Would the decriminalization of marijuana have a net positive or Research Paper

Would the decriminalization of marijuana have a net positive or negative impact on Canadian society - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, its use in the medical community is being supported because apparently its benefits to patients would far outweigh its risks. Its use in Canada is considered a crime and harsh penalties are imposed among violators. Suggestions for its decriminalization are currently being discussed. This paper shall now discuss whether or not the decriminalization of marijuana would have a net positive or negative impact on Canadian society. It shall also discuss who would benefit and who would lose from its decriminalization. This paper is being undertaken in order to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of marijuana, its implications for use, and its overall impact on society. Discussion Under the 1923 Opium and Drug Act, marijuana was classified as an illegal drug and those violating the provisions of the act were liable to face criminal penalties (Khoo). In 1997, marijuana was covered by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and this law is the main legislation which some interest groups are seeking to amend. They cite how the Ontario Court of Appeal was able to decide in favor of the possession of 30 grams of marijuana – mostly for medicinal purposes (Khoo). The court argued that banning marijuana would be tantamount to violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canada is considered the first nation to apply the regulated medicinal use of marijuana; however, the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations did not adequately consider the issue of recreational use (Khoo). In 2003, a new ruling by the Ontario court decided that the possession of small amounts of marijuana was not anymore valid; the courts noted how hundreds of thousands of young Canadians were engaged in recreational marijuana use and that no firm legal provisions on the use of the drug have been set forth by the legislators (Khoo). The Ontario Court of Appeals then passed new rulings in order to make it easier for patients to avail of the drug for medicinal purposes. To this day, this issue has yet to be settled in Canada (Khoo). And this issue involves relevant players including the patients who need marijuana for medicinal purposes, the recreational drug users, the doctors who prescribe the substance for their patients, the legislators who have the burden of deciding on passing (or not passing) the law to decriminalize marijuana, police officers and law enforcement authorities who are enforcing the law, and the international community. These individuals and social groups are all stakeholders in the resolution of the issue on the decriminalization of marijuana. For those who use the drug for medicinal purposes, they believe that decriminalizing marijuana use would largely be beneficial to them because they would be able to benefit from the medical benefits of the substance – effects which they would not be able to experience from any drug or any other intervention. Decriminalizing marijuana use can be beneficial for the following purpos es: to stimulate appetite of HIV/AIDS patients and to relieve cachexia of cancer patients; to relieve and reduce nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy among cancer patients; to reduce the intraocular pressure for glaucoma patients; to provide analgesic effect for cancer patients; and to relieve the spasticity and nocturnal spasms caused by neurologic and movement disorders (Yambura, pp. 2-4). For these reasons, patients positively impacted by marijuana use would stand to gain from the decriminalization of marijuana. The main issue being taken with the decriminaliza

Welfare of Children Essay Example for Free

Welfare of Children Essay The family is the basic unit of society. It holds an essential part in fostering a sound and ideal environment that is related in enhancing the world that everybody lives in. This is the reason why establishing good family relationships is very important. Being the case, the role of every family member especially of the parents should be given due attention. However, there is an observable inequality as to how fathers are viewed in comparison with mothers when it comes to the nurturing of their children. Most people believe that it is the primary responsibility of the mother to take care of the children while the father has to deal with money matters. Social workers also adhere to this kind of perspective as they give more importance to mothers when assessing the welfare of a child. Nevertheless, various studies have shown that the absence of fathers in nurturing and guiding their children has detrimental effects. According to the study of Michael Lamb from the University of Michigan, children who are 7 to 13 month old have the same responses when they are separated from their parents. When their father left, the children would have tantrums, which is the same as when their mothers leave them. This research proves that both parents have an important role in development of their children especially during their formative years. Thus, fathering should not be taken for granted (Chen, n. d. ). Some analysts conclude that children who grew up without a father tend to have behavioural problems that are mostly observable in the inability to perform well in school especially when it comes to math and science (Chen, n. d. ). Long term studies in the United States and in New Zealand have conclusive results that father absence increases their daughters’ susceptible for early sexual activities and teenage pregnancy. Evidences prove that daughters who were left by their fathers at a young age tend to develop unstable relationship with men, which makes them engage in casual relationship with the opposite sex (Quigley, 2003). Research also shows that father absence is one of the primary causes of serious social problems like poverty and delinquency (McLanahan, n. d. ). The different studies and researches conducted only prove that the role of the father in the nurturing and rearing of children should not be taken for granted. Fathers should not be simply confined with providing financial and material things. They should also do their part in raising their kids. In the same manner, the society like social services should also give due importance to the part of the father in taking care of their children. The presence of fathers is essential in the development and well being of their children and their family as well as in the enhancement of the whole society. References Chen, N. (n. d. ). The Impact of Father Absence. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://extension. missouri. edu/cooper/fok/father_absence. htm. Quigley, A. (2003). Father’s Absence Increases Daughter’s Risk of Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://mentalhealth. about. com/cs/familyresources/a/teensex503. htm. McLanahan, S. (n. d. ). Father Absence and the Welfare of Children. Retrieved October 6, 2008, from http://www. olin. wustl. edu/macarthur/working%20papers/wp-mclanahan2. htm.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining :: essays research papers

My mind was all muddled up and everything went topsy-turvy inside it. Yet, I remained still and silent. No one would ever imagine how I was feeling. There wasn't the cool atmosphere around me, nor the usual tranquility outside. My heart was pounding fast. I could hear the voice of my doctor saying that I had cancer and I could only live for a month. My heart was simply ripped apart. I could not believe it at first, but I knew I had to. After all these wonderful years and enthralling moments, I finally have to face God's greatest challenge. My mind wasn't as messy as before anymore and I couldn't even think of what to think. It seemed as if I had nothing to worry about, nothing to do, nothing to say. I was trapped inside this room waiting for the Grim Reaper to reap my innocent soul. Day by day, I remained silent in my bed thinking of nothing but my imminent death. I never spoke, consumed anything, nor stood up. I was totally weak. I was literally dying. I woke up suddenly one day, I had been disturbed by the sound of the television someone had switched on. I heard a soft sweet voice coming out of the TV later. It was a little girl's voice but wasn't a distinct one. I could only hear a word, which was the last word of her mesmerising speech. And that was "Live!" Live. Just as simple as that, "Live". Live, it kept ringing in my head for the next few hours. I never expected I would get addicted to thinking this word over and over. I forced my dry mouth to open. It was like trying to pull open a lift stuck on the highest floor, and it ached too. I desperately told myself to refrain from the pain and just rip the door of the lift apart. Aaargh! It was futile. Totally, extremely hopeless. Again, my heart sank. As I recalled the word, "Live", I forced myself to open my mouth and utter that petty word. I tried very hard indeed. And yes, I made it. I merely blurted out that word, "live"! I was emotionally filled with joy. I could hardly believe it,those lazy days of lying in my bed doing nothing had been counteracted by a simple word, "live"! I knew I had to regain my joyful and enthusiastic spirit, so I started off with stretching my legs and arms.

Capital Punishment Essays -- essays research papers

Capital punishment is necessary in order for justice to prevail. Capital punishment is the execution of criminals for committing crimes, so bad that this is the only acceptable punishment. Capital punishment lowers the murder rate, but its value as retribution alone is a good reason for handing out death sentences. It is one of the only fair punishments allowed by the judicial system. Another issue is that it saves money compared to the alternative of life in prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1972, in the case of Furman vs. Georgia, declared capital punishment cruel and unusual punishment. However after the Supreme Court Decision of Gregg vs. Georgia, the Supreme Court said that capital punishment was not unconstitional and the capital punishment resumed under new guidelines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are seven main types of execution: Hanging, where the prisoner is blindfolded and stands on a trap door, with a rope around his neck. The trap door is opened suddenly. The weight of the prisoner's body below the neck causes traction separating the spinal cord from the brain. The second most widely used technique is shooting, where a firing quad shoots the prisoner from some meters away. Another method is Guillotine, a device consisting of a heavy blade held aloft between upright guides and dropped to behead the victim below. Then there was Garroting, in which a tightened iron collar is used to strangle or break the neck of a condemned person. One of the more r...

Managing Financial Resources and Decisions Essay

1. Equity capital (owners capital) for Blue Orange Solutions Equity is an external source of funds available to business and these are generated from the shareholders/investors. This is considered as the safest source of start-up funds. In case of a private limited company, the amounts are invested by the shareholders who are known to each other. But in case of a public limited company, the amounts can be invested by general public or institutional investors. – The funding is committed to business as the investors can only realise their investment if the business is doing well, e.g. through stock market flotation or a sale to new investors. – No financing costs involved as the business will not have to keep up with costs of servicing bank loans or debt finance, allowing to use the capital for business activities. – Outside investors can bring valuable skills, contacts and experience to your business. They can also assist with strategy and key decision making. â⠂¬â€œ Investors are often prepared to provide follow-up funding as the business grows. The principal disadvantages of equity finance are: – Raising equity finance is demanding, costly and time consuming, and may take management focus away from the core business activities. – Potential investors will seek comprehensive background information on the business. – Depending on the investor, original investors will lose a certain amount of power to make management decisions. – There can be legal and regulatory issues to comply with when raising finance, e.g. when promoting investments. 2. Bank loan for Blue Orange Solutions A debt financing obligation issued by a bank or similar financial institution to a company or individual that holds legal claim to the borrower’s assets above all other debt obligations. The loan is considered senior to all other claims against the borrower, which means that in the event of a bankruptcy the bank loan is the first to be repaid, before all other interested parties receive repayment. Bank loans are usually secured via a lien against the assets of the borrower. At the time the loan is made, there typically tend to be no other existing liens on the borrower’s assets, or at least not on any of the assets being secured by the bank loan. Advantages: – A bank loan can be used in a number of ways; money can be borrowed for many large-ticket items – A bank loan can be secured in a specific time frame Disadvantages: – Some loans carry a prepayment penalty, high penalty rates, other finance charges – There are a number of limitations on the transaction – Borrowing too much money can lead to decreased cash flow and payments can even overtake income in some cases. 3. Bank overdraft for Blue Orange Solutions An overdraft is a temporary facility added to business’s bank accounts which allows the account to be overdrawn by a certain amount. The business is charged interest based on the amount overdrawn and the length of time overdrawn, and are usually charged a regular fee for the use of the facility. An overdraft is particularly useful when business has regular sales and purchases and is to finance temporary cash shortages. They are a good backup to ensure business can pay its bills. An overdraft is not supposed to be a permanent source of finance. Advantages of Overdrafts Flexible – An overdraft is available when business needs it and costs very small amount of charges. It allows business to make essential payments in case of cash shortages. Quick – Overdrafts are easy and quick to arrange, providing a good cash flow backup with the minimum of fuss. Disadvantages of Overdrafts Cost – Overdrafts carry interest and fees; often at much higher rates than loans. The business face large charges if you go over the agreed overdraft limit. Recall – Unless specified in the terms and conditions, the bank can recall the entire overdraft at any time. Security – Overdrafts may need to be secured against business assets, which put them at risk if payments cannot be made. Business Angels for Blue Orange Solutions Business angels are wealthy individuals who invest in start-up and growth businesses in return for equity in the company, they are also called informal investors. The investment can involve both time and money, depending upon the investor. Business angels can operate independently, but many work as a syndicate (a group of individuals or organizations combined to promote some common interest). Business angels typically invest  £500,000 in a company. On average, business angels in the UK invest  £42,000, and each investor makes around six investments. Where larger amounts are invested in a business, this usually takes place through a syndicate of angels organised through the entrepreneur’s personal contacts or a business angel network. As well as cash, business angels can offer years of experience in the business world, not to mention useful contacts to help you grow your business, which can add real value to your company. Although some prefer to become a sleeping partner, others will get actively involved in business, offering help with anything from writing a marketing plan to taking the company through a flotation on the stock market. Indeed, the BBAA / NESTA report recommends that angels invest in their area of expertise and stay connected with the business, preferably at board level, as a way of improving the success rate of angel deals. Venture Capital for Blue Orange Solutions A venture capital firm is a group of investors who gain income from wealthy people who want to grow their wealth. They take this money and use it to invest in more risky businesses than a traditional bank is willing to take on. Because the investments are risky, the venture capital firm typically expects a higher return on the businesses it is investing in than other types of lenders would. The interest rate or higher cost of capital is worth it to the business, however, because the business would otherwise not receive the financing needed. Venture capital firms work under a specific investment profile. The investment profile is a document that outlines the types of businesses the firm is willing to invest in. By targeting their investments to certain types of businesses only, the venture capital firm can learn the ropes of a particular industry, and thus be better prepared to decide which new or expanding businesses are the best investments. And venture capital firms do not just provide start up financing. They can also provide expansion financing for promising businesses. When individual investors entrust their money to a venture capital firm, the firm puts the money in a fund. This fund is then invested in several companies, with the expectation that the companies will be able to repay the money in around three to seven years.

The Cuban Government After Castro essays

The Cuban Government After Castro essays Recently, Fidel Castro ceded power to his brother, Raul, while undergoing stomach surgery. This action fueled speculation as to Cuba's future. As Cuban exiles rejoiced in Miami streets, believing that Castro was near death, political and business figures sat poised, ready to engage in a new trading partner. Although a new dialogue with the United States will most certainly evolve with Castro's death, it is unlikely that the Cuban government will undergo swift dramatic changes. Many experts, such as Terry McCoy, a Latin American studies professor at the University of Florida, believes that a change in leadership may not necessarily mean an immediate end to the Communist nation's current regime (Rigney 2006). McCoy says the question is whether Raul, who is less charismatic and lacks the leadership qualities of Fidel, can hold onto power, but believes the government will survive in the short term (Rigney 2006). According to McCoy, the succession plan " first involves Raul Castro and then a circle of much younger successors, who would run the country through some type of collective leadership" (Rigney 2006). However, it is doubtful that Raul or his successors would "'usher in a new era of leadership," and no one should expect any type of "competitive elections in the near future," however "there may perhaps be a shift toward a market-style communism like in China and Vietnam" (Rigney 2006). McCoy emphasizes that while Cuban exiles may be rejoicing at the po ssibility of a Cuba with Fidel, the situation is far more complex for Cuban natives (Rigney 2006). Says McCoy, "Castro's government is the only one they know, and it has provided them with jobs, health care and education...many Cubans are unhappy with their situation, but are nervous about their future once their leader of four decades dies" (Rigney 2006). Prominent dissident, Vladimiro Roca, says, "Fidel Castro may be sick, but neither the Ministry of the Interior nor the state s...

Free Essays on Sugar

Sugar: It’s Tremendous Effect on a Nation From the earliest of times humans have used and traded in sugar. The sugar cane was first domesticated in New Guinna, taking place around 8000B.C. This early form of sugar was not the refined sugar that we know today, this was introduced into Europe in the 8th century, and was taken into England by the crusaders. As it was taxed from 1685 until 1874, its use did not become widespread. For instance, individual yearly consumption in Britain in 1800 was estimated as 18lbs per person. Thirty years later, sugar consumption rose two hundred and thirty three percent. No other food in world history has achieved such a large growth and consumption rate among people. Unfortunately, sugar raised many moral issues for the people involved in it’s trade and cultivation (namely slavery) but somehow managed to become a staple food in many diets across England at an alarming rate. Britain was especially affected by the introduction of sugar into society and while it became the fastest growing commodity ever in England, there were factors that cut short the rapid rise of sugar. Slavery and the introduction of the sugar beet are two of the factors involved with the complex history of the British sugar cane industry which overcame both dilemmas. Sugar, the sweet and tasty additive to many foods we consume today affected Britain in more ways than giving little children cavities. Sugar is a crop that put serious strain on a nations social, economic, and political practices, and would prove to be one of the most important crops in human history. In general Britain’s connection with sugar cane was linked irrevocably with black slavery. However, slavery was not a practice started by white Europeans. It had existed throughout history and in most cultures. In the Americas the Spanish started importing African slaves in 1517. They had originally forced the local native people to work in the mines a... Free Essays on Sugar Free Essays on Sugar Sugar: It’s Tremendous Effect on a Nation From the earliest of times humans have used and traded in sugar. The sugar cane was first domesticated in New Guinna, taking place around 8000B.C. This early form of sugar was not the refined sugar that we know today, this was introduced into Europe in the 8th century, and was taken into England by the crusaders. As it was taxed from 1685 until 1874, its use did not become widespread. For instance, individual yearly consumption in Britain in 1800 was estimated as 18lbs per person. Thirty years later, sugar consumption rose two hundred and thirty three percent. No other food in world history has achieved such a large growth and consumption rate among people. Unfortunately, sugar raised many moral issues for the people involved in it’s trade and cultivation (namely slavery) but somehow managed to become a staple food in many diets across England at an alarming rate. Britain was especially affected by the introduction of sugar into society and while it became the fastest growing commodity ever in England, there were factors that cut short the rapid rise of sugar. Slavery and the introduction of the sugar beet are two of the factors involved with the complex history of the British sugar cane industry which overcame both dilemmas. Sugar, the sweet and tasty additive to many foods we consume today affected Britain in more ways than giving little children cavities. Sugar is a crop that put serious strain on a nations social, economic, and political practices, and would prove to be one of the most important crops in human history. In general Britain’s connection with sugar cane was linked irrevocably with black slavery. However, slavery was not a practice started by white Europeans. It had existed throughout history and in most cultures. In the Americas the Spanish started importing African slaves in 1517. They had originally forced the local native people to work in the mines a...

How to Find the Andromeda Constellation

How to Find the Andromeda Constellation The night skies of September and October herald the return of the constellation Andromeda. While not the showiest constellation in the sky, Andromeda harbors a fascinating deep-sky object and is the source of intriguing historical tales. Finding the Andromeda Constellation To find constellation Andromeda, first look for the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia in the northern part of the sky. Andromeda is located directly next to Cassiopeia, and is also connected to a boxy shape of stars that make up the constellation Pegasus. Andromeda is visible to all northern hemisphere viewers and many, but not all, viewers south of the equator.   Andromeda constellation is attached to Pegasus the flying horse in the sky. The constellation Pisces lies at her feet. Each one of these constellations has deep-sky objects nearby for observers to search out. Carolyn Collins Petersen   The History of Andromeda In ancient Greece and Rome, the stars of Andromeda were seen in combination with the stars of Pisces to form a goddess of fertility. The Arabic astronomers saw Al Hut - a fish. In ancient China, stargazers saw various figures of legend in Andromedas stars, including a famous general and palaces for their emperors. In the south Pacific, where these constellations are low on the horizon, stargazers saw the stars of Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Triangulum joined together as a porpoise.   The Brightest Stars of Andromeda Andromeda Constellation has four bright stars and numerous dimmer stars. The brightest is called ÃŽ ± Andromedae, or Alpheratz. Alpheratz is a binary star located less than 100 light-years away from us. It is shared with Pegasus, although its not formally part of that constellation The official IAU chart outlines the area that contains Andromeda constellation. It also shows nearby deep-sky objects. IAU/Sky Telescope   The second-brightest star in Andromeda is called Mirach, or ÃŽ ² Andromedae. Mirach is a red giant lying about 200 light-years away, located at the foot of a trio of stars that appear to lead to Andromedas most famous deep-sky object: the Andromeda Galaxy.   Deep Sky Objects in Constellation Andromeda The most famous deep sky object in the northern hemisphere sky is the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31. This object is a spiral galaxy that lies about 2.5 million light-years away from us. It is heavily populated with up to 400 billion stars and is thought to have two black holes at its heart.   The Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant object that can be spotted from Earth with the naked eye. To find it, head out to a dark observation location, then locate the star Mirach. From Mirach, trace a line out to the next stars. M31 will look like a faint smudge of light. The best way to look at it is through binoculars or a telescope, you will be able to make out the oval shape of the galaxy. It will appear to be facing you edge-on. At 2.5 million light-years, the Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way. The term light-year was invented to handle the immense distances between objects in the universe. Later, parsec was developed for truly huge distances. Adam Evans/Wikimedia Commons. In the 1920s, the Andromeda Galaxy was known as the Andromeda Nebula, and for a long time, astronomers thought it was a nebula inside our own galaxy. Then, a young astronomer named Edwin Hubble took a look at it through the 2.5-meter Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson in California. He observed Cepheid variable stars in Andromeda and used Henrietta Leavitts period-luminosity relation to determine their distance. It turned out that the distance was too great for the so-called nebula to be in the Milky Way. The stars had to be located in a different galaxy. It was a discovery that changed astronomy.   More recently, the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (named in Hubbles honor) has been studying the Andromeda Galaxy, taking detailed images of its billions of stars. Radio astronomers have mapped sources of radio emissions within the galaxy, and it remains an object of intense observation.   Andromeda and the Milky Way colliding, as seen from the surface of a planet inside our galaxy. Credit: NASA; ESA; Z. Levay and R. van der Marel, STScI; T. Hallas; and A. Mellinger In the far future, the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies will collide. The collision will form a massive new galaxy that some have dubbed Milkdromeda.

Clean fuel is better for te envirement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Clean fuel is better for te envirement - Essay Example Moreover, these gases have the potential to create â€Å"ground-level ozone†, which is a layer that results when sunlight reacts with the pollutants mentioned above. Such atmospheric developments can have catastrophic consequences – including but not restricted to respiratory illnesses. In this context it is all the more imperative that a transition is made from conventional varieties of fuel to more environmentally friendly ones (Chang 24). Cleaner fuels on the other hand emit lesser quantities of hydrocarbons, which is a key factor in the formation of â€Å"ground-level ozone†. These new alternatives can reduce the emitted pollutants by nearly ninety percent, which makes a significant contribution towards restoring a healthy balance of atmospheric gases (Elliot 25). A disturbing trend over the last few decades has been the slow but significant accumulation of green-house gases, which are pivotal to the phenomena of global warming. The newer cleaner fuels such as electricity, natural gas and alcohol are not only advantageous to the environment but to the consumer as well. For example, these alternatives give the consumer more options to choose from. By reducing the dependence on petroleum they also bring forth economic advantages to the consumer (Chang 25). Let us now look at the advantages each new cleaner fuel provides. Ethanol, for example, emits very low levels of hydrocarbons and other toxic gases. More importantly, it can be produced in a small scale and by recycling wood and paper. Methanol, on the other hand can be extracted form natural gas, coal and wood. Propane is another cleaner fuel now gaining prominence. It is not only easy to manufacture but also very cheap compared to gasoline. But of the all gases, natural gas is the most eco-friendly and suitable for long-distance transportation. The most appealing non-gas fuel is electricity as it has â€Å"recharge†

Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Blog - Essay Example Janissaries were a formidable fighting force of the Ottomans which gave the Ottomans enormous advantage over the European forces. Gradually, firearms, infantry drill, muskets, grenades and hand cannons were introduced which further strengthened the Janissary corps. However, the original organization was strong enough to adopt these advancements. There were infantry and cavalry soldiers. The infantry was divided into seven groups: janissaries, recruits, armorers, artillerymen, artillery carries, bombardiers and sewermen. All of these groups, formed by Turkish yongmen, were strong enough to provide the military with a tough corps. Hence, it is concluded that the military should have a robust organizational structure first of all, so that it is resilient enough to adopt newer ways, tools and equipment. Although, it is also true that without the introduction and adoption of firearms, muskets, and etcetera, the Janissaries would have ended up much sooner than they did, however, the import ance of organizational structure cannot be denied as with any other field of

Issues in Contemporary Real Estate Development Research Paper

Issues in Contemporary Real Estate Development - Research Paper Example As a developer, initially, after the agreement of not taking up any old projects on the site, it is important for one to go through the general issues with regard to the project and the real estate developer. In the given project, one has to go through an initial windmill and attempt to understand and propose the various measures that one can take in the development of the stated land. One of the most interested parties in the development of this project is a school located in Chicago, Illinois. .However, the school itself has the idea of turning green and this is completely different from the strategies that the windmill had in the initial stages. There are different statutory implications of purchasing the land, such as the local government of the area may not have wanted the land to get altered in a manner through which it would turn green. The effect on the site, later on, is that water resources may lack to be maintained in the land In order to operate on the land, the school has to fill out various applications. One of the applications that the school has to take seriously is in form of a title deed. The deed shows the various signatories to the land and that they are the rightful owners of the property. Collateral is another important agreement that one has to take up. This is from the fact that the previous owners of the land may have done some damage on the land that may have various health implications especially keeping in mind that the new tenants of the land are schoolchildren. Seeing as the school intends to utilize the land as a green project, there are various measures that they ought to take in order to make it habitable to their specifications.  

Financial management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial management - Assignment Example Days payable out is too high beyond the working days allowed for 90days. The company should aim to reduce the number of days either by increasing the payables or number of purchases. The manager should be able to know where the cash is tied up. PART B Question three a) Price earnings ratio This is a ratio that is used to determine the value of a share or stock taking into consideration the earnings of a share of the company. By analyzing different price earnings ratios of companies, an investor can be able to determine where to purchase shares. A P/E ratio of 21.1 of Spikiri Company depicts that high returns can be expected. This is followed by Papi and Akanani Companies with 14.2 and 13.0 respectively. It is wise to purchase shares from Spikiri Company. The P/E ratio is also used to depict the amount of money investors are willing to pay for each dollar earned in a company. b) Dividend cover prices dividend paid P/E current high low dividend yield current high low Akanani 291 317 18 7 0.021 6.111 6.657 3.927 13 spikiri 187 201 151 0.023 4.301 4.623 3.473 21.1 Earnings per share current high low 22.38462 24.38462 14.38462 8.862559 9.526066 7.156398 dividend cover = earnings per share/ dividend paid per share current high low Akanani 3.663004 3.663004 3.663004 spikiri 2.060581 2.060581 2.060581 Dividend cover shows the ability of a company to pay dividends to ordinary shareholders from the profits that have earned. An investor is able to determine how much dividends are paid out of profits before making any investments in the company. Akanani pays more dividends from its profits as compared to Spikiri. Question three i. Cost of debt of bond A Kd = interest rate *(1-tax) = 9% (note taxes are ignored) ii. Different bonds in the same may have different costs of capital. This is explained towards the time period required to clear the payment. A bond with longer duration to payment will have a lower cost of capital. The yield to maturity also affects the cost of debt. Bonds have different yields to maturity which in turn determine the bond’s interest rates to be paid. The coupon rate may differ with each bond hence the cost of each debt. C i. Cost of equity 4+ (11-4)1.2= 10% ii. Ex-dividend share price = old share price/ (1+ dividend) = 1/(1+0.2) = 0.83 iii. Capital gearing (debt dividend by debt plus equity) = 30/90 = 0.33 iv. Market value weighted average cost of capital Cost of debt 9% + 7.82%= 16.82% WACC = kd * weight of debt + ke * weight of equity = 16.82 *30/90 + 10*60/90 = 12.27% d. change in dividend policy Dividend policy is explained as the long term decision that will show how cashflows will be deployed from the company’

Housing Development Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Housing Development Process - Essay Example However, emphasis on the architectural requirements of the houses has not been significant in the conventional practice of house development, although it is as important as the structural engineering concerns of the development. Importance of an architect is further exaggerated by a social change that has increased peoples’ interest in fashion, looks and aesthetics. An architect ensures their achievement in the finished look of the house. The housing development process requires careful consideration of various factors other than the design and aesthetics of the house. The development scheme originates from the need in a particular area, and the expenses available to the developers prior to development. Once the process of development of houses is felt beneficial for the community in a certain area, the developers look for the most appropriate site. A site that is near to the market and can offer many facilities at shortest distance from the house is considered the best for development. Once the site is selected, the developers accumulate funds either from banks, or by investments from the public. Then the site layout is prepared. Labor accommodation, site offices, and other facilities required for the development are clearly demarcated in the site layout. The project commences with the formulation of preliminary design by the architects that is matured by the structural engineers. Cost estimates are prepared simulta neously. Once the final design and cost estimates are identified, the construction begins. The houses are constructed as per the design and schedule prepared in the start of the project. It is ensured that the construction complies with the specifications devised by the architect in the start of the project. What is equally important is to ensure that the project completes exactly upon or before the time expected by the customer. Exceeding the finishing time can incur huge monetary

Financial management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial management - Assignment Example Days payable out is too high beyond the working days allowed for 90days. The company should aim to reduce the number of days either by increasing the payables or number of purchases. The manager should be able to know where the cash is tied up. PART B Question three a) Price earnings ratio This is a ratio that is used to determine the value of a share or stock taking into consideration the earnings of a share of the company. By analyzing different price earnings ratios of companies, an investor can be able to determine where to purchase shares. A P/E ratio of 21.1 of Spikiri Company depicts that high returns can be expected. This is followed by Papi and Akanani Companies with 14.2 and 13.0 respectively. It is wise to purchase shares from Spikiri Company. The P/E ratio is also used to depict the amount of money investors are willing to pay for each dollar earned in a company. b) Dividend cover prices dividend paid P/E current high low dividend yield current high low Akanani 291 317 18 7 0.021 6.111 6.657 3.927 13 spikiri 187 201 151 0.023 4.301 4.623 3.473 21.1 Earnings per share current high low 22.38462 24.38462 14.38462 8.862559 9.526066 7.156398 dividend cover = earnings per share/ dividend paid per share current high low Akanani 3.663004 3.663004 3.663004 spikiri 2.060581 2.060581 2.060581 Dividend cover shows the ability of a company to pay dividends to ordinary shareholders from the profits that have earned. An investor is able to determine how much dividends are paid out of profits before making any investments in the company. Akanani pays more dividends from its profits as compared to Spikiri. Question three i. Cost of debt of bond A Kd = interest rate *(1-tax) = 9% (note taxes are ignored) ii. Different bonds in the same may have different costs of capital. This is explained towards the time period required to clear the payment. A bond with longer duration to payment will have a lower cost of capital. The yield to maturity also affects the cost of debt. Bonds have different yields to maturity which in turn determine the bond’s interest rates to be paid. The coupon rate may differ with each bond hence the cost of each debt. C i. Cost of equity 4+ (11-4)1.2= 10% ii. Ex-dividend share price = old share price/ (1+ dividend) = 1/(1+0.2) = 0.83 iii. Capital gearing (debt dividend by debt plus equity) = 30/90 = 0.33 iv. Market value weighted average cost of capital Cost of debt 9% + 7.82%= 16.82% WACC = kd * weight of debt + ke * weight of equity = 16.82 *30/90 + 10*60/90 = 12.27% d. change in dividend policy Dividend policy is explained as the long term decision that will show how cashflows will be deployed from the company’

Prepare an organizational Strategic Human Resource Plan Essay

Prepare an organizational Strategic Human Resource Plan - Essay Example We also hold up all the talent growth of our workers through qualified growth, profession growth, and better presentation for our management. Mostly endorse the most attainment of a work existence balance and wellness in our workers community. To bring Human Resource services, plans and more so communications that are can be more valued by our potential workers, present workers, and retirees. To provide a quality and varied, comprehensive a group of people with an optimistic work surroundings. To struggle for most talented with effectual staffing plans and well organized staffing processes. Anothr goal of human resource is to foster an inclusive, diverse community, as well as a positive work environment. This will involve conducting climate assessment, building a better work environment, partner with Diversity Office to uphold and promote principles of community. Other provisions under this goal would also be to educate the community on harassment and discrimination prevention by equ ipping them with productive problem solving techniques. Objectives To generate a total plunder significance so as to educate the Human Resource associates, employing new managers, and even workers of the high value of this organization. Working very directly with the management so as to strengthen the needs for aggressive reimbursement for most of the individuals in our institution and desires to draw and keep our students. Â  To advance in specialized growth programs so as to get better management abilities, job capacities, and eventually employee efficiency. To expand complete vocation organization tools, job enhancement plan, furthermore mentoring all programs so as to help our workers and then get ready for more new chances. Develop more usable and flexible employment preparations during greater decision making and workers responsiveness regarding the possible reimbursement to workers and departments. Strategic Human Resource Organization Chart Our Activities Experts in our ins titution of Human Resources are listening carefully about civilizing our services to the university’s society by humanizing our abilities. Most of our efforts are to provide back to the career through managements and participation in expert relations. Again we will provide more efforts so as to intensify the information of the career by adding more of the academic qualifications and expert certifications. We will keep more information to our students this during these times so as to let everyone be acquainted with how the talented our members of the team are increasing as experts. Our Strategic human resource organization gives the financial, shared and supporting factors that one can be created in the external circumstances in which our University works. These factors have significant value, which have allegations for effectual human resource organization associated to the change work of art of the institution, in terms of era, sex and more so racial allocation. Our Universi ty seeks to make sure that its works better to the most extent promising. We do analyse and take away the most universal organisational difficulty to women’s development and give confidence to diversity in its employees and students population. There are important confront in upholding a high level output in mature employees and making sure that this University is most successful in employing and keep

Final Reflection Essay Example for Free

Final Reflection Essay 1. Upon embarking on writing about my Autobiography/Self-Discovery piece, I did not really expect it to become an enlightening journey of introspection. For me, it was a typical school day and I was just about to do a requirement. The incident I cited in my writing piece happened way before and yet I never forgot its profound impact on my life. It had me acquainted with an aspect of my true self that is, that I could also be a better and more appreciative person, and come to think of it, that anybody is capable of improving himself/herself so long as the desire to change is present. The Significant Event Essay which I wrote and submitted reveals only an aspect of my personality since the short anecdote plucked from my life story merely focused on my realizations on the values of compassion and appreciation. A person’s life has a lot of aspects and an essay or even a book would not be enough to capture everything about a man’s life. 2. My purpose in writing my essay was for others to appreciate the blessings they had because not everyone is as fortunate as his fellowman. It is intended for a general audience and is meant to be helpful to anyone who has not realized the value of blessings in his/her life. The essay is presented in the form of a short anecdote where there is an introduction, a building up of the story, a climax and a conclusion. As a writer, I learned that I had to present my story in a way that it is structured and systematic so that only the incidents related to the story were included and other details were left out. In this manner, focus was maintained and the main storyline was given more significance. I also made use of an outline so that I would not deviate from my projected direction, hence, the results of which are reflected in my essay. A profile is supposed to capture and present to the reader a glimpse on the life of a personality. The problem however, is that sometimes, the profile of a person that is presented is a skewed version, and that is where write-ups such as these are often questioned. More often than not, the more dramatic, exciting and odd aspects of an individual’s personality are those which are glamorized and sensationalized because these are the stories which usually sell. It is what piques the interest of the readers, hence, these are the materials which are highlighted, and the less dramatic and boring topics are relegated to the background or worse, not even mentioned. With regards to my own profile, I encountered the same problem because I found that it is not really possible to compress into one essay that which has taken so many years to achieve. Hence, theoretically, it is not really possible to create a â€Å"complete† profile because eventually, some details will ultimately be left out. 2. The omissions in a profile for general readership consumption connote that readers engage in reading more to be entertained than informed. A complete profile would mean that all aspects in a personality’s life will be included with all the boring stuff attached to it. Of course, this will not be allowed by the editors of magazines where the profiles will be published because this â€Å"boring stuff† can be done without and the excess writing space could be allocated for more ad space which can be sold to earn more income. Even if a writer wants to present the profile of a subject in a complete manner with everything included, it is not the writer who determines what becomes published because it is the reader who will choose. This is a lamentable fact, and yet what is in practice since the mass media operates on these guiding principles, however distorted the stories may be. Answers to Chapter 4 Questions: 1. I particularly believe that most if not all of the academic materials which present their concepts as uncontested truths do so because they are already based on widely-known and acknowledge facts and ideas. Basically, the whole chapter on Explaining a Concept is one such typical example because as of now, the ideas presented here are what are considered as true and accurate – for the moment. As new discoveries will be unearthed, new theories and concepts will correspondingly emerge and the present truths we have now will most likely be replaced later eventually. 2. Knowledge is established by way of a meeting of minds. Usually, the prominent academicians, researchers and professors in specific disciplines conduct meetings to agree/disagree on the concepts that are still considered up-to-date or obsolete. Once decided upon, obsolete ideas noted but not totally discarded. In some books, it is noticeable that references to such ideas are still mentioned but the reason for shelving the idea is always given. 3. The essay I did was about the practice of contraception. The idea that I pursued has long been established and accepted in society. It could be said that there are some sectors that still uphold religious beliefs over these medical practices which seem to challenge such beliefs. Yes, at some point, I felt that the ideas I am presenting may be questioned by my readers, but then, I had references to point to for the more technical stuff and I was confident with my own knowledge about the subject. I decided on doing a topic that would be helpful, practical and interesting and had more contemporary novelty, hence the subject of contraception. In writing my paper, I was not really comfortable in being a giver of knowledge at first but later on, I warmed up to the idea because I would be sharing some things that my peers may not really know about.

It is Difficult to Forgive

It is Difficult to Forgive Sometimes forgiveness can be difficult. It is not always easy to forgive someone for doing something wrong. There may be times where the transgression is so severe that it causes a person to think differently about someone, never being able to forget what they did to them. The Sunflower is a book about the possibilities and limits of forgiveness. Simon Wiesenthal, a Jewish prisoner, is called to the bedside of a dying Nazi soldier and is faced with the dilemma of being asked for forgiveness for the soldiers horrible atrocities he had committed during the war. The Jewish boy is unsure of what he should do or say. As he sits by the dying man listening to his story and comforting him for his last few minutes on Earth, he cannot bring himself to respond in any way. The boy sits in silence and does not grant nor deny the dying Nazis request for forgiveness. There are many terms for being forgiven. One cannot simply go through life doing whatever they please to anyone and expecting an apology will suffice afterwards. One cannot, and should not, go around happily killing and torturing and then, when the moment has come, simply ask, and receive, forgiveness, says Herbert Mercuse (Mercuse 208). A person may offend someone and feel guilty about it and then seek forgiveness from the person so that they may be on good terms with each other again after. Usually, after a transgression has occurred, the person who has been wronged may be upset or angry. They may not be able to offer forgiveness right away. The perpetrator must respect their need for time and understand that what they have done offended them. The recognition, if nothing else, is an important first step, says Sven Alkalaj (Alkalaj 103). Forgiveness cannot just be requested from anyone. In order for someone to give forgiveness they need to be involved in the actions committed by the individual. If someone greatly offends you and then asks another person for forgiveness and they say yes does that really mean they are forgiven for their actions? Simon was not able to forgive this man on behalf of the victims who were so maliciously murdered. Alan L. Berger says, I may forgive one who has sinned against me. I may not forgive one who has taken the life of another, (Berger 118). Does Simon really think that if he could contact the dead victims that they would want to offer this man forgiveness? Absolutely not. The Holocaust itself was a massive massacre. Literally millions of innocent people were brutally murdered just for not meeting the requirements of the perfect race. Anyone and everyone involved besides the victims do not deserve any forgiveness for such a horrible event. Even Franklin H. Littell says that, The probl em of the dying perpetrator was the fact that the only human persons who could have forgiven him were dead (Littell 197). Families and children were murdered in front of one another for no reason. How can a monster be given forgiveness for these actions even on his death bed? A misconception about forgiveness comes when it is confused with condoning or pardoning the offensive behavior. Forgiveness is not the same thing as forgetting, condoning, or pardoning. In todays modern times it seems that the typical behavior is to forgive and forget. Just because we forgive does not mean that we do not seek justice, speak out against the offender, or seek restitution. These things are all distinct from the act of forgiveness. The dying soldier may have truly been sorry for the things he had done. He may have actually deserved the chance to be forgiven, but even then the things he did would not just disappear. The crimes committed by this dying soldier and all the other soldiers are not simply something that can go away upon forgiveness. The solider seeking forgiveness was lucky to be dying before facing any real consequences of his actions. What these men were doing was extremely illegal and morally wrong. There is no way to replace a little boys murdered parents and siblings. After the Holocaust, trials were held to condemn the men responsible for these atrocities. Most of the men who were convicted were sentenced to death. The law offers no forgiveness. Another common misconception about forgiveness is that it makes the offended seem weak by accepting an apology and simply forgiving. It is never easy to forgive someone who has wronged you in some way. It is especially hard to forgive someone if what they have done has extremely hurt you emotionally and even physically in this case. There are many other people who actually think that the soldier could have deserved forgiveness (Wells). He could have been truly sorry for his actions. Some of the Holocaust survivors choose to forgive the soldiers that did these things because otherwise they would be angry and vengeful. They realize they were put through horrible unnecessary torture, but they need to move on with their lives in order to achieve a healthy life. Just as a victim of any other type of attack needs to often go to therapy sessions to try and overcome that obstacle in their life. It is all about allowing time to heal the wounds since the event. It is normal to be upset for more than a day for some things. Eva Fleischner talks about how the dying Nazi soldier is actually still at fault with his attempt at seeking forgiveness. The dying man simply wants any Jew to come to his bedside to listen to his plea. Yet, the man is oblivious to the ongoing pain and suffering of the Jews even after this mans passing. Viewing Simon as a representative of his people, he seeks to absolve himself and ease his insistent conscience through confessing and expressing his regret to him. He begs for a response, for confirmation that his remorse is accepted. He desperately awaits the comforting words that might provide him a peaceful death. Simon, torn and confused, himself still captive in a living hell manned by this mans comrades, holds his silence. That silence will forever trouble him, tugging at his conscience till his last day. This dying man represents each and every one of the murdering Nazi soldiers. Even after he is dead there will continue to be more deaths of Jews. Fleischner considers the possi bility that if maybe the dying man would have summoned another Nazi guard, that he could have given a more genuine apology (Fleischner 143). Another thing that is sometimes thought about forgiveness that is not true is the idea that refusing to forgive is a fitting way to punish the offender. In the story the dying soldier made a deathbed wish; to confess his crimes to a Jew and to have that person forgive him. Some people believe that forgiving him would have given him exactly what he wanted. And withholding that forgiveness would have punished him, quite justly, for his heinous acts. I do not think that this was Simons intentions at all. He did not have any thought of trying to punish the soldier more than the anguish he was already in. More often than not, it is the one who refuses to forgive who suffers more. In this case that is true. Because of Simons own silence he is devastated of whether or not he made the right choice. The act of forgiving is something that we carry with us throughout our entire lives. The fact that we do not truly forget what has happened once we forgive means that there will always be the thought of that event in the back of our minds. If a sibling hurts you, but then apologizes, each time you see them there will be that memory and you will silently forgive them again for their regretful actions. This happens with everything that you offer forgiveness for. It would not make sense to forgive someone and then when you think of the event you get upset. In that case, that would mean that your forgiveness was not truly meant and you still resented them for doing what they did. Simon is still haunted by this experience years after it occurred. He ponders whether or not he made the right decision. He truly felt that this dying mans apology was sincere, and that he may have been truly resentful for his sins. Still Simon remained silent and offered no reconciliation to this man. He held his hand through the whole story and even swatted away flies that bothered the dying soldier. It was simply not his position to be able to offer forgiveness for this mans sins. Since the victims are dead, God is the only one who can offer him any peace of mind. Simon cannot offer a response that might not be what the victims would want. I am sure the victims would much rather have been alive then cruelly murdered. Forgiveness is not for the weak or timid. It is not the same as condoning a behavior. Withholding forgiveness leads to more suffering for us than the offender, and the practice of forgiveness is not a one-shot deal; it is a life-long discipline.

One Evil Summer :: essays research papers

One Evil Summer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s finally summer and a time to do what you want and have as much fun as you can. Well that’s not the case with Amanda Conklin’s who lives in a cruel and crazy town on a very scary street, Fear Street. Amanda was going threw a lot of bad tuff times, like when the town accused her of lighting an old mans house on fire, or the time when she was accused of stealing from her school gym. Amanda was also doing fairly bad in school and especially at the end of her school year. Amanda was so frustrated that she told everyone she would soon run away and a few nights that exactly what she did and on that night she was hit by car and the next morning she was sent to a mental hospital nearby her home. She then came out of the mental hospital a month later and went back to school. The bad thing was tat she didn’t know any of the stuff they were studying and there was only one week left of school. She was doing terrible in school and on last day of school she got her report card and it was terrible. When she came home he showed it to her mother and it was recommended that she should go to summer school. So the summer that Amanda thought would be the greatest summer yet was turned into the worst. Amanda’s family decided to move the family to a nearby beach in Seahaven. In Saehaven Amanda was sent to summer school and hated it. Amanda’s parents aid that they wer going on a 3week trip and already have everything planned. Amanda’s brother and sister were going to be baby sat by who was said to be the town’s best baby sitter, her name was Chrissy Meleings. Chrissy was known as the best baby sitter Amandas sister and brother loved her and so did the rest of the town but Amanda had a feeling there was something wrong with her. So Amanda started asking around to see if Chrissie was bad or not. It took long but she found out about her reacent babysitttings from her friend heather and found out that Amanda would kill any animals of yours steal toys and it is rumored that she killed some of the kids she babysat. Amanda was going crazy and it was the second week since Christie has been babysitting her sister and brother and Amanda noticed her cat was missing she then searched all around for it.

Case Analysis: “No Frills” Air Fares

Business Economics Case Analysis: â€Å"No Frills† Air Fares Distinguish between the demand curves for National Airlines, Eastern Airlines and the Airlines industry. The above analysis requires an understanding of: (i) Why is the demand curve downward sloping? (ii) Can price have the same effect on the demand between the firms and at industry level? (iii) What would be the effect of changes in income and other prices on the demand curve of a firm? iv) Calculate the price elasticity of demand for National and Eastern Airlines. (v) Which elasticity measurement (Point vs. Arc) is appropriate for National and Eastern Airline? Explain â€Å"No Frills† Air Fares As the 1974-1975 recession made inroads into passenger traffic loads of the major airlines, National Airlines persuaded the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to let it try an experiment with a discount of as much as 35 % from normal coach fares on certain of its regularly scheduled routes. National, in an effort to build up its load factor, tied its discount fare proposal to the offering of â€Å"no frills† service during the flight, including doing away with complimentary meals, snacks, soft drinks, and coffee so as to reduce costs and partially offset the lower-priced fares. However, passengers using the â€Å"no frills† plan could selectively purchase these items in-flight if they wished. The no frills fares were offered only Mondays through Thursdays. The CAB gave the go-ahead to National to experiment with the no frills fare, with the proviso that National study the plan and report back at a later date. Eastern Airlines and Delta Airlines, both competitors of National on some of the routes where National proposed to implement no frills fares, were also permitted to use the discount fares for a trial period. In its report to the CAB on the results of the no frills approach, National maintained that 56 % of the 133,000 passengers who used its no frills fare from mid- April through June 30, 1975, were enticed to travel by air because of the discount fare plan. According to National, the new passenger traffic generated by discount fares increased its revenues by $4 million during that period. National said that its figures were based upon an on-board survey of 13,500 passengers and presented one of the most exhaustive studies ever conducted for a CAB investigation. J. Dan Brock, vice president for marketing for National Airlines, was quoted at a news conference as saying that the fare had been an â€Å"unqualified success,† had created a new air-travel market, and had generated more than twice the volume of new passengers required to offset revenue dilution caused by regular passengers switching to the lower fare. He said the stimulus of the fare gave National a net traffic gain of 74,000 passengers during the initial 21/2 – month trail. But he also cautioned that the success claims he was making for the no frills fare did not mean that low fares were the answer to the airline industry’s excess capacity problems. Yet Brock did go so far as to state that â€Å"what no frills has proved†¦ is that a properly conceived discount fare, offered at the right time in the right markets with the right controls, can help airlines hurdle traditionally soft traffic period. Eastern Airlines reported a much different experience. Eastern said its studies showed that only 14 % of the 55,200 of its passengers who used a no frills fare between mid-April and May 31 represented newly generated traffic, with the remaining 86 % representing passengers diverted from higher fares who would have flown anyway. It said that the effect of the fare in the six major markets it studied was a net loss in re venue to Eastern of $ 543,000 during the initial 11/2 months. At the same time Eastern attacked the credibility of the National Airlines’ survey, noting that its own data were based upon an exhaustive and scientific blind telephone survey among persons who did not know the purpose and sponsor of the survey. Eastern claimed that this type of study was more apt to produce unbiased results that National’s on-board surveys. Other airlines joined Eastern in challenging National’s survey results in the CAB’s hearing to decide whether the no frills fares should continue to be allowed. Delta Airlines, for example, claimed that the no frills fare did not even come close to offsetting the dilution its experienced in revenues. Other airline officials observed that while National Airlines might have succeeded through its heavy promotion of the no frills fares in diverting some business from ther carriers, they felt that National‘s claims of generating many passengers who otherwise would not have flown were â€Å"preposterous. † Those airlines in direct competition with National on the routes where the discount fares were tried were vehemently opposed to continuing the discounts. In their view the no frills approach constituted â€Å"economic nonsense. † They announced a policy of matching National’s discount fare only where forced to for competitive reasons.

Food Critique History Essay

Food history is an interdisciplinary field that examines the history of food, and the cultural, economic, environmental, and sociological impacts of food. Food history is considered distinct from the more traditional field of culinary history, which focuses on the origin and recreation of specific recipes. Food historians look at food as one of the most important elements of cultures, reflecting the social and economic structure of society. Food history is a new discipline, considered until recently a fringe discipline. The first journal in the field, Petits Propos Culinaires was launched in 1979 and the first conference on the subject was the Food & History is a multilingual (French, English, German, Italian and Spanish) scientific journal that has been published since 2003. Food & History is the biannual scientific review of the European Institute for the History and Cultures of Food (IEHCA) based in Tours. It publishes papers about the history and culture of food. The review  Food & History is the biannual scientific review of the Institut Europeen d’Histoire et des Cultures de l’Alimentation / European Institute for the History and Culture of Food (IEHCA) in Tours, France. Founded in 2003, it is the first journal in Europe, both in its vocation and concept, specialised in the specific field of food history. Food & History aims at presenting, promoting and diffusing research that focuses on alimentation from an historical and/or cultural perspective. The journal studies food history (from prehistory to the present), food archaeology, and food culture from different points of view. It embraces social, economic, religious, political, agronomical, and cultural aspects of food and nutrition. It deals at the same time with questions of food consumption, production and distribution, with alimentation theories and practices (medical aspects included), with food-related paraphernalia and infrastructures, as well as with culinary practices, gastronomy, and restaurants. Being positioned at the cross-roads of the humanities and social sciences, the review deliberately promotes interdisciplinary research approaches. Although most contributions are concerned with European food history, the journal principally also welcomes articles on other food cultures. Food & History is a fully-fledged academic journal which applies the usual methodical instruments for assessing incoming articles, i. e. a double-blind reviewing process by external referees, recruited from a large and ever-growing intercontinental pool of experts in the field of social and cultural food studies. Food & History belongs to a decreasing spectrum of journals which openly expresses its European and international character by accepting manuscripts in five European languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German). Food & History gains official recognition from the Institut des Sciences Humaines et Sociales of the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and is indexed by the European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH) of the European Science Foundation (History category B). Food & History can be published thanks to the financial support from the Ministere de l’Education nationale, Ministere de l’enseignement superieur et de la recherche, Universite Francois-Rabelais de Tours, and the Conseil Regional du Centre. [edit] History Food and History was created by a network of academic researchers and students, with the help of the French Ministry for National Education and the University of Tours. The journal is sustained by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)[1] and is cited by the European Science Foundation in its European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH)[2]. The launch of Food & History was on the one hand a logical fruit of the foundation of the European Institute for the History of Food in December 2000 in Strasbourg (redefined in 2005 as European Institute for the History and Culture of Food), and on the other hand a clear manifestation of the gradual breakthrough of social and cultural food studies as an independent field of research during the first decades of the 21st century. The emergence of this sub-discipline had, of course, been anticipated in an impressive record of food-related research, conducted by scholars from adjacent fields, such as e.g. economic history, agricultural history, history of the body etc. However, the scholars behind these pioneering works were generally operating on a rather individual base and they would not have defined themselves as food historians. It was only with the foundation of the journal Food and Foodways in 1986 and of the International Commission for Research into European Food History (ICFREH) by Hans-Jurgen Teuteberg in Munster 1989 that a first infrastructural framework for social and cultural  food studies was provided. In the decades around the turn of the century, a lot of new food-related research initiatives became visible, thus demonstrating the vitality of this research area. In 1997, the Department of History at the University of Adelaide established a Research Centre for the History of Food and Drink. In 2001, a new web-journal The Anthropology of Food was launched and in 2004 the American Association for the Study of Food and Society re-launched a journal, entitled Food, Culture and Society. Around the turn of the century, due to – amongst others – new appointments in the editorial board, the research interest of the journal Food and Foodways changed in a two-fold sense: on the one hand â€Å"it shifted away from familiar disciplines (history, sociology, ethnology) toward ‘unexpected’ones (communication sciences, linguistics, tourism)†, on the other hand it became increasingly dominated by Anglo-Saxon input, especially from scholars from the USA, whereas the influence of the traditional French research schools significantly diminished. Some scholars argue that this ‘exotic’ publication strategy of Food and Foodways may have led to the launch of the new food history journal Food & History. Be that as it may, it was from the very start of the European Institute for the History of Food obvious that this new Europe-wide food research initiative should be accordingly accompanied by the launch of a new publication platform. And so happened: three years after its foundation, the IEHA announced the introduction of a new journal, Food & History, which still appears under the aegis of IEHCA, represented by its director Francis Chevrier (series editor). It started with a 7-persons board, consisting of four historians, one sinologist, one sociologist and Secretary Christophe Marion. As from volume 4. 2 (publication year 2006), the editorial board was almost doubled, with the addition of a philologist, archaeologist, classicist, and three historians. After a transition period and the appointment of a new secretary in 2007, the journal has been increasingly professionalised, amongst others by the introduction of a new uniform style sheet (link) and by the application of a comprehensive peer reviewing system (starting with volume 5. 1). These assessments are usually carried out on an entirely honorary base. However, by way of acknowledgement, the names of external referees are regularly published, usually in the last issue of each volume. Another development that bears witness of the increasing professionalisation of the journal was the change in its direction. During the initial period, Massimo Montanari had served as editor in chief, but in 2008 the editorial board declared itself openly in favour of a new dual leading structure, which rotates among the board members, giving each tandem a triennial turn (which is once renewable for another turn of three years). During a transitional year (2009), Montanari was accompanied by Allen Grieco and Peter Scholliers, who in the subsequent year took over the torch of the journals direction. Yet another step towards further professionalisation was the introduction of a group of corresponding members as from 2010, with the aim to represent the journal’s interests in different world regions and to establish a permanent flow of food research related information between these regions and the journal’s â€Å"headquarters†.

Importance of Organic Foods Essay

The definition of organic agriculture is farming with the use of synthetic chemicals. After World War II, larger and increasingly automated farms, known as â€Å"factory farms,† put the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides developed in the 1920s into widespread use. They found that more crops could be produced mass produced. What they did not realize were the dangers of using these chemicals and the effects they would have on the environment and human health. The USDA must approve all products claiming to be organic and there are many strict guidelines farmers must follow. Farmers must abstain from the use of prohibited materials (pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and sewage sludge) for three years prior to being certified organic and then continue these practices throughout their organic license. They must employ positive soil burning, conservation, manure management and crop rotation. They must provide outdoor access and pastures for livestock and refrain from the use of antibiotics and hormones in their animals, while sustaining livestock on 100% organic feed. Farmers may not use genetically modified organisms or irradiation. Organic products are grown in healthier soil and contain higher levels of nutrients and non-organics. Many organic may even taste better. Food irradiation is worse than the radiation from a television or microwave. The ionizing radiation processes used on food break up molecules and deplete food of essential vitamins and enzymes. Many pesticides are linked to diseases. An example is glufosinate, which is commonly used on sugar beets and canola, has been shown to cause birth defects. Chemical companies influence the government to raise the acceptable levels of chemicals in foods so that they can make more money on their product without concern for the environment and the safety of people. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging the use of biosolids (human waste) to be used as fertilizers in order to solve the problem of there being too much waste than they know what to do with. They problem is that industrial waste and toxic chemicals get mixed in. Many toxins such as PCBs, DDT, asbestos, dioxins, and toxic heavy metals are being used in the cultivation of food. Yuck. Another problem we face is the use of hormones and antibiotics in our livestock. Bovine growth hormones end up in our dairy products, and those BGHs and linked to prostate and breast cancer. The ingestion of antibiotics can damage the balance of beneficial bacteria in our bodies and create drug-resistance, so that if we really get sick, antibiotics may not work anymore. Many people may try to eat healthier by cutting down on fast-foods and processed foods by eating more fruits and vegetables, but this can even defeat itself. For example, non-organic spinach contains for pesticide residue than any other fruit or vegetable. The twelve most contaminated crops are: strawberries, green and red bell peppers, spinach, cherries (US), peaches, cantaloupe (Mexico), celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes (Chile), and cucumbers. More than 90% of all pesticides used don’t even reach the desired plant they were used on! There are many reasons to buy organic foods. You will protect future generations- decrease the cancer causing pesticides in foods. You will prevent soil erosion- soil is the foundation of our food chain, and chemicals fertilizers deplete healthy soil. You will protect water quality- water makes of three-fourths of the planet, and the EPA has estimated that pesticides contaminate the ground water in over thirty-eight states. You will save energy- modern farming uses more petroleum than any other industry, but organic farming is based mainly on labor intensive practices and uses green manure to build up soil. You’ll keep chemicals off of your plate- the EPA considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides, and 30% of insecticides carcinogenic. You will protect farm worker health- over one million people are poisoned annually by pesticides, and farmers exposed to herbicides have a six times greater risk of contracting cancer. You’ll help small farmers- most organic farms are small and independently owned, and the US has lost more and 650, 000 family farms in the past decade. You’ll promote biodiversity- insects become genetically resistant to insecticides, and soil is left lacking natural minerals and nutrients if chemicals are used. And the number one reason to buy organic- your food will taste better and contain more essential vitamins and nutrients! Pittsburgh Organic and some helpful websites: East End Food Co-op 7516 Meade Street PGH, PA 15208 412-242-3598 E House Company 1511 East Carson Street PGH, PA 412-488-7455 www. eastendfood. coop www. nascigs. com -request a free carton of smokes! www. cleanvibes. com www. organicconsumers. org www. odemagazine. net www. organickitchen. com www. sare. org www. themeatrix. com.

Communiction Theories Ch. 25 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communiction Theories Ch. 25 - Essay Example nment, income distribution, time use, health condition, community vitality, psychological well being, good governance, ecological resilience, and cultural diversity (Snyder, 1992). In one of the international GNH meeting, some of the preliminary results regarding the factors, which are important for an individual’s happiness and the tracking of the changes in GNH, were revealed. Consequently, such factors as modern household equipment, household income, high positive emotions, amount of land owned, low negative emotions, good physical and mental health, regular socialization, meditation, education qualification, and trust were highlighted to be important factors leading to the happiness in the Bhutanese life. From the revelation of these factors, the institutions that can support and look into such other finer factors like trustworthiness, positive emotions, socialization, meditation, and personal health should be put in place. This will ensure that the resources are directed to where they are needed. Happiness deconstruction also calls for people to understand it as the most significant end of society in any government (Snyder, 1992). Considering the issue of consumer behavior in economics, the findings based on preferences and rational choices were considered sufficient metric showing people’s desires. However, the findings have been found to have limitations, since it is not true that whatever someone pays reveals the choice and preference. The person may have had financial constraints, and therefore, had no otherwise but to pay. In this case, such things as lack of information concerning alternatives, ideology, and addiction are blamed for shaping the choices in adverse way, hence-preventing proper choice making. Because of this deconstruction, our understanding on the effect of ideology in shaping our choices is likely to broaden (Snyder,

Quality Improvement Framework and Indicators Research Paper

Quality Improvement Framework and Indicators - Research Paper Example   A multitude of quality improvement frameworks have been devised. These frameworks include European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Chronic Care Model (CCM), and others. According to Massoud, four principles of quality improvement are particularly important. These include: focus on the client, understanding of service systems along with key processes, team work, and focus on the use of data. In the healthcare industry particularly, services should be devised to satiate the needs of clients. An important measure of quality improvement is the extent to which customers’ needs are fulfilled. In order to bring improvements in healthcare quality, it is also important to fathom key processes first. In every healthcare organization, work is accomplished by different people working in teams. Therefore teamwork is a pre-requisite for quality improvement in healthcare organizations. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of improved systems, it is imperative to analyze data before and after the implementation of those changes (Massoud, n.d.).Responsiveness, in other words, patient-centeredness, is another dimension. Patient-centeredness is the degree to which a healthcare organization gives importance to its patients. A good way to assess this is to evaluate patients’ experience in terms of their healthcare. Accessibility is also a dimension which describes the degree to ease to which healthcare services are provided. Equity is related to health care financing, health status, and outcomes.... Equity measures the degree to which a healthcare organization provides healthcare services to its people. The optimum use of healthcare resources available to a healthcare organization is considered efficiency. Efficiency can further be classified into ‘micro efficiency’ and ‘macro efficiency’. In some frameworks, macro-efficiency is often replaced with sustainability. It involves the overall healthcare spending at the right level. On the other side, macro efficiency refers to the realization of resources. According to a conceptual framework for healthcare quality indicators (HCQI), healthcare performance dimensions include quality, access, cost, equity, and efficiency. According to the framework presented by Edward Kelly and Jeremy Hurst, the core quality improvement dimensions include Effectiveness, safety and responsiveness/patient centeredness. These dimensions can significantly increase the desired outcomes (Kelly & Hurst, 2006). According to Donabedian , indicators can be classified into structure and process. Structure indicators of healthcare indicators include qualification of doctors and facilities available at the healthcare organization. Process indicators include proper delivery of appropriate healthcare to the organization. Areas which should be monitored for Quality In order for an organization to successfully implement a quality improvement framework, it is important to adopt an apt methodology. First of all, it is imperative to identify components which need to be improved. In healthcare organizations, some of the common problems which need to be addressed include inaccessibility of drugs and medicines, unavailability of staff, poor management of laboratory, and waiting time. The next step is to