Ousmane Sembene Black Girl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ousmane Sembene Black Girl - Essay Example The protagonist’s disillusionment drives her to desperation until she eventually decides to commit suicide. The tragic life of Diouana is representative of many African women’s lives, who suffer acute neglect and subjugation not only in their home countries, but also in the global context. The film’s opening sequence introduces one to a ship docking in harbor in Southern France, with the main character Diouana disembarking from it. The Senegalese woman left her native country to work for a French couple as their children’s caretaker. One of the first points noted is the protagonist’s need to look for an informal job in France, irrespective of the fact that her country is already independent from colonialists. This draws one’s attention to the failure of African elite leaders to empower their citizens, especially women, who are relegated to the role of domestic workers, instead of being trained formally to gain fiscal independence. Contrary to Diouana’s expectations, her migration to France is not joyous or fulfilling at all. Her  expectation of travelling to France and that of her French employers is completely disjointed and incomplete, which leads her to a silent, withdrawn and gradually depressing existence. The silence is perha ps symbolic of the African woman’s suppression to the point of being unable to speak her mind or communicate effectively (Spivak 72-75). After arriving at the high rise apartment in Antibes, France, Diouana is instantly given instructions to start cleaning. It becomes apparent that her lifestyle in France, with the French couple is strikingly dissimilar from the one she had with the same family in Africa. While in Dakar, she wore her native apparel and exposed her natural hair. She also took care of the couple’s children and did not have to do household chores. However, in France, Diouana puts on a

Wuthering heights Essay Example for Free

Wuthering heights Essay Should Wuthering Heights be considered relevant in todays society? I say, yes. Although I must admit, I was very close to hating this book, not only because of the confusing situations which occurs and my dislike towards all characters, but also for much more reasons that I dont wish to point out at this moment for that we shall be here for a terribly long time if I did. However, I must also admit, the context of this book, Wuthering Heights, have portrayed many relevant themes that are still existing today, even as I speak. Catherines decision of marriage is one example. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary Nelly, I am Heathcliff. In this quote, Catherine was well aware of her love for Heathcliff claiming that they both have the same souls. She had no income or property of her own. Her physical comfort depends on the will of her father and brother and the most crucial decision of her life, to marry Edgar Linton, is determined by the fact that if she were to marry Heathcliff, they would become beggars. In my opinion, this is a case of forbidden love. Catherine and Heathcliff cannot be together as their statuses are simply too far apart. Many has pointed out that this is irrelevant today as currently, we have the freedom to marry whoever we like. Statuses and class arent considered as important anymore. But is this so? That nowadays we could say I do to whoever we desire? In the book Forbidden Love, by Norma Khouri, told on the accounts of a true story in the small town of Jordan, there is a much similar situation. Dalia, a Muslim, was in love with a Catholic man called Michael. In Jordan, it is considered extremely immoral for two people with such different beliefs to be together. As a result, Dalia was honorably killed when her secret relationship was discovered. Here, this is much like the account of Wuthering Heights. Although it is fair to argue that both stories are different; one deals with religion and honor killings when the other with statuses. However the concepts of the two are very much alike as both revolve around the idea of forbidden love. Love that can never be equated. Perhaps the procedure of murder or revenge would not appear in every situation such as this, but most definitely it will end painfully tragic. The heartbreaking story of Dalia  and Michael was real. It only happened several years ago. As I have heard in your speeches, many have pointed out that the scene of Catherines ghost was much irrelevant as opposed to todays society for that we now do not believe in the supernatural. I find this argument rather hypocritical. If I remember correctly, only a few years back, was there not a reality TV show starring John Edwards which was such a big hit, it attracted millions of viewers around the whole globe? Mr. Edwards claimed, through his television show, that he could communicate with the souls of the dead. This not only brought the attention of numerous but also their belief in him. Many say that his so-called communications is probably just a sham and arent genuine. Whether he really beholds such powers or he was simply making up his sixth sense, I do not care for that he is a person that I neither like nor like to know more of. I am merely mentioning this troublesome man to prove my point. Not of the existence of the supernatural or that ghosts do really appear through your window, but of our beliefs in it even today. As modern day citizens, our acceptance of the paranormal is still very strong. If it wasnt so, then wouldnt the ratings for a reality show of communications with dead spirits be extremely low and unpopular much like the opposite of the results of Mr. Edwards multi-million making one? Here, in the story of Wuthering Heights, the use of a ghostly scene was to attract the readers attention making the book sound interesting and engaging. Bronte addresses the bond between Catherine and Heathcliff in a spiritual way. Thus, making their love towards each other almost inseparable. As children, they had a bond that grew out of similar needs. They grew up protecting and trying to shelter each other from the abuse of Hindley and Joseph. Consequently, they developed an eternal friendship, love and affinity. One could say that they were soul mates even children. Bronte expands the notion of eternal love by creating the supernatural aspect in the story. This is illustrated when Heathcliff contacts Catherines spirit after she dies. Their souls are eternally joined so as a result, Heathcliff cannot live in this realm without her. Only their souls joined together make one. Heathcliff eventually dies to reunite his soul with Catherine. Another aspect which is relevant today and forever it shall remain relevant  is selfishness. Catherines selfish character was depicted when she wanted both Edgar and Heathcliff at the same time. In the beginning, she was introduced as a high spirited character who was wild. However, she drastically changes throughout the book. When she hurts her leg and is forced to stay at Thrushcross Grange, she returns to Wuthering Heights as a well dressed and dignified lady. She was easily swayed to the superior lifestyle of the Lintons and began to look down upon Heathcliff. She even laughs at his rough and dirty appearance and says I didnt mean to laugh at you. I could not hinder myself Heathcliff. Shake hands at least! What are you sulky for? It was only that you looked odd. If you wash you face and brush your hair, it would be alright. But you are so dirty! I as a reader was left surprised and cheated with this reversal. However, she becomes more and more selfish by the minute and even tries to change Heathcliff and begins to feel that he is in fact, beneath her. This is one of the reasons why she starts to look at Edgar in a new light. He, unlike her family, was refined, gentle, rich and handsome. When he asked her to marry him, she accepted, knowing very well that she loved Heathcliff. Ive no more business to marry Edgar than I have to be in heaven. If the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldnt have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now, so he shall never know how I love him; and that not only because he is handsome, Nelly, but because he is more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Lintons is as different as a moonbeam from lightening or frost from fire. We could her marriage to Edgar was for all the wrong reasons. Catherine even confides to Nelly, he shall be rich and I shall be the greatest woman of the neighborhood and I shall be proud of having such a husband. It is evident that Catherine throws away love for her own selfish wants and materialistic motives. She wanted Edgar for his life and riches and Heathcliff for his soul. She didnt want to choose between the two and she never really did. She toyed with both of them by marring Edgar while still loving Heathcliff. Thus, she caused pain for the two men, by causing Edgar to be jealous and Heathcliff desiring revenge. Catherines passion towards Heathcliff ruined many lives. Later in the story, she suffers from the results of the selfish and naive decisions she makes. I wasnt sorry for her not only because I find her very much annoying, but because I felt that  she deserved it they were the bad choices that she must live with. Her character was childish and spoilt who loved to be in the centre of attention. It is not surprising why she wanted to be the most powerful woman in the neighborhood. The character Catherine, not only gives us something to hate and despise, but to also learn from. Throughout the whole story she was indeed very selfish and very rarely has she ever used her head to decide. Thus, this lead to the suffering of not only her, but many additional innocent lives in both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. My point here is selfishness is something that only destroys happiness of not simply you, but others as well. This theme is not only relevant, but should be considered everyday. In conclusion, I still think that Wuthering Heights is a relevant text and should be studied by teenagers through high school. Even though I shall be feeling somewhat sorry for them, the book portrays the some of the most significant qualities of mankind. That is something that I cannot argue against.

Gang Violence in the United States Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

Gang Violence in the United States Gang violence in America is reaching alarming proportions. Chicago police Commander Donald Hilbring states, "Gangs are everywhere. All throughout the city of Chicago, the suburbs, throughout the state, throughout the nation." Chicago police state that so far this year, more than 100 gang-related murders have occurred. Everyday an other report on the evening news relays the tragedy of a child accidently caught in gang crossfire. The image of black, inner-city teenagers selling "crack" on neighborhood street corners and shooting it out over drug "turf" comes to mind whenever we hear the story told. What can we do to understand and remedy this problem before an entire generation is lost? We hear the stories about abused, abandoned children. We hear about drug-addicted mothers and absent fathers. We hear about children forced to fend for themselves in a cold, hard world. It's no wonder kids join gangs. They need someone to care. They are looking for a sense of belonging and family. Yet, not all youngsters who join gangs are looking for a sense of belonging. Often, adult gang members lure teenagers into gang activity. They establish them as drug dealers, use them as car thieves, and often pay them to commit robberies and even shoot rival gang members. Adults use juveniles because the law does not prosecute them in the same manner as adults. Under the current system, the teenagers are back on the streets, and the adults are rarely caught. Just as we assume we know the reasons kids join gangs, we also assume we know who joins gangs. Gang violence is stereotypically thought of as a Black or Latino, inner-city problem. Dr. George Knox, an expert on gangs, says, ... ...her Chicago neighborhood, COP-Citizens on Patrol, a volunteer group, has formed a neighborhood watch group. They patrol the streets and report any suspicious activity to the police. Their presence helps reduce gang activity on the streets of their community. Juvenile justice reform, programs for rehabilitation, and adult concern and involvement are all ways to help remedy the current crisis of gang warfare in our streets. For those youth already involved in gangs, rehabilitation and counseling may help rescue them. For those youth who refuse to give up the gang lifestyle and crime, tougher juvenile laws should put them in jail, away from other children and the rest of society. Finally, parents and community members need to care. Children who grow with parental guidance, in an environment of care and concern, are much less likely to fall prey to gangs.

Essay on Multiple Voices in Morrisons Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon

The Significance of Multiple Voices in Morrison's Song of Solomon  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Of the various manifestations of voice that participate in the interplay of voices in Song of Solomon, I would like to name three - the narrative voice, the signifying voice, and the responsive voice - each of which is dialogized within itself and in relation to the others.    In the opening scene of the novel, the third-person omniscient narrative voice [emphasis added] informs us that at the time of day that Mr. Smith plans to fly from the roof of Mercy Hospital, "word-of-mouth news just lumbered along" (3). This phrase not only encodes the black vernacular but also immediately directs the reader's attention to the cultural, communicative process by which the community structures itself. Interestingly, the phrase appears in the second sentence after Mr. Smith's note about his planned flight appears in the text. Thus, it abruptly shifts the reader's attention from the spectacle of Mr. Smith to the linguistic community of which he is a part. For this community, word of mouth is both a mode of communication and a category of knowledge upon which its members depend. The phrase also stands in contrast to the written word of Mr. Smith's note and therefore, paradoxically, points to his announcement as a suspension of the normative, just as the description of th e community that follows the phrase suspends the reader, along with the curious crowd of onlookers. On the one hand, the narrative voice contextualizes the act of an individual with the attendant communal response; on the other hand, it concurrently informs the reader and abdicates any totalizing ability to do so. Perhaps more importantly, however, in the litany of information about how the bl... ...significance to the listener. By paying attention to how identity is constructed dialogically rather than monologically, the reader hears and celebrates the voices that Toni Morrison both directly and indirectly enacts in the text. But this process also enables the reader to critique those cultural hegemonic forces that have silenced some voices in the first place. A dialogic reading not only encourages the reader to relinquish interpretations which reduce the African American community to a monologic, manageable entity but discourages the reader from coming to closure too easily.    Works Cited Marilyn Sanders Mobley, "Call and Response: Voice, Community and Dialogic Structures in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon," in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon," in New Essays on Song of Solomon, ed. Valerie Smith, Cambridge University Press 1995, 41-68. 42-43:

Berkeley in the Sixties

The movie Berkeley in the 60's archives how an extremely minute set of undergraduates who sought to discover politics going into the Open Speech and Anti-War activities. Opening early on in the decade as the Management of the Institution of higher education of California at Berkeley makes a decision to forbid tables where associations approved out flyers, the Liberated Speech Movement was a minute grouping of citizens concerned in protecting the first amendment of the Constitution.The Academy Management took this as an insult to their power, and as the Management tried to warm up their muscles, their events just appeared to support the fire of the association. The point is that if the Management hadn't completed this core of a very little angry group is enough to stand up for their rights, the huge level communal transformation that happened in the United States and one could dispute in western society, most likely wouldn't have occurred for fairly an extended time perhaps not at all .These dispute showed what a grass roots group could do. It assisted the civil rights association and initiated the Women’s and Anti-War movements. This happened all because the Head of the University of California couldn't accept a little thing. People who were actually instrumental in the movements performed most of the film narration. They emerge to be extremely open about what was sensible and what was not. Not everybody who took part was of a solitary mind. Several were more fundamental than others.Some saw the progress demeaning into a useless mob and left to get concerned in the major remains of American politics. If each and every movie has characters the faction itself was one. It started out very alert. The public concerned was by and large upper middle class white kids. They were very naive. When they complained, they advanced the protest from a position of principles. Any limit on speech was objection. Afterward, as more people came together, the impracticality st arted to demean.Not everyone in the crowd was basically there to protect the original amendment. Some decided they had the authority to re-organize the world to their fondness. Problem like People's Park had nothing to do with open speech, but where more of loosen of the demonstrator's own opinionated influence. As this happens we see the quality of the movie transform. It's simple to get after someone who was thrown in a police car for conversing; it's harder when you notice them whirling over cars and basically stealing land.This deterioration from the interior principles into a mob appears to shade many of the current protests. People like to maintain the tag â€Å"Grass Roots† without essentially making it. What is absent from the movie is the other point of view, the view of the management. Anybody in a place of power counting Governor Ronald Regan is highlighted as an adversary of democratic system. The filmmakers bringing the picture as one 25 years after the faction, emerges to not have completed the effort to discuss the conflict.If they had, they did, they made no cite of it. Still, as a documentary of a point of analysis of a period, Berkeley in the 60's accomplishes something. Even If you were not there, you would at least recognize the students' point of view. This perhaps is biased in the students' support, but it is educational, and does keep your concentration the whole time. This is a huge way to educate history. Bibliography ? Yahoo Movies, Berkeley in the Sixties. Retrieved on Friday February 16, 2007 from http://movies. yahoo. com/shop? d=hv&cf=info&id=1800178336

Tips for Multi-Resolution Delphi Applications

Tips for Multi-Resolution Delphi Applications When designing forms in Delphi, its often useful to write the code so that your application (forms and all objects) looks essentially the same regardless of what the screen resolution is. The first thing you want to remember early on in the form design stage is whether  youre going to allow the form to be scaled or not. The advantage of not scaling is that nothing changes at runtime. The disadvantage of not scaling is that nothing changes at runtime (your form may be far too small or too large to read on some systems if it is not scaled). If youre not going to scale the form, set  Scaled  to False. Otherwise, set the property to True. Also, set AutoScroll to False: the opposite would mean not changing the forms frame size at runtime, which doesnt look good when the forms contents do change size. Important Considerations Set the forms font to a scalable TrueType font, like Arial. Only Arial will give you a font within a pixel of the desired height.​  If the font used in an application is not installed on the target computer, then Windows will select an alternative font within the same font family to use instead. Set the forms Position property to something other than poDesigned, which leaves the form where you left it at design time. This usually ends up way off to the left on a 1280x1024 screen- and completely off the 640x480 screen. Dont crowd controls on the form- leave at least 4 pixels between controls  so that a one-pixel change in border locations (due to scaling) wont show up as overlapping controls. For single line labels that are alLeft or alRight aligned, set AutoSize to True. Otherwise, set AutoSize to False. Make sure there is enough blank space in a label component to allow for font width changes - a blank space that is 25% of the length of the current string display length is a little too much but safe. Youll need at least 30% expansion space for string labels if you plan to translate your app into other languages. If AutoSize is False, make sure you actually set the label width appropriately. If AutoSize is True, make sure there is enough room for the label to grow on its own. In multi-line, word-wrapped labels, leave at least one line of blank space at the bottom. Youll need this to catch the overflow when the text wraps differently when the font width changes with scaling. Dont assume that because youre using large fonts, you dont have to allow for text-overflow- somebody elses large fonts may be larger than yours! Be careful about opening a project in the IDE at different resolutions. The forms PixelsPerInch property will be modified as soon as the form is opened, and will be saved to the DFM if you save the project. Its best to test the app by running it standalone and edit the form at only one resolution. Editing at varying resolutions and font sizes invite component drift and sizing problems. Make sure that you set your PixelsPerInch for all your forms to 120. It defaults to 96, which causes scaling problems at a lower resolution. Speaking of component drift, dont rescale a form multiple times, at design time or runtime. Each rescaling introduces round-off errors which accumulate very quickly since coordinates are strictly integral. As fractional amounts are truncated off the controls origins and sizes with each successive rescaling, the controls will appear to creep northwest and get smaller. If you want to allow your users to rescale the form any number of times, start with a freshly loaded/created form before each scaling so that scaling errors do not accumulate. In general, it is not necessary to design forms at any particular resolution, but it is crucial that you review their appearance at 640x480 with large and small fonts, and at a high-resolution with small and large fonts, before releasing your app. This should be part of your regular system compatibility testing checklist. Pay close attention to any components that are essentially single-line TMemos- things like TDBLookupCombo. The Windows multi-line edit control always shows only whole lines of text- if the control is too short for its font, a TMemo will show nothing at all (a TEdit will show clipped text). For such components, its better to make them a few pixels too large than to be one pixel too small and not show any text at all. Keep in mind that all scaling is proportional to the difference in the font height between runtime and design time, not  the pixel resolution or screen size. Remember also that the origins of your controls will be changed when the form is scaled- you cant very well make components bigger without also moving them over a bit. Anchors, Alignment, and Constraints: Third party VCL Once you know what  issues  to bear in mind when scaling Delphi forms on different screen resolutions, you are ready for some coding. When working with Delphi version 4 or higher,  several properties are designed to help us maintain the look and layout of controls on a form. Use  Align  to align a control to the top, bottom left, or right of a form or panel and have it remain there even if the size of the form, panel, or component that contains the control, changes. When the parent is resized, an aligned control also resizes so that it continues to span the top, bottom, left, or right edge of the parent. Use  Constraints  to specify the minimum and maximum width and height of the control. When Constraints contains maximum or minimum values, the control can’t be resized to violate those constraints. Use  Anchors  to ensure that a control maintains its current position relative to an edge of its parent, even if the parent is resized. When its parent is resized, the control holds its position relative to the edges to which it is anchored. If a control is anchored to opposite edges of its parent, the control stretches when its parent is resized. procedure ScaleForm (F: TForm; ScreenWidth, ScreenHeight: LongInt) ;begin F.Scaled : True; F.AutoScroll : False; F.Position : poScreenCenter; F.Font.Name : Arial; if (Screen.Width ScreenWidth) then begin F.Height : LongInt(F.Height) * LongInt(Screen.Height) div ScreenHeight; F.Width : LongInt(F.Width) * LongInt(Screen.Width) div ScreenWidth; F.ScaleBy(Screen.Width,ScreenWidth) ; end;end;

How to get Your CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi

How to get Your CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi This article is useful for anyone who wants to get a CDL in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. If you want to learn about earning a CDL at other states, we have put together a comprehensive guide on how to get a commercial driver’s license in every state of the country. AlabamaBefore You Apply for Your CDL1. Get you  doctor to fill out  the current Department of Transportation Medical Examination Report (Form 649-F)2. Learn or review  the rules and regulations of commercial driving. You can study these in Alabama’s Commercial Driver License Manual.How to ApplyTake the following documents to your nearest Driver License Division office (make sure to research ahead for one that handles CDLs!):A current Alabama driver’s licenseA Social Security card or other proof of Social Security numberYour current DOT medical certificate (from above)Proof of insurance for the testing vehicle if you are taking the skills test$25 for the written test, $20 for the skills testL icense fees vary depending on your desired  class of license. Class A costs $66.25; Class B costs $56.25; Class Ccosts $36.25. If you are purchasing a CDL  or a license to operate only a school bus, the fee is $36.25.What to Expect When TestingFirst, on test day,  you will take one or more knowledge tests (which are written), depending on the license and endorsements you want.Then, if you pass the knowledge tests, you qualify to take the skills test (which is a driving test). Another option at this point is choosing to  be issued a learner’s license, which will allow you to practice driving  a rig with a licensed commercial driver in the passenger seat.When you feel   ready to take the on-road driving test, you can make another appointment at  the CDL licensing office.  The driving skills test includes: vehicle inspection (where you must  prove your vehicle’s safety and show your inspection skills), vehicle control (you will be asked to drive forward, backward, and in turns, in a small  area), and the actual driving test (this tests how well you know  Ã‚  signs, driving laws, and regulations).ArkansasBefore you take your certification exams, you must assess your driving record. If you have any serious offenses, like  DUI, you may be disqualified.The Knowledge TestsYou must pass the written knowledge test before you can take your road skills test. In order to familiarize yourself with the content of the exam, study the Arkansas  CDL Manual  to learn about driver safety, cargo safety, equipment, traffic rules, inspection procedures, and hazardous materials.To bring on test day:Documents that prove your age and identity$42, which is the fee for your CDLIf you haul hazardous materials, you will need to have federal  background and fingerprint check.The Road Skills TestAfter you have passed the written tests, you are ready for the road skills test.  On this test, you will be asked to perform driver tasks including pre-t rip inspections, changing lanes, tying down cargo, and maneuvering intersections.  The Arkansas CDL Manual review everything you will be tested on- review the criteria before test day so you are familiar with the tasks you will face.RequirementsYou must self-certify one of the following driving categories with the Arkansas DMV:Non-Excepted InterstateExcepted InterstateNon-Excepted IntrastateExcepted IntrastateIf you choose Non-Excepted Interstate, you must provide the DMV with a federal medical certificate.MississippiTo obtain a CDL in Mississippi, you must hold a  Regular Class R driver’s license. You must also obtain a current medical card when applying.Testing for the CDLNext stop is to take and pass the written and skills tests. All the information you need to know about the exam is in the Professional Driver’s Manual, which you can find at any  driver’s license office  throughout the state. You can schedule an appointment for the driving test either   online  or by phone.What You Must BringYour valid Mississippi driver’s license, a CDL learner’s permit, and your completed application for your desired CDLAnother driver to accompany you who holds the same class CDL license (or greater) as the one you seekA current medical cardThe same class of vehicle you will be driving once you obtain your CDL (it must pass inspection before any tests will be administered)A Social Security cardProof of residency (electric or water bill, lease agreement, vehicle-registration receipt, mortgage documents, homestead exemption receipt, bank statement, notarized employer verification on company letterhead (with a phone number) that states your address)Appropriate feesOut-of-state applicants applying for a Mississippi CDL can use their valid driver’s license from another stateNote: If your job entails hauling hazardous materials, you must undergo a background check. You will have to complete a  Driver’s License Hazard ous Materials Endorsement Application  and pay a fee.

Marco Polo Essays - Marco Polo, Niccol And Maffeo Polo, Kublai Khan

Marco Polo Essays - Marco Polo, Niccol And Maffeo Polo, Kublai Khan Marco Polo Marco Polo is one of the most well-known heroic travelers and traders around the world. In my paper I will discuss with you Marco Polo?s life, his travels, and his visit to China to see the great Khan. Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco's father, Niccol?, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China (1260-69) as merchants. When they left (1271) Venice to return to China, they were accompanied by 17-year-old Marco and two priests. Early Life Despite his enduring fame, very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice?s influence as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia(Li Man Kin 9). Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol Empire stretched all the way from China to Russia and the Levant. The Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fear everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually ,the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people than to kill them outright, and this policy too stimulated trade(Hull 23). Into this favorable atmosphere a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. The Polos had long-established ties in the Levant and around the Black Sea: for example, they owned property in Constantinople, and Marco?s uncle, for whom he was named, had a home in Sudak in the Crimea(Rugoff 8). From Sudak, around 1260, another uncle, Maffeo, and Marco?s father, Niccol?, made a trading visit into Mongol territory, the land of the Golden Horde(Russia), ruled by Berke Khan. While they were there, a war broke out between Berke and the Cowan of Levant , blocking their return home. Thus Niccol? and Maffeo traveled deeper into mongol territory, moving southeast to Bukhara, which was ruled by a third Cowan. While waiting there, they met an emissary traveling farther eastward who invited them to accompany him to the court of the great Cowan, Kublai, in Cathay(modern China). In Cathay, Kublai Khan gave the Polos a friendly reception, appointed them his emissaries to the pope, and ensured their safe travel back to Europe(Steffof 10). They were to return to Cathay with one hundred learned men who could instruct the Mongols in the Christian religion and the liberal arts. In 1269, Niccol? and Maffeo Polo arrived back in Venice, where Niccol? found out his wife had died while he was gone(Rugoff 5). Their son, Marco, who was only about fifteen years old, had been only six or younger when his father left home:thus; Marco was reared primarily by his mother and the extended Polo family-and the streets of Venice. After his mother?s death, Marco had probably begun to think of himself as something of a orphan(Rugoff 6). Then his father and uncle suddenly reappeared, as if from the dead, after nine years of traveling in far-off, romantic lands. These experiences were the formative influences on young Marco, and one can see their effects mirrored in his character: a combination of sensitivity and toughness, independence and loyalty, motivated by an eagerness for adventure, a love of stories, and a desire to please or impress(Li Man Kin 10). Life?s Work In 1268, Pope Clement IV died, and a two- or three-year delay while another pope was being elected gave young Marco time to mature and to absorb the tales of his father and uncle. Marco was seventeen years old when he, his father and uncle finally set out for the court of Kublai Khan(Stefoff 13). They were accompanied not by one hundred wise men but by two Dominican friars, and the two good friars turned back at the first sign of adversity, another local war in the Levant. Aside from the pope?s messages, the only spiritual gift Europe was able to furnish the great Kublai Khan was oil from the lamp burning at Jesus Christ?s supposed tomb in Jerusalem. Yet, in a sense, young Marco, the only new person in the Polos? party, was himself a fitting representative of the spirit of European civilization on the eve of the Renaissance, and the lack of one hundred learned Europeans

Problem Set 6 and Car Buying Assignment Research Paper

Problem Set 6 and Car Buying Assignment - Research Paper Example f $8,143= ($1221.45+$750) =$1,971.45(deductible) Stop-loss feature policy=$3,000 =$3,000-$1,971.45=$1,028.55 Sarah’s friend was not right due to the fact that the stop loss policy was expensive (Ferenc, 2011). Solution to question 5 Coverage=80% out total expenses Deductible=$500 Medical expenses=$1,100 Amount paid by the insurance=? =$1100-$500=$600 80% of 600=$480 Problem Set 7 Solution to question 1 Total assets=$225,000,000 Total liabilities=$5,000,000 Total shares=$4,400,000 Net asset value= (total assets-total liabilities)/total number of shares Net asset value= ($225,000,000-$5,000,000)/4,400,000=$50 per share Solution to question 2 A Amount invested=$10,000 Interest rate =8.5% Mortgage=$90,000 Selling price=$120,000 Purchase price=$100,000 Gross profit= ($120,000-$100,000) =$20,000 B. Net profit/loss=gross profit-interest paid for the three years Interest paid for the three years= (8.5%x 90,000x3) =$22,950 Net profit or loss=$20,000-($7,650x3) =$20,000-$22,950= -$2,950 (loss) C. Rate of return= $(-2950/20,000) x 100% =14.75% Solution to question 3 Total assets=$108,000 Total liabilities=$16,800 Net worth=total assets –total liabilities Net worth= (108,000-16,800) =$91,200 Solution to question 4 Amount accumulated=$4,000,000 Period=45 years 3 children and 5 grandchildren A. According to objective 4 Barry and Mary can gift $13,000 each to anyone of their choice. Amount gifted to the three children= ($13000 x 2 x3) =$78,000 B. For grand children= ($13,000 x2 x5) =$130,000 C. Total amount of estate remove = ($130,000+$78,000) =$208,000 Solution to question 5 A Return on investment= ($240,000-$200,000)/200,000) x 100%= 20% B. Amount invested=$20,000 Amount borrowed=$180,000(interest free) Return on investment= ($240,000-$200,000) =$40,000 ($40,000/$20,000)100=200% Car Buying Assignment The new Mercedes M class that is ML350 sport utility is one of the recent models from Mercedes Benz in the market. The car is affordable and within the budget con straint hence creating an opportunity to individual the chance of ownership after considering a number of factors such as price, registration expenses ,taxes and the maintenance costs (www.cars.com)The choice of this car majorly depends on the market price, for instance in this case, the car is priced at 65,000 dollars when all the costs have been incorporated. The amount of tax payable by the buyer is also fair because if one was to buy this car then they will pay tax at the rate of 8 percent up to 60 months, this result into a reasonable monthly payment of 838.48 dollars. In this case, it is very important to consider the element of tax before one buys a particular car so as to enable the preparation of an appropriate budget which enables one conform to the right budget without straining financially (Paul and Champion, 2005). In addition, the costs such as fixing costs and registration will vary depending on the model of the vehicle that one wants to purchase. Therefore, factors o f price, tax, registration costs and fixing costs should be given a priority especially before an individual

An analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Pyscho and its contribution to the Research Paper

An analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Pyscho and its contribution to the American horror film - Research Paper Example The following paragraphs try to analyze the reasons behind the movie "Psycho" turning out to be a benchmark film, not only for its introduction of new genre, but for the presentation of art in such a unique and unconventional manner. (Schaffer 2000) The man behind the movie is the person to be 'blamed' responsible for the introduction of this genre. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time is claimed to be one of the very few who could understand the pulse of the audience and play with that. His principle technique in presenting such kinds of Slashers films, especially Psycho was that he always scripts the movie with the audience in mind and how do they respond for each scene. His theory behind people coming to movie halls to watch it in dark is to enjoy their fear without having to worry about any danger. Falling from cliffs, fighting a tiger etc., all are things highly improbable in reality. (Bays 2004) But, people like to realize them and when such events are shown in film medium, they enjoy the fun and they become eager for more. Such is the power of cinema and none other than Hitchcock could have exploited it like the way he did. (Schaffer 2000) Secondly, Hitchcock captured the emotion of the audience in each and every scene. In any frame of a movie, the position of the camera defines the emotion of the audience. A close up shot brings out the emotions of the audience in relation with the movie whereas a long shot dilutes the emotions and brings them to a normal state. (Bays 2004) Hitchcock was able to handle the audience has his puppets making them to react according to his will. He holds the position of being first to introduce unconventional angles, such as close up shots of people screaming and top angle views. But, what made all these shots such a phenomenon and a juicy piece of information for the critics to rave about was the way each shot panned from one to other. A top shot swiftly changing to a close up and a wide to close up change became the hall marks of Hitchcock's Psycho. It thrilled the audience with full of surprises, instances which could have been told very simple. Each frame of the movie was subtle with emotions yet eccentric to watch. (Alan 2010) The final method involved in creating this genre is the use of sound and dialogues. Alfred was very confident in describing a character in the plot through his course of actions rather than through the delivery of dialogues. This was his main weaponry and his forte, yet to be matched by his compatriots as well as successors. He always believed many a times that a human can say a lot through his eyes that a 10 page dialogue. (Bays 2004) He indeed believed in it and this movie is a perfect example to describe the character of the psyche. Also, Hitchcock was skeptical in the usage of background music. A continuous flow of music followed by a sense of silence always puts the viewers to the edge of their seat and Alfred was a master of that in this movie. The continuous violin background used in major portions of the movie still lingers as fresh piece of music in everyone's years. Alfred proved that music could bring a lot of thrill into the viewers as much as the on screen actors could d o and he proved it in this film. (Alan

Work Experience as a Translator (Interpreter) Essay

Work Experience as a Translator (Interpreter) - Essay Example I worked as a translator (interpreter, in other words) during my internship at the embassy of Saudi Arabia in the United States in a medical attachà © and was responsible for translating news as well as information from English to Arabic. The internship was for two weeks during which I acquired immense knowledge about the procedures of interpreting as well as communicating information to the people of Saudi Arabia. During the internship, my task was to translate information about the medical reports of patients from English to Arabic for the Saudi Arabian people. The job of a translator or interpreter is to translate language for the purpose of convenient communication of information. There were 60 patients in the medical attachà © in the Saudi Arabian embassy of United States where I interned (Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, â€Å"Home†). My internship as a translator or interpreter in the medical attachà © of Saudi Arabian embassy in the US helped me to gain vast knowledge about the job. My job was to interact or communicate with the overseas citizens about the patient in the embassy. I acquired knowledge regarding numerous skills pertaining to effective communication as well as the need for team work along with time management which are considered to be the essential elements for the effectiveness of the job of a translator. Individuals engaged with this job should possess good communication skills with a soft voice.

Humanities- Assinment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanities- Assinment - Assignment Example The humanities and the arts contribute to epistemology because their works have elements that help people achieve a deeper understanding of the world, and they stimulate imagination that produces knowledge; therefore, students should still take humanities courses, because they promote creative thinking, critical analysis, and communication skills that are essential to succeeding in numerous fields. People can learn knowledge from the arts because they have elements that help people see the world or themselves, or both, in a new light. Worth (2005) considered that art can inspire certain â€Å"emotions or activities that are able to facilitate or produce knowledge† by tapping into something that cannot be stated in words. Consumers of the arts and literature can gain new insight and awareness through their interpretations of the latter. Stolnitz (1992), however, argued that the arts do not produce knowledge because they do not offer any kind of truth (cited in Worth, 2005). Plato, however, contended that knowledge can be attained through artwork that represents it (cited in Worth, 2005). He gave the examples of poets, who can talk about courage and beauty, even when they lack complete knowledge of what they mean (cited in Worth, 2005). In other words, it is possible to produce knowledge without using the traditional ways of knowing and learning. Moreover, people can just ify knowledge gained from the arts through using its own elements. For example, literature analysis proposes arguments that are based on evidence from the text or artwork. The arts can offer knowledge through non-conventional processes that lead their audience to new ways of seeing their world and lives, while it can also use argumentation methods to justify gained knowledge. The arts also stimulate imagination that generates knowledge. Romantic epistemology argued that imagination is also a valid source of knowledge (cited in Worth,

Marketing mix Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing mix - Coursework Example With the high level of obese cases in the country, there is a high demand of healthy foods. To address this, the supermarket has come up with the production of healthy foods. To make this come into a reality, the supermarket will go an extra mile to deliver high quality food products with minimal contents of sugar, fat and salt. According to scientific research, all these have been responsible for obesity. Therefore, by getting access to purely organic and chemical-free fresh food products, all our clients will feel satisfied. Meaning, they will not buy food from any other supplier, but consider At Eat Smart Supermarket as the best alternative in the market. Since the supermarket is targeting a larger market, it will be incumbent upon the management to ensure a proper distribution of its products. For all the potential clients to be accessed wherever they are there needs to be an even distribution. This will be done by establishing distribution points in different parts of the country. These include grocery stores and a chain of supermarkets. If it is properly done, the clients will have confidence in the supermarket and its products. Once the supermarket resorts to even distribution of its food products, it will definitely appeal to potential clients. As a result, they will not wait for supplies from other competing firms, but buy the readily available commodities from its outlets. The other important tool to employ by the supermarket is pricing mix. As a matter of fact, price is one of the factors which determine the success of a new product in the market. Since the market is free for everyone, each and every player needs to come up with competitive prices. This is necessary because it can help in attracting clients and making some profit. In this regard, as a new player in the market, Eat Smart Supermarket will have to set reasonably fair prices. Meaning, they should be

Humanities- Assinment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanities- Assinment - Assignment Example The humanities and the arts contribute to epistemology because their works have elements that help people achieve a deeper understanding of the world, and they stimulate imagination that produces knowledge; therefore, students should still take humanities courses, because they promote creative thinking, critical analysis, and communication skills that are essential to succeeding in numerous fields. People can learn knowledge from the arts because they have elements that help people see the world or themselves, or both, in a new light. Worth (2005) considered that art can inspire certain â€Å"emotions or activities that are able to facilitate or produce knowledge† by tapping into something that cannot be stated in words. Consumers of the arts and literature can gain new insight and awareness through their interpretations of the latter. Stolnitz (1992), however, argued that the arts do not produce knowledge because they do not offer any kind of truth (cited in Worth, 2005). Plato, however, contended that knowledge can be attained through artwork that represents it (cited in Worth, 2005). He gave the examples of poets, who can talk about courage and beauty, even when they lack complete knowledge of what they mean (cited in Worth, 2005). In other words, it is possible to produce knowledge without using the traditional ways of knowing and learning. Moreover, people can just ify knowledge gained from the arts through using its own elements. For example, literature analysis proposes arguments that are based on evidence from the text or artwork. The arts can offer knowledge through non-conventional processes that lead their audience to new ways of seeing their world and lives, while it can also use argumentation methods to justify gained knowledge. The arts also stimulate imagination that generates knowledge. Romantic epistemology argued that imagination is also a valid source of knowledge (cited in Worth,

School-Based Physical Education Programs and Childhood Obesity Essay

School-Based Physical Education Programs and Childhood Obesity - Essay Example A growing segment of the population for which obesity is becoming a serious problem is school-aged children. Current research shows that obese children perform worse academically than normal weight children. Obese children affected by deteriorating physical and mental health lack the ability to stay intellectually focused in school. Thus, childhood obesity in the context of educational settings will be the focus of this dissertation. Specifically, this study will delve into the subject matter with a particular focus on African American female high school students. Furthermore, the focus of this study is the connection between the efficacy of exercise programs and regimens for school aged children. The United States, like other countries, depends upon having a healthy youth base to take over and eventually lead. If we cannot reasonably conceive that our youth will be healthy enough to lead, that presents substantial political, economic and national security problems. More fundamentall y, however, as adults, we represent the first and last line of defense for children as their caregivers. In this regard, the role of caregiver is not merely relegated to children’s parents, but also their educators, and those in the community. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), when students are physically unhealthy, they are also at risk for deficiencies in other areas pertaining to their health including mental health, intellectual health (ability to learn), and the ability to socialize. Further, the CDC observed that a sick body often translates into a deficient ability to stay focused, learn in school and grow (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). Attending school is not exclusively meant for studying the subject matter, but also for enhancing individual and social growth. Thus, mental health can rarely thrive, without physical health, since physical health ultimately affects learning ability (Bailey, 2006). Thus, there are several potential positive socia l outcomes that can arise from this study. First, by investigating the relationship between childhood obesity and the efficacy of physical education programs, answers can be provided to a number of related questions. The answers can provide information to educators and administrators as how they can alter current educational methodologies and pedagogy to effectively create physical, mental, intellectual, and social environments that are conducive to youth development. Second, such a study will further a dialogue about the importance of applied educational research into topics that are not traditionally thought of as germane to education such as physical education. This study has potential to demonstrate that adequate physical education programs are necessary to support physically healthy students, which will help to facilitate improved health in other categories that ultimately affect learning outcomes. Early childhood through adolescent years mark the most critical physiological, p sychological, and physical development periods (Belgrave, 2009). Thus, without good physical health, the corresponding steps of individual growth can be disturbed, and growth can be stunted to the degree that youth can fail to thrive in the educational setting with respect to actual learning, as well as feeling secure in their bodies. Background The broader discussion of how to tackle childhood obesity, especially in the

Biological Personality Perspective by William Sheldon Essay Example for Free

Biological Personality Perspective by William Sheldon Essay According to William Sheldon, an American psychologist, personality of persons and their temperaments are developed according to the type of physical appearance the person has. Sheldon became to believe that there are three fundamental elements that contributed to person’s actual physique. He devoted his time trying to find the relationship between one’s physique and one’s character and personality. The process he underwent is examining photographs of various people, of various cultures and of various body types. He examined photographs by front, back and side views and generated information which he believes could determine one’s personality. After careful study, he generated the 3 body types which are: endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy. According to Sheldon, those persons with endomorphic body are those with soft bodies, underdeveloped muscles, round-shaped and over-developed digestive system. It is said that persons with this type of body are usually tolerant, sociable, relaxed and has the need for affection. On the other hand, persons with mesomorphic body are those with hard, muscular body, overly mature appearance and usually are in upright posture. Characteristics associated with the person with this type of body are being adventurous, courageous, assertive, bold and has love for physical activities and risks. Persons with ectomorphic bodies are physically characterized by being thin, flat-chested, tall, lightly muscled and with delicate built. Usually they are self-conscious, introvert, artistic and emotionally restrained. Dissociative Disorder Reference: www.mayoclinic.com/health/dissociative-disorders/DS00574 Dissociative   disorder is a psychiatric condition in which the person chronically escape in involuntary, unhealthy ways ranging from suppressing memories to assuming alternate identities. (Mayo Clinic, 2007). For a normal person, we tend to daydream when we watch movies, imagining we are one of the characters and enjoy the escape from reality for a short while and as the movie comes to an end we slowly get back to reality. For a person with dissociative disorder, he gets totally lost in his imaginations and has difficulty snapping out from the situations running in his mind. Treatments of this mental disorder include psychotherapy, hypnosis and medications.

Six Sigma Concepts in OPD: Process Mapping and Waiting Time

Six Sigma Concepts in OPD: Process Mapping and Waiting Time Study on Process mapping, Waiting Time Based on  Six Sigma Concepts in OPD Dr Geetika Verma Dr Geetika Verma, Management Trainee, Department of Patient Care Services, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. Abstract This study focuses on to identify the various procedures at the outpatient clinic as well as to investigate the possible operational problems that may lead to excessive patients’ waiting time. A patients’ experience in waiting time will radically influence his / her perceptions on quality of the service. The study was carried out in Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon (Haryana) for three months. The subjects were outpatients who came to the outpatient clinic in FMRI. Data was analysed using the six sigma approach.Significant reduction in waiting time was achieved in the outpatient services of department by using the six sigma approach. Doctors were on time in OPD to reduce the delay in the OPD. Patients were coordinated well to the doctors. Keywords: ‘Lean Six Sigma’, ‘Waiting time’, ‘Process mapping’ Introduction Patients’ waiting time has been defined as â€Å"the length of time from when the patient entered the outpatient clinic to the time the patient actually received his or her perception†. Process mapping is a workflow diagram to bring forth a clearer understanding of a process or series of parallel processes. It views the system from the patient perspective following their journey across organisational boundaries. It helps staff understand how complex and confusing processes appear to the patient. It is organisation specific. It is diagnostic and used as a basis for redesign, actively involving frontline staff in the process. (Shows how things actually are). Fig. 1: Patient Process Aim Of the Study The two main objectives of the study were: To study the patients’ waiting time in the outpatient clinic, with a view to identify the factors that affect waiting time and recommend ways of minimising the delay To use the six sigma technique to identify the delay and improve management capabilities. Research Scope This research was done at the outpatient clinic in FMRI. The research methods chosen were to: Directly observe the patients. Interview the patients. Interview the people involved in managing the work process. Literature Research WAITING TIME Defined as the total time from registration until consultation with a doctor. REGISTERATION TIME Defined as waiting time from the moment patients submit a clinic card or referral letters at the counter until getting a call from the counter. During this time the payment process and record classification are made. Registration time is part of patient’s waiting time. SIX SIGMA First introduced by Motorola in 1986, Six sigma is a method to measure the quality of a process to fulfil customers’ needs which approaches perfection. Data and statistical analysis were used to identify defects in processes and reduce variation. With Six sigma, defects in a process can be measured by identifying the best method to eliminate defects and approach ‘zero defect’. Customers’ satisfaction is the main factor. A new and more effective method has to be adopted to ensure customers’ satisfaction. Six Sigma specifies a very high standard of quality achievement. It utilizes a variety of existing project management, statistical and analytical tools. Several toolkits of the six sigma were applied during this study: Descriptive statistics Statistical image shows characteristics of collected data. At this level, data will be presented using the best presentation tools such as histogram, pie charts or others. Flow chart Chart shows description and sequence of the process done. Cause and effect diagram Diagram shows the relationship of a cause that gives rise to a certain problem. Methodology MEASURABLES 1.Total waiting time for the consultation. 2.Time taken for Investigations. SAMPLE SIZE This study conducted at the outpatient clinic, FMRI, was an exploratory and evaluation study. Respondents of this study were selected patients, staffs and doctors at the outpatient clinic. Table 1: Sample Size Retrospective data of 4500 patients was analysed for waiting time during the period August- October 2013. Voice Of Patients was obtained from 150 patients. TYPE OF DATA AND COLLECTION METHODS Several variables monitored in this study were data on patients’ waiting time work process, number of doctors available and number of staffs at the registration counter. Three major collection methods were used in the study: The first method was observation. Data were collected through direct observation on the subjects involved in the various working processes in FMRI. Measurements of time spent from registration until consultation by a doctor were made using a stopwatch. The second method is through interview. In carrying out this research, some of the management staff and doctors were interviewed to obtain information on the working process in the hospital. Voice of patients (VOP) was obtained using standardized questionnaire. DMAIC METHOD (DEFINE-MEASURE-ANALYSIS-IMPROVE-CONTROL) The Six Sigma method which consists of the five steps of: Define Measure Analysis Improve Control (DMAIC) is the roadmap to achieve the objectives of this study. DMAIC STEPS Fig. 2: DMAIC Steps PROCESS FLOW IN FMRI OPD: Fig 3: Outpatient Flow Study was carried out in the GENERAL OPD FMRI Outpatients of 50 per day. Simple Random sampling was followed. Period of Study – AUGUST 2013 TO NOVEMBER 2013. STATISTICAL TOOLS 1. Process Map-Flow Chart that shows description and sequence of the process done. 2. Cause and Effect Diagram Diagram that shows the relationship of a cause that gives rise to a certain problem. 3. Affinity Diagram- Business tool used to organize ideas and data. 4. Descriptive statistics- Analysis of data that helps describe, show or summarize data in a meaningful way. Results And Conclusion DEFINE This is the first step that refers to defining the goals of the project. Process improvement goals may be aimed at increasing market share, the output of a particular department, bringing about improved employee satisfaction as well as customer satisfaction and so on. The goal has to align the patient demands and the strategic goals of the organization. Data mining methods can be used to find prospective ideas for project implementation. In other words, businesses are designing a road map for achieving the targets and goals of the organization. Problem Statement: Three months retrospective data from the department indicates that in August 2013 only 66.64% of patients were seen within 15 minutes by the physician. In September 2013 this decreased marginally to 59.68% and in October 2013 this was found to be 61.68%. OPD WAITING TIME PERCEPTION OF PATIENTS For understanding perception of patients on OPD waiting time, VOC was collected from 150 patients in the OPD. Questionnaire for OPD Patients: 1. Did you take an appointment for OPD visit? a) Yesb) No 2. How did you get the appointment? Through telephone or direct? 3. Are you satisfied with the way your phone call was handled? a)Yesb)No 4. What instruction was given by the counter staff at the time of appointment/arrival? 5. How did you feel at the reception? a) Very good b)Goodc)Badd)Very bad 6. How much time it took at the reception, to attend you? a)0-10 minsb)10-20 minsc)20-30 minsd)>30 mins 7. At what time you were asked to report at the counter and when did you reach the OPD reception? 8. Did any staff brief you regarding the workflow in OPD? a)Yesb)No 9. How long you have been waiting in OPD? a)0-10 minsb)10-20 minsc)20-30 minsd)>30 mins 10. Did any information regarding waiting time in OPD was given to you, at the time of appointment? a)Yesb)No 11. How much time it took for you to interact with doctor after your arrival? a)0-10 minsb)10-20 minsc)20-30 minsd)>30 mins 12. Are you aware of the existing appointment system in FMRI? a)Yesb)No 13. What is your perception on waiting time in the hospital? 14. What would you suggest to reduce waiting time in OPD? 15. Any other suggestions? How long have you been waiting in the OPD for Consultation (Observations): It was observed that 20% patients take prior appointment to consult the doctor whereas 80% patients come Walk- in to consult the doctor. Fig 4: Appointment for OPD Visit 67% patients who come to consult the doctor take prior appointment on the telephone whereas 33% comes directly to get the appointment. Fig 5: Appointment System It was found that 75% of the patients were satisfied with the telephonic call handled whereas 25% patients weren’t satisfied. Fig 6: Satisfaction Level As per as the behavior of the reception of the staff is concerned, it was found that out of 150 patients, 20 patients felt very good behavior; 90 patients felt good, 25 patients felt bad and 15 patients felt very bad behavior from the side of reception staff. Fig 7: Reception Staff’s behavior When process flow was observed to capture the waiting time, it was found that out of 150 patients, 50 patients were attended within 10 minutes; 70 patients were attended within 10-20 minutes; 25 patients were attended within 20-30 minutes and 5 patients were attended more than 30 minutes. Fig. 8: Time taken to attend the patients 75% patients felt that they were briefed regarding workflow in OPD whereas 25% patients felt that they weren’t. Fig.9: Briefing Regarding Workflow in OPD Regarding waiting time it was that out of 150 patients, 60 patients had to wait up to 10 minutes; 5 patients had to wait within 10-20 minutes, 15 patients had to wait within 20-30 minutes and 30 patients had to wait more than 30 minutes. Fig. 10: Waiting Time in OPD 93% patients felt that they were well informed regarding waiting time in OPD whereas 7% patients felt that they weren’t informed well. Fig. 11: Information regarding Waiting Time As per as interaction with doctor after arrival is concerned, out of 150 patients 98 patients interacted within 10 minutes, 12 patients interacted within 10-20 minutes, 26 patients interacted within 20-30 minutes and 14 patients interacted more than 30 minutes. Fig. 12: Time taken for consultation to doctor 51% patients were found aware regarding existing appointment system in FMRI whereas 49% patients were found unaware. Fig. 13: Awareness regarding appointment system in FMRI MEASURE This phase refers to the analysis of the existing system with various measurement techniques for the defects and levels of perfection that exist. In this step, accurate metrics have to be used to define a baseline for further improvements. This helps in understanding whether any progress has been achieved when process improvements are implemented. To identify High level process map the SIPOC has been done. Table 2: SIPOC The various processes involved in the particular project have been described in detail in flow chart: Fig.14: Process Flow Chart NO YES Revisit New Visit Value Analysis: A value analysis was done based on the flow chart and the processes were categorized into Value added, Operational Value Added Activity and Non Value Added Activities. Table.3: Value Analysis ANALYZE The analyze phase was undertaken to determine any disparity that may exist in the goals set and the current performance levels achieved. The understanding of the relationship between cause and effect is necessary to bring about any improvements, if needed. Brainstorming session was carried out and all the causes were listed in the affinity diagram. The Fish Bone Diagram was prepared. The causes which got from the brain storming session have been segregated into non controllable causes, direct improvement causes and controllable and likely causes. Its fish bone diagram for controllable causes only. Table.4: Analysis Phase CAUSE AND EFFECT DIAGRAM: Fig.15: Cause and effect diagram Causes were then ranked on the basis of severity and occurrence as per criteria given. Table.5: Ranking of causes on the basis of severity and occurrence A modified Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) were carried out for Occurrence and Severity only. The top Risk Priority Number was considered for further analysis, using 5WHY. Single Registration counter Time taken to process blood test only Time taken to process blood test and other Investigations. DATA ANALYSIS As per analysis of data, following observations were made: Month August- As per observations, Average Time = 13 minutes. No. of patients seen >15 minutes = approx. 13 % of no. of patients seen > 15 minutes = 25.48% Fig. 16: Observation in Month August Month September- It was observed, Average Time = 17 minutes. No. of patients seen >15 minutes = approx. 17 % of no. of patients seen > 15 minutes = 32.70% Fig. 17: Observation in Month September It was noticed that there was slight increase in the average time, no. of patients seen more than 15 minutes and %age of no. of patients seen more than 15 minutes. The main reasons behind it are: Delay in Doctors’ in time( e.g. Doctor in OT/ On Rounds) Delay in Investigations. Long consultation time. Month October- It was observed, Average Time = 15 minutes. No. of patients seen >15 minutes = approx. 16 % of no. of patients seen > 15 minutes = 30.19%. Fig. 18: Observation in Month October In this month slight improvement was observed as the average time, no. of patients seen more than 15 minutes and its %age decreased slightly. This was due to: Doctors requested to be on time so that patients can’t feel inconvenient. Complete consultation on time. COMPARISON AMONG MONTHS AUGUST, SEPTEMBER OCTOBER: Table.5: Comparison among Months August, September October It was observed when compared the data of three months that: Average waiting time was decreased followed by slight increase. Maximum time for the consultation has decreased within three months. Minimum time was approximately zero in these three months. Fig. 19: Comparison among months August, September October IMPROVE Improvements in existing systems are necessary to bring the organization towards achievement of the organization goals. Creative development of processes and tools brings about a new lease on life for the organizations processes and takes them nearer to organizational objectives. Various project management and planning tools can be used to implement these new techniques and processes. Appropriate usage of statistical tools is important to measure the data, which is necessary to understand improvements done and any shortcomings that may exist. The solutions with their respective Causes are shown below: Table.6: Causes Solutions CONTROL Control phase is the last step in the DMAIC method. This phase is about sustaining the changes made in the Improve phase to guarantee lasting results. The best controls are MONITORING, appropriate CHECKS and balance the quality system for the long run. Recommendations Segregated OPD counters for billing. Separated nursing station for the departments to reduce waiting time. OPD schedule to be blocked for the time duration when the doctors are in procedure or on rounds. Time slot for appointments to be increased from 10 to 20 minutes per doctor. Conclusion: Significant reduction in waiting time was achieved in the outpatient services of the department. Doctors were on time in OPD to reduce the delay in the OPD. Patients were coordinated well to the doctors. Further data analysis will help to monitor and control the waiting time and process flow in the OPD.

electric cars speech -- essays research papers

Just about everyone wants a car but no one Wants to pay for gas well now thanks to technology we don’t have to yes thanks to the discovery of the electronic car people can travel solely on the power of electricity but most people say that Unless some new type of battery is invented these electronic Car are nothing more than a dream but these are far more than a dream and very much so a part of reality But what does the future hold for these cars Well electricity is already a large part of our lives so to start using electricity powered cars would not be so much of a change from our normal routine as people may seem to think And they’re already many people using these electrical cars one man mentioned That he uses The Corbin Sparrow (a single person electric vehicle) As his primary commute vehicle he has a 50mi. Total commute To and from work mostly freeway so not that much stop and go traffic but once he gets to work his batteries drained about 50 percent but because the car does not require a special charging stations he can plug it into any standard three prong outlet So he pluges his car and at work and returns home on a 100 percent charge Saving gas and money every day allowing his car to pay for itself but Basically, here's what the Sparrow offers: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seats 1 person, and ample space for laptop, papers and small grocery run. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13 lead acid batteries, different in detail from conventional automotive batteries, but not fundamentally so. The batteries provide for a very low center of gravity. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fiberglass body for keeping the weight down while increasing the energy efficiency considerably. I'm averaging .16KwH/mile or thereabouts for my typical commute. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  110v charging that takes about 8 hours. However, in my typical usage, I get to 80+% in less than 2 hours, and recharging stations are nearly *everywhere* however an extension cord can be helpful †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and a top speed of about 80mph now this may be good for the average driver or maybe-trips back and forth to and from work but what would you do for a long drive with no time in between to recharge this car This car would definitely not be the car for the job of but thats where our next car, comes in 25 February 2000 -- DaimlerChrysler's engineers might have mis... ...he same period. I found the RAV4-EV a thoroughly enjoyable driving experience the brief time I was behind the wheel. It handles well, accelerating as briskly as a 4 cylinder IC-engine version. It's quiet inside, though the low rolling-resistance tires are a bit noisy. It certainly brakes well as I learned when an inattentive driver tried to pull out in front us during our test drive around Disney World. The RAV4-EV will make an ideal intra-city commuter for many motorists. Since the average American workplace commute is under 50 miles round trip, the RAV4-EV can get you there and back again with style and comfort. Toyota's Armstock made an interesting comment near the end of our test drive. When asked when we can expect to see the RAV4-EV go on sale to consumers, he remarked that the technology is advancing so rapidly that he expects the current model to be as obsolete in thee years as a pesonal computer with an Intel 286 micro-processor is today. That's an exciting prospect, considering how well integrated the RAV4-EV is even now. Regardless of the pace of technological change, this is one nicely done SUV, one that makes a lot of sense right now, especially now. END STORY

A Heartfelt Wedding Speech by the Father of the Groom -- Wedding Toast

A Heartfelt Wedding Speech by the Father of the Groom There is a small amount of humor at the beginning and toward the end of the speech, but it is the sentiment that makes it special. The speech ends with some advice for the bride and groom, which is touching, and a toast in the form of a poem. The happy couple, reverend celebrant, dear guests. The first wedding speech I ever gave was in 1958 when I married the groom's mother. Oh, I was in love! I remember clearly what a great feeling courtship gave me. I used to lie awake all night thinking about something she said. After we married and had four kids I'd fall asleep before she finished saying it. I'd like to focus on my son for a moment. He's married now, this may be his last chance to be the center of attention. His arrival on this earth was a most significant event for us as his safe delivery was my wife's first after many disappointments. He was both long-awaited and much-wanted. Other birth disappointments followed but where there is a strong desire for offspring there is a way and eventually We were blessed with four lovely children. And they in turn have given me grandchildren who give me great pleasure. When you are raising your kids you often wonder if You are getting it right. Forgive my little boast, but when I see how my children have turned out, its all been worthwhile. Every one of them, their partners, and my grandchildren are worth knowing. My son did not get the best start in life, losing his mother when he was sixteen years of age. Having me as a father did not always help. Fewfathers aree equipped to be mothers too, to bridge the gap successfully. His mother and I felt he got every one of the personal qualities of both of us. Some of ... ...iderable amount of hard work and organization and I commend the bride and groom for the effort they have made to ensure a day worth remembering. It’s their day, they’ve worked hard, and done good. What I wish most for them is that they be each other’s best mate. You can have all the love in the world swirling through the ether, flashing lights, sky rockets and balloons going up, but unless your partner is your best mate, the one who is always there for you, the one most interested in what you think and say, you will be missing out on the best of life's greatest institution. Would you please join me in this toast to the newlyweds: May you live as long as you like, and have all you need for as long as you live. May the road you choose be smooth, and your burdens light. May your pleasure in each other, grow with your years together. The bride and groom.

Could or should psychology be called a science? Essay

The advantages of calling psychology a science are huge. It allows us to state that it contains objective facts, correct our mistakes and build on previous discoveries. However many refute giving psychology the tile of ‘a science’ believing that humans are far too complex in their processes to be explained in generalised terms. The key assumptions of ‘science’ are; Invariance, in science a set of laws don’t change, Determinism, meaning that everything can be explained using these laws and that there is a reason for everything and finally Operationalism, trusting in an objective and accurate set of measured variables. Many psychologists believe that these key principals conflict with those of human cognitions; which are often complex and seem to fail to follow any set rules of nature. People inevitably change over time; this fact challenges the principal of ‘Invariance’ from the scientific point of view. However there is a difference in changes found on behaviour and those found in ‘laws’. For example trends of music have changed with time and culture, but the underlying psychological cognitions behind those changes haven’t been altered; group pressure still remains. Science asserts that one set of rules can apply for everyone; determinism. However a psychologist would state that its very founding principals of the ‘psyche’ means that people follow many different sets of rules and cannot be forced into one category due to differing levels of cognitions. This might be challenged be saying that science chooses to follow a set of rules that are as simple as they can be, but that psychology might have to have a more complex set of rules in order to appreciate human differences. An analogy used to support this is that, â€Å"In spelling ‘I’ before ‘E’ doesn’t always work, but the more complex rule of ‘I’ before ‘E’ except after ‘C’ does. † Finally the challenge to the idea of ‘operationalism’ comes form the fact that many psychologists believe that you can’t observe and measure thoughts and feelings directly, as they are internal. However science might say that you can infer the thoughts and feelings of a person from their external behaviour. Many psychologists would state that ‘psychologies inability to predict human behaviour could be taken as proof that psychology isn’t a science because science works on the principals that if you observe something enough times you will be able to understand it and predict what will happen in the future. ‘ Science however, began like psychology; without all the answers and indeed even modern medical science cannot predict all the answers e. g. Modern medicinal science doesn’t know how to cure cancer because they don’t know how it will react to different drugs. We would demand a far more complex analysis from a psychologist than we would from other scientists. We might ask a psychologist what a human will do, this question could be considered as broad as asking a physicist what will happen to a specific drop of water in the ocean. There are a great deal of variables influencing human behaviour, therefore making it unrealistic to expect that people’s behaviour could be predicted from observing just one or two variables, similarly in physics; the behaviour of particles can’t be predicted due to the fact that not all of the determinants of the particles behaviour can be observed at once. Psychology cannot be discounted as a science just due to the fact that we don’t know the cause of something. As a psychologist you should appreciate the fact that humans have an inability to know everything and just because we don’t know the cause it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there. If psychology were a science there would be some key issues that would need sorting before people accepted its status. The knowledge gained through psychological research might be mis-used. Given to those in political or economic power psychological research could mean that humans have an inability to defend themselves against certain ideas that were being forced upon them. If psychology became a science then humans would have to be tested upon to gain more accurate results and to create complex laws about them. These experiments might be unethical, for example we have seen the research that Milgram did, however even though it was controversial the participants agreed that they were unharmed and that they were glad to have participated. There would also be strict ethical guidelines should humans be tested on. Many psychologists believe that the reason psychology shouldn’t be a science is due to the mysterious and uncertain nature of it. The fact that we don’t understand ‘love’ might make it seem more magical and exciting, something that appeals to human nature. The advantages to understanding something like love would mean that we could prevent areas such as divorce, break up and heartbreak, causing a less painful world for humans. The complexity of areas of psychology, such as love and hate, means that inevitably the mystery and human mis-understanding surrounding such phenomena would be unlikely to be removed.

Wankel Rotary Engine: A History by John B. Hege

Conceived in the 1930s, simplified and successfully tested in the 1950s, the darling of the automotive industry in the early 1970s, then all but abandoned before resurging for a brilliant run as a high-performance powerplant for Mazda, the Wankel rotary engine has long been an object of fascination and more than a little mystery. A remarkably simple design (yet understood by few), it boasts compact size, light weight and nearly vibration-free operation. In the 1960s, German engineer Felix Wankels invention was beginning to look like a revolution in the making. Though still in need of refinement, it held much promise as a smooth and powerful engine that could fit in smaller spaces than piston engines of similar output. Auto makers lined up for licensing rights to build their own Wankels, and for a time analysts predicted that much of the industry would convert to rotary power. This complete and well-illustrated account traces the full history of the engine and its use in various cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles and other applications. It clearly explains the working of the engine and the technical challenges it presented–the difficulty of designing effective and durable seals, early emissions troubles, high fuel consumption, and others. The work done by several companies to overcome these problems is described in detail, as are the economic and political troubles that nearly killed the rotary in the 1970s, and the prospects for future rotary -powered vehicles. Personal Review: Wankel Rotary Engine: A History by John B. Hege Wankel Rotary Engine: A History A fascinating read not just for crankheads but anyone interested in how things get done and how so very often they don't get done at all. Of particular interest is the chapter on G. M's entry into the wonderful world of Wankel–perhaps a small insight as to why they're #2 today. A hearty thank you to John Hege for a well researched book. Get in touch with me John and I'll send you a copy of my book.

Thinking Religion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Thinking Religion - Research Paper Example This paper answers some relevant questions about misconceptions people and I had about Baptists. Like every person who is not a Baptist, I too had certain misconceptions about Baptists. These misconceptions came about in discussions with practicing Baptists. What I thought was part of their beliefs later turned out to be personal interpretations of the way that they read the Bible and understand their religion. . There is the general belief that the Baptist church condones abortion. However, after a visit to a Baptists church it transpired that they oppose abortion if done only to avoid responsibilities as a parent and as means of birth control. However, they believe that an abortion may be performed to save the mother’s life, or in case that is a forced conception as when a woman is raped. Even if the fetus is deformed and has little chances of leading a normal independent life, an abortion might be carried out to save the child from a life of misery. Generally the Baptists b elieve in the sanctity of life (Dutch, 2002). Another misconception that I harbored was that music is not permissible for Baptists. That is also not true because you will find a â€Å"hymn book† in every pew in all Baptist Churches. Very few services are carried out or conclude without hymns .However, there are some churches that absolutely refuse any form of modern music, and the churches still adhere to the old hymns. These churches usually allow some guitars without amplifiers, but the guitar will not be accompanied by any other instrument. Therefore allowing modern music is not an issue per se not with people who like the music so much as those who oppose it. However some churches not only allow contemporary, but in fact encourage the use of new compositions. When the 60’s ushered in a new era of music, the Baptist church brought in a new era of Gospel music. In fact Carmichael who was one of the most sought after music director of pop music in the 60†s also composed many Gospel hymns. The hymns that Carmichael composed are still very popular and have great tunes (Dutch, 2002). Another misconception is that Baptists only believe in the St. James Bible, which is the first bible to be mass produced and distributed. This misconception came about because some Baptist churches insisted that worshippers coming to the church were given St. James bibles only. People bringing in their own bibles were pointedly asked by ushers which bibles they had, and if were any other version of the bible, they were asked to use the St. James bible only. Those who refused were asked to leave the church. This gave everyone the impression that Baptists believed in the St. James Bible only and not any of the other versions of the bible which people used. These conservative Baptists believed that other versions were not true interpretations of the word of God, and that the true word of God must not be diluted or misinterpreted in any way. This fierce debate was ge nerated by Dr. Peter Ruckman with his book, Bible Babel (1964). Dr. Peter vehemently attacked those who did not agree with him. This hostility caused embarrassment to Baptists when the debate spread even over the Internet. Many websites were committed to this issue, each with its own version. Some were downright hostile and mean that contradicts any form of academic discussion (Dutch, 2002). Before this controversy, choosing a bible version was quite easy. However there are some scholars who have maintained self-esteem and responsibility in these

IT GOVERNANCE FOR A SERVICE ORGANISATION Assignment

IT GOVERNANCE FOR A SERVICE ORGANISATION - Assignment Example The application of innovative technologies and tools in diverse industrial sectors has reported an increase in value appreciation and speed of operations that has a positive impact on productivity and profitability of business establishments. However, the implementation of IT tools and technologies is not an easy task since it requires huge investment outlays, personnel training and a changed outlook to existing governance practices that adapt to new methods of operation. The advantages and scope of implementation of these tools and technologies must be supported by strong governance practices that support a highly advanced system of work operations. â€Å"The problem of how to deploy IT in such a way that it adds value to the business is far from new and has been the focal area for information managers for a number of years† (ISACA, 2008). ... The organization chosen for this report was Dell owing to its global market presence and leading service provider to millions of customers around the world. Dell – an overview The role of IT in the present business environment has assumed increased significance with most organizations adopting it as the prime strategy to achieve business goals. Leading IT companies like Dell have influenced the ways in which the conventional role of IT thus has shifted from being an operational support mechanism to a primary enabler contributing to increased efficiency and effectiveness in organizational performance. The report provides a deeper insight into the IT governance standards and controls adopted by one of the leading IT service organizations, Dell. Regulatory compliance and audit controls over organizational operations have become a reality today with more and more companies adopting globally accepted IT governance frameworks for increased returns on investment and increased securit y in operations. IT organizations like Dell today operate under increased legislative pressures to ensure high standards of service, effective compliance with governance and legislative requirements, and optimizing work processes for increased information security. IT governance has been defined by ITGI (2009) as the â€Å"responsibility of the board of directors and executive management. It is an integral part of enterprise governance and consists of leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organization’s IT sustains and extends the organization’s strategies and objectives†. The controls and standards established through various frameworks like ITIL and Cobit provide the IT companies with the direction to control

Life Changing Sport Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Life Changing Sport - Assignment Example The more upmarket All Star Lanes opened in January, 2006 in the basement of Victoria House in Southampton Row offering bowling alongside a cocktail bar and restaurant (Sunday Times 05.03.06). The sport of bowling (also known as tenpins) is an indoor sport in which a ball between 6 and 16 lbs. in weight is rolled down a lane approximately 42 inches wide and 60 feet long in an effort to knock down 10 pins set in a triangular array at the other end of the lane. The modern version of the sport is traced to the 4th or 5th century A.D. in Germany, where the bowler rolled a ball down the aisle of a church at a club called the heathen. Hitting the heathen was a demonstration of the religious faith of the bowler. During the Middle-Ages, there were a variety of forms of bowling with the number of pins ranging from 3 to 15. Dutch settlers brought the sport to the New World in the early 17th century. The tenth pin was added to the game in 1842. With the advent of Television the popularity of bowling increased in the 1950s. The sport has lost much of its charm and with the mushrooming video-game parlours and other 'pop' activities attention of the young people has been diverted away from bowling. It is considered by many as either pass or too childish, or youth-orientated. The opening of the two new, high-end, bowling alleys is perhaps indicative of a revival of interest in the game. Marketing is the business function that identifies customer needs and wants, determines which target markets the organization can serve best, and designs appropriate products, services, and programs to serve these markets. It guides the entire organization. The goal of marketing is to create customer satisfaction by building value-based relationships with customers, in conjunction with other internal and external business units. The end-result is gaining market leadership by understanding consumer needs and finding solutions of superior value, quality, and service. This presentation looks at understanding the concept, product, positioning and marketing strategy of one of the new bowling alleys (All Star Lanes), and identifying a path for repositioning and promotion with a view to improve profitability through improved customer satisfaction. The Present Product All Star Lanes has four lanes and two upstairs and is positioned as a leisure centre with multiple activities that includes offering a good eating facility and an ambience modelled on America of the 1950s. The face it presents to its customers is 'fresh and flippant and not too straight faced' (squaremeal.co.uk).It has a capacity to seat 80 and offers a cocktail bar and a menu that is American chow wagon based. The dcor is plastic, chrome and leather and tailored to attract young people and at the same time targets to attract clientele by offering a boutique type experience for parties. On all the present identified objectives, it scores well and has attracted very good ratings from critics; some even giving it a four to five star rating on ambience, service, value for money, and food (Time Out, 2006). Repositioning The proposed repositioning requires a total change in concept from being a leisure centre targeting young

Competition and Competition Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Competition and Competition Policy - Essay Example As the essay discusses Blue Beer plc is an important producer of beer in Newcastle. Statistics shown that Blue Beer plc accounts for some 12% of all beer sold in the United Kingdom but that its Bluelite plc is especially successful and accounts for 40% of all non-alcoholic beer consumed in the UK. Blue Beer has been negotiating with County Beers Ltd with a view to merger. County Beers is the principal other producer of non-alcoholic beers and after merger the new company, British County Blue, will control 65% of the market in non-alcoholic bee. According to the paper findings the overall policy of the European Union of competitive practices is as follows – â€Å"In a free market, business is a competitive game. Sometimes, companies may be tempted to avoid competing with each other and try to set their own rules for the game. At times, a major player in the game may try to squeeze its competitors out of the market. The European Commission acts as the referee to ensure that all companies play by the same rules. This discussion stresses that markets started being highly competitive and this forced businesses to pursue ways and means to survive and grow. Price cutting, mergers and acquisitions, and formation of cartels began to be accepted as a way to keep away competition. Monopolies or monopolistic tendencies began to be seen in the market creating unfair competition for smaller players.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Management - Essay Example To avoid misuse and to promote efficient delivery of goals, the government must enforce more stringent measures of regulation and control on the banking and financial sector especially in the given environment of global market meltdown. Answer 2 The property rights and contracts are very important in a market place. A contract is a legal instrument that safeguards the interests of people who forge certain defined relationship through legally enforceable contractual set of rules and guidelines. In the recessive economy and deteriorating market conditions, new issues with wide ranging implications could have serious consequences for business. The property rights are vital issues within social fabric as they facilitate people to exercise control over their resources that they hold or own. Within a market economy, the contract promotes the property rights of business’ products and services and ensures that buyers and sellers maintain their contract as specified within the law. The property rights and contracts therefore help safeguard the rights business over their products and services as well as the rights of consumers who use those products and services. Answer 3 The major Rim countries like Japan, China, India and Malaysia etc. have significant influence on the global commerce due to the fast socio economic development. Through market liberalization, technological advancement and adopting change, they have emerged as major economies to challenge America’s monopoly in the global market. In the deteriorating financial condition of America with massive foreign debts and deficit account balance, dollar has been adversely impacted. As such, collapse of dollar within the new market based economy and increasing importance of Rim countries have redefined socio-economic and political economy of the globe. Indeed, these countries have now turned the table and become major donors rather than borrowers. The developing economies and regional markets now provid e huge potential of growth to the developed nations and are therefore in better position to bargain. Answer 4 Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and Clayton Act of 1914 are still important because they promote healthy market competition and dissuade monopoly in market (cornell university, n.d). Unregulated monopolies of products and services adversely impact economy as they tend to eliminate competition. Monopoly promotes the concept of single seller or supplier for products which has so substitute. Thus, the situation can be exploited by the party through higher prices, inferior quality and hindering creativity within market. Sherman Act prohibits monopolies of any kind, especially trusts which tend to transfer power to single entity, across interstate trade and commerce. Clayton Act further strengthened the market regulations when commercial practices like price differentiation, buying out competition etc. were made illegal. Answer 5 The political business strategy is highly pertinent in the current environment of rapid globalization. They broadly refer to the political risks vis-a-vis non market imperatives and macro environment issues that impact business performance across the globe. Thus, political stability and national and regional laws where global business tend to expand their business, the different environmental laws,