Clostridium Difficle Infection In Health-Care Workers Essay

According to Bouza (2005), Clostridium Difficile is a bacillus that is gram positive and forms spores. Its main mode of distribution is the environment whereby it also colonizes 3-5% of all healthy adults without causing any symptoms that can be noticed. At infancy, clostridium difficile colonizes between 2% and 70%, but the rates decrease with advancement in age and falling to about 6% when the infant grows to two years. Above the age of two, the rate of clostridium difficile is much similar to that of an adult, around 3% (APIC, 2008). The strains responsible for the production of clostridium difficile are characterized by their ability in the production of both toxins A and B. The most common and rampant symptom of CDI is diarrhea that is not always bloody, but can range from the soft and unformed stools to the watery and mucoid stools. Other outstanding symptoms include abdominal pains and fever and cramping in others. Clostridium difficile spores are highly resistant to destruction by most of the environmental agents and conditions. Their resistance can go as far as resisting some of the chemicals used in disinfection (Zanotti-Cavazzoni, 165). Therefore, this gives clostridium difficile the ability to survive for months or longer in the environment and even in healthcare facilities and the surrounding community. Mainly, the spread of clostridium difficile is through the transfer of spores from a contaminated environment to the patient, or perhaps through the hands of health care givers who do not follow proper hygiene and gloving practices. The only proper control measure that can be adopted is the thorough disinfection and cleaning of the patient’s environment and also through the physical removal of the spores. In recent decades, there has been a recorded increase in the number of reported rates of clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). There has also been a recording in the increase in the number of outbreaks accompanied by severe disease and also an increase in mortality. The increase in CDAD is mainly characterized by the following; changes in the use of antibiotics, a change in infection control practices or the emergence of new strains of clostridium difficile that have increased virulence or antimicrobial. It is also important to comprehend the life cycle of clostridium difficile in order to understand how to control it and if possible, prevent it. Its life cycle begins in the spore form whereby they are because they are resistant to heat, antibiotics or even acid. In a hospital setting, clostridium difficile can be found in bedding, medical equipment, and furniture and on the caregivers. Upon ingestion, the spores pass through to the intestines whereby they germinate and later colonize the colon. Studies have indicated that this bacterium colonized about 21% of patients who are in the process of receiving antibiotics and at the same time admitted to a general hospital. Through the release of both toxins A and B, clostridium difficile later induces diarrhea and colitis. However, the major risk factors associated with clostridium difficile are advancement in age, hospitalization, and antimicrobials. There are two major reservoirs of clostridium difficile in the healthcare setting, which are humans (asymptomatic and symptomatic) and inanimate objects (medical equipment and furniture). The level of environmental contamination depends primarily on the severity of the disease of the patient. However the asymptomatic colonized patients should be regarded as the potential primary source of the contamination. Clostridium difficile infection is more rampant among the elderly in the society. The main reasons for this are not fully, but it can be attributed to the fact that the elderly patients have a much less effective barrier to infection. The importance of having age as a risk factor is characterized by the age distribution in lab reports as was received by CDSC during the research period of 1990-1992. Results showed that there was a bias for adults over the age of 65 and they were more susceptible to having severe cases of clostridium difficile infections. There have also been suggestions that clostridium difficile is endemic in facilities that are considered long-stay for the elderly. However, other studies indicate that the difference in the endemic nature of clostridium difficile may be as a result of case mix whereby patients are from other facilities whereby the infection rate was high. Also, clostridium difficile is endemic in many of the long-stay facilities because the elderly t end to stay longer in the acute wards than the other younger generations. Therefore, their increased risk of infection is attributed to the increased exposure to antibiotics and nosocomial pathogens. There are several patient care activities that provide a rife opportunity for the fecal-oral transmission of clostridium difficile (CDC). Such activities include; sharing of electronic thermometers that have been used for measuring rectal temperatures, oral care or suctioning whereby the hands or equipment have been contaminated, administration of contaminated food, medication or with contaminated hands and emergency procedures like intubation. Other factors like poor hand hygiene, improper environmental and equipment cleaning and disinfection have also been reported as a cause for infection and spreading of clostridium difficile. It has been rubber stamped that the environment is the major medium of spreading for clostridium difficile whereby it has been spread so widely that that it is impossible to point out a single location that has not been contaminated. However, the environment of the infected patients is rifest with clostridium difficile, for instance, the toilets, floors, si nks and linen. Despite disinfection, clostridium difficile spores are found to exist longer than five months. Prevention and control of clostridium difficile is the responsibility of every individual who is aware of its existence. Therefore, prevention measures must be endorsed by everyone, and especially in care giving facilities whereby individuals are more likely to spread the infection. Standard precautions refer to those practices at work that are applied to every person regardless of their confirmed or perceived infectious status. Standard precautions are the front line in the war against clostridium difficile. They help control the rate of infection from person to person, even in the most prolific risk scenarios. They include; hand hygiene before and after contact with the patient, the safe use as well as disposal of sharps, the use of protective equipment and the processing of reusable medical equipment. The proper handling of linen, safety in the management of waste as well as aseptic non-touch technique should also be in the standard precautions to be implemented in hospital facili ties. However, when the first line of defense does not seem to work efficiently, there should be a backup plan in place. Thus, when standard precautions do not seem to do the job, transmission based precautions should be implemented. These are additional work practices for individually identifiable situations that are put in place to interrupt the transmission of clostridium difficile. These precautions are tailored to specific infections and their mode of transmission. They include; continued implementation of standard precautions, having patient dedicated equipment, proper handling of equipment, enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the patient’s environment and the restriction of patients within the facilities. Since healthcare settings differ greatly in terms of their day-to-day functioning, it is hard to come up with a management proposal that would fit all facilities. Therefore, all healthcare facilities should conduct infection prevention risk assessment on a regular basis alongside adoption of detailed protocols and processes for infection control. In acute care setting, personal protective equipment should be provided for nurses and visitors outside the room of a patient who has confirmed clostridium difficile infection. Healthcare givers should use gloves and gowns in order to prevent further spread of infection. Conducting effective hand hygiene is necessary for limiting the spread of clostridium difficile. They should be performed frequently and with the following considerations; should be performed using the Four Moments of Hand Hygiene, should be performed at the point-of-care using a dedicated staff sink or the use of hand wipes that have been impregnated with antimicrobials or alcohol and soap. In acute care setting, especially where the elderly are residing proper care has to be considered primarily because they are more susceptible to infection (Rupnik, 2007). One such measure of preventing clostridium difficile infection is placing the suspected or confirmed patients with CDI in a confined room that has dedicated toilets, sinks and personal equipment. Moreover, there is little need for special treatment for linen in an acute setting for both confirmed and suspected patients. Linen for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients should be in the same way. The soiled linen should be carefully. For example, it should be placed in a no-touch receptacle in order to avoid contamination of both the environment and the persons around. In cases of outbreaks, routine infection control measures are of grave importance in order to prevent the spread of the clostridium difficile infection to patients who have not yet been affected. The antibiotic policies have to be monitored as well as their compliance in order to successfully control the spread of infection. Hand washing procedures should be followed to the latter by any person who is in contact with infected patients such as doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and students. Nurses present challenges in combating clostridium difficile outbreaks especially because of the necessity to create a homely environment for the patients. This means that they have to constantly check in with the patients and therefore they become constantly at risk of infection themselves in proper precaution is not taken. For patients in the elderly acute care wards, the surroundings are also tailored to ensure a comfortable stay in the hospital. Therefore, their soft furnishings and carpeted floors provide a challenge in cases of outbreaks. For instances like this, preventive methods of combating the spread of clostridium difficile have to be implemented. One such measure that should be used during cleaning is steam. Although the heat does not kill the pathogen, it helps in the containment of its spread. Patients are also susceptible to contracting infection from the care devices used in the hospital. Such devices include electronic thermometers or glucose measuring devices. These devices are in constant use and may be used by a variety of patients. These devices are with pathogens derived from body fluids. Thus it is important to have measures in place to sterilize these devices especially more thoroughly in times of outbreaks. Another piece of communal apparatus used in wards is the linen, clothing, uniforms, lab coats and isolation gowns. Because clostridium difficile is commonly in the environment and can last for more than five months, these pieces of clothing are always in contact and possible contaminations are likely (Dubberke, 17). However indirect contact of such clothing comes from bedpans, toilets and sinks of patients who are either suspected or confirmed to be infected. The presence of soiled linen is also an area of importance that should be looked into carefully. Because bed linen is in hospitals and wards, they should be cleaned and sanitized before they can be issued to a different patient. In order to help combat the spread of clostridium difficile, the CDC has come up with the Spaulding classification system, which identifies three risk levels that are associated with surgical and medical instruments (Michel, 1095). These levels are; critical, semi-critical and noncritical. Critical items include needles, indwelling urinary catheters and intravenous catheters. These are the items that normally enter the sterile tissue, the vascular tissue or through which blood flows. Based on one of the accepted sterilization procedures, the equipment has to be sterile before penetrating any tissue. Semi-critical items include thermometers, electric razors and podiatry equipment and they are as those that touch mucous or skin which is not intact. They require meticulous cleaning and thereafter followed by high-level disinfection. Disinfection is done using a chemo sterilizer agent that is approved by the FDA. In conclusion, clostridium difficile has been on the rise in recent decades and it is only through proper prevention and control measures that it can be. Since it can live in an environment in spore form for up to five months, it poses a challenge in terms of containment. On the other hand, the elderly are more susceptible to clostridium difficile primarily because of their low immunity and their prolonged stay in hospitals. However, with proper care, chances of outbreaks can be kept at a minimum and more lives can be through prevention instead of cures. References DelmÃÆ' ©e, Michel. â€Å"Clostridium Difficle Infection In Health-Care Workers.†Ã‚  The Lancet  334.8671 (1989): 1095. Print. Dubberke, Erik. â€Å"Strategies for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection.†Ã‚  Journal of Hospital Medicine  7.S3 (2012): S14-S17. Print. â€Å"Patient Cloth Chairs and Clostridium difficile Outbreak.†Ã‚  American Journal of Infection Control  37.5 (2009): E102-E103. Print. Rupnik, Maja.  Abstract book: Clostridium difficile : organism, disease, control & prevention. s.l.: [Organizing committee ICDS], 2007. Print. Zanotti-Cavazzoni, S.l.. â€Å"Analysis of an outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection controlled with enhanced infection control measures.†Yearbook of Critical Care Medicine  2010 (2010): 164-166. Print. â€Å"clostridium difficle.†Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Mar. 2013. Web.  30 Apr. 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html Source document

Letter To Kenya Airways Papa Nestor And Mama Marie

Congo believe you would not be being socially responsible in any sense, but would be complicit in any harm that would come to them. Papa Nester Will be 70 years of age in November 2011 and Mama Marie is 63 years old. Their immediate family here in the UK fear for their lives if they are returned to DRY. The Home Office Policy states that it is the decision of the carrier as to whether they carry people who are being forcibly removed. In view of this I urge you not to allow Papa Nester and Mama Marie to embark upon the flight QUOI on Kenya Airways todayMonday the 11th of April 201 1 at 20:00 hrs. Since 2003 Papa Nester and Mama Marie have been living in the UK and have a loving and sustained relationship with their son and their daughter, their respective families, their 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild born on 29/03/11 whom they may never see if returned to the DRY Congo. Having both fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRY) because of the persecution that Papa Nester suff ered due to his participation in political activities as an active member Of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (SIDES) they sought and have been refused refuge here in the UK.Papa Nester has also participated in various Congolese Resistance groups in the K, such as Prepare (Alliance des Patriot's pour la Reformation du Conch), CRY (Congolese Resistance Council) with whom he has attended various demonstrations. If this information is known to the authorities then they fear for their life as there are often reprisals for such actions by the Government in the DRY.The fact that the DRY government could easily arrest and kill members of UDP, Prepare or CRY means that Papa Nester and Mama Marie face clear and present danger if they are returned to DRY. If this planned removal goes ahead then their family seriously doubt that they will ever be able to see their parents and grandparents again as their health is not good and it is thought that following the recent death in February of this year of their beloved son in the DRY and the stress of this removal they may both deteriorate rapidly.Since the untimely death of their son they have spent time in Slough with their daughter trying to recover from what is a difficult period in both their lives. To lose a parent is hard but for a parent to lose a child as a parent is often unbearable! Coupled with this is the fact that without the access they need to not only the support of their immediate family but also to the practical support they are offered by the health and care services here they will be unable to survive in the environment which currently exists within the DRY for older people.Having their parents sent to DRY is not something that their children want as both their son and daughter and their families are willing and ready to support them fully and take them into their homes and have them living with them without the need for recourse to public funds. We the undersigned now ask your company to act as a socially expansible organization and keep Papa Nester and Mama Marie safe in the UK within the loving bosom of her family.

Reasoning for Animal Extinction: a Zoo Essay

Zoo Essay Reasoning for animal extinction There are many reasons for animal extinction in the wild, here are some of them: Some animals due to adaptive radiation can become more effective in hunting and reproducing which increases their chance of survival and their ammount of offspring which means the other animals become more prone to decline in numbers. However, there are reasons for animal extinction as a result of human action: Habitat Destruction – Animal Habitats are often destroyed in construction of homes, roads etc.Tree's (deforestation), ponds and other types of habitats are removed in order to make room for this type of construction. Pollution – Pollution and climate change have seen a lot of animals become endangered. Acid rain has caused many marine animals to become extinct due to the change in pH of their habitat. Melting ice caps due to changes in C02 levels has resulted in many animals in the north/south pole become extinct. Hunting/Fishing – Man y animals have become endagered due to excessive human hunting of the animals for their fur, meat, bones etc.Why are the species of the Philippine Islands endangered? The species of the Philippine islands have become endangered due to mass deforestation. The majority of the forestry in the Philippines has now been lost, eliminating habitats for species present there. There are also low population numbers of species in islands due to a limited geographic range and animals are limited to a small space so potential for finding better land for a habitat is very small. Are there any endangered British species? Yes, the European otter is endangered due to habitat destruction and pollution. Also, the door mouse has become endangered because of destruction of woodland habitat. The Giraffe and the Okapi The giraffe and the Okapi are both examples of Adaptive Radiation. They both have a common ancestor but both have very different sized necks. A mutation has cause some of the offspring of the ir common ancestor to either have a very long neck, which is ideal for reaching food in tall trees, or a very small neck to reach small shrubs near the ground. This mutation has allowed the organism to become more successful in feeding and therefore in survival and so has become a better adaptation for the organism.Zoo's responsibility in conservation of animals Zoo's have an important role in conservation of animals as a part of the income of the zoo's is used for animal conservation such as building habitats for animals and educating locals around the world on the endangerment of these animals, mainly in places where these animals are succumb to poaching for skin, meat and bones etc. Some people may consider keeping animals in captivity cruel but if the animal is endangered it can be protected in captivity so they can produce offspring that could be released into the wild to boost population numbers.

HRM Analysis and Recommendation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRM Analysis and Recommendation - Research Paper Example 2. Introduction the Organization Goodwill Industries International is a multinational corporation, having its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The company was established in 1902 by Edgar Helms and focuses on providing job opportunities to unemployed individuals, on and off job training programs and other charity programs for individuals with disabilities. Goodwill Industries operates in 25 countries of the world including USA and Canada and its current work force is around 105,000 employees across the globe. 3. Goodwill Industries’ Business Strategy and Market Position The vision of Goodwill Industries is: "We at Goodwill Industries will be satisfied only when every person in the global community has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential as an individual and to participate and contribute fully in all aspects of a productive life." The business level strategy of Goodwill Industries revolves around charity money and donations that it collects through its glob al network of Goodwill Associates and members. But the major chunk of donations and charity money is raised by the chain of Goodwill’s thrift stores which are operating across the markets in which the company is present as the non-profit organization. The business strategy of Goodwill also compels its management to reserve 82% of the total collected donations and charity money into fulfilling its corporate social responsibility practices, whereas the rest is spent on providing employment opportunities to those who are disabled or lack academic qualification. The customer base of Goodwill Industries comprises of 4.5 million customers and is labeled as a social enterprise whose profits are spent on making society a better place to live. At the moment, the company has designated two persons to carry out the donor relations communication processes and familiarize societies around the world about the noble cause they are serving. These persons are Lorie Marrero and Evette Rios. Th ese two associates are currently working with Donate Movement and ABC Network respectively. Other associates of the Goodwill Industries are also associated with famous organizations but reserve their time to fulfill their responsibilities at Goodwill Industries. Presently, Goodwill Industries has expended to the non-profit market in 25 countries in 5 continents of the world and reports around $ 4.8 billion in revenues each year consistently. 4. Job Pricing and Compensation Packages Job pricing and compensation package is that function of the human resource department of any organization, that determines the salaries and compensations required to be paid to each employee. This practice is done with the help of reviewing industry standards and technology like SAP software. Goodwill industries have received severe criticism for its job pricing and compensation packages that it offers to the associates and executives of the organization. Industry experts has termed the job pricing strat egies of Goodwill Industries as â€Å"unreasonable† and biased. These experts base their argument on the amount and pay Goodwill’s Oregon branch executive, Michael Miller received, i.e. around $ 850,000. On the other hand, other executive associates received lesser amount in salaries during the same year, i.e. 2004. Critics view Goodwill’

A Vivid Rememberance of my chilhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Vivid Rememberance of my chilhood - Essay Example Starting school is a big step in a child’s life and is typically remembered and taken to adulthood. I can vividly recall my first day of school. My first day of school was an apprehensive and sad time in my life. Growing up in Ecuador, I was close with my mother and enjoyed being at home. Starting school was a big event for me sense I was very shy. Being shy makes starting school harder than it should be sense it is harder to make friends and socialize. A typical day at school for me was a lonely day. I was very opposite then my sister. My sister was outgoing and easily made friends. Unlike her, I struggled with friends. My shyness made it hard for me to make friends as I kept to myself. I can recall an exact memory as I was sitting in the classroom just before recess. My school was named Santa Mariana de Jesus. The school was a great school that taught discipline but allowed for fun. Recess was at the same time every day. Other kids could not wait for recess to begin but I dr eaded the thought. To me it made the day go by even slower. As the recess bell rang, children rushed outside with excitement. I walked slowly and sat off to the side alone and by myself. This was an everyday thing. My shyness pushed other kids away. Besides recess, almost every aspect of school was just as dreadful as the next.

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Microeconomics - Essay Example The fixed costs of the company include web hosting, maintenance of servers and other information technology, and payroll expenses to its writers. The company incurs in monthly marketing expenses in order to increase its web audience. Along with the writers the company has other labor overhead expenses it must pay to the administrators of the company. Due to the vast amount of users which ranks in the millions of monthly customer providing the service to one additional person does not cost the company anything. In order for marginal cost to manifest the company would have to evaluate an additional unit (person) in terms of clusters of tens of thousands of users. Utilizing such a metric would allow a cost to be determined based on the added cost of extra web hosting space. The website utilizes online advertising offerings such as web banners and web links. When you make a search for a topic at the bottom of the article a web search portal will appear at the bottom with different related words. This search engine option represents an advertising revenue stream for the company. The website is not over flooded with ads and the ones that placed are located to the right hand side, at top and at the bottom so that the ads do not interfere with the reading content. Entrepreneurs supply goods to the marketplace in order to make a profit from the sale of that good. They may also supply the good free of charge as promotional campaign in order to build brand value for the company. A good can supply a good in the marketplace in order to test the product. In the case of About.com which works provides information services their incentive to provide such a product is based on building a large online community pool which creates value for the company in terms of advertising revenue. The company can sell online ads in its website because the 57 million monthly unique visitors is a large crowd advertisers want to

Impacts of internet on Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Impacts of internet on Culture - Essay Example This is affirmed by Stroud (1998, p.1) who claims that the internet has revolutionized communication bridging the gap in global network and transforming the whole world into a tiny global village where information and ideas can be shared or transmitted simply by a click. This paper will focus on the potential impacts of internet on cultures and more specifically, on how internet has affected cultural identities since its inception up to date. Both the merits and demerits of the internet as a revolutionary phenomenon in the 21st century will be addressed in an evaluative fashion in order to give a clear explanation as to why the internet has affected cultures. The internet dates back in history many years ago at about 1969 when the World Wide Web was discovered (originally, the internet was developed from ARPNET); however, according Shield (2009, pp.5-6) the World Wide Web finally took shape in the 1990s and Internet Explorer was first released in the year 1995. The internet has becom e the norm of interactions and communications in today’s world; virtually everything can be done via the internet today, playing a key role in making the virtual world a reality. For instance, many people use the internet to check their emails, for social networking, doing online shopping among other things. The pervasive popularity of the internet in the global village has had profound impacts on cultures all over the world, both positive and negative. Nevertheless, the most obvious manner in which the internet has affected cultures is by revolutionizing communication; the internet provides a robust platform for information sharing and transfer that has totally enhanced connectivity and interaction between cultures of the world. Today, different cultures around the world can share and exchange ideas and information over the internet without the need of having to travel; thus, as stated by Voiskounsky (1998, p.100) connectivity and interactions, different cultures are integra ted as individuals borrow ideas from other cultures. Moreover, the internet is also a wealthy source of information about different cultures of the world and this information is easily accessible to internet users all over the world. For instance, the pervasive Hollywood lifestyles of the west have a global presence on the internet and remote cultures are always willing and ready to copy aspects of these cultures such as fashion and other trends. Moreover, the internet has also affected cultures by revolutionizing the manner in which business is conducted in the 21st century; nowadays, it is hardly possible to keep up with the mushrooming online activities. Online trading has suddenly become the norm in the business world and many cultures have already embraced the idea of online shopping and in this case the traditional retail store shopping is slowly being discarded in favor of the alluring convenience and efficacy of online shopping. The online shopping experience is usually cust omized to suit consumer specifications and cultural contexts around the world, besides that, it allows consumers to shop at their own convenience and to enjoy the best products and prices ever. As a result, many cultures are quickly adopting online trading platforms over the internet; since as stated by Yilmaz (2012, 226) the internet offers a platform for global shopping and product marketing. In addition, the internet has also transformed the entertainment culture all over the world; unlike in the past when TV and radio were predominantly the sources of entertainment in households, Emigh (2010) states that the internet

Eating habit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eating habit - Essay Example Another advantage of writing down what you eat is that you can also monitor your calorie intake. As a person wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stick to a normal weight, I find this very helpful. Based on the content of the food journal, it is easy to pinpoint how one can examine his eating patterns as well as modify them in order to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Being aware of others' eating habits will allow me to recommend which food to avoid and which food to increase intake of. According to recent scientific studies, there might be a link between genetics and eating habits but in only a small number of people. The assertion that there might be this "fat genes" which makes people obese is not really applicable to everyone. I believe that in the nature and nurture debate, eating habit and lifestyle is still highly dependent on nurture. A person's eating habit is usually acquired from the parents. Food preference specifically is a thing of what parents give their children to eat. Studies show that the taste of mom's breast milk is dependent on what she eats. Thus, even in the early years, environmental factors weigh in considerably. As a person grows old, he often acquires the eating habit of his parents.

Person Who Made an Impact in My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Person Who Made an Impact in My Life - Essay Example He had also lived a moral life, that his integrity is beyond reproach. He is also a very good family man. He has a wife who loves him and whom he loves back, with children who equally loves and respects him and are also motivated to excel in their chosen fields of endeavors. This is the reason why I kept on pushing myself to do better in school and to study different fields of endeavor because I know that to do good in my chosen career, I have to prepare myself well through a good and multi-disciplined education. As a student, my uncle was a scholar and had different degrees. His academic preparation enabled him to excel in his chosen career. I am doing the same thing today. I am trying my best to do well in school and to expose myself in the different field of studies to make myself a well-rounded professional when I have graduated later and embarked on a professional career. I consider myself lucky because I realize this lesson early in my life. I know that all this hard work, all this perseverance that I am exerting will pay off when I graduated in school because this will prepare me well to excel in my chosen field of endeavor. I am hoping that when I have already graduated in school, I will be successful like him both in my professional and personal life. Essay B: The Recent Financial Crisis (issue of importance to me) When I ask what recent issue I consider important that has significance to me, my family and the community at large, I cannot help but talk about the recent financial crisis. The crisis made the lives of a lot of people difficult. There were people I know personally who lost their jobs and their homes, and young as I am, I felt how desperate the situation was. Perhaps the recent financial difficulty that everybody experienced during the recent crisis made the young people in this generation to mature early. We began to worry about our future and this country when we only used to think about ourselves. Suddenly, we were thinking about politic al issues and responsibilities because we saw how some families disintegrate with the crisis and cannot help to wonder how the crisis happened. People of my age became aware and realized how vulnerable our country to crisis. When we begin to think like that, perhaps it is safe to surmise that we matured early. Personally, the recent financial crisis sparked my curiosity to inquire about what caused the crisis that made people lost their jobs and their homes. I was dismayed to know that the root cause of the financial crisis was the greed of a few people that eventually took the toll in our economy. I will no longer discuss the details of the root cause of the crisis so as not to consume space in this paper but suffice to say that had the financial professionals been ethical in their practice and considered beyond themselves, the crisis would not have happened. In a way, my inquiry on what caused the recent financial crisis had taught me how important it is to be ethical in our profe ssional practice because a profession’s collective misdemeanor will have an impact not only in their respective industry but also on the economy as a whole. I learned that the lack of ethics in ones professional practice will make people distrustful not only in our industry but also in our economic system as a whole.  Ã‚  

Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Film Review - Essay Example This causes the Spanish ambassador in London to write to Queen Margaret in Spain to hire Don Juan as a fencing instructor in the Spanish Academy. Following many rumors and much gossip in London, Don Juan has no choice but to leave the city for Madrid. However, an important thing to be considered here is that the DJ figure portrayed in the movie is essentially a molecular DJ because he is not merely a man tied down to his impulses. Rather, he is a man of great intellect as is obvious from the highly intellectual way by which he schemes a plot later in the movie to crush the treacherous plans of Duke de Lorca and his henchmen. He is not merely a man clearly incapable of controlling himself whenever he encounters a beautiful woman in this movie in contrast to how he had been portrayed before this movie was released. In contrast to previous versions, Don Juan controls himself and tames his impulses fairly well after moving to Spain and instead invests all his mental and physical energies in defending the Queen, her husband, and Count de Polan. He secretly cherishes a soft spot for Queen Margaret and despises her weak husband, but he refrains from acting on his ideas like the other times in his past and discovers the treacherous people to defeat them in the end. Don Juan in this film is essentially a molecular DJ because he is so much more than just a man notorious for his many illicit affairs. DJ in this movie thinks and schemes genius plans. He is capable of engineering really smart strategies to keep his masters safe. He is not disloyal, rather he is very loyal and defensive. Unlike how he used to be in London, he is very faithful to his people in Spain. He does not engage in any affair with the Queen despite harboring a soft spot for her in his heart. Instead, he throws himself into discovering the disloyal propagandists

Strike Against War Essay Example for Free

Strike Against War Essay Not all the editors I have met can do that. Quite a number of them have to take their French and German second hand. No, I will not disparage the editors. They are an overworked, misunderstood class. Let them remember, though, that if I cannot see the fire at the end of their cigarettes, neither can they thread a needle in the dark. All I ask, gentlemen, is a fair field and no favor. I have entered the fight against preparedness and against the economic system under which we live. It is to be a fight to the finish, and I ask no quarter. The future of the world rests in the hands of America. The future of America rests on the backs of 80,000,000 workingmen and women and their children. We are facing a grave crisis in our national life. The few who profit from the labor of the masses want to organize the workers into an army which will protect the interests of the capitalists. You are urged to add to the heavy burdens you already bear the burden of a larger army and many additional warships. It is in your power to refuse to carry the artillery and the dread-noughts and to shake off some of the burdens, too, such aslimousines, steam yachts and country estates. You do not neet to make a great noise about it. With the silence and dignity of creators you can end wars and the system of selfishness and exploitation that causes wars. All you need to do to bring about this stupendous revolution is to straighten up and fold your arms. We are not preparing to defend our country. Even if we were as helpless as Congressman Gardner says we are, we have no enemies foolhardy enough to attempt to invade the United States. The talk about attack from Germany and Japan is absurd. Germany has its hands full and will be busy with its own affairs for some generations after the European war is over. With full control of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the allies failed to land enough men to defeat the Turks at Gallipoli; and then they failed again to land an army at Salonica in time to check the Bulgarian invasion of Serbia. The conquest of America by water is a nightmare confined exclusively to ignorant persons and members of the Navy League. Yet, everywhere, we hear fear advanced as argument for armament. It reminds me of a fable I read. A certain man found a horseshoe. His neighbor began to weep and wail because, as he justly pointed out, the man who found the horseshoe might someday find a horse. Having found the shoe, he might shoe him. The neighbors child might some day go so near the horses hells as to be kicked, and die. Undoubtedly the two families would quarrel and fight, and several valuable lives would be lost through the finding of the horseshoe. You know the last war we had we quite accidentally picked up some islands in the Pacific Ocean which may some day be the cause of a quarrel between ourselves and Japan. Id rather drop those islands right now and foret about them than go to war to keep them. Wouldnt you? Congress is not preparing to defend the people of the United States. It is planning to protect the capital of American speculators and investors in Mexico, South America, China, and teh Philippine Islands. Incidentally this preparation will benefit the manufacturers of munitions and war machines. Until recently there were uses in the United States for the money taken from the workers. But American labor is exploited almost to the limit now, and our national resources have all been appropriated. Still the profits keep piling up new capital. Our flourishing industry in implements of murder is filling the vaults of New Yorks banks with gold. And a dollar that is not being used to make a slave of some human being is not fulfilling its purpose in the capitalistic scheme. That dollar must be invested in South America, Mexico, China, or the Philippines. It was no accident that the Navy League came into prominence at the same time that the National City Bank of New York established a branch in Buenos Aires. It is not a mere coincidence that six business associates of J. P. Morgan are officials of defense leagues. And chance did not dictate that Mayor Mitchel chould appoint to his Committee of Safety a thousand men that represent a fifth of the wealth of the United States. These men want their foreign investments protected. Every modern war has had its root in exploitation. The Civil War was fought to decide whether to slaveholders of the South or the capitalists of the North should exploit the West. The Spanish-American War decided that the United States should exploit Cuba and the Philippines. The South African War decided that the British should exploit the diamond mines. The Russo-Japanese War decided that Japan should exploit Korea. The present war is to decide who shall exploit the Balkans, Turkey, Persia, Egypt, India, China, Africa. And we are whetting our sword to scare the victors into sharing the spoils with us. Now, the workers are not interested in the spoils; they will not get any of them anyway. The preparedness propagandists have still another object, and a very important one. They want to give the people something to think about besides their won unhappy condition. They know the cost of living is high, wages are low, employment is uncertain and will be much more so when the European call for munitions stops. No matter how hard and incessantly the people work, they often cannot afford the comforts of life; many cannot obtain the necessities. Every few days we are given a new war scare to lend realism to their propaganda. They have had us on the verge of war over the Lusitania, the Gulflight, the Ancona, and now they want the workingmen to become excited over the sinking of the Persia. The workingman has no interest in any of these ships. The Germans might sink every vessel on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and kill Americans with every onethe American workingman would still have no reason to go to war. All the machinery of the system has been set in motion. Above the complaint and din of the protest from the workers is heard the voice of authority. Friends, it says, fellow workmen, patriots; your country is in danger! There are foes on all sides of us. There is nothing between us and our enemies except the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Look at what has happened to Belgium. Consider the fate of Serbia. Will you murmur about low wages when your country, your very liberties, are in jeopardy? What are the miseries you endure compared to the humiliation of having a victorious German army sail up the East River? Quit your whining, get busy and prepare to defend your firesides and your flag. Get an army, get a navy; be ready to meet the invaders like the loyal-hearted freemen you are. Will the workers walk into this trap? Will they be fooled again? I am afraid so. The people have always been amenable to oratory of this sort. The workers know they have no enemies except their masters. They know that their citizenship papers are no warrant for the safety of themselves or their wives and children. They know that honest sweat, persistent toil and years of struggle bring them nothing worth holding on to, worth fighting for. Yet, deep down in their foolish hearts they believe they have a country. Oh blind vanity of slaves! The clever ones, up in the high places know how childish and silly the workers are. They know that if the government dresses them up in khaki and gives them a rifle and starts them off with a brass band and waving banners, they will go forth to fight valiantly for their own enemies. They are taught that brave men die for their countrys honor. What a price to pay for an abstractionthe lives of millions of young men; other millions crippled and blinded for life; existence made hideous for still more millions of human being; the achievement and inheritance of generations swept away in a momentand nobody better off for all the misery! This terrible sacrifice would be comprehensible if the thing you die for and call country fed, clothed, housed and warmed you, educated and cherished your children. I thinkthe workers are the most unselfish of the children of men; they toil and live and die for other peoples country, other peoples sentiments, ther peoples liberties and other peoples happiness! The workers have no liberties of their own; they are not free when they are compelled to work twelve or ten or eight hours a day. they are not free when they are ill paid for their exhausting toil. They are not free when their children must labor in mines, mills and factories or starve, and when their women may be driven by poverty to live s of shame. They are not free when they are clubbed and imprisoned because they go on strike for a raise of wages and for the elemental justice that is their right as human beings. We are not free unless the men who frame and execute the laws represent the interests of the lives of the people and no other interest. The ballot does not make a free man out of a wage slave. there has never existed a truly free and democratic nation in the world. From time immemorial men have followed with blind loyalty the strong men who had the power of money and of armies. Even while battlefields were piled high with their own dead they have tilled the lands of the rulers and have been robbed of the fruits of their labor. They have built palaces and pyramids, temples and cathedrals that held no real shrine of liberty. As civilization has grown more complex the workers have become more and more enslaved, until today they are little more than parts of the machines they operate. Daily they face the dangers of railroad, bridge, skyscraper, frieght train, stokehold, stockyard, lumber raft and min. Panting and training at the docks, on the railroads and underground and on the seas, they move the traffic and pass from land to land the precious commodities that make it possible for us to live. And what is their reward? A scanty wage, often poverty, rents, taxes, tributes and war indemnities. The kind of preparedness the workers want is reorganization and reconstruction of their whole life, such as has never been attempted by statesmen or governments. The Germans found out years ago that they could not raise good soldiers in the slums so they abolished the slums. They saw to it that all the people had at least a few of the essentials of civilizationdecent lodging, clean streets, wholesome if scanty food, proper medical care and proper safeguards for the workers in their ocupations. That is only a small part of what should be done, but what wonders that one step toward the right sort of preparedness has wrought for Germany! For eighteen months it has kept itself free from invasion while carrying on an extended war of conquest, and its armies are still pressing on with unabated vigor. It is your business to force these reforms on the Administration. Let there be no more talk about what a government can or cannot do. All these theings have been done by all the belligerent nations in the hurly-burly of war. Every fundamental industry has been managed better by the governments than by private corporations. It is your duty to insist upon still more radical measure. It is your business to see that no child is employed in an industrial establishment or mine or store, and that no worker in needlessly exposed to accident or disease. It is your business to make them give you clean cities, free from smoke, dirt and congestion. It is your business to make them pay you a living wage. It is your business to see that this kind of preparedness is carried into every department on the nation, until everyone has a chance to be well born, well nourished, rightly educated, intelligent and serviceable to the country at all times. Strike against all ordinances and laws and institutions that continue the slaughter of peace and the butcheries of war. Srike against war, for without you no battles can be fought. Strike against manufacturing scrapnel and gas bombs and all other tools of murder. Strike against preparedness that means death and misery to millions of human being. Be not dumb, obedient slaves in an army of destruction. Be heroes in an army of construction.

Should college athletes be paid Essay Example for Free

Should college athletes be paid Essay Although the majority of college athletes have scholarships, I believe that they should be paid. In this speech I will tell you why I believe this. The first reason I have are scholarships. On average a Division 1 scholarship is $25,000. That’s $100,000 a year! But most athletes don’t last the full 4 years. Once a player is involved in a sport there’s politics, injuries and/or coaches calling them to the office to tell them that they aren’t needed anymore. Many players turn out to have a scholarship for only a year or 2 and then transfer to a different school which may turn out to be better in the end. It may seem like a lot of money but it only covers the basics, such as: mysterious, unknown university fees, tuition, housing, a meal-plan, and multiple hundred dollar textbooks. â€Å"Some players, if they come from a low-income household, get a few hundred dollars each semester from Pell Grants which enable them to buy chicken soup instead of chicken-flavored ramen.† Says Tyson Hartnett, a writer and Professional Basketball Player, October 21, 2013. Opposite of what everyone else thinks, being a college athlete is a full time job. On a typical day they wake up a little earlier than what they have to, to maybe get a morning practice or conditioning session before classes. After school they go to afternoon practices that could last hours, go to mandatory study hall and then get home to finish any homework that they have and/or study for a test. College athletes also have to juggle a job on top of that, if they are even lucky enough to have time for one. The only thing with jobs is that they would have to quit them as soon as the season started up. â€Å"Scholarships don’t equal cash in a player’s pocket. Even with any type of scholarship, college athletes are typically dead broke.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. There are people that say being an athlete is a choice and if they can’t handle all that is being piled on their plate that they should quit. And I understand what they’re saying but i t’s hard to give up something that you love so easily. My question is: Who makes money off of these near-professional level athletes? â€Å"First, their own coaches. Many coaches earn at least $100,000 per year to coach one of the major sports like baseball, basketball, or football at a school. These coaches will receive bonuses for getting to the playoffs,  winning championships, or breaking school records.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. You know what athletes receive as a bonus? Nothing. Second is the NCAA. Recently, the NCAA and CBS signed a $10.8 billion television agreement over 14 years. The NCAA is also considered a non-profit company.  Thirdly and lastly the athletic programs. On October 21, 2013 Huffington Post.com said â€Å"The universities bring in anywhere from hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars to their athletic programs each year. Most if not all from donations, ticket sales, media rights, advertising, and everything else with a price tag. These athletes are symbols for their school and their program.† On the other side of this topic, not all sports teams are profitable. The less popular sports like swimming, tennis, or volleyball don’t bring the University a lot of income. Obviously the more popular sports like basketball and football make up for the lost revenue. Most of y’all could be thinking: â€Å"Why would we pay athletes if entire teams are struggling to survive?† â€Å"We would pay athletes because when President Theodore Roosevelt helped create the NCAA in 1906, he had no idea what it would grow into. At first, it was a great place to watch athletes play sports while making sure the rules were being followed. But now in the 21st century, the NCAA is a billion dollar company. Why hasnt anything changed? Because the decision makers have the mentality of, ‘This is the way its always been.’ Theyre scared to make amendments, even when its necessary.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. I’m not saying we should pay them $5,000 or even $10,000 a semester. I’m just saying maybe at the most $1,000 a semester. This would allow them to go out to watch a movie once in a while, get something for dinner other than ramen noodles, and teach them how to manage their money responsibly. I get that most athletic programs can’t afford that on their own, so that’s why the NCAA should propose a way to start paying them. Athletes earn their schools hundreds of thousands of dollars, increase enrollment, and if they do well, provide a recruiting piece for generations. Top NCAA executives are getting $1 million per year while an athlete can’t earn $50 from signing a few autographs. The NCAA â€Å"prevents student-athletes  from allowing their likeness to be used for promotional purposes.† Tyson Hartnett, October 21, 2013. There’s only one thing I can say to this: Why?

Importance of education in Pakistan

Importance of education in Pakistan Education is important for Pakistans progress. Despite recent achievements, the country still faces numerous challenges to raise the education of its population to the standard of its South Asian neighbors, and to meet its own social and economic development needs. Pakistan: An overview Pakistan is located in the South and West Asia region neighboring borders India, Iran, Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea. Total population of Pakistan in 2010 is 173 million. About 64% people live in rural areas whereas 36% people live in urban areas. Introduction: This paper is designed to give a report on education in Pakistan. In this paper, the different roles, facts, and policies are reviewed which were designed for providing education in the country. Different education system, development challenges and causes are discussed. The education is now become one of the most defining enterprises of the 21st century with the emergence of globalization and increasing competition. In this fast world, education and technology are the basic keys for survival and progress of Pakistan respectively. Pakistan is determined to respond positively to emerging needs, opportunities and challenges of globalization. Education is one of the golden key that is considered as a big change and progress. Progress and prosperity of the country depends on the kind of education that is provided to the people. WOMEN IN EDUCATION In Pakistan, the rate of womens literacy remains low as compared to mens. Women have a low percentage of participation in society. The status of women in Pakistan especially in rural areas is low which is due to social and cultural obstacles. One of the strangest aspects in Pakistan is that some place especially in northern tribal areas the family is against of educating girls. The situation in NWFP and Baluchistan is most critical. The rate of women literacy is 3-8%. Many organizations have opened such schools in these areas that provide education. Unfortunately, the government has not taken any steps or measurements to promote literacy to girls education in these areas. â€Å"In 1981 only 7% of women in rural areas were literate, compared with 35% in urban areas. Among men, these rates were 27 and 57 percent, respectively†. This backwardness of the women is due to the non-equal treatment with them.In developed countries male female are considered equally. This unequal treatment with women takes the country to backward. In Pakistan a system of education with equal opportunities of education to male and female must be provided. BACKGROUNG OF EDUCATION POLICY In 2005, the Government of Pakistan has decided to review the National Education Policy to achievable in the field of education to overcome the problem regarding conflicts and achieve a knowledge that permits every person to realize his duty. This policy review will result in a policy which is applicable to all providers of education in Pakistan in which formal and non-formal states are included. In Pakistan context the essential part is ideological bases and historically provided by Islam as an ideology derived from Islamic religion. Islam is the fundamental source of providing values for our daily life. It also provides an ethical conduct which is an essential precondition for social development. /////Policy Planning Pakistani education sector is the most neglected sector. The literacy rate in Pakistan is 49.9% as of 2008. Education Policy has to be nationally developed and owned. It is simplistic and unprofitable to prepare it at the federal level and thrust upon the provinces. In Pakistan till now at least nine documents have issued that have the status of a policy. Each policy was prepared with varying degree and involvement of the federating units. Main development Challenges Following are the main issues and challenges in adult literacy and non-formal education: There is no separate budget allocation for adult literacy from total expenditures on education; the 10% is spent on other, which includes adult literacy, NFBE, teachers training, madrassahs reform, etc. There is a lack of a coordination b/w organizational structure and institutional mechanism for literacy. Due to lack of training of teachers and of formalized curriculum and non-existence of effective research in the field of literacy and continuing education the professional base of adult literacy initiatives remained under developed. ..Local language is being ignored or not even taught to learn basic literacy. ..The link between basic and post literacy is missing in existing literacy programs, which resulted in bad situation on the part of learners and teachers. The basic literacy need to be properly equipped with skill based post literacy programs, that support learners/teachers to go beyond reading, writing and numerous generating skills and sustainable improvement in their lives. In the past years due to political instability and insecurity in the country creates a big challenge for all nation. Public private partnership is also a not properly linked in literacy programs; it needs to be streamlined through proper facilitation and coordination. Private sector in Education Pakistan has highlighted some facts recently in new publications regarding primary level education sector. In Pakistan children rate going to private schools has rapidly growths to about 1/3rd of total Private schools are largely present in both urban and in rural areas. These publications have also argued that In private schools the Quality of education is better than public (gauged through testing) even when one controls for income and such factors, and Cost of provision of this education, per child, is lower than in the public sector. In education private investment is encouraging. At national and provincial levels there shall be regulatory bodies to regulate activities and smooth functioning of privately-managed schools and institutions of higher education through proper rules and regulations. For setting-up of educational facilities by the private sector a reasonable tax rebate shall be granted on the expenditure. Through Education Foundations matching grants shall be provided for establishing educational institutions by the private sector in the rural areas or poor urban areas. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education existing institutions of higher learning shall be allowed to negotiate for financial assistance with donor agencies. Schools which are running on non-profit basis shall be exempted from all taxes. According to the principles laid down in the Federal Supervision of curricula, Textbooks and Maintenance of Standards of Education Act, 1976 the Curricula of private institutions must conform. In consultation with the government the fee structure of the privately managed educational institutions shall be developed. Causes of Downfall: There are numerous causes for the downfall of education in Pakistan which are below. Economical Negligence: Pakistan has remained a weak economy of the world as it got nothing in its just assets that were snatched by India. The conflict between these two countries on Kashmir issue has hardly allowed the government to allocate funds in budget for other sectors while the education is not an exception in this regard. Till now just 2% of GDP is allocated for the betterment of education which is quite inappropriate to meet education demand. All the funds are not given through a proper channel and a fake audit report is generated that the funds utilization has been spent on education purposes. Rapid growth in poverty: According to 2002 Economic Survey Report, â€Å"Most of the inhabitants of Pakistan are poor and 40% of them live under poverty line, about 70% of its population dwells in villages. About 300,000, young ones are jobless. They have no access to good education†. This report shows that how much difficulties and troubles have been faced by this poor and suppressed class of the country. The main occupation of people is agriculture which is yearly generated which cannot fulfill their daily and basic needs of life. It is also noted that only 1% landlords hold almost 95% of lands in Pakistan which is totally unfair. This unjust division of land creates a huge economical problem which not only for the poor but also the government. Political Negligence: â€Å"If you want to destroy the future of any nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct their education, they will remain no more live on the map of the world.† still now no politician has paid attention in improving the standard of education so far, as far as the question of history of development of education in Pakistan is concerned. In case of Sindh, in early 1970s, lingual riots took place and a new cancer of copy culture was introduced and boosted up by politicians to prevail among the people. No official steps were taken in curbing this fatal disease. Now, the result is that throughout the country Sindhi students are understood the out come of copy culture and basic rights in every walk of life are denied to them, because however, they may be genius and creators but the fact remained that they lack in management and unable move the economy of the country just because they bear a title of COPY CULTURE. It was a political conspiracy based on totally bias. Being a Sindhi, I do not favour Sindhis that they are not given a proper share in different walks of life, whatever is happening to them is the only out come of wrong and misled polic ies which have been blindly followed up by them. Patriotism is the very hinge for all virtues, living in the same country everyone at first is Pakistani then Sindhi, Punjabee, Balochee and or Pathan, respectively. So, now it is our turn to turn a new leaf and pace with our other provincial brothers to improve the management of our beloved country Pakistan, believing in â€Å"united we stand, divided we fall†. Education has become a question of survival for us; less developed man cannot bring the change in improving the skills that are vital for the uplift of the education. 2011 is Pakistans Year of Education. Its time to think again about Pakistans most pressing long-term challenge. The economic cost of not educating Pakistan is the equivalent of one flood every year. The only difference is that this is a self-inflicted disaster. The announcement made by the prime minister that 2011 will be the ‘Pakistan Year of Education high lightens the future goals. The Pakistan Education Task Force has argued ever that Pakistan needs to give the highest possible to priority to education for good reasons. Due to unavailability of education there is a no single chance that the government will reach the development goals by 2015 on education. While on the other hand, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are all on their way to achieving the same goals. As compared with India it improving education rate is ten times that of Pakistan, whereas Bangladeshs is twice that of Pakistan. Pakistanis have a constitutional right to universal education. In the 18th Amendment it has discussed that education has become now a right and no longer a privilege as it was in past times. Article 25A give a scenario where a citizen can take the government to court for not providing them access, or even be the grounds for a suo moto action. At current rates of progress, no person alive today will see a Pakistan with universal education as defined in our constitution. Balochistan would see it in 2100 or later. Just one year of education for women in Pakistan can help reduce fertility by 10 per cent, controlling the other resource emergency this country faces. There are 26 countries poorer than Pakistan but send more of their children to school, demonstrating the issue is not about finances, but will and articulating demand effectively. It is too easy, and incorrect, to believe that Pakistan is too poor to provide this basic right. Pakistan spent 2.5 per cent of its budget on schooling in 2005/2006. It now spends just 1.5 per cent in the areas that need it most. That is less than the subsidies given to PIA, PEPCO and Pakistan Steel. Provinces are allocated funds for education but fail to spend the money. We presume the public school system is doing poorly because teachers are poorly paid, this is untrue. Public school teachers get paid 2/3rds more than their equivalent private low cost school counterparts; they earn four times that of the average parent of a child in their school. Despite this, on any given day 10-15 per cent of teachers will be absent from their duties teaching. There is demand for education that is partly being addressed by low cost private schools, even one third of all rural children go to these schools (public schools can cost Rs.150 per month, low cost private schools the same or up to Rs.250). Despite the large presumption of the media, both domestic and international, this gap is not actually being addressed by Madrassahs. Only six per cent of students go to Madrassahs. CONCLUSION Education is Important in an ideological state, without which nobody can progress towards development both in personal terms as well as a nation state. Education provides the base for both social and economic development. The poor quality of educational system may be one of the most important reasons of downfall. In Pakistan, the quality of education is on the decline because the government not uplifting the quality and quantity of education. Without teachers transformation a nation cannot transform the education system for improving the quality of education. In this regard, a series of education reforms in the area of teacher education were introduced in the public sector but their vision seemed to be narrow, hence, they failed to make any substantial impact on the quality of teachers and teaching process. Eventually, it further affected the quality of education being offered in schools. Education system of Pakistan is facing new challenges. It has yet to be developed at par with other developing countries in the region.

Production History of Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Production History—Hamlet William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to name only a few creative liberties modern productions of Hamlet have taken. The story is brilliant. A brooding young prince, scorned by those he loves, betrayed by his Uncle, and yet â€Å"too much in the Sun† to accept defeat. Revenge, sexual tension, bloodshed, and tears—Hamlet has it all. Hamlet is a relatable character to an audience on a multitude of levels. Whether one is coming into their own, accepting major changes in their lives, feeling betrayed by loved ones, or merely experiencing a lover’s quarrel, they can certainly relate to Hamlet. Above all, Hamlet exudes the one element inherent to all human beings—a strong sense of pride, perhaps excessively so. Hamlet begins on a dark night in Denmark’s Elsinore Castle. The ghost of recently deceased king, Hamlet’s father, is discovered by a pair of watchmen, followed by Horatio, and eventually Hamlet. The ghost informs Hamlet that he has been wronged by his brother Claudius, who coveting the throne, and after successfully plotting and murdering... ..., Kean made no such revolutionary changes. He is credited with being the first to break from the psychological consistency the Hamlet character always seems to have. Kean’s Hamlet reacted calmly, with affection and eagerness upon seeing his father’s ghost. Also, Kean is the first to depict Hamlet as treating Ophelia lovingly, rather than somewhat brutally. Ophelia was portrayed as a significant character in this production, which was a first. In later productions, Ophelia’s character gains incredibly prominence, as women’s rights progress. In the early 1900s, Hamlet was â€Å"rediscovered.† A resurgence of productions came about, and with the creation of a modern director now in place, several alternations were made. Hamlet was converted into movies, opera, condensed plays, parodies, and even later offshoots were created, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

A butcher is someone who brutally slaughters other human-beings. According to this definition Macbeth was a ’butcher’ by the end of the play. Macbeth becoming a butcher was brought about by his ambition for power, and how this ambition was used by the witches. Macbeth’s ambition is made obvious from the start. It is the thing the witches use get him under their spell,’All hail thee Thane of Glamis….Thane of Cawdor…..king’. Macbeth is intrigued by this greeting. When he finds out from Duncan that he has become the thane of Cawdor he whispers to the audience,’Glamis, and the thane of Cawdor, the greatest is behind.’ Macbeth is sure that he will become king. However at this stage he thinks that he will acquire it legally as he sees murder as,’fantastical’(I,iii,139). The story of how Macbeth descends into butchery starts when Duncan announces that Malcolm is to be,’Prince of Cumberland’(I,iv,39) and therefore Duncan’s successor as king of Scotland. Macbeth is now in a dilemma. He has just been told he will be king by the witches. Two of their prophesies have become true already. However, because Malcolm has just become king he cannot see how the third prophesy will come true. Macbeth’s wife solves his problem by telling him to kill Duncan. She tells him this after reading his letter to her and after hearing that the king is coming to her castle. She decides to’look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.’(I,v,63-65). Lady Macbeth plays an important part in Macbeth’s spiral downwards into becoming a butcher by persuading him to commit his first murder. Macbeth doesn’t want to kill Duncan and has strong doubts about what he should do, as shown by what he says in act I, scene vii,’He’s in double trust here…..i am his kinsman strong against the deed , then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife himself’ Lady Macbeth changes his mind by challenging his manhood,’When you durst do it, then you were a man’ and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.’(I,vii,49-51) He finally decides, after much tossing and turning that killing Duncan would be the best thing,’I am settled’. What Duncan said after the Thane of Cawdor was executed that,’there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’(I,iv,12-13) is proved when Macbeth says,’False face must hide what the false heart dost know’(I,iv,82-83)

Stephen Chboskys The Perks of Being a Wallflower Essay -- Chbos

Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower The complexities of growing up can be overwhelming, but one must overcome the realities of the wild and poignant roller coaster of youth in order to live a sensible and productive life. The Perks of Being a Wallflower begins as the protagonist Charlie, starting his first year of high school, deals with the suicide of his single close friend named Michael and the lingering feeling of guilt over the death of his aunt. Prone to depression, introverted, and on the fringe of trouble in many aspects of life, Charlie is a wallflower who, with the help of his English teacher and two friends Sam and Patrick, comes to terms with life and learns to interact. It is difficult to come out of one’s shell and accept the reality that one has recently lost two very important people. As an entering freshman, Charlie lives a remarkably passive existence primarily due to the loss of his favorite aunt and best friend Michael. This can be seen as Charlie expresses his thoughts and feelings toward people that revolve around him: I look at people holding hands in the hallways, and I try to think about how it all works. At the school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to â€Å"their song.† In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys’ jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are. (23). As the quote indicates, Charlie â€Å"uses thought to not participate in life.† Instead of being an active participant in life, ... ...ing the love we think we deserve. After everything Sam and Bill say, Charlie figures that he should just do what he wants to do. He starts kissing Sam where they lay down on the floor and later attacks the ocean bed. He officially becomes a â€Å"participant†. In order for our lives to be content and effective, we must learn to open up and interact with others so that we can discover who we are and who we are to become. Today, there are many teens who have low self-esteem due to their appearance or timidity. They do not realize that there are chances of being accepted by others and judged by their inner body instead of the outward appearance once they start participating. Though Charlie had the same feeling as these teens at the beginning of his freshmen year, his active participation in life leads him to feeling infinite and grateful without any sensation of terror.

Humanities nature vs nurture Essay

Some people believe nature is more influential. Got example in the case of the Jim twins. They were separated at birth and around 30 years later they discovered each. It showed that throughout the years they had not known each they had made a lot of similar decisions. Their kids had the same name, the same car and wives were the same. This proves that your genetics play a vital part into the choices you make as you go older. On the other hand some people nurture plays more of a part in the way we act as we grow older. For example Kamala and Amala. These were children who were brought up my wolves. Whether our inborn characteristics are more responsible in our resultant personality or any experiences we will make, has been the topic of discussion among scientists under the title of â€Å"Nature vs Nurture† for years. Biologists believe that the only factor behind individual’s personality is his genome. In contrast, socio-biologists argue that the environment and experiences that one gains during his life, build his personality. I am inclined to believe that the traits we are born with are more responsible genetically in building human’s personality. Some cases of children who were left in the wilderness and raised with wild animals indicate the significance of mothering–nurturing. When those isolated children were found, they were unable to speak language, even a word, and their behaviors were not unlike animals’. If they were born with a special ‘innate’ ability which enables, nativists believe, children to magically acquire everything from language to social manner at ease, why not these wild children failed to acquire the custom of human society? One tragic experiment conducted by a German king proves that one’s language, one type of the intelligence, is not naturally acquired, but learned after years of exposure. The King hoped to find out what language a child would speak if not being told any language after birth. The result was disastrous: All infants who were the subject of this experiment died before the first year, not acquiring any language at all. If human being’s intelligence were really genetically determined, all cases mentioned above would never happen. With the innate property which they are given from birth, they should’ve been able to have proper behavior and speak language without any external help. Unfortunately, that is not true. After a few years of a good mothering, human beings become independent and mature, so their intelligence does. Therefore, ‘nurture’ is a more significant factor in human’s intelligence.

Soccer Ritual

I had the passion to play soccer because of them and I was wanted to become as a famous player in Saudi Arabia Maxed Abdullah. From that moment my sibling and play it and like it very much. Also, we were fans to AY-Edited FCC as my father does because most of children want to become like their fathers. My father once bought for us a football, so my brother and I keep play with it and watch soccer matches to learn some skills. Furthermore, when we became good player, we start to play against my cousins and our neighbors.We won In all of games we took medallions. After that I was plan to win on my brothers and get the medallion from them to look a hero on my father eyes, so I started watch a lot soccer matches and soccer animation. I learn a lot of skills such as how to shoot by left foot, how to skip from the player, and how to pass the ball under the player and that happen when I was in second grade in elementary school. I start to collect my team from my cousins and my neighbors, so my oldest brother and I made a competition and we asked my father to Judge.So I won the game and my dad was surprised of the way I was played, so he gave me a hundred SIR is about $26 but in that time it value a lot because when my father gave us 5 RSI we feel like rich. Soccer is more than a sport; soccer player are a folk group with rituals and Informal tradition. In this research I will define a ritual and how is related to soccer. What Is a ritual? A ritual Is a particular type of tradition that many folklorist as a distinct category of folklore.Ritual are habitual actions, but they are more purposeful than customs rituals are frequently highly organized and controlled often ant to indicate or announce membership in a group. Most rituals are stylized, and highly conceptualized deeply symbolic activities that enable groups to acknowledge exemplify, and / or act out certain traditional ideas, values, and beliefs. Family and community celebrations scared and secular ceremonies, an d a variety of other structured performance include rituals.Rituals required a set of beliefs and values that group members accept and want to have reinforced. The ritual works to teach their importance by emphasizing even acting out these sales or belies like tradition in general. Rituals frequently employ symbols and metaphors to represent Important concepts. There are no clear records about who or whom Invited the soccer or the mime was, however the historian agreed that a kind of play ball was played for at least 3000 years, and that can see In China, Egypt, and Greece before modern one has developed in England.There are many rituals related to teams before they join first time. That was because they have a ritual before the game and they belief they can win the game. Especially Fabian Breather's shaved head before each game and hanging a towel on goal. Shatter is a soccer team in Khaki. Before they play the game they slaughtered a sheep to win games, however the animal rights g roup PETA .NET â€Å"strongly worded letter† to the FAA president. They do that because they feel the luck comes by this ritual.In many Muslim majority countries like Astrakhan, the ritual slaughter of a sheep is seen as bringing good fortune ahead of a major event. The meat is then often distributed among the poor. According to Shatter coach Smoky says, â€Å"Of course this tradition may have certain psychological impact on players that can help them to relax before the game. â€Å"(FOOTBALL) Slaughter a lamb has known from old centuries in many books and religions such as Islam, and Christianity. In holy Curran mention (e-*HCI 4439) that mean God command Abraham to sacrifice a sheep instead of his son Small (AY shaft 107).People sacrifice a sheep because they want to be placed by God or to forgive a sign, and some do it for the evil to make a bad thing. As Jewish and Muslim did the same thing when they have children. To be grateful to the God. Most soccer players have sup erstitions and rituals. They think they can success in their game. Superstitions can have variety things such as dirty socks, pre-game song, or a sort of pray. Also, there are funny operations like Christian Rolando has 7 1. On the bus Christian is sitting alone in the back row and he is the last one who leaves the bus 2. N the plane he sits always with Epee, and he is the first who leaves the plane 3. In the locker room at the halftime he must change his hairstyle 4. He must touch the ball before leaving the dressing room 5. In the Portugal national team he is the only Portuguese who is allowed to start off with a long-sleeve Jersey 6. On the pitch he always steps onto the right foot 7. When he scores the goal, first he is waving to his family (footballers). Sorcery Sorcery is a one of a taboo thing. Many clubs used sorcery to win the game.They used it before the game and some wear it or hang it. They do that that to blind the other team from scoring goals or they used devils to st op goalkeepers from follow the ball. According to AY hill FCC Ex player conference that he used sorcery in one of games by washing his face, and after the game he quit and went to Mecca to erase his sin. (sport kabob) In conclusion, soccer became a famous game in the world have it's on rituals and superstitions between the players, mangers, and fans. I

Jesus had a way of teaching his disciples Essay

Jesus always had a way of teaching his disciples how to be better people. He used events to teach them, he also used small talking sessions to teach them. The disciples were taught many valuable lessons from Jesus. In the modern world some people think that only bishops, priests or vicars are real disciples but every Christian who has been baptised should try to be a follower of Jesus. Christians today work for each other and for the people that they see as the weak in society such as the elderly, alcoholics, drug addicts and one-parent families. There are plenty of schemes run by voluntary Christian organisations for the poor and weak in society. The Salvation Army is well known for its concern of outcasts in society. They practise many different activities including children’s day centres and nurseries and family welfare work and homes for the elderly. The Salvation Army does plenty for the weak of society and other Christian denominations have their charity organisations, which provide similar services. There are international Christian organisations that include the Tear fund and Christian Aid, these groups care for the needs of developing nations. They help third world countries to live life as best as they can by providing clean water, health care and education. Some Christians today choose to become priests or join a religious order as their way of being disciples of Jesus in the modern world.A priest is a servant of God’s people. The Priest’s job is to proclaim and preach the gospel, to bless the bread and wine offered at mass. to care for the needs of people in the parish, especially by showing his worshippers what they can do for each other and to devote themselfs to God. Some people should use their talents to improve the world, to try and make the world peaceful and loving place. They have a duty to be aware of all the world’s problems such as crime, prejudice and violence. Christians who take part in the Eucharist are sent to serve others at the end of mass. The priest says, â€Å"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord†. We can serve others by donating our clothes to charity shops so that others will benefit. We can visit the lonely, offer shelter, feed the hungry, pray, provide love and comfort, in doing all of these things we are serving the Lord. â€Å"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength†(Mark’s Gospel – 12: 30-31). This is an extract from Mark’s gospel in the passage of ‘The Great Commandment’; it is what Jesus said to be the greatest commandment of all. Jesus explains this to mean that God is the only Lord we have so therefore we need to love him in the best way that we can. The second greatest commandment of them all is to â€Å"Love your neighbour as yourself†(Mark’s Gospel – 12: 31). When Jesus was talking of these two great commandments he wanted us to realise that life does not revolve around ourselves it is about what we can do for others. This message is to show us not to be selfish and be prepared to suffer for our beliefs. We should never contribute to Mickey taking or peer pressure as we would not like that if it was directed at us. We should give our time for other people which many people do as a careers options so they are also giving their life to God at the same time by serving to others such as Nurses, Doctors, teachers, fireman and missionaries all these jobs are for someone else’s benefit giving their time up for people like us when we are in danger or ill. we can contribute our ways to discipleship by going to church to pray, prayer in general if it to be at home, personal or within a group in a community at school or in a parish. It is important Christians/disciples have childlike qualities that they are proud to be a Christian, they are honest, faith, enthusiasm everything seem brilliant hope and trust in God at the lowest times in your life.Even when tragic accidents happen such as suffering with cancer, A death of someone you love or such incidents as September 11th the attack on the twin towers New York. We should still have faith and believe they are with God and happy. I think that it is extremely difficult to be a modern day disciple because many people take the modern lifestyle for granted and the mission now has a different meaning to the one in Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ time. in the modern world because so many people are judged by many different aspects of their lifestyle. They are usually judged in a positive way about their possessions and general lifestyle but they are judged in a negative way about their religion. Religion has become very ‘unfashionableà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and this is not just because it is considered a waste of time but it is also because Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ teaching methods were unfashionable. Todayà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s world is so materialistic and people would not judge someone kindly if abandoned their family responsibilities to become a disciple. many people still suffer great persecution and rejection.. A modern day disciple would find it difficult because our world is so materialistic and it would be extremely difficult for a person to give up the wealth gained from a job. Many items in society like drugs can be a barrier between a person and their path towards discipleship. But I do think that some peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s faith is strong enough to enable them to be a modern day disciple. There are many people who have made great sacrifices to follow Jesus and do his work in our world today. Mother Teresa of Calcutta was a strong believer in Christ and she is an example of a disciple in the modern world. Society does hold back a personà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s path towards discipleship but a true disciple should be able to overcome that difficulty. Being a disciple of Jesus has many implications for every area of a personà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s life and this is because their every action is influenced by Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ example. St Teresa of Avila once said, â€Å"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours.† This means that we are on earth to represent Jesusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and he lives in us and this is another way of us being disciples of Christ. In our lifetime today we are given a very important mission and that is to serve Jesus during our time on earth and be disciples, and also preach the word of Jesus to the people who do not yet know.

Proving Establish Liability For Each Offence Essay

Archie is employed to protect the pheasants on Lord Melchett’s estate from poachers. On day, from a distance he sees Liam and Craig on the estate and, knowing them to be poachers, he decides to ‘rid himself of the problem for all time’ and fires his shotgun at them. Both Liam and Craig are only wounded, however, but do need to be taken to hospital for treatment. On the way to the hospital, the brakes on the ambulance fail, it leaves the road and overturns on a bend and Liam dies in the accident. With reference to the case situation above, discuss, using decided cases to support you arguments: a) The offences, if any, with which Archie could be charged and what the prosecution would need to prove to establish liability for each offence; (20) b) And whether you think Archie would be convicted of any offence. (5) a. In relation to the death of Liam, there is the possibility that Archie would be charged under homicide. Archie carried out the apt actus reus of homicide, whereby he has committed an unlawful killing in the Queen’s peace in the county of the realm and death occurs within 1 year and 1 day. Although Liam died only in the accident, the main cause for his death was Archie shooting at him. As such, Archie has provided for the cause in fact, according to the ‘but-for’ test, where if but-for Archie, Liam would not have died. Contrary to R v. White, where the defendant’s mother died not from his poisoned drink but from a heart attack, Archie caused Liam’s death. Furthermore, Archie also undertakes the cause in law, as Liam’s wound is both substantive and operative. This is because it was Archie’s action that caused the injury (substantive) and this injury was still present at the time of Liam’s death (operative), as in R v. Malcherek & Steel, where it was held that original injuries were still an operative cause of victim’s death. However, it may be argued that a Novus Actus Intervenis, an intervening event, caused Liam’s death and that Archie is not the main cause. This is only partially true, as the ambulance’s break failure was the last event of the chain of causation and causing Liam’s death. Yet, Archie can still be held liable if it can be established that there was a break in the chain of causation, however, there is none. Thus, the ambulance accident was merely a negligent contribution, as in R v. Benge, and Archie’s act is the cause of Liam’s death. According to the mens rea of murder, proof of intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm must be shown, as established in R v. Moloney, holding that intention may be inferred from the defendant’s foresight of consequences. Here, the charge will depend on Archie’s intention, which might be deduced from the words that he muttered: ‘rid himself of the problem for all time’. As such, Archie knew the consequences of his actions, and had an intention to carry it out. Yet if this is the case, it must also be considered why Archie didn’t actually carry out his apparent intention, to ‘rid himself of the problem for all time’, as he did not actually ‘get rid of’ (ie. kill) them. However, if this is not the case, it can be said that Archie’s intention can be found if he foresaw death or GBH as a virtually certain consequence, as in R v. Woollin. It is also not known where and the number of times Archie shot at Liam and Craig, as this would confer an indication of any considerable intention. If Archie’s shooting was limited, perhaps one or two in the leg, then it can be said he had no intention to kill, but just an intention to frighten. If he only had an intention to frighten, then his act is already an unlawful act in itself, as it is dangerous and is foreseeable to cause harm. This is true with Archie, and he also had the intention to commit the unlawful act, as in R v. Lamb, where the defendant did not have the mens rea to kill, but only to shoot the gun. Archie’s act was also dangerous, likewise in R v. Church where it was held that ‘dangerous’ would mean a reasonable man realizing the risk of creating some harm. In DPP v. Newbury & Jones, it is said that if the accused â€Å"intentionally commits a dangerous and unlawful act, causing harm or incidentally, the death, of another†, he is then guilty of constructive murder. Therefore, in relation to Liam’s death, Archie can be liable for constructive manslaughter. In relation to the injuries sustained by Craig, there is the possibility that Archie will be charged under Section 20 of the Offences Against Persons Act 1861. The actus reus required here is merely wounding, as defined in JJC v. Eisenhower as â€Å"breaking of the skin†(skin here meaning any surface of the human body) or inflicting grievous bodily harm. The mens rea necessary includes a malicious intention and a foresight of physical harm. This foresight must involve the possibility of some physical harm to a person, as in R v. Mowatt. Archie, thus fulfills both the actus reus and mens rea for S20 of the OAPA. However, Archie may also be charged under Section 47 and Section 42. Under S47, Craig has to be seen to have sustained â€Å"actual bodily harm†, defined in R v. Miller as â€Å"any harm calculated to interfere with person’s health and comfort.† Under S42, Archie has to be seen to â€Å"put another person in fear of immediate personal violence† and has â€Å"touched another without their consent.† If this can be established, Archie would be liable for Section 20 (Offence involving wounding/GBH), Section 47 (Common assault, battery & GBH) and Section 42 (Assault & battery) of the Offences Against Persons Act 1861. b. In the case of Liam’s death, Archie would be charged for murder. However, this is rather difficult to prove, as the mens rea required for murder involves proof of intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm as established in R v. Moloney. Thus, he would not be convicted of murder, but rather involuntary manslaughter, with constructive liability. As for Craig’s injuries, Archie would be charged under Section 20 of the OAPA. Further charges might include Sections 47 and 42. The conviction under Section 20 is undeniable, but for Section 47 and 42, it is only highly plausible.

GLO-BUS: Developing Winning Competitive Strategies

GLO-BUS Developing Winning Competitive Strategies Welcome to GLO-BUS. You and your co-managers are taking over the operation of a digital camera company that is in a neck-and-neck race for global market leadership, competing against rival digital camera companies. All digital camera makers presently have the same worldwide market share, although shares vary by company across the four market regions – Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America. Currently, your company is selling close to 800,000 entry level cameras and 200,000 multi-featured cameras annually.Prior year revenues were $206 million and net earnings were $20 million, equal to $2. 00 per share of common stock. The company is in sound financial condition, is performing well, and its products are well regarded by digital camera users. Your company’s board of directors has charged you and your co-managers with developing a winning competitive, marketing strategy, one that capitalizes on growin g consumer interest in digital cameras, keeps the company on the ranks of the industry leaders, and boosts the company’s earnings year after year.Some Background Information Your company began operations five years ago and maintains its headquarters in Lisle, Illinos,USA. It assembles all of its cameras at a modern facility in Ha Noi, Vietnam and ships them directly to cameras retailers (multi-store chains that sell electronics products, local camera shops, and online electronics firms) located in Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America.The company maintains regional sales offices in Milan, Italy; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Toronto, Canada to handle the company’s sales and promotion efforts in each geographic region and help support the merchandising efforts of area retailers who stock the company’s brand. Retailers endeavor to maintain ample inventories of camera models in their own stores and warehouses to satisfy shopper demand. S easonal Production and Seasonal Demand. Camera demand is seasonal with about 20 percent of consumer demand coming in each of the first three quarters of each calendar year and 40 percent coming during the fourth quarter holiday season.Retailers place orders for digital cameras roughly 90 days in advance of expected sales, so as to have ample numbers on hand to satisfy camera buyer demand in the upcoming quarter. Thus, during Quarter 1 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 2; during Quarter 2 they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 3, during Quarter 3, they place orders for the cameras they expect to sell in the peak holiday season fourth quarter; and in Quarter 4 they order the number of cameras they expect to sell in Quarter 1 of the following year.Assembly and Shipping. The company has a staff of people engaged in new product R&D, engineering, and design; this group has the capability to develop new and improved camera models as directed by top management. Once co-managers settle on the desired specifications and performance features for the company’s line-up of camera models, the needed parts and components are obtained from suppliers having the capabilities to make deliveries to the company’s Ha Noi assembly plant on a just-in-time basis.Cameras are assembled by four-person product assembly teams at well equipped workstations. Shipping department personnel ready retailer’s orders for shipment and stack them on the loading dock for pickup by independent freight carriers. The cameras are delivered anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks later, depending on a retailer’s location and the means of transportation. The cost of boxing the cameras, packaging them for shipment, and freight averages $3 per camera. Many countries have import duties on cameras.Import duties in each of the four geographic regions currently average $5 for entry-level cameras and $10 for multi-featured cameras. Import duties are subject to change in upcoming years. Competitive Efforts. To capitalize on advances in digital technology and keep its cameras appealing to consumers, the company from-time-to-time introduces new and improved models, adds performance features, restyles its camera bodies or housings, and upgrades the internal camera software.Aside from company efforts to make its cameras lines appealing and competitive with those of rival companies, the company’s sales volume and standing in the marketplace is affected by the prices at which it sells its cameras to retail dealers, advertising expenditures, the number of retail dealers it is able to attract to carry its brand, the number and length of quarterly promotions, the size of the price discounts offered to retailers during these promotions, the length of the warranty periods on its cameras, brand image and reputation, and the caliber of the technical support provided to its digital camera users.Stock Listings. The companyâ €™s stock is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange in the United States and on several other stock exchanges. The closing price in Year 5 was $30 per share. The company’s financial statements are prepared in accord with generally accepted accounting principles and are reported in U. S. dollars. The company’s financial accounting is in accord with the rules and regulations of all authorities where its stock is traded.The World Market for Digital Cameras The industry your company competes in consists of 4 companies. All companies are on an equal footing from a global perspective, but there is one essential difference in the competitive positions of the rival companies – the percentage of cameras being sold in the four geographic regions (Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and North America) are not identical from company-to-company as follows:Percentages of Company Sales Volume in (unit sales) North America Europe-Africa Asia-Pacific Latin America Yo ur Company 40% 30% 20% 10% Competitor A 10% 40% 30% 20% Competitor B 20% 10% 40% 30% Competitor C 30% 20% 10% 40%In effect, each company presently has a strong market position in one region, intermediate market positions in two regions, and a weak market position in one region. So there are market share differences among the companies in the industry within each geographic region of the world camera market. In upcoming years, company managers can undertake actions to alter their sales and market shares in all regions, opting to increase sales and share in some and to decrease sales and share in others. Market Growth.The global market for digital cameras is projected to grow 8-10% annually for the next five years (Years 6-10) and then to grow at a slower 4-6% annual rate during the following five years (Years 11-15). These projected growth rates apply to all four geographic regions and to both entry-level and multi-featured cameras. However, in any one year, the growth rate in each r egion can deviate from the 9% average for Years 6-10 and the 5% average for Years 11-15 by as much as 1% in either direction, with different size deviations for each region. The same goes for the projected growth rates for entry-level and multi-featured digital cameras.Hence, there is an element of uncertainty surrounding just where within the 8-10% range and the 4-6% range the growth rate for a particular year will actually fall, for either a given geographic region or a particular type of camera. Ratings of Digital Camera Performance and Quality. The World Digital Camera Federation, a well respected affiliation of camera industry trade groups and camera experts, tests the performance and quality of the camera models of all competitors and assigns a performance-quality or P/Q rating of 1 to 5 stars to each company’s entry-level camera line and multi-featured camera line.Currently, both the entry-level and multi-featured camera lines of all competitors have a 3 star P/Q ratin g. Spirited competition among rivals is, however, likely to result in different P/Q ratings in the forthcoming years. Digital Camera Retailers. Worldwide, there are some 50,000 retailers of digital cameras scattered across the world; each of the four major geographic regions of the world market has 12,500 retailers, some of which are multi-store retail chains (100 per region), online electronic retailers (400 per region), and local camera shops (12,000 per region).Retailers with store locations that also sell cameras on their websites are not included in the online category. Multi-store chains account for the biggest percentage of entry-level camera sales, with online retailers second; local camera shops account for the biggest share of multi-featured digital camera sales, with online retailers second. Retail markups over the wholesale prices of digital camera makers run 50% to 100%; thus an entry-level digital camera wholesaling for $160 could retail for $300 or more and a multi-fe atured camera wholesaling for $360 might carry a retail list price of $700.Such markups give retailers the latitude to put digital cameras on sale from time-to-time at 10% to 20% off regular price and still make a decent profit margin. Retailers typically carry anywhere from 2-4 brands of digital cameras and stock only certain models of the brands they do carry, but in all four geographic markets there are around 20 ‘full-line’ camera retailers that stock most all brands and models. Chain store retailers are drawn to carry the best selling brands and mainly stock entry-level cameras.The makers of weak selling camera brands have difficulty convincing major retail chains to devote display space to their models. Local camera shops and online retailers are, however, more amenable to stocking and promoting low-volume brands, especially those with above average P/Q ratings and respected brand images. Local camera shops and online electronics retailers devote much of their mer chandising effort to multi-featured digital cameras because of their bigger profit margins.In the multi-featured camera segment, local camera shops enjoy an advantage over online retailers because many multi-featured camera shoppers prefer to â€Å"touch and try out† the functioning of the multi-featured cameras they are considering and seek out the opinions of camera savvy personnel in local camera shops before finalizing their purchase. In choosing which brands of multi-featured cameras to carry and feature in their local ads, local camera shop owners put a fairly heavy weight on P/Q ratings, warranties, brand image, and the number, length, and price discounts of manufactures’ promotional discounts.Online retailers use essentially the same criteria in deciding which multi-featured camera brands to give top-billing and search priority on their websites. Digital Camera Buyers. Digital camera shoppers are generally quite knowledgeable; many do extensive Internet researc h to educate themselves about the features, performance, and prices of competing digital camera brands and models. The World Digital Camera Federation’s much publicized P/Q atings are trusted by camera shoppers; its frequently visited website has detailed information concerning the results of its performance tests and the basis for its P/Q ratings of each camera brand. Both camera makers and online electronics retailers have extensive information on their websites about currently available models. Numerous websites and publications review new and improved camera models as they are introduced by manufactures.The buyers of entry-level digital cameras are considerably more price sensitive than multi-featured camera buyers and many do comparison shopping on price in selecting which brand to purchase. The purchasers of multi-featured cameras are much more particular about camera performance and picture quality. Many price sensitive consumers shopping for their first digital camera are inclined to wait to make a purchase until electronic retailers have special sales promotions and offer entry-level camera models at sizable discounts off the regular retail price.It is common for camera retailers to also have special sales promotions for overstocked multi-featured models. The Competitive Factors That Drive Market Share Competition among rival camera makers centers around 11 sales determining factors: – How each company’s wholesale selling price (for both entry-level and multi-featured cameras) compares against the corresponding industry-wide average price in each geographic region. – P/Q ratings. – The number of special promotions each quarter. – The length of the special quarterly promotions (in weeks). The size of the discounts off the regular wholesale price during these promotions. – Advertising expenditures. – Product selection, as measured by the number of models in each line of cameras (entry-level and mul ti-featured). – The number of retailers carrying the company’s brand. – The length of the manufacturer’s warranty period. – The ease with which users of a company’s digital cameras can obtain responsive technical support when they encounter difficulties. – Brand reputation among buyers and retailers.With these 11 competitive determinants of sales and market share in play in each camera segment in each geographic region, you and your co-managers have many options for crafting a strategy capable of producing good profits and return on investment and keeping your company in contention for global market leadership. For example, you can – Employ a low-cost leadership strategy and pursue a competitive advantage keyed to having lower costs and selling your digital cameras at lower prices than rivals. Employ a differentiation strategy that sets your company’s digital cameras apart from rival brands based on such attributes as a higher P/Q rating, more models/styles to select from, and such marketing attributes as more advertising, longer warranties, more promotions, better technical support for owners of your digital cameras, or a bigger network of retail outlets carrying the company’s brand. – Employ a more value for the money strategy (providing 4-star digital cameras at lower prices than other 4-star brands) where your competitive advantage is an ability to incorporate appealing attributes at a lower cost than rivals. Focus your strategic efforts on being the clear market leader in either entry-level or multi-featured cameras. – Focus your company’s competitive efforts on gaining sales and market share in those geographic markets where your company already has high sales and deemphasize sales in those areas where your company has a comparably low market share or where profit margins are relatively low. – Pursue essentially the same strategy worldwide or else have regio nal strategies tailored to match the differing competitive conditions and actions in North America, Europe-Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Focus your company’s competitive efforts on those regional markets where sales are highest or most profitable and either deemphasize or withdraw from one or more geographic areas where market share is low and/or profit margins are small. Thinking Strategically: The Importance of Trying to Out-Maneuver Rivals Making Decisions. The following areas should be the basis of your decision making process. They are as follows: Product Design Marketing Assembly Compensation, Training, and Labor Force Special Order Bids Social Responsibility and CitizenshipFinance What Your Board of Directors Expects. The Board of Directors has given you and your co-managers broad strategy-making and operating authority to pursue the achievement of performance objectives, subject to two primary constraints: (1) Your company may not merge with another company ; the Board wishes the company to remain independent. And (2), company co-managers are expected to comply fully with all legal and regulatory requirements and to conduct the company’s business in an ethical manner. Good Luck. R. G. Revers PhD