Health Insurance Coverage Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Insurance Coverage - Term Paper Example In the absence of universal healthcare, which is the prevalent norm in neighboring Canada and other developed countries in Europe, the US faces peculiar problems in the delivery of healthcare services’ as the latter are provided in majority by the private insurance sector and employing agencies. President Barack Obama’s latest ‘Healthcare Reform Bill’ endeavors to bring healthcare services within access of the poorest sections’ of American society, and its provisions already claim that due to its enactment as Law, healthcare services will be available to 95% of the US population, at the same time unburdening the private companies from healthcare expenditure for employees’ insurance (Gabbatt, 2010). Another reform, the ‘Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act’ has been aimed at unburdening families and businesses by allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ healthcare plans until the attainment of 26 years age (HHS, W eb). In addition to the abovementioned national policies on healthcare, individual states are streamlining their healthcare infrastructures in order to make it more accessible to everyone through advances in information technology (IT) and state policies’. ... Such exchanges are speculated to assist individuals and small employees in selecting tailor-made private health plans for individual needs from a single unified platform. The State of Oregon has been awarded an amount of $ 48,096, 307 in order to facilitate the implementation of such an exchange which will cater to the 516,000 Medicaid clients and 277,000 commercial insurance consumers to enroll for health coverage according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) (Irving, 2011). Similarly, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services now has access to $ 37, 757, 266 to implement an exchange which will assist state residents to access state based subsidized and non-subsidized health plans from a single platform. The Wisconsin Health department anticipates that this Grant will allow it to make available such services to 35% of the State’s hitherto non served population comprising of 160,000 individuals in the non-group market, a million employees of small businesses, and 770,000 pa rticipants involved in the State’s BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Programs (Irving, 2011). In Massachusetts, the University Medical School has been awarded a sum of $ 35.591,333 in order to facilitate an IT exchange which will cater to a multi-state consortium involving Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, along with the parent state in making healthcare plans more accessible and individualized for the residents (Irving, 2011). Voters in Oregon had already disapproved a movement to implement a Canadian-style universal healthcare plan being propositioned in 2003, fearing huge taxes and expressing mistrust in the bureaucracy, which would have assumed enormous powers in case a universal healthcare system had been implemented (Korcok, 2003).

Analysis Of Mere Christianity By CS Lewis Religion Essay

Analysis Of Mere Christianity By CS Lewis Religion Essay The book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis was a very interesting. As I first started reading the book from the preface I found out that before C.S. Lewis published the book he read them or gave them to someone to read aloud over the radio it was said to have been published into three separate parts the first one being named Broadcast talks which was aired in the year 1942. The second one that was given on the air was Christian Behavior which aired one year after in 1943.The last part to the three part series was called Beyond Personality which aired in 1944. The first chapter in the book was mainly about the Universal Law of Nature and what certain cultures find wrong and what certain right and how some cultures differ in beliefs. One of the many examples used in this chapter was that about marriage and how certain cultures allow men to have more than one wife to that of those who only allow only one wife. Another thing the Lewis mentions in this chapter is that of how a culture wou ld be strange if it didnt follow its own laws. In book one chapter 3 he explains how the only way we know our laws is our reactions to it and how we understand it. In chapter 4 Lewis discusses how greediness and spirits are too conflicting habits to interpret life which have been talked about and conflicted over eternally in view of the fact that thoughts natives begin thinking how the world came upon to be. The authors explain greediness in the books typical common sense, the world as we know it have until the end of time be, and numerical main beliefs of possibility, as well as well-known as chance, bring on the subject of humanity. Lying on the additional put forward, and dovetail with the authors principle about the commandment of the natural world, the spiritual world maintain that a awareness bring the creation interested in survival by means of a understandable principle of create additional love comparable on the road to its own. Anywhere covetousness does not take for grant ed awareness on top of the life, everything spiritual does. Lewis uses a small number of additional analogy to construct his casing. The mass of human suppose in the life of one or more gods. Lewis admit to at on its own moment human being an nonbeliever, other than subsequent to accommodating the being of God, he exposed a outward appearance of open-mindedness which permitted each and every one religion to have a quantity of fact to themselves, to a certain extent than irritating to display with the intention of all religion are incorrect in their encouragement of belief. In chapter 2 Lewis discusses the pressure group to generalize Christianity interested in a faith that worships a high-quality as well as presently God. He argue not anything in the world is easy, as a result God cant survive undemanding also. A preside over possibly will appear to be a straightforward control the discussion, but at what time intimately look at turn elsewhere to exist complete of multifaceted stuff , complete of atom, good thing still bearing in mind the preside over involve reflect brightness finished of things. His peak is with the intention of God, even though high-quality bent great that curved awful. In chapter 5 the starting place of restlessness is, as said by Lewis is, to be bring into being in the whole story he claim to have well-known that the ruling of natural world exists, is that human beings have a hard time following the laws, and that Jesus himself is behind the laws of our world and the human ways are useless unless more things are applied to bring humans more intact with the laws. The things that must be accomplished are to understand and live with the laws and to see, and to see that God himself is very unyielding against it, and we are making it more difficult for us in the future if we think theres an easier way. This part explains the importance of the 3 most important religions in the modern age. These three concepts are Jewish, catholic and Islamic rel igions which express the concept of Pantheism which is short abbreviation meaning God is the Universe which is understood by Catholics, Jews, and Islamic people as God creating the universe and by atheist God was never real or existed. From Lewiss point of view the greatest problem and obstacle about Gods issue is that people believing if God actually existed or if he never did exist. More than half of the humans in the world believe one more than one demonic figure or Gods as said by Lewis. Lewis has also mentioned within the book that at one point of time he was Atheist but after thinking and thinking he came to the conclusion that all religions had some sort of truth to them thus allowing him to have an open mind about all religions including and especially Christianity. He later explains and moves on in this chapter saying that God may have taken sides to people in his decisions. Chapter three starts out talking and explaining the free will of man kind. This part of the story is thought to have given Jesus Christ the power and equal ness to God himself. The part that has come to shock me and many readers within the book is the idea that God came down to us in human being form as Jesus Christ to regain the love and happiness within the world. There was a point within the book where he (Lewis) argues that that all of the humans within his world has their own freedom Because God himself decided that is was mandatory in a way so that all of his followers meaning us would love him with eternal love and compassion. With all that said Lewis latter explains that evil would have developed over time which it has and would lead to the destruction of many of Gods creations. Now to Part 3, in chapter 1 of part 3 it explains the significance of morality, Lewis explains these 3 parts in many different and various ways. The first sort of morality has to do with human to human and the relationships we have together as humans. The second point of morality is within the huma n himself and how he or she sets them self out. The third and last part of the morality concept is that of the human himself and the creator being God in this case and the relationship they both share as one. Lewis s problem with this concept is he has set in his mind that the only part of the morality that the humans meaning us is we only pay attention to the first part and look at nothing more than just a human to human relationship. Chapter 6 which is a brief but interesting chapter which has to do with the Christian marriages within the church. One of the very first thing Lewis speaks about and relates to is that Catholic marriage is the putting together of two people at the same level of spirituality and love. He also explains that divorce is very bad for the community thus cause its the taking away of the two peoples love for one anther thus breaking and tearing apart their spiritual bon with each other. Chapter 9 is based on Lewis views on how the charity can benefit how God forgives us and how the term charity does not basically mean to give or donate to the needy and or poor. Another bright point Lewis makes with in this chapter is that being charitable simply does not mean having feelings for others such as love and compassion but is said to be more than just that and is looked at basically a concern for the well being of others he later gives the example of a mother spoiling and loving her daughter or son as a way of being charitable and making herself and him happy this is considered by Lewis to be the wrong way of being charitable. Lewis also includes in this passage saying that even though charity is not the showing of love for another it is the start in showing love and compassion for people and is much more looked upon than having hate against someone or something. Chapter 1 of book 4 explains the well stated differences between the making of and the begetting of one another. It starts off explaining the begetting by saying begetting is the sam e thing as being born the same with no differences at all, and the making is closely similar to creation of something or someone after the birth is done. The last chapter I am explaining and summarizing is book 4 chapter 3 because I believe it states a very important part of everyday life to all of us. In this chapter it is briefly explained that time is a part of our everyday life and is a concept of our world as we know it, but as said by Lewis Gods world does not revolve around time and does not exist within Heaven Which means that it is virtually meaningless to God but it is most certainly is important to us. This book was very well written even though I have only read half of this fantastic book iv actually started to find this book to be a very interesting and great story as I was writing my essay and going through the book the reason I find it to be interesting is because I love how it explains and takes you through the many places such as the universe as a whole and into God s dimension which is considered to be Heaven to me and how it takes us to the physical reality of life, this concludes my essay and I hope that this book is used next year because I found it to be very fascinating.

Discrimination in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay -- essays research

In the literary work Of Mice and Men, the reader is introduced to the ranch as a world of its own, within which prejudice plays a significant part. The characters in this novel act as a community in a world of their own, having no connections to any other type of society. A strong point, enforced through many examples in the book, is the constant ability of the stronger to overcome the weaker. The prejudices of the majority towards the minority, at the ranch are the white-males, who retain power over the lesser groups of people. This inequality, as well as the influence of the time period, causes discrimination against people of color, women, and those that are disabled, either mentally or physically. The crippled, African American stable hand, Crooks, is the victim of racial discrimination on the ranch. He is given his own room off the stables as if a privilege, but in truth the white-male majority of the ranch wants to have as small an amount of contact with Crooks as possible. Crooks understands this, as is shown when he explains it to Lennie in a simple statement, ?They play cards in there, but I can?t play because I?m black. They say I stink.? (p. 33) As a result of this separation, Crooks becomes incredibly bitter and lonely. Through his request of having a part in George and Lennie?s dream, it becomes obvious that he searches for a friend, struggling to be recognized as a human being. Curley?s wife is the typical example of discrimination based on misunderstanding. Because she is never given the chance to express her point of view, the men have a strong opinion on her based only on their interpretations of her actions. In the men?s opinion, she does not belong around the ranch, and should stay... ... to share a farm with George and be allowed to tend the rabbits, and he does not seem to understand why people stand against him. Lennie?s failure to recognize his own strength unfortunately leads him to harm many living things, eventually Curly?s wife, which leads to his death by the hand of George, who only did what he thought was best. The novel Of Mice and Men presents to us the unjust causes and painful results of discrimination. It clearly shows the loneliness of those that fall victim to the harsh judgement of others in the world of the ranch, as well as the way the strong overcome the weak. As in the world itself, the existance of the ranch hands is based on survival, and in this case, a dream had to be surrendered by George in order to survive. As Slim said in the end while comforting George, ?Never you mind. A guy got to sometimes.? (117)

Contrast Between High School and College Essay

A good education is an important part of one’s life. In order for one to accomplish his or her goals and have a good education, this individual need to attend both high school and college. I find both high school and college to be very different although some people think high school has a lot in common with college. My first year of enrollment into college, I notice that there are many differences between them. These differences include responsibilities, atmosphere, and freedom. To begin with, there are many ways in which the responsibilities of both teachers and students in high school differ from teachers and students in college. It’s been cleared to me that high school teachers are much stricter and they provide more rules for the students to follow. Teachers are responsible for making sure each student obeys these rules and carry out disciplinary actions for those who did not obey them. One example in which a teacher has taken on a disciplinary action was when a student was tardy or skipped their scheduled and they end up doing extra class work and homework or getting detention. I always felt like I was getting pushed to accomplish things in high school. I also remember having rules like no eating or drinking class. Chewing of gum in class was never allowed. Meanwhile in college, teachers are different. You are treated like an adult. The instructors in college expect you to do the work and aren’t constantly pushing you to do assignments. They expect you to have assignments done; you either do it or fail. Another difference between high school and college would be the atmosphere. Even though high school teachers are strict, this doesn’t seem to change how seriously some of the high school students take their studies. The high school students do behave sometimes as elementary school children. They mostly argue and fight among themselves in the cafeteria, hallways, and even outside the school building. However, students are more mature in college, and take their studies seriously. Each student in college knows why there are in school and so they do not pay any attention to others business or getting involved. Sometimes if you get into a fight in college, you can easily loss your scholarship or financial aid. In high school, there was less freedom. You would have to attend class early in the morning each day. You can’t change your schedule. Students in high school are obligated to attend. In contrast, student must attend through ambition and hard work. College also offers a lot of freedom. College students could easily change their classes depending on their schedule.

Gladiator: Comparison from the movie to actual history Essay

In the movie, many things portrayed are the same as what really happened in Roman history. Some things though, are a little different in the actual history of Rome than in the movie. Scenes were changed in the movie too, to make the plot more interesting. I connected what I could between the movie and the actual history of Rome. Maximus was the general of Rome and a really good general at that. He lead Rome to many victories. He was so great and loyal that in the movie, Marcus Aurelius actually asked him to succeed him in the throne. When Commodus heard this from his father, he killed him and sentenced Maximus to death. When Maximus escaped, he was picked up by a group of men and sold as a slave to become a gladiator. As a gladiator, he fought many different types of gladiators. Quicker ones had nets with tridents and slower ones had curved swords with shields. There were some gladiators that even had chariots. In the actual history of Rome, there really were different types of gladiators. The gladiators with the net and trident were called the retarius. The gladiator with the curved sword and shield were called the samnite. I’m not too sure if there were gladiators that used chariots as their weapons but it sounds likely since it is thought that the colosseum was filled up and used for boat wars. Using chariots would be easy for them and entertaining for the crowd. There’s a scene in the movie where it’s a one on one battle between Maximus and a champion gladiator. Maximus is barely armed and protected. All he has is a sword and shield I believe. The other man has two swords, a mask for protection, and heavy armor. This shows how each type of gladiator was to fight a different kind of gladiator so the match would be even and fair. In the movie, Commodus is very sneaky and vengeful. He uses murder in his politics also. He killed his father, tried to kill Maximus and even wanted to get rid of the senate in order for him to become a â€Å"true emperor.† He thinks the senate is unneeded and believes himself to be more of a people’s person then the actual senators. In history, there was much murder in the government also. The Gracchis were murdered as well as Caesar. Commodus tries to assassinate and kill Maximus since Maximus is supposed to be the successor to the throne after Marcus Aurelius. In Roman History, the Romans  never developed a formal policy of succession. Although many emperors named their successors, the Roman army often refused to accept the new emperors and assassinated them. This is what Commodus tried to do with Maximus in order for himself to become emperor and rule. Gracchus wants the citizens of Rome to be happy in the movie and makes sure the emperor hears the problems and needs of the people when he councils with him. He even suggests possible solutions to the problems. He seems to be a people’s person very much and knows how some of the senators can be crooked. In Roman history, there were actually two Gracchis who were actually both murdered because they were disliked by crooked senators who used violence to get ahead. The real Gracchis wanted to help the citizens out also. They even used public funds to purchase grain to be sold to the poor at low prices so they can afford it. They also improved the political status of the equites (business and land owning people.) Lucillia, sister of Commodus, has a son named Lucius. I did some research to find out that her son was named after his father who died in 169 A.D. His name was Lucius Veras. In the movie, she is portrayed as a widow, but, in real history, she remarries to Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus Quintianus of Antioch. In the movie, she joins the plot for the good of the Roman people but she really participated in this plot because she lusted after power. She also supports her brother in the movie but was actually involved in a plot with her cousin to assassinate Commodus and raise her husband up as emperor. The plan was figured out and she was banished to the island of Capri. In the movie, it shows her as out- living her brother but she is actually executed at the island because he changed his mind. As you can see, many things throughout the movie were the same as to what happened in the history of Rome. A few minor details were changed but nothing too noticeable. The only major difference I could see was in Lucillia and how she was portrayed. Her role had to be changed or else the whole movie would have been different and probably more boring. Definitely when you put the two, movie and history, side-by-side, you see how good of a job they really did sticking to the facts and at the same time, making the  movie wicked-awesome with its totally cool action.

How to Write a Character Analysis

How to Write a Character Analysis Being mindful of subtle hints, like mood changes and reactions that might provide insight into your characters personality, can help you write a character analysis. Describe the Characters Personality We get to know the characters in our stories through the things they say, feel, and do. Its not as difficult as it may seem to figure out personality traits based on a characters thoughts and behaviors: Say cheese! the exasperated photographer shouted, as she pointed her camera toward the group of squirming children. Margot displayed her broadest, most convincing fake smile as she inched ever-closer to her younger cousin. Just as the photographers finger twitched over the shutter button, Margot leaned into her young cousins side and pinched hard. The boy let out a yelp, just as the camera clicked. You can probably make some assumptions about Margot from the brief segment above. If you had to name three character traits to describe her, what would they be? Is she a nice, innocent girl? Doesnt seem like it from this passage. From the brief paragraph, we can assume that shes apparently sneaky, mean, and deceptive. Determine the Character Type of Your Protagonist You will receive clues about personality through a characters words, actions, reactions, feelings, movements, thoughts, and mannerisms. Even a characters opinions can help you learn more about the individual, and you may discover that the person fits one of these stock character types: Flat character. A flat character has one or two personality traits that dont change. The flat character can play a major or a minor role.Round character. A round character has many complex traits; those traits develop and change in a story. A round character seems more real than a flat character because real people are complex.Stock or stereotype character. Stock characters are stereotypes, such as hot-tempered redheads, stingy businessmen, and absent-minded professors. They are often found in genre fiction (romance novels and mysteries, for example), and are usually flat characters. They are often used as a tool to move a plot forward.Static character. A static character never changes. A loud, obnoxious background character who remains the same throughout the story is static. A boring character who is never changed by events is also static.Dynamic character. Unlike a static character, a dynamic character does change and grow as the story unfolds. Dynamic characters respond to events and experience changes in attitude or outlook. The character might go through a transformation during the course of the storyline, and grow as a result of actions that took place. Define Your Characters Role in the Work Youre Analyzing When you write a character analysis, you must define that characters role. Identifying the character type and personality traits can help you better understand what the larger role of the character is within the story.  The character either plays a major role, as a central element to the story, or a minor role to support the major characters in the story. Protagonist. The protagonist of a story is another name for the main character. The plot revolves around the protagonist. There may even be more than one main character. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn is the protagonist.In Little Red Riding Hood, the little girl is the protagonist. Antagonist. The antagonist is the character who represents a challenge or an obstacle to the protagonist in a story. In some stories, the antagonist is not a person but rather a larger entity or force that must be dealt with. In Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is the antagonist.In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, society is the antagonist. Society, with its unfair laws and rules, represents the obstacle to Hucks development as a person. Foil. A foil is a character who provides contrast to the main character (protagonist), in order to emphasize the main characters traits. In A Christmas Carol, the kind nephew, Fred, is the foil to nasty Ebenezer Scrooge. Show Your Characters Development (Growth and Change) When you are asked to write a character analysis, you will be expected to explain how a character changes and grows. Most major characters go through some kind of significant growth  as a story unfolds, often a direct result of dealing with some sort of conflict. Notice, as you read, which main characters grow stronger, fall apart, develop new relationships, or discover new aspects of themselves. Make note of scenes in which character changes become apparent or the characters opinions on a topic change. Clues include phrases such as she suddenly realized that... or for the first time, he... Understanding the journey of your character and how it relates to the story as a whole can help you better understand that characters motives and better represent the person in your overall analysis. Article edited  by  Stacy Jagodowski

Tips for Treating Titles of People

Tips for Treating Titles of People Tips for Treating Titles of People Tips for Treating Titles of People By Mark Nichol Civil titles (Mr., Mrs., and Ms.) have become largely archaic and superfluous in written communication, and Dr. is usually unnecessary, too and, in the case of someone who earned a doctorate, is often seen as a disingenuous affectation. (When necessary, follow the person’s name with PhD instead). A doctor with a medical degree is better identified by a brief reference to his or her specialty or the specific medical degree earned (â€Å"cardiologist Thomas Johnson† or â€Å"Thomas Johnson, MD†). Even in fiction, civil titles are of questionable value except in dialogue or in a narrative reference for example, when conversationally referring to the town general practitioner in a novel with a rural setting. People with professional titles by virtue of affiliation with politics, education, religion, the military, and such may be identified as such on first reference (â€Å"President Linda Thompson,† â€Å"Professor John O’Brien,† â€Å"Reverend Andrew Morris,† â€Å"Captain Jane Long†), but, as with civil titles, there’s no reason to subsequently use the title before the name, unless, like the rural doctor, the person is a character being mentioned or hailed in a story. Most titles have an abbreviated form, but though these are commonly used in journalistic contexts, they’re generally unnecessary (except, perhaps, when space is at a minimum, such as in a table with narrow columns). Military abbreviations consist of all capital letters, but references in civilian contexts need not follow suit. In the case of members of legislative bodies, it is sometimes necessary to identify the level of office, such as when mentioning politicians from various countries or comparing state and federal governance. In such cases, Senator James Smith should be referred to as â€Å"US senator James Smith†; note how senator is lowercased because it is now part of the epithet â€Å"US senator† and is not an official title. This transformation is also applicable when referring to, for example, â€Å"state senator Mary Jones† or â€Å"California senator Mary Jones,† even though, under different circumstances, she would be identified simply as â€Å"Senator Mary Jones.† This style variation should be used consistently in a given publication but need not be maintained in every issue of a periodical or every update to a Web site, unless it’s necessary to do so to perpetuate the distinction. Ultimately, when deciding whether to precede names with titles, let common sense be your guide; it is a courtesy to include them on first reference, but it is superfluous do so in every instance. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 17 Patterns of Sentence StructureTreatment of Words That Include â€Å"Self†

Roman-Germanic Wars Battle of the Teutoburg Forest

Roman-Germanic Wars' Battle of the Teutoburg Forest The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest was fought in September 9 AD during the Roman-Germanic Wars (113 BC-439 AD). Armies Commanders Germanic Tribes Arminiusapprox. 10,000-12,000 men Roman Empire Publius Quinctilius Varus20,000-36,000 men Background In 6 AD, Publius Quinctilius Varus was assigned to oversee the consolidation of the new province of Germania. Though an experienced administrator, Varus quickly developed a reputation for arrogance and cruelty. By pursuing policies of heavy taxation and showing disrespect for Germanic culture, he caused many of the Germanic tribes that were allied to Rome to reconsider their position as well as drove neutral tribes to open rebellion. During the summer of 9 AD, Varus and his legions worked to put down various small rebellions along the frontier. In these campaigns, Varus led three legions (XVII, XVIII, and XIX), six independent cohorts, and three squadrons of cavalry. A formidable army, it was further supplemented by allied German troops including those of the Cherusci tribe led by Arminius. A close advisor of Varus, Arminius had spent time in Rome as a hostage during which he had been educated in the theories and practice of Roman warfare. Aware that Varus policies were causing unrest, Arminius secretly worked to unite many of the Germanic tribes against the Romans. As fall approached, Varus began moving the army from the Weser River towards its winter quarters along the Rhine. En route, he received reports of uprisings which required his attention. These were fabricated by Arminius who may have suggested that Varus move through the unfamiliar Teutoburg Forest to accelerate the march. Before moving out, a rival Cheruscan nobleman, Segestes, told Varus that Arminius was plotting against him. Varus dismissed this warning as the manifestation of a personal feud between the two Cheruscans. Prior to the army moving out, Arminius departed under the pretext of rallying more allies. Death in the Woods Advancing, the Roman army was strung out in a marching formation with camp followers interspersed. Reports also indicate that Varus neglected to send out scouting parties to prevent an ambush. As the army entered the Teutoburg Forest, a storm broke and a heavy rain began. This, along with poor roads and rough terrain, stretched the Roman column to between nine to twelve miles long. With the Romans struggling through the forest, the first Germanic attacks began. Conducting hit and run strikes, Arminius men picked away at the strung out enemy. Aware that the wooded terrain prevented the Romans from forming for battle, the Germanic warriors worked to gain local superiority against isolated groups of legionaries. Taking losses through the day, the Romans constructed a fortified camp for the night. Pushing forward in the morning, they continued to suffer badly before reaching open country. Seeking relief, Varus began moving towards the Roman base at Halstern which was 60 miles to the southwest. This required re-entering wooded country. Enduring the heavy rain and continued attacks, the Romans pushed on through the night in an effort to escape. The next day, the Romans were faced with a trap prepared by the tribes near Kalkriese Hill. Here the road was constricted by a large bog to the north and the wooded hill to the south. In preparation for meeting the Romans, the Germanic tribesmen had built ditches and walls blocking the road. With few choices remaining, the Romans began a series of assaults against the walls. These were repulsed and in the course of the fighting Numonius Vala fled with the Roman cavalry. With Varus men reeling, the Germanic tribes swarmed over the walls and attacked. Slamming into the mass of Roman soldiers, the Germanic tribesmen overwhelmed the enemy and began a mass slaughter. With his army disintegrating, Varus committed suicide rather than be captured. His example was followed by many of his higher ranking officers. Aftermath of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest While exact numbers are not known, it is estimated that between 15,000-20,000 Roman soldiers were killed in the fighting with additional Romans take prisoner or enslaved. Germanic losses are not known with any certainty. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest saw the complete destruction of three Roman legions and badly angered Emperor Augustus. Stunned by the defeat, Rome began preparing for new campaigns into Germania which began in 14 AD. These ultimately recaptured the standards of the three legions defeated in the forest. Despite these victories, the battle effectively halted Roman expansion at the Rhine.

Transnational Segmentation - the Way Forward Essay

Transnational Segmentation - the Way Forward - Essay Example There can be shifts within the industry which alter the marketing strategies. These, in turn, would alter the segmentation process, the targeting of the market and the product positioning. There are various strategies being used by firms wanting to expand overseas. A global strategy treats the world as a single market whereas localized approach takes into account the local opportunities in forming the strategy. Base on the various literature available, it would be determined that transnational segmentation is not the way forward for firms wanting to expand overseas. A standardized approach can be adopted but each market segment would need a standardized strategy and cater to different market segments there can be several global strategies. Besides, the same standardized approach cannot be applicable for all types of goods and in all types of markets. The optimal marketing strategy would be to take into account targeting and positioning across international boundaries. To derive benefits, firms have been showing interest in global marketing which implies an integrated and global marketing approach (Guerini, 2006). To survive in the face of price wars, competition, and high-quality product/services, they are looking for something radical that could transform the way business could be done. Marketers have been debating whether to pursue a global versus a localized approach to international marketing. Traditional orientations of marketing are being replaced by transnational market similarities. This paper builds on the view that firms are trying to segment the countries according to similar characteristics but marketers realize that to be successful in international market local adaptation is necessary.

Outsourcing Supply Chain Support and its Effectiveness and Implication Dissertation

Outsourcing Supply Chain Support and its Effectiveness and Implication in R&D Environment in Singapore - Dissertation Example and Objectives 1.3 Research Methods 1.4Significance of Research 1.5 Dissertation Outline 1.6 Conclusions Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Information Sharing and Outsourcing 2.3 The importance of Information sharing in Outsourcing 2.4 The risk factors of Information sharing 2.5 How much information can be shared? 2.6 How to ensure effective information-sharing 2.7 Conclusion Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research Approach 3.3 Research Methods 3.4 Research Design 3.4.1 Sample 3.4.2 Method of Data Collection: Interview 3.4.3 Research Instrument 3.4.4 Method of Data Analysis 3.5 Research Validity and Reliability 3.6 Ethical Considerations 3.7 Conclusions Chapter 4: Findings 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Part A: Findings from i3lab 4.2.1 Challenges of Managing the Supply Chain for Support Products for i3lab 4.2.3 Performance Assessment of Outsourcing Partners 4.2.4 Outsourcing Partner Selection Criteria (size, capabilities, and geographical locations) 4.2.5 Outsourcing Partner Trust 4.2.6 Protocol for Sharing Information with Outsourcing Vendors 4.2.7 Channels of Communications Employed 4.2.8 Decisions Regarding Information Sharing 4.2.9 Managing Integrity of Shared Information 4.2.10 Importance of Information sharing and Concerns Regarding Integrity 4.3 PART B: Findings from the Interviews of Outsourcing Partners 4.3.1 Challenges and Problems faced during Supplying Components to Buyers 4.3.2 Channels of Communication Employed Between Outsourcing Partners and Buyers 4.3.3 Information Sharing with Buyers 4.3.4 Adequacy of Information Shared from the Buyer 4.3.5 Buyer Information Security 4.3.6 Suggestions for Buyer Information Security 4.3.7 Differences in Procurement Practices in China and Singapore 4.4 Summary Chapter 5: Discussion and... This paper tells that in the past decades, there has been experienced an acute shortage of supply chain support services, especially for Research and Development (R&D operations), There are multiple reasons for these shortages and these include outsourcing to foreign countries like China and India where cost advantages can be obtained, inflationary pressures on the costs of operations. Indices like the manufacturing unit labour costs have shown an increase of 15% while unit business costs have increase by 7.8% over 2010. In addition, there is also a shift towards knowledge based economy as opposed to manufacturing and engineering, which has led to the government focusing on other sectors. There is a lowering of demand in the ultra-precision engineering segment in Singapore. A recent survey by the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MIT) has revealed that there is a decline of 5.9% in the manufacturing sector in the second quarter of 2011. The Precision Engineering sector comprising of precision modules and components has shown a 10% decrease in 2011 from the year 2007. The above factors have made it lucrative for organizations in the in the ultra-precision engineering R&D activities to follow the path of outsourcing. However, while outsourcing leads to cost cuttings, it may also lead to a loss of control over standardization and problems of product quality. There is therefore a need to share information with the outsourcing partners. The current dissertation is aimed at evaluating how the ultra-precision engineering R&D need to manage their sensitive information while sharing knowledge and practices with their outsourcing partners.

Privacy and Digital Investigations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Privacy and Digital Investigations - Essay Example Therefore, upon the detection of suspicious computer incidents, the organization immediately launches a forensics/digital investigation which is fully compliant with a policy which has been jointly drawn up by both the legal and the IT departments. This report will begin with a brief overview of privacy considerations, following which it will describe the organization's policy and highlight both its strengths and weaknesses. According to federal employment laws, employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Aftab (2006) notes that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 explicitly prohibits employer monitoring of employee private electronic communications, even if the medium of communication was owned by the employer, occurred in the workplace and on the employer's own time. Employees should reasonably expect that the electronic equipment assigned to their use, whether computers or telephones, are not going to be used for the purposes of monitoring their activities and private communiqus. At the same time, Aftab (2006) notes that it has become increasingly important for employers to monitor employee use of these equipments, especially in instances of investigation. Therefore, to overcome the strictures placed on employers by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, organizations typically have employees sign an organization-specific Electronic and Communication Equipment policy. This p olicy, according to Merkow and Breithaupt (2002) and Aftab (2006), clearly specifies that that the employee has the right to review all documents and materials which were created, sent or received via corporate equipment and, indeed, to subject the equipment to forensic investigations which would expose employee use of the equipment. In other words, employees are often required to legally waive their legal right to privacy. According to our Legal Director, our organization has such a policy in place and all employees are required to sign it. 2.2 Patient Privacy Patient privacy is protected by federal legislature. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, clearly outlines the inviolability of patient confidentiality. Jacobs (2005) explains that it is contingent upon companies in the healthcare sector to ensure that patient data is protected against unauthorised access and, of course, public dissemination. If violations occur and investigations reveal that the organization did not do all that was possible to securitize patient data, it could be held liable for negligence and subsequently sued by patients. Therefore, the priority for ant healthcare organisation should be the securitization of patient data (Jacob, 2005). 3 Investigation Policy The organization's investigation policy, as explained by the Legal Department Director is simultaneously informed and enabled by the privacy considerations outlined in the above. Investigation policy is driven by the objective of identifying ant possible violations of patient privacy and the identity of the violator and the forensics investigations which are integral to the fulfilment of the stated objectives are enabled by employee waiver of their right

Aspect of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aspect of Leadership - Essay Example In the modern age, it is not unusual for a government to be selected by the number of votes, that are a shear representation of the total population in a country. This results in a state of anarchy and is detrimental to the peace and harmony among individuals of a nation. Authenticity of the leader is one of the most basic requirements that maintain followers’ faith in their leader. A leader has to frequently make commitments with his followers because of the tough nature of his job. Authenticity of the leader dawns upon the followers cardinally by compliance of the leader’s actions with his commitments. Authenticity in a leadership can be measured on the scale of certain factors. Compliance of the leader’s actions with prior commitments with his followers, maintenance of consistency in the theme of a leader, and, frequent and open confrontation of the leader with the followers are some of such factors. A leader should be very particular about defining his theme. Theme of a leader serves as a focus of all his progressions. It is imperative that the followers are well educated on the theme of the leader so that they can fully comprehend the leader’s intentions and rationalize his approach towards attainment of the ultimate goal. In addition to that, a leader needs to confess all potential mistakes, that he did unintentionally or that raised doubts among the followers in any manner. These factors solely pertain to the leader in person. A leader also needs to ensure that he ensures the use of authentic means to convey his message to the followers. Followers, act as per th e instructions of their leader and their level of compliance with the leader’s instructions decides for the effectiveness of the leader’s approach. It is, therefore, the leader’s responsibility to ensure that the message that is conveyed to the followers is authentic in all

Greenhouse Gas Emission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greenhouse Gas Emission - Essay Example From the figure above, the EPA (2010) notes that sources such as agriculture, waste and wastewater, and residential and commercial building are quite new sources that have been added to the sources of greenhouse gas emissions over the years. The understanding therefore is that in years past, these sources did not pose any threat to the world as far as the emission of greenhouse gases was concerned. From these arguments, I can ask a question to support my position that if indeed successes have been achieved, why are the sources of greenhouse gas emission increasing rather than reducing?From the evidence of increasing number of sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the University of Washington (2011) makes a shocking revelation to the fact that the levels of greenhouse gas emissions have been so disturbing that, there is virtually no hope of reversing the trend. The source therefore notes that, â€Å"There would continue to be warming even if the most stringent policy proposals were ad opted† (University of Washington, 2011). The major underlying reason for development is that some greenhouse gases have been left to dominate in global warming so much to the extent that they have created heat-trapping mechanisms that will continue to account for the emission of heat in the nearest future. In the graph below, there is another evidence to support the fact that efforts on greening the earth have failed because global stakeholders have done very little to controlling the effect of certain greenhouse gases., particularly carbon dioxide and methane. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas Source: IPPC (2007). From the graph above, it would be realized that among the different causes of greenhouse

Reflection on Integrating Learning Styles & Multiple Intelligences Essay

Reflection on Integrating Learning Styles & Multiple Intelligences - Essay Example Sensing Thinkers use concrete, practical approaches to learning. The Intuitive Thinkers use conceptual and innovative approaches, and are oriented toward theories and meanings. Sensing Feelers use their imagination to see things that cannot be seen by the senses. Intuitive Feelers uses intuition along with feeling. The Multiple Intelligence theory popularized by Howard Gardner (1991)states that there are at least seven different ways of learning anything, usually called the seven intelligences: body/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intra-personal, logical/mathematical, musical/rhythmic, verbal/linguistic and visual/spatial. These intelligences are considered ways in demonstrating intelligences. This theory revolutionized how intelligence is conceived. This explains how children learn, and how they should be taught, which are far from what has been thought about before. The theories, concepts, and strategies presented in this course with respect to learning styles and multiple intelligences are very interesting and an eye-opener for teachers like me. Although these theories and concepts are not unfamiliar or unheard of since it has made a debut several years ago, it is a very good exercise to really get to know each learning style and intelligences. Dissecting each theory helps me understand it fully and know how its application to my teaching. It opens the door to the different possibilities of application for classroom application. Exposure the different learning-styles material prompted me to reevaluate how I judge ability as well as weaknesses of my students. It made me realized that although I was employing different strategies to make our class interesting, I was doing it randomly. Strategies that I used were based on the concept that I am teaching and not on my students’ learning styles and intelligences. I have gained several important insights on the differences of students, their uniqueness, strengths and weakness. A few of these

Greenhouse Gas Emission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greenhouse Gas Emission - Essay Example From the figure above, the EPA (2010) notes that sources such as agriculture, waste and wastewater, and residential and commercial building are quite new sources that have been added to the sources of greenhouse gas emissions over the years. The understanding therefore is that in years past, these sources did not pose any threat to the world as far as the emission of greenhouse gases was concerned. From these arguments, I can ask a question to support my position that if indeed successes have been achieved, why are the sources of greenhouse gas emission increasing rather than reducing?From the evidence of increasing number of sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the University of Washington (2011) makes a shocking revelation to the fact that the levels of greenhouse gas emissions have been so disturbing that, there is virtually no hope of reversing the trend. The source therefore notes that, â€Å"There would continue to be warming even if the most stringent policy proposals were ad opted† (University of Washington, 2011). The major underlying reason for development is that some greenhouse gases have been left to dominate in global warming so much to the extent that they have created heat-trapping mechanisms that will continue to account for the emission of heat in the nearest future. In the graph below, there is another evidence to support the fact that efforts on greening the earth have failed because global stakeholders have done very little to controlling the effect of certain greenhouse gases., particularly carbon dioxide and methane. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas Source: IPPC (2007). From the graph above, it would be realized that among the different causes of greenhouse

Writing assignment on a short story titled The Street That Got Mislaid

Writing on a short story titled The Street That Got Mislaid - Assignment Example Marc was in a dilemma whether to let the world know about the obscure street or not but he chose not to do so considering the fact that his one decision can destroy the world of several people who have consistently struggled throughout their lives. It was a very sensible decision and the one which should be lauded. Believing in yourself, is another very important theme in the story, Marc was condoned by his tenants and his subordinates but he kept believing in his knowledge and one day the breakthrough came and it changed his life and perception for the better, similarly it is a lesson for all those who get negative in life. Staying positive has always helped other people and it is also the key to success, Marc found solace by finding accommodating people, his new neighbors were also very kind-hearted and cared for him unlike his former neighbors who never respected his existence. Making informed decisions is also really important; we make the right decisions when we make informed decisions. Marc could have easily let the other people know about the old letter and the same would have had disastrous consequences but he decided to go and see the obscure street, one informed decision of his also changed the lives of several people who were living in that obscure street. â€Å"All of them, it seemed, had had their troubles, their losses and failures, before they found themselves in this place of refuge, this Green Bottle Street. To Marc, conscious of his own unsatisfactory existence, it sounded entrancing. He fingered the card in his pocket uncertainly. "Mr. Plonsky and Mr. Flanagan took a great liking to each other," Miss Trusdale continued. "Both of them have been travelers and they like to talk about the things they have seen. Miss Hunter plays the piano and gives us concerts.† (The Street that Got Mislaid) Marc was particularly kind to these people because they reminded of his

Effect of Stress on Academic Performance of Students

Effect of Stress on Academic Performance of Students The Impact of Stress on Academic Success in College Students XU YONGQI Sometimes college life can be very stressful, because the pressure from study, relationship, responsibilities and so on. Therefore, defining what cause to stress, how to deal with stress are very important for college students. According to stimulus-based, response-based, and dynamic process, there are three ways of defining stress. Firstly, from Oxford English Dictionary: â€Å"to subject (a material thing, a bodily organ, a mental faculty) to stress or strain; to overwork, fatigue†, in other words, pressure produces stress (Butler, 1993). Secondly, stress is the response of noxious or aversive stimuli, which depends on one’s specific characteristics (Selye, 1956). Thirdly, stress as a dynamic process has reflected both internal and external factors, which includes the first and second definitions of stress: the characters of people and their circumstances. Moreover, it also involves the interactions between them (Butler, 1993). Based on the definitions of stress, it is difficult to draw a conclusion that the effects of stress are negative, because nothing is good or bad but by conditions. Therefore, the article is going to describe both sides of stress by analysing the good and bad effects of stress. Furthermore, the article will discuss the impact of stress on academic success in college students according to the competition of grades, the need of performance, relationship problems, career choice and many other aspects of the college students’ circumstances (Counseling Wellness Center, 2013). College students need to face the stress, so it is significant and necessary for them to deal with stress by using a good way. There are some good effects of stress. Firstly, stress will help people become more creative. People usually has more stress when they move into a new path, not only because it was new to them, but also because they do not know how other people deal with it. If people have the opportunities to ask a writer or an artist on the creative process of their arts, the most frequent answer is that they become successful person by achieving their goals when they are under the stress and suffering from it. Dr psychologist Larina Kase, says that Stress is often accompanied by a breakthrough in creativity. If your mind is completely normal and comfortable, you will not have any reason to see things differently. Secondly, stress is good for the immune system. Many studies show that the bodys immune system will benefit from the short-wave stress elicit the fight or flee (the tension is when people do the test, race or play games with time limits.) Stress can be useful for the immune system, it is claimed by Dr.  Mark Goulston -psychiatrist. Doctor also explained cortisol (also called stress hormone) appearing will increase immunity to the body, but only where balanced and moderate. Last but not least, stress helps people solve the problems. Most of people experienced stress due to face a difficult situations in their lives or forced to give an important decisions. Stress this fact can be quite useful, because stress manifestation of people’s values. If people do not care, they will not worry about it at all. Therefore, listen to what stress is will help people find the way to solve the problems. Many studies indicate that people feel happiest when they understand their own emotions and know how to deal with it. Nevertheless, excessive anxiety can also cause the opposite effect, such as depression and anxious. This paragraph will talk about the common stressors in college life. As I mentioned above, college life can be stressful, there are all kinds of stressors we can find in college. And the reasons of stress can be greateracademicdemands, financial responsibilities. Some problems like being away from home, changes in family relations and one’s social life, facing new environment and exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations, and preparing for life after graduation, all of these are influencing the college students a lot. What’s more, psychological make-up can also play an important role in vulnerability to depression, for people who have low self-esteem, who consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism, or are readily overwhelmed by stress may be especially prone to depression. Moreover, these are several bad effects of stress. Stress is, something one must not have too much of it; in other words, it is something one must not experience too much of it as it come with heavy ill effects on socially, medically and psychologically. According to many studies done in universities and research facility, the stress influences lives to certain degree that one might not able to recover from ill effects that stress brings. Primarily, socially, stress could affect the decisions one makes in everyday life; in other words, it will influence one’s social interaction with others such as friends, families and their work. One might say such opinion is exaggerated, but many research indicates that it is not overstated opinion. For instance, relationships are broken because they couldn’t handle the stress brought from the relationship. Furthermore, such stress could influence the relationship with friends due to the peer pressure that might be one large stressor in certain people’s lives. This might even bring some men and women to commit suicide or think about it. Furthermore, stress could bring unwanted effect in medically. Overloading of stress could bring our immune system down, enabling the harmful bacteria to enter our body system more easily and it disables our immune system to fight such bacteria effectively. Basically, one would have hard time recovering from illness when one gets sick when he or she is in stressful times. Furthermore, stress could make people commit unhealthy behaviour such as eating too much of food, drinking alcoholic drinks, excessive smoking and so on, leading to main health issues such as obesity, alcoholic issues, cancer and more. However, physical and social harmful effects are not the only harmful effects. The third component that is affected by stress is our psychological well being. As stress targets people physically and socially, it targets our mentality creating psychological stress that could last for long period time. Moreover, such psychology stress could develop into disorders that could take long time to recover. For an example, depression is one of the common psychological disorders that are caused by stress; depending on the level of the depression such disorder could make someone to commit suicide. In addition, psychological harmful effect that brought by stress could be chronicle and it would last until one stops breathing. Some believes that it is the psychological stress that actually brings physical and social harm. In other words, all the harmful effects that brought by stress is psychologically, yet it is influencing our social interaction with others and physical health. In conclusion, stress is necessary in order to live our life; stress could bring our creativity to top notch along with the immune system in our body, furthermore, it could help people to face problems and challenges that blocks their path; however, one could also see that overloaded stress could make our social interaction, such as relationship, to be hectic; it could bring our immune system weak against harmful bacteria, moreover, it might make one to develop unhealthy behaviours such as drinking, smoking and eating excessive foods; stress could create psychological disorders for many people that lasts long and have no easy way to recover. In my opinion what really matters is that how one handle the stress that blocks her or his life; depending on how one take care of that stress or how one manage the stress, the stress could bring the good effect or harmful effect. Few suggestions of dealing stress are as follows; one could plan ahead and avoid such stressful event from happening; this method allows the person to be more prepared. Another method in dealing such stressful situation is to get the priority of what to do first. This method would help one to solve the situation or problems step by step, which will help to divide the amount of the stress one might feel. References: Butler. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2560943/?page=1 Counseling Wellness Center. Retrieved from  https://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/stress-and-college-students.aspx Dr. Larina Kase. Retrieved from  http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/stress-management/7-ways-stress-can-actually-be-good-for-you-104481 Dr. Mark Goulston. Retrieved from  http://heohongtham.hubpages.com/hub/4-Positive-Effects-of-Stress

Code of Ethics Design and Implementation Essay -- Business Ethics Essa

Introduction Business ethics has become increasingly important in recent years. American’s idea of business had become more negative due to the scandals in the early nineteen nineties. Due to the increasing public outcry, it is more important than ever to have an enforced code of ethics or CofE. Currently, the organization I work for, PBC, does not have a code of ethics. There are many important ideas that need to be implemented in a CofE for my organization to ensure ethical behavior by every employee. I will be developing an ethics plan to be adopted by my organization, and will provide evidence as to why that is in my code of ethics. Organizational Structure The management company I work for is the most decentralized organization out of all the organizations I have worked for in the past. In a decentralized organization the decisions are delegated all the way down to the bottom of the organization (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2011). In my company all decisions are left to me, since the only people above me are my owners. Since I work with a decentralized organization, and ethics program is even more important. One author linked the size of the organization to the risk of unethical behavior, and found that the smaller more flexible the company sees both extremes of high ethical behavior and low ethical behavior (Schminke, 2001). When I recently took over the community, the lack of an ethics program became a hurdle I had to overcome. The previous manager did quite a few things that were unethical. Since there is no one supervising my staff and I when it comes to ethical decisions, it is even more important to have a solid ethics program. Within the management company I work for we have both formal and ... .... C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2011). Business Ethics: Ethical decision making and cases 8th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. McNamara, C. (n.d.). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved September 1, 2011, from Free Management Library: http://managementhelp.org/businessethics/ethics-guide.htm North Carolina Department of Administration. (2005, July 1). Example of an Organizational Code of Conduct. Retrieved September 1, 2011, from North Carolina Department of Administration http://www.doa.nc.gov/cfw/documents/grants/2010/policy/OrganizationalCodeofConductExample.pdf Schminke, M. (2001). Considering the Business in Business Ethics: An Exploratory Study of the Influence of Organizational Size and Structure on Individual Ethical Predispositions. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS , 30 (4), 375-390.

Savage or Peaceful Essay -- American History, Native Americans

During the 1800's the Native Americans kept the peace while the Americans were self-serving in their pursuit of land. The Americans believe in the Manifest Destiny. The Native Americans did all that they could to remain in peace with the Americans. The Americans fought persistently with the Native Americans to gain Native American lands. The Americans wanted to move the Native Americans of what they thought was land given to them by God. The Americans believed they had the power to control all of the U.S., because they were given the right to by God. They also believed that the Native Americans knew about the Manifest Destiny, and that they should move off of the 'American' lands. The Americans thought that the Native Americans leaving their lands was, â€Å"a touching sight,†(Brown 31), that the Native Americans had realized that leaving their pasts behind was their destiny. The Americans believed that Native Americans felt obligated to move off of the land because of the Manifest Destiny. They believed that the Native Americans were happy to leave. The Americans also thought that by moving the Native Americans to reservations that they were helping the Native Americans. The reservations, the Americans thought would â€Å"free them from the power of the states,†(Jackson 133) and force the Native Americans to move to leave their 'savage' ways behind. They thought that by forcing the Native Americans to assimilate to the Americans that they Native Americans would be â€Å"a happy and prosperous people,†(Jackson133) instead of the savages the Americans believed them to be. The Americans believed that because the Native Americans had realized that it was there destiny to give up their lands that the Native Americans were going to ... ...,†(Jackson 134) so that all of the lands could be theirs. The Americans were only concerned with taking all of the land from the natives so that they could expand the United States and keep all minerals with in the new lands. In the 1800's the Native Americans kept the peace while the Americans were selfish in their crusade for land. The Americans thought that according to the Manifest destiny they were the sole rulers of the Native American's lands. Although the Americans wanted their lands, the Native Americans wanted to remain in peace with the Americans. The Americans continuously fought with Bernier4 the Native Americans even when the Native Americans had done no harm. The Americans were uncaring in gaining Native American lands. The Americans were the savages in their pursuit of the Native American's land.

Financial statement analysis Essay

1. What is the purpose of financial statement analysis? The purpose of financial statement analysis is to provide information used by the business, potential creditors and investors. 2. If a company had sales of $2,587,643 in 1998 and sales of $3,213,456 in 2003, by what percentage did sales change during this time period? 24.18% a. If the company had a goal of increasing sales by 25% over a five-year period, did it meet its objectives? No b. If the company had set a goal of increasing sales by 28% during the next five years, what should be the sales goal for 2008? 4,113,223.68 3. List and briefly describe the five categories of business ratios. a. Liquidity ratios: Used to determine the company’s ability to pay off short-term debts. (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidityratios.asp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) b. Activity ratios: The ability to convert different accounts into cash or sales (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/activityratio.asp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) c. Leverage ratios: Used to get an idea of a company’s method of finance or measures it’s ability to meet financial obligations. (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leverageratio.asp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) d. Market ratios: A ratio of a company’s book value to the market value. (http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Book-to-Market+Ratio) 4. Why might a company have a high current ratio but a low quick ratio (acid test ratio)? A company may encounter this when the current assets are dependent on inventory. (http://www.investopedia.com/university/ratios/liquidity-measurement/ratio2.a sp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) 5. If a company has beginning inventory of $30,000 and ending inventory of $55,000, compute its average inventory. If the cost of goods sold is $140,000, compute its inventory turnover and determine how many days the average item is in stock. The average inventory would be 42,500, and average days item is in stock 110.8 days. (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/calculate-inventory-conversion-period-11197.html) 6. A company computes its accounts receivable turnover to be 20. Based on this information, find the average collection period. If the company has a credit collection period of 30 days, explain the relationship between the credit collection period and the average collection period. Average collection period is 18.25. The relationship between the credit collection period and the average collection period is very good for this company. This company will receive payments owed to them prior to them having to pay whom they owe. (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Ratio-Analysis.topicArticleId-21248,articleId-21213.html (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/average_collection_period.asp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) 7. A company finds that its fixed asset turnover (net sales/fixed assets) has fallen below one. What does this indicate? 8. If a company has $181,000 in total liabilities and $225,000 in total assets, what percentage of total assets is being financed with the use of other people’s money? 80.4 (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Ratio-Analysis.topicArticleId-21248,articleId-21213.html) 9. Distinguish between gross profit margin, operating profit margin, and net profit margin and provide the formula for each ratio. (http://www.investinganswers.com/financial-dictionary/ratio-analysis/gross-profit-margin-2076) 10. Why is the operating return on assets ratio also referred to as the operating return on investment? The interest expenseis added to ignore the costs associated with funding those assets. ( http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnonassets.asp#ixzz2LZMFaFbY) 11. If a company’s stock is currently selling for $12 per share and its price/earnings ratio is 6, what are its earnings per share? 2 dollars What does this figure mean? This figure shows that on the market the shares are selling for $12 per share for stock in this company that’s net earning $2.00 per share of stock outstanding. (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/price-earningsratio.asp#axzz2LMPGyktQ) PE Ratio = Market Price / Earnings per share 6 = $12/Earnings per share Earnings per share = $12/6 = $2.00 12. Compare efficiency and effectiveness. 13. What is the difference between accounting profit and entrepreneurial profit? 14. What financial ratio is predominantly used to determine profitability? 15. Describe the earning power of a company. 16. How is financial leverage related to bankruptcy? 17. Compare Chapter 11 bankruptcy with Chapter 7 bankruptcy. What is the relationship among fixed costs, contribution margin, and the break-even point?

Sumatran Orangutan

The pongo abelii (Sumatran Orangutan) is classed as critically endangered under the IUCN red list. In 1994 the estimated number of Sumatran orangutan was 12,000. This number declined further in 2003 where the estimate shown 7,300 and again in 2008, estimating 6,500. This clearly is a massive reduction in the species population at a loss of 5500 orangutans in a 14 year period. The Sumatran orangutan lives on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, and is commonly found in the lowland and hilly tropical rainforests. Indonesia’s forests are threatened with legal and illegal logging and deforestation. This is a huge problem, not only to the orangutans but also to other plant and animal life. This is a difficult living situation for the orangutan, which are living in smaller areas which are located at the northern region of the island. With this consisting of lesser forest areas, this offers ease for the poachers and hunters. One of the bigger problems of this human threat to orangutans is the illegal pet trade. The poacher will have to kill the mother of the young they are snatching. This leaves the younger defenseless as they require care to survive. The younger orangutan is seen as a popular pet. This can also result in further decline in numbers as there are more being killed therefore less being unable to breed. The breeding period of the orangutan is much slower than that of any other primate. The smaller number of offspring being produced is not able to meet the rapidly decreasing orangutan population. Over time this will develop into a worse state as the decreasing numbers worsen. I have chosen to prioritize the pongo abelli (Sumatran orangutan). This is because of the current conservation status labeled on this species. The recovery of this species will be slow. Although the threats to the orangutan are similar to that of the other species, they are incapable of producing larger numbers to cope with the much needed larger population in order to exist and are more capable of becoming extinct.

Apollo 11

What exactly was Apollo 11? Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that allowed the first men to land on the moon. The ship landed on the moon on June 20th, 1969, and is considered to be the greatest accomplishment in exploring history for mankind. The ship was launched in Florida on June 16th and was the third mission in NASA’s Apollo program. And by June 21st, Neil Armstrong and his crew were the first men in history to walk on the moon. The crew returned home with 47. 5 pounds of lunar rocks for scientist here to study about the lunar surface. The main purpose of this mission was to beat the Soviet Union in the space race, or race to the moon, and was fulfilled to John F. Kennedy’s expectations. He was quoted saying in front of congress, â€Å"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. † And he proved to the public that America was still the leader in science, and could out do enemies of the United States. In the time period before the Apollo mission, when it was still on the drawing board, the government was pouring billions of dollars into the education system, especially into math and science so that the engineers coming into the space program at NASA would already have a head start. This is relevant to today, because the government is desperately trying to raise America’s math and science test scores so that we can compete with scores of other countries like China and Korea. The crew of the Apollo 11 consisted of 3 men. Neil Armstrong (Commander), Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot), and Edwin Aldrin Jr. (Lunar Module Pilot). All these men had been on space flights before making the Apollo 11 only the second all veteran crew in spaceflight history. Thousands of people crowded along the launch site to view the take off, but millions of people viewed the launch from the comfort of their homes on the television. The Saturn V rocket launched Apollo 11 into space, and 12 minutes later it had already entered orbit. The craft landed on the Moon in an area known as the Sea Of Tranquility. The astronauts could study the landing site by looking out of the Eagle’s triangular mirrors which gave them a 60 degree view. That’s how they planned out where to place the EASEP or Early Apollo Scientific Experiment Package, and the famous United States flag. Contrary to what you would think, the astronauts stated that moving around on the moon was no problem at all, considering that the gravity on the moon is 1/6 the gravity here on Earth. After the planting of the flag, the crew took part in a â€Å"long distance phone call† with President Nixon in the White House. Nixon referred to the call as, â€Å"The Most Historic Phone Call Ever Made From The White House. † Nixon then gave a brief speech and then hung up because he wanted to give respect to Kennedy and allow the lunar mission to be his legacy. The landing on the moon changed the populations perception of the universe, it also gave U. S. citizens a sense of superiority over all the other countries in the world. It showed that if you work hard enough then you can’t be tied down by boundaries.

Feedback Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Feedback - Essay Example Target marketing is a good opportunity for the company, which will allow in effective execution of plans and comprehension of the customer needs. As such, the return on investment through target marketing is high because the company will have an opportunity to comprehend the nature of business activities and achieve success. Differentiation is a strategy, which will aid the company in achieving success. Such is because the market of Australia is different in terms of economics, politics and cultural activities. Hence, differentiation will facilitate in ensuring that the company has different brands, which receive appraisal from the target markets. Nevertheless, Starbucks may not achieve success if it does not engage in extensive marketing of its brands in the competitive market environment. This is where the company needs to seek subsidiary sellers or intermediary sellers to ensure that its brands reach the market and achieve the best appraisal from customers. These innovative ways w ill create room for the achievement of success for the

Modify the proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modify the - Research Proposal Example This will be achieved through determining the perception of the customers towards the new form of marketing being used by Emirates Airlines. With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information, and integration of economies, the level of competition in the market has increased immensely. This has resulted from the entry of multinational companies in the local market. These global firms have the adequate funds to segment the market, position the products strategically in the market and attract customer loyalty towards their products or services. The aviation industry has been the most affected. For instance, in the past one decade, Emirates Airline has faced immense competition from new entrants (Edelman,  2007. This aspect has necessitated the need to form a strong marketing department and use of efficient advertising channels in order to reach the customers. However, the media has increased the cost of advertising in order to benefit from the demand for their services. Therefore, Emirates airlines decided to seek cheaper channels that will help the firm re duce the cost of advertising (Mangold, & Faulds, 2009). The airline decided to use social media which continue to gain popularity among the young generation which forms the largest part of the target market. In addition, the media is also being used as a platform for conducting research. This is because the users are able to give their feedback, an aspect that enables the businesses to adjust their operations in order to meet the customer requirements (Fenwick & Wertime, 2013). Various researches have been conducted on the importance of social media. However, Emirates Airline is yet to conduct a study on how the new marketing strategy has affected the overall performance of the business. Currently, the technological sector is growing tremendously. People are able to get access

Role of Imagination and Creativity in Education Essay

Role of Imagination and Creativity in Education - Essay Example Several philosophers, thinkers, and theorists have come up with literary devices such as stories and allegories that depict the importance of education in the society as well as in the education system. This paper seeks to discuss the role of imagination and creativity in education with particular reference to the works of Malcolm X, Plato, and Carver. The most important aspect of life is education. Through education, the society gets to learn about the world as well as how things relate to each other. Therefore, education becomes an important process through which man can understand the world and how to utilize all the available opportunities and resources for the wellbeing of the whole society. However, these accomplishments cannot be achieved without the important aspect of creativity and imaginativeness. This is because the largest potential of resources and opportunities are not yet discovered and they will remain so until someone imagines new ways of utilizing the profound reso urces. The best illustration of the world and education system was well explained by Plato in his idea of allegory cave. According to Plato, uneducated people are just like the slaves who thought that the shadows were real people. Such people would take appearance for reality and would stay in such a state until someone decides to explore creatively beyond the realms of appearance. According to Plato, â€Å"the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort and when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual† (Plato web). Truly, knowledge cannot be achieved without much effort. This is where imaginativeness comes in. Creativity calls for concerted effort to question the present knowledge with the aim of making further discoveries. Of course, education would be a simi lar phenomenon with the slaves in the allegory cave until creativity and imaginativeness in inducted into the system. There is a great difference between looking and vision as depicted in the story â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver. More importantly, understanding the level of knowledge is an essential element for survival of the society. It has been argued that the current education system was structured under pillars of conspiracy. It is argued that the education system was primarily aimed at producing workers for various industries. This could perhaps explain the evident lack of creativity in the education system. Education without creativity amounts to looking without vision. There is no deeper understanding of the underlying knowledge and therefore such an education system cannot be used to propel the society towards greater heights of accomplishment. This is evident from the Cathedral story. The narrator had physical eyes but in reality could not envision things at a g reater depth. He had little understanding of realities of life. For instance, he did not even understand his own wife the way the blind man did. He could not see anything beyond the surface value. He could not see beyond the poems â€Å"I didn’t think much of the poem. Of course, I did not tell her that. Maybe I just do not understand poetry† (Carver web). It was ironical that the blind man had a deep sense of understanding and vision than he did. The blind man used his imaginativeness and creativity to guide him to draw the cathedral According

What function does religion play in human society Why is religion Essay

What function does religion play in human society Why is religion Universal Is there an evolutionary explanation or a social phenomenon - Essay Example It also explores the reasons why human society appears to be so fond of religious expressions, looking at both evolutionary and social explanations for its popularity. There are many religions in the world, and they can appear very different to observers, but they share three main features in common: there is faith in something supernatural; there is a system of beliefs that adherents sign up to, and there is a set of ritual behaviors which believers follow as a way of expressing their religion (Palomar College, 2011). These things work together to help people formulate a world view, in which there is meaning and purpose. Human beings have a high intelligence compared to other animals, and religion appears to be both a result of the ability to reason with an advanced brain, and of the need to have explanations for things so that future actions can be properly planned. It could be, then, that religion serves an evolutionary purpose, in helping people to understand the environment and adapt to its changes. Its universality is due to the way that the human mind works, seeking out answers to things. This curiosity and search for understanding lies behind human progress through different stages of technology and is a fundamental feature of the homo sapiens species. This evolutionary explanation shows that the first function that religion plays in human society is therefore â€Å"to provide a sense of order in what might otherwise be seen as a chaotic existence.† (Palomar College, 2011) Religion provides a collective framework which people use to interpret inexplicable events like natural disasters or the changing seasons. The supernatural dimension arises because human beings know that their own power and understanding is limited, and that there are forces far bigger and stronger than they are. Religion is needed to explain how human beings fit into the universe around them. This has a dual function, first in providing a connection between humans and these gr eater forces, and secondly in allowing people to harness these powers and let them affect their daily lives: â€Å"religion tunes human actions to an envisaged cosmic order and projects images of cosmic order onto the plane of human experience† (Geertz, p. 90) This binds human beings to their environment more closely and explains why so many religions have connections with the sky, the sun and weather phenomena. By developing a set of beliefs around these phenomena, people make them more comprehensible, and less frightening. This is a psychological need which minimizes stress, and provides some security for people who could otherwise feel afraid and lost in a world that can bring unexpected events at any moment. The first and most important reason for the universal existence of religion in human societies is therefore the evolutionary advantage that it gives, but the second reason has more to do with the way that human beings live in social groups. Forming groups appears to b e a common behavior in many different animal types, and these groups create safety in numbers against predators and a hostile environment. One of the ways that groups determine the boundaries between one another is to have different cultures, or ways of doing things. Religions are an important way of forming groups. Many of the rituals that religions have are initiation rituals, such as circumcision, baptism, trials of faith, etc. which demonstrate who has become a member of the group and who has not. Following the rituals of religion binds the

Dereks Social History Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dereks Social History - Case Study Example As the discussion outlines aside excessive drinking, moderate drinking causes short-term impairment as can be deduced from the effects of drunk driving. The extent of alcohol damage on the brain is dependent on the following factors: amount and frequency of drinking, age at which the individual began drinking and duration of drinking thereafter. Other factors include genetic background, alcoholism history in the family, prenatal alcohol exposure, and general health status. Alcohol causes impairments in the following brain regions. Impairment of the parietal lobe results to the loss of fine motor skills, shaking and abnormally slows reaction time. Impairment of the frontal lobe leads to loss of caution, inhibitions, reason and exacerbates intelligence, talkativeness and sociability. Impairment of the temporal lobe leads to slurred speech and impaired hearing. Impairment of the occipital lobe results in blurred vision hence poor judgment of distance. Impairment of the cerebellum and br ain stem results in poor muscle coordination and loss of vital functions respectively. This paper highlights that long-term excessive drinking causes the brain to shrink and deficiencies in the fibers of the white matter that relay information to the gray matter. This has been elucidated using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Intoxicating levels of alcohol lead to vasodilation of blood vessels and at higher levels it leads to vasoconstriction thereby triggering blood pressure and migraine headaches. The effects of alcohol on a developing fetus are well documented. The babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and are highly predisposed to central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions that are manifested as impaired IQ and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Review of Patient Safety Standards for Hospitals by Joint Commision on Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Review of Patient Safety Standards for Hospitals by Joint Commision on Healthcare Essay The safety goals outlined for hospitals are intended to stimulate greater awareness of the elements of vulnerability or risk associated between patient and worker. Ultimately, patient safety, worker health and safe practice methods can have a positive influence on saving lives, reducing risk and controlling costs. The goals attempt to outline a uniform standard. When adopted by a health care organization, a successful culture of safety that benefits everyone has an opportunity to develop. The following are the Commission’s patient safety goals with respect to hospitals. The first goal is to improve the accuracy of patient identification. Patients are given the wrong medications, taken to the wrong surgical rooms, and specimens get contaminated or mixed up. To address this issue and achieve improved accuracy, implementation of two patient identifiers attempts to reduce these errors. First, the patient should be identified reliably by their name, telephone number or other number that is person specific. The second is to verify that the treatment matches the patient. The verification of the identifiers should be done with two individuals checking the same patient or having one person identify the patient, with a second verification assisted by the addition of a technology item, like a barcode. The second goal is to improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers. Each clinical aspect of healthcare utilizes a different vocabulary. A patient may be seeing a psychiatrist, a physical therapist and a cardiologist at the same time. While each profession has a foundation of science that is designed help them communicate in a uniform manner, each clinical area will have specific language and understanding that may not translate from one specialty or discipline to another. Critical results of tests and diagnostics that are outside the normal range and indicate a life threatening situation must be communicated. Reports must be delivered and critical results given on a timely basis so the patient can be treated as soon as possible. Third, is the goal to improve the safety of using medication. Medications that are not labeled properly or medications that are similar in name or packaging can obviously lead to a 1 deadly consequence. Suggested ways to achieve this goal is to make sure all medications, and containers are labeled correctly. Some of the specific suggestions to achieve this safety goal are to adopt the use of oral unit-dose products, prefilled syringes, or premixed infusion bags when these products are available. The fourth goal is to reduce the risk of health care-associated infections. Many people are in fear of going to a hospital. They may feel at risk of getting a communicable disease. And while that is a possibility, few are aware that they may experience infections directly associated with the delivery of the medical service or treatment. The simplest and most obvious way to protect the patient from infection is to feverishly adhere to the Centers for Disease Control or World Health Organizations guidelines for hand washing. The late physician and scientist Ignaz Semmelweis would be astonished to see this method universally adopted. Although, with as much science that has since validated his pioneering work, he could be annoyed to see a lack of compliance, considering the volumes of evidence published which supports his early theory. Patients are acquiring hospital based infections at an alarming rate, according to an NBC news story which was based on data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. And a brief review of the CDC report from 2011 on rates of infections clearly shows a link between number of days in the hospital and acquired infections. The longer a patient is in the setting, the more likely it is that the patient is at risk. The likelihood of risk depends on the kind of treatment the patient receives. Risk assessment tools are essential to understanding which staff, providers, or independent practitioners need to be educated to understand the types of infections and their origins as they relate to their practice area. The families and patients must likewise be educated to understand the risks, complications and microbial hazards that are inherent to the treatment or service they are receiving. Finally, goal fifteen is for the hospital to identify safety risks inherent in its patient population. This goal is a contributing factor to why Patient Safety Coordinators and certifications to become one are becoming more popular. Particularly, the goal speaks to the population that is at risk for suicide. While this goal is stated to apply only to psychiatric hospitals and patients being treated for emotional or behavioral issues, most all hospitals have at least a small population that could fit into this category. While not every hospital has a psychiatric floor, or even a psychiatrist on call, patients that appear or make a statement that they fear harming others or themselves may be detained temporarily at the discretion of the medical staff. The terms and length varies from state to state. Georgia’s law, O. C. G. A. Â § 37-3-41 allows basically for a forty-eight hour detainment period. But, that can be extended indefinitely if the treating physician deems it necessary and appropriate based on their examination.

Children A Gift From God Religion Essay

Children A Gift From God Religion Essay Many have heard of yuppies but have you heard of dinkies? The first type refers to those young urban professionals who are financially secured. Dinkies (double income but no kids) refer to those married couples having no intention or unwilling to have children. Freedom to travel and to enjoy life is a frequent answer. Other reasons include less expenses, less responsibilities and fewer problems in short less headaches. A few crudely replied, We simply dont like children as if they have never been children themselves. Some argue that the old Chinese saying, raising children to safeguard our old age, no longer applies as they saw the presence of neglected parents around. They are absolutely right. Bringing up children involves countless sacrifices and giving up many of lifes enjoyment. A parents responsibilities start from a childs conception onwards to adulthood and oftentimes beyond. From a purely economic viewpoint, investing the money spent in raising and educating a child could easily provide for a comfortable retirement. All these reasons centre on avoiding responsibility and maximizing enjoyment in life. Barring any justifiable reason, there is only one appropriate word to describe this self-centred attitude selfishness. The reason to raise and to sacrifice for our children can also be summarized simply in one word love the opposite of selfishness. Love for God, our Creator by following Christs teachings. Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They will fulfill this duty with a sense of human and Christian responsibility. (CCC #2367) Love for our spouse, i.e. to bring forth the fruits of a sacred marriage. Fecundity (producing or capable of producing offspring) is a gift, an end of marriage, for conjugal love naturally tends to be fruitful. Children are the fruits of our love for our spouse and fulfillment of our marriage. The Catechism teaches A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment. (CCC #2379) Look at those who intentionally shrink from their responsibility of having children. They may look happy and carefree but can they really find joy in their lives? I felt sorry for a former colleague suffering from mid-life emotional problems. Adamantly, he ridiculed the formality of marriage and refused to have children. I wonder if his newest Mercedes limousine, latest audio-visual equipment, memories of world travel and investment portfolio could take the place of children Gods gift that he had refused in giving joy to him and his spouse. Danny, a friend who recovered fully from cancer, told me that the support of his wife and two daughters gave him the courage to withstand the rigors of chemotherapy and other pains. He praised God for the most precious gift, his children. As for those neglected parents in their old age, they have done their duties for God and for their children. Whether their children will fulfill their own towards their parents is another matter. In comforting neglected parents, my wife, Mary, explained, Consider the joy and happiness that your child had given to you as consolation for your past sacrifices and love. Be glad that you have done your duty. A child is not something owed to one, but is a gift. The supreme gift of marriage is a human person. However, those couples who did not receive this gift need not despair. (They) should unite themselves with the Lords Cross, the source of all spiritual fecundity. They can give expression to their generosity by adopting abandoned children or performing demanding services for others. (CCC#2379) Before receiving the gift of children at his old age, Abraham asked God, What will you give me for I continue childless?(Gen 15:2) Remember, sometimes God acts in a mysterious way. Spouses suffering from infertility may not realize that Gods gift comes in many ways and at different time. Instead of giving them children, He may have given other gifts. Have faith and follow His will. For those who are struggling to support large families, they can find solace in our Churchs teaching: Sacred Scripture and the Churchs traditional practice see in large families a sign of Gods blessing and the parents generosity (CCC#2373). Our children are indeed a blessing and a gift from God.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Please send your comments to [emailprotected]