The Legal Drinking Age Of The United States - 1345 Words

With food, there comes a variety of cultural differences with beverages. One of the most popular drink markets in the United States is energy drinks. This industry has grown significantly in the past ten years, and many of the companies are household names, such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar Energy. While they have mainstream success in the United States, many countries look down on these products because of their use of certain supplements, such as excess amounts of caffeine of taurine. Some countries have done things such as banning the sale of these products to minors, or even outlawing them completely. These products vary from culture to culture, with some countries introducing their own product lines, ones that are only available†¦show more content†¦This is a common practice among college level students, particularly those in a fraternity. Another factor that plays into American culture is the large amount of alcohol users that are considered alcohol dependent. Of all of these alcohol users, 4.7% are considered to be alcohol dependent, meaning they must drink a certain amount of alcohol to feel as if they can function properly (World Health Organization, 2014). In comparison, the legal drinking age in Russia is 18, and there is an average alcohol consumption of 11.5 liters per capita. This alcohol consumption is made up of 51% spirits, 38% beer, and 11% wine. When it comes to alcohol dependency, Russia is much higher than the United States, with 9.3% of their total drinking population considered alcohol dependent. Though there is more alcohol consumed, and a more relaxed policy on who can drink in Russia, they are a lot more strict on drinking and operating a vehicle. The United States blood alcohol content considered to be legal when driving is .08, whereas in Russia there is a zero tolerance policy on drinking and driving. This strict policy has lead to fewer alcohol related accidents and deaths, even though there is a much higher amount o f alcohol consumed (World Health Organization, 2014). One surprising fact is that many countries practice abstaining from alcohol altogether.

The Life Of Walden Pond, By F. Scott Thoreau Essay

Shortly after my stay on the shore of Walden Pond, I returned to civilization and took a job as a scrivener to assimilate myself back into society, a much more difficult task than it would seem, and because I needed money for food, shelter, clothing, and fuel, which are necessities for pondering the true meaning of life (Thoreau, 986). I was not particularly happy about taking the job, but I had few choices in the city. In my short time there I encountered the most silently desperate man (Thoreau, 984) I have ever encountered. His name was Bartleby, and my brief encounter with him caused me to solidify my beliefs on philanthropy, deliberate living, and progress, while teaching me to appreciate the humanity in every person. On my first day of work, my boss led me to the section of the office in which I would be working. â€Å"Our old scrivener prefers not to work right now† he said, passive-aggressively gesturing to Bartleby â€Å"and that is why we’ve hired you to re place him.† I looked over at the motionless man, but he gave no acknowledgement to either of us. Instead, he stared out the window, which looked directly out onto a brick wall. The boss left abruptly and I began to get settled in the office and eventually I decided to engage the man by the window. â€Å"So if you’re not working, what do you do here, Bartleby?† I asked the motionless man. To this question, however, he offered no acknowledgement or response, he simply stared out the window onto the wall. I was interested in

As I Lay Dying 9 Free Essays

string(74) " as similar in protective function to Cash’s carpentry†\(56 Powers\)\." May 10, 2010 013 Child Relations In the book â€Å"As I lay Dying† by William Faulkner the character that is dying name is Addie Bundren, the mother of five children. She was also the wife of no good Anse Bundren. Anse is lazy, selfish, no good farmer, who can hardly be called a farmer because he does almost none of the work himself. We will write a custom essay sample on As I Lay Dying 9 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Out of an act of lust Addie and Anse married and ended up giving birth to Cash and Darl soon after. After the birth of her two sons Addie was bent on not having any more children. The birth of Cash confirms her feeling that words are irrelevant and that only physical experience has reality and significance. Through the act of giving birth she becomes part of the endless cycle of creation and destruction, discovering that for the first time her aloneness had been violated and then made whole again by the violation† (Vickey 54). Anse wanted as many children as possible so that he would have as many hands a possible to work for him, but Addie was determined to have no more. This made their marriage very rocky and lead to Addie requesting to be buried with her blood relatives in town. In this time period this was hard because of the lack of transportation that they had as well as a lack of money. Her determination to not have any more children was brought to an end because she had an affair with Whittfield, which lead to the birth of Jewel. Anse did not know of this affair so he thought that jewel was his child. Addie decided to make it up to Anse by giving him two more children. â€Å"She consciously and deliberately gives Anse Dewey Dell to negative Jewel and Vardaman to replace him† (Vickey 55). Among the five children that she had Addie treated them all in a different way. Addie especially treated Cash, Darl, and Dewey Dell very differently. The relationship between Cash and Addie is magnificent for many reasons. Out of the five children that Addie had she liked Cash’s personality the most. Cash is the oldest of the five children. In addition to being the oldest, Cash is also a man of very few spoken words. He can be considered a very simple character compared to the others of the novel. For example, in his first narrative excerpt from As I Lay Dying Cash speaks in list form. {draw:custom-shape} This is one of the most simplistic forms of communication known. As a skilled carpenter, Cash, went and built his mothers coffin, especially to her liking in front of the window in which she was slowly dying. Cash and Addie had a relationship based off very few spoken words. â€Å"Her blissful union with Cash exist beyond body language: Cash did not need to say it [love] to me nor I to him† (Clarke 38). Clarke is explaining in this passage how there are no words needed in the relationship between Addie and Cash. As Cash built his mothers coffin, for each piece that he completed he held up for her approval. â€Å"She’s just watching Cash yonder† (Faulkner 9). This shows how Addie was continuously looking out the window to check on Cash’s progress on her coffin. Cash is extremely determined to complete the coffin. â€Å"With Cash all day long right under the window, hammering and sawing at that——â€Å"(Faulkner 19). This is proof of their strong relationship because he spends all his time doing this strenuous task. â€Å"Work is Cash’s way of communicating with Addie, his means of getting and holding her attention, and thereby assuring that unspoken understanding that has always existed between them†(Bleikasten 179). Bleikasten is showing that Cash rarely speaks unless it is through his actions such as building the coffin. Although Addie and Cash did have a very good relationship, Cash still needed something to help him cope with the death of his mother. For him this would be his carpentry skills. â€Å"The carpentering itself is an activity in which Cash can immerse himself sufficiently to insulate himself from the harsh reality of his mother’s imminent death† (Powers 56). This is simply saying that Cash is using carpentry to replace his mother after her death. The work of mourning begins before death has actually occurred† (Bleikasten 178). The mourning begins early because Cash already has a strong feeling that his mother is about to pass on so he begins to work on her coffin. â€Å"The building of the coffin should become for Cash the object of a manic counter investment. If he cannot be the jewel, he can at the very least be the jewler, the maker of the perfect shrine in which the mother’s precious body is preserved. In nailing Addie into the coffin, Cash encloses himself with her, burying his desire and pain† (Bleikasten 179). Cash making the most perfect coffin possible is his special way of mourning and the completion of the coffin with his mother’s body in he is enclosing his pain. â€Å"The infant loved by his mother grows to be a man of deeds; and Addie, in the absence of Jewel, calls out to him at the moment of her death—and he continues that relationship in his silent agony on the wagon†(Williams 117). Addie and Dewey Dell did not have the best relationship but at the same time did not have the worse possible relationship. Addie felt indifferently towards Dewey Dell, meaning that she didn’t particularly care what happened with her. She didn’t really care because Dewey Dell was only meant to negate Jewel because it was her illegitimate child that Anse did not know of. Addie purposely gave Anse Dewey Dell and Vardaman to make up for the birth of Jewel. Dewey Dell clearly did not have the strongest relationship with her mother though. â€Å"Dewey Dell is not so clearly disturbed by her mother’s death, yet her activity with the fan at Addie’s bedside may be seen as similar in protective function to Cash’s carpentry†(56 Powers). You read "As I Lay Dying 9" in category "Papers" Dewey Dell too had something to substitute for her mother’s death. Dewey Dell, terribly preoccupied by the bud of life within herself- the result of going to the woods, the ‘secret shade,’ with Lafe- can scarcely attend to Addie’s death†(Powers 56). Dewey Dell quickly became pregnant after an agreement that she had with Lafe. Lafe manipulated the agreement and found a loop hol e and ended up picking cotton into her basket. As she lost her virginity under the secret shade and realizes soon after that she is pregnant â€Å"Dewey Dell admits that ‘the process of coming unalone is terrible’† (Williams 105). It quickly became clear that â€Å"Dewey Dell has no need to replace the mother figuratively, for she replicates the mother in her own pregnancy† (Clarke 41). This shows that Addie and Dewey Dell really did not have a close relationship because even through her pregnancy she should have been attending to her mother’s needs as she left this world. Further more as they took the casket into town, Dewey Dell’s intent to go to town was so that she could try to find some abortion medicine, because like her mother she did not necessarily want her first child at that point in time. So the daughter goes through the same experiences as her mother: in pregnancy Dewey Dell discovers as Addie did her destiny as begetter, and like her mother she is snatched from aloneness only to be thrown back to it†(Bleikasten 180). Although Addie and Dewey Dell have many similarities when it comes to their pregnancies they are also different. â€Å"Unlike Addie, she is determined, if possible, to effect their separation. Thus, she will not name her condition even to her self because to do so would be to transfer her pregnancy from her private world of awareness to the public world of fact† (Vickery 61). Darl and Addie on the other hand had the worst possible relationship ever. This was proven several times throughout the novel As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. Darl had said â€Å"I cannot love my mother because I have no mother† (Faulkner 95). This shows exactly how they have a bad relationship, but it is not just a one way street, Addie in turns hates Darl also. â€Å"Addie claims to have been tricked by a word in Darl’s conception; she says that my revenge would be that he would never know I was taking revenge. And when Darl was born I asked Anse to promise to take me back to Jefferson when I died† (Williams 115). This is the beginning of the dislike on Addie’s behalf because she did not want another child to begin with, so she intended on getting revenge on Anse. â€Å"He too must finally cast the son most like him (Darl, the one that folks say is queer, lazy, pottering about the place no better than Anse, the one who most resembles his father looking out over the land†¦with eyes [that] look like pieces of burnt out cinder†(Williams 115). In this passage Williams describes why Addie actually hates Darl. She hates Darl because she hates Anse with a passion, and Darl acts just like Anse in the sense that he is lazy like his father. Because Addie accepts the fact that she and Anse live in different worlds, her second child, Darl, comes as the ultimate and unforgivable outrage† (Vickey 54). Since Darl receives no love from his mother he makes it his duty to terrorize everyone else in the Bundren family minus Anse. â€Å"Never having had a mother, Darl is more surely poss essed by her than any of his brothers. Darl’s eyes, as Dewey Dell describe them, are full of the land dug out of his skull and the holes filled with distance beyond the land†(Bleikasten 188). Darl is known for his abilities to communicate without words, â€Å"at times, a kind of nonlinguistic â€Å"feminine† intuition† (Clarke 35). Using this ability he continuously terrorized Dewey Dell because he was the only one whom knew of her pregnancy in the Bundren house hold. In one of Dewey Dell’s narratives she said â€Å"He said he knew without words like he told me that ma is going to die without words, and I knew he knew because if he had said he knew with words I would not have believed that he had been there and saw us† (27). What Dewey Dell is explaining is that Darl speaks to her without words and knows of all things that are happening and only the most important things Darl says with no words, such as the death of their mother. Darl also takes it upon himself to confuse his youngest brother Vardaman even more than he already is. For example, Vardaman says â€Å"My mother is a fish† (84). This shows how confused Vardaman really is. The conversation that Darl and Vardaman had concerning Vardaman’s mother being a fish and the horse being Jewel’s mother really left Vardaman confused. As if this little part was not confusing enough for the five year old, Darl then confesses that he does not have a mother. â€Å"I haven’t got ere one, Darl said, Because if I had one it was. And if it is was, it can’t be is. Can it† (101)? This conversation leaves Vardaman in a world of confusion. He now starts to doubt if Darl and Jewel are really his brothers. â€Å"Darl, who seems to float through a world of words, passing into peoples minds and crossing vast spaces at will† (Clarke 46). Darl was able to make everyone miserable because he had no substitute for his mother’s death unlike everyone else in the family. Vardaman had the fish to replace their mother, while Dewey Dell had her pregnancy to occupy her mom, Jewel had his horse, and Cash had his carpentry to replace the emptiness left by their mother’s death. Darl had no substitute â€Å"because he never had a mother to replace† (Clarke 46). Darl said this several times throughout the novel in many variations. For example, â€Å"I can not love my mother because I have no mother† (95). There is a reason why Darl feels this way and Addie in turn hates Darl also. Darl’s feeling that he is not a part of his mother is more than just an expression of sibling rivalry. Addie’s rejection of him is absolute; it is the most terrible thing she does. † The rejection by his own mother makes Darl feels that he has no mother especially as a support system. In turn Addie rejects him because he is just like his father Anse of whom she despises as said previously. As a resulting factor â€Å"for Darl, the constant e xception, the journey is a continual nuisance, and he wants only to see his mother- distinctly dead- buried and out of the way†(Powers 61). Darl is constantly suffering emotionally throughout his life due to the absence of his mother, and continues to be affected by his lack of motherly guidance once Addie actually passes away. â€Å"His brothers, as we have seen, all end up some how displacing their grief and replacing Addie: Jewel with a horse, Vardaman with a fish, Cash with a coffin. But Darl’s mother is literally irreplaceable† (Bleikasten 188). Darl’s mother is irreplaceable because all his life he never had one because he was despised by Addie. In conclusion Addie Bundren had very different relationships with her children. After her death all her children had different ways of coping with her loss also. The relationship with Addie varied greatly from her children Cash, Dewey Dell, and Darl. Cash, her oldest child, she had a great relationship with. They loved and understood one another through the minimum use of words possible. Often times they communicated through body gestures and other types of movement. To substitute the emptiness in Cash’s heart due to the death of his mother, he focused on carpentry. Cash hand built Addie’s coffin to her approval as she looked beyond the window as she lay there dying. Addie and Dewey Dell had a relationship in which they felt indifferently about one another. They basically coexisted within the same house hold. Addie brought Dewey Dell into the world with a purpose: to â€Å"negative† Jewel because he was Addie’s illegitimate son. Dewey Dell also had a replacement for her mother after her death. At the time of Addie’s death, Dewey Dell is pregnant with her first child. This pregnancy takes the focus that Addie would have had on Addie and redirects towards an illegitimate child of her own because she is not married. And then there was Darl. Addie and Darl had the worst relationship possible between a mother and a son. They hated each other. Addie despised Darl because he was just like her husband Anse of whom she also despised. Darl also was her second child who she really did not want to have at all. This was the point in which she vowed to seek revenge upon Anse and made Darl an outcast. As for Darl, he hated Addie because she never mothered him his whole life, which left him broken emotionally causing him to terrorize the rest of his siblings especially his younger ones. Darl did not have a substitute for the death of his mother. In Darl’s eyes he had no mother so the mourning of her would be pointless for him. Work Cited Bleikasten, Andre. _The Ink of Melancholy_. Requiem for a Mother. Indiana University Press, Bloomington. 1990 Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage, 1990. Powers, Lyall H. Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha Comedy. : The University Of Michigan Press. Ann Arbor. Vickey, Olga W. The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Interpretation. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. Print Williams, David. _Faulkner’s Women: the Myth and the Muse_. University of Toronto Press. 1977. How to cite As I Lay Dying 9, Papers

Obama Care Pros and Cons free essay sample

Tens of millions of uninsured will get access to affordable quality health insurance through the marketplace. In order to get the money to help insure tens of millions there are new taxes, mostly on high-earners. The taxes that may affect you directly are the individual mandate and employer mandate. Over half of uninsured Americans can get free or low cost health insurance using their States Health Insurance Marketplace The individual mandate says you have to obtain health coverage by January 2014, get an exemption or pay a fee if you can afford it. Medicaid is expanded up to 15.9 million men, women and children below 138% of the poverty level. Medicaid is expanded using Federal and State funding. Not all States have to expand Medicaid. CHIP is expanded to cover up to 9 million children. CHIP also uses Federal and State funding. You cant be dropped from coverage when you get sick or make an honest mistake on your application. You also cant be denied coverage or treatment for being sick or charged more for being sick. You cant be charged more for being a woman either. Insurance companies must cover sick people and this increases the cost of everyones insurance. Small businesses can get tax credits for up to 50% of their employees health insurance premium costs. The employer mandate says that in 2015 businesses with over the equivalent of 50 full-time employees must provide health coverage. In anticipation some businesses have cut employee hours. Young Adults can stay on parents plan until 26. 82% of uninsured adults will qualify for free or low cost insurance. Young people tend to be healthy and not to need coverage as often as older Americans. Medicare is improved for Seniors including eliminating the donut hole, keeping rates down and expanding free preventive services. Some Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals have been limited. (Medicare pays doctors more than any other type of coverage and the rates have led to very complex problems that are driving the costs of health care up for everyone). All coverage starting after 2014 must include new preventative services and essential health benefits. Insurance premiums have increased  due to insurers having to provide covered services. ObamaCare helps to curb the growth in healthcare spending. ObamaCare focuses more on making sure people are covered than it does on addressing the cost of care in the first place. Average American The Average American (those making under 400% FLP) will most likely see a reduction in their insurance premiums and 30 of the 44 million without insurance will gain access coverage via the ObamaCare exchanges, Medicare or Medicaid. ObamaCare offers a number of protections and benefits to all Americans. Beyond the 10 essential health benefits mandated by ObamaCare, additional benefits range from chipping away at pre-existing conditions to expanding health services. Overall, the quality of health care is increased, while the cost, in theory, will be reduced. Middle income Americans (those making between 133% 400% of the federal poverty level), and employees will be able to use tax credits and out-of-pocket subsidies on theexchanges to save up to 60% of the current cost of premiums making insurance affordable for up to 23 million Americans. Affordable insurance is defined as costing less than 8% of your annual income. Tax credits cap cost at 9.5% for sliver plan for those making between 300 400% FPL. One of the cons of ObamaCare is that since many Americans work for larger employers, some employees may have the new costs involved with insuring their workforce passed onto them. Other workers will see a decrease in quality of plans offered by employers, to avoid the employer paying a excise tax on high-end health insurance plans. These cons will affect less than 1% of businesses, and only a small fraction will deal with the new challenges by cutting worker hours and benefits or not hiring new workers. When it comes to women, ObamaCare offers many pros and few cons. 47 million women will gain access to womens health services, including preventive and wellness services. Many of ObamaCares new benefits for women are required by law to have no out of pocket payments. There arent many cons for women beyond those of the Average American, however there is the issue of contraception and its availability. ObamaCare expands contraception coverage but this mandate is one of the most contested  aspects of the new health care bill and can easily be seen as a con depending on ones viewpoint. Essay The Obama health care legislation known as the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) has received mixed reviews over the last couple years. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, putting in place comprehensive reforms that improve access to affordable health coverage for everyone and protect consumers from abusive insurance company practices (Health Reform in Action, 2012). Many people dislike the idea of Obamacare because of misinformation obtained from the press, political candidates and by those who refuse to seek the information themselves and go on hearsay. The new health reform law provides security to the hardworking citizens of the United States. Obamacare holds insurance companies accountable, lowers health care costs, gives Americans more freedom and control in their health care choices and improves the quality of care (Health Reform in Action, 2012). With Obamacare, insurance agencies cannot create limits on care and the yearly limits will no longer exist in a couple of years. More than 5.1 million people on Medicare have saved over $3.1 billion on prescription drugs, including a one-time $250 rebate check to seniors who fell into the prescription coverage gap or â€Å"donut hole† in 2010, and a 50% discount on brand-name drugs worth an average of $604 per person in 2011 (Health Reform in Action, 2012). In every state and for the first time ever, insurance companies must publicly justify their actions if they want to raise rates by 10% or more and more states have the authority to reject unreasonable premium increases (Health Reform in Action, 2012). President Obama has stated on several occasions that the new health legislation would start out slow but pick up over time to compensate for the initial loss. Advocating for health care will ensure that American citizens 1. ACA allows young Americans to stay on their parents’ insurance plans Because of ObamaCare, which allows kids to stay on their parents insurance plans until age 26, 3.4 million young Americans now have coverage. The percentage of uninsured young people (ages 19 to 25) fell accordingly,  from 48% in 2010 to 21% in 2012. According to polling, three-in-four Americans support this part of the Affordable Care Act including, yes, over two-thirds of Republicans. 2. ACA bans insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions Another aspect of ObamaCare that has already taken effect is the ban on insurance companies denying coverage to patients based on pre-existing conditions. That means an end to insurance company horror stories like four-month-old Alex Lange being denied health insurance because he was too chubby. This is why the conservative allegation about death panels is so ironic; while the actual ACA law does not contain death panels or anything remotely like them, the fact is that prior to ObamaCare, insurance companies were effectively operating like death panels in denying life-saving coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition and by applying life-time spending caps on coverage. The ban on pre-existing condition limits, which will apply to every single American by 2014, is supported by 83% of Americans. 3. ACA offers tax credits to small businesses to buy insurance The Affordable Care Act expands tax credits to help small businesses provide health insurance to their workers. Companies with fewer than 50 employees do not have to provide insurance, but even for these businesses, ObamaCare will make it easier and cheaper if they choose to do so. According to polling, 88% of Americans think these small business tax credits are great, including — wait for it yes, 83% of Republicans. That’s right, over eight-in-ten Republicans support the provision of ObamaCare that helps small businesses afford and expand their health insurance offerings to employees. 4. ACA requires companies with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance Over 96% of companies with more than 50 employees already provide health insurance to their employees. And contrary to Republicans claiming otherwise, studies show the vast majority of those employers do not plan to drop or reduce that coverage because of ObamaCare. Also, there is no evidence that ObamaCare has led to companies slashing full-time workers. In fact, since ObamaCare passed in March 2010, over 90% of the gain in employment has been full-time positions. Still, we know that companies that can afford to provide health insurance to their workers and yet fail to do so off-set the costs of care onto the rest of us — whether the cost of emergency room treatment that gets passed on to other consumers, or Medicaid  coverage that we pay for as taxpayers. In Florida alone, more than 50,000 workers at companies like McDonald’s and Burger King are on the state’s Medicaid rolls. Especially with tax credits available to small businesses, there is no excuse for companies to pass the buck. And 75% of Americanssupport this element of ObamaCare. 5. ACA provides subsidies to help individuals afford coverage Many of the 45 million Americans who lack health insurance simply don’t have enough money to afford coverage. ObamaCare will lower the cost of premiums but also provide subsidies to help low- and middle-income Americans purchase insurance. Americans who earn $45,000 per year (about 400% of the federal poverty level) wi ll qualify for some form of subsidy. The amount of the subsidy will be based on income as well as the cost of health coverage in a particular state but, for instance, according to a subsidy calculator created by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a 27-year-old living in Houston, Texas, who earns just $15,000 a year could sign-up for a mid-level plan for about $300 per year with the help of subsidies. Without subsidies, that plan would cost $2,400 per year. The few Americans who think subsidizing care is a bad idea should, again, note that we already subsidize health care to a far greater degree in the form of Medicaid and also when the uninsured rely on free emergency room care and pass those astronomical costs on to the rest of us. But most Americans — 76% to be exact — support the individual subsidy. That includes 61% of Republicans. There’s even more aspects of ObamaCare that the American people already support — including the employer mandate, the increased Medicare payroll tax on higher-income Americans and the expansion of Medicaid. And then, starting October 1, here’s one more: 6. State-based health insurance exchanges Americans of all political stripes like choice and competition, which is precisely what the ObamaCare health insurance exchanges will create. So it’s no wonder that 80% of Americans — including 72% of Republicans — support the health insurance exchange program in ObamaCare. And that’s even before the exchanges have taken effect! Plus, a new report shows that health insurance premiums will beeven lower under ObamaCare than originally projected. Personally, as someone who pays through the nose for individual insurance in New York State — a state where, historically, few individual  insurance options have even been available — I can’t wait to enroll in ObamaCare and see my premiums plummet, as they are expected to by at least 50%. Again, all this is why Republicans are in such a desperate rush to try and defund ObamaCare before October 1 — even if it means holding our economy hostage and even if most voters, including Republicans ,oppose the repeated and wasteful defunding attempts. After all, the law is already popular when it’s not fully in effect and most people haven’t felt its benefits. We all know what will happen when ObamaCare takes effect — and works! Republicans who are throwing temper tantrums over sour grapes need to grow up. Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, President Obama signed it into law and the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality. The cost of doing nothing on health care reform was too great and the cost of repeatedly refighting the political battles of the past is obscene. But then again, it makes perfect sense why Republicans refuse to just give up and shut up — because the minute they do, there will be no more distractions from all the good things about ObamaCare. Three years ago when I was shopping for insurance, there weren’t that many options to choose from. And the plan I ended up with is expensive and, to put it bluntly, crappy. Currently, I pay $965 per month for family coverage that includes: †¢ a whopping $7,000 deductible; †¢ $36,000 out-of-pocket max per year; †¢ an annual coverage limit of $2,000,000; †¢ a $35 co-pay for doctor’s visits ($55 for specialists); and †¢ a $15 co-pay for generic prescriptions. All this plus the plan has very limited out-of-network coverage that, I found out the hard way, is subject to such a gauntlet of procedural hurdles that my family has spent thousands of dollars in so-far-unreimbursed out-of-network expenses. I’m not going to tell you who my current provider is, though I’m inclined to purely out of loathing and spite. But for the record, for over a year I paid for their version of â€Å"gold† coverage that had a $3,000 deductible, only a $25 doctor’s co-pay and a $6,000 out-of-pocket max. But that plan didn’t process any of my reimbursements either and cost a whopping $1,687 per month. That’s over $20,000 per year! You can see why, regardless of what party I vote for, I was excited to have some more  affordable options. So I logged onto the New York State health insurance exchange website. Yeah, I had a few false starts — the website was down a lot early on either because of service glitches or overwhelming traffic. For a few days, I couldn’t do anything at all on the website. Then for a day or so I could â€Å"log-in† but not complete registration. And then for a day, I could answer the questions to complete my registration but not actually complete the process. On one occasion, I got so frustrated at the stalled exchange website that I actually shook my computer. Not pleasant. But finally, early on the first Saturday morning following the launch of the exchange site — probably because the rest of the state (unlike my five-year-old) was still asleep I was able to log-in and complete my registration and check out all my options for insurance. There were literally 50 plans that were better than my current insurance both with lower premiums, lower out-of-pocket costs and better coverage. And there were ten plans with a higher premium than my current insurance, but with lower deductibles. So and here’s an important point the reason that more people haven’t signed up for coverage yet is probably that, just like me, they needed to take some time (and first, find some time!) to weigh all the options. While the exchange site was user-friendly and explained my options in a clear and simple way, picking an insurance plan isn’t exactly like ordering a hamburger. It took a minute to find my calculator and think about the options. Within a week, I had settled on a â€Å"gold† plan offered by Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield. The plan includes: †¢ a $2,000 total deductible; †¢ an out-of-pocket max of $12,500 for the year; †¢ a $30 co-pay for visits to our primary care doctor; †¢ a $15 co-pay for generic prescriptions; †¢ NO annual coverage limit — because that’s now prohibited thanks to the Affordable Care Act; plus †¢ an added bonus: the plan I selected includes child dental. This option will cost my family $931 per month — $408 per year less than my previous crappy plan and a $5,000 savings in deductibles. A big win for me and my family financially and in terms of what’s covered. Plus in the past, I spent several days looking for and comparing insurance  options. Under ObamaCare, even with the slow and sticky website, I spent a total of four hours — to save over $5,400. That kind of return on investment would make Warren Buffett drool. Counter to wild stories about the government taking over health care, the exchange was simply a public portal to a range of all-private insurance options. I went with a â€Å"gold† plan for lower deductible and out-of-pocket costs. And I chose Blue Cross Blue Shield because my current primary doctor is in-network. But one of the most exciting things is the new companies providing private insurance through the exchange; I’ll be watching the reviews over the next year and might change plans when re-enrollment comes around. As of October 20, the Associated Press reported that 476,000 Americans had filled out insurance applications through the federal and state exchanges. Not bad, considering the poor performance of the sign-up websites. But it’s only been 20 days since the exchanges launched, and folks have 60 more days (through December 15) to sign up for coverage to take effect on January 1, 2014. And people have 60 days after that (February 15) before the individual mandate penalty kicks in. In other words, there’s still plenty of time to fix the websites and for more Americans to enroll — and save. Meanwhile, we know that in a state like Oregon, ObamaCare has already reduced the number of uninsured individuals by 10%. Glitches aside, that’s a great start. We’ve suffered through four years of outlandish attacks against ObamaCare that it will kill our grandmothers, or at least just kill our economy. But the fact is that ObamaCare has created a private marketplace so that millions of American families like mine can get affordable, quality health insurance while keeping more of our hard-earned money. Ideologues may not like ObamaCare, but my wallet and my family’s health su re do.

The influence of Italian Art upon the work of Peter Ruben Essay Example

The influence of Italian Art upon the work of Peter Ruben Essay Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish Baroque painter of the sixteenth and seventeenth Century focused his work namely upon the nude, a typical fixation, especially with Italian based artists during the Renaissance and Mannerism periods.Italy particularly Florence and Rome was at the heart of the Renaissance A period of New Learning and the rebirth of Classical Art and Literature and therefore produced many prominent artists who inevitably influenced the work of many aspiring young followers of the Renaissance era. However, as the Catholic Church became increasingly unsatisfied with the mannerists work as it no longer honoured the spirituality the Church required. Therefore a new form of art was created Baroque A style of which Ruben was renowned for due to fact that he fundamentally revitalized and redirected Northern European painting as Renaissance art gradually began to lose popularity with secular authorities, yet kept its freedom and classical themes. The Renaissance was a period of great creative inspiration, from which many artists used as a motive to move away from the restrictive methods of Byzantine a style that framed itself primarily upon the glorification of God. Throughout the 15th century artists studied the natural world, perfecting their understanding of such subjects as anatomy and perspective. The High Renaissance was of the great explosions of creative genius in history, and produced many masterpieces still thought of as irreplaceable to date. Despite this, Rubens was one of the earlier Baroque artists who realised the intricate and over-complicated style of mannerism and late Renaissance work would not achieve any strong emotive outcome. Rubens, raised initially as a Calvinist, taught by humanist scholars and finally re-baptised into Roman Catholicism was inevitably to become an artists who devoted much of his talent into the glorification of religion, which was

Relationship between cross age essays

Relationship between cross age essays Is there a positive relationship between cross age tutoring program and reading ability The relationships between an effective cross age tutoring program the emphasized reading enhancement and the effect of the reading ability of a 3-grade language arts class of 20 advance, general, and basic students will be researched. The Comprehensive Assessment Program and Comprehensive reading assessment battery will be administered. It is hypothesized that the students who participate in this program will show an improvement in their reading comprehension, and assessment. The purpose of this study is to determine if cross age tutoring improves the reading ability of an elementary age student. Cross age tutoring is defined as students in higher-grade levels who work with younger students. Elementary is defined as those grades of K-8. This study will focus on the lower grades for the tutee because at the 3rd grade level students have just learned to read. This study will use students in the upper grades such as 6th grade because these students can learn valuable leadership skills that will help them as they enter middle and high school and this experience has shown to improve problem solving ability of the tutor or the person who provides tutoring. The cross age tutoring projects that this study will focus on will have the following criteria met. The tutee will have been selected by their language arts teacher to have shown a need for tutoring service by the following: obtaining an 70 or below grade point average and have been given various grade level reading assessment and comprehension test are shown to be at an 2nd grade reading level. The material will be used for the tutoring will be selected by the project coordinator who will use a basic suggests from the Department of Education, the Local school board, and the language arts teacher. The tutor will also have been selected by their language art teacher and have a 95 or above gra...

Discuss how eukaryotic organisms came into existence Coursework

Discuss how eukaryotic organisms came into existence - Coursework Example The study of the origin of the eukaryotes is a dynamic branch of this science, and much research has taken place in order to try and explain the development of this unique and structurally and functionally distinct class of organisms (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006). There are many theories and models regarding this debate, and many of those models are conflicting in nature (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006). This paper purports to discuss the most commonly accepted and relevant models of the origin of eukaryotes, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and presenting a conclusion about the needs for future research into this field, and the specific parameters that should be aimed for in that future research. Discussion/Body: Let us begin our discussion with an understanding of a eukaryotic organism. The eukaryotic organisms, as opposed to the prokaryotic cells, have originated rather recently in the history of evolution (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006). ... is no structurally developed control center like the nucleus of the eukaryotes (White, 2006), and the organelles, if present, are simple and non-membranous (White, 2006). Such organisms had the capability of surviving in the harshest of environments, as was necessary in the early development of the world’s ecosystems (White, 2006). They reproduced by simple binary fission (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006) and could metabolise with or without the availability of oxygen (White, 2006), using a variety of chemicals as substrates for metabolism. In contrast, the eukaryotes are defined by the presence of a well-defined nucleus, which is membrane bound (White, 2006). There are a variety of organelles, which are complex in nature and many are also membrane-bound (White, 2006); the division of labour is enhanced and made more efficient in the eukaryotes (White, 2006). Such organisms are increasingly oxygen-dependent (White, 2006), and have a reduced capability to withstand extremes of enviro nments, requiring a more stable environment around them (White, 2006). There is a general consensus of scientific opinion that the eukaryotes came into being by the ‘fusion’ (Rivera & Lake, 2004) or ‘association’ (Rivera & Lake, 2004) of different prokaryotic organisms (Rivera & Lake, 2004). Unfortunately, the consensus of opinion is limited till here. From this conjecture, several theories have arisen in an effort to best explain the behavior of eukaryotes, both genetically and phenotypically. Two of the most common models are the ‘nucleus and mitochondria co-origin’ (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006) model and the ‘nucleus-first, mitochondria-later’ (Bacterial phylogeny, 2006) model. Let us study the co-origin model first. Scientists supporting the co-origin model claim that a fusion

Branding makes differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Branding makes differences - Essay Example It should be an explicit expression of the value any product is really capable of delivering to a customer (Hand 2010, p. 6). It should aim at advocating a product as it really is to increase the number of loyal customer. In this context, graphic designing is worth mentioning because a standard image with powerful visuals is always required to promote a brand which is all branding is about. Branding can create a lot of difference by actively using the option of riveting graphic design in an increasingly globalized world (Anttiroiko 2014, p. 66). A large body of research explores this critically important relationship between branding and graphic design. It is suggested that graphic design is a very important ingredient that can create an extreme brand obsession or strong religious faith for a product (Cooke 2010, p. 74). General consensus is that though it can be a very daunting process, one demanding humongous lot of creativity, to come up with a genuine and riveting logo and mix it up with just the right amount of design charm, but to witness one’s creativity high up on a billboard is a very impressive feat for a brand designer. In the case of a product like body spray, sales can be improved by more than 100% if a new design is created which introduces a sassier graphic solution that is eye-catching and very tactfully â€Å"targets the younger, fashion-conscious, trend-led customer† (Ambrose & Harris 2011, p. 18). It is also the job of a graphic designer to come up with exciting ways of â€Å"interacting wi th different forms of media† (Davis & Baldwin 2005, p. 8). So, graphic design is also about communication, to convey the meaning or image of a brand to the world. Graphic designers can very much add new values to a culture as they strip them of their indigenous values â€Å"on behalf of globalising corporations† (Barnard 2013, p. 1967). To begin designing a brand image,

Relationship between organizational leadership, culture and Dissertation

Relationship between organizational leadership, culture and performance in family businesses - Dissertation Example However, there is a dearth of research regarding the extent to which the founder is able to embed strategic behaviors into family firm management and culture or the degree to which these behaviors impact the financial performance of these firms (Sorenson, 2000). Some effort has been made to examine the leadership styles of family firm leaders and the relationship of these styles to family and non-family members (Kellerman, 2008). Aldrich and Cliff (2003) suggested that entrepreneurial leadership attributes likely influenced family firm strategies, processes, and structures. Sorenson (2000) found that participative leaders achieved high performance in both the family and the business dimensions of the firm. The findings of the test hypotheses regarding performance outcomes in these studies were not conclusive regarding the effects of leadership styles on performance. Research on the leadership styles of the founder and their effect on family and non-family members may provide insight into family firm performance (Sharma, 2004). Purpose/Research Questions The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between organizational leader’s thinking and behavioral styles, its culture, and financial performance. Three family firms will be selected for this study. Participants will include current owners, founders, and family member and non-family member managers and employees. ... Preliminary Literature Review The Family Firm Although family firms have played an integral role in world economies throughout history, research into family businesses did not begin to come into prominence until 1975 (Handler, 1989). Handler's attempt to integrate the field around a common purpose by defining a family firm as "an organization whose major operating decisions and plans for leadership succession are influenced by family members serving in management or on the board" (p. 262) is characteristic of such ventures in its difficulty to operationalize. Furthermore, Astrachan, Klein, and Smyrnios (2002) have defined family business along a continuum measuring the levels of family influence across the dimensions of power, experience, and culture. Their intent is to provide an objective and standardized measurement of family involvement allowing comparison along a broad spectrum of family businesses. Sharma (2002) developed a typology which creates 72 categories of family firms b ased on the possible levels of family and non-family involvement in seven areas as identified on a firm's stakeholder map. Her intent is to develop a mechanism for differentiating between family businesses along the continuum from the publicly traded international corporation to the mom and pop enterprise. Leadership Styles For this study leadership styles specifically refer to the thinking and behavioral styles of family firm leaders. Leadership styles are divided into three composite orientations with each orientation consisting of four styles each. The constructive orientation (achievement, self-actualizing, humanistic-encouraging, and affiliative) characterize thinking and behavior that

Peacekeepin Peace Building And World Politics International Relations Essay

Peacekeepin Peace Building And World Politics International Relations Essay At the end of the cold war, internal conflicts around the world accounted for enormous loss of lives in which civilian non-combatant involved were estimated at about 90% (UNDP 2002, P.85). This trend represented a huge threat to regional and global stability as the spillover effect of these internal conflicts witnessed mass deaths and refugee movements across borders. The search for succor to this fiasco beamed a search light towards liberal peace building which aims to prevent a recurring violence and enduring long lasting peace in post conflict environments. The liberal peace paradigm is therefore predicated on a fundamental essence of establishing stability in post conflict societies through a prevailing peace building consciousness. As a post-mortem approach to conflict circumstances, liberal peace seeks to lay the foundation for long term stability through strengthened democracy and open market economics embedded in a framework for international peace. However, the historical experiment of the liberal peace model has been consequentially fratricidal especially in fragile and divided societies just emerging from civil war (Paris 2004, p.151). It therefore puzzles some commentators that the liberal peace model translates into a world view of a benevolent concept, which seeks to consolidate peace through concrete strategies of establishing socio-economic foundations juxtaposed with solid political framework for long term sustainable peace. This gap between the normative liberal peace concept and the empirical evidence obtained, paves way for criticism. This essay therefore seeks to inquire the conduct of liberal peace operations in post conflict societies by engaging existing debates that questions the practical consequences of the liberal peace project as evident in post civil war societies. Therefore the essay will be divided into four parts, the first part delves into the discursive debates of liberal peace, with a view to understanding the ideological choice of the subject matter. The second part looks at the empirical illustration that touches upon international institutions involvement in promoting liberal peace particularly in non advanced democracies and closed market societies around the world, this will help clarify and validate the inherent tensions in international peace building proposals. The thirdly part will underscore some of the challenges in establishing liberal peace, while the paper concludes by giving plausible recommendations as to how best the liberal peace model can be established without necessarily generating skepticism on its long term strategy towards a feasible world order. I find solace in the contention that liberal peace continuous to offer a more comprehensive international policy frame work for global peace, based on the assumptions that liberal market democracies rarely engage in violent war (Doyle 1986, P.1151). Uncapping Liberal Peace: The term liberal peace illustrates a policy agenda to locate alternatives to traditional peace keeping. Hence the liberal peace concept provides a comprehensive approach that entails, creates, and sustains a broad spectrum of processes, patterns, and stages necessary to transform hitherto conflict societies toward peaceful and sustainable ones. (Lederach 1997, P.20). Liberal peace however offers a robust range of structural options that precede formal peace making in violent societies. It stresses the key stages of peace to encompass a dynamic social condition that allows for non violent cessation alternative to civil conflict. The United Nations `agenda for peace` offers a valid insight into liberal peace, when the secretary general through a policy statement opined that post conflict peace building will vehemently seek to identify and nurture structures capable of strengthening and consolidating peace in the aftermath of civil war (Ghali 1992, p.32). By this statement it meant that the United Nations as a leading international security body identifies with the task that liberal peace sought to achieve. In accomplishing this task, the United Nations had to pioneer post conflict peace building efforts alongside other international agencies as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and a host of others. Giving the enormity of international peace builders in global discourse, a wide range of actors where involved, and their operational manifestations revealed that common strategies for consolidating peace in war-shattered societies was adopted (Paris 2004, p. 19). Liberal peace has therefore been conceived to be a western consensus to pioneer a global shift towards political and economic reform. In almost all parts of the world, liberal peace became â€Å"something close to a global theology† in post cold war era (Ake 1997, p.287). As a remedy for conflict prevention, multi-nationals also played roles of peace building agent through the promotion of good governance in developing countries. In today`s global politics, liberal peace has been transformed into a new interventionist norm within international security framework guided by a widely held assumption of conflict management theory (Chandler 2004, p.59). Interestingly, the principles that necessitated peace building experiments particularly at post civil conflict situations have attracted the attention of keen observers. Since there are no indications that peace building operations will be on the decline owing to `currency new wars`, in today`s international domain. The liberal peace debate does offer an opportunity to vigorously investigate into the prevailing conduct of peace building operations with a view to establishing effective strategies that suits the task of lasting peace in domestic post conflict environment and the world in a broader sense. Liberal Peace Building Records An Empirical analysis: Drawing on the ideas of Wilson that liberalism is essential to attaining peace and security within domestic and international political discourse. He asserts that democracy promotes the â€Å"ascendancy of reason over passion† and promises â€Å"the supreme and peaceful rule of counsel† offering a recipe for â€Å"peace and progress† in political life (Wilson 1968, p.90). Therefore the marketization and democratisation of post conflict societies especially after the cold war was in tandem with Wilson`s faith in the actual peace that liberalization could produce. Surprisingly the entrenchment of this optimistic formula in countries just emanating from internal conflict has exposed and provoked enormous tension, resulting in the constant questioning of the process of liberalization. The end of the cold war marked a water-shed in the promotion of liberal peace building across nation states. The United Nation and other international organizations became directly involved in several measures to proffer lasting peace on long-standing conflicts. During this period international organizations were willing to put in energies and resources in rehabilitating ‘failed states, as such the United Nations became increasingly proactive in cases of humanitarian crises on a large scale. Consequently, new peace building missions were launched by the United Nations Security Council to cope with the cases of civil conflicts that preceded the cold war. However, it is of interest to note that the pattern of peace building during this period was observed to have shifted beyond the traditional peace keeping in Westphalia sense. For instance in Cambodia the UN transitional authority (UNTAC) through its mandate temporarily took over administration of the domestic affairs (Schear 1996, p.174). The peace building manifestations saw UNTAC through an election and in that sense it was applauded for fostering peace through political liberalization, although the long term legacy of democratization in Cambodia showed that the elections brought relative calm to Cambodia during the election, but soon after the United Nation withdrew UNTAC the status quo returned. UNTAC, whose mandate was leveraged on a robust peace agreement between the warring groups in Cambodia, operated within the liberal peace building framework. The peace agreement was in principle a master plan to bring lasting peace to Cambodians through drafting a new constitution to accommodate the entrenchment of liberal democracy and a committed human rights declaration. This approach assumes that transforming Cambodia from a troubled state, to a liberal democratic one will move the country from its â€Å"far civil† situation to a peaceful political atmosphere. Indeed this prescription is what the liberal peace model identifies with in principle. In practice however, UNTAC penetrated the Cambodian local administrative network and in so doing lured Cambodia into adopting a market-disposed economic reform. These matrix of a liberal market democracy saw UNTAC accomplishing a transition process within six months to scheduled elections in Cambodia by may 1993 (Prasso 1995, P,39). By implication a thorough demobilization of belligerents which, was crucial to both an immediate peaceful electoral environment and after was hastily carried out. The short transition time table was excused on the need to deploy the military â€Å"to protect voter registration and subsequently, the electoral and polling processes, particularly in remote or insecure areas† (Boutros 1993, p. 4-5). The elections were held as scheduled with 90% registered voters participation and it seemed that the election was a reasonable vaccine that cured a dangerous political pr oblem at the time. Because this was perceived as a successful operation the United Nation deemed UNTAC withdrawal from Cambodia appropriate. Unfortunately, the election left a precarious plural society without necessarily having on ground a strong and established political institution to manage any tension that might occur. This point was fundamentally stressed by James Schear when he opined that: â€Å"The injection of political pluralism into the country, though welcomed in many respects, opened the door to an upsurge in violence that UNTAC was ill prepared to handle† (1996, p.174). Not astonishing however a catastrophic political wave rocked Cambodia again four years later, the outbreak of violence was majorly between two contending political party FUNCINPEC and CPP preparatory to an election. It is however necessary to note that, the democratization of Cambodia was not by implication a solely destabilizing factor responsible for an awakened violence in Cambodia, nevertheless democratization cause an unhealthy political competition that ignited the new fight leading up to the 1998 elections. Again it is difficult to argue that the peace builders in promoting liberalization in Cambodia deliberately left the country in a worst state, perhaps the case to be made here is that the empirical liberal peace approach of UNTAC as peace builders in Cambodia brings to fore a major weakness in the establishment of lasting peace, even though the mission (UNTAC) deserve some credit for implementing the peace agreement to the extent that the elections were held. A phenomenal d ifference would have been possible, if institutions strong enough to sustain liberal democracy in Cambodia were built before leaving it in the hands of local actors. In other words, as a long term strategy for long standing peace UNTAC could have consolidated on the accomplished elections through erecting liberal structures that can manage and implement the rule of law, human right declaration, civil liberty and individual freedom in Cambodia. Also, liberal peace has been held accountable in explaining the ideological assumptions that created policies leading to the invasion in Iraq. Although liberalism was not exclusively the policy agenda that nurtured the United States invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the invasion finds origin on the need to spread liberty and uphold individual freedom. As the president of the United States at the time did say on the eve to the invasion, â€Å"A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region† (Bush 2003) he meant by this statement that, establishing democratic norm all over the middle east was crucial to freedom in the region. This helps to explain the discourse with which liberal peace has become topical on global affairs, the argument in liberal peace has become increasingly controversial as it clearly touches on sovereignty. The national interest of the United States under the leadership of Bush after 9/11 set the pace for a complex definition of security. The explanatory philosophy within which Bush`s agenda setting can be understood was multifaceted. This was corroborated by Smith when he admits that from 2001, the United States presidents public statement on foreign policy began to build towards ‘a plausible rendering of a sophisticated ideology (2007, p.14). On this note, the philosophical premise upon which the United States invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003 can also be linked to neo-conservatism (Owen 2007, p 266). But more clearly neo-liberalism best prescribes the long term development strategy in which the invaders use to defend their actions. Since the liberal ideology does embrace the socio-political and economic gains of capitalism, the United States interprets invasion as pursuant to its commitment for improved human liberty by delivering freedom to all states in the international syst em, in the assumption that if nations and societies are free to choose their political and economic liberty there is a likelihood for international peace and stability It can therefore be pointed out that liberal peace influenced the policy of the United States in a strategic long term sense. The quest for regime change and individual freedom by the United States was based on the suspicion that the state poses a threat in enabling its citizens to exercise their free will. The corollary of which the United States as a progressive world body and a promoter of virtuous government (Williams 2005, p.318) invaded in the interest of international peace and stability. Although it is significant to mention that the Iraq circumstances is indeed unique, in the sense that efforts to rebuild Iraq was not born out of a post civil war experience. Rather the need to rebuild Iraq was an aftermath consequence of foreign invasion. Perhaps the inference of Iraq here is to show the desire to establish material economic prosperity and democratic value just after the invasion. Arguably the lessons from Iraq, does not necessarily fit into the general nature of peace building in internally generated conflicts, it bears similar challenges that actual civil war reconstruction pioneered by liberal peace philosophy face. The challenges of contemporary liberal peace: The records of entrenching liberal peace have continued to be flawed with failures. The costs of failure have been phenomenal both to the immediate society where the conflict is present and the international community in general. It is therefore in this context that we are keen to ascertain the obstructing factors towards the construction of lasting peace through liberal peace objectives. Suffice to mention at this juncture that the `right of humanitarian intervention` deployed by liberal states to protect individual rights internationally has given rise to a legitimacy question. In a bid to safeguard individual rights, the liberals justify intervention in humanitarian terms; they claim that even though the framework for intervention is not clearly embedded in the UN charter, the new consciousness for international peace makes intervention morally legitimate. This view is been refuted by the realist`s school as they continually stress that the international norm for peace is anchored on state oriented collective security agenda of the United Nations. Therefore, the incompatibility of `state sovereignty` to cope with the new interventionist norm of liberal peace, constitutes a fundamental challenge which undermines the progress of liberal peace. Hence the challenges of liberal peace will be described under the following headings:- Humanitarian Intervention:- The concept of humanitarian intervention has been problematic in erecting liberal peace architecture internationally. Since liberal peace often attempts to create the framework for international order via interventions, the moral defense in todays anarchical world is hard to find. Efforts to legitimize intervention, for human security purpose culminated in the constitution of an Independent Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). The commission was mandated to resolve the moral friction between `intervention and sovereignty` in a desire to evolve a holistic agreement on how to shift from debates towards action. Nonetheless the commission argued that Intervention remains a moral and ethical issue, noting that the universal declaration of human rights is a tool for alienating individual rights based on normative liberal claims. This implies that the onus is morally on the state as a `moral agent` to protect the rights of its citizenry, except in cases where such rights are being abused, external intervention can be excused based on consent. The absence of consent triggered the dilemma on the United Nations involvement in Iraq; perhaps if authorization and endorsement were sought the crisis of legitimacy would not have arisen. In this circumstance, liberal peace suffers from internationalizing the `right of intervention`, as the primary `responsibility to protect` beckons on the state concerned. The Intervening power of the international community should be exercised where an unprecedented lack of the state willingness to manage its sovereignty is manifest. Activities on non state actors:- The activities of non-state actor in some internationally sponsored peace building arrangement may point to a very crucial factor against the success of liberal peace. Since contemporary civil conflict has become large scaled, it practically becomes impossible for the United Nations to solely combat or manage conflict across different locations. Thus, non-state actors get involved in the spread of liberal peace through peace building missions. However it can be argued that this exercise, impacts on an un-even spread of democratic principles, this could be the case when some multi-national firms for instance will assist in establishing liberal peace norms where they operate, partly because the eruption of war disrupts their economic activities. Others may for some reasons support the conflict since its economic activity thrives during war time circumstance. In the third world particularly, the trend of arms trade by private military companies to insurgents has occasioned huge export capital during the mid 1980`s, constituting a precarious repercussion for peace building efforts. The United Nations secretary general once pointed out that the proliferation of illicit weapons pose a grave threat to democracy, peace, human right and indeed peace keeping mission (Annan 2000 p. 238-47). Given these instances and a variety of other reasons, the consolidation of peace through liberal peace tenets has continued to witness threats and delay capable of undermining the positive effect of liberalisation. Towards a more efficacious peace building approach The failure or achievement of liberal peace building mission ought to be seen in the light of the ideological weakness of liberalism. More so the contention in the debate has been the extent to which liberal peace building is been coercively showcased as a constitutive pillar for a sanitized international order. The interventionist pattern of international organizations in civil war circumstance has been described as a blow to state sovereignty especially in developing nations of the world (Dodge, 2004 p. 4-5). The recurring destabilizing effect of liberal peace in fragile post conflict societies therefore warrant an alternative approach. While it is still necessary to transform war torn societies towards market oriented democracies, the strategy of building viable institutions as the sub-structure upon which liberal norm is built seem plausible (Paris 2004, p.179). This strategy engages a more thorough process of transforming post conflict states into peace heavens. The apparent immediacy employed by peace building mission to spread democracy has sacrificed the necessary conditions of doing so on the altar of weak state structures. Roland Paris best captures this by opining that: â€Å"What is needed in the immediate post conflict period is not democratic ferment and economic upheaval, but political stability and the establishment of effective administration over the territory† (2004, P.187). This brings to attention, the central elements of a peace building strategy which stresses the need to institutionalize before liberalizing. It puts at the very core of a democratic agenda, the very conditions that eschew electoral violence during and after election, based on a long term plan through an objective commitment to the moderation of political parties. Rather than hastily conducting elections on the assumption that democratic society are usually less violent. At the instance of institutionalizing before liberalizing, the success of peace building missions would be anchored on the construction of viable institutional settings capable of absorbing the pressure of elections especially where the contestants and voters alike are just emerging from conflict. More so a functional institution will require the ability to enforce constitutional doctrines with an independent judicial mechanism prior to elections, therefore the idea of institution building ultimately seeks to ensure that transition towards democracy is prolonged in a manner that prepares war shattered states to be ripe for election (Paris 2004. P.188) Conclusion: It is interesting to observe that even the early coiners of classical liberal theory, wrote about the contemporary challenges peace builders encounter. For instance Thomas Hobbes`s `leviathan` creates an insight on the crucial conditions incumbent for a peaceful and stable society (Hobbes 1968, p.86) although Hobbes was not inclined to liberal believes, his work influenced the thinking of liberal philosophers like John Locke when he opined that the state of nature was anarchical and that the formation of a unanimous government based on consent will help guarantee a lawful and peaceful society (Locke 1963, p.395). Central to these claims is the need to evolve viable government institutions as a pre-condition for both domestic and international peace. It is true that economically closed societies with repressive political arrangement can be incubators for conflict possibilities, hence constituting a fundamental treat to international peace and security. However a cursory look at the liberal peace building approach shows a deliberately hurried transformation process towards market based economies in post conflict societies. In sum, the aim of Wilsonian peace building strategy (liberal peace) is not irrelevant in its entirety; rather the broad goal of a peaceful international system has been undermined due to a twist in recent practice. Since democracy which liberal peace advocates, fosters a social contract upon which socio-economic and political tensions that threaten the stability of societies and states can be managed. (Ghali 1996, para. 17-122). The institutionalize before liberalize campaign will aid in the dissemination of a less faulty democratization and marketization formula for long term peace in post civil war states around the world. Bibliography: Annan, K. (2000) We the Peoples: The role of the United United nation in the 21st century (New York: United Nations department for public information) Bush G.W. (2003), The president discusses the future of Iraq at the American enterprise institute: Washington Hilton hotel (Washington DC) February 26. Chandler, D. (2004) The responsibility to protect?Imposing the liberal peace: International Peace-keeping. Vol.11 No.1 p.59-81 Dodge, T. (2004) The invasion of Iraq and the reordering the post colonial word: Newsletter of the British international studies association. January 7 p4-5. Doyle, M.W. (1986) Liberalism and World Politics: American political science review. Vol 80 No.4 December p.1151 Ghali, B. B. (1992) An agenda for peace: Preventive diplomacy, peace-making and peace-keeping (New York: United Nation) Ghali B. B. (1996) An agenda for Development (New York: United Nations) Ghali, B. B. (1993) Third progress report on UNTAC: UN document no.s/25154, January 25. Para. 41. Hobbes, T. (1968) Leviathan, (eds) C.B MacPherson (New York: Penquin Book) Lederach, J. P. (1997) Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies (Washington, D.C: U.S. Institute of Peace Press,) p. 20 Locke, J (1963) Two treaties of government. (New York: Cambridge University Press) Owens, P. (2007) Beyond Strauss, lies and the war in Iraq: Hannah Arendt`s critique of neoconservativism. Review of international studies Vol 33 No.2 p. 266 Paris, R. (2004) At war`s end: Building peace after civil conflict (New York: Cambridge University Press) Prasso, S. ( 1995) Cambodia: A 3 billion boondoggle, Bulletine of the atomic scientist Vol 51 No 2 p.36-40 Rhodes, E. (2003) The imperial logic of Bush`s liberal agenda: Survival Vol 45 No.1 p. 144 Schear, J. A. (1996) â€Å"Riding the tiger: The united nations and Cambodia`s struggle for peaceâ€Å" in Williams J. D. (eds) UN peace-keeping, American politics and uncivil wars of the 1990`s (New York: St. Martin`s) Smith, T. (2007) A pact with the devil: Washington`s bid for world for world supremacy and the betrayal if the American promise (New York: Routledge) UNDP (2002) Human development report, (New York: Oxford University Press) Wilson, W. (1968) The modern democratic state in Arthurs S. Link (eds) The papers of Woodrow Wilson, Vol 5 (Princeton University Press) Williams, M. C. (2005) What is the national interest? The neoconservative challenge in IR theory. European journal of international relations Vol 11:3 P318

Ch. 10 project- Booker T. Washington :: essays research papers

Booker Taliaferro was born a mix slave in Franklin Country on 5th April, 1856. His father was a white man who and no one knew who he was and his mother the slave of James Burroughs. His mother married the slave Washington Ferguson. When Booker entered school he took the name of his stepfather and became known as Booker T. Washington. After emancipation, his family was so poor that he worked in factories and mines at the age of nine. When he was 16 his parents allowed him to quit work to go to school. They had no money to help him so he walked 200 miles to attend the Hampton Institute in Virginia and paid his tuition and board there by working as the janitor. The principal of the institute was Samuel Armstrong an who was against slavery and had been commander of African American troops during the Civil War. Armstrong believed that it was important that the freed slaves received an education. Armstrong was impressed with Washington and arranged for his tuition to be paid for by a wealthy white man. Booker T. Washington carried on this idea and later he would teach in his home town, then at the Hampton Institute, and then in 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. As head of the Institute, he traveled the country unceasingly to raise funds from blacks and whites both; soon he became a well-known speaker. In 1895, Washington was asked to speak at the opening of the Cotton States Exposition, a good thing for an African American. His Atlanta Compromise speech explained his idea, that blacks could protect their rights through their own economic and moral progress rather than through legal and political changes. Although his calm stand angered some blacks who feared it would encourage the enemy of equal rights, whites approved of his views. His major achievement was to win over diverse elements among southern whites, without whose support the programs he thought and brought into being would have been impossible.

Motivating collegiate student-athletes Essay

Motivating athletes is one of the major problems a coach faces. Even the most talented athlete will not perform to his full potential if not properly motivated. Coaches have sought to define what motivates an athlete and what hampers it for years. Motivation directly influences an athlete’s performance. It sets his mood and outlook towards the game or competition. It determines his level of dedication to the sport. Motivation does not only affect the individual player but also his team. It is important that all the members of the team be motivated individually to ensure team motivation. Motivation can also shift. An athlete who was highly motivated at the start of the season may find that his drive to play is dwindling. It is these problems that coaches need to address. This paper tackles the problem of motivating collegiate student-athletes. The key areas of focus will be defining the best type of motivation for collegiate student-athletes and building a structure to incorporate motivation into the coach’s overall program by using the proper tools of goal setting and visualization. A. Intrinsic Motivation Motivation can take two forms: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation involves â€Å"engaging in an activity as a means to an end† (Higgins & Trope, 1986). This end referred to by Higgins & Trope (1986), take the form of rewards. Factors like popularity, trophies, jackets or jerseys identifying the wearer as part of a sports team, extrinsically motivate student-athletes. While extrinsic motivation is a good start, it does not ensure the consistent and long term drive coaches seek for (Schone, 2008). Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, refers to the drive of a student to engage in an activity because he wants to (Taylor & Wilson, 2005). The satisfaction derived from playing the game itself is the motivating factor. As Burton and Raedeke (2008) put it, â€Å"intrinsically motivated athletes play for the love of the game. † It is this type of motivational environment that coaches should create for their athletes. How does a coach achieve such an environment? According to Martens (2004), sports psychologists have identified the two key needs of an athlete: having fun and feeling worthy. Having Fun Burton and Raedeke (2008) explained that having fun and developing skills were rated as the top reasons why athletes participate in a sport. On the other hand, Garret (2008) pointed out that one of the reasons why female student-athletes quit sports is because â€Å"the experience ceased being fun. † Having fun does not mean goofing around. Fun is striking a balance between skill and challenge (Burton & Raedeke, 2008). Without that balance, the result would either be boredom, where the skill outweighs the challenge, or anxiety, where the challenge outweighs the skill (United States Tennis Association, 2004). Therefore, it is the job of the coach to identify the level of skill of each player and develop a challenging training program that will develop the team’s skills but not overwhelm them. Following are some ways suggested by numerous writers (e. g. Burton & Raedeke, 2008; Garret, 2008; La Prath, 2008;) to keep training fun: ? Offer variety. Make practices stimulating by varying the exercises and drills given to the athletes. Do not make the training program a routine. Consistency is important however introducing changes will keep athletes sharp. It also helps to change the practice environment. Holding training sessions at the beach or in a park instead of the school gymnasium will be enjoyable for student-athletes. ? Keep all players busy. Make sure that everyone is doing something instead of waiting for long periods of time for his or her turn to practice. Breaks in between practice should be short as well. Giving athletes too much lag time increases boredom. To make sure everyone is participating break the team in to groups where each group is given a specific activity to do or made to compete against each other. Following the first tip, make the groupings diverse. Groupings can be done according to skill or even according to year level or favorite sports celebrity. ? Involve the team. Listening to the inputs or opinions of a student-athlete can help improve not only the performance of the team but also of the coach. It also gives the athlete a sense of investment in the team, ensuring the maintenance of his interest in the sport and in his team. Coaches can involve student-athletes by offering a practice day where the players themselves can devise their own training program. Giving the team an opportunity to formulate strategies to win the game is another way. Even simple things like letting them design their own jackets or jerseys will give them a sense of involvement in the decision making process. ? Give the team time to play. For every training session allot time for the team to play without receiving instruction or evaluation from the coach. Give the athletes a chance to engross themselves in the game. Hearing constant instruction hampers experience of flow. ? Train student-athletes to cope with stress. It is inevitable that an athlete will experience stress. Pressure to achieve in both sports and academics is high in a competitive college environment. The athlete must learn how to deal with this and manage the anxiety accompanied with it. Coping with stress can be done through affirmation, positive reinforcement, and teaching a student that down time is also vital to their health. An hour of rest can energize a student. Sleeping at the correct time and for the proper length of time, eating the right food and taking the appropriate vitamins are ways to minimize stress. ? Incorporate teambuilding activities. Important in team sports is getting the individual players in sync with each other. Without activities that foster friendships you would not have a team but a group of individuals playing together. Building camaraderie would not only enhance the performance of the team but the individual players as well.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism

Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism Free Online Research Papers The subject of Autism is personal for me because one of my good friends has a son who has autistic. All this week CNN has been doing a study on autism which I found to be very interesting; this is why I am doing my report about the Autistic disorder. Autism which is short for the term autistic disorder is an unusual and severe disorder that can be diagnosed during infancy. According to the Surgeon General autism affects about 10 to 12 kids for each 10,000 kids (Smith, 2008). Autism can be described as an extreme lack of ability to participate in different settings, and by a lack of interest in, societal relations (Smith, 2008).The lack of social interaction, imaginations and communication are other distinct characteristics of Autism. People with autism normally have a limited array of interest and often produced the same behaviors and gestures. According to the University of Phoenix â€Å"the specific source of autism is not known, though most theorists believe that autism is for the most part a product of genetic conditions (University of Phoenix, 2006). The Surgeon General has posted on his state website that â€Å"there is verification to facilitate numerous but dissimilar reasons of toxic or infectious harm to the central nervous system throughout a Childs early development as well might add to the autistic disorder (Smith, 2008). There are some signs through social impairments, and communications that will help determine and diagnose weather a child has an autistic disorder (Slonims, 2003). Autistic children may have problems in developing critical language skills particularly understanding verbal communication; or an abnormal use of speech. Some autistic kids have a hard time responding to there name; Some have partial non-verbal communication. Some other signs of autism in kids are that the baby is not pointing, making gestures, and babbling. Baby’s should be able to say a complete word by 18 months, and there should not be much loss of social skills or language. There may also be minimum appreciation or receptiveness to other peoples joy or suffering. There will be very a partial range of creative pretence or, engage in recreation particularly social imagination (Slonims, 2003) Treatment for autistic disorder at an early age is very important. The earlier a child is diagnosed with the autistic order the sooner they can get the help and therapy they need to live the best life possible. My friends son John who is autistic saw me playing the piano one day at church, and started clapping and jumping up load. I told my friend Dave to bring him in before one of lessons with a student which he did. I sat John down and put his hands on the piano, John played about 3 notes before I stopped him, and hummed a Bflat. To my surprise John laughed and played the same note I just hummed. I laughed as well because he played the B flat fast without even thinking about it. I continued to test John for about 20 minutes on recognizing notes, â€Å"he did not miss one†. I discovered that John had perfect pitch. He had the ability to her a sound and duplicated it on the piano. In the first lesson I show John how to play Marry had a little lamb, and I’ve got the joy, which he learn in minutes. John’s parents told me that John was not suppose to be able to talk, and now they can not get him to stop talking, Because of the progress of John the school district has allowed John to leave school early every Tuesday and Thursday to come to my office for a piano lesson which the district considers to be therapy. Since John has started playing the piano his hands are getting stronger, with more dexterity. I have noticed that John is more calm than usually, and he also likes to create his own music. The majority of behavioral treatment plans contain understandable instructions to the person, prompting to achieve exact behaviors. Another key is to give attention, rewards, and praise for doing those behaviors. I think the main key is for parents to know how to take care of there autistic kid so that they child can grow up to be all that they can be. References Slonims, V. (2003). Diagnosis of autism. BMJ , 1. Smith, B. . (2008, 02). Other Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved 04 05, 2008, from public health services: surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec6.html#autism University of Phoenix. (2006). Psychological Disorders . In U. o. Phoenix, Psychology: An Introduction (12th ed.). Research Papers on Diagnosis and Treatment of AutismThree Concepts of PsychodynamicEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTrailblazing by Eric Anderson

Free Essays on World War One Airplanes

During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. (Villard-227) â€Å"The airplane may be all very well for sport, but for the army it is useless† (Quoted in Villard-227) Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. (Villard-228) Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. (Villard-229) It was followed by the fi... Free Essays on World War One Airplanes Free Essays on World War One Airplanes During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. (Villard-227) â€Å"The airplane may be all very well for sport, but for the army it is useless† (Quoted in Villard-227) Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. (Villard-228) Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. (Villard-229) It was followed by the fi...

Online business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online business - Research Paper Example No longer is it essential for stores to be a physical entity, but a virtual one that is accessed using a personal computer, items on sale viewed, selected, and then purchased all from the comfort of a chair at home. One then has to just wait for the delivery of these items. The Online Store The online store exists in virtual reality as an URL on the World Wide Web. Getting to the store requires using the URL to present the web pages of the store on the computer screen. The experience of window shopping as practiced earlier changes in with online stores. Surfing through the web site addresses of the several online stores from the luxury of chair at home, provides the window shopping experience. In the physical retail store a sales clerk helped one identify items of need, but in the online store one would have to go through the pages of the online store, identify items of interest, and look at the promotional offers on them before finalizing the purchase. In the physical store one push ed a cart around and dropped the chosen items in a cart and took it to a sales clerk, who tallied the items and presented a bill. The bill was then paid for by cash or credit cart. One walked out of the store the proud owner of the items purchased. In an online store there is the virtual cart. Clicking on the items one wishes to purchases, puts the items virtually into the cart, with the advantage of immediately knowing the total value of the purchases at that given time. Once the purchases have been completed, the different kinds of payment options appear on the screen. One then has to choose the payment option and provide the relevant details. The online store verifies the payment and then ships the items to you. All tat one has to do is await the delivery (Lohse & Spiller, 2003). The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Online Store The quick growth of on-line stores reflects the apparent advantages of an online store over the physical stores. On-line stores are quicker to set up in that there is no need to locate and rent or build physical space, once the necessary tie-ups with suppliers are complete. It is much easier and faster to set up the web site with the requisite number of pages containing the details of the business. In addition to the speed with which an online store can be set up, it is also less expensive to set it up. Building or rental costs are avoided, along with the need to buy and stock the goods. The products move out from the manufacturer or whole seller, with a limited investment in them. In addition to cost advantages in setting up an online store, there is the advantage of low operating costs, with added benefit of keeping the online store open 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. There are also several competitive advantages, particularly from the perspective of customer. The foremost of these is convenience and flexibility in the actual purchase processes and the delivery of the purchased goods (Chakrabarti & Kardile, 2 002). Furthermore, the lower costs in setting up an online store and running it in comparison to a physical store translates into lower costs of the items, which is an attraction for customers (Keen Web Templates, 2011). It is not all hunky-dory for online stores. There are disadvantages too. Poor imagery on the websites leads to bad impressions of the products and the online store. In addition customers

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Strategic management - Assignment Example It will be noted that competitive advantage is created when a company is able to make its products and services the preferred option for customers within a market where competitors are offering products and services of the same nature or kind (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). For competitive advantage to be achieved, the need for a critical understanding and appreciation of what the customer wants is very important. This is because the customer is always the end user of the product and service that the company offers. With the immediate direction and scope where the company wants to prioritize the interest of customers in product and service innovation, there is every hope that competitive advantage will be created because the company will offer precisely what the customer wants from the hospitality and tourism industry that it is not getting from other competitors. QUESTION TWO The business approach to strategic management is selected as the most suitable framework for Thomas Cook G roup to maximize its strategic impact with key stakeholders. This business approach to strategic management framework is however made up of a number of strategic options that makes it very important for the company to be highly critical in its selection of an appropriate strategic. Generally, two strategic approaches namely sociological approach and industrial organizational approach will be identified. Though each of these two approaches will at any point in time help a company in achieving some level of strategic success with its stakeholders, the use of industrial organizational approach is opined as the optimum strategy among the suitable framework that can bring about strategic development with stakeholders. The reason for this point is that in the use of industrial organizational approach, companies are admonished to take up the combined use economic theory and assumptions. Under economic theory, considerations are base for key economic factors such as resource allocation, com petitive rivalry and economies of scale. Meanwhile, in the current global economic crunch, these economic factors are very important for the achievement of economic growth and development. This is because based on economic theory, the company will be offered the opportunity to naming its competitive rivalry and know how to rightly allocate its scarce resources in a manner that presents a better competition against the competitor. With reference to assumptions also, Thomas Cook Group will be allowed the use of rationality, profit maximization and self discipline principles to compete (Carter, Daniel and Betty, 2006). QUESTION THREE In the current state of global economic recession within which Thomas Cook Group is forced to compete and growth as a leader in the hospitality and tourism industry, the effective management of resources and competences would be the only remedy to ensure that the company survives the recession. This is because world economic crunch is generally associated with cut downs and limitations in resources and competences. This situation is created because the input into resource availability of companies hardly synchronize with the resource output that the company undertakes (Breiman et al, 2009). With the scarcity therefore, effective