Why The Women Of Wall Street Are Disappearing - 1132 Words

Wall street, where the business is operating in the city of New York, opportunities arise for employment. Both employers and employees have benefits when working together, hence the employer will only hire the employee once they evaluate and distinguish the qualification within the employee. In certain cases, employees are not selected after meeting the qualifications, thus an example of discrimination. The employer can discriminate for race, sex, gender, origin, or disability. According to the business dictionary, discrimination is illustrated as a â€Å"bias or prejudice resulting in denial of opportunity, or unfair treatment regarding selection, promotion, or transfer. Discrimination is preformed commonly on the grounds of age,†¦show more content†¦Nadine felt as if she actually discriminated for her gender, as the team leaders of the entire department were men. Nadine raised her voice and spoke up for what was right. As Nadine was terminated, she has noticed a trend, where all women of the company were slowly getting terminated. Nadine had discussed this with her lawyer and has suddenly filed a lawsuit with Citigroup. Discrimination can be in four different forms. According to the textbook, it can be in the form of intentional, where you are fully conscious and deliberately discriminate. Also, there is the opposite, unintentional discrimination, where you are â€Å"not consciously or deliberately sought, but is brought about by stereotypes or as an unintended outcome†. Individual discrimination occurs with one or few individuals acting on their own. Institutional discrimination is a â€Å"result of the actions of all or numerous people in an institutional and of their routine processes and policies†. In a work environment when discrimination occurs, it can be from an intentional and unintentional point of view. When working in an environment it is valuable to understand and reason before you have a conversation, as the listener may grasp it in a different way, therefore they can feel discriminated. A very critical lawsuit, which has struck between two co-workers have led to a disaster and

My Dream House Free Essays

My dream house is simply unimaginable. The home I desire is most beautiful and great in splendor is like a dreamland. A. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dream House or any similar topic only for you Order Now The exterior of my home has great large beams trimmed in gold. There is a large picture window that covers the lower portion of the house. B. The home has high ceilings and large windows all through out the home. C. It sits on top of one acre of beautiful rolling hills and meadows. 1. There is a beautiful garden in the backyard with a large pond. 2. There is also a huge deck, perfect for picnics and other social gatherings. II. The Front Exterior D.As you walk up the cobblestone walkway, the first things you see is two large beams trimmed in gold. E. Just behind the beams sit a set of gold French style double doors that give entrance into the elaborate home. III. Interior F. As you enter into the foyer, you encounter a large marble of sculpture of Eve that sits in the center. G. Directly behind the sculpture sits a grand staircase that leads to the second level of the home. H. Just to the left is a beautiful family room, perfect for family gatherings. I. To the right there is a dining room that seats more than ten people. . There is a cherry wood table seated in the middle of the room with matching chairs 4. Above the table hangs an elaborate crystal chandelier. J. In the dining room, there is a doorway that gives access to the huge kitchen. 5. In the center of the kitchen sits an island. 1. On the granite top of the island is a stove with six burners and a grill 2. Off to the left sits a double oven. 3. Next to the oven, there is a huge refrigerator. 4. In the corner sits a breakfast nook surrounded by windows that overlooks the beautiful hills and meadow.This is where most meals will take place. K. As you walk up the grand staircase and walk down the hallway, you’ll past four bedrooms before reaching the master bedroom. 6. When walking into the bedroom, you notice the California Kind sized bed. 7. Just past the bed sits huge sliding door that open onto the balcony that overlooks the beautiful views. 8. Walking back into the bedroom, to the right there is the master bathroom. 5. Walking into the bathroom you notice the heated marble floor. 6. Inside the bathroom there are his and her marble sinks. . Across from the sinks sit a huge standing marble shower with glass doors. 8. Also in the bathroom is a separate Jacuzzi style bathtubs. IV. Exterior: Back yard L. Right outside the back doors is a patio. On the patio sits a bar and a built in grill. M. In the backyard there is an Olympic sized pool. Surrounding the pool are beach chairs. N. Further back, there is a garden and a large bond. V. Conclusion O. Now that I have describe in great detail to you my dreamland, I hope that you all will come visit me when my dreamland becomes a reality. How to cite My Dream House, Papers My Dream House Free Essays My Dream House Everyone must hope they will have a dream house. The dream house can keep them In the condition they wanted. In my mind, I hope that my dream house Is far from main city and industrial area due to I like quiet environment. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dream House or any similar topic only for you Order Now I also like fresh air around me. Every day I can woke up by the sound of birds and see them perched in the branches if the trees. Inside the house will be a big, spacious hall. Will decorate the walls of the hall with paintings like green color and more. I always feeling relax and serene In the house. The day light is essential. In my living room must have some big windows so I will not feel too hot when I am sleeping. A study room Is exist certainly. It can be small, In there, I write read books and doing my homework. I hope this room is quiet so I can calm and attentive to do the things. And in my bedroom is painted with my favorite color, light green, it represents feelings if harmony and peace feature for me. I will place in a bookshelf in the room. The bookshelf is occupied by all my favorite books. The house outer design will be a calm and open environment. There must have a large open space and planted many trees and flowers. I think the outer decoration looks ordinary enough and have some small and beautiful gardens. If can, I hope it will have a clear river near my house, I also want to rear some pets like rabbit, dog, owl, birds and squirrels. I will provide foods and shelters for them because my gardens have enough space. It should be a green house beside my house. I would grow own vegetables, tomatoes, chilies, eggplants and more. The design and the location of our house usually will affect our mood. Dream house would reflect our feelings, thoughts and personality. If we live In a place close to the serenity of nature, our minds. Bodies and splits will be filled with positive energies. How to cite My Dream House, Papers My Dream House Free Essays There is nothing in the world as sweet as a home†. ‘East or West, home is the best’ as the saying goes. Home is the symbol of human togetherness- a place where all of us learn the first steps of life. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dream House or any similar topic only for you Order Now For most people the very thought of home brings fond memories, nostalgic feelings and sad emotions. My home is situated in a suburb called Gandhi Nagar in the city of Guwahati, the capital of Assam. I was born in this city although my parents have migrated to the place due to service and occupation. As for me, I feel a part and parcel of the city and consider it as my hometown. The locality where I live falls within the periphery of Guwahati Club, one of the major commercial centres of the city and is noted for its educational institutions, Sports facilities and green surroundings. My house is only a few yards from this commercial centre. The area is inhabited mostly by government servants, high-ranking officials and bureaucrats My house is situated at the side of a bye-lane leading to Guwahati club. It is a two-storied building constructed by my father about ten years ago. The top floor has been rented out. The ground floor, which we use, has four bedrooms, a drawing room part which also serves as a dinning room, a kitchen and a bathroom. My brother and myself share a room, while a room has been given to my elder sister. The third room which is the largest room in the house is used by our parents while the fourth room is kept as a guest room. All the living rooms have floor carpets, while the drawing room where we entertain our guests and watch T. V. has marble floor and an artistically carved showcase. The showcase contains numerous trophies, beautiful mementos and several attractive handicraft exhibits. The house has a little porch in front where my father keeps his car. The portion between the porch and the road is used for gardening, which is taken care of by my mother. There is a small patch of land behind the house which is used for cultivation of vegetables and for dumping of scraps and useless articles of the house. As the area is inhabited by senior government servants, the houses here have posh surroundings, high security wall, lively gardens and huge front gates. Being very close to one of the nerve-centres of the city, we are fortunate to have all the facilities such as, markets, schools, hospitals, banks etc. The High Court, Railway station, Reserve Bank, Museum, Public library, Sports Stadium, etc. are all within a walk able distance. I have a brother and a sister. My eldest brother is studying in Cotton College, the famed college of the city, while I study in Don Bosco School. My sister studies in St. Mary’s school which stands a few metres away from our home. My father is an under secretary and works in the Govt. Secretariat at Dispur while my mother is a senior lecturer in a Commerce college in the city. My home is a happy home. We the children love our parents and they in turn do all they can to make our life cheerful, enjoyable and least burdensome. We care for each other and do our very best to make our home a happy and a sweet home. How to cite My Dream House, Papers

Applying information to financial statement - Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss about theApplying information to the financial statement. Answer: Profitability Ratios Gross profit percentage of sales Gross profit sales percentage of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 58%. This ratio indicates the relationship among total net sales revenue and gross profit. This serves as a vital ratio in analyzing the operational performance of the company (Batta, Ganguly and Rosett 2014). It is gathered that this ratio is high for the company in comparison to its competitor which is deemed to be favorable. Such high ratio indicates that the company has been capable enough in increasing its profitability through creating competitive product or services. This ratio serves as an important profitability measure through which the investors and analysts of Sharma and Ryan Company compare the identical companies within the overall industry. It is considered that the higher this ratio, the more the company is deemed to retain on every dollar of sales to service along with its other obligations and costs. Net profit percentage of sales Net profit percentage of sales of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 10.35%. This ratio indicates the remaining profit of the company after every expense associated with administration, production and financing after deducting from income taxes, sales those are recognized (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2013). Net profit of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be lesser than its competitor who indicates the current sales practices of the company are not efficient enough in generating profits through revenue. This indicates the companys decreased share price growth and increased profitability. Less net profit ratio signifies that the company is not that efficient enough in concerting its sales into profits as this is both a measure of overall business health and efficiency. The company is not that capable to generate increased profit per dollar of sales that is highly efficient. As the company has less net profit margin ratio, hence it is not that capable to survive a product line whic h does not address expectations or economic contraction period. Return on capital employed Return on capital employed of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 30.81%. This ratio indicates the ways in which the company is efficient in gathering profits from the capital employed through comparing net portraying profit with capital employed. This ratio of the company is observed to be high in comparison to its competitor who indicates that the assets of Sharma and Ryan Company are performing better in consideration to long term financing (Bruce-Twum and Mensah 2015). A higher ratio of the company signifies that increased profit dollars are generated by every dollar of capital employed. Sharma and Ryan Company attained such high ratio through having smaller dollar amount of assets and increased profits that gave high return to the company. The result of the company indicates that the organization generates high earnings per dollar capital used. A higher return on capital employed value signifies high profitability and as the organization less assets along with similar prof its as its competitors, it is deemed to have increased return value regarding return on capital employed with high profits. Efficiency Ratios Debtors payment period Debtors payment period of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 34 days. This ratio indicates maximum time taken by a business to attain payments gathered in terms of accounts receivables. This ratio for the company is observed to be high in comparison to its competitor for the reason that its average number of days is high between the credit sales date along with date payment that is attained from credit sales (Gritta and Adrangi 2014). Such high ratio is not deemed to be favorable for the reason that a short collection period indicates better receivables management and fast collection. A longer collection day of Sharma and Ryan Company indicates negative impact on short term debt paying capability. Creditors payment period Creditors payment period of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 29 days. This ratio indicates the average time taken by a company for addressing all its debts with trade suppliers or accounts payables (James, Stephen and Mark 2014). This payment period of the company is observed to be shorter in comparison to its competitor. This indicates Sharma and Ryan Companys rapid payments to its creditors that ensure the creditworthiness of the company. The company is efficient enough to anticipate the average time it takes in addressing its debts with all its trade suppliers. If the turnover ratio is falling from a period to another is an indication that an organization is taking more time in paying off its suppliers in comparison to its previous time frames. In case if any day the turnover ratio increases, then the company is observed to pay off its suppliers at a rapid pace. Rates of stock turnover Stock turnover rates of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 12 days. This ratio serves as an indicator regarding the number of times inventory is sold or employed within a specified time (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). Stock turnover ratio of this company is less in comparison to its competitor that signifies poor sales along with increased inventory. Such results indicate that Sharma and Ryan Company could not efficiently sell its inventory in maintaining superior business performance (Pirie et al. 2015). The company requires enhancing stock turnover ratio as a high turnover will signify that it makes profit on every sale and how fast it sells inventory through maintaining increased profit. As this ratio is less for the company it can be stated that such low ratio indicates slow moving or obsolete inventories within the stock and is a huge indicator of maintaining unnecessarily large amount of inventories signifying poor inventory management. This is for the reason that it necessitates maintaining funds that might be employed within certain business operations. A factor that is deemed to impact such ratio is the application of just-in-time inventory technique. Liquidity Ratios Current Ratio Current ratio of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 4.5:1. This ratio indicates the companys ability to pay short along with long term obligations. This ratio for the company is observed to be high in comparison to its competitor who indicates that it is capable enough to pay off its liabilities through employing its assets. A high ratio is observed which signifies sound financial health of Sharma and Ryan Company (Richard 2014). This revealed that the companys operating cycle is highly efficient that is capable to convert its products into cash. As Sharma and Ryan Company has low inventory turnover it has less chances of facing liquidity problems once it is unable to decrease such obligations. However, this ratio also indicates that based on the ways in which the companys assets are allocated, an increased ratio signifies it is not employing assets properly and not managing its working capital better (Thein 2015). As the current ratio of the company is observed to be more tha n 1, in such scenario Sharma and Ryan Company is deemed to pay all its bills on time. In addition, decreased values always do not indicate a major issue but can be of great concern for the management. This ratio provided an idea regarding the companys operating effectiveness and in case of Sharma and Ryan Company that indicates about the companys high liquidity and is a signal that it is not facing problem with getting paid on its receivable or have effective inventory turnover. This serves as a symptom that the organization is not effectively using its current assets. Acid Test Ratio Acid test ratio of Sharma and Ryan Company is observed to be 3.7:1. This ratio indicates the capability of the organization to address its current liabilities at the time they come due with just quick assets. The company is observed to have less acid test ratio in comparison to its competitor that offers a realistic view of its liquid assets (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). However, Sharma and Ryan Company have this ratio more than 1 that is the desired range. This indicates the company has sufficient liquid assets to address its current liabilities. The companys desirable ratio indicates that it offers a rigorous evaluation of its capability to address its current liabilities and it does the same through decreasing the liquid current assets from consideration. A low ratio of the company indicates that companys efficiency has decreased in turning its inventory within sales (Wang 2014). Financial Position or Performance Using Ratio Analysis Financial ratio analysis indicates the financial position of Sharma and Ryans Company in the initial year of its trading. Analysis of the companys business and financial performance will facilitate it in making certain decisions associated with future expansion of the business (Webb 2013). It was gathered from the analysis that gross profit ratio is high for the company in comparison to its competitor which is deemed to be favorable. Such high ratio indicates that the company has been capable enough in increasing its profitability through creating competitive product or services. Moreover, ratio analysis also revealed that creditors payment period of the company is observed to be shorter in comparison to its competitor. This indicates Sharma and Ryan Companys rapid payments to its creditors that ensure the creditworthiness of the company (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). In addition, companys desirable acid test ratio indicates that it offers a rigorous evaluation of its capability to address its current liabilities and it does the same through decreasing the liquid current assets from consideration. The company is observed to have high profitability ratio that makes sure of its superior business performance. This indicates the companys capability to attain profit that remains from the earned income after eliminating expenses and costs associated with income earned. Profitability ratio of Sharma and Ryans Company indicates increased capability of the company in transforming its sales dollars within profits at all the measurement stages and generates high return for its shareholders (Wimmer and Rada 2013). Efficiency ratio analysis measured how well the company employs its assets and liabilities within the organization. Results from these ratios can facilitate the company in enhancing the companys business performance along with outer creditors looking at the companys profitability operations. However, results of stock turnover indicate that Sharma and Ryan Company could not efficiently sell its inventory in maintaining superior business performance (Pirie et al. 2015). The compan y requires enhancing stock turnover ratio as a high turnover will signify that it makes profit on every sale and how fast it sells inventory through maintaining increased profit. Improved receivables turnover ratio serves as major turnover ratios employed for evaluating the business performance. Moreover, this ratio also signified that the business is highly effective in using its working capital that is blocked in by debtors. This also signifies the frequency of conversion of receivables within cash for a specific financial year that makes sure of liquidity of the receivables of Sharma and Ryan Company. Liquidity ratios analysis of Sharma and Ryan Company explained that the companys operating cycle is highly efficient that is capable to convert its products into cash. As Sharma and Ryan Company has low inventory turnover it has less chances of facing liquidity problems once it is unable to decrease such obligations (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). This ratio signifies that the company must be careful regarding its risk of bankruptcy and how many times it can address its debt obligations relied on assets. Considering such results, the company is recommended to sell its inventory in order to pay its short term debt without selling its inventory. References Batta, G., Ganguly, A. and Rosett, J., 2014. Financial statement recasting and credit risk assessment.Accounting Finance,54(1), pp.47-82. Brigham, E.F. and Ehrhardt, M.C., 2013.Financial management: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Bruce-Twum, E. and Mensah, C.C., 2015. Financial Statement Analysis. Gritta, R.D. and Adrangi, B., 2014. The Use of Bankruptcy Forecasting Models in Teaching Applied Ratio Analysis in Investment and Financial Statement Analysis Courses. James, W.M., Stephen, B.P. and Mark, B.T., 2014. Financial Reporting, Financial Statement analysis, and Valuation-A Strategic Perspective, 8.Edition, Cengage Learning. Pirie, W.L., Broihahn, M.A., Robinson, T.R. and Henry, E., 2015. International Financial Statement Analysis Workbook. Richard, P., 2014. The Role of the Accounting Rate of Return in Financial Statement Analysis.The Continuing Debate Over Depreciation, Capital and Income (RLE Accounting),67(2), p.235. Thein, M., 2015. Teaching financial statement analysis: a discussion on pedagogy. Wang, C., 2014. Accounting standards harmonization and financial statement comparability: Evidence from transnational information transfer.Journal of Accounting Research,52(4), pp.955-992. Webb, S., 2013. 350-01 Financial Statement Analysis. Weil, R.L., Schipper, K. and Francis, J., 2013.Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods and uses. Cengage Learning. Wimmer, H. and Rada, R., 2013. Applying information technology to financial statement analysis for market capitalization prediction.

What Is Marijuana Essays - Herbalism, Medicinal Plants, Entheogens

What Is Marijuana? Marijuana, a drug obtained from dried and crumpled parts of the ubiquitous hemp plant Canabis sativa (or Cannabis indica). Smoked by rolling in tobacco paper or placing in a pipe. It is also otherwise consumed worldwide by an estimated 200,000,000 persons for pleasure, an escape from reality, or relaxation. Marijuana is known by a variety of names such as kif (Morocco), dagga (South Africa), and bhang (India). Common in the United States, marijuana is called pot, grass, weed, Mary Jane, bones, etc. The main active principle of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol. The potency of its various forms ranges from a weak drink consumed in India to the highly potent hashish. The following consists of pure cannabis resin. Marijuana is not a narcotic and is not mentally or physically addicting drug. One can use mild cannabis preparations such as marijuana in small amounts for years without physical or mental deterioration. Marijuana serves to diminish inhibitions and acts as an euphoriant. Only once in a while will it produce actual hallucinations. More potent preparations of cannabis such as hashish can induce psychedelic experiences identical to those observed after ingestion of potent hallucinogens such as LSD. Some who smoke marijuana feel no effects; others feel relaxed and sociable, tend to laugh a great deal, and have a profound loss of the sense of time. Characteristically, those under the influence of marijuana show incoordination and impaired ability to perform skilled acts. Still others experience a wide range of emotions including feelings of perception, fear, insanity, happiness, love and anger. Although marijuana is not addicting, it may be habituating. The individual may become psychologically rather than physically dependent on the drug. Legalization Of Marijuana Those who urge the legalization of marijuana maintain the drug is entirely safe. The available data suggested, this is not so, Marijuana occasionally produces acute panic reactions or even transient psychoses. Furthermore, a person driving under the influence of marijuana is a danger to themselves and others. If smoked heavily and a great deal of consistency, its use has been clearly associated with mental breakdown. In many persons who smoke chronically, the drug reinforces passivity and reduces goal-directed, constructive activity. The chronic use of pure resin (hashish) has been associated both with mental deterioration and criminality. One of the major complications of marijuana use is the tendency on the part of some users to progress to more dangerous drugs. Users in economically deprived areas usually go on to heroin, whereas more affluent individuals tend to move from marijuana to more potent hallucinogens such as LSD. There is no established medical use for marijuana or any other cannabis preparation. In the United States, its use is a crime and the laws governing marijuana are similar to those regulating heroin. Many authorities now urge that the laws be modified to mitigate the penalties relating to conviction on marijuana possession charges. The Case For Legalizing Marijuana Use The United States stands apart from many nations in its deep respect for the individual. The strong belief in personal freedom appears early in the nation's history. The Declaration of Independence speaks of every citizen's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The Constitution and Bill of Rights go further, making specific guarantees. They forbid the government to make unwarranted entry into dwelling places. They forbid seizure of personal property, except when very clear reasons are approved by the courts. They allow every citizen to remain silent in court when accused of a crime. Legal decisions have extended these rights, so that every citizen may feel safe, secure, and sheltered from public view in the privacy of his or her home. The Right To Privacy In recent years, Americans have referred to privacy as one of the basic human rights, something to be claimed by anyone, anywhere. United States citizens feel strongly about this and often tell other countries that they must honor their people's claims to privacy and personal freedom. Foreign leaders often disagree. They resent what they deem arrogant meddling by the United States. Leaders of the Soviet Union, for example, regard individual privacy as trivial when compared to the needs of the state. If the United States is to be persuasive in promoting freedom in other parts of the world, it must respect the privacy of its own citizens. Sometimes it is hard to do this because what goes on in people's private lives may seem offensive. But, according to U.S. traditions, there is a strong case to be made against legislating the private behavior of adults, so long as that behavior does not in turn violate the rights of others. Some people feel that this

Proofreading for Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Proofreading for Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement These two proofreading exercises will give you practice in applying the rules of subject-verb agreement. After completing the exercises, compare your responses. Proofreading Exercise #1: A Fluke of Luck The following paragraph contains five errors in subject-verb agreement. Identify and correct the faulty verb forms. The sheep-liver fluke is a parasitic flatworm with a very complex life cycle. The fluke start life by hatching inside a snail. The fluke is then ejected from the snail in a ball of slime. These balls of slime is eaten by ants. The fluke digs its way through the ants body until it reach the ants brain. There, the fluke takes control of the ant by manipulating its nerves, thus turning the ant into its personal robot. Under the command of the fluke, the ant climb to the top of a blade of grass. If the fluke is in luck, the ant is eaten by a passing sheep. From the sheeps stomach, the fluke work its way hometo the liver. The Answers The sheep-liver fluke is a parasitic flatworm with a very complex life cycle. The fluke  starts  life by hatching inside a snail. The fluke is then ejected from the snail in a ball of slime. These balls of slime  are  eaten by ants. The fluke digs its way through the ants body until it  reaches  the ants brain. There, the fluke takes control of the ant by manipulating its nerves, thus turning the ant into its personal robot. Under the command of the fluke, the ant  climbs  to the top of a blade of grass. If the fluke is in luck, the ant is eaten by a passing sheep. From the sheeps stomach, the fluke  works  its way hometo the liver. Proofreading Exercise #2: Life Forms The following paragraph contains seven errors in subject-verb agreement. Identify and correct the faulty verb forms. Anomie Plaza, like all shopping plazas, were designed for automobiles rather than human beings. All natural life has been extinguished; even the weeds along the curb appears artificial. But somehow, amidst all the plastic, steel, and concrete, a solitary shrub manage to survive. The shrub, not in vigorous bloom but certainly alive, stand a few yards away from the entrance to Huxleys department store. It grows straight up through the concrete. Now and then a shopper pause to examine this odd life form, not for sale in any of the 67 stores. Occasionally, someone will glance around furtively and then break off a twig, slip it into a shopping bag, and hurry back to the parking lot. Why people do this are a mystery to me. Are such people intent on preserving life or destroying it? Whatever the case may be, the shrub so far ​have managed to survive all assaults. The Answers Anomie Plaza, like all shopping plazas,  was  designed for automobiles rather than human beings. All natural life has been extinguished; even the weeds along the curb  appear  artificial. But somehow, amidst all the plastic, steel, and concrete, a solitary shrub  manages  to survive. The shrub, not in vigorous bloom but certainly alive,  stands  a few yards away from the entrance to Huxleys department store. It grows straight up through the concrete. Now and then a shopper  pauses  to examine this odd life form, not for sale in any of the 67 stores. Occasionally, someone will glance around furtively and then break off a twig, slip it into a shopping bag, and hurry back to the parking lot. Why people do this  is  a mystery to me. Are such people intent on preserving life or destroying it? Whatever the case may be, the shrub so far  has  managed to survive all assaults.

Red Fox Facts

Red Fox Facts The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is well-known for its luxurious fur coat and playful antics. Foxes are canids, so they are related to dogs, wolves, and coyotes. However, adaptation to a nocturnal life has given the red fox some feline traits, as well. Fast Facts: Red Fox Scientific Name: Vulpes vulpesCommon Name: Red foxBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 56-78 inchesWeight: 9-12 poundsLifespan: 5 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Northern Hemisphere and AustraliaPopulation: MillionsConservation Status: Least Concern Description Despite their common name, not all red foxes are red. The red foxs three main color morphs are red, silver/black, and cross. A red fox has rusty fur with darker legs, white belly, and sometimes a white-tipped tail. Males (called dogs) and females (called vixens) exhibit slight sexual dimorphism. Vixens are slightly smaller than dogs, with smaller skulls and larger canine teeth. On average, a male measures 54 to 78 inches and weighs 10 to 12 pounds, while a female ranges from 56 to 74 inches in length and weighs 9 to 10 pounds. The red fox has an elongated body and a tail that is over half its body length. The fox has pointed ears, long canine teeth, and eyes with vertical slits and a nictitating membrane (like a cat). There are five digits on each of the front paws and four on the hind paws. The foxs skeleton is similar to a dogs, but the fox is more lightly built, with a pointed muzzle and slender canine teeth. Habitat and Distribution The red fox ranges across the Northern Hemisphere into Central America, North Africa, and Asia. It does not live in Iceland, in some deserts, or in the extreme polar regions of the Arctic and Siberia. The red fox was introduced to Australia in the 1830s. The species is banned from New Zealand under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act of 1996. Where the soil permits, foxes dig burrows, where they live and bear their young. They also take abandoned burrows made by other animals or sometimes share with them. For example, foxes and badgers will live together in a form of mutualism where the fox provides scraps of food brought back to the den while the badger keeps the area clean. Red fox distribution. Zoologist, Wikimedia Commons Diet The red fox is omnivorous. Its preferred prey includes rodents, rabbits, and birds, but it will take small ungulates, such as lambs. It also eats fish, insects, lizards, amphibians, small invertebrates, fruit, and vegetables. Urban red foxes readily accept pet food. Foxes are preyed upon by humans, large owls, eagles, lynxes, caracals, leopards, cougars, bobcats, wolves, and sometimes other foxes. Usually, the red fox coexists with domestic cats, hyenas, jackals, and coyotes. Behavior Foxes are highly vocal animals. Adults make 12 vocal sounds over five octaves. Red foxes also communicate using scent, marking territory and even empty food caches with urine or feces. Foxes mainly hunt before dawn and after dusk. Their eyes have a tapetum lucidum to aid with vision in dim light, plus they have an acute sense of hearing. The red fox pounces on prey from above, using its tail as a rudder. The tail, also known as a brush, covers the fox and helps it stay warm in cold weather. Reproduction and Offspring For most of the year, red foxes are solitary and live in the open. However, in the winter, they court, mate, and seek dens. Vixens reach sexual maturity as early as 9 or 10 months, so they may bear a litter at one year of age. Males mature later. After mating, the gestation period lasts approximately 52 days. The vixen (female fox) gives birth to around four to six kits, though the number of young can be as high as 13. The fluffy brown or gray kits are born blind, deaf, and without teeth. At birth, they only weigh 2 to 4 ounces with 5 to 6 inch bodies and 3 inch tails. Newborn kits cannot regulate their temperature, so their mother remains with them while the male fox or another vixen brings food. The kits are born with blue eyes that change to amber after about two weeks. Kits start to leave the den around 3 to 4 weeks of age and are weaned at 6 to 7 weeks. Their coat color begins changing at 3 weeks of age, with guard hairs appearing after 2 months. While red foxes may live 15 years in captivity, they usually survive 3 to 5 years in the wild. Fox kits are fluffy and grayish brown. Maxime Riendeau / Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the conservation status of the red fox as least concern. The species population remains stable, even though the fox is hunted for sport and fur and killed as a pest or rabies carrier. Red Foxes and Humans The stability of the red fox population is tied to the foxs adaptation to human encroachment. Foxes successfully colonize suburban and urban areas. They scavenge refuse and accept food left for them by people, but often stray to rural areas to hunt. Generally, red foxes make poor pets because they are destructive to homes and mark areas with scent. However, they can form strong bonds with people, cats, and dogs, especially if domestication starts before the fox reaches 10 weeks of age. In some places it is legal to keep a red fox as a pet. All images taken by Keven Law of London, England. / Getty Images Russian geneticist Dmitry Belyayev selectively bred silver morph red foxes to develop a true domesticated fox. Over time, these foxes developed physical attributes of dogs, including curled tails and floppy ears. While fox hunting for sport has decreased over time, the animal remains important for the fur trade. Foxes are also killed because they harbor communicable diseases such as rabies and because they prey on domestic and wild animals. Foxes, like wolves, may continue to kill prey beyond what they need to eat. Sources Harris, Stephen. Urban Foxes. 18 Anley Road, London W14 OBY: Whittet Books Ltd. 1986. ISBN 978-0905483474.Hoffmann, M. and C. Sillero-Zubiri.  Vulpes vulpes.  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  2016: e.T23062A46190249.  2016. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T23062A46190249.enHunter, L. Carnivores of the World. Princeton University Press. p. 106. 2011. SBN 978-0-691-15227-1.Iossa, Graziella; et al. Body mass, territory size, and life-history tactics in a socially monogamous canid, the red fox Vulpes vulpes. Journal of Mammalogy. 89 (6): 1481–1490. 2008. doi:10.1644/07-mamm-a-405.1Nowak, Ronald M. Walkers Mammals of the World. 2. JHU Press. p. 636. 1999. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Case Study Example There is a large expenditure associated with installing hardware and software that is compatible with the new system, which if not installed is going to increase the company's costs and incur large overheads. The other issues include user-friendliness of the new system, which will require trained expert staff and hence this system cannot be adopted immediately. These were some of the issues that needed to be taken into account before the final decision about RFID system is taken. The system is useful in inventory management and efficiency in logistics and operations. The company can use it to accurately forecast the product's movement and to make sure that it always has enough inventories to meet the consumers' demand and to avoid losses. RFID can also be handful in efficient shop-floor activities such as price updates, price checkout and recording of payments. This system also reduces the chances of human errors. Similarly, the new system can also help in the customer relationship management and can help the company to modify their sales tactics to increase the customer base. It can be useful in knowing the customer's buying preference and can help the company to enhance the customers' buying experience.

Professional Development and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Professional Development and Management - Essay Example With the growing competitors in the business world, it has become vital for every business to implement steps that would help them in maintaining their competitive position and also facilitate them in attracting more customers towards the business practicing effective product development (Johnson & Kirchain, n.d.). The main objective of this paper is to provide a detailed analysis of the company that would help in to improving their ethical standing and approach to environmental sustainability through product development of the biscuits category of product of the company. Discussion Current Products Desirability Relative to the Market Egyptian Company for Foods commonly acknowledged as BiscoMisr is determined to be one of the well-known local manufactures of biscuits along with confectionary products. The company’s products are also sold under various brand names that mainly comprise cakes, uncoated wafer, chewing gums and cocoa products (Diaspora Interactive Media, Corp., 200 9). It has been recognised that the company has conquered nearly 41% of the biscuit market in Egypt. It has been further viewed that the retail volume growth of biscuit market has slowed down in the nation. It is measured that the growth rate that was 7% in the year 2010 slid down to only 4% in the year 2011 and continued over the first half of the year 2012. The vital reason which has been identified as the key constituent for the slow growth in the biscuits’ market has been the fact that a substantial proportion of customers have started to prefer consuming homemade snacks as they believe it to be healthier (Euromonitor International, 2012). In this regard, it can be stated that the desirability of the product from the part of the consumers is derived upon having a healthy product within affordable cost. Identify Market Opportunities North Africa is recognised to be one of the most preferred destinations amid the others emerging markets globally (Bloomberg L.P., 2013). With in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, every organisation is establishing strategies and programmes that would help them to get acclaimed in one of the largest and fastest growing populations in the world i.e. North Africa, resulting in increasing the consumers demand for new goods. Considering the aspect of bakery industry within the nation of Egypt, it has been ascertained that in recent years, the growth of biscuit sale has dropped considerably as people have started to prefer consuming homemade biscuits and cookies as they find it expensive to buy it from the market. Table 1: Egyptian Confectionery Sales by Retail Channel (Bryant Christie Inc., 2009) Such a trend has primarily resulted from the slowdown of the currency value of the nation, making the import of raw materials more expensive and compelling businesses to raise their product price. However, it is worth mentioning that according to an estimation done by Oxford Business Group (2013), 70 to 80 present of the sales in the confectionary market come from products

Possitive and Negative Influences on Growth and Development Essay Example for Free

Possitive and Negative Influences on Growth and Development Essay Income is the money that comes into the home. This could be paid through employment, savings, and investments or from benefits that will be paid by the government if a person is unemployed or who have a disability. Expenditure is money spent to provide for everyday living needs, the amount of expenditure is determined through household income. Positive If you have a high income it allows you better choices of housing, diet, education, health services and transport. Having a higher income will lead to a higher expenditure, having this it will lead to a better life style. Accommodation will be more sufficient and there will less chance of health risks, this will amount to a better quality living. Affording to pay for health care such as private care or just being able to afford for medication if you fall ill. If you have a more wealthy expenditure you will have a better source of food and more opportunities for fresh products and less processed foods. More extravagant food such as rich foods and wines are affordable and are a good boost. Being able to afford transport will allow an adult the ability to get to and from places such as further education. A steady income will produce less stress and worry if everything is under control. Negative Being able to afford heating bills will prevent illnesses such as respiratory problems, this will be caused to lack of heating and this will amount to increase in damp. Unnecessary household problems from lack of income can cause debt. More processed foods will be in the diet as they are a lot cheaper than fresh fruit and vegetables for example. Health will plummet dramatically if sufficient heating and health care is not in place. Heart attacks, stress and depression are all part of having an unhealthy life style. Having a low income makes it difficult to get about; using public transport or walking tends to be the only option, so to take part in further education it may be difficult and will put a lot of lower income family off going into further education. Housing Housing is important to every person. It is where you live and a place to make memories.

The Time is Night by Liudmila Petrushevskaya Essay -- essays research

The Time is Night is a short novel by Liudmila Petrushevskaya. It is one of the few stories that I enjoy reading over and over again. The reason is that each time I re-read it, I perceive it in a slightly different way. The complicity of characters and the style of the novel is what I would like to emphasize most about the novel, as well as the fact that The Time is Night represents an outstanding social awareness of the author. As an introduction, Liudmila Petrushevskaya writes that what readers are about to see is a diary that was sent to her by the daughter of the author of the diary after her mother's death. The notes that make up the diary are those of a woman, a poet, describing her living during the late 1980's, her children and her 4-year-old grandson Tima whom she calls Baby. The woman's name is Anna. It is very symbolic to her; when people ask her what her name is, she replies, "I am nearly a namesake of a famous poet. Guess, my name is Anna Andianovna." The poet she is a "namesake" of is Anna Andreevna Akhmatova, one of the most symbolic poets of the silver century of the Russian poetry. Anna carries this cross through her entire life. There are only two roles she has: a poet and a woman defending a child from misery and starvation. I assume she is not a really good poet, she never gets published and gets very little money but that is not the point. She says that she writes for herself, if she stops, she will die. This is very true. The two ma...

How Effective Will Nuclear Power Be Environmental Sciences Essay

Energy is an indispensable portion of day-to-day life in the United Kingdom. We use to heat and illume our places, and our power to travel people and goods. Without supplying clean, safe and equal power and we will non be able to work in the economic system or a modern society. To supply this energy that we face two major challenges: clime alteration and energy security. Climate alteration poses a major menace to the planetary ecosystem, the planetary economic system and human populations. There is overpowering scientific grounds that human activities, particularly in emanations of nursery gases such as C dioxide, in planetary clime alteration. In 2005, was created 40 % of the C dioxide emanations from electricity coevals. Temperatures and sea degrees are lifting. There is no scientific consensus over a long period we have to avoid the hazard of clime alteration is non irreversible, but the huge bulk of experts believe that clime alteration is already, without action now to dramatically cut down emanations of C dioxide, and we will hold the right to damaged important impact on our state, planet and manner of life. Historically, the United Kingdom has received most of its energy demands from domestic beginnings: coal, and even the center of the twentieth, and since the 1970s, and oil and gas from the North Sea and 4driven our economic system. Since the 1950s, atomic energy, U, and fuel are imported, generated a big proportion of our electricity, making a extremum of 30 % of electricity production in the 1990s. Over the last decennary of atomic energy and met with about a fifth of our electricity. If we have built pow1er workss, fossil fuels alternatively of atomic power Stationss, may be C emanations in the United Kingdom the amount of all sectors by 5 % to 12 % in 2004 higher. In the hereafter, the United Kingdom are progressively dependent on imported oil and gas in a clip of turning planetary demand and monetary values, and when the power supply has become more politicized. At the same clip, we know that over the following two decennaries or so, about a 3rd of the coal, our oil fired power workss are likely to shut because of environmental statute law, and the operators of atomic installations, while others may do extensions of life in the workss in the United Kingdom. Target of renewable energy by 20 % is an ambitious end, which represents a important addition in capacity on renewable energy beginnings in the Member States. Latest information indicate that the current portion of renewable energy beginnings in the energy mix in the United Kingdom a sum of about 2 % , and for the EU as a whole around 6 % 6. Projections indicate that, on the footing of bing policies in the United Kingdom and the European Union, by 2020, renewable energy will lend approximately 5 % of ingestion in the United Kingdom is improbable to transcend 10 % of the European Union. Figure ( 1 ) : Expected diminution in atomic bring forthing capacity in the UK.1 Nuclear power and C emanations Nuclear energy, unlike dodo fuel power coevals that it carbon-free at the point of coevals low-carbon in general. Some C dioxide emanations arise at other points in the life rhythm, for illustration, during uranium excavation, readying, fuel, building and decommissioning the power works, but this is true to some extent for all electricity coevals engineerings and the different techniques produce different sums of emanations. To supply an accurate image of the possible part of atomic power Stationss could do to turn to clime alteration, there must be a complete analysis of the life rhythm. In other words, it is necessary to mensurate the emanations from each phase. There are a figure of premises that need to be in the behavior of such an analysis. For illustration, a type of electricity used for the readying of atomic fuel: If the power workss run on coal, emanations are much higher than if atomic or renewable fuel beginnings in the procedure of readying. As a consequence of these variables, there is a comparatively broad scope of estimations contained in the surveies discussed in the life rhythm emanations of C dioxide from atomic power. DTI Analysis for Energy Review, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ Figure ( 2 ) : comparative C emanations of bring forthing technologies.2 Figure ( 3 ) : Chart shows the electricity coevals mix including new atomic ( 2005-2030 ) .3 DTI Analysis for Energy Review, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ DTI Analysis for Energy Review, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ Security of supply benefits of atomic power The Government is committed to guaranting equal, dependable, and assorted supplies of low-cost energy to bring forth electricity, warming and conveyance. With limited power supply or insecure, and the consequence is likely to be out of the blue high or volatile energy monetary values. The UK is confronting two chief security challenges: The increasing trust on imports of oil and gas in a universe where energy demand is lifting and in some instances energy is going more politicized ; The demand for significant, and seasonably, private sector investing over the following two decennaries in: new gas import substructure and storage ; electricity coevals to run into lifting demand and replace retiring Stationss ; and the replacing of ageing transmittal and distribution webs. A diverse energy supplies an of import factor in security of supply. This can happen agencies that both the diverseness in the type of fuel used, every bit good as diverseness in the geographical distribution of beginnings of fuel. Avoid inordinate trust on one reduces the impact of the failure of â€Å" engineering † or provide concatenation break. To this extent, atomic power, by bring forthing approximately 18 % of electricity, already makes an of import part to the security of energy supplies, adding diverseness to the energy mix and avoiding an over-dependence on imported dodo fuels, peculiarly gas. However, by 2024, all but one of the atomic power Stationss will hold closed based on current published accounting life-times. There are besides certain characteristics of atomic power workss that contribute to the security of energy supply to us. Nuclear coevals extends the geographical spread of our energy imports, because there are uranium militias in parts such as Australia and Canada, which are different locations where the planetary militias of fossil fuels are found. In the cost informations, with the capital but high fuel and operating costs low, this means that the coevals costs are comparatively immune to fluctuations in fuel monetary values. This is in contrast to fossil fuel coevals, and ownership of atomic power as portion of the mix adds an component of stableness in sweeping energy monetary values in the UK. Nuclear energy is the most economical when tally continuously, so it is in a good place to run into the demand for base-load power in the United Kingdom. And complete the enlargement of atomic energy to bring forth more intermittent renewable energy such as air current power. Safety and security of atomic power Nuclear power workss pose safety and security, wellness and nonproliferation hazards should be managed. Consequently, there is a regulative system in the United Kingdom regulating the bing installations and protection against hazards originating from any new workss to atomic energy. This system is capable to international control. A reappraisal conducted late by the International Atomic Energy Agency that the system in the United Kingdom and regulative advanced, flexible and crystalline, and was a high grade of preparation for inspectors and experts with experience. United Kingdom did non hold the incident at a atomic power works where there was a civilian fire off from the radioactive stuff. Analysis by the European Commission on the atomic possible indicates that the events in the United Kingdom and the possibility of a major incident – the prostration in the reactor nucleus every bit good as the failure of the containment construction – is one in 2.4 billion yearly reactor. By manner of comparing, it is believed that the hazard of a meteor at a distance of one kilometre to make the land, which can be a great planetary environmental impacts, and can be one in 0.5 million yearly. However, a major atomic accident, despite the presence of really low chance of occurring, would hold serious effects for large-scale, so they should see really carefully whether it is sensible to run such a hazard. The wellness hazards of exposure to radiation from atomic power workss are really little, and there are legal bounds radiation dosage in topographic point, both for the workers in the atomic industry and the general populace. Average dose to a member of the populace as a consequence of discharges from the atomic power industry is 0.015 % of the one-year dosage from all beginnings. Independent Commission on the medical facets of radiation in the environment ( COMARE ) did non place any grounds of increased incidents of childhood malignant neoplastic disease in countries environing atomic power workss. Although the atomic power Stationss pose some hazards that can non be avoided terrorist act, and the Office of Civil Nuclear Security ( OCNS ) , the supervisory organic structure for security, is satisfied that the bing security system, strong and effectual, which allows new workss to atomic power to be built is non likely to materially increase the hazards to the UK, because any proposals for new workss, atomic power would merely be allowed to continue if it met the rigorous regulative demands in full, harmonizing to most up to day of the month menace appraisal. Waste and decommissioning Nuclear power workss generate durable radioactive waste that needs to be handled carefully and stored and disposed of at the terminal of the twenty-four hours in a installation suited for long-run direction. The United Kingdom has a big bequest of atomic waste. To be administered, although the bulk of this waste is low degree of radiation, there is besides a higher degree waste and exhausted fuel from atomic power workss that you need. In 2007, the Government updated its policy on the low degree waste direction, and gave duty to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority ( NDA ) to develop and keep a national scheme to turn to the low degree atomic waste. This will include identifying extra capacity to a disposal installation of the present United Kingdom will non supply adequate capacity for waste expected from the decommissioning of the Stationss in the United Kingdom of atomic energy. Nuclear energy can supply important benefits for future coevalss, peculiarly in footings of cut downing C emanations, and contribute to energy security and hence economic growing. It is likely to be more cost-efficient than alternate signifiers of low-carbon coevals. However, the constitution of atomic waste is besides a possible load at a clip, which requires active direction or attention and care, and radioactive waste remains unsafe for many old ages to come. This needs to be balanced against the possibility that without new atomic power, a greater proportion of the capacity to replace the workss and fossil fuel power Stationss will come from extra dodo fuel energy. Increase the sum of dodo fuel works would increase emanations of C dioxide in the ambiance, which aggravates the job of clime alteration from man-made. Furthermore, a determination non to let energy companies the option of puting in new workss of atomic energy would intend that less than one beginning to bring forth el ectricity will be available for future coevalss, which could hold deductions for the diverseness in the hereafter and security of supply. Allowing energy companies to construct new atomic power would make a new radioactive waste that need to be managed. Compared with the bing atomic power Stationss in the United Kingdom, and designs of power workss being built would make less waste by volume because of the improved and more efficient reactor designs that use less of the ingredients. Because their lives are longer than expected, they generate more electricity. But this means that there will be a greater addition in radiation compared with an addition in the volume of waste – chiefly from the spent fuel – although as is the instance with all radioactive stuff activity will worsen with the transition of clip. Environmental impacts of atomic power Nuclear power workss, like any other signifier of electricity coevals works, affect the local environment and landscape. Construction and transit of H2O usage for chilling, fabrication, excavation, fuel, and transmittal will besides take to environmental impacts. Not all of these considerations are alone to atomic energy. Could be the ability to bring forth electricity once more, including renewable energy beginnings, have an impact on the landscape and local wildlife. As with all developments of the power substructure, it will be for the private sector energy companies to turn up to develop proposals for any new workss, atomic power, if the authorities concludes after this audience, which should let them to do these investings. She noted that the industry sites most likely to last are likely to be next to bing atomic power Stationss The ethical considerations of leting new atomic waste to be produced The Government agrees that the creative activity of new waste raises ethical issues and that these should be the topic of consideration with the populace through this audience. Nuclear energy may supply important benefits for future coevalss, peculiarly in footings of cut downing emanations of CO2, and generate wealth. However, the constitution of atomic waste is besides a possible load at a clip, which requires active direction or attention and care. Radioactive waste remains unsafe for many old ages to come, and if non treated decently, can be a load on future coevalss. Some unsafe radioactive isotopes remain in topographic point for 10s to 100s of 1000s of old ages, although the radiation will of the natural decay significantly to background degrees over clip. Such long-run hazard is non alone to atomic power – other countries of human activity affecting the usage of risky stuffs, such as heavy metals such as lead and Cd, which in contrast to radioactive stuff does non go less serious over clip. The Government has developed the rules of sustainable development through which issues related to atomic energy and can be considered. These rules are: Populating within environmental bounds. Achieving a sustainable economic system. Using sound scientific discipline responsibly. Guaranting a strong, healthy and merely society. Promoting good administration. Specifically, the rule of sustainable development requires that the benefits accruing to current coevalss should non negatively impact the quality of life for future coevalss. Therefore, when you consider the building of new atomic moralss, and we need in peculiar to measure how to make a waste now, which provides benefits for current coevalss in footings of carbon-free electricity and balances against the possible load imposed on future coevalss. Finally, the determination non to let new atomic power to play the function of one means that less a beginning of power will be available for future coevalss. This could hold deductions for the diverseness in the hereafter, and security of supply, and hence must be considered with other ethical issues raised. It should non be intergenerational issues of radioactive waste could be considered in isolation, but along with long-run impact of clime alteration. Should see the demand to convey the balance between the creative activities of extra radioactive waste with an addition in emanations of C dioxide that will be produced if the decrease of energy demand from fossil fuel workss alternatively of new atomic power. Decision Nuclear energy has some particular characteristics that can lend to accomplishing the aim of procuring the supply of electricity. there are some limitations on the part that can be provided by atomic energy to security of supply, and all the techniques and restrictions. Can non be that security of supply can be achieved by trusting on one engineering or fuel owing to uncertainness about how future events ( particular rates and cost and demand ) may blossom over clip, and how they affect the ability of power system to run into the demands of the United Kingdom of energy. Clearly, so, that atomic energy can supply benefits in guaranting security in the hereafter of the electricity supply as portion of a diverse coevals mix.

Easily Misunderstood Essay

How often have you found yourself talking to someone close to you, thinking the conversation is going along great when the other person reacts in an irritated manner? Or even an anxious manner? You think back to what you have said, reviewing your comments and nothing sticks out as being particularly bad. Well you have just experienced a misunderstanding. For many people, their communication skills with loved ones are not as strong as they think† (Anon. , 2011, p. 1). Communication is a two way street where both people need to be traveling the same direction. When one person gets off course or veers then we have a miscommunication. In the article entitled, â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† study co-author Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, explained, â€Å"Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight. Getting close to someone appears to create the illusion of understanding more than actual understanding† (as cited in Anon. , 2011, p. 1). I had just such a miscommunication take place tonight. â€Å"As social animals, we want and need connections with other people† (Soles, 2011, p. 22). Tonight I experienced a miscommunication with my family. We were planning to get together as we usually try to do on Monday nights, due to misunderstanding and miscommunication on everyone’s part we did not end up getting together. I wanted that connection to my family. So alas I write this paper about that very miscommunication instead. Our first mistake was trying to organize it through texting and two different people trying to coordinate it at the same time. That never works. Secondly, my mom assumed no one was going to show up so she made other plans before waiting for any of us to answer back. The only plus to the experience is she did let us know in time so we didn’t head to her house and accidentally show up when her friend did too. To avoid this type of miscommunication in the future we could talk on the phone or email everyone at one time. Also clarify when one thinks the response is in the negative and not the affirmative. If one of us is questioning an answer as iffy then ask the sender to clarify their response and not assume it is an automatic no. These days with all the social media, texting, emailing, etc. I find miscommunications to be more prevalent and more abundant. Many of us have had our feelings hurt by a simple misunderstanding or misspelling when receiving an electronic message. In my example from tonight there were too many veering cars on our road to communicating though luckily no collisions. Had we just communicated more openly and honestly not assuming anything we could have avoided the misunderstandings and any potential hurt feelings. Communication is a two way street but you both have to be going the same direction or it leads to miscommunication.

Nationalism vs. Cosmopolitanism Essays

Nationalism vs. Cosmopolitanism Essays Nationalism vs. Cosmopolitanism Essay Nationalism vs. Cosmopolitanism Essay The continuing phenomenon of globalization has caused scholars to recognize distinctions and ultimately relationships between the global and local in the context of social, political and cultural affairs. â€Å"Cosmopolitans and Locals in World Culture† by Ulf Hannerz approaches an understanding of the relationship between cosmopolitanism and locality in the world through the lens of the individual, while Mary Kaldor’s â€Å"Cosmopolitanism Versus Nationalism: The New Divide? addresses the conflict between the application of cosmopolitanism in the political arena and notions of new nationalism. Together these articles suggest the seemingly oppositional forces of global and local are interdependent and recognize the declining influence of the nation-state and territorial boundaries as means for identity. Hannerz asserts cosmopolitanism as a perspective or approach to grappling with meaning, and addresses the views assumed by cosmopolitan individuals. Cosmopolitans seek to engage and participate with other cultures, for â€Å"the perspective of the cosmopolitan must entail relationships to a plurality of cultures understood as distinctive entities† (Hannerz 239). Hannerz claims cosmopolitanism as an orientation towards diversity, such that the individual experience can be characteristic of several different cultures. In experiencing different cultures, the cosmopolitan seeks contrast not uniformity. This mind-set, as Hannerz suggests, requires a kind of competence in which the individual attains the â€Å"personal ability to make one’s way into other cultures, through listening, looking, intuiting and reflecting† (Hannerz 239). This cultural competence is required for integrating oneself into a foreign system of affairs and engaging in a particular culture. In addressing the cosmopolitan’s competence with regard to foreign cultures, Hannerz points out a paradoxical relation between notions of mastery and surrender. While a cosmopolitan may piece together separate cultural experiences to shape his own perspective, Hannerz affirms a cosmopolitan must surrender to all the elements of an alien culture in order to truly experience it. Thus a sense of mastery comes from surrendering cultural origins, for â€Å"cosmopolitan’s surrender to the alien culture implies personal autonomy vis-a-vis the culture where he originated† (Hannerz 240). This implies that the cosmopolitan may disengage from his culture of origin to engage in alien cultures and vice-versa. This engagement differentiates from that of a tourist. While tourists act as spectators to a culture, cosmopolitans refute the notions of tourism and seek participation. Hannerz asserts a cosmopolitan’s dependence on locals. He introduces the concern that the emergence of a world culture will result in the homogenization of the global resulting in the loss of local culture. However, Hannerz contends that cosmopolitans, like locals, carry a shared interest in cultural diversity and the preservation of local culture. Yet, in order for cosmopolitans to engage themselves in alien cultures, these cultures must be willing to accommodate them. An interdependent relationship exists, therefore, between cosmopolitanism and locality, in which locals must accommodate cosmopolitans and cosmopolitans seek to preserve cultural diversity. Mary Kaldor characterizes globalization as a reorganization of power, which places emphasis on the global and local while undermining the influence of the nation-state. Kaldor points out the shift from vertically organized cultures, which were determined by territory and religion, to horizontally organized cultures that emerged from transnational networks. This process of globalization creates inclusive transnational networks of people and, in doing so, it leaves out the expansive majority. In terms of economic effects, globalization has caused the supply of products to be based on demand and not territorially based mass production. Kaldor asserts this economic shift has caused â€Å"global and local levels of organization [to] have grown in importance while national levels of organization, associated with an emphasis on production, have correspondingly declined† (Kaldor 44). Globalization has caused a transition from emphasis on nation-state level collaboration to global and local levels of collaboration. Kaldor asserts the growth of transnational institutions has promoted direct links between local and global efforts. Local and regional politics have influenced formal and informal forms of cooperation between separate countries, such as eco-friendly initiatives to recycle and control waste. Also, Kaldor notes that nongovernmental organizations have played a role in bypassing national governance to promote humanitarian efforts. These NGOs â€Å"are most active at the local and transnational levels partly because these are the sites of the problems they are concerned with and partly because the formulation of national policy remains the closely guarded province of nationally organized political parties† (Kaldor 45). Despite NGOs having little influence over national governments, national forms of government are increasing transnational links and, as a result, government organizations are decentralizing and becoming more horizontally organized. Kaldor addresses the notion of new nationalism as a response to globalization, which affirms the weakening influence of nation-states. This notion of new nationalism presupposes â€Å"a renewed commitment to existing nation-states and a rediscovery or reinvention of past greatness and past injustices† (Kaldor 48). Kaldor asserts a â€Å"we-them† distinction in which â€Å"we† identifies a common culture and â€Å"them† identifies a foreign enemy on the basis of military threat or separate ethnicity. This new nationalism comes from a reaction to the weakening legitimacy of political classes and a reaction to globalization by virtue of the â€Å"new legal and illegal ways of making a living that have sprung up among the excluded parts of society† (Kaldor 49). This new nationalism is used as a form of political mobilization, yet historically the use of nationalism as a source of political mobility has proven to be a cause of corruption. Kaldor explains that since globalization generates efficiency and high productivity through technology and concern of local demand, the unemployment rate among factory workers has risen. This creates resentment to notions of globalization by the unemployed and, thus, the desire for nation-state protection of jobs. Kaldor asserts this is counter-productive and suggests a solution in which a â€Å"transnational layer of governance†¦would co-exist with other layer[s] –national, local, and regional† to protect local communities and help with problems such as pollution, violence and poverty (Kaldor 54). Kaldor claims that resting political power in the forum of nation-states is inefficient since nation-states have become impotent. While Mary Kaldor provides a focused social/political account of cosmopolitanism and Hannerz offers an account centered on individual experiences, both articles affirm the mutual relationship between notions of cosmopolitanism and locality. Kaldor claims â€Å"the divide between cosmopolitanism and nationalism [which] can be interpreted as a contest for the post-nation-state political order –between those who favor a new diversity of transnational, national and local forms of sovereignty and those who want to build fractional territorial fiefdoms† (Kaldor 56). Both authors agree on the merits of promoting international networks and refute the arbitrary drawing of territorial lines to empower nation-states and instead favor the empowerment of transnational processes that place emphasis on relations between the local and global. Bibliography Hannerz, Ulf. 1990. â€Å"Cosmopolitans and Locals in World Culture† Theory, Culture, and Society 7:237-251. Kaldor, Mary. 1996. â€Å"Cosmopolitanism vs. Nationalism, The New Divide? † from Richard Caplan and John Feffer, eds. Europe’s New Nationalisms: Stats and Minorities in Conflict. Oxford University Press. 42-57.

Everything You Need to Know History of The Great Gatsby

Everything You Need to Know History of The Great Gatsby SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What exactly makes The Great Gatsby so â€Å"great?† Why did your English teacher choose this book in particular, when there are dozens of other great American novels from the twentieth century? Has it always been this popular? This article explains how The Great Gatsbynovel went from an unpopular flop during its time to a great American classic today, and how that history could affect your approach to the book. Read on to learn the story of The Great Gatsby’s unlikely path to fame, and why you should care. Why Does the Critical History of The Great GatsbyMatter? Understanding what helped Gatsby take hold as an American classic – its beautiful prose, the elusive Gatsby himself – can guide your approach to writing about the book. You’ll understand what the big picture ideas are and what your teacher is most likely trying to get at in teaching The Great Gatsby. As a general rule, if you’re reading Gatsby in a literature class, you’ll likely spend a lot of time analyzing itsliterary devices, symbols, and characters. But if you’re reading Gatsby in a history or American Studies class, you can expect to focus more on itsbig-picture themes(particularly its exploration of the American dream)and historical context (Gatsby as a record of the 1920s). Understanding Gatsby’s history could also help you if you’re approaching the novel from a more modern perspective.If you’re writing about the role of gender, sexuality, or race in the novel (as opposed to the tried-and-true American Dream topic), it's important to understand how these aspects of the novel were initially recieved. If nothing else, thishistory explains why you have been assigned The Great Gatsby in class! The GreatGatsby in the 1920s and 1930s The Great Gatsbynovel was first published in 1925, during the height of the Roaring ‘20s (the nickname for the post-WWIeconomic boom). Great Gatsby Composition History Gatsby was Fitzgerald’s third novel, and in writing it, he consciously set out to write something more artistic and creative than his previous two books. It took him about two and a half years to write and edit it, in between a failed play production, financial struggles, and a move to France. (See our short biography ofFitzgerald’s lifefor more.) Fitzgerald also didn’t like the title his publisher insisted on – his preferred title was â€Å"Trimalchio† or â€Å"Trimalchio in West Egg† (read our articleabout the title and alternate titlesof theGreat Gatsbyfor more info). But he was facing a deadline, and both his editor, Maxwell Perkins, and his wife, Zelda, were pushing him to finish. Great GatsbyReviews Gatsby debuted in March 1925 to lukewarm critical reviews. Many critics in the 1920s didn’t think The Great Gatsby was as good as Fitzgerald’s previous novels, especially his debut,This Side of Paradise. While he received private letters of praise from the writers T. S. Eliot, Willa Cather, and Edith Wharton, the public critical reviews were mixed at best. As quoted in a New York Times retrospective of The Great Gatsby, critics at the time were rather cold, saying that Gatsby was"clever and brilliantly surfaced but not the work of a wise and mature novelist." Other reviewers felt it was "a little slack, a little soft, more than a little artificial, [falling] into the class of negligible novels." The noted writer H. L. Mencken said that it was "certainly not to be put on the same shelf with, say, This Side of Paradise," and Isabel Paterson remarked that "what has never been alive cannot very well go on living; so this is a book for the season only." However, there were some positive reviews. The Los Angeles Times critic said, â€Å"Character could not be more skillfully revealed than it is here."The New York Times critic called it â€Å"A curious book, a mystical, glamorous story of today. It takes a deeper cut at life than hitherto has been enjoyed by Mr. Fitzgerald. He writes well - he always has - for he writes naturally, and his sense of form is becoming perfected.† The Great Gatsby:Commercial Failure However, despite those small bits of praise, the novel was not a commercial success. Fitzgerald hoped it would sell 75,000 copies, but it didn’t even sell 20,000 in its initial run. Thislack of success probablycontributed to Fitzgerald’s alcoholism and writer’s block after the publication of Gatsby (he didn’t publish Tender is the Night until 1934). While The GreatGatsby was kept alive by the publisher (Scribner) through the 1930s, and attracted a small literary following, it wasn’t widely read. (One interesting exception is J.D. Salinger, whose character, Buddy Glass, says Gatsby was his Tom Sawyer.) In 1934,Gatsby was reissued byThe Modern Library, a renowned publisher of classics, but was again dropped in 1939. Apparently, at the time ofFitzgerald’s death in 1940, Scribner had molderingcopies of the book in their warehouse. In short, during Fitzgerald’s life, Gatsby always fell just shy of â€Å"great† in the American public consciousness. Revival During WWII During WWII, the Red Cross started a program to send pocket-sized books to U.S. soldiers stationed abroad, as well as those being held in prison camps. The GreatGatsby was one of the books selected, and was consequently shipped to thousands of American soldiers during the war. By 1945, 123,000 pocket-sized copies of Gatsby had been shipped to American soldiers. The story of unrequited love and the failure of the American Dream resonated with the young men fighting abroad. This allowed the novelto suddenly become popular with a mass audience, and to get more attention from literary critics. In 1945, a new edition of The Great Gatsbywas published. In the introduction, Lionel Trilling wrote,â€Å"Fitzgerald is now beginning to take his place in our literary tradition.† It was also reprinted by Bantam Books. Full-length articles about Gatsby appeared in 1946. One literary critic, William Troy, said in an article that the novelwas â€Å"one of the few truly mythological creations in our recent literature,† which speaks to not only Gatsby’s growing acceptance in the literary canon, but also the sense critics had that there was something special about it. Throughout the 1950s,The Great Gatsbycontinued to grow in popularity and was the subject of a lot of literary criticism (a.k.a. writing about literature) – which is important because critical attention by professors and graduate students causedThe Great Gatsby to be placed on more college syllabi. This eventually trickled down to high school classes and caused Gatsby to become more and more popular each year. The 1960s - Present By the 1960s, The Great Gatsby was regarded as an American classic. The New York Times, in the retrospective piece mentioned above, confidently stated: â€Å"It is probably safe now to say that it is a classic of twentieth-century American fiction.† With the 1920s firmly in the past, the novel could be appreciated both as a reflection of that particular time period and a well-written character study of Gatsby and those surrounding him. (Perhaps readers and critics in the 1920s didn’t take kindly to the brutally honest portrayal of those decadent times.) The prose, symbolism, and relatively short length also made it a popular choice with English teachers and literature professors. Moreover, the timelessness of the novel's themes – the broken promise of the American Dream, doomed love – make it a consistently popular choice to be assigned very commonly both in high school and in college classes. Literary critics and writers have continued to find new angles and approaches to Gatsby in recent years. For example, one professor contends Jay Gatsby is actually part black, but passing as white, while Dana Goldstein and other feminist critics have come to Daisy Buchanan’s defense. Finally, in the twenty-first century, Gatsby’s continued popularity has made it a cultural touchstone. Search for â€Å"Gatsby† online and you’ll find dozens of pages about Gatsby-themed parties and costumes, as well as all sorts of articles about the recent (2013) film adaptation. So even though Gatsby wasn’t popular in its time, it has now become a classic book and a cultural touchstone. Further Reading NPR: How Gatsby Went From a Moldering Flop to a Great American Novel The New York Times: Gatsby at 35 Maureen Corrigan, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures What’s Next? Check out our biography of F. Scott Fitzgeraldto learn more about where and how The GreatGatsby was written. Ready to jump in? Check out our guides to Gatsby’s title, its opening pages and epigraph, and the first chapter. Or,start with a summary of The Great Gatsby, along with links to all ourgreat articles analyzing this novel! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Land Law problem question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Land Law problem question - Essay Example No individual joint tenant holds any specific share in the property. The following are features of joint tenancy: i) the presence of the ‘four unities’ which are unities of possession, interest, title and time and ii) right of survivorship. If land is conveyed to more that four persons, the first four of legal age named in the conveyance hold the legal estate as trustees (LPA 1925, s.34(2)) and joint tenants. If the transfer or conveyance contains the following phrases that the parties hold ‘as joint tenants’ or 'as tenants in common' or 'in equal shares’ or ‘equally’ or 'share and share alike' (words of severance). All these and similar terms negate a joint tenancy in equity as discussed in the case of Sleebush v. Gordon & Others [2004] All ER (D) 148 (Sep). But in the absence of contrary evidence, co-owners are presumed to hold the equitable interest as joint tenants in accordance with the principle â€Å"equity follows the law† as held in the case of Stack v Dowden [2007] UKHL 17. However, this presumption can be displaced and should not be embarked upon except in cases of unusual nature. Until recently, where purchasers contributed unequally to the purchase price, there was an equitable presumption of a tenancy in common rebuttable by evidence of contrary intention as held in the case of Goodman v Gallant [1986] 1 Fam LR 513. ... Scarborow[2004] EWCA Civ 411 (business partnership), and Malayan Credit v. Jack-Chia MPH Ltd [1986] AC 549 (business tenants). One of the great benefits of a joint tenancy with right of survivorship is that the property does not have to go through probate. Probate is the legal process that occurs when one person dies, and a court deals with that person's property and debts according to a will or, if the person had no will, state law. Probate is often annoying and time-consuming. Joint tenants, however, do not have to go through probate for their property because the transfer of ownership is automatic. 1 Anent the desire of X to leave her share in the house to the charity in the will, my advise to her is that, under the doctrine of the right of survivorship (jus accrescendi), on the death of one joint tenant, the entire estate remains vested in the surviving joint tenants, who continue to be treated as a single unit. The deceased joint tenant’s interest ends on death and is sub sumed into the interests of the survivor(s) so that nothing passes to his beneficiaries. Unless the beneficial joint tenancy has been severed prior to death, the dead man’s estate will have no claim on the property in question. 2 The right of survivorship takes precedence over any disposition made in the deceased joint tenant’s will, or over any rules of intestacy. Hence, even if X will dispose her share in the house in her will, leaving this to the chosen charity, the same cannot be given credence. The law does not recognize an attempt at severance by will because of the right of survivorship. My advise to Z is that, if she will apply to the court for an order that No 6 Belitha Villas be sold, she has the onus of proving the severance since she was the one who is seeking

Ibn Roshd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ibn Roshd - Essay Example From 1169 to 1172, he was the judge of Seville and later on being the chief judge of Cordova from 1172 to 1182. He became the physician of the royal court on 1182. He was exiled on 1195 and died in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1198 (Hassan, 1). He was noted to be having a wide range of impact in philosophy not just in terms of Islamic works but also in terms of the works by Jewish philosophers. Saint Thomas Aquinas pertained to him as â€Å"The Commentator† as the saint believed Averroes had a major role in the rediscovery of Aristotle’s philosophical works (Maslaha.Org). He influenced a handful of writers and his name was mentioned in their literary masterpieces. Dante referred to him as the man â€Å"who made the great commentary† (Maslaha.Org). Ibn Rushd’s Tahafut Al-Tahafut (The Incoherence of the Incoherence) is considered to be his most influential literary work. In the said book, Aristotle’s philosophy against Al-Ghazali’s claims that Aristotleanism was inconsistent and was insulting Islam. Here he showed being fair towards religion and not siding thoughts or beliefs that were meant to destroy the relationship of religion and philosophy. He did not turn away from his religious beliefs but instead he is incorporating it into studies in the field of science for the advantage of both fields (Rushd & Van der Bergh, 156-161). His works are still being commended and recognized. It is not because he is an Islam who had a grasped of Jewish Philosophy but because he disregarded one’s religion to accommodate ideas and studies to be able to fully understand what was meant by certain literary works without having a negative connotation. Usually when a literary work is written, bias can be considered inevitable that can oppose or agree because of a writer’s race, ethnicity or

A Position Paper for the Enhancement of the Strategic Ability of Air Essay

A Position Paper for the Enhancement of the Strategic Ability of Air Asia - Essay Example Following sections presents the strategies and the enhancement proposed accordingly. 1. Air Asia to control its costs and source of funding for purchase of new fleet of aircrafts. Increase of fleets’ strategy. Air Asia wants to continue to be the lowest cost short-haul airline in every market it goes in. In considering this vision, the action required is significant investment in aircrafts, distribution channels, production capacity and working capital. In this situation, there is a need to determine first if Air Asia has the capability to raise funds and its financial worth. Financial resources. Financial worth of Air Asia as of 2009 shows current net assets of RM 511,284 million which is an improvement from its RM 263,085 million current net assets in 2008. It has the ability to raise funds from creditors and shareholder, its debt/equity ratio is 2.61 and a net profit margin of 16.2%. A debt equity ratio is a measure of the company’s financial leverage and indicates w hat proportion of debt and equity the company is using to finance its assets. A high debt ratio means that the company is using a lot of debt in financing its assets as in the case of Air Asia. However, in further analysis, capital intensive industry generally has a high debt ratio of 2 (Investopedia, n.d.) Air Asia has a net cash flow of RM598million, equivalent to $181.2 million (Air Asia.com). Air Asia reports of 21.1% profit after tax margin in Malaysia, 1.8% profit after tax margin in Thailand and 17% profit after tax margin in Indonesia (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, 2010). Chart 1 shows the EBITDAR margin and profit after tax margin in 2Q2010 for year 2010l. It will be noted that after deducting... The study analyzed the strategies used in each strategy of Air Asia, had seen its strength as well as weakness in achieving targets. On this, proposals for enhancement have been recommended. On the first position that requires funding for purchase of additional new aircrafts for new routes and replacement of old ones, recommendation is to get funding from long term debt because of tax advantages. Getting funds from outside sources will save the cash flows for internal operations of the company. Second position pertains to inventory management that will require management to maintain an RFID technology along with a perpetual inventory system that will track inventory and supplies of the airline company in its various segments. The third position calls for a study on the cost saving realized by the on line system of booking to properly explain to stakeholders the benefit of the strategy and to outline further enhancements. The fourth proposition is a recommendation for promotions and a dvertising to attract more customers in order to maximize use of airline capacity. The fifth position is the continuous training and skills development of employees as airline business is dependent on skills of employees particularly in aircraft flying and maintenance. This paper makes a conclusion that a position is presented that needs government approval for a patent to protect brand image of Air Asia as the lowest cost airline carrier in the region.

What Does it Mean to be Healthy? Reflective Essay

What Does it Mean to be Healthy? Reflective Essay Health, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder and a single definition cannot capture its complexity. To this end, this essay aims to explore what health means to me and how it has been influenced by the experience of coping with my mothers chronic illness. To me, health transcends the absence of disease to include the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person; it means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation of a fulfilling life; it also means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about. Describe For a period of time, my mother has been complaining of pain in her joints, hips and more recently, her back. I always had a bad feeling that there was something sinister about her pain even though our general practitioner could not pinpoint anything serious after several differential diagnoses. However, as she has a family history of joint pains, I chose to be in a state of denial to her pain and attributed it to a genetic condition she had that would go away with time. However, that was not the case. My family observed that my mother was getting more emotionally irritable as time went by, and the nagging pain meant that she often found reasons not to take part in social activities that we organized. It got to the extent that she was constantly lying in bed and could not do her favourite activities, such as going to the market, without considering the amount of movements she would have to go through. The radiating pain also gave her sleepless nights and all these were taking a toll on her quality of life, among many other factors. It was debilitating. And as her daughter, I felt helpless. More so because I was studying medicine, and was plagued with the guilt of not being able to relieve the suffering of the person I loved the most. The persistent pain worsened and my family decided to consult a specialist for a second opinion. A tumour was suspected. While the specialist made his diagnosis, I was very worried for my mother. I tried to prepare myself mentally to cope with the worst case scenarios, and this affected me emotionally and psychologically. I had no one to turn to as I did not want to worry others, and was at a loss of what to do. The results later revealed that my mother was diagnosed with a benign tumour (spine haemangioma). The specialist said that it was the lesser evil because it was not malignant, but that she would feel chronic pain throughout her life. What provided comfort to my family was the knowledge that there were treatments available to contain the tumour through methods such as radiotherapy and physiotherapy. Reflect It pains me to know that the person I love would be put through suffering both from the disease and its treatment, and I wished I could be the one going through it instead. Upon reflection, I realize that I had not been dealing with my emotions effectively. The fear of finding out more and my escapist mentality had prompted me to create an internal barrier, such that I could not provide the care and support for my mother as I would have liked her to have felt. Health means the holistic wellbeing of a person Witnessing her chronic suffering has made me realise that health does not merely mean the absence of disease but it requires a more holistic view which encompasses the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person. I used to think of health as merely the absence of physical pain that arose from diseases, and to this extent, the physicians task of relieving suffering was merely to alleviate the immediate physical pain and discomfort. However the literature I was exposed to on the nature of suffering in ill persons made me come to the realisation of my limited understanding of the term suffering. Through my research to understand the multi-faceted dimension of a person, and what suffering entails, I hope to be able to better understand what my mother is going through (albeit only the tip of the ice berg). Health means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation for a fulfilling life As the Catalan proverb goes, from the bitterness of disease, man learns the sweetness of health. I have too often taken for granted the gift of health that empowers a healthy individual to pursue things that matter in life not only ones aspirations or happiness, but down to the little things that affects our everyday living. For instance, I have seen how the chronic pain influenced my mothers daily routine, and brought much discomfort when travelling or doing household chores. I have come to appreciate that health enables individuals to use their body as a vessel to fulfil their dreams and satisfy their needs without being tied down or be restricted by suffering. Health is thus the basis which enables people to pursue happiness and wealth, aptly worded by Elbert Hubbard, who said, If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want. It takes a loss of health to appreciate these words o f wisdom. Health means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about I always thought of Health as merely a personal responsibility and a duty that an individual owed only to himself. However, this experience has prompted me to comprehend how the absence of health in individuals will affect the mental, social and physical health of their loved ones as well. Research, analyse and connect The academic literature available allows me to gain a deeper insight on what health means to me and allows me to make sense of my experience in a broader context through considering the perspectives of others. Through examining the concept of human suffering brought about by the absence of good health, I learnt about the distinction between suffering and pain. A person who is in pain may not feel a proportional sense of suffering it is similarly possible for one to suffer even in the absence of pain. (Sanders 2009) In light of my mothers chronic illness, I was prompted to examine the literature on human suffering which made me realised that my understanding of the word suffering was limited at best. While I had always aspired to be a doctor to relieve the pain and suffering of people, I was of the view that human suffering was synonymous with physical pain brought upon an ill person due to diseases. However, literature has shown that suffering goes beyond the physical pain, and suffering defined merely as pain, disregards the broader significance of the suffering experienced by the ill. (Charmaz 2008) Suffering includes physical pain, but it is not limited to it. It can be understood by examining the many aspects of a holistic person and when any of these aspects is threatened, suffering ensues. These aspects may include a persons past, his or her role in society, relationships with others, day-to-day behaviour, and perception of the future. (Cassell 2004) The persistent pain my mother experienced affected her ability to do things that she had long associated herself with, such as playing tennis or climbing the stairs. In addition, my mother may have seen herself as being defined by several societal roles, such as being a wife, mother, caregiver to her parents, and a useful member of society. If the pain overwhelms her and restricts her from fulfilling these roles, she may see herself as being less than whole, and this may contribute to her perpetual suffering. In considering the holistic person and the suffering which impacts upon the many aspects of a person other than physical afflictions, it confirmed my understanding that health should also mean the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person. By understanding the multiple aspects of a personhood, I now better appreciate why medical education is shifting its emphasis from the traditional reductionist biomedical model of medicine to the biopsychosocial model of health. The limitations of the biomedical model is that it treats diseases in terms of abnormal physical mechanisms (Engel 2002) and this is inadequate in relieving sufferings in patients, as we now understand it to transcend the physical mechanisms to also encompass the holistic well-being of a person. The implications of the failure of physicians to understand the nature of sufferings can lead to medical interventions that (though technically adequate) not only fails to relieve suffering but becomes a source of su ffering itself. (Cassell 2004) This reflective practice also gives me a timely opportunity to evaluate my emotions and thoughts against that of the wider community. Relevant academic studies have shown that chronic illnesses also has an impact of the lives of caregivers. (Jung-Won Zebrack 2004) The emotions and thoughts that I felt were validated by researchers that show that receiving news of the chronic illness of a loved one can provoke emotions such as sadness, denial, grief and guilt. This may be due to guilty feelings of not giving adequate support to the ill person or it could be due to the emotional pain of feeling the loss of a loved ones health. (McIntyre 2005) It is important to attend to the impact of chronic illness on caregivers as research has shown that the holistic health of a caregiver has the potential to influence the health outcomes of persons with chronic illness. (WE 1999) Suggested methods of coping with these emotions include talking to someone; being informed about the disease as it give s the caregiver a sense of control; and accepting that there is a limit to the relief that a caregiver can provide. (familydoctor.org 2010) Decide, act and evaluate In light of the reflective writing and the academic literature reviewed, I hope that this will help me to come to terms and cope with the negative emotions I felt since receiving news of my mothers tumour. I can approach this by confiding in someone I am comfortable with, confronting my escapist mentality by finding out more about my mothers spinal haemangioma, and being aware of the treatments that she is going through. Her treatment is likely to expand over a long period of time, and she would need much emotional support and love from me. I have to be open to discussions about her illness and not evade any conversation on the topic as I did before. This reflective practice has also helped me to be more understanding and sensitive to the suffering of patients and their families. As a medical student, I have been made aware that the suffering of patients extends beyond physical pain, and that it is necessary for physicians to focus on patient-centred medicine and attend to the biopsychosocial model of health. It is also important to be aware of the impact that caring for a chronic ill patient has on the caregiver. To this end, I can be proactive as a future practitioner in asking caregivers how they are coping, and provide them with support services that they can turn to. I have also realised the important roles that practitioners play in preparing caregivers for the transition of roles to care for the ill, and in helping them anticipate changes that may occur in their lives. This gives caregivers a better sense of control over the situation, and increases their confidence in caring for the patient. A major takeaway from reflecting on what health means to me has been my understanding of the importance of medical practitioner to focus not only on curing diseases but also to relieve the sufferings of patients, understood holistically. To me, health transcends the absence of disease to include the physical, psychological and social well-being of a person; it means the empowerment of the individual, and is the foundation of a fulfilling life; it also means caring about the people who care about you and whom you care about. Study: Can Miniperc Replace standard PCNL? Study: Can Miniperc Replace standard PCNL? Can Miniperc replace standard PCNL? : Appraisal of analysis of consecutive 318 patients. Or What is the contempory role of miniperc?: Appraisal of analysis of consecutive 318 patients. Introduction: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) was introduced for treatment of renal stones in 1976 (1). Over the years PCNL has undergone many modifications and improvements. These were aimed at improving the clearance of the stone and towards achieving complete clearance and also at decreasing the complications associated with it. PCNL is the standard of care for renal stones with size > 20mm and a treatment option for stones