Homeless - 3968 Words

Enhancing the Awareness of Navajo Indians Michele Amoroso, Holly Bulian, and Tara Smallidge Loyola University Enhancing the Awareness of Navajo Indians Native Americans are composed of numerous, distant tribes, bands and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact, sovereign nations. Once a self-governing, self-sufficient people, America Indians were forced to give up their homes and their land, and to subordinate themselves to an alien culture. From the origin of their tribes in the 1500’s to the early nineteenth century, American Indians have experienced oppression. Today, American Indians are more numerous than they have been for several centuries (Andersen amp; Collins, 2012). Today, Native Americans have a unique†¦show more content†¦Life expectancy on the reservation is 48 years old for men and 52 years for women. These statistics are far from the 77.5 years of age life expectancy in Chicago, Illinois. The USDA Rural development documents state that Navajo (Lakota) have the lowest life expectancy of any group in America. Teenage suicide rates are roughly 150% higher than they are for the rest of the country, 15.8% for attempted suicide in Chicago, IL (Chicago List, 2012). In addition infant mortality rate is the highest on this continent and is about 300% higher than the U.S national average. More than half of the reservation’s adults battle addiction and disease, such as alcoholism, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and malnutrition. There is a federal commodity food program but it supplies mostly inappropriate foods such as high sugar and carbohydrates. Lastly, U.S Government and Indian Nations agreed to provide adequate medical care for Indians in return for vast quantities of land. However, the appropriation is very small compared to what is needed. Most families live in isolated rural areas, and there are few paved roads to access health care. Weather is also an obstacle on the reservation such as severe winds and temperatures reaching over 110 degrees, which makes it difficult to travel. (Keshena, 2010). Culturally speaking, Navajoà ¢â‚¬â„¢s do not have to live in villages. Their family structure consists of banding together in small groups, often near aShow MoreRelatedHomeless People : The Homeless1265 Words   |  6 PagesHomeless in Baltimore City is a serious issue that must be resolve. There are different types of homeless people: Chronic, transitional and episodic homeless people. However, there are several or multiples reasons for which people become homeless. It could be due to lack of financial incentives or economic reason, immigrants people (students or foreign), a choice of an individual or poverty, housing needs of the lack of low-income housing and other issues such as unemployment, underemployment, domesticRead MoreHomeless People And The Homeless Essay1970 Words   |  8 PagesHomelessness there were about 600,000 homeless people in America in January of 2015. This paper will hopefully spread insight on homelessness as a whole. There are many misconceptions about homeless people and many fac ts that people do not realize about homeless people. These facts should be brought to attention in order to help increase the knowledge of what normal everyday individuals can do to help. Every day we are surrounded by someone who is homeless and we don’t even know it. People tendRead MoreHomeless Shelters : Homeless Shelter Essay2067 Words   |  9 Pagesshelters that tend to the homeless. With the San Gabriel Valley services being so distant and clustered, it was difficult to assess the overall feel of the homeless services. That is, it was difficult to find any homeless shelters even with the use of a handheld GPS and map, signifying that access to the homeless services is not as simple as it sounds. On the other hand, it was not at all difficult to find other services that seemed, to be very helpful for the homeless in general. A screenshot ofRead MoreHomeless Child Education : Homeless Children1678 Words   |  7 PagesHomeless Children Education Several factors severely compromise the ability of homeless children to succeed in school, as I discovered in interviews with 277 homeless families in New York City in 1988. Barriers to the success of these children include health problems, hunger, transportation obstacles, and difficulty obtaining school clothes and suppliesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ all of which are linked to low attendance rates (Rafferty and Rollins 1989). Other factors are associated with the nature of the emergency shelterRead MoreHomeless People s View On The Homeless869 Words   |  4 Pages Here in America there is a high percentage of homeless people. People often label homeless people as lazy, not willing to work, or they believe they are just looking for hand out. But that is just other people s views on the homeless. My point of view is that maybe they had a rough start in life, or something happened to them or maybe they didn’t have a mother or father figure in their lives to tell them right from wrong. Other might of grown up in broken homes which might of caused them to beRead MoreThe Homelessness Of The Homeless1745 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscussed topics around the world is homelessness. Each and every day more and more people become homeless. People around the world have tried numerous times to resolve this dilemma. This situation is growing and it s starting to spiral out of control. One solution that is getting popular the more we let this situation grow is that criminalizing the homeless is ok. People cannot criminalize the homeless. Homeless people should not be criminalized because they have nowhere to go, they have it hard enoughRead MoreThe Stigma Of The Homeless1556 Words   |  7 PagesDuring the Great Depression, the homeless were almost glamorized as vagabonds who rode the rails with their belongings neatly tied up in a bandana over their shoulder. Today, the homeless can be anyone: children or women escaping an abusive relationship or those who just cannot afford to pay for housing. While some homeless people maintain employment of some sort, long term homelessness is usually a function of the inverse; either severely under-employed or no income stream at all with which toRead MoreHomeless Volunteer1842 Words   |  8 PagesHomeless Volunteer Tera Penrod Purpose: To share my experience of being homeless and how it has affected me. Audience: Readers interested in being enlightened about the homeless at a personal level. â€Å"Better is a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.†- PROVERBS 28:6. I learned the truth in this verse while living with relatives in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the time I became homeless. What comes to mind when thinking about homeless people? I rememberRead MoreThe Media Of The Homeless2516 Words   |  11 Pagespeople have become socially and morally numb to the issue. As homelessness worsens, the homeless are being seen less and less as humans and more as a nuisance such as pests and wildlife, or even just a statistic. Being at the bottom of the social class structure is rough, to put it lightly. There is nothing glamorous about living at the streets; in fact, there are very few positive points, if any, to being homeless but that doesn t mean they are that much different from other classes. At the coreRead MoreHomeless And Non Homeless Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual990 Words   |  4 Pagesexamined two groups, homeless and non-homeless Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) youths (Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, 2012). There were a total of 156 participants between the ages of 14 and 21 years with a mean age of 18.3 years. Participants were recruited from community based organizations, which focused on youths and two college organizations of LGB students. Researchers wanted to explore potential risk factors associated with the reason some LGB youths become homeless, while others do not.

The Problem Of Population Health - 933 Words

Population health revolves around the ability to stratify patients to understand the population and address disparities in care (Darves, 2015). The stratification measures allow the provider to track trends and improve the health of patients. This process often requires population health councils, leaders, providers and employees and breaking away from hospital or practice centric and focusing on the patient (Darves, 2015). The change will require special handling with a physician leader and a non aggressive management (Darves, 2015). Develop care continuum models in the hospital and community system to link patients back to their primary care provider. In addition, select clinics and pilot the program focusing on high risk patients and a selected disease management state such as diabetes, heart failure and COPD targeting high utilization and setting care protocols to gain support and demonstrate the success of the model (Darves, 2015). The shift to population health managemen t is labor, technology and financial intensive. In the past patients received the same care, however with population health stratify the population and developing care models for each segment of high-risk, rising risk and health along with providing education to the staff and community will help deliver better care while lowering cost and ensuring patients receive the care when and where they need it (Darves, 2015). However with population health the patient’s health is broken down to highShow MoreRelatedPopulation Based Health Problems in Texas1180 Words   |  5 PagesAnthrax Abigail Ward HCA 415 Community amp; Public Health Tara Whitworth May 20, 2012 â€Å"Bioterrorism remains a major threat for the United States despite more than $65 billion spent on protecting the country from myriad dangers, the Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center said in its latest report Wednesday. The centers Bio-Response Report Card evaluated U.S. preparedness for countering threats from bioterrorism and found the country remains vulnerable to multiple threats and largelyRead MoreUnique Problems Associated with Delivering Health Care to an Indigent Population1371 Words   |  5 PagesDiscuss six (6) unique problems associated with delivering health care to an indigent population. As illustrated by the case, there were many unique problems associates with delivering health care to the indigent population. First, communication was an issue plaguing all parties involved. Difficulty in regards to understanding overall objectives and health care plans made operations inefficient and costly. Massive errors resulted from communication issues that ultimately hindered the access andRead MoreObesity Is A Major Public Health And Economic Problem Within Populations2781 Words   |  12 PagesObesity is a major public health and economic problem within populations. The complex interactions between environment, individual factors and genetic variability have escalated the issue to the top of policy and programme agendas worldwide, with prevention of childhood obesity providing a particularly compelling mandate for action.1, 2 There is an undisputed understanding that this epidemic is in need of urgent action that is both comprehensive and sustainable. Often upstream legisl ative and fundingRead MoreCLIMATE CHANGE: HEALTH CHALLENGES AND PREPAREDNESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES800 Words   |  4 PagesTitle CLIMATE CHANGE: HEALTH CHALLENGES AND PREPAREDNESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Developing nation’s slippery wrestling with many health problems for many years, it is very clear that good health is relating to long live. In the developing – countries have a lot of issues such as lack of clean drinking water, inadequate, poor quality of food and disease are the challenges facing developing countries.The present of these problem hampering health system in both Africa and Asia content. ThereforeRead MoreEssay Overpopulation’s Effect on Environment886 Words   |  4 Pagesincreasing world’s population is a global issue and becomes a source of anxiety for many scholars and decision makers around the globe. U.S. Census Bureau estimated that population growth will persist into the 21st century, growing from 6 billion in 1999 to 9 billion by 2044 (2010). In a longer term, it is also projected that human population may keep increasing up to 36.4 billion in 2300 (United Nations, 2003). Population upsurge is considered a centre piece for a r ange of problems world would encounterRead MoreA Brief Note On Preventative Medicine And Education1130 Words   |  5 PagesEducation Poor health and homelessness has been connected through multiple studies. Having poor health can cause homelessness. On the flip side, being homeless can also cause poor health. Being homeless brings a list of complications including limited access to getting proper health care. This causes the health of the homeless population in the United States to be worse than that of the general population. Common health problems in the homeless population include: mental health problems, substance abuseRead MoreProcess Of Identification Definition Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesProcess of Identification Definition Health is the main value of human life. It occupies the highest level in the hierarchy of human needs. It is one of the most important components of human happiness and successful social and economic development. Implementation of the intellectual, moral and spiritual, physical and reproductive potential is only possible in a healthy society. In accordance with the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as a â€Å"state of complete physicalRead MoreOverpopulation Is A Serious Problem1442 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many threats to global health in today’s world but the one that seems to be the greatest threat to the entire world is overpopulation. Overpopulation is a serious problem that is having an extreme effect on the health of every citizen of every country. The problems caused by overpopulation could even prove to be a fatal epidemic to the human population. Oftentimes overpopulation is overlooked due to a lack of knowledge or simply because many government officials have dismissed overpopulationRead MoreHistory of Public Health Essay938 Words   |  4 PagesThe History of Public Health and the Role of the Community/Public Health Nurse Walden University NURS 4010 Section 04, Family, Community, and Population-Based Care 10 / 21 / 2012 The History of Public Health and the Role of the Community/Public Health Nurse Overview Public health, a population-centered nursing had been in existence since the late 1880s under the guise of different names. The focus of public health nursing was on sanitation, communicable diseaseRead MoreHealth Care Consumer Interview : The Elderly1556 Words   |  7 PagesHealth Care Consumer Interview In a health care system beset by inequality, excessive spending, and average outcomes, one segment of the population in particular presents a variety of problems and opportunities that need to be addressed: the elderly. Individuals over the age of sixty-five in the United States utilize a disproportionate share of medical services compared to the rest of the population, and the growth of this demographic means that any concerns associated with it will only continue

Hiring the Educated Free Essays

Hiring the Educated — A New Approach to Staffing the Automobile Factory Dawn Kennedy January 25, 2012 Managing Human Resources Dr. Pat Smallwood Hiring the Educated — A New Approach to Staffing the Automobile Factory Overview: This case shows us how Ford and Chrysler’s workforce and staffing processes have changed over the years. We see how the industry has moved from being dominated by the less educated worker to the highly educated worker and why this phenomenon has taken place. We will write a custom essay sample on Hiring the Educated or any similar topic only for you Order Now We are also taken through how the new selection process that Ford uses to hire it’s employees, as well as the statistical information surrounding their hiring process. Question 1: What do you think Ford’s overall strategic perspective is? How well does its new selection system support this strategy? Ford’s overall strategic perspective is to hire the highly educated worker in an effort to lower training costs and to be able to succeed in the global market. According to the article, I would that Ford is right on target as far as cutting training costs. As far as succeeding in the global market, the article makes it clear that this remains to be seen, however, my personal opinion is that Ford is a very strong competitor and will continue to be for many years to come. Question 2: What steps are included in Ford’s selection procedure? According to the chapter, what other techniques could it incorporate? Ford’s selection process includes rigorous math and cognitive testing, as well as teamwork skills testing and finally drug testing, followed by a physical exam. Other techniques that could have been incorporated include trainability testing, personality testing, and honesty testing. Question 3: Are there any other factors that are causing the auto companies to alter their selection procedures and look for more educated employees? They are looking for ways to lower training costs and they also need more employees who can supervise themselves due to a lack of adequately trained supervisors. Question 4: How do you think this scenario will play out? Will the educated workers leave? Will they stay? I think the educated workers will stay because they are now the ones that are being sought after for their ability to multitask and be more fluid within the different departments. Question 5: What type of work will the high school dropouts and immigrants who used to be selected to work in these car plants now be doing? The high school dropouts and immigrants may be given an opportunity to prove themselves through the use of the rigorous testing Ford has implemented for their hiring processes, but chances are that these individuals will be demoted or let go for more menial labor positions. Question 6: What benefits will Chrysler get from educating high school students? The recruits will be highly educated in the areas in which Chrysler consider important and will be work-ready upon their graduation from high school. This means that the people that they are educating while still in school will be valuable assets to their company as soon as they graduate. Once they are available to the general workforce, there will be no delay in these individuals ability to begin being of service to Chrysler. CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: Upon submission of this paper I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared specifically for this course. ************************************************************************ Instructor’s grade on assignment: ______________ Instructor’s comments: How to cite Hiring the Educated, Papers

Management and Business Practices of Australian Super Market

Question: Discuss about the Management and Business Practices of Australian Super Market. Answer: Introduction: Thesis Statement: Critical assessment of the business practice of Australian Super impacts upon the effective business deals with the clients of the organisation so as to increase the number of membership thus contributing greater number of funds in the Australian economy. The following essay is going to analyse the business and management practices in Australian Super, an organisation that handles the superannuation fund for the Australian people. Australian Super is a non-profit organisation and it is one of the largest firms in the country in terms of superannuation funding management. Business practices are the set of rules, methods and process employed and/or pursued by the organisations in order to develop the capability of business performances. Business practices can be called the collective behaviour of individuals who participate within the same organisation. Since the concept is about collaborative participation, Australian Super can be regarded as the most efficient and apt example of such practices. However, the report strictly focuses on the HPWP system implemented in Australian Super. Discussion: Background of the Organisation: Australian Super is a superannuated and pension fund that has more than two million direct members all over the country thus becoming one of the largest industry funds in Australia. The total amount of assets managed by Australian Super is more than $100 (AUD) billion. It has undoubtedly become one of the largest investment funds in the world. A basic norm of the company is to profit only the members. The fund is run by MySuper authority. It does not pay profits and dividends to the shareholders. This is a non-profit organisation led by its CEO Ian Silk. According to PA Murray (2014), organisational structure of a company- profit or non-profit- asserts the mode of business practice of it. It has the facility and ease of business dealings that has been in effect from the age of industrial venture in the European countries. However, the concept of organisational structure has become quite different and innovative. Though the case organisation does not have any business partners it has its external as well as internal stakeholders spread in the country. the major shareholders of the company bar the members of ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Union). The shareholders are involved with the organisation through Australian Council of Trade Union Super Share Holding Pty Ltd. since there is a strong back up from ACTU; the organisation has less risk in breakage of the funding economy. There are different groups of the organisation that regulate the service according to their deployment. The corporate service group of the organisation take care of accounting, expense and revenue analysis, risk of enterprise and compliance management. The group also guides the fresh members during funding risks and audit responsibilities. The membership group tries to generate funding scope for the retired or working Australians. The opportunities comprise of tenders, working unions and strategic partnership. The membership group follows four streams of working. These are Growth, Growth Effectiveness, Business Partnerships and Product. Strategy and People partnership group of the organisation takes the responsibility of carrying out proper business strategies in various departments such as Information Technology, Project Management and Strategy Analysis The customers relationship group performs day to day delivery of service to the members of the fund. This group also strengthens the relationship between the external members of the organisation with the internal ones so as to create a bridge of communication. The branding group is responsible for advertisement and branding of the new funding policies as well as the promotional activities of the organisation in the Australian market. The main responsibilities of the group consists of research of the market, public relation and campaigning. Another team is deployed to manage the superannuation contribution of two million members of the organisation. They are responsible for managing the entire accounting of $100 million (AUD). Since the core activity of the organisation stands upon investment of the members, the team is deployed to make the members understand different investment plans that are supposed to be beneficial for them. Investment team is the most active one in the organisation as the team carries out the core activity of Australian Super (AustralianSuper - Our business, 2017). Australian super attracts the talents and gives value to the most competent people in the business. An example can be sited through the recruitment of Andrew baker as the funds new head of Proposition and Product. Most effective working member of the fund is the freelancing group. Australian Super has been providing value to the number of freelancers who are hired by the organisations. There are different working genres in the organisations that are effectively influencing entire marketing and promotional activities of Australian super. Value proposition is not only related to the employee selection but it also related to the effective strategies employed in order to enhance memberships. The created value for the company comprises of return of superior investment, sustainable insurance, insurance affordability, free financial advice, service of education for the members, life time support to the members, advocacy and recommendation on behalf of the members and so on. Value proposition of Australian Super depends on the funds belief and objective that is to enhance and ease the life of millions of Australians who enjoy superannuation after retirement. This is to secure the life of them and circulate their money in broader market. (AustralianSuper - What Is Freelancing The Freelance Economy, 2017) Australian Super has designed its code of conducts in order to ensure the practice of understanding the value of the members: recognising and managing conflicts of interest, safeguarding integrity in the workplace, corporat e responsibility and sustainability and so on. Value proposition is set to improve the performance level of the employees through setting HPWP (High Performance Work Practice). High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) are the management strategies for the employees in order to increase the level of productivity and profit of a company or an organisation. If proper strategies and tactics are employed in a systematic way, it increases the competency and engagement of the employees. High Performance Work Practices thus improve the quality of work culture, build the trust of the clients or the customer upon the organisations- as a consequence multiplies profit. Followings are the contents of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) that are the strategic paradigms: Realistic Job Reviews Implementation of Psychometric and Validated Employee selection tools Employee on-boarding Strategy Continuous Mentoring and Leadership development Tactics Creating SMART goals Flexible Job Specification In-house problem solving Competence Based Pay In-house Knowledge Management System Innovation Programs There are three basic aspects of High Performance Work Practices (HPWP). These are the cognitive aspect, the emotional aspect and the behavioural aspect. Three of the aspects of HPWPs are focused in order to bring improvement among the employees so that their work performance can bring profit to the company. However, Australian Super is not a profit organisation. Hence, the basic performance level of the employees is checked through rising interest of the member (Employee Value Proposition-Australian Super, 2017). Though the organisation runs non-profit business, it has different approach to the market economy of Australia. It runs on the circulation of money invested by the members. Hence, customer relationship is duly looked after. The CRM team is responsible to reach to the greater number of interested customers objectifying to increase the number of members in the country. The organisation targets the retired people so as to make sure that their superannuation plan secures their future. SWOT:: Conclusion: Australian super is the major funding organisation in the country that handles the superannuation fund of more than $100 million. The SWOT analysis of the organisation clearly indicates the business context of it while giving service to the members. The team management of the company has the ability to grow faster with the flow of changing market economy. References: AustralianSuper - Building supplier relationships in business. (2017). Australiansuper.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://www.australiansuper.com/tools-and-resources/blog/2016/11/building-supplier-relationships-in-business.aspx AustralianSuper - Our business. (2017). Australiansuper.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://www.australiansuper.com/about-us/careers/our-business.aspx AustralianSuper - What Is Freelancing The Freelance Economy. (2017). Australiansuper.com. Retrieved 14 April 2017, from https://www.australiansuper.com/tools-and-resources/blog/2016/10/how-a-flexible-workplace-drives-employee-engagement.aspx Employee Value Proposition-Australian Super. (2017). Australiansuper.com. Farrell, S., Allan, M. (2016). New rules of engagement.Superfunds Magazine, (418), 44. https://www.australiansuper.com/~/media/Files/Adviser%20services/MasterSuper%20Employee%20Plan_Product%20Disclosure%20Statement.ashx

The Envious Role in “Roman Fever” Essay Example

The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† Paper The fine line between the fear of the unknown and what is known can sometimes become blurred. In the short story â€Å"Roman Fever†, Edith Wharton does just that by telling the story of two ladies who were ‘childhood friends’. Both are recently widowed, and encounter each other in Rome by coincidence while traveling abroad with their daughters Jenny and Barbara. One of the ladies, Alida Slade, has long suspected that her intimate friend, Grace Ansley was involved with her fiance many years ago and has been harboring some sort of dark secret about that liaison. As the story unfolds, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley wonder about the familiar situation they have found themselves and their daughters in while in Rome. The similarity between the two holidays has brought many of Mrs. Slade’s lingering doubts back to the surface. Mrs. Slade’s actions throughout the story are motivated by the fear of what she does not know and the fear of what she suspects to be true. In addition, Mrs. Slade’s inherent dislike of Grace, her feelings of insecurity, jealously, and their current circumstances will force her into revealing a long kept secret of her own that she hopes will reveal the truth she has sought all these years. Mrs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Envious Role in â€Å"Roman Fever† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Slade’s peculiar behavior throughout the story is directly motivated by all of these factors. Jealousy and envy have always played a major role in the intertwined lives of Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. The feelings of jealousy and envy date back to when Alida and Grace first met while on a holiday in Rome as younger women. As they begin to reminisce about the onset of their friendship many years ago, they realize that although they have been friends for many years, they are relative strangers. Sitting outside in silence, the two women, â€Å"who have been intimate since childhood, reflect how little they knew each other† (Wharton 1368). Slowly, the reader begins to understand that there had been a subtle, hidden competition for Alida’s fiance, Delphin. Alida worried that Grace was attempting to steal her fiance from her. This fear fuels the jealousy and envy Alida feels towards Grace and the resurfacing of those feelings motivates Alida’s odd behavior of revisiting the past in the story. Although Alida Slade projects an image of well-bred confidence, she is actually very insecure and relentlessly compares her life to that of Grace’s. Seeing as they end up living across the street from one another, the reader soon realizes that although their lives are ironically similar, Alida considers hers to be lacking by comparison. The only big diffence is that of how Alida feels. Grace does not show the same feelings as Alida. From the onset of the story, Alida’s thoughts are in the forefront, while Grace’s thoughts assume a lesser role. The readers automatically make more of a connection with Alida more so than Grace. This leads the readers to feel what Alida is feeling and thinking instead of Grace, allowing more of an eventful feel to the story. Through Wharton’s use of the third person omniscient point of view, the reader senses the underlying competition between the two women. Alida sees Grace and her husband Horace made a â€Å"good-looking, irreproachable, exemplary†, (Wharton 1368) couple, stereotyping them as â€Å"museum specimens of old New York†, (Wharton 1368), which in itself is exactly like her, yet she does not see it. After further analyzing the story, the reader realizes that Alida’s envy of Grace, compounded with her own doubts of fears about the past intensifies her hatred for Grace and her desire for revenge. Alida Slade had long speculated that Grace and her fiance, Delphin, were once romantically involved, and even after all these years married to Delphin, she still feels inferior to Grace because of her doubts. Additionally, since the death of her well known husband, Alida’s life seems dull and she craves the attention that was part of that lifestyle. By creating drama with Grace, she hopes to at long last discover the truth and feed her need for attention at the same time. During the conversation on the terrace, Alida begins to make subtle comments, as if she is trying to make Grace irritated and admit to the affair. These elusive comments eventually substantiate the dramatic conclusion between the two friends, although the reader may miss many of the comments because of their subtlety. Alida mentions a story about Grace’s Great-aunt Harriet that Grace’s mother had once told them. As Grace is commenting on the tale, Alida stops her mid sentence and purposely adds, â€Å"but she really sent her because they were in love with the same man†, (Wharton 1372), as if to nudge Grace’s confession along. As the conversation progress, so does the underlying tension. Alida’s comments to Grace become short and terse, almost to the point where she is bluntly stating her true feelings; something Alida has never done with Grace. Alida wants Grace to admit to the affair with Delphin and when she does not, Alida clearly says, â€Å" You had been out late sight-seeing, hadn’t you? †(Wharton 1373) Grace still does not admit to the affair and Alida finally plays her trump card, telling Grace that is was she who wrote the letter that proposed the secret meeting, not Delphin. An outside source, James Phelan, point of view claims â€Å"Alida seeks to injure Grace and establish her own power over her by telling Grace about the forgery† (343). In other words, Alida knows telling Grace will put the feelings of being jealous and envious out of the way, even if it was momentary, making Alida feel better about herself. Alida craves the powerfulness between the two. In another telling comment, Alida reveals another purpose of her writing the letter. She hoped that Grace would go out into the damp night to supposedly meet Delphin and catch a cold or â€Å"Roman fever† as one would say and be out of the picture for a few weeks, but then goes on to say, â€Å"Of course I never thought you’d die†, (Wharton 1374), subconsciously imitating Great-aunt Harriet story about sisters (or friends) in love with the same man. Alida was motivated by jealousy and fear to attempt to rid herself of Grace. Mrs. Slade’s socio-economic class also indirectly motivates her jealousy of Mrs. Ansley. Wharton often wrote about things that she was familiar with and her lifestyle is reflected in the story â€Å"Roman Fever†. Edith Wharton was â€Å"born to wealth and privileged in the leisured society of the nineteenth-century Old New York† (Benstock vii), as was Alida Slade and Grace Ansley. People from such an entitled background have certain expectations. When these expectations are not fulfilled, people can rebel against their moral upbringing and seek retribution. This is the case with Alida Slade and her desire to feel superior to Grace Ansley. Although Alida does not find out until the end of their time together in Rome, Grace does not feel the same way Alida does seeing as Grace ultimately got whar she wanted. Unfulfilled expectations also feed Alida’s insecurities about the relationship between Grace and Delphin. Alida expects to marry well and continue to lead the lifestyle that she is accustomed to and Grace may have cause a disruption in those plans. Wharton also skillfully convolutes the seemingly separate stories of the two main characters and that of their daughters by comparing illusive similarities and linking Alida’s motivation to both. History seems to be repeating itself when the reader takes a step back from the story and compares the women’s lives and the similar circumstances their daughter’s now are experiencing. Alida envies Grace’s daughter Barbara and in her mind, her own daughter Jenny pales in comparison. She drops hints of her true feeling to Grace when she thinks aloud â€Å"how two such exemplary characters such as you and Horace had managed to produce† a daughter like Babs (Wharton 1371). This not only is a subtle foreshadowing, leading to the ending of the story, but exemplifies exactly how Alida feels. As seen throughout the text, â€Å"This type of resentment toward the envied person, ‘agent-focused resentment’, when the envious person feels that another has acquired superiority unfairly† (Comins 10) provides Alida with added motivation. Alida even catches herself thinking â€Å"Jenny [is] such a perfect daughter that she needed no excessive mothering. ‘Now with Babs Ansley I don’t know that I should be so quiet†, (Wharton 1369). Then when Grace defends her own daughter, Alida very bluntly says, â€Å"I appreciate [Babs]. And perhaps envy you† (Wharton 1371) and â€Å"I have always wanted a brilliant daughter †¦ and never quiet understood why I got an angel instead† (Wharton 1371). Alida is fearful that her daughter will experience the same type of self-doubt she experienced when competing with Grace. Wharton’s title, â€Å"Roman Fever† is symbolic to the story because Roman fever, which used to refer to Malaria, represents the burning desires that are left unstated between the characters. Grace Ansley figuratively developed Roman fever when she burned with love for Delphin. Alida Slade figuratively contracted it when Grace’s love for Delphin filled her with hatred and the desire to seek revenge by writing the letter. Roman fever secretly continues to simmer below the surface for the next twenty-five years. It flares up again when the two friends encounter each other in Rome and the similarities between their daughters and their current situation threatens to make history repeat itself. The â€Å"fever† motivated both women to exorcise the demons from their past, each with the hopes of hurting the other, just as they had been hurt themselves. The reader has to wonder, if Alida had never written the letter in the first place, would any of this had happened? Delphin may have desired Grace, but since he was already engaged to Alida, so he may have never acted upon those desires. That is until Alida wrote to Grace, posing as Delphin and Grace replied. Now, although she has had Delphin all these years, she still feels the need to punish Grace and attempt to recover the feelings of superiority she lost when Delphin died. She subconsciously attempts to achieve this by revealing her secret and fails. This illistrates the age-old saying, â€Å"be careful what you wish for, you just might get it†. Works Cited: Benstock, Shari. No Gifts from Chance a Biography of Edith Wharton. Austin: University of Texas, 2004. Print. Bowlby, Rachel. â€Å"‘I Had Barbara’: Women’s Ties and Wharton’s ‘Roman Fever’† Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies 17. 3 (2006): 37-51. Print. Comins, Barbara. Outrageous Trap: Envy and Jealousy in Whartons Roman Fever and Fitzgeralds Bernice Bobs Her Hair' Edith Wharton Review 17. 1 (2001): 9-12. Print. Phelan, James. â€Å"Narrative as Rhetoric and Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever: Progression, Configuration, and the Ethics of Surprise. † A Companion to Rhetoric and Rhetorical Criticism. Ed. Walter Jost, and Wendy Olmsted. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. , 2004. 340-353. Print. Wharton, Edith. â€Å"Roman Fever. † The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ed. Ann Charters. 8th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 1366-1375. Print.

Digital Video vs Film essays

Digital Video vs Film essays What do you do, when you are a budding filmmaker and you finally get the film you simply have to make, but your wallet simply cannot afford the expense? Filmmaking has, up until now, forever been a luxury for the rich or those in the business. With the advent of portable consumer video cameras in the early 1960s, many a budding filmmaker was hit with a new tool that they could build their dreams upon. But it didn't always end up like that. You get your camera home, you set it up, you get tapes, you get spare batteries and you are ready to start shooting. You finish your shoot, much to the pleasure of all involved, and you are left with tapes of footage all mixed and jumbled around into no real discernable order. How do you go about editing it? You don't, unless, like before, you have a lot of money or you are in the business. So the home consumer was stuck with hours and hours of footage, but nothing to edit it down, for the gear simply cost too much; at times double the initial cost of the camera. The early 1990s saw the advent of digital cameras. Doors suddenly opened and the world was greeted with seemingly endless boundaries (in fact you are only bound by the available storage space you have). Digital filmmaking has evolved to a level where now, with a PC and a camera, you can be come the world's next Steven Spielberg or if you prefer, Quentin Tarantino. Sure, everyone wants to shoot on 35mm, but not everyone has the millions of dollars for the equipment (the film itself costs more than the average 35mm camera). This is why digital video (DV) has become such an appealing option. It's a format that looks great on it's own, looks great with effects and even looks good when blown up to imitate real 35mm film. Before we get too carried away, you can't just pick up a DV camera and expect the result to be a newGodfather? orBraveheart?; you do need a great idea. Many films have actually garnered more success and critical ...

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Criminal law - Essay Example There can be two types of manslaughter, voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary manslaughter occurs when a person kills with a malice aforethought or intention (mens rea). Involuntary manslaughter occurs when death occurs because of negligence or because of another illegal, dangerous act. To clarify, Actus Reus is the criminal act. It often goes with mens rea. There are two types of involuntary manslaughter. These are Constructive Manslaughter and Gross Negligence Manslaughter. Constructive manslaughter or Unlawful Act Manslaughter usually occurs when death results from the defendant’s unlawful act. To understand the concept of involuntary manslaughter, we could put the situation of David and Nick for consideration. David and Nick could be charged with Constructive Manslaughter. The prosecution, if the duo should be charged with Constructive Manslaughter, needs to establish the legal elements in the case. The actus reus was homicide, specifically manslaughter. The death occured b ecause of David and Nick’s unlawful act of damaging the tyres of the car Gordon drove. The mens rea for this situation would be the mere idea that they should puncture the tyres of the politician because they are unhappy with the way the politician runs the government. The mere thought that they should inflict an illegal act upon someone’s belongings, whether the intention is to kill or not, is sufficient enough to charge someone of manslaughter, because they intended to inflict harm on someone. Because the death only resulted from an act they performed indirectly on the politician, it can’t be murder. Since the killing is the result of the David and Nick’s unlawful act of slashing the tires, and they were reasonable enough (not insane) to rationalize that they needed to slash Gordon’s tyres because on the grounds that the politician was causing their problems, the act is Constructive Manslaughter. The act cannot be considered murder as they slashe d the tyres without meaning to kill the person, even if it meant the death of the driver of the car. The mens rea is quite clear and they indeed meant harm to the politician, although not necessarily his death. The death happened because of the injuries sustained from the head injuries that were incurred during the accident, which is not a direct harm but merely a consequence caused by the defendants’ actions. This phenomenon is called the Natural Consequences of the Defendant’s Act, like the R v Pagett Case in 1983 where the defendant tried to use a little girl as human shield when he was being arrested by the police. The girl died because she took the bullet. This case is similar to David and Nick’s case because Gordon died because David and Nick put him in danger because of their behavior. David and Nick could also be charged with Gross Negligence Manslaughter. This happens when the death is because of negligence or omission on the part of the defendant. Acco rding to the judge in R v Bateman (1925) 19 Cr App R 8, the negligence of the accused showed disregard for the life and safety of others as to amount to a crime. To describe the grossness of the negligence in a case, the Adomako (from R v Adomako (1994) 3 All ER 79Â  )Â  test: a) the existence of a duty of care to the deceased; b) a breach of that duty of care which; c) causes (or significantly contributes) to the death of the victim; and d) the breach should be characterised as gross negligence, and therefore a crime. Since

The Importance of the Embargo in the Arabic Countries Research Paper

The Importance of the Embargo in the Arabic Countries - Research Paper Example During the embargo, the countries mainly Arabic countries made the unilateral decision to hike the prices and cause a disruption in the world oil prices. The price per barrel at the period between 1960 and 1971 was at $1.75. By mid-1973, the price had risen to $3.29 a barrel, and this was after negotiations. After the conflict had begun, the OPEC members raised the price to $5.12 a barrel. Iran auctioned its oil to the highest bidder at $17 a barrel. By the early months of 1974, the price was at $ 11.25. Since then, the prices remained on a steady rise. The Arabic countries who were the majority in the OPEC wanted to make the US bow down and cease supporting Israel. This also led to more conflicts and the US knew it was at a very bad position. The US was at a decline in its oil production, worsening the situation at hand. The process of dealing with the shortage also led to supplies that are more limited, and the price increase was beyond what the US could have done to limit it. Anot her problem was America’s unilateral decision of removing itself from the Bretton Woods Accord where the gold exchange standard was the main method of exchange. The price of gold was pegged on the value of the dollar and the fact that the US was removing itself from this accord was making it difficult to satisfy the market demands. The problem was that they had to make better choices and the depreciating value of the prices was not ideal for society. Ideally, the growing nature of the disgruntled attributes was making things worse and the countries were being fed up by the inability to make independent decisions without having to liaise with the US.

EVENT PLANNER Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EVENT PLANNER - Assignment Example With my goal of starting and running an event planning business, I have decided to pick an organization in the same business category of event planning and design. The organization I will be reviewing is known as Joyful Occasions. It is an event planning and design firm located in Columbus, GA 31901. The company is a â€Å"multi-faceted, full-service event planning company that offers services throughout Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina† (Eventective, 2013). The company’s primary market area includes planning, styling and catering for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, business lunches and office parties, military retirement parties, hail and farewells among other events (Joyful Occasions, 2013). I currently do not have a direct link to the company and their services; however, I have vast interest in their line of business as I have mentioned. Being a medium sized business that serves a wide region Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, information about the comp any can easily be outsourced from their website www.joyful-occasions.com and their customer care hotline or inquiry email address, which are readily available on their website. I will utilize these essential tools in gathering information about the organization. Business Process A business process refers to related activities that generate or produce a particular product or service, with the main aim being to satisfy the customer. In running a business, there are three key business processes that ensure continuous productivity of an organization whether profit or non-profit making. These processes include management, operational, and supporting processes (Harmon, 2007). Under these three categories of business processes, many other processes can be established depending on the service or product at hand. When an organization is significantly large, it becomes necessary to adapt new strategies to manage these processes. It is for this reason that adopting Business Process Management (BPM) becomes necessary. As stated by Jeston and Nelis, (2008) â€Å"achieving an organization’s objectives requires improvement, management, and control of essential business processes. Event Planning Event planning is an operational level business process aimed at creating the core business or primary service offered by event planning and catering organizations. In relation to Joyful Occasions, the main objective in event planning is to turn peoples’ dreams into reality. This is achievable by ensuring that they do not feel the stressful and tiring experience of organizing and managing their events. They therefore, get to enjoy their special occasions or work experiences while exhibiting their unique personality and style (Joyful Occasions, 2013). Event planning is a process that can be broken down into several steps from the beginning of the process to the end. These stages include Pre-planning At this stage, information is gathered about the event including the pur pose, size of the event, audience, client requirements and realistic expectation of the event. Planning This is the most important stage as it paints the real picture of what is required for the event and what is going to happen at the event. At this stages, budget is created, formal documentation are prepared, locate the venue and establish a contract

The Causes And Problems Of Economic Scarcity Economics Essay

The Causes And Problems Of Economic Scarcity Economics Essay One of the economy systems is market system. In that system, private individuals and firms own most of the property resources which are land and capital. Individuals and firms are free to make economic decisions that benefit them. Consumers seek to pay for the good and service in the best value. Besides that, the objective of firms is to achieve the maximum profit. Then, workers seek to maximize their wages according to the working in particular job. Individuals, firms, and workers are free to make the economic choices. For example, consumers can decide the type and the amount of the goods that they want to buy. Firms can decide the type, production method and amount of the goods that they want to produce according to their ability. Worker can choose their jobs which they are qualified by themselves. Hence, the rich can satisfy their desires for a good or service because they are able to pay for it. On the other hand, the poor disable to pay for the goods and services they want so they cant maximize their satisfaction. As a result, the people who are able to pay for it can consume the good. Therefore, a market system cope with the economy scarcity by the ability of a person to pay for the goods and services he wants. Besides market system, command economy also can cope with economic scarcity. In this system, government is an economics decision maker. Government makes decision through a central economics plan. Most of the property resources are owned by the government. Individuals and firms cannot make economic decision freely. The government controls the price and quantity supplied of the goods. Government plans the output, production material and the technique used of each firms. It also plans the worker in each industry. Individuals are not given choice to choose their jobs. There is no competition in command economy. Consumers need not to compete to buy a good that is valuable because government distribute all the goods to the people in accordance with needs. Besides that, firms also need not to compete to produce a purchase that can maximize the profit. It is because government has planned the output of each firm. Government distributes goods to the people according to its judgment. For example, government gives more to those who contribute more and work harder. This may encourage people to work harder too. In this system, market prices are used to make the decision to allocate the resources that owned by government and queue the scarce resources. The government distributes the goods and services to the people and allocate the income of the people. Then, it gives the choice to them to spend the money. The objective of doing this is to handle the pattern of expenditure by setting an appropriate price. High price is set to discourage consumption while encourage consumption by setting low prices. Therefore, a command system copes with economic scarcity by the judgment of government to take care of social welfare. Question 3 Part A Supply means that producers are willing and able to produce the amount of good at each of a series of possible prices during a specific period. There are several reasons cause the supply of a product to increase. Cost of resources is one of the determinants of supply. It causes supply of the product to increase when the cost of resources rises and vice versa. The lower price of resources will reduce the cost of production. By the time, more profit will be made at the price. Hence, producers will increase the production to maximize the profit. For example, the decrease in the price of rubber will increase the supply of tires. Prices of other goods can affect the increase in supply of a product too. When a firm wants to produce a particular product, it can use their plant and method to produce alternatives goods. For example, laptop and desktop are the goods in joint supply. When the price of laptop rises, firms are more interested in producing laptop because it can earn more profit. At the same time, desktop becomes unattractive to the firms because it cannot maximize their profit. Another reason of increase in supply of a product is the number of sellers. When the number of sellers becomes larger, market supply will become greater. If firms leave an industry, the market supply will decrease and the supply curve will shift leftward. In conclusion, decrease in cost of production of a good, increase in the number of sellers and decrease in the price of a good in joint supply with the good that produced by the firm are the reasons of increase in supply of a product. Part B The government sets price floors on goods to avoid the price of them from falling below a certain level. However, economists say that the price floors and ceiling stifle the rationing function of prices and distort resource allocation. Economists say it because price floor is above the equilibrium price that stifle the rationing function of prices. Rationing function of prices is the ability of the competitive force to establish the consistent price of the good in selling and buying decision. If the market equilibrium price of a burger is RM2 and there is no shortage and surplus in the market, the consumers who are able and willing to pay RM2 for a burger will obtain it. However, the buyers who cannot or will not pay for it will fail to obtain it. On the other hand, sellers are able and willing to sell burger in RM2 will sell it and the sellers who are disable or not willing to sell a burger for RM2 will not sell it. The objective of setting the price floor is to protect the producers income. The setting of price floor can ensure the producers in not making loss in sales. Besides that, it also motivates the producers to increase in the production in goods. Hence, the supply of the goods will not keep decreasing and out of control. In resources allocation, consumers suppose to pay less in buying the product but the setting of price floor raise the price of the product. For example, the price of mask is falling to RM0.05 each because of the surplus. Then, government sets a price floor of RM0.10 for each mask. By the time, consumers need to buy it at the price of RM0.10 and they suppose to buy it at the price of RM0.50. It has distorted the resource allocation. Government sets price ceiling to prevent the price of good from rising above a certain level. The objectives of setting the price ceiling are to protect the benefit of consumers. The setting of price floor can ensure the consumers to be able to buy a particular product especially for those on low incomes. Besides that, it also encourages the consumers to buy the product. However, it is not fair to the suppliers because they suppose to earn more from sales. For example, the price of volleyball is RM100 because of the increase in demand. Then, government sets price ceiling of RM80 for each volleyball. Therefore, the suppliers sell the volleyball at the price of RM80 and they suppose to gain RM100 from each of the volleyball. This has distorted the resource allocation too. Question 5 Part A There are several differences between a decrease in demand and decrease in quantity demanded. Quantity demanded is the amount of a good that a buyer is able and willing to buy it at a certain price over a time period. Decrease in quantity demanded is caused by the rise in price of a product. For example, when the price of a mobile phone rises from RM800 to RM1000, the quantity demanded will fall from 1000 units to 500 units. However, decrease in demand is caused by the determinants of demand, rather than the price of the good. The determinants of good affect the decrease in demand such as tastes, number of buyers, income of household, the price of substitute and complement good and consumer expectation. For instance, tea and coffee are substitute goods. When the price of tea falls from RM2 to RM1, the demand of coffee will decrease. It is because the price of tea and the demand of coffee are positive relationship. Consumers tend to buy more tea when its price falls and so the demand of coffee will decrease. PBesides that, decrease in quantity demanded causes the demand curve to move upward. A P1 B P2 D0 0 Q2 Q1111 Q Figure 1 Figure 2 P Q D0 P0 0 Q1 Q0 D1Figure 1 shows a decrease in quantity demanded of apple. According to the figure 1, the price of apple falls from P1 to P2, there is a movement downward from point A to point B along the demand curve D0. Nevertheless, the decrease in demand causes the demand curve to shifts leftward. Figure 2 showing a decrease in demand of potatoes. Potato is a normal good. The decrease in income of consumers causes the decrease in demand of potatoes. According to the figure 2, when the income of consumers decreases, the demand of potatoes decreases from Q0 to Q1. Therefore, the demand curve shifts leftward from D0 to D1. Part B Percentage change in quantity demandedIncome elasticity of demand is used to measure the responsiveness of demand to a change in consumers income by buying more or less of a good. The coefficient of income elasticity of demand, Ed can calculate from this formula: Percentage change in income Ed = There are three degrees of income elasticity of demand which are positive, negative and exactly zero. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is greater than 1, that means it is elastic. The percentage change in quantity demanded is greater than percentage change in income. The goods can be normal goods or superior goods. For example, shoe is a normal good. When the income of consumer increases by 10%, the quantity demanded of shoes will increase by 20%. The income elasticity of demand of shoes is 2, > 0. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is less than 0, that means it is inelastic. The percentage change in quantity demanded is less than percentage change in income. The good is recognized as an inferior good. For instance, used clothing is an inferior good. If the income of consumer rises by 5%, then the quantity demanded of used clothing will decrease by 10%. Hence, the income elasticity of demand of used clothing is -2, < 0. If the income elasticity coefficient, Ed is equal to zero, meaning that the degree is exactly zero. The percentage change in income will not affect the percentage change in quantity demanded. Such goods are called necessities. For example, rice is a necessity of daily life. If consumers income decreases, the quantity demanded of rice will not increase and remain the same. Therefore, the income elasticity of demand is equal to zero. Question 6 Part A Diagram 3 80 50 Q0 Consumer surplus con Equilibrium price 0 DConsumer surplus is the benefit received by consumers in market. It is the difference between the maximum price that consumers are willing to pay and the actual price of the good. Consumer surplus appears when a consumer pay the equilibrium price that less than the price he would be willing to pay to obtain the product. P (RM) Q (unit) Diagram 3 shows the demand curve of bag. For example, Lily is willing to pay a maximum of RM80 to obtain a bag. The equilibrium price of the bag is RM50. So, Lily receives a consumer surplus of RM30 (RM80-RM50). .The relationship between consumer surplus and price is negative. Lower prices increase the consumer surplus but higher prices reduce it. Producer surplus is the benefit received by the producers in markets. It is the difference between the minimum acceptable price and the actual price that producers receive. Producer surplus appears when the minimum acceptable price of producers higher than the equilibrium price. Producer surplus and price are positively related. Lower prices decrease the producer surplus but higher prices increase it. P (RM) Diagram 4 Equilibrium price Q0 Producer surplus pro S 0 2000 Q (unit) Diagram 4 shows the supply curve of computer. For instance, Peter is the seller of computer in market. His minimum acceptable price is RM1500. As the equilibrium price of computer in market is RM2000, Peter received a producer surplus of RM500 (RM2000-RM500). Good XPart B 20 F B A C 15 Diagram 5 2 5 10 E 0 5 7 8 D Good Y Diagram 5 shows the production possibilities frontier. Assume that there are full employment, fixed resources, fixed technology and two goods are produced in the certain period. Point A, B, C and D mean that the resources of production are used efficiently. Point E means that the economy is wasting the resources without produce the greatest output possible. Point F cannot be achieved because the technology and resources are not able to achieve it. Scarcity is a situation when there are limited resources that cannot produce as many products as they want to produce and satisfy the unlimited wants of people. The concept is shown by diagram 4. The area inside the curve shows the resources are limited. If firms want to increase the production in good X from 15 units to 20 units, they must reduce the production of good X from 5 to 2 at the same time. It is because the resources are limited. Choice is an economic concept for people to choose a good in order to maximize their satisfaction because of the scarcity. According to the diagram 4, firms will decide to increase or decrease in production of good X or good Y that can maximize the profit. For example, if the increase in production in good X can raise their profit, firms will tend to do it. Opportunity cost occurs because of the choices that people made. It is the second best choice that has been scarifying in making choice. For example, firms have choices of producing 10 units good X and 7 units good Y or 15 units goods X and 5 units good Y. If firms make the first choice, the opportunity cost will be 2 units good Y. On the other hand, the opportunity cost will be 5 units good X if firms make the second choice.

Should Baseball Ban the DH? :: essays research papers

Should Baseball Ban the DH?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The designated hitter rule has positively influenced Major League Baseball since the American League adopted it in 1973. Not only should it be upheld in the American League, but should also be adopted in the National League. The DH rule allows a designated hitter to bat for pitchers in the batting order.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the biggest reasons that the DH should be used is that pitchers can’t hit. Who would you rather see, Manny Ramirez, who had a batting average of .327 last season, or Randy Johnson, who only batted .127. The majority of baseball fans would rather see a batter that can hit the ball instead of a pitcher swinging and missing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The commissioner is in favor of abolishing the DH, but there is one problem. â€Å"The problem is that the all-mighty players’ union loves the DH because it creates an extra roster spot and enables good hitters to hang on for several years after their prime.† If the players want the DH rule then we should keep it. Why get rid of something that the players don’t want to get rid of. Japan and the National League are the only two places not using the DH.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason to keep the DH is that it does allow good hitters to keep playing baseball. Without the DH position, the careers of many great players would have been cut short. Hall-of-famer Eddie Murray and future hall-of-famers Harold Baines and Paul Molitor finished their careers as designated hitters. Eddie Murray and Paul Molitor were able to reach 3,000 hit plateau thanks to the DH rule, and as a result fans were able to watch them in action for years after they otherwise would have had to retire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s almost certain that the Seattle Mariners’ Edgar Martinez, who is 40 and still hitting .331 this past season, would no longer be playing in the Major Leagues if the designated hitter rule did not exist. According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated article, â€Å"This man is an athlete, as pure a hitter as they come, and he still contributes to his team.† It is unfair to players like Martinez to abolish the DH rule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critics say that it takes away from the way the game is supposed to be played. The rule, actually brings out the pureness of the game. It lets the hitters concentrate on hitting and the pitchers on pitching.

Stroke Epidemiology In Southwestern Iran Health And Social Care Essay

Introduction:Harmonizing to the World Health Organization definition, shot is the rapid patterned advance of marks and symptoms caused by bound or widespread break of encephalon map which has vascular beginning and takes more than 24 hours ( 1, 2 ) . Stroke can be by and large divided into two classs: Ischemic and hemorrhagic ( 1 ) . The disease is the 2nd prima cause of decease in the universe and considered as the 3rd in the United States and other industrialised states ( 3-8 ) . 55 million deceases occur each twelvemonth in the universe where 10 % of them are due to stroke ( 9 ) . In the United States about 780,000 shots occur each twelvemonth ( one every 40 seconds ) while 87 % is ischaemic and 13 % is haemorrhagic type. Annual mortality of the disease in this state is 150,000 people ( one out of every 4-3 proceedingss ) so it is estimated that one out of every 16 Americans die due to stroke ( 9 ) . In aˆâ€ ¹aˆâ€ ¹the Middle East and North Africa deceases happening within 28 yearss of the morbid varies from 10 % in Kuwait to 31/5 % in Iran ( 4 ) . This disease, which two-thirds of all instances of it occurs in developing states, although preventable but is increasing ( 12, 13 ) . Prognosiss suggest that by 2030 deceases from shot will duplicate in the Middle East and North Africa ( 4 ) . Increasing age is such major hazard factor for the disease that after age 55, the hazard of shot doubles every 10 old ages ( 7 ) . High blood force per unit area as the most common preventable causes of the disease is an other hazard factor ( 11 ) . Other hazard factors include: diabetes, smoke, fleshiness, deficiency of exercising, eating a diet high in cholesterin and salt, intoxicant, atrial fibrillation, and household history of OCP usage ( 7, 11, 14, 15 ) . In add-on gender is deciding factor in this disease ; In general shot is more likely to happen in work forces However, du e to the longer life anticipation of adult females on one manus and the high incidence of shot in older ages in the other manus, the figure of instances in adult females is more than in work forces ( 16 ) . Another note is that shot as the most of import factor for physical disablement in the universe, is one of the chief factors need long-run infirmary attention which led to a important addition in the cost of intervention ( 7, 8 ) . In general, the direct and indirect costs ( including old ages of lost benefits ) related to the disease in the United States is about 5.65 billion yearly ( 17 ) . Consequences from few surveies in Iran shows incidence of shot about 43 instances per 100,000 people that 67 % is ischaemic and 23 % is haemorrhagic type ( 18, 19 ) . The most common hazard factor which has been achieved is high blood force per unit area with prevalence about 54 % ( 18, 19 ) . Incidence of shot was somewhat higher in adult females in all age classs ( 51-53 % ) However, in the age group 45-15 old ages occurs more in work forces ; while the mean age of incidence is in the 7th decennary of life. Death within 28 yearss of shot in a survey was 19.2 % , and in another 1 was 31.5 % ( 18 ) . Another survey refers to the unknown state of affairs of this disease in the Middle East and mismatch with informations in Western states ( 1 ) that one time once more makes clear the demand for more surveies in this respect. The lone survey conducted in Shiraz investigates early encephalon bleeding due to high blood force per unit area in patients referred to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences infirmaries during 2002-2004 ( 20 ) . Sing the preventable nature of the disease, it is necessary to make more surveies to find hazard factors and implicit in causes in a peculiar population in order to Sketch and be after for the bar of it ( 18 ) . Sing that no epidemiological survey have been conducted to clear up assorted facets of shot in Shiraz since earlier, this survey was conducted in Shiraz Namazee learning Hospital as a referral centre for shot patients in Fars state and southwesterly Iran to obtain general information about the position of the disease in this part.Material and Method:We conducted this hospital-based survey between August 2010 and January 2011 in Shiraz Namazee learning infirmary. This infirmary is one of the chief referral centres for neurological diseases in southwesterly Iran and affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. As this survey was a cross-sectional one, all patients admitted in exigency and neurology ward with diagnosing of shot based on their clinical manifestations and imaging ( MRI or CT scan ) during this period were included. Patients with transeunt ischaemic onslaught and those who released by themselves during hospital coarse were excluded. Three medica l pupils with supervising and part of one neurology occupant completed the informations assemblage sheet by reading patient paperss during and after study period. It contains the most of import informations about these patients including age, sex, type of shot, drug history, hazard factors, degree of consciousness, neurologic marks, continuance of hospitalization, result and prescribed medicines after discharge. We analyzed our informations with SPSS version 16 and considered P-Value less than 0.05 important.Consequences:305 CVA patients were investigated that 269 ( 88.2 % ) had ischaemic and 36 ( 11.8 % ) had hemorrhagic shot. 64 ( 21 % ) had recurrent stroke while others experienced their first of all time shot. 133 ( 43.6 % ) adult male and 172 ( 56.4 % ) adult female between 27- 97 old ages old ( mean:68.33 ±12.99 ) were classified to six age groups that most of them were between 61-80 old ages old, although informations analysis did n't uncover important difference between mortality rates ( Table 1 ) . Average age of ischaemic shot was 68.6 ±13.1 and hemorrhagic was 66.2 ±12.1. 15.1 % of all patients expired during their hospital coarse while 11.4 % of ischaemic and 40.6 % of haemorrhagic shots lead to decease ( OR:5.34, 95 % C.I. :2.35-12.11 ) . Most common hazard factors among all patients were high blood pressure and ischaemic bosom disease ( figure 1 ) . Hyperlipidemia, ischaemic bosom disease and diabetes had important different prevalence between age groups in a manner that their most prevalence were between 41-50, above 60 and between 41-60 old ages old, severally ( figure 2 ) . In another categorization we categorized the patients into two groups: under and above 45 old ages old. 5 % were under 45 and 95 % were above 45 old ages old. CVA type and mortality rate was non significantly different between these two groups. Most common neurologic marks of patients were right side failing, left side failing and dysarthria ( figure 3 ) . In facet of degree of consciousness, 6.3 % were comatose, 7.2 % Stuporous, 22 % confused and 64.5 % were witting that 78.6 % , 31.3 % , 16.3 % and 5.6 % of them expired during their hospital coarse severally ( figure 4 ) . Mean systolic blood force per unit area in dismissed patients was 148.2mmHg and in expired patients was 144.7mmHg. Besides mean diastolic blood force per unit area in dismissed and expired patients was 84.5mmHg and 86.6mmHg severally. Mean systolic blood force per unit area in ischaemic shots was 145mmHg and in haemorrhagic shots was 160mmHg ( P=0.006 ) . Besides mean diastolic blood force per unit area in ischaemic shots and haemorrhagic 1s was 83mmHg and 90mmHg severally ( P=0.013 ) . Most common drugs used among patients was antihypertensive drugs ( 43.3 % ) and acetylsalicylic acid ( 26.9 % ) . Statins ( 32.7 % ) and acetylsalicylic acid ( 31.6 % ) were most common drugs prescribed for ischaemic patients who were discharged. Median yearss of hospitalization for both types of shot and both discharged and expired patients was 2.

Is Airbrushing Affecting Our Youth Today? Essay

Since the development of computer programs such as adobe Photoshop, photo-editors for newspapers and magazines have used the deceiving effect known as â€Å"photo shopping† on pictures that we see day to day in our magazines, on our TV’s and computers. Due to this modern capability the youth and population of most of our society, now see’s their personal image, particularly physical image in a different light, evidently a dark one. Airbrushing is the ability to crease out any flaws in a photo of a model, trim any fat off certain parts of her body; to in effect create beautiful flawless images, almost impossible for modern women and men to keep up with or resemble. An example of this airbrushing with â€Å"Former Cosmopolitan editor Leah Hardy recently admitted that she had airbrushed anorexic models to look less unwell, but kept their extreme thinness. The result was pictures of women with no body fat who still seemed to be healthy, strong and feminine.† From â€Å"http://www.channel4.com/4beauty/wellbeing/body-confidence/why-its-time-to-stop-the-airbrushing† More and more of our society, particularly our youth, are increasingly concerned with their bodies and they way they look, between 10 to 15 percent of teenagers have some symptoms of teen depression at any one time. With the false physical portrayal of people around us in the media, people feel increasingly ashamed with their current physical state thus leading to un-happiness, lack of esteem, and even sometimes depression, therefore is it healthy for our youth and society to be fed lies? Well, 15 percent of teens can with depression eventually develop bipolar disorder. A bad consequence of self-image related nonsense. This is quite a concern for our nations teens, where standards of physical state are set extremely high, men are expected to have bulging muscles and six pack abs while women are seen to be almost freakishly skinny. Furthermore, the standardized image that’s being promoted is an un-healthy one. However, these modern standards that many aspire to are completely subjective. Why are these images of the perfect male and female as such, and why should there be so much pressure towards looking like that? Looking at the effected younger population physical fitness is not the only concern, yet again, Teen girls and boys are driven to un-happiness as the media around them portrays spotless skin beautiful ideals and glorified make-up covered women. Surely if certain teens are affected by natural problems at their young age which portray them as being not as good, this will make them less happy or perhaps pressured to rid what makes them so concerned, because it does not resemble the modern ideal image of today. All down to this false messaged advertising. Furthermore magazine women are shown to have expensive make up and haircuts raising the bar for women to appear equally attractive or groomed in these areas. Women come to mind when talking about this subject however in today’s cosmopolitan world men are seeking refuge in makeup and grooming to attract the opposite sex more and more, Meaning more money spent on hair and make-up/grooming products, too much if you ask me. This is essentially money that can be spent in other; more important areas; for example as a student or teenager on healthy food, a slightly ironic matter when it comes to succeeding in that healthy well groomed look. â€Å"John baguely, Online BBC news editor† â€Å"The French cosmetics firm admitted the image of Ms Turlington promoting an â€Å"anti-ageing† foundation – had been altered to â€Å"lighten the skin, clean up make-up, reduce dark shadows and shading around the eyes, smooth the lips and darken the eyebrows†. Airbrushing therefore is not a positive light on our society; it’s quite a bad one. It sends false messages to the young population of today even to those at 40, resulting in eating disorders and many other problems associated with self-image. Many of the affected instead of attacking the their physical appearance problems face on, look to other quicker easier ways to solve them, and I don’t blame them with today’s technology in medical surgery. Surgery, while being an easy option and not always a 100% successful guaranteed result costs heaps of money, available realistically only those with a substantial amounts of money. Not only is surgery a costly shortcut you are effectively left with the results on your beautiful body for the rest of your life as the continuously shifting ideal image of society changes, therefore is it really a good option? Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson says: â€Å"There’s a big picture here which is half of young women between 16 and 21 say they would consider cosmetic surgery and we’ve seen eating disorders more than double in the last 15 years.† Advertising regulations are advised to step in and be stricter on their acceptance of advertisements as the population today gets more concerned about their personal-image, furthermore resulting in un-necessarily un-healthy youths. At the end of the day what can we do to tackle these now common problems? Vanity being the primary pushing force of course. Well, an obvious step forward and probably the only one would be to enforce laws over the use of airbrushing promoting a false image. This would immediately reduce the use of it, displaying more comforting and less depressive images on the front of magazines, newspapers and in Internet and television advertising for those that seem to be so utterly affected by it. Rationale: Inspiration for this online article comes from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14304802, an online broadsheet article from the BBC named, Airbrushed make-up ads banned for ‘misleading. In the first paragraph I introduced the topic and explained why I chose it. I adapted to the role of a quite passionate journalist, who is concerned, more about the negative effects of problems and informs about the unfortunate results. I didn’t add much wit or humor to the article, as I felt it was a serious matter. I began talking about the subject in a sort of summary context, then focused in on separate associated subjects sort of forking off of the main idea. I felt this was an interesting topic for me, as I fit into the category of affected. I also feel that this was a topic close to what we are learning in the class. On gender texts etc†¦ I enjoyed writing about this topic and feel I have illustrated maybe not a technique brilliant article but one that fits bucket for this subject matter. I hope it adequately informs readers bringing even a slight bit of enjoyment with some of my little phrases of humor. †¢In the opening paragraph I introduced the article delving straight into the problem, identifying it and identifying the affected people. †¢In the second paragraph I explained the problem more and slightly summarized why the problem effects us a generation. I added a small quote I felt was relevant to the text, illustrating an example of where and how airbrushing s used on models. †¢Carrying-on to my next paragraph I illustrated the consequences of the problem; those that are serious and not so serious. To back my argument I placed small quotations in from reliable sources. i.e. â€Å"between 10 to 15 percent of teenagers have some symptoms of teen depression at any one time† and â€Å"15 percent of teens can with depression eventually develop bipolar disorder.† †¢Moving on to the next few paragraph s, I discussed what causes men and women to feel they have to live up to certain standards going. Back and expanding on why it affects us. At this point in the article I feel that I have become slightly repetitive, but I feel this enhances my argument re-enforcing and clearly explaining certain aspects of the problem in different terms. †¢Next paragraph or two I begin to explain other consequences of living up to the false standards set by airbrushing in monetary terms, in particular for women and increasingly men. I supported the argument with a sufficient quote admitting to makeup advertisers using false resemblance with their models. †¢In the next 2 paragraphs I again literate a consequence of airbrushing, while discussing the subject of surgery and the feel that society can effectively alter their body’s aimlessly to meet the supposive standard of today. I support this argument again with a quote. †¢To finish the article I switched subject matters to solutions leaving the reader with a positive feel, relinquishing the relentless negative aura surrounding the majority of the task. View as multi-pages

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Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essays Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essay Concepts of Speculative Fiction Essay Speculative fiction is a unique, amazing and awesome way to portray a piece of fiction, speculative fiction is a piece with many different genres like science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, science fantasy, and superhero fiction. Speculative fiction takes our existing world and things and turns it into a whole new and different world that doesnt actually exist, usually speculative fiction has a purpose or a goal that the author want to portray. It turns it into a what if question. So what if you were 7’5ft? What if you had unlimited money? Many questions exist in this form and if the what if questions that put that exiting spin and different story lines on that piece of fiction. The Raven looks into universal issues because the main character is sad or mourning a loss of his wife that died recently and this led him to hear voices, and talking to a raven. People have the exact same issues and they experience the same thing as this because when they lose someone they wake up with the same kind of feeling or when they are really stressed out about an issue. When people lose someone or are under real bad stress they turn to drugs or some other form of painkiller, alcohol, etc. It doesnt tell us but he may also be on some form of drug but it does not tell us if he is or not. This could be considered a universal issue because so many people turn to those things. The author Allen Poe shows the weaknesses of society in todays world and makes us think about the way that we cope with losing something or being stressed out over something. It might not affect everybody, but most people if not all have had this experience and it they had to or will deal with the same pr oblem that Allen had to deal with. Allen Poe used very specific language to show the reader what he means; the reader has to focus on what he wants them to understand. He uses language or text that in todays world isnt usually used and it seems different to

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External Environmental Scanning - Essay Example Thus the wider objectives of army face six major macro environmental factors which need to be analyzed for threats and opportunities for effective outcome. They are: social; technological; economic; ecological; political; and industry trend. The primarily objective of the army is to inculcate sense of security amongst the citizens, wherever they are operating. Thus the knowledge of the socio cultural environment of the region becomes the most important issue that can be turned into an opportunity to gain confidence of the people and instill confidence. The advancing technology has been a boon as well as a bane for current generation. While it has greatly facilitated communication and has considerably increased the military capabilities of the army, it has also become a powerful tool for the terrorists to threaten the world at large. Thus the potential of technology needs to be exploited judiciously to gain leverage against the enemy. It is a very important factor because the market is driven by the demand and supply that is mainly dependent on the buying capacity of the consumers. The recession has placed huge financial burden on the nation’s economy and the army needs to be prepared to reduce its expenditure by promoting peace talks rather than military interventions that escalate the expenses. The fast depletion of natural resources and worsening environment brought about by the advancing technology has become a great concern for the environmentalist and people at large. The deteriorating environmental conditions have resulted in rapid climate change and natural disasters like global warming, tsunami, hurricanes like Katrina etc. The army must reduce its arms and promote environmental paradigms and help make the world a better place for the future generations. They are the socio-political environment within which the army has to operate and broadly comprise

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Metaphysics - Term Paper Example ics, so everything and object that is used computationally and mathematically in any field whether research, medical, defense, communication, manufacturing industries etc are the outcome of the great science of logics. The details and explanations of Logics are not that alike throughout the history, perhaps the philosophers are constantly engaged in critical argumentations about logical principles and logical views. The ancient logic and the modern formal logic differ in various aspects, logic is perhaps a science and knowledge i.e. is always developing and growing for better. It should be kept in mind that the contemporary logic is the result of many philosophical views that develops time by time and era by era. Hence these philosophical views are not futile and it is worth understanding these views and discussions on logic. The concept of philosophical logic started with the arrival of great philosopher Aristotle and it is the learning of arguments and reasoning. Aristotle’s six main works on logic is named as â€Å"Organon† in the Greek terminology. These were the first formal achievement on the subject of logics throughout the human history. In the modern age, modern logicians have proved falsification of some of Aristotle logical concepts. On the contrary the main focus of Aristotle’s logic was to investigate the working dynamics of inferential systems so as to provide a solution for argumentation. The philosophical perspective of different philosophers regarding the credibility of logic differs excessively. Some philosophers were of the idea that logic is gateway to reality while some other argued on this and they just keep logic to human endeavor for finding a truth, some other explained the gap between logic and reality as the flaw of human limitation, while some explained th is gap understanding as a function that only God’s domain. Logic went through different ages, and several modification and up gradation. Different philosophers contributed in

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Does urea formation have a feedback inhibition mechanism Explain the why or why not - Essay Example Carbomyl phosphate synthase I acts as the rate limiting enzyme in urea cycle. N-acetylglutamate allosterically activates it thus lowering its Km for protein synthesis. Carbomyl Phosphate Synthase I binds with the primary ATP molecule and converts into a vigorous conformation. It then changes into a second form by binding with N-acetylglutamate thus enhancing its own ATP affinity. As a result, a phosphate group is transferred from a subsequent ATP to the enzyme bound carbamate. This changes the carbamate to carbomyl phosphate. This happens according to the Rubio-Britton-Grisolia model. Hence, it is seen that hepatic N-acetylglutamate controls the rate of protein synthesis in the urea cycle, by regulating its rate-limiting enzyme allosterically (Das 475). Arginine does not cause feedback inhibition of Carbomyl PS-1 or OTC but stimulates the activity of acetylglutamate synthetase. However, according to Snodgrass (67), â€Å"in bacteria and fungi, arginine inhibits conversion of glutamate to acetylglutamate†. Also, only at high concentration levels, orthinine transcarbomylase and argininosuccinate synthase undergo feedback inhibition mechanism by citrulline and argininosuccinate, which are their respective

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Marshall McLuhans Theory Essay How might Marshall McLuhans theory of hot and cold media be used to explain the surge of interest in mobile technology, especially text and picture messaging? Any invention or technology is an extension or self-amputation of our physical bodies, and such extension also demands new ratios or new equilibriums among the other organs and extensions of the body, Marshall McLuhan in Understanding Media (1964, p43). A comment which has possibly never been truer than when understood with regard to a mobile phone. McLuhans theories have recently been given new life with the onset of the Internet; however, they can also be usefully applied to the massive explosion of mobile technology. Given it is a medium which some may consider to be cool; its impact on society has been immeasurable. In todays society it is difficult to meet a person between the ages of fifteen and fifty who do not own a mobile phone. Like televisions, it is the electronic accessory of the moment and it is advancing fast. Only five years ago text messaging was in its infancy and not all phones offered it; picture messaging was unheard of. Nowadays picture messaging is very much here and already the technology has moved towards video messaging. Some mobile phones would be more accurately described as hand held computers as the telephony is only a fraction of its capabilities and often not even its main function. As with most mobile phones the main function consumers use is text messaging. According to McLuhan in Understanding Media (1964) the advent of a hot explosive medium can cause drastic changes to politics and society. This can be seen in the effects that such technology has had on not only the telephone but the way people communicate in day to day life. However, when contrasted with a hot medium such as television or cinema, text and picture messaging are comparatively cool. They provide far less information and demand more participation from the receiver to fill in the gaps. Pictures received in messages are only small and very symbolic rather than detailed. There is also only limited space for text and language is often limited to abbreviations and annotation. Of course when compared to the standard telephone, mobile technology is considerably hotter, however, in order to stay within McLuhans theory, and for the medium to cause such a change in society, one would assume that the medium itself would need to be hotter. Such a change could be better explained and explored by the theories of Roland Barthes, particularly his writings on myths and semiotics. In a collection of articles entitled Mythologies (1973) Barthes explores practical objects and their cultural meanings. Examining such objects as cars and haircuts he scrutinizes the signifiers and signs that they contain. Barthes begins by making explicit the meanings of apparently neutral objects and then moves on to consider the social and historical conditions they obscure (McNeill 1996). He examined cars, comparing them to Gothic cathedrals, due to their uses over and above their basic functions. Cars carry status and tell a lot about the person who owns them (Barthes 1973). Such meanings can also easily be drawn from mobile phones. Far more useful than assessing whether or not they are hot or cold, deeper more analytical conclusions can be derived from Barthes methods. By examining the semiotics of the medium its position in society and cultu re and its effects could be estimated. In Mythologies (1973) he argued that myth was a mode of signification. He argued that in myth, the link between the signifier and the signified was motivatedso that a culturally constructed sign becomes a signifier, thus allowing what is signified to become naturalised (Hartley 2002). Hartley goes on to apply this theory to brand named sports wear and their attached meanings. Such an application could be used with mobile technology as not only are there many different mobile phones with different functions but many different brands. Nokia, in particular, as the apparently leading brand, has different model phones which contain different signifiers. Some appear fun and contain lots of features and gadgets; others appear sophisticated and look sleek and small. Others exist for practical purposes for uses who are less taken by mobile phone culture. Given the huge range of choice on offer, not just by Nokia but all brands, the decision of which phone to purchase is an active one which takes serious contemplation. More can be said for a person who uses pictu re messaging. Society has not quite reached a stage where its considered a necessity like text messaging so those who do use it are those who are particularly interested in the culture. More so as these phones and messages cost more it signifies how much money a person has or at least how they prioritise their spending. More meanings could be drawn from how often a person uses their phone and how many different people they know who can accept picture messages. Barthes also wrote about Text itself and its semiotics, arguing that words are strong and can be used as political weapons, as they have been in post World War II politics. He charts the beginning of the moment of the text as 1968 (Hartley 2002). This seems to have affected the whole of society as people now talk to each other less, preferring to e-mail or send text or picture messages. McLuhan has commented on discourse and text. According to a website called Marshall McLuhan: spinning the web of the future, accessed 13/12/03 specifically, McLuhan feels that the best way to convey information between two people is to maximize the use of the senses[therefore] ancient oral civilizations appeared to have the greatest and most clear form of communication. That is not the written word, but the spoken. This has, however, been criticised by Miller (1971) who disagrees with this assumption because he feels that humanity has evolved with technology and that this is not necessarily a bad thin g. The reality is that further technological advances have given humanity the ability to communicate using mediums that are essentially extensions of the spoken word. McLuhan expressed concern over the effects of technology and its result in the loss of human identity, although he did not see it as a bad thing, it was something to be maintained and supervised. His concerns could be justified, however, in that nowadays people talk to each other less, preferring to communicate by the written, or typed, word. Concern should probably not to be so extreme as to fear the breakdown of society but it has seriously affected how we communicate and what we now spend our money on. According to McLuhan in Understanding Media (1964) intense, hot media needs to be cooled off by our senses before it can be assimilated. Possibly then the appeal of the text and picture message is that they are easier to take in on a sensory level. They are quick, take only seconds to read and write and enough time is given to process the information between each message and response. Radio and cinema act as an assault on the senses demanding that attention be paid in order to take it all in, although fewer gaps need to be filled. In two-way communication, however, it allows the user time to consider their response and therefore reduces the risk of saying something which one may regret later. If we put together the two theories of McLuhan and Barthes it is possible to achieve composite critique of the phenomenon of mobile technology. Although much of what was written by, particularly McLuhan, has been excessively criticised, some disregard it all together, he makes some points which are useful when examining this area of contemporary media and technology. Using McLuhan to explore the more technical aspects of text and picture messaging, suggesting why it may be so popular. Due to its being hotter than a normal telephone it is likely to be the next step in technology and its convenience makes it so popular. Also fact that it is cooler than other direct forms of media and allows more time and less information for the brain to process ensures it is easier on our senses. Its very presence has caused an upheaval in our society and we have taken the next cultural and technological step in our ever progressing development. Barthes, on the other hand, we can look to for inspiration in analysing the cultural aspects of such communication technology and what it means. Using his methodology of examining mobile phones for signs and signifiers many conclusions can be drawn. As phones differ widely in style and in what features they contain each person can be judged on the phone they own, or the phone they wished they owned. Someone who has a phone that looks good, rather than containing many features is clearly saying something about the way in which they want to present themselves. Furthermore, a person who cares less about how the phone looks and more about what it does suggests something else. Most phones which contain more features, particularly a camera are usually larger and look less neat than those with fewer features. Phones that can be used to record short pieces of film or watch videos on are bigger still yet there are already people who own them. Such people may be looking for a phone with more f unctional value, as well as their having an interest in gadgets. That said, however, we can assume they gain intrinsic pleasure from showing a person what their, apparently less attractive, phone can do. We could also assume that such people wish to be ahead of technology and enjoy being one of the first to own such items. Near enough all young people own mobile phones and few would deny that they gain pleasure and enjoyment from them. Texting has become a common, everyday form of communication; one that did not exist during the lifetimes of Marshall McLuhan or Roland Barthes and it can be assumed that neither would have anticipated this surge in technology. Both would express concern at its immense popularity as it risks people becoming less sociable and having less actual conversation. Another side to that argument, however, could be that it increases human interaction, it just takes place in a different way. People can now contact their family, friends and acquaintances much easier and faster. To send a text message to say hello is far quicker and easier than making a phone call which could result in lengthy conversation. Whereas once a person may have decided against the phone call for that reason they will now send a text message. It is probably safe to say that, given that human beings are an inn ately social species, and indulge in conversation for pleasurable as well as functional purposes that if what they desire is a conversation then that will be sought above a text message. It is hard to predict where society and culture will go with this ever increasing technological development. In the next year or so we can assume that videophone will become much more popular and that mobile phones will continue to develop into small computers than phones. Living in a century where convenience is emphasised and encouraged and our lives are busier it is likely that less face to face interaction will take place however with the help of the mobile phone we can avoid losing contact altogether.