Friday, November 29, 2019

Dead Poets Society Essays (913 words) - English-language Films

Dead Poets Society Dead Poets Society Hysterical Text One persons interpretation of a story is always different than anothers. Some of us may see things that are not being shown to us. Dead Poets Society, in author Tania Modleskis eyes has taken on a manifestation larger than the author herself. This story is not what the author will have you believe, whereas the true story was hidden in the misconception of Modleskis beliefs. The sexual content, homoerotic tensions, and antiauthoritarian behavior, seemed to come from the authors wishful thinking as opposed to the reality of the film. In the film a homosexual theme could not be seen. When Mr. Keating came to the school to teach, he did not insist on being called oh captain my captain. That phrase was used only three times in the movie, once by Mr. Keating himself. Oh captain my captain was used by two separate young men as a show of admiration and respect for Mr. Keating. In contrast Modleski sees oh captain my captain as a pious deference to male authority(Modleski Dead White Male Heterosexual Poets Society 315) because the very authority the film pretends to be challenging. One character that just enrolled at the school and was somewhat of a loner, and misfit, and is expected to achieve great success as his brother did before him. He is an example of how some families push one child to be exactly like another i.e. his older brother. When he first comes in contact with Mr. Keating he could not speak openly in front of a crowd. This is evident when he decides not to write a poem that is to be read in front of the class the following day. When Mr. Keating calls upon him to read and he cannot, he uses the technique of spinning him around while spewing out poetic phrases. This seems to work because he belts out some poetry from within and Mr. Keating says to him dont you ever forget this, knowing that the technique had worked. There is one character that committed suicide according to Modleski because his father would not let him play a fairy in a play. What this character was trying to show was that he had finally broken free of his fathers decisions on how, and what, he should do. He auditioned for a play and got the part all by himself, without his fathers approval. This was something that he wanted to do, and was good at it. When his father forbid him to pursue acting, even second to him being a doctor, this was all he could take. Him putting his fairy crown on the open window ledge, just before committing suicide, symbolized the freeing of the actor inside, like an offering to a higher being. The boys in Welton Boarding School share what all boys their age share while at school. There are no signs of homoerotic tensions present. There are signs of groups forming and friendships being made. When they decided to form the Dead Poets Society it was a normal male bonding experience. An all male boarding sc hool does not mean that they are all homosexuals who are crying out for recognition. The movie did not illustrate any homosexual tension between the boys at any time in the movie. When Mr. Keating told the boys to rip out he introduction of the book he was trying to illustrate that writing poetry was not like reading a recipe. Poetry was feeling what you are writing, and it was from the heart not the mind. You cannot just put words down on paper they have to as Mr. Keating put it Drip off your tongue. Standing on the desk in a nonconforming way illustrated that when youre up there you see things in a different way. Do not follow the same old way of doing things because it stifles creativity. Mr. Keating wanted these boys to break through of their fears, and achieve more than just what was expected of them. This boarding school was very strict and old fashioned, and Mr. Keating knew this, once being a student himself. His way of breaking out was to be in the Dead poets Society were he

Monday, November 25, 2019

Pitfalls Of Relativism Essays - Relativism, Cultural Relativism

Pitfalls Of Relativism Essays - Relativism, Cultural Relativism Pitfalls of Relativism The year was 1943. Hundreds of Jewish people were being marched into the gas chambers in accordance with Adolf Hitler's orders. In the two years that followed, millions of Jews were killed and only a fraction survived the painful ordeals at the Nazi German prison camps. However, all of the chaos ended as World War II came to a close: the American and British soldiers had won and Hitler's Third Reich was no more. A certain ethical position would state that the anti-sematic Nazi German culture was neither right nor wrong in its actions. In fact, it is this view of the cultural relativist that assumes all actions considered right in a culture to be good for that culture alone. Moreover, the relativist claims that these actions cannot be judged according to their ethical correctness because there is no absolute ezdard by which they could be compared. In the above case, this position would not allow for the American and British soldiers to interfere with the Nazis; the relativist would claim that the Allies were wrong in fighting the Germans due to a cultural disagreement. In truth, it is the relativist position which has both negative logical and practical consequences, and negligible benefits. The first logical consequence of relativism is that the believer must contradict himself in order to uphold his belief. The view states that all ethics are relative while putting forth the idea that no absolute ezdard of rightness exists. If this is the case, then what is cultural relativism relative to? From a purely logical point of view, this idea is absurd, for in assuming that something is relative one must first have some absolute by which it is judged. Let the reader consider this example to reinforce the point. A young woman is five feet tall, and her older friend is six feet tall. The younger female considers herself short because she looks at her friend and sees that she is taller than her. It would be illogical to say that the first woman is short if she were the only female in existence; if this were the case then there would not be anyone for her to be relative to in height. However, this logical fallacy is what the relativist assumes by stating that there is no ezdard of rightness for relativity. Quite simply, the cultural relativist is stating that he is relative to an absolute which he considers non-existent. One other logical error that the relativist makes lies in his "Cultural Differences Argument.1" The premise of this argument is that "different cultures have different moral codes." The conclusion that the relativist derives is that "there is no objective 'truth' in morality, [and therefore] right and wrong are only matters of opinion [that] vary from culture to culture.2" The main logical problem with this argument is that the stated conclusion does not necessarily need to be the case if the premise is given. The premise states what different people believe to be true, and the conclusion jumps to the assumption that this belief must necessarily be the case. Let the reader consider this inezce, which closely follows the form of the above given argument. Assume that there is a society that believes that sunning as much as possible in the nude can only benefit a person. Due to scientific study, it has been experimentally shown that overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer. Being in the American culture, people know this to be true and therefore would disagree with sunning too often. According to the relativist, since the two cultures disagree concerning the practice of sunning there is no objective truth about it. However, this is a faulty conclusion because empirical evidence shows that the first culture would be wrong in its beliefs. In truth, one cannot "derive a subeztive conclusion about a subject (morally) from the mere fact that people disagree about it.3" Having discussed the logical consequences of relativism, it is necessary to expound upon the effects of its practice. The first of these repercussions is that the culture determines what is functionally right and wrong. This means that the individual has no say in the matter, and if there is a conflict between

Friday, November 22, 2019

Importance of Knowledge of Culture to Business Managers Essay

Importance of Knowledge of Culture to Business Managers - Essay Example The knowledge of the differences in the cultural dynamics is important to the business managers as it helps in the interaction process among the business organizations. For one to understand the impact that cultural differences have on the business organizations, it is important to understand what the concept of culture entails. Culture can be said to consist of the patterned thinking processes and ways in which different human groups acquire and transmit symbols. It also involves the ways in which the different groups react, and their values and ideas. Culture is also said to be a subjective perception of the environment in which one is living. This environment includes the social stimuli, roles, beliefs, and the value system that is shared by the members of the group. Language and religion are said to play a great role in culture. It is important to note therefore that any given organization exists within a given culture and are therefore influenced by the cultures in which they ex ist (Simms 18). The elimination of trade barriers and the increasing ease of penetration of national boundaries have led to the increase in the need to transfer knowledge and skills between the subsidiaries of the various multinational organizations. This means that the work places in these organizations have become multinational and in the process created a new challenge for the business managers in the management of the workplace as they have to ensure that the new employees who are from different nationality and cultural background have been able to transfer the skills and knowledge that they possess. The knowledge of the differences in culture by the business managers is important as it will help in the facilitation of knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer involves the attempt by a given entity to copy and apply a specific knowledge or practice from another entity. Knowledge transfer involves ensuring that the efforts that are put in place are effective and that the new knowled ge that was being learnt or acquired from a different organization has been learnt to the extent that it becomes embodies to the practices of the organization. In the transfer of knowledge, the business managers are often faced with the challenge of cultural hindrances in the transfer process. There are some instances in which because of their cultural backgrounds, those involved in are unable to transfer the knowledge in such a way that it contributes to the desired outcome. This is because the knowledge to be passed is embedded in the individuals and therefore can only be transferred by interacting with the individual. The knowledge also has a social dimension to it in that it has been acquired through a process of socialization and as such can only be transferred through socialization. People of different cultures socialize in different ways and it is therefore important for a business manager to be aware how the particular culture interacts. This will help him in facilitating th e interactions necessary for the transfer of knowledge to take place (Pauleen 223). It is also important for the business managers to have knowledge on the difference between the individualistic and the collective cultures. This will help them in the process of ensuring knowledge transfer. It is important for a b

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

An analysis 3 coffee companies who operate in this industry Essay

An analysis 3 coffee companies who operate in this industry - Essay Example Every year 500 billion coffee cups are consumed amongst which 14 billion cups are Italian espresso. It is a fact that beside several flavours of coffee, there are two types of coffee beans in the world known as Robusta and Arabica. Therefore, coffee shops are among fastest growing niches in the business world. Most of the coffee production is undertaken in developing countries as it is a labour intensive work (Business Insider, 2011). These countries include Brazil, Columbia and Vietnam. It is found that Finland has a high consumption per capita of coffee. PESTLE analysis of coffee industry Political – there is influence of politics on coffee production as it is majorly produced in developing countries. The political condition there is highly volatile which could affect the coffee industry. Economic – it is to mention here that Brazil is having strong influence over coffee industry as Brazil is a major coffee producer. Any affect in the economy affects the entire indust ry. Social – social aspects of coffee and increasing awareness for coffee and its issues results in more social pressure on industry. Therefore, it can be said that social factor can influence the coffee industry. Technological – there is increased demand in variety of coffee products and freshness is also a concern of consumers. With technological advancements, industry effectively caters the needs and requirements of consumers. Technological factor also affects coffee industry. Legal – legal issues affects the industry in a way as there is increased focus on ethical and legal requirements of business. Environmental –it is to mention here that environmental factor is important in the process of coffee production. Therefore for optimum level of operations environment should be under standard needs of coffee production. Profile of three companies in coffee industry Starbucks (Industry Leader) Starbucks Corporation is among the premier coffee roasters, spec ialty coffee and marketer of coffee. It is to mention here that Starbucks operates in more than 55 countries across the globe. It is present in North America, European Middle East Africa, Latin America and Asia. There are approximately 149,000 employees in Starbucks Corporation. It is headquartered in Seattle Washington. Net revenues generated by Starbucks Corporation at the end of fiscal year 2012 were USD 13.3 billion as compared to USD 11.7 billion in 2011. Comparable store growth in 2012 was 7 percent. Operating income earned by the company was USD 1997 million with operating margin of 15% (Starbucks, 2013). Costa Limited (Emerging Company) Costa Coffee is entirely owned subsidiary of Whitbread. Costa Limited is involved in operation of coffee shops chain. There is a wide variety of coffee products that the company offers and it includes coffee, coffee beans, coffee bars, hot chocolate drinks along with various other food products that includes sandwiches, paninis, fruits and yo ghurt, scones, muffins and toasties and wraps. Costa coffee majorly operates in Europe, Asia and Middle East. It employs approximately 8,200 employees and it is headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. In the fiscal year which ended in March 2012, the company recorded revenues of approximately USD 865.3 million as compared to revenues generated by the business in 2012 of approximately USD 678.7 million in 2011. Among its revenues the profit generated by the company

Monday, November 18, 2019

Athics and governemance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Athics and governemance - Essay Example We have many examples in the business and corporate world where organizations that have not acted morally and that had lead to their downfall, the biggest and the most recent example that comes to mind is that of Enron where financial data was manipulated to the advantage of those running the business and that lead to the downfall of the multi-billion dollar company, there are many lessons to be learned from Enron, it does not matter how big or how small a company is, it should act in a morally correct manner without worrying about the consequences and it should do so because it is the right thing to do more than anything else. There is no room for companies in today’s day and age that are morally off the compass because the amount of information that can be shared today, the mediums that it can be shared by and the speed at which it can be shared at have all tremendously increased due to advances in technology. Businesses that operates in a manner that is morally correct beca use it is the right thing to do would also generate a lot of business because of this code of ethics, because customers do not like to be cheated upon, they would rather buy from a company which sells at a higher price but is doing the right thing rather than from a company which prices its goods lower but that is due to morally corrupt reasons and customer loyalty is very important to businesses these days because repeat purchases is what every business aims to do achieve. Though repeat purchases would be gained from this moral attitude this should not be aim of the businesses under the Kantian approach, businesses should be morally correct in their dealings because it is the right thing to do and not because it would enable them to achieve repeat purchases, it should be only looked upon as a by-product of this approach to ethics. This approach is very right theoretically but it is human nature to find

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Factors Affecting Mortality Rates and Medical Care Provision

Factors Affecting Mortality Rates and Medical Care Provision KWAKU ANYIMADU TOPIC: The factors that affect mortality rate and the provision of medical care, laying emphasis on how a reduction in mortality rate ensures provision of quality health care ABSTRACT The nation Ghana, like many African countries, agreed to the millennium development goal derived from the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration and has, in fact, made giant steps towards achieving a number of them. Efforts have been made in the field of education and poverty but much more work is to be done in areas relating to health. Infant, child and maternal mortality has increased over the year despite the rapid increase in knowledge and technology. The average number of resources available in the country for the betterment of the health sector is relatively low compared to that of the European countries. Less effort has been put in place in an attempt to salvage the situation. The number of infrastructure available to provide health care services is beyond minimal, the human resource is comparably low , and moderate attention is given to areas relating to public health and also quality healthcare delivery. Most economies including the highly developed nations have tried various ways to formulate policies which will benefit all citizens. All these intervention is done so as to try reduce the incidence of high mortality rate. This should be taken seriously so as to provide a strong and healthy population which will take part in productivity and also increase life expectancy. INTRODUCTION According to Karl Evang M.D, medical care is the term given to the medical attendance provided to patients by general practitioners and practicing specialists in hospitals with outpatient departments, laboratory services for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, maternity care, provision of drugs, physical therapy, prostheses, transportation.1 This care provided to patients by mostly doctors and nurses ensures quality of health service provision and reduces mortality rate. This care an aspect of general health care is provided by especially doctors in their service. Other auxiliary health care provider’s optometrist, laboratory technician etc. all has a quota to contribute to the overall health care provision. This health care system can be grouped into primary system, which is the first point of consultation for patient, secondary which involves employing the services of specialists such as urologist and cardiologist and Tertiary which involves specialized consultative health system. There is the last group; the quaternary system which is often used in advance the levels of medicine. All these groups of medical care work toward improving the quality of medical care and reducing the rate of mortality. Mortality rate has been on the increase over the past decade, because of a setback in the provision of quality medical care. This set back is due to negligence on the part of health care providers, administrators and shareholders of health care which include the government and also citizens. Mortality rate, many African countries will pay less attention to is the index that defines the average number of death within a defined time frame and also population.This index is only possible by the existence of certain factors, which contribute to ensuring reduction in mortality rate. Mortality rate is contributed to child mortality rate, access to health care facilities, maternal death rate and low birth rate, death due to tuberculosis, death due to HIV, availability of sustainable drinking of water. Another factor which affects mortality rate, especially in Ghana, is the occurrence of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, kidney disea ses and diabetes. Also mortality rate is also affected by environmental factors and genetic changes in a newly formed baby. If not detected early the child dies at a very tender age. Due to the importance of quality health care provision much effort is being put in place to reduce mortality rate. Many counties, including the Europeans, from the latter part of the 19th century continue to experiment various ways in order to come out with a life changing health care policy all in an attempt to reduce mortality rate. Many different health care policies have been put in place to regulate the financial aspect of health care provision, legal aspect of health care provision, special treatment to target groups such as mothers attending pre-natal and post-natal heath care services, payment of healthcare practitioners, making health care institutions easily accessible, upgrading the material and human resources, ensuring security of patient data and for easy communication between healthcare providers. In Ghana, the mortality rate in the year 2012 was 7.7 for any 1000 deaths with a life expectancy of 55.2if proper health care provisions are sought for the mortality rate may further reduce and the life expectancy moved further. Other countries such as Bulgaria have the highest record of mortality rate in the Europe.3 Because of the importance associated with keeping a low mortality rate, which also indirectly affects providing quality medical care, this essay seeks to discuss the factors that affect mortality rate and the provision of medical care, laying emphasis on how a reduction in mortality rate ensures provision of quality health care? Also, at the end discussion, I would have identified the problems that prevent the above mentioned goals from being achieved and suggest ways in which the millennium development goal concerning health can be realized. BODY Factors that affect good medical care Quality medical care is of great importance to ensure safety of people who decide to seek proper medical care. For this reason many countries as part of their total budget for the year inculcate in it an appreciable amount of money which is to be used in the health sector. Right from the 19th century, after the Second World War, many countries including the undeveloped countries try to formulate various policies to provide quality health care to its citizens. Taking Ghana for example, under the leadership of Jerry John Rawlings, the cash and carry system (1990) was introduced to replace the fee for service system(1985). This system, however, was later abolished due to problems associated with it. By 1990 clinical attendance had dropped markedly to about 25% because of the inconsistent in pricing of prescriptions and over prescription.7this scheme was later on replaced by the national health insurance. In other nations, other policy programs were implemented such as the sickness insur ance policy which was first initiated in Eastern Europe but was later abolished and also the Obama healthcare Bill. In Africa, specifically Ghana,the National Health Insurance Scheme was implemented to regulate the financing of healthcare. These policies are to ensure that equal health service is provided to both the rich and the poor and if considered which must seriousness can have a huge impact in quality medical care.Also target groups within the society have been provided with special healthcare packages. Various companies decide to cater for the charges of acquisition of health care for their staff. In Ghana, maternal mothers have been provided with the ability to acquire and enjoy pre-natal care and post-natal care all in an attempt to ensure quality medical care. The work of practitioners is regulated because of illegal practice and also controls negligence amongst doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. The lives of people rest in the hands of these practitioners hence their activity should be religiously regulated. For this to happen various countries have enacted laws that regulate practice even in the private sectors. The mental health bill, the abortion law and the also the Hippocratic oaths are all a set of rules and regulation, governing the practice of medicine. Doctors are required to recite the rules outlined and also allowing these bills and oaths guide our practice. All these bills and laws are being formulated to ensure quality of healthcare by regulating their practice. Also other laws are to make practitioners comfortable enough to perform their duties.This comfort gives them the motivation to pour their heart out in their practice in an attempt to reduce mortality rate. In another aspect of healthcare provision, the subject has been expanded to various fields such as public health and community nurses. Healthcare provision does not rely on just the providers but those receiving this care have a role to play in order to synergistically ensure quality healthcare. These people have a special role to play in this system since they go as far as the rural areas, educating them on the need to keep a safe environment and ensure long and quality lives. In the Acheson’s report, public health is the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organized effort of the society.9-12Based on this, we can say that public health helps practitioners to understand the causes of certain diseases due to community lifestyle and culture. Continues education to the less deprived areas reduces the incidence of mortality rate. Also ensuring quality medical care in an attempt to reduce mortality rate is also possible if there is the availability of various healthcare institutions, equipment and also adequate human resource. Ghana has failed to reach the millennium development goal, although the government has been able to deal with poverty, hunger and also education to some aspect. Outside the cities the average number of people per healthcare infrastructure is not acceptable. Our equipment’s have been concentrated in just the cities but it should be extended to the rural areas also. A typical example which shows the regional distribution of hospitals in the upper west region of Ghana usingin 10 different towns is tabulated below. Health Facilities – Upper West Region SOURCE:http://www.ghanahealthservice.org/upperwestregion If the millennium development goal is to be achieved in ensuring quality healthcare, healthcare institutions should be easily accessible in such deprived areas. When made easily accessible, number of avoidable deaths decreases and the overall mortality rate reduces. As effort is being made to improve healthcare infrastructure another area to be considered is increasing the human resource available in the healthcare system. Many modern medical facilities exist in Ghana, but these are not evenly distributed across the country. Ministry of Health figures for 1990 showed that there were 18,477 beds for the estimated national population of 15 million. According to the World Bank figures, in 1965 the doctor-patient ratio was one to every 13,740 patients in Ghana. The ratio increased to one to 20,460 in 1989. In neighboring Togo, the doctor-to-patient ratio of one to 23,240 in 1965 improved to one to 8,700 in 1989; it was one to 29,530 in 1965 and one to 6,160 in 1989 for Nigeria, whereas i n Burkina, the ratio of one to 73,960 in 1965 worsened to one to 265,250 in 1989. These figures show that while the doctor-patient ratio in Ghana gradually became less favorable, the ratio in neighboring countries, with the exception of Burkina, was rapidly improving. This calls for an immediate look in this area to help reach the standard we want to achieve. 13Having highlighted on some areas which needs to be looked at in an attempt to providing quality medical care, we will turn our focus to how mortality rate has been on the rise due to failure in providing good healthcare. Mortality rate and relationship with medical care Mortality rate is less considered in the African diaspora. The World Health Organization (WHO) in reference to Checchi and Roberts (2005) defines mortality rate as the number of deaths occurring in a given population at risk during a specified time period. This period is also known as the recall period). In special emergencies, the number of deaths is expressed as 10000 persons in a day or deaths per 1000 persons in a month or year. 14Ghana focuses mostly on the first and second millennium goal relating to poverty, hunger and education. But others relating to health have been sidelined which include infant mortality rate and maternal mortality- in fact circumstances for expecting mothers have worsened toward the end of the past decade. Even in the 21st century where technology has risen to higher levels most Africans still die to Malaria, HIV/AIDs and other deaths caused by diseases. All these deaths which are avoidable come about due to the poor quality of medical care provided to citizens and also negligence in the part of the healthcare practitioners.In 2010 it was recorded by the World Bank that out of a 1000 live births in Ghana 50 dies. However in countries such as Portugal and the Republic of Czech the infant mortality rate recorded is 5 deaths per 1000 live birth.15 This rates confirms the work that needs to be done. As mortality rate is increasing in Africa that of Europe and other developed nations is decreasing with an increase in life expectancy. If quality of healthcare is provided, mortality rate can be reduced and also safety and trust in the part of patients is assured. Also,an extension in the life expectancy age and an improvement in productivity is assured if this sector is paid much attention. The result is reflected in the decline in infant mortality from 120 per 1,000 live births in 1965 to 86 per 1,000 live births in 1989, and a rate of overall life expectancy that increased from an average of forty-four years in 1970 to fifty-six years in 1993.16 It is easier said when it comes to the ways in which quality health care and a reduction in mortality rate can be provided but difficult to implement. In most cases the reasons why these policies fail to be implemented is due to political reasons.Each government in Ghana fails to meet this goal set because of different political differences. Every new government which comes has a different way to improve the healthcare system and at the long run inconsistency results in failure. Also poverty and hunger is another reason why this happens. The financial quota pushed into the health care system is not encouraging due to the poor economic status of the country. Lastly another reason is the old fashioned mentally of Ghanaians due to their illiteracy level results in failure to achieve this goal. CONCLUSION Africa, unlike the Europeans has suffered a major setback in their progress in development. In other sectors, other health, the level of damage due to this state of underdevelopment is not that much. The most vibrant of the population die premature when there is a solution to those reasons. To be able to achieve the millennium development goal, effort to improve the health sector must be hastened so that quality medical care is enhanced. REFERENCES Evang, Karl Medical Care in Europe. American Journal of Public Health1958 April; 48(4):427-433. http://www.indexmundi.com/ghana/demographics_profile.html http://bg-daily-news.eu/politics/4866-eurostat-bulgaria-has-the-highest-mortality-rate. United Nations (U.N.), Mortality of Children Under Age 5: World Estimates and Projections, 1950-2025 (U.N., New York, 1988), p. 22. Kenneth Hill and Anne R. Pebley, Child Mortality in the Developing World, Population and Development Review, Vol. 15, No. 4 (December 1989), p. 680. R.R. Puffer and C. Serrano, Patterns of Mortality in Childhood, Scientific Publication No. 262, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Washington, D.C., 1973, cited in Health Conditions in the Americas: 1990 Edition, Vol. 1, Scientific Publication No. 524 (PAHO, Washington, D.C., 1990), Note 17, p. 116. Biritwum, R. B. (1994). The cost of sustaining the Ghanas cash and carry system of health care financing at a rural health centre. West African Journal of Medicine, 13(2), 124-127. Caper P. The epidemiologic surveillance of medical care. Am J Public Health. 1987 Jun;77(6):669–670. Charlton JR, Hartley RM, Silver R, Holland WW. Geographical variation in mortality from conditions amenable to medical intervention in England and Wales. Lancet. 1983 Mar 26;1(8326 Pt 1):691–696. Berwick DM. Continuous improvement as an ideal in health care. N Engl J Med. 1989 Jan 5;320(1):53–56. Peckham M. Research and development for the National Health Service. Lancet. 1991 Aug 10;338(8763):367–371. http://www.internations.org/ghana-expats/guide/living-in-ghana-15779/health-issues-and-healthcare-in-ghana-2 http://www.mongabay.com/history/ghana/ghana-health_care.html http://www.mongabay.com/history/ghana/ghanahealth_care.html#w0Milzf1TIElW2Bw.9 www.who.int. Oecd-ilibrary.org countrystudies.us/Ghana/55.htm Berendes S, Heywood P, Oliver S, Garner P. Quality of private and public ambulatory health care in low and middle income countries: systematic review of comparative studies. PLoS Med. 2011;8:e1000433. doi: Stuckler D, Basu S. The International Monetary Funds effects on global health: before and after the 2008 financial crisis. Int J Health Serv. 2009;39:771–781.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Testing and the Problem with Exams Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive E

The Problem with Exams June first--the last exam is today. There has been one exam every day since Monday, which seems as if it was an eternity ago. Every class at school requires homework, quizzes, tests, and finally, a final exam. We take exams to prove ourselves--to prove we have advanced our education during the past nine months. In one and a half to two and a half hours, nine months of homework, quizzes and tests must be summed up. How are the nine months summed up? Usually by a series of written questions that were probably compiled from the homework, quizzes, and tests we have already completed. There are better ways of proving knowledge. First of all, no one looks forward to the week of exams. Some people look forward to noon on Friday, but not to the previous four days. Even the week before is dreaded. Stress has hit an eleven on the one-to-ten scale during the last few weeks. Stress is not healthy, and it makes everyone angry. The last thing I remember when I go back to school is exams. Is the school trying aversion therapy on its students? Of course no...

Monday, November 11, 2019

How to Live a Long Life

How to live a Long Life As technology and medicine evolve over time, the life expectancy in most countries is increasing. Here are a few additional ways of increasing the odds that you'll make it to that ripe old age of 85 and beyond. Steps 1. Eat healthy. Some health professionals will state that eating healthy is more important to your body than getting regular exercise. Indulge only when necessary and have a well-balanced diet. Read and understand â€Å"Nutrition Facts†. 2.Introduce regular exercise into your life. While most people lead quite busy lives, the benefits of exercise usually present themselves in all areas of your life. Gradually introducing exercise will lead to longer patterns of fitness rather than adopting a harsh workout regime each New Year's. 3. Develop a sleep schedule. It's not as important to get a certain number of hours of sleep; so much as it is to get the same amount of sleep, at the same time, day in and day out.Sleep gives your body a chance to heal and regenerate; having a stable sleeping routine will help your body take care of itself more easily. If you do not carry out successful sleep cycles over an extended period of time (48+ hours) you can seriously affect your physical and mental health. 4. Drink plenty of water. This universal solvent is a most effective weapon against toxins and many other violators. It flushes out your system like nothing else does. 5. Think first.This step includes looking both ways before you cross the street, as children are taught but many adults take it for granted, and wear protective gear when necessary; whether you're while riding a bike or skateboard, working on a construction site, or handling potentially harmful substances. While the human skull is quite thick and sturdy, severe head trauma can result from the brain being jostled around inside the skull from an impact, potentially resulting in permanent brain damage or even death. 6.Reduce stress in your life. By cutting stress or st ressful things in your life you can drastically change your life expectancy. The first way is through the direct, unhealthy effects of stress on your body in the long term. The second way stress may shorten your life expectancy is through the negative behaviors that being stressed triggers. These behaviors include comfort eating and smoking. Learn to relax through de-stressing techniques or meditation to keep your life expectancy up where it should be.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Publishing and Crowdfunding with Publishizer

Publishing and Crowdfunding with Publishizer Crowdfunding is the perfect medium for today’s author raising funds for marketing and publishing expenses. But there is a hybrid alternative to straight crowdfunding. Instead of querying multiple publishers on their own, authors can raise funds on a platform like Publishizer that also matches authors with publishers based on pre-order milestones of their book. After doing much research, I chose  Publishizer  over  Kickstarter,  Indiegogo  and a number of hybrid crowdfunding/publishing sites such as  Inkshares  for one main reason: the idea of matching authors to publishers. I didn’t want to send multiple emails to publishers. I wanted them to come to me based on the merit of my proposal. All I needed to do was demonstrate proof of concept of the book Having gone through the experience growing my platform With Publishizer, you write a proposal outlining your book’s marketing plan for approval. You not only set a date to launch your campaign, but you also reach out to readers for pre-orders. The number of pre-orders lets Publishizer know that you are a serious writer and that there’s a following out there willing to buy the book. Then Publishizer queries publishers on your behalf based on number of pre-orders signed up Throughout the campaign, I worried whether I could even reach the 250 pre-order milestone needed to attract an indie/independent publisher, my ideal publishing goal. Acquiring 250 pre-orders takes endurance and stamina! To help me stay accountable, Guy Vincent, founder of Publishizer and his team set up weekly strategy calls (at no extra charge) via Skype and Zoom calls. They are big on helping you think outside the box in terms of getting supporters and talking about your book to sponsors to increase your marketability. Since I had an already established fan base, I reached out to those supporters first – most of whom supported this second crowdfunding campaign. I held contests, offered enticing rewards, did giveaways on social media, did several Facebook live videos, shared milestone updates – in short I built a lot of book buzz. At the end of the intense, three-month campaign, Sand and Steel: The Spiritual Journey Home was queried to 98 publishers thanks to 253 preorders that also included a very generous sponsor, growing my platform and fan base Out of the seventeen publishers who expressed interest, I ended up signing a contract with Mascot Books who, from the start, resonated very strongly with the themes and messages of my memoir about what it means to find a home in the United States as a returning American struggling with Reverse Culture Shock. It was a perfect match. Like publishing, the crowdfunding world is changing, and Publishizer is matching reputable publishers with authors like myself who otherwise, would not have known about these publishers.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Can You Write in the SAT Booklet

Can You Write in the SAT Booklet SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips After you take the SAT, your score will be determined by the little bubbles you fill in on your scantron sheet - a sheet where there’s no place to show your work. It’s normal (even important) to want to take notes and work through problems. Since you won't receive any extra scratch paper in the testing room, your SAT booklet is the place to do it. Here, I’ll go over what, how, and even why you should write in your test booklet. That little stack of paper might end up more helpful than you expected. Can You Write in the SAT Test Booklet? AsI mentioned above, you are allowed to write in the SAT booklet. There are no limitations to where or what you scribble (although I’d caution you against writing anything that could be construed as a message to other test-takers). I’ll go into more detail about how to use your booklet in the next section, but here’s the most important information you should take away from this article: Write anything you’d like - notes, diagrams, or calculations - but remember that nothing you write in the SAT test booklet will be graded. Graders won’t even see your test booklet, which means you don't have to worry about showing your work or making your notes legible. Even if you're not a big note-taker, you can still use your booklet to work more efficiently.For example, you might mark answers in your test booklet first, and then transfer your responses to the answer sheet at the end of the section (most students save time by doing this). How Do You Use the SAT Booklet Effectively? Some students love marking up tests and reading passages, whereas others have a natural tendency to keep their tests pretty pristine. I want to encourage you to make the most of your SAT test booklet by taking notes all over it! Here are some tips and strategies for marking your booklet that will save time and improve your performance: When you're taking the SAT, you'll want to make use of all available resources - including the SAT booklet itself. Use Notes to Engage With Reading Passages You'll have to read through quite a few passages on the SAT, and most of them aren't exactly exciting. It can be difficult to stay focused and alert over a long period of time, especially when you're dealing with material like this. You may end up wasting time if you have to read passages or sections of passages multiple times due to a lack of focus.Actively reading - taking notes and engaging with the passage the first time you read it - may help you save time. If you understand the passage better the first time you go over it, you won’t have to go back and re-read as often. This gives you more time to focus on the questions. Here are some universally helpful active reading strategies: Underlining topic sentences and thesis sentences Circling key terms Taking notes in the margins alongside each paragraph (e.g. just a few words summarizing the main point) Use Notes to Work Through Math Problems (Especially Word Problems) When you have to keep track of several variables or steps, writing down your thought process will keep you from getting confused. You should also mark up geometry diagrams with information that’s provided in the questions themselves! This is especially helpful when figures are not drawn to scale - you don't want to make any assumptions about the dimensions of a figure. Mark Up Your Questions and Answer Choices When you usethe process of elimination, get a helpful visual of your thought process by crossing off the answers you know to be incorrect (this saves you time if you come back to the question later). If you decide to skip a particularly difficult question - this is an important time management strategy - circle it! This provides a helpful visual cue for when you double back to the question after finishing the rest of the section. Don't Waste Time With Notes That Won't Help Your Score AsI mentioned earlier, no one is going to see or grade the notes you make on the SAT booklet. Don’t worry about explaining your answers (I know it’s a force of habit for many students) - there are no points for showing your work. The Most Important Things You Should Remember Yes, you can write all over the SAT test booklet. No, nothing you write on the booklet will be graded (so remember to transfer your answers to the response sheet). And yes, strategically marking up your booklet can save you time and improve your score! What's Next? Marking up your SAT booklet isn't the only helpful strategy you should know about before taking the test. First, you'll want to make sure you're physically and mentally prepared for test day. Start by checking out our guide to how you should spend the night before the SAT - then, read our post on exactly what to expect the day of the exam. Finally, learn about the top SAT test day tips to make sure you optimize your score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, November 4, 2019

Personal Reflection Based on a Teambuilding Day Essay

Personal Reflection Based on a Teambuilding Day - Essay Example Despite the problems that the team faced throughout the day, it should be noted that moral remained high throughout the unfolding events and while a more formal approach to leadership and management may have been appropriate, a significant amount was still achieved through the self leading work group structure adopted by the group. 2.0 Theory In Practice In the first instance the group lacked a formal leader and as such, decisions were taken on a democratic basis. Overall the results of such an approach would seem to highlight the same issues as those in the literature, namely that while the moral of the team was high and members engaged in their tasks, organisation suffered through a lack organisational skills or accountability which would have normally rested with a formal leader (Bratton and Gold 2007, Torrington et al 2008). In addition, the leadership day also highlighted another key element which is often discussed in the literature (Mullins 2009, Handy 1999), the fact that lea dership and management while often manifested in the same figure are two separate issues. While the lack of leadership within the group never saw team members suffering from a lack of initiative or inspiration, traditionally elements associated with leadership (Robbins and Judge 2007). What the group lacked was the organisational skills which are often associated with the subject of management. The opinion of the writer is that a greater number of organisational skills such as time management, task delegation, communications and job design would have overall resulted in a greater performance of the team (Adair 1989, 2009). However, as the literature suggests (Huczynski and Buchanan 2009) it is also believed in this case that the skills of both leadership and management would have had to come together in a single person in order for the two theoretical concepts to have had a significant impact upon the performance of the team. Having worked with the team, it is evident that despite t he lack of a leader, team members were well motivated and had high levels of inspiration throughout the day. This would seem to support the theoretical views of motivational theorists such as Maslow (1970) who attributed motivation to intrinsic sources of motivation, such as a sense of belonging, recognition and self actualisation. This is in stark contrast to those who supported earlier theoretical models such as Taylor (Handy 1999) who advocated that motivation came from extrinsic sources, such as the motivation derived from a financial reward. While there was no formal leader appointed, the overall traits of team members and temperament of the group may suggest that a transformational leadership style would have been the appropriate style of leadership in contrast to more transactional styles of leadership. It is the belief of the writer that a transactional style of leadership making use of extremely formal and authoritarian styles of management may have overall resulted in poor er results for t team as a whole. The possibility of such poorer results would be attributed by the writer to resentment and resistance which may have come to light, should such an approach towards leadership and management have been brought into effect during the course of the day (Northouse 2004). A transformation approach on the other hand may simply have added a greater level of direction for team members, giving the team a

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India Assignment

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India - Assignment Example The researcher states that each foreign country has its own statutory safety and environmental guidelines which could affect the success or failure of a manufacturing company. As an engineer who has been a successful corporate manager for a chemical production company, I have written this report to guide the management before establishing at least one production company in Indonesia within the next ten years. Based on the gathered ethical and legal issues in each target country, recommended solutions on how we could effectively decrease the risk of losing the large sum of money due to the difference in business and cultural practices will be tackled in details. Expanding the business in Bhopal India could offer the business more competitive advantages as compared to its competitors. Aside from the relatively low cost of labor, other operational necessities such as raw materials, electricity, taxes, and transportation costs are also competitive. Basically, the cost savings that the co mpany can get out of establishing a chemical plant in Bhopal or Kazakhstan will enable the company to sell the finish products at a more competitive price without the need to sacrifice its quality. As a chemical manufacturing plant, it is but ethical for plant managers to learn more and train employees regarding the socially and legally accepted staffing policy, health and safety management, the health and social consequences of establishing the chemical plant close to a densely populated geographic area, the toxicity of chemicals being manufactured at the chemical plant, and the proper way of handling and disposing the chemicals. Â  Likewise, it is equally important for the plant managers to develop proper emergency response strategies and train employees on how to cut down the harmful effects of these chemicals in case of emergency. All these are necessary in order to avoid unnecessary law suites which can be filed against the company.