Saturday, August 31, 2019

Choosing a Course

Choosing a college major for some is easy; some people know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. For others, choosing a college major is probably one of the hardest decisions they will make in their life. It doesn’t help that there are now a lot of college courses and college programs among which you have to choose. There was once a time when choices were simple: good or evil, ketchup or mayonnaise, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts. Nowadays, you have to choose between shades of gray, one gazillion condiments and a plethora of majors.The trick in making a college major choice, they say, is to narrow things down as you go along. This article will help you do that. The following are some of the things you must consider when choosing a college course. Choosing your college major consideration # 1: Your Interest The most basic consideration in the choice of a college major or college course is, of course, what you want. Is there something that you’ve alway s wanted to get into, something that resonates within the very fiber of your being? If so, that may be where you’re meant to go. In the event that you don’t know or don’t feel that siren song, fret not.You can always go for career assessment care of your local guidance office. That would certainly make choosing a college course more systematic and easier. Choosing your college major consideration #2: Your Aptitude Choosing a college major also entails an assessment of your skills and talents. You may know what you want, but do you know what you’re good at? Interest and aptitude are two different things. Ideally, you should pursue a college course or choose a college major that allows you to explore both. In this less than perfect world, however, this is usually not possible for some people.In that case, you’d have to weigh your priorities: pick a college major you will be good at or pick a college course that is in line with your interest? Better y et, find a college course that you will be good at and has the potential of arousing your interest. Choosing your college major consideration #3: Your Values Every career comes with non-quantifiable stuff: fulfillment, meaning and purpose, pure altruism, you name it. They help determine what you’d like to get out of a career (and a college major) besides material compensation. Choosing your college major consideration #4: Money MattersMoney matters, in more ways than one. Money matters because it will dictate what course you can or cannot afford. Money matters should therefore be part of your college major choice. If it’s one thing you must always factor in, it’s reality. This can be broken down into a number of sub-considerations. How much money does the course require you to invest? How much money do you actually have on hand to invest? How much money will you (approximately) make if you take up a career in line with that college major? How much money would yo u like to earn after college?Choosing your college major consideration #5: Time and Practical Considerations You should also be aware of what you’re getting into when choosing a college major. What will your college course require you to do? Are you willing to do it? As a case in point, if you’re squeamish about the sight of blood, why should you decide to go for a Nursing Degree? How much time are you willing to invest in your college course and major? If you want school to be over and done with as soon as possible, then you should probably not choose a college course that won’t be useful without further study.Choosing your college major consideration #6: Your Commitment Choosing a college course requires you to look inwards and assess your commitment to your chosen path. Assuming that you have the issue of money and other practical considerations settled, do you actually possess the skills and the patience to go the distance? Moreover, do you actually want to do so? There’s also a chance that your parents may be expecting you to tread a certain academic path; will you have the strength and the will to stick it out against all odds? Choosing your college major consideration #7: The TimesNope, you don’t have to read the Times to know what college course to pick (Yup, that’s a lousy joke). Kidding aside, don’t ever forget to consider the times in your decision-making process. Case in point: the global economy was in a bit of a slump at the time I wrote this article. There are instances when certain courses may appear to be more profitable or more popular than others due to current circumstances. Choosing your college major consideration #8: Other People’s Feedback Besides guidance counselors, family and friends, you may also want to ask other people for their opinions regarding the matter.College alumni and alumnae always make for interesting interviews-been there, done that. Professors and classmates will also have a lot of significant input to offer. Choosing your college major consideration #9: Your Choices Also, do remember that there are some benefits to doing things by the book-or more specifically, the college’s catalogue of courses. Take a peek and note the unit and credit requirements for each course, along with whatever minors and electives you can take as part of the package deal.Choosing your college major consideration #10: Spiritual Considerations Finally, know this: you’ll most likely change courses-even careers! -as you go along, so don’t be overly fixated on any one course. No one course is the end all and be all. There are numerous examples of people out there who majored in one thing and built a career or three out of another. If you’re a believer, though, I strongly recommend that you pray about it ask God what He wants you to take. After all, only He knows what path you will ultimately tread.

Friday, August 30, 2019

“Eve’s Diary” by Mark Twain Essay

â€Å"Eve’s Diary† is a satirical account of the days in the Garden of Eden. Twain recounts the well-known tale of Genesis through a series of journal entries written by Adam and Eve; these personal accounts make for an entertaining and thought-provoking read. Twain’s personifications of gender stereotypes are easily identified but lead the reader into a further exploration of Twain’s deeper purpose. Twain’s writing style explicates the paradoxical relationship between men and women. Furthermore, Adam and Eve’s conflicting perspectives within the journal entries provide an illustration of their magnetic reliance on one another, despite their polar differences. The story begins with Eve on the day after her creation; Twain creates a tone of despair as Eve ponders her situation and existence. â€Å"That is what I AM-an experiment; just an experiment, and nothing more† (Twain 10). As Eve deducts that there must be a counterpart to her existence, her disposition abruptly changes from anguish to optimism. Through this character development, Twain portrays companionship as Eve’s salvation and furthermore, mocks the modern idea of the contingency of a woman’s survival on that of a man’s. Eve’s perception changes as abruptly as her disposition. Once her mind is at ease, she becomes conscious and appreciative of her surroundings. â€Å"This majestic new world is indeed a most noble and beautiful work. And certainly marvelously near to being perfect, notwithstanding the shortness of the time† (Twain 14). Twain uses Eve’s passionate and enthusiastic mentality as a personification of the model of femini nity according to nineteenth century stereotypes. The diction and timing of Adam’s introduction exaggerates Eve’s naivety and sets a precedent for Twain’s exploration of their paradoxical relationship.  Eve’s entry reads, â€Å"All the week I tagged around after him and tried to get acquainted. I had to do the talking, because he was shy, but I didn’t mind it. He seemed pleased to have me around, and I used the sociable ‘we’ a good deal, because it seemed to flatter him to be included† (Twain 35). Though it is told from Eve’s perspective, Twain wants the reader to negate Eve’s idealization when reading of her interactions with Adam. When one does so, Adam’s annoyance with Eve is apparent. In addition, Twain makes a considerable effort to portray Adam as haughty, cynical, and drastically unattached in comparison to Eve; Twain uses Adam as a personification of stereotypical conception of masculinity. â€Å"During the last day or two I have taken all the work of naming things off his hands, and this has been a great relief to him, for he has no gift in that line, and is evidently very grateful† (Twain 178). If interpreted in the manner Twain intended, it is clear that Adam has no concern with naming the creatures and is equally indifferent towards Eve. Twain develops these satirical personifications even further to serve two slightly less superficial purposes. Twain uses these conceptions to delve into the profound relationship between men and women but also to denounce them through his diction. Twain’s defiance begins with his decision to give Eve, a woman, the predominant voice in the narrative. He shows further disregard for popular opinion when he tells of the creation of fire. â€Å"I had created something that didn’t exist before; I had added a new thing to the world’s uncountable properties; I realized this, and was proud of my achievement, and was going to run and find him and tell him about it, thinking to raise myself in his esteem-but I reflected, and did not do it. No-he would not care for it† (Twain 67). Twain’s decision to credit such a pivotal aspect of human survival to a woman exhibits either an immense reverence for women or a severe distain for unoriginal thought. Regardless, Twain’s upheaval of the hierarchy of traditional Western gender roles transcends time and leaves the reader to contemplate the validity of gender roles. Ursula LeGuin, a published and renowned author of short stories herself, discusses the prevalence of personification of stereotypical gender roles  within _Adam and Eve’s Diary_. LeGuin argues that Twain’s personifications of gender stereotypes are the most important aspect of any literally analysis of works by Mark Twain (LeGuin 32). Deviating slightly from the focus of LeGuin’s analysis, the most important purpose of â€Å"Eve’s Diary† to be the paradoxical relationship between men and women. As the journal progresses, so does the connection between Adam and Eve. Although their differences remain vast, Adam and Eve demonstrate a dynamic reliance on one another. They compliment one another in a sense of discord; their stereotypical personas seem to become less obtrusive as they grow together. Through Eve, Adam is humbled and learns to be appreciative and observant of his surroundings. Adam has a similar effect on Eve; her interest in aesthetics diminishes and while she remains optimistic, she is not so dangerously naà ¯ve. The story digresses to forty years later, with Adam at Eve’s grave. Adam’s eulogy for his lifeless wife is ingeniously engineered to resonate with nearly every reader. He says, â€Å"Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden† (Twain 129). Adam, and therefore the male gender collectively, possessed a magnetic dependence on Eve that was as involuntary as the polar differences between the two. Twain accomplished a feat that the laws of nature could not; through â€Å"Adam and Eve’s Diary,† Twain provides an unprecedented look into why men and women attract in circumstances that should naturally repel them from one another. Works Cited LeGuin, Ursula K. Introduction. The Diaries of Adam and Eve. By Mark Twain. New York: Oxford UP, 1996. XXXI-XLI. Twain, Mark. _Adam and Eve’s Diary_ â€Å"Eve’s Diary, Complete.† Project Gutenburg. 14 June 2004. PDF iBook.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Character Development and True Love in Anton Chekhov’s “The Lady with the Dog”

A study of the theme of true love and character development in the lady with the dog by Anton Chekhov In 1899, Anton Chekhov published a short story of two lovers’ clandestine affair called â€Å"The Lady with the Dog†. Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov, the story’s main character, sees a young woman walking a dog on the sea-front in Yalta. It is said that everyone calls her the lady with the dog. One day, the lady sits next to Dmitri and he strikes up a conversation with her. He learns that her name is Anna Sergeyevna, and that she is visiting Yalta on vacation. He also learns that she is married, like himself. Over the course of a week, Dmitri and Anna grow close and spend a lot of time together. Dmitri, being used to affairs with many different women, sees Anna no differently from the rest at first. However, as time moves along and Anna is urged to return home, Dmitri realizes that his affair has turned into something much greater. For the first time, Dmitri feels as though he is in love. The character development of Dmitri in this story is used to support the progressio n of the main theme, true love. In the beginning of the story, Dmitri’s characterization of being withdrawn and a philanderer supports the conclusion that he has a lack of love in his life. Chekhovs description reveals that he is unhappy with his current situation. He looks down on women, especially his wife, and seems to dislike everything about his home and family. The narrator says, â€Å"[†¦] he secretly considered her [his wife] unintelligent, narrow, inelegant [†¦] and did not like to be at home. He had begun being unfaithful to her long ago – had been unfaithful to her often, and probably on that account, almost always spoke ill of women, and when they were talked about in his presence, used to call them ‘the lower race’† (252). It is made clear that Dmitri really has no true feelings towards his wife other than the ill-willed ones. He tends to view women as below him, and treats them as objects as seen clear by his multiple affairs. It would be fair to say that Dm itri is cold and unloving at this point in the story. This is spoken of in a literary overview: â€Å"Gurov at first seems to be a shallow philanderer whose view of women shows him to be without emotional or spiritual depth†. He has no regard for the women he is involved with physically. There is no emotional connection formed, even with his own wife. Many of these personality traits of being cold and disconnected can be attributed to the lack of love, or any form of strong positive emotion, in Dmitri’s life. As time progresses with the affair, and Dmitri begins developing feelings for Anna, his personality changes dramatically. He begins to look at Anna as more than just another women. He shows his feelings, and his perspective on the world around him change. Dmitri goes from being bored and disconnected to being fascinated and deeply involved: â€Å"He told Anna Sergeyevna how beautiful she was, how fascinating. He was impatiently passionate, he would not move a step away from her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chekhov 256). Dmitri is in love; although he does not realize this. He is no longer looking at Anna the way he views his past affairs. He is even holding her in a higher light than he does his own wife. As well as having stronger and more positive feelings towards Anna, Dmitri is having more positive feelings towards the world: â€Å"In reality everything is beautiful in this world when one reflects [†¦]† (Chekhov 256). His natural and uncontrolled feelings towards Anna are making h im a happier, or at least more content, person. The world that was once so boring and bland is now something beautiful. Dmitri’s personality and behavior change represent the presence of true love, whether noticed by Dmitri or not. The change in Dmitri’s personality due to true love, or the lack thereof, is seen again in the story when Anna leaves to return to her husband. At first, still believing the affair is somewhat like the others, Dmitri returns to Moscow in a good mood. As a month goes by, he is convinced that the memory of Anna will fade away and he will no longer be affected by her. However, much to his dismay, Anna never strays from his mind. The narrator says, â€Å"[†¦] From time to time [Anna] would visit him in his dreams with a touching smile as others did. But more than a month passed [†¦] and everything was still clear in his memory [†¦.] Anna Sergeyevna did not visit him in dreams, but followed him about everywhere like a shadow and haunted him† (257). At this point, Dmitri is beginning to realize that something is different about Anna. Something new is happening that has obviously never happened before. Even when Dmitri is around his children he thinks of Anna. S he is the only thing on his mind. Dmitri acknowledges that with previous affairs he would think of the women for only a month and then continue on as though nothing happened. However, with Anna a month has already passed and the memory of her is still fresh. Dmitri takes this heavily, and begins a downward spiral. He tries to carry out his life, but the thought of Anna prevails and he is paralyzed. Literary critic, Erik Huber, comments on this moment, â€Å"He wants to speak to others of his feelings for her, but nobody will listen. This eventually leads him to a great feeling of disgust [†¦.] Gurov is so ‘indignant’ after this moment of personal crisis that he cannot sleep and finds that he is ‘fed up’ with his job and his children. He has no desire to do anything†. The fact that Dmitri is not with Anna is preventing him from living his life. He has become so involved with her and he is emotionally connected to her. His life in Moscow seems dis gusting and uneventful. He no longer wants to carry out his life the way he has for so many years. This indicates that something has changed; and that change is Dmitri is in love. Besides the apparent change in personality and behavior, Dmitri’s age and appearance, and his acknowledgment of Anna represent true love as well. In the beginning of the short story, Dmitri simply calls Anna â€Å"’the lady with the dog’† (251). This can be attributed to the fact that Dmitri is not emotionally connected with Anna, nor is he planning to be. He does not give her a name in order to keep her distant. As the relationship evolves, Dmitri calls her by her name. This action makes things personal, and signifies Dmitri’s growing love for Anna. In relation to this, when the reader is briefly introduced to Dmitri’s wife, her name is never mentioned. This represents the fact that Dmitri does not have a strong emotional connection to her. The only woman’s name in the story is Anna’s because Anna is the only woman Dmitri has ever loved. Going back to the beginning of the story, when Chekhov introduces Dmitri, he speaks of his ease in attracting women; â€Å"In his appearance, in his character, in his whole nature, there was something attractive and elusive which allured women and disposed them in his favour† (252). Dmitri has no problem attracting women. There is something about him that attracts them, and he is very aware of this. It seems as if he uses the attraction to pull women in to the affairs he has. This attractiveness is how he allures Anna. In contrast, near the end of the story, Dmitri sees himself in the mirror and sees how much he has changed. Chekhov writes, â€Å"At that moment he saw himself in the looking-glass. His hair was already beginning to turn grey. And it seemed strange to him that he had grown so much older, so much plainer during the last few years†¦. Why did she love him so much?† (262). Dmitri looks distinctly different than he had when he first met Anna. His looks and age leave him questioning why Anna loves him. He speaks of how all the years of him bein g with women while he was young never left him with a feeling quite like the one Anna leaves him with. When he was more attractive and young, love had not yet reached him. Now, older and less handsome, he has finally found love. His appearance represents this change and journey to finding true love. Dmitri’s character development, whether it be behavioral or physical, represents the transition to, and the theme of, true love in the short story â€Å"The Lady with the Dog†. Through Dmitri’s first encounter with Anna, their involved affair, her return home, and their continuation, Dmitri changes and evolves as a character. He grows older in appearance and personality, begins to see the world differently, and begins to see Anna differently; all because he is falling in love for the first time. This development is used to support the theme of true love in the story because Dmitri is shown to change with the growth of his love for Anna. Works Cited Chekhov, Anton. â€Å"The Lady with the Dog.† The Norton Production to Literature. 11th ed. Ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton Company, Inc, 2013. 251-262. Print. Huber, Erik. An overview of â€Å"The Lady with the Pet Dog†. Gale Online Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. The Lady with the Dog. Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 102. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties Assignment

Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties - Assignment Example Offer the student with speech disorder chance to speak in the class. Give her time to communicate, don't disrupt or attempt to fill up in gaps for her. Speak to her naturally. (Mercer & Mercer, 1998) Teacher Presentation When the teacher is in class teaching, the teacher ought to do the following the 6years old with cerebral palsy and difficulty in communications 1. Should make contact and maintain the contact with the student. 2. Allow her to tape the lessons. 3. Offer and interpreter (signed English) to her, if she requires another kind of communication to understand 4. Assist and Encourage in facilitation of involvement in discussions and activities. 5. Be patient. Field Experiences Physical education in vital in health fitness and general well being of students, Physical education develops strength, maintains body mobility at the same time it challenges the mind and the body. All young people irrespective of their disabilities need to benefit from the positive advantage of physical education. Starting from an early age students should be involved in physical education to which will help them have confidence in their abilities and they chose activities that much their interests and needs. For our student the teacher will have to; 1. Have a Discussion with the student to find out any particular requirements, difficulties or alternatives she foresees in the physical education learning setting. 2. Consider alternative exercises/ activities which the student can utilize with a lesser amount of difficulty, except has similar or same learning goals. 3. Make individual advance preparations with the curators throughout inactive visiting field tours. 4. Provide assistance in the field; however also offer positive support when that student demonstrates...They could show tantrums, use unkind words loudly, or become listless. (Mercer & Mercer, 1998) Communication disorders entail a broad range of difficulties in speech, hearing and language. For instance, speech and talking disorders comprise stuttering, dysfluency, aphasia, voice disorders, articulation difficulties, impediments in speech and talking, and phonological disorders. These disorders may be due to some environmental factors, high risk register problem being the most common. (Mercer & Mercer, 1998) Students having communication disorders ought to be persuaded to talk about their functional difficulties as well as their needs in confidential in the initial week of learning and to discuss methods for compensation. Physical education in vital in health fitness and general well being of students, Physical education develops strength, maintains body mobility at the same time it challenges the mind and the body. All young people irrespective of their disabilities need to benefit from the positive advantage of physical education. Starting from an early age students should be involved in physical education to which will help them have confidence in their abilities and they chose activities that much their interests and needs. For our student the teacher will have to; Testing is an important aspect of assessing al students to know how much their have understood what they l

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

History of Hip-Hop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Hip-Hop - Essay Example This essay begins from explanation that the music that is known to us today as hip-hop was then called disco rap. It was a man named Keith Cowboy, a rapper with the band Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five that coined the famous term â€Å"Hip-hop†. The term â€Å"hip-hop† that is analyzed in the first part of the essay was used for the first time in print by Steven Hagar, an author in his work the Village Voice in the year 1984. But this does not imply that the Keith Cowboy was the true pioneer of hip-hop music and culture, but on the contrary, hip-hop was there even before Cowboy was born, only then it was known by a different name. This essay tries to trace the history of hip-hop. And for that one will need to go about four decades back to the 1970’s, to the city of Bronx. The essay describes the history of the music genre to 21th century and to the times when the rappers started incorporating serious issues into their lyrics. The Jamaican born Clive Campbe ll who later famously came to be known as Kool Herc or DJ Kool Herc can be said to be the ‘godfather‘ of hip-hop music. Essay focuses not only on his impact to the genre, but also provides the reader with detailed analysis on the 80s and 90s history of hip-hop. The 80’s saw a dramatic change in the hip-hop scenario. The hip-hop of the 70’s got more complex as it developed more. A glance of Hip-Hop through the 80’s, the 90’s and the new Millennia is also described by the researcher. In concluion, the researcher suggests to enjoy the present scenario of hip-hop music and what will follow next.... MC would just go on about pairing nonsensical rhyming words, making a clown of their friends and enemies with their witty words, hence taking the shape of folk music. It was later, that the rappers started incorporating serious issues into their lyrics. (History, n.d.) DJ Kool Herc the Pioneer of Hip-Hop The Jamaican born Clive Campbell who later famously came to be known as Kool Herc or DJ Kool Herc can be said to be the 'godfather 'of hip-hop music. He was born in Jamaica on April 16th 1955 and was a Jamaican DJ by profession. The credit for making hip-hop music what it is today goes to DJ Kool Herc. He was the one to experiment with the segregation of the instrumental part of a record and give more emphasis to the drumbeat or the "break". He used two turn tables, a set up used by the DJs and the same record in each of the turn tables hence elongating the break of the beat. This method of breaking the beat of the hard funk and rock records and mixing them with Latin percussion then formed and still forms the basis of hip-hop music. Later Kool Herc used dancers to dance in tune to his prolongated breaks and guess what, there were break-dancer. Kool Herc influenced many other greats of hip-hop including the Afrika Bambaataa and Joseph Saddler a.k.a. Grandmaster Flash who later starte d DJ-ing in Kool's fashion. It was due to Kool's impact that Bambaataa a notorious general one timer of the Black Spades gang in Bronx converted himself and his followers into the non-violent group of Zulu Nation. Of this transition period Steven Hagar writes, "For over five years the Bronx had lived in constant terror of street gangs. Suddenly, in 1975, they disappeared almost as quickly as they had arrived. This happened because something better came along to replace the gangs. That

Monday, August 26, 2019

Applying the Principles in Our Organization Essay

Applying the Principles in Our Organization - Essay Example After the World War II, people around began to grow a sense of entitlement at their places of work, making employment look like a right rather than a duty or obligation (Koberg and Bagnall, 1981). This paper is designed to look at how entitlement meets several job requirements at work places for the employees in the hunt to apply the basic organizational principles. At Apple Computers, entitlement helps to meet this requirement as it ensures that team leaders emerge from within the organization. The organization has also put in place efficient communication channels that ensure suitable flow of quality information and timely feedback. In addition, the organization has mechanisms that identify outstanding employees and rewards them for their performance. All these activities aim at ensuring that employees in the organization are fully stretched to their maximum of their capabilities and grown as well. Learning of new skills is easier when the learner is interested and highly motivated or attracted towards the acquisition of that skill. Job entitlement at General Motors has been instrumental in ensuring that everyone understands that for one to develop, it takes motivation and not authority. The organization has invested heavily in developing the skills of their employees to ensure sound future leadership. Many leaders fail owing to their lack of exercising of the above principles. In order to have an effective team for a given task, the team leader must have a sense of entitlement and understand it in order to ensure that their decision making process is in line with the organizational procedures. In addition, they have to develop a team and not an individual. The process for acquiring a suitable team will involve a number of activities key among them being; i. The team leader has to pick the correct people in making the team. To do this, they need detailed information

The Approach of the Law Lords Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Approach of the Law Lords - Essay Example When it is impossible to interpret the legislation in a manner that complies with the ECHR, the domestic court must come up with a â€Å"Declaration of Incompatibility†. The point of departure into the enquiry as to whether the Law Lords are now made to legislate human rights is the provision in the Human Rights Act 1998, Section 3 of which reads as follows: â€Å"So far as possible to do so, primary legislation and secondary legislation should be read and given effect in a way which is compatible with Convention rights.† By Convention Rights, one refers to the European Convention on Human Rights, to which the United Kingdom is bound. The crux of the debate is this: does this provision now radically alter the power of Judges, such that they may now effectively ‘legislate’ human rights through interpretation of acts of Parliament? If so, is this change for better or for worse? Observers have noted that â€Å"stocktaking rather than definitive appraisal† (Bonner, et. al., 2003: 549) may be more prudent, given the evolving picture. This paper first looks at the background of Section 3 and how this Section has been developed and crystallised in jurisprudence. After which, this paper shall also argue that this is in consistent with the international obligations of the United Kingdom. Finally, it shall make the argument that the effects of Section 3 is more beneficial than detrimental, in that it establishes with greater certainty the separation between the legislature and the judiciary – a move that complements the recent creation of the Supreme Court as an appellate tribunal over the Law Lords. The main critique, to err on the side of oversimplicity, of those who argue that the Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 is too radical an alteration of the power of judges is that human rights policy in the country will be in the hands of a group of people who were not elected through democratic elections. On the other hand, those who argue for the Human Rights Act, and consequently, the European Convention on Human Rights, state that the imperatives of human rights and justice demand that Parliamentary acts be constantly checked and balanced. Indeed, the requirements of modern governance make it necessary that the branches of government are not given unfettered power and discretion. It goes without saying, for instance, that considerations of peace and order must be weighed against the sacrosanct principles of civil liberties and personal freedoms. Statutory construction Jurisprudence has spoken richly on how to proceed with interpreting legislation in harmony with Article 3. First, it is important to identify the specific statutory provision that is in contravention with the rights under the Human Rights Act (see the case of R v A (No. 2) [2002] 1 AC 45 ). After which, the Court must determine whether or not there is a breach of Convention rights (see the case of Poplar Housing Association v Donaghue [2002 ] QB 48 para 5). The court is then charged with the duty of identifying possible meanings means within the legislation. Jepson states that there are two principal ways by which the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Legalization of Same-sex Marriages Research Paper

The Legalization of Same-sex Marriages - Research Paper Example This can be seen as an extension of the discrimination that homosexual individuals have to face in the society. The lack of legalization also results in a lesser number of families amongst the homosexual communities across the world. In a society that still does not recognize any other social unit as much as the family, the lack of recognition for homosexual families can result in psychological problems that may lead to many problems for the individuals involved. This paper shall look at the psychological aspect of the problem and argue that the problems faced by such couples has a lot to do with the lack of legal recognition that they receive at the hands of the state and religious groups that they may be a part of. This paper shall examine the different aspects of the problem at hand and attempt to look at the perspectives that different groups endorse as far as same-sex marriage is concerned. There are several arguments that are used against the institutionalization of gay marriag es. One of the most important of such arguments is advanced by religious conservatives who argue that there is a need to improve the health of the institution of marriage. They cite the high divorce rates and the general lack of belief that the youth of today demonstrates in marriage as reasons for it to be preserved as a bastion of heterosexual normativity (Overview of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States). In many of these arguments is visible a strain of religious orthodoxy that bestows n heterosexual marriages the mantle of legitimacy. What is important here is that in such arguments, a marriage is defined as one where there is a certain level of productivity. It is true that same-sex marriages do not result in a traditional production of children. It therefore, is against conventional ideas of a marriage where one of the most important aspects is that of procreation. Heterosexual marriages, according to those who oppose same-sex marriages, weaken the foundations of marriage a s a social institution. While looking at children as only part of the reason for marriage, one removes the focus from marriage as an institution meant for procreation. This results in a greater emphasis on individuality and this weakens the concept of the couple as a sacrosanct unit. This can then be considered to be a reason for the frequent breakups of marriages and the condition that children of such marriages find themselves in. Another argument against the implementation of the clause of same-sex marriages is that it is considered to be too divisive to take up. This can be seen in the reluctance that certain institutions of the state have in pursuing it to a logical conclusion (Hope and fear in gay marriage cases at high court). There is a chance that there may be chaos in the violence that may result from the implementation of such a decision. Here, violence is not meant in merely a physical sense. The mental and psychological stress that may result in the people who are homos exual and live amongst a largely heterosexual community is something that is avoidable. Thus, there is the fear of a backlash from communities who feel that their sentiments are not taken into account by the state. This may lead to the breaking of neighborhoods and relationships that are forged without taking into account the sexual orientation of a person. The importance of such relationships cannot be disregarded as they result in many transactions that an individual is a part of.  Ã‚  

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Current Even Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Current Even Paper - Assignment Example the chief financial officer, John Currie, said that the company witnessed a sharp decline in sales at the start of 2014. The source of this decline is attributed to the recall of its popular yoga pants which were found to be see-through. In addition, this decline was caused by the negative publicity offered by the then outgoing chairman Dennis Wilson when he suggested that the problem was caused by overweight customers. While the company has focused on improving the quality of the recalled pants, it has failed to bring to the market new products. This has led to a sharp reduction in the volume of customers at the stores. One of the key issues supply chain management attempts to address is the quality of products and services. In addition, an organization must be able to bring new products and services to the market in order to remain competitive. In the above article, it is shown that Dog Lululemon’s problems stemmed from its inability to bring new products to the market. This has led to a lack of newness in its stores. Furthermore, supply chain management involves managing of customer relationships. In the above article, the then outgoing chairman of Dog Lululemon failed in this aspect, and this further compounded the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Conflict Resolution-Mediation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Conflict Resolution-Mediation - Essay Example A working agreement which spells out the rules of engagement and conduct during the negotiations is essential in the process. The mediation process involves acceptable third party intervention and confidential caucuses which enable the disputants become the decision makers in ending the conflict. The caucus stage entails making confidential meetings with each of the disputants whereby each party is allowed to reveal his or her grievances to the dispute. Party-directed mediation process can be summed up in to five stages which include the opening statement, the education phase, and the alternatives generation phase, the actual negotiation phase and the final closing phase. There are two pillars of the party-directed mediation that is the preliminary meetings which comprises of the pre-caucus and pre-mediation. Mediation process saves the parties to the dispute money while managing conflicts. Mediation is applicable in a wide variety of situations thus its effective in resolving disput es. Unlike arbitration where a third party makes a decision for the disputants, mediation is neutral process that accords the disputants the opportunity to solve their dispute with the support of a third party. The objectives of the pre-caucus are to enable the parties to the mediation to reduce the negative emotions to mediation and enable the negotiators to mediate more effectively. The initial aim of the pre-caucus is to facilitate empathic listening and develop an active listening approach as developed by Carl Rogers in the client-centered therapy. The initial joint session enables each party to confront the other through interpersonal negotiation while avoiding all the dysfunctional behaviors. Workplace mediation is always different since the parties address the working relationships which are part of the job and as a legal obligation. Party-directed mediation is useful in particular when mediating ethnic clashes or deep-seated interpersonal disputes between two individuals. Me diation process helps the parties to the dispute to develop tools which are critical in examining their disagreement. I agree with the book that the third party acts as a quasi arbitrator to the dispute. The pre-caucus affords the parties to the dispute an opportunity to vent their emotions, discover the blind spots and increase their commitment to resolving the dispute. The individuals at this stage will learn on how to listen to each other, and understand the issues of confidentiality to the mediation process. I have learned that empathic listening is an essential skill to effective mediation process since it encompasses attentive listening, asking questions about the mediation process as well as suggesting solutions to the dispute. The diagnostic stage of effective listening motivates the parties to speak without feelings of fear of being judged due to self-understanding and confidence. I personally believe that opening statement of the mediation process is aimed at ensuring conf identiality to the negotiations and setting the rules of engagement. The education phase provides an ample opportunity for all the parties to share their perspectives of the dispute and relive any negative emotions. The parties should aim at building cordial and close working relationships at this stage. The options generation phase entails brainstorming on all possible alternatives of resolving the conflict. In

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Fight Club Essay Example for Free

Fight Club Essay In the movie â€Å"Fight Club† is about the narrator, Jack’s, fantasy of an alternate reality, his personal shadow. Tyler Durden represents Jack’s unconscious collective shadow. Jack, the protagonist, has a meaningless, boring and empty life, and suffers from insomnia. Jack tries to lend color to his insignificant life by purchasing new commodities like his furniture which are the fetish items of the narrator and they provide him with more meaningful existence. Jack has a dull life and he could not find any time for his hobbies due to his busy business life. He has no girlfriend or even a close friend. He does nothing to have fun and he suppresses all his instincts for pleasure in his unconscious. Although he is not happy about his life, every morning he wakes up, goes to work and travels frequently. He suffers from insomnia because he is suppressing his shadow. Later, he finds the idea of participating in cancer and disease support groups. Jack lacks the courage to confront his shadow. Instead, Jack indentifies with her persona, the role the world expects him to play. As the movie progresses Jack gradually begins to become aware of his shadow, and how it motivates his behavior. It is only by doing so that he begins the process of self-realization. One criticism that will be made is that the movie depicts a superficial and incomplete process of self-realization. â€Å"Jung considers the confrontation with the shadow, with one’s own evil, to be of the great psychological value. Understanding something about one’s shadow side is the beginning of self-knowledge. Without the realization of the shadow all real further psychological progress is blocked† (34). As I mentioned before, Tyler Durden is the collective unconscious side of Jack. In other words, Tyler represents the shadow of the narrator in â€Å"political confrontation†. Jack projects onto Tyler, the enemy side, which we view as hopelessly corrupt, sadistic, vindictive, and inhuman. â€Å"The collective shadow, viewed as a component of the collective unconscious, is the archetype of collective evil and can be represented by such archetypal images as the Devil, the Enemy, the Bad Guys, and the Evil Empire† (33-4). Tyler slowly begins to take control away from the narrator. The narrator gets pleasure from Tyler’s crazy, uncontrolled behaviors because Tyler does the things that the narrator imagines doing unconsciously, but was unable to do because of ociety pressure, which encouraged repressing his desires. Jung states, â€Å"Your shadow, the imperfect being in you that follows after and does everything which you are loath to do, all the things you are too cowardly or too decent to do† (35). The narrator gets pleasure from these anarchistic behaviors. Tyler also destroys the narrator’s house in order to prevent him from continuing his virtual life. Then, Tyler initiates a reaction like Jung’s shadow conception, full of violence and sexuality. He manifests his violence and forms an underground boxing club called Fight Club. Hopeless people like Bob who has testicular cancer and many other people who are not happy about their lives, which are full of suppressed emotions and societal pressures, join Fight Club. Tyler also satisfies his sexual instincts with Marla whereas the narrator fails to do so. Tyler becomes a cult hero and he even manages to get paid without ever going to work because of the shadow’s charisma, self-confidence and revolutionary aspect. However, after a while we start to realize the negative effects of the shadow. The shadow, Tyler Durden, takes control completely and he gets out of balance. Fight Club becomes an anarchistic group and Tyler prepares a big plan (Project Mayhem) for destroying all the banks, financial sector buildings. Tyler is thus transformed into a public enemy who wants to destroy the capitalist system. In the movie, Tyler says, â€Å"It is only when you have lost everything, you are free to do anything†. He wants to live in a primitive society in which everyone has nothing and everyone is equal. This feeling comes to his mind because of the influence of the shadow archetype. As Jung mentioned, archetypes are characteristics that reflect our primitive nature. Tyler rants, â€Å"You are not your job, you are not your money in your bank account†. The shadow becomes very destructive, violent and dangerous as Tyler clearly becomes a monster who threatens society. Tyler sees society and the capitalist system as his enemies. Tyler shows us exactly all the aspects of Jung’s shadow concept: violence, sexuality, self-confidence, charisma, courage, madness and a lack of balance. What makes Tyler so strong is the narrator’s error in repressing his shadow for such a long time. After a period, the narrator understands that his conscious mind was taken over for a while and he begins to fight Tyler. He gets rid of Tyler in the last scene by shooting himself and thus by metaphorically reducing the influence of the shadow, Tyler in his mind. The narrator thus achieves a new psychical balance and gets rid of his shadow Tyler Durden. Jung explains, â€Å"Consequently, the murder of the hero represents the need for change, for a ‘revaluation of earlier values,’ at midlife. The shadow figures of savage and dwarf represents the murderous energy as well as the insight, the shadow wisdom, needed to kill the hero and to transcend a youthful heroic attitude toward life†.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Does Modern Technology Help Students Essay Example for Free

Does Modern Technology Help Students Essay Sample Essay 2 Question: Does modern technology help students learn more information and learn it more quickly? Answer: Marvelous as it looks at first sight, modern technology does not help students learn information at greater speed and with higher efficiency in most cases. On the contrary, it works towards the opposite direction which led students to lose their initiative to learn and explore. First of all, one property of modern technology is latently harmful to any learning mind it distracts. One thing we feel about when we are searching for information online is that the internet, as an outstanding example of modern technology, provides us with not only relevant results to make use of, but also external links to click. More than once I turned on my computer to check school library for resources, but ended up watching Youtube videos. In this case, computer as a representative of modern technology plays a negative role in learning information. We do acquire more information with the convenient tool, yet most of them are irrelevant and in the end procrastinating would lower our learning. Also, students would easily become disoriented in the huge sea of information. Although modern technology could equip us with easy access to information, the huge amount of resources would actually leave us confused. Therefore, it is only we obtain information more quickly rather than we learn it more quickly. A telling example is my experience with a digital library which stores almost all the books I need. At first I enjoyed downloading them from the database, however, one month later I ended up with hundreds of books stored in my laptop yet none of them finished or ever clicked. Furthermore, modern technology gives students an illusion that information and real knowledge is easy to learn just by clicking mouse or watching videos. But in fact this is only the first step towards useful information and effective learning, as learning of any kind requires full concentration and interactive thinking, which are almost absent in the process of popular e-learning experience. To summarize, modern technology does not help students learn more information and learn it more quickly, though it does make access to information and resources much more easily. The popular e-learning still lacks the concentration, depth, and interaction that are the hallmark of traditional ways of education and learning.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Case Of Ocean Park, Hong Kong

The Case Of Ocean Park, Hong Kong Ocean Park was opened on 10 January 1977 by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose. It took HK$150 million, which was funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong Government, to be built. Between 1982 and 1984, The Hong Kong Jockey Club gave a further HK$240 million to develop the facilities at Tai Shue Wan and thrill rides at the Summit. The Hong Kong Jockey Club stopped subsidizing Ocean Park on 1 July 1987 Ocean Park became its own statutory body, with a Government-appointed Board. The Hong Kong Jockey Club established a HK$200 million trust to ensure the Parks continued development. At present, Ocean Park is managed by the Ocean Park Corporation, a financially-independent, not-for-profit organisation. Background of Ocean Park Hong Kong In Hong Kong, there are two theme parks which are most popular and visitors should visit if they come to Hong Kong. They are Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. In this essay, we will mainly focus on discussing Ocean Park. Ocean Park Hong Kong (à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…҉۪), commonly known as Ocean Park, is an animal theme park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is founded in 1977 by the Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now got about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The Worlds Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and the 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes. In year 2007/2008, Ocean Park had 5.03 million visitors. It was awarded the worlds number 15 theme parks. It has the annual attendance ahead of rival Hong Kong Disneylands 4.5 million visitors. Covering an area of 870,000 square meters of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively. The two areas can be reached by a 1.5 km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express (train). As the Headland consists of several hills, visitors can also take the worlds second longest outdoor escalator to go from one side of the mountain to the other side.. The theme park now has 19 rides, including two roller coasters. It also consists of 11 animal exhibits, such as a Giant panda habitat, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium showing more than 2,000 fish. Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park also operates observatories, well-developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales and Dolphins Fund. Ocean Park Hong Kong was the first institution in the world to have success in artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish. In September 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong increased its ticket prices by 12% and 14% to take advantage of the Golden Week Holidays. In July 2009, Ocean Park Hong Kong announced that they would increase their ticket prices again by 20% and 25%. Attractions park of ocean park Hong Kong Headlines Rides (à ¥Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ©Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¥Ã… ¸Ã… ½) Lowland Gardens (à §Ã‚ ¶Ã‚  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã… ½Ãƒ ¨Ã…  Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¥Ã…҉۪) Whiskers Harbor (à ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ °) Tai Shu Wan Entrance (à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £) Theatre Shows A statement of the problem or critical issues for the study A statement of the problem or critical issues for the Ocean Park opened over 28 years. Allan Zeman, a person who changed the destiny of Ocean Park, was the Chairman since 2004. Before Allan Zeman joined Ocean Park, the Park was only matched the break-even point of their revenue. It is because the facilities are getting old and no new games built in the Park. The Park only maintains all the common facilities like Cable Car, Ocean Theatre, Pacific Pier, Atoll Reef, Whiskers Theater, etc. All the shows are old and not interesting to old visitors at all. After Allan Zeman becoming the Chairman of the Ocean Park, he introduced lots of new element to the Park. The most popular is the Sea Jelly Spectacular, Giant Panda Adventure, The HKJC Giant Panda Habitat and Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium. The Government of Mainland China gives the Chinese Sturgeon and pandas to the Ocean Park which shows friendship between China and Hong Kong. It attracts lots of visitors to visit the Park because of the rare species of animals. Ocean Park target customers have a wider range than the Hong Kong Disneyland. It is because the games are more excited than those in the Hong Kong Disneyland. For example, the Abyss Turbo Drop and Mine Train are too scary if children play. Allan Zeman introduced these games most likely attracting teenagers over 15. On the other hand, families which have elderly and children are also significant in his project. The SkyFair, Giant Panda Adventure, Goldfish Treasures, Emperors of the Sky and lots of shows are provided to the families to visit. Children can learn from the shows and the boards in the aquarium or the show rooms to know more knowledge outside classrooms. Ocean Park started the Ocean Park Academy Hong Kong for students to learn in nature. Students can feed parrots or dolphins in the lessons. Also, Ocean Park will provide their staff as tour guide to lead students to visit the aquarium and show rooms in order to provide an interesting learning environment to them. They provide at least five courses to difference classes of students from kindergarten to secondary school. Each level gives students different ways to learn the nature, for example, games, bring students to observe the animals, fish, sea lions, seals and pandas, etc and role play and so forth. Ocean Express commenced in the early 2010. It provides a new way and faster way to travel between the Ocean Parks Waterfront to the excitement at the Summit. It eases the burden of Cable Car. It can bring 5,000 people per hour in each direction between two main lands in Ocean Park within 3 minutes. It saves the traveling time for visitors and let them have more time to play in the Park. The Ocean Express designed like a submarine and offers a vivid experience that simulates a journey through the oceans depths. It carries through the idea of people in the ocean. On the other hand, some elderly or people may afraid of riding cable cars as they have acrophobia. The commencement of Ocean Express is a good choice for them that travel between two main lands in the Park. It targets all ranges of their customers. Since Allan Zeman joined the Ocean Park, he raised lots of themes to the Park in difference seasons to satisfy kids and big kids wants. In summer, Ocean Park set up a temporary water war game site to kids and big kids. Kids can play in a small playground with water and slides. Big kids can bring water guns which provided by the Park to have an exciting water war game in a safe temporary site. It is not only cooling down in the hot summer, but also giving a good place for families and friends to play something that they cannot easily find in Hong Kong. One of the most successful projects brought out by Allan Zeman is Halloween. This event attracts at least 50% more visitors to the Park every year at that period. Most of them are teenagers and big kids. The level of scary in Ocean Park is much higher then the Hong Kong Disneyland and therefore it becomes famous to teenagers and big kids. Lots of foreign visitors come to visit Ocean Park in Halloween as they are attracted by the level o f scary and the mood of this funny and horrifying festival. In Christmas, Ocean Park injects another theme which is called Ocean Park Christmas Sensation. As Christmas is a romantic festival, Ocean Park provides a romance atmosphere for couples in love. It is totally different from the Hong Kong Disneyland that only providing funds to kids. In conclusion, Ocean Park takes care of wide range of their customers. No matter students, elderly, families, friends, couples, kids, big kids, etc, they used to provide variety themes to its target customers and make them fresh in every visit. Purpose of the study According to the Tourism Development Bureau, 2009 Visitor Arrivals Summary by Country / Territory of Residence of the show, visitors from Mainland China had 1,848,832, accounting for the total number of visitors in Hong Kong 60.4%, 14.1% increase over 2008, statistics show Chinese mainland tourists are our most important visitors. In February 2005, the Ocean Park Corporation submitted to the Government a $5.55 billion master plan to redevelop the park into a world-class marine-themed park featuring more than 70 attractions. The redevelopment plan continues to emphasise the importance of community involvement and the parks role in supporting conservation and educational initiatives in Hong Kong. First to the second phase has been completed, some new rides and attractions have facilities open to the re-development project is expected to be in the final stages of completion in 2014. Consolidated basis of the above information, the purpose of the investigation is to understand the mainland tourists for the satisfaction of the current park, which re-development projects of the impact on the marine park. Through empirical data, we hope to show whether the re-development project had brought about the expected effectiveness and benefits to make a survey and analysis Contribution of the study Our research will focus on mainland visitors entering the park satisfaction, motivation and behavior in the park re-development project between the impact of mainland tourists as the parks main target, to bring the benefits of the parks contribution through the study expect to learn more about the expectations of mainland tourists to the park, the facilities of the park today, attractions, transport and surrounding infrastructure, based on the above criteria, and wanted to come up with behavioral intention Ocean Park visitors, tourist motivation, satisfaction Behavioral intention Behavioral intention is the consumers behavior or actions, including the recommendations of others and revisits. Boulding, Kalr, Staelin, and Zeithaml (1993)  [1]  as interpreted by the repurchase intentions, and would recommend to others to measure consumer behavior, intent, intention to act on behalf of tourists Consumer product or service behavioral tendencies, the main response to the possibility of a future purchase, whether the possibility of renewal or conversion; Customer willing the establishment of positive word of mouth support tendencies. It can be seen, recreation and tourist industry in customer loyalty should have Revisiting the meaning Positive appreciation Intention to recommend behavior The intention in this study as a basis to measure three aspects Tourism motivation Human activities, has its inherent psychological reasons, it is Motivation  [2]  , it is one of the Motivation will inevitably produce a certain kind of behavior. Therefore, the motivation = behavior is a psychological causation. Because of the psychological long-term incentives, including the requirements, needs, drives, excitement, attitude, interests, aspirations and so the definition, towards the goal and guidance to the activities of the process, TO Select Hong Kong as Ocean Park personal activities arising from what motives caused. Scope of this study of travel motivations, the Department of the subjects in the tourist motivation scale, said the scores on it. That including physical and mental relaxation, leisure, social, self-affirmation, and four levels of learning new knowledge. Subjects, the higher the score, indicating that the strength of its tourism motivation is stronger, lower scores, indicating the strength of tourism motivation is weaker. Satisfaction  [3]   The concept of consumer satisfaction theory, consumers will pay to bring it reasonable and practical to obtain satisfied with the kind of feeling. Open before the expected experience opened gain experience, and in the overall recreation experience visitors as satisfactory. The satisfaction of the Institute for the tourists call it entertainment environment, the properties of each level, This is the Ocean Park visitors engage in recreation environment, tourism, services, and results of subsequent experience. the satisfaction of tourists, including all the major services, entertainment, environment, landscape experience, ideas exchange, to recreational activities around the six areas. Department of subjects in the experience satisfaction, said the scores on it. The higher the score, which indicates that Ocean Park had a higher degree of satisfaction, on the contrary, a lower score is expressed not satisfied with that. To achieve the purpose, the following objectives are set: Personal characteristics of mainland tourists travel Motivation Motivation of tourism impact on satisfaction To discuss redevelopment plans adopted will revisit the impact Satisfaction, the impact on the willingness to revisit Results of the analysis, review the direction and objectives of the present park effectiveness, to re-formulate the future direction and policies of the park, as the view or policy-making foundation, is an important part of policy formulation. Scope and limitations of the study Scopes The research will determine the motivation and satisfaction of the guests of the Ocean Park Hong Kong. The implementation of the research will be analyzed and discussed. In the research, the ranges of study will be divided into three areas: Areas of study All the enabled facilities, including the attractions and shows, dining area and shopping stores in the Ocean Park, and the surrounding facilities related to the Ocean Park will be the areas of study. The facilities which are under construction will not be included in this research. Objects of study According to the press release announced by Ocean Park on 25 June 2010, the Ocean Park attained 5.1 million of attendance for year 2009/2010. The data indicated that there are more than 53% of guests are tourists from Mainland China, which are the biggest portion of the attendance. Thus, the research will focus on the tourists from Mainland China (both tour group visitors and individual visitors), in family basis and the head of the family, who visit the Ocean Park during the sampling time frame. Variables of study This research will focus on analyzing the background characteristics (e.g. ages, occupations, education and place of residence) of the tourists from Mainland China, and their travel motivations, satisfactions and expectations to the Ocean Park. Limitations This research will be limited by a variety of factors as below: The redevelopment work of the Ocean Park is still in progress. It will be delivered in phases by 2012. Consequently, the areas of this research will only cover the developed and enabled facilities. The research result will not include all parts in Ocean Park. Furthermore, the level of satisfaction of the visitors will be affected by the redevelopment work. For those Mainland tourists who visit the Ocean Park before or after the time frame of this research, will not be considered as the objects of the study. Since the research will only focus on a group of people and there will be time frame for the research, the research result can only reflect the analysis of a portion of the total population. The credibility of the collected data depends on the honesty of the respondents which is the situation we cannot control. This will affect the accuracy of the research result. Methodologies to be used We will obtain primary data through the process of direct observations, questionnaires and survey/personal interview. At the same time, information will be collected from secondary sources. Primary Data Observations We will conduct observations in order to acquire accurate data. The tourists from Mainland China in the Ocean Park will be observed and recorded as much of their behavior as possible. Observation is an easy but a time consuming task. Observational research techniques are required for collecting the data. The observers will be aware of not letting the targeted subjects know they are being observed. The findings are considered high degree of validity because the observer will be able to collect a depth of information about the behavior of the targeted subjects. Questionnaire A questionnaire (see Appendix I) is designed for obtaining the survey/personal interview. We intend to use the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data from at least 300 tourists from Mainland China who have visited the Ocean Park. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. Part one is to collect personal information and their motivation for visiting Ocean Park, which helps us to get the different background of the tourists. The other part is to assemble their level of satisfaction to the Ocean Park. The remaining part of the questionnaire is to gather the expectations and opinions on the strengths and limitations of the Ocean Park for further improvement. The questionnaire is designed based on the following questions: What is the factor attracted you to visit the Ocean Park? Do you satisfy with the current facilities of Ocean Park? What do you expect for the future development of Ocean Park? What do you suggest the Ocean Park for improvement? Will you visit the Ocean Park again? The questionnaire will be tested in a pilot study for checking the quality of the questions and estimating the response rate, so as to modify the questionnaire if necessary. Conduct of Survey/Personal Interview In the study, we intend to collect the data from three groups of people. The first group of targeted interviewees is the tourists from China who have visited the Ocean Park and within the ages of 18-60; the second group is the representative of the Ocean Park; and the third group is the Hong Kong Receiving Agents for Chinese Tours. We will use the questionnaire as a tool and conducting the survey with the first group of people. We expect to interview at least 300 people in the first group (tourists from China who have visited the Ocean Park) in order to collect their background, motivations and satisfactions of visiting the Ocean Park. The survey/personal interview will be carried out from 13 November 2010 On the other hand, we will invite the Chairman of the Ocean Park, Dr. Allan Zeman, for an informational interview (see Appendix II). This interview aims to gather his insights of the future development of the Ocean Park and his view on the continuing growth of the guests from Mainland China. Besides, we will search the list of Hong Kong Receiving Agents for Chinese Tours through the website of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. We will invite the agents for an interview (see Appendix III), to get the sales information for the Ocean Park tickets and their view on the continuing growth of the tourists from Mainland China. Sampling Methods Not all members of the population will be sampled. Only the guests who are inside or outside the Ocean Park will be sampled randomly. A screening question will be asked to determine whether the respondent is qualified to answer the questionnaire. We target to talk only to the head of the family or head of the group of people. If the person we would like to interview is unwilling or unable to participate, we will invite the other family members or group members to be interviewed. Problems Occurred There will be a variety of problems occurred while conducting the research: Time availability How long should the survey be taken? Do we have enough time for doing the interviews? Lengthy questionnaire may scare away the interviewees, especially the tourists. Geographic restrictions The targeted interviewees are over too broad a geographic range for us to carry out a personal interview. Language issues The tourists from Mainland China not only speak in Mandarin and Cantonese. Parts of them speak in Chinese dialect. Low response rate Some interviewees are unwilling to be interviewed and surveyed. They will refuse to respond. The low response rates are among the most difficult of problems in the research. Incomplete questionnaire There will be insufficient data for the analysis. Problems Solving The following strategies will be set for solving the problem: The questionnaire should not be too long and too complicated. The content should be easy for understanding. We will obtain the interview and survey inside or outside the Ocean Park. It is easier for sampling the targeted interviewees. The interviewers should be multilingual and speak Chinese dialect. We will not expect all the respondents to cooperate. Secondary Data Secondary data is important for this study. The research of the secondary data will be attained through the various channels: Annual Report The annual report of the Ocean Park will be searched. The report will provide the most accurate information on the guests attendance, current situation and future development. Internet Search We will conduct the internet search in order to find the relevant articles, background and objectives of the Ocean Park. Reference Books We will search the reference books in libraries for collecting the information of Ocean Park or relevant information. Newspapers Newspapers will be searched for collecting the relevant articles and news of the Ocean Park. Data Analysis A variety of data and information will be attained through the observations, survey/personal interview and secondary sources research. The different characteristics of the respondents, e,g, ages, occupations, education and place of residence, the travel motivations, the satisfactions and expectations of the Ocean Park will be the major data collected. The implementation of the research and survey will be analyzed by our team members. The result of the analysis will show the Mainland tourists willingness to revisit the Ocean Park. Also, it will illustrate the direction and objectives of the current effectiveness of the Ocean Park, and suggest the future direction and polices of the park. A trial table of contents with chapter outlines Proposed table of contents (for project 2) Introduction Description on the business conducting Current business profile operation Background of the Ocean Park Statement of the problem Purpose contribution of the study Scope limitations of the study Methodologies /Data collection Primary data Secondary data Data analyze Identify the challenges of the Ocean Park SWOT analyzes for the Ocean Park Evaluate the marketing mix of the Ocean Park Recommendation Conclusion Bibliography Appendixes Allocation of project tasks among group members Time schedule for the whole project Questionnaire A brief bibliography Books Larsen, Michael. How to Write a Book Proposal, 3rd ed.. Cincinnati: Writers Digest Books, 2003. Print. Marczyk, Geoffrey R., et al. Essentials of Research Design and Methodology. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc, 2005. Print. Bradley, Nigel. Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques, 2nd ed.. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Ott, R. Lyman and Longnecker, Micheal T.. An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis. Belmont: Brooks/Cole, 2010. Print. Paul, Debra and Yeates, Donald. Business Analysis. Swindon: The British Computer Society, 2008. Print. Piercy, N.. Market-led strategic change, 3rd ed. London: Butterworth Heinemann, 2002. Print. à ¦Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’ ¼Ã‚ Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ… ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ ¶, à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯: à ¨- Ãƒ ¨- Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©, 2006. à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ·. Internet Find a Travel Agent. Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. 2010. Web. 4 December 2010. How to Write a Research Paper. Research Library. StatcPac Inc., 2010. Web. 4 December 2010. Ocean Park Hong Kong. 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Ocean Park Hong Kong. Wikipedia. December 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Ocean Park Breaks Attendance Record Once Again. Press Release. Ocean Park Hong Kong, 25 June 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Redevelopment Plans for Ocean Park. Major Tourism Projects.Tourism Commission. 2009. Web. 15 November 2010. 510à ¨Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡9.86à ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ…   à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ §Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. AM730. 25 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‹Å"†°Ãƒ ¨Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °. à ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ´Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã‚ £Ã‚ «Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¼. Yahooà ¦- °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã… ¾. 25 March 2008. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µ34à ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¦Ã…“â‚ ¬Ãƒ ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å" à ©Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã…  Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ °Ãƒ ¦-†¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¢. HKCD. 25 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã‚ Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. Oriental Daily. 26 June 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã… ½Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ©Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ 510à ¨Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬. Apple Daily. 14 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ãƒ ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å"à ¥Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ° à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã†â€™Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ©-†¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µÃƒ ¦- °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. entnM!à ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦- °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã… ¾Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ…“à ¨Ã‚ ªÃ…’. 25 June 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. Allocation of project tasks among group members P = Principle S = Support Kathy Janice Joe Victor Tommy Idea Discussion P P P P P Finalize the Idea of Topic and Project Title P P P P P Methodologies Primary Data Observations P S S S S Questionnaire S P S S S Conduct of Survey/Personal Interview S S P S S Sampling Methods S S S P Secondary Data: Annual Report S P Internet Search S P Reference Books P S Newspapers S P Data Analyzing S S P Contact with Company P S Company Interview P S Time Setting S P Research Plan P S Project Proposal P S Cover page design S P PowerPoint Materials S P Group Members of Allocation of work Do the part of the project proposal: LAM Hiu Ying, Janice Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Scope and limitation, methodologies Bibliography LEUNG Wai Chung, Joe Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Background Statement of problem Bibliography WONG Kit Hung, Kathy Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Content pages, Bibliography YIP Fuk Ming, Tommy Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Cover page, Purpose and contribution of the study Allocation of the project tasks among group members Bibliography LEUNG King Lap, Victor Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. A time schedule

Monday, August 19, 2019

Free Bluest Eye Essays - Toni Morrison Helped Me Find Myself :: Bluest Eye Essays

The Bluest Eye   - Toni Morrison Helped Me Find Myself          Toni Morrison, I owe you my deepest thanks for helping me to appreciate the image I see in the mirror, the voice I hear when I speak, and the rhythm in my step as I walk. Many attitudes remain the same as they were in my parent's youth. Some people still stare at others because they are different and some still carry hatred and anger in their hearts because another person's skin color is not the same as theirs. Yet, there are those who do not carry such hate in their hearts, but allow themselves to be influenced by the bold intimidation of those who do. Those without hate often change their personalities and ways of thinking in order to become a part of an attitude which appears to be strong. However, this hatred is based on fear, it is weak.       While reading The Bluest Eyes, a complex of emotions filled within me. I found myself putting my emotions and all of my heart into the lives of two girls, Claudia and Pecola, who both struggled to truly find themselves. Although I can not say this book and these two young girls mirror my life completely, I can say the strength found in Claudia and the wanting to be accepted in Pecola's heart was not only their own, but mine as well.    Being a black author, you forced me to relate myself to your words on a greater level than any other because of our similar skin tones and life experiences. You then caused me to ask questions about the strength of my heart, and if I could handle the pressure of never thinking I was good enough. In The Bluest Eyes, Pecola regrets the way she looks, calling herself ugly and wanting to fit in. During her tribulations, my heart yearned for some understanding of how she could not search into her own soul and find the beauty and love that was placed within. I then realized, I needed to do the same. Growing up in my neighborhood, children that shared my ancestry were very scarce. In middle school I became active in various organizations, and in high school I became a part colorguard, yet I still was not happy.

Douglas Macarthur :: Biography Biographies Bio

Douglas MacArthur, the son of the high-ranking military figure, Arthur MacArthur, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 26th January, 1880. Although previously a poor scholar, in 1903 MacArthur graduated first in his 93-man class, at West Point Military Academy. Commissioned in the Corps of the Engineers, MacArthur was sent by the United States Army to the Philippines and by 1904 had been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Later that year he joined his father who was serving in Far East before becoming aide-de-camp to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. MacArthur was assigned to general staff duty with the War Department and was an official observer with the Vera Cruz Expedition. On the advice of General Leonard Wood, MacArthur was promoted to major. In the First World War MacArthur commanded the 42nd Division on the Western Front and was decorated 13 times and cited seven additional times for bravery. Promoted the the rank of brigadier in August, 1918, three months later he became the youngest divisional commander in France. After the war MacArthur returned to the United States where he became brigadier general and the youngest ever superintendent of West Point in its 117 year history. Over the next three years he doubled its size and modernized the curriculum. In 1922 MacArthur was sent to the Philippines where he commanded the newly established Military District of Manila. At the age of forty-three MacArthur became the army's youngest general and in 1928 was appointed president of the American Olympic Committee. MacArthur was appointed chief of staff of the US Army in 1930. Once again he was the youngest man to hold the office and over the next few years attempted to modernize America's army of 135,000 men. MacArthur developed right-wing political views and at one meeting argued that: "Pacifism and its bedfellow, Communism, are all about us. Day by day this cancer eats deeper into the body politic." In June 1932, MacArthur, controversially used tanks, four troops of cavalry with drawn sabers, and infantry with fixed bayonets, on the Bonus Army in Washington. He justified his attack on former members of the United States Army by claiming that the country was on the verge of a communist revolution. Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton also took part in this operation. The radical journalist, Drew Pearson, was highly critical of MacArthur's actions. MacArthur's ex-wife, Louise Cromwell, provided Pearson with confidential information about her former husband.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Sir Gawain :: Essays Papers

Sir Gawain If only there ever is a need to describe Sir Gawain with one word, this word would be nobility. All his actions are noble. His only bad deed is lying to Sir Bercilak in the Green Castle when Gawain did not return a girdle he received from Bercilak's wife on the third day of his visit. However, this situation practically forms and defines Gawain. It is important to remember that fight with the Green Knight was Gawain's first challenge; he was the youngest knight of King Arthur's court, a knight with no experience behind him. Gawain suffers for lying to the Green Knight (the third blow of an axe cuts Gawain's neck), and this experience influenced Gawain so much that he keeps and wears the belt as a reminder of his mistake even though everybody at the Arthur's court take this as a fashion statement when Gawain returns. Gawain looks and speaks in the way an ideal knight should look and speak. His clothes are regular for the knight; his speech, on the other hand, is somewhat distinct from other knights. He is the only knight that steps forward to save Arthur's honor and life in the stories of The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In the story of Dame Ragnell, Sir Gawain does not hesitate to agree to marry Dame Ragnell, the foulest woman alive, to save King Arthur even though Arthur does not ask Gawain explicitly. Gawain feels honored that he is able to help his lord in the moment of trouble. In the second story, even though Gawain is the youngest knight he steps out when all other knights are frozen and Arthur is embarassed before the Green Knight. Both these episodes show Gawain's true devotion to his Lord and code of knighthood. In the early stories, Sir Gawain is often considered to be the noblest knight of all. In later stories, like Morte D'Arthur by Sir Mallory for instance, he often loses the first place of Sir Lancelot. However, Sir Gawain can still be considered the noblest knight since Sir Lancelot after all does have an affair with Arthur's wife, and even though chivalrous code does not tie love and marriage together, it still does not look good on his resume. Sir Gawain, on the other hand, is always follows the code, and tries hard to serve his lord to the best of his abilities. Sir Gawain :: Essays Papers Sir Gawain If only there ever is a need to describe Sir Gawain with one word, this word would be nobility. All his actions are noble. His only bad deed is lying to Sir Bercilak in the Green Castle when Gawain did not return a girdle he received from Bercilak's wife on the third day of his visit. However, this situation practically forms and defines Gawain. It is important to remember that fight with the Green Knight was Gawain's first challenge; he was the youngest knight of King Arthur's court, a knight with no experience behind him. Gawain suffers for lying to the Green Knight (the third blow of an axe cuts Gawain's neck), and this experience influenced Gawain so much that he keeps and wears the belt as a reminder of his mistake even though everybody at the Arthur's court take this as a fashion statement when Gawain returns. Gawain looks and speaks in the way an ideal knight should look and speak. His clothes are regular for the knight; his speech, on the other hand, is somewhat distinct from other knights. He is the only knight that steps forward to save Arthur's honor and life in the stories of The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In the story of Dame Ragnell, Sir Gawain does not hesitate to agree to marry Dame Ragnell, the foulest woman alive, to save King Arthur even though Arthur does not ask Gawain explicitly. Gawain feels honored that he is able to help his lord in the moment of trouble. In the second story, even though Gawain is the youngest knight he steps out when all other knights are frozen and Arthur is embarassed before the Green Knight. Both these episodes show Gawain's true devotion to his Lord and code of knighthood. In the early stories, Sir Gawain is often considered to be the noblest knight of all. In later stories, like Morte D'Arthur by Sir Mallory for instance, he often loses the first place of Sir Lancelot. However, Sir Gawain can still be considered the noblest knight since Sir Lancelot after all does have an affair with Arthur's wife, and even though chivalrous code does not tie love and marriage together, it still does not look good on his resume. Sir Gawain, on the other hand, is always follows the code, and tries hard to serve his lord to the best of his abilities.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Matters of Life and Death Essay

This case surrounds the controversy brought about by the Arizona state legislature defunding life-saving organ transplant operations. In 1987, the Arizona state legislature voted to eliminate funding for most organ transplants for the indigent through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). At the same time of this decision, the legislature voted to extend health coverage to pregnant women and children in a â€Å"notch group.† The public controversy began when Dianna Brown died after being denied coverage for a liver transplant that would have saved her life. After her death, there was wide spread coverage of the issue that brought the defunding of certain organ transplants into the national spotlight. The decision to move funds for the poor to mothers and children rather than to life-saving transplant services put the legislature under scrutiny. This case presents that scrutiny and the legislature’s reasoning behind their decision. III. Required Methods In order to complete this analysis, I will have to deal with issues dealing with cost/benefit thinking in a context of fairness dealing with medical procedures. I will need to look at whether or not moving funding from transplants to mothers and children did something financially astute for the state of Arizona or if this is a case of mismanagement by the government. I will also have to deal with the issues of limited public resources, growing costs of medical technology, and diminished control of medical services. IV. Analysis Question 1: Was the Arizona legislature right in deciding not to fund certain kinds of organ transplants for indigents under the state’s indigent health care program? I believe that the Arizona legislature was not right in their decision to not fund certain kinds of organ transplants. In this case, there are several issues that arise including the concepts of distributive justice, cost-benefit analyses, and the role of government in society. The fact that the legislature looked at the increased number of organ transplants and the growing costs associated with them and compared them to another development in the state’s health care system does not seem fair. By defunding the organ transplantation services, they took away the right to choose from individuals in life threatening situations. With costs being a driving factor behind this decision, it was questioned whether the state should be spending so much on high risk, high cost procedures. In the case, there was an excerpt that explained the money-making aspect of the health care system. â€Å"If it was a pure concern about the medical needs out there, we’d have far more burn units than we have transplant units. The reality is they make money on those units.† I do not believe this is how the health care system sh ould be run. Whether it is political or judicial pressure, there is too much political influence in the health industry. There is the argument of transplantation services being more readily available to those with money and political connections, but I feel that policy should be able to set specific guidelines by which all of this can be overridden. I understand the fact that if you are to make exceptions in certain cases you are starting down a slippery slope and that initially, the decision to either have transplant services or to do away with them completely was somewhat justified. Further, the decision to fund only the most cost-effective services was also justified. Everyone had a fair shot at services if they needed them. When services began being compared to each other is where I have a problem. There is no way to justify comparing deliveries to transplants. In one analysis, Shaller compared the costs on society from a bad child to a transplant. In the end he came up with the fact that the cost of 8 heart transplants would cover 700 deliveries. He said â€Å"in public program, that has the widest range of responsibilities, and limited resources to handle those responsibilities, I think it’s unacceptable to use those limited resources in a way that really doesn’t further the public good.† I can agree with this statement but still do not feel that the personal health choices that can save an individual’s life should be left in the hand of a capitalistic government. In rebuttal to the governmental policies and financial analysis, Dr. Copeland argued that even if the AHCCCS were to deny funding to transplants, the health care system would still end up incurring costs associated with hospital costs till death as well as social security benefits to the families of patients who die without receiving a transplant. Also, he mentioned that Medicare would soon approve his transplant center as one of the 10 in the country to be covered. This came under much scrutiny and in the end a compromise was reached to look at each by a case-to-case basis. After the drama surrounding Diana Brown’s death, it was the opinion of the Arizona legislature that it would make the decision that would most benefit the residents of Arizona. In the end, â€Å"the public generally is not willing to, say, double the taxes in this state to insurance that everyone got the maximum possible health care.† While the decision may have had justifications by the state legislature, completely defunding organ transplantation services takes away the rights of patients and makes it so that health care is a privilege. I do not believe this is how health care should be. With so many changes being discussed simultaneously, this issue seems to have slipped through the cracks and caused unnecessary deaths to patients who had their right to life-prolonging health coverage denied in order to fund a â€Å"notch group† that had household incomes higher than the AHCCCS maximum but were below the official federal poverty line. This does not seem ‘fair’. In the end this case asks many ethical questions dealing with fairness and equality as well as whether access to health care is a right or a privilege. Question 2: On what principles do you position in the answer to question 1? (As an example, do you consider health care a right, and if so, why?) I believe that health care is indeed a right. Especially in a country like the United States where health providers and insurance companies are big business and make huge profits each year while millions may suffer from their lack of coverage or inability to pay. In the US, healthcare providers charge premiums on insurance. Whether or not they chose to cover a condition is largely up to them and in the past few years, insurance companies have tripled their profits. â€Å"According to the World Health Organization and the Physicians for a National Health Program, the United States spends twice as much per capita on healthcare compared to other countries such as Canada, Britain & Germany, who have universal healthcare.† According to statistics, in other countries with universal healthcare, there is less bankruptcy and better economies. I believe that there is too much political and outside influence in health care and that the industry is more of a money machine than anything. With the economy in a slump and an exceedingly large population not being able to afford health insurance, I believe that those individuals have a constitutional right to receive care that will prolong life. Laws regulating health care serve to benefit the population, not punish it. With so many gaps in the system nowadays, the ACA being upheld shows that the government believes that everyone should have equal access to healthcare. Providing health care to all benefits society by providing those with an opportunity to normally operate in society and benefit society through work, social, or economic aspects. Question 3: What roles do economic and financial analyses play in your position on the state’s responsibilities? While the state has a job to provide care to its citizens, it is also obligated to maintain financial stability within the state and contribute to its infrastructure. A cost-benefit analyses of moving funding from organ transplantation services to the â€Å"notch group† of pregnant women and children shows that while looking at services offered, the state will be able to control their overall costs. In situations like this where the healthcare system is often viewed as a money machine, it is almost impossible to overlook the exceedingly high costs of transplants. In one analysis, Shaller compared the costs on society from a bad child to a transplant. In the end he came up with the fact that the cost of 8 heart transplants would cover 700 deliveries. He said â€Å"in public program, that has the widest range of responsibilities, and limited resources to handle those responsibilities, I think it’s unacceptable to use those limited resources in a way that really doesnâ₠¬â„¢t further the public good.† While this analysis has many problems with it, the financial and economic implications are exactly what a business would want. By cutting, the high-risk, high-cost procedures, the state would be able to begin making money from the health care system. While I can understand the business aspect of health care and understand that economic and financial analyses play a large role in allocating resources and money towards services, I still feel strongly that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. The state has a responsibility to maintain financial stability. In this case, stability was enhanced by cutting services to transplants and focusing on individuals that would be able to give back to society over a longer period of time. Question 4: How does the analysis of this case inform your position in the current debate about health care reform? This case has made me think of the question can medical services ever be rationed fairly. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was recently passes should accomplish a lot of good for the greater portion of the population. It will not only reduce the number of uninsured but also protect those at risk of losing coverage. Additionally, the ACA aims to reduce health care spending and reduce costs for patients. This plan will not only extend coverage to those that may not be able to afford coverage, but will also aim to try and cut costs for the health care industry. This is a fusion of two of the debated points in this case. In the case, we looked at cutting funding from one service in order to provide services for another set of the population. The ACA aims to try and provide services and coverage for all. Overall, there are many questions that this c ase made me think of regarding the Affordable Care Act. I was not fully aware of the health industry being a big money business and how much of a part politics played in it. Additionally, the case opened my eyes to the fact that no matter what is done, not everyone is going to be satisfied or comply with the new policies. There are always specific cases that will cause questions to be asked, but if exceptions are made, then there will have to be exceptions in every similar case. The current debate about health reform addressed these questions and now that the ACA will remain in effect, it is still to be seen the impact that this makes on not only the economy, but also how it affects the rights of Americans to utilize healthcare. V. Recommendations After reading through this case and thinking about the financial issues presented in the case, I understand the financial and economic issues that have to be addressed while also considering providing the best care for the greatest number of people. In order to decide cutting services, this case addressed governmental policy that may cause unfavorable health decisions to pass in order to remain financially stable. In the end, I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege and the decision to life or death should never be put in the hands of a third party or up to money. The right to decisions about life and death should not come down to how much money you have, but should be a human right that is extended to those in need. VI. References HHS Gov. â€Å"Through the Affordable Care Act, Americans with Medicare will save $5,000 through 2022.† United States Department of Health and Human Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. â€Å"The Health Care Law & You | HealthCare.gov.† Home | HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. < http://www.healthcare.gov/law/index.html> Houseman, Michael . â€Å"The Health Care Law & You | HealthCare.gov.† Home | HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. VII. Lessons Learned I enjoyed doing this case report as it dealt with many issues outside of finance as well as important financial issues. In order to complete this analysis, I had to deal with issues dealing with cost/benefit thinking in a context of fairness dealing with medical procedures. I looked at whether or not moving funding from transplants to mothers and children did something financially astute for the state of Arizona or if this is a case of mismanagement by the government. I also dealt with the issues of limited public resources, growing costs of medical technology, and diminished control of medical services. In the end it was a decision that would have to either be based on financial considerations, ethical considerations, or a mix of both. A lot of the issues in this case have also been discussed in my public health ethics class this semester, so this case allowed me to utilize knowledge from other classes along with new financial concepts in order to do my analysis. Whether it is fairness or equality or even cost-effectiveness, there are problems that arise with each approach when used alone. From a financial standpoint, using cost effectiveness analysis is very important in determining social policy matters even with its downfall that it cannot suggest how priorities are set. I would have liked to deal with some numbers associated with cost-benefit analysis just to see how they were done but I was able to understand the basic principles behind the theory through my analysis on this case.