Handmaids Tale Essay

Michael Ilcyn The experience of living in the world of Gillead with all its restrictions and procedures on love and family upbringing already brings about reconstruction on the society we live and know today. Throughout the story, however, old traditions are secretly brought back, further reconstructing this world in order for it to last. In Chapters 23-26, we start to see how the roles of men and women are continuing to be reconstructed, as rules are broken between Serena, Offred, Nick and the Commander.In Gillead, handmaids are brought to each household where a woman is incapable of conceiving a child. The family goes through a ritual where bible passages are read, and the handmaid has relations with the man of the house while the wife stands behind her, holding her hands as a symbol of unity. Relations between the husband and the handmaid are impersonal and intended only for procreation, as passion has become a thing of the past.Offred, however, has not yet become pregnant through out these rituals, and something must be done to move the process along. In Chapter 23 we read about Offred’s secret meetings with the commander in his study, where they talk, read books and magazines, and play scrabble (something forbidden as women are outlawed from reading). Things between the Commander and Offred start to get more impersonal as the Commander asks Offred to â€Å"Kiss him like she means it† at the end of one of their meetings.This brings us to Offred and the Commander’s first indication of reconstruction in bringing about familiarity toward their â€Å"business-like† relationship. Each month, the handmaids are to go to the doctors for health examinations to make sure that they are prepared if they were to get pregnant. During one such visit, the doctor comments to Offred that the Commander may be inadequate for consummating. While against the rules, the doctor offers to have relations with Offred and cast the baby off to Serena and the Commander.Offred refuses as this seems to be yet another small example of reconstruction in bending of the rules in order to bring about expected results. We find out that Offred is not the only person that the doctor has offered service to. We also see this as the commander introduces Offred to his friend Nick. Offred also starts meeting with Nick and connecting with him. Serena, the Commander’s wife, also realizes that the Commander could be at fault for the inability to become pregnant. Serena suggests that Offred tries Nick and to pass the baby off.Offred’s relationships with each of these men start to resemble more of a courting relationship, as more secrets are kept about the meetings themselves and what goes on. Offred’s relationship with Serena is also risky as any false move can put her into trouble with government. While there are many examples of reconstruction throughout the story â€Å"A Handmaids Tale†, the roles of men and women and how the y change throughout the book seem to be the most apparent. As a result, it shows us how an overly controlled world only leads to destruction in the end.

Friedreich’s Ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia Friedreich's ataxia is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in things like gait disturbance, speech problems, heart disease and diabetes. Friedreich's ataxia is caused by a defect in a gene called Frataxin, which is located on chromosome 9. The changes in this gene cause the body to produce too much trinucleotide repeat (GAA).This mutation causes gene silencing through induction of a heterochromatin structure in a manner similar to position-effect variegation. Normally, the body contains about 8 to 30 copies of GAA, however the people with Friedreich's ataxia may have as many as 1,000 copies. The more copies of GAA a person has, the earlier the disease will start and the faster it will get worse. Symptoms typically begin sometime between the ages of 5 to 15, but in rare cases, Friedreich’s ataxia may occur around the ages of 20 to 30.Some of the symptoms are; abnormal speech, changes in vision (particularly col or vision), decrease in ability to feel vibrations in lower limbs, foot problems, hearing loss, jerky eye movements, loss of coordination and balance, frequent falls, muscle weakness, no reflexes in the legs, and uncoordinated movements. Friedreich's ataxia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. This means you must get a copy of the defective gene from both your mother and father. About 1 in every 22,000-29,000 people develop this disease but family history of the condition raises your chances of getting it.On average, after 10-15 years with the disease patients are usually wheelchair bound and require assistance with all activities. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Friedreich's ataxia. There are, however, medicines, therapy treatments and surgeries available to those who are affected but it will not rid them of the disease. Titanium screws and rods are often inserted in the spine to help prevent or slow the progression of this disease. The goal of surgery is to keep t he patient alive as long as possible. As the ataxia progresses, things such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair are required for mobility.

Illegal Imigrants Should Be Allowed Essay

This spring, approximately 2. 8 million high school seniors will graduate from various schools around the country. Many will continue their education at college; others will join the armed forces or take another path in life. However, a group of about 65,000 students will be unable to continue on their paths due to their status as illegal immigrants (Dream). Because of their status of illegal immigrants, it is extremely difficult for them to better their way of life. Therefore, illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public universities. Illegal immigrants are already allowed to attend our public schools from the lementary level all the way through high school. The 1982 Supreme Court decision in Plyler v. Doe ruled that public schools are prohibited from denying immigrant students access to public schools (Plyler). The court found that undocumented children have the same right to a free public education and are obligated to attend school until they reach the age mandated by state law. Since then, many undocumented immigrants have passed through the public education system. Currently, it is believed that as many as 4. 9 million undocumented students are attending public schools (Immigration). However, it is difficult to know the exact umber because of their status as undocumented immigrants. One thing that is known for sure is the number will continue to rise, leaving more and more students with undecided futures after graduation. However, the ability for illegal immigrants to attend public universities has largely been left up to the states. Currently, South Carolina is the only state that prohibits illegal immigrants from attending public universities and colleges that receive state funding; although North Carolina and Alabama both prohibit undocumented people from attending community colleges (Coley). On the other end of the spectrum, nine tates including California, Nebraska, and Texas all offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants (College). New Jersey is also in the process of deciding whether or not to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Although the states are the only ones to have passed legislation regarding undocumented immigrants attending public universities, there is legislation currently making its way through Congress. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, could bring about major changes. It was first introduced in 2007, but failed to make it past the Senate floor. Then this past spring, Senator Durbin from Illinois reintroduced the piece of legislation. Under the currently proposed DREAM Act, undocumented immigrant students would be given the opportunity to attend institutions of higher education and be able to obtain legal, permanent residency. According to the 2009 version of the Senate bill, DREAM Act beneficiaries must have proof of arriving in the United States before age 16 and live in the United States for five consecutive years since their date of arrival. They would also have to be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of bill enactment, btain a high school diploma, and have good moral character (Dream). Any opportunity to attend public universities and possibly achieve legal residency. This piece of legislation is expected to bring some heavy debate in the spring and could bring on some important changes if passed. One very important supporter for illegal immigrants attending institutions of higher education is the College Board. The College Board is made up of 5,000 schools and is best known for its SAT college admissions test. This past July, the board released a report citing a need for federal legislation that would provide in-state ollege tuition, financial aid, and legal status to many illegal immigrants in the United States (College). The report is the first time the College Board has spoken publicly about the issue. Undocumented immigrants should be given the right to attend public universities and colleges because we have a moral obligation to give them an equal opportunity to better their situation. Many of the undocumented immigrants that currently live in the United States were brought here by their parents. The children did not make the decision to enter the country illegally, their parents did. By not allowing illegal mmigrants to attend public universities, we are essentially punishing them for decisions they did not make. Also, undocumented immigrants are going to remain and live in the United States regardless of their ability to attend public universities. So if these undocumented immigrants are going to stay here, it makes sense economically to have them be productive as possible. The College Board report shows that with the ability for illegal immigrants to obtain a higher education and move into better paying Jobs, the economy would increase from increased tax revenue and consumer spending College). Additionally, if these undocumented immigrant students are paying for their college education, why not allow them the opportunity to further their knowledge. Under our current system, illegal immigrants are allowed to attend our public schools at no cost. But when these same illegal immigrants want to pay for a higher education, many of them are turned away because of their legal status. Plus, universities and colleges from all over the country already allow foreign exchange students to attend their universities. Here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, pproximately 6 percent of the student body is from a foreign country (International). There is no controversy on whether or not to allow these students, who are not United States citizens, to attend our public universities. So if someone is willing to pay their way through college, they should be allowed to attend regardless of residency status. All of these reasons support the passage of the DREAM Act. As of today, it remains one of the last hopes for undocumented immigrants to obtain the right to attend public universities indefinitely. Although nine states have passed legislation allowing or in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, states are increasingly moving towards not allowing them to attend public universities. Missouri and Virginia are currently considering a ban similar to South Carolina’s that would bar all illegal immigrants from attending public universities and colleges (College). So it is time now more than ever to stand up for undocumented immigrants’ rights. We have a public universities. One rebuttal often brought up in the discussion why illegal immigrants should not be allowed to attend public universities is they are breaking the law by being here in the United States. Although undocumented immigrants are breaking the law, it should not hold them back from furthering their education. Many illegal immigrants were brought here by their parents and did not make the decision to come here illegally. Illegal immigrants often spend close to their whole lives in the United States. Although they are still considered illegal in the eyes of the law, many are basically Americans because they have lived here for as long as they can remember. It is Just unfair to continue to punish someone for a decision they did not make. Another rebuttal often made against undocumented immigrants is the overnment is subsidizing an education for non-citizens because they do not pay taxes. The government already subsidizes an education from the high school level on down for everybody regardless of residency status. Also, many undocumented immigrants are unable to obtain residency status in the United States. The long, difficult process of obtaining American citizenship keeps many of these illegal immigrants from paying taxes. The current system we use for obtaining citizenship creates a continual cycle that does not allow for illegal immigrants to pay taxes. If it as easier for undocumented immigrants to obtain citizenship, more tax revenue would be brought in to subsidize their education. In conclusion, there are many factors to consider why illegal immigrants should be allowed to attend public universities. If they are paying their way through college like every other student, then they should be allowed to attend public universities. Plus, many of these undocumented immigrants are going to remain in the United States regardless of their ability to attend universities, so it makes sense to have them be productive as possible. It also does not make sense to punish someone because heir parents came into the United States illegally.

Law of Business Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Law of Business Taxation - Essay Example It was suggested that about 25% of the deduction for such expenditure is increased. Specifically, it provides that contract work outside of â€Å"any person otherwise than in the course of a trade, profession or vocation the profits of which are chargeable to tax under Case I or II of Schedule D,† (paragraph 4(6)(b) of Schedule 12. It disallows deduction for activity of trade, profession or vocation undertaken in any part of the United Kingdom. The Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005 or ITTOIA 2005 imposes charges to income tax under trading income, property income, savings and investment income, and certain miscellaneous income. It also dealt with exemptions from the charges, provisions about rent-a-room relief and foster-care-relief, special rules for foreign income, special rules for partnership, and certain calculation rules and general provisions. The limited guidance provided by the previous legislation makes interpretation problematic such as in determining w hether a particular activity constitutes trading. Under ITTOIA, trading was defined as â€Å"any venture in the nature of a trade† (ITA 2007 s. 989) that leans on the substance of what is being carried on and how it is being carried on. The understanding of the activity by the individual conducting it may be derailed. James (2011) suggested that it â€Å"does not necessarily need to have all the attributes associated with a trade I order to be chargeable,† (16). Previously, under the ITEPA 2003, Schedule D Case 1 provides that profits derived from trade were taxable. Profits from a vocation or profession were taxable under Schedule D Case II. ITTOIA 2005 removed this distinction and trading income has encompassed incomes from vocation, trade, or profession under ITTOIA 2005 section 5 (James, 2011). Other contentions are statutory trades such as farming, market gardening, and occupation of land managed on a commercial basis for the purpose of gaining profits. For the ca se of woodlands, occupation may not be taxable but once an actual trade, an example of which is the selling of timber, occurred, then, a taxable activity is committed (James, 2011). Numerous tests called the â€Å"badges of trade† also help determine trading activities, but already, confusion have proven costly through litigations. One specific example is the American Leaf Blending Co. SDN BHD v Director-General of Inland Revenue (1979) (AC676). Lord Diplock opined that: †¦in the case of a company incorporated for the purpose of making profits for its shareholders any gainful use of which it puts any of its assets prima facie amounts to the carrying on of a business†¦ Assets held as investment due to their nature as income-producing, or have the potential for capital appreciation, or possible profit for its sale cannot be considered a trading profit. An asset acquired by loan with the potential to bear an income but only as a motive to offset interest from income ga ined is also considered of irrelevance. An investment of a property later appropriated as trading stock will have the sale as trading. Such was the case of Wisdom v Chamberlain (1969) 45 (TC 103). In this case, actor Norman Wisdom bought silver bullion as a hedge against devaluation. He then sold it at lower cost but bought more bullion which when sold gave Wisdom a profit. The second transaction was considered a trading because it was bought for short-term profit (James, 2011).

The Concept of Home and Its Evolution or Expression in Design Essay

The Concept of Home and Its Evolution or Expression in Design - Essay Example The importance of home cannot be overrated. Even those whom we consider as homeless does in fact, contrived home to whatever means available to them with that their resource and circumstance could provide. In fact, home can be better understood in their deficiency and somewhat desperate condition which is a tremendous irony. In their plain conditions, it is easier to contrast what is their motivation of a home that we may easily discern what constitutes a home. These city dwellers which did not have the means to have their own homes were of course thrown out the street amid the frosting cold and the vagaries of the season. Sure it followed that the city government will provide shelter to its destitute citizen either for welfare and electoral purpose. But it is here we will understand that home is not structure, nor size, nor edifice, nor the sufficiency of provision. It is more than that which this paper will explore. But for the moment, suffice that we will identify what it is not. These putative homeless of New York could not have been homeless had it chosen to stay in government facilities. They left the facilities and chose to be homeless because these; â€Å"City-run shelters-though they provide food and respite from the elements-are dangerous and unfriendly places that impose a dehumanizing, even prisonlike, regimentation on residents. Guards routinely treat clients as inmates, allegedly denying them food for the violation of rules. Some shelter residents are abused from place to place for food, showers, and sleep. Charges of violence by shelter security guards and clients are common† (Lurie and Wodiczko 2009:54). In effect, these city dwellers were really â€Å"exiles in their own city† and only became homeless by choice opting to have â€Å"gaily decorated carts† as a means of transport and home than the established facility of the city due to the harsh condition impose to them by the institution that made it a penitentiary. They pr eferred to get by through the uncertainty of scavenging than putting up with city run shelters where foods are used as a carrot stick. This is not to glorify homelessness nor scavenging, nor the running away from government facilities but rather to stress that a meagre cart that can barely accommodate a person and absent of facility and provision can become a home compared to an imposing edifice that treat its inhabitants as inmates where violence and abuses are common. Perhaps, the inclemency of the streets and season or the precarious nature of getting provision of an unwelcoming street can become more tolerable than an unfriendly and dehumanizing institution. The homeless of New York only proved that home is not a place, but rather where the heart is or where you are comfortable with. Home does not have to be diminutive as what the cart dwellers of New York opted. It can also be functional and as elaborate as Heidegger’s Building Dwelling Thinking (1971) that can feed the soul. Unlike the homeless of New York who has to make do with make shift carts, home for Heidegger is not just a place to sleep and rest but also a

Issues of medical waste related to business, society, and government Essay

Issues of medical waste related to business, society, and government - Essay Example The spread of infections is easy if medical waste is accessible in such a manner posing a threat to the society. The haphazard disposal pollutes the environment making living around dump sites uncomfortable. The government, society and the business firms all have to work in unison to alleviate the problem of medical waste. The society is the receiver of the shortcoming of poor medical waste handling. The gases released in the atmosphere from the hospitals like sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane contribute to global warming (Talsma, 2009). The society is suffering from poor medical waste management. The hospitals disposing of the waste are part of the society as their business is from the sick individuals in the society. The workers in the health institutions and facilities are part of the society and need to be in a clean environment free from contamination. The three parties are affected by the waste. They have to ensure that the best waste management method in use at all cost. Organisations always prefer maximizing their profits. The social responsibility of organisations is engrained in the business culture. If an organization is not socially responsible, the company may use any means include unethical to achieve its objectives. Profits made by hospitals can be in the allocation of partly ensuring that the waste is disposed appropriately. The appropriate disposal methods are costly as sorting and grouping of waste requires time and extra labour. Hospitals should accept to bear such cost to ensure that the environment is sustainable for the society. The social responsibility is important as it indicates the value the hospital attaches to it. The government regulate the business through legislation. The laws the government sets are important in waste management. These laws are compulsory and not optional they thus ensure that a set standard is in maintenance. Self-regulation is important as it ensures that set

Week 2 discussion replies Set number 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 discussion replies Set number 2 - Essay Example This would make them earn a decent penalty after they died. Indeed the belief in immortality caused most of the Egyptians artefacts. After death, bodies of the dead had to be preserved properly to prepare them for the next life. For instance, canopic jars would protect the head parts of the dead. Other internal parts of the body would be removes and be preserved, as well. The rest of the body would be wrapped with reed coffins, to dry quickly and then buried in wooden tombs. Additionally, belief in life after death made Egyptians make a book of death with a series of songs, pictures, texts made in papyrus, to accompany the dead. This book represents some of the Egyptians artefacts that made the trip to the other world easier. Besides Egyptians optimism because of civilisation they acquired through the work of their creative hands, they domesticated some animals as early as 8000 BC. This happened in the practice of religious activities as animals were used to characterize certain events. For instance, presence of a specific animal or lack of it would have specific interpretations. The different interpretations would cover the difference between life and death, wealth or poverty, and peace or war to the entire nation. This symbolism of animals caused the ancient Egyptians to include them to maintain various religious themes. This is how some animals like cows started living in the same compound with men adding to their produce. Some artefacts like stone roofed subterranean chambers housed domesticated animals like cows slaughtered to appease Egyptian gods. Egyptians had many reasons to smile about, which made them hopeful. The history of Egypt occurred in a series of stable kingdoms. After the Roman Empire, Egyptians adopted the Nile River valley project that hastened their civilisation. Farming produce from the fertile lands gave them money to spend in the country, and some to provide for other projects.

Home Building Industry in the United States Essay

Home Building Industry in the United States - Essay Example Housing is globally recognized as productive sector of the economy rather than a form of welfare, because "housing and economic development are closely linked" and it acts as an instrument to improve the GDP. (Housing for Economic Development, 2005). Because a healthy housing stock provides safety for employees, taxes for state and local governments, and more customers for retail and service business, house building industry helps state and regional economy to flourish. Every individual aspire to own individual dwelling unit and buying a home is a major life event. Major life events such as marriage, birth of a child, changes in employment, or retirement particularly influence the decision to purchase a house though mortgage rates, income and expected returns on investment also motivate their decision to invest in residential property. Young adults in the population constitute primary source for home buying and when there is upward trend to housing prices these first-time buyers will be more attracted to enter into homeownership under the notion that rising prices will make future purchases unaffordable. Housing is an important basic need and focus of social concern and should be viewed as one of the key elements of social policy. Some of the U.S markets may not have sufficient housing supply to accommodate the influx of new residents, while the state and local governments may lack the resources to provide supportive services. The ability of Americ a's working immigrant families to obtain decent and affordable housing has implications for the social and economic well-being of the United States. Studies found that there is a direct proportionality between housing price and homeownership, establishing that "housing market's volatility is amplified by buyers' responses to the trends in market fundamentals." (Myers & Ryu, 2008, P.17-33). Housing market provides "mechanism for equity growth, liquidity and financial flexibility for individual households, while also providing relatively safe, productive investments for institutions through secondary mortgage markets." (Housing for Economic Development, 2005). "Housing shortages have historically gone hand-in-hand with rising housing prices and rents, higher housing cost burden, lower homeownership rates, increased crowding, and longer commutes." (Landis, 2000). It is admitted that State's economy is one of the chief determinants of producing more housing units, because when the economy goes into recession housing demand falls quickly and deeply. "Economic recovery revitalizes the housing market, though expansionary peaks rarely even out the recessionary troughs." (Landis, 2000) According to Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, "the only reliable test of economic value is sustained profitability, measured by superiority in long-term return on investment" and "industry structure is a key driver of homebuilder profitability". However, he asserts that "market assessments of homebuilding stocks appear to be out of line with other industries that have similar structural characteristics." (Porter, 2003). "The conduct of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve has profound impacts on the housing sector and its contribution to the overall economy" as reducing inflationary

Mauss, Corin, and Freud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mauss, Corin, and Freud - Essay Example t† Ellen Corin tends to view Mauss’s concept of ‘person’ in evolution or transition as one that is influenced by the legacy of European hegemonic attitude to the cultures of the non-European country. According to her, Mauss’s historical evaluation of ‘person’ is engrossed with the concept of the â€Å"other’ that bars the European scholars to perceive the ‘person’ of the non European societies as something â€Å"self-interested and self indulgent, and which is determined by outsides references to clans and divinities† (Corin 85). In Mauss’s conception of ‘person’ it is evident that the ‘person’ –which he is concerned with- is different from the concept of person as something â€Å"natural’. Though he does not completely defy the natural definition of ‘person’, he clearly asserts this definition of ‘person’ as unfocused, vague and simplist ic. For Mauss, the definition that tend s to describe ‘person’ as something â€Å"natural, clearly determined in the depth of [human] consciousness† is, as he says at the beginning of the article, â€Å"still imprecise, delicate and fragile, one requiring further elaboration† (Mauss 5). The major steps in evaluation of â€Å"person’ lies in the following speech of Mauss, â€Å"From a simple masquerade to the mask, from a ‘role’†¦ to a ‘person’†¦, to a name, to an individual; from the latter to a being metaphysical and moral value; from a moral consciousness to a sacred being; from the latter to a fundamental form of thought and action- the course is accomplished† (Mauss 22) Whereas Corin tends to view the concept of person from the anthropological desire to â€Å"have access to the Other’s alterity and to transcend to the contingencies and boundaries of †¦..cultural condition† (Corin 81), Mauss’s attempt to view ‘person’ from a socio-historical point is, as Corin criticizes, biased, therefore not absolute, by the cultural hegemony of the author. According to him the

The Unexpected Essay Example for Free

The Unexpected Essay She opened the mail box, as she expected there is a letter lying in there waiting for her to pick it up. She walked into the house, trying to find the paper knife to unseal the letter. You can obviously see the letter it’s been carefully wrapped by the back of a poster, and you can clearly see the picture on the back side. Finally Julia saw the paper knife is hidden under Lydia’s little â€Å"baby†, it’s a teddy bear stuffy, but in Lydia’s mind, that’s her little girl. Julia yelled:†Lydia, why is the paper knife is under the teddy? What did you do with that? Didn’t I tell that knifes are dangerous?†Ã¢â‚¬ But mommy, my baby is sick, she needs a surgery, and you weren’t home, so I just did it by myself. † Lydia murmured, that’s what she always does when she realize if something seems not quite right. Julia picked the paper knife up and sat down, cut the envelope open, and the neat writing reminds her 3 years ago, when she just got divorced with Joe, her ex-husband. Joe and Julia met when they were so young, and at the moment they met they knew each other was the one, soon after 5 years of relationships; they got engaged on Julia’s 26th birthday. And after 51 weeks little Julia was born. Everything seems so perfect until Julia found out sometimes when Joe had couple of beers he will be so rude to them, he would even swear to littlie Lydia, she finally had enough and signed the divorce paper, she asked for nothing but Julia. Because after she became a mother, she became more sensitive, she will do anything to protect her, that’s her job and also her mother of nature. Joe is so mad at Julia; he thinks he loves little Lydia just as much as Julia does, even more than her. But apparently as mom Julia doesn’t think so, she forced Joe to live, she reported the local child protective service, and the local newspaper had Joe on their headline. Because it’s a small town and Joe is someone in this town, so he was so humiliated. He couldn’t help the anger on him:†hey Julia, what goes around comes around, what you have done to me someday you will get to pay for this! Julia and Lydia finally got some peace ful at home, in a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Julia and Lydia cuddling in the couch watching the new:†Sichuan earthquake or had a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0-7.9 at .1:09; 56-6:28 0n Monday. Killing an estimated 68,000 people.† Then the news switches to a video of how people are doing in Sichuan, the  remains of the building, the searching team searching for survivors. Julia looks so sad; her tears are trembling in her eyes. She cried:†oh my god, we’ve got save these kids. Come on, let’s go online and find out if there is any way we can help them!† so they went on the internet found a list of children with names, address, pictures and about their situations. They saw a young boy is about 16; his name is Qiuqiu, his dad passed away when he was 5 because of kidney cancer, his mom raised him by herself, and it was a tough life. His mom died during the earthquake, when the earthquake happens, and they were having a nap. And as soon as the earthquake happens, his mom ran into his room, woke him up, and dragged him into a corner where there is a closet so it keeps a Seismic safety triangle. But they waited too long until the rescue team comes, and so his mom couldn’t holding it up, finally she left before he does. And there is another girl who is a friend of Qiuqiu, she is one year older than Qiuqiu, her name is fang, and she is an orphan, she was in a orphanage, but because she is quite old for someone to adopt her, because people usually likes the little one, so they will only remember their foster parents instead of birth parents. So she before the earthquake she was living with one of the nurse in the orphanage. But unfortunately she died in the debris flow that was caused by the earthquake. Julia chose them immediately, and then she decided to invite them to stay with them for a week. Julia wrote a long letter to them, she wrote down how sorry she is about Qiuqiu’s mom, and she understands that how hard it must to being a single mom. And also she wrote to fang, that if she wants to stay in Beijing for good, she is always welcome to stay in her house, if she wants it, Julia can help her to find a perfect job for her. And Lydia drew a picture of their beautiful condo in with lots of high buildings around. Julia is back with her flashback, and she gingerliness unfolds the letter:† Dear Julia and little Lydia, this is Qiuqiu and fang. Right now we are living together with all the children that lost their families in the earthquake. Lots of people came to visit us, and they were so nice. They brought us foods and daily necessities. Some couples came here adopted some younger kids. We are living like a big family, and we are enjoying this. Just yesterday, Papa Jingtao came to visit us, we called him papa Jingtao, because he doesn’t look that serious when we saw him on TV, not at all. He sang with us, he told us fun stories about when he was young. And we decided  not to go to Beijing yet, we thought it might be fun if we work and finish school at the same time, we will go to universities in Beijing, and then we can meet up what do you think? Please say hi to little Lydia, we really love her drawings! †¦..† and they talked so much about the local government built a temporary school for them so they can study while everything is on construction. So they kept writing to each other on and on, and Lydia is the one always wanted to contact with them, she said:†they are like my big brother and sister, and I just can’t wait to meet them.† Then Julia would send them checks as well, so Qiuqiu and fang will finish their school by that. They always talk about the cities are getting back together, and there is a new restaurant just opened, and there is a big shopping mall just opened. But they always just looked inside behind the door, because they don’t have money to afford anything. They are still kids, they are easy to satisfy. It was like the blink of an eye, suddenly two years has past, and Lydia just turned her 7th birthday, Julia decided to make a birthday cake for Lydia, they got all the ingredients ready, and Julia suggested:†do you want to go to the mail box check if there is a letter from your brother and sister? † So little Lydia went to the mail box, and what she brought back was a let ter from Julia’s boss. â€Å"Dear Julia, I’m sorry to tell you this, but we already found a girl that will fit right in your position, she just graduated from a famous medical school. And I believe she will do a better job than you, after I talked to Joe last night, I realized maybe you should fins somewhere to continue your job†¦..† Julia got angered, and she couldn’t finish reading the letter, she cannot believe her boss fired her through email. But she couldn’t show it that how angry she is, she just acted normal, because she doesn’t want to ruin her little girl’s birthday. At night, after she put Lydia to bed, she called Joe immediately, â€Å"what did you say to my boss exactly?† Joe giggle on the other side of the phone: â€Å"I didn’t say anything other than how you feel about your boss, and how you can’t wait to leave there for good. Hey don’t be mad, I was just helping you out. Oh forgot to tell you, I’m taking the house back tomorrow. So you better start packing up now, in case you won’t get any time for tomorrow!†Then he hanged up the phone before Julia was going to say something. And there is only one sentence in her head† what am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? She is so perplexed; she  lost her job and her house just like that, through a letter and a phone call. After she finished worrying about all of those furniture and clothes, she started worrying about Qiuqiu and Fang, now she doesn’t has any incomes, and she is never that kind of person would have money in the saving account for the future uses. She used to have like the best job in the world except a noisy boss, but with high pay that’s fine, with that she can afford Qiuqiu and fang’s school fees and herself with Lydia’s cost of livings. But now what is she supposed to do. She has to find a job that gets quick money, also she has to find a place to live that’s the most important thing. And she couldn’t fall asleep at night. She keeps thinking about Qiuqiu and fang, can they still go to school without her financial supports? Then she decided to keep supporting them with money, she tried to find a job that is as good as the one she had before, but it wasn’t easy. So she can only find some waiters job and babysitting. Lydia couldn’t understand the change in a sudden, she just keeps asking Julia what is going wrong, Julia just said:†oh don’t worry honey, it’s just a life experiencing.† And Lydia thought her mommy is still working as a dentist that’s been respected by lots of people, actually right now Julia is working as a waitress where she meets lots of drunk and rude people, but she doesn’t want to tell her little girl, She wants Lydia still lives in the fairy tale. In the main time, she still keeps sending checks to Qiuqiu and fang, she use those inspiring words to encourage them, herself as well. She is so appreciated that Qiuqiu and fang didn’t complain the money is less than before, they are still grateful about how much Julia did to her. And finally Qiuqiu and fang are coming to visit them, they came to Beijing a year ago, but Qiuqiu thinks it’s better If they start their career first, and when they go visit Julia. They don’t want let Julia down, both of them are so good at art. When they first came here, they found some agencies to sell their work. People were so touched by their completely fresh and clean painting, they were so popular. People would spend so much money for their work, so they soon became rich. But they are still receiving money from Julia, they don’t use it, they use that to help other kids that couldn’t afford the school fees. And finally they decided to go visit Julia and Lydia. So they sent a letter to Julia, they asked for Lydia’s address, but they didn’t say when they are coming. It still made little Lydia jumped, she finally get to meet her â€Å"brother and sister†. On a  beautiful Sunday with sunshine, and gentle breeze, Qiuqiu and Fang ran g the door bell of Julia’s house. Julia didn’t know who that is, but her heart started beating so fast, she got so excited suddenly, â€Å"coming!† she looked through the peep hole, she see two young people standing outside, with lots of shopping bags on their hands. She suddenly has this weird feelings, she can feel that they are Qiuqiu and Fang. She opened the door, and yelled:†Lydia! Come come! Look who’s here!† and then she asked gently:† you are Qiuqiu and Fang right? † they smiled happily and nodded, both of them can’t believe their life saver and their â€Å"family† is standing right in front of them, and here comes a young girl with beautiful long dark silky hair, she is so pretty, she is blinking those two bambi eyes at these strangers. But she doesn’t feel nervous at all, she feels like she knew them long time ago. And then Lydia said:†hey honey, come meet Qiuqiu and Fang† Lydia jumped onto Fang, and Fang held her then she circled around. Lydia couldn’t help, she cried so much, and Qiuqiu came and hugged her, they look so happy and they are a family. Julia invited them in, Qiuqiu and Fang told Julia about the gallery, and Lydia told her situation of how she was struggling about the finance problem, but she doesn’t want Qiuqiu and Fangâ€⠄¢s dream, so she just worked even harder. During the talk they laughed, cried, they don’t feel strange to each other at all. And Fang asked:† after how much we’ve been through, I and Qiuqiu are getting married, because we were always there for each other, and we decided to be together. We bought a house with 3 bedrooms, we really want you to come live with us, you’ve done so much for us and right now it’s about time for us to return the favor. Please please say yes!† Julia couldn’t believe they are getting married and she cried because of the happiness, the little Lydia couldn’t wait, she jumped and yelling† Yes! Yes!† so Julia said:†we are going home, honey!† and so then, they lived happily ever after.

Discussing The Practice Of Manually Measuring Blood Pressure Nursing Essay

Discussing The Practice Of Manually Measuring Blood Pressure Nursing Essay In this assignment I have chosen to discuss a manual blood pressure a clinical skill in which I have become competent in practising. Developing the ability to perform a practical skill safely is necessary for all nursing students (Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC 2008). I will reflect on this skill using a reflective model I will be using the Gibbs model (1998) which consists of five elements description, feelings, evaluation, analysis conclusion and a action plan. I have chosen this skill as in all the clinical placements I have been placed in blood pressure monitoring has always been used but the electronic method preferred. While observing other healthcare professionals performing this skill I have encountered different standards and conflicting evidence. Having both the skills and the knowledge of how to take a manual blood pressure is essential for patient safety (NMC 2008). Achieving competence in this area has become more difficult since the introduction of the electronic BP monitors. I have researched the topic of blood pressure monitoring to give myself a greater knowledge. The patient was an 86 year old gentleman with hypertension (see Profile). High blood pressure is a very common condition in modern society if left undetected can lead to life threatening conditions (British Hypertension Society BHS 2009). It is estimated that 6.5% of patients have been wrongly diagnosed as hypersensitive having their blood pressure taken using an electronic method (Coe and Houghton 2002). Having the skill of taking a manual blood pressure is important for patientà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s safety and health. Description I was asked by my mentor while in clinical placement to perform a manual blood pressure. The electronic method that was usually used was faulty and an accurate reading could not be obtained. As a student nurse I had been taught the skill in university and practiced on fellow students but not had much opportunity to perform the skill on placement. Following a discussion with my mentor I collected the equipment to make sure it was all available and in working order. I returned to the patient and asked if I could carry out the procedure and washed my hands before starting. I then assessed the position of the patient to make sure I had access and that he had no restricting clothing on and that he was in a comfortable position. Placing a pillow under his elbow I placed a medium sized blood pressure cuff on the upper arm of the patient. The cuff was centred using the arrow on the cuff over the brachial artery. I then located the brachial pulse and placed my fingers over the pulse. Making sure the valve of the bladder was closed I inflated the blood pressure cuff until I could no longer feel the pulse, this is the estimated systolic pressure I then deflated the cuff. Leaving for a few seconds before continuing I located the brachial pulse again and placed the diaphragm of the stethoscope over this point. I inflated the cuff again to the estimated systolic I have previously gained adding 30mmhg. When reaching this point I began to deflate the cuff slowly and listen for the first beat or korotoff sounds. This would give me the systolic pressure and then continued to listen for the last beat which is the diastolic pressure. The last beat was very hard to listen for as the patient in the next bed began to cough so had to inflate the cuff again and listen until I could confirm the reading. After finishing the procedure I left the patient comfortable and went to clean the equipment, to document and report the result to my mentor. After performing the skill on the patient my mentor asked me to perform the skill on her to give me more practice after explaining to her I had not had much experience. While doing this she advised me on tips that would help me improve practice. She suggested that if the area was noisy that I could watch for a slight flicker on the needle of the sphygmomanometer to identify the first and last beat. Another tip was that I could use the radial artery instead of the brachial artery. My mentor also mentioned to make sure that the patient did not have their legs crossed. Feelings After this procedure I felt that I had performed the skill well even though I had not had a lot of practice performing the skill. Being asked to do the manual blood pressure I initially had reservation at whether I was competent at the procedure but think this was just lack of confidence. On reflection I would have had more confidence in myself if I had more opportunity to practice the skill in clinical practice. Evaluation A positive outcome is that I now feel more confident to perform the skill of taking a manual blood pressure accurately. Having performed the skill on my mentor after performing on the patient and being given tips that would improve my practice has given me the confidence to perform the skill. I also now have a better knowledge of the evidence based practice of taking a manual blood pressure after reading about the subject and the importance of accurately measuring the blood pressure. This includes different factor that can affect blood pressure and prevent from obtaining an accurate reading. However the negative of the situation is the manual blood pressure monitoring is not widely used in some clinical areas and they are heavily reliant on the electronic method. Analysis My mentor asked me to perform the manual blood pressure because the electronic method was not obtaining a reading. Discussing the procedure before with her gave me confidence to perform the skill, and the importance of being able to perform the skill accurately. Having a holistic approach this is one of the skills of looking at the whole patients and not just certain aspects. Being a holistic nurse is having the knowledge and theories behind the skill. Having the evidence based practice knowing what can affect the blood pressure and taking these factors into consideration. Collecting the equipment before starting the procedure making sure that it is all in working order before hand helps make sure that you are going to obtain a correct reading. Assessing the environment before starting the procedure doing a risk assessment making sure you have adequate access to the patient will help to improve practice. Gaining consent from the patient before beginning the procedure is following the nursing and midwifery code (2008). Gaining consent from a patient must be done before any clinical procedure is commenced and patients have the right to refuse treatment or care and a nurse must respect the wishes of the patient. Gaining consent helps to ensure the patient understands the procedure that is being performed. Washing hands before a procedure using the ayliffe technique encourages good practice (World Health Organisation 2002). Using evidence based research it has been discovered that cross infection between patients has reduced with the introduction of the wash your hands campaign (NSPA 2008). Making sure that the patient does not have any restrictive clothing on the arms and that the arm is supported at heart level. Evidence has show that blood pressure can be 10 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 12 mmhg higher when the blood pressure is taken with the arm dangling giving a false high reading (Mallett Dougherty 2008). Using the correct size cuff is very important as using the incorrect cuff can give a false reading (Perry Potter 2007). Making sure the cuff fits snugly on the upper arm covering about 80% of the arm (BHS 2009). Using the arrow on the cuff help to centre the cuff in the correct place and help to locate the brachial artery which is situated in the crook of the arm. Covering only 80% of the arm also gives enough access to use the stethoscope not doing this may result in the sounds not being able to be heard adequately. Locating the brachial pulse and feeling for until it disappears this is the estimated systolic and adding 30mmhg to the pressure when inflated (Baillie 2005) this is so unnecessary pressure is not added to the arm while the skill is being performed. Using the radial artery instead of the brachial artery does give better access and I have found that it is easier to find on most patients. Using the tips given to me by my mentor I know feel that I have the knowledge to accurately perform a manual blood pressure. Gain supporting evidence from The Royal Marsden Manual (Mallett Dougherty 2008) and other sources has helped me to improve my practice which has given me more confidence to perform this skill with accuracy and competence. Conclusion I am pleased that I was given the opportunity by my mentor to improve my practice in performing the skill of taking a manual blood pressure. I am now more confident in performing the skill and can understand the importance of providing an accurate reading. The measuring of a manual blood pressure is an important skill and the evidence based practice is also a vital part of the procedure. When checking a blood pressure the most accurate method to use is a manual blood pressure (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NICE 2004) Action Plan I am going to take every opportunity where possible to perform manual blood pressure monitoring as I feel that I am confident and competent enough to do so. Having this skill means that if electronic medical devices fail that I have the ability to carry on with my duties and will not affect patient care. The knowledge that I have gained from my mentor about the tips on performing a manual blood pressure I can pass on to my fellow students and other health care professionals and they can also improve their knowledge and performance on taking a manual blood pressure. In doing this I can hopefully improve patient care and make the care more individual to the patent. Words 1,634

Evaluating Television Advertisements For Effectiveness

Evaluating Television Advertisements For Effectiveness Advertising is paid, nonpersonal communication that is designed to communicate in a creative manner, through the use of mass or information-directed media, the nature of products, services, and ideas. It is a form of persuasive communication that offers information about products, ideas, and services that serves the objectives determined by the advertiser. Advertising may influence consumers in many different ways, but the primary goal of advertising is to increase the probability that consumers exposed to an advertisement will behave or believe as the advertiser wishes. Thus, the ultimate objective of advertising is to sell things persuasively and creatively. Advertising is used by commercial firms trying to sell products and services; by politicians and political interest groups to sell ideas or persuade voters; by not-for-profit organizations to raise funds, solicit volunteers, or influence the actions of viewers; and by governments seeking to encourage or discourage particular ac tivities, such a wearing seatbelts, participating in the census, or ceasing to smoke. The forms that advertising takes and the media in which advertisements appear are as varied as the advertisers themselves and the messages that they wish to deliver. The word advertise originates from the Latin advertere , which means to turn toward or to take note of. Certainly, the visual and verbal commercial messages that are a part of advertising are intended to attract attention and produce some response by the viewer. Advertising is pervasive and virtually impossible to escape. Newspapers and magazines often have more advertisements than copy; radio and television provide entertainment but are also laden with advertisements; advertisements pop up on Internet sites; and the mail brings a variety of advertisements. Advertising also exists on billboards along the freeway, in subway and train stations, on benches at bus stops, and on the frames around car license plates. In shopping malls, there are prominent logos on designer clothes, moviegoers regularly view advertisements for local restaurants, hair salons, and so on, and live sporting and cultural events often include signage, logos, products, and related information about the event spons ors. The pervasiveness of advertising and its creative elements are designed to cause viewers to take note. Although the primary objective of advertising is to persuade, it may achieve this objective in many different ways. An important function of advertising is the identification function, that is, to identify a product and differentiate it from others; this creates an awareness of the product and provides a basis for consumers to choose the advertised product over other products. Another function of advertising is to communicate information about the product, its attributes, and its location of sale; this is the information function. The third function of advertising is to induce consumers to try new products and to suggest reuse of the product as well as new uses; this is the persuasion function. The identification function of advertising includes the ability of advertising to differentiate a product so that it has its own unique identity or personality. One famous example of this is found in the long-running advertising for Ivory Soap. In the late 1800s, a soap maker at Procter and Gamble left his machine running during his lunch period and returned to find a whipped soap that, when made into bars, floated. The company decided to capitalize on this mistake by advertising Ivory Soap with the phrase It Floats. This characteristic of Ivory Soap served to uniquely identify it and differentiate it from other bars of soap. The information function of advertising can also be found in advertising for Ivory Soap. For more than one hundred years, advertisements for Ivory Soap have focused on such product characteristics as purity of ingredients, child care, and soft skin. These characteristics, in turn, were often related to key benefits that could be obtained from using Ivory Soap. Thus, various advertisements emphasized That Ivory Look, which focused on the relationships between product characteristics and the benefits of obtaining a fresh and healthy appearance. The third and most important function of advertising, persuasion, is also evident in the long-running Ivory Soap advertising campaigns. The advertiser, Procter and Gamble, has linked Ivory Soap with obtaining benefits that are important to customers: a fresh and healthy appearance for women, a mild, nonirritating method for bathing babies, and a novelty for children in the tub (since it floats). The benefits of the product suggest reasons to buy and use Ivory Soap and thus provide a basis for persuading consumers. Different benefits are important to different customers. Thus, to realize its full potential as a persuasive tool, advertising must often be tailored to emphasize those benefits that are important and meaningful for a particular type of customer or a particular use of the product. Advertising has a very long history. It existed in ancient times in the form of signs that advertised wares in markets. In Europe and colonial America, criers were often employed by shopkeepers to shout a message throughout a town. Medicine shows, in which there was a combination of entertainment and an effort to sell a product, usually a patent medicine or elixir, presaged modern advertising by creating an entertainment context in which advertising was embedded. Advertising became especially important in the second half of the nineteenth century as retailers began to advertise products and prices that would bring customers to their stores. Advertising for patent medicines also played a prominent role in the development of advertising, and by the end of the nineteenth century, the firms that would become advertising agencies had already begun to form. Though user habits are rapidly changing, television advertising has long been considered the most effective mass-market advertising format. The introduction of digital video recorders such as TiVo, which allows viewers to skip advertisements, as well as the popularity of commercial-free cable channels, have begun to diminish the reach and effectiveness of TV advertising. Television advertisings crowning moment is the Super Bowl, where companies debut their very best television commercials, effectively putting them in competition with all of the other television commercials. With the cost of a single 30-second TV spot during the Super Bowl running into the millions, most companies opt instead for running their TV advertising in time slots that best match their advertising budget. Television is the most common and most wide spread advertising medium. Watching TV is the most common leisure activity among the consumers.They spend attentive time watching TV.It will not be an exaggeration to describe television as the giant advertising medium as a report shows that people spend 5 to 6 hours (average) a day watching TV. Showing your ad on TV has several advantages.TV reaches almost every household and it touches more people than any other medium can do.Even the most popular newspaper only covers the metropolitan area.However TV reaches every corner of your city, your state and your country.In fact some of the very popular channels reach the whole world. Reach Larger Audience than Newspaper Newspaper can only accommodate pictures and words.TV reaches much larger audience than newspaper can do and it can do this work within a very short span of time.Another thing that you should keep in mind is that people usually look only for the news and they overlook the ad in newspapers.However if you run your ad in the middle of the favorite TV commercials of the consumers they will surely watch the ad. TV Ads have Visual Appeal You can also go for radio ads,but again radio only captures sound.TV is the only medium that uses words,sounds,picture (both still and movie) and also music to motivate the consumers emotionally.With so many options it successfully captures the viewers complete attention. You can Take Your Audience Anywhere TV ads are so popular because with a camera you can take your audience almost anywhere you wish.You can show them anything. Not only the end result but also your factory,the procedure of making the product,the packaging and so on.It appeals to the viewers sight and hearing at the same time.With the application of color it turns the world of advertisement into a real world and it easily makes people believe in it. TV Ads can Emotionally Motivate the Consumers Television can show many people about your product or service at a time.Every time the consumers see the benefit of using your product or service they will get inspired to buy it.It will remind them of their desire to possess what you offer.It can instantly give your product or service the prominence it needs. Reach Targeted Audience TV ads can reach the target audience most easily.You can reach the housewives between the best commercials or soaps. You can make funny ads for children and reach them during they watch their favorite cartoon programs.You can reach the elderly people during some religious programming and the office goers during news. However remember a few things while making a TV ad.Make it simple so that people can easily remember it.Repeat your ad at regular intervals.Go for a single consistent message. Offer what the audience wants and focus on the consumer needs.You will surely make a successful ad. Being titled theKing of advertising medium television has the power to influence consumer behavior over and again. Despite the many entertainment options we have today, television remains the dominant medium in most U.S. households, according to a study by Ball State University. Americans on average spend over 4 1/2 hours watching TV each day. Advertising your product or business on television can be very effective, but there are also several drawbacks. Before you purchase ad time, you should be aware of the disadvantages of advertising on television. Expense Producing a television commercial and purchasing airtime is costlyit is the most expensive form of advertising there is. TV commercial production is often a complicated process which can involve a lot of manpower, time and equipment. Some ads are simplefor example, just graphics and a voiceover. Other ads involve renting a studio and equipment, hiring a director, writers, actors, light and camera operators and editors. Who you hire to produce your ad will also affect the overall cost. For a less expensive, albeit lower quality ad, use your local cable station, which often has the capability to produce ads. If you have more to spend and want a higher quality ad, hire a professional production company. And assuming youre not an advertising professional, its wise to hire an advertising agency to help you come up with a campaign, which will add further expense. Besides production, there are a number of other factors affecting the final cost of your ad. Once the commercial is completed, you must then purchase airtime on one or more TV stations. According to AllBusiness.com, the key with TV advertising is repetition, so youll want to air the commercial as many times as possible. This is why TV stations offer pricing in bulk. Another cost factor is the size of the market in which you run the commercial. Airtime in major markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Dallas is more expensive than in Eureka, California or Amarillo, Texas. And cost will also depend upon where the ad will be seen. Local advertising on cable TV is significantly less expensive than ads that run on major networks nationwide. Changes Because of the complex process of making TV commercials, it can be difficult to make changes once the ad is complete. If a sale price or special offer needs changing, it could take days or weeks to make the adjustment at additional cost. Meantime, you may be unable to run your ad if the information is no longer correct. This will cost you valuable time during which youre not reaching your audience, unfortunate especially if youre advertising an event or limited time offer. In comparison, a newspaper or radio ad can be changed almost overnight and will likely cost little or nothing to change. Ad Campaign Creating an effective advertising campaign is not an easy task. You want your ad to be memorable, informative and entertaining enough to keep the viewers attention. If you dont have prior experience writing ads, you should hire an advertising agency. You can present them with the information you want to use in the ad, as well as any creative ideas you may have. The advertising professional will help you shape your information and ideas into what will hopefully be an effective ad campaign. Just remember that even agency-created, high-quality campaigns dont always work. TV-viewing audiences can be fickle and hard to please; sometimes its difficult to tell whether your ad will bring them to your business or make them change the channel. Your best chance of creating an effective ad campaign is to leave it to professionals. Hitting the Target Finding the right viewers is critical to the ads success. If youre selling womens shoes, then buying ad time during Monday Night Football is unwise, as most of the viewing audience is male. Run your ad instead during shows mostly viewed by women. Your advertising agency or a TV stations advertising department can help you decide when and on what channels you should advertise. They have access to Nielsen ratings, which are compiled from surveys that ask TV viewers what they watch. These ratings also provide viewer demographicsinformation such as gender, age and economic class. These statistics make it easier to determine when your ad should air based upon audience makeup; if your ad misses its target audience, it may fail to increase your business. Avoiding Commercials For viewers, television advertising can be an annoyance. Many people use commercial breaks to go to the bathroom, get a snack or flip channels. Add to that all the other entertainment options they have such as video-on-demand, radio, the Internet, Mp3 players and video gamesopportunities abound to miss the ad altogether. All you can do as an advertiser is create the best ad you can, repeat it often and hope viewers watch it and patronize your business. DVR A relatively new technology that is making its way into households across the nation is the DVR or Digital Video Recorder. A more modern version of a VCR, a DVR allows users to digitally record TV shows easilyand automatically, and to record more than one show at a time. Unfortunately for the advertising industry, DVRs allow users to fast-forward through commercials. According to Cnet News, a March 2006 study by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research said about 70 percent of advertisers surveyed believed that DVRs and video-on-demand will reduce or destroy the effectiveness of traditional 30-second commercials. It remains to be seen just what sort of effect DVRs will have on television advertising. Evaluating television advertisements for effectiveness is difficult since each viewer is affected by them in a different way. A general formula known by the acronym AIDCA is used by many advertisers to determine whether or not an ad will succeed in influencing viewers. The A in AIDCA stands for Attention, the I is for Interest, the D is for Desire, the C is for Credibility or Conviction, and the final A stands for Action. Each of these steps is believed to be key in creating a quality advertisement.

John Wayne as an American Icon Essays -- John Wayne Marion Morrison Ac

John Wayne as an American Icon Marion Morrison, also known as John Wayne, is perhaps one of the most popular movie personalities ever. He began as a mere stagehand, but by the end of his career he had developed himself as a very successful actor, producer, and director. Marion Michael Morrison was born on May 26, 1907, in Winterest, Iowa. His father, Clyde, worked as a pharmacist, and John Wayne thought of his father as the â€Å"kindest, most patient man I ever knew.† Later on in life, John Wayne’s father developed a critical lung disease. Wayne said that his mother, Mary was â€Å"a tiny, vivacious redheaded bundle of energy.† John Wayne was nicknamed â€Å"The Duke† after his pet as a child that was named Airedale. Early in his life, John and his parents moved to California. After graduating from high school and failing admission to Annapolis, John Wayne went to the University of Southern California (USC) and played on a football scholarship from 1925-27. During this time, Tom Mix, a friend of John’s, got him a job as a prop man for a director by the name of John Ford. Ford and Wayne became close friends and Ford used Wayne for small parts in some of his movies. Then finally in 1930, Ford suggested to Raoul Walsh that Wayne star in The Big Trail. The film bombed, but it was a start to Wayne’s career as an actor in leading roles. Wayne’s first feature film was also in 1930. It was titled Men Without Women. After more than seventy low-budget adventures, John Ford cast Wayne in Stagecoach in 1939. This movie is where John Wayne emerged as a major star. From this point on, there was no turning back for â€Å"The Duke.† But in 1963, Wayne began to have health problems. He had a cancerous lung removed during in 1963. Then in 1978, he had open-heart surgery. He then had his stomach removed in 1979, just before dying from lung and stomach cancer on June 11, 1979. Throughout his career as an actor, John Wayne won a variety of different awards, achievements and accomplishments. In 1950, at the Photoplay Awards, John Wayne won his first award when he received the award for the Most Popular Male Star because of his work in the 1949 film, Sands of Iwo Jima. Also in 1950, â€Å"The Duke† was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for Sands of Iwo Jima. In 1953, Wayne was named the World Film Favorite male actor at the Golden Globe Awards. Seven ... ...eared in a number of Coors Beer commercials. Of course, this was done through the use of computerized virtual images. But, it’s still nice to see that he still has an influence on us. It is still very common to see â€Å"The Duke’s† face lingering around on television. Perhaps, he paved the way for such movie stars as Clint Eastwood, who also has made a name for himself through western films. Without a doubt, there will never be anyone quite as influential and all-American as â€Å"The Duke†. Everyone respected John Wayne. You might even say that some people were frightened by the rugged western and the war roles that he played. When our country was off fighting World War II, John Wayne was unable to be in the military because of an inner ear problem, but reports say that his movies about war kept everyone’s spirits up. He was a very patriotic man in real life, not only in film, and in my opinion, he is definitely an American icon. Bibliography: â€Å"The Wages of Virtue.† Time Magazine 3 Mar. 1952: 64-69 Freer, Ian and Hamilton, Jake. â€Å"The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.† Empire Magazine Oct. 1997: 190 Nardo, John. John Wayne. Chelsea House Publishers, 1995.

Reflective Research Paper -- Essays Papers

Reflective Research Paper Gender biases are a problem in many schools and gender equity has been used to help remove those biases. Equity refers to having equal expectations and treating students of different sexes and cultural backgrounds equally. Gender biases have been a problem in education for years. In the past boys and girls have had different expectations when it comes to education. Boys have generally been taught to take leadership roles and girls to take more passive roles. In recent years gender equity has helped remove gender biases from the classroom, giving boys and girls a more equal type of education. In 1972 Congress passed Title IX, which forbids any type of gender discrimination in an educational setting that is receiving federal financing (Ryan & Cooper, 2000). Educators David and Myra Sadker say boys and girls have very different educations even though they use the same textbooks, sit in the same classrooms, and have the same teachers (Weiss, 2001). Unfortunately gender biases still exist in classrooms and boys seem to benefit from them more than girls. The Sadker’s research shows that teachers tend to call on boys more than girls. They say this is because boys are more assertive and demand more attention by speaking out of turn to the teacher (Weiss, 2001). When girls call out answers it is shown teachers are more likely to point out their inappropriate behavior and not answer them, where boys generally do not get redirected and get better feedback from the teachers than girls do. Boys may also tend to have more interactions with teachers than girls and are more likely to dominate the classroom (Ryan & Cooper, 2000). Teachers have also been shown to praise boys for doing we... ...Premier: EBSCOhost Item: 3588728 Callas, D. (1993). Differences in mathematics achievement between males and females. [Online]. Community College Review, 21 62-66. Article from MasterFILE Premier: EBSCOhost Item: 9410121136 Girls' math/science education. (1998). [Online]. Education Digest, 63, 42-47. Article from: MasterFILE Premier: EBSCOhost Item: 80903 Levi, L. (2000). Gender equity in mathematics education. [Online]. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7, 101-107. Article from: MasterFILE Premier: EBSCOhost Item: 3774258 Reys, R., E., Lindquist, M., M., Lambdin, D., V., Smith, N., L., & Suydam, M., N. (2001). Helping children learn mathematics. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Weiss, R., P. (2001). Gender-biased learning. [Online]. Training and Development, 55, 42-46. Article from: MasterFILE Premier: EBSCOhost Item: 3975000

A Teenage Life Essay

A long time ago,in 1998, a female child was born with nothing on her mind. A child who gently sleeps in her mothers arm, and always cries when she gets hungry. This child grew up to become a great kid. This kid grew up to be me. Respected teacher and my dear friends. I, Fatima Fakrudheen feel privileged to stand before you all to deliver a speech on ’Teenage life’ . â€Å"Before I speak, I’ve got something important to say†¦ I was told to be accurate. Be brief. And be seated. I promise I will be as brief as possible..no matter how long it takes† Since childhood, I was the happy-go-lucky kid. I really never bothered everything but only play with myfriends. I was so gleeful, cheerful, and always think positively. I love my friends, and they do love me. But my entirelife changed when I entered this critical stage in life where everything should be systematic. A new chapter in lifewhere everything calls for desperate measures. Teenage life is a chapter of our life where we teens should be meticulous in everything we do. In here, our body grows older, and we can ¶t imagine the things growing in our skins as we go through this stage in life. Haveyou imagined it? That as we go through this stage, everything changes «physically, mentally, socially, and most of all, emotionally.As we go through life, we meet changes. Changes that will make our character stand above all. What you do now will lay the foundation for your state in the future.For a short period of our adolescence, we must try to make this the exciting,enjoyable, and memorable times in our life.As a teenager, we are in that enviable stage where everything is positioned to go our way. We are young,full of energy, we feel like we are invincible, totally carefree and becoming free and more independent.We will also have a thousand and one questions as we enter this new stage of life. This is the time whenwe actually need the guidance and support of our parents and older  people.We are social creatures and the need for companionship is most pronounced among teenagers. Thecompany we keep will have a great effect in our teenage life. Choosing the right circle of friends will save us a lot of troubles, heartaches and possibly a life of deep regret. Enjoy the company of different kinds of people and develop important social skills.

Geography essay †earthquakes Essay

At a conservative margin two plates try to slide past each other slowly. Quite often, the two plates stick and pressure builds up; the release of this pressure creates a severe earthquake. There are no volcanic eruptions along conservative plate margins because the crust is neither being created nor destroyed. The classic example of a conservative plate margin is the San Andreas Fault in California. The North American and Pacific Plates are moving past each other at this margin, which is the location of many earthquakes. These earthquakes are caused by the accumulation and release of strain as the two plates slide past each other. The vast majority of Earthquakes occur along plate margins. In fact the locations of the earthquakes and the kind of ruptures they produce help scientists define the plate margin. Many earthquakes form a narrow spread at some plate margins than others; generally speaking, the earthquakes at destructive plate margins have a greater spread and therefore affect more places than at conservative plate margins. According to plate tectonic theory, huge slabs of plates are in constant movement caused by convection currents, a lot of pressure builds up at the plate margins, which when released causes a sudden jolt or earthquake. This accounts for a large number of earthquakes that occur at plate margins. The fact that the most deadly earthquakes occur at destructive/transform plate margins suggests that greater pressure builds up than at constructive plate margins. Earthquakes are probably the most frequent of all hazards, yet their impact on people, property and communities varies from one place to another. When it comes to buildings the type of building materials and designs used can minimize loss of life, mainly in wealthy areas. This was the case with the Loma Prieta earthquake where very few people were killed, however in some areas were more vulnerable with older buildings. With the Kobe earthquake (1995) there were less strict building regulations which led to high death toll of over 6,300. In poorer parts of the world building design is often inadequate, even though building design standards are in place they are rarely enforced, which was the case for Mexico City (1985). Here several modern high rise buildings collapsed as concrete crumbled and the thin steel structures tore apart. The central hospital just collapsed in total killing around 30000 people. It can also have different effects on different parts of the world due to the frequency of the earthquake and the levels of development. In wealthy areas where earthquakes are common, such as California and Japan, a lot is done to prepare for an earthquake; there are regular earthquake drills in schools and offices. Poorer countries tend to be less well prepared this is partly due to the lack of money to invest in materials and educational programs. Also because earthquakes are perceived as infrequent problems in a society facing daily struggles for survival. It is often said LEDC’S suffer much more from the effects of earthquakes than MEDC’s which is true in terms of human costs. A poor country with UN sturdy buildings and its inability to cope with the after effects of an earthquake, will suffer greater loss of life, homelessness and loss of livelihood than a rich country. In recent years some of the greatest earthquake disasters have occurred in LEDC’S including India 1993 which killed 10,000 people, Afghanistan 1998 which killed over 6,000. MEDC’s do not tend to suffer as much human loss, but they do suffer a lot of financial loss, as insurance companies and governments re-fund building programs and pay compensation. Afghanistan 25th March 2002 there were a series of earthquakes that lasted 10 hours and killed 800-1000 people, injured 4,000 and left 20,000 homeless. Towns were flattened the earthquake only measure 6. 1 on the Richter scale. There were a few reasons why this earthquake caused so much widespread disaster. The region is remote and very poor, after suffering droughts and wars they have no resources left to cope with such an earthquake. The houses were very poor and couldn’t withstand the shaking; much housing had heavy roofing to insulate their houses which just collapsed killing people inside. Although the earthquake was not so powerful it was a shallow one occurring at a depth of 8km. Now comparing it with a wealthier place you can see the difference that money can make and buildings. Taiwan 30th March 2002 measured 7. 1 on the Richter scale so was more powerful than the Afghanistan one, and was at 10km deep so again was shallow; this earthquake only killed 5 people. The Taiwan earthquake was significantly more powerful than the Afghanistan earthquake yet it caused far less loss of life, this was due to the fact that, many of the buildings were modern and coped well with the ground shaking, people were also aware of the dangers and had prepared themselves to minimize the dangers and damage to the properties. Taiwan is significantly wealthier than Afghanistan and it’s therefore better able to prepare and then to react after an earthquake. In conclusion 2 earthquakes of a similar magnitude might be expected to have similar effects but this is not always the case. Whilst there can be no doubt that a big powerful earthquake will caused a lot of damage wherever they occur, it seems to be the case that all things being equal LEDC’s tend to suffer more than MEDC’s.

A Critique of the Structure Conduct Performance Paradigm (Scp) Essay

A Critique of the Structure Conduct Performance Paradigm (SCP) †¢The SCP approach draws on theories of market structure. These theories can be adapted to examine the behavior of firms and industries. However, these theories do not always give us exact relationships between structure, conduct and performance. †¢Structure can be measured by a multitude of indicators. Unfortunately, many economists tend to measure structure by concentration. This is primarily because data is easy to find in government statistics. As a consequence, there is a danger of overemphasizing the importance of concentration. †¢The SCP approach has been criticized for providing a ‘snapshot’ of competitive conditions. The approach does little to explain how the industry has evolved into its current state and what, if any, the future changes of industry structure and firm behavior are likely to be. †¢It is often difficult to decide which variables belong to structure, which to condu ct and which to performance. For example, the extent of advertising, vertical integration and diversification gives useful information as to the structure of an industry. However, these are also strategies which firms can choose to follow to gain a competitive advantage over rivals. †¢There are difficulties in measuring many of the variables. For example, how would one measure profitability? How does one measure entry barriers and the rate of entry? How do we measure the extent of vertical integration? †¢What exactly do we mean by performance? Performance is some measure of the degree of success in achieving desired goals. Is it possible to have a set of uniform performance indicators? Differences in firm objectives may make the links between firm behavior and performance difficult to assess. For example, if firms are sacrificing potential profits in order to reduce risk by investing in more certain activities, then researchers should be more interested in variability in profit rates and not profits levels per se. Alternatively, if managers are maximizing their own satisfaction through excess expenditures, then it is no longer clear that large firms will necessarily make abnormal returns. In other words, firms insulated from competitive pressure may choose a ‘quiet life’ and no longer strive for greater efficiency and higher profits. Despite its critics, the SCP approach is one of the most popular and enduring approaches to analyzing competitive markets. For example, European banking has experienced competitive change over the last decade. Government deregulation has increased competition and allowed banks to compete not only in domestic but also in other European markets. The extent of diversification has increased, which has caused the distinction between b anks, building societies and insurance companies to become blurred. There has been entry of foreign banks into many European countries, leading to intensified competition. The number of banks has declined in many European markets in recent years. The trend is apparent across different types of banks, including the mutual savings and co-operative banks as well as the domestic commercial banks. Reference: http://classof1.com/homework-help/macroeconomics-homework-help/

Business Law Cases Essay

The case presented here falls under the doctrine of Contract Act, 1872 and especially under the provisions regarding breach and remedies for breach of a contract. When the rights and responsibilities arising out of a contract are extinguished, the contract is said to be dissolved or terminated. A contract may be dissolved in any of the following ways: 1. By Agreement: A contract can be terminated by an agreement between the same parties who entered into the contract with mutual agreement. 2. By Performance: As the parties into the contract complete performance of their shares of promises a contract in terminated. 3. By Frustration: A contract can be terminated by the impossibility in the fulfillment of the purpose of the parties in entering into a contract. 4. By Breach: When a contract is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party’s performance. 5. By Operation on Law: Discharge of a contract by operation of law may occur by merger, by insolvency or by alteration of the written document. In the case in concern, Nike (BD) Ltd. enters into a contract with Sunshine Fabrics for supply of 50,000 pcs of T-shirt as per sample and design. One of the provision/ stipulation of the said contract was that-â€Å"the Sunshine Fabrics would not sell to his other customers for a period of 2 years any T-shirt of the same design and description†. Eventually the said design T-shirt (of Nike) became very popular in Bangladesh and, many retail shops show keen interest to buy them at higher price and as such, Sunshine Fabrics started selling them to different shops ignoring their contract with Nike (BD) Ltd. This is a clear case of breach of contract. A breach of contract is failure to perform as stated in the contract. When a contract is broken the party who suffers on account of it has one or other of the following remedies: 1. Damage: Damages are moneytary compensation allowed to the injured party for the loss or injury suffered by him as a result of the brach of contract. 2. Specific Performance: Specific performance means the actual carrying out of the contract as agreed. 3. Injunction : Injunction is an order of a court restraining a person from doing a particular act. It is a mode of securing the specific performance of the negetive terms of a contrct. 4. Cancellation of the instrument: When there is a breach of contract by one party, the other party may rescind the contract and need not perform his part of obligations under the contract. 5. Rectification of the instrument: When through fraud or mutual mistake of the parties a contract or other instrument in writing does not truly express their intention; either party or his representative in interest may institute a suit to have the instrument rectified. In the case personated Nike (BD) Ltd. s the party who is the sufferer of the breach of contract. Along with damage, Nike (BD) Ltd. can also file a suit for injunction and cancellation of the instrument. The fundamental principle underlying damages is not punishment but compensation. By awarding damages the court aims to put the injured party into the position in which he would have been, had there been performance and not breach, and not to punish the defaulter party. As a general rule, â€Å"compensation must be commensurate with the injury or loss sustained, arising naturally from the breach. Where the party has suffered no damage on account of the breach, the court may still award him nominal damages in recognition of his right. In this case, Nike (BD) Ltd. has suffered an actual loss which arose in the usual course of things from the breach. Thus Nike can claim substantial damage to compensate its suffering. Injunction is a discretionary remedy of the Court. An injunction may be temporary or perpetual. Where a party is in breach of negative term of a contract, the court may, by issuing an injunction, restrain him from doing from what it is promised not to do. Thus injunction is a preventive relief. Since in this case, Sunshine Fabrics is doing an act (selling T-shirts of the particular design) which it promised not to do Nike (BD) Ltd. can file a suit claiming injunction. Along with claiming damages and injunction Nike (BD) Ltd. can also apply for cancellation of the instrument. If one or more of the major provisions of a contract is broken the party suffering from it can apply for cancellation of the instrument. If one or more of the minor provisions is broken the sufferer party can apply for damages but not cancellation of the instrument. In this case Sunshine Fabrics has broken a major provision of the contract. So, Nike (BD) Ltd. can apply for cancellation of the instrument. In reply of Nike (BD) Ltd. ’s legal notice Sunshine Fabrics asserts that the contract which they signed with Nike (BD) Ltd. is, in fact, void, in as much as, the same is in restraint of trade. Sunshine Fabric’s assertion is however unjustified. The agreement stating -â€Å"the Sunshine Fabrics would not sell to his other customers for a period of 2 years any T-shirt of the same design and description† is not in restraint of trade rather merely â€Å"restraining freedom of action†. Thus we can conclude that, every thing else being equal, the case is in very much favor of Nike (BD) Ltd. Sunshine Fabric’s claim of the contract’s being â€Å"void† has no legal grounds. However, if Sunshine Fabrics can anyway prove that its agreement of not selling any T-shirt of the same description to its other customers for a period of 2 years was a minor provision of the contract, Nike (BD) would not be able to cancel the contract but still would be awarded damage and, on the Court’s discretion, injunction.

Ethic theory on the Workplace Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethic theory on the Workplace - Case Study Example First, there are two kinds of ethical theories, consequentialist and non-consequentialist. There are two consequentialist theories that include egoism and utilitarianism (Shaw et al., 2009). Ethical egoism is the first theory that can be used to give an answer as to what Kehal should do. According to the theory, Kehal should give the gifts that the influential individuals are demanding. In this way, he will be acting in his own interest as prescribed by the theory. This is because it is assured that the airline will be granted the landing rights once the influential individuals receive what they demanded. Once the company has obtained the landing rights, Kehal will receive the promotion as well as a bonus. This will help him to cater for the medical expenses of his ailing parents and sort out all his commitments. Egoism is largely viewed as a consequentialist theory since it focuses on the consequence of an action for the agent instead of the final outcome. In other words, the theory is based on self interest and its major strength is that it evades the possibility of a conflict between self interest and morality. It would be rational for Kemal to offer the gifts to the influential individuals since by pursuing his interest morality is equated to rationality.   The second consequentialist theory that can help in cracking the ethical dilemma is utilitarianism. Based on this theory Kemal should not hand the gifts demanded by the local manager to be given to the influential individuals.

Analyzing Point of View Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Point of View - Research Paper Example This is a good thing because if the point of view is not consistent the reader can be very confused. They will have a hard time understanding who knows what. This story is traditional and consistent. A little bit of the feelings of Mathilde shine through, but the narrator does not have total knowledge of her and how she feels. This point of view is appropriate to the story. This is not an experimental work where the author is trying to make the reader's head spin. Instead this is a simple story where the author does not want the point of view to intrude or draw attention to itself. He wants the story to almost tell itself. Since this is partly a story of social mores, which are shown rather than told, it is important for the point of view to not be intrusive. There are many techniques an author can use to heighten the quality of his work. Point of view is among the most important. It can completely shape the reader's experience of the story.

Mistaking africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mistaking africa - Essay Example It can be affirmed from a broader outlook that the critical concern of cultural bias is quite discriminative in nature (Flanagan 153). With this concern, this paper intends to provide a comprehensive understanding about own cultural biases towards Africa through reading the text i.e. Curtis A. Keim’s ‘Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind’. DISCUSSION The book of Curtis A. Keim i.e. ‘Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind’ has portrayed certain significant ideas and perceptions that have broadly influenced or imposed extensive impacts especially upon social along with cultural aspects of Africa. This particular book provides a general idea about the existence of cultural biasness within the nation of Africa. According to the findings of the aforesaid book, it can be affirmed from a broader outlook that an individual can acquire a valuable idea about diverse aspects such as the use and the misuse o f stereotypes, racism, exploitation and various other sorts of cultural aspects. The author in this book revealed that for several Americans, the nation i.e. Africa appears to be the indication of various surroundings i.e. dense jungles, safaris, strangely dressed tribesmen and ferocious animals. It is worth mentioning that Curtis A. Keim’s ‘Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind’ mainly concentrates upon conducting historical evolution and addressing the most widespread preconceptions along with myths concerning dissimilar cultures and people belonging to Africa (Keim 101-170). In order to present my own notions regarding cultural biases towards Africa through reading the abovementioned book of Keim, certain significant aspects need to be taken into concern and discussed broadly. In this similar context, it can be observed in Keim’s text that a huge majority of Americans considered the facets of exploitation and racism against A frica to be quite acceptable. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the Americans did enslave Africans and maintain segregation along with slavery system, though they by no means ruled colonies in Africa. According to my own perception, as the Americans did enslave the Africans, it can be stated that there laid the existence of cultural biasness within the nation by a significant level. Moreover, apart from enslaving the Africans, the treatment of the Africans as inferiors by the Americans also demonstrates the prevalence of cultural biasness within the nation at large. There also lay certain other significant evidences that have eventually developed my perception towards recognizing the prevalence of cultural biasness in the region of Africa. One of the evidences can be apparently observed in the readings of Curtis A. Keim’s ‘Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind’. This particular evidence which proves to be quiet effe ctive in determining the existence of cultural biasness in Africa can be related with the notion of prejudice. With reference to the reading i.e. Keim’s ‘Mistaking Africa: Curiosities and Inventions of the American Mind’, it can be revealed that with every passing decade, Americans are incessantly treating Africans with less prejudice. Though the nation i.e. Africa is growing to play an imperative role in developing worldwide economy because of its huge size, greater amount of population and accessibility of vast resources,

The EU Single Market Programme and Monetary Union Essay

The EU Single Market Programme and Monetary Union - Essay Example This case has been of much interest in economics and one of the concepts that were studied is the hold-up problem. In more precise terms, the hold up problem is a term used in economics to describe a situation where two parties (such as a supplier and a manufacturer) may be able to work most efficiently by cooperating, but refrain from doing so due to concerns that they may give the other party increased bargaining power, and thereby reduce their own profits1. In the case of the European Union (EU), it was previously expected that the regional integration would be beset by problems with regards to policy formulation and implementation. The EU is composed of countries that have been in constant race towards domination in economic and military terms. Germany and France, for example, have been known to apply stringent protectionist policies with regards to their industries to ensure that their economy will be robust and competitive. If only to emphasize the point that there are conflicting interests among the EU member states, it will be mentioned that both of the world wars started in the European theatre. However, the implementation of Single Market Programme and the Monetary Union seems to defy our idea that it is inevitable that hold up problems occur in the European Union policies except in the case of UK opting out of the single currency. The Single Market Programme ... was based on the following premises: 1) the increase in the size of the market due to regional integration results to larger scale investment that would not have been profitable in member states' national markets and 2) regional integration is can lead to an increased economic growth rate and foreign direct investment2. The EU monetary union is an agreement of its member countries to share a single currency among them - the Euro. This currency is currently used by Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican City are licensed to issue and use the euro3. With such diversity and differing interests of the member nations, how did such a venture succeeded in achieving its goals In the first place, how did it become possible that such an agreement was made What are the factors that held stalemates/hold up problems from occurring These questions must be answered as this paper is interested in determining if holdup problems are indeed inevitable in negotiations. Chapter 1: Benefits and Concessions The key to a successful negotiation is that all stakeholders benefit from the agreement without too many concessions. That is, the number of benefits that the stakeholder is entitled to generally determines the willingness of the stakeholder to come to terms. As Putnam puts it, 'the larger the win sets, the greater will the probability that an agreement will be reached'4. Note that number of benefits is a function of the number of concessions made. In the Single Market Programme and Monetary union, what was offered as benefits for all the member state was the increase in foreign direct investment and other improvements in the economy. Mechanisms were placed such that