Global currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global currency - Essay Example From the chart above, there are signs that the Rand attempts to gain against the US Dollar periodically by moving down to around 6.5 to a Dollar. However, in most of the times, it fluctuates and reaches highs of about 7.3 against the Dollar. Over the past month or so though, the Rand has really lost grounds to the US Dollar and has risen to highs of about 8.4 per Dollar. This indicates that there is potential for further escalations in the value of the Dollar against the Rand. The Rand can therefore be seen as a weaker currency in relation to the US Dollar and on the global markets. Figure 2 above shows the relationship between the South African Rand and the European common currency, the Euro. It is also seen that the Euro is stronger than the Rand. On the average, the Rand trades at about 9.5 to the Euro. Although there were times that the Rand gained and got to almost 8.5 to the Euro, most of the time, the Rand remains above the 9.5 mark. However, in the past three months, the Euro has strengthened further at levels over R10 per Euro. It is currently trading at 11 Rands per Euro. This shows that there is room for further appreciation of the Euro against the Rands. Aliber stated in 1970 that â€Å"the stronger a countrys currency, the more likely it is to invest in another country and the weaker the currency, the less likely it is to invest in another country† (Goldstein,1991 p1976). This assumption Aliber made is tried and tested in numerous empirical tests. Aliber & Click (1993, p97) identifies that there is a capital market bias towards businesses from a stronger currency nation. In this case, it will be better for a US based business to operate in South Africa. Sharan (2002, p70) explains that the reason why businesses from countries with stronger currencies succeed in weaker currency nation is that it is much more easier to capitalize income in a weaker

Example of a Research Plan Essay Example for Free

Example of a Research Plan Essay Statement of the Problem The aim of the study is to identify the effect of different pH level of the Agar plate to the antibacterial activity of Santol (Sandoricum koet jape). Specifically, the study will seek for the answer of the question: 1.) Is there any difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level greater than seven (base)? 2.) Is there any difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level less than seven (acid)? Hypothesis 1.) There is no difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level greater than seven (base). 2.) There is difference on the No.of colonies after applying Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract on the Agar plate with pH level less than seven (acid). Research Methodology Materials and Equipment The study will make use of: Agar Plates, specifically Nutrient Agar, for different tests and as a controlled variable for the problem, Nutrient Broth, same purpose as the nutrient agar, Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract, Escherichia coli, for the gram positive, Bacillus , for gram negative, and Candida________ a test subject for the study. Also, the study will make use of litmus paper for measuring and maintining the pH level of the Agar plates. The study will also make use of spectrophotometry. Research Design The study will use Complete Randomized Design as a Research Design. Â  Control Group Design is two parallel experiments are set up, identical in all respects except that only one includes the treatment being explored by the experiment. The control group may have no treatment, with nothing happening to them, or they may have a neutral treatment. Statistical Tool The study will make use of ANOVA as its statistical tool. T-test can be use to compare two dependent samples/matched-pairs design experiments. The study will make use of two types of pH: Acidic and Basic. Each Agar Plate will be assign to one specific pH level. Inoculate the microbes in the Agar and in the broth. This can be done by streaking the loop containing the gram positive, gram negative, and the fungi . Data Gathering Procedure Prepare the Agar plate and the broth for the experimentation. The pH of the Agar and the broth must also be set. Place the agar filled petri dishes and the broth that have been inoculated in a dark, warm (86 F) place for a week for incubation. Apply the extract of Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) to each Agar plate and Nutrient Broth. Using the Colony Formation Unit (CFU), determine the number of colony inhibited. Record the data from the Agar plates and the Nutrient broth. Figure 3.1 Experimental Procedures Figure 3.1 Experimental Procedures shows the step by step procedure of the experiment. Starting from the preparation of the Agar plate with their assign pH level. The Agar plate will solidify at 32Â ºC- 40Â ºC but will melt at approximately 85Â ºC. Next is to inoculate the bacteria by streaking the loop containing the bacteria. After inoculating the bacteria, the agar plate must be incubated for one week. After the incubation of the agar plates, apply the Santol (Sandoricum koet jape) extract to the each agar plate. Each plate must receive equal amount of the extract. Using the Colony Formation Unit (CFU), determine the number of inhibited colony/ies and record the data. Data Classification pH Level of the Agar Plate| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH 5| | | | pH 6| | | | pH 7| | | | pH 8| | | | pH 9| | | | Figure 3.2 Interactions in Acidic, Basic, and Neutral Agar Plate Figure 3.2 shows the effect of pH levels less than seven (Acid) on the no. of colonies. pH Level of the Nutrient Broth| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH 1| | | | pH 2| | | | pH 3| | | | pH 4| | | | Figure 3.3 Interactions in Acidic Nutrient Broth Shows the effect of pH levels lower than seven (Acid) on the no. of colonies. pH Level of the Nutrient Broth| Number of Colonies| | Trial 1Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 2Mean of Three Repetitions| Trial 3Mean of Three Repetitions| pH10| | | | pH11| | | | pH12| | | | pH13| | | | pH14| | | | Figure 3.4. Interactions in Basic Nutrient Broth Shows the effects of pH levels greater than seven (Basic) on the no. of colonies Bibliography * Anke, T. Weber, D. (2009). Physiology and Genetics: Selected Basic and Applied Aspects, Volume 15. Springer-Verlag: Heidelberg, Germany * Chapelle, F. (2001). Ground-water Microbiology and Geochemistry (2nd ed.). John Wiley Sons, Inc.: Canada. * Kubitzki, K. (2011). Flowering Plants. Eudicots: Sapindales, Cucurbitals, Myrtaceae. Springer-Verlag: Heidelberg, Germany. * Shahidi, F. Ho, C. T. (2000). Phytochemicals and Phytopharmaceuticals. AOCS Press: USA. * Storz, G. Aronis, R.H. (2000). Bacteria Stress Responses. ASM Press: USA. * Agars. Difco BBL Manual. http://www.bd.com/ds/technicalCenter/inserts/Agars.pdf, accessed January 17, 2008. * Agar Bottles Preparation Equipment Use. Science Stuff, Inc. http://www.sciencestuff.com/playground/agar_bottle.shtml, accessed January 14, 2005. Mott, et al. * Agar Bottles Preparation Equipment Use. Science Stuff, Inc. http://www.sciencestuff.com/playground/agar_bottle.shtml, accessed January 14, 2005. * Artificial Environments for Growi ng Bacteria. WW Bio Institute. http://www.woodrow.org, (www.woodrow.org/teachers/esi/2002/Biology/Projects/lab_skills/ls5/), accessed January 14, 2005. * Microbiology. MadSci Network. http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar98/888937612.Mi.r.html, accessed January 25, 2005.

Lab Protocols :: essays research papers

Lab Protocols Through trial and error my class and I have learned that screwing around and misbehaveing in lab not only results in multiple page papers, but can also be harmful, dangerous, and costly to our teacher and school. There are many rules or "protocols" that should be followed in a lab enviroment. In this situation there are ten basic rules that must be followed at all times while participating in lab experiments. These are here for our own safety and should be followed for this reason. The first rule is that everyone in the lab should wear eye protection. In a lab enviroment eye injury is very common. Eye protection greatly reduces this risk of injury. The second is no horseplay. Horseplay can cause injury to yourself others and can cause damage to the laboraty. The third rule is that you should only interact with your partner and the teacher. This will prevent distraction from your set experiment. The fourth rule is that you should not leave your experiment unattended whether you think it is dangerous or not. This rule is completely self explanatory for safety purposes. The fifth rule is to be extremely careful with equipment. Not only for money purposes but also for your own personal safety. The sixth rule is to not touch anything that the teacher or the lab specifically instructs you to. Because you don't need to. The seventh rule states that activities should only be done if they are specifically discussed in your lab. This is for safety purposes and for the liability of the school. The eighth rule is that you are not to contaminate chemicals by using equipment in more than one substance without washing it thoroughly. Doing this can cause explosion, fire, bodily harm, poisonous gasses, or possibly death. Also do not return chemicals to the original container after they have been used. The ninth rule is that you must read your lab handout thoroughly before experimenting in a lab environment. It is a good idea to ask any necessary pertinent questions prior to partaking in your lab. Follow directions exactly. This is to prevent possible harmful mistakes that may result in death, poisonous gasses, bodily harm , explosion , or fire. Last but not least the tenth rule is that before taking leave of the

The Pencil Box :: essays research papers

THE PENCIL BOX   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nobody liked Jane. As soon as Emily Sweet found that copy of Anne of Green Gables—a three-hundred-page-long book! —in Jane's faded purple kindergarten backpack, that was it. Any hope Jane had for a normal life, for swing on the swings, for making a life long friend, someone to share secrets and giggles with, someone to teeter totter with, was over, because nobody likes the smart girl. Nobody likes someone who totes a three hundred page long book to read on the bus. That is the jungle gym's unwritten rule.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well, maybe it's not totally accurate to say that nobody liked Jane. That's not an entirely true statement. Teachers liked Jane. Teachers loved Jane, even though Jane thought they had a funny way of showing it, giving her another worksheet to do when she finished the assigned worksheet fifteen minutes before the rest of the class, telling her parents that Jane was a special child, maybe they should move her to a higher grade and her parents always saying no, we want our daughter to have a normal childhood. It became quite normal for them to have these conversations while Jane sat outside the door wit ha garage sale, dog eared copy of Gone With the Wind—a five-hundred-page-long book! —swinging her patent leather Mary Jane shoes because they didn't reach the ground and she had to do something to keep her attention through the first twenty pages, pages she always found sub-standard to an otherwise exhilarating book. Yes, supposedly teachers just loved Jan e. That's what all the other children accused them of, love, favoritism, unfair grading, and things like that. They just loved Jane, even though they showed it weird ways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It took Jane's second grade teacher, Mrs. Terada to really show some Jane some love. Jane thought Mrs. Terada was an absolute nitwit, with her long skinny arms and legs, looking down at all the children through a tiny pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose. And oh, it took all the acting Jane could muster to smile and nod, to not roll her eyes and stick out her tongue when Mrs. Terada presented her with the box. The box sat next to the rattling heat register (that always seemed to work in September, never in December). Under its hot pink cover were rows and rows of manila files, each containing a set of math worksheets, maybe a short story with comprehension questions at the end.

Coyote Blue Chapter 10~11

CHAPTER 10 Over Easy, Politically Correct Santa Barbara Sam spent most of the night cleaning up the debris from Josh Spagnola's shooting exhibition. Exhausted from the overall strangeness of his day, he went to bed early, but lay awake until well after midnight, first worrying, then trying to understand what was happening to him, and finally fantasizing about the girl. Amid the misery he retained hope, although he could not logically figure out why. She was, after all, just a girl – the goofiest girl he had ever met. Still, the thought of seeing her again made him smile, and he was able to escape into dreamless sleep. When he awoke the next morning, the world seemed a much kinder place, as if during the night the calamities of the previous day had become distant and harmless. Order had returned. At one time he might have met such a day by looking to the rising sun and thanking the Great Spirit for returning his harmony with the world, as Pokey had taught him. He would have looked for rain clouds, felt the promise of the day's winds, smelled the dew and the sage, listened for the call of an eagle, the best of good-luck signs, and in that short time he would have confirmed that he and the world were of one spirit, balanced. Today he missed the rising sun by three hours. He met his day in the shower, washing his hair with shampoo that was guaranteed to have never been put in a bunny's eyes and from which ten percent of the profits went to save the whales. He lathered his face with shaving cream free of chlorofluorocarbons, thereby saving the ozone layer. He breakfasted on fertile eggs laid by sexually satisfied chickens that were allowed to range while listening to Brahms, and muffins made with pesticide-free grain, so no eagle-egg shells were weakened by his thoughtless consumption. He scrambled the eggs in margarine free of tropical oils, thus preserving the rain forest, and he added milk from a carton made of recycled paper and shipped from a small family farm. By the time he finished his second cup of coffee, which would presumably help to educate the children of a poor peasant farmer named Juan Valdez, Sam was on the verge of congratulating himself for single-handedly saving the planet just by getti ng up in the morning. He would have been surprised, however, if someone had told him that it had been two years since he had set foot on unpaved ground. He was writing a note to himself to put a new subliminal message on his computer, SAVE THE WORLD, BUY THIS POLICY, when Josh Spagnola called. â€Å"Sam, did you hear what happened at the association meeting last night?† â€Å"No, Josh, I've been cleaning up my place.† â€Å"The place, Sam. I think this will be an easier transition if you start referring to it as the place.† â€Å"You mean they voted to buy me out? Without even asking me? I can't believe it.† â€Å"I was actually very surprised myself. People seem to dislike you in the extreme, Sam. I think the dog was just their excuse for a general fuck-over.† â€Å"You told them it wasn't my dog, didn't you?† â€Å"I told them, but it didn't matter. They hate you, Sam. The doctors and lawyers hate you because you make enough money to live here. The married guys hate you because you're single. The married women hate you because you remind their husbands that they aren't single. The old people hate you because you're young, and the rest just hate you because you aren't Japanese. Oh, yeah, one bald guy hates you because you have hair. For a guy that maintains a low profile, you've built quite a little snowball of resentment.† Sam had never given his neighbors a second thought, never even spoken to most of them, so now the realization that they hated him enough to take away his home was a shock. â€Å"I've never done anything to hurt anybody in this complex.† â€Å"I wouldn't take it personally, Sam. Nothing brings people together like hate for profit. You didn't have a chance against the clay tennis courts.† â€Å"What does that mean? We don't have clay tennis courts.† â€Å"No, but when they buy your townhouse for what you paid for it, then sell it to someone more suitable at the market rate, the association will have enough profit to build clay tennis courts. We'll be the only complex in Santa Barbara with clay courts. Should raise the value of the property at least ten percent. Sorry, Sam.† â€Å"Isn't there anything I can do? Can't I bring legal action or something?† â€Å"This isn't an official call, Sam. I am calling as your friend and not on behalf of the association, so let me give you my best advice on taking legal action: it's suicide. Half the guys that voted you out are lawyers. In six months you'd be broke and they'd be drinking your blood over backgammon. The time for legal advice was eight years ago when you signed that agreement.† â€Å"Great. Where were you then?† â€Å"I was stealing your Rolex.† â€Å"You stole my Rolex? That was you? My gold Rolex? You dick!† â€Å"I didn't know you then, Sam. It was a professional thing. Besides, the statute of limitations has run out. It's time to forgive and forget.† â€Å"Fuck you, Josh. You'll get a bill for the damage you caused.† â€Å"Sam, do you know how concerned I am about your bill? I don't give a decaying damn, I don't-â€Å" Sam hung up on the security guard. The phone immediately rang and Sam stared at it for a minute. Should he let Josh get the satisfaction of the last word? He looked at the shattered remains of his television, picked up the phone, and shouted, â€Å"Look, you wormy little fuck, you're lucky I don't come down there and pop your head like a pimple!† â€Å"Sam, this is Julia, down at the office. I have Aaron on the line for you.† â€Å"Sorry, Julia, I was expecting someone else. Hang on a second.† He sat down on the couch and held the receiver to his chest while he tried to regain his composure. Too much change, too fast. He couldn't let Aaron catch him with his guard down. His good friend Aaron, his partner, his mentor. And Josh Spagnola was supposed to be his friend, too. What was the deal with Josh? He'd turned on Sam overnight. Why? Sam lit a cigarette and took a long drag, then blew the smoke out in a slow stream before speaking into the phone. â€Å"Julia, you caught me in the shower. Tell Aaron I'll be in the office in an hour. We'll talk then.† He hung up before she could respond. He dialed the number of the Cliffs' security office. Josh Spagnola answered. â€Å"Josh, this is Sam Hunter.† â€Å"Very rude, Sam. Hanging up when I am telling you how little I care is very rude.† â€Å"That's why I'm calling, Josh. I've heard your little speeches before. I want to know what you've got on me.† â€Å"Then you haven't seen the paper this morning?† â€Å"I told you before, I've been patching holes all fucking morning. What goes?† â€Å"Seems that Jim Cable, the diving mogul, was attacked by an Indian outside of his office and had a heart attack. They said he had just finished an appointment with an insurance agent.† â€Å"So, what's your point, Josh?† â€Å"The point is, Sam, that after I ran out of your place yesterday, I went through the apartment next door and ran out on the deck. I thought I could come in from behind the dog and get a shot at it. But when I got there I saw an Indian vaulting over the rail of your deck. The Indian was wearing black, just like the one they described in the paper. Interesting coincidence, huh?† Sam didn't know what to say. Spagnola had half the complex under his thumb for one reason or another, but Sam didn't know how the burglar used his information other than as a license to be rude. Sam didn't want to bring up blackmail when Spagnola might just be in this to watch him squirm. Sam had watched a thousand clients squirm under his own manipulation, but he wasn't sure how to go about it himself. He decided to take a direct approach. â€Å"Okay, Josh,† he said. â€Å"I'm squirming. Now what?† â€Å"Sammy, I love you, kid. You and I are like peas in a pod. You, me, and that Aaron guy at your office.† â€Å"You know Aaron?† â€Å"Just spoke to him this morning when I called your office. Your secretary said that you were no longer with the firm and Mr. Aaron was taking all your calls from now on. Aaron and I had a long talk.† â€Å"Did you tell him about the Indian?† â€Å"No, he told me. Strange thing, Sam, he seems to want you out of the business pretty badly, but not just for the profit. I think he's afraid of the attention you're going to get if it turns out that you're associated with the Indian who attacked Cable. Who do you think has more to lose: you or Aaron?† â€Å"Neither of us is losing anything, Josh. This whole thing is a mistake. I don't care what you saw, I don't know anything about any Indian, and I resent the veiled threat.† â€Å"No threat, Sam. Just information. It's the cleanest commodity, you know? No fingerprints, no fibers, no serial numbers. It's kind of ethereal – religious in a way. People will pay for something that they can't smell, or taste, or touch. It's fucking glorious, isn't it? I should have been a spy.† Sam listened to Spagnola sigh, then to the breathing over the line. Here it was again, the standoff. How many times had he backed down over the years? How many times had fear of discovery caused him to lie low and play the role of the victim? Too damn many. He always seemed to be running from the past and avoiding the future, but the future came anyway. Very softly, barely speaking over a whisper, Sam said, â€Å"Josh, before you become too enraptured, remember the information you don't have.† â€Å"What's that, old buddy?† â€Å"You have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of.† There was a silence on the line, as if Spagnola was considering what Sam had said. â€Å"Good-bye, Josh,† Sam whispered. He hung up the phone, grabbed his car keys, and headed out the door to the Mercedes. As he disarmed the alarm and climbed in the car he realized that he also had no idea who he was or what he was capable of, and for the first time in his life it didn't frighten him. In fact, it felt good. Coyote Gets His Powers One day, a long time ago, before there were any men or televisions, and only animal people walked the Earth, Great Spirit, the first worker, decided that he would give everyone a new name. He told the animal people to come to his lodge at sunrise and he would give each one a new name with all the powers that went with it. â€Å"To be fair,† Great Spirit said, â€Å"names will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.† The Earth was a pretty fair place in those days as long as you showed up on time. Coyote had a problem with this method, however. He liked to sleep until lunchtime and lie around thinking up tricks until late afternoon, so getting up at sunrise was a problem, but he really wanted to get a good name. â€Å"Eagle would be good,† he thought. â€Å"I would be swift and strong. Or if I take the name of Bear I will never be defeated by my enemies. Yep, I got to get me a good name even if I have to stay up all night.† When the sun went down Coyote looked all over for a good espresso bar, but even in those days they were full of pretentious pseudointellectual animal people who sat around in open-toed moccasins and whined about how unfair the world was, which it wasn't. â€Å"I don't have the stomach for that,† said Coyote. â€Å"I think I'll just score some magic wake-up powder and stay wired that way.† Coyote went to see Raven. It was well known among the animal people that Raven had a connection with a green bird from South America and was always good for some wake-up powder. â€Å"I'm sorry Coyote, my friend, but I cannot extend you any credit. I'll need three prairie dogs, up front, if you want the product. And remember, I like my prairie dogs squashed real flat.† Raven was a greasy little prick who thought he was cool because he wore sunglasses all the time, even at night. Who was he to act so high and mighty? Coyote was insulted. â€Å"Look, man, I'll have a new name tomorrow. I'm going to go for Eagle. Just advance me the gram now and I'll give you six prairie dogs in the morning.† Raven shook his head. Coyote slunk away. â€Å"I can stay awake without magic,† Coyote said. â€Å"I just have to concentrate.† Coyote tried to stay awake, but by the time the moon was high in the sky he started to doze off. â€Å"This isn't working,† he said. â€Å"I can't keep my eyes open.† Talking to himself often gave Coyote ideas, which was a good thing, because hardly anyone else would talk to him. He broke a couple of thorns from a cactus and used them to prop his eyes open. â€Å"I'm a genius,† he said. Then he fell asleep anyway. When Coyote finally awoke the sun was directly overhead. He rushed to Great Spirit's lodge and burst through the door flap. â€Å"Eagle! I want Eagle,† he said. His eyes were dry and cracked from being propped open and his fur was matted with blood where the thorns had pierced his eyelids. â€Å"Eagle was the first to go,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"What happened to you? You look like hammered shit.† â€Å"Bad night,† Coyote said. â€Å"What's left? Bear? Bear would be good.† â€Å"There's only one name left,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Nobody wanted it.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Coyote.† â€Å"You're shitting me.† â€Å"Great Spirit is not a shitter.† Coyote ran outside where the other animal people were laughing and talking about their new names and powers. He tried to get them to trade names, but even Dung Beetle told him to get lost. Great Spirit watched Coyote from his lodge and felt sorry for him. â€Å"Come here, kid,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Look, you're stuck with a lousy name, but maybe I can make up for it. You have to keep the name, but from now on you are Chief of the Without Fires. And from now on you can take on any shape that you choose and wear it as long as you wish.† Coyote thought about it for a minute. It was a pretty good gift; maybe he should work this pity angle more often. â€Å"So that means that everyone has to do what I say?† â€Å"Sometimes,† Great Spirit said. â€Å"Sometimes?† Coyote asked. Great Spirit nodded and Coyote figured he'd better leave before Great Spirit changed his mind. â€Å"Thanks, G.S., I'm outta here. Got to see someone about some sunglasses.† Coyote loped off. CHAPTER 11 The God, the Bad, and the Ugly Santa Barbara During the short drive to his office Sam decided that if Gabriella gave him the least little bit of shit he would fire her on the spot. If his life was going to fall apart before his eyes there was no reason to suffer the slings and arrows of ungrateful employees. There were also twenty younger agents who worked under him, and as long as he held partnership in the agency he held the power to hire and fire. Let one of them mouth off, he thought. Let one of them look sideways at me and they're going to be a distant memory, taillights on the horizon, gone, out, shit-canned, pink-slipped, instantly unemployed. He walked into his office with his temper locked, loaded, and ready to fire, but was immediately disarmed when he saw Gabriella tilted back in her chair, skirt thrown up around her waist, her legs spread wide and high heels alternately pumping in the air and digging into the back of the naked Indian, who was on his knees in front of her, wheeling her chair back and forth, thrusting into her with greedy abandon and yipping with each stroke as counterpoint to the monkey noises that escaped Gabriella in rhythmic bursts. â€Å"Hey!† Sam shouted. Gabriella looked over the Indian's shoulder at Sam and held one finger in the air as if marking a point, then pointed to the message pad on the desk. â€Å"One call,† she gasped. The Indian pulled her to him in a particularly violent thrust and Gabriella grabbed his shoulder with both hands, popping her press-on nails off and across the room like tiddlywinks. Sam shook off his shock, ran forward, and caught the Indian around the neck in a choke hold. The Indian pumped wildly in the air as Sam dragged him off Gabriella and across the outer office. He fell over backward into his office with the Indian still squirming in his grasp and it occurred to him that unless things turned quickly to his advantage he was in serious danger of being humped. He rolled the Indian over on the carpet and pinned him, facedown, while he looked around for a weapon. The only thing in reach was the big multi-line phone on his desk. Sam released the choke hold and lunged for the phone, catching it by the cord. He swung around with it just in time to hit the Indian in the face as he was rising to his hands and knees. The phone exploded into a spray of electronic shrapnel and the Indian fell forward onto his face, unconscious but twitching against the carpet in petit-mal afterhumps. Sam looked at the broom of colored wires at the end of the cord where the phone used to be, then dropped it and staggered to his feet. Gabriella was standing by the door, smoothing her skirt down. Her lipstick was smeared across her face and her hair was spiked into a fright wig of hair spray and sweat. She started to speak, then noticed that one of her breasts was still peeking out of her dress. â€Å"Excuse me.† She turned and tucked herself in, then turned back to Sam. â€Å"I'll hold your calls,† she said officiously, then she pulled the door closed, leaving Sam alone in the office with the unconscious, naked Indian. â€Å"You're fired,† Sam whispered to the closed door. He looked down at the Indian and saw a bloodstain spreading around his head on the carpet. He didn't seem to be breathing. Sam fell to his knees and felt the Indian's neck for a pulse. Nothing. â€Å"Fuck, not again!† Sam paced around the desk four times before he fell back in his leather executive chair and clamped his hands on his temples as if trying to squeeze out a solution. Instead he thought of police and prison and felt hope running through his fingers like liquid light, leaving him dark with despair. A growling noise from the floor. Sam looked over the desk to see the body of the Indian moving. He started to breathe a sigh of relief when he realized that the body wasn't moving at all, it was changing. His eyes went wide with terror as the arms and legs shortened and grew fur, the face grew into a whiskered muzzle, and the spinal column lengthened and grew into a bushy tail. Before Sam could catch his breath again he was looking at the body of a huge black coyote. The coyote got to its feet and shook its head as if clearing its ears of water, then it leapt on the desk and growled at Sam, who rolled his chair back until it hit the wall behind his desk. Sam pushed himself up by the chair arms until he was almost standing against the wall, desperately trying to put even a millimeter more between himself and the snarling muzzle of the coyote. The coyote crawled forward on the desk until its face was only inches from Sam's. Sam could feel the coyote's moist breath on his face. It smelled of something familiar, something burnt. He wanted to turn his head away and close his eyes until the horror went away, but his gaze remained locked on the coyote's golden eyes. He wanted to scream but there was no breath for it and he found his jaw was moving but no sound was coming out. The coyote backed away and sat on the desk, then raised its lowered ears and tilted its head to the side as if perplexed. Sam felt himself take a breath and the strange urge to say â€Å"Good doggie† came over him, but he remained rigid and quiet. The coyote began to shake and Sam thought it would attack, but instead it threw back its head as if to howl. The skin on the coyote's neck began to undulate and surge and took on the shape of a human face. The fur receded from the face, then away from the front legs, which became arms, then down the back legs, which lengthened into crouching human legs. As the fur peeled it lost its black color, turning the burnt tan of a normal coyote. It was as if a human was literally crawling out of a cocoon of coyote skin, the black color becoming black buckskins trimmed with red feathers. A minute passed in what seemed a year as the transformation took place. When it was finished the Indian was crouched on Sam's desk wearing a coyote-skin headd ress that had once been his own skin. â€Å"Fuck,† Sam said, falling back into the chair, his eyes trained now on the golden eyes of the Indian. â€Å"Woof,† the Indian said with a grin. Sam shook his head, trying to get the image to go away. His mind was still rattling around in chaos trying to put this into some sort of meaningful context, but all he could do was wish that he would pass out and that his kneecaps would stop jumping with adrenaline. â€Å"Woof,† the Indian repeated. He jumped from the desk, adjusted the headdress that moments ago had been his skin, then sat in the chair opposite Sam. â€Å"Got a smoke?† he said. Sam felt his mind lock on to the request. Yes, he understood that. Yes, he could do that. A smoke. He reached into his shirt pocket for his cigarettes and lighter and fumbled them out, lost his grip, and sent them skittering across the desk. He was scrambling for them when the Indian reached out and patted his hand. Sam screamed, the high-pitched wail of a little girl, and jumped back into his chair, which rolled back until his head snapped against the wall. The Indian turned his head to the side quizzically, the same way the coyote had, then took the cigarettes from the desk and lit two with the lighter. He held one out to Sam, who remained pushed back in the chair. The Indian nodded for Sam to take the cigarette, then waited while Sam inched forward, snatched it out of his hand, and quickly retreated to his position by the back wall. The Indian took a deep drag on the cigarette, then turned his head and blew the smoke out in rings that crept across the desk like ghosts. Sam had curled into the fetal position in his chair and looked up only to cast a sideways glance at the Indian when he took a drag from his own cigarette. It occurred to him that he should feel silly, but he didn't. He was still too frightened to feel silly. When his cigarette was half gone he started to calm down. His fear was draining away, being replaced with indignant anger. The Indian sat calmly, smoking and looking around the office. Sam put his feet on the floor, scooted the chair back under the desk, and set what he hoped was a hard gaze on the Indian. â€Å"Who are you?† he asked. The Indian smiled and his eyes lit up like an excited child's. â€Å"I am the stink in your shoe, the buzz in your ear, the wind through the trees. I am the-â€Å" â€Å"Who are you?† Sam interrupted. â€Å"What is your name?† The Indian continued to grin while smoke trickled between his teeth. He said, â€Å"The Cheyenne call me Wihio, the Sioux, Iktome. The Blackfeet call me Napi Old Man. The Cree call me Saultaux, the Micmac, Glooscap. I am the Great Hare on the East Coast and Raven on the West. You know me, Samson Hunts Alone, I am your spirit helper.† Sam gulped. â€Å"Coyote?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"You're a myth.† â€Å"A legend,† the Indian said. â€Å"You are just a bunch of stories to teach children.† â€Å"True stories.† â€Å"No, just stories. Old Man Coyote is just a fairy tale.† â€Å"Should I change shapes again? You liked that.† â€Å"No! No, don't do that.† Sam had guessed the Indian's identity the day before when he'd opened the medicine bundle, but he had hoped it would all go away and he would find himself the victim of a childhood superstition. Religion was supposed to be a matter of faith. Gods were not supposed to jump on your desk and snarl at you. They weren't supposed to sit in your office smoking cigarettes. Gods didn't do anything. They were supposed to ignore you and let you suffer and die having never known whether your religion was a waste of time. Faith. Sure, the gods were a badly behaving lot in stories – jealous, impatient, selfish, vengeful, smiting whole races of people, raping virgins, sending plagues and pestilence – and even as gods went, Coyote was a particularly bad example, but they were supposed to stay in the damn stories, not show up and hump your homely secretary until she made monkey noises. â€Å"What are you doing here?† Sam asked. â€Å"I'm here to help you.† â€Å"Help? You ruined my business and got me kicked out of my home.† â€Å"You wanted to scare the diver so I scared him. You wanted the girl so I gave her to you.† â€Å"Well what about all the cats at my condo complex? What about my secretary? How did that help me?† â€Å"If I was not meant to have ugly women and cats they would not be so easy to catch.† It was the kind of backward, perverse logic that had irritated Sam as a child. Pokey Medicine Wing had been a master at it. It seemed to Sam at times as if the entire Crow Nation was trying to define a silicon-chip world with a Stone Age worldview. Sam thought he had escaped it. â€Å"Why me? Why not someone who believes?† â€Å"This is more fun.† Sam resisted the urge to leap over the desk and choke the Indian. It was still â€Å"the Indian† in his head. He hadn't yet accepted that he was talking to Coyote, Chief of the Without Fires. Even with the overwhelming evidence of the supernatural, he searched for a natural explanation for what was happening. A lifetime of disbelief is not easily shed. He tried to find some parallel experience that would put things in order, something he'd read or seen on PBS. Nothing was forthcoming, so he speculated. How would Aaron react if faced with this situation? Aaron didn't acknowledge his Irish heritage any more than Sam admitted his own Crow roots. What if a leprechaun suddenly appeared on Aaron's desk? He'd affect a brogue and try to talk the little fucker into putting his pot o' gold into tax-deferred annuities. No, Aaron was not the person to think of in a spiritual emergency. Coyote smiled as if he had read Sam's thoughts. â€Å"What do you want, Samson Hunts Alone?† Sam didn't even hesitate to think. â€Å"I want my old life back to the way it was before you fucked it up.† â€Å"Why?† Now Sam was forced to think. Why indeed? Every time Sam hired a new agent he glorified his and Aaron's lifestyles. He would take a bright, hungry young man for a ride in the Mercedes, buy him lunch at the Biltmore or another of Santa Barbara's finer restaurants, flash cash and gold cards and expensive suits – plant the seed of greed, as Aaron called it – then give the kid a means to pursue his germinating dream of material bliss while Sam collected ten percent on everything he sold. It was part of the show, one of the many roles he played, and the car, the clothes, the condo, and the clout were merely props. Without the props the show could not go on. â€Å"Why do you want your life back?† Coyote asked, as if Sam had forgotten the question. â€Å"It's safe,† Sam blurted out. â€Å"So safe,† Coyote said, â€Å"that you can lose it in a day? To be safe is to be afraid. Is that what you want: to be afraid?† â€Å"I'm not afraid.† â€Å"Then why do you lie? You want the girl.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I will help you get her.† â€Å"I don't need your help. I need you gone.† â€Å"I am very good with women.† â€Å"Like you're good with cats and couches?† â€Å"Great heroes have great horniness. You should feel what it is like to pleasure a falcon. You lock talons with her in the sky and do it while you both are falling like meteors. You would like it; they never complain if you come too fast.† â€Å"Get out of here.† â€Å"I will go, but I will be with you.† Coyote rose and walked to the door. As he opened it he said, â€Å"Don't be afraid.† He stepped out of his office and closed the door. Suddenly, Sam leapt to his feet and headed after him. â€Å"Stay off my secretary!† he shouted. He ripped open the door and looked into the outer office where Gabriella, her composure regained, was typing up a claim form. Coyote was gone. Gabriella looked up and raised a disapproving eyebrow. â€Å"Is there a problem, Mr. Hunter?† â€Å"No,† Sam said. â€Å"No problem.† â€Å"You sounded frightened.† â€Å"I'm not frightened, goddammit!† Sam slammed the door and went to the desk for a cigarette. His cigarettes and lighter were gone. He stood there for a moment, feeling a flush of anger rise in him until he thought he would scream, then he fell back into his chair and smiled as he remembered something Pokey Medicine Wing had once told him: â€Å"Anger is the spirits telling you that you are alive.†

The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence Free Online Research Papers It was the 4th of July in 1776 when delegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full significance of what was about to take place that day, the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people. Throughout history, only a few documents have changed the way we as a nation view politics and carry out our everyday lives. The document mentioned above was the Declaration of Independence. It changed the course of history because it granted America its freedom from Great Britain. Originally, there was a committee created to compose the document which consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. After conversing with one another, the committee decided that Thomas Jefferson would be the one to write it with the final approval coming from the other four. After writing it and receiving approval from the committee, Jefferson presented it to the House. What happened here was not what the committee originally expected. Not all of the delegates attending the convention approved the document. However, through compromising for the greater good of the â€Å"New Nation† and editing to accommodate everyone’s preferences, th e document was finally approved by all thirteen colonies. In today’s society, The Declaration of Independence is still a living document. Many ingredients are still an enormous part of our lives and the way our government handles diverse matters. One of the clauses, however, is being completely taken out of context and should be addressed immediately. The United States’ Foreign Policy is an ongoing problem and will continue until we as nation get back to our roots and foundation before we eventually lose track of our own problems and affairs, inevitably leading to our destruction. Having said this, it is helpful to know the origins of this belief. In the following paragraphs, a brief history of The Declaration of Independence will be discussed so the origins of this idea are clear. Although Thomas Jefferson gets credit for writing the Declaration of Independence, one must first understand where most of the ideas came from. According to Dr. Vaughn Huckfeldt during a class lecture, an English philosopher by the name of John Locke developed his own political views and published them in the late 1600’s in his Two Treatises of Government. At the beginning of the Declaration, it is mentioned that all men are entitled with â€Å"certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† In Locke’s 2nd Treatise of Government, he begins by using his theory of the state of nature in order to define the nature of power. Locke describes the state of nature as a place of equality in which no one person has any power over another and all people are free to do as they please. He argues that although the state of nature is a place of perfect freedom, it is still governed by natural law. When discussing law, the Declaration sets a foundation which the United States government is based on. The Declaration states to secure the rights of the people, governments have to be instituted among the people; however, when a government rules without consent, it is considered to be unjust. Even when being just, no one has the right to rule the other without the other’s consent (West 75). When given consent, political leaders are usually appointed through elections to ensure that the public has the right to self-rule so that they can make their own decisions or appoint representatives that reflect their views on politics. The reason for drafting the Declaration was because of the tyrannical rule of the British over the American colonies. Sheldon mentions in his work, â€Å"The Political Theory of The Declaration of Independence,† that a list of â€Å"injuries and usurpations† had been brought against the American colonies. The Declaration contains a list of these injustices. Sheldon goes on to explain some of the various hardships placed on them such as the British Parliament destroying the democratic institutions of the colonies. The Founding Fathers did not want this to become a problem in the newly created United States. Because of this fear, Thomas Jefferson placed a clause in the Declaration saying, â€Å"that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.† Trying to prevent ever having to deal with tyranny, the Founding Fathers constructed a way to check the governm ent internally which is know as the separation of powers. They devised three separate branches which were the Legislative, Executive, and the Judicial branches. These branches would have separate duties, different sizes and tasks, and sometimes different terms of office so that each of them could serve as a system of checks and balances for the government. Each branch would be given enough constitutional power so that it could resist any unnecessary impingement on one another (West 81-82). In today’s society, many countries experience problems dealing with tyrannical rulers. As a nation, we Americans deem it necessary to not only deal with our problems but also get involved with other countries’ problems as well. As we all know, we have been in Iraq for a number of years dealing with there governmental problems. According to Margaret Griffis at Antiwar.com, over 3,000 American men have lost their lives since the war began in March of 2003 due to our decision to enter the Iraqi nation and try and sort their problems out. This is not right. Many innocent lives have been taken having nothing to do with the American idea of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† When talked about in the Declaration on unjust governments needed to be overthrown, it was eluding to our problems if any presented themselves. In his last attempt to communicate with the American people, George Washington gave his Farewell Address stating that the United States sh ould be open to commerce with all nations, but they should avoid entangling themselves with foreign wars which were not directly threatening the nation. As a nation, we should be setting an example for other nations just as Governor John Winthrop said in his speech referring to America as a â€Å"City on a hill.† This theme shows the American idea that the nation must be set apart as an example for others to follow. Americans generally see the nation in this context. So if others see America as a â€Å"City on a hill,† we should not have the arrogance to try and think just because we are the current superpower in the world, we can act as a peacemaker for everyone’s problems. To many other nations, America is often referred to as somewhat of a bully. No other nation in history has even come close to equaling the power of the United States of America. This simple fact alone frightens people. They believe that no nation should have that much power at their disposal. It is also scares people around the world to think that America can act alone militarily at any given time. These powers which the American possesses are giving us an appearance of arrogance to other nations. We have become so self-righteous in our pursuits that we refuse to attempt to see an issue from another countries’ vantage point if it differs from our own. Even the president alienates people on national television with his claim that, â€Å"You are either with us or against us.† This takes a step back as far as diplomacy goes. Perhaps instead of writing the differing opinions of other countries off as ignorant or evil, we should try to understand the rationale behind other countries’ positions when they differ from ours. The document that the Founding Fathers presented us with that day in 1776 will forever be engraved in history. The genius in there writings somewhat foreshadowed the future of the American Government and possesses themes which are still present in today’s society. Over time, American political leaders and American people have lost the underlying meaning of some of these themes. It was not intended by the Founding Fathers to entangle ourselves in many foreign affairs in fear of creating unwanted problems for the nation in which they made so many sacrifices for. America should remember where it came from and who gave there lives to have the freedoms such as â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† in which they possess today and be the example that it should be for all other nations. I believe that America can still be this citadel, but it must make changes in order to better represent the country among the international community. Griffis, Margaret, Ed. â€Å"Casualties in Iraq.† 25 March 2007. 25 March 2007. < antiwar.com/casualties/> Huckfeldt, Vaughn. Class lecture. Philosophy 243. 18 January 2007. Jefferson, Thomas. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Baym, Nina. 6th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc, 2003. 727-732. Sheldon, Gerard Ward. â€Å"The Political Theory of the Declaration of Independence.† The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 16-27 United States. Dept. of State. Farewell Address by George Washington (1796). 19 March 2007. West, Thomas G. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.† The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 72-95 Research Papers on The Declaration of IndependenceAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBringing Democracy to AfricaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenPETSTEL analysis of IndiaStandardized TestingCapital Punishment

College Essay

College Essay A college essay is a writing assignment meant to be a companion to a college application. College admissions offices often use applicants’ admissions essays to separate candidates who are otherwise practically identical. This means it’s absolutely crucial that your college essay  reflects  your best qualities. It might be a great personal advertisement.  Don’t leave  your admissions writing  to chance. Get college essay help from experts that have crafted and created countless successful essays for thousands of satisfied customers and buy college essay today. What Is a College Essay? A college essay is a writing assignment meant to be a companion to a college application. A standard college essay supplements the academic performance and standardized test scores for an admissions office and allows the students to give a more qualitative expression of themselves, contributing to a complete profile on their application. In some cases, college essays may be free form expressions for the students writing them, but often colleges will provide a prompt or list of topics on which to write, given an assigned word count range. This can take the form of a standard essay, or resemble a reflection or personal essay, depending on the stipulations of each college. In the United States, many colleges are using the Common Application, using standard essay topics and making the entire application process much less time consuming and more convenient for students. How to Write a College Essay To write a college essay, first consider the prompt or topic at hand, and how it applies to your life. It is important to consider several options to tie in the essay topic to your personal life experiences so that you can judge these options against each other. When you’ve decided on an experience or narrative that you feel reflects you in your best light, start writing. Follow these guidelines for the best college essay results: 1. Stay With Your Own Voice. When writing their college essays, many applicants may feel pressured to present themselves in a different light than they would in any other context. The fact is, you tend to do your best writing in the tone and voice where you feel the most comfortable. Don’t try to stretch your comfort zone to impress the person reading your essay. 2. Hold Your Reader’s Attention. As you write, think to yourself: â€Å"is this something I would enjoy reading?† Remember, the person reading your essay probably reads countless others each year. To make sure yours stands out and captivates, remember to reflect rather than simply recount events as you go through a narrative. This will help your work remain original, creative and hold the attention of the reader. 3. Answer the College Essay Prompts Directly. College admissions offices are looking for a creative, well-thought and well-crafted essay. To produce this result, make sure that you’re answering the prompt directly and reiterating that answer throughout your work. This will help you stay on-topic and remain clear and concise all the way through your essay. 4. Edit and Edit Again. You will likely need several drafts before you have a final version that you’re happy with, even after exploring all of your subjects strategies in thorough detail. Make sure you re-read over and over as you go, down to the smallest detail and phrase. Each small improvement can have a major effect on the way your writing flows, and each idea becomes cohesive throughout. Remember also to have at least one proofreader; a fresh pair of eyes can be the difference between an impressive college essay and another one the pile for admissions offices. 3 STEPS TO A GREAT COLLEGE ESSAY College Essay Format College essays typically take the form of reflective essays or personal statements. While there is no uniform distribution of content in a college essay, the following structure can be followed as a general rule for clarity: Introduction: this should be a single paragraph that provides an overview of the essay’s main ideas, answers the question in the prompt and provides context for the rest of the essay. Like a research abstract, the introductory paragraph allows the reader to comprehend the entirety of the essay before getting into the details, or the narrative. Body: the body of a college essay has the most variability, as it depends on the topic and length of the essay itself. For most college essays, plan to have 1-3 body paragraphs that tell a clear, concise and engaging story about your personal development and growth. As a general rule, each body paragraph should have a different focal point. Be sure to consider this stipulation as you plan the parts of your essay before you begin to write. Conclusion: the conclusion of a college essay should restate the central themes of the piece without simply restating the introduction or the parts of the narrative. The key is to find a unique way to wrap things up that shows the level of growth and development the applications office is looking for, clear and concise. COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY College Essay Prompts While college essay prompts can resemble prompts typical of a reflective essay, there may be more emphasis on personal accomplishments. Think of it as a resume, in a longer format. With more and more colleges moving to the Common Application, college essay prompts are more standardized than ever. Here are some of 2015’s Common Application prompts, courtesy of the Princeton Review. â€Å"Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?† â€Å"Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.† College essay prompts are meant to be complicated so that responses are as varied as possible. Get professional college essay help in order to make sure you react to the prompts in the most effective way. MORE COLLEGE ESSAY PROMPTS AND TIPS Why Is It Better to Hire a  Writing Service for Your College Essay? For a student searching for the highest quality writing for their college essays, there is no better choice than a professional, expert writing service. Using a service can allow you to craft the perfect college essay, with input from professionals who have helped countless others and know exactly what kind of writing impresses admissions offices. You only get one shot to make an impression on the college of your choice. You can increase your odds enormously by letting a writing service be your: Guidance Counselor:  Simply seeking the advice of a more experienced, professional writing assistant can take your writing to the next level. When someone with an expert knowledge of what subject matter is most likely to work, or which prompt has the greatest potential to complement your personality guides you through the strenuous essay process, you’ll be shocked at how easy the whole thing becomes and how satisfied you’ll be with the finished product. Editor and Proofreader:  When you finish a draft of your work, get college essay help at each step along the way. A writing service can proofread your work for grammatical errors and inconsistencies as well as provide recommendations for changes from writers that know what works and what doesn’t. Writer:  If you want a truly complete product to consider the option to buy college essay from that will create a perfect advertisement for you and give colleges a true picture of your unique identity. Work along with a writing service to create the self-expression in the way that you intend to express it.

Reaction Essay Malaria Essays - RTT, Malaria, Tropical Diseases

Reaction Essay Malaria Essays - RTT, Malaria, Tropical Diseases Reaction Essay Malaria Reaction Essay Malaria Watch Out For the Buggys Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans of the Plasmodium type. Recently I had an opportunity to listen to a wonderful, informational presentation by a Cedar Crest Graduate from the genetic engraining program (1993). During her presentation I learned about the infectious disease Malaria that has a horrible effect on millions of people worldwide. Through out this paper I would like to highlight what I learned and state my views on the overlaying issues on Malaria. Before putting my own opinion into the problems of Malaria, I would just like to state the basic information and life cycle of Malaria. Malaria in humans is caused by a protozoon of the genus Plasmodium and the four subspecies, falciparum, vive, malaria, and ovule. The species that cause the greatest illness and death in Africa is P. falciparum. Its commonly known for being transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes. Fever is the main symptom of malaria. This mostly found in women and children causing over two million people sick and over 600,000 children dead. Commonly youll find people who are repeatedly exposed to the disease that acquire a considerable degree of clinical immunity, which is pretty unstable and disappears after a year away from the endemic-disease environment. There are a number of factors that contribute to the rise of malaria, including the rapid spread of resistance of malaria parasites to chloroquine and the other quinolones. The frequent armed conflicts causing ma ny of our own soldiers to become sick. The very high birth rates leading to a rapid increase in the population less than 5 years of age dying. We do not frequently hear much about Malaria, which is very disappointing, I learned that it's one of the ten top issues studied in the USAID (USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential.) I had a great opportunity to meet with a senior tech advisor for Malaria development who taught me some scary facts that we here in the United States do not recognize are a major overlaying problem. Millions of people lose their family members, their jobs, almost everything they have because they cant afford the drugs to help treat malaria. Billions and Billions are poured into their funds and usually when we do find a way to control outbreaks (ex. Bed nets, DDT, and Quinine) eventually the bugs will just build up a resistance and continue to spread Malaria. Personally I believe that we do not spread enough awareness of this issue, millions of people are dying and many children will not live past the ages 5 or 6. Our major problem here is that no one is looking at the facts, the deaths or even better in the programs that are supposed to be helping control the disease. Shouldnt more of us be aware, shouldnt we know about all the money that money that Bill Gates is throwing into the funds. Is there really more bed nets being provided, how could we possibly know if we never hear about it. In conclusion, we might never permanently get rid of the little buggys flying around spreading Malaria, who knows, maybe in a year or two there could be a breakthrough that could dismiss the infectious disease and not have any other dangerous effects on the populations. With a little more help and spread of awareness, we could get further with our research all we need are people to care.

Case study 4 -BUDGETING STATEMENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case study 4 -BUDGETING STATEMENTS - Essay Example Hence for 4000 patients visited during the month, the number of hours expected to be spent by the nurses is (4000 * 0.5) 2000 hours. But the actual time spent by the nurses on the patients is 2080 hours. This indicates that an additional 80 hours, i.e, (80 * 12)  £ 960 was spent on the patients. It is essential to investigate the reasons for this variance as the effect of this variance is adverse. As this measure is directly related to the efficiency of the nurses working at the hospital, one of the reasons for this variance might be that some of the nurses might be inefficient (Drury, 2005). The other possible reason could be that, some of the patients might have required additional care and attention which could have resulted in additional hours spent by the nurses. Appropriate action can be taken to improve the efficiency of the nurses can control this variance to a great extent (Blocker, 1951). The cost incurred in terms of the payment made to the nurses amounts to  £ 33,180. However the estimated pay based on the average pay per hour ( £ 12) is computed as (2080 * 12)  £ 24,960. This additional  £ 8,220 also has an adverse effect on the budget. Hence it is essential to understand the reasons for this variance in order to adjust the budgeting accordingly for the future periods. It is known that the pay for the nurses vary from  £ 7 to  £ 28, whereas the average is  £ 12. In the budget prepared, this average was only taken into account. However, the reason for the variance might be that more number of nurses with payment more than  £ 12 were on duty during the month. This variance can be controlled by noting the nurses who will be on duty for the following month and estimating the pay based on their pay scales, instead of using the average pay value. The quantity of supplies and variable heads are associated with the nursing hours as per the statistical studies. According to the standard, an average of  £ 10 worth of supplies and variable overheads are

Decision Support Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decision Support Systems - Essay Example Appraisal of the hotel’s DSS systems The Decision Support System (DSS) is a technology that enables managers in organizations to make effective business choices or solve problems using the available information in the organizations. Almost all information systems help in decision-making. However, the DSS exclusively works with this function. The DSS helps in the analysis of huge amounts of data referred to as business intelligence. Maurier Hotels Group is an SME type of business that should be having enough employees and many departments that should help in making appropriate decisions using the DSS. Considering the current size of the organization, many types of DSS can be more effective since the cost will not exceed the benefits expected after introducing businesses intelligence. The common types of the DSS are the model-driven, communication driven, and the data driven. The data-driven system is usually programmed to use limited set of information such as the number of cus tomers in the current quarter. During the analysis, the CEO or the customer relation manager in the organization will carry out a dialogue with this decision support system by highlighting various scenarios relating to customers. For instance, in order to attract more customers, the managers will use the customer decision support system. ... 22). Model-driven systems help organization in the formulation of alternatives and study their impacts. For instance the hotels can analyze different strategies of creating strong customer relations through this DSS. Many organizations have succeeded in choosing the best alternatives through this system (Koch 2007, P. 220). The hotel group may also use the communication-drive type of DSS. The category of DSS will help the customers care departments in the three hotels to collaborate and share information about their customers. This DSS is more effective for organizations such as the current Maurier Hotels that has to work in groups. The communication-drive intelligence systems will ensure that the hotel groups of the organizations co-ordinate their activities including the customer management services in the three hotel groups. This DSS is most appropriate in-group activities since it ensures easier communication between two groups. By introducing this type of DSS in the organization , the CEO will not have to move from one hotel group to another to collect the information about customers. The information is present on one system. This will help the CEO to monitor the activities taking place in the three hotels at the same time. The technology will help the organization to save the time required to compile information about customers in the three hotel groups. This means that this intelligent system helps in removing distance and time barriers in group businesses (Muntermann 2008, 18). The DSS is also effective because it supports group decisions in an organization. It will be easier for the three groups to make appropriate decisions that will positively affect them (Janakiraman & Sarukesi 2009, p. 43). This type of DSS is helpful because it helps different branches

The four models of corporate governance as outlined by Letza et al Essay

The four models of corporate governance as outlined by Letza et al - Essay Example Letza et al's journal was based on an extensive survey and critical review of the different theories and concepts that exist in corporate governance. Based on this comprehensive study, they identified four main approaches of perceiving corporate governance. This include: 1. Principal/Agent or Finance Model. 2. The Mypoic Market Model 3. Abuse of Executive Power Model and 4. Stakeholder Model Each of these models of corporate governance provide the basis for the perception of the importance and significance of corporate governance in organisations. Although each of them carry different merits, none of them seem to be universally accepted. This paper examines the four models of corporate governance as outlined by Letza et al (2004). The paper will undertake an analysis of the key features of each of the model. The paper will compare and contrast the approaches for each of the models and assess the future survivability of each of the concepts Corporate Governance Corporate governance re fers to the ways that businesses are ran (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2006). Corporate governance is about how the top level managers charged with stewardship roles in the organisation carry out the task of safeguarding assets and meeting the core vision and mission of the organisation. The development of corporate governance has come with several issues and situations that have had important impacts on the relationship between shareholders and strategic leaders of organisations. Major scandals that rocked the corporate world like the Enron matter played a role in facilitating rules and principles that define the corporate governance terrain today (Clarke, 2005). Important components of businesses played various roles in shaping corporate governance rules and regulations. Short Termism V Sustainability Most businesses are faced with a major dilemma of whether they should acquire short term results or work for the development of the longer term interests of the business. In dra wing the balance between shortermism and sustainability, most businesses are concerned with four key things (Aras and Gowther, 2009 p282). These include: 1. Societal impact: That is the impact of the business on the society. 2. Environmental impact: The impact of the business on the natural environment. 3. Organisational culture: The relationship between organisational and internal stakeholders like employees. 4. Finance: The acquisition of adequate returns commensurate with the risks taken. These four important factors play a major role in determining the terrain and activities of the organisation. The major corporate collapses like Enron were attributed to blatant disregard for some key elements of these four components of businesses (Clarke, 2005). Thus, they all played roles in defining the creation of corporate governance rules and systems. Although there is still evidence of shortermism in corporate organisations, there is still some important roles that corporate governance s tandards and roles play in promoting sustainability in business (Eyatt, 2005). Risk Management One of the roles that corporate governance plays is that it helps in the creation of risk management systems to ensure that the board of directors monitor and control risks in organisations (Fraser and Harvey, 2007). â€Å"Company business models should be explained and the board should be responsible for determining the

Globalink Understanding diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalink Understanding diversity - Assignment Example It has also discussed the best practices to manage organisational diversity. The micro analysis of organisational behaviour helps any business to understand the potential conflict issues within the individuals of the organisation. Most of the conflicts generate from the diversified work force of any organisation (Robbins and Judge, 2012). The workforce of this organisation is mainly diversified by age, race, and ethnicity. The organisation possesses different generation of workforce such as baby boomer, generation X and generation Y (Ibec, 2015a). The baby boomers of the organisation are mainly the sales managers who are within the age bracket of 45-65 years. Generation X employees or the supervisors fall in the bracket of 28-45 years. On the other hand the generation Y employees who are the call centre operative are aged between 20-27 years. These generation diversity causes difference in work related expectation and characteristics. These differences between these generations can be judged to understand the reasons behind the conflict within the workforce. The study of the differences of these employee generations has provided a clear view about the potential reasons of the conflict. The difference in work ethics, skill sets and attitude towards the jobs are causing conflict between different generations of the employees in the organisation. The different level of tolerance of these groups is creating conflict within the employees of different levels. The absence of proper interaction and communication is also causing problems within the employees and their managers. Another reason behind these conflicts is the cultural and racial diversity of the organisation. The employees of this organisation are from different race, religion and ethnicity across the world. The training procedure and work patterns of the organisation are not well designed as per the language and

The new meaning of Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The new meaning of Quality - Essay Example If we see the size of operations at Sainsbury's meting these attributes consistently is a big challenge . Over the years the business and organizational environment has increasingly become more and more complex. There has been an explosion in choices, options, opportunities and threats, requirements, data and information through IT systems. Organizations have understood the hidden cost of quality, errors, inventories associated with inefficient supply chain. These factors have led to the emergence of a new discipline of supply chain management. A supply chain is essentially managing the journey of inputs to the outputs along with all the associated activities having impact on cost, speed and quality of the output through the journey. Ganeshan & Harrison in their paper explains how traditionally there has been organizations within organizations, silos of functions / departments, each one having their own characteristic goals, many a time at conflict with the organizational goal, resulting in an inefficient supply chain marked by interface problems. The result of these factors is that there is not a single, integrated plan for the organization. Supply chain addresses these issues effectively. Coordination between the various players in the chain is key in its effective management. Cooper and Ellram [1993] compare supply chain management to a well-balanced and well-practiced relay team. Quality begins and ends with customers For any Quality Management System, customer requirement is the input and customer satisfaction is the desired output. The entire quality movement is based on simple but elegant Deming's PDCA cycle. First step in the quality journey is capturing customer requirement followed by design / modification of functions/systems for deployment and continuous improvement of the same through repetitive cycles of feedbacks. The customer experience is captured at Sainsbury's through well-placed mechanisms. Customer Insights group carries out the work of obtaining the true customer requirement by interacting with more than 4000 customers every month which includes obtaining the performance of competitors also in the area of customer satisfaction. Besides the regular channels of obtaining customer perception there is another mechanism to find out customer requirement, which involves trained auditors capturing the customer experiences in the store itself. The practice of interviewing customers in their homes is yet another valuable source of customer expectation determination. The information captured through these mechanisms form the inputs for the Quality Management systems and other operational instruments for delivering the quality products and services to the customers. Supply Chain Transformation at Sainsbury's for improving delivery of quality Sainsbury's had witnessed more than 100 years of successful operations and established itself as market

Globalink Understanding diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalink Understanding diversity - Assignment Example It has also discussed the best practices to manage organisational diversity. The micro analysis of organisational behaviour helps any business to understand the potential conflict issues within the individuals of the organisation. Most of the conflicts generate from the diversified work force of any organisation (Robbins and Judge, 2012). The workforce of this organisation is mainly diversified by age, race, and ethnicity. The organisation possesses different generation of workforce such as baby boomer, generation X and generation Y (Ibec, 2015a). The baby boomers of the organisation are mainly the sales managers who are within the age bracket of 45-65 years. Generation X employees or the supervisors fall in the bracket of 28-45 years. On the other hand the generation Y employees who are the call centre operative are aged between 20-27 years. These generation diversity causes difference in work related expectation and characteristics. These differences between these generations can be judged to understand the reasons behind the conflict within the workforce. The study of the differences of these employee generations has provided a clear view about the potential reasons of the conflict. The difference in work ethics, skill sets and attitude towards the jobs are causing conflict between different generations of the employees in the organisation. The different level of tolerance of these groups is creating conflict within the employees of different levels. The absence of proper interaction and communication is also causing problems within the employees and their managers. Another reason behind these conflicts is the cultural and racial diversity of the organisation. The employees of this organisation are from different race, religion and ethnicity across the world. The training procedure and work patterns of the organisation are not well designed as per the language and

Business Proposal - Center Parcs UK - Market Anaylsis Essay

Business Proposal - Center Parcs UK - Market Anaylsis - Essay Example Reference can be made, for example, to the status of organic food market in UK, as compared with the relevant markets of Germany and France, for the years from 2006 to 2009 (Figure 1 below). Figure 1 – Organic food market in UK, from 2006 to 2009 (Padel 2011, p.4) In a report published in 2012 it is explained that organic food industry in UK has been reduced by an average percentage of 5.5% for the years from 2008 to 2013 (IBIS World 2012). It is also noted that among the supermarkets that provide to the public organic food, John Lewis has the first position and Sainsbury’s is positioned as second (IBIS World 2012). At this point, it should be noted that the global organic food industry has achieved a significant growth in the international market; in 2010, the growth of the organic food industry internationally has reached a percentage of 8.8% (Soil Association 2012), in opposition with UK where the specific sector shows signs of continuous decline, as described above. 1.2. Competitor analysis Organic food market in UK is promoted through businesses of different types. ... ce should be made here to the potential of consumers to buy organic foods of various types in street markets, in those regions that such option is available. Figure 3 – Organic food market structure in UK (Source Organic Monitor 2009, p.18) On the other hand, it seems that the competition in the particular industry is rather strong; still, there is chance for new entrants. The major competitors in the UK organic food industry are presented in Figure 4, below. It is clear that there is space for new entrants, especially in regard to the indirect provision of organic food, as in the case of CenterParcs, a firm that aims to develop an organic food restaurant. Figure 4 – Major competitors in the UK organic food industry (Organic Monitor 2009, p.19) 1.3. Consumers 1.3.1. Consumer behaviour The support of consumers in UK towards the organic food market seems to be rather instable. In 2008, as recession appeared, the sales of organic food started to decline (The Guardian 2008, in Padel 2011, p.6). In an extended survey published in the newspaper The Times one year after, i.e. in 2009, a similar trend was reported (Padel 2011, p.6). It was clear, up to then, that consumers in UK had started to re-examine the necessity and the value of organic food (Padel 2011, p.6). It should be noted though that for consumers the origin of organic food seems to be of critical importance; in a survey developed in 2009, 64% of participants stated that they prefer ‘organic products produced locally’ (Padel 2011, p.11), compared to those originated from another country. According to the above findings, skepticism has been developed by consumers in the UK market in regard to organic food products. The firm that will manage to capture the actual consumer preferences in regard to consumer

To Kill a Mockingbird Research Allusion Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Research Allusion Essay In To Kill a Mockingbird allusions are used throughout the book. An allusion is a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication. In chapter 11 Scout uses the allusion, â€Å"this looks like you,† to try to cheer Jem up. It was referring to Dixie Hall. He was an American Football player. He played college football as a halfback at the University of Alabama from 1932 to 1934 and with the Washington Redskins of the NFL in 1937. Howell was also the head football coach at Arizona State Teachers College, from 1938 to 1941 and at the University of Idaho from 1947 to 1950, compiling a career coaching record of 36–35–5 in American college football. Dixie Howell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970. Howell was one of the best punters. Howell also had an uncredited role in the movie, The Adventures of Frank Merriwell as a football player. Scout’s allusion to Dixie Howell is to comfort Jem since he loves football. By telling him that Dixie Howell looks like him, she is telling him that he comes first and takes precedence over Dixie Howell who was a famous NFL football player and coach. This also shows Scouts deep understanding of Jem. although saying This looks like you may seem like a meaningless compliment, Scout knows that because of his love for football and how he is associated with it, this would be a major honor for him to have anything similar to one of the greatest football players at that time. That’s how the allusion is used in the book. Howell, Dixie. Dixie Howell ENotes.com Reference. Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. .

Social work case study: Young and single mother

Social work case study: Young and single mother General Category of Service User: Level One Erikson’s ‘Stages of Human Development’ (Kalat, 2010, p.173) divides a human’s life into stages. Each stage highlights specific tasks which have to be completed before moving onto the next stage. Each stage creates its own physical, social and emotional conflicts. These stages help to determine where a person is in their life, rather than basing it on their age. Rachel Clark is nineteen years old, and is at the physical stage of a young adult, late teens to early twenties. However, as she has not yet developed her identity, it is fair to say she is still at the stage of an adolescent, early teens. Erikson greatly emphasised the adolescent period, as it is a fundamental stage for a person to develop their identity. The main conflict at this stage is better known as identity versus role confusion. Since moving back to Northern Ireland from Liverpool, Rachel had to move from one friend’s house to another before finally finding a place of her own. This m ay have affected Rachel’s confidence and increased her stress. Prior to meeting with Rachel it is important to consider where she is now living and who her peers are. Theories such as ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ (Taylor Devine, 1993, p.44) is relevant to Rachel’s case as it is important to understand if her psychological needs are being met in order for her to grow. In an attempt to address unmet need, the use of interventions, such as assessment is proposed and these requirements are legislated for in the Children Acts across the UK. Assessment is used to ‘†¦make possible informed decisions about meeting client needs’ (Taylor Devine, 1993, p.7) Assessment frameworks such as; Understanding the Needs of Children in Northern Ireland (UNOCINI) are used to not only assess the child but also to assess the parents’ capacity to meet the needs of the child. Additionally, assessment is used to help the service user and worker to identify any areas which require growth and change. The UNOCINI framework is also in line with legislation such as; the Children (NI) Order (1995) and Article 8 of the Human R ights Act (1998); right to respect for private and family life (legislation, n.d.), which are also fundamental while working with Rachel’s case. Additionally, the stages of Egan’s ‘Skilled Helper Model’ can assist in providing a ‘basic framework for the helping process’ (Egan, 2002, p.25). Each of these stages are a set of tasks based around a theme that assist clients in moving forward to help develop opportunities and provide assistance in managing problems. Information specific to the service user/s: Level two Rachel Clark is a nineteen year old, who is currently residing in Northern Ireland. She is a single parent to a son named Jamie, two years old. Rachel’s parents divorced when she was fifteen. Following this, her mother and twelve year old brother, Mark, moved to Liverpool with Mrs Clark’s boyfriend, Gavin. Rachel was unable to settle in Liverpool and quickly lost interest in her education. Rachel became pregnant at sixteen and gave birth to her son, Jamie, at seventeen. Rachel’s relationship with Jamie’s father ended before Jamie was born. Rachel returned to Northern Ireland six months ago with Jamie. Following this, Rachel had to move from one friend’s home to another until she was granted rented accommodation from a local housing association. It has also been mentioned that Rachel’s grandmother lives nearby and provides support for Rachel on a daily basis. There has been reason for concern with Rachel’s situation following a call fro m one of her neighbours, they wish to remain anonymous. It has been stated that Rachel is ‘partying all night and sleeping all day’, there is a collection of rubbish within Rachel’s garden and it has been reported that Jamie has been heard crying on occasions. Prior to the initial interview with Rachel, it is important to have a clear overview of objectives and aims prepared. The main aim is to engage with Rachel and some objectives may include: To find out if there is any truth in the allegations made against Rachel. If Rachel is acquiring the full financial/emotional support available to her. What kind of support she receives from her grandmother and to establish if respite may be required to give both Rachel and her grandmother a break from Jamie. As Rachel is a young mother, it is important to make sure she is receiving all the help and support that is available. These include financial support, housing support and any child maintenance that is available to her. Although Jamie’s father is not on the scene, Rachel will still be able to claim child maintenance. This is perhaps something that could be discussed with Rachel. The financial help available to Rachel is also something that could be discussed, to make sure she is receiving all the financial support possible. It is stated that Rachel receives daily support from her grandmother, but it does not state what kind of help or what age her grandmother is. It may also be important to consider if respite may be required for both Rachel and her grandmother, to allow them both to have a break from Jamie at times. Specific Phase of Work/Tuning in to SU’s feelings/anticipations of potential SU objectives: Level three. A key skill during the preliminary phase of social work is to develop a sense of empathy. It is also essential to develop some initial strategies for responding directly to indirect words or actions. This skill is described as ‘Putting the client’s feelings into words’ (Shulman, 2012, p.148). In Rachel’s case, it is important to consider what it might be like to be an adolescent. It is essential to get in touch with possible feelings and anxieties that a client might be feeling. In this case, Rachel may be feeling anxious about what kind of worker or person she is going to be meeting with. It is important to engage with the service user and to establish a rapport to help her feel at ease and to gain her trust. Furthermore, effective preparation highlights your concern for the service user and therefore makes them feel valued. It is important to consider how Rachel might be feeling during the point of first contact with social services. She may be feeling angry that someone has reported her for neglecting her son, as well as showing anxieties about whether or not she will have her son taken away from her. It is important to acknowledge how difficult it must be for Rachel to have a social worker talk to her about things that could be a sensitive subject. Tuning in to own feelings, values and skills: Level four. It is important for me, as a social worker, to tune into my own feelings and possible anxieties before beginning the first session with Rachel. The reason for this, is because if they are not addressed before hand then they may arise during the interview session, cause a distraction and may ultimately affect my ability to help Rachel. To establish a rapport with Rachel, personal values such as respect, honesty and compassion would be beneficial and would help to relax the client when they know you are showing a genuine interest. The values and skills within social work apply to the process of aiding others from a professional perspective. Professional values such as; social justice, respect for their rights and professional integrity will also come into effect before and during the interview with Rachel. A number of communication skills can be used to engage with Rachel. Talking and listening skills such as; paraphrasing, the use of open questions, clarifying, reflecting and summaris ing would show evidence of genuine interest. Other skills such as body language will show non-verbal indications of my attitude or feelings towards Rachel, so it is important to have an open posture. Likewise, the ability to respond to non-verbal cues are also important during the interview session. But, most importantly, the ability to be empathetic is a fundamental skill which is required to help develop strategies and relate to the service user. The use of non-verbal methods, such as; self-perception questionnaires, a problem tree or using a life line, are other communication skills which could be used to help Rachel interact with me. Additionally, Rachel might feel an impact of oppression with stereotyping based on her gender, age, gender or mental ability to cope. She may feel like the social services are judging her because she is a young, single mum and therefore, she might feel tense and under pressure. To understand how discrimination and inequalities are present in the int eraction between service users and social workers, it is useful to consider the situation in terms of three levels. The personal, cultural and societal level, referred to as Thompson’s PCS model (Thompson, 2012, p.33). Thompson’s PCS model is important to comprehend as it states how personal beliefs, cultural norms and structural institutions combine to create oppression in society. China: The Ancient Civilization China: The Ancient Civilization There is no modern without an ancient just as there is no present without a past. Everything we have today we owe to the bright minds of our ancestors, and their ancestors. Almost every gadget,  [1]  tool, and device we have today is the result of a persons effort to make life a little easier, a persons desire to explore something new, and a persons effort to understand the world around them. Of the ancient civilizations, it seems that the Chinese were the most curious, and most driven to enhance the quality of life. They had the most prominent and strongly impacting inventions not just during their time, but for all time. The Chinese inventions have three clear divisions. These are: recreational, medicinal and technological, and military. The people of ancient China made many significant advancements in the fields of both science and medicine, which only continues to show how sophisticated and modernized their way of thinking was back then. A lot of the medical treatments still being practiced by doctors today stem from ancient Chinese practices; records of such have been found as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1050-256 BCE). In Confucius The Book of Rites, there is a record that speaks about court physicians and their division of medical teaching into internal medicine, surgery, nutrition and veterinary practice, evidence that medicine was already very much developed during those times. Ancient China had contributed to many branches of medicine including of pharmacology, endocrinology, clinical medicine, public health, acupuncture, and medical education. The very beginning of Chinese medicine is attributed to Shennong, the legendary emperor, who had personally tasted hundreds of plants in order to discover which ones had medicinal values. He was also said to have introduced the technique of acupuncture. During the Han Dynasty, doctors were already using methods such as pulse-reading to examine patients for the purpose of diagnosis. Around 2nd century BCE, the Chinese discovered the anti-malarial properties of a plant called Artemisia (or Qing Hao), which they also used to cure skin diseases (apart from malaria). (1) It is the active substance called artemisinin or qinghaosu contained in the plant that enables it to fight the disease of malaria. It is so effective that even until today, this method of treatment continues to be used. Around 10th century CE, the inoculation or vaccination of smallpox was discovered in the southern province of Szechuan. It is said that Taoist alchemists, who lived as hermits in the mountain of O-Mei Shan , practiced this technique of inoculation, which later caught the attention of the public when the eldest son of Prime Minister Wang Tan died of smallpox. Records of what may be diabetes have also been found in ancient Chinese texts. In the text Huang Di Nei Jing, a syndrome named xiao ke was described in detail. This syndrome was said to arise from eating too much fatty and sweet foods, a description that is very similar to type 2 or insulin-independent diabetes (the most common form of diabetes today). The Chinese produced even minor treatments like eye drops, made from a plant called the Mahuang and promoted the importance of proper diets as a way to cure deficiency diseases. They made use of wine and hot water as medicine, and bronze knives and needles as surgical instruments. China has contributed quite a lot to the field of science and technology as well. Amazingly, many of these major scientific inventions, which are still in use today, began during the ancient times. Some of these discoveries were even accidental, which is the case for one of the most significant Chinese inventions in history: gunpowder. During the Han Dynasty, alchemists did extensive research and conducted many experiments in search for the elixir of immortality. In their search, they made use of substances like sulfur and saltpeter, which led them to discover many chemical properties along the way. It was during the Tang Dynasty that they discovered that sulfur and saltpeter, when combined with charcoal, caused an explosive effect, which is known today as huoyao or gunpowder. Gunpowder is considered to be one of the four great inventions of China; the other three are the compass, paper and printing technique. The compass was invented during the Qin Dynasty and was used by travelers to find their way back home after traveling to far lands in search for jade and other great treasures. The compass was called zhi nan zhen, which meant needle pointing south. The first person to use this tool was Zheng He of the Yunnan Province, who was ordered by the Emperor to make ocean voyages. Another invention, which was also used for determining direction, was invented by Huangdi and was called the zhi nan che or vehicle pointing south. Before paper came into existence, the Chinese would use bamboo slips, bones and tortoise shells to write on. Because these materials were bulky and heavy, many were discouraged from writing down their thoughts and daily experiences up until 105 CE, when the invention of paper was first reported. The name most attributed to this great invention is Tsai Lun, though it is not certain if he was the real inventor or just the court official that presented the invention to the emperor. Tsai Lun supposedly took inner bark of a mulberry tree along with bamboo fibers, and mixed them with water. He then pounded this mixture with a wooden tool, poured it into a piece of woven cloth and let the water drain through. The fibers that were left behind on the cloth formed the paper material. The printing technique, which made use of carved wooden blocks, first appeared in early Tang Dynasty but only became widely used during the Song Dynasty. This new invention encouraged central and local governments to publish more books. It was Bi Sheng who invented movable type printing during the Song Dynasty. The first machines invented in China include the potters wheel, deep drilling devices, efficient animals harnesses, the stirrup, escapements, wheelbarrows and the first computer. In 1st century CE, the Chinese invented the chain pump, which they still use until today. Around 132 CE, Zhang Heng invented the first ever seismograph, which was called the dragon jar. This device would simply register the occurrence of an earthquake using the eight dragonheads arranged around its brim. China is also the pioneer of wind direction devices including weather vanes. As early as 1st century BCE, the Chinese had records of wind seasons. Methods like forensic entomology and fingerprinting were already used in 700 CE as a way of solving murders and identifying people. Thumbprints were found on clay seals and on various official documents. The ancient Chinese people already had coal as an energy source as early as the Han Dynasty in hand with a coal mining industry. Coal was unearthed in Shan Hai Jing and Fushun in Northeast China. Along with coal unearthed in residential areas, the Shui Jing Zhu or notes on waterways classic had a narration of one of the coalmines in Ancient China, the Bingjingtai. Coal mining made good progress during the Song Dynasty wherein the government set up a special institution to facilitate coal mining and monopolize it. Now, a reasonable chunk of Chinese inventions were geared towards a particular aspect of life, making it easier and more enjoyable especially with the Chinese being biased towards the liberal arts as opposed to science because of the lack of conscious interest the people had towards science. A lot of inventions were pointed towards recreational use as well as making everyday functions easier or at least open the way to innovation. These inventions also wound up being adapted by many Western cultures and are still used or can be connected to their Chinese roots. These inventions which we see in our culture in our daily lives often have unknown roots to as where they were invented. They could be as important as the paper money system and toilet paper, or still as essential but on a lesser scale as restaurant menus and eyedrops. One of the greatest inventions of Ancient China is something we use in our everyday lives, paper. Although paper was initially used for wrapping and padding, the use of paper as a writing medium began in the 3rd century. Paper had many new ways of being used which was due to the Chinese knack for innovation. 6th century China began using it as toilet paper, something we cant live without in our present day. Paper was also used to make tea bags during the Tang dynasty, an age of culture in Chinese history. These tea bags are now a popular worldwide drink. Paper was considered one of the greatest inventions of Ancient China because of the position it had with exchanges between the East and the West. Paper is now seen in every society, culture, and part of the world as a essential medium for anything written or printed. A very important system we use today is the type of currency we use, paper money. Paper money or banknotes first appeared in China because the coins used for currency were sometimes too heavy to carry around especially for the rich folk. To address this problem, the coins were left to a trusted person in return for a piece of paper (Some kind of modern I.O.U) and the paper money was called jiaozi. Paper money or banknotes during ancient Chinese times often had a duration which discounted its value after some time until the reign of Kublai Khan during the Yuan dynasty in which he removed the durations and called the banknotes Chao. Another great invention of the Ancient Chinese are often seen in homes and in our daily lives, the use of pottery, porcelain and silk. Chinese pottery dates as far back as 8000 years ago and as compared to all historical periods, Chinese pottery was the one that kept improving and surpassing the quality of other civilizations with pottery (2). The production of pottery and porcelain was a whole culture in itself representing the Chinese economy, culture, science and technology. Though pottery started simple with simple shapes and rough features, the Chinese were able to mold it into something complex and beautiful for their culture. Among the most well-known works of pottery of Ancient China are the famous terracotta warriors and horses found in the tombs in Lintong of Shaanxi Province, the tomb of emperor Shihuang of the Qin dynasty. The tomb holding the terracotta army had thousands of clay soldiers and horses which had lifelike feautures and shows the skill of the ceramic artisans at that time. This marvelous display of the use of clay also represented the Chinese high value of life, believing that things in the tomb of people would accompany them in their second life, the afterlife. Though this belief started with the actual killing of servants, warriors and horses, the Chinese were able to see the value of life and instead use figurines as a substitute. Pottery advanced in many time periods during the Ancient Chinese era, from the ceramics during the Tang Dynasty which had three main colors, yellow, green and white up until the Zisha Tao or purple-clay pottery. China is also known as the capital of porcelain, a white, rigid and water-resistant piece of pottery. The use of porcelain boomed during the Song Dynasty with the discovery of a wide variety of designs. Porcelain from the Yuan dynasty was also widely regarded as top quality. Ming and Qing dynasties also had its own admirers as seen in this description, as thin as paper, as bright as mirror, as white as snow, and as resonant as chime stone (2). Silk was also a big part of Chinese culture that was discovered from silkworms eating on their mulberry trees. Silk was unearthed as far back as 4700 years ago in the Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. The use of silk was already popular during the Shang dynasty. Chinese people even included how to prevent silkworm diseases in the Li Ji or the Book of Rites. Silk was used to increase the dignity of the noble people as well as to add to the allure of their women. It also became a major export even opening the Silk Road. Silk and ceramics show the Chinese rich economy and culture because of how they were able to develop these arts as well as trade them to the world. (3) Tea and Wine are two beverages whose roots our society knows little about yet consume on a great scale. The ancient Chinese were the first people to process tea and make it into a beverage. Tea was said to have been discovered by Shennong, a legendary god who was cured by tea leaves from a coma. Tea was valued in ancient China even being offered to ranking officials as tributes and becoming an essential part of their everyday lives. People of the Tang dynasty had a saying that people can do without food  [2]  for several days but not a single day without tea. Tea was another valuable export of the Chinese people (4). The Chinese were also the first to discover wine. Yi Di was said to be the first to make wine and making wine probably started in the Yangshao period, about 4000 to 5000 years ago. The Chinese came up with many different methods of creating yeast for their wines, a sign of their innovation and creativity. A big achievement in Chinese history regarding wine was durin g the Song Dynasty, when hongqu or red yeast was used (5). Wine is a beverage that was adopted by the West and have been made in their own ways like the in the vineyards of Italy and other countries. A very important spice was also given its first use by the Chinese, salt. It was as early as 2700 B.C.E. that salt was already used for pickling in China, salt trade also helped finance the Great Wall. The Chinese also made important contributions to Astronomy. Emperor Huangdi often observed the stars to make out a calendar as well as naming metal, wood, fire, water and earth as the five elements. He even understood the concept of leap months and days in the calendar. A lot of astronomers in China were able to observe the stars and was compiled by the astronomer Chen Zhou. With this map, people were able to make the star atlas and catalogue with coordinates for each star. The advanced techniques used by the Chinese astronomers during the Warring States Period prove that they led the world in astronomy and astronomical tools (6). There were also many minor inventions the Chinese had which was adopted by the west and used by society in the present day. They invented the kite initially for war but became a tool for entertainment in the mid Tang Dynasty. Its popularity goes as far as the emperor Huizong actually presiding over a compilation about kites called A Collection of Kites from the Xuanhe Years (7). And their attempt to fit a man inside a kite led to the popular extreme sport we know today as Hang-gliding. Similar to the kites initial purpose, the hot-air balloon also became popular for entertainment during the Yuan dynasty wherein it attracted a lot of popular viewers. The original creator of the hot-air balloon was a war tactician named Zhuge Liang (8). Board games such as Mahjong also became popular because of the Chinese inventions, the Domino in particular (Dominoes). They were apparently derived from the cubic dice, which had been popular in Ancient China. The Chinese even helped give us some popul ar sports the world acknowledges today, specifically Archery, Golf and even Football. Archery goes back all the way to the Paleolithic age in Shanxi Province wherein archeologists unearthed finely made arrowheads. China was also the birthplace of the worlds number one sport, Football otherwise known as Soccer. Football was initially called cu ju which translates to kick ball in Ancient China. Inscriptions on bones and turtle shells during the Shang Dynasty proves that the sport was born in China. The ball was initially made of leather and hair while the first inflated ball was made during the late Tang Dynasty with the use of animal bladders. The game was said to have spread to the West because of wars with foreign countries(9). Chui wan or strike pellet is said to be the origin of the game Tiger Woods dominates, Golf. Other minor inventions were the principle of camera obscura, an early way of projecting images. Mo-Ti, the inventor referred to his camera as locked treasure room. The Chinese made many inventions towards recreational use and enjoying life because of their bias towards the liberal arts. Although they still made great contributions to science, their contributions to culture, the classics, sports, and other activities are common in our world today. It is important that one knows the foundation of these activities and objects one enjoys today so that proper credit may be given to the innovators. Now, creating a civilization like that of the Chinese does not come without consequences and at no cost. They did have to fight many battles both to unify themselves, and defend themselves from would be conquerors. In order to do this, they couldnt fall behind in terms of military might. To make sure that they always had the upper hand, the Chinese invented many simple, yet effective tools of war. The Military inventions of ancient China were the kite, the wheelbarrow, naval mines, land mines, the flamethrower, the early form of mustard gas, the fire lance, paper armor, and the crossbow. The wheelbarrow is speculated to have already been invented by at least the first century BCE. They were primarily used for war in that they were an efficient way to carry around large quantities of supplies, or heavy supplies such as armor, weapons, and ammunition. They were chosen over the larger vehicles because first, they could be operated by a person which was favorable over oxen in battle, and second, because they were more maneuverable around difficult terrain. They had many variations depending on the situation. Some wheelbarrows used single central wheels while others used two wheels. One famous variation of the  [3]  wheelbarrow was the add-on of a sail. This innovation allowed the wheelbarrows to travel up to 40 miles per hour. (10) Another invention that seems completely unrelated to war is the kite. The Mozi mentioned kites in 400 BCE. Kites were described as a bird constructed from bamboo and wood. (10) The materials used to produce kites were primarily silk and bamboo. Silk was the most lightweight and most durable material at the disposal of the Chinese, while bamboo was the lightest, and one of the most durable types of wood available. It is speculated that kites were used to signal the soldiers in armies during and outside of battle with instructions. For instance, different colored kites carried different orders for armies. As if the Chinese hadnt already proven that anything could be used in war, they began using paper for armor. Yes, thats right. The Chinese used paper for armor. The paper armor was highly praised for its warmth, comfort, and durability. In fact, in 1625, Mao Yuanyi, a Yellow Turban Rebel during the Han Dynasty, wrote: the best choice for foot soldiers is paper armor, mixed with a variety of silk and cloth. (11) The new weapons invented by the Chinese during these times were the Fire Lance, the Crossbow, the Flamethrower, Naval Mines, Land Mines, and the precursor to mustard gas. Naval mines were made by putting gunpowder in a barrel sealed with putty. They were either timed or made to explode by a hidden ambusher that would pull a cord and activate a Wheelock to create a spark and set off the explosion when an enemy ship sailed too close. Landmines functioned in pretty much the same way. Hidden ambushers would wait for enemies before lighting hidden fuses to set off the landmines. They did however, have an automatic way of activation. These automated land mines used weight drives. When a person steps on the landmine, the weights drop, activate a flame, and set off the landmine. The fire lance was the precursor to the gun. It was a bamboo tube that was filled with either a projectile or poison dart. These tubes were tied on to spears and then ignited to set off the gunpowder and launch the projectile. (11) The crossbow functions much like the crossbows of today. They had a string that was latched onto the tip of a trigger. When the trigger is pulled, the crossbow bolt flies. The Chinese flamethrower used double-action bellows placed beneath a hot cauldron with a mixture much like Greek-fire to spew fire. (11) It was the first type of flamethrower that could continuously shoot fire. The precursor to mustard gas was a simple mixture of around fifteen pounds of feces, herbs, and poison. When lobbed into a battle, it irritated and blistered skin. It was highly favored since it penetrated armor. (11) 4All of these weapons, with the exception of the flamethrower, show which side the Chinese were commonly on in battle. First of all, projectile weapons such as the Fire Lance and Crossbow are dangerous to use in skirmishes, and when the people shooting them do not have the high ground because of the chances of friendly fire. Based on that knowledge, these weapons were most probably used from castle walls, hills, and early in battle, before the skirmishes begin. Naval mines, land mines, and the early mustard gas were of course used as traps. But when and where are traps set? They are often set to fend off an invasion in ones home territory. This tells us that these were primarily defensive weapons. They were most effective in battles where the Chinese were able to choose where the battles would take place. What does all of this tell us? It tells us that the Chinese defended their land more than conquered. They held off invasions, rebellions, and raids more than attack foreigners. The Chinese opened the door for the golden ages of technology. Their inventions paved the way for great thinkers and great nations alike to create things never heard of before and to conceive new ways of doing things. Its obvious that not all the worlds innovations came from China, but it is safe to say that many of them were either adapted from ancient Chinese inventions or simply continuations of the inventions themselves. Things like the compass, for example, are Western adaptations of Chinese south pointing chariots. China, with all its riches, land, and manpower, was the perfect place for innovation to flourish. But why did the Chinese invent? It is natural for a person to explore and experiment with his environment, but what the Chinese did was not merely exploration and random wonderment. They wondered with a goal, and they explored with direction.  [5]   It can be said that, based on their early inventions, they created because they valued the gift of life highly. They sought not only to exist, but also to live. To merely go throughout life breaking ones back for daily meals did not appeal to them. They created tools such as the wheelbarrow and trip hammer that would help alleviate the workload of everyday life. They created games such as Cu Ju and Chui Wan that would allow one to enjoy life. They created practices and medicine to sustain life. They created things such as the early seismograph and star maps to understand life and the world around them. They also created weapons, but not with the primary purpose of destroying life, but with the purpose of protecting life and protecting order. However, compared to the Western Civilizations, China churned out massive amounts of innovations. What did China have that allowed it to invent so much so quickly compared to the Western Civilizations? Well, the first factor would be Chinas immense resources. They had the means to support research and development within their population and the means to mass-produce the new inventions. The second factor was that they generally lived in times of peace. While they did have many periods of war, the periods of peace, or at least relative peace allowed the Chinese to focus on improving their society. The third factor is exactly the opposite of the second. War forced them to create new weapons. There is an old saying, In peace culture prospers, in war science flourishes. The fourth factor would be the trade routes. China was exposed to many different cultures. Technology was oftentimes the most valuable commodity traded. While the Chinese inventions were oftentimes not direct descendants o r copies of foreign technology, they were most likely influenced by them. There is one factor that does seem to stand out above the rest, and this is need. The Chinese had many needs. They needed to meet the demands for food by a growing population, they needed to understand human ailments to be able to treat people, they needed to find more efficient ways of transporting supplies and more efficient ways of navigating rivers. Need is probably the single greatest driving force that the Chinese had. Like it was said in the movie Robots, See a need, fill a need. Although the Chinese did have a general sense of direction with their inventing, there was also the factor of luck. In the creation of gunpowder, for instance, it was by chance that they realized a mix of saltpeter, sulfur, and coal produced an explosive effect. Like Doctor Marquez says, Innovation happens when readiness meets serendipity. Our present world cannot be divided into a West and an East but as a joint creation of East and West, of China and other countries. Chinas society has had its ups and downs during its different dynasties. A strong foundation was built during the Spring, Autumn and Warring States periods which laid down a foundation for the development of science and technology. The Han and Tang dynasties wherein nations were unified, the Wei and Jin dynasties wherein the country was divided or the Song and Ming dynasties which enjoyed prosperity. All these different dynasties and up and downs in Ancient Chinese history, even the Yuan and Qing dynasty, which had leaders coming from ethnic minorities. All these times contribute to the Chinese success with innovation as compared to the West. And although the Chinese were responsible for a lot of firsts, the West can still be given credit for further advancing these firsts in their own ways. The fact that the Chinese lead the world in technology does not necessarily mean that they were the brightest or best. A lot of factors came into play that allowed the Chinese to invent so many things and advance in technology. In the end, it all comes down to the right circumstances. What probably put the Chinese in the perfect situation is again, serendipity. Sources Deng, Yinke. Ancient Chinese Inventions. Cultural China Series ed. China: China Intercontinental Press, 2005. Call Number In Library: General Circulation T27.C5 D4613 Kleeman, Terry F., and Tracy Barrett. The Ancient Chinese World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Call Number in Library: General Circulation DS741.5.K55 Hochman, Karen. Salt History. Gourmet Food Magazine Website: The Nibble Gourmet Food Gifts, Specialty Food, Mail Order, Online Gift Webzine http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/salts/history-of-salt.asp (accessed January 12, 2011). Wicken, Jonathan. Ancient Warfare. Fight Game E-Magazine. www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=676 (accessed January 12, 2011). Murphey, Rhoads. A History of Asia. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ [etc: Pearson Education, 2009. Ho, Peng Yoke, and F. Peter Lisowski. A Brief History of Chinese Medicine. 2nd ed. Singapore: World Scientific, 1997. pp. 9-25. Call Number in Library: R601.H6 1997 Wisconsin Paper Council. The Invention of Paper. http://www.wipapercouncil.org/invention.htm (accessed January 10, 2011). Marashi, Reza, Yang, George, and Chan, Anthony. Chinese Inventions. Oracle Think Quest. http://library.thinkquest.org/15618/inventor.htm (accessed January 10, 2011). Case study: End of Life Care Case study: End of Life Care In describing a situation in which my integrity was challenged I would first like to give some background. This involved a patient I cared for and I will anonymize the situation for privacy concerns he will be referred to as Patient A. The patient was a middle aged male who had been diagnosed with cancer. He initially declined therapy due to personal beliefs that he and his wife had about alternative medicine. A year later, with progression of his cancer, he agreed to chemotherapy but by then his cancer was very advanced. He initially came under my care at the end stage of his cancer, and when I admitted him I did not expect he would survive to discharge. His wife was of the opinion that he had declined because he agreed to chemotherapy and expected him to improve now that chemotherapy had been stopped. During his admission he improved and was discharged. At discharge I went over his condition with him and his wife, and discussed his expected continued decline in detail. About one month after this I again admitted Patient A. He was in very bad shape and had not eaten much for about a month. He needed to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He was lethargic, with a waxing and waning mental status. I was worried that he would not be able to swallow properly and would likely aspirate (with attendant complications including pneumonia) if fed, so I held off on feeding him till his mental status improved, sustaining him in the interim with intravenous nutrition/fluids. I also stopped some medications he had been on prior to admission including synthroid, a medication for thyroid dysfunction. I initially discussed Patients As condition with him (when he was more awake) and he decided he did not want to be resuscitated if his heart stopped. When his wife was available I sat down with her and we had a long discussion concerning his condition and his prognosis. She was very personable but was convinced that his prognosis was better than I was making out. Sh e was also very concerned about Patient A not eating and not getting his thyroid medications. I explained the rationale for my not wanting him to eat yet and explained that thyroid medication could worsen a complication he had at that time. Despite our conversation she was still convinced that his prognosis was pretty good. I ended the conversation by asking her to think on things and promising to discuss further with her at a later time. However, when I did see her later she accused me of not taking adequate care of her husband. She felt I was giving up on him and leaving him to starve. She also felt he would be doing better with his thyroid medication. She requested that a different physician be put in charge of her husband. Taking care of patients at the end stage of life can be difficult. It is especially so when the patients are relatively young. The surviving family members also often have survivors guilt, with a propensity to feel they could have done more. In this case Patient As wife believed there was a lot more that could be done that could change the outcome. I felt her accusation was a challenge to my integrity and was very taken aback, especially as I thought we had come to an understanding when last we spoke. She was essentially accusing me of not only inadequate care but of harming my patient. I gave Patient As primary care physician a call to discuss how she had been interacting with Patient A and his wife. I then sat down again with Patient As wife and we had another long discussion at the end of which I agreed to let Patient A try to eat. I agreed to this understanding that he could aspirate. In view of his expected imminent demise I felt if he could get some comfort from eating, it would be worthwhile. However I did not agree to recommence Patient As thyroid medication which would at that point have hastened his demise. I believe I was at fault in not adequately addressing her concerns initially. She was seeing individual trees and not the forest. But I was also taking a coldly clinical approach. While I was clinically right, a deeper view should have shown me that at that point his comfort and his wifes satisfaction that he had received appropriate care should have been paramount.