Friday, December 27, 2019

My Critique of a Blogpost Essay - 571 Words

So I found this article via a Facebook friend. The following comment is what I wrote on that friends wall. I felt it only appropriate to allow the author to read and respond to my criticism. So, as black man whos, currently, very irreligious but was a Christian for 15 years, my perspective on this article may be different from that of the authors. While I think the author of this article has internalized the patriarchy inherent to many religious circles (be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc), I disagree with the author even more on her understanding of the Bible. There are 4 things in particular that really irked me about this article. 1. The author totally misunderstands the story of Adam and Eve. The quote ...just remember what†¦show more content†¦3. The author is really arrogant! If you accept that God is omnipotent and omniscient and you accept that God created you, then you also accept that God created your freewill. And you also accept that not even God is powerful enough to go against your freewill. For this I call your attention to Deuteronomy 30:18-20 which says This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even in the Old Testament God makes reference to the fact that you have a choice and he is not at liberty to make that choice for you. The fa ct that the author can tell you how to express your freewill in choosing who you will and wont pursue romantically, or otherwise, but God cant belies the authors arrogance. 4. Finally, my last comment is simply a warning. Beware of anyone who tells you they know Gods will for your life. Again: if you accept that God is omniscient, then you accept that God knows his plan for your life. And if you accept that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Fast Food Workers Need Higher Wages Essay - 2735 Words

Fast-food workers have been protesting for a minimum wage of $15 dollars an hour and the freedom to unionize. The workers have organized numerous protests this year. During the protests they have walked out and chanted slogans regarding their pay. The main fast-food companies that are effected is McDonalds and Burger King. They both have stated that they will not press charges and indeed are allowing the workers to return. These workers that are participating in the strike doesn’t represent the majority of the fast-food employees. The people participating in the strike are not only youths but adults and elders as well. Due to the countries low employment rate many of these workers are supporting a family or other dependents. This is†¦show more content†¦The fast-food workers are expressed as a pond in a bigger game. They have to deal with their low pay in order to ensure low prices by these franchises. Jencunas concerns go on to represent the beginning of a bigger ch ain effect. Briefly, he states that, â€Å"The average fast food store would go from profitable to unprofitable overnight. Some would close immediately, leaving their workers worse off than they were when working for $7.50 an hour, while others would raise prices and try and remain in business, hurting consumers† (â€Å"Dont Deserve Any More, or Less†). Evaluating his reasoning we see that if fast-food workers ask for a higher minimum wage, they will in return influence the profit margin and actually increase unemployment rate in this industry. The researchers go on to inform us that if their minimum wage increases the industry won’t be able to afford the change in their profit margin and result in bankruptcy. However, Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which supports the fast-food strike states a different claim: â€Å"The demand for more pay is an ethical issue, not a legal one. â€Å"That’s the problem: This growth in income inequality has become acceptable,† she says. â€Å"They’re not doing anything illegal, but it’s completely wrong that they are earning record profits and people areShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage, And Unemployment1673 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum Wage Hikes and Unemployment Many fast food workers and minimum wage employees have been protesting recently, in hopes of increasing the federal minimum wage. States such as Seattle, that have already increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and California, that has approved a bill that will change the minimum wage to $13 per hour in 2017, have already jumped on board with the movement. President Obama and many other protesters around the country who are fighting for the increase in theRead MoreThe Price Of Beef And Chicken1091 Words   |  5 Pagesof tickets available. Scalping causes consumer surplus to remain unchanged, as the consumers who value the tickets more highly will receive them, thus improving economic efficiency. Producer surplus is increased as scalpers receive a higher price for the tickets. c. Concert venues may sell tickets at less than the market clearing price, to fill up empty seats in the venue. By doing this they have already covered their expenses, and their marginal benefit is greater than marginalRead MoreThe Pursuit Of Happiness Essay1700 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pursuit of Happiness Every other Monday morning the workers of the fast food restaurant next door line up in my lobby waiting to cash their paychecks. There is a wide range of ages, races, and sexes; there is no one demographic in the lobby. The conversations are about coworkers not present or about their spouses. They complain about the long shifts or an angry customer they encountered in the drive up this morning. One young woman discusses her daughter’s adventures at kindergarten. ThereRead MoreRaise Wages Not Expenses1680 Words   |  7 PagesJanuary 2016 Raise Wages Not Expenses The image of the American dream is one that is known around the globe. For a couple hundred years, it has inspired individuals and families to start fresh and hit it big in the United States. That dream, however, may be more far fetched than people think. If they are fortunate enough to find a job, they will quickly realize that the starting national minimum wage is not enough to support a family in our economy. Raising the minimum wage, is an option, butRead MoreShould The Minimum Wage Be Paid?993 Words   |  4 PagesTalk poverty: As wages go down, the percentage of workers relying on public assistance gets higher: 60 percent of workers earning less than $7.42—only slightly higher than the $7.25 federal minimum wage—receive some form of means-tested public assistance. Overall, 70 percent of the benefits in programs meant to aid non-elderly low-income households—programs like food stamps, Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credits—go to working fam ilies.and it help some people get out of the food stamp Because theRead MoreThrough The Golden Arches Into A Workers Hell973 Words   |  4 PagesMcSlavery: Through the Golden Arches into a Workers Hell At least once weekly we step through the golden arches of McDonald’s and into an always-spotless room staffed with uniformed members serving what we deem to be a menu from heaven. Yet how often do we degrade the labourers by the unskilled work they complete, watch them protest a minimum wage and snigger at their pushy questioning of whether we want to up-size with extra fries? By exploring the extreme conditions and impact assembly-line workRead MoreAmerica s Minimum Wage At Arizona s Current $ 8.05 Per Hour Essay1174 Words   |  5 Pagesthe minimum wage from Arizona’s current $8.05 per hour to $10 per hour by 2017 and eventually to $12 per hour by 2020† (Rau). While the first part of Prop. 206 seems to be getting more attention in the media and form the business community, the second part will trigger the most disruptive changes for Arizona employers, especially small employers. Recent polling indicates that nearly 60 percent of likely voters will vote â€Å"yes† on Prop 206 (â€Å"Arizona†). With those odds, Arizona employers need to becomeRead MoreMcdonald s And The Minimum Wage993 Words   |  4 PagesMCDONALD’S AND THE MINIMUM WAGE Introduction Minimum wage has always been, and will probably always be, a controversial topic. Some believe raising the minimum wage is the solution to poverty, while others believe that raising the minimum wage is a recipe for â€Å"killing† jobs. This age old debate has come to the forefront recently as the â€Å"Fight for $15† by fast-food workers continues to grow. The campaign’s core argument is that the billion-dollar companies in the fast-food industry can afford to payRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Increase?996 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Should minimum wage be increase to $15 an hour? That seems to be the million dollar question. Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employee can receive for working. Minimum wage is a contract or legislation by the government or legal authority. How would the increase in minimum wage impact the economy? Summary According to, a news article in the Star Phoenix called â€Å"Pros and cons of a minimum wage increase hourly† (Tyndall, 2015). Tyndall states that, minimum wage is basically the lowestRead MoreEssay on We Must Raise the Minimum Wage1615 Words   |  7 Pages Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay their employees. There is a Federal minimum wage and in some cases a State Minimum wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. An employee who makes $7.25 an hour and works 40 hours a week, will earn about $14,000 per year. The Federal government deemed that the poverty line is anyone who makes less than $17,000 a year (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). Therefore anyone that makes minimum wage lives below the poverty line. As president Obama

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Public Health Policy and Ethics

Question: Discuss about the Public Health Policy and Ethics. Answer: Introduction The assignment is based on a journal which consists of some evidence regarding decision making in public health. It consists of only a sequential framework which is required by the practitioners for the public health management. The public health professionals always concern with the scientific evidence for the creation of management decisions, implementation of programs and the development of policies. An occupation in health management and policy is ideal for the people who wish to affect individuals lives through making health management and systems. The people are analyzing them to ensure they are helpful and can be gotten to by the person who need them. Apart from it, a lot of this work also consist of guaranteeing the general population served both need and agree to the systems or undertakings, so working with a group is a fundamental step. Besides, a preparation in Health Policy may lead a man to a calling as a health chief. It requires someone who is sorted out, powerful, and who can promise the smooth running of amending focus, office or organization. However, when in doubt, these decisions consistently rely on upon transient solicitations rather than long-term study, and game plans and ventures are made as regularly as could reasonably be expected around story affirmation. The stages which are described under the following framework is based on some issues. It is very significant to note this procedure is infrequently a strict perception. It should contain many feedback and numerous advantages from the strategies described in other program planning models. Public Health Issue: Cancer The disease Cancer is a collection of illnesses including anomalous cell development with the possibility to attack or spread to different parts of the body. Significantly, not all tumors are destructive but initial level tumors do not spread to different parts of the body. Besides, conceivable signs and indications incorporate an irregularity, prolonged cough, abnormal bleeding, inexplicable weight reduction as well as an adjustment in solid discharges. More than hundred cancers put an impact on human beings. While these side effects may show tumor, they may have different causes. The rate of cancer enhances drastically with age and several cancers occur mostly in the developed countries. Its rates are increasing due to the change in the lifestyle. The local symptoms may arise due to the accumulation of tumors (Gonzalez et al., 2016). Strategic Plans to Address Cancer Here, some strategic plans are provided below in order to address for a treatment of cancer. Cancer can be treated by talking help of the practitioners who practices cancer treatment surgery. Identifying the issue In the very beginning, the practitioner must start the working with a brief explanation of the issue or issues (Coid, 2003). The issue must be clarified unmistakably to collect support for cancer treatment. Besides, in various resources, this issue definition resemble the beginning steps in a primary masterminding process. It consistently incorporates a representation of the task, internal qualities as well as weaknesses, external open entryways and risks, along with the vision for future consequences. The significant parts of an issue clarification join the prosperity condition or danger segment being seen as, the populations impacted, the size and degree of the effect, prevention of opportunities, and potential partners (Enck, 2013). Some aspects are described below which are also considered as examples. Initially, the cancers are based on the epidemiologic data and information. Secondly, based on programmatic issues, the state health division has been accused by the legislative he ad of building up an arrangement for diminishing the rate of cancers all over the world. Moreover, this arrangement must be produced inside six months and actualized inside twelve months (Holtzclaw Williams, 2011). At third, concerning about the solutions the program staff, strategy designers as well as critical crowds have proposed various arrangements. At first, it includes expanded financing for family arranging money for cancer treatment. At second, a full communications battle to support better cancer treatment also includes. At last, the solutions consist of comprehensive strategies that are gone for expanding health administer to cancer patients (Eggli, Halfon, Chikhi, Bandi, 2006). Performing research on the particular issue Here, the practitioner requires becoming well-informed about the ongoing or previous efforts for addressing the issue. It should consists of a systematic approach for retrieving, identifying and evaluating relevant reports on scientific researches, conferences as well as panels associated with the defined topic of interest (Mladovsky, 2009). Additionally, the most generally perceived methodology of cancer for beginning this examination is a formal written work review. Moreover, there are various databases available to empower such a review. Apart from it, most typical among databases for the investigation of illness transmission and general prosperity items are MEDLINE, MEDLARS, Current Contents, PubMed, Cancer Lit as well as Health STAR (Morris Clarkson, 2009). Nevertheless, these databases can be contributed to by an affiliation, can be established particularly on the Internet, or here and there can be become to by individuals all in all through foundations (Tu et al., 2014). For example, the National Library of Medicine, the Combined Health Information Database, open libraries and universities. Most of the cases various affiliations keep up Internet regions that can be useful for perceiving remarkable information comprising various state prosperity divisions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC along with the NIH or National Institutes of Health (Kitahata et al., 2015). Aside that, the techniques for driving a formal written work Chase can be found elsewhere. Dependent upon the specific explanation behind the review, this may show up as a systematic examination and mix. After relevant reports and articles have been recognized and recuperated, an appraisal of the cancer data should be coordinated. Such a combination can be necessarily subjective, in which the orderly results have kept an eye on intentionally concerning the authenticity of the studies, the generalizability of the results past the study peoples, and the importance of the revelations as to the precise issue meaning that began the review. However, as depicted some time recently, the union moreover can be quantitative, as a meta-examination (Dussault Dubois, 2003). Therefore, the intercession research is implemented and design. It involves the experimental research and requires a small number of individuals or larger population bases like communities and schools. Issue quantification The second type of search is fundamentally warranted after the development of a working understanding of the present knowledgeable state associated with the problems of the cancer (Ho, 2013). In this stage, the sources of existing information and data about cancer are recognized. The data are descriptive, and these graphic data is available from ongoing significant statistics data such as records of death or birth, individual surveys, surveillance system or from natural studies. Also, two types of studies are described here. The first one is the descriptive studies and the second is the analytical studies. The descriptive studies can take a couple of structures (Boylan, 2004). According to the field of public health, the most assuredly understood kind of descriptive study integrates a survey of a tentatively generous example of the quantity of occupants in interest. On the other hand, analytical studies are expected to study particular exploratory theories, anyhow the way that they too may serve illustrative targets. The descriptive studies are not required to change prosperity status. So, these studies help to quantify the transcendence of practices, diseases qualities as well as exposures at some period in a described people (Advancing oral health in America, 2011). Besides, if the aim of an assumed analytical research is to gauge the step to which a doubted risk variable adds to the disease load in a described people, then case-control and buddy study arranges should be measured. Aside that information from the descriptive study can be critical for understanding the degree of the ge neral prosperity issue close by. However, informative focuses typically give information on the case of the occasion as showed by such qualities as the individual, place, and time such as consistent mixture in patterns of disease. Additionally, the instance of characteristics is age, ethnicity, original outline, and private country (Fox, 2014). Also, in particular, cross-sectional and detailed data can offer data to practice in the design of precise studies and can be used as example data to consider the chubbiness of general prosperity meditations. Apart from these, results from analytical studies can be used to make predicted information that would judge whether a suspected peril variable is associated causally with an ailment or other expected outcomes. In this way, public health interferences are justified. However, if such interconnection is set up, indicative epidemiologic focuses also can be recycled to delineate quantitatively the protective effect that could be typical if t he threat variable being alluded to was decreased or abstained from in the target. Development of policy to treat cancer Here, examinations are performed on different types of health programs. A variety of sources can deliver a list of choices (Greer, 2009). Initially, the scientific literature can highlight different options. In this stage, several assumptions are present underlying the improvement of choices. Moreover, the skilled panels provide recommendations on policy programs on various types of cancer issues. Besides, the assumptions which are current focus only on five main sectors such as regulatory, social value, technological, economic and demographic. During the development of options, it is significant to recall that numerous interventions of cancer treartment are created on the idea that performances at the level of the social unit can advance the health consequences of people (Vandiver, 2009). The particular approach is known as the casual model. Apart from these, it is vital to monitor and assess the administrative procedure during the development of policy options. First of all the input of stakeholders must be useful and applicable. Based on health policies, the compassionate policymaker often provides advice related to the timing of policy ingenuities, strategies for recognizing the sponsors, ways for improving support among general public and methods for enclosing the issue. Additional planning of data may include key informant interviews in case of community interventions (Pencheon, 2006). The science of policy analysis also contains these planning issues. Development of action plan Some Key issues are described here in brief along with more extensive discussions by others. It consists of the process associated with the strategic planning issues (Lehmann Gilson, 2014). After that, exactly when a decision has been picked, a course of action of targets and goals should be made. Moreover, a goal is a whole deal, imaginary alteration in the status of a need prosperity necessity and an objective is a quantifiable, short-term, specific development that leads toward the accomplishment of a goal. Besides, the system depicts how the destinations and targets will be proficient, what resources are required, and how the commitment to achieving targets will be allocated. Additionally, sublime cases exist that show to create key goals and destinations with a format of like fill in the blanks. The targets are important for the practitioners (Carinci, 2015). The goals exist on certain factors such as performance, behavior, precise in their language, measurable, tied to a parti cular time table, result oriented with stated consequences and clear in their description of performance and content. Policy evaluation to treat cancer Most broad public health policies and programs are surveyed through "semi-exploratories" arrangements such as those lacking discretionary undertaking to intervention and relationship bundles. In direct terms, an appraisal is the determination of the degree to which program targets and destinations are met. Besides, a complete depiction of examination diagrams can be found elsewhere (Onoka, Hanson, Hanefeld, 2014). The most beached evaluation diagrams perceive the parts of both quantitative and subjective estimation. Moreover, assessment arrangements should be versatile and adequately sensitive to assess widely appealing changes, even those that come up short concerning changes in behavior. True blue change happens incrementally after some time, in ways that habitually are not clear to those exceedingly close to the intercession. Numerous significant considerations for the evaluation of community-based interventions are based on principles and tools. For example, a policy such as com munity programs which should consist of an assessment of program theory. The tool used here are logic models. Another principle is instruments that are utilized for the measurement of community programs. It must be contoured to every individual community (Sheiman Shevski, 2014). The tool employed here are questionnaires as well as surveys social indicators. Other evaluation principles are: Approaches should be guided by the questions asked and frequently require both qualitative and quantitative positioning. The tools are quasi-experimental and experimental designs. Community evaluations should integrate local shareholders in meaningful ways. The tool is partaking planning. Greater emphasis should be placed to ensure monetary sustainability along with the ideas of policy generation, which will uphold the expenditure comparative to the projected increase in number of the cases of cancer while considering the technological advancements, which could potentially lead to the improvement of outcomes (Blinman et al., 2012). The considerations should be given for additional direct engagement of the public, particularly the patients while setting the agenda of the policy so, that they have an awareness regarding the trade-offs, which may result must review and become the exclusive priority. The goals should consider certain factors like behavior, performance, language precision, measurable, result oriented and clear in explanation with respect to content as well as performance (Blinman et al., 2012). The accomplishment of best outcomes will depend on the passion, effort and dedication of all the parts of the healthcare service. The clinical leaders should come at front to improve the implementation of the strategies to reduce the rate of cancer (Blinman et al., 2012). The volunteers for the evaluation of policy for treating cancer should make most of the opportunities for doing the things more effectively, particularly for improving the outcomes of the patients suffering from cancer. The volunteers should work with the clinical leaders for encouraging the patients for lifestyle integration together with promotion of health into the care and they should also support the individuals who are currently living with cancer as well the individuals who are at the risk of developing cancer (Blinman et al., 2012). Conclusion Growths of verification for different public health interventions are growing reliably. Choices are made leading to increasing in complexity. Additionally, resources in public health consistently are confined, and headway of new ventures as often as possible is a zero-total beguilement. Aside that, to sensibly pick among alternatives and make the wisest usage of advantages, more grounded capacities in Evidence-Based Public Health are required, and these are a blend of craftsmanship and science. References Advancing oral health in America. (2011). Washington, D.C. Blinman, P., King, M., Norman, R., Viney, R., Stockler, M. R. (2012). Preferences for cancer treatments: an overview of methods and applications in oncology.Annals of oncology, mdr559. Boylan, M. (2004). Public health policy and ethics. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Carinci, F. (2015). Essential levels of health information in Europe: An action plan for a coherent and sustainable infrastructure. Health Policy, 119(4), 530-538. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.11.016 Coid, D. (2003). Health Policy in Australia. Public Health, 117(5), 377. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0033-3506(03)00120-3 Dussault, G. Dubois, C. (2003). Human resources for health policies: a critical component in health policies. Human Resources For Health, 1(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-1-1 Eggli, Y., Halfon, P., Chikhi, M., Bandi, T. (2006). Ambulatory healthcare information system: A conceptual framework. Health Policy, 78(1), 26-38. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2005.09.001 Enck, G. (2013). Six-step framework for ethical decision making. Journal Of Health Services Research Policy, 19(1), 62-64. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1355819613511599 Fox, D. (2014). Health Policies, Health Politics. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Gonzalez, S., Cox, C., Jankiewicz, A., Rousseau, D. (2016). A Snapshot of Cancer Spending and Outcomes.JAMA,315(23), 2512-2512. Greer, S. (2009). The Politics of European Union Health Policies. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill International (UK) Ltd. Ho, L. (2013). Health policy and the public interest. London: Routledge. Holtzclaw Williams, P. (2011). Policy Framework for Rare Disease Health Disparities. Policy, Politics, Nursing Practice, 12(2), 114-118. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1527154411404243 Kitahata, M., Drozd, D., Crane, H., Van Rompaey, S., Althoff, K., Gange, S. et al. (2015). Ascertainment and Verification of End-Stage Renal Disease and End-Stage Liver Disease in the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design. AIDS Research And Treatment, 2015, 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/923194 Lehmann, U. Gilson, L. (2014). Action learning for health system governance: the reward and challenge of co-production. Health Policy Plan., 30(8), 957-963. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czu097 Mladovsky, P. (2009). A framework for analysing migrant health policies in Europe. Health Policy, 93(1), 55-63. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.05.015 Morris, Z. Clarkson, P. (2009). Does social marketing provide a framework for changing healthcare practice?. Health Policy, 91(2), 135-141. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2008.11.009 Onoka, C., Hanson, K., Hanefeld, J. (2014). Towards universal coverage: a policy analysis of the development of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Nigeria. Health Policy Plan., 30(9), 1105-1117. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czu116 Pencheon, D. (2006). Oxford handbook of public health practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sheiman, I. Shevski, V. (2014). Evaluation of health care delivery integration: The case of the Russian Federation. Health Policy, 115(2-3), 128-137. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.12.011 Tu, S., Young, V., Coombs, L., Williams, R., Kegler, M., Kimura, A. et al. (2014). Practice adaptive reserve and colorectal cancer screening best practices at community health center clinics in 7 states. Cancer, 121(8), 1241-1248. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.29176 Vandiver, V. (2009). Integrating health promotion and mental health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Macbeth A Good Man Essays - Characters In Macbeth,

Macbeth: A Good Man A struggle is present in every tragedy, as a person tries to overcome their flaws and fit the mold of their ideal. William Shakespeare plainly defined a good man in the play "Macbeth". This goal by it's definition is a difficult one for any man to achieve. Prudence and logic, temperance and patients, as well as the vindication of honor are Shakespeare's defining characteristics of a good man. As with any well written tragedy, Macbeth's title character and hero had to fall from his place of greatness to see his faults and begin his agonizing climb back to his previous position. His position, that of a good man, was one that demanded respect in the beginning of "Macbeth". The Sergeant described Macbeth's honor and bravery to king Duncan in act I, scene 2. "For brave Macbeth_well he deserves that name_ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour's minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave;_" Macbeth defended his king's honor as well as his own, as Shakespeare showed a good man never backed down from a foe. In the later acts of the play, Shakespeare furthered the definition of a good man by portraying what a bad one was not. In Macbeth's darkest hours, he showed no sign of prudence and logic as he slayed king Duncan, and hired assassins to murder his friend Banquo. Macbeth displayed his temerity in act IV scene 1 saying, "_from this moment The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. And even now, To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done;_" Macbeth was no longer the logical, thinking man whom many admired. He had become reckless, acting with only his passion and not his mind. The tragedy of the murders he brought on fair Scotland was a direct result of this violation of the criterion of a good man. The most apparent flaw, and perhaps the most tragic in Macbeth's character, is his lack of patients and temperance. These shortcomings haunted Macbeth, causing him to let his "overvaulting ambition" rush fate, and hasten his doom. Macbeth could not wait for an appointment to a position of more power. Instead, he murdered the king to take his place. Opting not to wait to see if Banquo would be loyal to him, Macbeth had his companion murdered. His impatience led Macbeth to listen to his wife, the witches, and his darker side. He again informed people what a good man was not. In the end, Macbeth did regain a shred of his previous distinction when he faced his adversaries like a true warrior. Macbeth's last words are those of a good man who faces his own problems. To Macduff he shouts his last words, "Before my bodyI throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff,And damn'd be him that first cries, `Hold, enough!" Like a bear, Macbeth regains his seat of honor, and becomes in his last breath, a good man.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Branding in Retail Sector Marks and Spencer

Introduction Retail branding has gained prominence over the last few years as a unique branding concept, meant to differentiate a business from another in (besides explaining the visions and values of an organization) (Canadian Marketing Association 2011, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Branding in Retail Sector: Marks and Spencer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Retail branding is perceived to be different from other types of branding because a high sense of branding support must be matched with the performance of the organization; moreover, retail branding has to be forthcoming in terms of tangible and intangible benefits (Business Resources 2011, p. 1). Retail branding is also unique to other types of branding because it is broad in depth and provides a wider field for organizations to develop a positive relationship with their products (Floor 2006; Bhatia, 2008). Considering retail branding is i mportant in most organizations of a retail nature, this study attempts to explain if retail branding was a contributing factor to the expansion of Marks and Spencer chain of retail stores (O’Rourke 2007). Marks and Spencer is a British retail store which has expansive operations in Europe and in several countries across the globe (Guardian News and Media Limited 2008, p. 1). It specifically specializes in selling luxury goods and clothing items; whereby, in the past decades, it has been able to transcend geographical boundaries to sell its goods and services in several locations around the world (Seth 2001, p. 136). In the United Kingdom (UK) for example, it is estimated that, Marks and Spencer has over 700 outlets, while across the globe, the company is estimated to run about 300 outlets, in more than 40 countries (Drucker 1999). This rapid growth of the company’s services can be attributed to several factors, but since the company has a well established brand, it wou ld be worthwhile to establish if the company’s brand played a strategic role in the company’s successful expansion. Literature Review Marks and Spencer has in the recent decade engaged several brand realignment strategies to strategically place the company above its competitors, as well as, communicate its new business processes (Bilton 2007, p. 122). For instance, in the early 2000s, the company engaged in several brand improvement strategies by changing most of its conventional brands (MacRury 2009, p. 77). Most of the rebranding efforts were directed at changing the company’s children and women brands (Plunkett 2007). This does not however mean that the men’s brand failed to change in the same regard, because it did (Mathur 2010). In fact, the men’s autograph brand was one such brand improvement strategy undertaken by the company in the early 2000s (Fernie 2003, p. 303).Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the recent years (around 2008/2009), the company discountinued some of the poorly performing brands.  Marks and Spencer has in the recent past been able to expand its international outlets through an ambitious strategy to open up a new store every week, for the next three years (Stone 2004, p. 31). Since the company has opened up three hundred new outlets already, there are plans to expand its international outlets to more than three hundred and fifty (Gupta 2008, p. 79). The company’s expansion strategy is based on the franchise contracts issued to independent businessmen across the globe (and who rely on the strong branding power of the company to succeed) (Bookbinder 1989). This fact is affirmed by Finch who says that:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"But in recent years an increasing number of retailers have turned to franchises to extend their brand without risking shareholders’ cash. Among those using franch ises (for Marks and Spencer) are Debenhams and Mothercare, which have both opened stores in India with local partners† (Finch 2008, p. 3). Marks and Spencer’s expansion and brand dominance in the European and American markets can be attributed to the long existence of the company in the retail sector (Parker-Pope 1996). For instance, the company’s existence spans centuries and many people have known the brand for long. Moreover, in the company’s existence, the company has never collapsed (Various 2007). Michael (2011) notes that, in 1974, Marks and Spencer ran about 17 overseas stores (in Canada and Europe). In the 1990s, the company further expanded its overseas operations, based on a strategy of acquisitions where it turned around the performance of retail stores around the world, such as the turnaround of Brooks and Brothers Company, which was experiencing severe losses, preceding the acquisition by Marks and Spencer (Buckley 1994, p. 20; Maye 2007). Ma rks and Spencer’s growth was not only being evidenced globally, its growth was also envisioned domestically with most of its operations either owned through franchises or through company-owned enterprises (Cox 1993, p. 131). Several expansions were witnessed in Greece, Portugal, Germany, France, Spain and such like places, in the early 90s (Ward 2003). The same trend was also evidenced in its expansionary venture into Asia when the company issued several franchise agreements in many Asian economies such as Malaysia and Thailand, but the same strategy was also used to open up outlets in other world destinations such as Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Czech Republic and such like places (Rialp 2006, p. 202; Fair 1990). Domestically, the company embarked on a strategy to acquire small stores and turn them into Marks and Spencer outlets – a strategy which saw it acquire over seventeen stores in the UK alone (Fernie 2003, p. 333). At the same time, the company also continued to e xpand its overseas outlets in countries such as Australia, Dubai and Poland, through franchise agreements (Sinkovics 2009).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Branding in Retail Sector: Marks and Spencer specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During the same time, the company embarked on an effort to expand its business core areas, where it ventured into insurance business, introducing new products such as critical illness policies, protection policies and similar financial products. In 1998, the company fought legal battles with media companies, which ran negative documentaries that dented the company’s image. Such allegations were aimed at smearing the company’s image with child labor practices implying that, the company produced clothes from overseas labor and instead, labeled their products as, â€Å"made in UK† (Saren 2006).  Negative brand perception is known to affect a companyâ€℠¢s profitability, and in the same regard, if a company’s profitability reduces, it is highly unlikely that it will be able to effectively expand (Moeller 2007, p. 137). From the same understanding, it is important to note that, when a company has a positive brand image, it is bound to attract more franchise holders than when it has a negative brand image (Kardes 2005). Brand association is an important strategy in the expansion of a company’s products and services because a positive brand perception is bound to attract several brand sponsors from across several locations across the globe and through this association, a company’s operations is likely to significantly increase (Yastrow 2003, p. 85). The opposite is also true, in the sense that, when a brand receives negative publicity (Botha 2008, p. 171). It would be difficult for a brand to perform in stores running under the brand name. Obviously, this would hamper the company’s expansionary efforts. Dat a Collection This study will incorporate mail questionnaires and personal interviews as the major sources of data to be used in this study. Mail questionnaires will be used to obtain information from respondents who are not easily available while personal interviews will be used to obtain information from respondents who are available for interviews (Peterson 2000; Pradhan, 2009). Respondents who are not easily available will most likely be the top executives of Marks and Spencer, while those who all be interviewed through personal interviews will most likely be middle-level and low-level managers. A sample size of 20 top-level managers and 10 middle-level and lower level managers will be appropriate. The use of mail questionnaires as a complementary method of data collection is important in this case because it will be a cost-effective method of data collection when compared to other forms of data collection (Pitler 2007, p. 210). The fact that, the questionnaires will be structure d by the interviewer makes the data collection tool more cost-effective because one can ask the most relevant questions relating to the topic, and the numbers of questions are not as limited as other data collection tools (Sapsford 2006, p. 93).Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Personal interviews will also be of use in this sample study because it is flexible for researchers who need to interview respondents who are illiterate (Joint Commission Resources, Inc. 2008). Moreover, personal interviews will go a long way in untangling sophisticated issues which may be of high importance to the formulation or determination of the research’s hypothesis (Assembly of Life Sciences (U.S) 1987). Moreover, personal interviews will be complementary to research questionnaires because they will be used to probe deeper information regarding Marks and Spencer’s expansion strategy, viz-a-viz its branding strategy (Aday 2006, p. 100). Ultimately, personal interviews are expected to exhibit a high response rate when compared to the mail interviews (Lyman 2008, p. 29). This stands out as a complementary attribute to the research’s data collection process. References Aday, L. (2006) Designing and Conducting Health Surveys: A Comprehensive Guide.  London, John Wiley and Sons. Assembly of Life Sciences (U.S.). (1987) Drinking Water and Health, Volume 7. New  York, National Academies Press. Bhatia, S. (2008) Retail Management. New York, Atlantic Publishers Dist. Bilton, C. (2007) Management and Creativity: From Creative Industries to Creative  Management. London, Wiley-Blackwell. Bookbinder, P. (1989) Marks Spencer: The War Years, 1939-1945. London, Century  Benham. Botha, J. (2008) Managing E-commerce in Business. New York, Juta and Company Ltd. Buckley, N. (1994) Food for Thought. Financial Times, 10, 20. Business Resources. (2011) Retail Branding. Web. Canadian Marketing Association. (2011) Retail Branding: The Concept Defined.  Web. Cox, H. (1993) The Growth Of Global Business. London, Routledge. Drucker, P. (1999) Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. New York, Gulf  Professional Publishing. Fair, D. (1990) Financial Institutions in Europe under New Competitive Conditions. New  York, Springer. Fernie, J. (2 003) Principles of Retailing. London, Butterworth-Heinemann. Finch, J. (2008) MS Aims To Open 150 New Stores Overseas. Web. Floor, K. (2006) Branding A Store: How to Build Successful Retail Brands In A  Changing Marketplace. London, Kogan Page Publishers. Guardian News and Media Limited. (2008) MS Unveils Brand Strategy. Web. Gupta, A. (2008) The Quest For Global Dominance: Transforming Global Presence Into  Global Competitive Advantage. London, John Wiley and Sons. Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (2008) Managing Performance Measurement Data in  Health Care. New York, Joint Commission Resources. Kardes, F. (2005) Applying Social Cognition to Consumer-Focused Strategy. London,  Routledge. Lyman, O. (2008) An Introduction To Statistical Methods And Data Analysis. London,  Cengage Learning. MacRury, I. (2009) Advertising. London, Routledge. Mathur, U. (2010) Retail Management: Text and Cases. New York, I. K. International  Pvt Ltd. Maye, D. (2007) Alternative Food Geograph ies: Representation and Practice. London,  Emerald Group Publishing. Michael H. (2011) Marks and Spencer P.L.C. Web. Moeller, S. (2007) Intelligent MA: Navigating the Mergers and Acquisitions Minefield.  London, John Wiley and Sons. O’Rourke, J. (2007) The Business Communication Casebook: A Notre Dame Collection.  London, Cengage Learning. Parker-Pope, T. (1996) Brooks Brothers Gets a Boost from New Look. Wall Street  Journal, 22, 1-4. Peterson, A. (2000) Constructing Effective Questionnaires. New York, SAGE. Plunkett, J. (2007) Plunkett’s Apparel and Textiles Industry Almanac 2007 (eBook):  Apparel and Textiles Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading  Companies. New York, Plunkett Research, Ltd. Pitler, H. (2007) Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works. New York,  ASCD. Pradhan. (2009) Retailing Management 3E. New York, Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Rialp, A. (2006) International Marketing Research: Opportunities and Challen ges in the  21st Century. London, Emerald Group Publishing. Sapsford, R. (2006). Data Collection and Analysis. London, SAGE. Saren, M. (2006) Marketing Graffiti: The View from the Street. New York, Butterworth-Heinemann. Seth, A. (2001) The Grocers: The Rise And Rise Of The Supermarket Chains. New  York, Kogan Page Publishers. Sinkovics, R. (2009) New Challenges to International Marketing. London, Emerald  Group Publishing. Stone, M. (2004) International Strategic Marketing: A [N] European Perspective.  London, Routledge. Various. (2007) Ten out of ten: my Hong Kong. London, PPP Company Ltd. Ward, A. (2003) The Leadership Lifecycle: Matching Leaders To Evolving  Organizations. London, Palgrave Macmillan. Yastrow, S. (2003) Brand Harmony: Achieving Dynamic Results by Orchestrating Your  Customer’s Total Experience. New York, SelectBooks, Inc. This dissertation on Branding in Retail Sector: Marks and Spencer was written and submitted by user Jabari Gonzalez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Passive Smoking Essays - Smoking, Passive Smoking, Tar, Cigarette

Passive Smoking Essays - Smoking, Passive Smoking, Tar, Cigarette Passive Smoking What is secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. This mixture contains more than 4,000 substances, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many of which are strong irritants. Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); exposure to secondhand smoke is called involuntary smoking, or passive smoking. Passive smoking artery damage partially heals Damage to the lining of arteries of young adults caused by passive smoking partially heals 2 years after the exposure to smoke, but the artery lining is still not as healthy as the arteries of people who had never beenexposed to smoke. 60 young adults, all nonsmokers, between the ages of 15 and 39 were used as essential data for further analysis. Twenty had never been exposed to tobacco smoke at home or in the workplace for any amount of time. Another group of 20 had been passively exposed for at least 1 hour per day for 2 or more years. A third group of 20 had been exposed to smoke at home, work, or both for at least 1 hour per day for 2 years. The researchers found that dilation of the blood vessels was much better in former passive smokers than in current passive smokers, although both groups were impaired compared with nonsmoking controls. Not surprisingly, former passive smokers who had been away from smoky environments longer had better arterial function than those who had been exposed to passive smoking as recently as 2 years prior to the study. Passive smoking has been consistently linked to an increased risk for coronary heart disease and may be responsible for more than 30 cardiovascular deaths annually in the US alone, the researchers note. Secosndhand smoke is a serious health risk to children. The developing lungs of young children are also affected by exposure to secondhand smoke. Infants and young children whose parents smoke are among the most seriously affected by exposure to secondhand smoke, being at increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. EPA estimates that passive smoking is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are also more likely to have reduced lung function and symptoms of respiratory irritation like cough, excess phlegm, and wheeze. Passive smoking can lead to buildup of fluid in the middle ear, the most common cause of hospitalization of children for an operation. Asthmatic children are especially at risk. EPA estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of asthmatic children. EPA estimates that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition made worse by exposure to secondhand smoke. Passive smoking may also cause thousands of non-asthmatic children to develop the condition each year. Pregnant women should be strongly encouraged to avoid spending time in places where people smoke, as u denoted from all the reasearch I've gone through. There was a survey made to see weather women have been exposed to passive smoking at home or at work. Women completed a questionnaire about exposure to passive smoking, then researches analyzed the data, they saw hat out of one thousand women which have given birth before and at the same time were exposed to second hand smoking, 70 women had babies with physical and/or mental disabilities. Cigarette smoke can damage your heart even if youu aren't a smoker. Research shows that the second-hand smoke that many people are exposed to is enough to produce damage to their cardiovasscular system. Researchers identsified carbon monoxide and nicotine in environmental tobacco smoke that increases the risk of heart disease. Here are a couple of examples. First, the carbon monoxide competes with oxygen in the red blood cells. It not only reduces the amount of oxygen in the heart, it also makes the heart use oxygen less efficiently. Researchers say exposure to second-hand smoke causes between 30,000 and 60,000 fatal heart attacks each year and between 90,000 and 180,000 non-fatal heart attacks. Researchers claim exposure to second-hand

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Improving the public transportation in america Essay

Improving the public transportation in america - Essay Example The public transportation system is currently one of the leading systems in the world. In fact, with the exception of a few countries, the United States has the most intelligent infrastructure for transportation in the world. With that said, the cost for maintaining this system is exceptionally higher than the cost for like nations. Such an expansive public transportation system means that there is a substantial consumption of energy to maintain the system (Achs, 1991). For the most prominent means of transportation i.e. the public bus, this means that the U.S. is putting out a large carbon foot print due to its use of gasoline. On the other hand, there are other sources of transportation such as the subway and railway systems that allow people to use trains and electrical energy for transportation. Unfortunately, only cities with enough funding for such projects have efficient transportation structures. This is unfortunate because the cities where there are high levels of poverty, t hey can’t afford to supply transportation routes to those who would most benefit from it (Achs, 1991). This strikes at the core of the theoretical underpinnings of the public transportation system. While some believe that it is critical to the elimination of traffic congestion, others believe it functions as a welfare system that allows the less fortunate to access cheap forms of transportation. Another problem facing the transportation industry is the fact that there are little public transportation systems that cross state boundaries (Roth, 2008). This is important for individuals living in border zones where they reside in one state and work in another. This could be extremely beneficial to both economies but the states are unable to capitalize on the transportation systems. Finally, transportation systems lack the logistical infrastructure that promotes the most efficient routes (Barletta,