Junior Cert Study

[email  protected] com www. cyclonerepertory. com Romeo and Juliet Session Themes & Topics 1 – Shakespeare’s Main Source: Arthur Brooke’s 3020 line narrative poem â€Å"The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet† (first published in 1562). Brooke was reported to have translated it from an Italian novella â€Å"Giulietta e Romeo†, a novella by the Italian author Matteo Bandello, written in 1554. The poem's ending differs significantly from Shakespeare's play: the nurse is banished, the apothecary is hanged for his involvement in the deception while Friar Laurence leaves Verona to live in a hermitage until he dies.Another notable plot difference is that the story takes place over nine months while Shakespeare’s version takes place over 5 days. A key theme of Brooke’s epic poem which permeates Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is: 2 – Love as a Religious Experience (or Love as a Form of Religious Worship). This idea of love is based on medieval courtly love poetry and was a strong influence on Brooke’s version of Romeo and Juliet. Love in this sense is not just lust but is tempered by patience, romance, spirituality and heroism. The language used in this poetry was full of religious references.This idea of love was borrowed by Shakespeare in his version of the tale. Here are a few examples which reflect this theme: â€Å"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine† Romeo, Act I Scene 5 â€Å"Call me but love and I’ll be new baptized. † Juliet, Act II Scene 2 â€Å"Swear by the gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry. † Juliet, Act II Scene 2 This theme of love as religious worship demonstrates the young couple’s passion and devotion to one another. This return of affection from Juliet inflames the young Romeo as opposed to his advances towards the â€Å"unfeeling† Rosaline which were not reciprocated. – Synopsis of the Play: The extract below is the synopsis as staged in â€Å"The Romeo and Juliet Session†: Day 1, Sunday: The star crossed lovers meet and fall in love. Day 2, Monday: They secretly marry in Friar Lawrence’s cell. Later, Romeo gets in a brawl with Tybalt and his best friend, Mercutio, is killed . Taking revenge, Romeo in turn kills Tybalt. For this murderous act The Prince banishes him. But before fleeing to Mantua Romeo has a passionate night with his new bride. Day 3, Tuesday: Mr. & Mrs. Capulet brutally force the rebellious Juliet to marry Paris.A now desperate Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence begging for help. He gives her a potion that induces a death-like state. Later that day Capulet moves the day of the wedding from Thursday to Wednesday. Day 4, Wednesday: The nurse finds Juliet â€Å"dead†. The wedding preparations now become funeral preparations. Romeo hears of Juliet’s death and makes the journey to Verona. Day 5, Thursday: Romeo arrives in Capulet’s tomb and takes his own life just before Juliet awakes. Seeing her dead lover by her side, the young Juliet takes Romeo’s knife and ends it. – Benvolio, Romeo & Mercutio: The function of Benvolio’s character is to provide a peaceful, passive personality in contrast to the lively and aggressive Mercutio. This is important as both characters have a significant influence on the young Romeo. Our hero demonstrates aspects of both characters at various points throughout the play. Benvolio’s character foretells an end to the feud. He is only member of Romeo’s generation to survive by the end of the play. We also know that Benvolio is trustworthy. After Mercutio has been slain, Benvolio recounts the events accurately and fairly to the Prince.Even though he belongs to one of the families in the feud, the Prince does not see it necessary to doubt his word, further proving his sincerity and earnestness. It might prove useful to think of the characters of Romeo , Mercutio and Benvolio as three brothers: Mercutio is the aggressive, jaded and, sometimes, mean eldest, Romeo is the youngest and most spoilt as he’s allowed to indulge his feelings and cries a lot and Benvolio, the middle child, is a good mediator as he helps to dissolve tensions between the two (as middle children often do in real life).However, in our Romeo and Juliet Session, the actor’s confusion over how to play Benvolio is also a devised conflict point between the actor and Shakespeare which acts as a bridge to discuss: 5 – Elizabethan Attitudes to Homosexuality: Freedom of choice, in this sense, was not allowed in Shakespeare’s day. Acceptance of Homosexuality as has been happening in today’s Western society was non-existent, at least publicly. If such attitudes were expressed in public then it could have serious repercussions as it went against acceptable norms of society.Practice of homosexuality was often punishable by death. 6  œ Lack of Female Performers: In Shakespeare’s day women were not allowed onstage, in fact it was illegal. Their place was in the home. Every female character in those days was performed by men. In this play for example, teenage boys would play the role of Juliet, and older (generally burly and heavy) men, would play the Nurse. It’s interesting to notice that the character of the pantomime Dame, can be traced back to this type of roles. Women we only allowed on stage after 1660 (many years after Shakespeare death). – Mercutio’s Queen Mab Speech: What’s the point of this monologue? Most productions of this play cut it out. Mercutio’s cynical take on love serves as a counterpoint to Romeo’s wistful one. Mercutio is warning Romeo that love is a trap that comes with many pitfalls and burdensome obligations. In addition to this Shakespeare seems to have been making a bit of a pun with the name Queen Mab. Traditionally, Queen Mab is known as the queen of the fairies. But in his time the words â€Å"quean† and â€Å"mab† were also references to whores. Ultimately, Mercutio is trying to deflate Romeo’s illusion of love.Ergo: life is not a lover’s fairytale. 8 – Medieval Tragedy: A common plot device in Medieval Tragedy is that of unseen, hostile forces determining the destiny of the lovers. Shakespeare uses this concept in the play. When Romeo says, â€Å"†¦expire the term of a despised life clos’d in my breast† (Act I Scene 4) he is foretelling his own death. This is not because he wants to die but more because he feels that it is in his fate. That’s the reason why Shakespeare call them â€Å"star crossed lovers† in the Prologue to the play: their fate’s written in the stars.But they’re ill-fated too: conspiring against them are events, coincidences and accidents. For example: 1. Romeo’s bad timing in arriving too early to Julietâ⠂¬â„¢s tomb. 2. Romeo not getting Friar Laurence’s letter explaining his scheme of Juliet’s pretended death. 3. The dark shadow of the feud influences the secretive actions of the hasty lovers. This hastiness is a tragic flaw that both characters share and it plays its part in the tragedy. In Juliet’s own words: â€Å"Too rash, too unadvised, too sudden. † (Act II Scene 2) In fact, Romeo and Juliet are fated to die.This tragic device of impending doom was meant to make the audience pity the young and innocent lovers. In Romeo’s own words: â€Å"I am fortune’s fool†. (Act III Scene 1) 9 – Love vs. Lust: Is Romeo really in love with Juliet or is he just a boy with a strong libido? Wasn’t he hopelessly in love with Rosaline before? In his own words: â€Å"The all seeing sun ne’er saw her match since first the world begun. † (Act I Scene 2). Romeo was gutted after Rosaline rejected him. If Juliet rejected him, would he have just found someone new, pined longer for Juliet, returned to Rosaline or do something else?Would it be fair to say that Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love? If we take the side of the argument that Romeo is really in love this time, then this harks back to the theme of Love as a Religious Experience. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is spiritual, heroic & romantic but it also contains lust, as in any romantic relationship. The world of Romeo and Juliet’s love is so all-consuming that, to quote John Donne, â€Å"Nothing else is†. (The Sun Rising, Stanza 3). This disregard for the outside world is the beauty of their pure love and the reason for their downfall.This meeting of these two soul mates has awoken them to a new world of feeling and passion that goes beyond anything they’ve ever known before. 10 – Conflict: All the conflicts in the play are a result of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets which we are told in the play was â€Å"Bred of an airy word† (Prince, Act I Scene 1). No one seems to know what started it in the first place. All we know is that the family’s of the Capulets and Montagues have born a grudge for a long period of time, passing on the hatred from one generation to the next, and they’re not even sure why.However, the feud between the families has an historic basis. The period referred to in the play is between 1269 & 1387. This was a time when Verona was split between competing noble families. Italians at that time were divided. Some of them favoured a government ruled by the German emperor while others were part of a congress of city-states under the moral leadership of the Pope in Rome. So noble Families would often fight over the political high ground. But what’s most important in this play is how the feud affects the young lovers and other characters.The feud is responsible for the fiery Tybalt seeking out Romeo for daring to show his face at the Capulet’s ball, it’s responsible for the lovers secret marriage, Mercutio’s and Tybalt's murders, Romeo’s banishment and the Friar’s scheme which eventually leads to Romeo and Juliet’s death. 11 – Realism vs. Telling the story: There are inconsistencies in the play: No one question why the young, 14 your old Juliet just suddenly dies. The vial of potion by her side is never found. Rosaline, was a Capulet too, a cousin of Juliet. But the feud between the families was never addressed in that case.Was Shakespeare unaware of these inconsistencies? Why were they not addressed? This has a lot to do with how writing has changed over the years. Realism as we know it was an invention of the novels of the XVIII & XIX centuries. In Shakespeare’s day there wasn’t an interest in depicting everyday life. Therefore consistency wasn’t as important as telling a story. Famous and quotes from Romeo and Juliet: Below are some quotes that you may find useful to quote in your exams. â€Å"A pair of star-crossed lovers†. Prologue â€Å"One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sunNe'er saw her match since first the world begun†, Romeo, Act I, scene 2 â€Å"O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright†, Romeo, Act I, scene 5 â€Å"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night†, Romeo, Act I, scene 5 â€Å"My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! † Juliet, Act 1, scene 5 â€Å"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? † Juliet, Act II, scene 2 â€Å"O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Juliet, Act II, scene 2 â€Å"Good Night, Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow. † Juliet, Act II, scene 2 â€Å"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. † Juliet, Act II, scene 2 â€Å"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast,† Friar Laurence, Act II, scene 3 â€Å"Men's eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. † Mercutio, Act III, scene 1 â€Å"A plague o' both your houses! † Mercutio, Act III, scene 1 â€Å"O, I am Fortune's fool! † Romeo, Act III, scene 1 â€Å"Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun. † Juliet, Act III, scene 2 â€Å"Then I defy you, stars! † Romeo, Act V, scene 1 â€Å"For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo. † Prince, Act 5, scene 3 Shakespeare’s Contribution to the English Language Shakespeare is credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with the introduction of nearly 3,000 worlds into the language. I t doesn’t mean that he created them all but that his works were the earliest citation.Below is small list of words and phrases from Shakespeare’s plays. Many widely used today: Words: †¢ Accommodation †¢ Amazement †¢ Apostrophe †¢ Assassination †¢ Auspicious †¢ Bloody †¢ Bump †¢ Courtship †¢ Critic †¢ Critical †¢ Dwindle †¢ Exposure †¢ Frugal †¢ Generous †¢ Gloomy †¢ Hurry †¢ Invulnerable †¢ Laughable †¢ Lonely †¢ Majestic †¢ Misplaced †¢ Monumental †¢ Multitudinous †¢ Obscene †¢ Pious †¢ Premeditated †¢ Radiance †¢ Road †¢ Sanctimonious †¢ Sportive †¢ Suspicious Phrases: †¢ all that glitters isn't gold †¢ as dead as a doornail †¢ break the ice †¢ catch a cold †¢ clothes make the man †¢ disgraceful conduct eaten out of house and home †¢ elbowroom †¢ fair play †¢ foregone c onclusion †¢ heart of gold †¢ heartsick †¢ hot-blooded †¢ housekeeping †¢ in a pickle †¢ in stitches †¢ in the twinkling of an eye †¢ it's Greek to me †¢ lackluster †¢ laughing stock †¢ leapfrog †¢ long-haired †¢ method in his madness †¢ mind's eye †¢ mum’s the word †¢ naked truth †¢ neither a borrower nor a lender be †¢ neither here nor there †¢ send him packing †¢ set your teeth on edge †¢ sorry sight †¢ to be or not to be †¢ to thine own self be true †¢ too much of a good thing †¢ vanish into thin air †¢ wear one's heart on one's sleeve [pic] [pic] [pic]

Artistic Nudity

Artistic censorship is the downfall of high school artwork. The classroom is being subjected to rules which limit the subject of students’ work. Censorship creates a naive and uneducated society, which in turn produces more and more generations of naive children. When a person puts their art out in the public to be judged, just that should happen. It should not be covered or hidden, censored or discarded. Art is impractically criticized based on its subject. It should be looked at as one person’s opinion, not a public’s fear.You are lying naked, exposed and vulnerable on a hard, uncushioned wooden floor. Your innermost feelings and opinions are painted out for the world to see; you can do nothing except accept the ruthless opinions of others. Exposing yourself to the public places an indescribable pit in your stomach. It puts you in the most defenseless of positions. Your beliefs are too radical. In turn, the common man suppresses them, and your vulnerability inc reases. You are shut down, pushed aside and hidden in a closet where you will sit to collect dust.Your opinions are there with you. They are unwanted by the outside world, and therefore, censored. Did you hear that dirty word just come out of your mouth? It was appalling; your mother would be ashamed of you. Censored. What were you thinking? Nothing should be censored. Nothing should sit pushed aside. It should all be out for the world to see, and to criticize. Your opinions, your artistic opinions, put into a tangible form should never, ever be hidden. Censorship is best defined as when an individual is forced to â€Å"suppress their own values, attitudes and beliefs. (Anderson and Garoian, 1996). It is the black rectangle that covers nudity, the obnoxious bleep that blocks out profanities and the curtain that discloses art work. In high school classrooms, the issue of art censorship has become increasingly prevalent in the last ten years. (Kushner, 1999). Educators, high school s taff members and community critics have begun to draw a line segregating what is acceptable and what is not. That line is continually getting tighter, meaning the level of acceptability is becoming more and more strict.Technology, warfare, politics and drug use are all maturing; with this, comes the maturity of high school students’ opinions. Then, in turn, comes advancing art: which many older (and often more conservative) people find shocking or offending. Art is created to appeal to or offend different interest groups. Artists intentionally compose their pieces to â€Å"challenge the assumptions of the audience [and] provoke reaction and discussion. † (Anderson and Garoian, 1996). Provocation is the one and only reason to ever create a piece of art.If, for any reason, this provocation is censored, it depletes the entire artistic background of a work of art. Art without meaning is simply decoration. In the classroom, suppression is forcing art to fit into a square bo x, â€Å"devoid of all values. † (Garoian and Anderson, 1996). Radical viewpoints are by far the most effective way for an artist to gain attention from an audience. When these viewpoints are unable to be viewed, people are no longer attracted to art. Censorship eliminates public interest in art and increases the naivety of a society.All over the country and more so all over the world, people are afraid of new ideas. They are afraid of encountering real, exposed-to-the-bone artistic nudity. This fear embeds itself in our entire culture, forcing censors to eliminate things we supposedly don’t want to see. Simply eliminating things that are different creates a very innocent society. Without being exposed to new things, we become victims of the censors, and that is never a good thing. So as the future progresses, my art work will continue to push past the black censor bar.

Conflict of Cultural Expectations

Social expectations are something every person faces. No matter one’s gender, ethnicity, or class, everyone feels pressure to behave a certain way, and I believe one of the most defining character traits is whether one chooses to conform to these social pressures or to pave his or her own path in life. Despite the existence of social norms in every culture, certain cultures hold these expectations in much higher regards than others, and breaking such social laws can have detrimental consequences.In Women of the Silk and Jasmine, we see numerous examples of societal expectations of women, as well as the different ways in which the women characters respond. This gives us insight into their individual strengths and weaknesses, specifically involving how they cope with the struggle between what they want and what is expected of them. In Women of the Silk, there is great significance placed on expectations of women, specifically in China circa 1920’s, including pressures to live a certain lifestyle and behave in an appropriate manner at all times.The differences between how women react to these pressures is first depicted by the contrast between Pei and her older sister Li. While from my modern American perspective Pei is clearly the stronger, more admirable of the two, this is quite opposite from the traditional Chinese perspective of the time. Li is a principal example of the ideal woman from the Chinese culture perspective. She is, by nature, a dutiful and submissive girl, who wishes to please others and stick to the status quo. This is evident throughout childhood, and continues as she gets older and is expected to marry.In contrast, Pei is curious by nature, always asking questions and seeking answers, despite being reprimanded frequently for doing so. Li’s passive nature and Pei’s bold, defiant manner are revealed throughout the novel, beginning with their childhood. For example, whenever the two girls play together, Pei is always t he one running ahead and then stopping to wait on her sister. Pei asks questions which Li calmly answers, and while Pei explores her surroundings, Li is content to sit still and quietly.One passage on page 19 of the text reads, â€Å"†¦Next to [Pei], she could hear Li’s even breathing and feel her calmness. Li’s hands rested quietly on her knees, while Pei’s felt the ground beside them for anything that would make the water splash. † This example depicts the dissimilarity between the two girls’ personalities and contrasts Pei’s curiosity with Li’s contentment. This difference between the sisters is significant in that it is the factor that ultimately dictates which of them their father, Pao, will decide to send to work in the silk factory.After visiting a fortune teller, who predicts that Li will get married but is unsure of Pei’s fate, Pao decides that Pei is better suited to work at the factory, as there is no guarantee of being able to marry her off and lighten the family’s financial burden. Consequently, Pei’s life is set in motion on an unusual path, and one that certainly does not conform to the standards and expectations of women at the time. Li’s subservient nature is further proven later in the novel, when she marries a much older farmer simply because she thinks it is what is expected of her.While her father does not force her to marry the farmer, she does anyway because it is what she is â€Å"supposed† to do, and she assumes it will please her family. Likewise, she still does not go back to her family when she finds out that her new husband is violent and abusive, as women are expected to be loyal to their husbands no matter what. Although this trait of being passive and obedient is considered to be a positive attribute within her culture, it is one that seems to come at a much larger price than it is worth.While Pei may not be overjoyed to be sent to the facto ry, I would consider her fate far less tragic than that of Li’s marriage to the farmer. Just as Li’s compliance stays with her as she matures out of childhood, so does Pei’s curiosity. At the silk factory, Pei asks questions primarily to Lin, who answers them with a kind of patience and willingness that Pei is not accustomed to. Pei’s impulsive nature is exposed once again when she decides, on a whim, that she wants to go through the hair dressing ceremony with Lin.Pei and Li’s mother, Yu-sung, grew up in a family that allowed her to forego social expectations for women and instead encouraged her lively spirit and curiosity. However, when she marries, she faces much heavier social pressure to become quiet and submissive. Rather than refusing to conform to these expectations, she adapts to the fullest extent. Now, as we see by her obedience to Pao, her entire disposition has changed drastically since her childhood. Yu-sung never states her thoughts if they conflict with those of her husband.For example, although she does not necessarily agree that Pei should be sent to work, she would never utter a single word of protest, especially to Pao. While in our culture it is expected that a married couple make important decisions together, Yu-sung does not get involved in any critical family decisions throughout the novel, no matter how strongly she feels. This isn’t to say she is apathetic by any means, as it is revealed upon Pei’s return how much she truly cares.However, it does show the high priority she places on fulfilling her roles as a woman and a wife properly and in the way anticipated of her. Another example of a character that, like Pei, refuses to conform to social norms and expectations is Auntie Yee’s daughter, Chen Ling. Chen Ling is portrayed as a charismatic leader among the girls at the silk factory, and it is made evident that she lives according to her own expectations of herself rather than pr essure she feels from others and/or society in general.For example, Chen Ling is the first to decide to go through a hair dressing ceremony, clearly showing that she likes to pave her own path in life rather than taking a trail someone else has already paved. For this reason, although Chen Ling is not a particularly sociable character, she captures my respect and admiration throughout the novel. The intensity of the pressure placed on women in this culture is difficult to comprehend in this day and age. However, the character in the novel that helps me develop a better understanding of the true force behind these pressures is Mei-li.Mei-li faces her family’s expectation of her to marry the man they chose for her, whether love exists between the two or not. She also faces society’s expectations, which dictate that sex outside of marriage is inexcusable. All of the stress and weight of these pressures are what ultimately drive Mei-li to commit suicide. In this instance, it seems to me that Mei-li’s actions are less representative of her own character, but rather say more about the society as a whole.Her suicide calls attention to the injustice in the existence of such extreme pressure and inequality that is capable of causing someone to end their own life. In Jasmine, the main character, Jasmine, shows characteristics of both strength and weakness. The expectations she faces are somewhat different between the Indian background she comes from and the American culture circa 1980’s in which she becomes immersed, and she handles them in different ways as well. The first time we see Jasmine refusing to follow the â€Å"gender rules† of society is when she kills Half Face in chapter 17 of the novel.She mentions that this is not her first time being raped; it has happened on many other accounts before. However, this time, rather than act in a submissive manner again as one would expect of an Indian woman, especially one so badly frigh tened, Jasmine loses control of her calm facade and brutally kills her rapist, referred to as Half Face. The second instance I notice in which Jasmine is nonconforming in regards to social norms is when she stays at the house of the Vadhera family.Rather than keeping her thoughts to herself, she takes matters into her own hands and is open about being unhappy there, which ultimately leads to her moving to New York. If she had not made anyone else aware of her depressed feelings, Jasmine would have stayed true to her role as a traditional Indian woman, at the expense of her true hopes and dreams. In contrast to these examples and to what we had learned throughout the book of Jasmine’s somewhat rebellious nature, one might argue that she â€Å"settles† when moves to Iowa and stays with Bud.Although she is not in love with Bud, she stays at first because he is good to her and because she feels pity for him. However, when Taylor shows up to bring her back with him, Jasmine ’s true colors shine through again, as she is unwilling to refuse herself happiness to convenience others or satisfy their expectations of her. While it may be mistaken as selfishness that leads her to behave this way, I think of it more as a strength. Jasmine is able to claim her own life by refusing to conform to the social expectations of her Indian culture or of American ulture. While characters from these two novels approach societal expectations in different manners, I think the same is true in every culture. There will always be a large contrast between those who go after what they want and refuse to be deterred by social pressure versus those who would rather fold to authority and please everyone around them. While there are assets to be found in both types of women, it is the â€Å"Chen Ling’s† and â€Å"Jasmine’s† that the world seems to remember and adore.Everyone has fears, and when we see someone able to throw fear to the wind and beha ve as they wish rather than as they believe they should, it is hard not to admire that person. From my perspective, people like Jasmine, Pei, and Chen Ling, who chase happiness and refuse to abide by social dictations, should not be ashamed in the least. Rather, those such as Li and Yu-sung, who conform to their roles so completely that they deny themselves of happiness in the process, need to learn their self-worth and realize that they are smart and capable of thinking for themselves.

Ground Chocolate & Co. Marketing Plan Research Paper

Ground Chocolate & Co. Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example The paper describes the main strategies of "Ground Chocolate & Co." GROUND Chocolate & Company considers diverse promotional channels that would foresee the marketing and promotional efforts outreach the maximum number of individual from the market segments. Since the company practices premium pricing, most of the people from the target market are aged between 20-40 and mainly middle class educated individuals with knowledge on the global health concerns. Both vegans and diabetics, who make a crucial market segment, can safely consume our products. Therefore, they are considered in our promotional strategy. Various quality chocolates we produce require different raw products and expertise. Due to this aspect, it is only relevant and fair to price differently in order to meet the incurred costs of production. Our profit margins are fair. Therefore, our consumers receive fair prices according to their tastes and preferences. All our products are of high quality. Prices vary from the purest grounded chocolate to the raw bars. Our fair prices are exhibited on the wraps to enable our consumers make choices appropriately and according to their preferences. In any case, the cost incurred will surely worth the taste of our quality chocolate bars. Be ready for a completely new chocolate experience with GROUND Chocolate & Company products. We have the most flexible and considerate pricing plan that is concerned with the equity needs of our target markets. Given the high quality of our products, we do not price cheaply, but affordable.

The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records Essay

The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records - Essay Example The advantages of using Electronic Medical Records The implementation of EMR although will require initial investments, it will prove to be beneficial in the long run. The costs for maintaining paper records will be eliminated. Moreover, the plans for implementing EMR will be provided and required changes that have to be undertaken shall be discussed. Last but not the least, a fact sheet will be developed that will include generally and frequently asked questions for the colleagues to familiarize the concept of portable EMR. Overview In this world of technologies, where organizations from all industries are implementing modern technologies to simplify the work practices, medical institutions are not far behind. The record maintenance of patient information has become an important and common phenomenon in all medical organizations and institutions. It enables institutions for providing effective advice to the patients regarding any medical emergencies. Traditionally, institutions maintained records of the patients manually through files. However, this practice is not efficient while maintaining the records for a longer period of time. The files are prone to damages or being mismanaged due to mishandling or human carelessness. Thus, the need of maintaining patient information through electronic mediums has evolved and organizations have started to implement strategies for adopting the practices. EMR is a modern concept for protecting the information of the patients which enabled institutions for having access for a longer period of time. ... In addition, it provided the flexibility of switching vendors and accessing EMRs from various places. Thus, EMRs were made portable through Core Data Sets (CDs) and flash drives that could easily be carried and remains with the patients every time and everywhere (OntarioMD Practice IT Operations, 2011). Development American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) is a non-profit organization which deals in social welfare and well being of the people. The members of the organization have recognized the importance of maintaining the records of the patient information who have been assisted for treatments without their personal expenses. Furthermore, as the association deals with funds from various sources, information regarding the spending in treatment of patients should be maintained efficiently and for a longer period of time (American Nursing Informatics Association, 2012). The vendor associated with ANIA in providing and maintenance of the computer systems had stopped its dealings due to business failure. Therefore, the members recognized the urgency for contracting with a new systems vendor in providing efficient services. Therefore, portability of EMRs evolved as a necessary task in order to protect the patient information in case of any replacement or malfunctioning (American Nursing Informatics Association, 2012). In accordance with the HITECH Act proposed in 2009, all medical practitioners and organizations in the healthcare industry are required to implement various changes in order to maintain Electronic Health Records (EHR) or EMR of patients in the prescribed format. Although many organizations or practitioners objected due to the time and costs involved in the transitional phase, 48.3%

Communicating Total Rewards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communicating Total Rewards - Essay Example The desired information concerning total rewards, benefits and compensation to the prospective employees of One Click Marketing Company will be communicated by use of the internet, television sets, radios and newspapers will be employed in delivering the message to the desired audience (Kaplan 2007). For instance, television and Radio advertisements will be mostly aired before and after most preferred programs, by many viewers and listeners. Also, newspapers and magazines with wide coverage will be utilized in targeting and delivering the message to the desired audience. DeliverablesThe preferred form of deliverable selected for the project is total rewards statement. Total rewards statement was selected basing on the deliverables ability to capture the desired information being expected by prospective.   Total reward statement provides satisfaction to the prospective employees by recognizing their contribution towards the organization, through provision of equitable compensations as well as being recognized during organization’s decision making process.   Delivery of the information regarding total rewards to prospective employees will be carried out by the sales’ and marketing department, in conjunction with human resource department. The two departments will have to liaise with one another so as to deliver quality information regarding total rewards to prospective employees at the right time.The total rewards information about One click Marketing Company will be communicated to prospective employees.

Law School Open Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

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Adolf Hitler-World War I and II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Course Work - Essay Example The main objective of the IAS19 was to provide the accounting and disclosure for the benefits for employees. The benefits for employees refer to all kinds of considerations that are given to the employees by the company for the services that are rendered to the company. The main aim of this standard is to account for the expenses for the employee benefits in the period that it was earned rather than in the period when it is paid or payable. This allows the finances to be in place and to ensure that the expenses are recorded in the actual period rather than in any other payable period. IASB plays a major role in the development of the amendments for the IAS 19. There are a number of amendments that the IASB has brought into the IAS 19 and Sir David Tweedie, IASB Chairman had mentioned, ‘Pension costs are one of the most complex and obscure areas of accounting. The amendment issued today allows entities to choose a simpler, more transparent method of accounting than is commonly adopted at present. I hope that many entities will take the opportunity of improving their financial reporting in this way’ (International Accounting Standards Board, 2004). As mentioned earlier, the basic principle of IAS 19 is, ‘The cost of providing employee benefits should be recognised in the period in which the benefit is earned by the employee, rather than when it is paid or payable’ (Deolitte, 2010). Considering the standards there are a few differences that need to be considered and understood. These are as discussed below: a) Short term Benefits: There refer to the employee benefits that are required to be settled within the twelve months that the employee renders services. The benefits that classify under this heading include salaries, wages and other benefits like sick leave, bonuses and non monetary benefits as well. This does not require any actuarial valuation hence there is no need and

Loss Prevention Policies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Loss Prevention Policies - Assignment Example Fraud continues to increase alarmingly with each passing moment recording a new or even more sophisticated form of fraud. The situation is made worse by an increasing adoption of information technology that networks and connects the information infrastructure in businesses. Hard economic times are also tempting employees to engage in fraud. This paper will review the benefits of a comprehensive fraud control program and give a conclusion at the end. Fraud is a big problem even for large established global corporations; consider the case of dell Computer Corporation. In 2007, it had to redo its financial reports between 2003 and 2006 due to a deliberate manipulation of figures to meet quarterly budgetary targets. John Rigas, former chairman and founder of Adelphi Communications and his son Timothy who served as the CFO (Chief financial Officer) at Delphi were convicted for massive fraud in 2007 (Stanek, 2007). This illustrates the extent of fraud in organizations where even the senior leaders who are supposed to be role models actually initiate and commit heinous acts of corporate fraud. However, a comprehensive fraud monitoring system can come in handy to help detect and therefore help an organization reduce its risk to fraud. Comprehensive fraud monitoring involves the use of technology that incorporates forensic techniques to analyze data and information paths regularly to detect anomalies, to detect fraudulent acts while the re is still time to stop or mitigate the fraud. An effective fraud monitoring system is difficult to achieve by using the existing requirements and regulations necessitating the need for a comprehensive fraud monitoring system especially where senior management can be involved in fraud. A comprehensive fraud monitoring system continuously and constantly monitors happenings in a company’s financial system tracing the movement of cash, which can be used to trace back or detect potential fraud. A

Agency budget Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Agency budget - Research Paper Example icant change is expected in terms of sales and gross margins, which in the next five years is estimated at; $300,000, $350,000 and $550,000 for year 1,2,3 respectively. The net profit expected within this period will be $10,000, $50,000, and $100,000 respectively for year 1, 2, 3. An investment of up to $1,000,000 is likely to be injected in the projects to realize the mentioned above monetary gains. Crexoc advertising agency will design and build after which it will test and deploy the email advertising campaign. Part of the project will entail reporting the progress of the real time, which gives the customer convenience in terms of flexibility (Kitcher, 2011). Crexoc will finally do an analysis of its success to find out on the other areas to support the tool in future campaigns of thee company. Email marketing is a scientifically developed tool with effective strategies that are geared to assure the company the success of reaching so many clients in real time. The basic threat is only the risk that the potential customer might completely reject the advertising. Crexoc advertising agency plans through this project to offer marketing services to companies willing to adopt the same techniques as a cornerstone of their marketing program. They estimate that email marketing will launch over 250 billion emails across the cyberspace in a cost effective manner and maximized effects. I t is worthwhile to note that research has it that email ad-response rates are currently averaged at around 15% (Lee, 2003). The company will use the already established extensive network of contacts with companies already using the mode of marketing. In addition, it will engage its internal expertise to launch an intensive email marketing campaign to selected groups (Shore & Carfora, 2011). The groups entail 50,000 selected businesses quarterly with online companies targeted as suitable while offline companies will be targeted as long-term strategies. Sales are expected to strategically

Leukemia Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Leukemia Research Paper Essay PART I: I personally know of a couple of skeletal diseases. I know of Leukemia, which is a type of cancer where white blood cells multiply in an uncontrolled manner, and the cause is unknown. I have also personally met someone with Leukemia, and it is not a slow-moving disease; he unfortunately died within a few years. I know of osteoporosis from the notes. It is a disease resulting in the loss of bone tissue. The cancellous bone loses calcium, becomes thinner, and may eventually disappear altogether. I don’t know if a fracture constitutes as a bone disease, but they can be Spiral, Closed, Open, or Multiple. One of the most well-known bone diseases is Arthritis. It is a disease of the joints; victims suffer pain, stiffness, and swelling of the joints. Many athletes will also show signs of Tendonitis, a disorder involving stiffness or pain in the muscles or joints. I want to find out more about Leukemia, the most relatable disease to me, and what symptoms the victims of it suffer. PART II: I am going to choose to research the skeletal disease of Leukemia, because it has personally affected me in my life. One of our close family friend’s children died of Leukemia when he was five. He had a very advanced form of Leukemia when he was born and it was a very sad time when he passed. I will more specifically be researching Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia, the disease he suffered from. I am looking for treatment options, symptoms, and prevention abilities. PART III: I began my search by typing â€Å"Leukemia† into Google search and got many reliable sources. I chose a source from the Mayo Clinic that clearly defined the disease and had a brief synopsis of the disease. I also went to the Leukemia Lymphoma society’s website and found a document on the specific type of leukemia I was researching. I also searched the symptoms of Leukemia and found a good source on Medicine Net. SOURCES: http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/leukemia/jmml/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/leukemia/DS00351 http://www.medicinenet.com/leukemia/page5.htm#symptoms PART IV: I learned that Leukemia is a blood cancer that attacks the bone marrow and the Lymphatic system. I learned that many different types exist and treatment can be complex, depending on the type of Leukemia and other factors. I learned that Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia is most commonly diagnosed in infants, much like my close friend. I didn’t know, but JMML is a very uncommon type of blood cancer and it only occurs in infancy and early childhood. I learned that symptoms can be fevers, frequent infections, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss for no reason, bleeding and bruising easily, and pain in the joints and bones. I learned that doctors diagnose Leukemia by physical exams as well as blood tests and biopsies. I learned that stem-cell transplantation could be used for treatment of this cancer. My friend had this done with the help of his younger brother, and actually went into remission for two years. I really learned a lot about this disease and have an enlightened perspective on Leukemia and its unfortunate victims.

The Economy Of Delta State In Nigeria Economics Essay

The Economy Of Delta State In Nigeria Economics Essay Nigerian economy, at first was based mainly on agriculture; it exported agricultural products like cocoa, rubber, palm products, cotton, groundnut, hides and skin etcetera. But then oil was discovered in the south-south of Nigeria i.e. Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo and Niger Delta states, and agric production was abandoned. The essay question is What are the economic cost and benefits of oil industry in Delta, Nigeria? The objective of this essay is to find out what the economy cost and benefits of the oil industry in Delta state, Nigeria, and also I will examine just how the state has put up with the production of oil and also the effects i.e. the cost and benefits. 1.1 State Background Delta State is named after the delta region of the River Niger. Its capital is Asaba  [1]  . It is found in the south-south areas of Nigeria. Delta state consists of different ethnic groups like Urhobo, Igbo, Ezon, Isoko and Itsekiri but consist mainly of the Igbo people.Nigeria has a population of 151, 870, 000 people of which Delta state has a population of 4, 098, 291; the males are up to 2, 674, 306 while the females are up to 2, 024, 085  [2]  . Delta state is the second oil producing state in Nigeria after Rivers State, of which this oil production tends to be the most dangerous business in this economy. The local governments that produce oil in the Delta state are Warri North and South, Burutu, Isoko North and South, Ughelli North and South, Okpe, Ethiope East and West, Sapele and Ndokwa East and West  [3]  . The biggest oil refinery is found in Warri, which is a local government in Delta. 1.2 Map showing the location of Delta state in Nigeria: 4Delta State. 1.3 Research Methodology My process of research was divided into two methods; primary research and secondary research. 1.3.1 Primary Research My primary research involved The use of a questionnaire: The questionnaire was created addressing specific questions like; what has the government put in place to help the economy? and also what has the economy benefited from the oil production? A survey was used to get more personal information like; Government share of income and income of Petroleum Company. Interview was done; I interviewed the people living in the villages, the leaders of the town/villages. Asking them what the costs and benefits has been for oil production. I also interviewed employees from the Petroleum company (SHELL) I took pictures of the benefits from the oil production. 1.3.2 Secondary Research Secondary information was gained from the various websites, textbooks and articles. The information includes: a study of economic theory relating to externalities. Textbooks were used to get definitions. The internet was used to review other information that is relating to this topic. The reason for this is to see how this state is managing with its externalities. Internet was used to get background information on the state Internet was also used to get the cost of oil production in the state Images of the cost of oil production in the villages were gotten form the internet. The use of articles in the newspapers was used to get information on the current situation Problems Proposed Solutions Interviews and with the people in villages and the leaders of villages Language barrier Finding someone to help in translating. Interview with the employees of SHELL Release of private company information Use of other sources to get information like the radio, internet, newspapers etcetera Sharing of questionnaire and survey on land Riots in these areas were questionnaires were being distributed Go to areas where there is no riot to distribute questionnaires and do a survey.1.3.3 Possible difficulties and proposed solutions. 2 PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS The employees and few people living in Delta were given questionnaires to find out certain information, about what the oil industries and the government have done with the economy from the benefit of oil production. The questionnaire was given to 20 employees at SHELL who were randomly selected from various departments and 20 people living in the economy. This section is showing the sets of results gotten from these individuals. Table 1: Results concerning responsibility by individuals in the community Issues Number of people Government Politicians Oil Industries Who do you think is responsible for the pollution in Delta? 20 2 0 18 90% of the people living in the community believe that the oil industries are the cause of the pollution which is right, and it is good to know that only 20% believe that the government is responsible which is not true. Table 2: Results concerning responsibility by SHELL employees Issues Number of people Agree Disagree Unsure Do you think it is your responsibility to make it right? 20 10 4 6 In the above pie chart 50% of the employees at Shell think it is their responsibilty to make things right in the economy that means they sould be able to stop the pollution the oil company is causing. This illustrates that half of the people in company are taking respnsibility for their actions. Table 3: Results concerning responsibility by the individuals in the community Issues Number of people Agree Disagree Unsure Do you think it is your responsibility to make it right? 20 5 7 8 40% of the individuals in the community are not sure whose responsibility it is to stop the pollution in Delta, 35% of the individuals dont think it is their responsibility to control pollution in the economy. This illustrates that most of the people in this community could be seen as ignorant since it is a few that are ready to take some responsibility to make things right. Table 4: Results concerning government action by the individuals in the community Issues Number of people Agree Disagree Unsure Is the government doing anything about the situation? 20 5 12 3 From the pie chart it has been shown that government is not taking action from the negative externality taken place in the state which is not good. From the primary data analysis it is seen that there are some problems Delta such as pollution etc and this is due to market failure. From the economic theory it is seen that if the marginal social benefits is > the marginal social costs or vice versa there would be market failure  [5]  . Market failure is due to the positive and negative externalities in the economy. The next section in this essay is going to state those economic cost and benefits of the oil production in Delta State. 3 INDENTIFICATION OF ECONOMIC COSTS AND BENEFITS. This section will contain the analysis of the economic costs and benefits in Delta state. There are a lot of problems in Delta state such as oil spills, waste dumping and gas flaring. The main problem in Delta is the oil spillage. The type of oil produced in the south-south is deep sea oil, which causes oil spillage and then leads to pollution; air, land and water pollution, the cause of this pollution has led to the damage of soil, water and air. The oil spills has caused farmers in the area not to fish and farm again because the pollution has spread in their sea and lands, thus thousands of people have been affected especially the poor people and those who rely on traditional way of living such as fishing and agriculture. But there are not only costs in the oil production there are also benefits in the fact that the state is making a lot of money in producing oil since oil is needed in a lot of countries. Externality occurs when the production or consumption of a good or service has an effect upon a third party  [6]  . If this effect is dangerous it can therefore be called a negative externality but if the effect is advantageous it is said to be a positive externality. Negative externalities bring about external costs and positive externalities bring about external benefits. The production of oil in Delta state can bring about both external costs and external benefits. 3.1 External Costs from Oil Industries. The people in the economy have endured oil spillage for years now. Oil spills are caused by corrosion of oil pipes, poor maintenance of infrastructure, and leaks during processing at refineries.  [7]  This oil spillage usually happens on the land and in the sea. The cause of oil spills in water is that, the oil has contaminated the water, so the fishes in the sea would die that means there wouldnt be any fishing or it would become poisonous and if it is poisonous when it is eaten the people in the economy would get ill. It could also harm the plants; plants could die because of oil spills and also animals that drink from the water. Also some places in Delta are not yet developed; in those places the people that live there usually have their bath in the sea so if they do that where the water has been affected the people could get skin disease. The oil spills on land would destroy crops; damage the soil the farmers use in farming for their family. The production of oil is making th e rich to get richer and the poor to stay poor and die of poverty. Gas flaring is when gas is burnt unsteadily. Gas flaring occurs when oil is pumped from the ground, this oil burnt then produces gas and the gas produced is burnt as waste in enormous flares. Thus the burning of this gas results to the damage of the environment, especially the areas which are nearest to the oil industries. The government and the industries have done nothing to stop the people from burning the gases and also they havent given any solution to the situation. People in that area are now having health problems; there would be air pollution thus leading to people inhaling chemicals that are not good for their health and sanitation problems; there would be water pollution, chemicals from the gas flare would make water dirty, that is the water the people in the area used to take their bath is going to affect their hygiene because the water would very dirty. The people in this area do not have money for medical bills and they do not have health insurance. The farms of these p eople living in this area have been destroyed so there is no other source of getting money to pay medical bills so this leads to the increase in death rate in that area. When oil is made from the industries, waste are also produced these waste are then dumped on the land and in the sea, thus destroying the environment and weakening the peoples right in their standard of living. The government have not tried anything to stop people from disposing this waste on the land and the sea, they have not realised that the sea has been contaminated by the various mixture of the oil and if they had they would have treated their water. These chemical substances in oil are very toxic and it can affect the people living in the area. People in this areas are dying of hunger, because their farms have been destroyed so there is nowhere else to get food from, farmers are now unemployed because their plants are dying so they have nothing to plant and sell to make money, hunters are also unemployed because the animals are dying due to them drinking water from the sea or eating plants that were poisonous. The children of these hunters and farmers cannot go to school again because there is no money to pay their school fees. Poverty hits these innocent people who depend on livelihoods Due to the negative impacts on the production of oil there have been a lot of complaints by the local communities, because of these complaints it has made some people from this community to become militants. Since the production of oil has caused poverty it has led some of these militants too undergo criminal acts like stealing the oil that has been produced; militants steal this to make money out of it, and also illegal bunkering of oil; that is shipping oil illegally to another country to make money without the consent of the government. Also another cause of militancy due to the production of oil is because the government, the industries and the politicians have refused to do something about the oil spillage, the government has not done anything to develop the state practically because they are gaining from the oil production and keeping the money to themselves; the people from the economy have watched these politicians, governments and the industries get richer so this now leads the militants among them in kidnapping the rich peoples children, there are also armed robberies; these militants rob the rich, and if people are being too aggressive when they are being robbed then the militants might kill them, so this could lead to death, they also take on fights with the Nigerian security forces; this makes the security force to fight back extremely and not considering the people in that area. Militants could go into fraud also known as 419 in Nigeria, they could do business that could cheat people and by cheating them, they could get money from them. All negative things are done because of the government, the industries and the politicians ignorance to the situation. Picture below shows gas flare at Ughelli West, Delta State, Nigeria. 8 Picture below shows the militants with their guns 9 Picture below shows damage of crops because of oil spills. 10 Figure 1: Diagram showing external cost of oil production in Delta State. Price of oil Welfare loss MSC MPC Negative externality P* a p1 Q* Q2 Quantity of oil. In figure 1, it shows that the marginal private cost of the industry is lower than the marginal social costs because of the pollution that was brought about when oil was produced, this pollution might have caused breathing problems for people and also poisoned food like fish. The industry would just be concentrating on its own private costs; because of this the industry would produce at Q1. At Q* marginal social cost is equal to the marginal social benefit resulting to a market failure. Too much oil is being produced at too low a price; this causes the misallocation of the societys resources. There is welfare loss i.e. where marginal social cost is greater than marginal social benefits. There are also negative externalities of consumption i.e. the pollution that is caused and how it affects the consumers. Negative externalities would make marginal social benefits less than the marginal private benefits. Figure 2: Diagram showing negative externality of consumption. Price of oil Welfare loss MSC P1 P* MPB Negative externality MSB Q* Q1 Quantity demanded. In figure 2 it shows that the oil industry keep on producing oil, and there is still oil spillage, they pay no attention to the negative externality they are creating, Marginal social cost becomes equals to marginal private cost. There is over-use of oil from Q* to Q1, there is also a welfare loss because Marginal social cost is greater than Marginal social benefits. It is difficult to reduce this pollution. First of all the costs of pollution are external in the sense that the cost of pollution are not paid for by the agents causing it, so there is no economic incentive in the market system to cause them to stop Second of all the people benefiting from the activities; those are the people producing the oil, they are causing pollution and imposing some costs on others. So the pollution needs to be reduced although the victims are meant to be compensated. 3.2 External Benefits from Oil Industries. The oil industries may have destroyed the communities in Delta but they have also made a lot of money for the state because of the production of their oil. As it is said above Delta state is the second oil producing state after Rivers state. The economy has benefited from the oil production. The money used from the oil production has been used for the improvements of infrastructural facilities such as construction of roads, bridges and provision of pipe borne water which benefits the villagers, increased use of electricity, better transport facilities and usefulness of petroleum products. The biggest oil company in the Delta state, The Shell Petroleum Development Company (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, is the main operator on land. Shell is located in Warri. Many Nigerians specifically those from Delta state are employees of Shell, working in an oil company means that those employees would be making a lot of money this means that there would be an increase in income per capita thus an increase in urbanization that means Delta would be more developed in the standard of living. Shell has provided a lot of benefits for the economy and for the workers. Such benefits is the provision of education for the children of the employees at the shell company, provision of houses, cars and also they pay for all the bills of the employees. Shell has contributed money to the construction of new private and public schools, schools for people of low and high classes. There are also schools for the residents of the state that is for those who could not afford to go to school. This is thus increasing the literacy rate in the economy. Educational competitions are organised and also sports to promote academic and physical excellence which benefit the individuals in the state. SHELL has also benefited from its own production of oil such as increased revenue from sales; their increase in production brings about huge profits to the company. There is also an increase in development in the SHELL Company; there is now advance technology like drilling equipment in which they can use to prevent or stop the oil spills. There is also an improvement in International relations such as an increase in production which has led to an agreement with oil consuming economies such as the United States and China. The oil company shell has tried to do its best in developing the economy but because of the corruption problems in Nigeria it affects the economy. The money used for infrastructure development has been taking by the government or the politicians for their own benefits. Pipe borne water that has been installed for the villagers has broken and the government take the money that has been giving to use it to fix it. Oil spills caused by the production of oil has spoilt the road, the money contributed by the economy to fix the roads has been stolen by the government. The public schools where children are meant to be going for free the government waste time in paying teachers their salaries, so these teachers go on strike and refuse to teachers these children, thus making the literacy rate unstable. There are benefits from the production of oil, but because of corruption by the government all the benefits are not taking place. If the benefits take place, there would be positive externalities because of the oil produced. Since there are positive externalities it means that the there would be welfare gain i.e. the marginal social benefit is greater than marginal social cost. The diagram below illustrates where the welfare gain is and that is between Q1 and Q*, it also shows that oil is produced at Q1 , if the production of oil is increased to Q* more welfare would be gained. Figure 3: Diagram showing positive externality. Price Welfare gain MPC P1 MSC P* MSB Q1 Q* quantity. Picture below shows an over-head bridge in Delta. Picture below shows house of a shell employee in Delta Picture showing a factory in Delta Picture below shows one of the good roads in Delta. 4 THE FUTURE This section is going to impose ways the government can control the negative externalities in the state. There are different ways the government can control these negative externalities but first of all the government should stop being ignorant and help the economy. If government stops being ignorant they can enforce laws to control and monitor pollution in the villages; introduce more national and marine; ensure that forestry companies re-plant trees; regulate use of contaminated land. Government can impose tax on oil companies to increase the private costs, if the government should do that the Marginal private would move upwards, there might still be welfare loss but it would be less than before. There should also be subsidies that is the amount of money paid by the government to a producer, it lowers the firms cost, these subsidies could be inform of grants, reduced taxation etcetera. With the money gotten from oil production government can use it to compensate victim of the negative externalities of oil production so that victims would not sue the offending firms. The government can pay damages to victims through free health coverage. Also since oil has now taking over the agricultural production which has caused the farmers and fishermen their jobs cause of the pollution, the government should build centers where they bring in professionals to teach them skills like mechanics, welding, painting, etcetera. If government cant find professionals they can encourage companies there to teach them the skills. If the government does this there would be fewer crises because those people would no longer be unemployed and there would now be less kidnapping, armed robbery, fraud etcetera. But if the oil industry continues with its act of polluting the environment the government should control their output in some way because it will not be possible to ban, if that doesnt work out the government could make new environmental laws and if the oil industry dont follow it then they would have to pay some amount of money since they have disobeyed the law, paying the money would increase their private costs. The diagram below shows the result if the oil industry has to pay tax. Figure 4: Diagram showing negative externality. MSC Price P* welfare loss MPC + tax P2 MPC P1 Q* Q2 Q1 Quantity of oil. Firms should also be able to help, at the moment in Delta state the oil industry that is really helping in the negative externalities in the economy is SHELL. Other firms should take part in helping and do things like changing its production of its techniques and operation like economizing on the amount of waste disposal from the oil production. Changing the materials used in packaging the oil, something that can be recycled should be used that it would be used again thus prevent burning of waste disposal. If government does this for the state there would a short term effect of pollution but in long term there will be no pollution. Therefore there would be less cost on the production of oil and also an increase in economy growth. But if government takes no action there would be a long term effect of oil production, and also a decrease in economy growth and an increase in the negative externalities of the economy. In conclusion it is only the government that has the power in stopping the increase of negative externalities in the economy especially if the industries do no take action, but if government takes no action and continues taking bribes or being corrupt the economy would therefore be suffering for the costs of oil production.

MasterCard CEO: Ajay Banga

MasterCard CEO: Ajay Banga Ajay Banga was born, raised, and educated in India. He received his bachelors degree in economics from Delhi University (Diversity leadership: Ajay Banga, MasterCard worldwide, n.d.). Banga has had a very diverse career where he held many senior management roles simultaneously. He began his career with Nestle in India. During his thirteen years with the company, he worked on assignments to expand sales, marketing and general management (Banga, BIO: Ajay Banga, MasterCard president and CEO, 2013). Afterwards, he worked with Citigroup where he had the opportunity to be the CEO and to travel to London, Brussels, Hong Kong, and New York (Diversity leadership: Ajay Banga, MasterCard worldwide, n.d.). Banga was appointed CEO of MasterCard in 2009 where he currently remains. (Banga, BIO: Ajay Banga, MasterCard president and CEO, 2013). He has served as a member of the U.S. Presidents Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations as well as a member on the Commission on Enhancing Nati onal Cybersecurity under the Obama administration (Our people, n.d.). Banga has had the pleasure to have a very diverse and distinguished career and continues to share his experiences and knowledge with others. As leader of a top ten most diverse company, Banga says that being different helps to build a global workforce (Banga, What does global mean for MasterCard?, 2015). His passion for diversity came from the fact that he himself is diverse, in the sense that he is of Indian decent, runs a global company, and wears a beard and turban; something that is not common in his position (Groysberg Connolly, 2013). Status1 MasterCard has continually been considered a diverse company. This can be contributed to the fact that MasterCard is a global company that operates in more than 210 different countries and employs over 7,500 employees. The company believes that having diversity will allow a better understanding and greater access to new markets (Our Story, n.d.). In 2001, the company had launched the Supplier Diversity Program so that businesses that were owned by women, veterans, and minorities would have more of an equal opportunity to participate in the procurement process (Our Story, n.d.). However, the roles of diversity and inclusion would not be a main focus for a few years, until the appointment of Ajay Banga. The proof can be seen in the ranking of MasterCard by Diversity Inc. Magazine where MasterCard didnt hit the top 50 until 2005 at rank #49 (DiversityInc top 50 list since 2001, n.d.). Celebration, however, would be premature for the company, as it took an additional four years until it would reach the top 50 again in 2009 at rank #41. It wasnt until 2011 that the company would see momentum taking them up the list where it went from rank #31 on the list in 2011, to rank #15 in 2012, and then to the top ten in 2013 at rank #5 (DiversityInc top 50 list since 2001, n.d.). Much of the success could be associated with the introduction of MasterCards innovative creation of its Business Resource Groups (BRG) (Leading our diveristy efforts, n.d.). Philosophy       Ajay Banga has a philosophy of global diversity and inclusion. His passion for diversity comes from the fact that he himself is diverse as an Indian immigrant. Banga promotes his vision of a world beyond cash (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). This means that his workings of diversity and inclusion go beyond the simple fact of making money, and spread farther to helping others grow as well. The company has been involved in philanthropy as well as programs that assist others in personal and professional growth (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). He has a passion to inform others of the importance of diversity in multiple aspects of the global market. This is seen in his speeches at IIM-A class of 2015 (Banga, MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015, 2015) and to the NYU Stern graduates (Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates, n.d.). Here he speaks about doing well and doing good as the highest form of leadership (Banga, MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015, 2015). He feels that a company that is successful has a responsibility to help others succeed as well. Banga said, As a company, we believe diversity sits at the root of innovation. Diversity of culture, experience, and thought all drive innovative thinking. Thats why we encourage employees to express their diverse opinions and ideas. (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). During his speech to NYU Stern graduates, Banga pokes fun at himself by saying that one of his hobbies is to be randomly searched by TSA in airports (Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates, n.d.). This goes along with his philosophy that people should not be focused on where they come from or what they look like and more on what they do and how they do it.   That acceptance of all cultures and development of those cultures can benefit business. Banga has said many times that a group of similar people tend to think in similar ways, reach similar conclusions, and have similar blind spots. (Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates, n.d.). Banga suggests that a company should try to increase its connectivity to the rest of the world by looking outside its own boarders and to get involved in other organizations, but also with the ones that connect back to it (Banga, MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015, 2015). This is what gives MasterCard its success as a global company. Banga tells of four important attributes that defines a great leadership culture of diversity. The first is a sense of urgency to solve problems and implement solutions that can be solved easier from having a diverse culture. Second is a sense of balance, third is to have the courage to take thoughtful risks. To explain this, Ajay takes a quote from Winston Churchill, Success is not final, failure is not fatal, its the courage to continue, that really counts. (Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates, n.d.). This means that a person must be willing to take a chance to change for the better and innovate solutions to be better. One of his attributes is to be competitively paranoid, where a person must constantly ask themselves if they are missing anything to the problem, if there is something else that can be done, or a better way to do it. We must harness the collective uniqueness of people to widen your field of vision. (Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates, n.d.). The bigger the window is that you have to view the world, the more you can see what works and what doesnt. This boils down to having a diverse culture in multiple locations around the world that will allow insight as to how to conduct smart business decisions. Strategy Banga has implemented his philosophy of diversity and inclusion to grow the company even stronger as a global competitor by creating innovative solutions. He states that, Diversity of thought is at the heart of innovation. (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). To accomplish this, Banga had to be able to tap into the diverse cultures of the world and to gain their involvement so that the information can be collected and used. This was done by creating Business Resource Groups (BRG). These are similar to Affinity groups that other companies have, except for that they are more than just focused on the business of things. Each of the eight BRGs that MasterCard has focuses on a specific part of the global culture to gain valuable insight as well as to be able to assist in the development of these groups. These groups include Salute, which assists active military and veterans in transitioning to MasterCards culture, WLN (Womens Leadership Network), where help in advancing the careers of women through mentoring and coaching is available, Pride, where a culture of inclusiveness and acceptance regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or expression is accepted, and YoPros, where the company utilizes innovative skills of young professionals to aid in the advancement of the new world of technology such as teaching the ropes of social media (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). The Center for Inclusive Growth was created to advance more sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion globally (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). Its focus is in two areas, research and global philanthropy, where multiple programs are in place to help the worlds poor and financially excluded to gain more control over their financial future (MasterCard diversity and inclusion, n.d.). One of the most important strategies that has been implemented would be the EDGE program. Employees Driving the Global Edge follows the philosophy that MasterCard is a company that exists beyond boundaries and must think beyond them as well (Johnson, n.d.). The EDGE allows employees of all levels and from all over the globe to connect, communicate, and socialize on an intellectual level that enables them to share their experiences on what they have learned and essentially become advocates for MasterCard (Johnson, n.d.). It has become part of one of the cornerstones of MasterCard which is education and as such has now set the foundation for education on payments and products desired by the diverse cultures around the world (Johnson, n.d.). Goals Bangas goals were to create a diverse environment with diverse people in a diverse world culture. Often referred to as a world beyond cash in the MasterCard family. This goal was the platform for many of the innovations that were created. For Banga, owning a global company meant looking past what was only good for his company, and beyond where it was centrally located. By helping other businesses succeed, Banga knew that MasterCard would succeed with them. Banga said, Its only lonely at the top when you dont bring other people along with you. (Banga, MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015, 2015). He has put forward an increased focus on the companies eight resource groups to help extend relationships with current and potential partnerships. In doing so, BRG chapters have expanded worldwide with the addition of twelve new chapters created in 2015. MasterCard has also made further commitments with support to the LGBT community and with the help of other firms has created the Open for Business coalition (No. 7 / MasterCard/ DiversityInc Top 50, n.d.). Bangas future goals are to continue to be diverse and to continue MasterCards innovative culture and to help other businesses succeed. He has succeeded in bringing the company to the forefront of diversity leadership. Going along with his lessons on leadership, being competitively paranoid means to keep questioning the ways things are being done and to challenge yourself to do them better (Banga, MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015, 2015). He believes that being different helps in building a global workforce (Banga, What does global mean for MasterCard?, 2015). Current Status MasterCard currently holds onto its position in the top ten most diverse companies (DiversityInc top 50 list since 2001, n.d.). The company has been in the top ten for four years in a row. A major factor that many companies face in the fight for diversity is the amount of diversity in leadership positions. A company can be diverse, but if there arent any diverse leaders, then the message gets lost. MasterCard has accepted this challenge and has 80.6% more Asians in senior leadership than the rest of the top ten companies, and 25.4% more blacks, Latinos, and Asians total than that of the top ten, which is 76.7% higher than the national average (No. 7 / MasterCard/ DiversityInc Top 50, n.d.). Critical Claim My original idea of diversity was that it mainly involved the direct culture of businesses. I understood the value of having a diverse workforce to further the thinking of a business in regards to growth and marketing strategies and even to the point of social acceptance. After researching and learning more about Ajay Banga, I feel that I had much more to learn than I thought. Diversity on a global level means that a company must have the capability to understand different economic and social cultures. Only then, can the company be able to involve itself to benefit not only itself, but also everyone they do business with. MasterCard has taken upon itself to help these companies gain control over their financial future so that they can grow with the rest of the world. Business operations need to be just as diverse as the company performing them. We see today a more diverse society than ever before as it has grown far beyond the demographics of age, sex, race, and religion. Today we ha ve identities that people claim, races have become intertwined. References   Ã‚   Banga, A. (2013, November 20). BIO: Ajay Banga, MasterCard president and CEO. Retrieved from mastercard.com: http://newsroom.mastercard.com/documents/ajay-banga-bio/ Banga, A. (2015, April 8). MasterCard CEO Ajay Bangas six lessons on leadership as told to the IIM-A class of 2015. Retrieved from Quartz Media LLC.: https://qz.com/377104/ajay-bangas-six-lessons-on-leadership-as-told-to-the-iim-a-class-of-2015/ Banga, A. (2015, June 24). What does global mean for MasterCard? Retrieved from Yale Insights: http://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-does-global-mean-for-mastercard Diversity leadership: Ajay Banga, MasterCard worldwide. (n.d.). Retrieved from DiversityInc: http://www.diversityinc.com/ajay-banga/ DiversityInc top 50 list since 2001. (n.d.). Retrieved from DiversityInc : http://www.diversityinc.com/all-diversityinc-top-50-lists/ Equality, diversity anchore MasterCard CEO message to NYU Stern gradates. (n.d.). Retrieved from MasterCard Engagement Bureau Video Gallery: http://newsroom.mastercard.com/videos/equality-diversity-anchor-mastercard-ceo-message-to-nyu-stern-graduates/ Groysberg, B., Connolly, K. (2013, September). Great leaders who make the mix work. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2013/09/great-leaders-who-make-the-mix-work Johnson, D. (n.d.). MasterCard diversity: leading on the EDGE of innovation. Retrieved from newsroom.mastrecard.com: http://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Diversity-white-paper-final.pdf Leading our diveristy efforts. (n.d.). Retrieved from mastercard.us: https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/about-mastercard/who-we-are/diversity-inclusion.html MasterCard diversity and inclusion. (n.d.). Retrieved from mastercard.us: file:///C:/Users/vmostul/Downloads/MCUS-14012_Diversity_Brochure_v1_July23%20(14).pdf No. 7 / MasterCard/ DiversityInc Top 50. (n.d.). Retrieved from DiversityInc: http://www.diversityinc.com/mastercard/ Our people. (n.d.). Retrieved from mastercard.com: http://newsroom.mastercard.com/people/abanga/ Our Story. (n.d.). Retrieved from MasterCard Newsroom: http://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MasterStory_Our_Story.pdf Perspectives on Ageing | Essay Perspectives on Ageing | Essay Lachlan Donnet-Jones Ageing is a term used to describe the physical, psychological and social changes that occur to an individual over time. While most individuals possess their own interpretation of ageing, the issues and challenges faced by the older population is a topic commonly misunderstood. This can be due to generational differences in morals, values, beliefs and a lack of understanding, leading to various stereotypes, prejudices and assumptions of the elderly. This paper will explore my own personal understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the elderly and how my assumptions compare to current evidence based research and the information obtained through a conversation with an elderly person. Prior to the conversation with my 71 year old grandfather, who will be referred to as George, I had formed various assumptions from my attitudes and existing knowledge about what Georges’ primary concerns and issues were at this stage in his life. To better understand George’s situation it was helpful to think about myself in 50 years’ time, and what would be primary concerns for me if I were 70 years old. The topics I thought about in relation to the issues and challenges of ageing included deteriorating health, cognitive function, physical ability, and family and relationships. I chose to focus on the issues which I would consider to be most concerning if I were an elderly person, which primarily pertained to mental and physical health and the social aspects of ageing. Given that I am technically still classified as a teenager, my experience with ageing is rather limited. This leads me to believe that many of my attitudes and beliefs about ageing may have been heavily influenced by popular stereotypes. As Kim Vickers of the University of California explores in her research article ‘Ageing and the Media’, the media can heavily influence the opinions of young person’s, such as myself, by portraying ageing in a negative light (Vickers, 2007). I believe that when you age your cognitive function and ability declines, for example, the ability to accurately memorise and recall information becomes less ‘sharp’ and reliable. I also believe that along with cognitive function, you become frail and your ability to be physically active becomes more difficult, which includes anything from walking the dog, going to the supermarket, to engaging in sexual activities. Respect is one thing that I think can be positive with ageing. I b elieve that when you become older and wiser your opinion and knowledge will be increasingly respected, especially by those who are not as wise and knowledgeable. In summary, looking at my initial attitudes toward ageing, it is quite apparent that I have formed, through my minimal life experience, a relatively limited and negative view of ageing, which is most likely due to my lack of understanding, and that our society as a whole places greater value on youth, than on ageing (Oregon Department of Human Services, 2012). During the interview with George, I discovered that a number of the assumptions I held about the elderly were not as accurate as I had thought. The first and most surprising answer I received from George was in regards to having more respect from others. George stated that he did not believe he was treated with any more respect, as he aged. This was a direct contradiction to what I had considered to be one of the positives of growing old, and I found this to be most surprising. This made me think of why George may feel that way. Perhaps it is due to the changing attitudes of youth toward the elderly, they do not recognise respecting an elderly person, as much as previous generations have done. It may also be an individual thing, where George has simply not noticed any change in the way people regard and respect him. There may be a number of reasons for this, however it appears evident that one of the primary contributing factors is the change in generational attitudes, particularly those of the young toward the elderly. Professor Jared Diamond noted that one of the reasons for the shifting generational attitudes may be due to the rapid changes in technology (Diamond, 2011). Predating the use of written records, the repositories of knowledge the elderly members of society possessed in their memories were once considered vital to pass onto future generations, for example, the telling of stories to children. However, with advancement in technology new resources have become available, that previously did not exist, such as; television, the internet, and mass media. The ease of access and availability to this endless source of information and knowledge has, in a sense, replaced the role of the elderly within some societies and, therefore, may have led to less respect by the young towards the old. Another aspect of the newer generations of elderly people is the increasing life expectancy which can be viewed as a positive thing, however, increased age correlates with increased susceptibility to chronic diseases, especially those which affect the brain and cognitive function, such as dementia (Buttrose, 2011). One of the expectations I had of old age is that of declining cognitive function. When asked about day to day life George stated that he did not particularly feel old, however, he had noticed himself slowing down. George explained that he is aware of his physical and mental capabilities not being as sharp, as perhaps they once were, however he does not feel or think of himself as ‘old’. In an attempt to further my understanding on the effects ageing has on cognitive function, I investigated the work of Melissa Lee Phillips regarding her research into cognitive ability in the elderly. Melissa Lee Phillips published an article in the American Psychological Associations (APA) ‘Monitor on Psychology’ segment that compares the cognitive function of the brain in youth and the elderly (Phillips, 2011). The adult brain has long been thought to be most efficient during youth, however in Phillips’ article she points to research that contradicts that information. The research shows that the maturing mind actually retains many of the skills learnt during youth, and continues to develop new strengths. The ageing brain is also capable of ‘rewiring’ itself and has proven to improve in various areas, such as being less neurotic, calmer, and better at sorting through social situations (Phillips, 2011). Cognitive neuroscientist, Patricia Reuter-Lorenz, PhD, of the University of Michigan stated that â€Å"there is an enduring potential for plasticity, reorganization and preservation of capacities†, providing further evidence to support this n ew theory (Reuter-Lorenz, 2012). This new evidence helps disprove the stereotypes of ageing, such as the common proverb, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’. Another study titled the ‘Seattle Longitudinal Study’ conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle, uncovered a large amount of new data on ageing and it’s effective on the brain. The research team leader Sherry Willis, PhD, states that the results show that while memory and recall skills begin to decline, skills such as verbal abilities, spatial reasoning, simple math and abstract reasoning showed marked improvement (Schaie, 2013). Relating the influx of new research back to my perspective on ageing, it would appear that whilst there are some undesirable effects on cognitive ability, there are also positives aspects to the ageing brain. I believe the way ageing is portrayed by the media in society is a narrow view which primarily focuses on the negatives of ageing. This view is supported by the findings of Doctor Jeanne Holmes in her paper ‘Successful Ageing: A Critical Analysis’, published in the Journal of the American Society of Ageing (Ho lmes, 2009). Similar to cognitive function, I had assumed that due to elderly people having increased fragility, decreased physical strength and the body ‘slowing down’ due to ageing organ systems, it would cause the libido of elderly persons to significantly decrease, if not cease to exist at all. Although I did not ask my grandfather about his sexual activities, I did do my own further research into the topic. Judith Horstman provides insight on sex and the elderly in her book ‘The Scientific American Healthy Ageing Brain’, in which she states â€Å"Recent studies and surveys show the brains of those well over 60 years old want and enjoy sex† (Horstman, 2012). This information directly contradicts what I had previously believed. In the United States, a national survey was conducted on men and women aged between the ages 75 and 85 to determine the level of sexual activity in the elderly population. The results showed that three-quarters of male participants and a pproximately half of female participants said they were still interested in sex, and were still sexually active (Pew Research Center, 2010). Growing old is an inevitable and natural process, and I think it is important to keep in mind that we will all be considered ‘old’ one day. Some may define ageing as the changes that increase the likelihood of death, which may be true, however after the conversation with my grandfather I can see that ageing is not necessarily a negative thing. I now understand how my own opinions have been influenced by popular culture, the media and society. Ageing can change many aspects of a person, and contrary to what may be portrayed in the media, these changes are not necessarily negative. Attributes such as physical agility may decline with age, others such as knowledge and wisdom continue to expand. It is my understanding, that by leading a healthy lifestyle and actively participating in all that life has to offer, one can live a fulfilled and worthwhile life well into old age. I believe that, much like fine wine, quality of life can increase with age. References Buttrose, Ita (2011).Dementia Across Australia: 2011-2050. Sydney: Deloitte Access Economics Pty Ltd. Diamond, J. (2011). DOCUMENT 163: Jared Diamond on Consumption, Population, and Sustainability, Credo Reference Collections, EBSCOhost, viewed 4th August 2014. Holmes, J. (2009). Successful ageing: a critical analysis: a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Sociology, Social Policy, and Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Horstman, J. (2012).The Scientific American healthy ageing brain. 1st ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Oregon Department of Human Services, (2012).Myths and Stereotypes of Ageing. Oregon: Oregon Department of Human Services. Available at: http://www.oregon.gov/dhs/apd-dd-training/EQC Training Documents/Myths and Stereotypes of Aging.pdf Pew Research Center, (2010).Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality. A Social Demographic Trends Report. Washington, DC. Phillips, M. (2011). The mind at midlife.American Psychological Association (APA), 42(4), p.38. Reuter-Lorenz, PhD, P. (2012). Cognitive neuropsychology of the ageing brain.American Psychological Association (APA), 17(3), pp.177-182. Schaie, K. (2013).Developmental influences on adult Intelligence. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Vickers, K. (2007). Ageing and the media: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Californian Journal of Health Promotion, 5(3), pp.100105. Appendix Appendix 1 – Expectations Prior to Conversation Appendix 2 – Conversation Questions and Answers George. Grandfather. 71 years old. White/Caucasian. Married. Appendix 2 – Conversation Questions and Answers Cont. Page 1 of 9