Monday, September 30, 2019

Global Warming or the Next Ice Age? Essay

It would be safe to assume that climate change is going to be around for a long time and have an enormous impact on the lives of many people. Humans have had a huge impact on the environment for many years and can be linked to one the main factors of global warming. Global warming is a topic that has received much attention in recent years; yet our climate change is not a recent problem. If the U.S. Continues to ignore climate change then the effect on the environment will affect humans. Despite what many might think, climate change is well known across hundreds of nations all over the world. My thesis is the Greenland ice cap is both shrinking and expanding, and climate change can be linked to both trends. The effect humans have had on the environment can be linked to the shrinking and expanding of the Greenland ice cap. In the book â€Å"The Science and Politics of Global Climate Change† it is discussed how greenhouse gasses have been increasing in the atmosphere for the last two centuries or so, primarily as a result of human activity. (Dessler and Parson 88). In addition, climate change will most likely affect populations through impacts on the necessities and comforts of life such as water, energy, housing, transportation, food, natural ecosystems, and health systems. Rural communities tend to be more dependent on climate-sensitive livelihood activities and have fewer resources and social support systems compared to urban populations (Alig 73). The growth of our population has increased our use of fuel, land, and manufacturing. All of these are increasing emissions into our atmosphere that increases global warming. The concern about climate change has been an issue for decades. There’s no specific date as such. The climate-change debate, like all policy debates, is fundamentally an argument over action. An action needs to be taken soon on how to respond to climate change. Listen to the debate and you will hear many different kinds of arguments – about whether and how the climate is changing, whether human activities are responsible, how much of the change occurring might be natural, how the climate might change in the future, what the effects of the changes will be and whether they matter, and the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of various responses. Although these arguments are distinct, when advanced in policy debate they all serve to make a case for what we should or should not do (Dessler and Parson 31). Scientists had long been aware of the consequences of global warming and had been urging governments to take action for many years. As far back as the 1950’s there was pressure being put on governments to take action but very little was done. The one event that put the issue of global warming firmly on the political agenda was the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, this was attended by presidents, prime-ministers and heads of state from around the world. It wasn’t the first Earth Summit but it was the one where global warming was addressed and led to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following inception the UNFCCC has met regularly in what is known as the Conference of Parties (COP) and it was at the 3rd COP that the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. If the U.S continues to ignore climate change the Greenland ice cap will continue to shrink and expand . In the opening decades of the 20th century, real estate hucksters, railroad tycoons and even government agencies persuaded thousands of dirt-poor farmers to come to the dry and windy center of the Great Plains, plow up millions of acres of ancient grasslands and plant wheat. There were several reasons this was a bad idea, but for a couple of unusually wet decades, bumper crops were the norm. Then, in the 1930s, inevitable drought returned. The land dried up and, quite literally, blew away in enormous black clouds that killed crops, livestock, children, old people and dreams which is also known as the Dust Bowl. It was the worst man-made environmental disaster in American history. Now, as we grow more aware that we face the worst man-made environmental disaster in the history of the world, we are proving to be no more wise than the imprudent farmers who tore up the buffalo grass (Landon-Lane 11). The United States is a case in point. Some of the best climate scientists in the world are Americans. So are some of the most eloquent and influential advocates for a global compact. Moreover, global compacts are an American specialty. At pivotal moments in the twentieth century, U.S. presidents were the chief architects, master-builders, and principal funders of international institutions— notably, the UN itself— that constitute a rule-based world order and have promoted the prosperity and security now threatened by climate change. Yet in the face of that threat, all four of America’s most recent presidents—including, up until now, its current one— have, for one reason or another, been unable to rise fully to the challenge (Antholis and Talbott 24) Global warming is a very difficult problem to fix. People are having a hard time agreeing on what to do about it. For example, everyone agrees that wasting energy is a bad thing to do. But some people think that the federal government should make laws about it, while other people think it should be up to each person or business to decide what to do. In conclusion, the process may not stop entirely, but we can try to keep the climate from reaching a point that we can’t stop it. If everyone in the world stop polluting and begin keeping their environment clean it would help. Global warming may not be stopped but it can be reduced.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Kotler Mkting Management Chapter 13

Designing and Managing Services Discussion Questions 1. How do we define and classify services? 2. How do services differ from goods? 3. How can we achieve excellence in marketing services ? 4. How can we improve service quality? 5. How can goods marketers improve customer service? Slide 2 of 29 The Nature of Services 2008 – 2018 Loss of 1. 2 million jobs 2008 – 2018 Gain of 14. 6 million jobs Slide 3 of 29 Service An act or performance one party can offer to another that is mostly intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Slide 4 of 29 Categories of Service Mix Mix of goods & services Pure Tangible Good Hybrid Pure ServiceSoap Cell phone Babysitting Slide 5 of 29 Service Characteristics Intangibility Variability Perishability Empty seats Inseparability Slide 6 of 29 Intangibility Create tangible elements †¢ Place †¢ People †¢ Equipment †¢ Communication material †¢ Symbols †¢ Price Slide 7 of 29 Inseparability Work Faster Add More Service Providers Work with Larger Groups Slide 8 of 29 Variability Offer Guarantees Monitor Satisfaction Good Hiring and Training Slide 9 of 29 Overnight Hotel Stay Blueprint Slide 10 of 29 Perishability Empty seats Nonpeak Demand Complementary Services Reservation Systems Differential Pricing Slide 11 of 29 New Services RealitiesCustomer Empowerment Satisfying Employees Customer Co-production Slide 12 of 29 Root Cause of Customer Failure Slide 13 of 29 What Customers Want from Providers Knowledgeable employees Address needs on first contact Treat me like a valued customer 65% 64% 62% 54% 49% 49% 45% 43% 38% Demonstrates desire to meet my needs Can quickly access information Good value for the money Courteous employees Is a company/brand I can trust Treats me fairly Provides relevant/personalized service 0% 10% 20% 30% 31% 40% 50% 60% 70% Slide 14 of 29 Determinants of Service Quality Reliability Tangibles Responsive Empathy Assurance Slide 15 of 29

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Book of Numbers

Exegesis of Old Testament books meaning, significance to Jewish history faith, human-God relationship, critical analysis, importance of Torah, role of Moses. The text of Numbers 13, begins, The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Send men to scout the land of Canaan . . . . Most commentators regard this event of the sending of the spies into the Promised Land to be a confusing part of Scripture. Indeed, Rashis exegesis on Numbers 13:1 begins with the question: Why is the section of the spies adjoined to the section of Miriam? Nachshoni admits that Hashems command that spies be sent out is puzzling, and it is only later, when we read Deuteronomy 1:22-23, that we discover the whole episode was instigated by the Israelites: Then all of you came to me and said, Let us send men ahead to reconnoiter the land for us and bring back word on the route we should follow and the cities we shall come to. I [Moses] approved of the plan . . . . Ginzberg writes that this unseemly desire was presented to Moses not in the customary way

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Myth of the Cave. The role of philosophers and educators in Essay

The Myth of the Cave. The role of philosophers and educators in society - Essay Example Throughout the life of humans, they come to know certain things as they found them to be. They proceed to believe that these things are the truth and reality. When they come to be told the truth, they reject it because it is a contradiction of what they know. Ignorance has been said to be bliss. That is what makes people not to see the truth. That is why they vehemently reject the truth. Different people have different perceptions of the truth. That is why there are those who will want to go and look for the truth outside the cave, and those who believe that the truth is in fact inside the cave (Watt, 25). Teachers have to realize the dangers of giving an education that is different from what others receive. Education should not compel us to believe in one single thing. It should in fact encourage us to go and find out the truth for ourselves. All that we merely see is not necessarily the reality. It might just be that we are so used to seeing it that we believe it is the ultimate truth. This is the danger that educationists need to eliminate. They need to encourage and promote the search for the truth. In current times, this can be aided by proper research. Education should not merely be an exercise of imparting already existing knowledge. It should not be an activity of coercing other to believe in one thing. It should be a process of facilitating research and self reliance. It should promote the search for the ultimate truth (Watt, 23).... The reading describes a scenario whereby what is taken to be real by most people may just be a mere illusion. ‘All people living in a cave’ is taken to represent the high levels of ignorance among humans. Human beings are in total darkness. The truth is just near them yet they have refused to embrace it. ‘Being chained on their necks and legs’ represents the unwillingness of humans to accept useful change. It shows that unless they take action, they are bound to ignorance. They have to free themselves from the caves otherwise they will always be prisoners of ignorance. The prisoners watching the shadows on the wall means that this is what they think the world is. The shadows which they see on the walls are what represent reality to them. They do not know any other truth. This is what they have known the world to be since they were born. Their conceptions and understanding of the world are skewed and misinformed. Their unwillingness and reluctance to leave th e cave is all as a result of ignorance. In the cave, all that the humans see is a mere reflection of what reality is. What they see is not reality. It is a mere illusion (Watt, 25). This is what the shadows represent. The shadows are like a mirage that tries to depict reality. Ignorance is very prevalent and humans do not want to let go of it. It is the duty of philosophers and educators to liberate these humans from the darkness. The truth can only be obtained by these philosophers. The senses of human beings skew and misconceive reality. Humans are so ignorant to the extent that they would reject a prisoner who left the cave to go and experience the real world in search of the truth. The prisoners represent the humans who are slaves of ignorance. They shun

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Liberty or Equality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Liberty or Equality - Essay Example The work of Tocqueville titled Democracy in America will be used to vividly identify exactly what his perspective is. Democracy in America is an important book for historians both in and outside the United States. On the other hand, no particular work of Jefferson will be used as many of his works are a revelation of what his position is as they are primarily concerned with issues on liberty. The papers of Thomas Jefferson are an attempt made by him to keep a balance in his correspondence. This attempt, of course, reflects his opinion is on liberty. As it may have been observed, both thinkers have made very valid points—points that are very difficult to counter. If it were the case that one of them backs negativity and the other backs positivity, it would have been much easier to choose between sides. However, even though the points made by both Jefferson and Tocqueville are positive, there are still junctures where they disagree. The disagreement is given vent to by the fact that one of the two concepts – liberty or equality – is a constituent of the other. The argument is also urged on by the premises on which both men build their points. Drawing from their arguments, the existence of one – liberty or equality – will automatically lead to the existence of the other. If there is equality in a system, it will automatically bring forth liberty. In the same vein, if there is liberty in a system, it will bring forth equality. Reality however teaches further that liberty can only come into fruition in situation in which there is equality. Liberty, on the other hand, does not automatically lead to equality. That people have the liberty to do whatsoever they want does into mean that they will be treated as equals with others. In a situation in which there is liberty without equality, such liberty is automatically cut short because it will largely be useless. From the foregoing, it is very obvious that Tocqueville’s position o n equality is superior to Jefferson’s on liberty. Tocqueville (2000) says â€Å"Equality leads men by a still more direct path...† Right from the beginning of Democracy in America, it is very obvious that the stand that will be supported by the author is that equality wherever it exists is universal. De Tocqueville (2000) posits that â€Å"the gradual development of the equality of conditions  is therefore a providential fact, and it possesses all the characteristics of a divine decree: it is universal, it is durable, it constantly eludes all human interference, and all events as well as all men contribute to its progress.† What he basically succeeds in doing is to compare the way equality can be found in different countries using the Unites States as the reference point. By so doing, Tocqueville is able to show the ways each society has reveals how equality is in operation. De Tocqueville thinks that equality can only be attained in a situation in which †Å"all the prerogatives of birth and fortune are destroyed, when all professions are open to all, and when one can reach the summit of each of them by oneself, an immense and easy course seems to open before the ambition of men, and they willingly fancy that they have been called to great destinies† (2010). However, most times, the same society that makes citizens dream of a bright future is often the one that ends up drawing them back. Tocqueville think

Global marketing strategy and product launch B&Q in Malaysia Essay

Global marketing strategy and product launch B&Q in Malaysia - Essay Example Current study reviews the potentials of B&Q, a well-known British firm, in the Malaysian market. The firm already operates in the international market. Still, up today the firm has not attempted to enter the Malaysian market. The successful operation of the firm in Chinese market has possibly caused the delay of such project. The stability, at least up to now, of the European market in which the firm is highly expanded, could be another reason for the avoidance of the firm to expand overseas. On the other hand, the review of the Malaysian market had led to the assumption that the particular market could highly benefit the performance of B&Q. The firm’s profits could be increased while the risks involved would be limited, at least taking into consideration the market’s current characteristics. A marketing plan has been developed for the potential expansion of B&Q in the Malaysian market. The requirements and the implications of the specific plan are analytically presente d. It is proved that the entrance of firm in the Malaysian market would have many prospects for success, especially if all phases of the plan were carefully monitored. 2. Background of the organization 2.1 Products B&Q has a wide range of products in regard to home and garden improvement. Currently, the products of the firm are estimated to 40,000 (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012). 2.2 Market position B&Q is ‘the largest home improvement and garden centre retailer in UK’ (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012). The firm was first established in 1969. Today, the firm is owned by Kingfisher plc, a major competitor in the context of the European’s home improvement industry; Kingfisher plc has also the third position in the global home improvement industry (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012). In UK, the firm’s stores are estimated to 350 (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012). For 2011, the firm’s profits were estimated to ‘?3.8 billion’ (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012), making the organization one of the most powerful competitors in the home improvement industry worldwide. The firm is already well established in the global market with about 60 stores (B&Q Company website, Company Information 2012). The firm’s financial performance is presented in Figure 1 (Appendix). The firm’s performance in UK and France seems to be much higher compared to its performance internationally (Figure 2, Appendix). The expansion of the firm in Malaysia could enhance the performance of the organization in the context of the global market. 2.3 Organizational objectives and vision The organization’s key objective is ‘to help people create a home that they are proud of’

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Common Ground Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Common Ground - Essay Example The authors nevertheless place greatest stress on the effects of sprawl on the environment while they separately discuss the matter of wildlife preservation. Effects to the environment include air and water pollution, the destruction of scenic and historical vistas, the economic costs and higher level of maintenance required, traffic congestion, absence of sidewalks, and proliferation of obesity due to abandonment of walking and bicycling as means of transportation. Chen and Duany also mention the effects on animal life and habitat, the topic exclusively dwelt on by the other two articles. As to value of animal life and their habitat, the articles agree that sprawl has intruded into the natural habitats of wildlife. They disagree, however, as to how this intrusion affects both animal habits and human lifestyles. For Chen and Duany (2000), they see sprawl as a form of broad ecosystem degradation implying a destruction of the ecological territories where the animals thrive. Terris (199 9), on the other hand, bewails the increasing land area occupied by urban sprawl as impacting negatively on the wildlife whose habitats are encroached upon. What Chen and Duany merely imply as the negative effects of sprawl on the ecosystem, Terris implicitly describes as posing an actual and tangible risk to the survival of American wildlife. According to Terris, the rapidly growing settlements endanger a great number of species of American wildlife, destroying their feeding and breeding grounds, causing their populations to shrink, fragment, and disappear altogether. For Shaw (2004), she sees sprawl more of an enhancement of the areas where wild animals thrive and adapt. She cites an upsurge in incidents of human encounters with wildlife, such as bears raiding trash cans and mountain lions prowling the subdivisions. More than implying that people are moving into the territories and habitats of the wildlife in the area, it means that more and more, suburban life tends to attract wi ld animals. Aiding the proliferation of wild animals is the natural reforestation taking place as well as the expansion of low-density residential developments outside cities that animals find attractive. Developers create ponds, establish gardens and plant trees which creates a setting conducive to animals, while in their natural habitats nearby, wetlands may be drained, hayfields may disappear or trees cut down. The result is increasing hazards of automobile collisions with deer, and human injuries or deaths due to animal attacks. Causes of sprawl According to Chen and Duany, Increasingly complex requirements for urban planning have caused subdivision developers to resort to sprawl. Some requirements for instance require wide streets to accommodate vehicles travelling at 65 mph, setbacks of buildings far from streets, parking lots of a certain minimum size, etc. Wide streets and curved corners encourage use of cars and speeding, thereby also endangering pedestrians/bicyclists. Oth er causes cited by this article include population growth, technological change, and the misguided government policies on development and its inability to plan for future growth (Chen & Duany, 2000). Shaw agrees with Chen and Duany that

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein Essay

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein - Essay Example The typical gothic plot tends to delay narrative development through digressions, interruptions, infolded tales, interpolated poems, etc. which move the narrative backwards as well as forwards and Frankenstein is no exception to this. The novel's structure of framed and embedded narratives (for example, Walton narrative and that of the De Lacey family) act as diversions from the main narrative told by Frankenstein, a delay that serves to increase suspense and tension. Marry Shelly's use of Foreshadowing in Frankenstein creates a literary taste in the novel. "But I forget I am moralizing in the most interesting part of my tale; and your looks remind me to proceed" (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). Foreshadowing is an important part of Frankenstein. It is used to increase suspense because as a readers go through novel the foreshadowing is revealing them that something bad is about to happen and it is their job to go after the clues and try to guess what it is. Throughout the novel, as we observe that the three main narrators (Victor, the Monster, and Walter) use foreshadowing. Each of the narrators uses foreshadowing in a diverse and different way. Some of the narrators like victor are more obvious in their hints as to what is going to happen than others. "If the Study to which you apply yourself had a tendency to weaken your affections , and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful," (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). In this quote Victor is speaking about how if something you are doing takes up all your free time and makes you neglect the other aspects of your life it certainly cannot be good. In this quote Victor is also foreshadowing the completion of his monster and the effect it will have on his life. This is an example of the most blatant foreshadowing in the novel; this book was written as if Victor was relating it out loud to William. As a result of this most of the foreshadowing victor does is extremely blatant because when a person is telling a story it is hard for them to keep from foreshadowing the ending through there body language, tone, or the way they tell the story. Because Shelly could not convey tone or body language through written words sh e had to make the foreshadowing victor does much more blatant to keep the suspense of the story. "One day, when I was oppressed by cold, I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause could produce such opposite effects!" (Literary Cavalcade, 2002, pp. 34-37). In this quote by the monster, shows the style in which he foreshadows in this story. This was one of the monster's earliest experiences where he finds that some things can cause both pleasure and pain. This is

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Gap in Women's Education and Employment in Saudi Arabia Dissertation

The Gap in Women's Education and Employment in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The Global Gender Index was developed in 2006 as a method for measuring the gender gap in different states (Greiner 2011). The index puts together a number of indicators such as economic, education, political and health information as a means of measuring the gender gap. States registering a value near 1 will indicate gender equality while states with a 0 value reflect a wide gender gap (Greiner 2011). Saudi Arabia’s value is ranked at 0. 5713 overall. In terms of â€Å"economic participation and opportunity† Saudi Arabia’s is 132 out of 134 countries with a ranking of 0.3351 (Global Gender Index 2010, p. 9). In terms of â€Å"educational attainment† Saudi Arabia is 92 out of 134 countries with a ranking of 0.9739 (Global Gender Index 2010, p. 9). The Global Gender Index (2010) report is consistent with developments released by Booz & Company (2009). The report by Booz & Company (2009) indicates that the Saudi government has invested significant funds in public education and as a result has reduced the gender gap in terms of access to education. However, the educational opportunities for females are limited by virtue of course content and curriculum. At a result of these limitations employment opportunities for women are likewise limited (Booz & Company 2009). This research study examines the efforts made by the Saudi government to expand educational opportunities for all Saudis and how these opportunities have closed the gender gap, yet have failed to significantly reduce the employment gap among men and women. This research study is therefore divided into five parts. The first part of this research provides a literature review reflecting theories and assumptions relative to gender inequality generally and in terms of Islamic cultures. The second part of this research provides a factual background setting out demographics in terms of the female population, educational and employment statistics. The third part of the paper focuses specifically on education from both a theoretical and factual perspective. The fourth part of the paper focuses likewise on employment. The final part of the paper provides an analysis and conclusion relative to the findings presented in the previous parts of the research. I. Literature Review In an attempt to u nderstand the gender gap in employment and education in Saudi Arabia, it is necessary to examine theories and assu

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Act Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Act Utilitarianism Essay The theory of Utilitarianism was first developed by Jeremy Bentham who was a philosopher of the 18th century. Bentham developed this theory to create a modern and rational approach to morality which would suit the changing society. Bentham’s theory Act Utilitarianism has many strengths and weaknesses. A Strength is that this theory is considers the consequences and happiness which an action has created. This is because Act Utilitarianism is a teleological theory where actions are based on results. For example if I splash cold water at someone to wake up for school this is a good action as it has good consequences because the person I splashed water on can go on to school and gain knowledge and this I will also create happiness. Another strength would be that this theory is always seeking the â€Å"Greatest Good for the Greatest Number†. For example if I was going to bomb the world with a bomb I planted in a secret location and the only way to get the information was to torture me. An Act Utilitarian would say that I should be tortured so that I could give the information on where the bomb was and this that would create the greatest good for the greatest number. There are also many problems with Bentham’s theory as it allows cruel or sadistic pleasure as long as it out ways the pain. For example if ten sadists torture one child pleasure out ways the child’s pain making the action right in an Act Utilitarian eyes. Also if someone intentions are good but the consequence of their action is bad an Act Utilitarian would say this wrong even thought the intention was good. For example if I help an old man across the street and then he assassinates someone my action which was good becomes bad because of the consequence. Another weakness is that there is always a minority which will not benefit from an action and this could cause a great amount of pain for that minority and the pain of this minority could out way the pleasure of the majority but it is too hard and long to use the hedonic calculus in some situations. For example say there was a man called john normal calm guy then one day he finds out his daughter was raped by a man called max. Then john goes out and kills max. This situation would be too hard for the hedonic calculus to calculate as both men families felt pain and both men felt pleasure. Overall I believe that the weaknesses out way the strengths of Act Utilitarianism as there are many situations that it would not be able to give an answer. Even thought Act Utilitarianism considers the consequences there are just too many weaknesses crushing this point. For example the hedonic calculus will take too long to find out whether an action is right or wrong in many scenarios. Ayyub.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Role Of Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay

Role Of Quantity Surveyor Construction Essay Introduction The name quantity surveyor conjures up a variety of different images in peoples imaginations. For some, the term quantity surveyor is an outmoded title from the past. It certainly no longer accurately describes the duties that are performed. When the term was first applied to the profession, the work of the Q.S. was vastly different to that now being carried out and anticipated in the twenty-first century. A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a professional which is essentially construction accountant who manages the financial costs and contracts within construction industry. A Quantity Surveyor is involved in four main areas of work in construction industry which are building work such as residential housing and industrial developments, building engineering services such as lift services and others where prime cost sums are to be included in the bills of quantities, civil engineering such as infrastructure construction projects, and heavy and industrial engineering such as onshore and offshore oil and gas and petrol-chemicals. (Yeaw, 2008) Quantity surveyors deal with a wide variety of people including clients, architects, design engineers, construction managers, engineers, planners, estimators, supplier, lawyers and buyers. As building work increased in volume and complexity, there are a lot of sectors recognised the advantage of employing and independent quantity surveyor to prepare an accurate bill of quantities, and measure and value any variation during the progress of work. (Seeley, 1997) Today, quantity surveyors are also being appointed as a project manager to take control of the project from inception to completion and to coordinate the work of the design team and the main contractor and subcontractor. (Seeley, 1997) They can find employment in various areas such as property surveys for hidden defects on behalf of potential purchasers, running estates, valuing the mineral deposits for mining companies, selling property and even Leasehold Reform Act work. The roles of Quantity Surveyor will vary depending on his role either within the clients consultant or the contractor. Role of Private or Public Quantity Surveyor The Quantity Surveyor who works in private or public sector is an important member of the design team. The role of QS includes: Preliminary Cost Advise The QS is an expert in cost appraisal. He/She gives practical advice on the likely cost of the scheme from the inception of a new project. Besides that, he also advises on the comparative costs of alternative layouts, materials, components and methods of construction. Cost Planning during the design stage The QS will prepare a realistic budget and a cost plan showing the distribution of cost for each element once the employers brief is done. (Seeley, 1997) Cost planning during the design stage of the project is to ensure the client obtain the best possible value of his money including added value to his property asset, preferably having regard to total costs using life cycle costing technique so that the costs are distributed in the most realistic way and the contract sum is kept within the clients budget. Approximate estimate of the initial costs of building are prepared using feasibility or conceptual estimating which are single price methods of estimating. (Seeley and Winfield, 1999) When the budget and cost plan were acceptable to the client then the design was developed by the architect. Procurement Advice The QS in design team has a duty to advice the client on the most appropriate form of building procurement based on the type of project, quality of building, speed of construction, apportionment of risk and price certainty. (Seeley and Winfield, 1999) There are numbers of procurement methods using in United Kingdom. For example, traditional method is to negotiate tenders with a single contractor and design and build method is where the contractor undertakes the whole task of design and construction. (Seeley, 1997) Documents Preparation (Tender and Bills of Quantities) The QS will need to prepare tender document in the tendering stage and Bill of Quantities is a part of tender document. Measurement and quantification are required to provide a complete Bill of Quantities. (BQ) BQ translates the drawings, schedules and specification notes produced by designers into a document listing in detail all the components parts required for the project to enable all contractors to calculate his tender prices in same quantities. (Seeley, 1997) Selection of Contractor The QS provides frank, sound and practical advice on contractor selection. QS will based on the industrial relations record, past performance in meeting standard, time target and the quality of management and then make recommendations to the employer on the make up of the selection list. (Seeley, 1997) Negotiation During tendering, the private or public QS will evaluation of tenders and negotiate rates with contractors. Sometimes, QS will choose two of the best contractors and ask them price for the project again with discount rates. Valuing work The contractor is paid monthly in most construction contracts. QS will value the work carried out each month based on the report of Clerk of Works and contractors QS and then making recommendations as to payment to be made to the contractor including advising on the financial effect of variation or receipt of instructions from the architect. (Seeley, 1997) Settlement of contractual claim QS will prepare interim certificate to contractor every month based on the negotiate accepted claims with the contractors QS. Financial Statement A QS prepares financial statement to employer during the construction period and advice the employer on anticipated liability for payment, giving dates and amounts. Preparation of Final Account At the completion of the contract works, QS will need to prepare the final account for the whole project and agree details and totals with the contractors Quantity Surveyor. Role of Contractors Quantity Surveyor The Quantity Surveyors work in contractors firm and is an important member of the construction team. The duties of QS will vary according to the size of the firm. For smaller firms, the roles are tending to be more very wide in scope. However, the roles are tending to be more specified for large firms. (Seeley and Winfield, 1999)It includes: Preparation of Bills of Quantities Commencing of a project, contractors QS will need to prepare BQ with accurate measurement and estimating and then insert prices into the tender document which is provided by private or public QS. There are two types of contract document which are lump sum contract and BQ contract. Lump sum contract is the contract document comprises a BQ without quantities. So, the QS will need to do his own measurement based on the drawings and then come out with accurate quantities. BQ contract means the contract document comprise BQ with quantities. So, the QS just need to do pricing for those documents. Cost Planning during the construction stage Seeley (1997, pg63) wrote that Cost planning is a specialist technique used by the quantity surveyor. It is used to help all the members of construction team to keep works within the budget. Once a realistic estimate is agreed and everything follow in accordance with it, effective cost planning will help to ensure over-budget will not occur in the project from the successful contractors tender to final project cost. Constant monitoring of the cost planning will decrease the risk of overspending at an early stage and prompt corrective action can be taken. Cost planning improves the better value of money. The contractors QS will aim to secure maximum payment for the work done at the earliest possible time to avoid any possible cash flow problems. (Seeley, 1997) He will prepare cost plans that list down all the expenses right through to the projects completion. Negotiation Contractors QS is responsible to control the construction cost during construction stage. To improve the better value of money and maintain the quality of the building, he will negotiate the material price, machinery cost and labour cost with the supplier and come out with a most reasonable price and quality report. Sometimes, he also needs to negotiate with the clients QS for the variation order and payment issue. Comparison of cost QS will need to collect information about the cost of various operations in order to give a better value of money and provide information for the contractor to prepare future estimates. He will do the comparison of the cost of alternative methods of carrying out various operations so that the most economical procedure can be adopted. (Seeley, 1997) Documents Preparation (Sub-contract and meeting report) Preparation of the BQ for the sub-contract is done by contractors QS when some of works are substituted to another specialist. QS will prepare a lump sum contract or BQ contract base on the scope of work of the sub-contractor. In the sub-contract, QS will state the contract sum, commencing date, completion date, scope of work and etc. Besides that, QS also need to prepare site meeting report before the site meeting. He will receive a letter which state the date of site meeting one week before the meeting. The frequency of site meeting is depended on the architect. Normally, it is twice a month. The meeting report includes the project brief, contract information, document register, quality report, work progress chart and progress photos. Making application to the architect or engineer for variation order The QS requires assessing the cost of alternative designs of temporary works and other operations in order to prepare cost and value reconciliations for internal purposes and to forecast trends. He also makes application to the architect for variation orders if drawings or site instructions vary the work and the agreeing the value of variations with clients QS. (Seeley, 1997) Interim valuation and payments QS will prepare interim costing to clients QS so that the contractor can ascertain of his financial position and make appropriate action taken when necessary. (Seeley, 1997) Contractors QS is responsible for looking after the financial interest of the contractor and work in conjunction with private practice on the preparation of interim payments. (Ashworth and Hogg, 2007) Final account preparation QS will assembling data for the final account from the start of the contract to ensure that it will be completed in all its aspects and to give the contractor his proper entitlement under the contract. (Seeley, 1997) Other roles of Quantity Surveyor Ashworth and Hogg (2007, pg9) write In response to the potential demise of bills of quantities, quantity surveyors began exploring new potential roles for their services. The evolved roles of Quantity Surveyor are: Whole life costing The meaning of whole life costing is defined by the Ashworth and Hogg who refer to the Construction Best Practice Programme 1998 (2007, pg146) write that the systematic consideration of all relevant costs and revenues associated with the acquisition and ownership of an asset. All the costs associated with various options for a project are added together to represent a total cost. Future costs are discounted to a present day value. The QS provides the whole life costing to the clients based on the initial cost such as design and construction costs and future cost such as rental and maintenance cost to give an emphasis on a whole or total cost approach undertaken during the acquisition of a capital cost project or asset rather than merely concentrating on the initial capital costs alone. (Ashworth and Hogg, 2007) Value Management Value management is a specialist area. It is important to the success of projects in providing the foundation for improving value for money in construction. Clients are generally wanted higher quality buildings at lower prices and which were produced more quickly. QS involves in value management will examine a strategic problem that a company may face before the decision to build a building. He also uses the value management knowledge to obtain a reduction in construction costs. (Ashworth and Hogg, 2007) Risk Analysis Nowadays, most of the dedicated project manager has a quantity surveying background. Amongst all client advisors, QS is the most suited and motivated toward the management of risk. Sometimes, risk may affect an estimate. So, the QS will need to assess the probability and extent of the effect. The QS evolved the risk analysis to control the occurrence and impact of risk factors and provides clients with better information upon which to make decision. (Ashworth and Hogg, 2007) Expert witness The QS also can become an arbitrator nowadays. He often called upon to act as expert witness in respect of a wide variety of building disputes due to he has the knowledge of the building contract. As an expert witness, the QS need to produce a proof of evidence covering all his intended evidence. (Seeley, 1997) Conclusion The traditional roles of Quantity Surveyor can be classified into private or public Quantity Surveyor and contractors Quantity Surveyor. The table below shows the summary of the roles of Quantity Surveyor in different working sectors. Private or Public Quantity Surveyor Contractors Quantity Surveyor Provide preliminary cost advise Prepare Bills of Quantities during tendering Prepare cost planning during the design stage Prepare cost planning during the construction stage Advice client for different procurement method Prepare tender document and Bills of Quantities Prepare sub-contract and meeting report Select the best contractor to do the work Negotiate the pricing rate with the contractor Negotiate the material price and construction cost with the supplier and the sub-contractor Value the work done by contractor Compare the cost provided by supplier and sub-contractor. Settlement of contractual claim Make application to the architect or engineer for variation order Prepare financial statement Prepare interim valuation and payment Prepare final Account Prepare final account Nowadays, the introduction of computerised systems for preparing BQ makes Quantity Surveyors practices become very nervous. The traditional roles of Quantity Surveyor are not enough for QS to survive in construction industry because it is becoming to take over by technology. So, in these few years, QS are trying to evolve their roles in construction industry. They become project managers, value managers, expert witness to provide whole life costing, value management, risk analysis, a prove of evidence in building disputes and so on to employers. The QS still have a lot of development spaces in construction industry. It will never be ended up and replaced by others. As QS in the future, I wont worry about the unemployment because it seems to be good in the economical crisis at 2007. I always believe that QS job is a Quite Smart job in the construction industry and has a good future. (Total: 2418 words)

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

There are several pollutants present in municipal wastewater, including oxygen- demanding substances, pathogen, inorganic and synthetic organic chemicals, and nutrient. Dissolved oxygen in water is necessary to support aquatic life, consumed by aerobic bacteria and other aquatic organisms for living purpose. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen that would be consumed if all the organics in water were oxidized by bacteria and protozoa (Interlab Supply, 2010). Microorganisms will break down the organic matter by consuming the dissolved oxygen present in the wastewater and BOD is normally used to measure the performance of sewage treatment plant. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2004) The wastewater effluent produced by the treatment plant has a high content of organic pollutants such as ammonia which will demand more oxygen. These substances destroyed and converted to other compounds by bacteria when the water has sufficient oxygen. Large amount of bacterium that widely spread in wastewater is also known as pathogens and hazardous to our health while waste products in wastewater are most often liquid or solids and they can be biological, chemical or radioactive dangerous. Apart from having adverse health involvements, wastewater contamination can also have natural and ecological affects, including the degradation of ecosystems which include decreasing of aquatic plants that help to preserve the condition of waterways or biodiversity loss. For example, loss of aquatic life likes fish and crustaceans that are an important part of both animal and human diet. Disinfection of wastewater and chlorination of drinking water supplies manage to reduce the occurrence of waterborne diseases such as typhoid fev... ...sociated with screenings. However, comminutors and grinders can also create problems for downstream processes, such as increasing plastics build up in digestion tanks or rag accumulation on air diffusers. In addition, solids from comminutors and grinders will not decompose during the digestion process. If these synthetic solids are not removed, they may cause biosolids to be rejected for reuse as a soil amendment. Large amounts of grit and sand entering a treatment plant can cause a serious operating problem that is needed for treatment. Grit includes sand, gravel, cinder, or other heavy solid materials that are â€Å"heavier† than the organic biodegradable solids in the wastewater. Removal of grit prevents unnecessary abrasion and wear of mechanical equipment, grit deposition in pipelines and channels, and accumulation of grit in anaerobic digesters and aeration basins.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Someone Special :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

Someone Special When I first saw him, I was sitting in an auditorium complaining to my mother about how cold it was in there. We and hundreds of other student-parent pairs were lined up in rows of the large room waiting to be told what to do by upper-class college students in matching tee shirts. I was scanning, like always, for any interesting guys. Upon finding any that appealed to me, whether by genuine attractiveness, unique clothing or just a pleasant aura, I would watch, study, and try to figure out everything about him, like his attitude, views on the world, and his favorite color. I had been sitting there wondering (probably unlike all of the other kids who were at State University Orientation) what kind of guy I was going to look for when I arrived a month later to attend classes. Everyone else was talking with their parents about their class choices and housing contracts. Some were even asking the experts at the podium questions about the university. But this was way beyond me because I had more important things on my mind. I remember seeing him rise a few rows in front of me with his mother. I'm not sure exactly what caught my eye first, but his light brown hair and rosy complexion kept my stare. He had on a blue shirt that hung un-tucked from his khaki shorts, clothing that intrigued my eyes to follow him, as he squeezed through the metal chairs that someone had set up a little too close. He politely said, "Excuse me," and smiled with seemingly complete confidence. I nudged my mother, "Right there," I said signaling her to notice his strut. "Cute," she said shortly which translated to, "I guess I agree Whitney, but I don't look anymore." It was the usual answer I got when I asked for her opinion. I would sometimes badger her to elaborate, but the answer always lacked in enthusiasm. We watched him disappear behind a big red curtain that separated the students with and without name-tags, and I began formulating his life story. He looked like the I-played-a-few-sports-in-high-school type, pretty normal to me compared to all of the different types of people in the room. He wasn't preppy enough to be the guy that came to college for the sole reason of joining a fraternity, but nowhere close to being the guy that nobody wanted in a fraternity.

My Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay -- Education Teaching Teachers

My Teaching Philosophy Statement Education is defined as the lifelong process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values through either formal means, such as schooling, or informal means, such as firsthand experiences or vicarious experiences gained through reading books or discussions. Every person that is or wants to be a teacher has his or her own educational philosophy. We all have our own views, methods, and curriculum that we were taught when growing up. A lot of people may have the same teachers in school, but all of them learn different things from that teacher. As of right now, wanting to be a teacher, I do not have a set philosophy. I do know that I want to teach physical education. Physical education, I think, is a very important part of a student’s curriculum. This helps the students to be more active and to learn about how to keep their body healthy and fit. I think that younger kids should have physical education class every other day or maybe even just two days a week. Older kids should only have physical education class one or two times a week because most of them have a lot of energy when it comes to doing active things. When it is time for them to leave and go back to their classroom they do not want to go. They would rather stay and play. Most people would disagree with me here but if you think about it, this way is better. All kids, young and old, get tired from physical activity. Younger kids you want to be tired, that way they will not be hyper in the classroom and run around causing trouble. Older kids, on the other hand, will try and sleep through class if they get tired. Unlike younger children, they know that they can try to sleep a little bit before getting c... ...before they take a quiz or something, but down the road, a couple of months later if you give them a pop quiz they probably cannot remember even half of the information. I know that this is true because I used to do this on the day that I would have a Spanish vocabulary quiz. I would sit in my first period class and try and memorize all of the words in the chapter. Most of the time it worked and I got good grades on my quizzes. Being a teacher, I think, is one of the best professions that a person can go into if they really love kids. People will say to you do not be a teacher because that is the worst job in the world. They are wrong. If they want to sit at a desk all day and do the same things day after day, then go right on ahead because I would rather be the one to try and put the children of our country on the right path to success.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Teen Drinking

Teen drinking is a serious problem and each year the statistics go higher and higher and more and more teens are drinking. This is a safety issue for teens are not old enough to know how to control their drinking. In an article I read called, â€Å"let my teenager drink†, written by T. R. Reid, suggests that it’s okay to let our teens drink. On the opposed side, Author Joseph A. Califano writes in his article that it is not okay to allow teens to drink. Reid does make some good points in his article.He believes that it is safer for our teens to be allowed to drink. He brought up binge drinking and how bad it is for teens. He says, â€Å"the only reason for this binge drinking is because teens are not allowed to drink so they do it secretly, most often in unsafe places like a car, or a house where adult supervision is not present†(REID). Reid claims that if we let our teens legally drink then teens can be safer and be able to drink throughout the evening instead o f getting drunk in the short amount of time they have before a social event.He believes teenagers are going to drink no matter what law is put in place, and that we should all just allow teens to legally drink. Author and current president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Joseph A. Califano suggests the first article is a dangerous opinion to go by. He lists straight facts on this specific issue like, â€Å"in 2001 the Justice Department released an analysis comparing drinking rates in Europe and the United States.The conclusion: American tenth graders are less likely to use and abuse alcohol that the people of the same age in almost all European countries†(CALIFANO). Califano also said how Reid was wrong about the binge drinking, since British fifteen year olds are more than twice as likely to binge drink as those of American teens. He also lists the dangers of teen drinking. Califano says it can seriously damage the growth proc ess of the brain, and how teen drinking can lead to poor school performance.My opinion on this issue is teens should not be allowed to drink yet. I believe the drinking age should stay at twenty one. That is when a person is mature and developed enough to drink alcohol. There is a good reason why there are age limits on things. Rules and laws are made for good reasons, to keep us safe. I would not want to live in a country where there were no age limits on drinking, for I believe we Americans would get dumber than we already are.

Monday, September 16, 2019

American criminal procedures Essay

The American Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and assembly in addition to other significant protections against the suppression of government and official agencies, â€Å"provides a noble action and shield of human dignity. †(Brennan Jr. 1989. p 425) The Bill of rights epitomizes the constant will of humanity for individual rights and protections. Essentially, Bill of Rights as incarnated in the first ten Amendments of American constitution is an acknowledgment of the individual dignity and rights and it also manifest an embargo on the government itself to exploit and manipulate these rights. â€Å"The Bill of Rights, in other words, deals with the protection of the individual against his Government. The protection of an individual against another individual or group of individuals is not implicit in the Bill of Rights, but falls more into the realm of police powers of the Government. † (Wise, James Waterman, 1941. p. 35) The philosophy and ideas of English Philosopher John Locke has been inducted in the Bill of Rights. Locke presented the philosophy of natural rights i. e. that all the individuals are endowed with inherent rights. Locke was of the view that civil society of which the government is an organ, is established to safeguard the individual rights. This idea of natural right greatly influenced the concepts Madison who is considered the creator of American Bill of Rights. The guarantees of fundamental individual rights, provided by the bill of rights are general in its definition and application and applicability rests in the discretion of the â€Å"adjudicative bodies. † This quality of the Bill of Rights capacitate it with the ability to be applicable at the broader level because it â€Å"permit judges to adapt canons of right to situation not envisaged by those who framed (it) there by facilitating (its) evolution and preserving (its) vitality†(Brennan Jr. 1989). Another distinction of the Bill of rights is that it enables the Supreme Court to reform American criminal procedures and align it with the provision and protections in the Bill of Rights. For example in Miranda vs. Arizona case, the Court made it clear that police must inform the person under interrogation his rights. Its ruling included that police must inform the detainee his right to silence and his right to a lawyer. But the attitude of Supreme Court is ambivalent in the above mentioned case and is encircled with controversies. Sixth Amendments provides the right of counsel to the detainees or individual under interrogation or under prosecution in a federal court. The denial of such counseling negates the provision of Bill of rights. Certain ruling by the federal courts exemplify that courts are still in a state of confusion over this issue. â€Å"In dealing with state cases the Supreme Court has distinguished between the situation where an accused is denied the right to consult a lawyer whom he had selected, and that where, being unable to procure any lawyer, the court refused to appoint one. In the former case a conviction cannot standing the latter it depends on the circumstances†. (Fraenkel, O. K. 1963, p. 117). The House vs. Mayo and Betts vs. Bardy cases are clear manifestation of this duality on the part of judiciary. ( House v. Mayo, 324 U. S. 786 (1945) 117, 118 & Betts v. Brady, 316 U. S. 455 (1942) 118) In the absence of an enforcement mechanism or power of vindication, the bill of rights becomes mere moral ideals. These moral ideals are better appreciated rather than practiced. Same is the case with the American Bill of Rights. The courts can take action unless a plea is made to it. But a written charter is also essential to empower the judiciary protect the citizen from the clutches of official hostility. This empowerment through bill of Rights manifested itself in the case of NSA surveillance controversy. U. S. President George W. Bush promulgated a secret executive order soon after 9/11 that capacitated the National Security Agency (NSA) with an authority to carry out wiretapping of suspected persons in America. The hallmark of this executive order was to conduct surveillance without acquiring approval or warrants from a FISA court (Risen. J & Lichtblau Eric. 2005). These order and activity were unlawful and unconstitutional as it violated the legal and constitutional privacy rights of the people provided under Fourth Amendment. Fourth Amendments states that â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. †(Hand, L. 1986) The executive order issued by the President Bush for warrantless surveillance is an explicit violation of the fourth amendment as it enables the security agencies to intrude the private lives of American people without providing any â€Å"probable cause† for this act. The illegality of the executive order was further reinforced by the court decision in ACLU vs. NSA case. The U. S. District Court Judge OF Eastern District of Michigen ruled that wiretapping without warrant from FISA is an unlawful and unconstitutional activity as it is the violation of individual privacy rights and freedom. The judge further ordered to eavesdrop on phone calls with immediate effect. In her ruling she wrote: â€Å"The President of the United States, a creature of the same Constitution which gave us these Amendments, has undisputedly violated the Fourth in failing to procure judicial orders as required by FISA, and accordingly has violated the First Amendment Rights of these Plaintiffs as well. † (ACLU v. NSA. 2006 p. 33) The duality of the adjudicative powers is clear from a previous ruling where in Draper case (Draper v. United States, 358 U. S. 307 (1959) 100) the Court advocate in favour of a warrantless search made to an arrest in a public place. The court ruling was based on the ground that law enforcement agency had â€Å"probable cause† to believe that a criminal activity has occurred although they worked on information from an informant formerly found reliable. This was obvious mockery of the civil rights of the individuals. Above mentioned examples illustrates that Bill of Rights is a proper and valid guarantee for the individual rights of American citizens. But lack of a proper reinforcement mechanism makes it dependent. The generality of the provisions of Bill of Rights is an important characteristic that enables the adjudicative agencies to interpret it according to situational context of a particular case. Although certain rulings by the Courts has harmed the true nature and objective of the Bills of Rights and had reduced it to mere cherished ideals but still it is an important tool to protects the rights of American people References ACLU vs. NSA. (2006) http://fl1. findlaw. com/news. findlaw. com/nytimes/docs/nsa/aclunsa81706opn. pdf Brant, I. 1965, The Bill of rights: its origin and meaning. A Mentor book, New American Library, New York. Brennan, William J. Jr. 1989, Why Have a Bill of Rights? Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, vol. 9, no. 4. pp. 425-440 Draper v. United States, 358 U. S. 307 (1959) 100 http://caselaw. lp. findlaw. com/cgibin/getcase. pl? friend=nytimes&navby=case&court=us&vol=358&invol=307 Dumbauld, E. 1979, The Bill of rights and what it means today. Greenwood Press, Westport. Fraenkel, O. K. 1963, The Supreme Court and civil liberties: how the Court has protected the Bill of rights. 2d ed. Published for the American Civil Liberties Union, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.. Hand, L. 1986, The Bill of rights. College ed. The Oliver Wendell Holmes lectures 1958. Atheneum, New York, N. Y.. Strauss, David A. 1992, Afterword: The Role of a Bill of Rights The University of Chicago Law Review, vol. 59, no. 1, The Bill of Rights in the Welfare State: A Bicentennial Symposium, pp. 539-565. Risen. J & Lichtblau Eric. 2005, Bush Lets U. S. Spy on Callers without Courts, NewYork Time, December 16. http://www. nytimes. com/2005/12/16/politics/16program. html? ei=5090&en=e32072d786623ac1&ex=1292389200

Sunday, September 15, 2019

The Impact of Medical Technology on Health Care Finance

| The Impact of Medical Technology on Health Care Finance| Patricia Brewer| | | | | Health care costs have been rising for several years. United States health care Expenditures surpassed $2. 3 trillion in 2008, more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990, and over eight times the $253 billion spent in 1980 (Kimbuende, 2010). Slowing this growth has become a major policy priority, as the government, employers, and consumers increasingly struggle to keep up with health care costs.In 2008, U. S. health care spending was about $7,681 per resident and accounted for 16. 2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. This is among the highest of all industrialized countries. Total health care expenditures grew at an annual rate of 4. 4 percent in 2008, a slower rate than recent years, yet still outpacing inflation and the growth in national income. There is a general agreement that health costs are likely to continue to rise in the near future.Many analysts have cited controllin g health care costs as a key for broader economic stability and growth, and President Obama has made cost control a focus of health reform efforts under way. By 2016, total health spending is projected to rise to $4. 2 trillion. Rising health care costs raise health insurance premiums, which are also growing at a much quicker pace than overall inflation or workers' earnings. Health spending has been rising two and a half percent a year, faster than the gross domestic product over the past four decades (Covington, 2008).Although Americans benefit from many of the investments in health care, the recent rapid cost growth, plus with an overall economic slowdown and rising federal deficit, is placing great strains on the systems used to finance health care, including private employer-sponsored health insurance coverage and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Since 1999, family premiums for employer-sponsored health coverage have increased by 131 percent, placing incr easing cost burdens on employers and workers.The average cost of a one-day stay in a hospital has now risen to over $500, the total cost of a coronary bypass operation and follow-up treatment has reached $37,300, and the average cost of delivering a baby now exceeds $2500. As costs have increased, fewer people have been able to afford the medical care they need. Over 37 million Americans, including over 12 million children, carry no health insurance at all and are unable to afford private health care, they must rely on a public health system that cannot deal with such a burden.With workers’ wages growing at a much slower pace than health care costs, many face difficulty in affording out-of-pocket spending. Government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, also account for a significant share of health care spending, but they have increased at a slower rate than other private insurance. Medicare per capita spending has grown at a slightly lower rate, on average, than private health insurance spending, at about 6. 8 vs. 7. 1% annually between 1998 and 2008.Medicaid expenditures, similarly, have grown at slower rate than private spending, though enrollment in the program has increased during the current economic recession, which may result in increased Medicaid spending figures in the near future (Kimbuende, 2010). A major cause of the rise in health care spending is due to advancements in medicine and technology. Both have improved and lengthened the lives of many Americans, but as most know they do not come without a cost. Newly rising procedures are often expensive to give and increase overall health care spending. According to theCongressional Budget Office, â€Å"the bulk of increases in health care spending could be attributed to the development and dissemination of new technologies and medical services. † Such advancements also lead to changes in practice, which together tend to increase spending. Consumer demand and increased utilization a dd to costs (â€Å"Changes in Medical Technology,† 2007). Ethics comes in at this point because medical technology is highly valued as a â€Å"beloved feature of American medicine. † Patients expect up to date procedures, doctors are primarily trained to use it, and the medical industries make billions of dollars selling it.The rising costs are seen as a major issue because many people in the United States aid from the new procedures and treatments produced each year. Medical technology refers to the procedures, equipment, and processes by which medical care is delivered (Barbash, 2008). Changes or advancements in technology would include new medical and surgical procedures, as well as new drugs and medical devices, such as scanners and defibrillators. Also the recent rise and interest in universalizing Electronic Medical Records and the use of preventive medicine has attributed to the growing costs.Technological innovation has given us vaccines, antibiotics, advanced heart disease care, splendid surgical advances, and fine cancer treatments (Barbash, 2008). Most health policy analysts agree that the long- term increase in health care spending is principally the result of the health care system’s incorporation of these new services in clinical practice. A robotic surgical device is an example of how technology advancement can increase health care costs. These high tech procedures of becoming extremely popular and seem to be the future of surgery.These robots allow surgeons to operate remote-controlled robotic arms, which may facilitate the performance of laparoscopic procedures. Laparoscopic surgery is associated with shorter hospital stays than open surgery, as well as with less postoperative pain and scarring, and lower risks of infection and need for blood transfusion. Robotic technology has been adopted rapidly over the past four years in both the United States and Europe. The number of robot-assisted procedures that are performed worl dwide have nearly tripled since 2007, from 80,000 to 205,000. Robotic technology affects expenditures by increasing the cost per procedure.Robotic surgical systems have high fixed costs, with prices ranging from $1 million to $2. 5 million for each unit. Surgeons must perform 150 to 250 procedures to become adept in their use (â€Å"Robotic Surgery Technology,† 2006). The systems also require costly maintenance and demand the use of additional consumables. The use of robotic systems may also require more operating time than alternatives. Robot- assisted procedures may contribute to shorter hospital stays, which will decrease costs, but at the same time require physicians to train on these instruments. Each instrument is a pricey expenditure for a hospital to pay for (Barbash, 2008).To maintain these instruments and keep them up to date will be an added cost as well. These instruments perform miracles and may seem like a wonderful addition to the surgical world, but are not ch eap. Advancements in scanner technology, such as CT’s, allows for greater visibility at a higher resolution than was possible before. Innovative scanners, advanced applications, and exciting breakthroughs in clinical procedures are driving an increased use of a CT as a primary diagnostic tool for procedures such as colonography, cancer detection and staging, lung analysis, cardiac studies and radiotherapy planning (â€Å"Diagnostic Imaging,† 2011).Hospitals and other health care facilities are pressured to purchase such equipment to keep up with the public demand for these high-specialized tests. With out such machines and technology the public will turn elsewhere to receive the care that they so desire and need, which will end in a loss of profit for such hospitals and other facilities. Another technological advancement that has a great impact on healthcare finance is the emergence of the Electronic Medical Record. Electronic Medical Records is a computerized medical record created in an organization that delivers care, such as a hospital or physician's office.Electronic medical records tend to be a part of a local stand-alone health information system that allows storage, retrieval and modification of records. The 2003 IOM Patient Safety Report describes an EMR as, â€Å"a longitudinal collection of electronic health information for and about persons, immediate electronic access to person- and population-level information by authorized users, and provision of knowledge and decision-support systems that enhance the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care (â€Å"Electronic Medical Records,†2011). † The adoption of these records can be quite costly.The price of an EMR system can range from a thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars, and in some cases they can cost even more. EMR costs increase as the system becomes more feature-rich. Huge facilities can buy complete EMR systems that cost around plus forty thousand dollars. Tr aining and maintenance costs also have to be taken into account when purchasing EMR’s. All staff must be trained to operate the new machines, coming familiar with the new software and patient records. If you want to utilize the EMR product to its full potential, then you need hardware that perfectly complements the software.Purchasing computers and up to date software that will last for the long term is also an added cost. These systems also require maintenance to keep them working sufficiently. A facility may also need to hire a networking professional to monitor and maintain the network in their facilities. A networking expert will ensure that the workstations remain connected to each other and seamlessly exchange data (â€Å"Electronic Medical Records,† 2011). The installation and upkeep of EMR’s is not a cheap process. Many hospitals and private facilities are hesitant to make the improvement.The costly technology can improve the quality of care for patients by knowing ones medical history and prescription drugs they are on or allergic too. It can also decrease unnecessary testing in many cases. President Barack Obama, as part of the effort to revive the economy, has proposed a massive effort to modernize health care by making all health records standardized and electronic. His aim is to computerize all health records within five years. He believes the quality of health care for all Americans gets a big boost, and osts will decline. Independent studies from Harvard, RAND and the Commonwealth Fund have shown that such a plan could cost at least $75 billion to $100 billion over the ten years they think the hospitals would need to implement program. The healthcare initiative will be one of the priciest parts of the plan. Along with the high costs a major concern of the government is that lack of skilled workers to build and implement the necessary technology. The biggest cost will be paying and training the labor force needed to create th e network.The savings of such a plan could be substantial. The government estimates that a fully computerized health record system could save the industry $200 billion to $300 billion a year, and could ultimately slow the rapid rise of health care premiums, which have cut into Americans' pay checks. There are many advantages that the Electronic Medical Records pose for both patients and physicians. The EMR can reduce errors in medical records. Handwritten records are subject to lots of human errors due to misspelling, illegibility, and differing terminologies.On-screen or printed text is often far more legible than handwritten. This can help prevent patient’s receiving the wrong medication or procedures, saving doctors from medical malpractice suits (Molar, 2010). Clinical errors cause at least 44,000 deaths annually in the United States. These deaths largely result from process errors, or the failure to provide recommended treatments for patients with certain medical conditi ons. With direct medical costs estimated at $17 billion annually, these errors impose a substantial burden on both the health care system and society as a whole.The real time paperless record include reducing the need for costly reproductions of laboratory findings and diagnostic reports, which in many health care facilities are still typed, copied, and physically carried to a hospital floor, clinic office, or medical records room to be placed in the patient's chart (Hunt, 2009). Loss of reports, or delays, are common until this information reaches the chart and the providers. While wages are rising at a rate of around 3% a year, health care costs are growing at about three times that rate (Goldman, 2009).Prescription drugs also play a role in Health Care finance. Advances in pharmaceuticals have transformed health care over the last several decades. Today, many health problems are prevented, cured, or managed effectively for years through the use of prescription drugs. In some case s, the use of prescription medicines keeps people from needing other expensive health care such as being hospitalized or having surgery. In 2007, 90% of seniors and 58% of non-elderly adults rely on a prescription medicine on a regular basis (Kimbuende, 2010).Since the 1990s spending on prescription drugs has been a much more prominent component of growth in total spending. From 1995 to 2005, it grew by an average of about 10 percent per year and is still on the rise as the future of prescription drugs lies in the baby boomer generation (â€Å"Technological Change,† 2008). Increased Medical Technology has led to the use of defensive medicine by many health care physicians. Defensive Medicine refers to services that have little or no clinical value, but that physicians order or perform at least to avoid lawsuits (â€Å"Technological Change,†2008).With high malpractice premiums, more physicians everyday are turning to this type of practice. It is raising health care cost s by performing unnecessary tests and procedures on patients that may not need them. There is reason to believe that new technology can in fact reduce health care spending. Some vaccines may offer the potential for savings, and certain types of preventive medical care may help some patients avoid costly hospitalization for acute care. Future advances in molecular biology and genetics, may one day offer the possibility of savings if they make curative therapies available.Continued advances in understanding the genetic origins of disease offer the credible possibility that future providers will accurately predict the health risks faced by individual patients and design therapies tailored specifically to them (Convington, 2008). Overall, examples of new treatments for which long-term savings have been clearly demonstrated are few. Many medical advances to date have increased spending because they made treatments available for conditions that were previously impossible to treat or were not aggressively treated.Furthermore, improvements in medical care that decrease mortality by helping patients avoid or survive acute health problems paradoxically increase overall spending on health care because surviving patients live longer and therefore use health services for more years (â€Å"Technological Change,† 2008). With the baby boomers approaching retirement age and living past recent life expectancy age, health care costs are projected to rise even further. Technological advances and new medicines and prescription drugs are keeping people alive longer and putting a strain on our health care system.In coming decades, the share of the population that is covered by Medicare will expand rapidly as members of the baby- boom generation become eligible for the program, and the share that uses long-term care services financed by Medicaid will also probably increase. According to the American Hospital Association, â€Å"the first boomers will reach 65 in 2011 and 37 mi llion of them will be managing one chronic condition by 2030. † Also 14 million Boomers will be living with diabetes, that's one out of every four Boomers. Almost half of this generation will live with arthritis, and that number peaks to just over 26 million in 2020.More than one out of three Boomers, over 21 million, will be considered obese. As these patients live with multiple chronic diseases, demand for services will increase. The number of physician visits has been increasing for all adults, up 34 percent over the last decade, and this trend is expected to continue. By 2020, Boomers will account for four in 10 office visits to physicians and over the next 20 years, Boomers will make up a greater proportion of hospitalizations as they live longer but with multiple complex conditions.At the same time, the number of registered nurses, primary care and specialty physicians will not keep pace with demand. As the Boomer generation is more racially and ethnically diverse, there will also be a greater need for caregivers who reflect the diversity of and increase in this population (â€Å"How Boomers will change Health Care,†2007). With changing demands, expectations and new technology, care delivery will also change. Boomers have lived through an amazing array of medical advances, from polio vaccine to radical heart surgery, and that trend will continue over the next two decades.Medical Advancements are taking place every day and are given rise to growing health care costs. Rising health care expenditures lead to the question of whether we are getting value for the money we spend. Compared to other high-income countries, the U. S. spends more, but this spending is not reflected in greater health care resources, such as hospital beds, physicians, nurses, MRIs, and CT scanners per capita  or better measures of health. The United States needs to figure out a way to use these advancements to our benefit and reduce cost while maintaining good quality o f care to every patient.With the growing elderly population, medical technology is in high demand as many people over 65 are suffering with at least one chronic condition. The Untied States government and health care providers need to figure out a way to reduce the health care costs. The incorporation of preventive medicine and Electronic Medical Records can aid in cost reduction for the future. Unnecessary testing should be avoided to also help reduce costs. Hopefully, EMR’s can reduce the amount of tests being performed and duplicated.Policies focusing on new and expanding technologies may have success in reducing the rate of growing health care costs but can be difficult to implement. In the long run, bringing health spending growth closer to the rate of overall economic growth would require finding ways to slow the development and diffusion of new healthcare technologies and practices, as well as developing ways to weigh the costs and benefits of new technologies (â€Å" Technological change,† 2008). References Barbash, G. (2010). New Technology and Health Care Costs. New England Journal of Medicine.Retrieved from http://www. nejm. org/doi/full/10. 1056/NEJMp1006602 Convington, L. (2008). An Alliance for Health Reform. Retrieved From http://www. allhealth. org/publications/cost_of_health_care/health_care_costs_toolk Diagnostic Imaging. (2011). Hospital and Healthcare Management. Retrieved From http://www. asianhhm. com/medical_sciences/advances_CT_technology. htm Electronic Medical Records. (2011). Open Clinical. Retrieved From http://www. openclinical. org/emr. html Goldman, D. (2009). Obama’s big idea: Digital Health Records.New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. nytimes. com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp3004. html? campaignId=384LY How Boomers Will Change Health Care. (2007). American Hospital Association. Retrieved From http://aha. org How Changes in Medical Technology affect Health Care Costs. (2007). Retrieve d From http://www. kff. org/insurance/snapshot/chcm030807oth. cfm Johns Hopkins University (2006, November 28). Robotic Surgery Technology Gives Doctors ‘Sense Of Touch'. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www. ciencedaily. com ­ /releases/2006/11/061128121916. htm Kimbuende, E. (2010). Health Care Costs. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved From http://www. kaiseredu. org/Issue-Modules/Prescription-Drug-Costs/Background-Brief Technological change and the Growth of Health Care Spending. (2008). Congressional Budge Office Retrieved From http://www. cbo. gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8947/01-31-TechHealth. pdf The Long Term Outlook for Health Care Spending. (2007). Congressional Budget Office Retrieved From http://www. cbo. gov/ftpdocs/87xx/doc8758/11-13-LT-Health. pdf

Saturday, September 14, 2019

How Does Shakespeare Present Aspects of Folly in Twelfth Night?

All or most of Shakespeare's plays contain playfulness and foolishness and within ‘Twelfth Night' there are many examples of this. All these examples of folly add to the overall humour of the play. Throughout ‘Twelfth Night' the theme of foolishness links the plot, characters and scenes in the play. In Shakespeare's day, people wanted to go to the theatre and be able to laugh. They loved all plays with an element of comedy, even Shakepeare's tragedies have elements of comedy in them. In Romeo and Juliet there are characters seen as crazy or foolish such as Mercutio. First of all there's Malvolio, one of the main characters. Proud and pompous, he is easily ridiculed as he is lead into dreadful humiliation at the hands of Fabian, Maria, Sir Toby, Feste and Sir Andrew. All the formentioned people make Malvolio look foolish when Maria writes a letter to Malvolio expressing her love for him and signing it from Olivia. Malvolio falls into the trap and begins to believe that Olivia is madly in love with him. The letter says: ‘Remember who commanded thy yellow stockings and wished to see thee ever cross gartered.' This causes Malvolio to dress in yellow stockings and cross garters to impress and try to woo his lady. On stage this is a very amusing scene to watch as Malvolio comes on wearing this ridiculous outfit — very memorable. The letter also says: ‘If thou entertain'st my love, let it appear in thy smiling thy smiles become thee well. Therefore in my presence still smile, dear my sweet I prithee.' This causes Malvolio to keep a smile on his face constantly. Not only has Malvolio a rather unattractive smile but since Olivia's brother had recently died, Olivia wants everyone to act mournful around her. She insists on wearing black with a veil over her face. When Malvolio appears with yellow clothing and a huge smile on his face he inevitably looks foolish. Olivia supposes that Malvolio is mad, subject to the heat affecting the brain – ‘Midsummer Madness.' Malvolio would not have looked so foolish if he had not had certain qualities. His over sensitive nature, pretentiousness, self-centred character and self importance make it simple for the servants and the others involved in the trick to take advantage of these faults and cut Malvolio down to size. The difference in class between Olivia and Malvolio also adds to the humour and the foolery because in Shakepeare's day there would be no possibility of any sort of romance between Malvolio and Olivia, Malvolio being a mere steward and Olivia being a wealthy countess, the status contrast is simply too immense. When Malvolio reads the letter, Malvolio begins to fall in love with the idea of being in love . Another character within Twelfth Night who adds to the theme of foolishness is obviously the fool – a professional jester. Feste has a very important role. He is constantly acting foolishly as his job is to solace and entertain his fellowmates. Although he acts like a clown through most of the play, he is probably one of the most sensible and wise characters in the play. In Act 3, Viola says: ‘This fellow is wise enough to play the fool and to do that well, craves a kind of wit.' This is an accurate depiction on Feste. He often outsmarts the other characters in the play using his quickwits most of all Malvolio and Olivia. Many other characters are the ‘real fools' such as Sir Toby Belch — an ironic surname due to his tendency to drink heavily, Sebastian for marrying Olivia when he barely knew her. Overall, Viola is quite sensible. Although dressed like a man, in those days there would be no way that she would be able to obtain service with Orsino as a woman, so her disguise was quite an ingenious idea. When talking to higher status characters, especially Olivia, Feste almost reverses the roles talking down to Olivia as shown in a conversation on page 17. Other characters cannot talk to Olivia in the same way as Feste, as everyone must look up to her and respect her. Olivia tells Malvolio to ‘Take the fool away' and Feste answers ‘Do you not hear fellows? Take away the lady.' Feste also often mocks Olivia as he is the only character who can do so. The first example of this is Feste telling Olivia she is being foolish, her brother has died and she is in mourning this is the first mention of foolishness in the play: Feste: Good Madonna, why mourn'st thou? Olivia: Good Fool, for my brother's death Feste: I think his soul is in hell, Madonna. Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool Feste: The more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. There are many other times during the play when aspects of folly come into the characters' speeches. Feste in Act 1 says: ‘Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.' There are many other examples of role swapping and disguises that also add to the humour of the play. It also makes characters look foolish and humiliates them. The prime example of role swapping is Viola dressing as a man and changing her identity to become a man called Caesario. This causes much confusion leading to characters being foiled and being made to look foolish. Not only did everyone believe that Viola was in fact a man but Olivia actually falls in love with her and not surprisingly feels humiliated and foolish when she discovers that Caesario is actually a woman. Olivia does look foolish although no-one can mock her due to her high status and most people look up to her with respect. The language used in the play is not strictly foolish although many of the names are ‘fooled with' as Viola, Olivia and Malvolio, the main characters, all have names containing the same letters (v,o,l,a and i). Malvolio means ‘ill wishing' very fitting to his character. There are other character's names which are amusing such as Sir Toby Belch – ironic as he is a heavy drinker. Aguecheek is a ridiculous name†¦. And Orsino is named so because Don Virgino Orsino – an Italian Nobleman was the guest of honour at the opening night of Twelfth Night so Shakespeare named the Duke in his play after him. Twelfth Night was once a day of great merrymaking to mark the end of the Christmas festivities. It was the feast of fools and even now, the Christmas season is a time where we all seek entertainment in the form of amusement and folly. Although written all those years ago, Twelfth Night is still relevant today. A twentieth century audience still enjoy this play today as people still love to laugh and have a good time some of the jokes, although obscure are still found amusing today. Even now we love to see people make fools of themselves and the characters we don't like to be served with just retribution.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 21

Reflection paper - Essay Example When a person hears a distasteful joke, it helps the person from keeping away from focusing at their problem. Individually, I have at several instances made jokes that put down other individuals with an aim of strengthening my ego. To help in justifying my fat body that is made fun of at various social occasions, I constantly referred the thin people as skinny and at various instances mentioning the negative implications of possessing a skinny body. The joke would yield fun and as result help me to avoid focusing on my fat nature helping me to have peace of mind. It is however inappropriate to make jokes that put down other individuals. For example, consider a joke that emanates from a racial connection. The joke may yield bad blood against individuals from different races and if it is done in a working place work relations among people from different races will become destroyed (McGhee). Consequently, it is not from every person understanding that the jokes putting a person down is merely a joke as some may perceive the joke as

Thursday, September 12, 2019

DIABETES - APA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DIABETES - APA - Essay Example It is most common in those people having high weight issues and family history of diabetes problem. However, South Asian Women are highly prone to diabetes because of insulin resistance, high calorie diet and lack of physical activity. South Asians are emigrants and second generation from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It needs to be understood that Type-2 Diabetes is quite common among Asian Women that creates Insulin resistance along with disallowing blood sugar to enter into cells and thus affecting the energy level. Ramachandran and Vijay, (1999) believed that high weight and calorie rich diet along with genetics play an important role in increasing the chances of diabetes. There is no denying that Asian Women are on a healthier side because of high consumption of oily and rich food stuffs. Their living standard and life style also makes things difficult for them in the short as well as in the long run. Sriskantharajah and Kai (2006) stated that people of South Asian origin have higher degree of mortality and morbidity because of diabetes and heart complications. This is mainly because of the low degree of physical activity and wellness among this group compared to European and other ethnic groups. The prime reason behind high degree of diabetes complications among South Asian Women is mainly because of issues like obesity, consumption of foods leading to obesity and low insulin and cholesterol resistance. Moreover, South Asian Women are not very much into physical activities that further affect the diabetes issues along with aggravating the issue. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting in chronic hyperglycemia and Hyper lipidemia that ultimately induces multiple system pathologies; increasing the risk for atherosclerosis, coronary heart diseases, myocardial infarction, renal disease and periodontitis. The purpose of the study is to determine

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marijuana - Essay Example Teenagers are naturally inquisitive, one of the justifications given for this age group experimenting with drugs. They also are inclined to become bored easily and experience recurrent emotional highs and lows, all probable factors in teenage marijuana use. Drug use increases the chance that teenagers will contract a social disease, become pregnant, perform inadequately in school and attempt suicide as this paper will examine. State and Support Three Claims Adolescents are in a more vulnerable life circumstance than are adults because teens are still developing in every facet of their lives. Regrettably, it is this same group that has the most access to marijuana as schools have become prolific illegal drug stores. Statistics collected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse demonstrate that schoolchildren have easy access to drugs and alcohol. â€Å"The average age of first alcohol use is 12 and the average age of first drug use is 13. Almost two-thirds of all American young people try illicit drugs before they finish high school† (Anderson, 1996) The relationship between illegal drug use among teens and an increased occurrence of sexual activity is a broadly accepted reality by both researchers and the general public. Many studies have time and again demonstrated an association between unsafe sexual behavior and illegal drug use by teenagers. Drug users are more prone to take risks than do teens that don’t use drugs. This may be an obvious assertion but a tendency to take unnecessary chances with their health combined with a lowering of inhibitions while on drugs and the inherent need of all teens to feel accepted by their peer group leads to increased sexual activity. This problematic circumstance also enhances the chance of teens having multiple sexual partners, having sex at an earlier age and decreases the odds that they will utilize contraception than those that do not use marijuana. â€Å"Teens 15 and older who use drugs are five times mo re likely to have sex than are those teens who do not use drugs and teens who have used marijuana are four times more likely to have been pregnant or to have gotten someone pregnant than teens who have never smoked pot† (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1997). Teenagers are more emotionally unstable younger children and adults which explains the higher suicide rate among that age group. A study involving teenagers found that of those who attempted suicide, illegal drug abuse was the most often shared aspect of their lives. Of the teens that committed suicide, 70 per cent were regular users of illegal drugs and/or alcohol. However, this study and current research reveal that drug use alone may not instigate suicide just that drug use and teen suicide is statically related. Teens who experience emotional troubles to a higher degree than their classmates have an even greater likelihood of considering suicide and to use illegal drugs. Additionally drugs could magnify a pre-existing emotional condition and â€Å"may impair the judgment of teens considering suicide, making suicide attempts more likely† (Shaffer et al, 1996). Discussing Arguments: Dialogue The majority and probably all countries of the world face the steady trafficking of illegal drugs across their borders. Countries are increasingly realizing that the illegal importation of drugs, a criminal act, generally involves people of foreign origin, is ultimately more harmful to society than is the use of drugs

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Financing Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Financing Terrorism - Essay Example Terrorism comprises an insensate assault on humankind's most elemental ideals and principles -- the prerogative to a life lived in amity, independence and self-respect. The terrorists' premeditated and arbitrary carnage of innocent civilians is a disparaging refutation of the deference for the inviolability of human life. Ideally, everyone has the right to life, emancipation and security of person, as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly declares. Hence, feats of terrorism are on no account valid and reasonable by considerations of a religious, political, philosophical, or other reason of like nature. Principal objective of this treatise is to address the dilemma on terrorist financing, likewise probe and assess the issues related to the economics of terrorism. And based on the investigation, it attempts to advocate ways that will lead to the curtailment of these nefarious activities and possibly for their total eradication. The subject matter proved to be an appealing issue since this writer strongly believes that by adhering to the "follow the money" philosophy, terrorist finances can be spotted, identified, located and eventually its flow can be interrupted thereby disrupting terrorist activities and ultimately preventing further success of terrorist acts and all other forms of global terrorism. Preceding researchers and writers have explicitly tackled the problem of terrorism. However, many of them have focused only on the events themselves and the ramifications on the commission of such crimes, or who are the perpetrators and the possible retaliation of the aggrieved parties and its effects on the global economy. Ignored and overlooked are some highly significant issues and one of them is the financing of such activities which is dealt with in this work. This paper then begins with brief references to the manifold definitions of the term and proceeds to address issues like: 1) Where and how terrorist organizations secure their funds; 2) How these radicals/fanatics transfer money; 3) What steps have been taken by governments to stop terrorist financing; 4) The difficulties in tracking down terrorist financiers; and the important question of 5) how regimes and governmental agencies combat terrorist financing. Literature Review Definition Crisis Providing for an explicit definition of the term "terrorism" and giving it accurate characterization has become a problematic task. It has grown to be so subjective that according to one author, the effort to define it has been likened to an art rather than a science (Burgess, 2003). Reporting of terrorist activities in media over the years has further contributed to the confusion of trying to define the word, which is diversely depicted as the work of, among others, "extremists," "guerillas," "commandos," and "fundamentalists." In addition, the adverse undertones associated with the word 'terrorism' have complicated