Nature Nurture

The psychological debate of nature vs. nurture is one that has been deliberated and refuted for many years. This debate is so controversial because although it is fact that genetic makeup does play a major role in developing a person, the nurture and environment in which a person is brought up in is also an important factor. The nature vs. nurture issue dates back to Ancient Greeks, through the times of Aristotle and John Locke, with each philosopher projecting their own individual thoughts on the matter.Although nature depicts the development of a person in terms of their appearance and certain personality traits, nature and the setting and situations in which a person grows up is more important in explaining the development of a person because ultimately a person is an overall reflection of the environment of which they were brought up in. Psychologists are quick to support the nature debate because it deals with the genetic make-up of a person and biological psychology, which is f act. First of all, a person’s physical traits, such as eye color and blood type are genetically determined, even though there are certain ways to alter your look.Personality is proven to be heritable to an extent. Studies have proven that biological siblings are more similar in personality that adoptive siblings. In addition, a person’s genes can determine whether a person is predisposed to a disease or illness, such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s (Davies). A person who is affected with those types of diseases shows how nature can directly effect the development of an individual. A new technique called developmental genetic analysis is a procedure that examines the effects of genes throughout a person’s life.The technique concluded that a person’s intelligence is due about 50% to the genes they are born with (Huang). Furthermore, the nature debate is credible because of the genetic factors that support how people’s personalities and appearance develops, yet the nurture of a person ultimately overshadows the nature debate because environmental factors better influence the development of a person Each person comes from different backgrounds, religions, and environments, which are all external factors that play a large role in the development of an individual.Diet, stress, prenatal nutrition, peer pressure, and television are just some of the more specific environmental factors that can affect a person. Clearly, there are many more aspects of the nurture debate that contribute to the argument that a person’s upbringing is what will influence their development. For example, NBC reported that in a study where teenagers played violent video games and non violent video games, the violent video games were proven to enhance emotion in the amygdale, or the center for fear and aggression (Kalning).In this case the emotional effect from the video games supports the nurture debate because normal teenagers with non violent behav iors and tendencies were affected by an outside force that has the potential of affecting the teenager’s personalities. Nurture is more important in developing a person because despite a person’s genetic coding, the parents and the adults that a child is subjected to will play a greater role in the child’s development. Research shows that parents who talk to their children and spend time helping them interact ultimately raise more socially developed and intellectually stimulated children (Dewar).Even if a child born had genius parents, the environment and the early stages of development are crucial for the later stages of life. People are also highly influenced by their peers, and in the case of preschoolers who typically dislike a certain food will eat that particular food if children around them are eating it, showing that because it is the way of the human to want to fit and be liked, nurture has the greater impact and influence over a person (Harris).Further more, nurture is more important in shaping a human being because there are multiple factors that can influence a person differently, even if they have the same genetic background. Even though the nature vs. nurture debate is likely to always be challenged and discussed, it is possible that there may never be a right answer. The reason for this is that many situations and conditions factor in both the nature and nurture debate and there is reasoning in both cases to support either one as a reliable source.Overall, the biological traits and genes of a person enable individuals to learn and adapt to their surroundings, thus showing the debate is so closely related that it is difficult to determine which one more effectively contributes to the development of a person. However, the nurture issue states that a person is affected of the environment that they are brought up in, which is a more reliable source of the development of a person because there are more factors that influence envir onment than the biological aspects of the nature debate.Nature versus nurture. This has been a topic of debate for centuries. Years have passe still not been found regarding this issue. This is an argumentation of the utmost significance, not only because of its anthropological meaning, that will help us understand where we come from and how our personality is formed, but also because of the moral, political, ethical, educational, social, and statistical issues that it discusses. The nature side of the polemic says that humans behave as they do according to heredity, or even animal instincts.The nurture side believes that people think and behave certain ways because they are taught to do so. Neither of the above is the correct answer to the question, â€Å"Why do we behave like that? â€Å" The accurate answer is that heredity, meaning nature, is a true fact, but it has a role of â€Å"basis†, in the building of our mind and personality. The biggest impact in our developmen t is the environment in which we live and grow up: the nurture side. Therefore, nature is mostly influenced by nurture. Many scientists and authors have been arguing for the correct side, between nature and nurture.For example, William Golding, the English writer who wrote the book, Lord Of The Flies, states generally that every man has a capacity to be â€Å"evil† from the beginning of his life. This statement shows that from the point of view of Golding, every person has an inherited characteristic, which would basically mean he is on the nature side of the debate. Another notable person that agreed with the nature side of the polemic was the scientist, Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist.Galton was the man who first started the debate between hereditarians, a group of people who believe that heredity determinates our human nature, and environmentalists, people who believe that our environment has the biggest impact on our development. In 1865, h e began to study heredity, basically the idea of nature. This was partly influenced by reading Darwin's publication, Origin of Species. This â€Å"thirst† for knowledge led him to do very significant and important studies, the twin studies, hoping to find the different contributions of nature and nurture.His huge contribution to the debate, especially to the nature side, proves that he agreed with the theory of heredity. As mentioned earlier, Galton had a cousin named Charles Darwin. He was a British naturalist and big defender of the nature side of the debate. According to the Indian University Archives, without Darwin there would be no nature vs. nurture debate. Darwin wrote various pages on his autobiography about his family’s contributions to his intelligence. However, he attributed his intellectual success on nature, not nurture. Proof is provided by, this sentence that he wrote about his brother: †¦I do not think that I owe much to him intellectually-nor to my four sisters†¦I am inclined to agree with Francis Galton in believing that education and environment produce only a small effect on the mind of any one, and that most of our qualities are innate â€Å"(Darwin, 43). Darwin believed that intelligent behavior came from the instincts of our previous, nonhuman ancestors. This proves that Charles Darwin, one of the brightest minds of the 19th century believed in the nature part of the argumentation. The point clearly stated through these three examples is that, the genetic predisposition (heredity) is real.Genetic predisposition may be a fact, but it isn’t the reason why we behave the way we do. Heredity is only the basis. The formation of ourselves is due to the environment in which we grow up. An example of this theory is shown, Lord of the Flies. In the book, a group of kids find themselves all alone on an island. In this group we find different characters with diverse personalities and manners. Also, as previously ment ioned, Golding, the author of the book, believed that everybody has the capacity of being evil. The kids in the story start developing that initial evil due to the new environment in which they live.A hostile, unknown, scary and dangerous environment; leads to the development of an aggressive and violent comportment. In the book, we see that in the first chapters, Jack is a born leader with self-control. Generally he appears as a normal kid. But, as the story progresses, and the kids find new problems on the island, he starts developing â€Å"his evil†. At the end, he becomes a belligerent and confrontational leader of a violent mob. The new environment in which he lives causes this enormous change in his personality. Another example situated in the book is the case of Ralph.He is also a born leader, a boy who listens to reason and logic, and someone who always finds solutions to his problems. But, in this new environment, as the kids around him start being â€Å"evil† , he starts losing his self-control, and develops a new character, where he is not the boy that he was before. This change occurs when Ralph joins Jack’s mob and starts dancing with them: â€Å"Piggy and Ralph under the threat of the sky, found themselves eager to take a place in this demented but partly secured society â€Å"(Golding, 152) . The last example is the case of Piggy. He is a tormented kid, a victim of bullying, but deep down he is a smart boy.In the book he finds himself being insulted by Jack all the time. For instance when Jack says: â€Å"Better call you Piggy than Fatty â€Å" (Golding, 26 ) . The results of this bullying are that he can’t say his opinion or ideas when he is around of Jack, opinions that could be very helpful sometimes. But later in the story, when Jack leaves the group, and the environment of their small society becomes more friendly and calm, he feels more free and happy and he finally express his opinion and shows his intellige nt ideas to everybody, so basically the change of environment change him too.The point I want to make with my examples, is that, we may all have, a â€Å"groundwork† , our initial nature that we inherited from our parents, but the biggest impact in the development of our personality is the environment in which we grow up, which can completely change us, like the characters in Lord Of The Flies†¦ Supporting my theory, Judith Rich Harris, the author of the book : The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do . She generally says in her book that she challenges the idea that the personality of adults is determined chiefly by the way they were raised by their parents.She also says that the role of genetics in personality has long been accepted in psychological research, however, even identical twins, which share the same genes, are not exactly alike, so inheritance is not all. Another example that proves the theory that nurture has the most impact in our pers onality is the case of Genie. Genie was a girl who spent nearly all her childhood inside a bedroom. She was a victim of one of the most severe cases of social isolation in American history (ABCnews). The police discovered her in 1970 after spending all her life tide to a chair.The result of this loneliness, was that she was unable to speak, walk, socialize, and generally being normal after being rescued. We can see, that due to the fact that she was in an isolated and lonely environment her attitude and personality weren’t usual, so this proves that the environment in which somebody lives has a direct connection with his/hers development, even if she inherited a bright and regular attitude from her family. To finish ill say that heredity is a well known, scientifically proved, theory. A fact.But without the help of nurture, it isn’t accurate. We become who we are, and we act the way we do because we are taught to do so. That’s how we learned . It doesn’t matter how our genes are, and what we inherited from our parents. The environment in which we live in will define us. â€Å"Genetic predisposition is not destiny â€Å" David Kranzler WHEN THE BRITISH EDUCATOR Richard Mulcaster wrote in 1582 that †Nature makes the boy toward, nurture sees him forward,† he gave the world a euphonious name for an opposition that has been debated ever since.People's beliefs about the roles of heredity and environment affect their opinions on an astonishing range of topics. Do adolescents engage in violence and substance abuse because of the way their parents treated them as toddlers? Are people inherently selfish and aggressive, which would justify a market economy and a strong police, or could they become peaceable and cooperative, allowing the state to wither and a spontaneous socialism to blossom? Is there a universal aesthetic that allows great art to transcend time and place, or are people's tastes determined by their era and culture ?With so much at stake, it is no surprise that debates over nature and nurture evoke such strong feelings. Much of the heat comes from framing the issues as all-or-none dichotomies, and some of it can be transformed into light with a little nuance. Humans, of course, are not exclusively selfish or generous (or nasty or noble); they are driven by competing motives elicited in different circumstances. Although no aspect of the mind is unaffected by learning, the brain has to come equipped with complex neural circuitry to make that learning possible.And if genes affect behavior, it is not by pulling the strings of the muscles directly, but via their intricate effects on a growing brain. By now most thinking people have come to distrust any radical who would seem to say that the mind is a blank slate that is filled entirely by its environment, or that genes control our behavior like a player piano. Many scientists, particularly those who don't study humans, have gone further and express ed the hope that the nature-nurture debate will simply go away.Surely, they say, all behavior emerges from an inextricable interaction between heredity and environment during development. Trying to distinguish them can only stifle productive research and lead to sterile polemics. But moderation, like all things, can be taken to extremes. The belief that it's simplistic to distinguish nature and nurture is itself simplistic. The contributions of this opposition to our understanding of mind and society are far from obvious, and many supposedly reasonable compromises turn out, under closer scrutiny, to be anything but.Let's consider some of the †reasonable† beliefs of the radical moderates. ‘Reasonable† Belief No. 1: No one believes in the extreme †nurture† position that the mind is a blank slate. Certainly few people today endorse the blank slate in so many words, and I suspect that even fewer believe it in their heart of hearts. But many people sti ll tacitly assume that nurture is everything when they write opinion pieces, conduct research, and translate the research into policy. Most parenting advice, for example, is inspired by studies that find a correlation between parents and children.Loving parents have confident children, authoritative parents (neither too permissive nor too punitive) have well-behaved children, parents who talk to their children have children with better language skills, and so on. Everyone concludes that to rear the best children, parents must be loving, authoritative, and talkative, and if children don't turn out well, it must be the parents' fault. But there is a basic problem with this reasoning, and it comes from the tacit assumption that children are blank slates. Parents, remember, provide their children with genes, not just a home environment.The correlations between parents and children may be telling us only that the same genes that make adults loving, authoritative, and talkative make their children self-confident, well behaved, and articulate. Until the studies are redone with adopted children (who get only their environment, not their genes, from their parents), the data are compatible with the possibility that genes make all the difference, the possibility that parenting makes all the difference, or anything in between. Yet in almost every instance, the most extreme position – that parents are everything – is the only one researchers entertain.Another example: To a biologist the first question to ask in understanding conflict between organisms of the same species is †How are they related? † In all social species, relatives are more likely to help each other, and nonrelatives are more likely to hurt each other. (That is because relatives share genes, so any gene that biases an organism to help a close relative will also, some of the time, be helping a copy of itself, and will thereby increase its own chances of prevailing over evolutionary time. But when the psychologists Martin Daly and Margo Wilson checked the literature on child abuse to see whether stepparents were more likely to abuse their children than biological parents, they discovered not only that no one had ever tested the possibility, but that most statistics on child abuse did not even record the information – stepparents and biological parents were lumped together, as if the difference couldn't possibly matter. When Daly and Wilson did track down the relevant statistics, their hunch was confirmed: Having a stepparent is the largest risk factor for child abuse ever examined.The finding was by no means banal: Many parenting experts insist that the hostile stepparent is a myth originating in Cinderella stories, and that parenting is a †role† that anyone can take on. For agencies that monitor and seek to prevent child abuse the finding of a greater risk with stepparents could be critical information. But because of the refusal to entertai n the idea that human emotions are products of evolution, no one had ever thought to check. †Reasonable† Belief No. 2: For every question about nature and nurture, the correct answer is †Some of each. † Not so.Take the question, †Why do people in England speak English, and people in Japan Japanese? † The †reasonable compromise† would be that the Japanese have genes that make it easier for them to learn Japanese (and vice versa for the English), but both groups must be exposed to the language to acquire it fully. This compromise, of course, is not reasonable at all; it's false. Immigrant children acquire the language of their adopted home perfectly, showing that people are not predisposed to learn the language of their ancestors (though they may be predisposed to learn language in general).The explanation for why people in different countries speak different languages is 100 percent environmental. And sometimes the answer goes the other way. Autism, for example, used to be blamed on †refrigerator mothers† who did not emotionally engage with their children. Schizophrenia was thought to be caused by mothers who put their children in †double binds† (such as the Jewish mother who gave her son two shirts for his birthday, and when he turned up wearing one of them, said, †The other one you didn't like? †).Today we know that autism and schizophrenia are highly heritable, and though they are not completely determined by genes, the other likely contributors (toxins, pathogens, chance events in brain development) have nothing to do with parenting. Mothers don't deserve †some† of the blame if their children have these disorders, as a nature-nurture compromise would imply; they deserve none of it. †Reasonable† Belief No. 3: Disentangling nature and nurture is a hopeless task, so we shouldn't even try. On the contrary, perhaps the most unexpected and provocative disco very in 0th-century psychology came from an effort to distinguish nature and nurture in human development. For a long time, psychologists have studied individual differences in intellect and personality. They have assessed cognitive abilities using IQ tests, statistics on performance in school and on the job, and measurements of brain activity. They have assessed people's personalities using questionnaires, ratings by other people who know them well, and tallies of actual behavior such as divorces and brushes with the law. The measures suggest that our personalities differ in five major ways.We are to varying degrees introverted or extroverted, neurotic or stable, incurious or open to experience, agreeable or antagonistic, and conscientious or undirected. Where do these differences come from? Recall those flawed studies that test for the effects of parenting but forget to control for genetic relatedness. Behavioral geneticists have done studies that remedy those flaws and have disco vered that intelligence, personality, overall happiness, and many other traits are partly (though never completely) heritable.That is, some of the variation in the traits among people in a given culture can be attributed to differences in their genes. The conclusion comes from three different kinds of research, each teasing apart genes and environment in a different way. First, identical twins reared apart (who share their genes but not their family environment) are far more similar to each other than randomly selected pairs of people. Second, identical twins reared together (who share their environment and all their genes) are more similar than fraternal twins reared together (who share their environment but only half their genes).Third, biological siblings reared together (who share their environment and half their genes) are more similar than adoptive siblings (who share their environment but none of their genes). In each comparison, the more genes a pair of people share (holding environment more or less constant), the more similar they are. These studies have been replicated in large samples from many countries, and have ruled out the alternative explanations that have been proposed. Of course, concrete traits that patently depend on content provided by the home or culture are not heritable at all, such as the language you speak, the eligion you worship in, and the political party you belong to. But the underlying talents and temperaments are heritable: how proficient with language you are, how receptive to religion, how hidebound or open to change. So genes play a role in making us different from our neighbors, and our environments play an equally important role. At this point most people leap to the following conclusion: We are shaped both by our genes and by our family upbringing: how our parents treated us and what kind of home we grew up in.Not so fast. †The environment† and †our parents and home† are not the same thing. Behavi oral genetics allows us to distinguish two very different ways in which our environments might affect us. The shared environment is what impinges on us and our siblings alike: our parents, our home life, and our neighborhood (as compared with other parents and neighborhoods). The unique environment is everything else: anything that happens to us over the course of our lives that does not necessarily happen to our siblings.Remarkably, study after study has failed to turn up appreciable effects of the shared environment – often to the shock and dismay of the researchers themselves, who started out convinced that the nongenetic variation in personality had to come from the family. First, they've found, adult siblings are equally similar whether they grew up together or apart. Second, adoptive siblings are no more similar than two people plucked off the street at random. And third, identical twins who grew up in the same home are no more similar than one would expect from the eff ects of their shared genes.Whatever experiences siblings share by growing up in the same home in a given culture makes little or no difference in the kind of people they turn out to be. The implications, drawn out most clearly by Judith Rich Harris in her 1998 book †The Nurture Assumption,† are mind-boggling. According to a popular saying, †as the twig is bent, so grows the branch. † Patients in traditional forms of psychotherapy while away their 50 minutes reliving childhood conflicts and learning to blame their unhappiness on how their parents treated them.Many biographies scavenge through the subject's childhood for the roots of the grown-up's tragedies and triumphs. †Parenting experts† make women feel like ogres if they slip out of the house to work or skip a reading of †Goodnight Moon. † All these deeply held beliefs will have to be rethought. It's not that parents don't matter at all. Extreme cases of abuse and neglect can leave permanent scars. Skills like reading and playing a musical instrument can be imparted by parents.And parents affect their children's happiness in the home, their memories of how they were treated, and the quality of the lifelong relationship between parent and child. But parents don't seem to mold their children's intellects, personalities, or overall happiness for the rest of their lives. The implications for science are profound as well. Here is a puzzle: Identical twins growing up together have the same genes, family environments, and peer groups, but the correlations in their traits are only around 50 percent.Ergo, neither genes nor families nor peer groups, nor the interactions among these factors, can explain what makes them different. Researchers have hunted for other possible causes, such as sibling rivalry or differential treatment by parents, but none has panned out. As with Bob Dylan's Mister Jones, something is happening here but we don't know what it is. My own hunch is that the differences come largely from chance events in development. One twin lies one way in the womb and stakes out her share of the placenta, the other has to squeeze around her.A cosmic ray mutates a stretch of DNA, a neurotransmitter zigs instead of zags, the growth cone of an axon goes left instead of right, and one person's brain might gel into a slightly different configuration from another's, regardless of their genes. If chance in development is to explain the less-than-perfect similarity of identical twins, it says something interesting about development in general. One can imagine a developmental process in which millions of small chance events cancel one another out, leaving no difference in the end product.One can imagine a different process in which a chance event could derail development entirely, or send it on a chaotic path resulting in a freak or a monster. Neither of these results occurs with a pair of identical twins. They are distinct enough that our instrumen ts can pick up the differences, yet both are healthy instances of that staggeringly improbable, exquisitely engineered system we call a human being. The development of organisms must use complex feedback loops rather than prespecified blueprints.Random events can divert the trajectory of growth, but the trajectories are confined within an envelope of functioning designs for the species. These profound questions are not about nature vs. nurture. They are about nurture vs. nurture: about what, exactly, are the nongenetic causes of personality and intelligence. But the questions would never have come to light if researchers had not first taken measures to factor out the influence of nature, by showing that correlations between parents and children cannot glibly be attributed to parenting but might be attributable to shared genes.That was the first step that led them to measure the possible effects of parenting empirically, rather than simply assuming that those effects had to be all-po werful. The human brain has been called the most complex object in the known universe. No doubt many hypotheses that pit nature against nurture as a dichotomy, or that fail to distinguish the ways in which they might interact, will turn out to be simplistic or wrong.But that complexity does not mean we should fuzz up the issues by saying that it's all just too complicated to think about, or that some hypotheses should be treated a priori as necessarily true, necessarily false, or too dangerous to mention. As with other complex phenomena like inflation, cancer, and global warming, when it comes to the development of a human being we have no choice but to try to disentangle the causes. Steven Pinker is Peter de Florez Professor of Psychology at MIT and author of †The Language Instinct,† and †How the Mind Works. † This essay is adapted in part from his latest book, †The Blank Slate

Conveyor Belt Project Part 3

BA562 Conveyor Belt Project Part 3 Part A 1. Which if any of the resources are over allocated? Design, Development and Documentation. 2. Assume that the project is time constrained and try to resolve any over allocation problems by leveling within slack. What happens? The design and documentation over allocated problem is solved. However, Development is still over allocated. (See Gantt chart 3. 1) 3. What is the impact of leveling within slack on the sensitivity of the network? Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling within slack. The sensitivity of the network is increased. The slacks are reduced which lead to a loss of flexibility. The probability of activities delaying the project is increased because the reduction of slack creates more critical activities and critical paths. As in the Gantt chart 3. 1, there are more critical activities (marked on red).4. Assume the project is resource constrained and resolve any over allocation problems by leveling outside of slack. What happens? What are the managerial implications? Resource constrained means that the project has limited resource but the time is flexible.Using leveling outside of slack, the over allocation problems are resolved. However, the length of the project is 675 days, which is greatly increased by 145 days, and the new end date is now 8/17/2012. The managerial implication may be the delay of the next project that uses the same resource. The critical path is changed, the cost may be increased. For example, task 4. 2 must wait until the task 2. 3 is finished due to the resource constrain, and the idle resource may cause money.5. What options are available at this point in time?Include a Gantt chart with the schedule table after leveling. One option is fast-tracking. The manager can try to rearrange the logic of the network so the critical activities can be done in parallel rather than sequentially. Another option is that the manager can figure out whether there is a way to accelerate the activities so that reduce the length of the project. The manager can also check with the customer or project sponsors to see if it’s acceptable to reduce the scope of the project. The reduction can reduce the cost and resource. Compromising the quality is also an option.If quality is sacrificed, it may be possible to reduce the time of an activity on the critical path. However, it is rarely acceptable or used. Part B Once you have obtained a schedule that meets the time and resource constraints, prepare a memo that addresses the following questions: 1. What changes did you make and why? The end date of the project cannot be moved, so the project should be considered as a time constrain project. Two internal research teams are assigned to Development initially, but Development over allocation still exists.In the resource graph, we can see that the peak of demand in Development is 500%, which means we need to hire 1 more development team outside the company. The peak demand is consisted by 5 tasks: 1. 2 â€Å"Hardware design†, 2. 2. 1 â€Å"Disk drivers†, 2. 3 â€Å"Memory management†, 3. 2 â€Å"Routine utilities† and 3. 3 â€Å"Complex utilities†. Among these tasks, 3. 2 â€Å"Routine utilities† has the shortest duration. Since the cost for outside development team is higher, we should hire it for as short duration as possible. Thus the external development team is assigned to the task 3. 2 â€Å"Routine utilities†.2. How long will the project take? The project length remains 530 days and will be end on Feb. 2nd, 2012. 3. How did these changes affect the sensitivity of the network? These changes didn’t create more critical activities because the resource requirements are all satisfied. From the Gantt chart we can see the critical path of the project is not changed. The sensitivity of the network is a little bit higher since task 2. 4 has been moved to a later start time and the slack of task 2. 4 is reduced. Part 4 Based on the file created at the end of Part 3, prepare a memo that addresses thefollowing questions:1.How much will the project cost? The cost will be $1,051,200. 00.2. What does the cash flow statement tell you about how costs are distributed over the life span of the project? In the first two quarters of 2010, especially the second quarter, the cost is much higher tha n other period during the project. This is because there are several tasks are working in parallel. In my opinion, in this case, the cost is related to the tasks, the more tasks are working, the higher the cost it would be. So the total cost of the project increases greatly at first half year of 2010 and then the increase rate slows down.

Benefits of computing gross profit on sales in contrast to contribution margin

The computation of gross profit on sales, which can be derived under the absorption costing approach, is a profitability measure normally conducted under financial analysis.   This accounting ratio outlines the gross profit generated from every $100 of sales.   Such measure is highly useful in financial analysis, because it provides indications on the profitability potential and cost efficiency of the company.  Ã‚   For instance, if there was an increase in sales of 10%, but the gross profit margin declined by 4%. This indicates that the cost efficiency of the organization deteriorated during the period.   Such analysis cannot be conducted under the contribution margin approach, because gross profit is not present.   However, under the contribution margin approach one can calculate the contribution to sales ratio which indicates the contribution determined from every $100 of sales.   This would also provide indications on the control of variable costs once compared over time. Difference in Net Income arising from different approaches. In the example of ABC Company the profit under the two methods is the same.   However, this is not always the case.   Profits under the two methods differ whenever there is movement in inventory.   This is due to the fact that since under the absorption costing technique fixed manufacturing costs are included in the cost of goods sold, a proportion of fixed costs will be included in inventory leading to such a difference. Contribution margin approach not allowable for external reporting. The contribution margin approach, despite being highly useful to provide valuable information for decision making, is not acceptable for external reporting.   This is due to the fact that it does not comply with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). For example, under the GAAP the income statement layout should clearly outline the gross profit made by the company.   Under the contribution margin method this is not highlighted.   Another important reason why the absorption approach is allowable for external reporting and not the contribution approach is due to the way in which the income statement is classified. The GAAP state that the income statement is classified by function, like under the absorption method.   In the contribution approach it is classified by cost behavior.   Indeed separation between fixed and variable costs is made under such method. This conflicts with another requirement of the GAAP. Reference: Drury C. (1996). Management and Cost Accounting. Fourth Edition. New York: International Thomson Business Press.

Assignment The Impact of Contaminated Land on the Valuation of Essay

Assignment The Impact of Contaminated Land on the Valuation of Property - Essay Example The solid as well as the liquid waste were disposed off in the land through which the soil was being damaged. Even though the waste are well regulated in order to prevent such contamination but still there are certain unintentional spills and leaks which might damage the land at the sites. Contaminants may range from oil, petrol, heavy metals and solvents to radioactive substances. The various sources of contaminant are not just industries, there are certain other sources like agriculture activities, dry cleaning, petrol distribution, deposition from the atmosphere, inadequate waste disposal, etc. These contaminants cause severe harm to human health and adversely affect the normal living condition of a human being. There are various contaminant elements that occur as a range of compounds among which some are highly soluble, accessible for biological uptake and toxic, whereas others are not much hazardous. For instance, arsenic is a common chemical addition to soils for older industri al sites and exists in various inorganic and organic forms. Toxicity depends on actual compound oxidation state, yet chemical analyses of suspect soils seldom reveals any such details and it usually indicates the metal concentration present (SEPA, n.d.). Interaction takes place between the various contaminants in the soil environment. These increases the potential toxicities of different contaminants involved where as in many cases competition between individual contaminant reduces the overall toxic potentials (SEPA, n.d.). The effects of contamination don’t last long once the contaminant reaches the soil. It breaks down or becomes neutralized, might be washed away by the rain, or remain in the soil building up to a high concentrations. When contaminants are made up, they may not be enduring. However soil can sometimes remain polluted for an indefinite period (SEPA, n.d.). It doesn’t mean that there is a problem if the ground is contaminated. It

ENG DB3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENG DB3 - Essay Example The exile of the Jews by God was enough for them to believe that Jews had literally no place by their name on this world. The Zionists continued to work towards the settlement of their tribesmen irrespective of the oppositional cry. They developed the Jewish National Fund in 1901 with the help of the World Zionist Organization. With this fund they planned on buying lands in not only in Palestine but also Syria, various parts of Turkey and some areas of Sinai. These lands were carefully taken over solely for the settlement of the Jews. After purchasing the lands at very high price the Zionists were determined to keep it and also wanted it to be run by their own people instead of Arab farmers. They devised a plan of employing the Arabs in transit to another country so that they may be excavated instead of being thrown out of the land. Nearly five hundred and thousand people have been living in the West Bank against international law since 1967 despite the denial by the Israeli governme nt. The colonization of Palestinian state led to severe bloodshed. Along with Britain, the Zionist body got together to clear the land of Jerusalem. The protection of the Jews became the chief motif in this regard. A British Embassy was establish to keep track of any report which went against the protection of the Jews. Even the Ottoman Empire was requested to give room to the Jewish settlers while their permanent residence was arranged by the higher authority. All this was done under Lord Palmerston in 1839. This way the British influence over the Middle East started to grow progressively. Israel has been avoiding Arab invasion in the premises of the Green Line ever since September 1997. This problem is being attempted to be solved by moving the Bedouins away from the towns of Negev and Galilee where they are mostly populated. The Jewish population remains under scrutiny for its suspicious moves against innocent

Business Culture of Albania and Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Culture of Albania and Italy - Essay Example The researcher states that language is regarded as an important part of business dealings as communication is the backbone of successful business negotiations. In case of Albania, it has been found that most government officials speak English, but the same thing cannot be said about people employed in the private sector. Use of interpreters or translators is a commonplace business practice. In case of Italy, English is also the most commonly spoken foreign language. In Italy, use of body language is as important as hand gestures and personal contacts are as dominant as speech. Avoiding excessive use of body language may be considered as an unfriendly attitude, which can, therefore, harm the business. This practice is not found in Albania. Given the difference in the official language of the two countries, need for translators will be inevitable to carry business if English is not spoken. In this case, it can be stated that misinterpretations of non-verbal gestures like, hand gestures , may act as severe intercultural communication barrier between Italy and Albania as Italians tend to use more such gestures. It has been observed that time is not considered to be an important parameter in case of Albania, but is quite important for Italy. Punctuality has been regarded as an important parameter in inter-cultural business. This is because punctuality has the notable influence on the social behavior. It is noticed that Italians expect a formal explanation if there is any delay in the business meeting and such a habit is condemnable. However, the social attitude of people in Albania makes punctuality an obsolete requirement. So, in case of business dealings between companies of these countries, it is important for the Albanians to be more particular about the time factor. Â  

The Current HR Practices of Hilton Worldwide Research Paper

The Current HR Practices of Hilton Worldwide - Research Paper Example This report examines the current HR practices of Hilton Worldwide and critically evaluates how the company has been influenced by its environments on the human resource policies of the company. Hilton Worldwide: Company Profile Hilton Hotel, now known as Hilton Worldwide, has been founded by Conard Hilton in 1919 in Texas has now emerged to be the fastest growing hotel chain to attract travellers, partners, team members and others for their preferred place for entertainment and leisure. According to Statista (2012), with Hilton’s major focuses on property expansion and other management strategies including strategic HRM, the company remains to be the fourth largest to hold the market share just behind intercontinental, Marriot and Accor hotels. It has now more than 3800 hotels and resorts in more than 90 countries with more than 630,000 rooms. It proposes to beat its competitors as it is now fastest growing in terms of revenues, room-occupancy and customer loyalties (Hiltonint ernational.com, 2012). Hilton’s success has been mainly driven by on-going property expansion by which it has continually been expanding its rooms, floor-space and as a result customer base too. Despite the economic recession in recent years, it was furthering its property expansion. In 2009 alone, it added more than 300 new hotels with more than 45,000 rooms across the world. In 2008, Hilton opened 327 new properties (eturbonews.com, 2010). Hilton’s current approach to HRM Organisations that invest heavily on innovative training and development is found to be very successful in achieving high performance and also in achieving the organizational goals (Noe, 2002, p. 7). Training and development programs, that may vary from firm to firm, are highly effective means for enhancing, motivating and developing people’s skills, knowledge and talent.

Coal to Liquid Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coal to Liquid Technology - Essay Example Although, renewable energy is an alternative it takes time and additional resources. Some countries are very poor but have coal in abundance. It therefore means that clean technology has to be found to produce energy from coal. Several methods of transforming coal to liquid are available. Some of these are low yield in comparison to others that have yields of up to 70%. The task is to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions is kept low in order to save the environment for the next generation. 2.0 Coal consumption and reserve of the world and the US According to the EIA (2012) the total coal consumption of the world for the year ended December 2010 was 7,994,703 million short tons. EIA (2012) also provides data for the year ended December 31, 2008 which indicates that the amount of coal reserves in the world was 948,000 million short tons. The tables labeled Table 1 shows comparative figures for coal consumption for those years and four (4) years prior to those years. Table 2 shows figures for coal reserves for 2008. Consumption of Coal Description 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 World NA 7,994,703 7,318,283 7,327,554 7,014,934 USA 1,003,066 1,048,295 997,478 1,120,548 1,127,998 US as a percentage of the world 13.11% 13.63% 15.29% 16.07% Table 1: Coal Consumption USA and the World (source U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) The table indicates that USA alone accounted for approximately 14.33% of the world’s coal consumption between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 the US accounted for 16%. Although the world’s consumption of coal increased in 2008, coal consumption in the US declined by a small margin. Both world consumption and US consumption declined in 2009. However, while the world consumption declined by negligible amounts (9,271 million short tons) the US consumption declined by approximately 11% (123,070 million short tons). In 2010 the US consumption increased by approximately 6% while world consumption increased by approximately 9%. The US accounted for 13% of the world’s consumption in 2010. Coal Reserves 2008 Description 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 World 948,000 USA 260,551 Table 2: Coal Reserves USA and the World – Source U.S. Energy Information Administration The table shows that in 2008 the US held 27% of the world’s coal reserves. This is a very high percentage and indicates how beneficial coal would be if a way is found to reduce its effect on the environment. 3.0 Arguments against the use of coal Many arguments have being put forward against the use of coal. They include: i. Health and safety hazard ii. Large quantities of water are used in coal mining iii. High levels of pollution (Hansen 2009) iv. Destruction of mountains v. Accidents caused from coal mining 3.1 Health and safety hazard Coal is hazardous to the health and safety of all who come in contact with it, especially coal miners. The Center for Disease Control (2012) indicates that between 1998 and 2007, 8,111 persons died from Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Most of them were male (8,010), white (7,865) and age 65 years and over (7379). Although the death rate has been declining, it is still cause for concern. A number of accidents have also resulted from inadequate safety measures as miners are left to risk their lives at some mining operations. In fact, in an article entitled Justice for Upper Big Branch, The New York Times (NYT) (2012) indicates that 29 miners died from an explosion at a mine in West Virginia.. In relation to this case a United States attorney filed fraud charges against a Superintendent of the Massey operated Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia of plotting to conceal hazards, doctor’

Foreign Language Education in China and Multilingual Future Research Paper

Foreign Language Education in China and Multilingual Future - Research Paper Example This essay approves that information technology is being infused into face-to-face curricular programs. The concept of computer-assisted language learning is gaining popularity in many parts of the world. In this regard, Chinese can use technology to learn different languages from the comfort of their homes. The foreign language learners can access free tutorials, without the need for published materials. The learners can even access online periodicals to practice reading and learn other foreign cultures. They could even get help from other users in online forums and social media platforms. Most importantly, the learners could learn multiple foreign languages through immersion. This strategy requires the learner to interact with the more experienced users. Through the internet, the learners could trace their progress and improve in deficient areas. Learners have two options: they could either use their mobile phones or access online courses through computers. This report makes a conclusion that there is a general perception that English is the perfect choice for intercultural communication and therefore it is universally used for global communication. However, given that three-quarters of the world population is non-English speaking, other languages should too be appreciated. In the Chinese context, the government should consider introducing other foreign language in the curriculum and encourage independent learning among the locals. It is expected that promoting multilingualism in China will provide the residents with better opportunities for advancement and increase global political and economic interdependence.

Mix Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Mix Marketing Plan Essay The mix marketing plan below is for the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander compact all wheel drive (AWD) priced under $40,000. This market plan below describes the target market and objectives that are necessary to capture the target market. Furthermore, the plan offers recommendations and some of them methods necessary to promote the Mistubishi Outlander and create awareness of its release on to the market in 2009. Also in the mix market plan is situational analysis that is broken down into four parts. The first part is the current product which describes the brand and core product which in this case is the Mistubishi Outlander. The second part discusses the factors that will affect the price of the Outlander such as competition and demand. The third aspect talks about the current distribution and method in which to distribute the Outlander. This part also talks about the intensity of distribution and the intermediaries used to distribute the Outlander and the factors that influence the distribution such as storage and transport of the Outlanders from point of manufacture to the point of sale. The fourth situational analysis aspect is the promotional theme and the elements integrated in the promotion mix. The theme is that of cross between an all wheel drive and a sports utility vehicles that is both excellent as urban cruiser as well as an off road medium sized vehicle. The recommended target market for the Outlander is mainly the medium sized family that enjoys occasional family trips out of urban localities. The age group of the consumer interested in purchasing the Mistubishi outlander will range between 25 to the 50 years of age. This demographic will most likely reside in the upper middle class suburbs of Perth. The main aim of this mix marketing plan is to make consumers familiarise themselves with the Outlander, promote the outlander to all intermediaries through workshops and seminars. Increase volume of promotional content of the Outlander through media channels such as online advertising, email promotions, radio and television advertisements. The customers are made of the Mistubishi Diamond Advantage. Situational Analysis Current Product: The Mistubishi outlander is a cross over all wheel drive (AWD) from the product line of the Mitsubishi Motor Company. The Outlander is a shopping type of consumer product that is in its Introduction stage. It is a compact AWD that can be driven in urban areas as well as off road. However, the Outlander does not have Electronic Stability control system (ESP) but does come with an expandable row making it a seven seater and a bisected rear door for easy accesses to the rear cabin space. The ESP can always be added on to the future cars by adopting the system that is used in other Mitsubishi models. Current Pricing: The current influences on the price of the Outlander include demand, competition and other external factors such as economic situation and good value pricing (Kotler et al.2007, 350). The Mistubishi Outlander is in the monopolistic market as they are many sellers offering alternatives (Pierre and Toulemonde 2009, 1347) .AWDs such as the Toyota Rav Four and Nissan Extrail. The pricing objective of the Outlander is based on the price of competitor’s model of SUVs and the mix of models of the Outlander offered by Mistubishi under $40000. Current Distribution: The outlander is distributed indirectly from the factory through intermediaries such as the dealerships. Intermediaries provide a link between the manufacturer and consumer (Ansari, Mela and Neslin 2008, 60).The dealers include organisations that specialise in Mistubishi vehicle sales and services. Distribution of the outlander is selective for easier negotiations and one tone customer interaction. Some of the factors that may affect distribution include transport and Storage of the Mistubishi outlanders from the point of manufacture to the point of sale. Current Promotion: The main objective is to get the consumers familiarise themselves with the new Mitsubishi Outlander. The theme is that of a sports utility vehicles that is both excellent as urban cruiser as well as an off road medium sized vehicle. Advertising, direct Marketing sales promotions are some of the methods used to show to the customer the sporting side as well as its ability to use as urban vehicle through events such as the Dakar Rally. Recommended Target Market The recommended target market for the Outlander is mainly the medium sized family that enjoys occasional family trips out of urban localities. The age group of the consumer interested in purchasing the Mistubishi outlander will range between 25 to the 50 years of age. The consumer will most likely come from middle class urban setting and enjoys showing off the off-road capabilities of their car while being a comfortable and stylish car to drive around town. This target market has the most potential because the outlander is an urban sports vehicle that has an extra row of seats to accommodate a total of 7 passengers as compared to its rivals on the market within the same price range. The outlander also comes with a lot more standard features as compared to its rivals on the market. Some off the unique features include interchangeable all wheel drive that can be selected at any driving speed. The outlander also has a compact third row seat that does not compromise boot space and is still accommodate two extra passengers. Recommended Marketing Objective:’ In order to keep the Mitsubishi Outlander ahead of the other brand of cross over AWDs on the market, some short term marketing strategies will have to be put in place. These include : Making the consumers familiarise themselves with the Outlander, promote the outlander to all intermediaries through workshops and seminars. Increase volume of promotional content of the Outlander through media channels such as online advertising, email promotions, radio and television advertisements. Another approach would be to promote the Outlander through competitions, sponsorships of sporting activities and discounted sales to the first few customers. Boost the appeal of the outlander by offering membership to outlander car club through the Mitsubishi Diamond Advantage as part of a package deal for the purchase of an Outlander which is a 10 year 160 000 km drive train warranty and the 5 year unlimited 130 000 km warrant plus roadside assistance. Product recommendations Since the product at hand is a motor vehicle, the product packaging will not be required however all other aspects of the product such as branding extensions will be taken into consideration. The product at focus is the Outlander which comes from the product mix of Mitsubishi motor company; it only has one product lines with a narrow width. Therefore, only the depth of the product mix can be explored to give the consumer a variety to pick from the range of Outlanders available. The Mitsubishi Outlander is offered in three models namely the LS, XLS and the optional XLS Luxury pack. The Three models offered come with different options and at a varied price range depending on the added extras. However, the base model still has a starting base price of $31,990 that is fixed depending on whether the customer chooses to add extras to the vehicle. The base model of the outlander is the Ls which comes with 2.4 litre 4 cylinder MIVEC engine, driver and passenger side airbags. The LS models also comes with All Wheel Control 4WD (AWC), air condition, cruise control, Keyless entry, power windows, a steering wheel with audio controls, Stability and traction control. The XLS model has added on features that the LS does not have such as: Continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), INVECS Smart Logic and 6 steps Sports Mode, Paddle gear shifts, Smart Key, Bluetooth voice activated phone connectivity, chrome grill surround, 18† alloy Wheels, Reverse parking sensors, Adaptive Front Lighting system, High intensity Discharge Head Lamps (HID), Fog Lamps and Privacy Glass. The third model of the outlanders is the optional XLS Luxury pack. This model has additional feature to the XLS model. These key features include 18† 7 spoke wheels, chrome exterior highlights, electric sunroof, Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with 9 speakers, Rear entertainment system, Mitsubishi Multi Communication system (MMCS) including satellite navigation and reverse camera, automatic dusk sensing head lamps, automatic rain sensing wipers, leather seats facings, power driver seat and heated front seat. Pricing recommendations The pricing recommendations for the Mitsubishi Outlander will include the product line price, product bundle pricing and optional –product pricing. The product line price in this situation is considered because the product line width is narrow and limited to the Outlander models namely the LS, XLS and The Optional XLS model. Therefore, the pricing of the models will also be affected by what model is being sold through the intermediaries to the consumer. The purpose is to insure profit maximisation of the base model LS by mass distribution to the companies and leasing companies. With the LS having least of the features, making it the level entry model of the Outlander models. The second thing that is considered when it comes to product line pricing is the optional product line pricing. This will help increase the Mitsubishi profits from the sale optional accessories that can be added to the features of the Outlander’s base model the LS. Some of the features intended for the target market include, 18† alloy wheels, reverse parking sensors, High intensity Discharge Head Lamps (HID), Fog Lamps and Privacy Glass, electric sunroof, chrome exterior highlights, Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with 9 speakers and rear entertainment system. The perceived value of the extras is reasonable priced as all extras added on to the Outlander models come with a 5 year 130000 km warranty. The last recommendation for product line price is product bundle pricing, where the Outlander models are sold as bundles. This can be achieved when either selling the Outlanders with just the basic features at a much lower price as compared to the base models. The target market is leasing companies, private and government organisations in bulk. Furthermore, pricing adjustments can be made to increase sales such as discounts on bulk buys and end of financial year sales and further discounts for early or cash payments. The Outlander is not new to the car market, therefore the new product pricing strategy that is recommended is the market –penetrating pricing strategy to attract a large number of buyers and share market as it’s a medium quality and medium price product. Distribution recommendations The recommend method of distribution channel is using indirect channel through intermediaries such as agents, retailers and wholesalers. The intermediaries act as the third party link between the Mitsubishi and the consumers. The involvement of intermediaries allows the Mitsubishi to reach geographical dispersed groups and avoid direct investment. The Mitsubishi car company does not have to have a direct involvement with credit facilities or have local knowledge of customers. Furthermore, Mitsubishi can earn a greater return by investing in their main business rather than in direct marketing. The intermediary can deal directly with the customers at a more efficient and effective level often provide a supplier or manufacturer more returns than the manufacture can achieve on their own. This due to the amounts of contacts they have in the industry, experience, specialisation and scale of operation. Therefore, the channel of distribution is the retailer channel. That is from the manufacturer to the retailer then the consumer. The retailers sell the Outlander directly to the customers by so doing making the level of distribution intensity selective. This enables Mitsubishi deal directly with a few selected dealers that sale and provided services of goods manufactured by the Mitsubishi motor company. Channel conflict is minimised by dealing directly with intermediaries who are responsible for delivery and sale of the Outlanders. By doing so the conflict most likely to arise is between the Mitsubishi and the exclusive distributors. Promotion recommendations Before any promotional recommendations can be made in terms of promotions for the Mitsubishi Outlander, a number of things have to be considered. The major decision that has to be made includes objective setting, advertisement budget, advertising strategy and evaluation. When it comes to setting the budget, the product life cycle (PLC) has to be taken into consideration. From the introduction of the new Outlander where light advertising and pre introduction publicity to heavy advertising and awareness. This is the growth stage where brand loyalty and personal selling are greatly enforced. The maturity stage involves the decrease in sales promotion personal selling and the decline stage is where advertisements and promotions reduce with limited sales. These stages will determine the over head for the budget. The other promotional recommendation is the public relations mix and media selection through which to do the advertising. The media strategy includes selecting the media format. For example the newspaper has mass audience following and is good for targeting a specific audience via quick distribution. Magazines are mainly for segmented audience however, the information is intensive and highly visual. Television combines both sight and sound however most ads are ignored and only good when trying to build brand awareness and if there are adequate financial resources for the advertisement. However, radio has immediate delivery and good for stimulate impulse purchasing, cheap to advertise but does not have a visual impact. Last, there is outdoor advertising at the car dealership on the lawns where there is great traffic flow. Sales promotion is also another way to attract new customers to the Mistubishi Outlander. This also helps retain loyal Outlander customers and also regain past purchasers who have no longer purchase Mistubishi Outlander. This can be achieved through cash – back offers, competitions, premium offers offering more test drives of the Outlander models. Promotions can also be done through personal selling and interpersonal communication with target consumer groups. This involves two way communications between sales people and individual customers. The sales people are the link between the Mistubishi motor company and the customers and vice-versa. Another method that can be used is direct communication using electronic network tools and technologies via the internet. Telemarketing, telesales other forms of direct marketing that can be used to promote the sale of the Outlander. Other unconventional methods of promotions that can be used are: viral marketing by passing on information to others creating exponential growth in the messages response. Viral communications incurs very little expenses however there is limited control over receipt of the messages. The forms of passing information and advertising that are becoming popular blogs. Blogging is one method of creating hype for a product with no costs and also be able to facilitate communication between organisations and their stakeholders. Endorsements by celebrities via paid verbal testimonials or physical association with a brand. The upside is that advertising air time is practically free and the public is often not informed whether the celebrity is renumerated by the company. Conclusion. The above mix marketing plan is designed for the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander all wheel drive AWDs. The mix market plan describes the target audience and recommends ways in which to capture the intended market. The plan has further recommendation on how to create awareness for the 2009 Outlander and methods of price, distribution and promotion. The mix market plan also has situational analysis that breaks down the recommended mix marketing strategy into four aspects that current product, current pricing, current distribution and the current promotion. The mix market plan also explains the chosen theme that is a cross between an all wheel drive and sports utility vehicle that is also excellent as an urban cruiser. Furthermore, there is emphasis on the outlander’s unique features for vehicles whose base price is under $40,000.

Factors Contributing to Obesity and Diabetes among Americans

Factors Contributing to Obesity and Diabetes among Americans Obesity is a condition that emanates from malnutrition and presents with serious social and psychological problems. It is present across different ages and affects individuals in the developing and developed countries. Aiko and Sturm (845-856) writes that obesity has turned into one of the most serious global epidemics as it spreads, to many parts of the globe affecting millions of healthy lives each day. The most shocking revelation is that obesity epidemic is not only affecting developed nations. From studies this condition continues to affect even the individuals in the developing world. This essay aims at discussing some of the views of Aiko and Sturm who authored an article dubbed â€Å"The obesity epidemic and changes in self-report biases in BMI.† on obesity epidemic and how self-report biases have increased the trends in obesity cases across the globe. This essay will also cite the research gaps that the authors did not include in their study. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the obesity epidemic remains one of the ignored public health problems that affect millions of individuals across the globe. In a forecast, WHO predicts that without proper public health initiatives, obesity epidemic will affect many people globally and lead to aggressive health complications. According to WHO, this condition is mainly affecting women as compared to men. Nonetheless, the author notes that many men have higher cases of overweight while women have higher cases of obesity. What the article fails to mention is the cases of obesity among children. Children who had developed obesity in the US and other major cities tend to place the blame on the food sellers such as McDonald. The author reiterates that while many people blame the eater (children), the blame should be made on the food makers. I agree with the author on the fact that many children who are trying to get affordable foods often end up feeding on unhealthy fast foods. Such foods as stated by Aiko and Sturm (855) should not be taken more than once in a single day. However, the author notes how he had to eat fast foods repeatedly since it was the only option for affordable food. This article explains that there are many cases of diabetes because the fast food industry has grown ten-fold t offer children as well as adults cheaper and easier alternative to affordable foods. Nevertheless, many people working in the restaurants have not realised the dangers that they expose their customers to. I also agree with the fact that ignorance among individuals has contributed to obesity epidemic. While many people yearn for sumptuous foods sold in McDonald, Taco, and KFC, a few understand the risks of obesity that they are exposed to. The fact that Food and Drug Administration does not cover prepared foods, there is little information concerning the caloric contents of such foods. Additionally, I also contend with the claim that marketing of hazardous fast foods to children is to blame for the heightened rates of obesity among the children. As many fast food companies continue to grow, many children find access to such foods regularly. This has led to unprecedented levels of risks of developing obesity. In this manner, the claim by the author that food sellers are to be blamed for the obesity epidemic. However, the author did not mention the possible effects of sedentary lifestyle and other risk factors such as family history of obesity and lack of warning labels on high-calorie foods. On the other hand, there are many initiatives that had been introduced in the US such as funding for new bike trails and sidewalks, restrictive labelling of foods and prohibiting marketing of dangerous foods to children. According to the article, such initiatives have the ability of reducing the cases of obesity among school children. High tax for high-fat foods aimed at reducing the production and sale of foods known to cause obesity among the children. According to Gotay et al. (e64-e68), such initiatives are wrought and irrelevant. Balko (Para.3) objects such moves on the basis that they limit the ownership of one’s control of health. The author says that if such regulations are enforced, then certain individuals are forced to be responsible for other people’s problems. I contend with the claim that individuals have become irresponsible for their own health. While people are supposed to care about their health, many individuals continue to blame the Federal Government on healthcare management. While many consumers continue to develop bad habits, obesity epidemic continues to rise. I also contend that whatever we eat is our own business. While there are many people who think that public health can resolve the issue of obesity, I concur with the writer that our health is a private issue and should not belong to the public health. For instance, Aiko and Sturm (856-860) note that fighting the obesity epidemic starts by change of lifestyle, nutrition as well as physical exercise. These preventive measures are often done privately and not with the help of the government or the public health. However, I disagree with the author on account that healthcare should be privatized. While the government spends millions of shillings in facilitating preventive proj ects, Dietz (575-596) acknowledge that many people may not be able to afford such initiatives. The cost of health is very high, as such; public health programs aim at initiating preventive measures that target the reduction of diseases and epidemics. It is true that the contemporary methods of measuring obesity among various populations. The article dubbed, â€Å"The Obesity Epidemics and the changes in the Self-reported biases in BMI,† gives a clear insight of how cases of obesity are not fully discovered among individuals. Idyllically, such cases may remain obscure for a longer period of time without the knowledge of the public health officials. I agree with the author that biases subject to social desirability as well as recall errors have led to poor reporting of obesity cases in many countries. As such, this event has facilitated increased cases of obesity leading to unimaginable obesity epidemic. The author notes that BMI measurement error leads to underestimation of the BMI that can be used to determine the case of obesity among individuals. I also contend with Aiko and Sturm on the fact that media coverage on the cases of obesity has uncovered the lack of awareness among individuals and their weights. According to Aiko and Sturm (4), poor reporting of BMI is one of the faults that ostensibly cause lack of awareness on obesity and related disorders. However, the media has played an imminent role that has transformed lives of many individuals by exposing the disparities in BMI self-reports and the actual BMI reports. While the bias in self-reporting has been cited as one of the reasons why obesity is growing rapidly in the US, Aiko and Sturm (3) note that measuring of the BMI should include the detailed analyses that will minimise the errors that occur during measurement of the procedures. While the media has been proactive in raising obesity awareness in the recent times, Aiko and Sturm (5) note that the problem of error in self-reporting has led to poor accuracy in estimating the number of individuals who suffer from obesity. To this end, acknowledge that there are possibilities of the obesity epidemic becoming out of control. Individuals only continue to gain weight when there are no weight reduction initiatives. As such, it is important to institute proper weight and height measuring techniques that ensure accuracy in reporting the BMIs of individuals. The BMI measurement remains the commonest way of determining whether an individual is obese or not. In this manner, it is imperative as stated by Aiko and Sturm (5) to use techniques that teach individual populations on the obesity epidemic. On the contrary, I disagree with the claims of the author that the outburst of obesity epidemic is due to errors in measuring the BMI among individuals. Ideally, there are many factors that have changed over time concerning how individuals view healthy choices. Awareness on the obesity issues help in adopting preventive measures that help many individuals in preventing obesity. In this manner, the author should have included lack of information as one of the main facilitators of obesity. A mixture of factors leads to the development of obesity. In this manner, note that erroneous measurement of the BMI can only be counted as a secondary factor in the development of obesity epidemic. The American Heart Association indicates that many Americans are dealing with complications of obesity in the United States. This is a confirmation that this condition has become a major epidemic. Individuals have chosen unhealthy lifestyles that continue to facilitate the development of the epidemic. With the increased trends in technology, sedentary lifestyles have replaced the manual techniques that ensured physical activities among individuals. On the other side, resisting food cues has been a major problem among many individuals suffering from weight problems. As such, there is a major problem in dealing with nutrition and lifestyle than dealing with BMI measurement errors. However, Aiko and Sturm (4) are also right since raising awareness on obesity can help people in remaining fully aware and capable of regulating risks that can initiate the development of obesity. To this end, it is evident that obesity epidemic is dependent on variant factors that should be considered while preventing the condition. Works Cited Dietz, William. The Response of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Obesity Epidemic. Annual review of public health 36 (2015): 575-596. Gotay, Carolyn, et al. Updating the Canadian obesity maps: an epidemic in progress. Can J Public Health 104.1 (2012): e64-e68. Hattori, Aiko, and Roland Sturm. The obesity epidemic and changes in self-report biases in BMI. Obesity 21.4 (2013): 856-860. Radley, Balko. â€Å"What you Eat is your Business.† Commentary (2004): Para.1-16

Thinking Before You Start Inking Essay -- Health

The lives of average teenagers are filled with perceived angst, usually due to the pressure to conform by society, and more and more of them are trying to claim independence by permanently marking their skin. A survey conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 36 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo (Associated Press). However, the study did not look at minors who had tattoos, probably due to the fact that 39 states have laws prohibiting minors from getting tattoos and thirty-one states have laws that prohibit both piercing and tattooing on minors without parental permission (National Conference of State Legislatures). However, the focus of this paper will be on the state of Texas, and Texas Health and Safety Code Ann.  §146.012, which â€Å"Prohibits anyone from performing a tattoo on a person under age 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian who believes it is in the best interest of the minor to cover an obscene or offensive tattoo. Required consent may be the physical presence of the individual's parent or guardian or the provision of evidence that he or she is the parent or guardian of the person who is getting the tattoo† (National Conference of State Legislatures). While the law prohibits minors from getting tattoos in Texas, there may be heated debate in households as minors try to convince their parents to give them permission to tattoo. Minors need to realize that tattoos are permanent, and that waiting until they are of age will give them a better sense of judgment when it comes to permanently scarring their bodies. Much of the non-tattooed population does not truly understand the tattoo process, and how it has become safer. However the process o... ...ercare of their tattoo if they want it to heal quickly and be as bright as possible" (Beckerman). Trusting a minor to do that, might make them better adults, but learning to take the time for big decisions is lesson that will help them get along in life on a much smoother path. Works Cited Associated Press. Survey Shows That 24 Percent of Americans Ages 18-50 Are Tattooed. 23 July 2006. Web. 14 March 2012. Beckerman, Gerry. Interview with Tattoo Artist, "Inkslinger" Karen L. Hudson. 13 March 2012. web. Bernstein, Niel. How To Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What To Do If You Can't. New York City: Workman Publishing Company Inc., 2001. Print. Dickson, Amy. "Why Not Tattoo." Time (1999): 41. Print. National Conference of State Legislatures. Tattooing and Piercings for Minors. October 2011. Web. 14 March 2012. Tattoos. April 2009. Web. 14 March 2012. Thinking Before You Start Inking Essay -- Health The lives of average teenagers are filled with perceived angst, usually due to the pressure to conform by society, and more and more of them are trying to claim independence by permanently marking their skin. A survey conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 36 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo (Associated Press). However, the study did not look at minors who had tattoos, probably due to the fact that 39 states have laws prohibiting minors from getting tattoos and thirty-one states have laws that prohibit both piercing and tattooing on minors without parental permission (National Conference of State Legislatures). However, the focus of this paper will be on the state of Texas, and Texas Health and Safety Code Ann.  §146.012, which â€Å"Prohibits anyone from performing a tattoo on a person under age 18 without the consent of a parent or guardian who believes it is in the best interest of the minor to cover an obscene or offensive tattoo. Required consent may be the physical presence of the individual's parent or guardian or the provision of evidence that he or she is the parent or guardian of the person who is getting the tattoo† (National Conference of State Legislatures). While the law prohibits minors from getting tattoos in Texas, there may be heated debate in households as minors try to convince their parents to give them permission to tattoo. Minors need to realize that tattoos are permanent, and that waiting until they are of age will give them a better sense of judgment when it comes to permanently scarring their bodies. Much of the non-tattooed population does not truly understand the tattoo process, and how it has become safer. However the process o... ...ercare of their tattoo if they want it to heal quickly and be as bright as possible" (Beckerman). Trusting a minor to do that, might make them better adults, but learning to take the time for big decisions is lesson that will help them get along in life on a much smoother path. Works Cited Associated Press. Survey Shows That 24 Percent of Americans Ages 18-50 Are Tattooed. 23 July 2006. Web. 14 March 2012. Beckerman, Gerry. Interview with Tattoo Artist, "Inkslinger" Karen L. Hudson. 13 March 2012. web. Bernstein, Niel. How To Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What To Do If You Can't. New York City: Workman Publishing Company Inc., 2001. Print. Dickson, Amy. "Why Not Tattoo." Time (1999): 41. Print. National Conference of State Legislatures. Tattooing and Piercings for Minors. October 2011. Web. 14 March 2012. Tattoos. April 2009. Web. 14 March 2012.

An Overview of Capital Punishment Essay -- Capital Punishment Death Pe

â€Å"The question with which we must deal is not whether a substantial proportion of American citizens would today, if polled, opine that capital punishment is barbarously cruel, but whether they would find it to be so in light of all information presently available.†- Justice Thurgood Marshall Imagine a man who commits murder once, is given a fifteen-year jail sentence and is returned to the streets where he kills again. He is imprisoned again only to be released. This could happen since almost one in ten death row inmates has been convicted of murder at least once. That means that some death row inmates have been given more than one chance to rehabilitate in prison and continue to commit violent crimes. Should the United States justice system continue to let violent criminals back on the streets where they are likely to commit murder again? Capital punishment is one of the oldest forms of punishment in the world. Most societies have considered it a fair punishment for severe crimes. It is even mentioned as an appropriate punishment in the Bible. American colonists used capital punishment before the United States was a country, and most states use it today. Currently, however, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the death penalty. Capital cases are long and expensive, and there is no proof as to whether capital punishment deters crime. For these reasons total abolition may be the best way to resolve the capital punishment controversy. If the laws concerning capital punishment were modified, however, capital punishment could become much cheaper, and possibly a lot more effective. – Steve Brinker Capital Punishment: Give It A Chance Since the beginning of man, people have been put to death. Capital punishment has been used all over the world as a means of punishing people for their crimes. Here in America, people are usually given a trial for their crime, judged upon by the jury and judge, and then finally decided upon their final verdict. If the crime is serious enough, the person is sent to spend time on death row in a maximum-security prison. The judge then sets a date when the person is to be executed. The person has an opportunity to appeal, which must be granted by the governor in the state in which the person is imprisoned. If the pers... ...al punishment has been an instrument of government authority since it was first written into Hammurabi’s Code nearly four thousand years ago, if not before. In today’s modern, more â€Å"enlightened† times, many find the practice barbaric, and object on principle. Others believe the practice is sometimes justified, but object on grounds of iniquities in its application. Still others believe capital punishment lacks â€Å"teeth†, and would be a more effective deterrent to crime if used less sparingly, and with less of the Byzantine judicial process currently required. Recent reforms here in Florida reflect the latter view. In an effort to reduce the time actually spent on Death Row by the condemned, the State of Florida is altering its law to require that all appeals be complete within five years of sentencing in the absence of new evidence, and must be submitted simultaneously, not sequentially. At the same time, other states, such as Illinois, have imposed a moratorium on executions. It is an issue few are in total agreement about. Most Americans, however, agree that in the most heinous, horrific cases, the condemned has earned his fate.

Anti-Theme Writing :: Teaching Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Anti-Theme Writing All writers of the world join together and work to banish theme writing from existence. Anyone who can read and write must join together in opposition to the teaching and proliferation of the theme writing disease. Theme writing blocks insight and creativity among the world's population who in striving for an education must be continually oppressed, and denied a very important ability, the ability to think. For hundreds of years the world has been divided into three major classes, the boredwajzee, the studentletariat, and the illiterate. The boredwajzee consists of scholars, teachers, and professors who teach theme writing and continually oppress the other classes by blocking creativity and insight. They instill a fear of failure using the tools of a corrupt grading system that works to promote the writing of the theme. Theme writing takes the personal interest out of education and greatly affects the student striving to fine-tune the ability to think. The education and promotion of writing in theme creates educated students, but students not educated to think for themselves. At a very early age when theme writing is instilled in the minds of our young people it serves the very purposes of the boredwajzee. Taking away a studentà ­s ability to think by promoting theme writing keeps the boredwajzee in power by creating an apathetic student. A student who neither cares to write, nor think s when writing. This promotes stability in our current educational system. A system where the evil tools of grades are used by the boredwajzee to ensure the creation of an educated yet apathetic student who writes only to please the boredwajzee. All the while, unbeknownst to the student, thought and creativity are oppressed and the boredwajzeeà ­s power is preserved. The class of the studentletariat is then molded into the ideal student to ensure the survival of the boredwajzee. The student does not care about what is written as long as it conforms to the basic methods taught by the boredwajzee. The studentletariat at a very early age loses the ability to think and be creative in their education. Ultimately what is created is apathy, a student that does not care to go beyond what is taught. A student who no longer learns for the sake of learning but only does just enough to please the boredwajzee. The studentletariat hold no personal interest in what is learned and therefore the perfect student is molded by the boredwajzee.

Platinum Rule Assessment

Behavior happens to be a very vital component in an individual’s life in as far as good image of one’s personality is concerned. Though it does not necessary portray the real picture of one; as it is dynamic. Different individuals behave differently in different situations. This by and large depends with the set rules and expectations of any particular setting. According to the Disc Platinum Rule Behavioral Assessment there are four basic styles of behaviors; Dominance style, Interactive style, Steadiness style and Cautious style. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 28)The biggest challenge is how one can cope with all these different styles with little or no difficulty. Everyone is expected to at least formulate his/ her own mechanism that puts him/her in a better position to comfortably accommodate and bring negotiations with all the behavioral style. This ability to amicably relate with people with different personality according to DPRA has been compared to Intelligence Quotient since it positions people to stand high chance of interacting smoothly and as a consequence they add up a taste in their lives. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 6)The social scientists have renamed this ability as social Intelligence from adaptability since everyone strives to meet his /her different needs through interaction. They have argued out that social Intelligence has gained a great deal of importance to an extent that it is at times considered more essential than the natural Intelligence Quotient. This is because social intelligent people have that tendency to draw a line between their personality and their behaviors with reference to their actions after being triggered by different situations. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 6)In a group of individuals these different behavior styles are portrayed. Like for instance in this youth group that was formed to minimize abject poverty among the youth, most of the members had Dominance and Steadiness styles of behavior. The ones with the Dominance beh avioral style had uncontrollable zeal to be the key office bearers and by chance almost all of them were the ones who occupied the key positions within the group and beside that they were the ones who speeded up the decision making processes following their desires to achieve great things within short periods.On the other hand, those with Steadiness style of behavior were so fond of working with several rest periods incorporated in between, enjoyed delegating and making follow ups on group’s activities. Much of the long term planning was being handled by them. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 5) The ones with the dominance behavioral style were risk takers and they took great pleasure to experiment new things and being the ones in charge of every group’s activity.They seemed to be fascinated by the fact that they were hard working especially after realizing that they were being driven by their strong desire to achieve greater things without impediments on the way. The ones with t he Steadiness style of behavior were quite proactive and they enjoyed working in communal with full anticipation that the entire group will benefit from their efforts. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 6) The dominance behavioral stylists were very impatient when things went at a slow pace. They were naturally fast-paced and enjoyed doing things in great speed.Their counterparts, the Steadiness stylists, took things slowly and with great care. The dominance behavioral stylists were product-oriented and innovators. They loved seeing their efforts give rise to fruits as quick as they exerted and without taking precautions, they enjoyed trying new ideas. The Steadiness behavioral stylists on the other hand, were slow but sure. They were not that much concerned about the quick feedbacks in terms of result since they were quite patient and usually took the back seat and gave a keen look as things rolled out. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 31)The dominance behavioral stylists were quite self-centered in that they concentrated all their efforts on a particular activity with the ultimate intension of satisfying their ego. The Steadiness behavioral stylists worked extra hard and found great pleasure in things that worked best for the good of all. The dominance behavioral stylists had a â€Å"don’t care† attitude. They did things deliberately and with less concern about other people’s feelings. They were willing to provoke and make others mad with the mentality that their offended will without hesitation find it easy to forgive them.They believed in apologizing rather than seeking for permission to do things. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 14) The dominance behavioral stylists believed in being good at multitasking thus they went for several activities with a greedy anticipation that they would all be achieved within a stipulated duration. The Steadiness behavioral stylists enjoyed doing their things one after the other at ago. They seemed not to worry so much about time so long as what they intended to do came to be realized or implemented finally. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 15)The dominance behavior stylists were quite bold and took up new challenges with full authority and tackled problems as they emerged. The Steadiness stylists were a bit reluctant when faced by challenges following their strong belief in team work. For matters to be solved in short time, the entire group had to be assigned the duty to deliberate over it and come up with a tangible solution. The dominance behavioral stylists were never contented by the status quo opportunities. They liked dramatic changes and new exposures. Thus they were adventurous.The Steadiness behavioral stylists on the other hand had no problem with the status quo though at times they raised their eye brows when they felt the status quo tended to be an impediment for the group’s growth and development. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 14) The dominance behavior stylists and the Steadiness behavior stylists were both goal oriented. They were both driven by the innate force to have things done with an overall intension of improving the situation of the group. Both the dominance behavioral stylists and the steadiness behavioral stylists took up responsibilities differently.Thus the combination of their efforts and fortitude made the group achieve greater and greater set goals since everyone’s contributions counted. The tasks handled by both stylists formed a strong basis upon which goals and aspirations concerning the growth of the group were realized. . (Alessandra, 2008, p. 5) Both the dominance behavioral stylists and the steadiness behavioral stylists were quite optimistic in that they constantly indulged themselves in activities with a broader picture of bringing considerable benefit for the group.Both the dominance behavioral stylists and the steadiness behavioral stylists were receptive to challenges and acted upon them differently. They were positive on taking up challenges thus they we re not easily brought down or distorted from what they were doing for the group. Both the dominance behavioral stylists and the steadiness behavioral stylists took up active roles in conducting the group’s activities. Every one had certain expectations when it came about performing their duties for the group and with that the work load was shared equally among the members.Both the dominance behavioral stylists and the steadiness stylists planned before they took action though the time frames differed. . (Alessandra, 2008, p. 14) The benefit of having these two behavioral styles being predominant in the youth group was that most of the members were exposed to learn the skills of coping well with the different personalities. This was especially during the conduct of tasks where after being assigned different duties different members were expected to deliver their best for the betterment of the good.Therefore, through cooperation among and within the members all came to be reali zed. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 34) Having the two behavioral styles in the group enabled every member to have an inner cognition and appreciation of the nature and ability in terms of performance that different individuals had without underrating and despising one another. The group members came into terms with the fact that constant earlier experienced group’s dynamics were problematic and mostly were the cause of underperformance that the group experienced.The problem was discovered to be promoted by the misinterpretation that initially most of the members had over others, and thus the idea of keenly understanding one another much deeper helped a lot to minimize the wrangles. (Alessandra, 2008, p. 6) The skills of multitasking by the dominance behavioral stylists was disseminated to the Steadiness behavioral stylists and others thus the group faced little difficulties in terms of implementing activities that require bigger man power. The members could take up tasks that initial ly they thought were meant to be for the best of the best individuals.Leadership positions kept on rotating from one individual to another since everyone was deemed a potential leader. With this the group kept on doing quite well as new and new ideas on how to better the group were brought forward by the different leaders. Encouragement and motivational comments were also given out to every member so as to boost their self esteem. The fact that these two behavioral styles happened to be predominant in the group gave a room for social learning where at least every was made to discover his/ her strength and weaknesses in as far as good behavior is concerned.(Alessandra, 2008, p. 6) CONCLUSION The Disc Platinum Rule of Behavioral Style is a form of gauging tool that tries to give a clear picture of the personality composition that different individuals have. The major behavioral styles that have been highlightened above show the differences associated with different personalities. Ever y individual is therefore expected to force him/her self to accommodate and relate comfortably with people who happen to have different behavioral style.The best way recommended by DPRA for proper interaction is for individuals to treat others fairly well the same way they expect others to treat them. With this tension will be minimized and as a result unity and harmony will prevail among a group of people, besides the rapport among them being strong. The different behavioral styles to some extent form a strong basis upon which individuals can be categorized with reference to their temperaments. The behavioral styles make a clear resemblance of the different temperaments though in an indirect version.The behavioral styles by and large march with the four major temperaments. Thus it is worth noting that there is a strong connection between an individual’s behavior and his/her temperament despite the slight differences that might be noticed. REFERENCE Alessandra, T. , (2008) Pl atinum Rule Behavioral Style Assessment. Custom edition from The University of Phoenix. Available at http://UOP. BlanchardAssessments. com Accessed on July 17, 2008. Alessandra, T. & O’Connor, M, J. (1996) The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four BasicBusiness Personalities. -And How They Can Lead You to Success. Available at www. amazon. com/ The Platinum Rule: Discover the Four Basic Business Personalities. Accessed on July 17, 2008. Alessandra, T. , O’Connor, M, J. & Dyke, J, V. People Smarts – Bending the Golden Rule to Give Others What They Want. Available at www. amazon. com/People-Smarts-Bending-Golden-Others. . Accessed on July 17, 2008. Bonnstetter, J. & Suiter, R. (2001). The Universal Language DISC, Skills Training Manual for Treating behaviour.. Available at www. dropbears.com/b/broughsbooks/health/psychology_personality. htm . Accessed on July 17, 2008. Ritchey, T. & Koehler, B. (1998) I’m Stuck, You’re Stuck. The Power of 360 Feedback. Gu lf Publishers. Straw, J. & Koehler, B, (2002) The 4-Dimensional Manager. Disc strategies for managing Different people in the best ways. Available at www. amazon. com/Dimensional-Manager-Strategies-Managing-Different. Accessed on July 17, 2008 Hersey, P. , Blanchard, K, H,(1993),Management of Organizational Behavior, A guide to utilizing human resource. Prentice Hall.