Thursday, October 31, 2019

Childhood Obesity in the United States Research Paper

Childhood Obesity in the United States - Research Paper Example Introduction It is obvious to note that no one will feel comfortable when he or she is obese. Since one, this will make you not to go through daily chores perfectly due to overweight. Secondly, one might incur chronic disease such as the pressure and diabetes. With that, the need to fight and eradicate it should be geared up by the non-governmental organizations, government, schools, and volunteers. United States is one of those countries that face this challenge, and the worse part of it is that according to statistics, the number of those children affected is increasing. That is why, in this essay, several writers are giving their views and the need to fight obese to the last minute. Actually according to â€Å"The Kid's Doctor: Family routines can reduce childhood obesity. Family Relation,† a journal published by the database of American pediatrics, it is worth noting that it entirely validate the significance of family routines (Hubbard Sue 2013). Having put that across, t he above article constitutes the researchers from university of Ohio State, where they deeply analyzed household routines in relation to child obesity, a problem that has been ever escalating. Here, the whole research entailed 8,500 children under the age of four years. The outcomes were alarming in that, almost 18 percent of the children were diagnosed with obesity. Due to this high number of affected children, Hubbard, the author affirms that it forced the researchers to inquire the cause of this veering phenomenon. After analysis, it became known that a number of household routines gears up a predicator of the obesity in the United Stated. It follows that this household routines are viewed as easy to initiate in that its accomplishment does not actually entail a cost. For instance, families that have established good or considerable routines family meals, this has proved to be a positive to children since it results in improved academic results in children, risk of using drugs an d alcohol, attention as well as overall wellbeing. Generally, luck of family eating together, proper sleep just to mention but a few has constituted to the issue of increased obesity in children in the US, this is according to the above article. Conclusively, in the efforts to try to give out a solution, Hubbard affirms that teens should be made to follow a certain healthy schedule for instance, they should b made to not when to go to sleep. Secondly, he reminds the parents that children under the age of two years should be denied the chance of watching television, and those above the age of two should watch television but in not more than two hours. Although, it is difficult to understand its co-relation with obesity, the truth is that this author followed the direction by the American Academic of Pediatrics. According to â€Å"school snack food rules clamp down on calories, fat†, an article by Anderson and Butcher, they actually based their argument on the research they did on the foods sold in the U.S schools (Anderson & Butcher, 2006). They argue that the snacks sold in the U.S school have actually increased the rate at which children obesity is engulfing children. According to them, they affirm that most of these foods are over-fatted; they have a lot of sugar as well as salt. They based their argument upon the rules given by the federal State regarding the quality of

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

A comparative analysis from the online retail company Rakuten to Essay

A comparative analysis from the online retail company Rakuten to another four companies - Essay Example Bezos and its headquarters is in Seattle. Mr. Bezos is still the CEO, Chairman and President of the Company- he took office in 1994 after founding the company. The senior Vice President is Mr. Thomas J. Szkutak who has been in office since 2002. Other executives include: Ms. Kathy Sheehan, Mr. Phil Hardin and Ms. Mary Bowman. Amazon.com has been able to increase its revenues to $74.5B from $61.1B in the previous years. It bounced back with a profit of $274M after a loss in the previous year of around $39M. This may be attributed to decrease in the percentage of sales related to cost of goods. Currently, the market price of its shares is $327.82, a 3.58% increase. The table below shows annual financial statement of the company. EBay Inc. is an online trading company that allows sellers and buyers to exchange products and services ranging from collectible and memorabilia to coins and sporting tickets. It also has an online payment service- PayPal. Its headquarters is located at Hamilton Avenue, San Jose, California. It has three presidents: John J Donahoe (President/CEO), Craig Hayman (President-Enterprise Business) and Devin N Wenig (President-Market Places). EBay shares are currently valued$54.36, this is a 0.02% decrease. The financial position of companies at the end of every fiscal year is very important for investors as it forms basis of their future decisions. There are many types of ratios in use today, however the ones that are more important to the investors are the profitability and liquidity ratios as they reveal the financial position of the company at the end of that year. Profitability is an important piece of information for investors as it will either attract them to a company or scare them away. This is due to the fact that high revenues and increased stock prices don’t necessarily equate to high dividends for investors. Profitability ratios therefore give investors a clue of the likelihood that a company

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin The Jewish Museum Berlin incorporates the social and cultural history of the Germany after World War 2 and aspired to correspond to the effects of the Holocaust on Jews in Germany. In his design, Libeskind claimed to combine three main concepts; the incapability to comprehend the historical agendas of Germany without the knowledge of the civilizational, academic and economic contribution that was made by the Jewish people in Berlin. Secondly he wanted to capture the bodily and spiritual journey in correlation to the experience of the Holocaust and its repercussions the society of Jews and finally he wanted to make amends by the acknowledgment, removal and the incorporation of voids, through which Berlin can move but this time with humanitarian existence. When the construction ended in 1999, the Director Michael Blumenthal declared that, the chief aim of the museum will be to bring a sense of the richness of Jewish cultural life in Germany before the Holocaust LIBESKINDS BOOK However, the Holocaust infuses the museum so strongly the museum has been called by reviewers and critics both didactic and pedagogical that the message is one for the present and, more importantly, for the future (BOOK MAKE UP). Because the context of the Holocaust remains such a strong thread in this space, it warrants examination as a unique addition to genres memorializing the Holocaust. Additionally, the museums triumph in its massive turnout rates particularly with young people, over the last decade calls for an analysis of its complexity of design and content to understand how the space performs to change the way we see things.WHY HE WON? For Libeskind, who was worn in Poland, a coupl of hundred Kilemoters from Berlin and whose family devastated during the Holocaust, the project presented a chance to reconnect to his past. Both of his parents were arrested by Soviet officials when the Red Army and upon their return home and have spend some time in concentration camp. Upon their retur n they learned that 85 members of families had died at the hands of the Nazis. These experiences made Libeskind design extremely personal and in a sence biased. In an nterview to Jewish Currents, a Jewish on-line magazine that deals with activism, politics and art Libeskind explains his approach; I would first point out that its not a project that I had to research in a library or study in the archives because it is part of my background, including my immediate background in every sense. My parents were Holocaust survivors and my uncle Nathan was one of the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. I myself grew up as a Jew in post war Poland under quite anti-Semitic circumstances. And Ive lived in Israel and New York. Certainly that museum is speaking, both backwards and forwards, to many issues that are part of my Jewish sensibility. Jewish Currents Just by observing the form of the structure, already the sense of pragmatic effect is playing a large role. The building is recognisable by its gleaming zinc walls, asymmetrical shape of the zigzag form with daylight penetrating through asymmetric cuts suggestive of the vile stabs on Jewish presence in Germany. Berliners immediately dubbed it blitz or the lighting. For Libeskind this tormented form represents all the brutality, all the ruptures in the history of the Jews in Germany. This could b a case of Libeskinds over-collaboration with the structure, as this lighting, zig-zag this design of the structure is developed from the disjointed Star of David which is only noticable from the air an image only seen by an angel( BOOK BY DANILEl. The building, for example, proposes that the horrified, broken world of the Holocaust is best evoked by shatter, broken space. The entrance to the exhibition is by a descending lobby staircase that leads into a world twisted geometry where floors are off centre and twisted. And instead of feeling something philosophical, you almost anticipate platforms moving as in a luna parks house of terror. The basement of the museum is made of three axes representing three certainties in the history of Jews in Germany. The first is Axis of Continuity and it is the longest one. It joins the Old Building with the central stairway which escorts up to the exhibition levels. To Liberskind is a representation of continuation of Jews in Berlins history and culture. Second, Axis of Emigration guides visitors outside to sunshine of the Garden of Exile. here the walls are to some extent skewed and distorted. A gigantic door must be opened before one can step into the garden. There is not much information about history and once again Libeskind heavily relies on the architecture, our imagination and experiences to construct the history. dead end is at the Axis of the Holocaust which is even more narrower becomes and darker and finishes at the Holocaust Tower. Unlike in Axis of Emigration there is bit more information about the holocaust. On the way glass case, documents and other personal possessi ons are displayed, confirming of a private life of their owners who were murdered. Underground, all three axes traverse, representing the link between the three certainties of Jewish life in Germany. One aspect of the museum that had an effect on me are Libeskind`s so called Voids which symbolise the fundamental structural element of the New Building and its association with the Old Building. Here a staircase guides visitors down to the basement and all the way to the voids of exposed concrete which connects two buildings. These are indeed empty spaces, some of which you can peek into, and theyre supposed to symbolize the voids left by those Jews and Jewish communities that have been wiped out during the Holocaust. While this is certainly a very dark aspect of the buildings intend, it is rather an abstract one and again a pre-acquired knowledge had to exist in order to understand architects intentions. While observing the images of Voids the feeling of bareness, confusion and loss are strong and almost agonizing. Here, an installation by the Israeli sculptor, Menasche Kadishman of over 10,000 circular iron disc faces is spread along the concrete floor. It represents the suffering that could be seen on the faces of Jews murdered in Nazi Germany. Although these discs were left there intentionally as is usually not case with the punctum they are my prick. Ten thousand faces look at you from the cold concrete floor and their wide open mouth appears to be screaming. The fact that visitors are invited to wal k all over those faces seems as it somehow desecrates the installation. Maybe one of those faces was my grandfathers friend. In summation, the motive for the museum can influence the architectural form and become its source of inspiration. However, architecture could never have the specificity of meaning of written or verbal communication. The ways in which a building might thus express its newly anointed role in the framing of history seem partial, and burdened with pitfalls. I very often think that contemporary culture has more style over matter, and it could be argued that the Jewish Museum is a case in point. People expecting to leave building and gain a much better perspective of what life was like for the German Jewish population, will be disappointed, but if they are prepared to let their mind follow Daniel Libeskinds interpretation of events then they`ll leave distressed and puzzled . However, if come with certain acquaintances and their own experiences from the holocaust, they will notice their punctum and leave wounded and tormented.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Warriors of the Amazon :: Yanomami Tribe

In the Amazon between Venezuela and Brazil, there is a tribe of native people known as the Yanomami. The Yanomami are an ancient people who are relatively unaffected by the civilizations and technology of today. They are a culture of hunting and gathering. The men are warriors that help to defend the tribe from other tribes, hunt for meat, and attack opposing tribes. The women stay home and cook, raise the children. Many people stay in the shibono, or community complex. The children are raised for a rough life, to be warriors. They learn that every injury suffered must be repaid. Men are the powerful gender, with all the rights. The relationships created by having in-laws are the basis for their power. If a favor is granted, it must be returned. A person is always supposed to be loyal to their family connections. A shaman is appointed to be the head of the tribe. Spirituality is a very important, everyday thing. The tribe is constantly at war with demons. There are ritual hallucinogens that are used for contact with spirits and the spirit world. The spirits control events in life which the shaman attempt to harness. The shaman gains the powers of these spirits by going to the spirit world, and he uses these to put curses on enemy shamans and heal tribe members from the vices of demons. Diseases and illnesses are causes by the demons and as such can only be heal by spiritual power. When someone dies their bones are burned and crushed into ash and consumed by the relatives. It puts a persons soul at peace to find a resting place within their family, it would be an abomination to bury them in the ground. Once this ceremony is finished the person is gone. Their name or person is never to be mentioned again. Enemy tribes fight and put curses on each other. To become allies again they must trade and negotiate. Then, the tribes combine together with a large peace celebration. They conduct a dance in ceremonial dress and test each others strength.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Air Asia Background

ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STUDIES PROGRAMME 2011-2012 ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STUDIES PROGRAMME 2011-2012 Assessment Task: Team Project (10%) Type of assessment: Four persons in a team Starting Date: Week 5Ending Date: Week 10 Learning Outcome tested: 1. LO1 – Explain the difference between data and information, the economics and problems associated with information. 2. LO2 – Distinguish between different types of technologies for acquiring , processing, storing, disseminating and communication data or information 3.LO3 – Discuss the various types of information systems that are in use by various organizations. Assignment Specification and Requirements : Currently, most of the organizations are prefer using Information System (IS) to organize and coordinate their data, Information and records. Information System is present to support the organizational activities. IS providing organizations with advantages as follow: * al low organization to increase market share/profit to better negotiate with suppliers, to compete with competitors * help in managing/keeping records, organizing information, analyzing data * help in make a better decision Assume that you work as a Manager at IT Department in your organization and you plan to implement new system for organization/department. The purposes of introducing a new system are to achieve organization needs and to improve performance of the organization. Requirements: As a Manager at IT Department, you need to prepare a report to the top management.The report is to propose/advice the top management about IS. The report should consist of: 1) Cover page with project title, subject name and code, student names and ID 2) Report should be in 10/15 pages 3) Includes table of contents and references 4) Computer-typed report The contents of your report should be as follow: 1. 0 Introduction 2. 1 Information/Background of Organization 2. 2 Business Strategy 2. 0 IT Arc hitecture 3. 3 Current method used in organization 3. 4 Explain why you need Information System in Organization 3. Describe the structure of IS 3. 0 IT infrastructure 4. 6 Identify IT components used to create and build IS 4. 7. 1 Hardware 4. 7. 2 software 4. 0 IT Personnel 5. 7 Staff involve in IT Infrastructure (e. g. IT Officer, Programmer, System Analyst, System Developer, IT Technician) 5. 8 Explain Roles and responsibility of IT Personnel 5. 0 IT Services (system used in organization) 6. 9 Detail Description about system 6. 10 Explain the function and services provided by the system 6. 0 Estimated Cost

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Empathy in Nursing

Good communication between the client and the health care worker is a vital theory within a health care setting. To have an effective communication with a patient, a nurse needs to be empathetic and a good listener. Empathy is the ability to understand and share patient’s emotion or state of mind. Showing interest, attention and devotion towards patient will enhance a strong, healthy and supportive bond with the patient.According to the Webster’s dictionary, empathy is defined as â€Å"the projection of one’s own personality into the personality of another in order to understand the person better; ability to share in another’s emotions, thoughts, feelings† (Moore 2006, p 16). Empathy is usually considered as the capability to put oneself in a situation to understand the emotions, feelings of other people.Nowadays, empathy is considered as an effective skill for communication that is useful for both the health care worker and the client (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki 2008, p 118). The health care worker can collect related information and data from a client without any difficulty by using empathy as a communication tool. A no of patients visit hospitals or health care settings with different needs and expectations having different problems. Some clients are extremely hard to control. You can read also Coronary Artery Disease Nursing Care PlanAn empathetic understanding is necessary while dealing with such patients. Therefore, approaching empathetically can maintain the interpersonal relationship between the health care worker and client as well as improve the effectiveness of treatment (Davis 2009, p 76). It is important that the health care workers should feel what the patients or clients are going through providing comfort and reassuring of their lives. Empathy is a way of telling them they are not alone. It reduces their fear thus bringing hope and confidence.Keen (2006, p †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) states that memory, knowledge, knowledge and being able to feel other’s perception plays important part in empathy. The initial step in developing clinical empathy is to actively listen to the patient ( Davis 2009, p 77). In a therapeutic relationship, a health care worker can understand problems of a patient by listening carefully to their verbal and emotion al behaviours (Kliszcz et al. 2006). The responsibility of health care provider is to avoid any physical and mental factors that istracts the interaction between the patient and them. They should pay attention while the client is giving his or her information. The following step for empathy is to understand, recognize and sensitive obligation of feelings of another person. The health care worker should show the patient what they understand and make realize the support is provided to them. Demonstrating empathy helps to decrease the feeling of insulated for their disease to the client which is intensely therapeutic.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Crash of 1929 essays

Crash of 1929 essays This book presents a delicious paradox. Mary Klein, a Professor of History at the University of Rhode Island, has assembled a remarkably detailed, wonderfully readable and eminently literate account of the decline and fall of the American economy. His research is stunning, his words superbly chosen. This is a classic of economic history, a standard by which other histories are going to be judged. And it is timely, for 2001 appears to be the rim of an abyss, like that of the 1930s. Are we about to fall in once more? Prof. Klein doesn't say. Historians often tend to say that they are interested in evidence, not in laws of causation. Yet in his prologue, Prof. Kelin mentions the dilemma of scholars trying to explain the Great Crash. Montarists say money had been too tight. Followers of the Austrian school that includes Hayek and Schumpeter say that money creation was too loose. Galbraith says he could have fixed the problem in short order while foreign trade experts point to the U.S. Smoot-Hawley tarriff as the reason for the strangulation of world trade and consequent decline of business revenues. Prof. Klein does nothing to resolve the argument. But his prose is luscious and his research apt. Comedians, of course, made light of the era. He quotes Eddie Cantor, a singer in the era, "as for me, I am not worried. My broker is going to carry me; he and three other pall bearers." The Depression destroyed countless lives, including those of General Motors founder Bill Durant, who wound up running a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan, and the great stock market speculator Jesse Livermore, who went to the very luxe Sherry Netherland Hotel on New York's Fifth Avenue in November, 1940 and, after a drink in the bar, shot himself in the men's room. Prof. Klein tells the tale vividly. What can be said of the Depression when all its warts have been counted? Prof. Klein has written a spectacular work of economic history, yet there is a point...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Cinematography in The Revenant essays

Cinematography in The Revenant essays For many years, motion pictures have been a primary form of entertainment. The principals of movie making are utilized for the enhancement of our cinematic experience. The cinematography is the technique that captures the movement of images in motion pictures. Moreover, the functions of cinematography affect the ambiance of the movie as well as the audiences feelings. The features give an excellent demonstration through lighting, camera movement, and framing and point of view in the Oscar-winning movie called The Revenant. Along with conversation, these three elements help express the central theme of the film. Lighting is not just shining a light on a character, or the essence of natural light, its the essential piece of cinemas visual design that creates the emotional impact which contributes to the effect of each scene. The first reaction to darkness and light is an ingrained facet of human psychology that filmmakers have employed to have an effect on the way audiences respond to the narrative's development. Notably, the cinematographer chooses what kind of light or lights will be used, how many or much may be needed, as well as the precise positioning. Lighting has three central purposes; to clarify images, to project realism, and for the creation of atmosphere or emotional effects i.e. effectual light. Shooting a film using natural light can be difficult, but they did a good job of it in The Revenant; it drew the audience in and heightened the interpretation of reality. The only scene in the movie that utilized a touch of creative artificial lighting was a campfire scene where Leonardo DiCaprio, known in the film as Hugh Glass, attempts to keep warm on his continual movement through the woods. The variable winds caused the fire to behave in a distracting way, therefore, Emanuele Lubezki, the cinematographer employed an aesthetic effect using light bulbs around the fire to assimilate a sea of f...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Brunelleschi And Ghiberti In Early Rennaissance Essay

, Research Paper The competition panels by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti were made in Early Rennaissance. They were two of the seven plants that competed for the series of doors for the Florentine Baptistery. The topic for the competition doors was the narrative of how the religion of the patriarch Abraham was tested by God, who asked him to give his lone boy, Isaac. Abraham took Isaac into the forests to give, accompanied by two retainers and a donkey. Just as Abraham sacrificed Isaac, God, convinced about Abrahams religion, sent a random-access memory by an angel who told him the forfeit of the random-access memory is adequate. The competition panels picturize this minute. They have differences and similarities in footings of Aristotle? s theories andterms. I think foremost they need to be examined through causality. The stuff cause, the natural stuff used, for both plants are the same, bronze. The efficient cause are the creative persons themselves. There are differences in footings of formal cause, that is the design layout by the artist. In the way the panels are made, Brunelleschi?s panel is made up of parts individually shaped and brought together. Ghiberti made the panel as one piece. The way the story is picturized is also different. Brunelleshi?s figures have daring poses, the movement of Abraham and the pose of Isaac are far from being balanced and harmonical. Abraham and Isaac and the other elements have a tension in the way that they are placed and shaped. The drapery and the figures are broken and sharp, again, far from natural. Ghiberti?s figures are more natural and gentle in their poses and movements. The boy?s head looking up towards the god accepting death, Abraham?s movement with knife more natural, the knife not touching, no tension. The angel and other elements also look natural in the way they interact with other elements and their individual poses. The final cause would be the same fot both panels, to tell the story of Sacrifice of Isaac on the door panels usin g bronze.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Chapter 7 & 8 essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chapter 7 & 8 - Essay Example Languages are made by the people all over the world and all kinds of humans can practice the use of language to speak. It is a channel to the public truth, serving the citizens to study the actions in their region and to sort out their feelings. It also brings about harmony inhuman lives. Generally, a speaker can make up a range of verbal terms and expressions that are entirely understandable by the speakers of language. The people from different cultures use different styles of language and it will be different from person to person and also to the country and cultures. Such styles will be a sign of the cultural values of the people or the country. English is spoken by majority of people all over the world. But there are different varieties of English across the world. People use different form of accents according to the geographical structure of that place. There are dialects in many countries which are the language varieties used by people. Normally these are not formally correct language, but all of these are meant for communication and people use these dialects or other forms of slang’s which can be understood by other people. Thus, language, through informal, can be used for communication. â€Å"Speakers of a particular dialect often believe their language variety is the best, correct, and standard way to speak. They may even believe that their language variety is so standard that it is not even considered a dialect.† (Chapter 7). Verbal languages are developed from a diverse form of non-linguistic interactions which were primarily derived from animal ancestors. This diversity of non-linguistic action to converse with one another are formulated through the actions, touching, odor, and substantial looks. These non vocal interactions, when shared with the spoken form of communication scheme, make the platform for interaction through which human beings come to be familiar with and know

PROJECT DEFINITION (Final project) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

PROJECT DEFINITION (Final project) - Essay Example The original purpose of the phone conversation was to discuss a possible licensing agreement. However, their conversation led to a discussion of competitive strategy and the idea of a merger between the two companies was broached. (Hoopes, 2004). By next month, all the basics of the deal were formulated and by September first week, the merger was approved by both boards. The merger was expected to yield savings projected to reach $2.5 billion annually by 2004. (Hoopes, 2004). To identify the strategic management issues that arose out at Compaq and Hewlett-Packard respectively in the lead up to the merger in 2001, and the changes in strategic management that resulted after the merger within the newly merged operation. Although Compaq was growing at a good rate as an independent corporation in the server market and retail PCs, as part of strategic management policy it wanted to expand its reach, particularly in the consulting arena. As an important step towards its transition as a consulting power providing corporate solutions, Compaq and its CEO Michael Cappellas utilized the offer put forward by Carly Fiorina. â€Å"Compaq, which has a global services division of almost 40,000 employees, is moving strategically towards IT business solutions in the key markets, where together with HP, they can compete effectively against IBM, Dell, and Sun.† (Cormia, 2002). As Compaq had a strong strategic management policy of expansion into the consulting arena, the merger was the best feasible option for them. HP wanted to include PC assembling and retailing in its ‘resume’ and thereby become a full-service technology company. A full service technology company who can do all the IT related works and thereby take on the leaders Dell and IBM. â€Å"Fiorina argued, the merger would create a full-service technology firm capable of doing everything from selling PCs and printers to setting up

Choice a company from the Orbis database write business plan to Essay

Choice a company from the Orbis database write business plan to develope an international opportunity - Essay Example The proposal contains an analysis of the proposed market size, estimated cost involved and associated risk with the same. An analysis of the environment of its home country is significant to configure its international strategies. There can be certain trading barriers which can put hurdles for the organisation to grow globally. Apart from this analysis, it is crucial for a company to enhance its competitive strategies to be ahead of its competitors. A study of the competitors and their strategies has been provided to have an enhanced and sustainable competitive advantage. An insight into the modes of entry will help to zero down on a particular entry mode for Sony to expand its business, cross borders. Overall this business report presents an analysis the global business prospects for Sony. The company operates in the high profit consumer electronics products and gaming systems industry. The company’s production range encompasses digital cameras, semiconductors and walkman stereos (Hoovers, 2010). The company even makes a host of items like game consoles and software. Broadcasting of films, television and other video products are one of their vast operating areas. The company is also involved in music, animation production and marketing and other businesses. Apart of all these global businesses, the company is also engaged in the financial service businesses, but this operational area is confined only to its home country, Japan. To compete in any market, it is very much required for an organisation to possess competitive advantage. A firm needs to identify its competence in the market against its competitors. However, the more important pert is whether the company is able to sustain its competitive advantage. A company with a well placed strategy seeks not only to achieve its competitive advantage against its competitors, but must try to hold one the same. Back in 1946, the company had

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Jane Addams's contribution to the establishment of femism in the USA Research Paper

Jane Addams's contribution to the establishment of femism in the USA - Research Paper Example ified person† yet was somewhat depressed about her deformity and wished people may not know that this â€Å"pigeon-toed little girl† with a â€Å"crocked back† was this man’s daughter. Her greatest joy was her father’s company. She was quite attached to her father and always confided her â€Å"sins and perplexities† to her father. Her future is mainly the outcome of her father’s brought up. She was aware of the status difference among people since her childhood and often pondered on this fact. She narrates one instance in her book, Twenty Years at Hull House when she wore a really pretty and expensive cloak and asked her father for admiration. Her father advised her to instead wear an old cloak which will keep her warm and the other girls will not feel bad as well. Jane took her father’s advise but â€Å"quite without the joy of self-sacrifice† at that time. Yet it made her think about the inequalities of life (Addams, 191 0). Jane Addams went to Rockford Female Seminary, and graduated in 1881, but was awarded the degree after the school was upgraded to Rockford College for women. She then pursued the study of medicine but had to leave it in the middle due to health issues. Jane had a different thought structure from her fellow girls since the beginning. She didn’t believe in women’s only defined role to a household. She was of the view that women should be properly educated and then utilizes this education in a proper way instead of just preparing and serving meals to the family and should not be confined to household chores only. Ever since her childhood she knew she was born to make a difference (Nevenic, 2004). She recalls a dream that occurred often in her book, Twenty Years at hull house, that â€Å"everyone in the world was dead excepting myself, and that upon me rested the responsibility of making a wagon wheel†¦.I always stood in the same spot in the blacksmith shop, darkly po ndering as to how to begin, and never once did I know how, although I

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun - Research Paper Example He mixes Coast Salish cosmology and Northwest Coast reserved design standards with aspects of European surrealist and scenery painting traditions. Yuxweluptun handles controversial social, political, environmental, and cultural subjects, in these vibrant colors, a lot mysteriously witty painting. He is much more concerned with giving voice to the concerns but feels that the conventional forms of the Northwest Coast are not enough. Yuxweluptun clearly challenges the perception of a revitalization of Northwest Coast art, which he presumes reinvents tradition and by doing so, emphasizes a disgraceful inheritance of prejudice and anguish of the First Nations people of modern discussion. Tweaker For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrati ng a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them (Laurence 50-55). Scorched Earth, Clear-cut Logging, Shaman Coming to Fix This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on next to a squatting individual.... For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrating a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them. This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on n ext to a squatting individual. The aspects in the backdrop moan and lie sagging and sapped.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Choice a company from the Orbis database write business plan to Essay

Choice a company from the Orbis database write business plan to develope an international opportunity - Essay Example The proposal contains an analysis of the proposed market size, estimated cost involved and associated risk with the same. An analysis of the environment of its home country is significant to configure its international strategies. There can be certain trading barriers which can put hurdles for the organisation to grow globally. Apart from this analysis, it is crucial for a company to enhance its competitive strategies to be ahead of its competitors. A study of the competitors and their strategies has been provided to have an enhanced and sustainable competitive advantage. An insight into the modes of entry will help to zero down on a particular entry mode for Sony to expand its business, cross borders. Overall this business report presents an analysis the global business prospects for Sony. The company operates in the high profit consumer electronics products and gaming systems industry. The company’s production range encompasses digital cameras, semiconductors and walkman stereos (Hoovers, 2010). The company even makes a host of items like game consoles and software. Broadcasting of films, television and other video products are one of their vast operating areas. The company is also involved in music, animation production and marketing and other businesses. Apart of all these global businesses, the company is also engaged in the financial service businesses, but this operational area is confined only to its home country, Japan. To compete in any market, it is very much required for an organisation to possess competitive advantage. A firm needs to identify its competence in the market against its competitors. However, the more important pert is whether the company is able to sustain its competitive advantage. A company with a well placed strategy seeks not only to achieve its competitive advantage against its competitors, but must try to hold one the same. Back in 1946, the company had

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun - Research Paper Example He mixes Coast Salish cosmology and Northwest Coast reserved design standards with aspects of European surrealist and scenery painting traditions. Yuxweluptun handles controversial social, political, environmental, and cultural subjects, in these vibrant colors, a lot mysteriously witty painting. He is much more concerned with giving voice to the concerns but feels that the conventional forms of the Northwest Coast are not enough. Yuxweluptun clearly challenges the perception of a revitalization of Northwest Coast art, which he presumes reinvents tradition and by doing so, emphasizes a disgraceful inheritance of prejudice and anguish of the First Nations people of modern discussion. Tweaker For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrati ng a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them (Laurence 50-55). Scorched Earth, Clear-cut Logging, Shaman Coming to Fix This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on next to a squatting individual.... For over 20 years Yuxweluptun work have articulated a far-ranging range of socio-political issues including the realities of urban Aboriginal life, ecological squalor, Aboriginal rights and freedoms, colonialism, and the social division produced by deprivation, reliance and mistreatment. Integrating a far ranging of techniques borrowed from First Nations and Western customs, he investigates the explosive connection between cultures in divergence. In Tweaker a rebellion of multifaceted and multihued oviods populates the canvas. Yuxweluptun it seems is keen on recreating a torrid activity and mindset of meth users who frequent Vancouver’s infamous Downtown Eastside. These persons who are viewed as members of an aberrant society, have become the victims of ill-treatment both the government and the peddlers who rely and/or on them. This is a more sophisticated painting on an analogous theme. A shaman, in the front of the left hand corner, is gloomy faced certainly, and stands on n ext to a squatting individual. The aspects in the backdrop moan and lie sagging and sapped.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Comparison of The Raven and The Erlking Essay Example for Free

Comparison of The Raven and The Erlking Essay In this essay, I am going to compare and contrast the two famous poems, The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe and The Erlking by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The Raven is a one hundred and eight line poem about a lonely man who is unstable after losing his wife and comes across a raven who only speaks the word, nevermore. The Erlking is a poem about a man in a small girls nightmare as he torments her but nobody else can see him. There are many similarities and differences between the two poems. Both poems have a gothic atmosphere and can be compared strongly in this way. However, both are of different lengths and differ fro9m each other. In this essay, I am going to discuss how the two poets create tension and suspense and make a conclusion after studying these poems. The first element I am going to compare and contrast is the storyline of the poem and the impression it is meant to have on its reader. I am going to start by analysing each poem individually and then make a small conclusion when I will see how they are similar and how they differ. I will be using this structure for each point I will discuss. I will start by analysing The Raven. The main principle of Edgar Allen Poes poem was to have a lasting effect on its reader. Shortly, before he wrote The Raven, Poes wife had been diagnosed with an illness. This illness was later the cause of her death soon after he had finalised is poem. It is said that this poem is his forecast of what was going to happen to his wife. This is, therefore, the reason why he chose a raven to be the main character, because it was thought to be the most evil bird. The Raven is meant to be a representation of Edgar Allen Poe reflecting his responses to the bad news of his wife. The Erlking is a very dark poem and starts by giving a notion that the boy is simply imagining the Erlking and is dying of a strange disease. However, the poem takes a sinister twist when the boy dies at the end of the poem. Goethe had many reasons of writing such a dark poem. Such a reason is that the night before he wrote the poem he saw a local farmer carrying a bundle. This turned out to be a man who was carrying his sick child to hospital. This was where the main inspiration for the storyline for the poem of the Erlking came from. Also in German mythology there is meant to be a spirit/ supernatural power that is meant to cause controversy and ruin the minds of children. These two factors were merged together to make the Erlking. They are both dark poems and want to create a mysterious mood for the reader. Both had an individual reason of why they were written but then their similarity grew because they had the same atmospheric impression. The second point I am going to examine is the linguistic techniques used by the poets. The Raven has a lot of alliteration and is used very frequently. Examples of this alliteration is:- While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain Both are examples of alliteration but in different ways, one very simple and the other has more complexity. The first quote is just three consecutive words starting with the same letter. The second quotation, on the other hand, uses two words consecutively starting with the same letter. However, the third word is part of the alliteration. The un is not part of the alliteration but the second part is. Although this part of the word starts with a c, it is pronounced as the letter s. This is still part of the alliteration because this poem was obviously written to be read aloud. The Erlking is very different to the Raven, in this way, as it does not contain hardly any alliteration used for boosting the atmosphere. The Erlking does use a linguistic technique that the Raven does not use as much is repetition. An example of this is:- Dear father, oh father, and do you not see, This is a technique very similar to alliteration as it created the same type of tension and both are meant to be read fairly slowly. Later on in The Erlking, this repetition phrase is repeated, showing that there is internal repetition (with the word father) and also phrasal repetition. The third I am going to consider is the rhyming scheme of each of the poems. The Erlking has a different rhyming scheme to the Raven. The Erlkings rhyming scheme is a very common one but the one of the Raven is very peculiar. Many poems have the rhyming scheme the same as the Erlking because it is very basic. This rhyming scheme is:- 1. A 2. A 3. B 4. C An example of this rhyming scheme in the poem is:- 1. Who rides so late where winds blow wild? 2. It is the father grasping his child; 3. He holds the boy embraced in his arm 4. He clasps him snugly, he keeps him warm. The rhyming scheme of the Raven is very different and unusual, not many poems have the same rhyming scheme. This rhyming scheme is:- 1. AA 2. B 3. CC 4. CB 5. B 6. B An example of this rhyming scheme is:- 1. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, 2. Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- 3. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, 4. As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door- 5. Tis some visitor, I muttered, tapping at my chamber door. 6. Only this and nothing more. The two poems differ greatly in their rhyming schemes and have similarities. The Erlking has a very simple rhyming scheme with only two lines that rhyme out of the four. However, the Raven has a much more complex rhyming scheme with internal rhymes as well as end-of-line rhyming. The Ravens rhyme scheme, however, has an effect on how the poem is read. The Raven is a very gothic poem and this rhyme scheme changes the way the poem is read, especially when the enunciation is used. The Erlking is very different and is a lot easier to read, compared with the Raven. This could mean that the poem is meant for a younger audience because of the simplistic reading ability needed. The other issue I am going to study is the excess of patterning. The Raven uses this several times, however, the Erlking does not. Excess of patterning is when a sound is repeated in a line to give an emphasis of those particular words. An example of this in the Raven could be:- Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, This quotation from Poes poem gives emphasis on the description to make this highlighted when the poem is read. This could have been a good technique that could have been added to the Erlking poem to make a part of the poem more prominent. The final factor I am going to consider is the length of the poems. The Raven is considerably longer than the Erlking. The Raven being 108 lines long compared to the Erlking which is a mere 32 lines long. The length of the Raven allows Poe to go into a lot of depth in his descriptions. However, this style of writing does not suit the Erlking as well. The reason for this is that the Erlking is meant to leave questions unanswered and a sense of mystery. If it had gone into the depth that the Raven did in its length, this would have been taken away. Over all, I can see that both poems are very individual but still contain some similarities. Both poets had very different inspirations of why they wrote their poem but they still had a very similar atmosphere that was created. They also use different linguistic techniques, although they create a very parallel effect. I can see that Edgar Allen Poe uses many more techniques in his poem than Goethe does, this may be because the Raven is longer and may have more room to use more effect without over-doing them.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Is the UK welfare state in crisis?

Is the UK welfare state in crisis? Since the British Welfare state materialized in 1945, the debate on how to reform it has never ceased. In the first 25 years after it was introduced, the debate concerned how to increase its scope and abolish means-tested benefits. Then, after the economic crisis in the 1970s, the aim was on how to trim it back. Now, the future of the welfare state itself it the subject of fierce debate. In this essay I will begin with a history of the UK Welfare State and how it came about, before analysing a few of the key elements of the welfare state which will help me decide whether the welfare state is in crisis. I will then finish with a conclusion with my thoughts and views, verbalised. The narrow definition of the welfare state comprises two types of government spending; (1) cash benefits to households such as transfers and income insurance and (2) subsidies or direct government provision of human services such as pre-schooling, education, child care, health care and old age care. The broader definition of welfare state includes housing policies, price regulation, job security legislation and environmental policies1. The purpose of the welfare state is to create economic equality or to assure equitable standards of living for all2, to protect British people from unemployment3, and to encourage the provision of the social services on the same basis as the public services such as roads and libraries4. However, there are differing opinions as to whether the objective of the welfare state is a simple one, as John G. Francis states the purpose is to allocate public funds In order to secure certain minimum life support services for those most in need and to construct a c omprehensive set of social and economic policies designed to realize a certain vision of society.5 Morris Janowitz, on the other hand, paints a more minimal portrait of the welfare state: the welfare state rests on the political assumption that the well-being of its citizens is enhanced not only by allocations derived from their occupations and the marketplace but also grants regulated by the central government. He explains that in addition to the government provisions of benefits for its citizens, there are two further elements in his conception of a welfare state: (1) parliamentary regime determination of resource allocation and (2) the recognition of the states right to intervene in order to create the conditions under which citizens can pursue their goals. The welfare state was developed primarily by William Beveridge. In 1941, the British government commissioned a report into the ways Britain should be rebuilt after the Second World War, mainly how improvements could be made to the system of providing sickness and unemployment insurance. Beveridge was the obvious candidate to compile the blueprints for the welfare state due to his book on Unemployment: A Problem of Industry in 1909, in which he argued that full employment could be obtained if industry was not constrained by over regulation.7 In 1942 as the war reached its height, he produced his report The Report on Social Insurance and proposed that all people of working age should pay a weekly national insurance contribution where benefits would be paid to the sick, unemployed and retired and thus provide a minimum standard of living for all citizens.8 He also identified five giant evils that plagued society and could be tackled: Want (today we call it poverty) by establishing a comprehensive social security system Disease by establishing a new health service Idleness by the state aiming for full employment Ignorance by reforming the education system Squalor by a new house building and slum clearance programme9 The first of Beveridges proposals came into effect before WW2 ended. In 1944 the Ministry of National Insurance was set up before the Family Allowances Act was passed a year later.11 Reactions to the report were positive: It gave me a feeling there was something to work for and fight for after all and that our efforts might be rewarded by some real social improvement, giving means to the phrase winning the peace. (Royal Artillery, male, 29) Its the goods! All the yearnings, hopes, dreams and theories of socialists for the past half century have been crystallized into a practical economic formula. Equity for the lowest common denominator I was staggered by its comprehension. (Insurance clerk, male, 39, Newport) I am aware of a new feeling of confidence in myself as a member of a democratic society when I see those social reforms which I have considered necessary for such long time actually taking shape. (Accountant, male, 40, Prestwick) 12 Such positive reaction, though not all positive, led to a landslide victory for Clement Attlee and his Labour Party and he decided to seize upon Beveridges proposals as a basis for radical action, and proceeded to implement many social policies, which became known as the Welfare State. Attlees hope was to have Beveridges plan in force by 1948, but in a time when Britain was suffering from the severe conditions of post-war Britain, it did not have the money to pay flat rate benefits that would keep people out of poverty.13 The National Assistance act which was passed in 1948 played a bigger role in improving poverty than Beveridge had planned and because the idea of basing entitlement on contributions through national insurance was flawed, it meant many people, in particular women, were excluded from the system. Another act which passed was the National Health Service Act 1946, which came into effect on 5th of July 1948 and created the National Health Service in England and Wales.14 A fter the landslide victory for Labour in 1945, Aneurin Bevan was appointed minister of health, responsible for establishing the National Health Service. Since there was already a free, compulsory state education service, the people of Britain now probably had the most comprehensive Welfare State system in the world.15 The question of whether the UK welfare is in crisis is one that has been asked before. The welfare state in the 1970s was claimed to be in crisis with oil price shocks and increasing food prices adding pressure on the economy and leading to a rise in unemployment. Though the causes sharp reductions in output by OPEC and exchange rate fluctuations were said to be external to the welfare state 16, there still continues to be a debate over not just whether the welfare state is in crisis but also if it is sustainable. The first area I will tackle is state benefits. As of September 2009, there were 2.7million people claiming incapacity benefits in the UK17 and with reports stating that less than a third of these claimants are legitimate18, it begs the question that are the standards of the UK health service so inadequate that more people than ever are incapacitated? The simple answer is the majority of these people are simply work-shy19. Michael Portillo of the Sunday Times pointed out the intentions of the Welfare Stare was to prevent this abuse of the system by the work shy20: The state should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility, wrote Sir William Beveridge in the 1942 report that inspired the post-war welfare state. In establishing a national minimum it should leave room and encouragement for voluntary action by each individual to provide more than that minimum for himself and his family. These work shy people are forcing the tax burden on the hard working families and as a result, taxpayers have spent  £346bn on payments to those out work since Tony Blair entered Downing Street. He goes onto say It might have been possible for the state to fine tune benefits when every claimant was known to the local poor law guardians. It is much more difficult today in systems that are nationalised and standardised, before concluding, we ought to assume that fit young people are not entitled to anything. If a few young men from sink estates are now heroes in Afghanistan, why should we presume that all the others are capable of nothing useful at all? Some believe such a centrally planned benefits system is bound to fail because it is not feasible for a planning body to know all the circumstances and facts to able to assess who is in an incapacitated state21. Another area of benefits that has come under scrutiny is child benefits. This has long been considered untouchable as it has high take-up rates and passionate support across the political sector. However, new goals such as reducing child poverty whilst at the same time cutting spending, it is time the state challenged its status as the sacred cow of the welfare state22. Between 1999 and 2004, 600,000 children managed to escape poverty as result of their guardians/parents finding work. However, this trend reversed when the recession hit when between 2008 and 2009, 160,000 more children were in workless households and, inevitably, in poverty. Kate Stanley of the Institute for Public Policy Research makes the point that the welfare state must become much more efficient in reaching poor children and child benefit is one of governments primary tools in ending poverty.23 She goes onto explain that we need to bite the bullet and make it progressively universal so that everyone gets somethin g but poorer families get most, adding further, one option would be to tax child benefit and use the tax to increase the rate of benefit paid to second and subsequent children. As with any policy change, putting forward such change is unquestionably controversial. However, it is not difficult to come to the conclusion that yes, while there is a need for a benefit reform in the UK, does it necessarily mean the welfare state as a whole is in crisis? On this evidence, I can conclude with a wholehearted, no. British schools have somewhat of a mixed reputation. Quality of state education is known to vary whilst universities and other higher education institutions garner an excellent reputation internationally and take in thousands of foreign students. The state education system in the UK has been changing at a hectic pace in recent decades which has led to a generation of curriculum chaos and crisis caused by a lack of funding, crumbling infrastructure and shortages of books and other equipment24. Many schools have been forced to cut their teaching budgets at a time when they should have been increasing them, and some have had insufficient funds to buy books for the revised national curriculum and other essentials. This is only going to get worse with the recent spending review by The Coalition hinting there may be savage cutsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in the education budget25. The budget for the Department of Education last year was  £66.7bn, rising to an estimated  £68.7bn this year. While Cha ncellor George Osborne has pledged to protect Sure Start, the government scheme where childrens centres have been built by Labour to provide nursery care, it means other areas such as school buildings and support services are likely to be even harder hit. And it only gets worse: the Audit Commission claims that millions of pounds are still being misspent. A report last year found schools were sitting on excessive cash reserves of almost  £2bn and  £400m a year could be saved if schools bought desks, equipment and services more sensibly26. However, it is easy to criticise and easy to forget the positives. The last government claimed the increase in funding produced key successes, including rises in primary and secondary school exam results, a drop in the number of failing schools, an increase in the number of children staying on in education beyond the leaving age and improvements to early years care with the establishment of a network of Sure Start childrens centres. However, th is all happened during the last government. With ever more bleak and worrying headlines such as Students to face unlimited fees, Nearly one in five children aged 16-19 is functionally illiterate and Schools prepare to cut frontline services, it is not surprising why many are saying the education system in the UK is in trouble. A recent programme on BBC illustrated how Toby Young struggled to set up a new school within the state system. The pressing concern was the campaign to stop these schools was endorsed by the National Union of Teachers. The reason why Mr Young was trying to set up these schools was because they were wanted by parents not happy with the existing state schools. There is mass evidence to support their views with reports year on year showing dwindling numbers on the number of pupils that achieve 5 A-C GCSEs. It is about time students are able to realise their full potential instead of facing silly obstacles. It is no wonder private schools attain far higher grades and pass rates than public schools as they receive much more attention in their small class setting. I see no reason at this stage to go against what many people are saying: the UK welfare state is very much in crisis. The last area I cover is pensions. In the UK there are three major pension routes; (1) occupational final salary pension plans from your employer: (2) the state pension where you may have entitlement to a top-up plan as well as the basic state pension. Those who are not well off may have their retirement earnings boosted by a pension credit: and (3) the money purchase pension scheme either from your employer or from other earnings such as self-employment (these are called personal pensions)27. There are three problems in pension reforms in the UK. The first being whether to continue with the PAYG system or switch to a saving system, though this fight seems to be over as many academics and politicians accept the need to move to a saving or funded system. The second problem is whether, if you opt for the saving system, to make savings voluntary or compulsory, and if compulsory whether or not to give savers a choice of pension providers. The move to a saving or funded system has a great economic advantage in that it builds compound interest into the entitlement. In other words, you invest in the economy and you get the benefit when you retire. Many would like to return to the ideal situation of not wanting to be a burden on your family and the next generation, but as that family obligation myth still continues, it is too high a price to pay for the economic costs of the current system29. The question that leads from this is whether to make saving voluntary or compulsory. I would suggest setting a minimum for compulsory savings and let people saving voluntarily for larger pensions. Indeed the government introduced voluntary pension saving in the new world of pensions, but being auto-enrolled into a pension scheme will be compulsory. The high level of state pension from the age of 65 has been found to cost too much and has steadily declined in relation to average incomes and been replaced by what many call the disastrous means-tested pension credit. With the pension age to rise to 68, this will be a long overdue acceptance of vastly increased longevity30. This demonstrates the slow pace to which the UK responds to changes in reality. The Beveridge report laid the foundations of the post-war welfare state, declaring every citizen who paid his or her contributions should be able to claim an adequate pension worth more than any means tested benefit31. As Philip Johnston of the Telegraph puts it, after 100 years in which living standards have quadrupled, a pension designed to prevent the poorest in society enduring a penurious old age has failed in its purpose. James Bartholomew, in his book The Welfare State Were In, posed the question if we would have been better off without the state pension. He answered, It seems likely that if the state pension had not been introduced, British people would have saved a great deal more and, overall, would probably now be wealthier in their old age. The late 19th century trend for people to become less benefit dependent would have continued, and it would be normal to have very substantial savings. Old people would have more independence and dignity in retirement. In conclusion, I agree with the claim that the UK welfare state is in crisis. During the research for this essay, I found almost no evidence to say otherwise, which was a surprise. I have discovered the welfare state has been a failure and I believe the state should stop funding anything beyond a minimum safety net. As stated before, money is being wasted due to recklessness in its spending and rather than divert (even more) resources from social security to health and education, as the government plans, it should slash taxes and let people pay for their own welfare services. The demand for these two categories rises faster than national income and public spending is unlikely to be able to keep up, thus bringing us back to the perpetual perception that they are underfunded. I read an interesting post made by a member of the public on an online forum that made the following comment: Whenever all of part of the NHS runs out of money, wards are closed or operations are delayed or a cost saving measure is taken, but never are salaries cut back. 154 This illustrates how the government have a strong inclination to protect their staff first, instead of their customers who receive the service. But of course the nurses and doctors and administrators feel like they are under paid and endure difficult conditions, and this is often too. It bottles down to the point that their pay and their pensions are not damaged which otherwise would be if they were not working for the government. The future on the welfare state itself is uncertain at this point in time. The right are in agreement that unwarranted spending on the welfare state has weakened economic growth and reduced incentives, while the left feel the traditional welfare state has not paid enough attention to significant groups like women and ethnic minorities. Policy reforms have strengthened not just in the UK but also in the continental Europe and the US. The government often deliberates and avoids making tough decisions, such as introducing a compulsory savings scheme or increasing state pensions, which have been needed to deal with the crisis. As Steve Schifferes of the BBC puts it, though the government wants to seek a political consensus before proceeding with radical reform, time may be running out!

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Captain Picard as A Noble Warrior :: Star Trek Essays Papers

Captain Picard as A Noble Warrior Captain Picard is a good leader because of his ability to think clearly and objectively in all situations. He does not have pride blocking his ability to think rationally and see all sides of an issue. Also, he is not easily swayed by his emotions and does not allow them to cloud his judgment. Picard's ability to act quickly leads to effective delegating and exemplary leadership. A good leader is one who brings out the best in his people while being a servant to them. Pride often seems to come between a leader and his decisions. Picard never makes mention of what would be best for him, but instead is always thinking about his crew and what is in their best interest. In "The Defector" he repeatedly make comments to his desire for his crew to have a noble and honorable cause for war. He does not want their deaths to be in vain. As Henry V acted compassionately towards his men, Picard too wants to display the same sensitivity Henry did when his men were about to enter battle. Picard wants to know how his crew is feeling and what their needs might be. Picard and Henry are good leaders because they continue to look past their own wants and onto their troops needs. In the Henry V scene, Data is playing the role of King Henry. While Henry is undercover, he is quoted as saying, "The King is but a mere man". He is mortal just like his men. Picard is able to clearly se e the King's internal struggle with allowing himself to get close to his men while not weakening his position as their leader. Captain Picard knows his limits and is not ashamed or to proud to admit them, he just does not want to appear incapable to his men. He must be remain an assertive leader, while allowing himself to be human and approachable. Picard is constantly having his crew involved and helping him make a good clear judgment about Jarok. This shows he is not over confident in his leadership position. "Picard is supposed to be calm and calculating because well, he's the captain. If he bought everyone's emotional appeal he wouldn't be a very good leader" (Reyer Jan 30, 1996). Picard knows how to balance his gut feeling with the facts. As Visor pointed out, we do not always have all the facts, and this is where your "gut feeling" must come in, to fill in the missing details.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Physics of Black Holes :: physics science space

What are Black Holes? A black hole is theorized to be a collection of collapsed matter of whose gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape its force. The matter is is forced in a very, very tiny area and therefore the matter is very dense. Since light cannot escape, they are considered to be truly black. This, obviously, makes it hard to detect an actual black hole, and therefore, have only been theorizd to exist. These theories are slowly turning into "conclusive evidence." This evidence includes the particle dust given off from matter entering the black hole, as well as observations of orbits of bodies near the black hole. Black holes are usually formed after supernova explosions, in which the remnants of this explosion implodes within itself. It will continue to condense to a volume of zero and infinite density. This is known as a singularity. How do we know? History Karl Swarzschild first came up with the concept of black holes in 1916. This was based upon Einstein's theory of relativity. The Swarzschild radius is the radius where the escape velocity equals the speed of light. The Swarzschild radius can be calculated using the escape velocity equation: vesc = (2GM/R)^1/2 Substituting the speed of light for the v: R = 2GM/c^2 If you notice, the Swarzschild radius is only dependent upon the mass of the body. Anything that enters this radius will not exit, due to the tremendous amount of gravitational pull. So, How do we know? Again, as mentioned earlier, we can't directly observe a black hole. We can, however, make observations to the surroundings around the black hole. It used to be that theorists were the only scientific persons who acknowledged an existence of black holes, however, today, the story is quite different. The popular idea today is that black holes do exist and are common in all the galaxies so far investigated. One reason is Einstein's theory of General Relativity. This theory accounts for the existence of black holes, and if they do not exist, then the General Relativity theories by Einstein would be wrong. Considering all the tests and experiements done to date to try and disprove this theory have all been rejected, this seems unlikely. Also, scientists today look for high concentration of mass in a small area. Calculations and technology allow this to happen. Another factor in proving the existence of black holes is the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope has accumulated a large amount of data and information supporting the existence of black holes.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Ethics Social Justice Essay

The ethical issues that were identified in the case study of Guerrilla Government in EPA’s Seattle Regional Office were cumbersome. The first of many to create unethical situations was the administrator of EPA’s Seattle regional office in 1981, John Spencer. His staff remembers his tenure for all the unethical actions he took such as using tax payer’s money to buy a membership for the EPA in the Chamber of Commerce (O’Leary, 2014 p. 48). His actions continued even after numerous attempts to advise him that his actions were against federal guidelines and caused serious conflict of interest questions. He also allegedly took several personal trips to Alaska to handle affairs related to his previous job on public expense. In addition, he requested as personal driver to take him to and from and requested modifications to the EPA office building without getting prior approval from the General Services Administration thus violating federal law (O’Leary, 20 14 p. 48-54). There was also unethical conduct displayed by Ernesta Barnes ‘successor, Robie Russell. In March of 1987, Russell made his unethical behavior known when the local media announced that a veteran engineer had quit his job due to being angry that he was being transferred involuntarily to another job. At that point, Russell began making decisions that had once been a group effort behind closed doors. Workers who were once performing analysis, were cut out of the decision making process. He was even believed to have removed important comments in reports before they were released to the public. He was also known to back out of his support for the development of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and then recall that support later in a testimony to the U.S House of Representatives who were considering the proposal. He stated that â€Å"The EPA does not oppose the environmentally acceptable development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge†.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Why Did Men Continue to Fight in Ww1?

Why did men continue to fight in WWI? The Great War was fought between 1914 until 1918. It took the lives of millions of men and it is said to have had horrible conditions, the question still remains. Why did men continue to fight in the Great War? Was it because of their discipline in the army? Did they fight because of their friends in the army? Or were the conditions in the trenches not as bad as people say they were? This essay will argue that, even though all of these reasons were very important, the main reason men continued to fight was army discipline and comradeship.Army discipline was definitely an important factor for why men continued to fight. The army aimed to keep soldiers as disciplined as possible, therefore they made severe punishments for misbehaviour. For example, if soldiers refused to walk through â€Å"no mans land† the punishment would be to be shot by a firing squad, the firing squad would be your own battalion. This would be done to increase the disci pline of the rest of the battalion. They knew that if they were to disobey orders their friends and comrades would shoot them.However, around five million men served in the British army during the war; out of all these men, 3080 men were sentenced to death but only 364 were actually executed. This evidence suggests that perhaps army discipline was not the most important factor, however, 364 men might have scared most men enough to not disobey orders. The conditions of the trenches were said to be horrific and devastating, however the British army had very high standards of cleanliness and they were aware of what the soldiers needed to keep on fighting.They aimed to keep morale as high as possible and therefore provided more than sufficient amount of food, very good medical care, and tried to generally make the soldiers’ living conditions better. Efforts were made to keep the trenches cleaner; for example, rats were a big issue at the beginning of the war but as the war progre ssed, they were quickly eliminated from the trenches. Lice were also a problem so they fumigated, washed and ironed soldiers’ uniforms when they came out of the line. Since soldiers got taken care of, this was definitely one of the reasons they continued to fight, or at least made ighting more bearable. The men who fought in the war would often make friends in their battalions. This would definitely keep the men strong and able to fight. The soldiers did not want to let their friends down, and they all wanted to fight for their fellow soldiers. None of them wanted to die, but it was worst to die alone without their friends. They fought to keep their friends and themselves alive, so they could bear the war in the company of people they cared for. Sometimes, soldiers became such good friends, they went mad if their friend died, or they would continue to see each other after the war.Comradeship was a very important factor that helped them get through the war. You cannot generali ze why men continued to fight. Different men fought for different things. But most men probably fought for various reasons. The fact that the conditions were not so bad probably helped men a lot, as well as being able to fight with their friends. But the fear of death by the hand of their friends was probably what drove most people to keep on fighting in the war. It probably also helped other soldiers encourage their friends to keep on fighting, and therefore army discipline and comradeship are the most important causes.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Peer Pressure Speech Essay

â€Å"He who saves one life it is as though he saves the world†. You make the call, you have control over what you want to do or not do. Do you really want to do it, or are you too scared to stand up for yourself and just say no? You must stand up for yourself, and be confident with your decision. What if you say yes? What if you decide not to stand up for yourself? What if you are not confident? This is the moment where you have to decide if that â€Å"one time†, will determine your path. But you really have to stop and think for a moment. Is what you are doing a complete and true definition of you? Whose life are you really leading? There are two kinds of peer pressure. The Positive kind, and the Negative kind. The positive kind of peer pressure is, being pressured or convinced to do a certain task that you may not have had the confidence to complete or to do yourself. Another kind of positive peer pressure is when friends convince you not to do something that may not have been in your best interest. Negative peer pressure is just what it sounds like—It is when Peers try to make you think that they know what is best for you. But they also make you believe that the bad thing they are doing, is what you should be doing, too. They try to direct you down a path, which is not the correct one. They push for you to have JUST ONE drink. To smoke JUST ONE cigarette†¦. But, the thing that you can do to save yourself is not always the easiest thing to do– saying NO. But just saying no may or may not be the end of the problem. What it means is that you have to be certain and confident with your choice, and have the inner strength to know that you are doing the right thing. Being accepted by people who want you to be a follower, and to go down what may be the wrong path, is being accepted or thinking that you will be accepted by people who are not really your friends. Many people forget what the true definition of friend is. Why are people so willing to give into peer pressure? Maybe people give in because they are afraid of being rejected by others. Maybe they give in because they want to appear grown up. They don’t want to be made fun of; they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings; they aren’t sure of what they really want; they don’t know how to get out of the situation. We all feel it! We all do it! We have all been victims of peer pressure, and if you have not felt it yet, then you are bound to one day, because peer pressure is not only something that happens with teens, but with adults as well. Even adults feel peer pressure – to have a nicer car, a nicer house, different clothes†¦etc†¦ Unfortunately, negative peer pressure is never going to disappear. There will always be someone who will try to tempt you with something, try to convince you of something, use you for something. While we can’t change other people so easily, what we can change is how we react to negative peer pressure. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and walk away, when other people are doing something that you don’t want to do. It takes leadership to show the right path. It is so hard when â€Å"everyone† is drinking, when â€Å"everyone† is smoking pot, and you aren’t. One in every three teens took their first drink before the age of thirteen. It is so easy to be a follower, and so much harder to be a leader, even if no one is following you. People need to realize that forcing or badgering or humiliating someone into taking a drink, is not being a leader. You don’t know someone’s reasons for not drinking, you don’t know if they are taking medicine that might really affect them if they drink, or if they have a medical condition that would be affected if they drink. So they feel pressured, take a couple of drinks, then get really sick, or get in an accident. Pretty negative right? We have all heard about teen drug use since we were in middle school. We all remember that middle school was a really hard time, as we were trying to be so mature, and were still so young, and were trying to find an identity. Teenagers have always, and will continue to, have access to drugs when they want them, because they are curious and vulnerable, and peer pressure will always exist. The temptation to some how and some way, run away from things in our lives that cause conflicts, can let us become the victims of peer pressure, and drug use. Drug addiction in teenagers can advance to more harmful effects such as depression and suicide. One out of every three kids has been given, offered or sold drugs in High school and Middle School and one in every four of 17 and 18 year olds smoke regularly. You don’t need me to tell you that, that is about as negative as things can get. You have the choice, and you have the control to stand up for yourself. Here’s the thing, you’ll never be able to stop peer pressure. People will always want you to be like them, because they want someone to drag along—it gives them more confidence and strength. But you can only hope that there will be good people out there that will encourage people to do good things, instead of bad. If negative peer pressure was to end, and all we were left with was positive peer pressure, we would be living in a society that would be making great advancements in the right direction. For example, Relay for Life is a very important program that takes place not only in our community but also in communities all over our country. Kids raise money for, and awareness of cancer, by taking part in an all night walk-a-thon. By pressuring our peers to attend such an impressive community event, we are making a gigantic step toward finding a cure for all kinds of cancers. It is events and moments like these, which can change the world. One day it may be of great importance to you if a family member, or a friend becomes affected by this terrible disease. Pressuring your peers to take part in doing good for the world is the greatest form of positive peer pressure and leadership. Now, let’s say that negative peer pressure is allowed, and continues to be a growing problem. Imagine this scenario: You’re at a party, and you see a kid from your school, and it seems as though he is not doing much socially. You approach him, and start harassing him about how he isn’t drinking and that he’s too scared to have a drink. But to show you up, this lonely teen lets down his guard and has one beer, and then another beer, and then another beer, until he’s so drunk its unrecognizable who this person is anymore. You laugh, and walk away, not realizing that this kid who drove there all by himself does not have many friends, and none of them are at the party. The next school day you find out that one of your classmates is dead. He left the party, got in a car, and wrapped himself around a tree, resulting in his tragic death for which not only you but also everyone present at that party is to blame. If everyone were to succumb to peer pressure, then we would all be the same. For example, lets talk about the clothes we wear—if peer pressure said that everyone should wear only clothing from Hollister, then we would all look alike. Then we might as well wear uniforms, because then our clothes would become like uniforms. And if every one lived in the same kind of house, and drove the same kind of car, had the same kind of dog, went to the same places for vacation, it would seem like communist Russia, and not the free country that we live in. Although that is taking it to an extreme, and seems silly, that is precisely what peer pressure is, if there was no one to stand up for themselves. So, are you someone who wants to save a life or someone who wants to sabotage a life? Are you a leader or a follower? If you are a follower, or a life saboteur, do you want to change, and if not, why not? Are you happier making someone else unhappy? Remember, if you change one life, save one life, then it is something that can change the world, one person at a time†¦

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Managing the United Kingdom Health Service Essay

Managing the United Kingdom Health Service - Essay Example This has been totally missing from the management at NHS. Management is can be defined both as art and science. It is the art of bringing out efficiency of people and making them more effective than they would have been with you. There are four basic pillars: plan, organize, direct, and monitor. The basic role of a manager is to make the staff more effective. Making them do work more efficiently than they are doing presently. If you add value to your staff's work, you are a successful manager. However, in NHS, managers are mere implementers who have no active decision making power. They merely implement the rules and regulations dictated by the Government. There is no way that they can add value to their or their staff's work. The managers at NHS feel that their role is unrecognised by patients, colleagues, the public and the government. Managers at NHS have less autonomy and less involvement in key decision making than their staff assume. And they are subjected to increasing control. Without a plan you will never succeed. If you happen to make it to the goal, it will have been by luck or chance and is not repeatable. You may make it as a flash-in-the-pan, an overnight sensation, but you will never have the record of accomplishment of accomplishments of which success is made. This important element of effective management is missing at NHS. Infact the organisation lacks serious planning and focus. As a result, the quality of services has been detortiating and ultimately the managers are planned by both government as well as public for inefficient services even though they have no power to run the organisation with a vision of their own. A study reveal that the notion of management had become divorced from clinical practice, even though many managers were doctors or nurses who had taken on the role to try to make a difference. To them, what was now called management was just an extension of the profession. Organize Organising and priortising work to ensure smooth, timely as well as quality deliveries and services form the core of good management. The lack of proper management results in poor organisation and prioritisation of work at NHS. Direct Directing your subordinates not as you are directing them but as if you are guiding them how to perform their specific job role. I like to think of this part like conducting an orchestra. Everyone in the orchestra has the music in front of them. They know which section is playing which piece and when. Now you need only to tap the podium lightly with your

Monday, October 7, 2019

Econ assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Econ 2 - Assignment Example Sweden has comparative advantage in Volvos while Norway has a comparative advantage in fish. The free trade relative price is different from the autarkic relative price and thus both countries gain. Both countries specialize in their comparative goods and thus they gain. The minimum expenditure that is needed to attain the autarkic level of utility at autarkic prices is lower than the minimum expenditure required in achieving the free trade level of utility at autarkic prices. The external economies of scale are important in production of semiconductors and the industries are concentrated in certain locations. Thus if a semiconductor industry is established in a certain location, the export of semiconductors by the country will not be due to comparative advantage but the economies of scale. It is true, and Scotch only comes from Scotland since it requires skilled distillers who are mostly found in the region. The region also features favorable climatic and soil conditions for the grains used in the production of scotch. The production subsidy creates an imaginary shift of the supply curve to the right since producers are willing to supply larger quantities at every price due to the subsidy. The rightward shift crosses the $10 line at the quantity, 170 and producers gain in the area, which is given by (120x5) + (50x5/2)= 725, the government will lose an amount = (170x5) = 850 and the social benefit = (10x50) = 500 Goldberg, Linda S., Michael W. Klein, Jay C. Shambaugh, and Paul R. Krugman. Study guide to accompany International economics, theory and policy, sixth edition, Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld. Boston, Mass.: Addison Wesley, 2003. Web. 8 July 2014

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Israel and Palestine Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Israel and Palestine - Assignment Example en attack Jerusalem and Jordan parts controlled by the Israeli while Israelites attack Palestinians in Jordan, Jerusalem and Gaza as a means of retaliation and maintenance of security from what they term as terrorism from the Palestinians. Although the international community has shown interest in reconciliatory and mediation roles, I think the problems of Israel and Palestine can only be resolved by mutual consent by the Jews and the Palestinians. Reconciliation attempts had been made since 1948 when independent Palestine State and independent Jewish State were established (Sela, 2002). The move seemed to bring an end to a serious conflict in the region, but the struggle between the two countries is still on until now. There is need for the Palestinians and the Israelis to change their attitudes towards each other, but this is difficult because each side has strong and radical conviction about their religion, territories, power and security. International community may play the role of advising and encouraging both sides to loosen their demands, but the final road to peace will be created by the two nations willingly. The Jews and the Palestinians agreed that Palestine actually deserved to be a free state. West Bank and Gaza was considered to be acceptable locations of the Palestinian State. However, disagreements ensued on the shape and boundaries of those regions (Sela, 2002). The two regions have been the main centers of fights between Israel and Palestine. This clearly shows that the Israeli-Palestine conflicts are fueled by disagreements on boundaries. In this case, no international body will come to the region and tell Israel that this land belongs to Palestine, so just leave it, or tell Palestine the same thing. Israelites and Palestinians alone have the ability to sit and agree on the boundaries, but because each one of them wants to take control, they never seem to come to such an agreement. That is why conflict does not seem to be ending soon. What

Saturday, October 5, 2019

LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LAW - Essay Example Balancing of an individual’s right to privacy with the media’s right to freedom of expression Domestic courts have adopted a two-stage test in attempting to balance the media’s right to freedom of expression and an individual’s right to privacy. In such cases, where there is a publication of private information, the court decides on two things. Firstly, is the information published private? Private in the sense that Article 8 protects it. If the answer is no, then the case concludes. If yes, the second query arises: must the interest of the holder of the private information or data yield to the right of freedom of expression granted on the publisher by Article 10? (DeCew 1997). Stage 1: Does (A) have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the relevant information? Key Domestic Case Law: Campbell v MGN Ltd [2004] 2 AC 457, HL The fundamental question in cases where there is an allegation of breach of information is whether the information disclosed is priva te and not public. There must be the presence of some interest of a personal nature that the claimant wishes to protect. In some cases, the answer to the question whether the information is public or private is obvious. ... This is because adequate protection was not afforded to her from publication of photographs taken without her consent or knowledge by paparazzi. Freedom of expression extends to publication of photographs, but the reputation and rights of others take importance as the photographs concerned images containing highly personal and or intimate information about an individual. In balancing articles 8 and 10, the contributions that the articles and photographs made to a public debate were the decisive factors. The public did not have a legitimate interest to know her private life. Everyone has a legitimate expectation for protection of his or her life. Therefore, article 8 had been violated (DeCew 1997).. Stage 2: Parallel Analysis In this analysis, neither article 8 or 10 has precedence over the other. If the values in both the articles are in conflict, intense focus on comparative importance of the rights in question is necessary. The justification for restricting or interfering with each right must be considered. In conclusion, there is the application of the proportionality test to each right (DeCew 1997).. Impact of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 on the freedom of the press Contempt of court is the unlawful interference of administration of justice. Contempt of court ensures that the court has the freedom to decide on matters before it, without influence from the press. Contempt of court is directed towards those in the media seeking to obstruct, interfere or undermine the administration of justice and the court. Breach of contempt of court can lead to a fine or imprisonment (Doherty 2003). The law of contempt places restrictions on the freedom of expression which is a crucial freedom to

Friday, October 4, 2019

The Management and Operation of Food Services Essay

The Management and Operation of Food Services - Essay Example As tourists become more mobile, so does the food they eat. Food, culinary styles and the increasing differentiation of dishes and cuisines in tourism destinations have developed. Global drinks and foods are emerging, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's, and local and regional food is thriving, and new 'fusion foods' are also being created to feed the 'global soul' (Iyer 2000). Tourists themselves are contributing to gastronomic mobility, by creating a demand in their own countries for foods they have encountered abroad. Gastronomy has developed considerably through the years. Gastronomy is not only extremely difficult to define, but the term, just like 'culture', has become more heavily laden over time. As Scarpato shows, the original definition of gastronomy has broadened in recent years. The Encyclopdia Britannica (2000) defines gastronomy as: 'the art of selecting, preparing, serving, and enjoying fine food'. Gastronomy was for the nobility, but over time the concept included the 'peasant food' typical of regional and local cuisine. The serving and consumption of food has become a global industry, of which tourism is an important part. Mass tourist resorts can often be divided spatially on the basis of cuisine. One can spot English tourists in English pubs, German tourists in the Bierkeller. Some tourists still engage in the habit of taking their own food with them on holiday.Food is a means of forging and supporting identities, principally because what we eat and the way we eat are such basic a spects of our culture. Given the strong relationship between food and identity, it is not surprising that food becomes an important place marker in tourism promotion. One of the basic reasons for this is the strong relationship between certain localities and certain types of food. As Hughes (1995:114) points out there is a 'notion of a natural relationship between a region's land, its climatic conditions and the character of food it produces. It is this geographical diversity which provides for the regional distinctiveness in culinary traditions and the evolution of a characteristic heritage.' This link between location and gastronomy has been used in a number of ways in tourism, including promotional efforts based on distinctive or 'typical' regional or national foods.In a gastronomic landscape, the forces of globalization and localization are both exerting pressures on our eating habits. The rise of fast food has come to characterize the globalization of culture and economy encaps ulated in the term 'McDonaldization' (Ritzer 1993). McDonald's franchises more than 25,000 outlets in 120 countries worldwide. The Big Mac has become a culinary product that it is used to measure the purchasing power parity of national currencies (Ong 1997). The cultural capital that we develop on holiday regarding foreign food is utilized in our leisure time to develop our identity. The fact that many people seek the comfort of the familiar on holiday is one factor that helps to support the spread of global foods. At the same time, however, there is a countervailing force towards more localization in what Castells call the 'space of places' - the local environments in which the bulk of the world's population live their everyday lives. A resurgence of the local is also being stimulated by growing