Macbeth suffers a terrible downfall – Who is to blame? Is it all his fault? Is he truly evil?

In the play†Macbeth†, Macbeth suffers a terrible downfall. At the begining of the play he is fearless and brave he doesn't have a care in the world but by the end he has become corrupted and a fearful, tretorous man. At first we don't see Macbeth we only hear about him all we know at the begining is that he is in battle fighting the norwegians and alongside him is Banquo his dearest friend. The king discribes him as â€Å"Brave Macbeth† for his fighting shows he is brave as well as fearless so later in the play for this he is rewarded Thane of Glamis. Along the way homewe hear about the 3 witches or as Macbeth calls them â€Å"The Instruments Of Darkness†, Macbeth and Banquorun into them and they give Macbeth 3 predictions which are 1)He Becomes Thane of Cawdor 2)He Becomes Thane of Glamis 3)He Becomes King He does not belive it but he is already Thane of Cawdor and anyone would know that. After hearing this Banquo askes about him and the witches say that he will not be king himself but his children or children's children will be, both Macbeth and Banquo are intrigued by what they have herd but when Macbeth askes to know more the witches vanish. This shows that these witches started everything off as you will see when the story moves on. When Macbeth arives back at his camp a messenger brings the news that he has become Thane of Glamis which was the witches second prediction. Glad to hear the news the witches brang him as well as becoming Thane of Glamis, Macbth write's his wife (Lady Macbeth) a letter telling her what has happened, as Lady Macbeth reads the letter she builds up an idea in her head. By the time she had finished reading it she had a plan to make Macbeth king. This plan was to murder The king in his sleep and make it look like the guards did it by placeing the bloody knifes on them. When Macbeth hears of this plan in his head he thinks to himself â€Å"should i or should i not kill the king† he doen't know weather to be loyal to his king or to his wife. In the end he decides to choose his wifeand go through with the murder. As he is walking to the kings chamber he see's a floating knife in his way which he things is a sign to go through with it (or is it a sign of guilt?) then blood appears on the knife and he knows what to do he murders The king. The murder was not shown on stage because the King/Queen always came to see shakespear's plays and if they see themself's getting murdered they might think that someones plotting against them. Macbeth also kills the guards so he has less chance of being found out. Lady Macbeth acts as if it can be forgotten she tells Macbeth to wash his hands clean of the blood and he will never be cought. In the morning when the king is discovered Macbeth tries to cover up his tracks; â€Å"Loyal, and neutral, in a moment; No man, the expedition of my violent love† this is what Macbeth says when the guards are dicovered he said that he killed them in anger after finding out about the murder of The king. Lady Macbeth faints to draw attenchion away from Macbeth. When the air to the throne finds out the king is dead flees to another country. The killing of Banquo is a simple thing to explain, Macbeth has him killed because of the witches predictions. He believes that Banquo's children or children's children will take over his throne so he has him killed BUT! his son Fleaunce escapes. When Macbeth orders the killing of Macduffs family it is so dreadful because he wants Macduff dead not his family. I think that he has hem killed so thatMacduff is corupted and gives himself up. At the end of the play Macbeth changes totally in personallity and everything. From Starting of as brave, fearless Macbeth to feaful Macbeth. He believes he is invinsable that he can not be killed but he soon finds out that he is wrong. Macbeths weak points in this story were his wife, the witches and his conchance. Killing the king was his own choise but is wife also played a big part in killing him telling Macbeth â€Å"He wasn't a man if he didn't go though with it† he also believed it was what he had to do after seeing the floating dagger covered in blood. EVIL! evil is a man whom kills his king, evil is a man who kills his best friend, evil is a man who kills someone elses wife and children! I believe that Macbeth is infact evil for what he did to his king, best frend and Macduffs family. In the begining i don't think he would have even dreamt of doing such a thing but after hearing the witches predictions he changes, his heart turns black and all he cares about is being King of Scotland that was his goal and as far as he was concerned nothing was going to stop him by getting in his way!

Explore the Ways Strong Feelings About Love Are Presented

Poems are commonly used to convey strong feelings about the true nature of love. However, these feelings can take many different shapes which articulate positive as well as negative perceptions of love. The four poems that embody these different features are ‘Hour’ by Carol Ann Duffy, ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare, ‘In Paris with you’ by James Fenton and ‘Quickdraw’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Two poems that share similar feelings about love are ‘in Paris with you' and ‘Quickdraw' as they both explore the theme of conflict and emotional pain instigated by love.Fenton makes it clear in the first stanza that the speaker has been hurt in the past, claiming that he was ‘one of your talking wounded' which is a pun on the phrase ‘walking wounded'. However, this phrase is pursued by a. Use of neologism ‘maroonded' which serves to create an apparent carefree tone carried on through-out the poem. However, as the p oem progresses it becomes apparent that the light-hearted mood hides a deeper subtext and is a cover for the speaker's true feelings.Similarly Duffy makes use of an extended metaphor ‘a western stand-off', using the slightly chilidish image to to conceal her true feelings and the more serious emotional pain which results from love. She makes use of lexical choices from the semantic field of battle or a western style stand-off â€Å"guns, trigger, Sheriff, last chance saloon† to reflect how she is feeling in the relationship as well as avoiding the reality of the issue. Despite the light-hearted tones of the poems, the reader's attention is drawn to the subtle darker subtexts which reveal the speakers' true feelings in both poems.Fenton indirectly adresses the speakers true feelings about love by using an ambiguous phrase ‘in paris with you' repetitively. However, towards the end of the poem it soon becomes clear that â€Å"paris† is a euphemism for love. Lo ve is really what the speajer is trying to convey but in a cautious way clearly due to a phobia of rejection or further emotional pain experienced in previous loving relationships. Duffy makes the speakers feelings know in a slightly indirect way as well by the use of enjambment in the phrase ‘you blast me†¦ hrough the heart', the sudden break in the line highlights the effect te lovers words have on the speaker by enabling through ‘through the heart' to stand alone consequently stand out. With ‘heart', being the main of love and ‘blast', related to warfare, being married together, they significantly emphasize the true pain the speaker is experiencing from the lovers' use of weaponry ‘your voice a pellet' as well as a real depth of her vulnerability. In addition, the two poems make use of structure to convey their strong feelings about love to the reader by manipulating the form and layout of the poems.Duffy uses sonnet structure in ‘quickdra w', which is a structure traditionally used for romantic poetry. A sonnet consists of 4 stanzas, each stanza containing four lines, also known as a quatrain which are reminiscent of Shakespeare. However, the sonnet structure in ‘Quickdraw' doesn't quite reflect the common structure of a sonnet as it is brocken up by the use of enjambment and caesuras ‘blast me (stanza 2)†¦ throught the heart (stanza 3)' and ‘another one's(stanza 3)†¦ oncealed(stanza 4)' which can be enterpreted in different ways, perhaps it is used to symbolize the breakdown of communication in the relationship or maybe it was used to highlight important words. ‘Quickdraw' is also wiritten in free verse, so there is no order to the poem as a result it is effective as it replicates the subject of a western ‘stand-off' or ‘showdown' which similarly have no order to them and are generally chaotic. Correspondingly, ‘in paris with you' is also manipulated so that the st ructure and form of the poem emphasizes certain elements of the relationship.The third stanza is indented and contains nine lines as opposed to the other stanza's which contain five lines. The evident change in structure in stanza 3 is imposed to highlight the speaker's rejection of all the cliches of love by using colloquial language ‘can we say sod off to the sodding Notre Dame', which juxtaposes the classic image if Paris:the city of love. Therefore, an idea of the speaker's clear fear of having to commit theirself to a relationship, after being ‘bamboozled' by the ‘mess' of the previous ones, is suggested.Nonetheless, despite the speakers in both poems' reluctance to admit the emotional pain and conflict they are suffering, the true extent of their feelings towards their lovers is made very clear by their poignant last lines. â€Å"In paris with you† ends with the speaker directly adressing their subject of their affection by saying ‘I'm in Paris w ith you', thereby making it clear to the reader that they are in fact ‘In love with you' if you replace ‘paris' with ‘love'.The phrase is repeated several times through-out the poem and suggest that no matter how much the speaker denies their feelings, they are unable to hide them. The extra line in stanza 5 suggests the speaker is breaking free of their old thoughts about love and opening up to new ones. Similarly the speaker in â€Å"quickdraw† ends the poem with the ambiguous phrase â€Å"take this†¦ and this†¦ and this†.The breakdown of language and the use of ellipsis and repetition could be interpreted in different ways, it could suggest that the speaker has been left defensless against the blows of her lover. Alternatively it could be that she finally succumbed to her feelings and is showering her partner with kisses as the bullets are described as ‘silver', so precious and expensive. The last lines of Quickdraw are effective as they are very much open to interpretation so the reader is left with different ideas about how the speaker is feelings.Conclusively, the strong feelings about love presented in â€Å"In Paris with you† and â€Å"Quickdraw† are highly interesting and evocative with Duffy's use of extended metaphors and Fenton's use of repetition and euphemism. Both of the speaker's ability to get the reader to empathise with them indicates the clear effectiveness of the poem's language, structure and context. The layered deeper meanings and subtexts, hidden beneath the light-hearted tones of the poems, are especially effective.

Charlemagne the man values and orientation

Charlemagne the man values and orientation To understand Charlemagne as a ruler you have to understand Charlemagne â€Å"The Man.† From what we can tell from Charlemagne’s personal qualities, he was a man of great stature known for being a great warrior, scholar, and politician. He was well spoken and charismatic. He valued his family, he related well to foreigners, had a positive personality, and was strong willed and athletic. Because of these qualities he was often very well respected and admired. In playing those roles he would not only be able to conquer but build trust and unity amongst the people. He was an incredible warrior whom displayed an iron will. Although he was one of greatness on the battlefield he possessed the ability of establishing friendships and was known for his generosity. Charlemagne was also respected as a scholar based on his willingness to learn, and his desire to promote education throughout his kingdom. Charlemagne studied Greek, spoke fluent Latin, and was well versed in the libe ral arts. He used his love for learning to study the world around him in order to keep informed of this issues and cultures surrounding and throughout his empire. Charlemagne respected, defended, and supported the Catholic Church during his life, which reinforced his Christian morality and beliefs. It was his Christian orientation and moral Charlemagne 3 compass that helped give him direction in promoting not only unity, but most importantly, civilization within his kingdom. Because of the ferocity with which he defended his beliefs and convictions, and the open-minded way that he viewed the world and mankind, Charlemagne became a wise, multi-faceted, and charismatic leader that the masses first feared, yet came to revered and trust. Charlemagne was not only adept at organizing, making informed decisions, but quite willing to act on those decisions, while persuading and motivating others to willingly follow him. As a â€Å"MAN† then, he had the personality traits that not onl y made him a conqueror, but most importantly, an â€Å"empire builder† of civilized society. MILITARY LEADER/STRATEGIST Charlemagne was an aggressive and courageous warrior, and military leader. During the first thirty years of his rule as king, he had many successful military campaigns, which enabled him to expand and consolidate the Frankish nation, expand his landholdings, and strengthen his military forces. His conflicts included those against the Lombards, Bavarians, Spanish, Byzantines, Avars, and the Saxons (Snell, 2006). Charlemagne 4 His military strategy often included the use of heavy cavalry and a strategy of separating his army into two forces upon entering enemy territory so that he could envelope the enemy in a â€Å"pincer† type movement, attacking them from different directions. Charlemagne believed that by effectively using warfare he would be able defend his kingdom from potential enemies, increase the borders of his realm, and promote the spread of Christianity. Because of his exceptional military accomplishments on the battlefield including his willingness to lead from the front, Charlemagne deservingly earned the title of a â€Å"warrior king†, making himself a force to be reckoned with throughout western Europe as well as gaining the respect from the noble class which helped provide him with political leverage that he would later need to help him to unify the diverse population that he conquered.

Should crime prevention be a priority for the criminal justice system Essay

Should crime prevention be a priority for the criminal justice system - Essay Example (Pfeiffer, p 55, 2003) A Research conducted by the Heart Research Associates Inc. on the perception of the public on crime prevention found that majority of the people believed in a more pro-active rather than reactive approach. This research was conducted in the year 2002. But ten years ago, when the public was asked about what they thought about crime prevention, 42% said the criminal justice system should focus on punitive action while 48% supported crime prevention. These statistics have changed drastically with time. In 2002, when a similar research was conducted by the same research company, it was found that 65% of the public believe in dealing with root causes while 32% wanted more severe measures to take precedence in the criminal justice system. The survey also indicated the following preferences. It should be noted that most of the time, there are cases in which people break the law because they have no where else to turn to. Such people normally come from deteriorating neighbourhoods. They feel that there is not much that can be done about their situation and they opt to choose crime as their only means for survival. Most of these criminals normally have very low educational backgrounds. Consequently, their options in the formal employment sector are quite limited. They need to earn a source of livelihood and still have to meet their daily needs. However, the public only offers them temporary jobs that do not pay as much. Some individuals may feel the need to deal with this lack of necessities through crime. Overly, the underlying problem is education, if the government was to invest in education of such criminals then there would be no need to commit crimes and all the other issues will fall into place. (Maguire, p 207-265, 2000) Most criminals commit their crimes because their neighbourhoods make it easy for them to do so. In most Cities, there are certain localities that have been ignored by the governing

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 60

Summary - Essay Example ification among accents and dialects it has become a constant struggle to maintain and learn the most popular accent and disregard the standardized low ones. According to South Carolina’s Tobolski, not all the people like to change their accent but they surely like to adapt to the new modifications. The importance of valuing one’s heritage is the most vital aspect of a confident personality. Inâ€Å" Mute in an English – only world†, Chang Rae –Lee has tried to explain the need to be accepted by a foreigner. He has explained the dilemma of constant struggle; emotionally as well as socially by an immigrant. He described his mother’s struggle and consistency in learning the language. The constant public speaking fear, the public humiliation and failures ruin the confidence of a qualified person even. The unkind and hasty treatment of locals; adds more sourness in the foreigners. It clearly provokes discrimination in a society and negates the ethical approaches one claims to acquire as a developed nation. â€Å"The meanings of a word† by Gloria Naylor, describes the velocity of a word used in a certain context. The connotation of a word changes according to the tone of the speaker. The constant addition of foreigners in a certain community encourages conflicts and diversity in language. However the meaning of a word changes depending upon its usage and the tone in which it is used in. The usage of word nigger, explains the view point of two members belonging from different race. One uses it as slang or a mean of insult and the other uses it for a person of great strength and ability. Same is the case with the word girl, it differed in meaning according to its use. The message which author wanted to convey was, words deliver message to the listener but tone describes meaning and intensity of them. Deborah Tennan in her book â€Å" â€Å"you’re wearing that? Understanding mothers and daughters†; describes the intensity of words and its impact on the

Poverty and Child Abuse Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poverty and Child Abuse - Term Paper Example The poverty problem is a dilemma which gives rise to child sexual abuse since the families are not concerned about child protection. The way children are maltreated, misuse, and neglect have many times escorted them to the vulnerability of child abuse. However in the United States, child abuse is not a new issue, since children have been the subject of various types of abuse for decades, therefore concern for abused children now demands action from private citizens as well as the government. Despite the existence and active participation of child welfare programs, child abuse is a common problem confronted by the United States. One reason for the widespread of this quandary is the fact that economic resources and political structure varies according to the social determinants for people who live in urban and rural regions (Kenney et al, 2001, p. xv). Child abuse some decades ago was seen as a problem of physical battering and the deliberate intention to harm the child, mainly by parents. It was in the 1970s that the meaning of the term child abuse expanded to include not only physical harm of the child, but also sexual or emotional maltreatment by parents or caretakers since abuse does not have to be deliberate infliction, but can also take the form of omission to act resulting in neglect of the child's needs. The main concern pertains to what our communities consider as child abuse, for example in many community cases in the professional consensus in the United States it was a concern as to what constitutes abuse or neglect of a child. When analyzed on the basis of community research it was found that all agreed to consider a child with fractured bones from repeated beatings as 'abused', while a child who is not given the minimum amount of food, clothing, or attention necessary for survival or a young child left unfed in a room as neglected. There were various class perspectives on maltreatment which exist between the extreme cases of child abuse and neglect, however there is a wide range of situations on which there is often disagreement about what constitutes emotional or physical abuse. These vary according to class as poor class more moderately defines what is entailed in sexual or physical abuse. Child abuse possesses three main types and has been so deeply embedded in our society that most of us are not even aware of how it disrupts our social determinants of living standards. Traditional child rearing practices and inappropriate child maltreatment with lack of monetary, organizational and informational resources addresses the problem with greater cause. Verbal Child abuse Based on cruelty or unjustified punishment, verbal abuse entails direct enforcement of exposure to punishment or permitting of a child to suffer resulting in an unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering. Often called as emotional or psychological child abuse is the most common found in almost every class. Families usually neglect such mental or emotional suffering of their children and do not intend to report or view it as a serious issue, verbal abuse is not considered to be reported, but may be reported. Many families consider it

Global Investment Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Global Investment - Article Example This is the reason behind the industrial success of the nation as well as the admirable economy. On the other hand, Indians would work tirelessly to ensure that, he benefits optimally, through both corruption and fund embezzlement activities. Peter Killing, an American professor, confirm the above philosophy, as he proves to us that, Americans are the best business managers around the world. He further illustrates that the above is evident, from different surveys and education workshops held around the country. The topic arises as a result of the spirit of the American in adopting different environment with the aim to invest. The inclusions to consider when investing in a foreign nation are cultural differences, climate, language, and cost, among others. This is because they are determiners of the success or failures of the business ventures. The above inclusion will facilitate bridging the gap between the two nations. In regard to thriving businesses, like Cisco and Wall Street busters, comes the debate of future IPOs and NASDAQ stocks. Business success in any country comes due to technology, internet revolution, productivity levels and the spirit of the entrepreneurial ship. Ignorance of affairs in the world trade and materialism are hindrances in business development. Understanding the history of business in the country of choice and learning the language of the people of the country, contributes to a business success and also understanding the geographical conditions. A culture of the people in the new country is also noteworthy so that they can remove the `we have a foreign boss’ mindset. This helps in creating openness and befriending the people of that country, thus the success of the business. Managers said that operating a business in a foreign country would succeed first by learning the language of the people and their culture to create friendliness.  

The Princess Bride Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

The Princess Bride Film - Essay Example ployed in the film; it is expected that the selected scenes from the movie will provide useful insights to learners regarding the various camera shots, movements, sound effects, music and dialogues as shown in the movie. The students need to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding of film through an analysis of selected scenes from the movie and the assessment tasks are carefully planned to meet the language needs of the learners too. 1. Students are asked to submit a portfolio at the end of the unit for teacher feedback and the portfolio should comprise of their understanding of the various themes of the movie and how the character sketch of each of the major characters are revealed in the movie from the scenes shown to them. 2. The class task asks the students to make a write up of the importance of dialogues and sound effects in the movie. For this, students are shown certain scenes in the movie without any sounds. Students need to construct appropriate dialogues based on the actions and later they can be shown the same scenes with all the dialogues and sound effects. a) Pre-viewing Activities that will provide the students with an understanding of the basic factors associated with the genre of film, the various categories of films and the major actors/actresses of the movie. 1. Discussion: The teacher organizes an open discussion in the class. Initially, the teacher asks each one what they know about films in general. Each one contributes to the discussion by adding a different point. The students are asked to take notes whenever a new idea is being discussed. Students can also ask for clarifications, examples and substantiation on what others have pointed out. The activity goes on until the students have shared all their previous understanding of the genre of films. The teacher can then intervene to divert their attention to new information on films and can carefully elicit their responses. This would pave way for another creative discussion

International fashion business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International fashion business analysis - Essay Example From ancient periods to the modern era, fashion tastes on both designers, moneyed clientele and mass consumers have changed significantly and continue evolving, albeit, enigmatically. The designs in every decade changes and designers continue changing at rapid phase to introduce never-seen-before creations. The number of players in the industry has rapidly increased making the market competitive. Even independent designers have started competing and slowly establishing their presence in the industry. The industry is beginning to take shape and the process becomes defined. Sound business fundamentals and touches of creativity are basic elements of success in the industry. In the fashion industry, there are several companies that are considered as global in terms of market and recognition. Fashion designers are famous worldwide for their ability to strike in the preference of the consumers. Christian Dior and Balenciaga are two of the most famous names in fashion. These firms are highly competitive and have different sources of market. Indeed, it is interesting to discuss the similarities and differences that both firms have. Porter (1979) introduced the concept of five forces that seeks to analyse the competition in an industry. Accordingly, this will serve as an effective tool to carve a picture of the fashion industry. ... The threat to the new entrants shows the possible barriers that will hinder the investment in the industry. Unlike other industries, fashion is more open and barriers are mostly economic in nature. First, it is important to understand that fashion is seasonal and certain designs are only purchased by customers on given periods. Given this scenario, it is difficult to determine consistent production because of seasonal changes. Another vital threat to newcomers is their reputation in the industry. It has been proven that success in the fashion world is determined by credibility and nurtured reputation. The emergence and threat of substitute industry is another important dimension that needs to be considered. At present there are no direct industries that rival fashion. Clothing as a necessity is produced in limited methods and fashion design is a foremost mechanism. Despite of this reality, the future provides uncertain trends. Custom made-clothes and other similar commodities are starting to gain prominence in the market. The bargaining power of the consumers determines the capacity of the consumers to purchase the goods and price sensitivity. Fashion designers are usually expensive but can be afforded in several markets. Signature designs are indeed high priced, but there are other quality designs that require less money to be purchased. Because buying clothes and similar products is done based on the need, consumers are able to save enough money to afford expensive branded apparels. On the other hand, consumers are sensitive in price when it comes to fashion. Since there are different alternatives, price increase will affect the decision of the consumers to make a

THE FINAL SELF-REFLECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE FINAL SELF-REFLECTION - Essay Example I designed my pet’s house when I was fifteen. I always wanted to learn how to draw maps and design structures of buildings, roads, and bridges. The fantasy grew into my ambition, and I wanted to learn more about architecture. My passion made me explore more about these issues, and I joined a local library to study the related literature. I have also studied a number of journals and articles that have increased my interest. My basic inspiration was a family friend, an uncle who was an architect and was helping my father in a project regarding designing a low cost orphanage facility in Congo. He inspired me into creating structures, and this increased my enthusiasm about architecture. Thus, I planned to extend my degree in architecture so that I may be able to excel in my field of interest and be a useful professional in my career. I feel it important to state here how pleasing it was for me to pursue architecture. I enjoyed the architectural studies a lot, and came to know about modeling, materiality and aspects of interaction between people and buildings. I learnt how to work in teams to achieve the goals. I gained knowledge of many architectural softwares and programs, like Rhinoceros, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. In my university, I have been a very active student, and have always gained the praise of my teachers and peers. I was a student representative in my first and third years. I also possess interest in games, and have stayed part of the volleyball team in my second year. I also deem it important to describe some of personal qualities. I can prove to be an ethical leader for teams, since I plan my work according to rules and standards. I care about my co-workers; keep in view the goals and objectives; and, have a broad vision regarding the advancement of my semester projects. My leadership qualities have always made me succeed in all university projects that I have taken so far, and I am proud

Starbucks Coffee Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Coffee Essay Starbucks has more than 17,000 stores in over the world ( following the information in 2010) including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, and over 700 in the United Kingdom Follow the the information of BusinessWeek. com. in 2010. The Brand Value of Starbucks is 3339 million U. S Dollar. Rank 97 in over the world http://www. interbrand. com/en/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2010. aspx Employees 137,000 (2010) Website Starbucks. com Currently Starbucks is present in more than 55 countries. But until 2011, Starbucks still have not come to VN. Our group think that Starbucks should come to VN through franchising method Why choose Viet Nam 1/ A suitable model of development: In recent years, Vietnam has favorable conditions for business activity * GDP growth averaging over 8% * The economic situation is stable * The purchasing power is rated highly in the world VietNam became officially the 150th member of WTO. It opens up a lot of opportunities for not only VN’s entrepreneurs but also other countries’ ones 2/ Policies from VN government. VN government encourage investments VN Laws allowed foreign enterprise operate comfortably in VN which it didn’t occur in the past 3/ Others Vietnam population is 82 million, among whom 2/3 are young people In Viet Nam, people spend 70% their income for consuming, especially in food ( Follow the data from The General Statistics Office) Why choose franchising What is franchising? - Starbucks chooses Franchising as its international entry strategy. A franchise is a business arrangement where the developer/owner (the franchiser) of a business concept grants others (the franchisees) the licensed right to own and operate a businesses based on the franchisers business concept, using its trademark. For complete franchising model, the franchisor share and transfer of at least four types of products include: * Systems ( Strategies, model, management process, marketing support †¦ ) * Trade or business secrets * Right to operate under the Starbucks brand * Products and services Franchising in Viet Nam With Vietnam’s entry into the WTO, it is expected that franchising activity in the country will increase markedly over the next few years. There are presently a handful of major franchises operating in the country, including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Lotteria, Jollibee, Pho 24, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Buntamita and Cartridge World. In the past, Vietnamese law did not provide a clear basis for franchising arrangements, groundwork for franchising to develop in Vietnam. Reasons which Starbucks should choose franchisng In fact, with the economy situation in VN, franchising brings a lot of advantages to both franchisor and franchisees Franchisor * Franchising reduces the risk of investment into a new market for Starbucks. * Starbucks don’t need to have a huge capital. Capital is always one of the biggest problems of any company. But with franchising system, the franchisors don’t need to worry about it because franchisees have to use the capital of them to expand business, not franchiser. * Franchising help Starbucks access the new market quickly and make rapid expansion over broad area. In Vietnam market, especially coffee market, you have to find the way to develop and grow continuously to compete with others. No development means that going back. It’s lucky that franchising system can help you expand, develop your business quickly. * Promote the brand promotion strongly. With the expansion quickly of franchising system, it also helps Starbucks to advertise Starbucks’s image widely when hundreds of Starbucks’s stores appear everywhere. Beside that, the advertising cost will be shared for all stores, so Starbucks don’t have to spend much money to launch their huge advertising campaigns * Maximize income. In franchising system, franchisor can earn a lot of money from franchisees; from copyright cost, the cost for the right to operate under Starbucks’s brand, the profit of franchisees to raw materials which franchisees have to buy directly from Starbucks * Most importantly, franchisees are motivated operators to do a good job. Franchisees have to use the capital of them to operate business. So, it will be a great motivation for them to work well Franchisees * Franchising primary benefit is risk minimization. Starting a new business is risky. Most studies show that over 90 percent fail within three years. The primary reason that the failure rate is so high is because the owners have to do many things. They have to have a plan to introduce their new products or service, beside that they have to do operating plan, marketing plan †¦ to achieve their goal. All of them contain many risks. And the retailer often don’t have a lot of experiences when they start a new business, they have to spend a lot of time to learn characteristic elements of each industry. Franchising reduces risk for these things. When you join a franchising system, franchisee will be trained, taught from experiences to successful secrets which franchisor has to spend a lot of time to know. * Another benefits of franchising is the franchisee don’t have to go through beginning step when you have to do a lot of things, and spend a lot of money to survive, to build an image in consumer mind. * The next benefit, the well known brand names of franchisers are another reason of franchising to franchisees. Nowadays, there’re a lot of same products in different brands in market. Therefore, building a famous brand which everyone know and trust is a key to survive and success with any business. With franchising system, franchisee is allowed to succeed a brand which have a stable position in market, it is really a big advantage for retailer * Maximize manpower: the franchisee only have to focus on business operations. The rest like strategies, marketing process†¦ will be built and transferred to franchisee by franchisor * Easy to borrow money from banks: Because franchise system was proven to be the safest business system. Therefore, it is easier for franchisees to ask money from banks Objectives Short-term: Assert brand of Starbucks coffee in HCM city area. Try to lead Starbucks to become a familiar brand in customer mind Long-term: Create a unique coffee culture of Starbucks in VN. Lead Starbuck brand become a standard for coffee in Vietnam Target market and location Target market Based on our franchising strategy, our objectives in long term and short term, Starbucks will target consumers between the age of 18-50, with a specific concentration on officers and businessman. Demographic Age: 18-50. Gender: Male and Female Income: Average to high income Occupation: Businessman, officers, students, intelligentsia Psychographic: Life Style: For those who have deep experience about coffee People who want to choose for themselves some products that have brand name that show their levels. For people who value quality and service above money People who want to enjoy Starbucks coffee’s culture Location Follow our objectives in short term and long term. Starbucks’s stores have to occur densely in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in: Main streets and main districts where have high living. Plazas and buildings Big universities, especially international universities through Starbucks’s stalls (Most of them serve take-away coffee only) Analyze Environment in VietNam Social and Cultural Environment General View On the basis of study and observation of the rapid development of Vietnamese societal life in recent decades, this text tries to suggest a global view on the cultural environment in Vietnam – the country which is still poor, but which nonetheless has got rather high indexes of life expectancy and education. Cultural environment in Vietnam nowadays is fine, fair, and healthy. However, the cultural environment in Vietnam is now unprecedentedly rich, complicated, and fraught with plenty of implicit problems. Vietnam has three main advantages: Firstly, a suitable model of development; secondly, political and social stability; and thirdly, a nationwide strong will for progress, with 82 million inhabitants, among whom 2/3 are young people. 3. Business Environment in Vietnam a. Macro Environment in Vietnam Economic Factors. Ho Chi Minh City’s per capita income has doubled the figure of the whole country; a recent survey by the HCMC Institute for Development Studies has showed. The first-ever survey on the income and living standards of HCMC households was conducted in 12 districts, with 720 questionnaires released. The survey revealed Ho Chi Minh City’s per capita income has increased over the past years to US$2,500, compared to the whole country’s $1,200. However, the average income of the rich is seven times higher than that of the poor in Ho Chi Minh City, according to the survey. HCMC is now home to 80,000 poor households, a Wednesday conference co-hosted by the HCMC Institute for Development Studies and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) was told. A poor household is defined as having the per capita income of VND12 million ($650). Only 24. 3 percent of Ho Chi Minh City residents feel â€Å"satisfied† with their income, according to the survey. Ho Chi Minh City dwellers spend half of their income on food, and 20 percent of their income on education, the survey says. There an average 4. 6 members in a household in HCMC; the number of people of working age makes up around 70 percent of the total population, the survey says. Vietnam defines a person of working age as aged between 18 and 60 for males and 18 to 55 for females. The southern hub’s unemployment rate is 4. 5 percent, according to the survey. It also says only around half of HCMC households have been living in the city for less than 25 years; meanwhile, the number of migrants within the past 10 years is increasing.

What does the fox say Essay Example for Free

What does the fox say Essay Billboard might have already christened Robin Thickes Blurred Lines as the song of the summer, but Norwegian duo Ylvis might have something more to say on the matter before the equinox hits. The Fox, by brothers Bà ¥rd and Vegard Ylvisà ¥ker, has gathered more than 17 million hits after a week on YouTube. It was released in the lead up to the newest season of the bands Norwegian television talk show,Tonight with Ylvis. They dont have an album out yet, but after the overwhelming response several songs will be available on iTunes in North America next week. The catchy tune is paired with the most absurd lyrics this side of the theme song to DuckTales. The brothers muse on the sounds animals make (Dog goes woof, cat goes meow) before asking, What does the fox say? The answer is a series of horrific shrieks such as Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! and Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow! The brothers Ylvisà ¥ker dance in a forest at night dressed in fox costumes the likes of the Bloodhound Gang. Ylvis isnt new to the comedy music scene theyve been around since 2000 and have five other songs in English. Check out the arguably better Stonehenge, which begins as a mopey power ballad where a successful television show host is kept up at night ruminating on the ancient stone formation. In the past six days Ylvis have received offers for tours and record deals from all the biggest companies, a bewildered Bà ¥rd Ylvisà ¥ker told Billboard, saying he and his brother had no idea how The Fox ended up on the viral radar. Normally, you know we get some hits and we get some comments, but theyre all about the actual contents of the songs. But this was mostly about the phenomenon, which was really strange, even when it was only at 100,000 views.

Detection of Impurities in Nd Doped Phosphate Laser Glass

Detection of Impurities in Nd Doped Phosphate Laser Glass Detection of the impurities in Nd doped phosphate laser glass by x-ray fluorescence technique Atul Kumar*, M. P. Kamath, A. S. Joshi, P. A. Naik, P. D. Gupta Laser Plasma Division A. K. Singh, M. K. Tiwari Indus Synchrotrons Utilization Division Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013, M.P., India *Email: [emailprotected] Introduction: The advances in laser glass composition and manufacturing have enabled the development of third generation high energy high power (HEHP) lasers like the National Ignition facility (NIF)1 that are being used as drivers for fusion energy studies. These laser glasses are phosphate based because of their low intensity dependent refractive index n2 and have a compositions equivalent to LHG-8 of M/s Hoya, Japan or LG-770 glass of M/s Schott Ltd2. The manufacturing and handling procedures introduce many unwanted impurities in these glasses, leading to lower laser induced damage threshold and lower fluorescence life time. The x-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a powerful technique3 which can identify the elemental composition of such glasses in a non-destructive manner. In the XRF process, the specimen is excited with high energy photons, which can cause individual atoms to ionize. When these atoms undergo relaxation, the electrons relocate from a high energy orbital to a lower one. During this pro cess, fluorescence radiation is emitted. The emitted radiation has lower energy compared to the incident source and it depends on the specific electron transitions of the individual elements. Thus, the resulting x-ray fluorescence spectrum bears the signature of the elements present in the specimen. In the present study, we have performed XRF analysis on different laser glass samples and raw materials used for the fabrication of these glasses namely aluminum metaphosphate (AMP), barium metaphosphate (BMP) and potassium metaphosphate (KMP). The advantage of the this study is that it can indicate to the presence of most of the impurities like transition metal impurities (of interest to us) in one measurement, if their concentrations are of the order of few ppm (by weight) or more. Our studies on the glasses and the raw materials indicate that the raw materials are pure to the desired levels but the glasses fabricated using the raw materials show many impurities. These impurities are expected to enter during handling of the raw materials and from the glass-cullet during fabrication process. This study will help in improving the quality of the glass by repeatedly doing the XRF analysis after every stage, so that faulty handling can be identified. Method of fabrication of the phosphate laser glass: A two arm HEHP Nd:phosphate glass laser chain is operational at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore4. A joint collaborative project is undertaken with Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CGCRI), Kolkata to develop the process technology for the fabrication of the phosphate laser glasses equivalent to LHG-8 glass of M/s Hoya, to overcome the existing embargo. The phosphate laser glass is fabricated as a two step process. In the first step, the sintered raw material (AMP, BMP and KMP and Nd2O3 in appropriate fractions) is melted in a silica crucible. The glass-cullet produced as a result of melting in the silica crucible is cast. The cast glass is powdered and loaded in a bottom pouring platinum crucible for optical quality, and chemical and physical homogenization. During these steps in the fabrication, the impurities may be added to the glass at several stages, namely: a) mixing of the raw materials, b) impurities coming from the silica crucible, c) impurities coming from the glass-cullet cast, d) impurities coming from the platinum crucible, e) impurities coming during annealing and fine annealing of the glass. Six samples of laser glass (named LG-1 to LG-6) were fabricated at CGCRI for the studies. XRF analysis was done on different fabricated samples of laser glasses (LG-1 to LG-6) and raw material samples made from AMP, BMP and KMP, to identify the elemental impurities in laser glass and raw materials. In addition to this, the sensitivity of the XRF technique was also ascertained using small amounts of platinum deliberately added to the glass samples. Experiments and Methodology XRF analysis was performed at the BL-16 beamline of Indus-2 synchrotron facility5 on fabricated glass samples and the raw materials after the first step of melting in silica crucible. The glasses had platinum oxide dissolved in them because of its solubility in the laser glass. Platinum comes into the glass as an unavoidable impurity during homogenization of the glass in the platinum crucible. Metallic platinum absorbs at the lasing wavelength (1054 nm) and reduces the laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the laser glass. Oxygen bubbling is done in platinum crucible to reduce the OH bond impurity in the hygroscopic phosphate glass. The oxygen bubbling also oxidizes the platinum metal to its oxide, thereby reducing the metallic platinum in the glass. The other impurities occur because of the poor quality of the silica crucible and/or cast of glass-cullet in addition to poor handling during the mixing of the raw materials in the first step of melting. The glasses with different amounts of platinum oxide were: LG-1(5 ppm Pt), LG-2 (10 ppm Pt), LG-3(25 ppm Pt), LG-4 (5 ppm Pt with O2 bubbling), LG-5 (10 ppm Pt with O2 bubbling) and LG-6 (25 ppm Pt with O2 bubbling). Varying platinum oxide content helped in ascertaining the sensitivity of the technique to Pt impurity. In the experiment, an x-ray beam was incident on sample for excitation and scattered spectrum was recorded by the detector shown in Fig. 1. The samples were excited using 14 keV and 17 keV synchrotron x-rays, selected by a double-crystal monochromator system. The analyses have been done on all the raw powder materials (for qualitative analysis) and on the pallets (for quantitative analysis). 15 mm dia. pallets were formed using a semi-automatic pallet machine. One such pallet is shown in sample holder in Fig. 1. Figure 1: Raw specimens analyzed by XRF measurements The captured data was analyzed using the PyMCA software 6. The calibration of the measured fluorescence spectrum was achieved by selecting the ‘K’ lines of various elements present in the laser glass samples, and in the raw material samples. The method of spectrum calibration however needs a proper comparison with a standard doped sample as a confirmatory test to account for the variation in the actual composition of the fabricated laser glass samples and that measured with XRF. In the present study, XRF method was used to qualitatively see the presence of different impurities, strictly from the yes/no point of view, rather than the full quantitative estimation. Results and discussion: Figure 2 shows a typical spectrum of the fabricated LG-1 glasses and the raw material BMP. The impurities found in the fabricated glasses are listed in Table 1. The silicon impurity occurs because of melting in silica crucible. Sr impurity seen in BMP as Ba and Sr are chemically close to each other. For the same reason, Rb impurity was found in KMP. However, there no impurities were seen in AMP. The transition metal impurities however may come either from during handling of raw materials or through the casts of glass-cullet. This will be ascertained in future by casting the glass in casts made of different materials like graphite, aluminum, and stainless steel. The studies of impurities after the casting of the glass will give idea about its origin. In addition to this, the XRF technique was found to be sensitive to ~ 5 ppm of Pt impurities. Figure 2: a) Typical spectrum of a) LG-1 fabricated glass, and b) Barium meta-phosphate specimen (raw material) Table 1: List of the impurities present in the glass samples Summary: We have presented XRF analysis on different laser glasses (LG-1 to LG-6) and raw materials (AMP, BMP and KMP) used for the fabrication of such glasses. The impurities in these glasses may be entering during handling or coming from the silica crucible, or the cast for the glass-cullet. The XRF method was also found to be sensitive up to ~ 3 ppm of platinum, as was observed in studies of LG-4 glass. In contrast, the raw materials were found to be free from transition element impurities. Further studies to improve the quality of glass are required to be undertaken. Acknowledgement: We acknowledge the contribution of Dr. R. Sen, Dr. Annapurna and other colleagues of the glass division, CGCRI Kolkata for preparation of the phosphate laser glass samples for the XRF studies. References: L. L. Seaver, LLNL report (925) 423 (Oct. 2010) J. H. Campbell and T. I. Suratwala, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 318, 2638 (2000). M. Mantler and M. Schreiner, X-Ray Spectrum. 29, 3 (2000) A.S. Joshi et al, EPJ Web of Conferences 59, 08001 (2013). M. K. Tiwari, P. Gupta, A. K. Sinha, S. R. Kane, A. K. Singh, S. R. Garg, C. K. Garg, G. S. Lodha and S. K. Deb, J. Synchrotron Rad. 20, 386 (2013). V.A. Solà ©, E. Papillon, M. Cotte, Ph. Walter, J. Susini, Spectrochimica Acta B 62, 63 (2007)

John Adams Essays -- essays research papers

David McCullough. John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. 656 pp. David McCullough was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933, and educated at Yale where he graduated with honors in English literature. McCullough lives in West Tisbury, Massachusetts with his wife, Rosalee Barnes McCullough. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He is the author of Truman, Brave Companions, Mornings on Horseback, The Path Between the Seas, The Great Bridge, and the Johnstown Flood. He has received the Pulitzer Prize (in 1993, for Truman), the Francis Parkman Prize, (this award promotes literary distinction in historical writing, and is presented annually for the best book in American history). He has also won the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and is twice winner of the National Book award, for history and biography. McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House, as part of the White House presidential lecture series. He is also one of few private citizens to be asked to speak before a joint session of C ongress. David McCullough has been an editor, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television- as host of Smithsonian World, The American Experience, and numerous documentaries including The Civil War and Napoleon. John Adams is a biography about the second president of the United States. McCullough originally set out to write a dual biography of Adams and Jefferson. David McCullough has successfully incorporated the life of Thomas Jefferson into this biography. The idea was to explore their interlocking lives and careers. The two men first met as fellow patriots united in the cause of independence in the mid-1770s. As fellow diplomats in Europe in the 1780s they became close friends. In the 1790s they became political rivals and didn’t speak to each other for more than ten years. They reconciled in their retirement years, and then launched into one of the great exchanges of letters in American history. They died on the same day- July 4th, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration of Independence. Though this began as a dual biography it quickly became an Adams biography. McCullough realized that after a year and one half of research that Adams was in every respect a more fully developed, three-dimensional, warm-blooded, and compelling character than Jefferson. McCullough wants his ... ...ams’s. I learned so much about the relationship between Abigail and John Adams. Their life together was a true love story. I also learned the contrasts between Adams and Jefferson. Jefferson was tall, lean, and youthful. Adams was short, stout, and eight years Jefferson’s senior. Adams kept no record of accounts, Jefferson, on the other hand, kept meticulous records, but the greatest difference between them was that Jefferson avoided conflict. He could not bring himself to argue with anyone, ever. In contrast, Adams embraced difficulty, conflict, and struggle. After reading this book I came away with a better understanding of the civil war, slavery, and other crucial issues facing America at that time. John Adams has given me an insatiable appetite to learn more about our founding fathers, I feel that I can never know enough about them. This was an absolutely fascinating book to read. I loved it! For me this was the history lesson that I needed. I enjoyed this book from a plain readers point of view; moreover I enjoyed the history lesson in rare form. David McCullough’s John Adams was, by far, the best written and most interesting book that I have ever read. (word count 1543)

Compaing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Arks and Genetic Bottlenec

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the dawn of time, science has been in the minds of men. In the story, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor deals with the creation of life as opposed to   "Arks and Genetic Bottlenecks" by Harold J. Morowitz which denies the scientific validation of Noah's Ark.   Science, in most cases, has interfered with human lives, especially in religion in the aspect of   human cloning. In reality, it is not just a question of science, it is a matter of science versus religion. How far will science go to allow human cloning which is a test of people's religious beliefs?   Both Frankenstein and "Arks and Genetic Bottlenecks" provide readers with some similar and some different answers.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, Frankenstein, and "Arks and Genetic Bottlenecks," deal with a similar issue that today people know as cloning. In   Frankenstein film, Victor creates life out of dead bodies by   reactivating the dead cells with chemicals and electricity, despite his professor's warning that "creation of life is only in God's hands." In "Arks and Genetic Bottlenecks," Morowitz also discusses genes and how all different organisms do not have the same assortment of genes with exception of identical twins (760), and that genetic diversity is essential for the survival of all species. Though, today, cloning is a big issue which people are afraid of, Mary Shelley, in her time, had an idea that scientists might attempt something similar to cloning which instilled fear in the hearts of men, and made her write Frankenstein.   A similar fear is generated by Dolly, the Sheep cloned in Scotland in 1997. According to the film, Human Cloning, this has made religious activists protest against cloning in fear that science would destroy mank... ...man.   The question still remains: Are scientists going to "learn . . .   how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge . . ." (Shelley 154), or are they still obsessed with proving Harold J. Morowitz   right?    Works Cited Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. A play by Nick DiMartino, Direct. Moses Goldberg. Narr. Professor McNamar. Global Stage Production. WLIW21 Presentation. Class Movie.   HSS 100-002. Fall Semester, March 22, 2002. Human Cloning: Investigative Reports.   Pres. Bill Kurtis. A & E Special Presentation February 4, 2002. Morowitz Harold J. "Arks and Genetic Bottlenecks." Fields of Reading Motives for Writing. Sixth ed.  Ã‚   Ed. Nancy R Comley et al. New York: Bedford, 2001. Shelley, Mary. "From Frankenstein." The Example of Science. Ed. Robert E. Lynch and Thomas B. Swanzey. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2000. (152-156)

Star Jones :: essays research papers

Starlet Marie Jones was born on March 24, 1962 in Badin, North Carolina. She lived there with her grandparents while her mom and dad finished college. Then at the age of six, Jones and her sister moved to Trenton, New Jersey, to live with their mom. After moving to New Jersey, Star started to shine in school. She always held the top grades throughout school and after graduating from a parochial school she enrolled in the American University in Washington, DC. While at American, Star sang in the gospel choir and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, a very prestigious African-American sorority. She was a popular student on campus and was given the nickname of â€Å"Star.† It was at American that Jones was diagnosed with inoperable tumor and given nine months to live. She didn’t want to believe the news so she went and had a second opinion. It was discovered that the tumor was indeed removable and it was removed. She went on to graduate from the University of Houston's law school and then passed the New York State bar exam the first time around. She then got a job at district attorney's office in Brooklyn. After three years with the district attorney, she started handling violent crime cases, gaining quite a reputation for nabbing stiff sentences for offenders. While working with violent crimes she was promoted to Senior Assistant District Attorney. She’s most remembered as her work on the â€Å"Bicycle Rapist† case in which she won a 66-year prison term for the offender. In 1991, she landed a job as a part-time legal commentator for Court TV. In 1992, she had a contract with the Today Show as their legal correspondent. She managed to land â€Å"hard-to-get† interviews with some of the most famous people in the world including Mike Tyson. Those interviews are what led to her getting national fame. She also gained respect for her reporting on such trials as O.J. Simpson and Lorena Bobbit. Star Jones was soon given her own television courtroom show called Jones & Jury where she played host/judge and the audience played the jury. Her biggest break came in 1997 when she became one of the hosts on ABC’s The View. Her stint on the view has given her the opportunity to expand her views and comments on various ranges of topics. Not only is Star a famous talk show host, but she’s a best selling author as well as an actress.

Blind Side

Letter: Dear Sean Tuohy, Over the last couple of months you and your outstanding family have provided everything I have every wanted a ‘family’. My life growing up consisted of running, drugs, unreliable parents a couch and others aspects. I have faced many obstacles and challenges in my life. I have been through some things no child my age should have to experience. I have learnt to face my everyday challenges by facing the fact that I can get through it, plus the support of others was very helpful, and knowing someone on earth would be having a worse day.When I was a young child I had many scaring and frightening moments. I have seen a lot of habits my mum got into, taking drugs and being a big disappointment to my family. Then I soon later found out I had 12 brothers and sisters. My mother would tell me to shut my eyes when I was scared or anything she didn’t want me to see, after that she would then tell me to count to 3 and then I could open my eyes. I suffer ed a lot as a child and faced a lot of hardships, I struggle to learn but yet I can apparently write?You and your family have given me hope and believed in me. I have been through a lot and watching my mum throw her life away doesn’t mean I was going to follow in her footsteps. After I crashed your car with SJ I thought you weren’t going to trust me again, but yet you gave me so much more. You took me under you wings, you gave me an education, and you let me go to college. I’m so grateful that someone has given me the opportunity to prove myself to them and let me show them who I am and my potentials.I am glad that I could I write to you to express how I feel. I struggled a lot and I use to be a quiet and shy boy, but now I am a confident and free spirited person and you and your wife have given me reason to believe again. Thankyou From Michael Oher Discuss what your character learnt: In the movie, Michael Oher’s character capabilities change majorly. Thr oughout the film, he grows from a shy, unschooled boy into a young man who fits into a family. The film begins with Oher as a homeless boy struggling to find a place to sleep.He then learns to become a more confident and sophisticated man. Michael Oher has grown and learnt a lot of skills and matured into a young intelligent man. He learnt that because his childhood was so traumatic doesn’t mean he is traumatised for his whole life; everything can change when you start believing. Michael struggled a lot being a foster child, being black, moving and living not with his family, and yet they are complete strangers to him that he would often run away and try and find his mother again.When he meet the Tuohy’s He grew a lot stronger in that because he was living with a Christian, wealthy family who took him in without any weight on their shoulders just out of kind heartedness. He also learnt that he didn’t have to be the smartest to achieve what he wanted he had to wo rk rad and be persistent, to stay focused. He grew so much into a star having every quality that a magnificent football player need but only some granted with this special ability. Michael learnt that being whoever you are or being whatever you wanted was you!! He had a very distraught childhood and often struggling to once believe again.He was always a determined to get what he wanted especially as a child. Michael has grown up so much, from not trying and struggling to read to now getting 2. 52 in his final result meaning he could do what he wanted for footy. He had the skills to get in but did not have the determination of getting and staying focused. Michaels tutor was a massive bonus to him and was a great peer leader. She encouraged him and helped him improve his marks a lot. Along with the hardships Michael has faced he learnt that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.He has grown and learnt so much and he is so lucky and happy to be able to have the opportunities he has been offered let alone half. Review: The blind side has proven to be a wonderful structured film, as it has been based on a true story it gives it a bit more of a overlooking and understanding of the abilities and inabilities this boy has been through. A family of all white has taken this black boy in, he would’ve felt un-invited, not fitting in and questioning why they are being nice especially when there from the complete other side of town.Michael struggles to take in that a family of complete strangers is offering there house and couch to him. The Blind Side is a film about compassion, prejudice, family, chance, and the virtues of hard work. It tells the inspirational true story of Michael Oher, of a disadvantaged African-American child, and his relationship with Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy white woman from the other side of town the rich and wealthy side and he is from the dirty, disgraceful, depressing side. They help him out with a lot of situations. They provi de a wonderful education, house, family.After his mother being a fall out he tried to get his life back on track by believing he could be different and show that he could do anything if you put your mind to work. Michael Oher shows a massive and exciting interest in football and Leigh Anne Tuohy does not hold back on the enthusiasm for him. He has been born with skills that a person could dream about, even though Michael Is a big boy these skills come in handy when he gets a number of offers to be in a professional team. They then provide Michael with a tutor to improve his grades to get him into NCCA div 1.Athletic scholarship. This young man growing up in Memphis would only dream of being able to professional football or any real contact with a ball, he was born too and all of a sudden his dream came true and was right in front of his eyes because of the Tuohy’s. I believe the film deserves a rating of 5/5, when you look at the poster or the movie cover or the book cover yo u don’t know what to expect, but then you get a great message from the film inspiring everyone to show that â€Å"if you believe you can achieve†.The message is trying to explain that you can be in any situation and find a way out of it, if you try and work your way out of it. It was a fantastic book based on a real life story. It’s very inspiring and proven to everyone that you can be from somewhere that struggles into someone who is wealthy. Bibliography: The blind side 2009, DVD, warner bros, Hollywood http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0878804/plotsummary, http://www. pacejmiller. com/2010/02/24/movie-review-the-blind-side-2009/

Ethics In Health Care Essay

Because there are not enough organs available for everyone, some system for allocating scarce resources is needed. Currently there is no one method used to decide who should get an available organ first. The decision making procedure is sometimes called distributive justice theory [1] which states that there is not one â€Å"right† way to distribute organs, but rather many ways a person could justify giving an organ to one particular individual over someone else. Criteria can include: 1. To each person an equal share; 2. To each person according to need; 3. To each person according to effort; 4. To each person according to contribution; 5. To each person according to merit; 6. To each person according to free-market exchanges. Both Mickey Mantle and Todd Krampitz were entitled to a transplant by at least one of these criteria. According to equal access, organs are to be allocated based on objective factors aimed to limit bias and unfair distribution, but there is no truly fair criteria. Length of time waiting, should be balanced with rate of health decline, and age discrimination is unfair as well. The dilemma of whether Mantle or Krempitz should have gotten their transplants is based on our human desire to establish the â€Å"worthiness† of the individual case. Because Mantle caused his liver deterioration by the choice of excessive drinking, it is easy to think him less worthy than a child or adult who had no opportunity to avoid their situation [2]. No one said Krempitz would not have gotten a transplant eventually, or that his need for the transplant was avoidable by his prior actions. Krempitz took advantage of the situation that a clear pathway for transplant decisions does not exist, and bypassed the doctor-valuation process. If the source of the organ would not have donated otherwise, then Krempitz did not do anything unethical since he did not take away someone else’s chance to have that particular organ. If the ad led to additional unplanned donations, then he even helped others. However, if he did step in front of someone else who was â€Å"in line† that would be breaking the rules. But it is unclear whether it is unethical, since it is possible that the rules of the queue are unethical themselves. At best what he did can be considered crass and dangerous, since the possibility existed that someone could have killed someone to get the money offered for the implant. The problem with equal access approach is that some human has to make the value judgment of what is fair and equal access. Some who believe in equal access distribution would also like to have an organ distribution process free of medical or social worthiness biases. Making a decision on whether a person could have avoided their problem by lifestyle choices is effectively a social punishment on those who squandered their health. On the other hand maximum benefit criteria is to maximize the number of successful transplants and minimize waste. This is a resource responsible approach and seems a more reasonable way to make the choice. It also covers those whose lifestyle caused their problems, since more often than not someone who has abused their body has other damage in addition to the organ in question, and should have higher likelihood of dying from other factors, making them less potentially successful than others. According to the Pope [3]: â€Å"The decision on who’s first in line to receive organs can be based only on medical factors, – not a person’s age, sex, race, religion, social standing, usefulness to society or any other criteria.† Personally I think that the choice of who gets the transplant ought to be made first based on the expected prognosis (likelihood the procedure will be successful and the patient have full recovery). For two people for whom there is equal chance of success, then money or insurance should not be the deciding factor on who gets the organ. Instead the age of the person, their responsibilities to other dependent humans (many children etc.), and possibly waiting period should be considered. In this case Mantle probably would not have gotten the transplant since he was not expected to survive long, anyway. [1] The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy webpage. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice-distributive/. [2] Ubel PA, Jepson C, Baron J, et.al. Allocation of transplantable organs: do people want to punish patients for causing their illness? Liver Transplant, 2001; 7(7):600-7. [3] Norton, J., 2000 Catholic News Service http://www.catholicherald.com/cns/transplants.htm SUPPORTERS OF

Discuss the economic, political and social impacts of international trade in the 21st century

Globalisation has emerged over the past 30 years bringing new dimensions to the traditional economic thinking around international trade. Discuss the economic, political and social impacts of international trade in the 21st century. Globalisation is the trend towards markets crossing international and regional borders, lessening the differences in customers' wants1. The process of globalisation, assisted by the technological revolution in communications and computers, is radically altering the shape of world markets, as well as the nature of business and everyday life. The economic, political, and social significance of international trade has been essential for the growth of globalisation. The restrictions to international trade would limit the nations to the services and goods produced within its territories, and they would lose out on the valuable revenue from the global trade. Globalisation has not only changed the way we live it has improved efficiency in flow trade and finance, modernised technology for consumers and increased wealth. International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries. This type of trade gives rise to a world economy, in which prices, or supply and demand, affect and are affected by global events. Economically it can be extremely complicated especially the fact that all countries whether they like it or not, are related to each other in one way or another. For example, an increase in the price of one commodity such as oil creates a long and complex chain of events which makes analysis of all the causal relationships virtually impossible. The risk of the exchange rates can also be a impact between countries due to the different currencies around the world. During recession, countries suffer local pressure to change laws governing International trade to protect the local industries. The most painful and memorable of such incident is the Great Depression. However, nations with strong international trade have had the power to control the world economy and this has allowed them to reduce poverty. Trade has also allowed countries to increase in profits and sales which have allowed businesses to expand internationally. Political impacts of international trade are not taken lightly as there may be many impacts which may affect the trade of goods and services between the countries. The risk of non- renewal of import and exports licenses can affect the consumer and supplier, this is because if a license is not renewed jobs will be lost and consumers will be dissapointed as their good or service is no longer being offered to them. The risk of war is also dangerous as it can leave the country in harm and have a huge impact as businesses will no longer want to provide their goods and services to the country at war. If war is declared between to countries this impacts the economy greatly. Through diversifying cultrally and socially a nation becomes more open and desirable to tourists. It allows for major growth and change as well as initiating connection with other countries. Therefore, if more tourists are willing to come to a country it further increases economic growth. International trade may also impact the way individuals behave towards each other, as new customs from overseas are learned and adapted. According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the growth in exporting and companies becoming global has created over 250,000 new jobs. Conclusively, international trade in goods, services and finance has been increasing at an exponential rate which is giving consumers a wider choice of products and services to choose from. Globalisation has not only changed the way we live it has improved efficiency in flow trade and finance, modernised technology for consumers and increased wealth. The process of globalisation, assisted by the technological revolution in communications and computers, is radically altering the shape of world markets, as well as the nature of business and everyday life.

Common Ground on Child Beauty Pageants Essay

I’m sure you all have seen the TV show â€Å"Toddlers in Tiaras.† It is a show about young children competing in beauty pageants to win a place in a higher ranked pageant, money, and the ownership of a winning title. Many people think differently about the show and the pageants. Some are all for the pageants and some are against them. People who are against the pageants complain that they should be eliminated because they exploit children and place them in harm’s way. They claim because of major dangers; no one under the age of eighteen should be placed in a beauty pageant. The children who are in the pageants are dressed up in adult’s clothing, have piles of make up on, and are harming their bodies. They are harming their bodies by putting the make up on and tanning. By putting make up on at such young of an age, their face ages faster. By tanning, they begin to get that urge that some adults have to tan, which makes their skin age and have wrinkles early. It also puts them at the risk of having skin cancer at an early age. They say it also appeals the children to sexual predators. When a child is half naked on stage and sometimes on TV, these sexual predators see them and may even try to meet them. Sexual predators are only part of the problem. Studies show that every child who may benefit from the competition, hundreds of others suffer damage to their self-esteem and have warped self-vision of themselves and their bodies. Many times, they use JonBenet, a young child who competed in these pageants at the age of six. She was murdered in the basement of her home by a sexual predator. The suspect claimed he became aware of her by the pageants being on television. People who are for the pageants and the TV shows claim that it brings their children fame and confidence. When a child has worked hard on a routine and they get on stage and accomplish it, there is no better reward than the applause and praise from the audience and family. Some also say that the tanning and make up does not harm their skin, it just makes them feel prettier. Someone once told me that when a person looks at themselves in the mirror, and they have their hair and make-up done, they feel better about themselves. That is what many moms claim their children feel whenever they have their make-up done, outfits on, and hair done. Moms of pageant children say that when their child has worked hard, and they have their name called on stage for a winning title, there is no happier feeling. They have worked and accomplished their goal. Call it what you want, but people have their own opinions. Some people think pageants hurt a child, and some think they help a child. Both of them could be right, depending on the child’s standpoint. If a child’s dream is to be in pageants, I would let that child fulfill their dream. What would you do? Works Cited Page Hilboldt-Stolley, Lise. â€Å"Pretty Babies.† Good Housekeeping 228.2 (1999): 102. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

Providing quality care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Providing quality care - Essay Example While traditionally the concept of quality nursing care was defined by the policies, the facilities and the credentials associated with the nurses, this definition has been expanded in the modern times to incorporate the concepts of exploration, improvement of the processes and patient safety, as well as the evaluation of the whole outcome of all these components (Batalden & Davidoff, 2007: 2). In this regard, the concept of quality nursing care refers to the holistic evaluation of the nursing practice, starting from the time the nurse comes into contact with the patient, to the point where the individual is discharged from the health facility, and all the health practices that are involved therein (Institute of Medicine, 2001: 47). Therefore simply put, quality nursing care is the overarching umbrella under which the patient safety resides, and thus the concept of patient safety is indistinguishable from the concept of quality nursing care, since it is through quality nursing care that the safety of the patient is upheld (Russell et al. 2010: 49). Thus, this discussion seeks to analyse the concept of quality nursing care in pain management nursing practice, with a view to establishing how the quality agenda informs this practice. Pain management is an area of nursing practice that has consistently proved to present multifaceted challenges to the nursing practitioners, considering that at some point in life, everyone experiences pain in its diverse forms. Pain has been classified as either acute or chronic, where the acute pain subsides as the process of healing continues, while the chronic pain is persistent (Jensen et al., 2003: 72). The multifaceted challenges faced by the nursing practitioners under the pain management practice emanate from the fact that pain must not always be physiological, but may also entail some components of psychological, spiritual or emotional dimensions (Jones, 2006: 42). Nevertheless, in all these dimensions,

Privatizing Social Security is the best way to deal with the Social Essay

Privatizing Social Security is the best way to deal with the Social Security crisis - Essay Example During his initial campaign for the presidency and into his first term in office, President Bush outlined and championed a method that could save this ailing, enormously costly and inefficient socialist conceived dinosaur by introducing a streamlined plan that would privatize social security. This discussion briefly explains how Social Security is collected and distributed, how it affects different segments of society and why the fund is shrinking. It then examines the Bush administration’s proposed solution to the problem and appraises the merits of the plan to privatize Social Security. The Social Security system operates by collecting taxpayer money and redistributing it to selected persons in need. Employees pay about six percent of their salary into Social Security and their employer contributes a matching amount. The fund earns interest by investing in U.S. Treasury bonds then pays retirees who have paid into the fund as employees. It also pays to the spouses of deceased retirees and to disabled persons of working age. Half of the nation’s elderly would live below the poverty line if not for the benefits paid by Social Security as opposed to the ten percent presently in poverty. Today, nearly 60 percent of retirees acquire more than half of their income from Social Security. For a third of recipients, benefits account for 90 percent of their total income (Epstein, 2006 p. 12-15) Today, Social Security is taking in slightly more money than it is paying out. According to government estimates, the reverse will be true â€Å"within the next fifteen to twenty years† (Johnson, 2006) but will still be capable of paying full benefits until about 2042. The Social Security Administration estimates that the funding balance will tip by 2028 and steadily decline until the fund is exhausted in 2042 at which time it will retain the interest paid from the Treasury bonds and when that is depleted these bonds are sold back to the

Role of Central Banks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Role of Central Banks - Essay Example Low inflation is not an end in itself. It is however an important factor in helping to encourage long-term stability in the economy. Price stability is a precondition for achieving a wider economic goal of sustainable growth and employment. High inflation can be damaging to the functioning of the economy. Low inflation can help to foster sustainable long-term economic growth 2. The central bank ensures that the money supply in the economy is exogenous and determines the monetary base accordingly for the actual values of the currency and reserve ratios etc. using the appropriate money supply formula. 3. The money supply is endogenous to the economy but is determined by the central bank according to a money supply rule, and the monetary base is changed to achieve the money supply determined according to this rule. The last assumption given above is the most commonly used operational technique, even where the central bank's intention is to focus on the monetary base or the money supply as the main determinant of aggregate demand. Under this procedure, the central bank sets the discount rate to achieve a certain level of aggregate demand in the economy and lets the financial sector determine the monetary base through borrowing or discounting bonds with it. ... rational technique, even where the central bank's intention is to focus on the monetary base or the money supply as the main determinant of aggregate demand. Under this procedure, the central bank sets the discount rate to achieve a certain level of aggregate demand in the economy and lets the financial sector determine the monetary base through borrowing or discounting bonds with it. In any case, the central bank's behaviour is captured through the specification of the monetary base, no matter which of the above procedures is used. The measures that are taken by a central bank typically involve altering the interest rate in order to control the rate of growth of aggregate demand, the money supply and ultimately price inflation. It also involves changing the exchange rates as fluctuations in the value of currency also have an impact on macroeconomic activity. All in all, these measures come under the banner of monetary policy of a country. The key result is that monetary policy governed by society's preferences produces an inefficient outcome featuring an undesired, high level of price instability. Society can improve on this suboptimal outcome in a number of ways. One way to achieve price stability without distorting the stabilization of shocks is to set new incentives for the central bank by picking a progressive central bank which cares a lot about income, making it independent of the government, and adding an inflation target to its environment.1 Monetary Policy Many economists believe that monetary policy is a more powerful tool than fiscal policy in controlling inflation. The circular flow of income and spending is kept in motion through changes in short term interest rates that in turn affect the spending and savings patterns of households and businesses

Articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Articles - Article Example Besides, it provides ample examples on emphasis given to the strategy of multinationals in enhancing the profits of the company. In the introductory section, the article provides a bird’s eye view on multinational companies, its decision making process, factors that influence the decision making process and foreign markets. In the first part, the article deals with the various factors that influence decision making process of multinational companies which seek entry into foreign markets. In addition, the article tests the validity of the framework used in decision making by undertaking firm level research by an empirical method that focuses on the micro as well as the macro factors. Summing up, the learning from the article is about how multinationals often make choices that are driven by top-down approaches rather than bottom-up approaches. The article is definitely useful for anyone seeking to understand the rationale behind why multinationals choose to enter specific markets and why they ignore some other markets. In conclusion, the article is definitely worth reading and adds to the literature that is available on the entry modes of multinationals and particularly to those in the third world countries. The article makes very relevant points about the nuts and bolts of decision making when it comes to entry into foreign markets. The article is an important contribution to the existing literature on how multinationals base their decisions on which markets to enter and the factors that go into this decision making process. For instance, the entry strategy of multinationals into a specific market might be dictated by considerations of geography and to counter completion from its international rivals. This is the strategy that the cola majors, Coke and Pepsi use to enter specific markets and the entry mode is often dictated by factors that include the

How Far Do You Agree That Video Games have had a Negative Effect on Essay

How Far Do You Agree That Video Games have had a Negative Effect on Society - Essay Example This paper declares that Healthy mind needs a healthy body which means that there needs to be certain level of balance in life. A person needs proper outdoor activity as to refresh his mind and make it energetic to handle what life has to offer. This is the traditional concept of games and health that has been successful for ages. Video Games totally negate this aspect and physical activity is totally lost in the whole process of so called ‘fun’. This report makes a conclusion that various model of gaming software’s are especially designed for this purpose. Moreover if properly controlled, this can be a good sporting and informative event for a child provided that proper choices are being made. This side of this is sadly limited in today’s world and is mostly used only for promotion in television advertisements. Just like everything else, Video games have a bright side and a dark side but as shown with various dimensions above that its negative aspects totally over dominate the positive side. It is advised to keep a proper check on this and this should never be allowed as the sole source of entertainment. No one can deny the importance of physical activity. For a person’s mind and body, half an hour running every day is far better than playing videos games for couple of hours. This seems to be high time we promote strong family ties, better physical health and lead a health and progressive life rather tha n being dominated by technology.

Quality Issues in Qualitative Research Assignment

Quality Issues in Qualitative Research - Assignment Example Triangulation refers to use of more than two different methods in research as a means of confirmation of results (Miller, 2012). It aims at increasing the validity and reliability of data in research. With regard to this particular research, it is important for the researcher to use a variety of individuals in answering the research questions. Also, it is important to carry out sequel interviews and observations in order to verify the results of the initial study. Transferability relates to the ability of a piece of research to be applicable to other fields with similar characteristics to that of the researcher. It is advisable to ensure transferability by stating central assumptions as well as proper authoring the context of the project. (Miller, 2012) Fine Motor Skill Disability can be related to similar fields and the findings of the author can be used to determine if technology may or may not be used in said fields. Trustworthiness in research is all about credibility of all the information stated in the research project (Miller, 2012). This research involves the use of interviews and observation as means of data collection. These means are all first hand and cannot be verified by a third party therefore, it is the duty of the researcher to ensure that the interviews are carried out without bias, and are reported exactly as they occurred. The researcher must not doctor results in order to suit his own personal

Fracking oil prices in USarticles literature review

Fracking oil prices in USarticles - Literature review Example senior representative at the Energy Department, the CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources, a task force member, the GM of the Midland BMW franchise, and the owner of Rusty’s Oilfield Service Company reveal more information about this change in America’s energy sector (Krauss and Lipton, 2012, p. 4). Dow and Jones writer Daniel Yergin sheds light on the same issue by asserting that today’s â€Å"unconventional-natural-gas revolution† converted a shortfall into a huge surplus and changed the natural gas enterprise (Yergin, 2011, p. 2). Yergin’s article cites an independent shale gas producer from Houston David Wessel as proof of this revolutionary change. Since Wessel began extracting in the early 1980s, he has witnessed an immense change in production and market growth over the past decade in contrast to the 1980s and 1990s (Yergin, 2011, p. 5). Jeffrey Folks, from American thinker, agrees with Krauss, Lipton, and Yergin about the decreasing oil costs across the world caused by fracking in the United States. Like Krauss and Lipton, Folks cites statistics from Bloomberg, CBC, the Wall Street Journal, Trading Economics, Forbes, and EIA (Folks, 2014). These figures point the rise in the production of barrels daily to fracking in the United States. Folks compares this effect to the hypothetical absence of fracking in the United States and Canada. This comparison leads the article to contend further that this fracking revolution may carry on for decades as the United States’ economy revels in growth (Folks, 2014). H. Sterling Burnett of the National Center for Policy Analysis echoes Folks’ insights about the effect of fracking today in contrast to traditional oil production over the past ten years (Burnett, 2013). With the help of graphs representing recoverable natural gas and daily oil output, the article proves how even electricity providers are shifting to natural gas as a key source of power. This role could not have been possible today without an immense

Positive Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Positive Economics - Essay Example Citing John Neville Keynes, Friedman identifies two types of science - positive science and normative science - whose relevance in economic theory depends on its practical application in economic policy (cited in Friedman 1966, p. 3). Whereas normative science deals with what ought to be, normative economics assists policy makers in crafting economic policies that ethically just, depending on the values they hold. In this regard, positive economics, through positive science dealing with "what is", guides policymaker's judgments by providing them with accurate predictive tools to ensure that sound economic policies are produced and that these policies yield results that they are expected to. Hence, positive economics would only hold value if their ability to predict economic phenomena accurately. In the words of Friedman, "[t]he ultimate goal of a positive science is the development of a 'theory' or, 'hypothesis' that yields valid and meaningful predictions about phenomena not yet obs erved" (p. 7). ... maintain objectivity given the imminent significance it holds on the public, as well the economist himself, how can economic theory gain the same confidence and respect wielded by its counterpart in the physical sciences To address this question, Friedman refers to the two elements constituting economic theory, and theory in general - its language and its method of reasoning. First, with regard to the language of theory, Friedman argues that "logistical completeness and consistency are relevant but play a subsidiary role to assure that the hypothesis says what it is intended to say" (p. 10). In this respect, empirical evidence that can be gathered through controlled experiments is only valuable insofar as it can assist in the prompt validation of a theory. It does not hinder the testing of a theory's hypothesis (p. 13). And consequently, it does not affect the ability of economic theory to predict phenomena. Second, with regard to a theory's substantive method of reasoning, Friedman calls attention to the manner that a theory's hypothesis is constructed and further tested. In this respect, Friedman critiques the manner that economists construct a hypothesis by making them "realistically accurate" to conform to empirical data. As Friedman notes, this manner of theory construction is not only impractical and inadequate, but insignificant as well. With regard to its impracticality, Friedman points to the logistical impossibility that surrounds the exercise of making sure assumptions are "realistically accurate." Hence, it is impossible to account for all the facts surrounding a phenomenon to be explained because this phenomenon constitutes a wide range of facts that are both relevant and irrelevant to a theory. It is also inadequate because, as Friedman notes, an

What Are Some Risk Factors to Prevent Illness Essay Example for Free

What Are Some Risk Factors to Prevent Illness Essay * What are some risk factors that may be controlled to prevent serious illness? Do any of these controllable risk factors apply to you? What can you do to eliminate these risk factors in your life? We can prevent serious diseases if we have strong immune systems, so we have to strengthen them, we can take vitamin c daily. We can ingest fruits every day, citrus fruits are more important, they are rich in vitamin c. and we could take supplemental vitamins to help our body become stronger to prevent diseases. Yes some of these things can be taken control over. You can change the conditions through diet and exercise. Your best defense is information. Talk to your health care provider to find out if u are at risk for any serious diseases. Work with your health care provider to come up with a plan of action to help you control the risk factors in your life. High blood pressure is a very important risk factor for someone to have a stroke. Strokes affect 40 percent of ethnic populations over age 20. Just remember to check your family history to see if you are at risk for certain illnesses. * With widely publicized information on the health and environmental consequences of smoking, why do you think people still choose to smoke? Even with the widely dispersed information on smoking people still choose to smoke because the tobacco companies spend billions of dollars annually on campaigns to entice younger and younger generations to start smoking. Some of the other reasons is because nicotine is extremely addictive and it is hard to put cigarettes down and just quit them cold turkey and people mainly start smoking either from peer pressure or just smoke in social situations only and then they start to develop the addiction for the nicotine. Nicotine also makes people feel energized and alert right after they have smoked but the results are very short lived and then they need another one because they want that energy burst again. Smoking has been determined to be more addictive than cocaine, heroin, or alcohol. Smoking mainly get started in high school or college because of the major tobacco companies and social situations with other people because you want to look cool. * What is the difference between a problem drinker and an alcoholic? What factors can cause someone to become an alcoholic? What effect does alcoholism have on an alcoholic’s family? Alcoholism is a serious, debilitating disease which literally destroys lives. Problem drinkers are those whose alcohol abuse has adversely affected their lives, causing adverse issues in most or all areas of their lives. The nature of alcohol abuse often means there are underlying unresolved issues plaguing the problem drinker. The following factors can be a cause for a person to become alcoholic: 1. It can be genetic 2. Escape from reality and personal problems. Cover up or mask their depression and anxiety. 3. Lack of supervision from parents has a high tendency to develop a habit that deals with alcoholic drinks. 4. Alcohol is a method to escape from stress, fatigue and can be inherited, Boredom, among others. 5. Genetics also play a role and there are indications that alcoholism can be inherited. Alcoholism can impact a family in one of two ways either emotionally or financially it can also impact a family by creating health problems.