Thursday, October 31, 2019

Customer Importance to the External Environment Essay

Customer Importance to the External Environment - Essay Example I agree with the statement urged in contemporary best-selling management that customers are the most important elements in the external environment. In this regard, business organizations mainly compete for customers to earn more sales. This implies that rivalry among the existing firms within the external environment are attributed to the targeted customers. Firms in this case have to compete in various ways to win as many customers as possible. The focus here is the market, which is entirely built up by the customers. The number of customers to be won by a given firm would only depend on the strategies employed to win the customers. Customers constitute the key focus because of their attitude towards the new entrants against the existing firms’ products/services. The most important aspect in this regard is the strategy employed to gain high volumes of sales. Customers also force firms to differentiate product and identify their brands. Firms have to take note of substitute p roducts and services in order to envision better ways of maintaining their customers and even gain more of them. The statement may however be untrue in the situation whereby firms are dealing with the issue of bargaining power of their suppliers. In this case, the focus is solely on suppliers, which means that customers cannot have any impact on this relationship between the firm and its suppliers. Focusing on the suppliers in turn improves the company’s performance, which could have little or nothing to do with the customers.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay Introduction Todays world is continually shrinking due to many factors, not the least of which is the rapid growth of international business. Four specific interlinking phenomena are occurring which present new problems to international business: a) the increase in offshore banking transactions; b) the continuing growth of multinational corporations (MNCs); c) the increasing instances of outsourcing business activities offshore and d) the equally increasing instances of locating and using suppliers of goods and services in developing countries. All four of these phenomena are fueled by economics and they show no sign of abating anytime soon. Two aspects dealt in this paper are: a) the existence of perceived corruption in international business, including graft, kickbacks and preferential treatment and b) workplace conditions that are considered unethical by generally accepted world standards. There are many other aspects of international business which lend themselves to ethical examination, but they are not appropriate here. The approach taken is to examine some of the principal ethical philosophies of the last two hundred years in relation to international business, as follows: a) Immanuel. Kants Categorical Imperative; b) early mercantilist philosophies; c) Distributive Justice; d) Ethical Relativism; e) Integrative Social Contracts Theory; f) Virtue Ethics; g) Confucian and Islamist ethics and h) pragmatic approaches to international business ethics. Then, by way of local comparisons, several local national situations are presented in order to clarify the problem. Finally, in order to address workplace ethics specifically, the SA 8000 Social Accountability standard is presented and analyzed as one approach to remedy a widely recognized situation which required positive attention. Furtherj this standard is presented as a possible entry point toward developing a customer/supplier dialogue which may hole the promise of formulating a wholly new code of international business ethics, not simply another Western concept grafted onto the developing world. 1 Key ethical theories and concepts Kants categorical imperative: Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative has become a mainstay in the study of ethics for the past two hundred years and has stimulated a considerable amount of both support and objection. His assertion to act only according to maxims which you can will also to be universal laws^^ was seen to be in direct reaction to the relativist philosophies being propagated at that time and can also be seen as a defense of free will which was being called into question as well. Marias^^ points out that Kants purpose was to personalize ethics, not necessarily to institutionalize ethics. Kants ethics describe a moral person; not necessarily a moral society which is a key point in attempting to apply Kantian ethics to our world. Significant problems have been found to exist not within Kants ethics but in its applications. Calder* perceives the lack of degrees of wrongness in Kants Categorical Imperative, stating that this is a major flaw in his ethics. Calders interpretation of Kant is that an act is either right ot wrong in a universal sense, not allowing for varying degrees. This would be a valid objection to Kantian ethics were it not for Kants intention to personalize ethics and to make the individual person responsible for his or her own actions. In this sense, Kants ethics are indeed universal in the sense that each person must decide what is right and what is wrong. An argument could be made that in this sense, Kantian ethics can be applied universally, but with a less than satisfying sense of having identified a code of ethics that would fit like a sort of template over our world. It should also be noted that at the time Kant lived in the late 18 Century, our world was just being discovered as highly diverse. European ethnocentrism was still very much in force and the uncivilized world was seen generally as a very undefined place.The intertwining effects of the growth of world trade, the rapid increases in colonialism and the onset of the industrial revolution stimulated additional efforts to address the people of the world at large. Early mercantilist philosophy: The various mercantilist philosophies which emanated from the growth of colonialism and world trade presented a somewhat different viewpoint to (11)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) ethics. In the minds of the mercantilists, civil society would contain markets which would be self-regulating and government, business and nonprofit organizations would unite to create social accountability systems which would contain self-enforcing codes of conduct reinforced by the concept of shareholder and stakeholder pressures. These concepts tend to continue to the present day in many business textbooks. However, these early mercantilist philosophies, propounded in the heyday of expansionism by the worlds trading nations, pointedly did not consider what effects mercantilism would have on the rest, of the world. These mercantilist philosophies provided a basis for the development of utilitarian ethics which would become popular in the following century with the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart MilP^ and which would eventually become the unofficial political philosophy of the British government throughout the colonial years and up to the present day. Distributive Justice: The rapid growth of complex economic systems together with the shrinking of the social world gave birth to the concept of distributive justice. The concept has its origins in David Hume and John Locke and continues today in the writings of modern philosophers John Rawis and Robert Nozick. ^ The internationalization of the world economy has further spurred discussion concerning how distributive justice might be applied to international business. Unlike the ethics of early mercantilist philosophies and classical utilitarianism which both fit uneasily in the world of international business, there has been quite a lot of discussion concerning the ethics of distributive justice in this context. The principal questions tend to revolve around how (or whether) gains from international trade get distributed both within and between countries* and whether or not basic human rights are observed in the practice of international business. This second question has also been expanded to discuss whether international business as a function has the obligation to offer help to the inhabitants of developing countries within which they do business. Both concepts would seem foreign to the mercantilists and would pose awkward questions to the utilitarians. Ethical Relativism: The next logical stage of development in the thinking of international business ethics was termed ethical relativism. To put the best face on it, this concept developed as a realization of the multifaceted cultural and social nature of todays world and of the inherent difficulties todays international business person experiences in attempting to deal with these differences. ^^ However, as many authors have pointed out, ethical relativism can be seen as moral approach to business, using cultural differences as an excuse to practice unethical behavior which might not be acceptable in ones own society. ^ The ethical relativism stage of international business ethics exists but does so in a weakened position due to criticisms leveled against it. Integrative Social Contracts Theory: An effective response to ethical relativism in international business has been a blending of ethical relativism and universally recognized ethical principles at least universally recognized in the Western world into a concept that has become known as integrative social contracts theory (ISCT). -^-* Under this concept, certain universal ethical concepts would provide the basis for an ethical code of conduct for international business with the recognition of the validity of certain local ethical practices with the provision that in the event of conflict between the two, universal ethical principles would take precedence. This blending of ethical concepts satisfied most participants in international business activities but not all. One criticism leveled against ISCT is the problem of using empirical methods to discover and define what the authentic norms of a particular culture might be^. The approach taken by most ISCT practitioners lays open to question the overall effectiveness of a purely empirical approach, subject as it is to misinterpretation and lack of complete knowledge and understanding. As a result, critics of ISCT tend to call for a revival of the universal ethical principles that ISCT has largely replaced, causing discomfort particularly in the developing world which has never been completely comfortable with espousing the universal ethical code of former colonizing powers. Virtue Ethics: One possibility of a usable ethical code is the application of virtue ethics to international business. This concept would formulate ethics based on the moral character of the people involved in international business. Clearly, virtue ethics appeals to those who wish the right thing to be done consistently and studies have attempted to apply the concept to the international business arena. * Virtue ethics has also been proposed as a tool that international organizations could use to fight corruption. Nonetheless, it remains undeniable that virtue ethics is grounded in ones own culture and moral beliefs and would necessarily provide a weak tool to formulate any sort of international business ethics code. Confucian and Islamic ethics applications: One has only to look at the major cultures of the world to discover old and well developed codes of ethics. One such ancient culture China has adhered to Confucian ethical concepts for centuries. Magee^* notes that philosophy, including ethical thought, proceeded in China unhindered by established religions, as was the case in the West and therefore developed a thoughtful ethical philosophy deeply seated in Chinese culture. Yew Chan^*^ points out that while most Confucian ethical thought parallels Western ethical thought, there are some significant divergences. Interestingly, one of the principal differences from the Chinese point of view has to do with the West placing results ahead of ethical concerns. Also, the importance of social harmony which takes on a characteristic of ethics in Confucian culture is emphasized in China while downplayed in the West. (12)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) Another old and well established body of ethics is found in the Middle East, northern Africa and southeast Asia in the ethical traditions of Islam. The Islamic tradition highly values such concepts as trust and benevolence and makes a major point of including justice and social balance in its code of ethics. Most of these concepts have their basic roots in pre-Islamic Arab culture based in turn on Bedouin culture, but they are reinforced by both the Koran and Sharia. Pragmatic approaches The various conflicts resultant from culture meeting culture in the international business world and the typical result of developed societies coming out on top (with the notable exception of the international petroleum industry) has generated a movement termed the United Nations sustainable development initiative. ^ This convergence of business, political and ethical concerns and interests is the most recent attempt to make things right in the international business world in the face of increasing world poverty and hunger and undeniable global inequality. The most recent ethical solution proposed to begin to set things right internationally is called the language of rights. *,This solution which flnds its roots in distributive justice, identifies the multinational corporation as one of the principle change agents and focuses on the capabilities of all concerned rather than on finding blame. The emphasis is on denning and promoting the positive rights of all concerned. International Business Applications From a practical point of view, however, all of these concepts are somehow found wanting. The realities of wide chasms between the developed world and the developing world which in many instances is not developing at all, relatively speaking tends to make nonsense of any attempts to formulate and superimpose any sort of universal ethical code on the whole world. In the old days of colonialism, the Western powers and Japan simply took what they wanted through dint of force and in the present day of neocolonialism these same powers in the persons of international business carry on that tradition in an updated manner. Appeals to post-conventional moral reasoning, in efforts to induce multinational corporations to develop mature corporate ethics in dealing with developing countries, have met with mixed results. Claims of widespread corruption in international business has stimulated a considerable amount of activity both in academia and in international organizations, although strong arguments have been made that bribery and corruption are not cultural characteristics, as they have so often been called, but symptoms of cultural breakdowns under the pressures of a malfunctioning economy. The local gift-giving customs in some cultures has been thoroughly examined and seem to be finally recognized as local custom and not necessarily as a form of graft. ^ One viewpoint sparsely practiced in the search for some resolution of the international business ethics conundrum is viewing business practices from the perspectives of other cultures. Both Confuciani. st and Islamic ethical systems were very briefly noted above and cases drawn from the business experiences of people from a few speciflc countries are now examined by way of comparison in order to better understand the cultural diversity in todays international business environment. Post-apartheid South Africa presents an interesting case study as the only developed economy on the African continent and as the principal trading partner of many African countries. South Africa also presents a model for global multinational corporations in how to deal effectively with developing economies. ^ Through a mixed strategy of business promotion and social involvement in these countries and by limited political involvement with government ministries. South Africa has developed a favorable reputation throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa by remaining pragmatic in dealing with local custom. Within that region, Nigeria has developed a version of virtue ethics based on a communitarian notion of ethics which seems to work well for Nigerian businesses. ^^ Considering that Nigeria is the most economically successful of the black sub-Saharan economies and is the dominant force in West Africa, this application of communitarianism is having a positive effect on its culturally similar neighbors and holds out hope for a type of regional ethical code in business. The case of Jordan, a relatively poor country located in the Mashriq area of the Middle East, shows mixed results when business ethics are examined. Similar to other countries in the region, Jordanian businessmen tend to bend their ethical activities toward what is practical under the pressures of reality which makes them not much different than other businessmen throughout the world. However, the active effect of Islamic ethics, as previously noted, has an ameliorating effect on Jordanian business practices. India presents a more interesting ethical picture. ^* While being largely Hindu in religion with significant minority groups, India is a country comprised of people speaking twenty-six different languages within two large ethnic groups. To consider India as a single culture through which one can examine Indian business ethics would be completely misleading. As a result and considering the existence of under cultures throughout the Indian population, international business performed in India would need to carefully examine the various ethical codes in practice throughout the country in order to understand the culture and begin to apply any sort of integrative social ethical theory. Finally, Australia presents another interesting case study. Australia is a large country approximately the same (13)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) size as the forty-eight contiguous states in the United States but with the total population of not much more than Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California combined. Rich in natural resources but isolated from the rest of the world by geography, Australia finds itself an essentially Asian country but with a European political, social and cultural tradition. As a result, Australian businessmen have had to learn how to do business with Asian cultures not by choice but of geographic necessity. ^ Adjustments to doing business in Asian cultures has always been a problem for the Australian businessman, particularly when faced with unfamiliar or uncomfortable ethical situations. ^ As a result, Australia can be seen in this sense as a microcosm of what international business people face. Social Accountability International As described above, the applications of ethical codes to international business have been spotty at best. The reasons for this are varied, but seem to have a great deal to do with attempts to formulate universal ethical principles, albeit with the effort to formulate ISCT in order to accommodate at least some local cultural practices that might affect business ethics. A major reason behind this failure may very well be that the various attempts have all been based on Western philosophical thought. Both Confucian and Islamist traditions possess functioning and effective ethical codes which seem to work well in those cultures. In 1997, Social Accountability International (SAI) published Social Accountability 8000, a voluntary standard that attempts to ensure humane workplaces worldwide. The standard was revised and updated in 2001. Rather than using the exhortative approach attempted up until that time by the International Labor Organization (ILO), SA8000 is a frank, open attempt to convince companies that it would be in their best business interests to become registered to this standard. It is based on international workplace norms of ILO conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (saintl. org). It is an auditable certification standard and those companies which pass an initial audit and which also maintain compliance through successful semi-annual surveillance audits are included in a published list of SA 8000-registered companies. Audits are conducted by thirdparty auditing organizations accredited and overseen by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS). ^ Provisions of SAAS a) Child labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; b) Forced labor: No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage labor; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employees or outside recruiters; c) Health and safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water. d) Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining; e) Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; No sexual harassment; f) Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse; g) Working hours: Comply with the applicable law but in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid as a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement; h) Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work, week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary reductions; i) Management systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices. The SA 8000 standard is a rather obvious carrot-andstick approach to flght the more blatant workplace abuses by creating a type of international honor roll of companies which have successfully undergone certification. Its introduction was greeted by a mixed reception^ amid fears that it was just another expensive piece of bureaucracy. However, within a few years the value of the SA 8000 standard was becoming apparent. Further, studies have shown that successful implementation of this standard as well as other similar standards have had the effect of improved international business in developing countries. The SA 8000 approach admittedly does not address all ethical concerns inherent in international business but it does address what can be considered the heart of the problem by attempting to bring workplace conditions in line with generally accepted international standards. As discussed, the issues of corruption in the exercise of international business are being addressed in part by the application of cultural ethical standards, such as Confucian and Islamist practices and the more heinous practices have been so roundly (14)Advances In Management r Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) condemned that they are either fading away or have been made well-publicized examples throughout the world. The hope is if workplace conditions can be brought up to an acceptable level, then the concept of discourse ethics can be put in play under which multinational corporations in partnership with their developing country suppliers can provide a theoretical justification for opening and maintaining a moral discourse which can then establish and mutually maintain ethical principles based on agreement and cooperation. ^ This would be a truly revolutionary development and one which would create a wholly new code of international business ethics involving the customer and the supplier as cooperating partners. Conclusion In the wake of Enron, Tyco and other recent scandals which have severely shaken the publics faith in our business leaders, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a serious topic of discussion in the business world. ^Â ° In addition, the popularity of such recent and graphic films as Lord of War, concerning arms dealing in Africa, Blood Diamond, also concerning this topic in Africa and The Constant Gardener, concerning corruption in the international Pharmaceuticals trade and once again in Africa, has raised the publics awareness of business corruption in developing countries. In addition, the rapid movement by Western companies to developing countries as a source of supply based on cheap labor has accentuated the previously invisible problem of working conditions in these areas. ^* Recent health threats concerning tainted pet food and leadbased toys from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) have served to magnify the situation. American consumers, once complacent concerning the products they bought as long as they were cheap and worked, are becoming more concerned with the quality and inherent safety of these products and a connection seems to have been made in the publics mind with workplace conditions in the countries of origin. The challenge is to keep these issues out in the open until they are resolved. The success of the SA 8000 standard is a good beginning toward instituting a true international discourse which has the potential of creating a new international business code of ethics which all people can buy into and follow a code of ethics which was not exported from developed countries, but one that would truly be an international code of ethics developed in partnership between customer and supplier. Such a mutually developed code of ethics would be-much more easily understood, would stand a much better chance of acceptance because the subjects would also be the formulators and would therefore offer a significantly higher chance of success. References 1. Al-Shaikh F. N. , The practical reality theory and business ethics in non-Westem context: Evidence from Jordan, The Journal of Management Development. 22 (7/8), 679-693 (2003) 2. Beekun R. I. and Badawi J. A. , Balancing ethical responsibility among multiple organizational stakeholders: The Islamic perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. 60 (2), 131-145 (2005) 3. Bendana A. , Shifting Paradigms of thought and power. Development. 47 (1), 22-26 (2004) 4. Beschomer T. and Muller M. , Social standards: Toward an active ethical involvement of businesses in developing countries. Journal of Business Ethics. 73 (1). 11-21 (2007) 5. Bruyn S. T. , The moral economy. Review of Social Economy, 57 (1), 25-46 (1999) 6. Calder T. , Kant and degrees of wrongness. Journal of Value lnquiry. ,39 (2), 229-244 (2005) 7. Chung K. Y. , Ethical perceptions of business students: Differences between East Asia and the USA among Confucian cultures! Journal of Business Ethics. 79 (1/2), 121-133 (2008) 8. Derig Shengliang, A new look at ethics in International business. The International Executive. 34(2), 151-165 (1992) ;l 9. Everett J. , Neu D. and Rahaman A. S. , The global fight against corruption: A Foucaultian, virtues-ethics framing. Journal of Business Ethics. 65 (1), 1-13 (2006) 10. Falkenberg A. W. , When in Rome moral maturity and ethics for international economic organizations. Journal of Business Ethics. 54 (1), 17-32(2004) 11. Flynn G. , The virtuous manager, A vision for leadership in business. Journal of Business Ethics. 78 (3), 359-372 (2008) 12. Gilbert D. U. and Rasche A. , Discourse ethics and social accountability: The ethics of SA 8000, Business Ethics Quarterh, 17 (2), 187-216(2007) 13. Hartman C. L. and Beck-Dudley C. L. , Marketing strategies and the search for virtue: A case analysis of The Body Shop, International Journal of Business Ethics. 20 (3), 249-263 (1999) 14. Hellston S. and Larbi G. A. , Public good or private good? The paradox of public and private ethics in the context of developing countries. Public Administration Development. 26 (2), 135-146 (2006) 15. Hutchings K. and Murray G. , Family, face and favours: Do Australians adjust to accepted business conventions in China? Singapore Management Review. 25 (2), 25-57 (2003) 16. Husted B. W. , A critique of the empirical methods of integratiye social contracts theory. Journal of Business Ethics. 20 (3), 227-236 (1999) 17. Jackson K. T. , Global distributive justice and the corporate duty to aid. Journal of Business Ethics, 12 (7), 547-553 (1993) 18. Kapstein E.B. , Distributing the gains: Justice and international (15)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) trade. Journal of International Affairs. 52 (2), 533-566 (1999) 19. Lee M. and Ruhe J. A.. Ethical mindsets of Christianity and Confucianism: A comparative study. International Journal of ValueBased Management, 12(1), 13-28(1999) 20. Leonard D. , Strong foundation solid future. Quality Progress, 41 (3), 30-36 (2008) 21. LeVeness F. P. and Primeaux P. D. , Vicarious ethics: Politics, business and sustainable development. Journal of Business Ethics, 51(2). 185-197(2004) 22. Limbs E. C. and Fort T. L., Nigerian business practices and their interface with virtue ethics. Journal of Business Ethics. 26 (2), 169-180(2000) 23. Magee B. , The story of philosophy. New York, Dorling Kindersley (2001) 24. Malan D. , Corporate citizens, colonialists, tourists or activists? Ethical challenges facing South African corporations in Africa, The Journal of Corporate Citizenship. Summer. 18, 49-61 (2005) 25. Marias J. , History of Philosophy, New York, Dover Publications (1967) 26. Miles M. P. and Munilla L. S. , The potential impact of social accountability certification on marketing: A short note. Journal of Business Ethics. 50 (1). 1-8 (2004) 27. OECD, Bribery: Does the OECD convention work? OECD Observer, 246/247, 20-21 (2005) 28. Olsen W. , Pluralist methodology for development economics: The example of moral economy of Indian labour markets. Journal of Economic Methodology. 14 (1), 57-82 (2007) 29. Pedigo K. and Marshall V.. International ethical dilemmas confronting Australian managers: Implications for the training and development of employees working overseas, Journal of European Industrial Training. 28 (2-4). 183-198 (2004) 30. Rohitratana K. , SA 8000: A tool lo improve quality of life. Managerial Auditing Journal. 17 (1/2). 60-65 (2002) 31. Social Accountability International, Social Accountability 8000, New York (2001) 32. Thaler-Carter R. E. , Social accountability: A social guide for companies or another layer of bureaucracy? HR Magazine. June. 107-112(1999) 33. 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(Received 8^ December 2011, accepted lO February 2012) Advances In Management Individual Subscription Fellow Membership Indian Rs. 20,000/- US Dollar 2000 Life Membership Indian Rs. 10,000/- US Dollar 1000 Annual Membership Indian Rs. 3000/- US Dollar 300 Institutional Subscription Fellow Membership Indian Rs. 30,000/- US Dollar 3000 Life Membership Indian Rs. 15,000/- US Dollar 1500 Annual Membership Indian Rs. 4000/- US Dollar 400 Please send your cheques / drafts in name of Advances In Management along with Membership Form at above address. (16)Copyright of Advances in Management is the property of Advances in Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Flight to Delhi

Flight to Delhi Flight to Delhi Delhi is the capital city of India with a population of over 13 million and has emerged as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. With over 700 flights landing and taking off from Delhi every day, Delhi airport is the busiest airport in India. It is easier to take flights to Delhi rather than using other means of transport. With several airlines and flight operators operating between major Indian cities Delhi, getting discounted tickets and special offers for Delhi flights is always on the cards. Deals22.com works hard to maintain its leadership position in travel category and to bring you the best rates for Delhi flights. Our unique engine allows you to search across the leading travel portals to ensure that you get the best fare rates. Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indian Airlines, Air India, Spicejet, Air Deccan, Indigo, Paramount and GO Air operate daily flights on the Delhi Bangalore, Mumbai Delhi, Kolkata Delhi and Hyderabad Delhi routes. Delhi airport is located near the Delhi Gurgaon border is well connected to the city. The drive from Connaught Place, the heart of Delhi to the Delhi airport takes about 45 minutes if the traffic is clear. But it is advised that you always take into account the omnipresent traffic jams which can extend the commute time to the Delhi airport by a factor of three. About Delhi Delhi is the 2nd largest Indian city after Mumbai (Bombay) and is the seat of Indian government. Delhi encompasses the nearby cities of Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad Faridabad to form the NCR region. Delhi /NCR is the melting pot for various Indian communities ethnicities. Attractions Places of Interest : Lodi Garden, Doll museum, Rail museum, Red Fort, India Gate, Museum of Natural History, Parliament, Qutab Minar, Jama Masjid Entertainment Shopping :, South-Extension, GK-I M Block, Connaught place, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Dilli Haat, State Emporiums, Lajpat Nagar, Ansal Plaza, Hauz Khas Theatre: Kamani Auditorium, LTG Auditorium, National school of Drama, India Habitat Centre (IHC), India International Centre (IIC), Lalit Kala Academy, Sri Ram Center for Performing Arts Temples : Hanuman Mandir, Lotus (ISKON) temple, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Kalka mandir, Birla Mandir, Chattarpur Mandir When to go Delhi faces the extreme climatic swings with the temperature moving to 47 C (116 F) in summers dropping to 0 C (32 F). The best time to visit the city is between October to March when the weather is most bearable. Regular flights to from Delhi are readily available. With airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indian Airlines, Spicejet, Air Deccan, Indigo and GO Air offering frequent flier programs, discounted tickets and regular special offers, cheap air travel to Delhi has become a reality.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Personal Narrative Essay - Learning from Mother :: College Admissions Essays

Learning from Mother Education is not to teach men facts, theories or laws, not to reform or amuse them or make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellect, teach them to think straight, if possible, but to think nevertheless.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Maynard Hutchins At each point in my life, I had fabulous teachers that helped open my mind to the bigger world outside. But the person who taught me the most was my mother. As a voracious reader, she gave me the example I emulate to this day. Then, I couldn't understand how she could stand reading so much nonfiction; I preferred novels. Now I see that her reading provided the necessary tonic to life among the Orr tribe. She was also my English coach: Any time I had a paper to work on, I sketched out my draft and then she would show me how to make it coherent. All her efforts finally paid off when I received the writing award at school-she had finally taught her daughter to write! She also was on the school board at my grade school, was politically active, and was active in our church. Seeing her stand up to error in public situations gave me the strength to do the same. Sadly, I had to fight error in my high school history class. I disputed my religion teacher's position concerning the civil rights movement (just one of many discussions we had that year). But without Mom's example, I would have been silent like the other kids. I could speak up because she also took the time to teach an added course to me on Saturdays-not only did I go to class every weekday at school, but Mom held special sessions of history class every Saturday afternoon, replete with really hard memorization

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Be Able to Contribute to Planning Learning Activities Essay

Hello Harry I met you at the Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham and I spoke to your assistant manager about my trip to Malawi. I Hope you are ok! Below is a picture of me and you at villa part in 2010! WOW! I had the most amazing opportunity to volunteer in Ghana for 6 weeks in July, its quiet unbelievable to be given another opportunity to help make people happy again!! BUT!! Every volunteer MUST raise  £800. ALL Money raised goes to projects whilst we are out there etc. I shall be working with Orphans and also teaching mothers how to educate their child. I’m finding it extremely difficult to raise my fundraising target and I have  £635 to go until lively minds (company im going with) are happy with my fundraising, Its totally stressing me out as I have to pay for my own flights too!! Which is an additional  £700 and coming from a single parent family on a council estate is hard, I just want to make myself proud and have a good life This is the only thing that makes me happy, Li fes pretty dull to be honest . But when I’m making others happy and putting smiles on the faces of children who truly have nothing to live for, but keep going and keep fighting their everyday life makes me happy about myself. When I spoke to you before the game you said you woul help me reach my fundraising target. I truly hope that is still possible so i can then the company can lay off my back and I concentrate on raising my flight costs. It would mean the world if you could help me on this quest. To be able to relax and know i am going to Ghana and not telling people â€Å"Maybe depending on if i achieve my fundraising target† would be HARRYmazing!

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Depth Scales

16. 7 Depth Scales * Explain what is meant by a â€Å"hypnotic depth scale. † * Give examples and explain the issues relating to the use of depth scales When discussing the topic of hypnotic depth they are referring to how ‘deep’ the subject is/can go into hypnosis and what is possible at that perceived level of depth. If you do the research you will find lots of different scales of depth, here I have taken the scale from the coursework provided by Adam Eason School of Therapeutic Hypnosis which upon research appears to originally come from Harry Arons, 1961 1. Hypnoidal – heavy muscle and relaxed nerves – drowsiness – awareness (got out of bed feeling). 2. Light hypnosis – physical response to suggestions – mind focused on suggestions – reacts to arm, etc. rigidity. 3. Medium Hypnosis – deeply relaxed – subject will not speak unless asked – unable to perform actions unless asked to do move arm – rise from chair – move head. 4. Profound Hypnosis (deep hypnosis) – partial amnesia when awakened – posthypnotic suggestions can be submitted – numbing parts of the body (ANALGESIA). 5. Somnambulism – total amnesia and anaesthesia is possible – age regression is possible – positive hallucinations possible. . Profound Somnambulism – removal of programmed information – posthypnotic suggestions – most all suggestions are carried out without questions. Often referred to as a coma state! Difficult to get out of this state – may need to bribe unconscious mind (you will not be allowed o experience this again unless†¦) Now, in 1961, the above scale may have seemed perfectly accurate and as time passes, more and more discoveries are being made about hypnosis and one of those discoveries is that some, if not all of the intended suggestions can easily be obtained at a lower level of depth or lighter trance as is suggested. For instance, amnesia and ideomotor suggestions can take place within light hypnosis and I also know this personally from experiencing this myself from both being a subject and a facilitator of hypnosis. There have also been many scales of susceptibility created to test suggestibility within the ‘depth’ of hypnosis or trance that the subject is in. One particularly scale is the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale created in 1938 which created 3 forms, A, B and C on which consisted of varying levels of tests to be given to the subject. The below list is the example of form A 1 Postural Sway 2 Eye Closure 3 Hand Lowering (left) Immobilisation (right arm) 5 Finger Lock 6 Arm Rigidity (left arm) 7 Hands Moving Together 8 Verbal Inhibition (name) 9 Hallucination (fly) 10 Eye Catalepsy 11 Post-hypnotic (changes chairs) 12 Amnesia There are many more of these scales available for research but I have shown the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale as a prime example of what they consist of. A big issue with the depth scale is does really exist? Are there really levels of hypnosis? I cannot prove it either way, but in therapy, do we need to, If the client believes through our suggestion that they are going deeper, then isn’t real to them.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

15 English Words of Indian Origin

15 English Words of Indian Origin 15 English Words of Indian Origin 15 English Words of Indian Origin By Simon Kewin The English language has absorbed words from cultures the world over. The following is a list of some English words whose origins lie in the Hindi, Urdu or Sanskrit languages spoken in India, Pakistan and other countries. These words have entered English through a variety of routes, but the presence of many dates back to the days of the Raj, when India was occupied by the British. 1. Avatar In Hinduism, an avatar is the manifestation in human or animal form of a god, especially Vishnu. The word first appeared in English in the 18th century and derives ultimately from the Sanskrit word avatara meaning descent. More recently the word has gained additional senses, for example to refer to a computer user’s visual representation within a game, on a forum etc. 2. Bangle A rigid ornamental bracelet worn around the wrist (or ankle). Its appearance in English dates back to the 18th century. It derives from the Hindi word bangri meaning a glass ring or bracelet. 3. Bungalow A one-storied house. Derives from the Hindi word bangla meaning, literally, in the style of or belonging to Bengal. The word bungalow in English dates back to the 17th century when it was used to refer to a type of cottage built in Bengal for early European settlers. 4. Cheetah A long-legged big cat from Africa, the fastest land animal on Earth. Its black spots provide the clue to the origins of its name, which derives from the Hindi word cita, meaning speckled or variegated. 5. Chutney A thick, pickled condiment made from fruit, vinegar, spices and sugar. This word entered the English language in the 19th century and derives from the Hindi word chatni, whose meaning is more or less the same as the English word. 6. Cot This word has several meanings, but in the sense of a portable bed or a high-sided child’s bed, it derives from the Hindi word khat, meaning a bedstead or hammock. It arrived in the English language during the 17th century. 7. Guru Originally a Hindu or Sikh spiritual guide, guru entered English in the 17th century, where it now also means any important and respected intellectual guide or mentor. The original word in the Hindi and Sanskrit, also guru, means venerable. 8. Juggernaut In English, a juggernaut is an unstoppable force or movement that sweeps aside or destroys anything in its path. In the UK it is also used to refer to very large lorries (trucks). The word arrived in English in the 19th century and derives from the word Jagannath, a form of the Hindu deity Vishnu. 9. Jungle An area of dense vegetation or, by extension, any challenging or hostile environment. It derives from the Hindi word jangal meaning a forest and began to be used in English during the 18th century. 10. Loot Loot is both a noun and a verb. As a verb it means to ransack, to steal from someone or something, often in a violent way. The noun means whatever is stolen by the act of looting or, simply, any money. The word derives from the Hindi verb lut, meaning to plunder or steal. 11. Pyjamas/Pajamas A set of loose-fitting sleeping clothes, consisting of a jacket and trousers. The pajama spelling is used in North America. The word entered English in the 19th century. It derives from the Hindi word payjamah, meaning leg (pay) and clothing (jamah). 12. Shampoo A soapy liquid for washing the hair (or other things such as carpets). It arrived in English in the 18th century and derives from the Hindi word champo, meaning to squeeze, knead or massage. 13. Thug A brutal or violent person, it derives ultimately from the Hindi word thag meaning a thief or a cheat. It entered the English language early in the 19th century. 14. Veranda/Verandah A sheltered gallery or terrace attached to a house or some other building. The word began to appear in the English language early in the 18th century. In Hindi, the word varanda has a similar meaning. This is not the source of the word, however, as it is thought to derive from the Portuguese word varanda meaning a balcony. 15. Yoga This was originally a Sanskrit word meaning yoking or union. It refers to a system of Hindu philosophy concerned with achieving reunion with the divine. A part of this discipline involves meditation, breath control and the adoption of certain postures, which is how the word came to have the sense of a system of physical exercise. It entered English in the 19th century. Note: Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit words in this article have been written in a simplified, anglicized form, using the representations employed by the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and FingersPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Was the Bill of Rights Necessary essays

Was the Bill of Rights Necessary essays In 1787, a group of men got together in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation under which the United States had been operating. When the Constitutional Convention decided to propose a federal government instead, they faced the enormous challenge of persuading the American people to accept the central government they had learned to distrust and fear. Many were hesitant to give up the Confederation that helped bring them through the American Revolution that brought them freedom from a great tyrant. Because of this, a great debate arouse between the federalists and the anti-federalists. The great question became, Is a bill of rights necessary? Without it, the United States constitution would have never lasted. Contrary to popular opinion, the United States Constitution does not give any rights to the people. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, a man's rights are given to him by his creator. The constitution merely exists to limit and restrain government powers. Publius states in Federalist 84, Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing; and as they retain every thing they have no need of particular reservations. (Publius, 1787, 8). Federalists believed that the bill of rights was not needed to protect the peoples rights and that the constitution was a bill of rights in itself (Publius, 1787, 12). Why forbid someone to do something, if they have no power to do it in the first place? The federalists argument did not satisfy the American people. It was their experience and belief, that government was by nature corrupt, and could never be trusted to stay within the constraints of the constitution. If man were perfect, we would not need a government to protect our rights. In history, government has been found to abuse their power, and abridge the public liberty (Brutus, 1787, 5). For this reason, men have always worked to create ways to keep their fundamental rights from being en...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A Dirty Job Chapter 1

For when the Gods made man, They kept immortality for themselves. Fill your belly. Day and night make merry, Let Days be full of joy. Love the child that holds your hand. Let your wife delight in your embrace. For these alone are the concerns of man. – The Epic of Gilgamesh 1 BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH – HE KINDLY STOPPED FOR ME – Charlie Asher walked the earth like an ant walks on the surface of water, as if the slightest misstep might send him plummeting through the surface to be sucked to the depths below. Blessed with the Beta Male imagination, he spent much of his life squinting into the future so he might spot ways in which the world was conspiring to kill him – him; his wife, Rachel; and now, newborn Sophie. But despite his attention, his paranoia, his ceaseless fretting from the moment Rachel peed a blue stripe on the pregnancy stick to the time they wheeled her into recovery at St. Francis Memorial, Death slipped in. â€Å"She’s not breathing,† Charlie said. â€Å"She’s breathing fine,† Rachel said, patting the baby’s back. â€Å"Do you want to hold her?† Charlie had held baby Sophie for a few seconds earlier in the day, and had handed her quickly to a nurse insisting that someone more qualified than he do some finger and toe counting. He’d done it twice and kept coming up with twenty-one. â€Å"They act like that’s all there is to it. Like if the kid has the minimum ten fingers and ten toes it’s all going to be fine. What if there are extras? Huh? Extra-credit fingers? What if the kid has a tail?† (Charlie was sure he’d spotted a tail in the six-month sonogram. Umbilical indeed! He’d kept a hard copy.) â€Å"She doesn’t have a tail, Mr. Asher,† the nurse explained. â€Å"And it’s ten and ten, we’ve all checked. Perhaps you should go home and get some rest.† â€Å"I’ll still love her, even with her extra finger.† â€Å"She’s perfectly normal.† â€Å"Or toe.† â€Å"We really do know what we’re doing, Mr. Asher. She’s a beautiful, healthy baby girl.† â€Å"Or a tail.† The nurse sighed. She was short, wide, and had a tattoo of a snake up her right calf that showed through her white nurse stockings. She spent four hours of every workday massaging preemie babies, her hands threaded through ports in a Lucite incubator, like she was handling a radioactive spark in there. She talked to them, coaxed them, told them how special they were, and felt their hearts fluttering in chests no bigger than a balled-up pair of sweat socks. She cried over every one, and believed that her tears and touch poured a bit of her own life into the tiny bodies, which was just fine with her. She could spare it. She had been a neonatal nurse for twenty years and had never so much as raised her voice to a new father. â€Å"There’s no goddamn tail, you doofus! Look!† She pulled down the blanket and aimed baby Sophie’s bottom at him like she might unleash a fusillade of weapons-grade poopage such as the guileless Beta Male had never seen. Charlie jumped back – a lean and nimble thirty, he was – then, once he realized that the baby wasn’t loaded, he straightened the lapels on his tweed jacket in a gesture of righteous indignation. â€Å"You could have removed her tail in the delivery room and we’d never know.† He didn’t know. He’d been asked to leave the delivery room, first by the ob-gyn and finally by Rachel. (â€Å"Him or me,† Rachel said. â€Å"One of us has to go.†) In Rachel’s room, Charlie said: â€Å"If they removed her tail, I want it. She’ll want it when she gets older.† â€Å"Sophie, your Papa isn’t really insane. He just hasn’t slept for a couple of days.† â€Å"She’s looking at me,† Charlie said. â€Å"She’s looking at me like I blew her college money at the track and now she’s going to have to turn tricks to get her MBA.† Rachel took his hand. â€Å"Honey, I don’t think her eyes can even focus this early, and besides, she’s a little young to start worrying about her turning tricks to get her MFA.† â€Å"MBA,† Charlie corrected. â€Å"They start very young these days. By the time I figure out how to get to the track, she could be old enough. God, your parents are going to hate me.† â€Å"And that would be different how?† â€Å"New reasons, that’s how. Now I’ve made their granddaughter a shiksa.† â€Å"She’s not a shiksa, Charlie. We’ve been through this. She’s my daughter, so she’s as Jewish as I am.† Charlie went down on one knee next to the bed and took one of Sophie’s tiny hands between his fingers. â€Å"Daddy’s sorry he made you a shiksa.† He put his head down, buried his face in the crook where the baby met Rachel’s side. Rachel traced his hairline with her fingernail, describing a tight U-turn around his narrow forehead. â€Å"You need to go home and get some sleep.† Charlie mumbled something into the covers. When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. â€Å"She feels warm.† â€Å"She is warm. She’s supposed to be. It’s a mammal thing. Goes with the breast-feeding. Why are you crying?† â€Å"You guys are so beautiful.† He began arranging Rachel’s dark hair across the pillow, brought a long lock down over Sophie’s head, and started styling it into a baby hairpiece. â€Å"It will be okay if she can’t grow hair. There was that angry Irish singer who didn’t have any hair and she was attractive. If we had her tail we could transplant plugs from that.† â€Å"Charlie! Go home!† â€Å"Your parents will blame me. Their bald shiksa granddaughter turning tricks and getting a business degree – it will be all my fault.† Rachel grabbed the buzzer from the blanket and held it up like it was wired to a bomb. â€Å"Charlie, if you don’t go home and get some sleep right now, I swear I’ll buzz the nurse and have her throw you out.† She sounded stern, but she was smiling. Charlie liked looking at her smile, always had; it felt like approval and permission at the same time. Permission to be Charlie Asher. â€Å"Okay, I’ll go.† He reached to feel her forehead. â€Å"Do you have a fever? You look tired.† â€Å"I just gave birth, you squirrel!† â€Å"I’m just concerned about you.† He was not a squirrel. She was blaming him for Sophie’s tail, that’s why she’d said squirrel, and not doofus like everyone else. â€Å"Sweetie, go. Now. So I can get some rest.† Charlie fluffed her pillows, checked her water pitcher, tucked in the blankets, kissed her forehead, kissed the baby’s head, fluffed the baby, then started to rearrange the flowers that his mother had sent, moving the big stargazer lily in the front, accenting it with a spray of baby’s breath – â€Å"Charlie!† â€Å"I’m going. Jeez.† He checked the room, one last time, then backed toward the door. â€Å"Can I bring you anything from home?† â€Å"I’ll be fine. The ready kit you packed covered everything, I think. In fact, I may not even need the fire extinguisher.† â€Å"Better to have it and not need it, than to need it – â€Å" â€Å"Go! I’ll get some rest, the doctor will check Sophie out, and we’ll take her home in the morning.† â€Å"That seems soon.† â€Å"It’s standard.† â€Å"Should I bring more propane for the camp stove?† â€Å"We’ll try to make it last.† â€Å"But – â€Å" Rachel held up the buzzer, as if her demands were not met, the consequences could be dire. â€Å"Love you,† she said. â€Å"Love you, too,† Charlie said. â€Å"Both of you.† â€Å"Bye, Daddy.† Rachel puppeted Sophie’s little hand in a wave. Charlie felt a lump rising in his throat. No one had ever called him Daddy before, not even a puppet. (He had once asked Rachel, â€Å"Who’s your daddy?† during sex, to which she had replied, â€Å"Saul Goldstein,† thus rendering him impotent for a week and raising all kinds of issues that he didn’t really like to think about.) He backed out of the room, palming the door shut as he went, then headed down the hall and past the desk where the neonatal nurse with the snake tattoo gave him a sideways smile as he went by. Charlie drove a six-year-old minivan that he’d inherited from his father, along with the thrift store and the building that housed it. The minivan always smelled faintly of dust, mothballs, and body odor, despite a forest of smell-good Christmas trees that Charlie had hung from every hook, knob, and protrusion. He opened the car door and the odor of the unwanted – the wares of the thrift-store owner – washed over him. Before he even had the key in the ignition, he noticed the Sarah McLachlan CD lying on the passenger seat. Well, Rachel was going to miss that. It was her favorite CD and there she was, recovering without it, and he could not have that. Charlie grabbed the CD, locked the van, and headed back up to Rachel’s room. To his relief, the nurse had stepped away from the desk so he didn’t have to endure her frosty stare of accusation, or what he guessed would be her frosty stare of accusation. He’d mentally prepared a short speech about how being a good husband and father included anticipating the wants and needs of his wife and that included bringing her music – well, he could use the speech on the way out if she gave him the frosty stare. He opened the door to Rachel’s room slowly so as not to startle her – anticipating her warm smile of disapproval, but instead she appeared to be asleep and there was a very tall black man dressed in mint green standing next to her bed. â€Å"What are you doing here?† The man in mint green turned, startled. â€Å"You can see me?† He gestured to his chocolate-brown tie, and Charlie was reminded, just for a second, of those thin mints they put on the pillow in nicer hotels. â€Å"Of course I can see you. What are you doing here?† Charlie moved to Rachel’s bedside, putting himself between the stranger and his family. Baby Sophie seemed fascinated by the tall black man. â€Å"This is not good,† said Mint Green. â€Å"You’re in the wrong room,† Charlie said. â€Å"You get out of here.† Charlie reached behind and patted Rachel’s hand. â€Å"This is really, really not good.† â€Å"Sir, my wife is trying to sleep and you’re in the wrong room. Now please go before – â€Å" â€Å"She’s not sleeping,† said Mint Green. His voice was soft, and a little Southern. â€Å"I’m sorry.† Charlie turned to look down at Rachel, expecting to see her smile, hear her tell him to calm down, but her eyes were closed and her head had lolled off the pillow. â€Å"Honey?† Charlie dropped the CD he was carrying and shook her gently. â€Å"Honey?† Baby Sophie began to cry. Charlie felt Rachel’s forehead, took her by the shoulders, and shook her. â€Å"Honey, wake up. Rachel.† He put his ear to her heart and heard nothing. â€Å"Nurse!† Charlie scrambled across the bed to grab the buzzer that had slipped from Rachel’s hand and lay on the blanket. â€Å"Nurse!† He pounded the button and turned to look at the man in mint green. â€Å"What happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was gone. Charlie ran into the hall, but no one was out there. â€Å"Nurse!† Twenty seconds later the nurse with the snake tattoo arrived, followed in another thirty seconds by a resuscitation team with a crash cart. There was nothing they could do. A Dirty Job Chapter 1 For when the Gods made man, They kept immortality for themselves. Fill your belly. Day and night make merry, Let Days be full of joy. Love the child that holds your hand. Let your wife delight in your embrace. For these alone are the concerns of man. – The Epic of Gilgamesh 1 BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP FOR DEATH – HE KINDLY STOPPED FOR ME – Charlie Asher walked the earth like an ant walks on the surface of water, as if the slightest misstep might send him plummeting through the surface to be sucked to the depths below. Blessed with the Beta Male imagination, he spent much of his life squinting into the future so he might spot ways in which the world was conspiring to kill him – him; his wife, Rachel; and now, newborn Sophie. But despite his attention, his paranoia, his ceaseless fretting from the moment Rachel peed a blue stripe on the pregnancy stick to the time they wheeled her into recovery at St. Francis Memorial, Death slipped in. â€Å"She’s not breathing,† Charlie said. â€Å"She’s breathing fine,† Rachel said, patting the baby’s back. â€Å"Do you want to hold her?† Charlie had held baby Sophie for a few seconds earlier in the day, and had handed her quickly to a nurse insisting that someone more qualified than he do some finger and toe counting. He’d done it twice and kept coming up with twenty-one. â€Å"They act like that’s all there is to it. Like if the kid has the minimum ten fingers and ten toes it’s all going to be fine. What if there are extras? Huh? Extra-credit fingers? What if the kid has a tail?† (Charlie was sure he’d spotted a tail in the six-month sonogram. Umbilical indeed! He’d kept a hard copy.) â€Å"She doesn’t have a tail, Mr. Asher,† the nurse explained. â€Å"And it’s ten and ten, we’ve all checked. Perhaps you should go home and get some rest.† â€Å"I’ll still love her, even with her extra finger.† â€Å"She’s perfectly normal.† â€Å"Or toe.† â€Å"We really do know what we’re doing, Mr. Asher. She’s a beautiful, healthy baby girl.† â€Å"Or a tail.† The nurse sighed. She was short, wide, and had a tattoo of a snake up her right calf that showed through her white nurse stockings. She spent four hours of every workday massaging preemie babies, her hands threaded through ports in a Lucite incubator, like she was handling a radioactive spark in there. She talked to them, coaxed them, told them how special they were, and felt their hearts fluttering in chests no bigger than a balled-up pair of sweat socks. She cried over every one, and believed that her tears and touch poured a bit of her own life into the tiny bodies, which was just fine with her. She could spare it. She had been a neonatal nurse for twenty years and had never so much as raised her voice to a new father. â€Å"There’s no goddamn tail, you doofus! Look!† She pulled down the blanket and aimed baby Sophie’s bottom at him like she might unleash a fusillade of weapons-grade poopage such as the guileless Beta Male had never seen. Charlie jumped back – a lean and nimble thirty, he was – then, once he realized that the baby wasn’t loaded, he straightened the lapels on his tweed jacket in a gesture of righteous indignation. â€Å"You could have removed her tail in the delivery room and we’d never know.† He didn’t know. He’d been asked to leave the delivery room, first by the ob-gyn and finally by Rachel. (â€Å"Him or me,† Rachel said. â€Å"One of us has to go.†) In Rachel’s room, Charlie said: â€Å"If they removed her tail, I want it. She’ll want it when she gets older.† â€Å"Sophie, your Papa isn’t really insane. He just hasn’t slept for a couple of days.† â€Å"She’s looking at me,† Charlie said. â€Å"She’s looking at me like I blew her college money at the track and now she’s going to have to turn tricks to get her MBA.† Rachel took his hand. â€Å"Honey, I don’t think her eyes can even focus this early, and besides, she’s a little young to start worrying about her turning tricks to get her MFA.† â€Å"MBA,† Charlie corrected. â€Å"They start very young these days. By the time I figure out how to get to the track, she could be old enough. God, your parents are going to hate me.† â€Å"And that would be different how?† â€Å"New reasons, that’s how. Now I’ve made their granddaughter a shiksa.† â€Å"She’s not a shiksa, Charlie. We’ve been through this. She’s my daughter, so she’s as Jewish as I am.† Charlie went down on one knee next to the bed and took one of Sophie’s tiny hands between his fingers. â€Å"Daddy’s sorry he made you a shiksa.† He put his head down, buried his face in the crook where the baby met Rachel’s side. Rachel traced his hairline with her fingernail, describing a tight U-turn around his narrow forehead. â€Å"You need to go home and get some sleep.† Charlie mumbled something into the covers. When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. â€Å"She feels warm.† â€Å"She is warm. She’s supposed to be. It’s a mammal thing. Goes with the breast-feeding. Why are you crying?† â€Å"You guys are so beautiful.† He began arranging Rachel’s dark hair across the pillow, brought a long lock down over Sophie’s head, and started styling it into a baby hairpiece. â€Å"It will be okay if she can’t grow hair. There was that angry Irish singer who didn’t have any hair and she was attractive. If we had her tail we could transplant plugs from that.† â€Å"Charlie! Go home!† â€Å"Your parents will blame me. Their bald shiksa granddaughter turning tricks and getting a business degree – it will be all my fault.† Rachel grabbed the buzzer from the blanket and held it up like it was wired to a bomb. â€Å"Charlie, if you don’t go home and get some sleep right now, I swear I’ll buzz the nurse and have her throw you out.† She sounded stern, but she was smiling. Charlie liked looking at her smile, always had; it felt like approval and permission at the same time. Permission to be Charlie Asher. â€Å"Okay, I’ll go.† He reached to feel her forehead. â€Å"Do you have a fever? You look tired.† â€Å"I just gave birth, you squirrel!† â€Å"I’m just concerned about you.† He was not a squirrel. She was blaming him for Sophie’s tail, that’s why she’d said squirrel, and not doofus like everyone else. â€Å"Sweetie, go. Now. So I can get some rest.† Charlie fluffed her pillows, checked her water pitcher, tucked in the blankets, kissed her forehead, kissed the baby’s head, fluffed the baby, then started to rearrange the flowers that his mother had sent, moving the big stargazer lily in the front, accenting it with a spray of baby’s breath – â€Å"Charlie!† â€Å"I’m going. Jeez.† He checked the room, one last time, then backed toward the door. â€Å"Can I bring you anything from home?† â€Å"I’ll be fine. The ready kit you packed covered everything, I think. In fact, I may not even need the fire extinguisher.† â€Å"Better to have it and not need it, than to need it – â€Å" â€Å"Go! I’ll get some rest, the doctor will check Sophie out, and we’ll take her home in the morning.† â€Å"That seems soon.† â€Å"It’s standard.† â€Å"Should I bring more propane for the camp stove?† â€Å"We’ll try to make it last.† â€Å"But – â€Å" Rachel held up the buzzer, as if her demands were not met, the consequences could be dire. â€Å"Love you,† she said. â€Å"Love you, too,† Charlie said. â€Å"Both of you.† â€Å"Bye, Daddy.† Rachel puppeted Sophie’s little hand in a wave. Charlie felt a lump rising in his throat. No one had ever called him Daddy before, not even a puppet. (He had once asked Rachel, â€Å"Who’s your daddy?† during sex, to which she had replied, â€Å"Saul Goldstein,† thus rendering him impotent for a week and raising all kinds of issues that he didn’t really like to think about.) He backed out of the room, palming the door shut as he went, then headed down the hall and past the desk where the neonatal nurse with the snake tattoo gave him a sideways smile as he went by. Charlie drove a six-year-old minivan that he’d inherited from his father, along with the thrift store and the building that housed it. The minivan always smelled faintly of dust, mothballs, and body odor, despite a forest of smell-good Christmas trees that Charlie had hung from every hook, knob, and protrusion. He opened the car door and the odor of the unwanted – the wares of the thrift-store owner – washed over him. Before he even had the key in the ignition, he noticed the Sarah McLachlan CD lying on the passenger seat. Well, Rachel was going to miss that. It was her favorite CD and there she was, recovering without it, and he could not have that. Charlie grabbed the CD, locked the van, and headed back up to Rachel’s room. To his relief, the nurse had stepped away from the desk so he didn’t have to endure her frosty stare of accusation, or what he guessed would be her frosty stare of accusation. He’d mentally prepared a short speech about how being a good husband and father included anticipating the wants and needs of his wife and that included bringing her music – well, he could use the speech on the way out if she gave him the frosty stare. He opened the door to Rachel’s room slowly so as not to startle her – anticipating her warm smile of disapproval, but instead she appeared to be asleep and there was a very tall black man dressed in mint green standing next to her bed. â€Å"What are you doing here?† The man in mint green turned, startled. â€Å"You can see me?† He gestured to his chocolate-brown tie, and Charlie was reminded, just for a second, of those thin mints they put on the pillow in nicer hotels. â€Å"Of course I can see you. What are you doing here?† Charlie moved to Rachel’s bedside, putting himself between the stranger and his family. Baby Sophie seemed fascinated by the tall black man. â€Å"This is not good,† said Mint Green. â€Å"You’re in the wrong room,† Charlie said. â€Å"You get out of here.† Charlie reached behind and patted Rachel’s hand. â€Å"This is really, really not good.† â€Å"Sir, my wife is trying to sleep and you’re in the wrong room. Now please go before – â€Å" â€Å"She’s not sleeping,† said Mint Green. His voice was soft, and a little Southern. â€Å"I’m sorry.† Charlie turned to look down at Rachel, expecting to see her smile, hear her tell him to calm down, but her eyes were closed and her head had lolled off the pillow. â€Å"Honey?† Charlie dropped the CD he was carrying and shook her gently. â€Å"Honey?† Baby Sophie began to cry. Charlie felt Rachel’s forehead, took her by the shoulders, and shook her. â€Å"Honey, wake up. Rachel.† He put his ear to her heart and heard nothing. â€Å"Nurse!† Charlie scrambled across the bed to grab the buzzer that had slipped from Rachel’s hand and lay on the blanket. â€Å"Nurse!† He pounded the button and turned to look at the man in mint green. â€Å"What happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was gone. Charlie ran into the hall, but no one was out there. â€Å"Nurse!† Twenty seconds later the nurse with the snake tattoo arrived, followed in another thirty seconds by a resuscitation team with a crash cart. There was nothing they could do.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Media for Marketing and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Media for Marketing and Advertising - Essay Example The report includes a comprehensive SWOT analysis including charts and relevant diagrams. Also, this paper exhaustively examines the target market and their needs as well as any possible stumbling blocks that the company may encounter when dealing with this particular niche. In addition it conclusively discusses the marketing mix that is the product, the place, promotion and the price of the toy in the UK market. Company’s Overview Hangzhou Kebo factory limited was established in the year 2004 with the main aim of developing and producing better quality toys professionally as explained by Hangzhou Kebo Toy Factory INC. Their toys are aimed at promoting creativity in children and have a high education value. Since then the company has spread its wings to countries outside Asia to as far as Europe. As a matter of fact, the company claims to export up to 80% of what they manufacture. Their biggest importers are the United States of America, Australia, Japan, West Europe and Korea where they have managed to attain a significant market share in these particular countries. The company takes pride in the quality as well as creativity of their products not to mention their expanding popularity. Hangzhou Kebo factory limited boasts of producing many major products including; educational toys, plastic toys, wooden toys and promotional gifts. Toys exported from China The graph above shows the value of toys exported from China. ... The products are designed to assist children to learn about different colours and shapes as well as helping them develop their capability for logical thinking and keen observation. Additionally, their toys can help children learn scientific concepts and this helps to develop their creativity, flexibility, self- confidence and intelligence in their early years. Versatile products Not only can their products be used for games, they can also be used as teaching aides. This ensures that their users get to enjoy both sides of the coin without a hassle. This is both convenient and helps to save time. It also ensures that learning is fun and acts as a measure to avert boredom. Brand reputation Their products have reported high sales and have been well received by customers globally. The company has worked with some of the renowned games and toys producers including Wonderland in Thailand and HABA in Germany (Trader China 2011). The company has secured a considerable market share not only in Asia but also in the Middle- East, U. S. and Europe. Weaknesses The company faces a major challenge as it will be introducing a new brand in the market not just a new product (Alibaba.com 2011). Acquiring new customers will most likely prove to be difficult as the target market already has a brand of their choice (Brassington and Petit 2003). Therefore, it will take a lot of advertising and marketing to sway the customers to take up this new brand as the brand of their choice. The product’s characteristics do not differentiate as much from other existing products in the market. As such the company’s products, that is, the toys they manufacture may not be that different from those already in circulation (Trader China 2011). This will result in the company’s loss if

Tax allowable deductions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tax allowable deductions - Essay Example These qualify at lower rates than ordinary dividends. For the two categories, the rates of dividend are given according to tax brackets. 10. Taxable refunds, credits, or offsets of state and local income taxes IRS sec. 6050(e) it says any person who makes refunds of $10 or more in the year on behalf of the state shall be liable to fill the form for refunds. 13 Salaries and wages (less employment credit) - Treasury Regulation section 1.47(1-4) – any wages and/ or salaries paid to any employee is allowable for tax purposes. The employment credit should be deducted therefrom. 17 Taxes and licenses- Treasury Regulation section 26(1) taxes from the corporate are paid to the treasury as well as any licenses. Very high amounts of taxes are remitted directly to the treasury officials 20 Depreciation from Form 4562 not claimed on Schedule A or elsewhere on return (attach Form 4562) - Treasury Regulation section 1.167(a) and (b) states that there is no time that depreciation shall be charged above a figure so reasonable than its salvage value. 23 Pension, profit-sharing, etc., plans  ­- Treasury Regulation section 1.401-1 states that these plans should withhold 10% of the contribution in early remittances and such contributions by employees are tax allowable. 28 Taxable incomes, before net operating loss deduction and special deductions. Subtract line 27 from line 11- Treasury Regulation section 1.861.8 says that the taxable income so determined is from operations in the United States. 29a Less: a Net operating loss deduction (see instructions) - Treasury Regulation section 1.904.3 losses are carried forward from previous years and profits are taxed with the existing rate. (James et al,

Managing IT outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing IT outsourcing - Essay Example The following is an overview of managing the IT outsourcing relationship, which includes the business process of outsourcing, the tools and resources, understanding the cost and return on investment. Furthermore, there will be some examples of risk management and data security, as well as a look at the dimensions of relationship management and its importance.Business Process Outsourcing is best explained by Medas Company, an outsourcing management consultant. Their document, A Practical Guide to Business Process Outsourcing (2006) gives straightforward information on the actual process of Managing IT Outsourcing. The following matrix (Medas 2006) shows the services and steps in functional IT management outsourcing:Medas (2006) states that first, it is important for the manager to identify the organisation's needs as the scope of activities, the reasons for outsourcing, and how this will impact or change the business model. This includes understanding the current organisational struct ure, the IT system infrastructure including the team members functional roles and the systems that support them. Medas notes that the current volume of transactions being internally processes must be examined. Once the current functionality and organisation's objectives for outsourcing have been established, Medas states that the next step is to choose an outsourcing partner:"the Outsourcing partner's people need to fully understand the organisation's needs. ... They need to understand the systems that support the back office processes as well as having experience in managing complex systems environments, running and supporting hardware and developing systems, including web enabling. At this stage, it is also important to consider whether the Outsourcing partner can ensure network connectivity in a secure environment that permits data integration" (Medas pp 10 2006). The next step in the process of managing IT outsourcing is to agree on a commercial framework. This allows the involved parties to agree on the provisions of service, and should compromise "Details such as fixed costs, unit pricing and the level of investment could all be defined in the commercial framework" (Medas p 11 2006). Lastly, the IT manager wants to develop a transitional plan that establishes the business process and features. This includes: A review of the current systems, processes and organisational structure -identifying which systems are to be transferred (Medas p 11 2006). Definition of services to be provided (Medas p 11 2006). Agree the definition of service levels in terms of Service Level Measures (SLM) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) (Medas p 11 2006). How employees will be affected by the transition e.g. how many staff and what types of jobs will be transferred, where they will be located, how they will be dealt with in terms of motivation and ongoing training and development (Medas p 11 2006). How the process of staff transferral will be managed (TUPE) and what changes, if any, are to be made to the retained organisation - and how this will be communicated to all those involved (Medas p 11 2006). The stages of the transition - and the timeframe involved (Medas p 11 2006). Agree and finalise the contractual terms of the arrangement

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Banking Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Banking Law - Case Study Example The whole point of the cheque card is to make it wholly different with banks promising to pay irrespective the state of the customer's account. The person who produces a cheque card makes no representation that he is in credit with his bank. All the trader is concerned to ask is whether the customer have a cheque card, whether it matches the cheque, whether the cheque is for not more than the permissible credit limit and whether the signature on the cheque match the signature on the card. In the present case the appellant/ accused opened a bank account with the National Westminister Bank. He was allowed an overdraft of 100 pounds of one month which was latter extended for a month. The conditions were printed on the back of the cheque. The issuing bank undertakes that any cheque not exceeding 30 pounds will be honored subject to the fact that the cheque must be signed in the presence of the payee, the signature on the cheque must correspond with the specimen signature on this card, the cheque must be drawn on a bank cheque form bearing the code number shown on his card, the cheque must be drawn before the expiry date of his card, the card no. ... If these conditions are complied with the recipient need not concern himself about the drawers credit worthiness for he knows the cheque would be honored on presentment.A man who gives a cheque represents that it will be met on presentment. And if a cheque is accepted by the payee it is the belief that it will be met. And when it is supported by the bank's undertaking and all doubts in the mind of the payee as to the cheque being honored will be removed if he sees that the stipulated conditions are complied with. But by issuing a cheque book and a cheque card the bank has not authorized him to bind them by the use of the card to honor every cheque in the cheque book. It was observed that by exhibiting to the payee a cheque card containing the undertaking by the bank to honor cheques drawn in compliance with the conditions endorsed on the back, and drawing the cheque accordingly, the drawer represents to the payee that he has actual authority from the bank to make a contract with the payee on the bank's behalf that it will honor the cheque on presentation for payment. Speaking on ostensible authority on its head it was observed that if the other party has believed the representation and on the faith of that belief has acted upon it and the person represented to be his principal has so conducted him self towards that other party as to be estopped from denying the truth of the representation , then and only then, is he bound by the contract purportedly made on his behalf. The whole foundation of liability under the doctrine of ostensible authority is a representation , believed by the person to whom it is made, that the person claiming to contract as agent for a principal has the

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of Essay

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of researching both primary and secondary sources - Essay Example These primary law of each of each system came from three sources which are the laws, cases and adjudications in the courts of the United States. The example of statutes are composed of the Constitution of the United States and the law passed in Congress. Example of cases on the other hand are opinions about jurisprudence issued by courts while adjudications are administrative agency materials (University of Cornell). Secondary sources are needed because they determine what law applies to the research. In essence, secondary sources are category of legal materials that is not considered primary source or information beyond the Constitution, laws and opinions of the court. The example of secondary sources could include but not limited to legal encyclopedias, treatises, legal periodicals and practice materials (University of Cornell). They may also include scientific journals and other research. Secondary sources are helpful materials that are a â€Å"rich source of citations† to the primary

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Managing IT outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing IT outsourcing - Essay Example The following is an overview of managing the IT outsourcing relationship, which includes the business process of outsourcing, the tools and resources, understanding the cost and return on investment. Furthermore, there will be some examples of risk management and data security, as well as a look at the dimensions of relationship management and its importance.Business Process Outsourcing is best explained by Medas Company, an outsourcing management consultant. Their document, A Practical Guide to Business Process Outsourcing (2006) gives straightforward information on the actual process of Managing IT Outsourcing. The following matrix (Medas 2006) shows the services and steps in functional IT management outsourcing:Medas (2006) states that first, it is important for the manager to identify the organisation's needs as the scope of activities, the reasons for outsourcing, and how this will impact or change the business model. This includes understanding the current organisational struct ure, the IT system infrastructure including the team members functional roles and the systems that support them. Medas notes that the current volume of transactions being internally processes must be examined. Once the current functionality and organisation's objectives for outsourcing have been established, Medas states that the next step is to choose an outsourcing partner:"the Outsourcing partner's people need to fully understand the organisation's needs. ... They need to understand the systems that support the back office processes as well as having experience in managing complex systems environments, running and supporting hardware and developing systems, including web enabling. At this stage, it is also important to consider whether the Outsourcing partner can ensure network connectivity in a secure environment that permits data integration" (Medas pp 10 2006). The next step in the process of managing IT outsourcing is to agree on a commercial framework. This allows the involved parties to agree on the provisions of service, and should compromise "Details such as fixed costs, unit pricing and the level of investment could all be defined in the commercial framework" (Medas p 11 2006). Lastly, the IT manager wants to develop a transitional plan that establishes the business process and features. This includes: A review of the current systems, processes and organisational structure -identifying which systems are to be transferred (Medas p 11 2006). Definition of services to be provided (Medas p 11 2006). Agree the definition of service levels in terms of Service Level Measures (SLM) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) (Medas p 11 2006). How employees will be affected by the transition e.g. how many staff and what types of jobs will be transferred, where they will be located, how they will be dealt with in terms of motivation and ongoing training and development (Medas p 11 2006). How the process of staff transferral will be managed (TUPE) and what changes, if any, are to be made to the retained organisation - and how this will be communicated to all those involved (Medas p 11 2006). The stages of the transition - and the timeframe involved (Medas p 11 2006). Agree and finalise the contractual terms of the arrangement

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of Essay

Why do legal professionals need to understand the elements of researching both primary and secondary sources - Essay Example These primary law of each of each system came from three sources which are the laws, cases and adjudications in the courts of the United States. The example of statutes are composed of the Constitution of the United States and the law passed in Congress. Example of cases on the other hand are opinions about jurisprudence issued by courts while adjudications are administrative agency materials (University of Cornell). Secondary sources are needed because they determine what law applies to the research. In essence, secondary sources are category of legal materials that is not considered primary source or information beyond the Constitution, laws and opinions of the court. The example of secondary sources could include but not limited to legal encyclopedias, treatises, legal periodicals and practice materials (University of Cornell). They may also include scientific journals and other research. Secondary sources are helpful materials that are a â€Å"rich source of citations† to the primary

Health Promotion Essay Example for Free

Health Promotion Essay In today’s society, individuals do not recognize that every phase of their life is influenced by their health. People cannot accomplish their goals in society to their full advantage when they are unhealthy. In order to help the population improve their overall health, health promotion is essential. Health promotion and its objective will be discussed in this paper. In addition, it will further examine what our responsibilities are as nurses in the structure of health promotion. Furthermore, health promotion is separated into three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, all benefitting the individual. The U.S. Public Health Service identifies health promotion as â€Å"the process of advocating health in order to enhance the probability that personal, private, and public support of positive health practices will become a societal norm† (Edelman Mandle, 2010, p. 14). In addition to offering information to patients regarding their health, health promotion incorporates supporting patients to enhance their general well-being and recognize their individual health potential (Skybo Polivka, 2007). Health promotion provides patients with the understanding of the different elements that can alter their health and inspires them to obtain control of it (Bennett, Perry, Lawrence, 2009). As well as enhancing patient outcomes, health promotion assists in reducing costs, which are consistently rising in health care (Edelman Mandle, 2010). According to Edelman Mandel, health promotion can be used on a public level, community level, or personal level (2010). For instance, on the public level, health promotion could include granting assistance or low-income housing programs by the government. The community level might incorporate Habitat for Humanity, which is a great advantage for that particular population. Lastly, the personal level would include individuals who vote to favor programs that assist the community (Hoyle, Bartee, Allensworth, 2010). Health promotion, a frequently used phrase, is especially critical to the nursing career. It encompasses many concepts that nurses encounter daily. Because education is crucial to succeed, nurses are an essential part in health promotion. Every day, nurses provide education to their patients. To assist them in maintaining and enhancing their well-being, nursing interventions benefit individuals by expanding their resources (Edelman Mandle, 2010). Since there are various settings in nursing, this is the ideal opportunity to educate individuals. With the help of nurses, healthy communities, homes, and schools can exist with proper education. Regardless of the specialty, all nurses need to educate patients on how to remain fit so they can live a longer, healthier life. Currently, collaboration occurs with an interdisciplinary team, which all assist in improving patients’ lives. Team members may include physicians, therapists, social workers, and dietitians. By working together to create a diverse educational background, this team helps patients overcome their illnesses or helps them manage the disease affecting their life (Bennett et al., 2009). Since health promotion is employed entirely across nursing, nurses are accountable for facilitating the best outcome for each individual patient. Health promotion includes three levels; primary, secondary and tertiary (Edelman Mandle, 2010). Primary prevention includes delivering strategies and education to help patients avoid illnesses (Edelman Mandle, 2010). For example, when a nurse delivers an immunization to a patient, she educates them about the potential risks of the disease and how the immunization will help prevent them from contracting the disease. In addition to the community, primary education is also applied in schools as an informative tool, to educate students about harmful diseases such as those taught in sex education classes. This offers support to students, enabling them to make informed decisions about protecting their health from such diseases. Secondary prevention is the next level of health promotion. This includes timely diagnosis of an illness and immediate therapy (Edelman Mandle, 2010). This level aids in reducing occurrences of illness and inhibiting development between patients (Bennett et al., 2009). By offering community screenings for diabetes or hypertension, nurses are applying secondary prevention. Public health screenings allow nurses to identify potential diseases at an early stage, as well as provide the patient with beneficial information to slow the progression of the illness. Lastly, the tertiary level consists of helping the patient with rehabilitation and recovery (Edelman Mandle, 2010). This stage identifies the disease and makes the patient cognizant of their health challenges. The nurse’s role in this level is to deliver education to help reduce complications. If a patient is admitted to the hospital with a stroke, physical and occupational rehabilitation may be initiated to retain the maximum stage of function and to avoid another stroke from transpiring (Skybo Polivka, 2007). The three levels of health promotion are utilized every day and positively assist patients with improving themselves. Nursing will continually incorporate health promotion and the prevention of illnesses. To help support the best outcome for all patients, it is essential that nurses adapt to change. Primary, secondary, and tertiary are the principle levels of health promotion in the nursing profession. These three levels will contribute to patients living longer, healthier lives. References Bennett, C., Perry, J., Lawrence, Z. (2009). Promoting health in primary care. Nursing Standard, 23(47), 48-56. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=rzhAN=2010367201site=ehost-livescope=site Edelman, C., Mandle, C. L. (2010). Health promotions throughout the life span (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Hoyle, T., Bartee, R., Allensworth, D. (2010). Applying the process of health promotion in schools: A commentary. Journal Of School Health, 80(4), 163-166. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2009.00483.x. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=rzhAN=2010582507site=ehost-livescope=site Skybo, T., Polivka, B. (2007). Health promotion model for childhood violence prevention and exposure. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 16(1), 38-45. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01621.x. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct =truedb=rzhAN=2009481108site=ehost-livescope=site

Monday, October 14, 2019

Study About Pc Troubleshooting And Maintenance Computer Science Essay

Study About Pc Troubleshooting And Maintenance Computer Science Essay Most of the time when we start up our computers, the CPU or Central Processing Unit goes through a series of steps or procedures before the computer operating systems boots from the hard disk. These initial steps are all categorized in a system called CMOS which stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. This is the where the systems settings such as the system clock, hard disk status, optical drives and other settings like the CPUs clock speed, FSB and so on are all on this setting. On the other hand, the chip that stores the settings is known as the BIOS chip also known as Basic Input Output System. This holds the most basic computer instructions that are required to boot the operating system like Windows XP or Linux based operating systems such as Ubuntu. Many people always get mistaken by calling is a CMOS chip, but since the BIOS and CMOS is so tightly intertwined, they can be both referred to as one (Difference between CMOS and BIOS, Dennis Faas). In other words, the CMOS chip stores the data needed for the BIOS so that the computer may boot us properly. The battery used to store the data is a lithium button battery which is located just near the CMOS chip and the CMOS jumper. This battery hold provides power to the CMOS chip even when the power of the computer is shut off. This is necessary where the chip is volatile, means that it will lose data when there is no power unlike a hard disk which work on magnetism. What is BIOS CMOS BIOS is commonly known as Basic Input/Output System. It is practically the lowest level processor that stands in between the hardware like the chipset and the processor with the operating system that is installed in a hard disk. The BIOS gives full access to the hardware components to allow a creation of high level operating systems such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Macintosh as well as Linux based operating systems. Moreover, the BIOS is also responsible over the behaviour of the hardware, such as the processors clock speed, the Front Side Bus or known as FSB, system clock, and many other vital hardware settings which is required to load or configured before the operating system loads into the Random Access Memory or RAM (System BIOS, Charles M. Kozierok, 2001). For a computer to operate, all the components must be given specific instructions on how and what they are suppose to do. Usually, that is where the BIOS come into play. The BIOS has a special software in which it runs preliminary codes or instructions which is preset into the ROM chip or Read Only Memory chip that is executed to load the operating system from the hard disk into the RAM for the computer to further execute more complicated commands and instructions so that it would be easier for the processor to communicate with the RAM in terms of instruction execution and access (The BIOS Program, Charles M. Kozierok, 2001). One of the most basic operations of the BIOS is the POST (Power On Self Test). This part is done to make sure that all of the components in the computer such as the motherboard, hard disks, optical drives, graphics adapter card and other components are working and they are detected throughout the system. Figure 1: BIOS that uses flash memory CMOS or Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor is low in power consumption and has low heat production rate technology that is used in contemporary microchips and it is commonly known as a small battery powered configuration chip where the BIOS stores the time, date and the system configuration settings (What is CMOS?, 2010). The main composition of this chip is made from silicon and germanium which in a way conducts electricity. These materials are then doped where impurities are added to transform it into a fully scaled transistor, either of extra negative charged (N-type) or positively charged (P-type). CMOS on the other hand uses both kinds of transistors in a complementary way to create a current gate where it makes an electrical control present. They practically use no power at all but this in another way, it makes it heat up fast where this sets a major limit to the speed where a microprocessor can operate (CMOS, 2005). The CMOS has a software which is a setup that is included in the creation of the chip. This setup is very vital for system configuration such as the frequency and voltage control of the components, the system date and time and the POST settings as well as the boot priority settings for the operating system to load. Figure 2: Examples of CMOS setup software interface Types of BIOS CMOS Now we know that BIOS is mainly the system where as the CMOS is the chip that contains a software that runs the BIOS. BIOSes were programmed initially into ROMs or PROMs (Programmable Read Only Memory) CMOS chips, where it only stored a very limited amount of data of the system configuration. Extensibility of the BIOS is limited to the capacity of the CMOS chip hence many years later BIOSes became more better when they introduce a new kind technology known as EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Though EPROMs are eraser in a very different manner where the chip has to be exposed to UV light which passes through a small glass window on the chip, in order to clear all the memory cells. The chip has a small window that allows the intake of UV light upon erasing the data instructions in the CMOS chip (How to erase and program an EPROM, 2003). Figure 3: DIP type ROM CMOS chip Figure 4: PLCC type PROM CMOS chip The CMOS chip on the other hand has 2 commonly used types, categorized by their packages, PLCC and DIP. PLCC stands for Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier which is a four sided chip carrier with a J lead and pin spacings of 1.27mm. The lead count or legs usually range from 20 to 84 (Minges, Merrill L. (1989). Electronic Materials Handbook). DIP stands for Dual Inline Package which consists of two parallel sided electrical connecting pins connected to a rectangular housing. Both types of packages for the CMOS chip is fixed at 32 pins, since the CMOS settings only need to transfer about 32 bits across the board. Like mentioned in the introduction, the BIOS or the CMOS chip is powered by a battery that is used to store the settings and instructions intact even after the power is turned off. Below are the several types of batteries the CMOS chip uses (CMOS Battery, 2010): Figure 5: 3V Lithium Button Cell Battery Figure 6: 4.5V Alkaline Battery Figure 7: 3.6V Nickel-Cadmium Battery (Solder Connectors) Current Technologies and Models for BIOS CMOS In todays market, the current technology used in BIOS and CMOS is the PLCC type, EEPROM CMOS chip and powered by a 3V Lithium Battery Cell. The CMOS setup for the BIOS include two major companies which are American Megatrends and Phoenix BIOS. There are also other types setups which are configured by the computer manufacturer such as Dell, Acer, HP Compaq and many more. The BIOS on the other hand provides extra facilities in terms of the configurability of the onboard devices like the embedded audio, the processors voltage, FSB, Multiplier, RAM voltage, hard disk boot sequence and many more. Below are some examples of the CMOS setup screens in configuration mode for different types of setup: Figure 8: CMOS setup main page for AWARD Software. Figure 9: CPU Configuration settings Figure 10: Boot Sequence settings BIOS CMOS Failures and Solutions Like the RAMs and hard disks, the BIOS and CMOS chip can also have error and failures. There are three types of virus invasion that can affect the BIOS system: CIH Black Hat 2006 Persistent BIOS Infection CIH was the first virus that was able to erase the content on a Flash ROM BIOS. It was also given the nickname as Chernobyl Virus The extent of the virus lead to the ejection of the CMOS chip from the motherboard and sent for reprogramming for it has also distorted its basic functionality. Black Hat 2006 is a virus that is capable to elevate privileges and read physical memory, using malicious procedures that replaced normal ACPI functions stored in flash memory. Persistent BIOS Infection work as an insertion of malicious code into the decompression routines in the BIOS, allowing for nearly full control of the PC at every start-up, even before the operating system is booted. The proof of the concept does not exploit a flaw in the BIOS implementation, but only involves the normal BIOS flashing procedures. Thus, it requires physical access to the machine or for the user on the operating system to be root (Researchers unveil persistent BIOS attack methods, 2009). Solutions to overcome these kinds of virus usually required either reprogramming of the CMOS chip or just an upgrade of the CMOS firmware. To reset all the data in the BIOS via the CMOS chip are usually done as follows: Turn off all power and disconnect all wires from the PC Open the CPU casing to reveal the motherboard Find the jumper pins that is used to clear the CMOS settings or a small button near the CMOS chip Short the jumper pins by moving the connector from 1-2 to 2-3 position to clear the settings and remove the system battery. Else, press the button for 8 seconds. After this is done, move the jumper connector back to its original position 1-2 and then place the system battery back in its place. Place the cover back and connect all the wires and turn on the power Once the computer loads and pass the POST test, the BIOS will prompt to enter CMOS settings to set it back again. After the settings are set, save the settings and exit the menu so the computer can restart and load the operating system. Conclusion In conclusion, the BIOS is the most system for a computer to boot and load settings for the all the hardware components. The CMOS chip is a requirement for it is the component that stores the instructions of the BIOS into the setup. Without this, the computer would not know how to load the operating system or identify the existence of any hardware components.