College tuition pricing and the drive behind it Research Paper

College tuition pricing and the drive behind it - Research Paper Example Government is encouraging private participation in educational sector as part of the liberalization policies. Private companies are utilizing this opportunity very well. The government has not implemented any laws to regulate the tuition fees hike in the higher educational sector. Private companies are thus exploiting the student community. This paper analyses the college tuition pricing and the drive behind it Contents 12 Introduction The importance of education in shaping the future of a nation is well documented by many scholars in the past. It should be noted that America is currently struggling to find enough manpower to cater the needs of the organizations. Plenty of expatriates are currently working in critical positions in America. Moreover, a substantial portion of American jobs are currently outsourced or offshored to overseas countries because of the shortage of skilled manpower in the country. It is believed that the quality of American education is diminishing as time go es on because of the reluctance of the governments in interfering in this sector meaningfully. Even though Obama and Bush have implemented some programs such as Raise to the Top and No Child Left Behind, as a solve the problems in American educational sector, none of these programs seem to be yielding the desired result. Rising tuition cost is one of the major problems facing by the American students. Even though students in the elite class may not face much problems with respect to the tuition price hike, students from the ordinary class forced to give up their ambitions about higher education. In 1987, then U.S. secretary of education William Bennett authored an op-ed piece in The New York Times titled â€Å"Our Greedy Colleges.† In the piece, Bennett complained about a comment made by Benno C. Schmidt Jr., then the president of Yale University (CT), who had blamed Yale’s tuition hike on cutbacks in federal financial aid. Bennett responded by writing, â€Å"If anyth ing, increases in financial aid in recent years have enabled colleges and universities blithely to raise their tuitions, confident that Federal loan subsidies would help cushion the increase. The theory behind Bennett’s assertion is relatively simple: The availability of federal loans—particularly subsidized loans offering a below-market interest rate and payment of interest as long as the student is enrolled in school—provides â€Å"cover† for colleges to raise their prices, because students can offset a price increase, or at least a portion of that increase, with federal loans (Heller, 2013, p.1). America seems to be implementing the theory of Survival of fittest (developed by Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer in order to explain the evolution theory and economic theory) in higher educational sector. This theory is relevant while explaining the problems related to raising tuition fees in American higher educational sector. In a civilized society like o urs, it is impossible to justify educational policies like helping only the fittest, with the help of theories like Survival of fittest. Every human has some natural rights and the right to get education is one among them. Government should never stay away from executing it’s duties under any circumstances. In ancient Roman Kingdom, parents were forced to kill unhealthy children because of the instructions from the King.

Interest Rates Affects on the Is-Lm Model Essay Example for Free

Interest Rates Affects on the Is-Lm Model Essay Assignment 4 5. According to the IS-LM model, what happens to the interest rate, income, consumption and invest under the following circumstances. a. The central bank increases money supply. An increase in the money supple shifts the LM curve downward. The equilibrium moves from point A to point B. Income rises from Y1 to Y2 and the interest rate falls from r1 to r2. Therefore this increase in money supply causes a decrease in interest rate, an increase in income, an increase in consumption and an increase in investment. LM Income, output, Y b. Government increases government purchases An increase in government purchases result in a shift in the IS curve to the right. The equilibrium moves from point A to point B. Income rises from Y1 to Y2 and interest rate rises from r1 to r2. This increase in government purchases therefore causes interest rate to rise and income also rises. Consumption will also increase but the increase in government purchases will cause investment to decrease. interest rate, r LM IS2 IS1 Income, output, Y c. The government increases taxes. An increase in taxes shifts the IS curve to the left. The equilibrium moves from point A to point B. Income falls from Y1 to Y2 and the interest rate from r ¬1 to r 2. Therefore increase in taxes will bring about a decrease in interest rate, cause income to also decrease which will decrease consumption also but will result in an increase in investment. interest rate, r LM IS1 IS2 Income, output, Y d. The government increase government purchases and taxes equally 6. Consider the following economy of Hicksonia. a. The consumption function is given by C= 200 + 0. 75 (Y T) The investment function is I= 200-25r Government purchases and taxes are both 100.

Managed Care Essay -- Healthcare Health Medical Essays

Managed Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are so many problems with our society’s health care. Everyone wants to find a solution, but no one has been able to come up with one yet. Many different things have been tried, but none have put a cease to the exorbitant costs, which most believe to be the main problem. Out of everything tried, the most recent and popular system is known as managed care. Managed care is the most common form of health insurance in the United States, and provides more a cost efficient coverage than paying a fee-for-service charge. However, it is also a very complicated system. Over the next few pages I am going to try and go over the main parts of the managed care structure. In the end, I am going to decide the strengths and weaknesses of this system, and decide whether or not I think it will be the answer to our system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First I am going to go over exactly what managed care means, as simply as possible. Managed care is an organized approach to delivering a comprehensive array of health care services to a group of enrolled members through efficient management of services needed by the members, and negotiation of prices or payment arrangements with providers. It has two main functions; first it integrates the functions of financing, insurance, delivery, and payment with one organizational setting, and it also exercises formal control over utilization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now I am briefly going to go over the history of managed care. Managed care dates back to as early as 1882. Northern Pacific Railroad Beneficial Association was one of the first employers to offer health care coverage. In 1910, the Western Clinic in Tacoma, Washington offered medical services through its providers for a premium of only $.50 per month, which served lumber mill owners and employees. In 1929, Blue Cross was originated when Baylor Hospital in Texas agreed to provide coverage by the case on a prepaid basis for some 1,500 teachers. The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan was started in 1937 as well. In 1971, the Nixon Administration announced a new national health strategy, which was the development of health maintenance organizations. The federal government established grant and loan guarantees for HMO’s to reach a goal from 30 in 1970 to 1,700 by 1976, enrolling 40 million people, and 90... ... insurance. Also, MCO’s favor preventative care and health promotion. Many people feel that if you get to the root of the problem, it will help our financial health costs, and managed care provides help for this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the negative things I feel about managed care is there is somewhat of a public dissatisfaction. As I said before, everyone wants the system to change and be better, but no one knows how to do it. Another negative thing about it is there are many limitations on what doctors you can see, and the ease of seeing a secondary doctor. There is also the issue of rising prescription drug costs that managed care does not address.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All in all I think that even though managed care is not perfect, it is the best that we have right now. It has done a good job of controlling costs, and keeping individuals out-of-pockets costs down. Until something better comes along, I think people need to realize that we are doing the best with what we have, and try to be more accepting and understanding. Americans have made health care the way it is today, so they need to understand big problems like this can’t be changed overnight.

How Technology Has Affected the Capabilities

IntroductionRecognizing the identity of a person is a major problem encountered by most of the justice and security systems, especially when an individual provides false information. Until recently, the methods of providing the true identity of criminals have been few and prone to errors (Davis, Weiss, 2009). With the implementation of modern computerized technologies, communication capabilities of specialized databases (such as the fingerprint identifiers) have been made effective and accurate. In this paper, the effect of technology on the communication capabilities of specialized databases in criminal justice will be analyzed, by comparing the facial recognition and iris scan techniques of identification and discussing the overall positive and negative effects of these technologies on criminal justice system.How technology has affected the capabilities of specialized databases in the criminal justice systemIn trying to make their work easier and more effective, the justice and sec urity personnel have always looked into the advancing technological methods to enhance communication capabilities within the justice system. The introduction of two-way radio and increased use of automobile have helped in improving the effectiveness of communication databases and responding to criminal incidents (Seaskate Inc. 1998). Modern technology has introduced many methods of specialized databases which have become exceedingly useful in crime investigation and response to incidences.The specialized databases utilize computerized techniques to identify criminals or suspects as well as to facilitate communication between the police, the general public and amongst other security personnel. The most used specialized databases by the security and justice system to provide identification of individuals include the Mobile Data Terminals, Live Scans, Iris Scans, Facial Recognition and the AFIS (Scherpenzeel, 2008). These technologies make individual identification easier, more accurat e and more effective in terms of time and cost. Both police officers and prosecutors have in many occasions applied them in identifying, judging, imprisoning or even in releasing criminals (Reichert, 2001)Comparison between Facial Recognition and Iris ScanIris scan refers to a technique of biometric identification using high tech recognition patterns which utilize images of a person’s iris. Iris cameras are used to perform detections of an individual’s identity using mathematical analysis of random patterns visible in the iris. The technique uses a combination of pattern recognition, computer vision, optics and statistical inferences (Find Biometrics, n. d).Facial recognition technique on the other hand is a computerized application which identifies an individual from a video outline or digital image. It is used in criminal justice systems to identify people by comparing the selected facial appearance from a specified facial database. This technique uses unalterable ph ysical facial structures (say the space between centers of an individual’s pupils of the eye or the diameter of a persons eye balls) and through algorithm, finite computerized set of steps are used to solve the problem, by translating the image into numerical values (Davis, Weiss, 2009).Iris scan is an internal detection method while the facial recognition is an external detection technique. Unlike the iris scan which uses an internal organ of the body, the facial recognition technique is done using certain parts of an individual face such jaws, cheekbones, nose or the eyes: these features are applied in searching for images matching with them. Facial recognition has been criticized because it uses external parts of the body which are likely to change over time through long exposure to manual work, use of facial cosmetics or plastic surgery (Titanium, 2010).These changes can completely transform and individual’s physical appearance, thus making it hard to be identified from a crowd. However, the method has one merit the iris scan and other biometric methods lack; it doesn’t call for any help from the individual being tested—if the system is properly designed and effectively installed in places such as multiplexes and airports, it can easily pick out the required subject from a crowd.For other biometric techniques such as the iris scan, speech recognition and fingerprints, the subject must be involved in the detection process and mass identification cannot apply (Titanium, 2010). Nonetheless, Iris scan is more reliable since it is not dependent on light or sight, but depends on the pattern of the iris. The facial recognition technique can fail due to poor lighting, long hair, use of sunglasses and other small resolution images and objects that relatively cover the face (Titanium, 2010).The overall positive and negative effects of the new techniques on the criminal justice systemBasically, the new technologies in the criminal justice and communication have greatly improved the way in which criminal identification and tracing is conducted by the justice and security systems. To begin with, specialized databases are used either complimentary or alternatively to ensure that accurate results are made. This implies that in one instance, both the facial recognition and fingerprints can be applied for the same specimen or subject when there are doubts or ambiguity regarding identity.This ensures that minimal errors occur, thus reducing the chances of wrong identification (Scherpenzeel, 2008). Furthermore, the new technologies have reduced the costs that used to be incurred in tracking down criminals. Such costs included travel costs, paying witnesses, interviewing individuals, costs of detaining many suspects before identifying the guilty criminal. More so, problems that used to be encountered due to physical transformation of an individual as a result of surgeries, injuries and use of cosmetics have now been overcome through the use of specialized databases like the speech recognition and iris scan biometrics (Scherpenzeel, 2008)..However, the new technologies have had a number of negative effects on the criminal justice system. The most common negative effect is the fact that this new technologies require a lot of professionalism and skill, not only in criminology, but also in statistics, mathematics and computer technology. However, many people do not possess this combined qualifications and this leads to shortage of personnel in the criminal investigation department.As such, the process of identification becomes slower since it is entrusted with few specialists who are cannot be able to handle all the cases presented to them. In some other cases, semi-skilled people have been entrusted the work, resulting to wrong identification or non identification (Reichert 2001). Other problems usually result from system breakdowns or corruption of system files which affect the validity of the results. Co rruption of operating systems is mostly done by people within the criminal justice system who wish to obstruct certain criminal identification processes for personal reasons (Scherpenzeel, 2008).Since some of this technologies are still relatively new (such as the iris scan and live scan), Â  most of the criminal justice systems find it too expensive to adopt them due to the high initial installation costs and therefore, they are rarely used. Other specialized databases like the facial scanner pose problems in places of installation such as railways and airports due to security factors. This has made it difficult for the justice system to continually use this technique in identifying wanted individuals (Reichert 2001).Preferred specialized databasesAmong all the types of specialized databases and biometric scanners and devices used for detection of identification today, the iris scanner has proved to be most effective and accurate. This is because, an individual’s iris canno t be impeded by contact lenses and glasses; it can be accurately scanned from ten centimeters to several meters away. In addition the iris remains constant for a long time unless injuries occur—one enrolment scan lasts for a lifetime. Although certain surgical and medical operations may affect the color and shape of the iris, its fine texture maintains stability for decades. Furthermore, it can still be used on blind people because the technology is not dependent on sight but on pattern. (Find Biometrics, n. d).ConclusionThe use of specialized databases in criminal justice system is a great move towards improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal identification. It is important that these databases be implemented across the globe for detecting and tracking down criminals, since the negative effects of these technologies are so meager, and easily solvable as compared to the overall positive impact.ReferencesFind Biometrics (n. d). Iris scanners and recognition. Retr ieved fromhttp://www.findbiometrics.com/iris-recognition/Davis, M., & Weiss, J (2009). Facial recognition technology in law enforcement. Retrieved fromhttp://www.hendonpub.com/resources/articlearchive/details.aspx?ID=31Seaskate Inc. (1998). The evolution and development of police technology. Retrieved fromhttp://www.police-technology.net/id59.htmlTitanium (2010). Comparing face recognition against other types of biometric authenticationmethods. Retrieved fromhttp://www.titanium-tech.com/download/CompareBio.pdfReichert, K. (2001). Promising approaches to addressing crime: use of information technologyin law enforcement. University of south Wales, Australia.Scherpenzeel, R. (2008). Key issues in introducing information technology in criminal justice.retieved from http://www.uncjin.org/other/korebo/chapter3.pdf

Business plan Essay

Introduction Selective marketing strategy Most of the small business or businesses seeking to enter into new venture like creative technology seeking to enter the American headphone market will employ select marketing with the main objective being to get higher returns on their marketing investments. To achieve this objective, creative technology should strive hard in knowing their customers in the basis of their origination, who they are and where do their products do well (Homburg, etaal, 2009). Once they have that in mind, then they will try to maximize the best performing market segment, to realize these high returns on investment (ROI). The other vital objective of creative technology is to eliminate the guess works and the wastes involved in new venture and replace them with specific targeted efforts. This will ensure that they reduce on the operating cost and maximize their returns on investment. Also, owing to the luxury nature of the product that Creative Technology is to introduce in the United States market, they should gravitate towards these selective marketing as their product target a very limited population segment. Creative Technology employs this type of marketing to achieve their objectives as this product which they want to engage in is not for everyone and so they want to ensure that the message meets the right consumers and so reflecting in increased sales. Mostly, Creative Technology might include a glossy ad in the magazine and televisions. This is so because most of the population would be uninterested with luxury goods adverts. Moreover, Creative technology should employ tactics to differentiate the product from other brands in their category of products. This entails at classifying a brand as being more superior to other competing brands. This will involve stressing the quality of brand and design on their historical relevance and the longevity of the brand. In this approach, they will strive to paint the other competing products as unreliable, generic as and of a lesser quality than their own headphones (Homburg, etaal, 2009). This will ensure that Creative Technology meets its objectives of high returns on investments. This is so because it will reduce the extra cash and time spent on advertising messages directed towards consumers who may otherwise not be interested in the product. Also in addition to making this product stand out, specialized focus on specific market areas can help in building product’s reputation and ensure that this product has a long term fostered loyalty. Target Market    Creative technology will then employ the tactics of target market selection in order to engage in the market which they are sure that their product will sell. There are two important factors which they should consider in doing this. These include; the attractiveness of the market segment and also how the segment will fit their objectives and resource capabilities (Shaw, E. 2012).. When they are selecting the target market, they should consider the following aspects. The size of the segment; this basically entails to the number of their customers that are in that population. When they ascertain that the segment has a considerable number of people then they can choose to invest in it and the vise versa. The other aspect which they should also consider is the growth rate of the segment. This will help them to determine their future prospect in the market. Also, they should be at a position of determining the level of competition in the population that they want to invest in. this will enable them decide their product in a manner that they will be more appealing than that of their competitors. In doing so, they will also know the loyalty of the customers in the competing brands and hence know the strategy of invading this market segment. In addition they will be at a position of determining the attainable markets share if they got the knowledge of the competitor’s expenditure in promoting their brands. Given the size of the population, they should also ascertain the required market share so as to break even and the profits they expect from the sales in the said segment (Aaker and David, 2008). To obtain this information, market research and analysis is vital for Creative Technology. For instance, buyer intentions, test marketing, sales estimation and analysis in demand is very useful in determination of sales potential. The micro and macro environmental variables on the segment should also be put into consideration (Shaw, E., 2012). It is very important for the Creative Technology to note that larger segments are not advisable for targeting as they will already have more competition. It could be more profitable to invest in two or more small segments with little or no competition. However, if the firm is sure of developing a competitive advantage like patent protection, they can engage in larger market segments. Target Market Strategies There are different marketing strategies that should be employed by Creative technology in their endeavors of choosing a market strategy. These strategies include; Single segment strategy: this strategy is also referred to as concentrated market strategy.Here one market segment is served as opposed to the entire market. It is a strategy which should be employed by smaller firms with little resources. Selective specialization: it is a multiple- segment strategy and is also referred to as differentiated strategy. Different market segment are served with different marketing strategies. Only the promotional message varies with the product not being the same in these markets. Product specialization: In this strategy, the company specializes in particular products that tailored to different market segments Market specialization: here the company will specialize in a single market and serve it with varied products. Creative Technology cannot employ market specialization as it is planning to employ only one product, the headphones. Full market coverage:   Here the organization tries to cover the whole market. It is mostly achieved either through mass marketing where a single undifferentiated market mix is employed to the entire market or by a differentiated strategy in whicha different mix is offered to every segment. Individual marketing strategy: this is a strategy which has been employed recently owing to the technology where market mix is tailored in accordance to the individual consumer (Brian Solis,2011). For the Creative Technology to remain competitive in the market and realize high returns, it should always target a market that matches its capabilities. Once it has gained momentum, then it can expand by embarking on specialization strategy, tailor the product for different markets. Positioning strategy After selecting the target market, the firm will now embark on deciding on how it will position itself in the chosen market segment. Positioning refers to how the firm wants their customers to view their product. It is about effective conveyance of messages to the target market about the firm’s product or service. Position strategy development The first step is to do a market research. The main aim of this is to feel the features of your product that the consumer wants to feel their presence in the target market of your choice. You research the general features and not the features offered by a particular brand for example headphone features by Creative Technology Company. Once you have identified the features which are preferred by your potential customers and their ranking according to your target customers, the then compile a list of product in that target market offering these features. Then draw a map showing not only the features of the product but also the competitors that offer those products with the same features. It is also advisable to place your product in this map too, for comparison purposes. After this you will have a clear picture on where competitors products are positioned in your map in the chosen target market, you can the make an informed decision on where you would like your product to appear on the map. Position strategy development mostly depends on how the firm will position itself. The firm can take a ‘me too’ strategy and position themselves adjacent to the competitor and allow the customers to directly compare the product features or they can choose a strategy positioning themselves away from their competitors. One way of doing this is by offering a feature absent from the competitors’ products that their market research revealed that the consumers in that market rank as vital. Market mix This refers on how the firm, Creative Technology will distribute their headphones to their consumers. They should plan this strategy so as to distribute their products (headphones) to their consumers at the right time and place. Efficient distribution is imperative if the firm is to meet their objectives. If for any reason they underestimate or overestimate the demand, the firm’s profitability will be negatively affected (Borden, Neil,2013). Choosing the Distribution channel There are two available channels of distribution which include direct and indirect distribution channels. Indirect pertains to the distribution where one uses the intermediaries in distribution. For instance, they can sell to the wholesaler who sell to the retailer and then to the end user. Conversely, direct distribution is where the company will be distributing directly to the end users at the right time and place required. It is mostly preferred as it gives the manufacturers direct control over their products. Choosing a distribution strategy Different products are distributed differently and there are three different distribution strategies which can be employed. There is; intensive distribution strategy which is employed in distributing low priced products, exclusive distribution which involves limiting distribution to a single outlet. This strategy is mostly employed in the highly priced product like vehicles and also may require an intermediary (Borden, Neil,2013).. Selective distribution; here a small number of outlet, especially retailers, are chosen for product distribution. If Creative Technology adopts a selective or exclusive strategy, they should choose an intermediary who is well versed with handling these or similar product and is well know by the target consumers.       Planning assumptions Projected cost and sales Financial tracking is a very vital part of any given business plan. In this financial tracking, one should be careful to note that the programme cost not only refers to the cost of the project but also the cost involved in administering this programme itself. Any project, for instance the Creative Technology’s project of venturing into the US market should contain the expected cost and the return or the sales expected from the same. In addition it should show clearly where the project’s resources will be obtained to make sure that it will not fail on the way. The projected sales and cost is the culmination of all the previous section of the business plan as each section will always impact on the cost and sales hence affecting the whole project finance. For it to create accountability, it should show clearly the firm organization structure so that it may indicate who is responsible for what, who will be making decisions regarding productions, legal compliance and financial management. Sensitivity analysis This is a tool which can be used by firms to examine their effects on the net income whe sales levels increase or decrease. These changes against which the sensitivity analysis is done are the unexpected event or the contingencies I outlined in the contingency planning. This analysis will usually centre its process on the ‘what if question’. Mostly these questions are as the following; what would be the firm’s income if it has a sales forecast of 12%, 16% or 34% higher? Also what can be my firm’s net income is the firms forecast a 12%, 16% or 34% lower than the expected (Helton etaal, 2009). Contingency plan Contingencies are events which are not expected or not expected in the firm business plan. So the company must develop a contingency mitigating strategies or plans in order to be prepared for these unexpected outcomes. This is because these events do not arise from time to time and so they must be ready with these plans in case they occur. These plans entail preparing for crises and for unwelcome outcomes in case they occur (British Standards Institution, 2012). This will ensure that the firm will easily recover these unexpected events. It will also ensure that these impacts are minimized. When drawing a contingency plan, the first step is recognizing its need, and then indentifying all the possible scenarios. After this they must know what the consequences of these crises will be. Then assess the degree which might be caused by these eventualities. After they have done all this then the final step is to choose a risk strategy to employ so that they can mitigate these crisis and lastly do a crisis simulation which is testing their plan. (British Standards Institution, 2012) The firm management should also consider the ‘what if’ question where they prepare scenarios which could arise in the business operations. Some of these questions could include: what if the competitors produce a very powerful product with much favorable features in the eyes of the consumers of the target market? What if the firm does not meet its expectations? What if their competitors employ advanced advertisement strategies than the firm? Etc References Baker, Michael The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit 2008. p. Homburg, Christian; Sabine Kuester, Harley Krohmer (2009): Marketing Management – A Contemporary Perspective (1st ed.), London. Marketing basics Marketing strategy based on market needs, targets and goals. Aaker, David (2008) Strategic Market Management Baker, Michael The Strategic Marketing Plan Audit 2008 p. 27 Shaw, E. (2012). â€Å"Marketing strategy: From the origin of the concept to the development of a conceptual framework.† Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, 4(1), 30–55. Pinson, Linda. (2004). Anatomy of a Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Business and Securing Your Company’s Future (6th Edition). Page 20. Dearborn Trade: Chicago, USA. A. Simon, Rational decision making in business organisations, ‘American Economic Review’ Borden, Neil. (2013)â€Å"The Concept of the Marketing Mix†. Brian Solis(2011) Engage!: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp.201-202. Koichi Shimizu (2003)†Symbiotic Marketing Strategy,†4th edition, Souseisha Book Company. Intrieri, Charles (10 September 2013).  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Business Contingency Planning†. Flevy. Retrieved 29 September 2013. British Standards Institution (2012). Societal security – Business contigency management Systems – Requirements: London Saltelli, A., Ratto, M., Andres, T., Campolongo, F., Cariboni, J., Gatelli, D. Saisana, M., and Tarantola, S., 2008,  Global Sensitivity Analysis. The Primer, John Wiley & Sons. Campolongo, F., J. Cariboni, and A. Saltelli (2008). An effective screening design for sensitivity analysis of large models.  Environmental Modelling and Software,  22, 1509–1518. Fassà ², Alessandro ()  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sensitivity Analysis for Environmental Models and Monitoring Networks†. Preprint J.C. Helton, J.D. Johnson, C.J. Salaberry, and C.B. Storlie, 2009, Survey of sampling based methods for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.  Reliability Engineering and System Safety

Dan Marino Essays - Dan Marino, Pro Football Hall Of Fame Inductees

Dan Marino Essays - Dan Marino, Pro Football Hall Of Fame Inductees Dan Marino Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins has had a very successful career on and off of the foot ball field. Dan Marino has led a very interesting life throughout his existence on this planet. Whether it is playing football to appearing in commercials or movies to leading a normal everyday life with his family. Dan Marino has grown to being a role model foe millions and millions of children and adults to look up to. Dan Marino has had a very successful career that has had its ups and downs, but he still manages to be a good all around guy and more importantly a good sport. Dan Marino was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and he lived with his parents and two younger sisters. Dan came from the same area as Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, and Joe Namath. As a child Dan and his friends were always playing either football or baseball. In both of the two sports, Dan's father had coached. He was the one who had taught Dan how to hold the ball next to his ear and throw without winding up. Dan's father played a huge role in his life, he taught Dan to try hard and have fun while playing whatever sport he chose. In elementary school Dan thought too much about becoming a professional athlete and not enough about his schoolwork. As a child Dan wanted to go to Central Catholic High School because it had great sports teams. But because eof Dan's poor performance in the classroom, he had been warned by a teacher that if he continued to produce bad grades that he would not be able to get into Central Catholic High School. So Dan's father sat him down and had a talk with him about the fact that if he didn?t start doing well in school that he would have no choice but to take him off of all athletic activities. This little talk that Dan and his father had was more importantly a wake up call that had inspired to do better in school and stay on his sporting teams. When it became time for Dan to take the test to determine if he would get into Central Catholic High School, he was completely ready and passed the test barely but he still managed to get in which was a big accomplishment. While Dan was atten ding Central Catholic High School he managed to become outstanding scholastic athlete in the city as a junior, and was All-American at the quarterbacking position. In High School Dan was excelling in athletics. While playing baseball Dan batted well over .400 . After graduating high school, Dan was drafted in the seventh round by the Kansas City Royals but Dan did not have his eyes set on turning pro yet, well at least not as a baseball player. Dan wanted to attend college and try to fulfill his career as a football player at the University of Pittsburgh. Dan had several colleges such as Michigan State, Clemson, UCLA, and ArizoDan Marino of the Miami Dolphins has had a very successful career on and off of the foot ball field. Dan Marino has led a very interesting life throughout his existence on this planet. Whether it is playing football to appearing in commercials or movies to leading a normal everyday life with his family. Dan Marino has grown to being a role model foe millions and millions of children and adults to look up to. Dan Marino has had a very successful career that has had its ups and downs, but he still manages to be a good all a round guy and more importantly a good sport. Dan Marino was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and he lived with his parents and two younger sisters. Dan came from the same area as Joe Montana, Jim Kelly, and Joe Namath. As a child Dan and his friends were always playing either football or baseball. In both of the two sports, Dan's father had coached. He was the one who had taught Dan how to hold the ball next to his ear and throw without winding up. Dan's father played a huge role in his life, he taught Dan to try hard

Content Marketing For Highly Regulated Industries

Content Marketing For Highly Regulated Industries Say you work for an ad agency and one of your clients is an e-retailer that sells over 30,000 products. It should be a dream come true for a content marketer, right? With 30,000 options, you have a nearly endless supply of features and benefits, challenges and solutions, lifestyles and demographics to target. A Must Read: The Content Marketing Guide For Highly Regulated Industries via @Now, let’s pretend that for all of those 30,000 products, you can’t actually tell anyone what they’re good for. Instead, all you can do is list out the ingredients and cross your fingers that your customers can figure it out for themselves.   This is the reality the nutraceutical industry lives in, the world of content marketing in a highly regulated industry. And they aren’t alone.    There are several industries you may end up working with that face tough challenges when it comes to how they can market their products to consumers: Alcohol Spirits â€Å"Digital marketing communications should be placed only in media where at least 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be of the legal purchase age,† according to discus.org, the national trade association for distilled spirits in the US. So†¦ beware not only what you say, but where you say it. Healthcare providers Prior to â€Å"Bates v. State Bar of Arizona† in 1977, hospitals and healthcare providers essentially didn’t do any marketing at all. Now that they do, they â€Å"risk their reputation, their license and their livelihood if their marketing efforts run afoul of the maze of local, state or federal laws and regulations.† healthcaresuccess.com Pharmaceutical companies There are so many potential pitfalls here that â€Å"Every major company †¦ has either settled recent government cases, under the False Claims Act, †¦ or is currently under investigation for possible health care fraud,† according to the Wikipedia entry on pharmaceutical marketing The marketing rules and guidelines will vary industry to industry. But when you’re limited in what you can say, where you can say it and to whom you can say it, the driving question is the same for all What’s A Product Without Benefits? â€Å"One of the most repeated rules of writing compelling copy is to stress benefits, not features,† writes Brian Clark of Copyblogger. â€Å"In other words, identify the underlying benefit that each feature of a product or service provides to the prospect, because that’s what will prompt the purchase. This is one rule that always applies, except when it doesn’t.† One of the most repeated rules of writing compelling copy is to stress benefits, not features.   This is one rule that always applies,  except when it doesn’t. – Brian Clark of Copyblogger Our friends at the nutracuetical company fall into that â€Å"except when it doesn’t† category. They know the underlying benefit of taking extra vitamin C is reducing the duration of the common cold, but they can’t say that due to the regulations in place for their industry.   Ad agencies that work with pharmaceutical companies face a similar content challenge. They get to promote their products’ benefits, but they’re also required to rattle off all the potential side-effects (which often exceed the list of benefits). It’s that whole truth in advertising thing. If you’re a distiller of fine spirits, the â€Å"What’s a product without benefits?† question directly applies, as the implied benefit of pouring a glass of Scotch is to take the edge off, relax and alter your mood. At their core, these are implied health claims, which are off limits. And in most cases, the standard closing of â€Å"always drink responsibly† seems to directly compete with the fun-loving message from the rest of the ad.   So with all these rules and roadblocks, what should content marketers do in a heavily regulated industry? Well†¦ you must get creative. And study up. 3 Content Marketing Tips For Highly Regulated Industries

Have vs Having in Certain Expressions

Have vs Having in Certain Expressions Have vs Having in Certain Expressions Have vs Having in Certain Expressions By Maeve Maddox Paul Russell poses an interesting question about the use of have and having. He points out the common ESL error of saying I am having a headache and asks: Why can I say Im having my lunch but not Im having a headache? Some explanations Ive read indicate its all to do with possession. Â  But every time I think I have it figured, I have to wonder why I must say I have a cold when I cant say I have a heart attack. Im sure youll be having a good explanation for me:-) Heres the usual rule given to ESL students concerning the use of have to show possession or to describe medical conditions: Have should always be in the simple present tense for the meaning to own, or to describe medical problems. For example: They have a new car. I have a bad cold. It is incorrect to say I am having a cold or I am having a new car. Im having a heart attack does seem to contradict this rule. I think that the difference between I have a headache and Im having a heart attack may have more to do with duration than with either a medical condition or possession. One can have a heart condition, but a heart attack is a singular event, usually over in a few seconds or minutes. One may say I hope I wont have a heart attack, but in the event that one has oneand is capable of telling someoneam having is the only possibility. A headache is generally of longer duration than a heart attack. It may last an hour, several hours, or days. The same applies to a cold. Both are events of indeterminate duration. You have them for a while. If youre seated at a table having your lunch, youre engaged in an activity with a predictable end. Youll stop having lunch when youve finished eating. Thats my theory, anyway. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" 36 Poetry Terms10 Terms for the Common People

Critical Evaluation of the Accenture on the Innovation Death Spiral Article

Critical Evaluation of the Accenture on the Innovation Death Spiral - Article Example Market evaluation at IBM limited may involve looking critically into the business environment to identify the needs and wants of the customers and come up with proper ways to meet the identified needs. It may further involve empowering employees through various methods such as providing them with train programs. Innovation may also be tracked by identifying whether the company is able to provide its employees with the necessary motivation to ensure the necessary job gets done as intended (Bessant and Tidd, 2013). Innovation at IBM limited may also be tracked via identifying the ability of the company to establish proper networks with customers, suppliers and all stakeholders. This means that for IBM limited to be successful it must be in opposition to establish clear communication networks. The networks may help to collect information regarding the market demand and look forward to how the identified needs could be met in a more effective and efficient manner. Finally, innovation may be tracked via the continuous search for the necessary advice that may help to keep the IBM limited from moving forward. This means that strong leadership may be required to lead others towards channeling their efforts toward realizing organization goals and objectives (Adair, 2009). The three most important approaches may be used to prevent IBM limited from moving towards the death spiral such approaches include; breakthrough, platform, and incremental innovations. Breakthrough innovation approach may be suitable for IBM limited given that it is a large organization that has large capital investments. This approach has been proved to be successful at Apple Company on it’s I pad brand. The second type of innovative approach that may be applied by IBM Limited may involve platform innovation.  

Supply Chain Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supply Chain Management - Research Paper Example In this regard, this involves the processes of demand management and production management. Based on the foregoing, this expose elucidates on the link between both demand management and product planning with logistics planning. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"The increasing complexity of product offerings and marketing tactics in conjunction with shorter product life cycles requires increased accuracy, flexibility, and consistency in determining inventory requirements† (p. 134). In effect, a firm should seek to ensure that their management of the supply chain was accurate, consistent, and allowed flexibility along the supply chain. This effectively inks demand management and logistics management since â€Å"demand management systems seek to provide such capabilities† in two different ways (Bowersox, Closs, & Cooper, 200_, p. 134). First, Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Demand management develops the forecast that drives anticipatory supp ly chain processes† (p. 134). In effect, a firm will determine the amount of goods to produce and its requirements in terms of stock based on a firm’s projections. Secondly, Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Demand management process focuses on creating forecast consistency across multiple products and warehouse facilities† (p. 135). ... m should balance between the capability of its resources, including human resources, and the manufacturing stock while identifying the optimum point, which is the ideal point of production. In order to achieve the optimum point of production and supply goods to customers, firms must practice effective approaches to production planning. Consequently, the need to forecast and identify the optimum point in production links product management to logistics planning. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) support this argument and noted, â€Å"Production planning uses the statement of requirements obtained from demand management in conjunction with manufacturing resources and constraints to develop a workable manufacturing plan† (p. 135). In this case, a firm forecasts using this statement to identify the items required and the time when required by consumers, which enables the firm to manage its resources effectively to produce the desired goods. One of the elements in logistics planni ng involves a firm’s responsiveness to their customer’s needs. In this case, a firm should always make a product available to their customers when required. In effect, a firm’s production planning should be effective to ensure that its products were always available to their customers. Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper (200_) noted, â€Å"Production planning identifies the items that should be produced in anticipation of the need to remain within production constraints and yet minimize inventor† (p. 135). For this reason, production planning plays an integral role in logistics planning. In conclusion, effective logistics planning should involve accuracy and consistency in the forecasting of the required products by consumers, which is demand planning. In addition, demand planning will enable a firm

Does language shape the way we think Evaluate theoretical and Essay

Does language shape the way we think Evaluate theoretical and empirical evidence - Essay Example Thus, there is less of human thinking in instances where language does not play a role (p.16). This essay will attempt to explain if languages shape how we think and if so, the degree to which it does. There are more than five thousand languages globally, and some from the same family that varies, for example, British English and American English, which have the some similar words but different pronunciations or meanings (Law 1993: 38). Different people in various geographical areas speak different languages each of which diverse syllables and structure have. This could mean that people who speak different languages or people who come from different cultures may think differently due to the result of their language. To further explain this point, (Cooper & Fishman, 1991:34) gives an example of how the word â€Å"really† is used differently in the British and North American English. In the British English â€Å"really† is used to encourage someone to keep elaborating, wh ile, in the North American, it is used to questioning the validity of what is being said. This difference in thinking is brought about by the difference in culture. The principle of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that the structure of our language outlines the structure of our thought processes. Language affects the manner we remember things and the manner in which we view the  globe  (Harley, 2013:90). ... However, the drum was full of petrol vapor, which led to an explosive outcome (p. 91). Since the 1930s, American Linguistics Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf researched on how languages differ; and proposed ways that speakers of different languages may reason differently. According to the Sapir- Whorf hypothesis, language differences produce cognitive differences. This illustrates the relationship between language and thought. The Sapir-Whorf theory lays out the linguistic determinism versus linguistic relativity. Linguistic determinism is sometimes described as strong Sapir Whorf hypothesis. It goes by the notion that a language and its structures may affect how one thinks and the knowledge possessed. This does not deter much from the Linguistic relativism theory that states that a language influences how an individual can theorize his or her world. Whorf et al., 2012: 45). The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is made up of both linguistic relativism and linguistic determinism. Determinism can be divided into two; strong and weak determinism. Strong determinism directly states that what is heard is directly what is thought. For instance, language determines thought. Weak determinism agrees that language does influence the way we think and our view of the real world, but it does not fully determine or constraint it. This means that the language influences thought to some extent. When languages differ largely, thoughts also tend to be different, for example, Mandarin and English, speakers think in very different ways. In 1940’s a linguist, Benjamin Lee Whorf studied Hopi which is a Native American language spoken in northeastern Arizona. Based on his studies Hopi and other English speakers perceived the world differently because of

Extended definitions of love Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extended definitions of love - Essay Example In most cultures all over the world, love is seen to be first and foremost directed to one’s family. The family is considered the primary unit of society where every individual starts to be exposed to life’s experiences. Love in the family begins with love between spouses as husbands and wives decide to leave their respective nuclear families to unite and form a new one. As parents, they accord love and unrelentless support to the children. Mothers are revealed to express unconditional love to their offsprings. Fathers provide financial, physical and emotional support. Children return the love by just being there to provide happiness and assistance, as needed.   The power of love that surrounds family members transcends barriers of time, space and location and is therefore considered universal and continually existing and persisting since time immemorial up to today.  Love for a divine and Supreme Being reigns differently according to cultural orientation. The relig ious beliefs, traditions, values and practices encompass teachings of love and equal treatment for the lives and existence of others. In the Catholic religion, for instance, love for God is taught within the first four commandments, which were summed as: â€Å"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (All About Truth, par. 15). It comes before oneself, one’s family, and above all else. Regular attendance to masses and observing the sacraments attest to the love.... Love for God is manifested through following the commandments and teachings. Learning more about God is initially introduced by parents and slowly reinforced through subjects of religion and Christian values from primary education until the secondary level. Regular attendance to masses and observing the sacraments attest to the love and devotion expected of disciples to the Catholic faith. Love for Neighbors Concurrent with teachings of the faith and one the commandments of God are to love one’s neighbor as oneself. It is manifested as the Golden Rule (Teaching Values, 2009) or the ethics of reciprocity. Loving one’s neighbors require respect for human rights and their purpose for existence. However, a more admirable love for neighbors is exemplified by people such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta who showed love, compassion and offered her life and service to those in need. Her Missionaries of Charity was an organization created to â€Å"to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI† (The Nobel Foundation, par. 2). This love entails self-sacrifice and putting the needs of others above oneself. Mother Teresa was determined to seek for assistance in terms of providing for the physiological (food, clothing, shelter, medicines, health care) and spiritual love for the needy. Love of this kind is exemplary and challenging as one finds the means and ways beyond one’s capabilities to ensure that the needs of others, deemed to be more relevant, are taken cared of. Love of this nature sometimes defies explanation but is rooted from the Divine love for God – unselfish, unconditional love directed to others

Welcome Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Welcome Letter - Essay Example The most interesting part is the business proposal; you will ultimately have 3 topics to choose. My advice would be to pick the one you are interested in the most and work hard towards a finished product. Trust me, you will learn a lot in the business report. After spring break, our class started to work on the proposal. Accordingly, each week we were assigned to write a part of the report. Don’t be upset if you have a bad grade after professor graded your first submission. You have a chance here to revise and the professor will leave useful feedback in I learned. Please follow the comments to redo your work and you could drastically improve your grade. For example, I did very poorly in my first submission, so I rewrote my approach following the feedback I had received; as such, the revision was much better than the first one and it gave me great encouragement. Also, checking your grammar and proofreading your work will make a huge difference. When working on your own proposal you should first carefully read the prompts and make sure you understand the instructions before starting to write. Second, always ask yourself if the sources you are using are the right ones and whether or not there is any alternative way to view the issues at hand. Lastly, check the grammar and proofread your work carefully. Although some of my work got a high grade, I often time needed to improve my grammar and proofreading; so there was still a lot of work. From the writing portion of this course, I think I have learned a lot.

Influences on Providers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Influences on Providers - Assignment Example Healthcare expenditure is covered by several sources of funding including out-of-pocket payments where individuals pay for services through deductibles and copayments (Musgrave, 2006). Another source is the private health insurance coverage like the point-of-service plans (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations plans (HMOs). The US government expenditure on healthcare is incurred through government health plans like Medicare, Medicaid, Military Health system and Children’s health insurance program (CHIP) (Kronenfeld, 2002). Unemployment rate in the US has increased over the recent past. Unemployed individuals increase the financial costs of the health care providers since they may not be able to pay the deductibles and copayments. The high unemployment rate will increase the federal spending on Medicaid health care program (Sultz & Young, 2011). Increase in employment will lead to more employer financed healthcare insurance thus reducing the costs of government sponsored programs. Employees are more willing to purchase healthcare insurance once they are offered benefits like income tax allowances by the employee (Sultz & Young, 2011). About 46.3 million citizens representing 15.4 percent of total population have no insurance coverage. The number of uninsured citizens has been increasing due to lack of employment and ineligibility in government sponsored health care schemes (Sultz & Young, 2011). When the uninsured are unable to pay for the full medical costs, such costs are added to the provider’s costs. The increase in healthcare insurance will lead to early detection of the medical conditions thus a reduction in the overall medical costs incurred by the healthcare providers will be possible (Musgrave, 2006). The US economic downturn has increased the overall unemployment rate in the economy. The recent economic meltdown and financial crisis have led to

Welcome Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Welcome Letter - Essay Example The most interesting part is the business proposal; you will ultimately have 3 topics to choose. My advice would be to pick the one you are interested in the most and work hard towards a finished product. Trust me, you will learn a lot in the business report. After spring break, our class started to work on the proposal. Accordingly, each week we were assigned to write a part of the report. Don’t be upset if you have a bad grade after professor graded your first submission. You have a chance here to revise and the professor will leave useful feedback in I learned. Please follow the comments to redo your work and you could drastically improve your grade. For example, I did very poorly in my first submission, so I rewrote my approach following the feedback I had received; as such, the revision was much better than the first one and it gave me great encouragement. Also, checking your grammar and proofreading your work will make a huge difference. When working on your own proposal you should first carefully read the prompts and make sure you understand the instructions before starting to write. Second, always ask yourself if the sources you are using are the right ones and whether or not there is any alternative way to view the issues at hand. Lastly, check the grammar and proofread your work carefully. Although some of my work got a high grade, I often time needed to improve my grammar and proofreading; so there was still a lot of work. From the writing portion of this course, I think I have learned a lot.

Pharmacy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmacy - Personal Statement Example Initially, I was intrigued and perplexed of how drugs could make a person lose his or her life; after all, I was regularly given medicine to remedy occasional flu and fever. Nevertheless, with time, I have come to understand why I was taking a spoonful of medicine rather than a whole bottle and why taking an overdose is lethal. As I proceeded to secondary school, the science subjects helped me to gain knowledge on the uses and benefits of medicine, and why medicines should be utilized safely and efficiently. Fortunately, such cases of a drug overdose are rare and accidental as most people use medication as a straightforward remedy to their illnesses. Other patients with complicated illnesses are required to take a â€Å"cocktail of medications† and will have to battle the side effects, expenses, and risks of non-adherence. This is what brings the art and science of pharmacy into life as one has to motivate the patients to continue with medication and collaborate with health care providers so as find the suitable course of treatment in managing the disease devoid of compromising their quality of life (Galiano 2001, p.38). Between 2008 and 2012, I served in the librarian board, while, in 2012, I was the head of the digital department. I also actively engaged in other favourable pastimes including sport, whereby I have been a state player for golf between 2010 and 2011 and bowling between 2009 and 2010, besides engaging in extracurricular activities such as undertaking a course in advanced baking (2012) and bread and flour confectionery (2011). In early 2014, I also volunteered programme in Tzu Chi as an assistant to a pharmacist in a community dispensary. The placement aided me to attain vast knowledge on various drugs, their characteristics and classes, functions, and side effects. Most importantly, I gained insights regarding prominent drugs to treat prevalent diseases in the

Track And Field training Essay Example for Free

Track And Field training Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Track and field sport is a contest in running, hurdling, walking, jumping, vaulting, and throwing. The track events (running, hurdling, and walking contests) are held on an oval track. The field events (jumping, vaulting, and throwing contests) are held at various areas nearby. The season begins indoors in winter and extends throughout the summer. A related sport, conducted in the autumn, is cross-country running. A track and field normally includes 10 to 30 of the more than 50 events. Most meets are held outdoors in spring and summer. Some are held in indoor arenas during the winter months. A meet may be for males only, or for females only, or for both sexes (see â€Å"Track and Field†. Grolier encyclopedia of knowledge, pp. 308-311 vol. 18). Men and women do not compete against each other. Most events are contests between individual athletes who represent different teams. Each person earns points for his team if he finishes an event in first, second, or third (and sometimes fourth, fifth, or sixth) place. The team with the highest score wins the meet. In the Olympic Games, however, only individual winners are recognized except in team sports. Moreover, the Track and field, or athletics as it is called in many countries. Track events are conducted over distances measured in metres or, in some American meets, in yards. Older American tracks are 440 yards in circumference, but most built since the late 1970s are 400 metres in circumference. The older tracks can easily be converted to metric distances). An indoor track is usually between 160 and 220 yards (or 150 and 200 meters) in circumstance. A lap is one time around the track (see â€Å"Track and Field†. Grolier encyclopedia of knowledge, pp. 308-311 vol. 18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Running contests include dashes, or sprints (55 to 400 metres; 60 to 440 yards); middle-distance races; and long distance races (3,000 metres or 2 miles or more). Hurdling is a race over hurdles (barriers) that are spaced an equal distance apart on the track. Hurdles vary in height according to the age and sex of the competitors. The steeplechase is a 3,000-metre or 2-mile race over hurdles, hedges, and pools of water. In relay races, four-runner teams compete, each athlete running part of the distance. Walking events are races in which the contestants walk for a distance of 800 metres to 50,000 metres (31 miles) (see â€Å"Track and Field†. Grolier encyclopedia of knowledge, pp. 308-311 vol. 18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intents of this paper are to: (1) know the history of track and field and its rules and scoring; (2) be aware of the current information on track and field training and; (3) figure out the conditioning program/s of track and field training. Background History of track and field   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Track and field is one of the oldest of sports. Athletic contests were often held in conjunction with religious festivals, as with the Olympic games of ancient Greece. For 11 centuries, starting in 776 BC, these affairs— for men only—were enormously popular and prestigious events. The Romans continued the Olympic tradition until the time of the Christian emperor Theodosius, who banned the Games in AD 394. During the middle Ages except for a short-lived revival in 12th-centruy England, organized track and field as a modern sport impetus through their interclass meets, or meetings as they are still called in Britain and in 1849 the Royal Military Academy held the first organized track and field meet of modern times(see â€Å"Track and Field†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. T-341-T-345 vol. 17). Not until the 1860s, however, did the sport flourish. In 1866 the first English championships were held by the newly formed Amateur Athletic Club. The Amateur Athletic Club gave way to the Amateur Athletic Association in 1880, which has conducted the annual national championships since that date. Although meets were held on the North American continent as early as 1839, track and field first gained popularity in the late 1860s, after the formation of the New York Athletic Club in 1868. The Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, an association of track and field clubs, was formed in 1887 and has governed the sport in the United States since then (see â€Å"Track and Field†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. T-341-T-345 vol. 17). Rules and scoring   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All races are started by the firing gun by an official at the starting line. For races up to and including one lap of an outdoor track, the runners must stay for the entire distance lanes marked on the track. There may be six to eight lanes, with each lane usually measuring 1.2 m (4 ft.) in width. The winner in each race is the runner whose torso first breaks the vertical plane of the finish line. Races are timed either by mechanical watches or by more sophisticated, electronic photo-timers that can measure finishes to the hundredth of a second. Sometimes, owing to the number of contestants in a competition, qualifying rounds, or heats, are held to narrow the contestants down to the fastest runners (see â€Å"Track and Field†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. T-341-T-345 vol. 17). Athletes in the field also have qualifying rounds. In the horizontal jumps and throws, athletes are allowed three preliminary attempts in the field numbers more than eight participants. Then the best performers are allowed three more attempts. In the vertical jumps—the high jump and pole vault—the participants are allowed to continue until they have three successive failures. If two or more contestants tie, the competitor with the fewest failures at the last height cleared it’s the winner; if still tied, the total number of failures is the deciding factor; if a tie remains, the total number of jumps is considered. Scoring systems differ according to the meet. Many national competitions are scored on the basis of 10 points for first place, 8 for second, on down to 1 point for sixth. In international meets, the scoring is 5 for first place, 3 for second, 2 for third, and 1 for fourth. The team with the highest total wins. For road races, cross-country meets, and walking competitions, the winner is given 1 point, the second-place finisher 2 points, and so on; the finish positions are totaled, and the team with the lowest score is the winner (see â€Å"Track and Field†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. T-341-T-345 vol. 17). III. Discussion Current information on track and field training   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three vital cycles in a track and field training program and these are the pre-season (happens in September throughout mid November), an indoor season (happens from December through early March, and the outdoor season—later part of March through early June (see â€Å"Track and Field Training†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pre-season normally includes of â€Å"getting into shape† for the upcoming seasons. This program will include of â€Å"weight room, cardiovascular work, sprint mechanics, and core strength for the abdominals, hips and lower back† (see â€Å"Track and Field Training†). The training program must not be severe to keep away from burnout toward the end of the season. In each season, the recovery periods are essential. During the track and field training program, lifting like â€Å"cleans, squats and dead lifts† may be included three times a week. Another exercise that can be included in the training is the arm work like â€Å"bench, military, lat pull, and pull ups† (see â€Å"Track and Field Training†). Moreover, the coach needs to identify that in pre-season conditioning, there are four main areas that require to be enhanced for any track and field athlete. Various exercises are part of the track and field training and if the exercises for a specific body part have been recognized, circuits may be made so that the specific aspect will be managed properly. The circuits need to be timed instead of indicating an exact quantity of exercise in which every athlete is given a chance to work on with his/her own ability and abdomen circuit is of the examples. This circuit is timed by 30 recommended to be â€Å"30 seconds on 30 seconds off for every exercise† (see Hackett, Brad. â€Å"Pre-Season Conditioning).    ØAbdomen Circuit 30 on 30 off  ª Crunches  ª V-Sits  ª Opposite Knee (Chinnies)  ª Double Leg Eagles  ª Toe Touches  ª Leg Toss  ª Back Hypers with a twist  ª Side Ups Conditioning program/s of track and field training.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the general training season, circuit training is significant. If the circuit training for the pre-season conditioning is done earlier, the coach still has the chance to enhance the fitness level of the team without endangering the individual. In general preparation and conditioning, there are things to be followed and these are in place jumps, bounding, box jumps, hurdle hops, abdomen circuit, multi shot throws, general strength circuit, weight room, and track workouts (see Hackett, Brad. â€Å"Pre-Season Conditioning).    Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Track and field, or athletics as it is called in many countries, is the designation given to contests for men and women that involve running, jumping for height and distance, and throwing for distance using implements of standardized design. Competitions in Track and Field are called meets and are usually held outdoors. Track and field training involves conditioning programs that make the athletes more competitive during the season. References â€Å"Track and Field Training†. http://www.athletesacceleration.com/track-and-field-training.html Hackett, Brad. â€Å"Pre-Season Conditioning†. http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_151_A_PageName_E_ArticlePreSeasonConditioning â€Å"Track and Field†. Grolier encyclopedia of knowledge, pp. 308-311 vol. 18 â€Å"Track and Field†. New Standard Encyclopedia, pp. T-341-T-345 vol. 17

Varieties Of English Accents Cockney English English Language Essay

Varieties Of English Accents Cockney English English Language Essay Cockney English is probably the most commonly known variety of English in Modern day times. Cockney English is the type of English that is generally found in many movies so that directors can help the audience to distinguish between the working class and the upper, richer class when watching said movies. Although it is true that Cockney English is generally that which is spoken by the working class, Cockney English has a long and extensive history which most people know little about. The earliest record of the use of the word cockney was found in the book the Vision of William Concerning Piers Plowman By William Langland. The term cockney was first found in Middle English. It was created from two separate words, cocken meaning rooster and eye meaning egg. This then gave us the meaning of a small, deformed egg. The word then later experienced a change in spelling and appears as cockenay. This word as well as evolving and changing the word itself has also taken on new meanings. It now means a homosexual man, a timid person (milksop) or a child who is said to be childish. The idea for this word being used for a homosexual man continued and in 1521, it became a derogatory term for these people as well as for male prostitutes. Finally, in the 1600s, the word had another semantic shift and as far as history can tell, a shift in the way the word was spelt. It is now spelt as we know it to be now, cockney, and it is now used to describe those Londoners who are born in th e vicinity of Bow Bells. Bow Bells are those rang in the historic church of St Mary-le-Bow in London. In this time, it was said that for a person to be considered a true Cockney, they must live within earshot of these Bow Bells. Nowadays, the area in which people with Cockney accents are said to reside has not been clearly outlined by any historians. The belief, as stated in the previous paragraph, is that one must live in the vicinity of the famous Bow Bells. In todays society, it is now believed that the Cockney people are those of the working class and it is therefore believed that people with Cockney accents are the working class of London living in the east End of London. However, due to migration and emigration of people who have Cockney accents, a migration of the Cockney dialect has occurred. In the 18th century, the area in which people had Cockney accents was limited, but due to this Migration and emigration, the accent and its dialect has spread across not only London, but through other countries as well. Within a short amount of time during the 18th century, areas in London which had other dialect influences such as Kentish were taken over by this Celtic dialect. In todays society however, areas which were highly associated with Cockney English are slowly declining in their use of the dialect and the Cockney accent is slowly dying out due to the preference of the proper English dialect due to its higher level of classiness. Nevertheless, many of the idioms associated with Cockney such as the famous glottal stops and double negatives are still commonly used in todays society. People with Cockney accents are very distinct from those who have the more popular, general English accent. The Cockney accent itself also has very distinct features such as rhyming slang and the use of the double negative. Although it is believed that many of the word in Cockney accent were made up by the people with said accent, many of their words, like other languages, were borrowed from other languages including Yiddish, a dialect of High German. Words that were borrowed from Yiddish for example were Kosher meaning legitimate and Stumm meaning quiet. These words, although seeming meaningless, were an important part of the Cockney Dialect. Some of the more well known features of the Cockney accent are; the dropping of the letter R e.g. if a person is a sinner, if a person had a Cockney accent, they would be a sinna. Cockney English also includes the famous Glottal stop. This means that the consonant is stopped quickly and the speaker then moves straight to the vowel e.g. this can be found in the word uh-oh which people use in everyday life. The speaker cuts of the h consonant and move directly onto the o vowel. Another common feature of Cockney English is the changing of the th syllable to an F e.g. the word beneath becomes beneaf due to the changing of the th syllable. Another famous stylistic marker of Cockney English is the dropping of the consonant H. One of the more famous examples of this is in the musical My Fair lady when Eliza Doolittle calls Henry Higgins Enry Iggins due to her Cockney accent. An example of Cockney English that people still use today is the double negative e.g. I dont got no pens. The use of the words dont and no are both negative and therefore cancel themselves out. In the years of Shakespeare, the double negative was used in his performances for humour but in the Cockney accent, it was used unintentionally. People with Cockney accents were considered to be those of the working class and therefore had very little education. They used the double negative not knowing what they were doing. Nowadays, the double negative is considered to be a mistake. Rhyming slang, another feature of Cockney English is still known in todays society but not as well as it once was. Rhyming slang such as Dear Horse, Tomato Sauce is an example of rhyming slang. This idea of rhyming slang is slowly dying out of society and eventually will probably not be known at all. As time went on and the word Cockney experienced its final known semantic shift, the accent of Cockney was looked down upon by many people as it was believed to be the accent of the working class and therefore it was seen to be inferior to that of the proper, upper class accent. Cockney English was that which was spoken by the working class and homeless due to their lack of education. Nowadays, the Cockney accent as such is not longer looked down upon by people. It is now believed to be an important part of British culture. This was shown in a survey conducted on 2000 British people by Coolbrand in autumn of 2008. The Cockney accent was voted the equal fourth coolest accent, with 20% of the total votes. This shows that although people prefer the accent of the Queen, that of the upper class, people no longer believe that Cockney is an accent that should be looked down upon and therefore the Cockney accent should continue to live throughout society for many years to come.

Can virtue be taught? Essay -- essays research papers

lthough today's society includes much technology and new things are supposedly being discovered every day, many age old questions still remain unanswered; questions such as: "Can virtue be taught?" This question is examined in detail throughout Plato's Meno, and although the play leaves the question as to what virtue is unanswered, Socrates attempts an answer to Meno's question. Although he is not particularly keen on answering whether virtue can be taught without first having a complete understanding of what virtue is, he attempts to please Meno by solving this in the way that geometers conduct their investigations, through a hypothesis. Socrates states that if indeed virtue can be taught then one thing will happen, and if it cannot a different thing will happen. In the end of the play, the conclusion is reached that virtue is a gift from the gods. Now the question must be asked: how was this conclusion reached in relationship to Socrates' previous hypothesis? It is thought by Meno that men cannot be taught anything but knowledge, therefore, virtue must be a kind of knowledge in order to be taught. This corresponds with the hypothesis because the conclusion can be reached that, if virtue is knowledge then it can be taught, but if it is not knowledge then it is impossible to teach. However, this leads to a new question that must be answered before a conclusion can be reached: is virtue knowledge? It is later stated that, if knowledge includes all aspects of realit...

The Main Theme of “On Liberty”

The main theme of on liberty was the individual. Everything else, society, education,government and so forth had their basis in the individuals rights to his own liberty. Noone, no member of society, government, even God, if he appeared before an individual, could inforce his will upon him. That is not to say that you couldnt change someones mind through discussions, but instead, that noone had a right to force his views upon another. Your happiness is yours(individual) to enjoy without any infringements. Conversations between individuals or groups of individuals is essential in eveloping the notion of liberty. Mill claims that you should feel free to convey your views openly without forcing them onto others. After all, a man who learns from noone but himself has a fool for a teacher. There is however an exception to this rule. That is, if an individual in any way harms or comes onto anothers rights to liberty, or causes a social threat, hence he or she is subjected to forced inclinations by other members of society. For example, walking around nude on the streets of Cairo might be youre cup of tea, alas, in Cairo they prefer coffee. In other words, if ou offend other individuals, you are in fact infringing on their rights as free citizens who poses a sovereign mind. However if you choose to remain nude while in the comfort of your hotel room in Cairo, then there is no reason why you According to Mill, education is a fundamental requirement for being an individual as well. But once again, there should be no forceful applications towards what is being taught. Man is after all, a rational being and has the capabilities to reason things through. Education serves more as a guide then as a factual basis for each individual. No wo individuals can have the exact same experiences in life. Therefore, it is up to the individuals themselves to conclude what they perceive to be their own ideas of happiness. An individual who follows traditions and customs soleley because they are inherrent in society, is nothing more than an animal. The very fact that you can reason said mill, means that you have the option of disregarding all customs and traditions if you feel they are not beneficial towards your happiness. That is not to say that you shouldnt follow customs and traditions, merely that you ought not to, for the sake of eing just another brick in the wall. The progressive nature of humans leads to the ultimate conclusion that there is no need for a governing force outside society consisting of individuals that have their own interests at heart. There should not be a government, a monarch, a ruler that is outside society. Instead, it should be attached to the people, having their best interests at heart. Rulers are not needed to protect the people from themselves. In fact, they should be in all regards, responsible to the people and subjected to being removed by he people, beacause it is the people who ultimately have the power. This is a true democratic state, with individuals as the microscopic entities that make it up. Members of this society must not allow themselves to be surpressed by any group who claim to be their legitimate representative of the state. This will subdue individual growth and sovereignity, creating a state with tyranny at its heart. TO avoid this, individuals should freely express themselves, their beliefs, ideas and so forth. No government has the authority to silence individuals who convey their eliefs as the truth. Even if there are a thousand people with a thousand different views, it is for the benefit of society as a whole to hear them out, for there is a chance that among the various beliefs, one of them may contain the essence of truth. Noone has the right to silence another merely because they express conflicting views. Members of society must be able to keep an open mind towards other individuals â€Å"truths†. Reason and logic will see to it that they are capable of readjusting and reconstructing themselves if they find that there is truth in what another individual ays. This is exactly why individuals and society are The only way a state can progress is by allowing its members to progress. Supression of individual rights and happiness will lead to nothing more than stagnation. Governments are the watchdogs of the people, granting them liberty to expand without inteferences. Mill undoubtedly believed in laissez-fairre for the very reason that it promoted individuality with minimum government intervention. All said, Mills on liberty held the individual as the nucleus of society, with everything else revolving.

Examine the Reasons for Domestic Violence in Society

Examine the patterns of and reasons for domestic violence in society (24 marks) Domestic violence is defined as physical, sexual or financial violence taking place within an intimate or family type relationship and forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. There are many patterns and reasons for domestic violence which each sociologist has a different view upon. Domestic violence affects certain people more than others as they are more vulnerable or stress is caused.These people include children, people living in rented accommodation, lower social classes or people with a family member who has a problem with drinking or illegal drugs. Richard Williamson sees domestic violence as a result of stress caused by these factors. Homes with overcrowding or worries about money tend to be more affected from domestic violence because it causes stress and arguments between family members and also reduces the social support a family needs.Dobash & Dobash’s research in Scotland based on police and court records and interviews with women reveal many patterns of domestic violence in society. They found that nearly 1 in 4 women have been assaulted but a partner and 1 in 5 it was repeatedly; they also found that most victims are women and 99% of the incidents are committed by men. These patterns are not biased as the research was carried out by a member of each sex; however this data is not accurate as it is found from Scottish police and court records and not all domestic violence cases are reported to the police.The Feminist view of domestic violence is that families shouldn’t be patriarchal where the male is dominant because it leads to wives being abused. Kate Millett and Shulamith Firestone argue that all societies have been founded on patriarchy and see the division between men and women in society as a division where men are the exploiters of women. Although they see marriage and family as key institutions they say that they are the main source of women’s oppression and that married men dominate their wives through domestic violence. However, Faith Robertson Elliot opposes this by aying not all men are aggressive and oppose domestic violence; it is also proved from Mirrlees Black that 1 in 7 men have been assaulted and 1 in 20 repeatedly. Feminists ignore the abuse and violence from women as they believe that the reason for domestic violence in families is due to the husband wanting to maintain his dominant status. The New Rights view is the total opposite of the Feminists and believes that the ‘Nanny state’ is too much and the government should let families get on with their own lives instead of paying them money when they don’t have enough.When people don’t adopt the ‘Nanny state’ it can lead to domestic violence as it causes stress through money problems in the family and doesn’t let the wife get away from domestic violence as she’ll have no financial support. However the New Right like this as the nuclear family can’t be separated due to the lack of money the wife would have if they did therefore maintaining the male dominance. The Marxist view on domestic violence is very similar to the New Right as they believe that wives rely on their husbands being a unit of consumption.Marxists believe that domestic violence is acceptable as husbands need to take out their frustration on their wives when they get home from work. They feel that husbands need to do this so that they are relaxed for the next day to perform their role of the ‘bread winner’. Therefore, although domestic violence is bad Marxists believe that both sexes rely on each other for either financial support or a stress reliever so domestic violence is essential in a Marxist society.

Science Fiction and Empire on Environmentalism

One of the main aspects of science fiction that sets it apart of almost all other genres is its ability to influence the direction of humankind. By stimulating a reader’s thoughts of the possibility of different futures, not only does science fiction serve as a popular source of entertainment, but it also encourages one to analyze the possible prospective effects of the generation’s powerholders’ and their decisions.As a science fiction writer himself, Isaac Asimov once said, â€Å"Intelligent science fiction writers attempt to look at world trends in science and technology for plot inspiration and, in doing so, they sometimes get a glimpse of things that later turn out to be near the truth† (Asimov, page 79). Through the use of empires as the powerhouses of society, SF books like War of the Worlds and Foundation dig deep into the question of what would happen if societies continued to allow the progression of destructive and commercial technologies.Frank Herbert’s, Dune, also questions the future of the universe while shining a spotlight on the clash between humanity and the environment. By providing a glimpse of the future as a product of current technological change, science fiction helps an audience examine which way they want to shape the progression of human kind, and therefore provides a unique service to the world. Since the beginning of time, the purpose of technology has been to enable one to do something that otherwise would be impossible.Technology is an incredibly powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility. Serving as a symbol of power, positive technological development will generally distinguish a good empire from an evil one, in both the real world and the world of science fiction. In the novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, a Martian invasion leaves a previously invincible British Empire in ruins. The aliens violently expressive a total disregard for human life and the environment of earth. Weapons, called Heat-Rays are used against the humans and completely destroy everything in their way.These laser guns were a good prediction of future military technologies, resembling those of mass destruction known today. The book’s use of mass destruction of both the human race and the environment draws attention to our own planet’s possible future if nuclear weapons were ever to be placed in the hands of enemies with merciless hostility. Perhaps one of the most famous SF writers of all time, Isaac Asimov has also expressed his distaste for destructive technologies. â€Å"The Earth faces environmental problems right now that threaten the imminent destruction of civilization and the end of the planet as a livable world.Humanity cannot afford to waste its financial and emotional resources on endless, meaningless quarrels between each group and all others. There must be a sense of globalism in which the world unites to solve the real problems that face all gro ups alike† (Asimov, page 5). However, his book, Foundation, serves as an interesting contrast to the imperialistic warfare from The War of the Worlds. Focusing on a trend that the ideal progression of civilization may one day reach, this book introduces a pacifistic society in which violence is considered the last refuge of the incompetent.However, the environments depicted in Foundation are inconsistent with Herbert’s conception that a peaceful universe will also be rich in ecology. Given that violence was spoken as a thing of the past, and taking into consideration the environment of planets like Trantor consisted of civilization under a steel dome, this may further imply that violence and mass destruction have already taken their toll on universe of that time. This may suggest that total destruction of nature, by evil technologies, was what finally convinced humanity to become a pacifistic universe.Asimov’s use of ecology as a sacrifice made in order for peace among mankind questions if future pacifism will be possible before the misuse of technology annihilates Mother Nature forever. Conserving the environment seems to be a popular theme in SF, especially after the publication of Dune in 1965. This book depicts a future universe where even though a nuclear holocaust of the human race is not an issue, other powerhouses’ affairs continue to dominate in priority over the environment of planets. Dune encompasses an interesting parallel that would almost exactly predict current issues.Global wide controversy that major industrial accidents have significantly negative impacts on global environmental degradation is one of the main concerns among environmentalists today. These risks include human induced climate change, ozone depletion, and the loss of biodiversity, and if remain ignored will lead to the inhabitability of earth. Dune’s harsh desert environment may not have been a result of human interference with nature, but the f ailure to proliferate a lush green ecosystem, because of an empire’s concern of profit off the spice trade, does express concerns of global industrialization.This planet, originally known as Arrakis, is described as the empire’s wasteland, while at the same time being the most valuable planet in the universe. This inverse relationship between commercial gain and ecological richness advocates a need for major change in the distribution of power in a globally economy, especially aiming to put a halt to exploitation of earth’s natural resources by industrial power-head’s. Dune ultimately criticizes commercial empires for valuing profit over concerns for ecology, and above all pressures for change that will benefit the common good of humanity. What distinguishes us human beings from all the less advanced forms of life on earth is that, having at last become conscious of the challenge of survival, we have consciously undertaken to shape our own future. This re quires us to look ahead, even beyond the span of any single generation† (4). This quote, published by the Council of Foreign Relations in a journal for Foreign Affairs, surprisingly has no intentional relationship to SF. It does, however, coincidentally represent not only the current impact of science on progression of humanity, but also embodies the underlying theme of Foundation.Foundation is focused around a character named Hary Seldon, who uses the science of Psychohistory to predict the future of mankind. While conducting his research, Seldon discovers that the Galactic Empire, which is currently in power, will soon fall, and a new empire will not arise for thirty thousand years. Knowing that the time between empires will be nothing but barbarism, Seldon initiates a plan to create a compendium of all human knowledge, called the Encyclopedia Galactica, that will ultimately decrease the time of the dark age to one third of its original prediction.Seldon’s goal to imp rove the quality of life for the people of the collapsing empire, through knowledge, is significantly similar to environmentalists’ research efforts to prevent the demise of earth’s ecosystems. Considering that crisis aversion through science has very much come to life, it can be concluded that SF can, to some extent, predict the future. A nuclear physicist, by the name of Dr. Ron Nielson, coincidently posses many of the characteristics of Seldon in Foundation, almost as if Hary had come to life. In 2005, Dr. Nielson published a book called The Green Handbook: Seven Trends Shaping the Future of Our Planet, which he described as an essential reference for anyone who cares about the future of the planet. It surveys not only the deterioration of our physical environment but also economic, social, and political trends that give an understanding as to how these critical issues can be addressed. There are many similarities between Dr. Nielson and Hary Seldon, but the most me aningful quality would be that both scientists advocate change in humanity for a cause that they will not be alive to redeem the benefits of.Unlike industry officials, who are only interested in immediate commercial gain, these two men embody the characteristics of a true SF hero; one who protects of the progression of the future of humanity. The hero of Dune, Paul, is a character of interesting complexity that also strives to change trends in the ecology of his planet, much like Dr. Neilson. Paul is different from his family and social class in the sense that he feels a great connection to the environment, similar to those of the native people of Arrakis, called Fremen.The Fremen dream of a surreal utopia in which the harsh desert environment is metamorphosized into a lush self-sustainable ecosystem, in which the scarcity of water is no longer an issue. With the help of the Fremen and an ecologist named Kynes, Paul is victorious against his greedy rival, the Baron Harkonnen. Paul e xhibited characteristics exactly opposite of the Baron’s ruthlessness. When a sandstorm endangered workers in the spice mines and a large shipment of spice, Paul did not hesitate to sacrifice the spice for the lives of his people.The book places a special stress on the absence of a sense of altruism and respect for nature in the antagonist’s character and empire. Herbert’s characterizations, that embody the struggle of good versus evil, are suggestive that drastic policy changes must be met by either a change in morals and values of the people in charge, or a complete overthrow of authorities by advocates who have righteous intentions for the future of mankind. The association of the word ‘utopia’ with the notion of nature makes the theme of environmentalism even more obvious in this novel.The novel is strongly suggestive that environmental problems of today cannot be ignored any longer. Frank Herbert and Dr. Neilson share a common objective of advo cating environmentalism through their writing. The difference is that Herbert incorporates it into fictional pieces of literature, while Neilson chooses a more scientific and direct path of expression. Herbert’s use SF literature, to push for a green movement by society, shows how SF can be used as a tool to improve scientific literacy and knowledge of future concerns associated with our current usage of technology. Science fiction ses a blend of entertainment and science to create, what some might, call more effective means of scientifically educating an audience. The impact of science fiction does not just stop at a mere introduction of scientific problems to the public. Plots of science fiction often offer possible plans of action to induce change and progression in a positive direction. In both Dune and Foundation, government or politics was used to bridge the gap between what was happening and what needed to happen. In these novels, as well as in real life, possesion of high political power is almost always a requirement for initiating radical change.In Dune, Paul inherited his father’s position and power. By joining forces with the Fremen, Paul became the leader of a mini-empire in hopes to put an end to the exploitation of the planet’s resources by the evil Harkonnens. It was not until Paul was named the new emperor of the universe, however, that his plans to change the planet into a garden paradise could finally begin. Dr. Neilson chose to end the preface of his book encouraging policy-makers, decision-makers, and journalists to use their influences and lifelong experiences to help steer away from the future taking an undesirable course of events.However, this encouragement does not give a concise solution the problem he lists in The Green Handbook. Applying concepts from the three SF books being analyzed, the process to change the course of the seven trends that Neilson feels are slowly degrading our planet, a high position of pow er among policy changers must first be obtained. A book by Michael Howes, called Politics and the Environment: risk and the role of government and industry, gives intense incite to what further needs to be done to save our planet.This book focuses on meeting the challenge of undoing environmental risks with more technical innovation and economic reform. It also shines a light on the roadblock that people who deny that there is any serious risk are causing, mainly those who benefit from industry. The struggle between those interested in commercial gain and those who attempt to advocate change to benefit the environment is realistic problem often portrayed in SF. Dune, Foundation, and War of the Worlds all express a common concern for what impacts destructive technologies, like weapons and exploitative industries, may have on the future of mankind.These books also seem to preach that good motives and compassion for humanity are qualities of good empires, while evil ones are still focu sed on the use of violence and greed. The power placed in the hands of the most influential people of the empire is also a symbol of responsibility of those to always make decisions for the greater good of humanity. Governments of today’s nations could effectively avert future ecological crisis on earth by balancing power scientists and big industry officials. The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom† (Asimov, pg 13). By taking a glimpse into the future, politicians that value the earth’s well-being can be the change needed to save the planet, ultimately making them heroes like Paul and Seldon. In this case, science fiction may also be useful tool in impacting the public to push for changes from politicians. The ability of the genre of SF to really impact the future of technology makes it the most relevant type of literature in current time.