Abortion A Choice Against Women By Fr. Frank Essay

Abortion is an extremely heated topic in America and throughout the world. As a woman, I am interested in reading both sides of the debate. Reading very persuasive things from both sides can sometimes make it hard to know where you stand, but every now and again an article like Abortion: A Choice Against Women by Fr. Frank A. Pavone, National Director of Priest for Life comes along and you laugh. As a stable, functioning human being we should all be entitled to make our own decisions. To Pavone, women seem to be creatures incapable of doing so. I do agree with him when he says that women are kind of forced into abortions with feelings of guilt, loneliness and shame brought upon by families and societies but I do not agree that is always the case. Women are very able and competent to live and be decisive in a very independent manner. Everyone knows what their life situation is, where they stand and what they want and women are no exception. There are very few people who are oblivious; Pavone may be one of them. Women are not all living their lives solely on someone else s mood swing. Teenage pregnancy can be the exception: most are so horrified that they re pushed into abortion because their families don t want to deal with it and don t want their child to be burdened. Timing is very key in what works in life. This is not the ideal teen life anymore; you don t get married at 16 and raise a family. There s so much more to accomplish now, marriage, home making and childShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Abortion And Abortion1115 Words   |  5 Pages Approximately 125,000 abortions occur per day. 1.1 million U.S. abortions each year. Nearly 1 in 4 (22%) of pregnancies end in abortion. 50% of women now seeking abortion have had at least one previous abortion. The U.S. abortion rate is among the highest of developed countries. 51% of abortions are performed on women less than 25 years of age. Approximately 1/3 of American women have had an abortion by age 45. Abortion disproportionately affects black and Hispanic women. (Alan Guttmacher Institute)Read MoreThe Death Of The Abortion3267 Words   |  14 Pagesbefore abortion, she could not sleep and she could not stop thinking about the baby inside of her. As she went to the abortion clinic, she was so nervous that she was shaking and could not fill out her paperwork properly. After the abortion procedure, days passed and she still could not think clearly. She always had nightmares about her baby that she just aborted. She began drinking heavily and fell into depression. Abortion causes not only physical complications, but it also affects women psychologicallyRead MoreAbortion Is The Intentional Termination Of A Pregnancy After Conception3991 Words   |  16 PagesKircher POL 213 16 December 2014 Abortion What is abortion? According to Tom Head from Civil Liberties Expert, â€Å"Abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy after conception. It allows women to put an end to their pregnancies, but involves killing the undeveloped embryo or fetus†. Abortion is one of the most popular topics and debates getting action all over the world. In American politics, it is a controversial topic. The three standard arguments in abortion are: the killing of human beingsRead MoreMetamorphoses Within Frankenstein14861 Words   |  60 PagesShelley’s creation has sp awned w ith a Malthusian men ace of which Math ias could not even h ave conceiv ed.2 Indeed, we cannot conceiv e of it. Already, for example, it is quite simp ly impossible for any one individual to pursue every r eferen ce to ‘Fr ankenstein’ on th e internet in h is or h er lif etime. The forms th ese metamorphoses hav e taken , the degree of familiarity with the origin al story they betray , have varied enormously.3 Still, howev er, they can all be said to have origin atedRead MoreBhopal Gas Disaster84210 Words   |  337 Pagesproof. Speaking on the particular case, the assistant commissioner said the genuineness of the claim could be cross checked after verification of attached document. Mr Solanki assured that they would again go through the documents and take action against the guilty on discovering the fraud. Pioneer / Delhi 23/01/06 Bhopal gas victims walk all the way to Delhi As many as 39 survivors of the Bhopal gas leak tragedy today reached Delhi for a do-or-die battle after a 800-km trek from Bhopal that tookRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesInputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint Lost in Translation? 31 Questions for Review 32 Experiential Exercise Workforce Diversity 32 Ethical Dilemma Jekyll

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Offshore Outsourcing Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Offshore Outsourcing Kati Methvin University of North Alabama Advantages and Disadvantages of Offshore Outsourcing Today, offshore outsourcing is an attractive alternative to in-house or domestic production. The approach imports several advantages that appeal to companies, particularly multinationals, which explains the great traction that it has gained across the globe. Even so, delegating tasks to foreign third parties also carries a suite of new risks that businesses must handle. Without proper execution, the approach may result in adverse outcomes that outweigh its value. This paper offers an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of offshore outsourcing. Outsourcing is a process whereby firms delegate tasks or operations to an external party who can deliver better quality cheaply and promptly (Tayauova, 2012). Outsourcing takes place when the business allocates some tasks to a third party and offshore outsourcing entails assigning that work to vendors in foreign countries (Gnuschke, Wallace, Wilson, Smith, 2004 ; Davis, Ein-Dor, King, Torkzadeh, 2006). Now, the outside supplier can be a specialized company, contractor, or a development house (Soriano-Meier, Garza-Reyes, Lal, Rocha-Lona, 2012). The outsourcer typically assigns the responsibility and risk for carrying out specific functions to an external entity. This practice entails transferring activities that companies traditionally performed in-house to an external vendor orShow MoreRelatedOutsourcing And Its Advantages For A Company1225 Words   |  5 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY Outsourcing can have more disadvantages for a company if the company does not take major precautions before proceeding. The purpose of this report is to (1) identify major IT outsourcing risks. (2) How to minimize the risk to out rule the disadvantages. There are many steps to successful outsourcing; here are the main ones gathered from the research. †¢ Be discreet when selecting your vendor , analyse there previous work †¢ Consult with an attorney before signing the contract †¢ MakeRead MoreStrategic Dimensions Of Sourcing And Shoring Techniques822 Words   |  4 Pagesbusiness on the home front, or near the home place. These strategic dimensions include (a) domestic outsourcing (b) insourcing (c) backsourcing (d) offshoring (e) offshore outsourcing (f) onshoring (g) nearshoring (h) strategic outsourcing (i) business process outsourcing (BPO) and (j) offshore service providers (OSPs). These sourcing and shoring techniques can be complicated to understand. Domestic outsourcing is when a company decides to let go of an in-house job to go to another domestic company to performRead MoreEssay on Outsourcing Jobs To Foreign Countries1420 Words   |  6 PagesOutsourcing Jobs to Foreign Countries Due to the lack of employment in foreign countries, companies that outsource work overseas are not only beneficial to themselves but also to the service providers being employed. The initial benefit that catches the public’s eye from outsourcing is a cost reduction on the company’s part. But that is not the only benefit from outsourcing or even the key benefit that causes companies to outsource, on the other hand, outsourcing has its disadvantages as wellRead MoreOutsourcing Of Aviation Maintenance Practices And The Effects Of Globalization1352 Words   |  6 Pages Outsourcing of Aviation Maintenance Practices and the Effects of Globalization Matthew Wilkerson Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide May 16, 2016 â€Æ' Abstract Within the aviation industry outsourced maintenance practices have become increasingly more prevalent to maintain current assets. There is generally three processes currently being utilized by the airline industry: outsourcing specific maintenance needs, in-house operations, and lastly, a hybrid approach, which entails a combinationRead MoreAdvantages Of Outsourcing And Outsourcing1428 Words   |  6 Pagespaper will be centered on the advantages and disadvantages of offshoring and outsourcing. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the factors and trends that are affecting offshoring and outsourcing. Outsourcing vs. Offshoring In order to understand globalization, we have to first learn about some of the common misconceptions. The terms â€Å"outsourcing† and â€Å"offshoring† are used almost synonymously in today’s literature, however, there is a huge technical difference. Outsourcing simply occurs when a companyRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Offshoring Customer Service1648 Words   |  7 Pagespurchase another thingamajig from the Computer Company again. They have just experienced offshore outsourcing. Offshore outsourcing of customer service is unethical and may have negative effects on the economy. Outsourcing customer service is companies hiring other firms to perform their customer service operations for them. Offshore outsourcing is contracting with firms in other countries. Offshore outsourcing is also known as offshoring. The Negative Effects 3 Customers shouldRead More Outsourcing IT Jobs: Pros And Cons Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesOutsourcing IT Jobs: Pros and Cons In 1973, a monumental shift was prevailing where U.S. companies were sending low skilled jobs within the manufacturing industry to offshore countries to reduce labor cost while maximizing profits. The effect of the jobless manufacturing work force was a shift of those laborers to focus on and perfect the service industry of what it is today (Koch 1). During the high tech recessions of the late 1990s and a nominal expansion of the present time, the InformationRead MoreOffshore Outsourcing Essay1447 Words   |  6 PagesOutsourcing is simply the farming-out of services to a third party. Offshore outsourcing is majorly used in IT related task for which internet plays a vital role along with work related to sales marketing, finance, human resource administration, etc. Quality and effective risk management are two integral parts of offshore outsourcing services. Offshore outsourcing allows businesses to reduce costs, gain staffing flexibility and increase revenue, gain competitive ad vantage, decrease cycle timeRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing1460 Words   |  6 Pagesworkers that are educated and have the ability to take higher paying positions that are, at times, at odds with the First World countries themselves (e.g. using Indian workers at  ½ or less wage for Customer Service, Data Entry, etc.) (Reddy, 2008). Outsourcing is a term for contracting out a business process that was done internally to an independent organization away from the home office. This includes both foreign and domestic contracting, even though most of the media hype surrounds the idea of movingRead MoreEffects of Globalization: Globalization and the Effects on the United States Economy1713 Words   |  7 Pagessense is a business’s movement from one country to another. This is done for a number of reasons; amount of readily available resources, labor market, increased number of customers, and to ultimately become more profitable. There is a decisive advantage for a business to move overseas, but there are a number of drawbacks globalization creates on the local economy. When businesses become an international entity the home country experiences increased unemployment rates, the human resource department

Starbucks Free Essays

1. Key Problems that needs to be addressed by the company are: * The complexity of the barista’s job to prepare customized beverages has been increasing considerably which is affecting the service time. This might have led to reduction in customer satisfaction which could affect the company’s brand image and revenues. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now * The company did not have an individual department for Marketing Strategies. This kind of structure overburdened the senior executives as they had to assume marketing related responsibilities also. * The company wanted to bring service time down to 3 minutes. * There was not much of a difference in the image or the products of the Starbucks compared to small coffee chains, according to the regular coffee drinkers. * The brand image of Starbucks was being affected with the increasing commercialization of the Starbucks coffee shops and the mindset of the people that Starbucks just wants to make money. 2. New Information:  * The company has been growing and its present net income for the year 2010 stands at $1.32 Billion. 3. Recommendations: * The company should form a different department which would concentrate on Marketing Strategies; this would relieve the executives from making any marketing decisions and would help increase their productivity. * Increase the number of baristas by accepting the proposal of investing $40 million, this would help each stores to allocate 20 more labor hours a week, thereby reducing the service time, especially during the rush hours. * Optimize the number of outlets in an area based upon various factors such as population of the town, the per capita income of the people etc. so as to maintain the brand name and for better overall profit. * In order to reduce the service time under present condition it is better to have 2 counters at each store. One dedicated to regular coffees and the other one dedicated to customized coffees. This would help reduce the line and lead to better service quality. * Prepare specific marketing research questions based on the difficulties faced by the company. * To capture the market, Starbucks could negotiate some acquisitions so as to reduce the competition and widen the gap between the competitors. * Starbucks should form a different department which would look at the international expansion. This would help them to expand nationally as well as internationally at a good pace. How to cite Starbucks, Essay examples Starbucks Free Essays Starbucks mission is â€Å"†¦to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world and become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, this mission was threatened in 2008 when the company found itself in trouble with slow growth and profits. Determined to continue its mission, Starbucks reevaluated its resource-based model of returns and made some changes which resulted in increased revenue and above-average returns for the next three years. The key player in Starbucks strategy was Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Schultz was determined to regain strategic competitiveness and set forth with an integrated strategic management process which focused on several of Starbucks core competencies (like internal culture and human resources) and included: halting new store openings in the U. S. ; withdrawing completely from Australia; focusing on customers and the â€Å"Starbucks experience;† and transferring resources to international markets. We analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats through the TOWS analysis tool which focuses on external (or environmental) threats and opportunities AND internal weaknesses and strengths of the company. In this case, Starbucks’s biggest threat is competition, particularly from McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts. Opportunities include expanding its product line, particularly into international markets, and diversifying its product line to give customers a better â€Å"experience† in AND out of stores. By creating licensing agreements with places like Marriot and Pepsi, and selling retail packs of drinks like Frappucinos in grocery stores, Starbucks increased its diversification. The biggest weakness for Starbucks is its pricing which led to competition with other companies that were offering premium coffee WITHOUT the premium price. Next is Starbucks’s greatest strength: brand name and recognition. In other words, to many people, coffee equals Starbucks. Another one of Starbuck’s strengths was how mainstream their name was; however, in 2008, this became a weakness as the competition took advantage of the situation and targeted Starbucks directly with campaigns that the company was â€Å"snobbish† and â€Å"friends don’t let friends drink at Starbucks. To help sustain their constant need for high-quality coffee beans, instead of just purchasing Starbucks fully invested their time into becoming a part of the market by creating support centers and creating fixed-price contracts whenever possible. Starbucks was no longer just a purchaser but a leader with coffee growers. In addition to TOWS analysis, analyzing Starbucks’ posit ion using the Five Forces of Competition shows other issues facing Starbucks in 2008. For instance, the threat of new entrants and substitute products during this time was high. The same is true of the bargaining power of buyers. The rivalry among competing firms was also high to moderately high, and the strength of the forces of the bargaining power of suppliers was moderate to low. Given the TOWS and Five Forces analyses of Starbucks, we agree with Starbucks strategy formulation. Starbucks should (and did) focus on stopping its saturation of the market (no new U. S. stores) and pulled out of unprofitable nations (like Australia) while reallocating resources internationally. We also agree that a large part of Starbucks’ strategic competitiveness is its â€Å"experience† so focusing on the â€Å"Starbucks Experience† and further branding itself was important. It was also vital to refocus on the core values which make Starbucks a global leader, not follower, as well as technology, like free wi-fi and the Starbucks credit card, which increases the appeal of its stores and products to customers. Since 2008, Starbucks revenue has continued to grow, and 2012 was Starbucks best quarter yet for net revenues! Will this pattern continue? If Starbucks continues to employ strategic competitiveness, take advantage of global markets, differentiate its product, and utilize the latest technologies, we say yes. How to cite Starbucks, Papers Starbucks Free Essays â€Å"To say Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees is very true. That’s the essence of what we do- but it hardly tells the whole story†¦(Starbucks, 2013, pg 1)† Starbucks is known for not only their high quality products but also their great efforts in social responsibility. They give back to the community while striving to have genuine service and an inviting atmosphere. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Their mission statement is as follows, â€Å"It has always been, and will always be, about quality. We’re passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done (Starbucks, 2013, pg 1). † They have done a tremendous job at having their mission statement hold true to their regular consumers while keeping them paying the higher costs of their product. Analysis Starbucks, in 2009, used economic analysis on elasticity in order to increase sales of their famous coffee drinks and use its reputation and premium brand drinks to take away sales from McDonalds which introduced a new line of lower priced espresso drinks that have proved to be popular. Starbucks has decided to increase the cost of some of their drinks like the Frappuccinos and caramel Macchiatos by an average of 10 cents to 15 cents. In some cases they are raising costs as mush as 30 cents which is about an 8 percent increase. Consumers that were regulars of Starbucks considered this beverage product to be in-elastic and were willing to pay anything because they need this product. An example of an in-elastic demand product would be anything that would be considered a necessity. For example, â€Å"the more necessary a good is, the lower the elasticity, as people will attempt to buy it no matter the price, such as the case of insulin for diabetics (Gillespie, 2007, pg 28). † These regular consumers of Starbucks would be willing to pay top dollar for before purchasing the similar low priced product at their competitors. They know that competitors like McDonald’s does not offer all of the flavors or drinks that they offer so they know they will keep their regulars. To offset this increase, their strategy was to lower the price of their most popular beverages by 5 cents to 15 cents. This would include their popular 12 ounce lattes and their brewed coffees. This was the first time Starbucks lowered the price of any of its drinks since it began. The plan to reduce prices of their basic drinks like the latte falls on the fact that their competitors McDonalds is capturing some of the consumers that are less interested in the premium brands that Starbucks offers. By lowering the price of these coffees might bring some of those customers back. These consumers consider their beverage elastic and are willing to change the brand for a lower price. McDonalds was running a huge advertising campaign on the same sugary, creamy drinks that now at Starbucks will be more expensive but according to Kenneth Davids, editor of Coffee Review who states â€Å"Starbucks is safe raising the prices of specialty drinks because they are where the company best differentiates itself (Miller, 2009, pg 1). The consumers who value a great tasting coffee at Starbucks are consumers who are willing to pay more. Taste test comparing espresso drinks between Starbucks and McDonalds have proven that Starbucks drinks are favored over the same McDonalds drink. The difference between the standard lattes was not as noticeable then the advantage Starbucks has over McDonalds for their syrupy and whipped cream style drinks. Some of McDonalds drinks actually taste terrible. So a con sumer that expects the best tasting specialty drinks are will be willing to pay more. Like one always says, â€Å"you get what you pay for† and here it means a better tasting drink then any of Starbucks competitors. Conclusion Starbucks used economic analysis of the elastic and inelastic demand for their products which worked wonderfully. They lowered the prices of the elastic products in order to compete with their competitors such as McDonald’s McDonalds and raised the inelastic products for drinks that they proved to be the best of the best. With the changes in the pricing their revenue went back to increasing. As seen in Appendix A, in 2009 they were hurting due to McDonald’s new advertisements on their coffee and how low their price was. When Starbucks used this analysis and changed the pricing accordingly their revenue went back in the upswing. Starbucks made a very intelligent decision to market their products differently and to different consumers. This market decision based on elastic and inelastic demand kept them as successful as they have been in previous years by keeping their revenues increasing. How to cite Starbucks, Papers Starbucks Free Essays Which one of the 5 generic business strategies best matches Cataracts strategy? Why? I believe that of the generic strategies the best match to Cataracts strategy is that of the rivalry within the industry. This is the best match because there are a lot of different types of specialty coffee shops out their in the industry so the rivalry amongst all the competitors is very fierce. Of the other coffee shops it will tough for hem to match the price and popularity that Cataracts has on the rest of the competition. We will write a custom essay sample on Starbucks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Other companies may be able to sell their coffee at a higher price but then the number of sales that they receive is going to be lower than that of Cataracts. The rivalry in the coffee shop market is very competitive but Cataracts has an advantage over the competition in the fact that it can charge a higher price then its competitors and still have more customers then the rest of the market. 2. Evaluate Cataracts social responsibility strategy. Is it sincere or Just something to help with image? I believe that the social responsibility of Cataracts is sincere and not Just something to help promote their image. They want to make sure that the prices that they have paid for the coffee beans is high enough that the small farmers were able to cover all their productions cost as well as provide for their families. Cataracts also wants to work directly with small coffee growers, local coffee-growing cooperatives, and other hypes of coffee suppliers to promote coffee cultivation methods that protected biodiversity and were environmentally sustainable. Lastly Cataracts made purchasing arrangements that limited the exposure to sudden price Jumps due to weather, economic, and political conditions in the growing countries where they were getting their coffee beans. 3. What major issues face the company in mid 2010? In the mid 2010 people were not spending their normal amount on money, customers were more worried about saving their money because of the economic crisis. With How to cite Starbucks, Papers

If I Was President free essay sample

President If all wishes were horses, then I would wish to be the president of the United States of America. My wishes to be the United States president are not self-centered but are based on the need to make America a better place for generations to come. In the eyes of the world we are limitless but, I believe there are things that are necessary to change to reflect the fame and superiority associated with America in the eyes of the world. If I was president, I would strive to accomplish three major issues. To begin with, to ensure food security, I admit that a government that is not able to feed its citizens has no reason to be in power. Food security is a situation where all people, at all times, have physical and financial access to safe and healthy food to meet their needs and food preferences for an energetic strong life. We will write a custom essay sample on If I Was President or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A healthy nation is important in a supportable development since a nation cannot develop when the citizens continuously suffer from different illnesses. There is a need for a targeted food security intervention, including food support in the form of direct food relief, food stamps, and indirectly through funded food production. Most farmers in the rural areas are poor and cannot manage to obtain heavy machines for better productions. As the president I strive for the introduction of rural off-farm opportunities to allow even the poorest people to participate and provide additional food supply. This device could even offer financial assistance for the farmers and processing firms to be introduced in these places. This will provide alternative sources of food and change in feeding habits. Where there is a sufficient supply of food, the nation will become healthy which will cause rapid economic growth. These guidelines aim to guarantee food security by providing a dietary intake for all households without exposing them to risks. Second, I would improve the education system of our country. Ensuring education for all citizens is the base of the understanding of a community. An educated society is easy to govern compared to a society full of uninformed individuals. To improve our education system, I have carefully considered the following actions; training schools for teachers must be updated to more widespread teaching techniques. This would help teachers become more interesting to their students. We could create a forum for teachers, where teachers and students can exchange their deas, experiences, and information. This would create an educated atmosphere for learning. Education should form the whole person; it should be made more important to the lives of the citizens, especially the students. The system of education should be more hands-on rather than being theoretical and inspection should not be geared towards obtaining grades and papers but towards achieving the whole person-hood. Since the world is dyna mic, there’s a need to introduce the use of information and communication systems and improve coordination among different departments in our schools. This requires the installing of computer software as well as connectivity services. Lastly, everyone has a right to access education and therefore I will ensure that no one is deprived of education. Even the poor are allowed to take advantage of this plan which also intends to offer free high school and college education to house even the less fortunate. Third, I would guarantee that our everyday American is safe. Security is very important to our home since we are faced with threats from terrorists and other groups. I intend to guarantee border patrol to establish confidence to deal with the terrorists and to ensure that they do not get into our country. Security within the border is also planned to prevent the illegal immigrants and further prevent trafficking of humans, drugs, and other harmful substances that may enter our country. A mix of technology, and boarder structure, such as lights, roads, fences, and facilities are critical to expanding control over our borders. Since our economic growth depends on this aspect we have to make sure that our security is well trained to read the signs of time. It is not only security within our borders which paramount but also even in our adjusting environment this includes homes, work environments, and other public places to avoid in act of crime. Food stability, education and security all play an important role in a sustainable development and the overall welfare of people. To remove illiteracy in people by improving the education system from an abstract sense to a practical one will help improve the economy of the country. I believe with my natural sense to lead this country can motivate me towards accomplishing these goals.

Persepolis Essay Example Essay Example

Persepolis Essay Example Paper Persepolis Essay Introduction In the current international community, the issue of human rights had been one of the main issues that are faced by the different countries in the world. Topics such as the inhumane treatment towards women and children mostly in the Middle Eastern Countries and Islamic communities around the world are the problems that are still in being debated by my leaders today. Although many feminist say that there is inequality and inhumanity in the treatment of women in the Middle East, in reality, women are really torn between deciding to obey their culture or practice their right as a woman.In the past, Persian women are given the equal rights with men. These women have their own properties and are able to retain these even after their marriage. Most of them are given the right to their own freedom and are acknowledged as the most important people in the society given their ability to bear a child and such. In an article written by Massoume Price, he stated that based on historical facts â⠂¬Å".the widowed wife inherited from the deceased even if she did not have children. A woman could not act as a witness in the drawing up of contracts, but she could act as a contracting party and have her own seal† (Price, n.p.). Women had the same power as men but as the years progress, female rights in Iran have lessened which led to repression and gender inequality.In the book Persepolis discusses such dilemma of a 9 year old child living in Iran during the Iran and Iraq war. The author of the book is Marjane Satrapi who actually is the lead character in the whole story and narrates her experiences as a child until now as an Iranian woman. The book is a graphic novel which looks like a comic strip. The book is filled with black and white drawings (The Creole Cat, 1) which I personally think as unique and cool. It is not like a typical book which is filled with words and serious topics that will turn out to be a boring book in the end. Although the book does not present is self as a serious and a complicated book to read, the issues raised in the book has became one of the most controversial concern in Iran and in various countries in the world.(Revolution, n.p.)The graphic novel narrates the life of Marjane Satrapi who was then living in a chaotic world of politics in Iran. Her family is connected to the political branches of the government which makes her more exposed to the lifestyle of politics in Iran. Her family was communists who generally do not agree with the system of the Islamic Fundamentalists and its actions. Her family usually hosts under ground parties which was a form of rebellion in the government. These parties were not allowed by the government because they are believed to be a western practice which opposes the belief of the fundamentalists. Therefore heavy punishments could be held to them if they are caught participating in these activities.As Marjane lived in a family that was against the Islamic Fundamentalists, she also create d measures that imitated the actions of her family. She got interested in punk and heavy metal music and often bought Nike shoes in the black market. Due to the bold actions of the young Marjane, her family decided that she must live in a different country to prevent her from being arrested by officials, â€Å"It would have been better to just go† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n.p.). During her high school life, she was sent to Vienna Austria however, she felt like she was isolated and typically hated the people around her. She believes that Westerners do not put any value to the freedom that they have. After a few months of her stay in Austria she had a relationship with a young man. She became passionately in love with him but after a while, she discovered that he was cheating on her. Due to this, she had clinical depression and almost died of bronchitis. She went home to Iran with a broken heart (Revolution, n.p.).By the time that she was in college, she went back to Iran. S he was hopeful that changes in the society would be present because the war had already ended however; the problem in Iran seemed to have a much bigger issue to solve. Petty issues such as small differences in religion, and group executions due to political conflicts had been a source of bigger complications in the society which lead to a much chaotic Iran. The conflict made the lives of the people much more difficult most especially to the women living in the country. Iran had a much more conservative law which made life for Marjane much more complicated. Freedom of wearing make-up was prohibited. Marjane was almost caught wearing cosmetics but in the end, she got out of the situation for accusing the police for staring wrongly at her body. In addition she married her boyfriend just to avoid the police scrutiny.In the end, Marjane Satrapi separated with her husband after their three years of marriage. Other events happened and finally her parents decided that she must leave the cou ntry in order to prevent her from being arrested by the police. Marjane agreed to the plan of her parents however, after her departure from Iran her grandmother died.In the whole story, the role of women was one of the strongest and most evident participation. In some articles that critiqued the book has stated that the graphic novel is about feminism and women empowerment in the Middle East. The book highlights the role and responsibilities of women in a conservative and Islamic community such that of Tehran, Iran. When the Islamic Fundamentalist party one the most obvious changes that the women had to do was to change the way they dress. Women need to cover their hair in order to not entice the men. In the conservative belief of the Islam religion, women must not show of a body part because it might lead to something sinful for the part of the men. The veil became a mandatory outfit of every woman whether they may be young or old (Creole Cat, 1). Make-ups are also not allowed by t he Islamic Fundamentalists for they believe that it is a Western belief and thus is should not be put on by any woman. In the story Marjane was almost arrested by the police but she was able to make an alibi.In addition, women in many ways had created actions in order to prevent men from being caught by the police while going against the action of the government. A scene in the graphic novel where in the police stopped their car for inspection. The police officer inspected her father and suspected that Marjane’s father had drunk wine. Upon inspection, the mother tried to negotiate with the officers pleading that her father just became surprised with the inspection. In the continuing scene, the grandmother excused herself through justifying that she has diabetes. She was understood by one of the officers and through this, the grandmother and Marjane were able to go up their apartment and sneak in. They were able to throw away the wines that they have kept in their apartment. F emales in Iran were able to somehow cover up for the men because of their characteristic of being compassionate and patient with negotiations with other people. Marjane’s mother is specifically patient and calm during situations like these. She gives support to her husband but is more composed. Although she wanted to have justice and equality amongst everyone in Iran she does not act as violently as others would do. (Satrapi 107-110)The role of the maid in the story was also an important part of the novel. Although it is given small attention, the scene of the story is proclaiming that there is social construct of limiting oneself from interacting with other people due to the social class. A maid is not a high paying job compared to other jobs available. Maids are also seen as low class citizens and must not go out of their social class. They must not marry higher class people such as the middle class and the elites. It would be immoral and improper because in the Iranian soc iety, any individual must not go out of their social class, like Marjane’s father said â€Å"In this country you must stay within your own social class† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n.p. ). Due to this belief and social construct, the interaction of the society becomes limited which creates in equality. However, Marjane stated a line in which makes the readers realize that there must not be boundaries with the relations of people â€Å"We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed†( Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n.p.). Her line expressed states that everyone is equal with one another, in terms of loving another person. The situation of the maid, demonstrated that class difference is one of the main issues faced by Iran.The main character, Marjane illustrates a child that was born in a family that wanted to have a just world. Just like her parents, she also employs her own belief system which led to many troubles which were narrated in the book. Her boldness and strong belief present a modern Iranian woman that wants to get out of her shell to explore other realities. Marjane advocates the openness to other new experiences such that of the western culture. As a young girl, she immediately had a different sense of desire for freedom and equality. When she was in her younger years, she was already out spoken about her ideas and her dreams. She wanted to become a prophet which is not really a dream for most the girls of her age.Her teacher even called her parents because she got disturbed by the idea the Marjane wanted to be a prophet. Her dream of becoming a prophet evidently makes her represent the female population that wanted freedom and equality from the Islamic Fundamentalists belief. Although Marjane was being bold and was acting against the principle of her belief, she still believed in a higher and stronger being which was shown in her graphic novel. Though, women were repressed and were forced to the will of t he fundamentalists, Marjane’s role became an important in the book to show that she was a woman that pursued what she believed is right even though she was held back by the society. She did chase her dream in making the lives of women and other Iranians free from all the difficulties that she had in her past life. Marjane’s life became a symbol of courage and change for many women in the Iranian society.In conclusion, women in the book all have their own roles. The elderly women in the book such as the mother and the grandmother of Marjane played the role of protecting their families through peaceful means. As much as possible, these elders are fighting for what they believe is right however, they do not do the extremes unlike Marjane. They move with grace and caution to make sure that their family is well protected and at peace. The maid’s role in the story is being a woman less powerful than the normal one due to her status in the society. Being a woman and be ing poor held her back to the lower part of the social system. The Iranian conservative society does not allow a lower class female to marry or be in a relationship with a male who is in the higher social status or vise versa. On the other hand, Marjane’s role in novel changed the perspective of many of the characters. Her rebellion made gave her a little freedom which was needed by most of the women during her time. Marjane showed her strength and courage in battling the norms of her society to prove that women should be given more freedom than their culture allows. Persepolis Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

How to Pass a Test

How to Pass a Test We sometimes spend so much time using flashcards and memorizing terms that we dont get around to really  gaining a deep understanding of the material were supposed to be  learning!  The fact is, many students dont realize that there is a difference between memorizing and learning.Memorizing terms and definitions may help you prepare for some types of tests, but as you advance into higher grades, youll find that teachers (and professors) expect a lot more from you on test day. You may go from providing definitions to words in middle school, for example, to more advanced types of responses like long answer essays when you reach high school and college. For those more complex question and answer types, youll need to be able to put your new terms and phrases in context. There is a way to know if youre really ready for any test question the teacher can throw at you. This strategy is designed to help you take the knowledge youve gained about a subject and explain it in context And you can learn this strategy in three steps! First, develop a list of all the terms (new words) and concepts contained in your material.  Find a way to randomly pick two of these terms. (No picking and choosing!) For example, you could use index cards or scraps of paper to write the term on one side and then place them face-down. Then select two different cards. The strategy works best if you actually manage to pick two (seemingly) unrelated words.Now that you have two unrelated terms or concepts, your challenge is to write a paragraph (or several) to show the connection between the two. It may seem impossible at first, but it is not!Remember that any two terms from the same class will be related. You just have to create a path from one to the other to show how the topics are related. And you cant possibly do this unless you really know the material. Tips for Passing Your Test Repeat the process of selecting random terms until youve done several different combinations of terms.Every time you write your paragraph(s) to connect the terms, use as many other terms as you can. You will begin to build a web of knowledge and begin to understand how everything relates to everything else in your notes.Once youve studied this way, follow up with a friend a day or two later. Use a study partner and write up practice essay questions and exchange them. Make sure that each answer contains at least two of the terms youve practiced.

Political structure of libya in the past and its current challenges Research Paper

Political structure of libya in the past and its current challenges including the national transition council - Research Paper Example Unlike the protests in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyans took a different approach torching and demolishing government buildings from the outset. Within a few days, the protests had found their way to the capital Tripoli and other major cities especially in the north-west. A look at other Arab countries such as Tunisia and Egypt revealed an active participation of organized social movements, opposition parties and trade unions (Inbar 110). However, this was not the case in Libya, the long serving Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, had actively suppressed these organized bodies which informed their inexistence. Initially, the actors of the uprising were unorganized young men who acted spontaneously and lacked the social interactive forums as was the case in other Arab countries (Panara and Gary 10). Furthermore, these young men could not be identified as representatives of the Libyan middle class as the Libyan private sector was comparatively weak. There were two main reasons that led to the de velopment of the uprisings into a revolution. The first reason was the regime’s violent response to the protests. Initially, the uprisings were isolated and the regime was keen on suppressing them before they reached unprecedented levels as was the case with most of Libya’s neighbors (Panara and Gary 10). ... The second development was the institution of NTC (National Transition Committee) in Benghazi in early March. NTC was largely made up of elitists who had defected from the regime and assumed leadership of the unorganized uprising with a promise of bringing down the regime (Inbar 110). The background of the Libyan revolt against ruler Muammar Gaddafi had little to do with the overall performance of the economy. The high prices of oil in the international markets had helped the Libyan economy prosper. Following Gaddafi’s decision in 2003 to give up weapons of mass destruction programs, Libya returned to the forefront of international investor attention. From that point, overall growth increased, reaching 10 percent in 2010. Libya’s estimated 2010 GDP was $71.336 billion, of which oil accounts for 98 percent (Inbar 111). Nevertheless, there was vast corruption and nepotism, at least one third of residents lived in poverty, the unemployment rate was 30 percent, and substant ial income gaps existed between rich and poor; all of this helped fuel the resistance to the Gaddafi regime. Political developments From the beginning, both the political leadership and the forces that shaped the revolution were diverse and disjointed. The NTC was largely made up of longstanding members of the exiled opposition and had also created room for Gaddafi loyalists turned dissidents such as General Abdel Fatta Younis. The NTC also played host to influential and aristocratic families who had been isolated by the Gaddafi regime. This diversity created a clear split of ideas on the way forward, some of these individuals fought for reforms, while others only fought for inclusion (MacQueen 378). This

Communication in the Nursing Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication in the Nursing Profession - Essay Example Communication may be verbal, non-verbal, or inferred through the actions that a nurse may take or avoid. Communication may be a single sentence that begins with the sender, but the receiver is the integral part of the process where the message is interpreted and placed in context with a larger discourse. Communication is ubiquitous and pervasive. Every bit of information that is transferred from nurses to the world around them comes through some form of communication. In today's fast paced world of nursing, where accuracy and time can make the difference between success and failure, communication becomes the most critical component driving a patient's outcome. The structure of a health care setting today is far more inter-dependent than at any other time in history. Cultural and social diversity have made the communications between nurses and patients at risk of miscommunication, but has also presented nurses with the opportunity to be more articulated and meaningful. Communication skills are an area where it is sometimes difficult to measure, yet there are always issues that warrant improvement. In addition, knowledge is passed from nurses, specialists, and physicians through the act of communicating. It is one of the single most important activities that a health care worker engages in. Technology has presented nurses with new opportunities and methods of communication, though there is always some resistance to change within any group. This paper will evaluate some of the current literature in regards to communications among the nursing profession. By knowing what technologies are available, the current thinking on communication, and th e impact of culture and diversity, nurses can elevate the status of their communications and get more value for the time that they spend communicating Literature Review. Bedside Manner Some of the most prevalent and important communications for a nurse takes place between the nurse and the patient. Known traditionally as bedside manner, these may be critical instructions on self-care, or may be the casual words that offer the patient hope, support, comfort, and esteem. A nurse may be viewed as being positive and caring by being compassionate, genuine, and sympathetic, or alternately display the negative traits of arrogance, rudeness, or indifference (Person and Finch 6-7). This alters not only a patient's view of the hospital and its level of care, but may also have more lasting implications. According to Person and Finch, "the patient's perception of provider bedside manner impacts health status, satisfaction, and compliance" (Person and Finch 1). A nurse may need to communicate instructions that are necessary to maintain the patient's follow up care after they have been discharged from the hospital. This may be in a context where death, illness, and family wishes need to be considered from a cultural vantage point. The nurse may be the most vital actor in explaining and clarifying the information that the physician gave a patient during a hurried period of anxiousness (Ufema 70). The nurse can bridge the critical gap between 'cure' and 'care', and begin to communicate in terms of peace and closure, rather than the more technical language that might be expected from a physician (Ufema 70). If the

How does having dyslexia impact on further education Essay

How does having dyslexia impact on further education - Essay Example It affects the choice of subjects in further learning. Though it is a major problem impacting on performance, students can be assisted through mentorship and other exercises that improve their language, coordination and organizational skills. Dyslexia is a term that refers to difficulties in learning, which is usually manifest in students while they try to pronounce or spell particular words in the course of learning. These are the major characteristics amongst many other aspects that can help in identifying a student with the problem. Research indicates that the problem is associated with the brain’s capacity to interpret verbal or written language. Students usually experience problems in schools and may not perform well in particular subjects or in all of them (Jamieson and Morgan 2007 p. 78). Intellectually, the dyslexic student is usually competent. Learning is the only situation where they fail to compete effectively with the rest of the students. Dyslexic students usually get upset leading to withdrawal and problems with their behavior, especially due to lack of self esteem and confidence. Their persistent difficulty in learning generates the feeling that they are unable to excel in life. This is because the society highly values the ability to learn, and attaching it to great prospects of a student in future. It can affect even the students whose performance in other activities is good. The problem can persist to adulthood. In the institutions of higher learning, it is usually a major problem since the content of education increases, and this requires high learning capabilities in order to accomplish the objectives of education and career choice (Ammon and Levin 1993 pp. 68-71). The aim of this research is to establish the impact of dyslexia on further education. In the teaching profession, it is important to understand dyslexia in order to develop the ability to identify dyslexic students, and be able to help them overcome

Impacts Of Food Miles On Climate Change

Impacts Of Food Miles On Climate Change Todays food is well travelled. A pack of green beans in an European supermarket may have journeyed 6000 miles, or 60. While food miles loom large in our carbon-aware times, transporting it counts for less than you might think. This paper investigates the effectiveness of initiatives to reduce the number of food miles by their impact on climate change. The paper comes to the conclusion that food miles, the distance that food has travelled from farm to fork, indeed reduces the amount of greenhouse gas released. However, this does not imply that less food miles are a more sustainable way of producing. Moreover, the concept might be a justification for protectionist purposes and has significant negative side effects. Introduction Climate change is one of the greatest environmental threats of our time. The cause of climate change is mainly the emission of greenhouse gas as a result of human activity, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A significant reduction of greenhouse gas emission is needed in order to the mitigate the effects on the climate. To accomplish this, two international treaties have been adopted: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The countries that ratified the Kyoto protocol committed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gas by a given percent compared to their emission level in 1990 (Pinkse and Kolk, 2009). To achieve this, the EU has set the following targets: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, improve energy efficiency by 20%, raise the share of renewable energies to 20% and raise the share of bio-fuels in road transport to 10%. These targets should all be achieved by the year 2020 (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries, 2008). Many industries have taken activities to cut energy use and emissions, in particular carbon dioxide (CO2), due to stricter legislative requirements and rising energy prices. Also the food industry is actively taking part in reducing energy and emissions, especially carbon dioxide. Example of such activities are the investment in energy efficient technologies, by voluntarily cutting energy use and even by participating in national energy efficiency schemes (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries, 2008). In household consumption, food has one of the highest impact on the environment. According to a study on the environmental impact of products, food and drinks cause 20 to 30% of the environmental impacts of private consumption (Tukker et al., 2006). In this study the food production and distribution chain has been fully analyzed and identifies products that are most greenhouse gas intensive. According to this study, meat, dairy, fats and oils are the most greenhouse gas intensive products. The estimated meats global warming potential ranges from about 4 to 12% of all products studied across the EU. Milk and dairy products are responsible for 2 to 4%, f ruits and vegetables for approximately 2%. The food chain consists of many different stages with many different players, like farmers, suppliers, transport companies, producers, retailers, consumers and waste management companies. At all stages of foods product life cycle there are activities that may have an impact on climate change. These include farming, manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, consumption and disposal (Carlsson-Kanyama et al., 1997). It is estimated that the food industry accounts for about 1.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Within the whole food chain, agriculture accounts for 49% of greenhouse gas emissions, followed by the consumption (18%) and manufacturing (11%) (Confederation of Food and Drink Industry, 2008). Transportation is also an important contributor to greenhouse gas emission, because of the consumption of fuel and energy. Transport is estimated to account for 21 % of the greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, but it is unclear how much of these emissions sh ould be allocated specifically to food transportation (Confederation of Food and Drink Industry, 2008). Other impact on climate change in food production also depends on other factors, like the agricultural soil, the countrys climate, the intensity of use of fertilizers and chemicals, and the amount of energy and fuels used at different stages of the distribution chain. It is essential to take all these factors into account when estimating the impact of food products on climate change. However, this is not always possible or feasible, because of the complexity of the supply chain and the lack of available data. Food Miles Food miles, which accounts for the distance products have been travelling to reach the end consumer, has increased awareness recently. Nowadays many food products travel long distances before their final consumption. In the USA, for example, the food for one typical meal has travelled more than 2000 kilometers. And, if that meal contains any off-season fruit or vegetable the total distance is much more (Oxfam, 2009). It is commonly for food to be transported great distances to be packaged and processed, and then sent back in order to be sold near the place where it was produced. An example of this kind of practice is the shrimp industry in the Netherlands. There are several factors that have led to the increase in the distances food travels. These include: trade liberalization, sourcing from around the world, geographical centralization to achieve economies of scale, increased market share of retailers located out of the town of consumers, and finally, lower transportation costs of air freight, which relatively cheap compared to some other supply chain costs (Smith et al, 2005). As a result of the miles that food makes, emissions like CO2 are increasingly released, which contribute to climate change. The term food miles was introduced by the British non-governmental organization Sustainable Agriculture, Food and the Environment (SAFE) in 1994. They were the first to address the danger of long distances in food transportation. The concept implies that the lower the food miles, the less impact a product has on climate change. Therefore, consumers should be encouraged to buy locally produced food. Some retailers in Europe and North Americ a started promoting food miles initiative in order to address the problem of the long distances that food travels. These initiatives are often focused on promoting localism or regionalism in food sourcing. A few examples of these kind of initiatives will be discussed later. Food Miles Calculation Complexity In order to calculate the distance that food has travelled, the commonly used formula is the Weighted Average Source Distance. This formula combines information of the distances from production to point of sale (kilometers) and the amount of food product transported (Carlsson-Kanyama, 1997). The formula for the Weighted Average Source Distance is: ÃŽÂ £ (m(k) x d(k)) / ÃŽÂ £ m(k). Where k stand for the different location points of the production, m stand for the weight from each point of production, and d stand for distance from each point of production or sale. Although this formula looks quite simple, the application is rather difficult, because many food consist of multiple ingredients. Due to a lack of precise data about the exact distance of all ingredients, the calculation is often based on approximations. The formula does also not take into account how the food is transported (by marine, road, rail or air). This transport mode is important, because different transport mo des have different emissions per product unit. Drivers for Food Miles Initiatives There are five main drivers for initiatives to reduce food miles: NGO pressure, government support, consumer demand, food miles as a marketing concept and the potential reduction of costs. In the early 1990s British NGOs addressed the social and the environmental impacts caused by food miles. The main argument to support the food miles concept was the concern for climate change. It was implied that the longer the distance food travels, the more energy is consumed, the more fossil fuels are burned, and consequently the more greenhouse gases are released. Therefore the solution proposed was to source food from as close as possible to where it will be finally consumed (Saunders et al., 2006). Other arguments used included the concern that food that could be produced in the home country was imported instead, which causes a loss of income to local production, and also the concern that workers overseas might not be treated fairly (Oxfam, 2009). Some NGOs were specifically against air freig hting of food because this kind of transport is very energy intensive and causes the most negative externalities to the environment. They also addressed multilateral international trade, this is when a product was imported in the UK while the national production of that same product was exported from the country. As the solution to these problems, the British NGOs promoted to consume food that was locally produced (Saunders et al, 2006). Many EU countries support the concept of local food production and local food consumption. For example, the Italian government forces local authorities to include organic and local food in the school catering. The EU itself, although not directly supporting the concept of food miles, provides funding to support local food initiatives to develop farmers markets and local food brands (Euractiv, 2011). Food miles is seen as a possibility to improve environmental sustainability, because the distance and transport mode are important elements within the food chain as well as being associated with pollution from vehicle emissions (Saunders et al, 2006). Also the consumer awareness has raised the concern about the impact that food transportation has both environmentally and socially. This awareness has increased due to a few major food issues of the last decade (e.g. mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease, Q-fever, swine flu and the discussion about producing genetically modified food). These events have raised consumer interest about the origin and traceability of their food. Nowadays, many consumers and restaurant owners have a strong preference for local food product. An important reason why they choose local foods is because consumers have more trust in locally produced food since they know where it comes from. The concept of food miles has become familiar topic to the public, which lead to the consumers believe that food travelling a shorter distance is better for the environment. Consumers also argue that local food is more fresh and even tastes better than when it travelled long distances (Pirog and Benjamin, 2003). As already mentioned, consumers are interested in having the opportunity to purchase products that was produced and processed within their own region. These customers might be specifically interested in buying low food miles products due to their perceived freshness and quality (Pirog and Benjamin, 2003). Food retailers and food producers anticipate on this demand and use the food miles concept as a marketing tool. These marketing messages support the consumers perception that locally produced food is better. Therefore the food miles concept helps to differentiate products from the competition. Because climate change aspects are increasingly being included in business strategies, the concept of food miles is sometimes used by producers in marketing strategies to differentiate products from the international competition. An example of this is Friesland Campina, who only source from Dutch dairy farmers, and this actively promotes in advertisement. Campina customers also have the opport unity to trace their milk via an unique code on the milk cartons. The last driver is the potential cost reduction of transportation. The costs for food transportation is relatively cheap compared to other supply chain costs. The cost of shipping containers around the world is relatively low and fuel for aviation is not taxed. Also, for a long time air freight and shipment were included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, but this has been included in the ETS from 2011 onwards (Euractiv, 2007). Airlines will therefore have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions or buy some sort of pollution credits on the carbon market. However, the EU recently initiated the first key measure to reduce the impact of air travel on global warming. The European Commission set an emissions cap for the aviation sector. Emissions trading for the aviation sector will start in January 2012 with a yearly allowance of 213 million tons of CO2 (Euractiv, 2011). This will increase the costs of transportation, including of food products. Therefore, it is interesting to integrat e the food miles concept in the procurement policy of a policy, because it might bring potential cost savings on airline freighting. Examples of Food Miles Initiatives As it was mentioned earlier, food quality, support of local community, food freshness and concern about the impact of transport on climate change have increased consumers interest in the origin and traceability of food, including a strong preference for locally produced food. Therefore, driven by consumer demand and with the objective to reduce food mileages of the products they distribute, big retailers made local sourcing initiatives a core aspect of their sustainable policies. The food miles concept can be used in two ways to reduce the environmental impact of food transport, the so called fewer miles and friendlier miles notions. Fewer miles means that companies and retailers are trying to reduce the overall distance that food travels. Such initiatives include local sourcing and greater capacity vehicles that carry more products in one trip. Friendlier miles are achieved when the environmental impact of the distance travelled is reduced by using less damaging forms of transport (such as rail or water compared to road or air) or by technological improvements in vehicle and fuel technologies to reduce the impact of any given mile (DEFRA Annual Report, 2007). The air-freighted labels, for consumers to identify products having been transported by plane, can be an example of friendlier miles initiatives as its final goal is to promote more sustainable transport modes. Ahold Ahold takes initiatives for fewer food miles. The supermarkets in the Ahold group are encouraged to source in a sustainable way and reduce their environmental footprint by buying local. In the United States, a product is considered local if it is sourced from the state or municipality in which the supermarkets operates. Many of the US stores operate in rich agricultural areas, so they are able to source many products locally. However, there are government regulations that restrict the use of the term local (especially when applied to dairy products), and this varies by state, region or municipality. In the United States, a local product program is executed during the local growing seasons. During 2010, Giant Food Stores and Martins Food Markets encouraged customers to follow the so called Local Route in stores that pointed the way to fresh products grown locally by farmers within their own communities. A second initiative is at Rimi Supermarket in Estonia. This initiative raises cons umer awareness about Estonian products by adding an Estonian flag label to products of Estonian origin. At some stores in Lithuania, local farm shops known as vikis have opened within the stores. Local farm produce in Rimi hypermarkets, where customers can buy high-quality products grown or produced by small- and medium-scale Lithuanian farmers. The shop-within-a-shop concept supports the idea of local sourcing and production, meeting the demands of customers and suppliers (Ahold, Corporate Responsibility Report 2010). Hellmanns Hellmanns has been taking another initiative to support fewer food miles. In 2009, the Unilever mayonnaise brand Hellmanns, campaigned for the consumption of local food in Canada. As part of its Eat real. Eat local campaign it was running a commercials that makes the Canadians wonder how far their food travels to get to their dinner tables. The campaign highlights the increasing tendency of food importation, and how this phenomenon influences the Canadian economy, the environment and communities. Food like cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers, which Canadians can grow in their own backyards, actually travel many miles and are hardly fresh by the time they are eaten. The message is mainly meant for Canadians, but could certainly be applied elsewhere. Although the climate change is mentioned the commercial, the main emphasis is on the threats to the domestic economy and not so much on the environmental consequences of food miles (Unilevers Sustainable Development Overview 2009). Heineken Heineken Netherlands recently took an initiative for friendlier miles. The beer and soda manufacturer, bottles more than 70% of its export beer in the brewery of Zoeterwoude. This means that large volumes of beer have to be transported via the highly populated roads of South Holland. In order to relieve the traffic around the brewery and to reduce the companys carbon footprint, it decided to build the a large container terminal along the channel. Since October 2010, Heineken transports all its export products by boat to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. By this initiative, Heineken transports three-quarters of its the total transport over water instead, which is taken off the road. The initiative is expected to reduce the number of trucks on the road with 100.000 per years, who account for 6 million kilometers. Heineken reduces its emission of carbon dioxide with 35% (Heineken Sustainability Report, 2010). Marks and Spencer To address the problem of climate change caused by air traffic and to meet the customers interest in knowing how food is transported, the UK retailer Marks Spencer, started an initiative under the concept of friendlier food miles. Since 2007, they label the food that has been imported by air. Marks Spencer prints a small airplane symbol and the words air freighted (see Figure 1) on over 150 different food products, including beans and strawberries. Marks and Spencer has created this label for all of their air-freighted food to enable customers to identify products which have been transported by air and to help the company to ensure that this form of transport is used only where local alternatives are not available (Marks and Spencer, How We Do Business Report, 2010). Figure 1. Air freighted label. Strengths and limitations In this section, the main strengths and limitations of the food miles initiatives will be presented. It can be said that one of the main advantages of initiatives promoting local food, is that they can lead to a reduction of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions because food does not travel as far as if imported from other countries. Buying local food also has the advantage of promoting local farming, which, in turn, supports the local economy and the creation of new employment opportunities. It is also believed that local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances. However, it is questionable to what extent food miles really guarantees that a product sourced locally generates lower greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore whether implementing the food miles concept actually results in a lower climate change impact. An important limitation for the food miles concept is that it might is used as a justification for protectionism of the local economy. Therefore, the food miles concept has been criticized (Wilson, 2007). Since the main principle of food miles is to promote fewer miles and the consumption of local products, this might create unofficial import barriers for some countries to export their products because they travel long distances. Another limitation that can be used against the food miles concept is the fact that a single indicator based on the total distance food is transported, cannot be an adequate indicator of sustainability (Smith et al, 2005). A study carried out Smith et al for DEFRA came to the conclusion that a range of factors have an effect on the overall impacts of food transport, not only the miles travelled. The concept of food miles is therefore inadequate, since it excludes the climate impact of other aspects than transportation (DEFRA, 2005). Food transportation represents just one of many components of the total environmental impact of food production and consumption. When assessing the environmental impact of food, it is essential to take into account all those different factors, including how food was produced, packed, stored, as well, how and how far it was transported. As an example, Smith et al. found out that importing tomatoes from Spain during the winter generates less CO2 emissions than growing tomatoes in greenhouses in the UK (Figure 2). Local produced tomatoes in the UK (high emissions, low miles): Imported tomatoes from Spain (lower emissions, more miles): Figure 2. Represenation of CO2 emission, UK vs. Spain (Smith et al, 2005). Another example is from the horticulture industry, which coulis similar to many food products. Williams (2007) carried out a comparative study of the carbon impact of growing 12,000 quality cut stem roses in Kenya and air-freighting them, with growing them in the Netherlands and driving them to the UK. The results of the study are presented in the table below. It shows that the production and following export and delivery of Kenyan roses generates less greenhouse gas than the production and delivery of Dutch roses. This is mainly due to the fact that Kenyan production uses substantially less primary and fossil energy than the Dutch production (Williams, 2007). The results are presented in table 1 below. Kenyan Dutch Climate impact 2400 kgCO2e (without altitude impact) and 6200 kgCO2e (with altitude impact). 37 000 kgCO2e. Most carbon intensive stages Air freight (73-89% of climate impact). Heating and lighting of greenhouses (99% of climate impact). Other key differences Geothermal source for energy use and almost double the yield per unit area. Fossil intensive heating and lighting, and just over half the Kenyan yield rate. Table 1: Comparison of impacts for the production of 12,000 roses from Kenyan and The Netherlands (Williams, 2007) Pirog and Benjamin (2003) also showed that food miles might only represent a small percentage of the total energy inputs in a products life cycle. According to their study, transportation accounts for 11% of the energy use within the total food system, this is considerably less than agricultural production (17.5%) and processing (28.1%) (see Figure 3). To quantify the climate impact of a product, it is essential to consider all greenhouse gas emissions through the whole life cycle of the product and not only the ones related to transportation, or just looking at the distance in miles or kilometers. Figure 3. Energy use in the US food system (Pirog and Benjamin, 2003) Another problem with the food miles concept is that it does not take into account the mode of transport (Saunders et al, 2006). Air freight has by far the highest global warming potential of all transport modes. It is also important to note that there is also a significant difference between road and rail an boat transportation, the latter appears to be more climate-friendly transport modes than road. Transport efficiency also makes a difference. According to Smith et al (2005), there is also a concern that moving to lower food miles (e.g. local sourcing) can have a negative impact on overall transport and energy efficiency. They explain it by the fact that if there is a growth in business for smaller producers and retailers, there could be an increase in energy consumption as smaller vehicles are used and economies of scale in production are lost (Smith et al., 2005). There is also a concern that a reduction of food miles, in particular prohibiting air freighted products, could have an adverse impact on imports from developing countries. This concern is motivated by the fact that farmers in developing country are heavily dependent on exports to developed country markets (Oxfam, 2009). Therefore, restricting air freighted products on a large scale have high impact on farmers of Africa. In this way climate change is going to affect the poor in Africa harder than anyone else, which are the people who have done least to cause the problem. Some business therefore disapprove the use of an airplane symbol such as Marks and Spencers logo. Oxfam for example, supports the initiative for fair miles, one that also takes the fairness of trade with developing countries into consideration. Finally, there is discussion whether policies based on food miles could lead to an increase of food prices. On the one hand, reducing food miles might lead to reduced transportation costs, which, could reduce food prices. On the other hand, locally sourced food can be more expensive than globally sourced food, because economies of scale are lost or due to differences in labor costs (Smith et al, 2005). Conclusion It has been shown that food miles, although initially believed to be a potential good indicator of climate sustainability, has just limited benefits in terms of mitigating climate change. Food transportation represent one of many components of the total environmental impact of food production and consumption. When assessing the environmental impact of food, it is essential to take into account all those different factors, including how food was produced, packed, stored, as well as but not only, how and how far it was transported. The concept can be used for protectionist purposes, but has significant negative side effects. First of all, it is unclear what the impact is for product-related costs and food prices. The implementation of food miles can force companies to put particular attention to the efficiency of the food distribution system beyond their own operations. This leads in particular to a reduction of companies transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. From a cost perspect ive, the implementation of the food miles concept can potentially both reduce and increase companies costs, leading to an increase or decrease of food prices. On the one hand, reducing food miles might lead to reduced transportation costs. On another hand, locally sourced food can be more expensive than globally sourced food, because economies of scale are lost or due to higher labor costs. Secondly, a reduction of food miles, in particular prohibiting air freighted products, could have an adverse impact on imports from developing countries. To conclude, if food producers and retailers want to operate more sustainable ways and mitigate their impact on climate change, they should not only focus on food miles. While increased food transport obviously has an environmental impact, the kilometers that food travels do not per se serve as a valid indicator. The evidence is relatively weak in terms of local sourcing leading to lower impact as a general rule. In addition to environmental considerations, transport has to be seen in a wider context, taking account of the social and economic dimensions of sustainability, both in the EU and globally. Trade and transport is an inherent component of EU policy and it is essential to provide appropriate food supplies throughout the EU market and sufficient consumer choice. Moreover, sourcing products from non-EU countries, in particular developing countries, contributes to the development and wealth of those economies. A transport concept focusing on transport distances alone would there fore seriously undermine a number of key EU policy objectives in terms of social and economic sustainability.

My Philosophy of Education :: Essays Papers

My Philosophy of Education I believe that education should be looked as as a desire to acquire all possible knowledge, not as a requirement or something that can be formally examined by standardized tests. There are numerous ways that children learn and I want to be able to encourage as much learning as possible for each child. I believe that using many methods of instruction is the most effective way of teaching to these various ways of learning. These methods include group work, hands-on activities, buddy work, etc. Assessment of children should follow the same idea. When children get the chance to perform on different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do not wish to rely on tests only to assess the students in my class. Some types of assessment that I think should be inlcuded in a classroom are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I also think that the classroom should be run with the help of the children. By distributing jobs among the childre n and everyone participating in the classroom, the students will form a sense of togetherness. This will eventually create a community within the classroom. I feel that this community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They will feel comfortable in the environment and will not be afraid to take risks or ask questions. The teacher will also be a member of this community and will not be seen as unapproachable or as the only leader. The teacher should also not be seen as the facilitator of all information in the classroom. The students should be looking to other sources for information, including each other, books, and technology. There should be many points of view exemplified in each subject area. The students will be able to state their opinion and also listen to the other students' views. I believe that the curriculum should be flexible. While teaching a certain subject, if the students wish to learn about something else or move into a different idea, I want to be able to do that. I do not want to say that we aren't going to have enough time to cover something.

Old Testament Leadership Essay

Introduction The Holy Scriptures are without question a vault of rich wisdom for a variety of subjects. The subject of leadership is no different; in fact a case can perhaps be made that the Holy Scriptures are word pictures of God’s leadership for humankind. Whether it is read as the divinely, inspired word of God, or as a mere historical account of ancient Israel, or as a book of pure myths, the reader will encounter fascinating people with extraordinary leadership qualities. The following will take a glimpse at Moses; the man whom God chose to be the leader of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, into a land that flowed with milk and honey. The following will be an attempt to document moments of strength, weakness, failure, and victory. This paper will conclude by identifying Moses as a servant leader who, in spite of human failure, ultimately fulfilled the will and purpose of God. Leadership Style The style of leadership that Moses demonstrated was clearly Servant leadership, â€Å"In order to retain the potential in this young man, God led him into the Midian desert to learn a new way of life† (Kuest, 2009). As a shepherd he learned to serve, and became servant to the purpose and will of God. Relationships Moses although he spent much time on Mount Sinai (in relationship with God), he also spent time with his successor Joshua whom he had prepared for Servant Leadership (Num. 11:28). Incarnation Moses was not a detached leader. In fact throughout the wilderness journey, he was among the people. He was an accessible leader. Evidence of this fact is found when there were needs the people went straight to him (Num. 20:1-13). Covenants OLD TESTAMENT LEADERSHIP 3 Moses was perhaps known for many things; in fact it is widely known that Moses is regarded as one of the Jewish people’s greatest prophets/leaders. One specific thing that Moses is known for is the Mosaic Covenant. The bible states â€Å"If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation† (Ex. 19:5-6). Moses In spite of his greatness, Moses was a man with weaknesses. As the time when he was supposed to speak to the rock but instead hit the rock, thus failed to do what he was instructed to do. Moses over saw victories, and uprisings by his own people, however, through it all he was the man whom God had called and he was servant to that calling. Conclusion Perhaps his greatest strength was his relationship with God, the time that he spent in the presence of the Almighty God had to be his constant reminder that what he was doing was greater than himself. Moses’s weakness and failure did not hinder him from desiring to see God’s glory, these experiences on the mountain top made him who he was. OLD TESTAMENT LEADERSHIP 4 References Kuest, R. (2009). Uncommon leadership: Servant Leadership In A Power-Based World. Second Edition. New Missions Systems International. Ft. Myers, Fl. KJV (2013). iPad app.

Enthusiasm and Enthuse

Enthusiasm and Enthuse Enthusiasm and Enthuse Enthusiasm and Enthuse By Maeve Maddox The English word enthusiasm derives from Greek entheos, â€Å"possessed by a god.† A person filled with enthusiasm was filled with a divine frenzy. An early meaning in English was â€Å" poetic or prophetic frenzy.† An â€Å"enthusiastic preacher,† for example, was what a modern speaker might call a â€Å"charismatic speaker.† From describing religious fervor, the use of enthusiasm extended to passionate feelings expressed in other areas, like politics. In the rational 18th century, the word’s religious application acquired the negative connotation of irrational or delusional. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), himself a deeply religious man, was suspicious of people who claimed to be privy to the divine will. In his dictionary, he defined enthusiasm as â€Å"a vain confidence of divine favour or communication.† The meaning he attached to vain was not the one now current; by vain, he meant â€Å"unprofitable, pointless, futile.† In his essay on the poet Abraham Cowley (1616-1667), however, Johnson used the word with the meaning of â€Å"poetic inspiration†: He [Cowley] was the first who imparted to English numbers the enthusiasm of the greater ode, and the gaiety of the less.–Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets. The verb enthuse is documented from 1827. The OED etymological note calls it â€Å"an ignorant back-formation.† Merriam-Webster, as one might expect, is less judgmental: Enthuse is apparently American in origin, although the earliest known example of its use occurs in a letter written in 1827 by a young Scotsman who spent about two years in the Pacific Northwest. It has been disapproved since about 1870. Current evidence shows it to be flourishing nonetheless on both sides of the Atlantic, especially in journalistic prose. As a transitive verb, enthuse is used with the meaning â€Å"to kindle with enthusiasm†: The liveliness of the dance enthused the audience. Used intransitively, enthuse has the meaning â€Å"to grow enthusiastic; to go into ecstasies†: Here I caught up with Parallels chairman David Ciclitura and group managing director Stewart Mison and listened as they enthused about the business potential offered by professional golf tournaments. Flourishing or not, enthuse is a word that continues to raise hackles, so it’s best to avoid its use in a formal context. 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:Homograph Examples80 Idioms with the Word TimeEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

Pepsi Max Essay Example

Pepsi Max Essay Example Pepsi Max Essay Pepsi Max Essay Pepsi Max 1 problem identification: Introducing new low calorie and sugar free soft drink and consumers are unaware of it, but they are aware of Pepsi brand in the market 2 target audience: Geographic: Land: world wide Demographic: Age: 15-35 Gender: males who want to stay healthy Psychographic: Social status: upper / middle / lower SWOT analysis Strength Pepsi has stayed in this market for almost one century. So they are so experienced and stationed in peoples mind deeply. Now no one doesnt know the brand Pepsi-Cola Whenever the name Pepsi is heard, people will conjure up the image of fresh and cool drink. Pepsi-Cola is not only in high quality, cool and fresh but also have a competitive price in Chinese market* Sometimes Pepsi-Cola even has a lower price than Coca-Cola In China Opportunities Pepsi is such an experienced powerful global company, which has a basic of a great fund. So it has the ability to place a Idle sum of money to the promotion. We can see that the advertisement of Pepsi-Cola is so attractive. It also invited the top famous people to advertise for it. The advertisement is so elaborate and attractive so that Pepsi gained the special prize of the advertisement Granny. Pepsi also compares with the competitors and find their disadvantages to update its own quality, flavor and also package promptly in order to satisfy the consumers need. This is the biggest advantage of Pepsi Company. Weakness The design of Pepsi-Colas package is not as attractive as Cocacola. It still needs to be improved. Threats Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola have had the competition for about 80 years. Although Pepsi-Cola have won several times during this competition, the market share of Pepsi-cola is a little bit smaller than Coca-Cola 3 consumer insights: Inspire consumer to be loyal to Pepsi max (Results in customers preferring the brand and buying it over and over) 4 brand: Pepsi max is low-calorie and  sugar-free  cola for men 5 communication objectives: Customers preferring the brand and buying it over and over 6 selling idea: Live life to the Max 7 support: Pepsi max is low-calorie,  sugar-free  cola which help men not to gain weight. 8 creative direction: Pepsi Max. 100% Taste, 0% Sugar Live life to the Max 9 media: TV ads before and after matches, Billboards, Magazines, and Online strategy

Negligence and Duty of Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Negligence and Duty of Care - Essay Example As the discussion stresses over the past decade or so we have seen a significant growth in the number of legal organizations offering to act for clients on a â€Å"no win, no fee† basis. The majority of cases dealt with under these conditions relate to action taken under the tort of negligence. Tony Weir argues that the tort of negligence has almost reached a position where its principle that â€Å"It is actionable unreasonably to cause foreseeable harm to others,† is the standard upon which all torts are judged, thereby eliminating the need for other torts. This is a view supported by others. In her book on the subject, Susan Hodge agrees that, â€Å"in many ways it is the most important tort.† In this paper, the intention is to examine the validity of this argument by examining the duty of care, which forms the basis of this principle. We find that, although in recent years there have been some attempts to curb the expansion; the tort of negligence is dominating tort actions. This paper highlights that although this document concentrates upon the tort of negligence, it is helpful to provide a brief understanding of Tort law in general. Tort law differs significantly from contract law, which is based upon the execution of a previously made undertaking. The key issue in tort is the protection of an individual’s rights and interests. This relates to their physical being; the property they own; their present and future fiscal position and the esteem with which they are held by society in general. The application of the law of torts generally falls within three classes. These are intentional tort, nuisance and negligence. Intentional, as the word suggests relates to a deliberate act of harm against another, for example an assault.  Ã‚   For any plan to succeed there is a need to have adequate financial muscle to power it. The government currently provides some funds used to facilitate the treatment of addicts mostly through its various public program s. Though the programs are still functional, it is necessary to expand them so that they can take in a greater number of patients and provide better treatment methods than those that are currently in use.

Privacy in the 21st century Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Privacy in the 21st century - Research Paper Example Security agencies were allowed to do this not only if the threat was to the United States of America only, but also if requested by another country. The bill was introduced to congress by Senator Ted Kennedy in 1977. According to Liu (2011), on December 2005, during the bush administration, the act gained public awareness after an article â€Å"warrantless wiretapping† that blew the whistle on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic surveillance without proper or any court warrants. According to Levy (2007), there have been various amendments on the Foreign Service Intelligence Act (FISA). One of the significant amendments is the Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2007. This amendment was introduced by senators Olympia Snowe, Linsey Graham, Chuck Hugel and Mike DeWine. According to the act, the President of the United States of America was given limited authority to mandate gathering of intelligence through electronic surveillance of people suspected to be involved in terrorism activities in the United States of America. The act however limited the President authority by establishing a congressional oversight. In the same year senator Arlen Specter together with Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the National Security surveillance bill and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement bill which were later approved and enacted by congress the same year. The act s allowed for warrantless surveillance and appointed FISA as the body to gather foreign i ntelligence. Another important amendment was the 2007 Protect America Act. President Bush persuaded congress to enact a law that would limit restriction of FISA where the subjects under surveillance involve intercontinental communication. The act allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) director with advice from the attorney general to authorize surveillance of people assumed to

The influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and Thesis

The influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and diffusion of the extreme sports - Thesis Example As contemporary society has become preoccupied with safety and certainty, risk has steadily become a sinister phenomenon. Society has become quite obsessed with reducing risk and uncertainty that activities not directly approved by the mainstream society are immediately considered disagreeable. This essay discusses the influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and diffusion in extreme sports. In sport, risk refers to the likelihood of actual, physical danger. In extreme sports like big wave surfing, snowboarding, and base jumping this has been assumed to indicate extremely high levels of risk, an extremely high possibility that something bad will happen, and a significant possibility of death (Kerr, 2005). Hence involvement in extreme sports has been deemed undesirable and deviant. Reasons for engagement in extreme sports are most frequently associated with the idea of ‘adrenaline rush’ or a craving to take socially undesirable and pathological risks (Cecile & Laurendeau, 2010). The hypothesis is that risk functions as a driving force for partakers with little talent but a frantic desire to hook up with the image of prestige related to extreme sports. In a culture where in taking needless risks is generally viewed as wild, irresponsible, ridiculous, and irrational, there appears to be something of a pattern toward the growing recognition of risk and uncertainty in leisure activities. In sport, there is substantial proof that risk taking is integral to numerous sporting activities. The concept of edgework by Lyng (1990) views intentional risk taking as testing the limitations of one’s capacity while sustaining sufficient control to effectively balance the limit between uncertainty and certainty. In the literature on the reason for this edgework tendency, the sensation-seeking attribute, described as the â€Å"seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense experiences† (Cecile & Laurendeau, 2010, p. 129), has been e xtensively studied. Many outdoor activities have been reported to draw people who have high levels of sensation seeking attributes. The tendency to seek excitement, adventure, and arousal may accurately shed light on why individuals with high levels of sensation seeking attributes take part in extreme sports. Risk Attraction and Risk Aversion in Extreme Sports Several theorists argue that risky activities provide an escape from a society that is ever more ‘constricted by comfort’ and risk-averse (Moran, 2004, p. 60). This assumption states that some individuals feel too much pampered by the materialistic conveniences of modern society and thus look for exciting, risky activities in an attempt to break out of too much comfort. As contemporary life â€Å"is now tame and increasingly controlled† (Moran, 2004, p. 60), some individuals seek risk in outdoor activities. Hence, the need to take risks may signify an intentional reaction against the ordinary and risk-avers e daily living. Even though this theory is exploratory, it appears likely that estranged individuals may experience a stronger sense of awareness when they are in the verge of death or serious injury (Pain & Pain, 2005). In fact, Schrader and Wann (1999 as cited in Moran, 2004, p. 62) claimed that one way of attaining a semblance of power over one’s life is by facing death through participation in risky activities. Another