Candy in Of Mice and Men Essay

Candy’s name has many connotations and many of which gives us an insight to the inequalities against old people in American society. Candy on the very simple and literal level means â€Å"sweet and pleasing† and shows that Candy is a very sweet, nice old man. Another connotation that springs to mind is that Candy, the old swamper, is a very friendly, honest and open man with whom you can talk about everything. This is underlined by his name: â€Å"candid† means â€Å"not hiding one†²s thoughts, frank and honest†. But Candy’s name has also an even deeper meaning or connotation which highlights an inequality in society in that his name- Candy- is a metaphor as much like his name, candy or sweets have a sell-by date. This portrays that in American society all workers are expendable or indispensable and after a given time they are rendered as useless. The killing of Candy’s dog is a key metaphor in the book as Candy the old handyman, aging and left with only one hand as the result of an accident, worries that the boss will soon declare him useless and demand that he leave the ranch. Even though we learn that Candy’s dog was once an impressive sheep herder, past accomplishments and current emotional ties matter little, as Carlson makes clear when he insists that Candy let him put the dog out of its misery, we see this in the line: â€Å"He ain’t no good to you†¦why’n’t you shoot him Candy?† Candy’s dog serves as a harsh reminder in American society of the fate that awaits anyone who outlives their usefulness. This situation also portrays an inequality in society in that society views on their age and incapabilities rather than their values and past achievements. Steinbeck throughout the novel uses Candy to portray to the reader the inequality of ageism in American in society in 1920. Through his descriptions of Candy’s working and living conditions, Steinbeck highlights the frequent use of discrimination and ageism. Candy is an â€Å"old swamper†, who lives in a â€Å"bunkhouse†. His possessions are a â€Å"bunk† and â€Å"an apple box†. Theoretically, one should treat aged people respectfully. In our society, pensioners have a better life than employees. However, Candy is a â€Å"swamper† and he is not treated fairly. The repetition of â€Å"old† in Candy’s description also emphasises that his appearance and inability to work because of his age was what many people judged Candy by. Candy because of his age and disability is an outcast on this ranch we see this when he does not go into town with the rest of the ranchworkers which highlights how excluded Candy is. The exclusion of Candy is another indication of the inequalities in American society in that it was very ageist and discriminative. In our society pensioners are treated with a lot more respect that the average middle-aged working class citizen but we learn from this novel that society in 1920 was juxtaposed to this. Candy did not get pension or benefits for the government; the only sum of money he received was the inadequate sum of $250 for the loss of his hand, which contributed massively to his uslessness. This is an indication in of an inequality in society as old people were not even valued by the government as there were no pensions. Old people were poor in the 1920’s because they were seen as useless by the average people and the government alike. This indicates that American society greatly believed in the term ‘survival of the fittest’ and believed people should ‘work until they dropped.’ After Lennie leaves the ranch Candy replaces his role and becomes dependent on George: â€Å"What we gonna do now George? What we gonna do now?† Also throughout the novel we notice Candy’s vulnerability in the ranch especially when it comes to the boss. For example we see in the line: â€Å"You won’t tell Curley nothing I said?† that Candy is in fact frightened of the boss and his son and knows that they have the power to get rid of Candy from the ranch and therefore would leave him with nothing. Candy is a passive man, unable to take any independent action. Indeed, his one major act in the book – when he offers Lennie and George money in order to buy a piece of land with them – is a means by which he can become dependent on them: â€Å"An’ I’ll make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off† This indicates an inequality in that it shows how vulnerable old people were in American society especially once they got past the stage of being able to work as no one seen them as any use. View as multi-pages

A biased essay Essay

A biased essay can diminish the writer’s reliability in the reader’s eye. Reliability is what makes a writer’s word reliable. If a writer fails to address the other side of an argument or concern, which they feel strongly, by paying no attention to it or by dismissing it, it is less likely that a reader will give their essay any credibility. â€Å"Acknowledging points of view different from your own also has the effect of fostering more credibility between you and the audience.† (McLean, S., 2011, p. 311). Furthermore, presenting a biased view in an essay can make the essay vulnerable to question on whether its views are effective or not. The idea is that if the writer’s view is biased, the rest of the essay may also have issues. A way we can prevent bias is to use multiple sources of information and compare them with each other. In addition, we must be unbiased and not noticeably favor one specific point of view. Writing for Success. Retrieved from McLean, S., COM/155 – University Composition and Communication website. How do you feel about using I in an academic essay? What issues arise with the use of I in an academic essay, and how can you prevent it? In my opinion, I believe the use of the letter â€Å"I†, in an academic essay, should be allowed sparingly and dependent upon what the writer is attempting to address. If the writer has personal knowledge of a topic or a project they have conducted themselves, then my question would be, â€Å"Why not?† The purpose of an academic essay is for the writer/student to demonstrate their personal knowledge and growth is it not? Therefore, by addressing the writer as a source it would give them credibility in their essay. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay However, I do understanding how incorporating the letter â€Å"I† in an essay changes the subject of a sentence to that of the writer. This pulls the attention away from the subject and towards that of the writer essentially creating bias by directing attention to the writer’s personal points of view. Removing the letter â€Å"I† from a sentence can prevent this from occurring, which allows the subject to remain the topic of the sentence, consequently separating the subject from that of the writer. What are some of the benefits of regular physical activity? Why is physical activity important and how might it improve health and wellness? There are many things people can do for their health. However, one of the most important things they can do is engage in regular physical activity. Previously, I have associated physical activity as a weight management tool. However, I have come to learn that physical activity goes far beyond weight management. A person who includes physical activities in their daily life has fewer chances of serious physical and mental ailments. As learned through this course, maintaining a consistent physical activity regiment can lessen our risk for contracting diseases and improve our overall health. In addition, maintaining regular physical activity can prevent us from contracting several health problems including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, stress, etc. Furthermore, consistently working out and maintaining a well-balanced diet can improve all aspects of life (Donatelle, R.J., 2011). If we take responsibility for our own health by maintaining a physically active lifestyle, we can improve our lives immensely. Reference: Donatelle, R.J. (2011). Health. Retrieved from Donatelle, R.J., SCI/162 – Principles of Health and Wellness website. What is one factor that has contributed to the global increase in obesity? Describe this factor in detail and explain why the factor puts individuals at risk for becoming obese. One factor I find intriguing is the genetic factors associated with obesity. â€Å"Over 250 gene markers have shown positive association to obesity in over 400 separate studies.† (Donatelle, R.J., 2011, p. 295). This was shocking because my entire life, I have been told that genetics has nothing to do with obesity. I have struggled with weight management my entire life. I swore my fluctuating weight was attributed to genetics. My mother is slightly overweight as is my grandmother. In addition, I have an identical twin brother with whom I share identical features from large ears to a large waistline. Sure, my weight has fluctuated throughout the years, but I have consistently been heavier than most. I do lose weight when I maintain a rigorous workout plan, but as soon as I stop, the weight comes back immediately. Because genetics are an uncontrollable factor of obesity, I believe this puts individuals at an extremely high risk of obesity. Weight management by way of physical activity can help to prevent the effects of obesity. However, it is up to the individual to implement a regiment that works for them. Reference: Donatelle, R.J. (2011). Health. Retrieved from Donatelle, R.J., SCI/162 – Principles of Health and Wellness website. In what situations are compare-and-contrast essays effective? When would that style be ineffective? What is the difference? Explain. I believe compare-and-contrast essays are most effective when two subjects are similar however if small differences are discovered about the subject, the reader’s opinion would be changed. The reason why you would conduct a compare-and-contrast essay is to identify the differences of the two subjects and persuade the reader into sympathizing with your view. In addition, this rhetorical mode of writing can be used to compare the likenesses of two subjects or to contrast the differences of two subjects. A compare-and-contrast essay would not be effective if we want to write about how our day went. The most effective way to write about how our day went would be a narration essay. The difference is that if we are narrating somet hing, we are telling a story or narrating an incident or series of incidents. In addition, we are not comparing or contrasting the subject as we would in a compare-and-contrast essay. Students often argue that since they are expressing their point-of-view that they have to use first person. Traditionally, in an academic piece of writing, this is frowned upon. One of the reasons is that using first person actually will make a statement seem less confident. Why do you think this is so? Whenever I read something written by an individual who is not affiliated with an accredited source, I immediately form an opinion that the information they are trying to relay is biased. This is because the individual has identified himself or herself as the reliable source of information by identifying himself or herself in the first person pronoun â€Å"I.† In academic writing, our peers already know we are developing a topic from a personal view, which does not require the need to identify our personal point of view. Therefore, when we continuously identify our opinion as the only opinion, it makes us sound less confident about our work. These are wholly unnecessary in academic writing because your academic peers already accept that you are developing your topic from a subjective perspective—one that you will explain and support by way of a scholarly method. When you habitually draw attention to the fact that your writing is â€Å"only your opinion,† it reads as a lack of confidence in your own ideas or in your abilities to discuss them persuasively. Yet one more reason they are inappropriate is that they turn academic prose into narrative prose, using a first-person point of view. Suddenly, the reader is made aware of an unreliable narrator who’s conveying the intellectual content as though it’s part of a story. Again, academic readers demand that the intellectual content of the prose be showcased, and that the ego behind it not assert itself and cross the objective distance readers demand as a matter of protocol What are some obstacles that prevent individuals from getting regular physical activity? How can you overcome these obstacles? Some obstacles include a lack of time, lack of knowledge about how to exercise, a lack of inclination. You can overcome these obstacles by scheduling your time better, learning about exercise, and changing yourself to desire better health. One of the most common reasons that prevent individuals from conducting physical activity is a lack of time. For me, being able to find time to work out is difficult because I work long hours and have family responsibilities that require my attention. However, through my courses here at University of Phoenix, I have learned how to develop time management techniques and schedules, which have become useful in developing a routine. Another thing that prevents individuals from getting regular physical activity is, not knowing how to work out properly. Some people are afraid of receiving injury because of poor techniques used while working out. However, the risk of injuries because of working out far outweighs the risk of contracting a health related issues because of not working out. The effect of not leading a physically active lifestyle has long-term effects that can be far more dangerous than an injury sustained while working out. Class, what are some ways you’ve found meal planning to be helpful? What I have found to be helpful with meal planning is that I do not open myself up to temptation; temptations such as fast food establishments that look appealing and are probably not a healthy choice. When I develop a meal plan, I am less likely to eat unhealthy foods. Here in California, we have a Fresh & Easy grocery store, which sells pre-made food in single servings. I have found this store to be amazing. I am often faced with last minute phone calls to report to work as such I am unable to make a lunch. Now I just grabbed a pre-made salad or sandwich and I am off. Not only does this save me time, but also money because I do not purchase other items and it reduce food waste. The more you practice your writing, the better off you are and the more you will learn. As the old saying goes, â€Å"practice makes perfect!† Eventually, using the right word form will become common knowledge and second nature to you. When I got out of high school, I had a hard time with proper word form, amongst other things. Like most young adults, I did not pay as much attention as I should have in English class. However, I was lucky enough to get into a career where I write on a daily basis. Through trial and error, I learned the difference between â€Å"there† and â€Å"their,† as well as the other word forms. In addition, when I read, I tend to focus on words that I have not seen before and try to figure out their meaning by reading the word in the sentence. So, continue to practice your writing and read, and eventually you will know the difference! we, us, our, they, them, ours. What are gender-free pronouns? Provide three suggestions how to solve using biased language in your writing? Some gender-free pronouns include we, us, our, they, them, their, ours, etc. In writing, the use of gender-free pronouns is important to avoid biased language. Before this course, I never really knew how biased others might have understood my writing. For that reason, the most important way to avoid using biased language in our writing is to be aware that it exists. Another way is to avoid using masculine or feminine pronouns such as â€Å"he† and â€Å"she.† In addition, avoiding the use of pronouns all together in a sentence can alleviate biased language. Furthermore, alternating male and female examples such as â€Å"he† and â€Å"she† throughout a sentence can also alleviate biased language. Jessica, You pointed out some great information and I agree with you. When I was younger, I use to love playing outside with my brothers, riding my bike, and enjoying the outdoors. I truly believe that the invention of video games and other technologies such as computers and internet access is taking the youth out of our children. However, I believe we as parents are to blame for this. We are the enablers that give them these devices and allow them to utilize these devices freely. Sure we can put restriction on how long they can use the device, but unless we follow-up to ensure these restrictions are being adhered to; we truly will never influence our children to be active. Hey Lee, What I have found to be most motivating to me is my daughter. Every time I think to myself that I do not need to work out, I look at my daughter and realize I want to live longer. As morbid as that may sound, I know that by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and working out, I can extend my lifespan as long as I do not get ran over by a car on my jog. What this says to me is when a person makes a goal of losing weight, having a year long plan at minimum and incorporating exercise at the start of the diet are two key strategies to incorporate. Class, What are your thoughts? I agree with starting a yearlong program and incorporating a diet plan with it. Throughout my life, I have started several weight loss programs many of which have not worked for me. I attribute much of my failures to laziness on my part. However, none of the weight loss programs I have conducted involved a diet plan and they definitely did not last longer than a year. Whenever I have conducted a weight loss program in the past, if I did not see any visible results within a couple months, I quit. I believe that if I were to have incorporated a diet plan in conjunction with an exercise routine, I would have seen visible results, which would have kept me motivated. Class, What are your experiences with morning vs afternoon workouts? I have definitely had my share of both morning and afternoon workouts. Personally, working out in the morning is far better than working out in the afternoon. My energy levels are much higher in the morning and I feel like I get a better work out because of this. When I work out in the afternoon, I feel sluggish because I have been working all day and I can only concentrate on hurrying home. This is usually because I have not seen my family all day and I want to spend time with them. As a result, this is a psychological disadvantage of working out in the afternoon for me. Edward, That is great! Keep up the good work! Another thing that I have found to be fun and interesting is to add new words that I have not seen before and I incorporate them into a sentence. As I previously mentioned, I write quite a bit at work and as such, my coworkers and I pick a â€Å"word-of-the-day† to incorporate in our reports. Obviously, the word must be pertinent to the report and flow. This is a fun and easy way to add words to your vocabulary. Try it out next time you write a response and avoid â€Å"monotony.† Look it up its fun! You have some very good points Danny and I agree that we must make sure that our sources are reliable. We need to do this in order to prove that our writings are authentic as well. Without being credible and reliable our papers will have nothing. Our papers would be basically our own thoughts and opinions with zero evidence. I just wrote a paper for one of our last classes and had to cite things (which I have never had to do before) and it was for some reason a lot harder than what I thought it would be. Crystal, Like you, I have never cited any work prior to taking these courses here at University of Phoenix. It is getting easier, but I still find this difficult. One of the many things I have found to be most difficult was determining when to cite and when not to. In addition, I didn’t know how to cite material obtained from a textbook, newspaper, website, etc. After reading some of our course materials, I realized it’s better to cite material even if it’s not required. Initially, my biggest fear was that I would not cite the material correctly. However, I found the citation generator in the University Library to be very helpful. I’m sure you have tried this by now, but if not it’s great! This helped me to organize the citations and become more confident in my work.

Analysis of Community Disadvantage Service

The health is the biggest asset for an individual. Every human being wants to live a long on this earth. However, the health-related issues majorly serve as the obstacles for their long existence on the earth. Even, the current condition of the internal health of the human being is not as per the expectation. Sometimes, serious problems occur due to the wrong treatment and wrong information about the health-related issues. The team of Human Longevity, Inc. helps persons to provide them necessary information regarding this. Human Longevity, Inc. was founded in 2013 (Humanlongevity.com, 2017). It is basically a fast growing company. The main concern of the associates of this company is to take care of the human health sincerely. In fact, the leaders associated with the genomics are the main figures to establish this company. However, Archibald & Rankin (2013) have stated that the fundamental target of this company regarding the human health is to provide data-based health intelligence. This company is duly associated with the healthcare and medicine industry. The customers of this company systematically go through the sequential medical test process in order to identify the primary symptoms of some critical issues like heart diseases cancers and Alzheimer’s. This public healthcare company is situated in San Diego in California. Due to this, the management of this company can able to get a huge range of people to be focused on for the successful execution of their functional purposes. This private company is basically a large business sector operating almost the entire US. As developed technologies are applied in the revolutionary practice of the medical genre, the outcomes of the research of this company have also been accepted by the majority of the audiences (Guy et al. 2015). Even, the management of this company has also able to understand the individual health condition along with the specific risk factors associated with that. It has been greatly observed that people are not well aware of the processes through which they can prevent the impact of aging on them. However, Piper et al. (2015) have also noticed that people have a natural tendency to hide their age through using different products. In fact, the major reason of their early, as well as normal aging is the impact of disease on them. Therefore, there is a huge audience and interested people to go through the database medical tests and information in order to fight against those diseases. On the other hand, the focus of this company is normally on the aged people and this segmentation of the customers has its impact on the market share and profit of this company. It has been clearly noticed that the management of Human Longevity, Inc. has investment around US$80 million in 2014 and US$220 million in 2016 (Humanlongevity.com, 2017). This huge development of the investment is, therefore, the identification of the financial success of the company throu gh positive customer responses. Table 1: Market share of Human Longevity in 2016 The above statistical data clearly shows the fact that the main competitors of Human Longevity, Inc. are the Slack Technologies, Clover Health, Cyclane and Thrive Market. However, among those, Slack Technologies is quite near to the Human Longevity, Inc. regarding the investment (Raule et al. 2014). The founders of this company, namely, Peter Diamondis and Craig Venter are quite happy in the success of the company in occupying the topmost position regarding the financial investment for the future activities of this company in the US market. Human Longevity, Inc. delivers the results of the health risks of an individual. However, Aviv, Kark & Susser (2015) have argued that the main functional role and responsibility of this company is embedded in helping them to have a deep insight into individual health condition. The overall improvement of the human health is the most influential outcome of the service and effort of the management and scientists within this company. The management of Human Longevity has been following the Growth Strategy throughout the execution of their functional activities. As per the concept of this business strategy, this company has been trying to provide a specialised healthcare service through database information process. Although some existing techniques were also there for helping people in their treatment, the development and implementation of these new strategies has proved itself as effective to impress the attention of the customers (Bharadwaj et al. 2013). Even through this, the understanding of genotype and phenotype has also satisfied the service users. As a result, the service by the management of Human Longevity has been increasing. In fact, this growth has been made possible through market research and customer expectation.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A huge positive customer response  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presence of the specialised healthcare persons (Humanlongevity.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lacking among the people regarding the advantages of this database healthcare process to get treatment for cancer, heart diseases and Alzheimer’s  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lacking in the proper experience of the specialists regarding the suitable application of this database process  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Growing economy of the US industry  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest of people to database information regarding genotypes and phenotypes  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disagreement of people with the proposed treatment process (Passtoors et al. 2013)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inexperience of the specialists may result in the customer dissatisfaction and their avoidance regarding the service process of this company Table 2: SWOT analysis of Human Longevity (Source: Passtoors et al. 2013, p.28)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The supporting nature of the US government to the healthcare organisations for the overall improvement of the public heath (Kim & Park,   2016)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The health related acts and regulations are also supportive of the development of this company  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US economy is quite strong to provide necessary financial support at the primary stage of the incorporation of the service of Human Longevity, Inc. Figure 1: US annual GDP growth rate (Source: Tradingeconomics.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above figure shows the fact that the final report of the annual GDP report of the US is quite progressive up to 2013 that is helpful in the development of any new business company in the US (Tradingeconomics.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the growth of the serious diseases such as cancer and heart diseases, modern people has a developed concern to identify an alternative way to beat that diseases by discovering prevention processes that are supportive for Human Longevity, Inc.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest among the healthcare specialists to help suffering people by database information and caring services in order to get the proper treatment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on completely the scientific technology, this company has been applying phenotypic and genotypic database process in order to generate suitable healthcare knowledge   (Kuca et al. 2015)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through technological research, the management of Human Longevity, Inc. has been remodifying the previous healthcare treatment processes Table 3: PEST analysis of Human Longevity (Source: Tradingeconomics.com, 2017) From the above discussion of the nature and process of the functions of Human Longevity, it has been noticed that this company has started its services since 2013 and has occupied a satisfactory position among the audiences. Even in the operations through database information process regarding genotype and phenotype, this company has been achieving support from the US government that is helpful for the development of their future performances. Even, with the growth of the human consciousness regarding the necessity to prevent the effect of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and heart diseases, the requirement of the services of the healthcare specialists of this company have also been increasing significantly. Through the helpful information and services of this company, they have been enabling to go through necessary treatment processes from the very beginning. The approach towards the functional activities of the management of Human Longevity has some similarities to that of the Collective business model. According to the concept of this model, the entire business functions are designed based on the web services. The management of Human Longevity has been serving the customers through database information systems so that they can understand the process that will enable them to take the proper treatment process against serious heart diseases or cancer. The scientific treatment process allotted for the service users therefore goes through necessary innovation process. Based on the above detail discussion, some key points have been evaluated as follow: The functional operations of Human Longevity are data and web-based. The services of this company have been started since 2013 in the US. The US government and their economic status are helpful for the performance of this company. As this company applies different scientific technologies and approaches during their service, there is a satisfactory customer response regarding the availing of the service of this company. Even according to the market share, this company occupies the topmost position in comparison with Slack Technologies, Clover Health, Thrive Market and Cylance. The market segmentation has centralised the focus of this company majorly on people above 40 years and specifically on them having major heart diseases, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Although Human Longevity has currently been servicing as one of the most influential healthcare services for the US people through providing them database information and treatment processes, they have some lacking that are need to be eradicated in order to enhance their customer engagement. First, the number of the healthcare specialists is needed to be increased in order to take care of a huge number of service users. Second, in order to increase this new healthcare knowledge and its significance, the management of Human Longevity can organise healthcare camps in several parts of the country. This may help in increasing awareness among people. Even, the providence of low-cost services for the financially poor people by this company may also enrich the popularity and acceptance of their services. Finally, it can be stated that the healthcare companies like Human Longevity have implemented a revolutionary step regarding the application of new strategies for making the people aware of the current condition of their physical health through an improved database process relating genotype and phenotype. Even, there is a satisfactory response from the customers regarding the advantages of this process. Although lacking in the sufficient healthcare specialists in this company, the technologies and scientific process that this company has applied are impressive and beneficial. Archibald, M.E. & Rankin, C.P., 2013. A spatial analysis of community disadvantage and access to healthcare services in the US.  Social Science & Medicine,  90, 11-23 Aviv, A., Kark, J.D. & Susser, E., 2015. Telomeres, atherosclerosis, and human longevity: a causal hypothesis.  Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.),  26(3), 295 Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O.A., Pavlou, P.A. and Venkatraman, N.V., 2013. Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights Guy, G.P., Machlin, S.R., Ekwueme, D.U. & Yabroff, K.R., 2015. Prevalence and Costs of Skin Cancer Treatment in the US, 2002− 2006 and 2007− 2011.  American journal of preventive medicine,  48(2), 183-187 Humanlongevity.com (2017) HLI Available from: www.humanlongevity.com/ [Retrieved on 23 Mar 2017] Kim, M.J. & Park, S.K., 2016. Strategies to Improve Functional Competency and Effectively Respond to Environmental Changes of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Team in Companies.  Journal of the Korean Society of Safety,  31(2), 104-111 Kuca, K., Maresova, P., Penhaker, M. & Selamat, A., 2015. The potential of medical device industry in technological and economical context Passtoors, W.M., Beekman, M., Deelen, J., van der Breggen, R., Maier, A.B., Guigas, B., Derhovanessian, E., van Heemst, D., de Craen, A.J., Gunn, D.A. & Pawelec, G., 2013. Gene expression analysis of mTOR pathway: association with human longevity.  Aging Cell,  12(1), 24-31 Piper, M.A., Evans, C.V., Burda, B.U., Margolis, K.L., O'connor, E. & Whitlock, E.P., 2015. Diagnostic and predictive accuracy of blood pressure screening methods with consideration of rescreening intervals: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.  Annals of internal medicine,  162(3), 192-204 Raule, N., Sevini, F., Li, S., Barbieri, A., Tallaro, F., Lomartire, L., Vianello, D., Montesanto, A., Moilanen, J.S., Bezrukov, V. & Blanchà ©, H., 2014. The co?occurrence of mtDNA mutations on different oxidative phosphorylation subunits, not detected by haplogroup analysis, affects human longevity and is population specific.  Aging cell,  13(3), 401-407 Tradingeconomics.com (2017) United States GDP Growth Rate Available from: www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth [Retrieved on 25 Mar 2017]

Management versus leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management versus leadership - Essay Example Leaders play a critical role in group and organizational effectiveness. Leaders can exert influence and direct task-related activities of other group members. They require motivational skills, exceptional people skills and flexibility. They also require courage of conviction and the foresight to stand by their pioneering and sometimes, even risky choices. What is surprising, however, is that leaders can be found at all levels of an organization. Although, many leaders are not necessarily managers, their abilities can be studied in ‘leaderless’ situations where they stand out by helping to keep clear goals and meeting targets. Management refers to the practice of granting a person formal authority to be in charge of an organization or its subunits (Coffey, Cook, & Hunsaker, 1994). Managers are responsible for maintaining a smooth flow of work for optimum productivity and profitability and hence are given authority according to their organizational hierarchy. Managers perform many functions on the basis of their position of authority. However, much of the work relies on following protocol and ensuring compliance. Leadership, on the other hand, entails a certain degree of imagination and risk, and good leaders are those who learn from mistakes and lead by example as stated in The Leadership Challenge (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2010). Leadership refers to the process of developing ideas and a vision, taking measured steps to fulfil that vision and influencing others to adopt them in their lives. This depends on the ability to change mind sets and no longer rely on command and control alone. According to Hellriegel and Slocum (2010), leader is one who exhibits these key attributes of leadership- ideas, vision, values, and the ability to influence others and make tough decisions. Management is a process that is used to accomplish organizational goals (Bohoris, & Vorria, 2009). The focus of management is generally on improving the present conditions, like

Astronomy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Astronomy - Term Paper Example Moreover, the discovery by these spacecrafts of Jupiter’s gravity changing as well as the decrease in the number of volcanic eruptions in Io, a moon of Jupiter, led scientists to be more interested in an in-depth Jupiter exploration. Therefore, the Galileo mission was devised, whereby not only would the spacecraft orbit Jupiter, studying its environment in great detail, but it would also carry a probe that would be launched into Jupiter’s clouds and collect data. About eight hundred people worked on the Galileo mission, as per NASA’s statistics. The Galileo arrived at Jupiter approximately six years later on 7th December 1995. The spacecraft was 17 feet high, with a magnetometer boom that extended 36 feet to one side. It weighed a total of 2,223 kilograms, inclusive of the 118 kilograms of scientific instruments and 925 kilograms of propellants. The scientific instruments it carried, as listed in NASA’s website about the spacecraft, included a solid-state imaging camera, a near-infrared mapping spectrometer, an ultraviolet spectrometer, a photopolarimeter radiometer, a magnetometer, an energetic particles detector, a plasma investigation, a plasma wave subsystem, a dust detector and a heavy ion counter. The atmospheric probe that was to be launched in the atmosphere of Jupiter was 50 inches in diameter and 36 inches tall, and weighed 339 kilograms. It is noteworthy that the Galileo did not carry enough fuel for it to be able to fly directly to Jupiter; therefore, the scientists devised a technique whereby the spacecraft would be able to borrow energy from Earth as well as Venus to enable it to reach Jupiter. The flight path that was devised was named â€Å"VEEGA† – Venus-Earth-Earth Gravity Assist. The spacecraft was to be slingshot into gathering enough momentum to be able to reach Jupiter. It was a pioneering method and it was successful. The Galileo not only made new discoveries with regards to Jupiter and

Marketing research insurance program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing research insurance program - Essay Example The research aims at assessing the potential of proposed insurance program by garnering data from the target audience. The research approach and data collection methods would further highlight the research objective. Primary research method has been favored to achieve the objective of the research as it would offer current information and understanding. Research Approach The research is based on offering a new and innovative insurance program to elder people who find it difficult to manage their finances and time. As per the current Elder Shield plan, insured people would get $300 per month for a maximum period of 5 years and $400 for a maximum period of 6 years. The new insurance program would offer the same benefits along with wide arrays of physical and mental activities that would offer great results in the short as well as in the long run. Moreover, for each referral, there would be certain rewards and awards that would further motivate and influence people to insure their life and health along with spreading the message in a positive manner. There is no denying that elder people are more prone to injuries and health issues and thus this insurance plan would try to help them regain their health through physical and mental activities. This can also be considered as a noble cause by taking care of the elder people along with making their life exci ting and problem free. As per the statistics of the United States Department of Labor, around 20% of the retirement income is attributed to health expenses that can be considered as quite high (United States Department of Labor, 2011). Moreover, basic Elder Shield Plan offers $300 per month for a maximum period of five years that can be considered as good enough to meet health demands. This insurance plan would help in engaging retired people in physical activities like golf and Taichi along with few mental activities like chess and emotional intelligence games. This insurance plan would also help in saving more money as people who are healthy and fit tend to spend less on health problems. This statement can only be considered as a valid one once views and opinions of the respondents confirm it. However, there is no denying that garnering personal opinions and offering wide arrays of information to the respondents would help in achieving the research objectives in a desired manner. Research Design Research design plays an important role in achieving desired results pertaining to the research. Research designs are classified as explanatory, descriptive and casual with distinctive features. Explanatory design is useful in analysing secondary data as it determines the hypotheses that can be tested. Descriptive design is based on primary data collection methods favoring quantitative analysis. It also examines the association and relationship with wide arrays of variables. In this particular research paper, descriptive and explanatory designs have been preferred as explanatory design helped in examining the hypotheses through secondary data and information while descriptive design would help in understanding the utility of introducing new and innovative insurance plan for retired people. There is no denying that descriptive design is time consuming and often a cumbersome task but the validity and reliability of

Media Management - Event Planning Event Planning Essay

Media Management - Event Planning Event Planning - Essay Example INTRODUCTION The marketing is the need of every small and large business in today’s world of globalization. The emergence of social media and online bloggers has allowed businesses to market online at low cost. The businesses are taking full advantage of this cheap way of marketing. The options for market a product through different mediums depends on the size and budget of the company (Smith, and Zook, 2011). Nowadays, the perfect competition is prevailing in all the local markets and this intensity of competition made necessity for every local business to create marketing or promotional strategies to stay in the market with handsome profits and differentiated brand image. The event marketing is one of the best suited marketing tools for local area advertising because it directly targets the market of local area community. Most of the events are developed to get the attention of media. Companies want media to talk about them from time to time to publicize the business. Once t he local business gets succeeded in gaining media attention then it would become easy for the local business to create its unique brand image among all the local competitors (Kotler, and Keller, 2009). Event Development (The event is named as a â€Å"Cultural Evening†): The Wild Affair is a big chain of restaurants and the company is now introducing another restaurant in the new local market by creating an event in the area for targeting the local area customers. People that are living in the local area belong to different cultures so the event is organized by considering all the small and large communities living in the area. The event is designed under the consideration of cross-culture function of the society. The event will be arranged in the hall in order to attract large audience. The restaurant has the specialty in 18 different countries foods. So especially for the event the restaurant is designed or decorated with 18 different cultural themes to represent the food av ailability of 18 countries. Every country is represented by its national culture theme or with a small setup with waiters in wearing cultural dresses of each country. The core concept is to position the restaurant and create awareness of its offerings. The culture creates an emotional attachment with the customers. The company wants to connect the emotional attachment with its customer by providing them their cultural environment. Cultural values and cultural food has created a feeling in the consumer’s mind that he/she is serving in its own country. This idea of serving the cultural food with cultural values has made an emotional bonding with customers. This bonding will create the customer loyal to the brand. The restaurant has some additional attractive services as well that are customizing food according to the mood of the customer, additional top-ups and add-ons with the meals. Another perception for the event created is that the company is combining all the communities of the area under the one roof to unite them. This perception can be called as Societal Marketing concept. Alignment of Company’s Mission and Target Audience with the Event: The company’s strategy is to target each community individually and show respect for each community’s culture present in the society. The company has covered all the communiti

The Prime Minister Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

The Prime Minister Debate - Essay Example Strengths - The prime source of strength for the prime minister in United Kingdom is loyalty to the ruling party. An example of such strength is evident in the 1880’s scandal where a party collapsed because of a disloyal government. If the party could continue being disloyal, then, the present British governance could not be in existence (Ashford, 1981, pg. 124-125). He also has a direct authority over his cabinet, and he has the power to choose cabinet ministers that are loyal to the government. The prime minister has authority to dissolve parliament and call for another general election. On the other hand, being the leader of the ruling party, the prime minister can decide the items to appear on government daily schedule. This is significant because the cabinet prioritize only on the items within the schedule. For this reason, it becomes extremely easy for the minister to deal with ministers that are disobedient to the agenda. In essence, the prime ministers oversee all the government activities, including the executive performances, legislative actions and judicial activities. In addition, the constitution permits the prime minister to retain his position without any restrictions, as long as he gets majority votes from the parliament (Coxall & Lynton, 1994, pg. 145-147). Weaknesses- The parliament elects the prime minister, and the largest political party elects him after the general elections. The prime minister is replaceable whenever the parliaments feel that necessity of removing him from office. Also, with the prime minister heading most of the government activities, the government feels insecure. In addition, prime minister may not have a lot of influence like the president, and. this makes the government lag behind in terms of development. The prime ministers post is ceremonial, and he does not hold permanent political authority. The parliament serves United Kingdom, but not England alone and the government uses common law in

The Use of Open System Approach in Managing Change Essay

The Use of Open System Approach in Managing Change - Essay Example It is to be noted that many changes are exciting, leading to new opportunities and challenges. When these changes occur too rapidly or demand too much of the individuals passing through the process of change, they can make individuals very uncomfortable (Heward, Hutchins, and Keleher, 2007, 170-178). Everyone has own assumptions about how organizations work, developed through a combination of experience and education. The use of metaphor is an important way in which one expresses these assumptions. Some people talk about organizations as if they were machines. This metaphor leads to talk of organizational structures, job design and process reengineering. Others describe organizations as political systems. Researchers have works on organizational metaphors, which are good starting points for understanding the different beliefs and assumptions about change that exists. Metaphors are important in the sense that this provides opportunity to think and deepen the understanding. Deep understanding allows, in turn, seeing things in new ways and consequently acting in new ways. One such metaphor is seeing organizations like an organism. This metaphor of organizational life sees the organization as a living, adaptive system. This suggests, that different environments favour different spec ies of organisations based on different methods of organising (Rowe and Hogarth, 2005, 396-405). When the organisation is conceived as a living, adaptive system, congruence with the environment is the key to success. According to this metaphor, in stable environments a more rigid bureaucratic organization would prosper. In more fluid, changing environments a looser, less structured type of organization would be more likely to survive. This metaphor represents the organization as an 'open system'. Organizations are seen as sets of interrelated sub-systems designed to balance the requirements of the environment with internal needs of groups and individuals. This approach implies that when designing organizations, we should always do this with the environment in mind. Emphasis is placed on scanning the environment, and developing a healthy adaptation to the outside world. Individual, group and organizational health and happiness are essential ingredients of this metaphor. The assumption is that if the social needs of individuals and groups in the organization are met, and the organ ization is well designed to meet the needs of the environment, there is more likelihood of healthy adaptive functioning of the whole system (Weiner, Amick, and Lee, 2008, 379-436). Thus it is apparent that there is no one best way to design or manage an organisation. Like in a organism, in such an organisation, the success of its functioning would depend on the transmission of information between different subsystems, and as has been mentioned earlier, the unhindered communication and exchange with the environment would determine its efficiency. Thus, as an organism, the homeostasis is the key. By homeostasis, it means the organisation would tend to maximise the fit between individual, team, and organisational needs. Therefore, it emerges that if one decides to manage the change in such an organisation, rather than using internal focus, changes are made only in response to changes in the external environment. The interaction between an organism and its

Consumer behaviour, learning and purchase decisions Essay

Consumer behaviour, learning and purchase decisions - Essay Example The basis of learning as it pertains to marketing is drive and motivation. Drive is â€Å"any strong stimulus that impels action†¦relying on a cue in the environment to determine the nature of the consumer’s response to a drive† (Boone & Kurtz, 2007, p.173). Learning and the relevancy of environment are large predictors of motivation once a marketer understands the dynamics of their target market, usually psychographic profiles. There is a concept in psychology related to memory and learning known as the social learning theory. Under this concept, individuals have a tendency to model the behaviours of others when they witness reward for these actions (Neubert, Carlson, Kacmar, Roberts & Chonko, 2009). This type of learning only occurs when the individual being observed is both credible and attractive (Neubert et al). Understanding this concept, marketers will develop a marketing strategy utilizing reputable celebrities or individual actors with similar lifestyle preferences as a means to motivate response or model behaviours under social learning theory. Certain psychographic lifestyle groups will gravitate more to modelling behaviours when the actor or celebrity endorser is credible and attractive, thus making an imprint on memory about the substance of product or the relevancy of the campaign. â€Å"In personal and non-personal communication, the message’s impact on the target audience is affected by how the audience views the communicator† (Kotler, 2009, p.559). ... tyle groups will gravitate more to modelling behaviours when the actor or celebrity endorser is credible and attractive, thus making an imprint on memory about the substance of product or the relevancy of the campaign. â€Å"In personal and non-personal communication, the message’s impact on the target audience is affected by how the audience views the communicator† (Kotler, 2009, p.559). Kotler (2009) again identifies that messages have more persuasive value when stemming from a highly credible source of information. For certain market groups, once these values have been identified, learning about a brand occurs by the credibility and motivational value of the advertising concept or the messages being delivered in an integrated marketing campaign. Under Kolb’s experiential learning theory, adults also learn through reflective observation, a system where an individual learns from experiences and â€Å"articulating why and how they occurred whilst reflecting and critically examining their experience from all perspectives† (Akella, 2010, p.103). In this type of learning, a consumer scans the environment and considers the impact of their own needs in relation to the environment and then develops new strategies in the future based on experience. For marketers, this is important in relation to post-purchase evaluation and the systems in place for handling the by-product of this type of learning. For example, a marketer might develop a world-class customer complaint system or survey system so that consumers have a positive experience once the product has been purchased. It was previously discussed about motivational linkages to learning. Under Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, an individual is motivated by establishment of a sense of social affiliation. â€Å"Individuals

How Personal Experiences Shape the Way We Are Essay Example for Free

How Personal Experiences Shape the Way We Are Essay Everybody has their own share of experiences in life. Some have experiences that affect their lives. However, there are also some people who do think that their experience is just non-consequential. Well, in my point of view, I think experiences are very important for every individual. It shapes up the way people view things and sometimes it does change the attitude of the person. I have two events that I would like to share. I consider these experiences as very important and life changing. My first important experience was when I was seventeen. In our country, kids are required to take a public examination before graduating high school. The teacher gave the class two months to prepare for the examinations. Most of my classmates got serious during that time. I consider myself a happy go lucky person before. I will never forget what I did. I acted very irresponsibly. As the saying goes, Time is gold. Well, I didn’t really know what that means then. I hang out with my friends almost every day. My parents scolded me for being so negligent of my studies. They actually forced me to study several times and asked me to concentrate on it. I never did listen back then. It was a big mistake on my part. When the results of the exam came out, it was really disappointing. I remembered I was already working in my parent’s company. I could not even face my parents. After getting the results it is now time to go to college. My cousin and I went together for an interview. I felt so ashamed because my cousin has higher marks. When I got back home that day, I came to my mom and I cried. I apologized to her for not giving my best effort in the exams. I got into Santa Monica College. I’ve worked hard on each subject that I took. This experience had made me realize that nothing is for free in this world. If a person wants a good compensation, a good deed or a good standing, one must make efforts to achieve what they want to have. I hope this experience would give other people a lesson on prioritizing important things in life before having fun. Another experience that I would like to share was the time when I was in my ninth grade in school. I have joined an organization called â€Å"YMCA†. This organization supplies lots of community services to people. It takes care of the elderly, half-wit people and children. I get emotional when I see elderly people. The old people in the organization live by themselves in old broken apartments. Most of them are really lonely and are ignored. No one listens to them. In all that time, I saw myself in their shoes when I get older. I would not like to be treated in the same way by young people. I started to care for them by talking to them and cleaning up their apartments. Some talk to me happily and are really excited that someone is listening to them. However, some of them cry when you touch them. These reactions only show that most of the elderly needs more love and care from the younger people. This had shown me that lots of people need the help and love of others. It changed my views and made me care for my parents more. These experiences had given me a lot to think about. It made me a better person and I am proud to have experienced this in life. Not everything can be studied and read in the book. A person must go through these experiences in order to realize what they are taking for granted. Precious experiences such as these must be treasured.

Traffic Camera Lights Should Be Installed Essay Example for Free

Traffic Camera Lights Should Be Installed Essay Red light running is a common problem in roads and intersections. According to the focus report from Texas House Representatives, injuries and fatalities from red light crashes had increased annually from 10,000 in the year 1975 to 24,000 in the year 2001 (Focus Report, p 1). In California, from the report of the National Advisory Board, there is an approximately 200,000 crashes where 150,000 are from injuries and more than 1,100 fatalities in the year 2001. (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p. 1). In the years 1992 to 2000, the number of road accidents that had caused death at signalized intersections had increased by 19% nationwide where the red light running being the frequent cause. Half of the deaths were innocent pedestrians and occupants in vehicles that had been hit by these red light runners (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p. 1).. Financially, California Highway Patrol estimates that the red light running fatality had caused $2,600,000 and other accidents costs between $2,000 and $183,000 (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p. 1). In Texas, accidents are   estimated to be cost at between $1.4 Billion. Medical, Insurance and other related expenses falls at about $3 billion annually. Federal Highway Administration from the US Department of Transportation, red light runnin more than 100,000 crashes and approximately 1,000 deaths annually (Federal Highway Administration, page 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to address the problem of red light running, authorities had decided to use cameras. Traffic light cameras had been used in the United States in the 90’s. John Quain states that New York had been one of the first areas that had installed camera devices to catch law-breaking individuals (nytimes.com, 2008). Red light Cameras main goal is to make people obey traffic rules and minimize if not eliminate red light runner violators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three types of cameras that had been used by the police. These are the film camera, digital camera and video camera (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p 13). The film camera has a limited amount of images to capture but has the highest image resolution among the other two types. The digital camera captures the picture and directs it to the computer. There is no need to get or retrieved the image from the site because the captured images go straight to the database of the operator. Lastly, video cameras are used to detect the speed and capture the images to detect the violators. The cameras have different features to sense the position of the car. This includes the video motion sensors, laser tracking and the sensors embedded in the road. When the car passes the stop line and the light has turned red, the camera captures a series of pictures of the infraction. This includes the license plate of the violator. From these pictures, the owner of the vehicle is issued a ticket. The ticket and the photographic evidence from the camera is then given to the owner via mail (nytimes.com, 2008). In addition to the mail, according to Seattle Post Intelligence, the owner is tasked to pay the fine in 18 days, if the owner was not the one driving he or she must ask for a hearing or an affidavit. If the driver had signed the affidavit the ticket is nulled. The tickets issued to the owner do not appear in the driving records (seattlepi.com, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many benefits in installing the traffic light cameras. First benefit is to the police force. In the article from the National Campaign to Stop Red light runners, it had been stressed that the police force monitors the roads and intersections in order to ensure that there are no violators. If a particular scenario happens, the police is sometimes forced to chase the violator for the traffic ticket. This particular procedure does not only waste the time of the police but it also wastes gasoline. There have also been procedures that had assigned a particular group to monitor the roads. These situations waste time and effort of not only a single policeman but a group of policemen. Since the cameras had been installed, the police had more time to worry about other things aside from monitoring the traffic (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p 11). In the year 1998, the International Association of Chiefs of Police had supported the red light cameras. The resolution had indicated that red light cameras are there â€Å"for more effective and efficient traffic law, in conjunction with normal enforcement efforts.† (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p 11).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second benefit is that the red light cameras had been able to reduce the red light violations by 40% at intersections with cameras and a 50% reduction at intersections without cameras (thenewspaper.com, 2008). The reduction of violations only shows that there the goals of the red light cameras had been met. Third benefit is the financial aspect from the type of crash accidents that had happened. According to the Federal Highway Administration in America, there is an approximate aggregate economic benefit of $39,000 per site per year. The $39,000 benefit came from the minimized right angle crashes and the increase in rear accident crashes. Even though there was an increase in the rear end crashes the economic computation of the crashes had resulted to a positive benefit for society. Another angle of economic benefit is that the camera systems pay for itself because of the red light running fines that has been generated. (Federation Highway Administration, page 84).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another benefit that the red light camera brings is that it had become a deterrent to bring behaviour change to motorists. (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p 8). The behaviour change does not only include obeying traffic rules, it also includes respect for fellow drivers which had resulted to avoiding crashes, injuries and loss of life. Recent studies show that there have been   25 to 30 percent reduction in intersection injury crashes (National Campaign to Stop Red Light, p 8). In Seattle, the frequency of light running dropped. Studies revealed that there has been a reduction of at least 50 percent. The study shows that the cameras had reduced the frequency of car collisions. Seattle had made a one-year pilot period and the city had issued that there have been 16,539 citations. These citations had resulted to $1.1 million in penalties. More than 70% of the ticketed violators had paid for their fines (seattlepi.com, 2008). In London, red light and speed cameras had shown a reduction of 54% in red light violations. The 11,000 violations that had ben recorded in the last 6 months of the year 2000 had been decreased to 5,000 in the first six months of the year 2001. (Red Light Press Clippings, Page 1). The red light camera had been installed in different areas in the United States and it has also contributed a lot in the reduction of accidents and injuries in the road. Oxnard California had shown that there have been a reduction of injury crashes at intersections with traffic signals by 29 percent since 1997. This does not only include the intersections with camera. Fairfax, Virginia had experience a decline of 44% after a year of camera enforcement. Washington D.C. had shown a reduction of fatalities from16 percent to 2 percent in the first two years of installation. Charlotte, North Carolina had experienced 70 percent in the first year of camera enforcement. New York City, Maryland, and California also had shown a reduction of violations ever since the cameras had been installed. There are many issues that surround the installation of red light cameras. There have been studies that show that the installation of the cameras had resulted to an increase in the rear-end crashes of cars. The issue had been the timing of the yellow light and the fear of the people about the ticketing from the traffic enforcement offices. Another issue is that the enforcers may have adjusted the cameras so that there would be more people who would incur traffic violations to increase the fine collection. Some of the people view the installation of these cameras as an additional tax collection that the government is collecting from the people. The â€Å"Big Brother† issue had also been discussed, several people question their right to privacy. It had been noted that the use of the red light cameras violates the privacy of the people. (US House of Representatives, 2001) There may have been issues that are against the red light cameras however, the proponent of this paper believes that it is better to install traffic cameras in all the intersections. It is more important to be able to care for the safety of the people rather than think about the privacy and costs. Life costs more than anything else and it is the duty of the police to take care of the citizens of the country. People feel safer because they know that it is safe in the streets. Knowing that there are safeguards such as traffic camera lights in the roads helps people think that they are secure. The reduction of the violations of red light running had shown very promising results. It is not only easier for the police force to know the violators but it had also brought about the increase of security in the roads. Since people would not be able to escape their violations, the people are then disciplined and as a such this brings behavioural change from the drivers. Works Cited    Robinson, B.A. , â€Å"Same Sex Marriages (SSM), Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships†. Religous Tolerance, 30, Texas House of the Representatives. â€Å"Red-Light Cameras in Texas: A Status Reportâ€Å"   Focus Report. May 2001. House Research Organization. 10 February 2008. http://www.hro.house.state.tx.us/focus/redlight79-15.pdf Quain, J. â€Å"Lights, Camera, Traffic Ticket† Technology. 6 January 2008. New York Times. 10 February 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/automobiles/06LIGHT.html?ex=1357275600en=fedd158c6b011f9bei=5088partner=rssnytemc=rss Federal Highway Administration. â€Å"Safety Evaluation of Red-Light Cameras†. U.S. Department of Transportation. April 2005. Research and Development Technology Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. 10 February 2008. http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pubs/05048/05048.pdf National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running. â€Å"Stop on Red = Safe on Green†. 2002. National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running 10 February 2008. http://www.stopredlightrunning.com/pdfs/StopOnRedSafeOnGreen.pdf Galloway, Angela. â€Å"More red light cameras comingâ€Å" 2 January 2008. Seattle Post Intelligencer. 10 February 2008. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/345753_redlight03.html BJS. â€Å"Red light cameras can reduce crash-related injuries† 20 April 2005. Science Blog. 10 Februar 2008. http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/7612/print Mobilizing the Region. â€Å"Facing Albany Roadblock, NYC must Fake Traffic Safety Program†. 24 November 2001. Tri-State Transportation Campaign. 10 February 2008.   http://www.tstc.org/bulletin/ City of Saskatoon. â€Å"Drive safe. Drive smart. Stop at red lights!â€Å" 2007. City of Saskatoon. 10 Februry 2008. http://saskatoon.ca/org/municipal_engineering/red_light_cameras/index.asp U.S. House of Representatives. â€Å"Red Light Camera Scam†. The Red Light Running Crisis May 2001. TheNewspaper.com 10 February 2007 http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/reports/rlcreport6.asp

SWOT Analysis of Skoda

SWOT Analysis of Skoda Introduction. After began an industrial revolution from England in late 18th century most of Europeans and some other countries socially and economically changed. Such as they shift from home-based hand manufacturing to large-scale factory production. As a result of that people were moved to use of iron and steel, new energy sources, the invention of new machines that increased production. As well as this was mainly caused to continue the transports and communication sectors. Eventually there were certain values in the automobile industry. (Answer.com/03-02-10). That has got a rapid development; Such as land rover, jaguar from England and Audi from Germany were made fast as a result of the great industrial revolution. Two cyclists named Vaclav Klement; Vaclav Lourin started to make their own bicycle industry in the year 1895 whose country was Czechoslovakia from the Eastern Europe. Then they were succeeded to develop their industry by making cars, farm ploughs and air planes. They made a brand name for this multiple industry; â€Å"Skoda† one of the great invent of these cyclists. Nevertheless from 1925 to 1990 they couldnt be successful because of political changes, war, economical depressions. (www.skoda.co.uk/03-02-10) As a matter of fact they decided to merge with Volkswagen AG (VAG) came from Germany which has got the biggest manufacture of Europe for their products included Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, CEAT, Lamborghini,bently and Bugatti. However in this report I am going to analyse and illustrate about Skoda automobiles case study from â€Å"The Times 100†. 1. According to the case study the key weaknesses that SKODA UK was able to identify through the SWOT analyse can be explained as follows; * Recently Skoda has 1.7 market shares in the world car market. So that its not enough to fit into highly competitive fragmented market. Because Mercedes Benz, Ford, BMW and other high branded products has succeeded in the car market. * Skoda doesnt have a good brand image about their products. Because customers think that their brands are out-dated perceptions as customers think that their products contain poor vehicle quality, assembly, design and materials. 2. Skoda did use enough strength to turn its brands weakness into an opportunity as bellows; * They started to make some products with differentiation according to the market as they have realized what the customer wants. Because they have got to know that there is a gap among their competitors. So that they have created a slogan named â€Å"The manufacturer of happy drivers†. (www.skoda.co.uk/03-02-10). The reason why they have created that slogan; they havent promoted their brand itself like their competitors but they do promote the customer experience what the customer needs. * They have decided to design cars with various ranges for the proper market segments. For instant; The Skoda Fabio is sold as a basic but quality â€Å"city car† The Skoda Superb offers a more luxurious, â€Å"up market appeal† The Skoda Octavia Estate provides a family with fun drive but also a great big boot.  · Considering with other products they introduced quality budget cars when comparing with their competitors. They have a good combination when we considering about their ranges of the car market.  · Their products lifecycles every steps are environmental friendly. This is mainly caused to increase their customer minds brand image and accurate EU legal procedures. For example; Their cars dont make much noise because they have created those with improved sound quality. They used to recycle their products as much as possible. They are using the latest most environmental-friendly manufacturing technologies for their manufacturing process. Their cars dont use much fuel according to the efficiency of those machines. So that the efficiency of those machines are exquisite when we considering about using fuel for them. 3. The Skoda has identified some external threats such as.  · According to the case study the main threat that Skoda facing is market competition come from their competitors. For instant if competitor launching cheaper and good quality products for the market. As an example 50 car makers active in UK car market. 2000 model selections have for the customers. So Skoda should active effectually to wining their market share from others.  · EU legal and environmental regulations also put extra preacher for the Skoda. As a resalt of that they should spend more money for their product life cycle rather than their competitors. Because they using environmental- friendly technologies and facilities are always more costly than others. Not only environmental regulation but also other legal rules also reason to increase production cost. Such as labours minimum wages, welfare, working hours, government taxations etc 4. According to my personal point of view about SWOT analyse, it is an enormously useful tool for any kind of organization. Because it has been facilitated for management to understand and decision- making for all sorts of situations. The SWOT analyses provide very clear pitcher to organizational internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats for management. Swot analyse is scheduled to know how acts the internal factors for a business. Because internal influences are some factors which preceded a business for the success. As they can obtain competitive advantages. Product differentiation and cost leadership are known as competitive advantages. In the other hand SWOT analyses can be used inside a business in different ways to gain different perspectives. Such as ; (Robson W. /1997) (www.tutor2u. Net/2010). The way how they contribute their sales. Making an unbreakable partnership. Finding an alternative way to change the supplier. Adding some investment opportunities. How to launch for the new market and also how they use their business ideas for the improvement and success of their business. In the view of the above report the SWOT analyses can be explained as a compulsory tool for the modern business world. I said so because this is the unique tool and the only way that helps to create a perfect internal environment. References Answer .com /03-02-10/ Industrial revolution/ [online]Available From http://www.answers.com/topic/industrial-revolution Wendy R. , [1997] Strategic Management Information Systems [secand edition], Financial times, Prentice Hall , London, UK Www.skoda.co.uk/ About Skoda/ [online] Availble From http://www.skoda.co.uk/aboutskoda.aspx www.tutor2u. Net , Strategy- competitive advantage [online], Available From http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/competitive_advantage.htm Bibliography Quick MBA , [1999-2007], Strategic Management [online] Available From http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/ Rugman A., Collinson S. , [2006], International Business (4th Edition), Financial Times ,Prentice Hall , London ,UK

Organizational Structure Article Review Essay -- essays research paper

Review The purpose of this paper is to briefly summarize the article, â€Å"The manager’s role in building an innovative organization†. I will give a brief description of the organizing function of management. I will also relate the concepts to Aearo Company, while including my recommendations based on the article. Summary The article discusses how organizations must change to survive in a competitive market. Companies must change how they gather information, implement the information, and support the employees that acquire the information. Gathering Information Management should use their employee’s ideas as a resource, not only because it is less expensive than outside information, but also it supports employee involvement. Using teams that include people from different divisions can increase communication and perception when pursuing a goal. Implement Information An organization that can make decisions faster, and change direction at the â€Å"drop of a hat†, is more versatile and will most likely survive longer. â€Å"Old time† decisions that were made by top management or a board of directors, could take a while to trickle down the ranks and actually be implemented in the process. Teams that are given the authority to make quick decisions can get things done faster, and are more responsive to the customer. Support the Employees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &n...

Women and Politics In Venezuela :: essays research papers

Women and Politics in Venezuela Women in every country all over the world are discriminated against when it comes to politics. There are many reasons for this discrimination and most of the reasons are a result of men being in control. Politicians are â€Å"supposed† to aggressive and argumentative. Some men and women do not see women as having these qualities but instead have the qualities of nurture and compromise. Time is a barrier for women because they do not have the time to participate in politics. The women use their time to do housework, take care of children and probably have a full time job. Politics and running for any kind of office takes money and as a generality women do not have most of the money. Religion is a big impact on whether women are allowed in politics are not. In most religions, women are seen as beneath men. These religions cross over into political and social life, hindering the chance of women to participate in politics. In Venezuela, the women have a hard time being in pol itics for the same reasons. The highest office that can be obtained in Venezuela is the presidency. â€Å"The president is elected by a plurality vote with direct and universal suffrage. The term of office is 6 years, and a president may be re-elected to a single consecutive term. The president appoints the vice president. He decides the size and composition of the cabinet and makes appointments to it with the involvement of the National Assembly. The Constitutuion of Venezuela also allows for three additional branches of the federal government--the judicial, citizen, and electoral branches.† (Politics of Venezuela) â€Å"The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. The justices are appointed by the National Assembly and serve 12-year terms. The judicial branch also consists of lower courts, including district courts, municipal courts, and courts of first instance. â€Å" (Politics of Venezuela) â€Å"The citizens branch consists of three components--the prosecutor general ("fiscal general"), the "defender of the people" or ombudsman, and the comptroller general. The holders of these offices, in addition to fulfilling their specific functions, also act collectively as the "Republican Moral Council" to challenge before the Supreme Tribunal actions they believe are illegal, particularly those which violate the Constitution. The holders of the "citizen power" offices are selected for terms of 7 years by the National Assembly.† (Politics of Venezuela) â€Å"The "Electoral Power," otherwise known as the National Electoral Council, is responsible for organizing elections at all levels.

The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies Essay examples -- Lord Flies

The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies    William Golding wrote the novel Lord of the Flies "to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature."(Golding) He wanted to show that humans naturally live in savagery and ignorance with little knowledge on how to live together peacefully. To accomplish his premise Golding strands a group of boys on an island who then must set up government in an attempt to survive.   The story uses heavy symbolism to compare the life on the island to the entire civilization of the world.    Each character on the island represents one aspect of civilized society; those who represent uninhibited man survive and those who represent intellectual or spiritual man die.   One of the more terrifying deaths is that of Simon who symbolizes the spiritual side of humanity. Simon is a prophet. He alone saw what the others were becoming and he alone knew that the beast, feared by all the children, was in fact humanities own inner savagery. Fear was the driving force on the island, it was this fear that kept Simon from telling the others of the "true beast", he knew that if he told them they would turn against him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All through the book Simon is one of the few boys who works for the good of the group and never runs off during a job to go have fun. Simon sincerely cares about the other boys. He often helps the "littluns" retrieve the quality fruit from high in the trees, yet "Simon turned away from them and went where the jest perceptible path led him."(61) Simon loves his solitude, he often wonders off into the jungle to be alone. "The assembly grinned at the thought of going out into the darkness. Then Simon stood up and Ralph looked at him in astonishment."(93) Sim... ...arked in a ritual and primitive dance. When the barely visible Simon came down from the mountain to tell the others of his discovery, he was thought to be the beast. As Simon emerged from the trees a mob of wild boys attacked and killed him. When the other boys learn what they had done they deny fault: " 'It was an accident,' said Piggy suddenly ... 'He hadn't no business crawling like that out of the dark.'"(173)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Simon dies so does the truth, he is unable to tell the others about the true identity of the beast. The boys on the island foolishly destroy any attempts to be saved and unknowingly destroy the one person that could bring them salvation. Simons death shows evil is often victorious over the dwindling fight for order. With order lost the thin veneer, which is civilization, erodes and mankind revert back to his ancient primitiveness.

Network Flows Case Study

As seen in the picture below: Would this work for this application? This would work. The A/C technician is required to know some type of algebra and know how to use it. Knowing this will allow him/her to graph an air flow chart. This would use an isomorphic simple graph so the same number of edges to correspond with the number vertices. This would show that the proper air flow is given from one point to the other point as quickly as possible, this allows for the air to maintain the temperature that you are looking for.Being able to maintain the same temperature would mean less time your unit will run and this saves you money on your bills. This would be a real world application; because the A/C technician has to use math on a daily basis. Example 2: In this example we will try to Stop any traffic on the water way to and from town. This can be done by placing barriers in the water way. But seeing that the river get wider as it gets further away from town, the barriers need to be place d just right to block the water way traffic. As seen in the diagram below:When placing the barriers, the first thing you want to do is figure out which points to place the barriers. This will allow the use of fewer barriers in this application. Would first start with points G, J, H, and L. This point have a shortest distance between them and would be easier to block. Then if you wanted to add more protection to the town you could place more barriers at points D, E, and F. Now in a real life application this could be used in something as the military blocking or slowing down the traffic going on and if the base.Example 3: Employers and Employees Employers Department 1 Department 2 3 4 Max # area Wanted Yes No NO # Area Needed In this example the table shows where an employer was asked to hire more employees in order to cover 100 departments with 30 different areas. Each new employee would work in areas 1, 2, and 3. The area assigned to the employee would be determined by the employer him/herself. The table above givens an example of how it will go. Then the overall question would be how the assigned areas would be split up.When it comes to converting the table above into a graph to the answer, I am at a little bit off loss. The employee numbers 1, 2, and 3 would then be converted into vertices ODL , DO, and DO and the different areas into AY , AZ and AY which is shown in the diagram below: In the diagram you have to replace the G's with Do's and the CSS with the Ass. Believe the assigned areas would be given to the employees by the employer. An employer would be assign to an employee by random. The employee would follow the employer's number through the graph.This would tart in area 1 and continue on through 3. If you have 100 employers and 30 employees they would be assigned in areas as 34, 33, and 33 this would allow all areas to be covered and the jobs completed in a timely manner. In this paper I have provided examples of networking flow charts to the best of my knowledge. This type of flow chart shows the way things can flow and the way you can block the flow of information or even water or air. You can apply this to many of different area's in life. If you can imagine it, I am sure it will work for you.

Managing Health and Safety at Work Act Essay

Review of health and safety roles and responsibilities Identify 2 pieces of legislation relating to health, safety and welfare relevant to the workplace I have identified, The Health and safety at work act 1974 and Management health and safety at work regulations 1999. The health and safety at work act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering all work related health and safety in the UK. It sets out employers responsibilities for your health and safety at work. The Management of health and safety at work regulations make the assessment of risks a cornerstone of UK health and safety requirements. Duties statute law imposes on both the manager and the team and the managers responsibilities contained within the organisations health and safety policy. The most important responsibility as an employee is to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and if possible avoid wearing jewelry and tie hair back when using the machines. To take reasonable care not to put other people , fellow employees and members of the public at risk by what you do or don’t do in the course of your work. You should co-operate with your employer, making sure you get proper training and you understand and follow the company’s health and safety policies. An employee should never interfere with or misuse anything that’s been provided for your health, safety or welfare. It is your duty to report any injuries, strains or illnesses you suffer as a result of doing your job. You should always tell your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work eg becoming pregnant or suffering an injury. All employers must make the workplace safe and prevent risks to health and ensure that the machinery is safe to use, and that safe working practices are set up and followed. The employer needs to provide adequate first aid facilities and tell you about any potential hazards from the work you do and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed. Emergency plans need to be set up in case of emergency. Make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements. Check that the right work equipment is provided and is properly used and regularly maintained. Ensure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after.Report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority, depending on the type of business. Explain what is meant by a ‘competent person’ in your workplace A competent person is someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist members properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need. When getting help you should give preference to those in your own organization who have the appropriate level of competence which includes the employer themselves before looking for help from outside. You must consult health and safety representatives in good time on the arrangements for competent help. Identify 2 ways you can provide health and safety information, instruction and training in your team One way you can provide health and safety information is by using leaflets and posters around the work place. You can get these from various sites including: – Sector Skills Councils (www.sscalliance.org.uk); – UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)(www.ukces.org.uk); – trade unions or trade associations; – further education colleges; – private training organisations; – independent health and safety consultants; – employer bodies (eg Chambers of Commerce); and – qualification-awarding bodies. To find a course leading to an accredited health and safety qualification look at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website www.qca.org.uk/qualifications. Secondly you could offer on the job training or classroom based learning individually or in groups. Computer based or interactive learning is a very fast, accurate and fun way of teaching the employees.

Domestic and Community Violence Essay

Domestic abuse and child abuse cases have been on the rise in the recent past causing child and human rights activists to seek for ways of containing the situation. Previous studies have concluded that the cases of child abuse and domestic violence have risen in America and the world at large because of poor approaches used to contain them. In addition, the shocking news that more than 1,200 children die each year due to child abuse and a good percentage of them are girls less than 16years is worrying both parents and teachers. The rise in violence prevalence has been attributed to; poor child upbringing, poverty, modernization, lack of knowledge and neglect because studies have proved that abused ‘children’ will abuse their children in future etc (Nocav and Bourbonnais, 2002) The following issues indicate different stories; First, the U. S Advisory Board on Child Abuse has suggested that both child abuse and domestic violence may be the single major precursor to the main fatalities in the country hence the seriousness of the matter. This has come at a time when a survey conducted early this year found out that school age children who witness and exhibit violence of any form not only in their families but also in the churches, towns or schools suffer from problems such as; anxiety, depression and violence towards their peers. This calls for urgent strategies to prevent and address them at once. The best of them is the use of teachers to counsel the abused children, report suspected cases or take any necessary action that will be suitable. Teachers and domestic violence initiative program It has been noticed that more and more cases of child and domestic violence go unnoticed because of stigmatization or fear of retaliation especially by children. The main solution according to this program is to use the interactive ability of our teachers in schools to strictly follow any cases of suspected child abuse either directed to the child or to the parents. Children are very talkative especially with good interaction with their teachers are golden opportunities that can be used to assist those fighting the vice to get access to unreported cases. The objective of this program is to improve system and community responses of abuse of children and their families. All people today face the challenge of developing enhanced policies and programs to meet the increased need for curbing child abuse cases. This program will therefore ensure that members of the community respond immediately to allegations of child and women abuse. This report will deal with a program suitable for teachers in our schools to be in the front line in preventing domestic violence in our society. (Lupton and Power, 2002) The program considers the motivational tactics of getting teachers interact with their children outside the classroom and that they get the opportunity of knowing the problems children undergo while in class. It is obvious that children’s performance while in class reduce especially for abused children. In this program, teachers especially those teachers who teach children in lower grade classes will be taken through training sessions on how to interact more effectively with their students in class. The training sessions will also include learning the signs of domestically abused of sexually abused children The program will involve the utilization of services from survivors and activists who will keep the tracers well informed and properly equipped with the skills to handle, report and discuss cases of violence through the children. In that case, the children will be able to inform their teachers that their parents were quarrelling last night, they were raped last week or even misused over the weekend. These and other reporting tactics will be fundamental in helping the police to further investigate the allegations. As long as they will be funds to help schools identify troubled and troubled children at an early stage, it will be possible to rectify any impacts that might have been created by the abuses children go through. This program will therefore go a long way in boosting reconciliation and cutting incidences of crime and violence in our schools and society. When children are troubled and very disruptive in schools and at home, that is a sign of warning that children are either not being taken care of or they are experiencing some bad habits at home. It is then that teachers, parents and counselors come to look for causes of the wearied behaviors. The program described above will help in ensuring that such kind of strategies is achieved. (Nocav and Bourbonnais, 2002) Conclusion Teachers have a role to play in eradication domestic violence and child abuse in our society. They can do so by creating close interactions with their students who will then reveal what happens behind the curtains either to themselves or the house-help or any of their parents. Since the teachers will be given the opportunity to learn more about social and domestic violence, then it will be possible to change social and institutional norms that perpetuate family violence in the future. Together with other domestic violence programs, child welfare agencies and community organizers everybody can take part in forming effective collaborations and build partnership that will at the long run promote safe and health families. References Nocav, S. and Bourbonnais, C. (2002): No Room of Her Own. A Literature Review on â€Å"Women and Homelessness† CMHC Ottawa Lupton, R and Power, A. (2002): Social Exclusion & Neighborhoods. In Understanding Social Exclusion† Hills J, Le Grand J. & Piachaud D. Edn pp. 118- 140: Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Children’s Literature †an Autobiographical Narrative Essay Essay

Books have been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was taught to read both at home and at school, and was given the freedom to choose whatever genre I decided on. My experiences with books were always positive, which allowed me to develop a love for literature. The reading that I did throughout my childhood helped to shape both the genres I enjoy and the amount I read today. The earliest memory I have containing books involves my mother reading me bedtime stories. She would read to me before bed each night, and I quickly developed favourites. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss was at the top of my list, and I would request this book more often than any other. I loved how the words flowed off the pages and the rhymes stuck in my head, as well as how vibrant the images on the pages were. At this age, primary colors definitely appealed to me. After reading this book to me for what seemed to be the hundredth time, my mother thought she would trick me by skipping pages in the book in order to get through it faster. Unfortunately for her, by this time I had memorized the entire book, word for word. I would throw a fit and refuse to go to bed until she went back and reread the book properly. Throughout kindergarten, grade one, and grade two, my school had a reading program. It was used to positively reinforce books in a child’s life. Each day at the end of class, children had to sign out at least one book to take home and read it with their parents. There were five levels of books, ranging from easy to difficult, and points that were given according to what level of book the child chose. Parents had to sign off that their child had read these books, and both the book and parental signature would be returned the following day. When the points were totaled at the end of each week, the child with the highest amount of points was allowed to choose a prize from a range of small toys or stuffed animals. I would strive to have the most points at the end of each and every week, and was usually able to succeed in doing so. I would sometimes try to take home four or five books a night, just to earn extra points. What I loved most about the reading program was the fact that children were able to choose their own books to take home, rather than being assigned a book. By choosing my own books, IÂ  was able to determine what genres I preferred, and which I would rather not read at all. Another major influence on my reading as a child was my older sister. She was five years older than me, and the books she was reading fascinated me. They involved stories of girls with boyfriends, and girls having their own adventures. I would always ask her to tell me about the newest book she was reading, and would sometimes steal it and pretend I was reading the same book, even if I couldn’t understand the majority of the words. I would push myself to read outside of my own reading level, always asking my parents to explain the meanings of new words. I did this until I too could read The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew. When my sister started reading books about children with fatal diseases, by the author Lauren McDaniel, I wanted to read these books as well. Their illnesses became my own, their thoughts became my thoughts, and their world became my world. This continued throughout my life, until I reached the age where our reading levels were the same. Today, my sister and I have very similar tastes in books. If I finish a book that I know my sister will enjoy, I will mail it to her home in Ontario so she is able to get the same amount of pleasure out of it as I did, and she always returns the favor. Today, I enjoy reading fantasy, classic literature, and various works of fiction. I was able to develop my specific tastes by experimenting with different genres while I was growing up. By having the freedom to choose what genres I enjoyed both at home and at school, I acquired a love for books. I have read hundreds of titles, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.