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.. 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