Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Biblicality of the social clock Essay Example

The Biblicality of the social clock Essay The belief that there are descriptive and prescriptive age norms concerning adults during their developmental shift involves the concept of the social clock. The social clock hinges on its description of society’s expectations where time to get married and have children at the same time attaining more of life’s burdens. For example, the traditional or what has been considered as the perception of women who have not yet entered into matrimony as individuals who are negatively appraised during their middle adulthood stage in contrast to the young adults. Social clock has something to do with an expectation that a person must somehow behave or conduct him/herself according to established developmental milestones or else, risk the consequences that may happen because the individual has allowed it to slip through ( Altenbernd, 2004). Discussion The concept is not unknown to anyone today, this despite the fact that many among Americans have grown to know in informal set-ups that the social clock exists and must be followed. We will write a custom essay sample on The Biblicality of the social clock specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Biblicality of the social clock specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Biblicality of the social clock specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the Bible, there are direct references when the Scriptures contradicted this traditional system. Although the Bible also showed how patriarchs like Abraham and his wife Sarah, had observed (in one instance, in panic) that both are past their childbearing stage and laughed (especially Sarah) when the angel did say that they will have their son born soon. In Genesis 17: 11, it says that â€Å"Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing (NKJV).† My opinion and belief is that when a person has the same God as that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, there is no confinement to the so-called social clocks. In the case of Sarah and Abraham, they were indeed past the age to bear children, and the book of Genesis showed that God is who He is, and precisely He can do with anything; He made Sarah deliver a baby boy just as He told them.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The eNotes Blog Sylvia Fitz in Time forGatsby

Sylvia Fitz in Time forGatsby Anyone who has ever marked up a page of The Great Gatsby, youre in good company. Dangerous Minds this week posted a page from Sylvia Plaths own copy, complete with annotations. But of course, as theyre Sylvia Plaths, we inevitably find ourselves reading into them The excerpt comes from the first chapter of the novel. In it, Daisy tells Nick and company her reaction to the birth of her daughter. Heres exactly what Plath found so interesting on the page: She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. ‘All right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool that’s the best thing a girl can be in the world, a beautiful little fool.’ â€Å"You see I think everything’s terrible anyhow,† she went on in a convinced way. â€Å"Everybody thinks so -nthe most advanced people. And I  know. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.† Her eyes flashed around her in a defiant way, rather like Tom’s, and she laughed with thrilling scorn. â€Å"Sophisticated God, I’m sophisticated!† In the margin beside the highlighted second paragraph, Plath wrote the comment lennui. So  whereas Nick felt the basic insincerity of what she had said, Plath herself felt Daisy to be suffering from listlessness. Was she sympathetic to Daisys cynical views of the world? Seemingly, the passage resonated enough with Plath for her to mark it up like that. But should we take meaning from it, or simply chalk it up to active reading? Any thoughts eNoters?

Friday, November 22, 2019

Business Measurement Model Strategy and Innovation

According to Moynihan & Pandley (2010), performance management is the process of aligning systems, employees and organizational resources to the organization’s strategic goals. It includes activities ensuring consistent achievement of targets in an efficient and effective manner.   Operations management, on the other hand, involves controlling the whole production process so as to control efficiency in the organization regarding the provision of goods and services, (Subramanian & Ramanathan, 2012). Performance management in the context of operations management, therefore, focuses on the performance of employees, departments, entire organization and process of creating goods and services within the firm. It is used to refer to tools, activities, processes and programs that are applied by the pany in the management of teams and departmental or individual performance. Cost leadership: A pany may have a target to reduce the costs of its product so as to make them more affordable to the customers, (Teece, 2010). This is cost leadership. It is a strategic objective that can be achieved through offering price cuts and customized products to enable low and middle-i e families to afford them. Differentiation objective: This is an objective that can be used by firms to make their goods and services unique, (Rathaermel, 2015). A pany may make exclusive brands which are different from those of its rivals. This may make the firm more petitive as pared to other enterprises as it will be able to develop a market niche Focus: A pany with this objective can concentrate on customer satisfaction through provision of high-quality products at high prices, or cost reduction by adopting cost leadership, (Teece, 2010). A firm which utilizes cost leadership may have an objective of focusing on low and middle-i e families, so as to gain a petitive edge. Operational excellence goal: A pany may develop an objective of automating the production process so as to improve efficiency in its activities. This may enable it to develop cost leadership, (Guest, 2011). When the organization can provide goods at affordable prices, then it may achieve customer loyalty for its products. Product leadership: This is an objective that enables a firm to provide superior products to the market. It can be a plished through automation of the production process and utilizing the services of experienced personnel, (Gurman, 2011). This objective can also be used to achieve product differentiation. Importance of performance management to ABC garments Ltd concerning; Regular feedback enhances efficient munication in the organization. Performance management assists in determining the weaknesses and strengths of the enterprise, (Guest, 2011). This could be monitored regarding the machines available and the type of workforce in the firm. It also allows for a forum to exchange expertise and views in the business, (Guest, 2011).   Primarily, it gives the management of ABC a better understanding of the firm- whether the machines should be serviced, whether to employ more skilled staff or to adopt a particular technology so as to improve the operating system. When the subordinates and the managers have an explicit knowledge of the particular operations they should carry out, any plexities in the workplace can quickly be eliminated. Performance management may, therefore, enable ABC to hold each employee accountable for their actions. This will empower and clarify the responsibilities of each worker in the operating system, (Kamruzzaman, 2011). Also, performance management plans involve clear, precise, understandable and practical improvement in productivity and operations. Through conducting this activity, the management of ABC Ltd can identify key areas of weaknesses so as to adjust in them. Some operations may be cash traps to the firm, (Pertusa-Ortega, Molina-Azorin &Claver-Cortes, 2010). Such transactions should be retrenched so as to reduce unprofitable expenditures. The pany is also able to evaluate the key capabilities and weaknesses through evaluating its employees’ performance and the available machines, (Ullah, 2015). Cost reduction can also be achieved through risk management. The manager can identify possible risks that the business is exposed to and adjust to them in time before incurring losses. Performance management will enable the management of ABC to identify the potential of every employee. This makes the management to stage the employee in appropriate positions that they can work inappropriately. It will encourage efficiency in the organization by reducing wastages in terms of time and resources, (Titacchi, Tonelli & Cagnazzo, 2010). Minimization of costs of operation will also be achieved, making the firm to be more profitable. As explained by Gurman (2011), conducting performance appraisal enables a pany to utilize the physical resources available in the environment optimally. These may include raw materials, technology, and gaps in the market.   Through conducting performance management, ABC Ltd can identify the training needs of its employees and train them appropriately so that they can obtain the relevant skills to use the recent technology in the market to promote its products. These may include social media marketing and e merce.   Through performance measurement, the management is in a position to identify the effectiveness of devices and determine maintenance and replacement times. The management of ABC is also able to monitor the skills of its employees so as to ensure that the machines are being handled efficiently. Performance management is also an essential basis for determining training needs in the enterprise, (Guest, 2011).Whenever the ABC detects mishandling of machines, then it may be able to train the employees on the proper ways of handling the tools so as to increase productivity. Gruman, J. A., & Saks, A. M. (2011). Performance Management and Employee Engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21(2), 123-136.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Guest, D. E. (2011). Human Resource Management and Performance: Still Searching for Some Answers. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(1), 3-13.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kamruzzaman, M. (2011). ABC Knit Dyeing & Finishing Mills Ltd (Falcon Group) (Doctoral Dissertation, Daffodil International University).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moynihan, D. P., & Pandey, S. K. (2010). The Big Question for Performance Management: Why Do Managers Use Performance Information? Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, 20(4), 849-866. Pertusa-Ortega, E. M., Molina-Azorà ­n, J. F., & Claver-Cortà ©s, E. (2010). petitive Strategy, Structure and Firm Performance: A parison of the Resource-Based View and the Contingency Approach. Management Decision, 48(8), 1282-1303.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rothaermel, F. T. (2015). Strategic Management. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subramanian, N., & Ramanathan, R. (2012). A Review of Applications of Analytic HierarchyProcess in Operations Management. International Journal of Production Economics, 138(2), 215-241. Taticchi, P., Tonelli, F., & Cagnazzo, L. (2010). Performance Measurement and Management: A Literature Review and a Research Agenda. Measuring Business Excellence, 14(1), 4-18. Teece, D. J. (2010). Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long Range Planning, 43(2), 172-194.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ullah, A. (2015).Garment Industry in Bangladesh: An Era of Globalization and Neo- Liberalization. Middle-East Journal of Business.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Compare and contrast the transport planning models for passenger and Research Paper

Compare and contrast the transport planning models for passenger and freight transport - Research Paper Example Through such  information estimates are made about the effect of new  developments on  the amount of required  parking space and local  traffic volumes (Litman, 2012). Economic models focus on identifying  and comparing  the benefits  of certain  transportation improvements, like  the advantage  of expanding  a roadway or  improvement in public transit service.  They endeavor to  compare multifarious  classifications  of benefits and costs. They concentrate on  a comparatively  limited set of advantages.  For instance  they  often overlook  vehicle ownership cost savings and parking considerations that arise  due to  switching of travelers  from automobile travel to other  modes (TRB-Transportation Research Board). These models aim at anticipating the impact of  transportation improvements on land use patterns like the kind of  location and  development that  will evolve as a consequence of  improvement of  highway or transit service.  These are deemed to be  the best tools for analyzing  transportation programs and  policies (Litman, 2012).   The purpose of these  models is to  predict the effect of certain  vehicle  transport policies and projects on  fuel consumption  and pollution emissions. However  it is observed  that  traditional models mostly underscore  emission reductions and expansion of roadways while they  undermine  TDM strategies (Slack, 2013). Transport planning models for freight transport  focus more  on quantitative factors like  operating costs,  travel speed  and crash rates etc while planning models for passenger transport give more consideration to  qualitative factors like  travel convenience,  security and comfort of passengers (Slack,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

History and Analysis of city Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History and Analysis of city - Assignment Example Located at north latitude of 39 degrees 56’ and east longtitude of 116 degrees 20’, Beijing grandly reposing along the north most part of the north China plain; along with the northwest is the Shanxi province and inner Mongolian plain, and from the east is the Bohai sea. Among the neighborhood provinces are the Hebei province and Tianjin to the southeast. Beijing as being considered as one of the three mega cities of China under the direct jurisdiction of the central government is divided into 10 districts and 8 respective counties. The people of Beijing are enjoying the moderate continental climate. 600 to 700 millimeters is the average rainfall Beijing receives yearly and much of it falls in late June, July, and August. Spring is dry and dusty and the best season being considered in Beijing, as well as in the whole of China is the autumn. Beijing serves as the political and cultural center of the modern China. It was the considered as the capital of many dynasties dur ing the past, ancient times. Everything in this place picturesque the aura of the past history, battles, origins and the sensations present in this place will lead encourage anyone to feel the deep respect for the city that holds stories dated back to its origin. Taihang Mountains Beijing claimed to be a gulf by the historians and geologist two to three million years ago. The geographical distribution of Beijing is very significant to be called â€Å"Beijing Gulf†. Beijing is enclosed by Taihang Mountains located at the west and Yanshan to the north, to the east is the Bohai Bay and in front of the Hebei plain to the south. According to geologist and historians, the melting of ice and snow during spring carried enormous amount of mud from the mountains to the gulf. This was transformed to be alluvial plain and is now known to be Beijing. Mountains that surround Beijing serves as the protection cover from the northern strong winds. From the east part blew the wet air, huge pla in stretched far to the southland and wide lengthy rivers and streams are some of the features that this place is made suitable environment for human to live and settle down. Inhabitants of this place are also blessed with temperate climate and plentiful rainfall that suits to agricultural activities. History of Beijing Peking Man Anthropologist’s claim that evidences shows manifestations that more than half a million years ago, in the southwest suburbs lived a Peking man. Climate condition during that time was warmer and compared to the present climate of Beijing. Relics of the Peking man was found as well as the stone tools, how the fire was used up to the tools being used way back 18000 ago. It is considered as the earliest cultural relics China have recorded in the history. The true significance of the city’s origin, tracing back 2,000 years ago, started in the period of the Western Zou Dynasty dated 11th century BC to 771 BC. The feudal lords during this time were given by the emperor plots of land in which one of the plot given was called â€Å"Ji City†. This is considered as the first city in Beijing history. During the Eastern Zhou Period dated 476 BC to 221 BC, the Ji kingdom was abolished and replace by â€Å"Yan Kingdom† but JI remains as the capital during that time. When china was unified by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Beijing has been considered as a strategic place in China’s northern part. Beijing was called â€Å"

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Dementia Awarness Essay Example for Free

Dementia Awarness Essay 1. The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimers disease or a series of strokes. The term ‘dementia’ is often misunderstood and some people use the terms ‘senile’, ‘dementia’ and ‘Alzheimer’s’ interchangeably, thinking that they are one and the same thing. 2. Key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia. The brain, along with the spinal cord, makes up the central nervous system, and it is this that controls all of our body’s functions. The brain is made up of cells an within the brain there are billions of nerve cells that are known as neurons. These neurons communicate with each other and with other parts of the body by sending messages (impulses) via a system of nerve pathways. Chemical and electrical signals are necessary in controlling bodily functions ie language, decision-making, memory, personality, behavior, sensing and interpreting our environment, and controlling muscle movements. If the neurons and synapses of the brain become damaged by dementia they may have difficulty or be unable to carry the messages that tell the sections of the brain what to do. Depending on the area of the brain affected, this can result in changes to the way the individual thinks, or may result in physical impairments, personality and behavioral changes or the inability to perform certain functions. 3. If a person shows signs of cognitive impairment, it should not automatically be assumed that they have dementia. There are other conditions that have similar symptoms to those of dementia. Depressions is a common condition which can be triggered by lifes events and can be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. A person who is suffereing from depression can show similarsymptoms to a person who has dementia. Depession can effect concentration, motivation and ability to manage everyday tasks. Delirium can also be mistaken as dementia, Delirium can deveopl quickly and is isually reversable. People have hallucinations, delusions, probles thinking or serve confusion. Some of the causes include dehydration, pain, low blood sugar level or a chest/urinary infection. 4. Medical model relates to clinical approach ie. how the changes occur within the brain, managing the condition with medication, etc Dementia as a clinical syndrome is characterized by global cognitive impairment, which represents a decline from previous level of functioning, and is associated with impairment in functional abilities and, in many cases, behavioral and psychiatric disturbances. 5. Social model is more about the person, how it affects individuals. The social model of care seeks to understand the emotions and behaviors of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography. By learning about each person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. 6. People who have dementia should be view as a disability because they are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation. Turning on the stove or water and forgetting to turn it off, locking doors, crossing streets etc, this can be dangerous even deadly. In the same way you would not think as an infant incapable of self care a person with dementia can not be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult makes them disabled. 7. Dementia is not a single disease in itself, but a general term to describe symptoms such as impairments to memory, communication and thinking. Vascular dementia Injury HIV infection Reversible factors Memory loss A person with dementia may show any of the following problems, mostly due to memory loss some of which they may notice (or become frustrated with) themselves, while others may only be picked up by carers or healthcare workers as a cause for concern. 8. Mixed dementia refers to a diagnosis of two or three types occurring together. A person may show both Alzheimers disease and vascular dementia at the same time. Or the combination could be Lewy bodies and Alzheimers. There can also be a combination of all three types. Recent memory loss a sign of this might be asking the same question repeatedly, forgetting about already asking it. Difficulty completing familiar tasks for example, making a drink or cooking a meal, but forgetting and leaving it. Problems communicating difficulty with language by forgetting simple words or using the wrong ones. Disorientation with time and place, getting lost on or in a familiar street/place close to home. Poor judgment example A well person might get distracted and forget to watch a child for a little while. People with dementia, however, might forget all about the child and just leave the house for the day. Problems with abstract thinking for example, dealing with money. Misplacing things including putting them in the wrong places and forgetting about doing this. Mood changes unlike those we all have, swinging quickly through a set of moods. Personality changes becoming irritable, suspicious or fearful, for example. Loss of initiative showing less interest in starting something or going somewhere. 9. Some of the risk factors associated with dementia can be managed through lifestyle changes or appropriate medical treatments. Dementia can be due to age that means as we get older, we are more likely to develop dementia. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (like heart disease and stroke) are also risk factors for all dementia. Some studies suggest that enjoying an active life, with lots of interests and hobbies might be beneficial. Other researchers have found that spending more time in education is associated with a lower risk. The genes we inherit from our parents only have a small effect on our risk of dementia. In very rare cases, a faulty gene can be passed down in a family that causes the disease in anyone who inherits it. Some forms of Alzheimer’s and dementia can be caused by faulty genes. 10. Alzheimers is the most prevalent. 5. 4 million possibly more have Alzheimers. 5. 2 million are over the age of 65 years old. 200,000 people under the age of 65 have Alzheimers and are considered to have early onset Alzheimers. Vascular Dementia is the second most prevalent. After that things convoluted a bit but Dementia with lewy bodies is probably third. 11. People with dementia may not necessarily always be forgetful, for example an individual with Front-temporal dementia may be less forgetful than a person suffering from Alzheimer disease. There memory may remain intact but their personality and behavior could be noticeably changed. Dementia with Lewy bodies is caused by neurodegeneration linked to abnormal structures in the brain. Here, the brain changes involve a protein called alpha-synuclei this interrupts the normal functioning and affect the persons memory. 12. Dementia can have a big impact on a person’s behaviour. People with dementia face widespread discrimination for a number of reasons. There remains significant misunderstanding about and stigma attached to dementia that manifests itself in widespread discriminatory attitudes. Because most people with dementia are over the age of 65, they can also face issues of age discrimination. People with dementia are also more at risk of discrimination and infringements of their human rights because they may not have the capacity to challenge abuses of their human rights or to report what has occurred. This means that many people with dementia and their carers face a poorer quality of life than the general population. People with dementia and those who care for them should be treated with dignity and respect, and should have access to high quality care, that is based on an assessment of personal needs and preferences.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Opening Chapter of Enduring Love by Ian McEwan Essay -- Enduring L

The Opening Chapter of Enduring Love by Ian McEwan A dictionary defines the word addictive as being: wholly devoted to something, a slave to another and in a state of wanting more. Ian McEwan claimed that he wanted to write an opening chapter that had the same effect as a highly addictive drug. In my opinion he has achieved in doing this. At the end of chapter one the reader is left needing more information about the characters introduced and what tragedy actually occurred. McEwan took the definition, addictive, and wrote the opening chapter, never forgetting what his objective was. The opening chapter has to be effective in order to keep the reader interested and to keep them reading. The style of the writer and novel also need to be established and tailored to suit the tastes of anyone that decides to read this novel. McEwan uses many factors that all contribute towards the effectiveness of the opening chapter. A lot of suspense and tension is used right from the start of the novel, in the first line, "The beginning is simple to mark," which makes you question, the beginning of what exactly? This is a short sentence that is used which draws you in and leaves you wanting to know more. McEwan also creates a lot of tension, "partly protected from a strong, gusty wind," which describes the wind as being an unpredictable, natural force which together conveys a sense of urgency. The narrator also starts to withhold vital information from the reader to create anxiety from within. "The encounter that would unhinge us was minutes away," the narrator is building up the tension that leads to this huge disaster, but doesn’t just say what is install for him and the other characters. He also hints that the disaster is life changing, "This was the last time that I understood anything clearly at all." The narrator then goes on to describe the atmosphere and events just before the disaster reached them, "I heard what was coming two seconds before it reached us." Which is an innuendo, which McEwan uses a lot throughout this first chapter. The narrator then goes on to describe the wind that day using verbs to describe the strength of it, "transversing" and "hurtling," but before the narrator goes any further he says "Let me freeze the frame," which is media terminology, which too is used quite a lot through this opening chapter. McEwan uses this techniq... ...t it is ruthless and is used to increase the sense of danger, "Met Office figures. . . . . . it was said of 70 miles per hour." The wind threatens the characters, leaving the reader knowing that disaster is just around the corner. The idea of a catastrophe is always present throughout the opening chapter. It is used to create excitement in the reader and to fuel the craving of needing more information, "At the inquest" at this point, the reader is left to deal with the fact that, obviously someone died, but it is not yet revealed who - the boy in the basket or Logan. Also, the fact that what happened is life changing, "It was time when other outcomes were still possible." The narrator even says they "Were running towards a catastrophe." All the points I have considered, all contribute towards creating a stimulating and addictive opening chapter. The main stimulant being, the need for more information. Where the narrator deliberately gives you a hint as to what may happen next, he then takes it away from you, making you want the information more - therefor he has created an addiction. The cause of it, being the first chapter, the only way to cure it, is to finish the novel!

Monday, November 11, 2019

Eleven Seconds: Autobiography of Travis Roy †Book Report Essay

Travis Roy, a former collegiate hockey player, wrote his tragic story in a book called Eleven Seconds. Well, he didn’t physically write it down himself; he dictated the story to E.M. Swift, who organized Travis’ words into the book. This is because Travis Roy is a quadriplegic. After a mere eleven seconds of Travis’ first college hockey game, his dreams of the NHL were shattered forever. Travis Roy’s autobiography, Eleven Seconds, has three parts. In the first part, Travis tells about his childhood and his high school career. He reminisces about the fun he had playing little league hockey and how he would help out at the rinks that his father managed. The next part in the story is the climax. Travis describes his feelings and emotions leading up to game-time of his first college hockey game. He is extremely excited to be playing the sport he loves at such a high level of competition, but within eleven seconds, everything is stripped away from Travis. He tries to check an opponent into the boards, but misses and hits the glass awkwardly. At this point it is all over. Travis Roy is paralyzed from the neck down: a quadriplegic. For the remainder of the story, Travis describes the motionless life that has been forced upon him. He tells about the pain of never being able to play hockey, or even live a normal life again. Travis explains the emotional battle his whole family was forced into and also states his case for stem cell research. Eleven Seconds is a very well written book in my opinion. It is easy to read and has a friendly tone. I’m happy to have read the book because it made me realized that I should appreciate the little things in life that I take for granted every day. What if I woke up one day and couldn’t move my arms or my legs? That is the way Travis Roy will wake up every day for the rest of his life. I wonder if I would be able to cope with a situation like Travis’. I don’t think I would be mentally and emotionally strong enough. The book, Eleven Seconds, made me look at life from a different perspective. I didn’t feel like I was reading about just some random guy who had an unfortunate incident, but a person that is similar to me in many ways. Travis had hopes and dreams just like I do. Therefore, I was able to relate to Travis’ burning desire to follow through with his passion and it really saddened me  to read about the way he became a quadriplegic, doi ng the very thing that he loved. I would recommend Eleven Seconds to anyone who thinks their problems are too big to handle. The book is a good reminder that we should be thankful for everything we are able to do in our lives. Any time we have a meal, take a shower, brush our teeth, or get dressed, we are doing more than Travis can do on his own. I think the story is also a great motivator to live every day to the fullest. People who like hockey would probably be interested in Travis’ story as well. Travis Roy comes off as a warm and loving person, despite his terrible injury, so his book Eleven Seconds should be easy for most anyone to read. The only hard part might be keeping one’s tears off of the pages.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Analyzing Social Policy: Obama Care Essay

In pursuit of social and economic justice in modern, capitalist societies, it is evident that ideology has played an important role. Yet, if we are determined to make any progress in this incredibly important effort, we have to try to transcend limitations imposed by ideology and political demagogy, and establish grounds from which to carry out a rational debate on some of the most important issues in our societies. One of the crucial issues of today, as seen by Jimenez (2010) is the issue of health insurance and availability of quality health services to all the members of the society. In this area, the phenomenon of Obama Care has been one of the best examples of how ideology and politics can cause a lot of problems on the way towards establishing a just and more humane society. This essay is a fact-based analysis of the intentions behind and effect of the US health care reform of 2010, known under the name of Obama Care. The social problem that got its solution in the form of Obama Care was essentially the fact that the American health care industry, prior to the instatement of this law was in a deep crisis. Around 50 million people had no health insurance, which meant that in case they got sick they would have to cover all the costs of treatment, which can be measured in tens of thousands of dollars. Further, people with pre-existing conditions were disallowed from getting health insurance because there was a chance that the companies would not profit from them. Also, companies were able to cancel the contract with a person for almost arbitrary reasons in cases when people were in greatest need of health insurance (Obama Care Facts). All in all, the situation was catastrophic, and urgent change was needed. The Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law by Barack Obama in 2010, is essentially a piece of legislation that aimed at solving the above mentioned problems in the health industry. The target population of this policy was the working poor and the unemployed who had no way of paying for treatment in case a member of their family fell sick and needed medical help. The problem with health insurance in the US arose with the increase in unemployment and drop in the income of middle class and working class citizens, which had its consequences in the increase in the number of people who were not able to provide medical help for themselves and their families. The effects of this policy can be said to be largely positive though the situation is still far from satisfactory. In 2011, the percentage of people who had no health insurance dropped from 16. 3 to 15. 7 percent of the general population, which meant that 1. 3 million people got insured in just one year. Companies no longer have the right to cancel a contract with a client except in a case of fraud on the client’s part. Moreover, Obama Care assured the coverage of prevention treatments such as mammography and colonoscopy, which now saves millions of dollars on treatment of breast and colon cancer – the two most widespread forms of this deadly disease. Also, the premium rates are now being decreased for the majority of working Americans (Obama Care Facts). The instatement of this Act was attacked by the members of the Republican Party and rightwing commentators as socialist and against the free market. They also argued that this policy would mean a major increase in taxes. This would result in slowing down the economy and loss of jobs (Dubay 2011); however, this law actually leaves the freedom of choice and competition intact because people still have the right to choose between providers of insurance and decide what the best option. Also, there were some new taxation to cover the expenses, but it affected only the top three percent of small businesses. This will have a slight increase in taxes which is measured in fractions of a percent. In addition, it offered a tax relief for those small companies who decided to pay for their workers insurance under Obama Care (Affordable Care Act Summary). The impact of this piece of legislation on the Federal budget and citizens’ income is also expected to be positive. For example, Obama Care decreases the government spending by 716 billions of dollars by adjusting the policies under Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, families whose income is below the national average will see a decrease of 60 per cent in their health care insurance premiums. Finally, there is going to be a boost in health care industry with new job openings and the increase in revenue which is already around 70 percent at some clinics (Obama Care Facts). Although it is a major improvement in the struggle for social justice, this policy is far from being a perfect solution. There are still somewhere around 48 million American citizens who have not been covered by this policy (Obama Care Facts), and although the plans are to slowly include them as well, it is a striking fact that such a large number of people in the richest country in the world can live without health insurance. One need not look very far in order to see that a system that provides universal health care is possible, because Canada, the closest neighbor of the US, has that kind of system, and most of the European countries have it as well, even those that do not belong to the most developed countries. The amount of controversy that this policy caused is a sign of just how great an obstacle ideological and political misrepresentations and falsifications of reality can be, in the struggle for a more just and humane society that treats its citizens with dignity. In that light, Obama Care is certainly a great step forward.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Frozen Revolution essays

Mexican Miracle/Frozen Revolution essays Mexico: Frozen Revolution/Mexican Miracle Mexico, the United States neighbor directly to the south is a country of many contradictions. It is typically looked at as poor or third-worldly by many, yet it is has one of the most advanced public telecommunications network in the world. Its capital Mexico City is as cosmopolitan and modern as any city in the world yet its a megalopolis infested with poverty in almost every corner. These contradictions, however, are what have plagued Mexico for many years. The Mexican revolution in the early part of the 20th Century which called for political, social, and agrarian reform, lead mainly by revolutionary leaders by the likes of Carranza, Obregn, Zapata and Villa have accomplished many of its goals but at the same time oppressed the very people that was supposed to benefit from it. From 1940 to 1970 a class of tremendously wealthy industrialists emerged to accumulate vast fortunes as the Mexican economy expanded in size and complexity. On the contrary however, this rapid ec onomic expansion was also accompanied by one of the most unequal patterns of income distribution in the world. This inequality can be looked at as a problem that the Mexican Revolution has failed to solve. The revolution produced major changes in Mexico. The old political elite had been largely swept away, to be replaced by a new ruling coalition. The creation and evolution of an official party solved the recurring crisis over presidential succession. The revolution also launched labor and social reforms that have had a lasting effect on Mexican society. Workers and peasant farmers were given a greater voice in public affairs, although they were forced to operate within the limits set by the official party and the government (Hellman, Mexico in Crisis, p.20). A new constitution gave workers the right to organize and to strike, and established a minimum wage, an eight-hour wor...

Monday, November 4, 2019

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example The HRM policies therefore ran into several bottlenecks caused by these prevailing differences which resulted in a review of some of the policies. Since there was still a need to maintain some kind of general standard of HRM policies that applied across the board, the idea of International HRM came up. This need was further enhanced by the process of globalization which enabled organizations to do business all over the globe, including in places they could not dream of reaching before (Beardwell & Claydon 13). This paper explores the extent to which standardization of HRM policies has taken place across the globe. This will be done by examining the contribution of globalization to HRM policy standardization, the comparison of two different regions of the globe to gauge the extent of this globalization and a projection into the future of HRM practices. Globalization and Standardization of Human Resource Management The management of employees at all levels in a multinational company or conglomerate is referred to as strategic human resource management [SHRM] (K’Obonyo & Dimba 3). ... America is a liberal society that is fully focused on such things as human rights, open market policies, equal opportunities and gender equity among other things. The environment in Saudi Arabia is more religion oriented with a massive influence of Islam on day to day life. Issues such as equal opportunity and equity are just emerging but are not as important as the Islamic influence (K’Obonyo & Dimba 3). Consequently, successful human resource management policies in America may not work so successfully in Saudi Arabia. Emphasis on gender equity in the latter may raise more friction than it would in the former since certain roles are regarded as male roles that women cannot successfully handle. Attitudes are changing very slowly on the role of women as CEOs for example (Delery & Doty 802). SHRM therefore comes in to take into account such disparities in culture so as to enable effective and successful policy frameworks for human resources in diametrically different cultural en vironments. Policies are shaped according to the cultural environment rather that against them. In any case it is not the aim of businesses to change the prevailing political environment but to adapt as much as possible for the smooth running of the business and maximal output in terms of profitability (Delery & Doty 803). SHRM takes into account Cultural Value Dimensions. This term is used to refer to the empirical criteria used to determine the extent to which national cultures differ. There are four such dimensions: power distance paradigms, uncertainty avoidance mechanisms, individualism-collectivism factors and masculity-feminity issues (Hofstede 42). Power distance is the terminology for the extent to which the lower cadre

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Annotated Bibliography for Utilitarianism in the health care system Essay

Annotated Bibliography for Utilitarianism in the health care system - Essay Example The book further illustrates that utilitarianism leads to maximization of the common goods. In this case, the author uses the word â€Å"good† referring to optimal achievement that all members of the society tend to receive in matters related to health. This situation emerges because of various political interests and agendas in the health care system. Moreover, the book further discusses that the utilitarian perspective does not support the desired good in the healthcare system. This means that the utilitarianism does not support access to affordable and essential health care services. This is because utilitarian perspective tends to concentrate much on the policy priorities. Another significant issue discussed in the book is the fact that the concept utilitarianism is far behind access to recommendable healthcare services. This is because individuals tend to put their personal priorities ahead of health issues. This book tends to be of significant important in relation to the issues associated with utilitarianism especially in the health sector. The book will be of significant help in my research work because it supports the fact utilitarianism is not of any importance in the health sector. Utilitarianism only indicates negative outcomes especially in relation to health