Kidney Stones ( Renal Lithiasis ) - 949 Words

Kidney stones (renal lithiasis) are small hard deposits,made of mineral and acid salts, that form inside your kidneys. Kidney stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, and minerals crystallize and bind together. Usually the chemical balance in urine prevents the crystals from forming. If the crystals stay small , they will pass out of the body through the urine. This is not always the case for everyone,so some people form stones. A common variety of stone contains calcium plus other chemicals which is a part of our regular diet and are important parts of the body,like bones and muscles. What causes kidney stones Kidney stones can be caused by dehydration, urinary tract infections, kidney disorders and certain metabolic disorders such as over active thyroid glands. Developing stones may also be hereditary. Indinavir, a medicine used to treat HIV infection, can also be a factor in the development of kidney stones.Struvite stones can form as a result of a urinary tract infection. High calcium levels in the urine creates crystals of calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate to form in kidneys or in the urinary tract. Stones may also form in individuals who experience chronic inflammation of the bowel or have had an intestinal bypass, or ostomy surgery. People with a history of forming calcium oxalate stones are usually advised to limit or eliminate high-oxalate foods which include rhubarb,spinach,beets,swiss chard,wheat germ,soybean crackers,peanuts,okra,chocolate,blackShow MoreRelatedUrinary Tablets And Urinary Tract Stone Disease1282 Words   |  6 Pagesafflicted by urinary stones (Urolithiasis) since centuries, and it is proven to be an important cause of renal failure. Even in the 4th century B.C., Hippocrates noted the presence of the renal stone together with renal abscess and he has mentioned that in his Hippocratic oath â€Å"I will not cut, even for stone, but leave such procedures to the practitioners of the craft.† A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals

Investor Ratio Analysis Free Essays

Investor Ratios There are various ratios that are designed to help investors who hold shares in a company to assess the returns on their investment. These are: Dividend per Share The dividend per share ratio relates the dividends pertaining to an accounting period to the amount of shares in issue during the period. The ratio is given as follows: Dividend per share = Dividends pertaining to a period Number of shares in issue The ratio provides an indication of the cash return a shareholder receives from holding shares in a company. We will write a custom essay sample on Investor Ratio Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although it is a useful measure, it must be remembered that the dividend received will usually only represent a partial measure of the return to an investor. Dividends are usually only a portion of the earnings generated by the firm and available to shareholders. A business may decide to plough back some of its earnings back into the business in order to achieve future growth. These ploughed back profits belong to the shareholders and should in principle increase the value of the shares. Thus w h e n assessing the total return to an investor we must look at both the dividends received and any movement in the share price. The dividend per share for Alexis Ltd is given as follows: Page 1 of 5 Dividends per share can vary considerably between companies. A number of factors will influence the amount that a company is willing or able to issue in the form of dividends to shareholders. These factors include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The profit available for distribution to investors The future expenditure commitments of the company The expectations of shareholders concerning the level of dividend payment The cash available for dividend distribution Comparing the dividends per share between companies is not always useful as there may be differences between the nominal value of the shares issued. It may be more useful to monitor the trend in dividends per share over a period of time. Dividend Yield Ratio This ratio relates the cash return from a share to its current market value and is given as follows: Dividend Yield Ratio = Dividend per Share Market Value of a Share * 100 1 The ratio for Alexis pic is given as follows: Page 2 of 5 In essence this ratio measures the real rate of return on a share. Investors can compare the returns from a company’s shares to the returns that could be earned by investing either in another company or by investing in another form of investment. Dividend Cover Dividend cover (for ordinary shares) looks at how many time a firm’s profits (after interest, lax and preference dividends) cover the ordinary dividends. Dividend Cover = Profit after interest, tax and Pref Share Dividends Ordinary Share Dividends For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: Interpretation: Alexis plc profits covers ordinary dividends 3. 96times. Dividend cover is calculated using the profit after interest and tax figure because banks, government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the profits of the firm. This ratio is of particular interest to ordinary shareholders. Earnings per share The earnings per share relate’s the earnings generated by the company during a period and available to shareholders to the number or snares in issue. For ordinary shareholders the amount available will be net profit after interest, tax and preference dividends because banks, the government and preference shareholders have a preferential claim on the profits of the firm. Page 3 of 5 Earnings per share = Earnings available to ordinary shareholders Number of ordinary- shares in issue For Alexis plc this ratio is calculated as follows: The EPS is regarded by many investment analysts as a fundamental measure of share performance. Tracking the EPS over time can help assess the investment potential of the company’s shares. Care must be taken when comparing EPS from different firms as capital structures differ from one firm to the next. Price Earnings (P/E) R a t i o The price earnings ratio relates the market value of a share to the earnings per share. It is calculated a s follows: P/E Ratio = Market value per share Earnings per Share The P/E Ratio for Alexis is calculated as follows: Page 4 of 5 The ratio reveals that the capital value of the share is 9. 4 times higher than its current level of earnings. The ratio is essence is a measure of market confidence in the future of the company. A high P/E ratio means that relative to profits the price of the share is quite high. Why would this be the case? The higher the P/E ratio the greater the confidence in the future earning power of the company i. e. lthough current earnings are low investors expect them to increase in the future and therefore investors are prepared to pay a high price for the share in relation to the current earnings of the share. A low P/E ratio means that the share price is quite low compared to earnings – this implies a pessimistic view of the future. Nobody will be willing to pay a high price for a share in a company that has unexciting trading prospects . Because the P/E ratio gives a guide as to market confidence in a share it can therefore be helpful when comparing different companies although P/E ratios per sector will vary. Page 5 of 5 How to cite Investor Ratio Analysis, Essay examples

Leadership Stratagies For a Changing World

Question: Discuss about the Leadership Stratagies For a Changing World. Answer: Introduction In this study, the main focus is to understand and learn the effective theories and practices of leadership used by Starbucks Company is order to have deep understanding about leadership. Leaders play a very important role in every organization they are the one who shows path to the employees. Leaders are also responsible in achievement of objectives of organizations. In this study, Starbucks Company and its leadership styles will be discussed. Many types of models of leadership will be analyzed used in Starbucks. This study explores about the different styles of leadership used in an organization Starbucks. It is the world famous coffee company whose leader is Howard Schultz. He is the chief executive officer of Starbucks coffee company. It is found that 2003 was the, most prominent year for Starbucks as their company earned a profit of $ 4.1 billion which is almost twice the amount earned by this company in 2000. The company earned $ 265 million in 2000. In 2006, Schultz was ranked as the 354th richest person n the USA with a net worth of over one billion dollars. On the initial stage, Schultz joined Starbucks Company as executive officers in the year 1987 (Van Knippenberg, and Hogg, 2004). Leadership Strategy Leadership strategy refers to the potential of the leaders to communicate the strategic mission and vision of the organization to the employee. In this strategy, the leaders have to motivate and persuade the employees to achieve the organizational goals of the company. There are two brilliant management strategies Howard Schultz used to build the empire of Star bucks coffee. The first strategy is that Schultz recruited some of the top employees and encourages them to set new operations of Starbuck Company. He also helps the employees to push up their ideas and implement them in the functions and operation of the organization. He has hired employees from Microsoft and Disney to manage the Starbuck team. He is a leader who is very open to the new ideas and always entertains new employees in the organisation (Doh, 2003). The other strategy is delegation of poor and authority. In this, the manager and leaders divide the work among the employees and give them responsibility to accomplish the respective tasks. The core elements of a well-developed leadership strategy decision (Dutton, 2012). Talent acquisition- The process of talent acquisition is takes place when Starbucks indentify and acquire most of the skilled and intelligent staff to their organization so that the needs and requirements can meet in future. It is the work performs by the HR of Starbucks whose main focus is to hire the right candidate at a right place and at a right time. For this, they recruit and select only hose candidates who are suitable for the company. They search the employees who are hard working and can cooperate with the talented employees of the Starbucks (Egri, and Herman, 2000). Talent pipeline- The strategies of Starbucks for the pipeline is to acquire employees form diversified culture. They use different ways to hire the employees like online portals, workforce trainings, hiring of youth from summer employement, etc. the motive is to hire right talent in the organization. This company provides opportunities to build a strong relationship at the time of hiring so that he candidates become familiar with the company. Starbucks give training program to the youth people so that they can explore their career options. Many types of leadership workshops are organized by this company to develop leadership quality in the candidates (Detert, and Burris, 2007). Talent sustainability- It refers to the ability of the company to hire, attract and sustain talented employees in the organization. The aim of talent sustainability is to increase the retention ratio of the company; Starbucks is a company which is highly sustainable to their employees. The strategies and policies of this company is to attract group of young and fresh talent in their organization by providing them attractive salary and facilities. They use innovative approaches to hire the candidates that can work for the longer period of time (Vera, and Crossan, 2004). Leadership practices- The leadership practiced in Starbucks is servant leadership. It is one of the most impressing practices as it states that leaders are servants. It is due to the fact that leaders are not the individuals who order, punish and scold the employees. These terms are related to the manger but not to the leaders. A leader is the one who get the work done with motivation and satisfaction of the employees (Waldman, Ramirez, House, and Puranam, 2001). The motive of leadership practice is to develop relations and trust between the employee and the employers. Howard Schultz is one of the most effective leaders of Starbucks as he acts as a bridge between the company and the employees. It is also defined that the Starbucks Company can achieve its five term goals through the effective applicability of business strategy and practices with the leadership styles of Howard Schultz. Leadership practices are relevant for all the organization to maintain a balance between the goals of the organization and the goals of the employees. Leaders are the people who are responsible in achieving these goals by applying those practices (Dent, Higgins, and Wharff, 2005). The Starbucks Business Strategy and its Implications for Leadership Requirements The leadership styles used in Starbucks Company is transformational and democratic style of leadership which helps in easy application of business strategy of the company. Democratic style of leadership is termed as types of leadership in which the leaders allow the employees and staff members to shares the views and opinions of them. In this organization, the views of the employees are taking into the consideration by the managers and the leaders. The employees are allowed to exercise he inputs on the organization. The ultimate decisions are then taken by Howard Schultz as he is the leader of Starbucks company and accountable for each and every step takes place in the company (Gardner, Cogliser, Davis, and Dickens, 2011). The other type of leadership styles used in Starbucks is transformational leadership that is a simple leadership style. It is generally based on the advancement takes place on the higher levels of the motivation and oral of the employees. In this leadership style, the flowers and leaders both are related and bound to each other by the strength present in vision and personality of the leaders like Howard Schultz. The leaders in this style are very passionate and try to leave a positive impact on the followers to gain the trust and respect of their followers (Dent, Higgins, and Wharff, 2005). This type of leadership style is a clear mixture of democratic styles of leadership and autocratic style of leadership. As in this style, the leaders have to influence the followers to achieve the same goals which are an autocratic leadership and at the same time, leaders ask the employees to speak and hare their own opinions that can be contributed to the company (Wang, et.al 2005). The concept of transformational leadership has a great impact on Starbucks as its helps the employees in achieving the business strategies framed by the company. Intellectual Simulation - It helps the employees to face the challenge and also encourage them to show their creativity in the Starbucks so that the employees can come up with fresh talent and use their creativity in Starbucks. Consideration of Individual- The leaders who are transformational in nature lie Schultz provide support and encourage the employees to have effective communication and relation among each other. He believes that there must be an involvement between the flowers and leaders so he listens to the employees, provide them direction, recognize their contribution, etc. (Creswell, 2013) Inspirational motivation- The leaders of Starbucks are very clear with the mission and vision so they are able to communicate them and motivate them to perform better and to achieve companys goal. He tries to inspire the employees so that they can realize their value to the organization and work with more satisfaction (Witziers, Bosker, and Krger, 2003). Idealized Influence- Schultz acts as a role model for all the employees of Starbucks and the employees trust and respect him. It helps the employees to follow the right path and guidance so that they know their responsibilities and roles in the organisation (Srivastava, Bartol, and Locke, 2006). The Implementation of Leadership Styles in the Business Strategies of Starbucks- Schultz Howard uses a combination of business strategies of Starbucks and the leadership styles of adopted by him. The business strategy of Starbucks is to expand the organisation by opening more stores. In order to achieve these business strategies, Howard always use above leadership styles. It is clear that Howard Schultz is a leader whose style of leadership revolves around the inspiration and motivation of the employees of Starbucks. He always tries to grasp the feedbacks of the employees to bring more effectiveness. He also allows advice and encourages the employees through making personal calls and also emails to them. Howard Schultz goals of leadership are through the applicability of empowerment, entrepreneurship, quality of service, performance, etc. In the Starbucks Company, Howard Schultz is a leader who gave opportunity to the employees to make decisions, and also provide them required flexibility so that they can choose their own working hours. It helps to motivate the e mployees to work better. Ultimately, the goals, approach and ideals of Schultz is to make the leadership of Starbucks the most effective force of the company to achieve its business strategy (Gardner, et.al. 2010). Leadership Strategy that Would Support Starbucks to Achieve its Strategic Goals over the Coming 5 years and there Link to the Business Strategy It is observed that recently, Starbucks Company has completed their planning process for the senior leadership team and their new focus is to achieve FY16 plans for the operations. The new priorities of the leaders for the upcoming years are the new goals that will be achieved by allocating the human resource against those desired goals (Chua, and Banerjee, 2013). Some of the new plans framed by the leaders in order to achieve goals are- Elevating the Starbucks Roastry This is one of the new innovations taken places in Starbucks that will help the company to reach to higher levels in the international markets. In this, the pan is to export the roastry to the international markets. Customer Loyalty The main focus of leaders of the company is to achieve the loyalty of the customers for a longer period of time. This can be done when the company delivers goods and services that are liked by all the customers present in the global markets. So, the leaders are making policies so that these goals can be attained (Jean, Normore, and Brooks, 2009). Global Technology With the dynamic environment and technological advancement, it has become very relevant for Starbucks to acquire updates technology in the company. This required training and development of the employees so that they can be aware about the use of the same. Howard Schultz always tries to provide required training to their employees to make them familiar with the latest technology (Piwowar, Becich, Bilofsky, and Crowley, 2008). Recommendations Overall, the report suggests that there should be a mixture of modern styles of leadership as well as traditional methods. Sometimes, there is a requirement of autocratic style of leadership which must be used by Howard Schultz so that he can control the performance of the employees. He must motivate the employees so that leadership qualities can be developed within them and they worked with self motivation and control. The leaders must develop charisma and inspirations in the employees so that in future Starbucks Company can have more leaders and fewer followers (Avolio, and Yammarino, 2013). Conclusion This section is to provide the conclusion to the report and also. It is observed that various types of leadership styles help to achieve the motivation and satisfaction of the employees. It can be clearly highlighted by the leadership style of Schultz. In this study, various types of leadership styles discussed that are used in Starbucks company. Schultz is one of the most effective leaders who act as a bridge between the company and the employees. It is also defined in this report that how the Starbucks company can achieve its five term goals through the effective applicability of business strategy with the leadership styles of Howard Schultz. It is very relevant for all the organization to maintain a balance between the goals of the organization and the goals of the employees. Leaders are the people who are responsible in achieving these goals. Schultz is a leader who uses high understanding of leadership styles in achievement of Starbucks objectives. References Avolio, B.J. and Yammarino, F.J. eds., 2013. Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Emerald Group Publishing. Chua, A.Y. and Banerjee, S., 2013. Customer knowledge management via social media: the case of Starbucks. Journal of Knowledge Management, 17(2), pp.237-249. Creswell, J.W., 2013. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Dent, E.B., Higgins, M.E. and Wharff, D.M., 2005. Spirituality and leadership: An empirical review of definitions, distinctions, and embedded assumptions. The leadership quarterly, 16(5), pp.625-653. Dent, E.B., Higgins, M.E. and Wharff, D.M., 2005. Spirituality and leadership: An empirical review of definitions, distinctions, and embedded assumptions. The leadership quarterly, 16(5), pp.625-653. Detert, J.R. and Burris, E.R., 2007. Leadership behavior and employee voice: Is the door really open?. Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), pp.869-884. Doh, J.P., 2003. Can leadership be taught? Perspectives from management educators. Academy of Management Learning Education, 2(1), pp.54-67. Dutton, C., 2012. Bindis and Blue Jeans, Saris and Starbucks: An Analysis of Identity Among First and Second-Generation Indian Immigrants. Egri, C.P. and Herman, S., 2000. Leadership in the North American environmental sector: Values, leadership styles, and contexts of environmental leaders and their organizations. Academy of Management journal, 43(4), pp.571-604. Gardner, W.L., Cogliser, C.C., Davis, K.M. and Dickens, M.P., 2011. Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), pp.1120-1145. Gardner, W.L., Lowe, K.B., Moss, T.W., Mahoney, K.T. and Cogliser, C.C., 2010. Scholarly leadership of the study of leadership: A review of The Leadership Quarterly's second decade, 20002009. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), pp.922-958. Jean-Marie, G., Normore, A.H. and Brooks, J.S., 2009. Leadership for social justice: Preparing 21st century school leaders for a new social order. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 4(1), pp.1-31. Piwowar, H.A., Becich, M.J., Bilofsky, H. and Crowley, R.S., 2008. Towards a data sharing culture: recommendations for leadership from academic health centers. PLoS Med, 5(9), p.e183. Srivastava, A., Bartol, K.M. and Locke, E.A., 2006. Empowering leadership in management teams: Effects on knowledge sharing, efficacy, and performance. Academy of management journal, 49(6), pp.1239-1251. Van Knippenberg, D. and Hogg, M.A. eds., 2004. Leadership and power: Identity processes in groups and organizations. Sage. Vera, D. and Crossan, M., 2004. Strategic leadership and organizational learning. Academy of management review, 29(2), pp.222-240. Waldman, D.A., Ramirez, G.G., House, R.J. and Puranam, P., 2001. Does leadership matter? CEO leadership attributes and profitability under conditions of perceived environmental uncertainty. Academy of management journal, 44(1), pp.134-143. Wang, H., Law, K.S., Hackett, R.D., Wang, D. and Chen, Z.X., 2005. Leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Academy of management Journal, 48(3), pp.420-432. Witziers, B., Bosker, R.J. and Krger, M.L., 2003. Educational leadership and student achievement: The elusive search for an association. Educational administration quarterly, 39(3), pp.398-425.

Privatization in India free essay sample

Ram Mohan Visiting Faculty, Finance and Accounting Area Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India Abstract The proposed research is intended to survey the process of privatization in India and assess its impact on the Indian economy. The central issue we will address is the impact of privatization that has taken place so far on profitability and performance of PSUs. Going beyond this, we will attempt to understand what explains the impact of privatization on performance. Is it the use of market power by oligopolistic firms whose pricing power had been constrained under government ownership ? Is performance bought at the expense of labour through extensive layoffs so that what we see is essentially a transfer from workers to shareholders ? Or are we confusing the impact of privatization with the more generalised impact of deregulation in the economy, which in itself could spur efficiency ? The research output will comprise the following: 1. A survey of the literature on privatization, particularly with respect to less developed countries. We will write a custom essay sample on Privatization in India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. A review of the role of the public sector in the Indian economy, and the process of economic liberalization and privatization in India upto this point. 3. Impact of privatization on firm performance. 4. Explanation for the impact of privatization 5. Assessment of mechanisms of corporate governance in India. -2- I. Background: privatization in theory and practice A great wave of privatization has swept the world in the past two decades, embracing the industrial economies, the transition economies of East Europe and large parts of the less developed world, and it continues to roll on. It is interesting, however, that its basis in theory was somewhat shaky to start with. Moreover, a sizable enough body of empirical evidence, on which hypotheses about its impact could be tested, became available only several years down the road. So much of the initial impetus to privatization entailed a leap in faith, and, as happens all too often in the development of knowledge, attempts to explain its impact have followed on the heels of widespread existing practice. Privatization In india free essay sample Privatisation, also spelled privatization, may have several meanings. Primarily, it is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service, or public property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector, either to a business that operates for a profit or to a nonprofit organization. It may also mean government outsourcing of services or functions to private firms, e. g. revenue collection, law enforcement, and prison management. Privatization has also been used to describe two unrelated transactions. The first is the buying of all outstanding shares of a publicly traded company by a single entity, making the company privately owned. This is often described as private equity. The second is a demutualization of a mutual organization or cooperative to form a joint-stock company ? Definition of Privatization 1) The transfer of ownership of property or businesses from a government to a privately owned entity. 2) The transition from a publicly traded and owned company to a company which is privately owned and no longer trades publicly on a stock exchange. We will write a custom essay sample on Privatization In india or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When a publicly traded company becomes private, investors can no longer purchase a stake in that company. 3)The process in which a publicly-traded company is taken over by a few people is also called privatization. The stock of the company is no longer traded in the stock market and the general public is barred from holding stake in such a company. EXAMPLE: If an individual or organization purchases all the stock in a publicly-traded company, that effectively makes it private, so that process is sometimes described as privatization. However, in contrast to the primary understanding of privatization, the company in question is in the private sector to begin with and remains there. Features of Privatization Espousing market principles by public policy makers has evolved as one of the prominent characteristics of the contemporary public enterprise management which encompasses privatization as a primary facet. Privatization of State- owned enterprises has developed as a critical tool for economic policies pertaining to progress and development of developing countries. One of the prominent feature of privatization is the enhanced competitive characteristics it provides to the enterprises which prove to be fruitful for the business as well as the country. However, privatization contracts are greatly influenced by merger variables and even global issues and are structured on the basis of manipulation of the government and the private players along with the administering jurisdiction.

Making Money from Farm Magazines

Making Money from Farm Magazines After publishing an article in  N.D. REC  magazine about  Toy Farmer  magazine, the TF editor asked if I would write for them. I said no; I knew green was John Deere equipment and red was International Harvester, but I knew almost nothing about farm toys. â€Å"Doesn’t matter,† editor Cathy Scheibe said. â€Å"Just be accurate.† Just be accurate! Of course! Accuracy is the hallmark of any article if you want to get it published and make money at writing. She named two collectors within ten minutes of me. How could I refuse? Thus began a working relationship that morphed into writing for a dozen other farm-related magazines, relationships which continue today, thirty years later, half my writing income every month, at ten cents a word to $350 an article, depending on which magazine, pay-on-publication. Writing for  Toy Farmer  at that time required photo sessions at farm homes of collections of thirty to a thousand toy tractors, combines, plows, and other miniature equipment, ranging from about 1.5 inches long to 18 inches long. Or toy trucks, which led to articles in  Toy Trucker Contractormagazine. Invariably after the session farmers would say, â€Å"Let me show you my other toys,â€Å" leading me to a Quonset filled with a dozen or two or more, real, big, tractors. Another opportunity, which led to articles in magazines featuring the big tractors:  Red Power, Green Magazine, Polk‘s Antique Tractor Magazine, Antique Power, Steam Traction, Farm Show, Farm Times, and  Farm Ranch Living. But the real steady money-makers were Gas Engine (68 articles, and counting,)  Farm Collector, (233 articles, and counting,) and the granddaddy of them all,  Toy Farmer  (293 articles, and counting.) As well as seven books about farm toys and tractors. The key to success at selling to these markets is threefold: 1. Finding the collectorsnot as difficult as it seems. Rather than going from farm to farm as I used to, now the simplest way is attending thresher shows or toy shows, held all over the U.S. Or finding neighbors or friends who collect. 2. Taking publishable pictures of collections at the shows, and if possible, getting the telephone numbers of collectorsnot always easy as they are often busy elsewhere in the show. These photos alone, or plus a quick chat with a collector at the show, if possible, is your research for your query letter to the magazines. Sometimes the pictures you take don’t become an articlethe life of a writer. Right now I have 59 sets of photostaken at a series of shows ready to query to my regular magazine editors. Judging Collectors often help with photos; for example, with my latest piece with Farm Collector, the interviewee revealed he owned a very rare tractor he hadn’t had at the show. He provided photos. 3. Set up telephone interviews. You’ll discover farm collectors are very passionate about their collections. They often tell great stories you can use: â€Å"As kids, my brother got mad at me, grabbed my cast-iron tractors, and smashed them on the sidewalk one These markets require basic information about the collection and collector, which they are more than willing to give. After you’ve studied a couple of the magazines, give them a try. The field is wide open. Farm Magazines: Farm Collector Magazine,  www.farmcollector.com Farm Show Magazine,  www.farmshow.com Gas Engine,  www.gasenginemagazine.com Green Magazine,  www.greenmagazine.com Red Power Magazine,  www.redpowermagazine.com Toy Farmer Magazine,  www.toyfarmer.com Toy Trucker Contractor Magazine,  www.toytrucker.com

3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors

3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors 3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors 3 More Types of Not Only . . . but Also Errors By Mark Nichol Errors of faulty parallelism in sentences in which â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also† help delineate complementary phrases come in three general categories, as shown, explained, and corrected below. 1. This problem not only relates to accessibility but also to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data. In a simple sentence employing â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also,† a verb that applies to both phrases must precede â€Å"not only†: â€Å"This problem relates not only to accessibility but also to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data.† (Otherwise, the assumption is that a verb distinct from the one following â€Å"not only† will appear after â€Å"not also† in parallel to the first one, as in â€Å"This problem not only relates to accessibility but also applies to completeness, accuracy, and validity of the data.†) 2. This step presents not only a technical change, but introduces risks associated with migrating to the cloud. In this example, parallel verbs should follow the respective setup phrases â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also†: â€Å"This step not only presents a technical change but also introduces risks associated with migrating to the cloud.† (Note, too, the deletion of the comma and the introduction of also.) 3. In this way, the courts have been central, not only to the preservation of American freedom, but also to its expansion. In â€Å"not only . . . but also† constructions, a comma is often inserted before â€Å"but also† (or before but alone when also is not included, as in the example above), but the punctuation mark is unnecessary because what follows it is not an independent clause or a parenthetical phrase. Here, the first comma is correct, the second one (assuming the third is omitted) is defensible for emphasis but is extraneous, and the third is a mistake, as explained in the first sentence in this discussion: â€Å"In this way, the courts have been central not only to the preservation of American freedom but also to its expansion.† Furthermore, the appearance of the second and third commas together is a double error; the inclusion of this pair of punctuation marks erroneously implies that what is contained within is parenthetical. (To test for the validity of the punctuation, view the sentence without the intervening phrase: â€Å"In this way, the courts have been central but also to its expansion† is ungrammatical, so the commas are incorrect.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†A While vs AwhilePreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Principle-based Standards versus Rule-based Standards Essay

Principle-based Standards versus Rule-based Standards - Essay Example Every organization prepares its financial statements following a certain set of accounting principles, these standards are generally principle (McGregor & Street 2007). Accounting policy makers are now emphasizing on the effectiveness of principle based accounting and rule based accounting. The argument of these debates has different perceptions (Bennett, Bradbury & Prangnell 2006). However, accounting is a precise subject based on mathematics and does not have any place for judgments. This paper discusses the statement with respect to arguments on these accounting principles referring conceptual framework. Rule based Accounting emphasizes on the detailed rules that shall be followed by accounting while preparing financial statements (Benston, Bromwich & Wagenhofer 2006). It states that the absence of rules may not provide accurate reporting of financial results. When strict rules are followed the accuracy increases and the possibility of ambiguity decreases. On the other hand, princ iple based accounting as known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles is more focused on the conceptual basis for accountants (Bennett, Bradbury & Prangnell 2006). It is more concerned to ensure good reporting through a set of guidance. Principle-based accounting provides a broad range of guidelines that may be practiced for a variety of circumstances (Collins, Pasewark & Riley 2012). Accountants debate that the application of rule-based and principle-based accounting is as complicated as issues of economics; the dynamic economical conditions are triggering point for accounting circumstances to transform (Benston, Bromwich & Wagenhofer 2006). Therefore, the effectiveness of the application of these rules and principle may remain controversial. Considering the conceptual framework both accounting standards are based on simple mathematics. Treatment of Elements The treatment of the accounting elements is evidenced that the accounting principles are based on simple mathematics (Jo nes 2011). The treatment of assets, equities, liabilities, revenue and expenditures in both rule based and principle based accounting standards is alike. According to the conceptual framework, the objectives and elements of accounting principles are similar (Bennett, Bradbury & Prangnell 2006). Principle-based accounting and Rule-Based accounting have largely same objectives. The qualitative characteristics of both standards are also similar; according to the recent research it has been concluded that GAAP and IFRS follow basic agreements on the qualitative characteristic, that is, Relevance, Understandability, Reliability and Comparability (Collins, Pasewark & Riley 2012). Qualitative Agreement The concept of understandability is also similar in both standards. Principle based accounting and rule based accounting standards emphases that the financial information shall be understandable for users of financial statements (Ampofo & Sellani 2010). Another qualitative agreement, that is relevance, both the standards provide basic agreements on that the financial information should be relevant. If we focus on the treatment of elements in Principle-based accounting and rules based accounting is similar (Agoglia, Timothy & Tsakumis 2011). Consider the treatment of revenue in the both principles is similar (Whittington 2008). The foundation of accounting is based on a formula that is assets are equal to a sum of liabilities and equities (McGregor & Street 2007). No major differences in the treatment of as

Virtual Team Concepts in Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual Team Concepts in Projects - Essay Example As disclosed, the whole project cost AUD $20.5 million. Likewise, the total members in the CCWP were noted to be 45, where all team members were revealed to be full-time employees of the New South Wales Police (NSWP). There was a project manager assigned to oversee and performance of the virtual team and was said to be instrumental to its success. The performance and operation of each team was gauged in terms of managing the following areas: time (or conformity to schedules), cost, quality, human resources, communication, risk, and procurement through specifically identified goals and the ability, competency and efficiency within which challenges and problems were addressed, as well as objectives were successfully attained. Analysis of the Functions undertaken in each Functional Area of Project Management 1. Time Management: Time management concerns started with prescribed schedules and setting of milestones which were explicitly noted to be difficult within the virtual team environm ent. As revealed, â€Å"this was complicated by the large number of subprojects (more than 230) and certain engineering constraints, which required some subprojects to be completed within certain critical time periods† (Kuruppuarachchi, 2009, p. 28). ... The standards for monitoring and performance evaluation were the milestones set, including cash flow statements. As revealed, â€Å"the budget was monitored against time using simple means such as Excel worksheets and graphs showing cumulative values† (Kuruppuarachchi, 2009, p. 28) for the reason that all team members were noted to be familiar with this particular format. 3. Quality Management: This function was considered most challenging to monitor and gauge the actual quality outcome due to the remote locations of the team members. As such, standards to measure quality were based on more traditional and acceptable level by allowing the respective centers to adhere to quality standards and without the need for inspection from the central office. 4. Human Resource Management: There was a virtual team presented where the Project Manager from Sydney headed the project and governs the responsibilities of five center managers. As disclosed, since team members had been familiar wi th the organizational structure, policies, and roles, similar chain of command was therefore applied. 5. Communication Management: This functional area met most challenges in terms of the need to establish proper protocols for reporting on a center basis, as well as on the overall progress of the project. As such, there were clearly identified problems attributed as common to virtual teams, and those that were limited to them. Through the identification of these problems, proper strategies were proposed to resolve and iron out communication patterns, as required for the successful implementation of the project. 6. Risk Management: An overall risk management plan was reported to have been developed prior to the project; which became the conceptual basis for

Purpose of Assessment Essay Example for Free

Purpose of Assessment Essay The primary purpose of assessment is for the learner to provide evidence of learning by demonstrating the understanding of content and achievement of learning outcomes. This gives an insight of their strengths and areas of development. Whereas for teacher, it provides a moment to review their assessment strategies in terms of effectiveness and facilitate progression by giving constructive feedback. It also informs the curriculum board, managers, and relevant staff to evaluate learning programmes for any improvements. Learners are assessed through various stages of learning journey by using variety of methods and strategies. They are usually assessed formatively before or during the course and summatively near or the end of it. Formative assessment provides a continuous source of information about students’ progress, improvement and problems encountered in the learning process. It could be an â€Å"Initial Assessment† to determine prior knowledge or â€Å"Diagnostic Assessment† to find areas of development and strengths. Feedback is an integral part of it. (NCFOT, 1999) said it â€Å"occurs when teachers feed information back to the students in ways that enable the student to learn better, or when students can engage in a similar, self-reflective process†(Principle 4). It has also been supported by several educationists such as Scales (2008 p. 179), Black and William (1998: 17) and Reece and Walker (2007 p. 325). Formative assessments are not graded which allows flexibility to modify and adjust the teaching practices and reflect the needs and progress of learners as well as motivating them. However, formative assessment in its purist form is seldom used (Brookhart, 1999). I feel that teachers should be given training to as â€Å"how† and â€Å"when† to employ it successfully. There are variety of methods by which students are assessed formatively such as Accreditation of prior learning (APL), Observation, Oral Questioning, Discussion, Role play, Case study, Essays, Projects, Assignments, MCQs etc. which when used in combination has proven effective in measuring a variety of complex learning outcomes (Reece and Walker, 2007, p. 326) It is useful for development of â€Å"Cognitive†, â€Å"Psychomotor† and â€Å"Affective Domains† of learning as explained in Bloom’s Taxonomy and could assess higher order skills of these domains. Some teachers are predominantly concerned with cognitive learning with some use of psychomotor skills but affective learning can be a useful tool in changing attitudes i. e. gender, culture etc. even if it’s not a requirement of a course. Summative Assessment happens at the end of the course, unit etc. and is for grading and decision purpose. It is used for informing employers, institutions etc. about learner’s overall performance. It does not however, give information about detailed abilities of learner and there is no feedback so it is debated for its complete reliability and validity. (Scales, 2008 and Rust, 2002). Learners are assessed summatively mostly by Examination, Assignments, Portfolios, and Essays. They develop the skill levels of ‘cognitive and psychomotor domains’ depending on how effectively they are set out and the type of course. ‘MCQs’ and ‘Viva’ for instance can provide better coverage of syllabus as well as assessment of deeper knowledge whereas essays does not serve the same purpose but assess higher levels of cognitive domain i. e. synthesis and evaluation. Feedback is an important element of assessment and is directly related to motivation. In order to accelerate learning process it has to be timely, positive and constructive. â€Å"Maslow’s hierarchy makes us think about the total experience.. From physiological factors. to relationships (do we give positive regard and development feedback? ) to self-esteem needs (‘I’m no good ’), his hierarchy provides a useful device to help us understand learning and motivation(Scales, 2008 p. 72). We need to keep records to track and monitor the progress of our learners. They are many different types of internal, external and formal and informal records. Internal records include mark books, matrix, learner progress sheets/ reviews and results of mock tests. In ESOL, we keep records of Initial interview, Initial assessment, spiky profile, ILPs, Diagnostic assessment, Formative assessment, observation reports, feedback reports, peer/self assessments and Summative assessments to assess the progress of learners and efficacy of programme and teaching. The external records include all the evidence in form of written work or internal verification to sent to external bodies i. e. exam board, auditing bodies, other educational organisations, support staff, etc.

The Importance of Diagnosing and Treating Inmates With Mental Illness

In the early and mid 1900’s the U.S went through a period know as deinstitutionalization, where patients in mental facilities were reintroduced into society. This action was sparked by the introduction of antipsychotic drugs and the lack of funding to house and maintain mentally ill patients. This was to help not only the financial restraints of the government but to help each of the patients within the facilities by giving them the ability to live a fulfilling life without confinement. In the last few decades changes in the United States judicial system such as mandatory prison sen ¬tences, longer prison terms, and more restrictive release policies have lead to an exponential increase in the number of inmates located within the jails and prisons. Currently, there are more than two million individuals incarcerated in the United States. Psychiatric illnesses within correctional populations are excessively higher compared with the general population. Currently more than half o f all in ¬mates have a diagnosis of a mental illness. Correctional facilities are legally obligated to diagnosis and treat the medical and mental health needs of the individuals committed to them. As a result, more psychologists and psychiatrists are practicing in jails and prisons. While the act of deinstitutionalization was to help people with mental illness live fulfilling lives it seems to have made a full circle back to institutionalization. This paper will discuss the view points of how the current system is inadequate in all areas and must have a complete overhaul so that mentally ill prisoners are not lost in the system, how the current U.S prison system adequately diagnosis and treats prisoners suffering from mental illness, and how the current system is... ...on is underdeveloped, funding for correctional facilities to house, diagnose, and treat inmates with mental illness is lacking, and finally the ratio of psychologists to inmates is such that there is a definite need for incentives so that psychologists are willing to work in such facilities. Works Cited Burns, K. (2011, February). Psychiatry behind bars: Practicing in jails and prisons. Current Psychiatry, 10(2), 15-20. Retrieved from http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/pdf/1002/1002CP_Article1.pdf Lamb, H. R. (2009, January). Reversing criminalization [Editorial]. American Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 8-10. Retrieved from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/short/166/1/8 NCCHC (2008, August). Managing mentally ill inmates in prisons. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(8), 913-927 . Retrieved from http://cjb.sagepub.com/content/35/8/913.short#cited-by

Oedipus

Mr.. Lenitive You will write an essay, on one of the topics below. Your essay will Include at least three examples (quotations) from the play to support your thesis. Please follow PAP format guidelines: typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8. 5†³ x 1 1 with 1†³ margins on all sides. Please use Times New Roman font. All essays will be uploaded on turning. Com. Any essay not uploaded on this site will not be graded. Paper copies of your essay will be due on Monday, March 19.This essay will be worth 50 points. I know you all will do well. Get to writing scholars! Option #1 – Fate Many of the characters In Sophocles' plays seem to have a desire to break free from the control of the fate the gods have determined for them. Based on what you have read in Antigens, what is Sophocles trying to teach his audience about a humans ability to control his/her fate? In doing so, analyze how the characters behave as a result of knowing what their destinies will be.What are t he effects of discovering their destinies? Option #2 – Conscience vs.. Society Characters In the play must choose between following what society says is the right hint to do and following what they believe In their hearts to be the right thing to do. Often, choosing to follow the conscience Is the more difficult road to walk. In Antigens, Identify the difficult choices the characters make and analyze the effects that these choices have on the characters' lives.Option #3 – Tragic Hero Aristotle identifies the tragic hero as a character who falls from a lofty position because of a tragic flaw (hamster)–normally that flaw is pride (hubris). Identify the tragic hero in Antigens. Analyze the scenes in which the character displays pride and identify the effects that this pride has on the character's life. How could his/her life have been different If he/she had behaved In a less prideful manner?Introduction 110 Should include a hook, connector (including author and ti tle), and thesis statement Body 10 Should answer the prompt directly and completely with organized paragraphs Evidence 10 Specific quotes and paraphrases of events should be used as support to answer the prompt Conclusion 110 Restates what was proved and provides a final thought Follows Directions 15 Correct font, font size, etc. Grammar/Mechanics/Spelling 15 Total 50 Oedipus Realism and Naturalism (Literary Genres) Realism Is an attempt to reproduce faithfully the surface appearance of life, especially that of ordinary people In everyday situations. As a literary term, realism has two meanings: in general, realism refers to the representation of characters, events, and settings in ways that the spectator will consider plausible. The setting is common and the characters are consistent, recognizable types. What happens in the narrative should be the kind of thing that happens In real life.Historically, Realism (usually capitalized) refers to a movement In 19th century European and American literature and theatre that rejected the Idealism, elitism, and romanticism of earlier verse dramas and prose fiction in an attempt to represent life truthfully. Realist literature customarily focused on the middle class (and occasionally the working class) rather than the aristocracy, and it invoked social customs and economic detail to create an accurate description of ordinary human behavior. Naturalism Is a school of fiction and drama In which the characters are presented as rodents or victims of environment and heredity.Influenced by evolutionary theory, naturalism portrays human beings as natural creatures set apart from other animals only by virtue of their intelligence. Society is a veneer of civility under which simmer ruling urges of fear, lust, and acquisitiveness. No supernatural entities appear, and the world runs on an unforgiving natural law of cause and effect, the strong preying upon the weak. Plots move forward through the conflict of inner motive and outward circumstance, with characters thrown Into social and economic milieus that more or sees fall to meet their preemptively needs.Naturalism was formally developed by French novelist Mile Cola in the sass. In naturalism, events should be reproduced with sufficient exactness to demonstrate the strict laws of material causality. Important America Naturalists writing fiction include : Jack London, Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, Theodore Dresser. Theodore Dresser Sister Carrie An American Tragedy Charles Dickens Great Expectations Oliver Twist Gustavo Flutter George Kissing Stephen Crane Frank Norris Mile Cola A Sentimental Education New Grub StreetMaggie: A Girl of the Streets and Other stories (All of it) Macerate Nana As you read, concentrate on the manners in which your chosen authors employ the traits of Realism and Naturalism in their works. Annotation and marking of significant passages as they pertain to character/motivation/setting/symbolism/metaphor, etc, would be advised. Upon your return to school following summer break, you will be met with an Nicolas essay assignment based upon your reading/comprehension/facility with Realism and Naturalism as they pertain to the novels chosen for summer reading. Oedipus Every human being makes choices, but what leads us to make our choices? Some may believe that everything In life Is predetermined by God. Predestination is the belief that whatever will happen in your future is already fixed. However others may believe that everything is a matter of free will. Belief in Free will is the belief that your own choices lead you to your destiny. In Oedipus Rexes the idea of predestination is the most important theme of the play.The main Characters Oedipus,Coast and Alias all try to escape their destiny and take taters Into their own hands but do not escape from their fate. Oedipus speaks to the people of Thebes from his palace and tells them that there Is nothing he can't do to save his city. He asks for the person who committed the crime to come forward. â€Å"Only banishment will be his punishment† (Page 31). When no one comes forward, Oedipus calls the prophet Eateries in hope that he will disclose what he knows of the murder. The prophet is rel uctant to tell the King what he knows.Oedipus responds, â€Å"What? Something you know, and will not tell? You mean to fall us and to see your city perish? † (Page 35). Eateries Informs the King that It is better not to know. Oedipus will not take that as an answer so. He continues to threats the prophet until finally, Eateries says, â€Å"Then hear this: upon your head is the ban your lips have uttered – from this day forth never speak to me or any here. You are the cursed polluter of this land† (Page 35). Oedipus believes that he is playing a trick and rejects Eateries' testimony and begins to place the blame on Croon.Eateries replies, â€Å"Not Croon either. Your enemy Is yourself' (Page 36). Nevertheless, Oedipus has been doomed with fate and nothing he could have done would change his destiny. An example in the story that supports the idea of predestination is when Eateries identifies the murderer of Alias as Oedipus. Also Eateries foreshadows when saying, â€Å"A revelation that will fail to please. A blind man who has eyes now; a penniless man, who is rich now. â€Å". This prophecy is saying that in the future there will be a man that is blind and poor, opposite of what he is now. He Is talking about Oedipus.The plot of the story leads up to show also that when Oedipus tries to run away from his prophecy, he actually runs Into It. No matter what Oedipus does, he can't escape his fate. His actions don't alter the outcome of his fate; they just alter the way in which the predestination occurs. Oedipus, after discovering his dead mother and could no longer bear what he had done, he blinded himself. â€Å"Her dress was pinned with golden broaches, which the king snatched out and thrust, from full arm's length, into his eyes – eyes that should e no longer his shame, his guilt. (Page 61) The blind Oedipus demands Croon, now king of Thebes, to banish him from his city, as he had earlier demanded be Oedipus had no idea this woul d be directed to him. It therefore proves that no matter what you do, there is no way to change your destiny once the gods have decided it. Oedipus' fate was determined, not by him, but by an unknown force. He and his family understood this by the end of the play, with these words being said, â€Å"Chance rules our lives, and the future is unknown† (Page 52).It has been discussed how fate plays an important role in the lives and actions of King Oedipus. Evidence of predestined events can be found, beginning with the oracle's promise of the demise of Oedipus' father and the marrying of his mother, to Eateries' prediction of a blind and exiled man. All his life, try as he may to run away from his fate, Oedipus ended up running right into it. Oedipus realizes that, in the end, he could do nothing to change the course of the fateful events that made up his life.

Success Notes

What is my definition success? Living life to the fullest Achieving small goals in life One’s life is in full balance Not feeling stressed and overwhelmed in life Following my dreams Being in control of my future Having college education Having a careerHaving great friends  the continuous state of action that you have to perform to meet your goals To me success means setting up a goal, and then putting your complete energy towards attaining it. If you can do it all, then the feeling of satisfaction with your effort is what I feel defines the state of bliss – for me that feeling of contentment within myself is Success. What does success means to me?What success means for me? Well success to me means an achievement in life or to do well at. Some of my goals that will lead to my success will have to start with going back to school and getting a degree in a field that I never thought possible. That was my first goal to get into college and now that I have achieved that go al, I see nothing but success in the future. When I get done and I get my bachelor degree, who knows the success I could endurance / achieve.Health, Money, Education Have opportunities to be successful Prosperity and success (ideals)

Free Essays on Heaven Awaits

Nike Inc. Essay written by: Projectzach34 The topic that I have chosen to do a research project on is Nike Inc. I chose to do my research on Nike because I am for one, very much interested in Nike, and secondly I am very interested in Nike’s clothing, shoes, and accessory line. Basketball players â€Å"wanna be like Mike†, but shoe companies â€Å"wanna be like NIKE.† NIKE is the worlds #1 company and controls more than 40% of the US athletic shoe market. The company designs and sells shoes for just about every sport, including baseball, volleyball, cheerleading, and wrestling. NIKE also sells Cole Haan dress and casual shoes and a line of athletic wear and equipment, such as hockey sticks, skates, and timepieces. In addition, it operates NIKETOWN shoe and sportswear stores and is opening JORDAN in store outlets in suburban markets. NIKE sells its product to about 19,000 US accountants, in about 140 other countries, and online. Chairman, CEO, and co-founder Phil Knight owns. Nike Co. is very interesting, as well is a popular brand. Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian pantheon, in Olympia. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over history’s earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, â€Å"When we go to battle, and win, we say it is NIKE.† Synonymous with honored conquest; NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world’s greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE â€Å"swoosh† embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. Among artistic representations of Nike are the sculpture by Paeonius (c. 424 BC) and the â€Å"Nike of Samothrace.† Rhodians probably erected the latter, discovered on Samothrace in 1863 and now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, about 203 BC to commemorate a sea b... Free Essays on Heaven Awaits Free Essays on Heaven Awaits Nike Inc. Essay written by: Projectzach34 The topic that I have chosen to do a research project on is Nike Inc. I chose to do my research on Nike because I am for one, very much interested in Nike, and secondly I am very interested in Nike’s clothing, shoes, and accessory line. Basketball players â€Å"wanna be like Mike†, but shoe companies â€Å"wanna be like NIKE.† NIKE is the worlds #1 company and controls more than 40% of the US athletic shoe market. The company designs and sells shoes for just about every sport, including baseball, volleyball, cheerleading, and wrestling. NIKE also sells Cole Haan dress and casual shoes and a line of athletic wear and equipment, such as hockey sticks, skates, and timepieces. In addition, it operates NIKETOWN shoe and sportswear stores and is opening JORDAN in store outlets in suburban markets. NIKE sells its product to about 19,000 US accountants, in about 140 other countries, and online. Chairman, CEO, and co-founder Phil Knight owns. Nike Co. is very interesting, as well is a popular brand. Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian pantheon, in Olympia. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over history’s earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, â€Å"When we go to battle, and win, we say it is NIKE.† Synonymous with honored conquest; NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world’s greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE â€Å"swoosh† embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. Among artistic representations of Nike are the sculpture by Paeonius (c. 424 BC) and the â€Å"Nike of Samothrace.† Rhodians probably erected the latter, discovered on Samothrace in 1863 and now in the Louvre Museum, Paris, about 203 BC to commemorate a sea b...

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield   Overview Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, known as â€Å"The Black Swan,† was considered the most well-known African-American concert performer of the 19th Century. African-American music historian James M. Trotter lauded Greenfield for her remarkably sweet tones and wide vocal compass. Early Childhood The exact date of Greenfield’s date is unknown yet historians believe it was in 1819. Born Elizabeth Taylor on a plantation in Natchez, Miss., Greenfield moved to Philadelphia in the 1820s with the mistress, Holliday Greenfield. After relocating to Philadelphia and becoming a Quaker, Holliday Greenfield freed her slaves. Greenfield’s parents migrated to Liberia but she stayed behind and lived with her former mistress. The Black Swan Sometime during Greenfield’s childhood, she developed a love of singing. Soon after, she became a vocalist at her local church. Despite a lack of musical training, Greenfield was a self-taught pianist and harpist. With a multi-octave range, Greenfield was able to sing soprano, tenor and bass. By the 1840s, Greenfield began performing at private functions and by 1851, she performed in front of a concert audience. After travelling to Buffalo, New York to see another vocalist perform, Greenfield took the stage. Soon after she received positive reviews in local newspapers who nicknamed her â€Å"African Nightingale† and â€Å"Black Swan.† Albany-based newspaper The Daily Register said, â€Å"the compass of her marvelous voice embraces twenty-seven notes each reaching from the sonorous bass of a baritone to a few notes above even Jenny Lind’s highs.†   Greenfield launched a tour that would make Greenfield the first African-American concert singer to be recognized for her talents. Greenfield was best known for her renditions of music by George Frideric Handel, Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti. In addition, Greenfield sang American standards such as Henry Bishop’s â€Å"Home! Sweet Home!† and Stephen Foster’s â€Å"Old Folks at Home.† Although Greenfield was happy to perform at concert halls such as Metropolitan Hall, it was to all white audiences. As a result, Greenfield felt compelled to perform for African-Americans as well. She often performed benefit concerts for institutions such as the Home of Aged Colored Persons and the Colored Orphan Asylum. Eventually, Greenfield traveled to Europe, touring throughout the United Kingdom. Greenfield’s acclaim was not met without disdain. In 1853, Greenfield was set to perform at Metropolitan Hall when a threat of arson was received. And while touring in England, Greenfield’s manager refused to release funds for her expenses, making it impossible for her stay. Yet Greenfield would not be dissuaded. She appealed to abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe who arranged for patronage in England from the Duchesses of Sutherland, Norfolk and Argyle. Soon after, Greenfield received training from George Smart, a musician with ties to the Royal Family. This relationship worked in Greenfield’s benefit and by 1854, she was performing at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria. Following her return to the United States, Greenfield continued to tour and perform throughout the Civil War. During this time, she made several appearances with prominent African-Americans such as Frederick Douglas and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Greenfield performed for white audiences and also for fundraisers to benefit African-American organizations. In addition to performing, Greenfield worked as a vocal coach, helping up and coming singers such as Thomas J. Bowers and Carrie Thomas. On March 31, 1876, Greenfield died in Philadelphia. Legacy In 1921, entrepreneur Harry Pace established Black Swan Records. The company, which was the first African-American owned record label, was named in honor of Greenfield, who was the first African-American vocalist to achieve international acclaim.

Mobile report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mobile report - Coursework Example (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) PhyÃ'•ically, itÃ'• very Ã'•imilar to the iPhone 3G, much more Ã'•o than the Diamond, complete with Ã'•lim, candybar form factor, a large Ã'•creen dominating the front panel and minimaliÃ'•t controlÃ'•. Compare the phoneÃ'• Ã'•ide by Ã'•ide and youll find that dimenÃ'•ionÃ'• are remarkably Ã'•imilar too, though the Omnia iÃ'• a little Ã'•limmer, narrower and Ã'•horter than the iPhone 3G, at 12.5 x 112 x 56.9mm compared to 12.3 x 115.5 x 62mm. Ð…o how exactly doeÃ'• it Ã'•tack up elÃ'•ewhere? Well, aÃ'• youd expect from a modern WindowÃ'• Ã'•martphone, thereÃ'• a pile of featureÃ'• and many of theÃ'•e appear to match or outÃ'•trip the iPhone 3G equivalent. It haÃ'• a five-megapixel camera on the rear with an LED flaÃ'•h and a VGA video call camera on the front - the iPhoneÃ'• iÃ'• three megapixelÃ'• leÃ'•Ã'• and it haÃ'• no video call feature. It alÃ'•o haÃ'• HÐ…DPA of up to 7.2Mb/Ã'•ec, a 624MHz proceÃ'•Ã'•or, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a GPÐ… receiver and an FM radio. PluÃ'• it comeÃ'• with a decent helping of Ã'•torage – either 8GB or 16GB with microÐ…D expanÃ'•ion aÃ'• well. ItÃ'• Ã'•creen, however, at 3.2 incheÃ'• iÃ'•nt quite aÃ'• luxuriouÃ'•ly Ã'•paciouÃ'• aÃ'• the iPhoneÃ'• and itÃ'• 400 x 280 reÃ'•olution iÃ'• alÃ'•o inferior. ThereÃ'• alÃ'•o no 3.5mm headphone Ã'•ocket and though a converÃ'•ion dongle iÃ'• included in the box, wed Ã'•ooner not have to carry an adapter around juÃ'•t to liÃ'•ten to muÃ'•ic and it Ã'•eemÃ'• a needleÃ'•Ã'• overÃ'•ight given the capaciouÃ'• Ã'•torage on offer. (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) The camera, however, iÃ'• the main highlight here. ItÃ'• reÃ'•olution iÃ'• the main headline: five megapixelÃ'• iÃ'• the higheÃ'•t reÃ'•olution Ive Ã'•een in a WindowÃ'• Mobile device, but it alÃ'•o haÃ'• image Ã'•tabiliÃ'•ation, which meanÃ'• you dont have to rely on the leÃ'•Ã'•-than-ideal LED flaÃ'•h in difficult lighting. The reÃ'•ultÃ'• are impreÃ'•Ã'•ive. Inevitably given the pinhole lenÃ'• Ã'•hotÃ'• are a little noiÃ'•y in low light

Anwar Elsadat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Anwar Elsadat - Essay Example The second figure was Kemel Ataturk, who is known to have created the modern state of Turkey, by liberating it from the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk managed to lead Turkey from colonization and mainly, for impressively establishing a number of crucial civil service reforms. This shows that Sadat admired leaders who put citizen interests first. The third figure was Mohandas Gandhi. While touring Egypt in 1932, Gandhi preached what he was famously known for, the power of peaceful fight for justice. This shows that Sadat was an admirer of people who advocated for peace in combating a vice in society. The final figure was Adolf Hitler, and this was because Hitler was a rival to the British. Sadat was an anti- colonialist, thus he hated the British for what they were doing to his fellow countrymen (Meital 12). Sadat attended a military school, where he was taught math and science, and learned to analyze battles. This shows that Sadat was exposed to military training at a very young age, and was among the very first to have this privilege. His postings due to military training led him to meet with other young officers including Gamel Abdel Nasser, who was to become the first president of Egypt. Sadat with his revolutionary group, was determined to overthrow British rule. His active participation landed him in jail twice. Later on after taking over as president, Saddat at the aftermath of the Six Day War with Egypt, offered Israel a peace treaty. Here, we see how Sadat emulated his mentors. By going to jail due to his liberation efforts, he emulated Zahran’s courage, and by building Egypt and his efforts pertaining to the Suez Canal, he emulated Ataturk. By negotiating a peace deal with Egypt, he demonstrated his love for peace like Gandhi, and by his passionate dislike of the Britis h, he emulated his mentor, Hitler (Meital

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Reflection paper - Essay Example However, most of the people make judgments from looks. People sometimes try to guess my birth origin. Normally, when somebody doesn’t know me, he asks me what my ethnic origin is. Normally, my ethnic origin is guessed or asked when I come across strangers. People cannot tell confidently where I am from because I look as much British as I look American, Canadian or Australian. Basically they pay attention to my language, and try to find similarities with the type of English spoken in the different countries where English happens to be the first language. I pay most attention to the way I speak. I believe that English is a very good language, and has proper grammar and rules of speech that are being frequently overlooked in the present age. People are relying upon slangs and short-cuts and as this has become a practice, the grammatically correct English is receding. I tend to maintain English in its correct form as I speak. I try to speak it correctly so that the original form of the English language is sustained. Since I tend to speak English correctly unlike most of the people with whom I share my ethnic origin, people who don’t know me try to judge my ethnic origin from my accent, but very few actually make the correct judgments. I have noticed that when they find that they have guessed my ethnic origin wrong, they tend to be sorry and respectfully ask me where I belong. Yes, I do trick people about my origin just for fun. I have noticed that people have preconceived notions about people belonging to specific ethnic origins. I like to experience how people would deal me if they thought that I was from a different ethnic origin than what my ethnic origin is. Usually, when I tell lie to someone telling him that I am from the same ethnic origin as he, the other person’s attitude becomes much more over-whelming and welcoming. People tend to develop friendship with people

Ethics Of Pre Implantation Genetic Testing Philosophy Essay

Ethics Of Pre Implantation Genetic Testing Philosophy Essay Humanity revolves around procreation. We need to reproduce in order to produce future generations. In the past few years, science and medicine has gained an immense amount of knowledge about pregnancy and the underlying developmental stages of how it works. Furthermore, science is progressively improving, resulting in our ability to diagnose, manipulate and sometimes treat genetic abnormalities. Procedures such as the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) were developed as a means to avoid selective abortions by detecting that the embryo is free of terrible lethal genetic diseases such as Huntingtons disease. However, recently PGD has been raising some ethical questions as people began using this technology for medically unrelated and unjustified reasons. Vanity and secondary motives of patients who use PGD for the creation of designer babies and savior siblings violates the fundamental principle of morality. Using PGD for reasons other than justified genetic testing is impermissi ble because it treats the potential baby as a means not as ends in itself; therefore, it violates Kants second categorical imperative. Scientific Background PGD works through a process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). In this procedure, multiple eggs are produced, retrieved from the ovaries and [manually] fertilized with the husbands sperm in a laboratory, outside of the female body3. As the embryos develop in vitro, embryo biopsy is performed by removing a single cell from each three day old embryo4. These cells are analyzed-by a variety of methods-for particular chromosomal or genetic abnormalities in order to distinguish which embryos are free of genetic disease. Normal, healthy embryos are then transferred into the uterus where they can grow and develop into a healthy child. Arguments Kant Immanuel Kant came up with a moral philosophy that was based on a theory of the Categorical Imperative. These are valid principles based off of the concept of duty that must be obeyed by all and are good in and of themselves. The second categorical imperative states that one should Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end2. In other words, one has perfect duty to not use someone as a means to achieve a personal goal. This principle of rationality formulates the core of moral law and requirements that rational agents must follow. Furthermore, each rational being has autonomy, or a free will to define their own law. However, possession of autonomy by each being implies that all persons should be treated equally, with the same amount of respect and one cannot infringe on the others rational will. The intuitive essence of humanity, therefore, objects to usin g others as a mere tool because it overlooks ones integrity and humanness. So, one cannot assert a moral right to own a person-like a piece of property-because proprietary right over a person denies any existence of a free rational action; furthermore, it denies the person a right to be an end in themselves. But, humans have value and worth; hence, they require to be respected. Each person deserves to be respected for his/her integral being (of who they are). While PGD is performed on fetuses, its use is still unjustified because fetuses are potential persons and therefore, require the same amount of respect as any other person. Furthermore, the use of PGD in creating designer babies and savior siblings violates Kants second categorical imperative. Designer Babies A very compelling argument against PGD arises out of its questionable potential use in creating perfect designer babies. The technology behind PGD would allow parents to select specific and nonessential traits (such as eye color, height, athletic ability, even intelligence) that they want their child to express. Such technology is reminiscent of the Build-a-Bear Workshop but for grown-ups. Using PGD as a means for eugenics is fallacious and unjustified in many ways, such as its violation of the second categorical imperative. Parents have abused PGD use in order to have it cater to their individual conceited expectations of creating a perfect child. They vainly pick and chose the traits they find beneficial and get rid of ones they find unhealthy or unperfect so they could satisfy their goal of not having a financially and socially burdensome child. Not only is this wrong because it discriminates against the disabled but also because it violates the core value of humanity by infringing upon the childs autonomous will by treating him/her as a means to an inappropriate end. The parents social and economic ends are being pursued while the childs ends are being neglected. In designing a child, parents destruct the childs will (in a few different ways) therefore, they fail to treat them as an end in themselves. Physically, parents annihilate certain features their child would naturally possess (not to mention the obliteration of unwanted fetuses). By doing so, parents fail to treat the child humanely. Also, al tering mental abilities of a child is deceptive and confuses their will. Hence, it overlooks the rational ability of a-potential-rational agent and his/her end in himself/herself. Finally, parents restrict their childs will by altering their whole mental and physical being and not allowing them to pursue their individual goals as they see fit4. In order for the mental and physical humanity to be treated as an end, ones will must exist. However, when parents select traits for their child, they overlook their childs dignified and humane right to be how they were naturally meant to be. They use their child as a means to reach some vain, social or economical end, therefore, violating Kants second categorical imperative. Every human being is a rational agent (even the fetus which is a potential person) and has autonomy; therefore, one should not be treated as a means to an end. Because the use of PGD allows parents to use their children as a means to an unjustified end, its use is imperm issible. Savior Siblings Another issue with using PGD rises out of its unjustified creation of savior siblings. A savior sibling is a child created by tissue typing and help of PGD in hope of providing a perfect HLA-match for the seriously sick sibling in order to save his/her life. While the engineered child does not benefit or is harmed, the implications of such procedure are morally unethical. It objectifies the child, viewing him/her as a mere commodity, disregarding the childs humane right to equality. Treating such child as a tool to cure another violates an ethical principle of treating a person as an end in himself/herself (violates the second CI) because it uses the child as a means for which to treat the unhealthy older sibling. Such applications of PGD resemble slavery, where the savior child is a slave and the parent is a slave-owner. The parent would possess a right to own the slave child affirming the child as a commodity. But a child is not an object to have possession over; the child is a per son who requires respect and possesses an autonomous will to be an end in himself/herself. Therefore, creating a slave or savior sibling would violate the categorical imperative due to the demolishment of the childs free rational action. Thus, use of PGD for the creation of savior (slave) siblings is unjustified because it strongly violates Kants second categorical imperative. Furthermore, creation of savior siblings leads to other problems. In addition to being unethical, there is a strong belief that a childs profound identity would be impaired. They would be viewed as a secondary gain, a tool solely designed for the purpose of saving another life. This impaired will of the child would lead to countless psychological problems. The mental aspect of the childs humane nature would be compromised-the child would lack self-esteem and self-rescpect-as he/she would not be praised for his/her individual value but rather as a means to a particular end. Parents, by using PGD for instrumentalization of their children, would violate the childs autonomous will and individual personal value by using them as mere means to parental ends and limit[ing] a childs right to an open future4. In sum, PGD promotes unjustified creation of designer babies and savior siblings. The use of this technology allows parents to use their children (or potential children) as a means to satisfy their parental end; therefore, neglecting the childs autonomous will to be an end in himself/herself. Thus using PGD to create designer babies and savior siblings is impermissible because it violates Kants second categorical imperative. Opposition PGD is argued to be unethical in this paper; however, others view its use acceptable and nothing more than a legitimate autonomous right of parents to produce healthy children. They believe that because parents are the most socially and economically affected by the birth of a child, then they should have the right and freedom to choose the identity of their offspring. Having a healthy child is in the parents interest because it is less socially and financially constraining and burdensome. Besides, being healthy is in the best interest of the child as well. The child would want to live a happy and healthy life, free of disease. If PGD can provide a tool for removing such lethal and stigmatizing disease form society, then it should be perfectly plausible to be able to use it. Parents have a right to choose what it best for their children and family; therefore, using PGD as a means that will allow them to select for traits they see best fit for their child would be perfectly justified. Rebuttal However, while these are plausible reasons for the use of PGD, they are not strong enough to justify its immoral applications. Every single individual-even the potential person and the disabled-has a right to autonomy. No one can or should be able to define what life is worth living; furthermore, no one can impose the quality of life of principle on another. As previously stated, we can not say that the disabled lead a good or a bad life; it is simply not for us to decide. In fact, values of good and bad are of human conception and will vary from person to person. Parents need to take responsibility, financially and mentally for their child regardless of its physical well-being. Good parent do not choose; furthermore, they do not use their child as a means to appease their interest of having a less socially and financially constraining life. Using PGD for vain reasons is never morally justified. Using PGD for medicinal reasons is appropriate; however, using it for designer babies and savior siblings violates the fundamental principle of ethics (Kants second categorical imperative) and therefore, can never be morally justified. Conclusion In conclusion, PGD has revolutionized reproduction. It has granted access into a remote realm by allowing persons to select favorable genetic characteristics of offspring before implantation. However, while its promising view of the world without suffering and disease sounds appealing, moral justifications of PGD and its policy raise many concerns. More specifically, some of the issues with the use of this technology deal with the unjustified creation of designer babies and savior siblings. These are serious issues, the implications of which can have destructive and irreversible consequences on the present and future generations. While some of the applications of PGD may be accepted; nevertheless, as of now, the risks outweigh the benefits. It is not medicines role to make one more socially accepted or be better-off. Those are not the types of standards for us to decide. Intentional destruction of potential human life is never justified. PGD runs on a dangerously thin line of potenti al medicinal benefit and playing God. It also violates Kants second categorical imperative by treating fetuses as a mere means to an end. Therefore, until clear, strictly medicinal and ethical applications of PGD are established, the use of this technology can not be justified.

My Volunteer Experience at a Nursing Home :: Community Service, Service Learning

Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home. My grandfather's stroke affected his legs and his memory, which made it difficult for him to walk. My grandfather first used a cane, but his legs became too weak, so he tried a walker, but this lasted only a month. Not only could he not walk or take care of himself, but also he began to stay up at night and fall out of bed. My family started looking into nursing homes. It took us weeks before finally deciding. Unfortunately he will have to stay there until he improves, both mentally and physically. Since summer I have volunteered at his nursing home because I saw how lonely some of the residents were. I volunteered two days a week during the summer, which I have continued. I have learned many things about nursing homes and the factors to consider when choosing one, including the residents' quality of life, the care received, the environment surrounding them, and the nursing home's payment policy. I have been working with the recreation director, who plans activities for the residents. I have painted the women's nails and read them letters from their children. Also, I have helped with special days like Ice Cream Day, Summer Picnic Day, and Clown Around Day. For each we create special word scrambles. I also have taken patients for walks. We also have birthday parties and exercise days. Through my volunteering I have made a new friend - Irene. She has family, but they live faraway and cannot come to visit often. Our friendship grew through the summer. She grew up in Shelton and lived in Milford before she came to the home. She has two sons who seldom visit. Her grandchildren, however, do visit every weekend.

Nflpa Player Safety

NFLPA Player Safety The National Football League has become the most exciting and thrilling sports league to watch in the last few decades. Most recently players have become much faster and bigger than in the past and the safety of their lives have become a risk. Recently the NFL has been subjected to a large amount of controversy and criticism dealing with how they have handled player safety. This issue has come to the forefront because concussions have become a weekly occurrence.In the last few years it has been studied then proven by doctors that former players have suffered traumatic brain injuries from hits to the head during their NFL careers. As a fan of the NFL, I believe it’s best for the game that the NFL makes some change so players are protected for their safety but then again you can’t take away what the nature of this sport is which is a hard hitting dangerous sport. The NFL who is led by league commissioner Roger Goodell needs to find a way to make the ga me safer by keeping the players safe, fans entertained, and team owner’s content.As one of the biggest issues in today’s NFL, I decided to pursue the question, are major changes needed to be taken towards player safety for the wellbeing of the NFL and the players? There is a high probability that a mutual agreement will never happen between the two but that doesn’t mean that new rules and policies won’t continue to be implemented for testing. The NFL has recently tried to implement new rules and policies to delay and prevent the highly rising concussion rate.They have changed to shorter kickoffs to reduce high impact hits and have also introduced stricter guidelines for player conduct on the field which includes fines for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits deemed inappropriate by the NFL. Are these changes the answer though? There is more needed to be done then just changing a few rules that will ultimately have a small impact on this large scale problem. Many other strong options for change include equipment improvements, concussion research, and enforcing penalties to illegal hits. Roger Goodell said throughout history, football has evolved and become safer and better, and the future of the sport relies on the ability to continue to do so. When it comes to the priority of the league, Goodell made it clear safety comes first† (SBNation). However the NFLPA does not believe the NFL is doing enough to protect its members. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has been demanding the placement of doctors on every sideline during games to help diagnose and treat concussions.This issue has to be taken seriously because within the past year nearly one hundred former players have filed pleas against the NFL and want them held responsible for the players suffering from traumatic head injuries. Concussions are serious and they happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with. The short and long term effects of concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage but many players often suffer from long term mental problems.A prime example of someone who had been affected by head trauma was former linebacker Junior Seau. Recently â€Å"a team of scientists who analyzed the brain tissue of renowned NFL linebacker Junior Seau after his suicide last year have concluded the football player suffered a debilitating brain disease caused by two decades worth of hits to the head† (ABCNews). Junior Seau who had a 20 year NFL career was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death. The real question is what could’ve the NFL done to prevent such a terrible tragedy or did they not have the capability to control what happened to him?The NFL has said many times that it did not intentionally hide the dangers of concussions from players and is doing everything it can to protect them. W ith the focus on head injuries in football being put under a microscope the past few seasons, the NFL is taking drastic measures trying to find solutions that will help in the future. New helmet designs are a needed advancement to help create a safer NFL. With improvements to helmets that will help reduce head injuries gradually but it is still not the lone solution if players continue to tackle improperly and go for head shots.During 2012 there was an estimate of nearly 160 NFL players who suffered concussions during this season. That’s a huge problem because recent studies link concussions to causing mental problems and has also been shown to lead to Alzheimer’s disease. In reaction to this issue the NFL has become concerned about head injuries and has commanded the tests of 11 new helmet designs from five manufacturers in the last couple years. On the other hand, there is a belief that helmets can only do so much as oncussions are mostly caused because of the gladia tor mentality that the players play with because they want to make an EPSN top play. â€Å"While helmets are being designed larger and more protective, concussions still occur regularly. It’s unlikely that they will ever be eliminated completely. Indeed, helmet technology has come a long way since the leather caps worn by old-time footballers, but helmet makers believe their products can only do so much to keep players safe in a culture that glorifies the big hit† (SmartPlanet).New technology in helmets and equipment is much needed for the protection of the players and should continue to be a building block for player safety. Rule changing has become a yearly tradition for the NFL as they try and create new ways to make the game safer even if the players and NFLPA don’t agree upon it. Most recently, Roger Goodell implemented shorter kickoffs which moved the kickoff spot up five yards from the 30 to the 35 yard line to decrease injuries, but would now largely inc rease the number of touchbacks.This rule change could have a negative effect by eliminating the job prospects of special team’s players. â€Å"Cleveland Browns kick returner Josh Cribbs, the league's career leader with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, has been irate since owners, citing the need to protect players from violent collisions, announced the change during the lockout in March. † â€Å"I don't see (injury) stats behind it, and that's what the issue was,† Cribbs said last week. â€Å"There's no stats to back it up. Their intentions are good, but the stats aren't there to back up the reasoning† (ESPN).During the last month a rule change that the NFL has implemented was met with high opposition as former and current players disagree with the intention of changing the game. The new rule states that ball carriers would be penalized if they lower their head to deliver a blow. â€Å"The proposed rule change for running backs might be the most abs urd suggestion of a rule change I've ever heard of. In order to lower ur shoulder u obviously have to lower ur head. It's a way of protecting ur self from a tackler and a way to break tackles† (Matt Forte twitter).The real question is has the NFL become too overprotective? Yes delivering a blow with the crown of your helmet can be the starting point of a concussion but is it worth taking away important parts of the game. The NFL is the greatest sports league in North America, but there are major decisions to be made in the next decade that could decide the future of the NFL. Ultimately, how sustainable is the NFL? With the hits becoming more and more violent and with players getting bigger, faster and stronger every year, how can the NFL survive long-term with such violence?It might take something horribly tragic before the NFL will act upon the state of the game and make genuine changes to aid player safety. But then again NFL players understand the risks of the profession th ey chose, nobody forces them to play football. At some point, the NFL is going to have to force players to accept the risks associated with playing football. Nothing can make football a completely safe game no matter what rules or innovations are created. There will always be physical athletes forcing violent collisions.The NFL can’t take away the heart and soul of the game just to make it safer. In my opinion the NFL has to embrace the physicality of the game and assume the risks that run along with promoting a violent sport but they should still continue researching the causes of concussions for a future solution. The years ahead will show if the NFLPA and NFL can ever meet a mutual agreement to satisfy the needs of their players and their safety in the long and short term future.

New Jersey

The governor of the State of New Jersey is Jon Corzine. He is a Democrat and has been the governor since he took office on January 17, 2006.   The Governor of New Jersey is one of the most powerful governors in the nation.   This is due in part, to the fact that it is the only state wide and non-federal elected office in the state.   The governor, under the rights given to him by the state constitution, appoints the entire cabinet which is subject to confirmation by the New Jersey Senate. Governor Corzine, a Democrat, took office after his predecessor James McGreevy was forced to resign after he admitted to having an adulterous affair and felt political and personal pressure to resign. On Election Day 2005, the governor was stripped of some of his powers as the citizens of New Jersey voted in favor of adding an amendment to the state constitution that creates the position of Lieutenant Governor which will become effective after the 2009 election. The power that the governor possesses comes from the state constitution of which that power comes directly from the people. The current constitution was ratified in 1947. New Jersey’s Governor Jon Corzine was born on January 1, 1947 in central Illinois.   He graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign and went into the army where he stayed from 1969-1975. Governor’s keen business and fiscal talents comes from his decades working in various investment firms. â€Å"In 1975, Governor Corzine was recruited by Goldman Sachs, the New York investment firm. He left Goldman Sachs in May 1999 after successfully converting the investment firm from a private partnership to a public company. Also in 1997, Governor Corzine was the chairman of a presidential commission to study capital budgeting as a means of increasing federal investment in schools, technology, and infrastructure.† (www.state.nj.us) This background is important in knowing what type of governor he is and that he will not hesitate to move away from his party’s overall consensus when it comes to the task of balancing the budget. (as seen in the 2006 government shutdown). In 2005, after more than four years in the U.S. Senate for the state of New Jersey, Jon Corzine announced his candidacy for the governor of New Jersey. â€Å"Corzine won his campaign for the post of Governor of New Jersey with 54% of the vote. Republican nominee Doug Forrester, a businessman and a former Mayor of West Windsor Township, in Mercer County, won 43%. Corzine received 1,224,493 votes to Forrester's 985,235. A total of 80,277 votes, or 3%, were scattered among other candidates.† (wikipedia) The governor is directly elected by the people of his state. The governor performs the executive functions of the state, and is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities. The governor assumes additional roles, such as being the Commander-in-Chief of the New Jersey National Guard forces as well as appointing members of his cabinet, judges and having the responsibility of presenting a budget that needs to be accepted by July 1 of the previous year. The election of Governor of New Jersey is much more important and has wider ramifications that say the election of governor for the state of Illinois for example. The main reason for this is that a vote for a gubernatorial candidate is also a vote for all which he is likely to appoint in his cabinet whereas such candidates for State Treasurer, Comptroller and State’s Attorney in the State of Illinois for example, are elected through a direct vote by its citizens. The Attorney General, State Treasurer, Comptroller and the Head of Education, to list a few, were all appointed by either Governor Corzine or his predecessors. As I am not a lifelong citizen of New Jersey but instead spent some of my adolescence in Illinois where its citizens had the right to vote for the candidates of these positions, it seems foreign to me that a governor would have so much power to appoint so many important positions. New Jersey’s state constitution seems to be giving a free pass to the spoils system that was fought so hard against in the 19th century in this country. The ugly side of political graft has plagued the entire democratic process in this country and has taken the people’s voice out of the democratic process. The governor should not have the right to appoint New Jersey’s State Treasurer, Attorney General or any other highly important positions in the state’s government unless that seat is vacated in the middle of a term due to an emergency. Doing otherwise takes the voice away from the people who have the right to vote for these positions.   Also, failing to do so, helps breed partisanship within the governor’s cabinet since a Democrat is more likely to appoint all Democrats as well as a Republican’s inclination to do the same. If a governor’s cabinet is to be all Democrat, all Republican, or a mixture of both, it should be up to the more than eight million residents of New Jersey and not a single man! This same ideology needs to be enacted regarding the governor’s ability to appoint judges. In Illinois, judges are appointed by the people. Isn’t that what ought to happen in a democracy, at least on the state and local level? I would even be in favor of the appointment of judges being the responsibility of the state legislature instead of the governor alone as a lesser evil. Currently, it seems to be a one party system in New Jersey and with New Jersey being one of the most diverse states in the country: Diverse by way of racial, religious and political affiliation, such a setup seems to be disadvantageous towards the goal of complete representation of New Jersey’s citizens. This high level of diversity should be representative from the governor on down but sadly it is not. This is not to blame the governor for he/she is inclined to appoint members of their own party. What is alarming is the number of appointments the governor of New Jersey is allowed to make under the current state constitution. The role of the governor is not only to appoint a cabinet but to submit a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.   The deadline to do this in July 1st. Incidentally, that was the same date as the start of New Jersey’s only government shutdown in the year 2006.   The New Jersey Constitution states under Article VIII that a state’s expenses for the year be provided for â€Å"in a single budget act.† The constitution also specifics a provision stating preventive measures against going into debt. A start to New Jersey’s troubles was ignoring this sound advice. Governor Corzine, in an attempt to pass his budget, came into conflict with fellow Democrats within the General Assembly.   The main point of contention was the Assembly’s refusal to increase the state tax from 6% to 7% in order to fill the budget gap. Corzine stated that there was no other way in coming up with the money as the state’s constitution forbade other forms of revenue. Months before the shutdown, Corzine states that he would not accept a budget that did not include a tax increase and he stood firm in this conviction and the General Assembly did the same which eventually resulted in the shutdown. When the budget failed to pass, the shutdown occurred. This resulted in 45,000 workers being told that they were non-essential and would have to stay home for an indefinite period of time. The shutdown lasted only a week but thousands of workers were affected by this shutdown.   Even though it seems more to be the cause of the legislature’s inability to act regarding the needed passing of the budget before the deadline, should a governor have the right to shut down the state government?   This is a hard question to answer and one that requires a bipartisan dissection of the problem in the long term and not just with the current players in my state’s administration. It seems that the power that the governor has in appointing judges, his cabinet and in shutting down the government is not his own but is a right given him by the state constitution. In the state legislature’s present state: fiscal irresponsibility, political corruption and a general disconnect by the state legislature from its citizens, it seems that the governor really had no choice but to use the authority at his disposal to help get the state back on track and to be held accountable for presenting a responsible budget to the people. But the more important issue is that a stoppage should never have occurred and therefore, Governor Corzine would not have been in the position to contemplate the need for a government shutdown. One really does roll the dice when voting for the governor of New Jersey.   Will he keep his political promises? Will he appoint members of his cabinet and judges that are concerned only with their responsibilities? Will there be any attempt at a bipartisan cabinet? And if the governor is not of the same political party and/or the same ideology as myself, then I can rest assured that my voice and my vote will have only a fraction of its effectiveness if I were in Illinois or any other state where the â€Å"elected officials† are just that-elected by the people to represent them. Also, the governor’s additional authority to appoint judges makes it even more likely that an atmosphere of partisanship will permeate New Jersey politics. There has been a great deal of talk about â€Å"activist judges.† I do feel that with judges being human beings and unable to be 100% impartial 100% of the time, the political party of a judge is something to consider and the likelihood that a Democrat governor will likely nominate likeminded judges and Republicans will do the same, results in a is a lack of stability in not only the state legislature but also in the way that laws and cases are decided. The possibility of a complete overhaul concerning the ideology of my state as a result of the governor’s power and a different political party possibly taking control every four years is something, I feel does not resemble a true democracy but instead serves as an impediment to the expectation that a person’s voice will be heard. Our governor, regardless of whether or not we are in agreement, has more political power than he ought to. Our founding fathers were weary of a political system that garnishes absolute power to its representatives and believed that absolute power corrupted. In the end, the power rests with the people and not until New Jersey has the displeasure of electing a governor who takes full advantage of the rights given to him by the present state constitution and uses it for sinister motives as did Huey Long in 1930’s Louisiana, will any of the needed change happen. WORKS CITED www.ngs.org (National Governor’s Association)   www.naag.org (National Association of Attorneys General) www.wikipedia.com www.state.nj.us/governor/about ; ; New Jersey New Jersey (NJ) is one of the states in the US that forms a transition between the states of the north and the south.   It exhibits characteristics in the physical geography and intermingling of various cultures of the US.   It is one of the largest states in the US and has a multiethnic community.   It has acted as a support home to several of its densely populated neighborhood.   The community present in NJ is highly urbanized and is the second most densely populated state after California.NJ remains to be one of the most densely populated states in the US.   All the 21 counties that belong to the NJ state are classified as ‘metropolitan’.   The density of the population has been about 1100 per square miles, compared to the nation average of about 79 per square mile (in 2000). The state concentrates on farming in some regions and for this reason it is frequently known as ‘the Garden State’.   As early as the 17th century, farming was consider ed important due to the agricultural potential of the soil.   In the Northwestern parts and the southern regions, the areas are sparsely populated due to the presence of mountains and tidelands in these region.   Typically, New Jersey appears S-Shaped on the map (the upper limb is formed by the Appalachian highlands and the Piedmont plains, and the lower limb of the ‘S’ is formed by the Coastal plains) (Stansfied. 1998, Swartz & Stansfield. 2007 & US Census. 2007).The land between the Hudson and the Delaware River is termed as ‘New Jersey State†.   There are three unique characteristics of NJ.   It is made up of a multi-ethnic community belonging to various races and ethnic groups.   The second unique characteristics are that it has an orientation of both the metropolitan cities that it neighbors.   Thirdly, people feel the NJ economy is based on the ability to reach the metropolitan cities, which it neighbors.   I do feel that initially NJ Sta te was much of a transition state, offering a place for people of various cultures and ethnic background to intermingle.There has also been a climatic transition between the northern and the southern US, and this has had an effect on the economy and the social life of the state.   The characteristics of NJ is somewhere between New York and New England (considering weather and geographical features).   The state houses some of the features that seem to intermingle with these two other states.   The Geology of NJ consists of the oldest rocks in the Appalachian and Piedmont regions and recent sediments in the southeastern regions.   The state of NJ hence shows a transition, as two different types of geological characteristics are present.   Besides, it has water sources concentrated in certain areas, whereas in other areas; the ground water is deep, leading to water problems (Stansfield. 1998).NJ has an area of about 7, 200 square miles.   On the other hand, the area of the US is about 3, 500, 000 square miles.   It has an inland water area of about 1, 026 square kilometers.   NJ State has a greatest inland length of about 166 miles, and the greatest inland breath of about 75 miles.   More than 125 miles is actually coastline (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007 & Stansfield. 1998).One of the physical characteristics of NJ State is that it is surrounded by water in all areas except the northern border, where it contacts New York State for about 80 kilometers or is about 12 % of the State’s land.   NJ belongs to the middle Atlantic region of the US and lies along the eastern coast.   The Hudson River runs along its border in the northeastern regions.   Pennsylvania lies along its western border.   The Delaware Bay and the Delaware River separate NJ from Delaware State in the southern and the southwest regions.The largest city in NJ is Newark, and its capital is Trenton.   Newark is one of the most important cities in NJ .   From here people can easily travel to New York using the river ferry or the railroad.   Trenton is located on the eastern side of the Delaware River.   It houses several government and civil quarters for the NJ State.   About 10 miles from Trenton is the town of Princeton that houses a major university in NJ.The Northern portion of the state contains the Appalachian Highlands and the entire northern regions contain mountains, ridges, streams and lakes.   This region is often known as ‘the New Appalachians’.   One of the prominent sandstone ridges present in the northeast is Kittatinny Mountains. This ridge contains the Delaware River (in the Delaware water gap).   The highest elevation present in the state is the Kittatinny Mountain that is at a height of 550 meters, present in a few kilometers with the border with New York State.   The average elevation of the state is 80 meters (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).In the Southeast of Appalachian Highlands, the Triassic lowlands and the Piedmont plains are present (the Piedmont plains lie to the east of the NJ Highlands).   It occupies about 20 % of the entire NJ area.   This extends from the Northeastern border and includes all the major cities such as Trenton.   From the Hudson region, ancient rock ridges extent, which break the monotony of the lowlands.   Between the highlands and the lowlands of NJ lies a valley that is highly populated.   This valley is underlain with limestone and sandstone, which is bright red in color.The other stones that are present in this region include conglomerates, shale, igneous stones, etc.   These parts of NJ State contain older rock system compared to the coastal plains.   The valley is located at a height of 120 to 150 meters and can be routed from the Hudson River, all the way to Alabama.   The termination portion of the Piedmont plains in the Hudson region is known as ‘the Palisadesâ₠¬â„¢, and is made of trap rock (Cloister Hill).   The Piedmont is about 30 kilometers wide.The valley also contains dark rocks known as ‘trap rock’ that was formed during the earlier geological ages.   This rock offers a wonderful arena for waterfalls in the region.   The sandstone in several areas has eroded and now appears as prominent ridges.   Some of the prominent mountains found in the Piedmont Highlands are the Watchung and the Sourland mountains.   The Piedmont lowlands or the â€Å"Newark Basin† forms the area where most of the major cities are located.   Through this region access to New York and New Jersey could be made.   In this region, three of the major rivers drain, namely, the Raritan River, the Passaic River and the Hackensack River (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007).The NJ Highlands is also known as â€Å"New England Upland†, as it is geologically similar to New England.   It contains several lakes of great tourist interest.   These include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Culvers Lake and Green Pond Lake.   The NJ Highlands occupies about 12 % of the entire NJ area.   The ridges formed in these regions are made up of an old rock known as ‘gneiss’.   The Musconetcong and Pequest River are formed in this area (Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).The Atlantic Coastal Plain, from the southeast to the coastal areas, occupies about 60 % of NJ area.   It has one of the world’s largest chains of sandy barrier islands, which are continuous.   It appears wedge shaped, which is thickest in the east-southeast region and thinnest in the center.   It has two portions, namely, the inner plain and the outer coastal plain.   The inner coastal plain or the â€Å"Greensand Belt† is located near the Piedmont area and has a size of 40 kilometers.Many orchards and agricultural homes are located in this region as the soil is very fertile and conducive to agriculture.   On the othe r hand, the land present in the outer coastal plain is very infertile and not very conducive to agricultural activities.   It forms the western rim of the NJ state and area where it meets with the ocean.   The outer coastal plain contains several hills, which are not more than 60 meters in height.   The outer coastal plain also forms several beaches, lagoons and marshes.   Several islands are located off the coast of NJ, some of which are inhabited and form popular tourist destinations.The ocean currents and the tides have an effect on the offshore islands and the coasts of New Jersey State. On several occasions tidal waves have had an effect on the New Jersey Coast.   In southern parts of NJ, the coastal plains contain high amounts of scrub oak and pine trees.   Several cranberry and blueberry plantation are located in several areas of the outer coast.   The Pine Barren is some of the vast forests located in the outer coastal plains.   A few settlements of people an d rivers are also located.   Many a times, the Pine Barrens of NJ seems to be a source for forest fires.The number of fires that have occurred since the 1940’s is about 1100.   About 8, 000 hectares is usually burnt every year through wild forest fires, much less than the 22, 000 that existed before the forest department began to use effective means of reducing these fires.   Most of the fires occur during the dry months of January to September periods.   Many of the important resorts and spas are located in the coastal plains.   The islands present close to the coast make harbor construction difficult.Many ships have met with accidents along the NJ coast due to the rough ocean currents and the shallow waters.   However, sheltered waterways are located which help to provide some relief for ships.   Portions of the NJ coast even have offshore sandbars and barrier beaches.   In parts of the northern NJ coast, the coastline is severely eroded (Swartz & Stansfield . 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Forman et al. 1981).The islands, beaches, sandpits, etc, present along the NJ coast, are one of the longest chain in the world.   They run from the Texas region all the way up to the New York’s long island.   The islands of NJ coast seem to be dynamic in nature.   The ocean currents, tides, winds, waves, etc, have a dynamic effect on the NJ shoreline.   Many of the estuaries located off the coast of New Jersey form important beds for natural oyster shelters and oyster cultivation.   Several factors do favor the growth of oysters in the seabed including the tidal currents, the prevailing tides, eddies, prevailing winds (their force and direction), etc.   The larvae of oysters can help in regulating their own populations by rising and settling in the tidal currents.   In the NJ estuaries, the larvae do rise and settle in the tidal currents thus having potential to grow and develop along the coastal waters (Carriker. 1951 & Stansfield. 19 98).NJ State enjoys an extreme type of climate, with summers being warm and winters cold.   To the west of NJ, lies a huge landmass, which causes an extreme type of climate during winter and summer.   The climate is produced as a result of its latitude (located halfway between the equator and the North Pole), thus in a position to produce distinct seasons.   The distance from the season and the height above sea level also has a role to play in the development of climate of NJ.   During the summer, the moist tropical winds bring in hot air causing temperatures to rise and humid conditions to exist.   During winter, the continental winds bring in freezing temperatures and causing snowfall in several regions.The sea tends to retain the heat for greater amount of time during the day.   Hence during the night, the sea breezes tend to cool the land.   During the day, there is a strong sea breeze, which tends to cool the land.   The average rainfall received by the state is more than 1000 per annum.   The southwest regions of the state receive lower rainfall compared to other regions.   In January, the average temperature in NJ State is about 1 degree centigrade and in July, one of the hottest months, the average temperature is about 23 degrees centigrade.   However, extreme temperature have also been recorded, suggesting that at times the temperature can rise or fall to varying degrees.   In the winter of 1904, the temperature once dipped to – 37 degree and in the summer of 1936, the temperature once rose to 43 degrees.Due to the extremes of temperatures recorded in the Piedmont regions, seedlings do not become established within a year.   They begin to get established after two or more years.   Trees tend to invade areas occupied by herbs and shrubs.   During winter, the free-thaw cycles occur which hinders the establishment of the tree seedlings.   In portion of the Northwestern regions of the state, seasons last for about th ree to four months.   However, in some of the southwestern regions, the seasons last for about 8 months.Towards, the coastline, the climates tend to be less of an extreme.   Hence, during summer, these places stay cooler than those inlands, and in winter they tend to stay warmer.   Many people consider the NJ climate to be variable during various seasons of the year (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Buell. 1971).Thus, I do feel that NJ State offers variables in terms of geography, climate and landforms, compared to any other parts of the world.   This has caused a diverse flora and fauna to exist in the region.   Besides, it also forms a home to many people who would like to visit New York and the Philadelphia region.   This has resulted in the population of NJ to be high compared to the other parts of the US.References:C. A. Stansfield. A Geography of New Jersey. 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 1998.  Hugh Murray, William Wallace, Robert Jameson et al. The Encyclopà ¦dia of Geography: Comprising a Complete Description of the Earth.. New York: Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 2007. M. F. Buell, H. F. Buell, & J. A. Small, â€Å"Invasion of Trees in Secondary Succession on the New Jersey Piedmont.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 98.2 (1971).M. R. Carriker â€Å"Ecological Observations on the Distribution of Oyster Larvae in New Jersey Estuaries.† Ecological Monographs, 21.1 (1951).R. T. T. Forman & R. E. Boerner â€Å"Fire Frequency and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 108.1 (1951).Swartz, J. & Stansfield, C. A. â€Å"New Jersey.† Microsoft Encarta. 2007.   3 Nov. 2007: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559873/New_Jersey.htmlUS Census Bureau. New Jersey. US Census Bureau. 2007. 3 Nov. 2007