose of human culture†¦ the benefits of the highest physical, intellectual and moral education†. The constitution also goes on to say that providing the education will help to create a more efficient industry and help make people be self-sufficient.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Food and Agriculture of Chile

Front page Acknowledgement Chile: Food and Agriculture Republic of Chile is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It has been relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that have blighted the continent. The shape of Chile is a distinctive ribbon of land 4,300 kilometres (2,700Â  mi) long and on average 175 kilometres (109Â  mi) wide. Its climate varies, ranging from the world's driest desert – the Atacama – in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a rainy temperate climate in the south. (Wikipedia)[1] The country had Latin America's fastest-growing economy in the 1990s and has weathered recent regional economic instability, as measured by the Gini Index (Mideplan. 2007). But it faces the challenges of having to diversify its copper-dependent economy – it is the largest world producer – and of addressing uneven wealth distribution. BBC News, 6 August 2011)[2] Brief History of Chile’s Agriculture: While the share of land devoted to export crops such as fruit and vegetables is increasing, about half of all farms still raise wheat, the traditional foundation of Chilean agriculture. Of the total land area of 74. 8 million hectares (184 million acres),2. 3 million hectares (5. 7 million acres) is arable land. Until 1940, Chile was substantially self-sufficient i n most basic foodstuffs. Since World War II (1939–45), serious food deficits have developed, adding to the nation's external payments burden. Agricultural production of major crops in 1999 (in tons) was as follows: sugar (raw), 448,000; wheat, 1,197,000; corn, 624,000; oats, 201,000; barley, 81,000; rapeseed (canola) 72,000; and rice, 61,000. Agriculture was one of the sectors most adversely affected by the recession of 1982, but it quickly recovered by the mid-1980s. Poor results in the traditional agricultural sector inhibit a more rapid expansion in agriculture. One of the areas of most rapid growth is in fresh fruit, with the production of grapes rising by 35% between 1981 and 1985. The fruit harvest in 1999 (in tons) included grapes, 1,575,000; apples, 1,165,000; peaches and nectarines, 310,000; pears, 350,000; oranges, 185,000; and lemons and limes, 110,000. Avocado production for 1999 was estimated at 82,000 tons, up from 39,000 tons during 1989–91. Most of the avocado orchards are in central Chile, from Region IV to Region VI (Encyclopedia of nations) [3]. Leading crops in 2001, with production in metric ton s, included fruits, particularly grapes and apples (1. 8 million), vegetables (2. million), root crops such as sugar beets and potatoes (1,218,040. 0), and maize (778,498). Chile is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest exporter of fruits, sending much of its crop to North America, where the fresh produce enjoys a market advantage due to the inverted growing season. The country also has an important wine-making industry (Fair Trade Finder) [4] Agricultural land (% of land area) in Chile: Agricultural land refers to the share of land area that is arable, under permanent crops, and under permanent pastures. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Land under permanent crops is land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. This category includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber. Permanent pasture is land used for five or more years for forage, including natural and cultivated crops. (Trading Economics)[5] Major Crops in Chile: Agriculture is the main occupation of about 15% of the population; it accounts for about 10% of the national wealth, and produces less than half of the domestic needs. Wheat, potatoes, corn, beans, sugar beets, and fruit are the chief crops; a variety of vegetables, fruits, and grains are grown in the Vale of Chile, the country's primary agricultural area. The vineyards of the valley are the basis of Chile's wine industry. (Trading Economics)[6] Agricultural region and climate: Chiles principal growing region and agricultural heartland is the Central Valley delimited by the Chilean Coast Range in the west, the Andes in the east Aconcagua River by the north and Bio-Bio River by the south. In the northern half of Chile cultivation is highly dependent on irrigation. South of the Central Valley cultivation is gradually replaced by aquaculture, silviculture, sheep and cattle farming. River valleys help pruduction of grapes for Pisco and papayas also include olives and avocados. Zona central, most important agricultural region with Mediterranean known as wine region. In the northan part, Zona Sur, is the region that support Wheat cultivation, cattle farming, silviculture and salmon aquaculture.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Benefits and limitations of airport security scanners1 Essay

Benefits and limitations of airport security scanners Introduction                   The security and welfare of people is very important in a society. In order to ensure that people are secure and safe, some measures may be employed although they may be controversial. The example of airport security scans represents such a circumstance. The full body scanners are used detect objects that are on the body of an individual for security reasons without requiring the individual to remove their clothes or have physical contact with the device. Statistics indicate that as of December 2013 an estimated 740 scanners (full body scanners) these devices were in use at more than 150 airports in the United States (TSA). They are effective in identifying suspicious objects that a person may be carrying. However, there are concerns whether use of the full body actual really is a necessary precaution or a practice that invades the privacy of travelers.                   The devices are effective in detecting suspicious objects that may be concealed including both metallic and non-metallic objects. As opposed to metal detectors which identify objects that are made of metallic materials, the scanners used in airports detect both metal and non-metallic objects. They uncover objects that a physical pat-down would reveal but fail to be identified by a metal detector such as chemical explosives and plastic explosives. The device therefore performs the function of both a metal detector and a physical pat-down in revealing various dangerous devices at airports. People who have sinister motives or who desire to break the law by moving illegal items through airports would therefore not be able to succeed in perpetuating their plans because of the presence of the scanners. The primary objective of the scanners is hence achieved and safety of passengers as well as national security is secured.                   The fact that it performs the duties of both a physical pat-down and a metal detector means that the device facilitates time saving and is cost effective (TSA). Regardless of the high costs incurred in purchasing and installing it, the device would replace two security guards responsible for physical pat-downs (one guard for each gender). The airport using the device would hence save on wages for two people and less time would be consumed compared to the time used during a physical pat-down.                   Physical pat-downs are considered by various people to be intrusive and full body scanners provide a better alternative that is not as intrusive as pat-downs and that is more thorough. However, since they still examine the body of an individual in-depth, they still make people to feel that their privacy has been invaded. In order to further protect the privacy of people undergoing such scans, screeners are located in a different room from the individual where they can view images without exposing the identity of the person undergoing the scan (Tessler). In addition, security officers entering the viewing room are not allowed to enter with mobile phones, cameras or any gadgets that can take images and store or transmit them (Tessler). Still, fears remain that such images may be stored and used in other platforms such as uploading them to the internet. Authorities provide counterarguments such as the assertion that functions that are responsible for storag e or transmission are not active but rather that they are disabled prior to the installation of these devices in airports. This, though, does not overrule the possibility of technicians managing to enable such functions. Furthermore, it is not quite clear the reason behind inclusion of such functions in the device yet they get disabled prior to installation.                   The costly nature of full body scanners is a major limitation that raises the costs of startup for people wishing to enter the aviation industry. Much as they are costly, they fail to reveal objects that are hidden in body cavities and are not capable of revealing objects that are of low density. It is therefore apparent that full body scanner despite of the significant popularity they have gained in combating security threats and illegal practices are incapable of combating drug smuggling that is executed through concealment of drugs in body cavities (Tessler).                   Full body scanners create a potential for harassment or embarrassment of specific groups of people. The device can detect medical equipment that may be connected to body parts such as catheters and it may necessitate further examination to confirm the identity of the object detected (Gartner et al). This would embarrass the victim who would feel that they have been singled out because of their medical condition. Transgender people are also susceptible to such embarrassment as the scanners are capable of detecting prosthetics such as testicles and breasts and the need may arise to further examine individuals whose images indicate the presence of both breasts and testicles as one of the two body features may be an improvised tool to conceal weapons, drugs or other illegal objects or objects not allowed through airport security (Gartner et al). Conclusion                   Full body scanners are recommended to improve airport security and only few loopholes are existent like the inability to detect objects in body cavities. Although much criticism has been directed at the devices, much of it is only based on assumptions and not factual information. On the contrary, the benefits of the device are validated by real life examples therefore full body scanners are largely beneficial. References Gartner M., Heyl M., Holstein A. and Thewalt A. What can the ‘naked’ scanner really see? Bild. 22 July 2010. Web. 8 April 2014 Tessler, Joelle. Airport full-body scanners have benefits, and limits. The Denver Post. 31 December 2009. Web. 8 April 2014 Transportation Security Administration, TSA. Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). 12 February 2014. Web. 8 April 2014 Source document

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Plato Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato Republic - Essay Example The Socratic dialogue that was written by Plato around 380 BC focuses on defining what is justice and character as well as the order of a just man. This piece of Socratic dialogue further seeks to establish if indeed a just man is happier than a man who is unjust. In particular, this essay aims at supporting the arguments that were presented by Plato of which the main argument is that â€Å"the best form of government, aristocracy, will eventually devolve into the worst form of government tyranny.† This key argument is built on the premise that there are five forms of governments that comprise of lovers of honor also known as timocracy. The second form of government is lovers of money also known as oligarchy. The third form of government is lovers of freedom also known as democracy. The fourth form of government is the tyranny while the fifth form of government is the lovers of excellence, which is also known as the aristocracy or enlightened monarchy. Objectors of key premise s Of all the five forms of government, aristocracy is touted to the best since it is widely considered good and just. However, a common objection to this argument is that individuals, who are from the highest class of the society, are the ones posed to lead an aristocrat government and they usually have money, land, and power. Objectors argue that in general sense, aristocrats are not able to relate with the common person and therefore, they will not be able to understand what is justice and good governance in the eyes of the common persons who normally make up the biggest percentage of the population The key premise of the Plato’s argument is that the aristocracy government will eventually convert to the worst form of government tyranny. Objections to this premise lies on the fact that the best form of government normally makes provisions that will allow active citizen participation and healthy engagement with the opposition, which means that there will be measures of checks and balance to ensure the aristocrat government does not sway to undesirable form of government. Therefore, objectors argue that there is no possibility for an aristocrat government devolving to become the worst form of government tyranny. Another key objection to the premise that have been presented by Plato is the fact that governments are not purely made up of specific groups of people, for example, those who love money, honor, freedom, or excellence. Objectors argues that it is impossible to have such unique forms of governments because government is composed of a representation of the people and therefore, it will be made up of people from different corners of the nation who subscribe to different ideologies but have a common purpose of serving the interest of their constituents. Replies to the objections Aristocracy government is made up of noble men who have worked hard in their entire life in order to even earn honorary titles if not entitled to them by virtue of family lin eage. Therefore, they will instill the virtue of hard work to the common citizens whilst providing servant leadership. Secondly, the objections given above can be refuted on the basis that aristocrat have a reputation to maintain and therefore, in all natural sense they will work towards ensuring their reputation in maintained and upheld to the highest standards. Thirdly, because of the representation of constituents in the government, the aristocracy government will be able to know and understand the plight of the common citizens. Plato argued that the best form of government, aristocracy, will eventually devolve into the worst form of government tyranny. This argument is supported by the fact that the second generation after

Monday, August 12, 2019

Mall of America Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mall of America - Case Study Example Some of the criteria that the Mall of America should consider when adding new facilities to its complex include the retail mix offered and family focus (Kotler and Keller, 2008). Previous successes already indicate that the mall is a haven for whole focus, so new facilities must be able to add to the qualities it already has. For example, retail stores should be evaluated depending on the kind of services that it introduces into the complex. For example, if apparel has already been catered for, the complex should focus on bringing in new qualities that ensure that all aspects of the consumer are covered. On entertainment offerings, since the area of children is already covered, the Mall of America should go for gender segmentation. Finally, hotels should be able to offer factors like lodging, which will be a factor for encouraging tourists to visit the location. The Mall of America is already a huge success with the local people, but to increase its presence both for the local metrop olitan visitors and visitors from outside, the mall should utilize the importance of marketing information. With specific information from patrons, the mall will be able to figure out any new needs that the consumers have, which will then be used to increase market share. The mall should also diversify on product coverage in order to cover as many demographics as possible, which will also help in attracting new clients and retaining old ones from the metropolis and outside.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Palmistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Palmistry - Essay Example Notable people such as Paracelsus (1493-1541) and Fludd (1574-1637) brought respectability to palmistry through their writings. Later Dr. Carl Carus, physician to the king of Saxony in the 19th century matched palms to personality. Advances in genetics, psychology and forensics have propelled palmistry into the modern age. In 1901 Scotland yard adopted the technique of fingerprinting in criminal investigation and identification. Medical researchers studying skin patterns (dermatoglyphics), have discovered a correspondence between genetic abnormalities and unusual markings in the hand (Paralumun, ). Today, palmistry is recognized in every corner of the world. Do you like uncertainty Most people would definitely answer "NO." Every one of us, I believe, would like the feeling of security. Whether it be the amount of money that you have in your bank account, the job you have at present, the cozy place that you live in or the plans you have set to achieve your goal-anything or anyone that you think would provide you "a happy ever after." You will look for alternatives if you think that your choice in a given situation would do more harm than good. You may evaluate your previous actions, see what you have done that might have caused or will cause the predicaments, and identify corrective measures. You may even consult other people whom you think could provide you with answers in an instant. There are personal characteristics that, to some extent, will prompt you from choosing a particular action though. It does not apply that if an action (like choosing a particular job, people that you would be attracted to and vice versa, moods that you would have at a particular instance) is universally accepted will also work for you. Some says it is in the genes; others, like palmists, believe that the answers are in the palms of your hands. The purpose of this speech is twofold. First, to present a brief account on the origin of palmistry, some important factors considered in palm reading, and how these supposedly affect your personality and your future. Second, to present a better alternative to palmistry. To understand the process of palmistry one should have an open mind to life what ifs and that everything is for the unknown reason. Sometime we have to ask ourselves, "What is life all about" Journey Into Palmistry 4 A palmistry reader can interpret aspects of a persons' life by reading the lines of his palms. Palmistry begins with the obvious and proceeds, by innumerable intricate steps of

Cayce Pollard and the significance of logos and advertizing in pattern Essay

Cayce Pollard and the significance of logos and advertizing in pattern recognition - Essay Example In the book, â€Å"Pattern Recognition,† by William Gibson, there is a direct reference to aesthetics and how these link to logos and advertising. This is defined by the perspective of Cayce Pollard and her ability to recognize the meanings that are surrounding the various logos and ads. Identifying the advertising and logos and seeing how this relates to communicating different ideas is important not only in the identity of Cayce Pollard and in the ideologies behind trends. The logos become significant with the ability to show how the perspectives which Cayce holds also influence the basic functions and patterns in society and what is expected from various individuals. The Story of Cayce Pollard as a Cool Hunter The characteristics of Cayce are one which is able to point out and define logos, colors, trends and fashions from the aesthetic viewpoint. Cayce is important in the book because of these recognitions and the ability to take the regular images, logos and trends and allows them to stand out. This concept is one which can be defined as a cool hunter, meaning that the character has the capability of finding trends through images and knowing what works and what only becomes segmented into the pattern. The pattern is defined as an image that states the same message or level of communication through the color, shapes and other ideas that are represented. In Cayce’s understanding, there are very few logos that stand out, which is what causes them to become patterns. For instance, when looking at a variety of fragrances, Cayce is given the special slant of needing to find something that stands out while noticing that all follow repetition in the communication and message that is used. â€Å"Zaprudered into surreal dimensions of purest speculation, ghost narratives have emerged and taken on shadowy but determined lives of their own, but Cayce is familiar with them all, and steers clear† (Gibson, 24). This example shows how Cayce recognizes the patterns of logos, advertisements and the sameness that each brings, while trying to find something which stands out from the usual aesthetic repetition. The approach which Cayce takes begins with finding the denotational meaning, or symbolism. The symbolism is based on finding the colors of various objects, all which are used to describe and signify something about an individual, trend or logo. This is combined with the belief that each item which one has tries to say something or several things to create meaning. This is noted from the beginning when Cayce introduces her fashion as well as other comparisons and how this relates to patterns of how one thinks and acts. â€Å"Dorotea may have attempted to out  œ minimalize her this morning, Cayce decides. If so, it hasn’t worked. Dorotea’s black dress, for all is apparent simplicity, is still trying to say several things at once, probably in at least three languages† (Gibson, 10). The symbolism which is seen from the viewpoint of Cayce includes color for simplicity, making statements with styles and trends and using this to convey a specific message in different languages. The denotational meanings Cayce finds leads to her being a cool hunter, meaning that she can find something that stands out from regular patterns. She has the natural ability to see trends and ideas that continue to make specific statements about an individual or company. The second way in which Cayce creates meaning and becomes a cool hunter is by looking at the connotative meaning. This is done by looking the words, ideas or the significance behind different concepts or objects. Cayce believes that this is able to show more than the basic and super ficial ideologies, but moves into deeper levels of the object. For instance, wh

Saturday, August 10, 2019

More perfect union speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

More perfect union speech - Essay Example The problem was first caused by the white race subgroup in the United States as against other racial subgroups, especially the African-American subgroup. No matter what side it is, having and spreading resentments does not help alleviate conflicts and sharp differences. Anger and resentment does not solve any problem. In fact, sentiments and notions of anger and resentment add more fuel for problems to escalate. Anger and resentment only encourage animosity and division among people and groups. Conflicts arise when anger gets in the way of better judgment, and clouds rationality and logic. The world is already rife with too many prejudicial tendencies by groups that espouse ambivalent notions. Even religious leaders are guilty of preaching such messages, basing their sermons and teachings on personal beliefs and experiences. In relation to that part of his speech, Obama quoted William Faulkner by saying that, â€Å"the past isnt dead and buried. In fact, it isnt even past". What Obama is trying to say is that issues of the past regarding race relations are still ongoing, and have never been put to rest. This was especially visible and expected during Obama’s campaign for presidency, in which the likeliness of him winning the post was unexpected. Take into consideration the fact that all the United States presidents before Obama were Caucasians. This implies that American society still considers race as a factor and issue in national decisions. That being the case, the question that arises is whether a trans-racial society is possible and desirable in the United States. It is possible for such a society to exist, but only if the people learn and are educated to see society and state beyond the differences of race. There needs to be a change in cultural awareness, which plays a significant role in social activities. Differences in