Medicare Assignment Essay

Medicare Assignment What is Medicare? What governmental agency administers it? Medicare is a national social insurance program; it is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease known as a permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant. Medicare helps cover different specific medical cost. As a social insurance program, Medicare spreads the financial risk associated with illness across society to protect everyone, and thus somewhat different social role from for-profit private insurers, which manage their risk portfolio by adjusting their pricing according to, perceived risk. Medicare is managed by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), a division of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services which also administers Medicaid. Who is eligible for Medicare? Who is not eligible for Medicare? People who are at age 65 or older qualifies if he or she is A U.S citizen or a permanent legal resident  He/She or their spouse has worked long enough to be eligible for Social Security or railroad retirement benefits – usually having earned 40 credits from about 10 years of work He/She or their spouse is a government employee or retiree who has not paid into Social Security but has paid Medicare payroll taxes while working. Note that He/She can qualify for Medicare on their spouse’s work record if he or she is at least age 62 and he/she is at least age 65. They may also qualify on the work record of a divorced or deceased spouse. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013 people in same sex marriage may qualify on their spouse’s work record if they live in the state where they were wed or in another state that recognizes same-sex marriage, or if they are civilian or military employees of the federal government. People who are under age 65 qualifies if he or she is Have been entitled to Social Security disability benefits for at least 24  months ( which need not be consecutive) Receive a disability pension from the Railroad Retirement Board and meet certain conditions Have Lou Gehrig’s disease ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which qualifies them immediately Have permanent kidney failure requiring regular dialysis or a kidney transplant , and either he/ she or their spouse has paid Social Security taxes for a certain length of time depending on their age. People do not qualify for Medicare if they do not meet the above requirements. How do you apply for Medicare? Check whether he/she qualifies to receive, by verifying whether or not he/she qualify to receive government assistance through its Medicare program. They must be low-income, income is measured against the Federal Poverty Level, for FPL, which changes annually but is currently set $23,550, are pregnant, are elderly (65+) and younger (under 21), are blind or disabled, have no health insurance, guardians of a minor but have restricted sources of income, are SSI eligible. Go to your state of residence’s Medicare website to get more detailed information on state eligibility requirements. Individual state links are posted at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ website. This site also provides a detailed listing of what services are and are not covered under Medicaid. State eligibility sometimes differ. Federal law requires states to cover certain mandatory eligibility groups, but allows them to provide coverage to other population groups. Some states do, other states don’t. This means that state eligibility laws will differ from state to state. Check with your state and learn the eligibility requirements. Many states are expanding coverage, especially for children. Read over the application form in its entirety before inputting your information. Make sure answers are accurate as Medicare fraud is a serious offense that carries equally serious penalties. Schedule a time to meet with a Medicare officer or a social or human services representative if he/she has any questions or concerns about eligibility. Organize all the documents necessary to apply for Medicare. The state will need to verify information on the application by cross-referencing it with certain documents you may be in possession of. In order to do this, you should make  duplicate copies of: 1) birth certificate, social security number or guardianship papers 2) Driver’s license and vehicle registration 3) Proof of residency in the state in which you are applying for 4) Any pay stubs or other proof of income 5) Names of your financial institutions and any bank accounts numbers 6) Real estate deeds 7) Unpaid doctor or health care bills 8) Medicare Benefit Card Consult with an elder lawyer or one who specializes in family law before submitting your Medicare application. This is especially important if the person who is applying for Medicare will be entering a skilled nursing facility. Inquire as to the average turnaround time for reviewing an application. It generally takes 45 days for the state to process an application that does not involve a disability. It can take up to 90 days to process an application associated with a disability. Be sure to follow up on the status of your application if you don’t receive a response within a reasonable time after that. Know that you can combine Medicaid and Medicare coverage if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Renew your eligibility once a year What types of coverage does Medicare provide? What does it not provide? Medicare covers services (like lab tests, surgeries, and doctor visits) and supplies (like wheelchairs and walkers) considered medically necessary to treat a disease or condition. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan or other Medicare plan, you may have different rules, but your plan must give you at least the same coverage as Original Medicare. Some services may only be covered in certain settings or for patients with certain conditions. Part A: Hospital care, Skilled nursing facility care, Nursing home care, Hospice, Home health services Part B covers 2 types of services Medically necessary services: Services or supplies that are needed to diagnose or treat your medical condition and that meet accepted standards of medical practice. Preventive services: Health care to prevent illness (like the flu) or detect it at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work best. You pay nothing for most preventive services if you get the services from a health care provider who accepts assignment. Part B covers things like: 1) clinical research 2) ambulance services 3) durable medical  equipment (DME) 4) mental health 5) inpatient 6) outpatient 7) partial hospitalization 8) Getting a second opinion before surgery 9) Limited outpatient prescription drugs What are the â€Å"options† under Medicare (ie. can you pick your own doctor, can you pick your own drug plan? Etc.) In most cases, people can choose their own doctors, other health care provider, hospital, or other facility that’s enrolled in Medicare and is accepting new Medicare patients. However for drug, most prescriptions aren’t covered in Original Medicare but people are given the choice to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Each Medicare Prescription Drug Plan has its own list of covered drugs, many medicare drug plans place drugs into different tiers on their formularies. Drugs in each tier have a different cost. A drug in a lower tier will generally cost less than a drug in a higher tier. Do you have to pay for Medicare benefits? Yes, generally people have to pay for Medicare benefits. Part A usually cost $441 each month if a person is not eligible for premium free. For part B, a person pays a premium each month for Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Most people will pay the standard premium amount. However, their modified adjusted gross income as reported on your IRS tax return from 2 years ago is above a certain amount, they may an Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). IRMAA is an extra charge added to premium. Part B for $ 147 and Premium B for; If your yearly income in 2011 was You pay (in 2013) File individual tax return File joint tax return $85,000 or less $170,000 or less $104.90 above $85,000 up to $107,000 above $170,000 up to $214,000 $146.90 above $107,000 up to $160,000 above $214,000 up to $320,000 $209.80 above $160,000 up to $214,000 above $320,000 up to $428,000 $272.70 above $214,000 above $428,000 $335.70 Are there co-pays associated with Medicare? Yes. In traditional Medicare ( Part A and B) you pay 20% of the Medicare- approved amounts for most Part B services. In Part A, after meeting the deductible you pay nothing more for up to 60 days in the hospital in any one benefit period, but additional days may require daily copays. If you grandpa had severe dementia and needed 24 hour care, but your family wanted to keep him out of the nursing home, would his care be reimbursed through Medicare? Medicare has the choice to not reimburse the cost because it is not under the beneficiaries. Is Medicare working or is it just a broken socialized medicine program that needs to be redone? Why? I think that Medicare should be redone, it has too many processes to it, and it doesn’t make any sense if it’s for society who are poor and old, why do people still need to fork out so much of money per month to keep their Medicare benefits? Also, the paper work needed to apply for Medicare is tedious and not exactly friendly for somebody who is trying to apply for it. How easy was this information to find? How would a person with less education then you navigate this system? The Medicare website was rather easy to find, however the information was not the easiest thing to grasp especially when they have so many terms and conditions and different tiers to it. A person with less education will definitely have difficult time trying to navigate through the system and to get the right paper work done to apply.

Physical Security Essay

INTRODUCTION. Physical security starts with a rather simple basic premise; those who do not belong on your institution’s property should be excluded from your institution. This may happen in three often interrelated ways: when those who do not belong are identified, stopped and denied admission, when those who do not belong are denied admission by a physical device, such as a locked door. When those who do not belong are denied admission because they decide that your institution is too difficult to enter and thus they do note entry. This section will consider the various methods of excluding those who do not belong: access control, key control and locks, protective devices and alarms, windows and doors, fencing and gates, protective lighting, general deterrence. PHYSICAL SECURITY AND CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL Access Control Access control means that, when your facility is open, no visitor, delivery service person or unknown individual is able to enter your facility without being both observed directly or indirectly. Several techniques to accomplish that goal may include any or all of the following. Security Desk A security desk should be setup in them in lobby of each building which has an open-access or open-door policy. A sign-in and outlet supervised by an employee who validates identification prior to allowing visitors to proceed into the building, is highly advisable. Most supermarkets, five star hotels, foreign embassies, parliament buildings and major organizations have this measure in place in order to monitor the staff and clients as they come in and out to ascertain no harmful contrabands are sneaked in or pilferage of equipments and other relevant materials from the organization. When entering a building like I&M where Standard Group have offices or Nation Centre where NTV is housed you have to produce your National ID, register your name, office and purpose of your visit then insured with a visitors pass in order to gain access to the premises. Monitored Entrances Ideally, an institution should have a single entrance only, monitored by staff personnel and equipped with an intercom system for communicating with anyone who comes to the door. Simply, an open door policy does not mean that every door need be left open and unlocked. You realize that hospitals, police headquarters, military barracks among others have personnel who are assigned on daily basis to check and verify individuals and motor vehicles that come in or leave the premises. Its purpose is to deter criminals and take note of every visitor for purposes of accountability when things go amiss. When entering the Times Tower where the Kenya Revenue Authority is housed, the security guards at the gate verifies visitors by their National Identity cards and or travelers passport and then a separate group of guards checks for any harmful materials by use of metal detectors. Visitors At no time should visitors be allowed to roam freely through your property unescorted or without being observed. That is especially true for individuals who expect to work on your most sensitive systems such as burglar alarms, fire alarms, communication systems or computers. Special diligence should be applied to those individuals when they visit your institution even if they are legitimate. For larger institutions, certain areas should be considered off-limits to all but authorized personnel. Allowing visitors free access to your facility does not mean that they should be allowed to go anywhere e.g. into restricted areas such as office spaces or that they should be given a sense that their actions are entirely unnoticed by the institution’s personnel. Some premises require having out of bound locations i.e. military barracks, production factories railway stations, air and seaports for purposes of security. Thus visitor should only be directed to designated zones only. Military barracks have their armories protected while airports have garages and main control rooms protected for security purposes. Employee Photo Identification Cards and Badges All employees should have and wear identification. Such badges make identification of non-employees immediate. Moreover, such cards will not only enable visitors to immediately identify those who work in an institution but will psychologically help employees understand that they are part of their agency’s security team. Photo identification should only be provided with accompanying education regarding their care, the procedure to be followed if they are lost, as well as the manner in which employees should approach unknown individuals. Creating ID badges requires thought. Cards should have clear pictures along with the employee’s name. The institution’s name should not necessarily be placed on the card. In any event, employees should be instructed that their card should be prominently worn while in the building and, for their own safety, kept from view when away from the building. In major hospitals like Nairobi hospital, Matter hospital among others every employee has a job ID which enables them access to all areas and distinguish them from patients, this reduces the chances of an admitted patient running away from the premise without paying the medical bill. Perimeter wall The perimeter wall, culverts and drainage units, lighting and other essential physical security areas. The drainage system and culverts can conceal entry and exit points for potential criminals. Culverts should be grilled to make it difficult for Criminals activities to occur. Parking lot Here the security personnel should be in a position to see how vehicles entering the premise or exiting are inspected. In some organizations parking badges are issued while in many more identification from drivers is not produced. In some organizations it is indicated cars parked at owner’s risk which injects confidence to car vandals and absorbs security responsibility. Parking should be offered to personnel with previous security background. The adjacent buildings and windows. The buildings and windows near a facility should not serve as a spring board for criminals to gain entry. The windows should be well and adequately secured to deny criminals an opportunity to access the facility under surveillance. Key Control and Locks Knowing who has which keys to which locks at all times is a vitally important issue. Failure to maintain such control may defeat the entire purpose of creating a security system. Institutions often simply assume that no one leaving their service either an employee or volunteer will subsequently break into their building or office. A sound key-control policy is essential to an effective security program. There should be a central key control location where masters are kept and access to which is strictly controlled. Registry. A central key control registry should be established for all key sand combinations. Employees and leadership should be required to sign for keys when they are received and the return of keys should be an important part of an exit process. Issuance. Supervisory approval should be required for the issuance of all keys and locks. Spare keys and locks should be kept in a centrally located cabinet, locked under the supervision of a designated employee. Master keys should be issued to a very restricted number of employees and these should be inventoried at least twice each year. Re-keying. When key control is lost, it may be worthwhile to have an institution’s locks Re-keyed or key should be surrendered incase employee is terminated or retired. Combination Locks and Codes. Where combination locks and coded locks are used, those combinations and codes should be changed at least every six months or when employees or leadership leave your premise. Combinations should also be kept under strict control of management. Computer systems and access. The computer system has become a concern in computer industry today. The security of electronic gadgets is pivotal in the growth of organizations, sabotage and shrinkage. The system should be protected from intruders or unauthorized access. The surveyor should include know who uses which computer, which services would be jeopardized by failure of a certain computer. Fires Are unpredictable hazards to organizations, homes and industries. The degree of vulnerability varies from one organization to another. The surveyor should check on the existing fire hazards, verify a match between hazards existing and fire suppression devices. Safes The area containing valuables is of paramount importance to a security survey. The protection of valuables should be consistent with security physical measures and criticality of a potential loss occurs. Safes and valuable storage areas should be fitted with adequate alarm systems. Surveillance Surveillance devices, CCTV’s and motion picture cameras are key to criminal activities detection, apprehension and deterrence. The surveyor should know their existence, location, protection and who monitors them. The security survey should capture the various departments in the organization, their operations and internal controls. Protective Lighting The value of adequate lighting as a deterrent to crime cannot be overemphasized. Adequate lighting is a cost-effective line of defense in preventing crime. Some Considerations on Lighting Lighting, both inside and outside, is most helpful and can be installed without becoming overly intrusive to neighbors. All entrances should be well lit. Fences should also be illuminated. For outside lighting, the rule of thumb is to create light equal to that of full daylight. The light should be directed downward away from the building or area to be protected and away from any security personnel you might have patrolling the facility. Where fencing is used, the lighting should be inside and above the fencing to illuminate as much of the fence as possible. Lighting should be placed to reduce contrast between shadows and illuminated areas. It should be uniform on walkways, entrances, exits, and especially in parking areas. Perimeter lights should be installed so the cones of illumination overlap, eliminating areas of total darkness if any one light malfunctions. Fixtures should be vandal-resistant. It is vital that repair of defects and replacement of worn-out bulbs be immediate. In addition, prevent trees or bushes from blocking lighting fixtures. You may wish to use timers and/or automatic photoelectric cells. Such devices provide protection against human error and ensure operation during inclement weather or when the building is unoccupied. A security professional should be contacted to help you with decisions on location and the best type of lighting for your individual institution. REFERENCE James K. Broder (200), Risk Analysis And The Security Survey 2rd Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. USA. Lawrence J. Fennely (2003), Physical Security 3rd Edition. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Burlington, UK. Marc Weber Tobias (200), Locks Safes and Security, An International Police Reference 2nd Ed. Illinois USA.

Thoughts of College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thoughts of College - Essay Example This has enabled me to go attend lectures, pay attention in class, and get interested in classwork, as well as other school activities. In addition, personal motivation has enabled me to spend most of my time in the library doing research and extra reading instead of going out and having fun all the time in my free time as most students do. Finally, personal motivation has enable me to do my assignments on time and well, which contributed greatly to my good grades. However, I feel that I may encounter several challenges to personal motivation especially in my educational path. One such obstacle is procrastination, which is a state of postponing activities or tasks until last minute. This may be an obstacle because it will hinder me from finishing my assignments on time, as well as studying for exams early enough to have ample time for preparation. These are some of the obstacles that make students perform poorly in their studies. Another obstacle maybe influence from friends or peers. There are several students who do not take their studies seriously, and during their free time all they do are class unrelated activities without minding classwork. Moreover, some students do not even attend lectures increasing their chances of failing exams. There is a strong influence from friends and peers to engage in such behaviors and forget about classwork, and this may be an obstacle to my educational achievements. My plan for addressing the obstacles is setting clear educational goals on what I want to achieve. Then, I set a timetable or framework of how I want to achieve it. This strategy will help me avoid procrastination since it eliminates possibilities of laziness. In addition, it clearly outlines activities to be done with a strict schedule that leaves no room for procrastination. Another plan of addressing obstacles to achieving my educational goals is exercising self-control to avoid influence from peers and

Derivative Securities Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Derivative Securities - Coursework Example Particularly, stock price depends on 3 factors: annual dividends, stock sale price and interest rate for discounting. All these factors are undefined. If our security is a bond, only one factor is undefined, - interest rate. In the primary market, state emits securities to cover state expenses. Dealers create a secondary market, offering to sell or buy these securities between the dates of issue and maturity. Apart of marketable securities state on behalf of government sells several types of non-marketable securities, which can't be sold or given any other person. Gonchar, M. (2002, p. 28) pointed out that the holder (for instance, in the USA) has a right to repay them in a commercial bank, in Federal Reserve System banks, in a public treasury. Private investors own a significant part (75% in the USA) of government securities. Public institutions and Federal Reserve banks own about 25% of these securities. Securities price drop, generated with interest rates increasing, can cause problems for those, who bought them during the period of high price. Financial institution, which bought securities in the time of low interest rate, will experience losses, if it sells them after the rate uprising. If the rate is falling, financial institutions have an opportunity to attract necessary finances with securities selling. During the interest rate uprising we observe converse effect - financial institutions try not to sell government securities, avoiding capital losses. As security buyers don't know the way, in which interest rates will change, they can't avoid the risk of their securities price drop. This is interest-rate risk. Government securities with short repayment period have a little interest-rate risk, as their prices don't fall much during interest rate increasing. The situation with long-term securities is quite another. Their prices plummet during interest rate increasing. It testifies about a considerable risk, due to holding securities with low annual interest bearing over a long period. Another kind of risk aligned with dividend policy of a company, which emitted securities, for instance, stocks. There are some other accidental causes, which influence on security price, which are called psychological by analysts. So, as we've noticed, the price behavior such an asset as stock is a random value. Finances theory and financial mathematics has a task of building veridical models of stock value evolution and calculating on their base fair option price and investor strategy (investment portfolio) in the security market with the help of statistical data. Simple models are important. Let's analyze here discrete models of asset value evolution and related questions of fair option price calculating and hedging strategies. The development of calculating fair option price researches development started with famous Black-Sholes theory. The Black Scholes Model The seminal work of Fischer Black and Myron Scholes in 1973 produced an elegant closed form solution for pricing European style call options on stock. The standard Black-Scholes equation and its derivatives have dominated the derivatives markets for 25 years. According to F. Black and M. Scholes (1973, pp. 637-659), firstly, it is useful to examine the assumptions underlying the mathematical alchemy used to derive the Black-Scholes equation for the pricing of options: The price of the underlying asset follows a Markov process with an average m and volatility s. The short

Segmentation and Introduction to Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Segmentation and Introduction to Product - Essay Example This is a category of the market that requires the color and the type of shapes that the product is associated with. It is star shaped and the unique shape is meant to attract children. Children respond better to such uniqueness that the product is known for. The cereal is manufactured from whole grain wheat and provides eight important vitamins and other essential minerals such as iron and calcium. These minerals help in growth which makes the product more suitable for children. The packaging of products determines the response they get from the market. In this case, the packaging has lots of cartoons which would draw attention from children. One other feature that makes this cereal favorable to women is the fact that it is chocolate flavored. The affinity women have for chocolate would draw their attention to notice this product when on a shopping spree. Consequently, as a product targeting women, Estreliats is bound to captivate the female

Fatigue and Limbic Dysfunction in Parkinsons Disease Essay

Fatigue and Limbic Dysfunction in Parkinsons Disease - Essay Example In essence, I did the best I could with what I was provided. Parkinson's disease (PD), first described by James Parkinson in 1817 (Figure 1), is one of the most prevalent disabling illnesses that can occur later in life. It is estimated to affect 1% of 70-year-olds, but is also seen in younger people, with 10% of cases occurring before the age of 50. The disease has become the pathfinder for other neurodegenerative disorders, since discovery of dopamine deficiency within the basal ganglia led to the development of the first effective treatment for a progressive neurodegenerative condition. Dopamine replacement therapy substantially reduces the symptoms of Parkinson's disease in most patients, improving their quality of life and initially appearing to decrease mortality. Patients with PD who experience such central fatigue have pathology causing reductions in dopamine and serotonin turnover within the basal ganglia and limbic circuits. These are the structures, which facilitate the link between emotion/motivation (limbic system) and motor response. Estimates of the annual incidence of Parkinson's disease are in the range of 4-20 per 100,000 individuals. ... Demonstrating an association between fatigue and limbic dysfunction in PD will help rationalise treatment approaches for this disabling illness and its symptoms. Incidence and Prevalence Estimates of the annual incidence of Parkinson's disease are in the range of 4-20 per 100,000 individuals. A widely accepted figure for the prevalence of Parkinson's disease is approximately 200 per 100,000 populations. In the Unite States, it is estimated that between 750,000 and 1.5 million people have the disease. In the United Kingdom, there are approximately 120,000-130,000 diagnosed cases, but there may be many more that remain undiagnosed. Age, Sex, and Ethnicity Both the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson's disease increase with age, and the prevalence may be as high as 1 in 50 for patients over the age of 80 years. Men are 1.5 times more likely than women to develop the condition are. Hospital-based studies have suggested that Parkinson's disease is less common in the Black population, than in other groups. Pathology The main pathological feature of Parkinson's disease is the degeneration of neuromelanin-containing neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (Figure 1.1). Examination with the naked eye reveals pallor of this area, which is confirmed microscopically by a marked decrease in the number of neuromelanin-containing cells and the presence of Lewy bodies in the remaining nigral neurons. Degeneration of pigmented neurons in the brainstem is not limited to the nigra but extends to the locus ceruleus and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Lewy bodies are intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions, which are typically found in the neurons of the substantia nigra (Figure 1.2). They are a pathological hallmark of

Essay response Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Response - Essay Example e blacks were victimized as a community but there were other groups of people that suffered at the hands of such an extremely discriminating system as well. The free black community also suffered at the hands of the white masters indirectly. The free carpenter boy who loved the slave girl could not marry her because she was someone else’s property. Similarly, the wives of the white masters were also victimized by their husband’s sexual relations with the slave women. They were forced to accept the insolent sexual behaviour of their husbands. It must have been really hard for them to turn a blind eye to the slave children their husbands bore with the slave women. Thus, women- either black or white received the most brutal blows of slavery. The free people of the North that represent a silent community are looked upon with great hope by the slave girl. She wonders why they were silent; as she believes that they have the power to change the system. The silence of the free people of the North actually represents the indifferent attitude usually adopted by those people who live in their own little bubble of life. This is not just a personal narrative of a slave girl but a life changing experience to read about her ordeal. This narrative compels the minds of the readers to think about what it is like to be a slave to another human being. This enables us to think beyond our immediate lives and to reach out to others who are in trouble. It also pinpoints to the fact that people in trouble look up to those who are in a strong position to change the course of their lives and destinies; and if their calls for help remain unanswered, then whatever hope they have turns into hopelessness and despair. â€Å"If God has bestowed beauty upon her, it will prove her greatest curse.† (47) This narrative is also about power, strength, hope, virtuousness and determination of human soul. The slave girl is an epitome of bravery and courage as she tries to fight back and to resist.

Time Value of Money Application Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Time Value of Money Application Paper - Essay Example The following are some important concepts of time value of money: Future value of money at a particular point is equal to the original sum of money plus interest rate multiplied by original sum of money. Suppose a retirement plan financial service provider receives $100 at the rate of 8% per annum; the future value of that fund will be: Given above scenario, present value is a reverse of the future value in that it shows how much certain amount of dollar worth today. The above formula can equally be used to calculate present value, in this case it will be inverted; if the calculations involve compound interest then the amount in inner braces will be raised to a power of n. the resulting value is otherwise called discounted value. This is the cost for borrowing or lending money or can be viewed as the yield to which money can earn. This interest rate can be categorized into nominal rate of interest and effective rate of interest2. Nominal interest rate is that rate of interest not adjusted for inflation whereas effective interest rate has full effect of compounding and is adjusted for inflation. Commercial banks make good use of time value of money in all their transactions – accepting deposits, lending to firms and corporate organizations and even borrowing short-term instruments from other financial institutions. For example, if a commercial bank accepts savings from a client at 5% per annum, assuming the client deposits $200 every two months for a year; the client might unwittingly be glad for receiving the 5% in addition to security he/she enjoys from the bank. However, these funds can be lent out at 15% to a credit card company who now uses this to service its customers. The difference between 15% paid by Credit Card Company and 5% paid to this client with the commercial bank reflects the of time value of money. Using above example, credit card financial

The art is lovers in a cafa the photographer is Brassai Research Paper

The art is lovers in a cafa the photographer is Brassai - Research Paper Example Usually, the photographers tend to focus on photographic realism that portrays harsh realities. This picture creates a connection between photographer and the subjects. This technique makes the picture more sophisticated. Brassaà ¯ considered Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as his influence (Janson and Janson, 2004). The interesting thing about this picture is that, even though, the man has his back to the camera the photographer has been able to capture his eyes. The mirror reflection gives the picture more meaning. The way he is looking at his lover is full of love and romance. The woman is smiling, and both of them seem to be in love with each other. Kissing or fondling is a very natural act, but the photographer has highlighted it and captured it in a timeless medium. The picture is black and white, and there is hardly any posing. Both the subjects appear to be in the moment. Brassaà ¯ used capture the beauty of streets, frogs and rain in the garden at night (Sayag, 2000). He was fascinated by the nightlife. This time is also associated with romance and lovemaking. Cafà ©s are also usually filled with people and couples at this time. His photographs are in black and white color that resonates with the nighttime. The picture under discussion is black and white in color, which makes the pictures traditional. The lovers are seated inside a booth and about to embrace each other. The man is leaning in for the kiss; he is holding his prize with both his arms. The woman brushes her hair to reveal her face to make it accessible for her man. Her chin is lifted up, and her eyes are locked in with the mans eyes as she welcomes every move of him. The audience in this photograph is the teacups and the table. The subjects are completely ignoring what is going on around them. They are immersed in the magic of love. The onlooker can witness this magic moment from three angles. They can get a glimpse of what is in the reality. But a more

Annual parent meeting Essay Example for Free

Annual parent meeting Essay Each year, Title I programs are required to host a meeting for parents to explain what the Title I program is and how parents can become involved in the Title I program. (This is different from the Annual Review meeting, which is also a requirement). At this meeting, the following issues must be addressed: Explain their school’s participation in Title I (whether they are schoolwide or targeted) Explain the Title I requirements (schoolwide or targeted, whichever is applicable) Explain what participation in Title I programming means, including: o A description and explanation of the school’s curriculum; o Information on the forms of academic assessment used to measure student progress; and Information on the proficiency levels students are expected to meet. Explain the district parental involvement policy, school parental involvement policy, and school-parent compact. Explain the right of parents to become involved in the school’s programs and ways to do so. Explain that parents have the right to request opportunities for regular meetings for o parents to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions about the education of their children. The school must respond to any such suggestions as soon as practicably possible. In order to keep parents informed, schools must invite all parents of children participating in Title I Part A programs and encourage them to attend. In a schoolwide program, this means ALL parents should be invited; in a targeted assistance program, just those parents with children participating in Title I should be invited. Schools must also offer a flexible number of additional parental involvement meetings, such as in the morning or evening so that as many parents as possible are able to attend. You must be able to document this meeting with minutes, agendas, sign-in sheets, etc. You may want to do more than the law requires for this meeting, especially if you often have problems with attendance. Below are a few things to keep in mind regarding the Annual Parent Meeting: This can be an introduction to the Title I program, a workshop, a welcome night, etc.; the format is up to you. Preferably, this meeting occurs at the beginning or in the fall of the school year. This meeting, whatever form it takes, must be documented with minutes. Is there two-way communication at this meeting, or is it the teacher/administrator giving information to parents about the program? Do you involve parents in the agenda? Do you try to get ideas from them on what this meeting should involve? Annual Title I Parent Meeting Requirements 8/2010 Page 1 Training Opportunities The Title I program should provide parents with opportunities to become partners with the school in promoting the education of the child at school and at home. This should include information about specific methods parents can use at home to complement their child’s education. The Annual Review Each year, schools must hold a meeting to review their entire Title I program. This meeting typically takes place in the spring of the school year. Therefore, if there are programmatic changes to be made, they can be implemented the subsequent school year. Questions to be considered include: â€Å"What worked well this year?† and â€Å"What changes would we like to make for next year?† Student Eligibility Targeted assistance Title I programs must inform parents that their child is eligible to receive Title I services. This notification must be sent home on an annual basis. Parents must be given the opportunity to decline services if they so choose. Below are a few things to keep in mind regarding informing parents of student eligibility: Documentation of parent notification for eligibility must be maintained. Be sure to retain copies of parent permission signatures, especially if parents decline services. Informing Parents of Student Progress Parents must be kept informed of their child’s progress. In targeted assistance programs, some type of progress report must be sent home to the parents to show their child’s progress with Title I services. This report may be sent home during conferences, with other report cards, or any other time a Title I teacher wishes. It is very helpful to send suggestions as to how parents can help their child with skills and areas in which the child may be struggling. Below are a few things to keep in mind regarding informing parents of student progress: The method used to notify parents must be documented. This notification must be disseminated at least twice a year, ideally more often. The notification must contain assessment results from at least three different assessments in the various areas the child receives Title I services. For instance, if a child receives services in reading and math, three reading and three math assessment results must be documented. Annual Title I Parent Meeting Requirements 8/2010

Role of Money in Inequality and Rights

Role of Money in Inequality and Rights Jonathon James Dunn For this essay, I have been asked to describe how two of the module themes help to illustrate the role of money in society. The two themes I have chosen are inequality and rights. The idea of inequality can be applied to the subject of money to give a range of different insights. The presence or absence of inequality can be judged in relation to equality of opportunity, conditions or outcomes. Inequalities take many various forms, such as the ones based on social categories, like class, gender or age. A study by the independent think tank Inequality Briefing provides an explanation regarding the distribution of wealth within the UK. It suggests where the money should be in an ideal world, where we think it should be (based on polls) and where it is. It concludes that the actual distribution figures show that the richest 20% have 60% of all the wealth. This suggests the balance is not as fair as the majority think and emphasises the apparent inequality within UK society. * The theme of inequality and rights can also be shown concerning migrants and the right to education, with the example of the rapidly growing city of Guangzhou, the export capital of southern China. After more than 30 years of domestic migration in China, more than 10 million migrant workers are working in Guangzhou city; they are considered the backbone of Chinas export industry. Guangzhou is one of the four mega cities in China which include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.ÂÂ   In 1978, less than 20% of Chinas population lived in the cities. The growth in Chinas export industry resulted in increased urbanisation, and consequently, millions of people left rural areas ascended to Chinas cities to find employment. This was at a time when the government was looking to convert broad areas of land and employ cheap labour in order to make products and to sell those products to the world. Now for the first time in history, China is a more urban country than a rural one. Desp ite the rapid growth in Guangzhou, a significant question arises; has everyone benefited from it? With Chinas rapid urbanisation driving its growing economy, the enlarging inequalities in the cities have received widespread attention. Evidence suggests, migrants have been made to feel excluded, isolated, and have suffered discrimination while also being blamed for increasing traffic congestion and urban crimes. Many people within the city are urging for reforms towards equality. The growth of Guangzhou encourages, and enables, investigation of the impact that rapid urbanisation and a fast-changing economy has in the social world. Social inequality exists between the wealthy elite and the working poor in megacities such as Guangzhou and in this sense shows some similarities to the Inequality Briefing statistics previously mentioned, regarding the UKs wealth division. Guangzhous rapid development is the result of a mixture of globalisation, the migration of people from the countryside to the city and investment into infrastructure. To achieve this, it had to take on massive debt. The issue of rights and inequality is none more prevalent than when considering migrants who are far poorer on average than those from the City. Of an estimated 14 million people living in Guangzhou, nine million are considered as residents. The Chinese population is categorised as belonging to one of two groups urban or rural under a system called hukou. This system became a way of administering the distribution of state resources and controlling migration within the country in 1958. Under the socialist regime, people were provided with ration cards to buy food and goods at subsidised prices. Those individuals who were not resident in the place where they held their hukou status were not entitled to access these rationing cards. Migrants are only permitted to work in the cities with temporary residence permits and without an urban Hukou. This seemingly archaic system remains in place today. Although movement between the countryside and the city has become much freer, people with no hukou in the place where they live face significant difficulties accessing jobs, education, healthcare and welfare. There are even recent signs that the growth of rural migrant labour is slowing down and despite the increase in the number of migrant workers during the past decade which reached an estimated 274 million in 2014, this growth has declined from 5.5 percent in 2010 to just 1.9 per cent in 2014. * The children of rural migrants are denied access to education in the city and are only entitled to free education in their hometowns. An article in the South China Morning Post suggests Some migrant workers put in 18-hour shifts in sweatshops, others sell vegetables, sweep the streets or labour in construction sites. Often that just brings in 5,000 yuan a month- This means they cannot afford the fees children without hukou must pay to study in the city. When you consider rural migrants have provided the workforce that has enabled the city to grow and prosper are not entitled to the same benefits as those who have lived in the city for all of their lives, a striking example of inequality emerges, especially as Ganzhou has particularly relied on the movement of these people from the countryside to the town. Being a full member of the UN, China are duty bound to guarantee all humans a minimum standard of rights.* It could certainly be argued that children of migrants face unnecessary ha rdship in accessing education, which could be against their human rights. Without a doubt, its been difficult for the government to maintain equity during this growth period. The rising social inequality experienced by Chinese migrant workers in the Guangzhou is worrying. The governments comprise a strategy which should aim to balance economic growth and social equality and consider removing or altering the hukou system. Word count: 937 Wealth inequality in the UKYouTube. (2017). Wealth inequality in the UK. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOJ93tAbPP0 Chinas migrant workers embrace new opportunities closer to homeEqual Times. (2017). Chinas migrant workers embrace new opportunities closer to home. [online] Available at: https://www.equaltimes.org/china-s-migrant-workers-embrace?lang=en [Accessed 28 Feb. 2017]. Under Article 26.1 of this universal declaration:Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.(UN, [1948] 2015) Migrant workers in Guangzhou hope to give their children a brighter future South China Morning Post. (2015). Migrant workers in Guangzhou hope to give their children a brighter future. [online] Available at: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1826842/migrant-workers-guangzhou-hope-give-their-children-brighter

Love and Freedom Essay -- Love Freedom Psychology Philosophy essays

Love and Freedom What is love? Is it something we do or something we can know? Some classify love as something that you feel for some people sometimes. It is often linked or used interchangeably with lust. Others feel that it is something that is constant and untouched by judgement and feeling. The only common denominator for love is that it is something that is desirable; it is something that we want. So what do people want? Many philosophies pose answers; but those answers frequently lead to more questions. Examining Sartre’s idea of love from Being and Nothingness, we find a love that is an action in the form of a project. The goal of the project is to attain a totality of being through the use of another. This differs from the love outlined by Socrates in Plato’s Symposium. Through Socrates, Plato characterizes love as a desire to partake in the beautiful for the purpose of gaining happiness. Sartre states that love is an engagement in an impossible project. Plato, whil e agreeing that the task is not easy, feels quite differently that love is attainable. This paper seeks to find they areas where the two philosophies overlap, hoping that an even better definition or goal of love can be reached. In order to understand Sartre’s idea of love, we must first examine his ontology. This will lead us to why love is sought. First, there is a distinction between what is free and what is determined: our consciousness exists as a freedom, for-itself, that can transcend any element that is not part of the present consciousness. The human being is a freedom that is able to detach itself through a â€Å"nihilating withdrawal.†[1] This means that the person who talks with others and lives in the world with people can choo... ...rans. Hazel. E. Barnes, Washington Square Press Pub., 1965, specifically term â€Å"nihilating withdrawal† pp.58 and 61, discussion in between [2] B&N, p. 68 [3] B&N, p. 72 top [4] B&N p.69—parenthesis added [5] B&N p. 72-73 [6] B&N p. 99 [7] B&N p.106 [8] B&N p.138 [9] B&N p. 139 [10] B&N p. 144 [11] B&N p. 475 [12] Plato, The Symposium, from The Collected Dialogues of Plato, trans. Michael Joyce, Princeton Univ. Press,1989, p.555 or 203 b-d [13] Symposium, p. 556-57 or 204 b-e [14] Symposium, p. 557-58 or 205 d-e [15] Symposium, p. 558 or 206 e [17] Symposium, p. 562 or 210-211 c [18] Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism, excerpted from Walter Kaufman, Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre, Meridian, 1989, p. 348 [19] B&N p. 136 [20] B&N p. 364 [21] B&N p. 534 [22] B&N p. 358

King Lear :: William Shakespeare England Essays

King Lear Shakespeare's King Lear is a tragic play about an English king and his three daughters. It is a tragic play because it takes Lear all his long life and much suffering to realize the true value of the thing that he takes for granted, his youngest daughter Cordelia. The old king, Lear, spoiled by his absolute power and his habit of receiving instant gratification, asks his daughters to verbalize the feelings that each has for her father in exchange for his kingdom. At this point the old king's downfall and a late life lesson for what years remain in Lear's life begin. The first two daughters, Goneril and Regan, put on an unnecessarily hyperbolic display of flattery just as their father requests, but the youngest daughter, Cordelia, plainly acknowledges that she loves her father according to her bond. This plain declaration made by Lear's favorite daughter infuriates the old King, and, blinded by his rage and old age, Lear disowns Cordelia, revokes her dowry and banishes her. Despite this, the King of France marries Cordelia and makes her queen of France. Not much time transpires before Goneril and Regan throw their own father out into the storm. Lear finds himself without a kingdom, and without family, for he rejects his youngest daughter for telling the truth and shortly after his two eldest daughters, who showered him with flattery when the time was right, reject him. Alone and powerless, Lear spends the night under a stormy sky and embraces the natural elements that lash out at him. To his surprise and disbelief, Cordelia lands with the French forces in order to restore her father's name and to redress the wrong that her two sisters have committed against the old Lear who, in the reader's eyes, exchanges his title of "King" for that of "Fool." GRAPH

English: The Art to Modern Communication Essay

1.0 Introduction Saudi Arabia, the oil rich country of the Middle East, has a modern military to take care of its national security. Constantly trained and supported by the western powers of the United States and United Kingdom, the King Khalid Military Academy is a prestigious institute of modern warfare. Taught by ex-British and ex-American military commanders, the institute has just about the best cadets passing out with distinction in the country. The institute is so well organized, that even the members of the Saudi Arabia national guards receive training here. The King Khalid Military Academy trains the tribal recruits who guard the royal family from external and internal uncertainties. This team, called the SANG, is the Saudi Arabia National Guards (Military, 2005). The problem facing the national guards is that they know little English, the medium of instruction by the ex-British and American military personnel. With their limited exposure, these loyal tribal have adjusted to the training programmes well. However, they are still not fluent enough to learn or understand modern techniques imparted to them through English, fast enough. This has been a drawback to the Royal family’s security. Despite the constant motivation the students get from the King Khalid Military Academy, there has not been much of a change in their outlook on the foreign language. Considering the sensitivity of such teachings, my quest to learn and then impart training in English to these students at King Khalid Military Academy assumes significance. 2.0 English as an International Language In the context of the economic, social and political dimensions, many nations are moving ahead with the objective of becoming a competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by the end of the decade. The use of English as an international language has been brought about by the spread of English globally. This has resulted in English undergoing a variety of changes on grammatical, lexical, and phonological levels. The way English is being spoken, it is almost certain that in the near future; English will become unintelligible (Teaching English as an International Language, Oxford University Press).[1] Teaching English as an international language has a lot of challenges. Cultural, social and political dimensions have to be considered in the context of teaching a foreign language. Take for instance the teaching of English in a non-national language country. The tension of globalization in language learning and teaching constitutes three very important dimensions. These are: †¢ Ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity in the local communities †¢ The prevalence of English †¢ Nationalism endorsed by linguistic and cultural essentialism. These three elements can be conceptualized in different ways. We see that the first and second dimensions have a direct bearing on a country’s national identity. These two dimensions stimulate the third dimension, nationalism. Teaching under such a situation is very challenging and must be handled with care (David Block and Deborah Cameron, 2001)[2]. English as a global language caught the imagination of people around the globe, due to globalization. Despite ethnic and cultural differences, people have accepted that there is the need for a common language to communicate at all levels. Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures; regional and international cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development. Without this, development activities would get hampered. English is prevalent in every country around the world. English has been accepted as the global language due to its frequent usage by people in the bureaucracy and aristocracy. Business dealings are made in English and unless people learn to read, speak and write in English, the chances of them being ignored is not remote (UNESCO, 2005)[3]. 3.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Motivation Motivation is an integral part of student training. For a foreigner to learn another language requires a lot of motivation. English is perhaps a language that requires the minimum amount of strain, as it has very limited number of alphabets and is widely spoken. Considering that most people in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia speak Arabic, there is a substantial import of English speaking personnel here. Motivation to learn a foreign language has to come from within an individual. There is a lot of talk of students being motivated to perform well in studies, sports, and social activities. These come naturally, however when students are given the option to learn a foreign language or any other language, they back down immediately. Why is this so? Many parts of the Middle East speak only Arabic and to an extent Urdu. English though is spoken by the expatriates, is confined to the business and educational sectors only. English is not necessary for them manage their business or daily life. It is when they travel outside the Middle East do they require to speak another language, which is, English. This should be the motivation required for the students of the King Khalid Military Academy to learn English. In a classroom, the more the students the harder it is to motivate. No two students will think alike. Motivation becomes that much harder and the teacher is left with very little options to perform. There are no small measures to motivate students, as they all have different levels of motivation. There are various factors that determine a student’s motivation level; factors such as self confidence and self-esteem, and attitude to do well. Motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic comes from within the individual, while extrinsic is what teachers try to inculcate. However, both these are related to the goal orientation of the student. Intrinsic motivation is determined by an interest in learning and mastery, curiosity and preference for challenge and leads to a mastery goal orientation. Extrinsic motivation is determined by external sources. Teachers find it easier to motivate students through external methods, which include rewards, promotions, appreciations, cash incentives, and teacher/parent approvals that lead to performance goal orientation. These two types of motivation will therefore influence the type of learning and the strategies that a student can use to progress academically. Performance goal orientation which in most cases is directed by extrinsic motivation focuses on one’s ability and self worth. But here ability is evidenced by doing better than others and/or by achieving success with little effort. Should they come across hardship, they tend to give up. On the other hand, students with intrinsic motivation are self-stressors. They try to attain further competence and are mastery goal oriented. They see school as the first step to gaining competence. They engage in learning for self-fulfillment. The use of praise and rewards as a motivating factor has been debated and researched for a long time. It is possible that rewards, in particular, may only have an effect on extrinsic motivation. On the other hand rewards are widely used; from stickers, to tokens and privileges, to encourage students to engage in a particular activity. The question is whether the rewards are effective in short-term engagements and in long-term development of meaningful learning practices. Motivation for one may be a punishment for another. Similarly, there is the danger that a reward for one student could turn out to be a punishment for another. We see that many universities in the UK and U.S.A offer scholarships to deserving students to pursue higher studies abroad. This is perhaps the best example of motivation levied to students. Under normal conditions, for a foreign or even an American student to pay fees for professional courses are exorbitantly high and out of reach. In such a situation, universities seek the best students to enhance their reputation and offer scholarships. Once the student completes the study, he/she is assured of a good job. 4.0 Consideration Considering the English is mandatory to study abroad, students in Saudi Arabia need to be motivated to learn English. Three main factors are important in the consideration of how to motivate students in the classroom Autonomy versus control Optimal challenge to the students The involvement of the teacher Teachers must be equally motivated to teach their students. In order to do so, teachers must the following conditions: A supportive learning environment An appropriate level of challenge of tasks and activities Learning objectives must be relevant and meaningful A moderate or optimal use of motivational strategies (Marilyn Robb, 2001) 5.0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conclusion English as an additional language has many positives. It allows people easy access to information, communicating and friendship. English is spoken by a majority of people the world over and has come to being recognized as the true international language. Universities, colleges and schools in most countries teach in English, and if we are to compete or study along with them English learning becomes a prerogative. When evaluated. The positives of English outlast the negatives. Thus we see that motivation to learn English should be given the most favored status in this country, and especially in the King Khalid Military Academy.

Interview questions Essay

My interests in becoming an instructor are guided by my professional yearn to disseminate knowledge. I wish to impact lives of individuals within my reach using my repertoire of experience so as to significantly demystify substance underlying my contextual area of specialization. Indeed, my desire is to create practical awareness to my students that would be indispensable in professional health practice. In addition, continued discovery of knowledge, which I will achieve during interaction with students, motivates me towards taking instructor’s job. My success will be derived from my commitment to deliver coupled with the experience I have gathered over the years. Furthermore, my interpersonal skills that I highly treasure will create appropriate student-instructor relationship necessary for learning. In creating positive learning environment, I will start by learning entry behavior of every student through a survey or a bibliography on valuable information. Second, I will establish personal connections with my students to demonstrate respect and value that I place on them as resources for the future. Third, positive feedback in recognition of performance and progress will describe my class for purposes of demonstrating to students their awaiting great destiny. Fourth, I will encourage students’ feedback for my self evaluation. Finally, my efforts will also be directed towards observance of appropriate discipline in class in line with set institutional regulations (Vella, 2008). I can efficiently do instructions in general health management and respiratory care. Due to the knowledge explosion that is in the health practice, it is possible that I have not taught some courses in my profession. Upon being assigned such courses, I would carefully consider the weight and demands of such a course against my professional ability. I definitely have the basic concepts in regards to health related courses and therefore I would proceed with doing vigorous research on the specific details I would need for the class. Consultations from course developer and appropriate course specialist would also constitute my preparation. Finally I would package my learning resources in relevant teaching designs such as power point presentations and practical sessions in readiness for my class. I am fit to efficiently and effectively handle HCS 510 course. Academically, I successfully pursed my Doctorate degree in Health Sciences with specialization in global health. Among areas of concern in global health included infectious diseases and psychological illnesses affecting individuals around the world. Furthermore, concepts related to pathophysiology in individuals were basic studies in my Bachelors Degree in Health Care Management. In addition, during my Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration, I attained excellent training in neurological, renal, gastrointestinal and endocrine systems. Other systems studied included the cardiovascular and immune systems. As a health practitioner, I have had vast practical experience in respiratory system and the related EENT.

Article of Confederation Essay

The first constitution was written in the United States was called the â€Å"Articles of Confederation. † It established a loose league of friendship between thirteen sovereign states and proposed that each state have its sovereignty, freedom, and independence. The Articles of Confederation approve in 1781, which led to a period of crisis between the years 1781 and 1789. This period refer as the Critical Period. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. The Constitution of the United States comprises the nation’s fundamental law, providing the framework for its governance and the principles under which it must operate. When the constitution was written, it was intended to endure for ages, be flexible, and adaptable for future generations. The constitution was intended to be the supreme law of the land. â€Å"To win the required approval from all 13 states, drafters changed the plan and granted the Confederation control of western lands. After four years, the Articles finally won ratification in 1781. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1781, became the first constitution. The Articles of Confederation dealt with three problems: taxation, representation, and the extent of control over western territories. First, the Articles of Confederation weakness was that the central government did not have the power to collect taxes. As the Articles of Confederation illustrate, â€Å"According to the Articles, Congress could not collect taxes or regulate trade; it could only requisition funds from the states. Shares would vary depending on each state’s free population. (Created Equal, pg. 177) Under the Articles of Confederation, the state government can only send its contribution annually to the national government but they cannot be compelled to pay taxes. Due to this huge weakness, many problems arose in the U. S, which were signs of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The trade agreements Congress had made with other nations were not always carried out. Many people soon started importing goods from other countries that they refused to pay for. Consequently, people in other nations soon became reluctant to trade with the U.  S; even Great Britain closed its commerce to it, which resulted in the loss of a lot of money because of lack of trade. There was also competition among the states, as they started levying taxes on goods passing through them to other states. Taxes are the lifeblood of the nation. Without it, no government machinery will function. Thus, the national government could not perform its functions because it did not have the funds. Second weakness was the enactment of laws. Under the Articles of Confederation, the enactment of laws needed the approval of 9 out of 13 states. The voting obligation is quite high. As a result, five states could easily prevent the enactment of laws, which seriously jeopardized the enactment of laws that needed to be passed. The Articles of Confederation note, â€Å"Moreover, the Confederation had no separate executive branch; executive functions fell to various committees of the Confederation Congress. † (Created Equal, pg. 177) There was no executive branch to institute the policies for the entire nation. As a result, the state governments did not have a cohesive policy that every state government should follow. Consequently, the state governments individually created their own policies. Since there was no national judiciary, the state courts were tasked to interpret laws. As George Mason indicates, â€Å"The Judiciary of the United States is so constructed & extended, as to absorb and destroy the Judiciarys of the several States; thereby rendering Law as tedious intricate and expensive, & Justice as unattainable, by a great Part of the Community, as in England, and enabling the Rich to oppress & ruin the Poor. † (Mason, Paragraph 2, pg. 10) It had become clear that it was necessary to abandon the Articles of Confederation in favor of a constitution that provided for a stronger national government, created a national judiciary and strong Congress. Finally, the United States had different issues that they had to deal with. These were foreign affairs, economic conditions, and Western land. The Articles clarify, â€Å"In addition, to the dismay of land speculators, the Congress would not control the western domains that several large states had claimed. † (Created Equal, pg. 77) The government was weak due to poor economic conditions and the people still feared the power of the central government. These weaknesses posed a threat to the effectiveness of the government. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was a unicameral legislature. There was one house and there were no executive or judiciary branches. Each state had the same number of representatives and their own currency. The states taxed each other and affecting the value of money to decrease and posed a threat to the economic stability of the United States, which was already weak and in need of reformation. The Articles of Confederation was the precursor of the United States Constitution because of the many reasons it had weaknesses and replaced by the United States Constitution. It brought the colonies together as a loose confederation with the state’s rights being more important than the power of the federal government. Even though the government under the Articles of Confederation was very weak, it was still more democratic because it gave more rights and power to the states. The Articles unified the states under a loose confederation, which lacked a strong, central government. Although the Articles of Confederation had several successes, it created far more weaknesses and failures. The failures of the Articles had to be addressed, so a new constitution was created and drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which determined the many failures of the Articles, and created a strong central government. A controversial issue has been debated over whether the government under the Articles of Confederation or the Constitution was more democratic. The Articles of Confederation created a more democratic government because it gave power to the individual states and to the people.

Peachtree Healthcare Essay

Peachtree Healthcare has been faced with a dilemma. There has been a major IT infrastructure problem within the company for some time now. Since technology has taken over in the healthcare field, it is imperative that Peachtree Healthcare get the technology needed so that they can be trusted and well known within the healthcare industry. Mission The mission of Peachtree Healthcare is to ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across the entire network – and to deliver care with the highest levels of efficiency and economy while maintaining respect for patients and staff. Objectives The hospital needs to decide on what long / short term IT infrastructure system strategies and roadmaps are needed to increase efficiency. The new system should allow sharing of patient records, ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across entire network of hospitals and physicians. Key Issues The IT infrastructure is not reliable; therefore, uses are unable to perform their day to day functions including clinical duties. This is impacting quality and safety of patient care. Recommendations Adopt service oriented architecture (SOA) which will enable selective standardization. CURRENT SITUATION (10) Peachtree Healthcare has major IT infrastructure problems and is struggling to find the right fix. Growth through acquisitions has led to the inheritance of many incompatible legacy systems. Current IT resources are focused on maintaining inefficient processes in order to keep the hospital running. The maintenance costs of the current IT system are so high that further innovation has become a luxury. In addition there have been recent meltdowns of clinical information systems. IT infrastructure is not reliable; therefore users are unable to perform their day to day functions, including clinical duties. This is impacting quality and safety of patient care. Furthermore there is pressure from the hospital’s board to standardize hospital procedures and practices without fully assessing the need for it. Max Berndt (CEO), Candace Markovich (CIO) and Tom Drane (CFO) are struggling to analyze the current situation subjectively in order to properly manage the pressure to follow competitors. CRITERIA (5) The hospital needs to decide on what long / short term IT infrastructure system strategies and roadmaps are needed to increase efficiency. The new system should allow sharing of patient records, ensure quality, consistency, and continuity of care across entire network of hospitals and physicians. The system should also ensure â€Å"selective† standardization of certain medical procedures across the network but allow sufficient flexibility to individual hospitals and professionals in other areas. Other criteria include: †¢ Time to value – when will the new system realize value for each business unit †¢ Flexibility – easy to modify, upgrade and customization capabilities †¢ Staff buy-in – ability to convince all staff to give this project a try ALTERNATIVES & RECOMMENDATIONS (15) Alternative 1: Monolithic System (Modular Enterprise System) A monolithic system is single set of systems and applications that will provide consistency across Peachtree’s facilities but may not give doctors enough flexibility. Other pros and cons include: Alternative 2: Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) System A servicer-oriented architecture system is modular design that will allow Peachtree to standardize incrementally and selectively but poses certain risks as a newer technology. Recommendation: My recommendation is to crease a strategy of selective standardization using a SOA system. This means assessing and deciding on a SOA architecture standard. Reviewing individual business functions and deciding on an ideal standard for that functional unit then migrating others to it. This will allow Peachtree to standardize incrementally, which Max has wanted most in an IT infrastructure. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN (15) Since SOA is a new technology, there are serious risks and consequences involved with this approach. The SOA technology is not mature yet and has not been tested in the long term. As a result there is a lot of unpredictability. To mitigate these risks Peachtree should gradually replace its old system with the SOA System. They should proceed with SOA in stages by piloting smaller projects to quickly provide value to business units. By gradually installing the SOA, Peachtree and its doctors would learn about how the systems worked and they could then master it in a sense as the infrastructure moved further. By gradually installing the infrastructure, Peachtree would not only minimize risk but also create flexibility and control. With the gradual learning process on the new SOA system, Peachtree and its physicians would allow IT to shift priorities along the way. Peachtree should also create case studies to get other business units and vendors support throughout roll-out process. They should also consider hiring external change management consultants to ensure minimum user disruption and smooth transition into the new system.

Eth/125 Final Essay

The information that I have learned about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand our society and relate to different people. I think that diversity is a beautiful thing that we should embrace instead of looking at negatively. The United States has come a long way in terms of discrimination and prejudice against different people from different cultures, backgrounds and races. This class has helped me gain a better understanding of what some people went through in order to gain the respect of people that looked down on them because they were of a different descent. Looking back at the way African Americans were treated in the 1950s and 1960s truly makes me cringe. To me it’s unfathomable that people can have so much hate towards a group of people because of the color of their skin. Martin Luther King said it best in his â€Å"I have a dream† speech when he stated that he ‘dreams of a day where his four little children will be judged not by th e color of their skin, but by the content of their character’. I think that from then, we have come a long way because as a whole, society is a bit more open to diversity; but we still have a long way to go. Learning about diversity has made me embrace my own culture much more. I am an American of full Dominican Descent, and although I have always been proud to be a Hispanic living in America, diversity has taught me that it really is a beautiful thing. The way some people discriminate against minorities makes you almost a bit ashamed to be from another country, but I don’t see it that way. I love being Dominican and I will always be proud of where I am from. I think that by the year 2050 the United States is going to be much more diverse than it is now. The minority population is going to be much more diverse, resulting in larger amounts of interracial marriages. The Caucasians will no longer be the ‘majority’. Right now, in 2013 we are so diverse and you see people from all over the world in the United States, and I feel th at as time goes by that is just going to increase dramatically. I think that the racial issues that we face today will always be there,  because there will always be people that are closed minded and living in the past. I do however, think that given how diverse the United States is becoming, society will learn to be more accepting of diversity and different cultures and interracial marriages. Today, you don’t see the same concern for race and skin color that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s; people today are more accepting of diversity. The fact that we have the first African American president today is a major turning point in our nation, one that has changed a lot of people attitudes towards African Americans and different minority groups. According to Joel Kotkin (2010), ‘racial and ethnic identification will be as important as it is now. Now more than ever, ethnicity is intertwined with identity and shapes the way people grow, what they believe and their perspectives on a variety of topics’. (What will American look like; Liane Membis, 7/2/2010). The biggest challenge that the United States faces because of diversity is amongst the people themselves. Americans need to get rid o f the hyphen and accept and understand that we are all Americans and one nation. The pledge of allegiance states that we are ‘one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all’, it’s ironic how so many people forget that we are in fact ONE nation and instead of pointing fingers because of where someone is from or the color of their skin, we should come together and embrace the diversity in which we live in. The challenges that this nation faces in regards to diversity our challenges that we have created ourselves. In a perfect world, we would all live in harmony there would be no racism, discrimination or hate. We would all get along and embrace the fact that we come from all over the world to America and live here together. Diversity is such a positive thing, and I wish that more people viewed it this way. In today’s society, where we are the epitome of diversity, a lot of people view it as a good thing. Diversity is beneficial because it gives a lot of people the opportunity to experience different things with different people. S ome people don’t really pay attention to the things that go on outside of their comfort zone, or simply just choose not to participate in things that will help them better understand different cultures and people. â€Å"Studies show that the lack of cohesion between races, sexes and cultures is due to mistrust, stereotyping, and more within culture conversation and language problems† ( Sarah T., Missouri City Tx; The importance & Benefits of  diversity). I think this statement is absolutely true, and is a major factor in the divide that people create in the United States when it comes to diversity. We have a long way to go before we are a diverse society that values the differences in the people that make up our nation. Another benefit of diversity in America is that it prepares our children for the real world. One of the things I love the most about how diverse our nation is and growing up here you see it the most. Our schools are filled with children from all over the world and country, and our children are taught at an early age to not see the color of their friend’s skin, but who they are and how well they get along. I think that by raising consciousness we can foster a climate of acceptance and cultural plurism in the United States. If we as a whole were able to just be a little more open minded we would be able to knock down the walls that keep us from getting to know people from different cultures and accept them how th ey are. Given, that the United states has gone through situations like 9/11 with the terrorist attacks that made people a little more guarded against middle eastern people and that brought on a lot of discrimination against the Muslim Americans living here. I don’t think it’s fair to put them all in that category, because not everyone is the same. There are good and bad people from every part of the world, and if we were a little more conscience of this we would be able to accept diversity that much more. Diversity isn’t just where you are from or your religious beliefs, it’s much more than that; physical appearances, where you grew up, but all of that is irrelevant if we accept each other and come together as a whole. The media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the way that they show people from certain backgrounds in television, newspapers and the way that they talk about people on the radio as well. I think that the way certain racial groups or cultures are portrayed in the media, has a significant impact on the way viewers and listeners see them. For example, the attacks with 9/11 were something that moved our nation and impacted the United States significantly, but the way the media went after the terrorists also made the way viewers and Americans viewed Muslims living in America negative. People began to hate Muslim Americans and discriminate against them, as if the attacks were their fault. The media helps foster appreciation for diversity, for how diverse it is itself. You see people on television from different  backgrounds, and different cultures working together. Whether it is on television shows, newspapers or in music; the media promotes diversity by showing just how diverse it is itself. For example, the Ellen DeGeneres show is very diverse. The fact that she is a gay woman is a fact that some people look down on to begin with, but she brings people from all over the world and a very diverse bunch of celebrities on her show without discrimination against anyone. I think this is the perfect example of how the media helps foster appreciation for diversity, because it applauds the fact that there is such diversity and it is brought together in a positive way. I think that if individuals in the United States were to be a little more open minded than we wouldn’t have any divides at all, and we could reduce prejudice and increase the appreciation for diversity in our nation. The problem is that a lot of people do not realize just how beautiful diversity is. They look at it as something negative and that is the mindset that we need to work on changing in order to reduce prejudice. We live in a country that welcome differences and gives people the choice and right to be themselves, and to be proud of where they come from. Personally, I am a very open person to other people and diversity and I embrace it because I feel that we are all different and that is what makes this country beautiful. I have a very diverse group of friends, and I have never judged people based on the color of their skin, but who they are as a person and I try to carry that way of thinking every day of my life. I have a son, and I would never want people to discriminate against him for being Dominican, or ‘brown’, and so I will instill in him the same values my mother and father instilled in me as a child, that I carry with me today. I mean think about it, if we all walked around being told what to do, what to think, and to act the same then we would complain about that.

The Shoe Shop Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Shoe Shop - Case Study Example The shoe industry, together with the apparel and accessories sectors posts increases in total turnover in the past year which shows the increasing demand and market for these products. The creation and operation of The Shoe Shop which will commence on January 2008 is another quest to provide products for this profitable market. The price of shoes in London is highly dependent on the strategies employed by the different industry players (BFA 2007). Business organizations which employ differentiation and niche strategies enhance the image of their brands by putting a high margin in their shoe products. A good example of this is Russell and Bromley where a pair of women's shoes can cost up to '200.00 (Russell and Bromley 2007). On the other hand mid-priced companies charge from '40 to '90 for a pair of shoes. Shoe manufacturers who are utilizing cost leadership strategies can price more competitively at less than '30. Ben Sherman can price as low as '15 for a pair of women's shoes. These pricing strategies of the competitors in the market together with the survey conducted to determine the target consumers' preferences become the primary bases of The Shoe Shop's proposed pricing strategies. The pricing strategy of a business organization is one of the key elements to its success and even mere survival in the industry where it operates (Kotler 2005). In this consideration, The Shoe Shop formulates its pricing strategy as a way to efficiently generate the maximum profit available. The main aim of the pricing strategy is to cover all the company's efforts in production and other activities, provide ample margin for profits, build the hip image that the company desires, and generate enough demand by pricing competitively and at par with other industry players. In order to determine the pricing strategy, the market research department of the shoe shop conducted a survey which is geared in appropriate rice for a pair of shoes. Considering the target market of The Shoe Shop, the survey was participated by both men and women whose age ranges from 18-35 years old. The market research department concluded that within this age range, consumers are very much concerned about their image and prefer products which express what is hip and trendy. They are willing to pay more for image but most will not spend more than '92.00 for a pair of shoes. Thus, with this consideration, The Shoe Shop will price a pair of shoes in its product line for '70.00. III. Per Unit Cost Statement The costs associated with the production and marketing of the company's shoes generally has a variable and fixed component. The variable costs are direct materials and direct labor both of which can be directly traced to the individual shoes being manufactured. Even though the sizes and design of the shoes vary, the company's direct material cost '27.25 for each pair. Direct labour is 1.25 hours and employees are paid '15.00 per hour of labor. In terms of indirect costs, The Shoe Shop pays a monthly overhead of '7,500. The manufacturing department together with other functional areas, is serviced by the administrative and marketing department. The Shoe Shop allocates a monthly overhe

FlyDubai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FlyDubai - Essay Example Fly Dubai aims at attracting more clients through the price reduction strategy while at the same time providing an improved quality service (Croft 2014, p. 62). In addition, another generic strategy employed by the firm is the expansion of the Airline to various destination sites. Increase in destination sites implies increase of customers seeking their services. Fly Dubai have dedicated themselves in opening new flying destinations to various countries hence increasing on their income. Competitors who are slow in opening new destination places eventually become less sort after (Croft 2014, p.90). Fly Dubai has the grand strategy of becoming the best company in Dubai by offering services that are beyond the expectation of its customers (Croft 2014, p.78). Fly Dubai aims at achieving this through partnering up with companies and businesses that are in line with its grand strategy. The company aims at partnering up with major stakeholders that will help it accomplish the following in the near future: These include the creation of new taxiways plus runways in order to ease on congestion in and out of airports (Croft 2014, p.67). In addition, they opt to buy new aircrafts fitted with the latest technology, expand cargo facilities, purchase new ground equipment’s, train their staff, set up a new fire station to be responsible for emergencies, conduct regular maintenance checks on all place to ensure they are in good condition before flying to a given destination, and expand their catering services. Furthermore, they aim at relocating the general aviation to Dubai world Cent ral. All these belong to their grand strategy of becoming the leading aviation industry in the world and in Dubai in particular (Croft 2014, p.45). The grand strategy employed by Fly Dubai is expected to make it efficient and help it improve the number of clients using their services (Croft 2014, p. 34). In keeping up with technology and making the various

The Impact of Global Recession on Small Businesses Dissertation

The Impact of Global Recession on Small Businesses - Dissertation Example Prior research done by John Kitching mentioned that small businesses are treated as highly susceptible to external shocks, such as recessions, with firm performance declining in line with GDP. Small firms possess limited resources, customers and product lines across which to spread their risk – all of which restrict a firm’s capacity to withstand competitive pressures in adverse macroeconomic condition. They are also much more likely to cease trading than larger enterprises. Falling GDP at the macro level causes performance decline at the micro level and, in severe cases, business closure. Many economists have now been predicting the world global recession since the 1930s. Such grim warnings discovery spending by households and businesses, depressing output even more. America, Britain, the Euro area and Japan are almost certainly already in recession according to the popular rule of thumb of two successive quarters of falling GDP. In an updated World Economic Outlook, published on Nov 6th 2009, the IMF predicted the world GDP would fall to 2.2% in 2009, based on purchasing power parity weights, from 5% in 2007 and 3.7% in 2008. GDP is a measure of the total value of production of goods and services by all resident producing units in an economy during an accounting period, which is usually one year or one quarter. While recessions involve falls in GDP, they are namely characterized by rising unemployment. Fear of a long recession stems not just from the distressing developed country figures.

The Media and its Impact on the Range of Understanding Identity in Essay

The Media and its Impact on the Range of Understanding Identity in Adolescents - Essay Example One should consider the gratuitous nature with which sex and sexual relations are discussed within the media. It is nearly impossible to turn on primetime television or read a magazine that does not seek to cheaply engage the reader with a type of frivolous and non-consequential understanding of human sexuality. A series of negative implications are glossed over to include the ever-increasing risk of STDs, pregnancy, emotional/psychological trauma, and the inability to form lasting and meaningful physical relationships due to a high premium being placed upon sex (Samson et al 283). Such common interpretations are no doubt one of the reasons that HPV is represented in one out of every 4 women between the ages of 14-30 within the United States. Likewise, it does not take a specialist to note that there is an ever-increasing incidence of violence in all forms of media. This cannot only be understood as a function of entertainment but also as a function of news programming which takes particular interest in some of the more gruesome elements of violence that exist within society. The representation of violence within the media in all its forms serves to relate an unrealistic view of the world model as it currently exists and no doubt has a profound effect on the way that adolescents view their surroundings. One study put forward that the average child will have viewed around 8,000 murders on television prior to finishing elementary school (Nelson 1). This fact in and of itself gives the reader pause when realizing the sheer size of the problem and demands a response to such an issue.

Patchwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Patchwork - Essay Example This particular realization has made the government adopt changes in policy to help the youth. Although the younger generation are now being employed in return of wages, their living standard is still highly compromised. The real wages received by the youth has fallen particularly for the age group of 16-24years from 2003-2011. The toughest problem is that the younger generation in labour markets has low chances of higher prosperity and real income compared to their parents. It has been a common consensus that performance of the youth employment has been less than impressive in almost all developed nations; but, this book has pointed out that youth unemployment had been aggravating in British economy much before the crash of 2008. U.K. has also been regarded as one of the worst performers among the other G8 nations, in terms of youth unemployment. It has been estimated that 14% of the under 25 population have no jobs and authors have estimated that if conditions does not improve in t he near future, then the situation is going to worsen. The authors have indicated that among the total unemployment share in U.K., proportion of unemployment under the age of 25 is the highest and it accounts about 40% of the total unemployment. The entire generation is â€Å"jilted† because if unemployment percentage under the age of 35 is considered, then this figure rises to 60%. Though the government has been able to reduce the level of unemployment as a whole, yet the segment of the â€Å"jilted† generation is degrading. The authors have identified the problem of NEET (not educated, employed or trained) among the youth (9% faces the NEET problem). This implies that a formidable section of the youth does not have the required skill set required by the nation to hire them. The authors have realized that the problems begin at schools, which later manifest in the labour market. The excessively high University fees have created two classes. The percentage

NASAs Space Infrared Telescope Exploring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

NASAs Space Infrared Telescope Exploring - Essay Example I also read about how supernovas, also known as exploding stars, combine with other materials floating in space to form planets and new galaxies ("Life and Death", 2004). These concepts kept dancing around my head and made me wonder about finding life on one or more of these planets or galaxies. Earth was created in much the same way. Scientists are theorizing that the same icy organic materials visible for the first time with the assistance of Spitzer was how our planet came to have so much water and the beginning of biogenic materials from which to begin the process of life here on earth ("Spotting Life", 2004). Spitzer found an interesting clean gap behind a star called CoKu Tau 4, which is 1million years old, only 3 billion years younger than Earth. A planet orbiting CoKu Tau 4 could cause this gap. A planet Spitzer is not able to discern this planet, however, what if this is a younger version of Earth What if all of the carbon-based, life-enabling materials are available for this planet circling CoKu Tau 4 to create life from What if future manned explorations travel to this star system and encounter life What would life be like How would NASA and the world respond What if instead of being carbon-based, these life forms were methane based A recent article on Universe Today, that spoke of lake on Titan, Sa

Definition and description of home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definition and description of home - Essay Example When I was a child, my parents made me believe that home was in our family house. However, as I grew up, my understanding, definition, and description of a home changed with time. I realized I would visit some places and get the feeling of being at home while others made me feel homesick. I was born in California, in a family house that still evokes a feeling of security, love, and comfort. My child’s bedroom might have looked ordinary for many people, but that was the most exciting place to be in, it was my home. I would look around it while leaving for school and wonder when I would be back. My bedroom was full of secrets ranging from pencil writings at one corner of the room to my ever hidden diary. The light blue painting made my room so lovely. I recall the days I would come home feeling tired, but the moment I got into my room, all the tiredness would go away to be replaced by a feeling of relaxation. I remember peeping through the window and calling out my best friend’s name since they lived next door. I still recall the beautiful yard around our house where I spent my weekends playing with my dog. I remember the tall trees with branches brushing against my bedroom window whenever it was windy. The kitchen was another place I often remember of whenever I think of my childhood home. It was the place where my mother cooked the best meals. The living room was where we would gather as a family to talk and share the day’s happenings or watch a movie together. I always hoped I would live there forever, since I considered this the definition of an ideal home. At some point I had to leave home, which was one of the most agonizing moments of my life. I thought I would never find another place to call home. This was true for some time, but I began feeling homesick and wished I would go back home. I tried to make the houses I lived in to feel homely, but they always remained to be houses lacking the security and comfort I had