Real Estate Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Real Estate Computing - Essay Example Because real estate is so competitive, not having a solid plan in place to accomplish these things will set your business up for failure. There are many aspects involved with closing real estate transactions and a realtor must be able to rely on other professionals to work with them to accomplish their objective - which is to have smooth, successful closing. These professionals must know what they are doing, must be reliable as well as utilize ethical business practices. Working with the right professionals will help to ensure that your agency upholds a good reputation so that clients as well as other real estate professionals will want to do business with you. There are several methods that can be utilized to build your network of professionals and it will be advantageous for you to consider using a combination of the following examples: Your local board of realtors, the National Association of Realtors, your local chamber of commerce, online real estate forums such as ActiveRain.com, and networking organizations such as BNI or Leaders Business Network. These organizations will help you to identify the professionals that you are in search of and gain an assessment of their past performance which will allow you to seek out those with solid reputations. Establishing a loyal client base is the best way to ensure future business and "long term success". Really, it is the best way to avoid the ups and downs and the unpredictable nature of the Real Estate Industry (Stan, 2004). A detailed marketing campaign should be formulated, followed, and evaluated in order to accomplish this. This plan should include a variety of different methods that fit into your budget. Remember that real estate is a very competitive market, so your marketing efforts should be consistent and you should find a way that your agency can stand out in the crowd. This can be done by coming up with a catchy slogan or branding techniques. You really want people to know that you are sincere and that you care about their needs, in other words you are not just in this for the money. You will want to utilize a client data base program such as Outlook or Act and ensure that your data base is kept current and accurate. Your data base will be the lifeline of your business so you definitely want to make sure you back it up! The top methods for building your client base are: letting family and friends know what you are doing, target mailings to areas you may want to service, web sites, targeted Internet advertising, article marketing, opt-in email lists, print advertising and attend networking meetings. Building a solid client base takes time and you should not expect it to happen overnight. For example, you may need to do a mailing to a specific area for six months or more before you get any response. Networking is about building relationships, so don't expect to go to one networking or leads group meeting and walk out of there with a client - you need to show consistency and commitment. Remember, when you are developing your marketing plan you need to identify a way that you can stand out, be consistent,

Who Is Alan Turing Essay Example for Free

Who Is Alan Turing Essay Alan Turing (1912 1954) was a British mathematician, logician, and cryptographer considered by many to be the father of computer science. His contributions to breaking the German Nazi Enigma code during WWII were considered pivotal to the Allied war effort. Alan Turing formulated multiple ideas that now lie at the foundations of computer science and computability theory, such as the idea of a Turing machine or the Church-Turing thesis. Contributions  Computer designer In 1945, Turing was recruited to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London to design and develop an electronic computer. His design for the Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) was the first relatively complete specification of an electronic stored-program general-purpose digital computer. Had Turing’s ACE been built as planned, it would have had considerably more memory than any of the other early computers, as well as being faster. However, his colleagues at NPL thought the engineering too difficult to attempt, and a much simpler machine was built, the Pilot Model ACE. In the end, NPL lost the race to build the world’s first working electronic stored-program digital computer—an honour that went to the Royal Society Computing Machine Laboratory at the University of Manchester in June 1948. Discouraged by the delays at NPL, Turing took up the deputy directorship of the Computing Machine Laboratory in that year (there was no director). His earlier theoretical concept of a universal Turing machine had been a fundamental influence on the Manchester computer project from its inception. Turing’s principal practical contribution after his arrival at Manchester was to design the programming system of the Ferranti Mark I, the world’s first commercially available electronic digital computer. Artificial intelligence pioneer Turing was a founding father of modern cognitive science and a leading early exponent of the hypothesis that the human brain is in large part a digital computing machine. He theorized that the cortex at birth is an â€Å"unorganised machine† that through â€Å"training† becomes organized â€Å"into a universal machine or something like it. † A pioneer of artificial intelligence, Turing proposed (1950) what subsequently became known as the Turing test as a criterion for whether a machine thinks.

Charles Darwin Essay -- Biography Biographies

Charles Darwin was a man who shaped the way in which we think about evolution in modern times. He brought forth and described the theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest. To fully understand modern evolutionary thoughts it is necessary for one to completely understand the early theories of Charles Darwin. In this paper I will provide the reader with a complete background on Charles Darwin, describe his voyage on the HMS Beagle, and discuss his theory of natural selection. Charles Robert Darwin, the founder of evolution, was born on February 12, 1809 in rural England. Charles was the son of Robert Darwin and Susannah Wedgewood. His mother died when he was seven and his father died when Charles was thirty-nine. Until the age of eight, Charles was educated at home by his sister Caroline. Charles soon thereafter developed a fascination for biology and natural history. The young student began to hoard, collecting anything that captured his interest, from shells and rocks, to insects and birds. Darwin’s beetle collecting while at Cambridge seems to have been a little more than collecting. His collecting began to control all of his time, and eventually his thoughts. But they proved very useful once on board the Beagle. (Freeman 91) His hobbies laid the framework for a wonderful life of discovery. In 1825, Robert sent Charles to Edinburgh Medical School to follow in the footsteps of Eras (Charles’ brother) and himself. It was at Edinburgh that Charles discovered that medicine was not in his future. Charles was extremely squeamish and hated working on cadavers. This sent Charles back to his old ways of collecting and dissecting animals and bugs. Meanwhile, while attending Edinburgh, Darwin was also receiving instruction on taxidermy. This also proved useful on board the Beagle. Also, while attending Edinburgh Darwin became familiar with the evolutionary theories of Lamarck. Darwin gave up his education at Edinburgh after his second year studying medicine, without a degree. Next, Dr. Darwin sent his son to the University of Cambridge to study religion. It was at Cambridge that Darwin developed his new obsessive fascination, entomology (especially with beetles). He struggled through his first three years, but in his fourth he pulled himself together. Charles gra duated in 1831 from Cambridge and began to look for a job with... ...n a subject which the public had relatively no knowledge of. He described the way in which an individual of a species reproduced and genetically passed on variations. The species that adapted through variation was the one who survived. This is where the phrase â€Å"survival of the fittest† came from. As pointed out, Charles Darwin was a man ahead of his time, and his work laid the structural basis for how we now look at evolution. On the last page of Origin of the Species, Darwin summarizes his findings, â€Å"as Natural Selection works solely by and for the good of each being, all corporeal and mental endowments will tend to progress towards perfection†. Works Cited: Barnett, Samuel A. A Century of Darwin. New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1969. Campbell, Bernard. Human Evolution. Chicago/New York: Aldine and Atherton, 1970. Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of the Species by Natural Selection. 1859. Gribben, John and Michael White. Darwin: A Life in Science. New York: Dutton, 1995. Jurmain, Robert; et al. Essentials of Physical Anthropology. International: West/Wadsworth, 1997. Sears, Paul B. Charles Darwin. New York: Scribner’s Sons LTD, 1950.

To Hell With Dying as an Autobiography Essays -- Hell With Dying Essay

To Hell With Dying as an Autobiography  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   When reading fiction, one can begin to wonder how much of a gap there is between the story the narrator is telling and the actual events that occurred to make the author decide to write the story. In Alice Walker’s "To Hell With Dying," one could say that this story is basically auto- biographical. Although some people may have thought that "To Hell With Dying" was completely fiction, evidence from the story and other sources suggest otherwise. The love the narrator feels towards Mr. Sweet parallels with actual events that took place in Alice Walker’s life. In the preface of Donna Haisty Winchell’s book Alice Walker, it is revealed that Alice Walker was "blinded in one eye at age eight by a careless shot from a brother’s BB gun" (ix). The shot left a scar that bothered Walker immensely. Winchell also writes that because of the BB shot wound Walker was "feeling ugly and outcast" (ix). This description of Walker’s accident creates the image of a young girl who has no feeling of self worth. In the story, however, Mr. Sweet is very fond of the narrator. He used to call her "his princess," and "he made [her feel] simply outrageously devastating at the blazing age of eight and a half" (1144). Perhaps this description of how Mr. Sweet makes the narrator feel pretty symbolizes the way Alice Walker felt about Mr. Sweet in real life. Alice Walker was eight when she got shot with the BB gun, and the narrator is eight and a half when Mr. Sweet is telling her how pretty she is. Although Alice Walker only has vague memories of th e real Mr. Sweet, she does remember that he never stopped talking about the things that upset him. Mr. Sweet’s talking and singing made Walker feel good. In Walker... ...e an artist as well. Walker explains in Alice Walker. "The love happened, and that is the essence of the story" (qtd. in Winchell, 12). Walker wrote "To Hell With Dying" in order to thank Mr. Sweet for what he contributed to her life. Winchell acknowledges that "the story is her [Walker’s] wish that she could have returned the favor" (13). Works Cited Walker, Alice. "Remembering Mr. Sweet." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. Walker, Alice. "To Hell With Dying." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. Winchell, Donna Haisty. Alice Walker. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. Works Consulted Short Story Criticisms. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale Publishers, 1990. Contemporary Literary Criticisms. Vols. 46, 58. Detroit: Gale Publishers, 1990.      

Overview Of Information Systems Essay

Information Systems Types Description / Benefits Example of Each (Including Vendor Name / Vendor Website) How have you seen them used in your organization or an organization that you are familiar with? 1. Databases A database is a computer mechanism for storing and retrieving data. It gives one true command of their data, enabling one to retrieve it, sort it, analyze it, summarize it, and report results in changes. Example: Google Cloud Website: cloud.google.com/ I have seen them used by businesses, and individual users who want to utilize their data across different IT systems. 2. Networks A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together. The benefits of networking include more convenient file sharing and Internet connection sharing. Example: Examples include local-area networks (LANs) and wide-area networks (WANs). University of Phoenix www.phoenix.edu/ I am currently using a wide area network to download and post my assignments to the university of phoenix website. 3. eBusiness Electronic Business, is the administration of conducting business via the Internet. This would include the buying and selling of goods and services, along with providing technical or customer support through the Internet. The benefit is ebusiness allows people to carry out businesses without the barriers of time or distance. Example: Amazon www.amazon.com I have owned my own business and ecommerce was a great way to provide  services without actually physically being there. 4. Wireless Wireless is communications sent without wires or cables. the benefits to wireless are productivity, convenience, and cost advantages over wired networks. Example: wireless phones www.att.com The use of wireless technology in business and everday life is prevelant in today’s society as a whole. I have a wireless phone use, use Bluetooth and wireless internet on my laptop, as well as being able to transmit ans share internet, in my home and business. 5. Social Media Social Media is the websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. One main benefit is the ability to seek out potential clients and networking opportunities. Example: LinkedIn www.linkedin.com I am am member of the site and it is a great tool in networking and finding clients and potential employees. 6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Customer relationship management is the strategy that a company uses to handle customer interactions. It is beneficial by creating various platforms to meet customers needs and receive feedback. Example: rewards card program Best Buy www.bestbuy.com/site/†¦rewards/pcmcat102500050032.c?id Best Buy uses their rewards cards to track purchases ans other consumer information that helps in the promotion of certain products and services that they offer. 7. Supply Chain Management (SCM) Supply chain management is the the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from start to finish. This is very beneficial as it shows a log off all happenings with a specific good or service. Example: The U.S. Department of Agriculture www.usda.gov/ The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a Web-based solution for farmers and ranchers seeking to communicate with distributors and wholesalers. 8. Business Intelligence Business intelligence is a term that refers to a variety of software applications used to analyze an organization’s raw data. It is beneficial by helping companies be more efficient, spot areas for cost savings and identify new business opportunities. Example: the board is an all encompassing BI tool that has helped many companies. http://www.board.com/us/ I have seen a list of and have gotten goods and services from some of the companies that have employed the board’s BI tools.

Men in Dance essays

Men in Dance essays Men have played and continue to play a huge role in the development, history, and style of dance performance. Researching George Balanchine, Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse, and Savion Glover, I found that each of them contributed to the dance world in different ways. George Balanchine, a Russian-born American choreographer, was one of the foremost choreographers in the history of ballet, particularly in the neoclassical style. He was trained at the Imperial Ballet Academy and studied composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. In 1933 he moved to Paris and organized his own group, Les Ballets. At the invitation of American ballet patron Lincoln Kirstein, Balanchine then moved to from Paris to New York City and together they founded the School of American Ballet in 1934 and the American Ballet Company in 1935. While with that company, Balanchine created works for various opera and ballet companies and for musical comedies. After the American Ballet Company dissolved in 1938, Balanchine's work for The Boys from Syracuse (1938) and the famous ballet sequence Slaughter on Tenth Avenue in On Your Toes (1936) established ballet as a permanent element of the musical. With Kirstein he co founded Ballet Society in 1946, which in 1948 beca me the New York City Ballet. Under Balanchine's direction, the company became one of the world's great performing groups, with a repertory consisting largely of his ballets. Balanchine is considered the foremost representative of neoclassicism in ballet. Through him, ballet in the United States has a direct connection with the Russian classical ballet tradition of celebrated 19th-century choreographer Marius Petipa. Although some of his ballets, such as The Nutcracker (1954; revised 1964) and the powerful Don Quixote (1965), have a story line, Balanchine is best known for his plotless ballets, such as The Four Temperaments (1946) and Jewels (1967), which explore ...

Ch. 23 The Great Depression Essays

Ch. 23 The Great Depression Essays Ch. 23 The Great Depression Paper Ch. 23 The Great Depression Paper General MacArthur exceeding his orders to remove the veterans, the injuring of 100 marchers) Prior to 1932, Franklin Roosevelt had been all of the following except vice president of the US In 1932, Franklin Roosevelts promise of a new deal for America included a commitment to none of these is correct (spend billions of dollars to assist in the economic recovery, provide relief jobs to millions of unemployed Americans, pass legislation establishing a nationwide program of social security) Franklin Roosevelts victory over Herbert Hoover in 1932 was a convincing mandate Between his election in 1932 and the inauguration of 1933, Franklin Roosevelt refused to make any deals with the outgoing president, Herbert Hoover

assess the arguements for and essays

assess the arguements for and essays Assess the arguments for and against a single European currency Britain has always been the troublesome partner in the relation with the rest of Europe, whether it is because of the indecisiveness shown in the leaders involved with the Union such as the refusal to enter in the initial stages or because of Margaret Thatchers reluctance to co-operate if decisions were not in Britains best interest. In 1969 Britain finally became a member of the European Economic Community after being vetoed twice by the French leader De Gaulle, as he was unsure of Britains commitment to the Union. This and the difficulties caused by leaders such as Margaret Thatcher for the rest of the E.E.C. suggests that there may be still some animosity between the leadership especially if Britain keeps on postponing any decisions about the Euro. Traditionally a nation of Euro sceptics, much of Britain is opposed to joining the single currency and is backed by a reactive Conservative leader and some sections of the party. The recent European election showed clearly the Conservative Partys opposition to Britain becoming too involved with Europe. The hype that the Conservative Leader has set around his campaign in these elections would have stirred public opinion against the Euro, as he continually argued about the loss of national identity. If Tony Blair continues with integrating Britain into the single currency against the majority of the publics wishes, it may be likely that he will lose the next election if the nation continues to be plagued with damning reports about the effects of the Euro. One of the main problems the Government will have to deal with is to convince the general public of the benefits of the Euro. As we this country seems to have a general sense of Britishness rather than Europeanism it may be difficult to convince them that being European is the way forward. Few people know of the overall benef...

Premium-price Milk in the Company Coca-Cola Essay - 5

Premium-price Milk in the Company Coca-Cola - Essay Example In the dairy case, the milk is also free of lactose, and it will be sold while cold. The production line aims at offering the milk in various versions such as whole milk, fat-free, chocolate, and reduced fat versions. The decision of producing this product came up when the Coca-Cola Company realized that the sales of carbonated drinks continued to decline in the United States. The first issue it aimed to address is the decline in sales of its original product. Another issue is aimed at addressing is the fact that it is produced at a time when most of the consumers are obsessed with all products protein. According to research by NPD Group research firm, approximately 71% of the consumers say that they want more of the proteins in their diet. 3) Analyze some of the key (macro and/or micro) ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS that resulted in Coca-Cola launching this new product. Note: for this, you will need to read the chapter that deals with the marketing environment. Steve Jones, who is the CEO of Fairlife, made a strong argument when he insisted that though Coca-Cola plays the part of distributing the milk, it does not take any role in the actual production of the milk and that it has nothing to be involved with what occurs on the dairy farms. He adds that people who have been referring to it as Coke Milk should not since it is actually not. The sole job of Coke, according to him, is the distribution of the milk and making sure that the milk is on the shelf. The market analysis and condition for the Coca-Cola’s Fairlife product seem to be somehow favoring while to some extent it is not so much on their side. The opportunity for the company after coming up with this product is that they have very limited competition since this is an uncharted sector. Again, having a good brand name globally, Coke expects to sell its milk product all over the world that  will, in turn, favor the growth.

Digital Revolution in Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Digital Revolution in Marketing - Essay Example Digital marketing uses applications like e-mail, websites, and social networking media to engage with existing and potential customers. In last five years, the emergence of social media marketing as a robust form of digital marketing has fuelled the acceptance of digital marketing among small and large organizations across the globe. This has also helped organizations to enhance their business reach and acceptance in diversified geographical regions. Carter, et al (2007) stated that the concept of digital marketing was first coined in the early 90s that later gained attention and significance in late 2000s. With a number of using digital marketing as a mode of enhancing and strengthening their relationship with customers; digital marketing evolved as a communicative tool. Though, digital marketing does not promise success and acceptance for all organizations as its utility and benefits are solely dependent on the right use and execution. A number of small and large organizations have been using digital marketing for their value-enhancing process. Thus, the major purpose of this discussion is to present a critical analysis and discussion of digital marketing. Along with this, the paper also conducts a digital audit on Skyscanner that is a UK based search engine website used for hiring car, booking hotels, and flights. The company has been using the digital marketing and the discussion will deal with its digital marketing practices . Skyscanner is considered as a leading and preferred travel search site offering comparative solutions for booking flights, hotels, and cars. The website also offers services pertaining to the online comparison of hundreds of flights along with offering the best solution in a quick manner. The company has a global office in the UK and has the presence in many countries. Furthermore, it offers best deals to people of different nationalities.  

Article review on a Revised British COnstitution Essay

Article review on a Revised British COnstitution - Essay Example cular importance because Blair’s proposal were seen as highly significant as the Britain is a unitary state with all centralized power vested on the central government not having much transparency in its working processes. The article primarily discusses seven major constitutional proposals of the Blair government which it intended to reform and implement. They are devolution of Scotland and Wales; election of Mayor of London and major urban areas; removal of voting rights of hereditary peers in the House of Lords; incorporation of European human rights into British laws; freedom of information acts; electoral reforms at various level of government and referendum on changing the electoral system for member of parliament; and legislation for separate Supreme Court as independent judicial authority and stable government in northern Ireland. The Blair government was able to make significant inroad into the major constitutional reform proposals and help form stable governments in Scotland and wale after devolution. Even the problem of Northern Ireland, beset with internal violence, was relatively sorted out. Decentralization of power to local councils and mayors and right to information went a long way in creating transparency in government work. Referendums were held to encourage and promote public participation in government decision making were hailed as highly popular mechanism. The one area that became controversial was the reforms in the electoral system whereby though ‘single member district system would be retained but instead of casting a vote for one person only, electorate would rank candidates in order of preference, thus assuring majority rather than a plurality of vote for the winner’. The reform came under a lot of flak from major political parties because the constitutional reform had undermined their political supremacy over the smaller political parties with regional interests. Even the labor party members had shown their resentment against

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory - Essay Example Furthermore, it is evident that the US, possesses negative relation with certain countries that has led towards ineffective foreign policy and decision-making. On the other hand, there are also many nations having positive relation with the US and hence, lead to effective development of foreign policies and decision making regarding the elimination of terrorism from the world. Thus, from the evidences and the arguments of the research, it is asserted that the states’ identity in foreign policy and decision-making has led to limited efficiency in demolishing terrorism from the world. The objective of the research emphasizes identifying the identity of the US with regard to its active participation in the fight against terrorism. More elaborately, it intends to discover the role of the US in combating terrorism. The report also focuses on discovering the importance of foreign policies and decision making along with the international relationship in soliciting global power for combating terrorism. It is expected that by accomplishing these objectives, the report would lead to the development of a comprehensive understanding regarding the role of the US and correspondingly, its identity in designing foreign policies and decision-making. Hence, the discussion would lead towards soliciting global support, which would be further effective in combating terrorism. Several studies have been conducted with regard to the research topic, as elaborated in the following sections of the paper. These studies were highly successful with regard to the identification of state identity in fighting against terror groups. Research studies have also been concentrated on extensively considering the foreign policies and decision-making in soliciting global support to combat terrorism from the world. However, there are very little evidences of research studies that consider both these aspects. Therefore, the rationale behind the study is to grasp the opportunity of

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States Essay

Marijuana should be forbidden in the United States - Essay Example alcohol or tobacco, its legalization would only result in an increase in its usage which could result in long-term addiction problems (DuPont, 2012). A study carried out in 2006 has found that marijuana is the most widely grown cash crop in the country with values exceeding that of corn and wheat combined (Marijuana Prohibition, 2008). While the plant was widely grown in the US, a federal law of Controlled Substance Act that was passed in the year 1970 prohibited the cultivation, use and trading of the drug within the country. The Act further classified the drug as a Schedule 1 drug by which the drug has more potential for abuse. However, in the following years certain states decriminalized the use of the drug and allowed medical use of marijuana as its use was found to be effective in the treatment of nausea, rheumatism and labor pains (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012). Though the drug continues to be a controlled substance and users are subject to federal prosecution, research studies have shown that even teenagers have easy access to the drug with a particular study showing that popularity of the use of marijuana overtook that of cigarette tobacco over the past year (Marijuana Facts and Statistics, 2012; Marijuana Prohibition, 2008; Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012). An anti-legalization group has argued that marijuana use poses a great risk for the physical and mental development of young children (Coffman &Dobuzinskis, 2012; DuPont, 2012). A recent study showed a decline in the IQ levels among teenagers who used the drug regularly. The study further noted the harmful effects that the drug would have on the brain development in these teenagers. Thus the group is campaigning against legalization of the drug citing the negative effects it has on teenagers which would in turn affect their education and career later in life. There is also less awareness about the exact effects of the drug that has hindered efforts to prevent the use of the drug (Coffman

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Ancient and MEdieval Political Theory - Essay Example Furthermore, it is evident that the US, possesses negative relation with certain countries that has led towards ineffective foreign policy and decision-making. On the other hand, there are also many nations having positive relation with the US and hence, lead to effective development of foreign policies and decision making regarding the elimination of terrorism from the world. Thus, from the evidences and the arguments of the research, it is asserted that the states’ identity in foreign policy and decision-making has led to limited efficiency in demolishing terrorism from the world. The objective of the research emphasizes identifying the identity of the US with regard to its active participation in the fight against terrorism. More elaborately, it intends to discover the role of the US in combating terrorism. The report also focuses on discovering the importance of foreign policies and decision making along with the international relationship in soliciting global power for combating terrorism. It is expected that by accomplishing these objectives, the report would lead to the development of a comprehensive understanding regarding the role of the US and correspondingly, its identity in designing foreign policies and decision-making. Hence, the discussion would lead towards soliciting global support, which would be further effective in combating terrorism. Several studies have been conducted with regard to the research topic, as elaborated in the following sections of the paper. These studies were highly successful with regard to the identification of state identity in fighting against terror groups. Research studies have also been concentrated on extensively considering the foreign policies and decision-making in soliciting global support to combat terrorism from the world. However, there are very little evidences of research studies that consider both these aspects. Therefore, the rationale behind the study is to grasp the opportunity of

Site Field Visit and Essay Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Site Field Visit and Essay - Research Paper Example I had already witnessed the rituals of some other religions, and I was sure that experience inside the church would be much different from other worship places. I collected some preliminary knowledge about church and Christianity from my Christian friends. I also made a bit of internet research on the religion and the common rules to follow while visiting a church. From what Slick Matt describes in Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website, Christianity is a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to Christianity, God is ‘Trinity’ which includes Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, the Son is the second person in trinity. Christianity believes that one can attain salvation and save oneself from righteous judgment of God only through the faith in Jesus. According to the Orthodox point of view, as described in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America website by Conciliar Press, an orthodox church is the church founded by Jesus, and it is described in the New Testament. It is the church which could be traced back historically by all other Christian sections and churches. When visiting an orthodox church which is considered as the God’s house one should cross oneself and prepare for prayer. Everyone is supposed to be reserved and modest within the church, and must wear proper attires that suits God’s house. Women usually cover their heads and men do not wear any caps. Everyone stands in an orthodox church and there are separate sections for both men and women. But weak or old age people can make use of seats if they need. I visited the church on a Sunday morning with two of my orthodox Christian friends. As I reached the place, I saw the beautiful huge white church building with a golden dome on the top. Since it was a Sunday, there were several men and women who came for the Sunday observance. Church building is oriented west to east with the

Benziger Family Winery Essay Example for Free

Benziger Family Winery Essay In the case of the Benziger Family Winery, is being faced with the decision of whether or not Chris Benziger should invest in an ISO 14000 certification. The answer is yes, he should pursue the certification in an attempt to strengthen his knowledge that his company already has about being environmentally friendly. This will strengthen his position on the market as a leader in wine industry. In pursuing the certification, he will also educate other growers on the importance of a strong environmental management system. This will make them want to take those same steps to help promote their business to be more like him. By getting the ISO this will further support his environmental policy that he strongly applies to the daily routines for helping the company conserve resources and prevent pollution. He is already certified by the Sonoma County Green Business Program (SCGBP) and is in full environmental compliance. As part of this compliance, the winery has saved over 2 million gallons of water per year through recycling all wastewater. They reduced solid wastes as well as energy cost due to the construction of a wine cave built in the hillside which maintained temperature cool enough to prevent them from using electricity to cool. The Gap Analysis is the formal study behind what the business is currently doing and where they want to be in the future. This means the need for continuous improvement is necessary in promoting the best possible outcomes for the company goals. The gap analysis identifies the gaps from what the company is doing now to what they would be doing should they utilize additional resources to help improve the company’s outputs. By documenting what they have done in the past, this will show what other requirements are necessary to be put in place in an attempt to maximize the company’s capabilities. This may involve benchmarking as well. In this case the winery currently has annual revenues of about 15 million. They are striving to launch a new brand, Tribute that would be selling in the $50-$60 range at about 4000 cases per year. They would also like their exports to increase from about 10% of sales to 20%. For Benziger, this analysis can be done at an operational level since all of his employees are well-trained on the company’s environmentally friendly efforts and are shared with guests of the winery to promote the business. This is an opportunity for Benziger to bring his reputation to a high point and work towards his goal for being a world-class leader in the wine industry. Since the U.S. market is very competitive this would make him stand out since very few U.S. wineries have their ISO 14000 certification. He could enter more markets that its consumers are sensitive to environmental products and continue expanding his business to other countries. It is stated that becoming certified with the ISO 14000 is expensive. This is an investment that will pay for itself in the future. There will be revenue increases by becoming more attractive to consumers who support the environmentally safe production process. The ISO 14000 is an attempt to develop a widely accepted, uniform approach to certify that Benziger’s EMS is the best way to run a business for long term savings and making a positive contribution to the environment. In exhibit 40.4 it shows the EMS Gap Analysis and explains what policies and procedures the Benziger may or may not have in place. It explains that he does have an environmental policy in place and that he has conducted an analysis of the impact that it has on the environment. When it comes to legal requirements, they do not have a procedure in place. This is the responsibility of the Ranch manager and it has not been done yet. He has covered all of his objectives and has established a well-written program to achieve those objectives. He has very good structured within the winery and has delegated responsibilities to each of the family members as well as their other employees. However no roles have been defined and documented yet. It is also noted that there is need for additional training on EMS aspects. The Ranch manager seems to need assistance with organization of training and documentation as well. Although they are on the right track he needs to ensure that they are taking all the necessary steps to continue the company professionally and in an organized fashion. Once the ranch manager has assigned specific roles and tasks to certain team members it will not be all on him to keep the EMS running properly it will become a part of the way they do business. The last part of the Exhibit 40.4 shows some things that they need to improve on. There is no documentation for anything the company does. He needs to be able to show records of his work to be environmentally sensitive. Several of the drafts have been started but none have been completed. It also states that there needs to be a regular review ensuring that the EMS is suitable and effective. Exhibit 40.5 is the Benziger Family Winery Environmental Policy. In comparison to Exhibit 40.4, the policy states the steps they are willing to take to make sure the winery is an environmentally safe and sustainable business. However, when each of the bullets are broken down into a series of questions as they are in Exhibit 40.4, they are not satisfying all of their own expectations. It seems as though they have a few small improvements to make that seem as though are they are not too time consuming. Once each of these steps has been achieved, they are well on their way to being more successful and more organized. If the proper steps are taken to correct the small issues on-hand, the next step for the Benziger Winery is to pursue the ISO 14000 certification. This will set the bar for how other wineries should be run and help the company become one of the top U.S. wine distributors.

Discussing The American Ideals In The Post War Period English Literature Essay

Discussing The American Ideals In The Post War Period English Literature Essay Throughout this essay I shall be discussing the American ideals in the post-war period. I will question whether American Culture is all about conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal. Therefore, I will be concentrating on Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman (1949) and David Mamets Glengarry Glen Ross (1982). These texts are of particular interest from a theoretical point of view because the time of their writing spans a period from the end of modernism through to post-modernism. As such they offer a valuable opportunity to examine the American dream. All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Jefferson, 2004, p48) This pursuit of happiness is now what is seen as the American dream. A result within the evolution of economical trade, the uppermost definition of Americas pursuit of happiness is success, often rejecting the original values within the declaration, all men maybe created equal but the pursuit of happiness soon denies equality. Miller and Mamet, present plays where equality has been denied making way for the competitive world that is conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal(Clark). It was Calvin Coolidge  who said, The Business of America is Business(Coolidge, 1968, p3) highlighting America not as a land of opportunity but a land of capitalism. Coolidge goes on Of course the accumulation of wealth cannot be justified as the chief end of existence (Coolidge, 2007, p358). When looking at the two plays, it is easy to see how Coolidge came to this decision. An immediate evolution can be seen even within the titles. Millers play Death of a Salesman (1940s) shows that the play is clearly about the death of a man who was a salesman. Whereas, Mamets play Glengarry Glen Ross (1980s) is named after a plot of land, a product that is being sold. The man no longer exists but has been consumed by a world where selling is life. By using this as a starting point, it is easy to see how both Miller and Mamet create worlds were men are struggling to keep an existence as a result of the American culture. As a Master craftsman (Richards, 1976, p4) Miller uses incredible detail in his stage directions, by using an exploded set Miller was able to create dramatic effect. This setting can be seen as the destruction taken place in Willys mind. This set could also be used as a theatrical tool to represent the destruction of any male mind, forced upon by the world in which it is set. Furthermore, this setting also manages to retain the Aristotelian unity of time and place throughout the play, showing Loman not only as the typical 1940s family man, but also as a typical product of American culture. The majority of the action takes in Willys family home. The Brooklyn neighbourhood, a fashionable place to be well liked(Miller, 1949, p2329). The first of the set of stage directions say the house is in fact a dream rising out of reality(p2327) reflecting the need to accomplish ones self in a world where money is the only acceptable goal, all of Willys achievements can be see within the house. Wha t is more, this unity of time and place is also a tool that can be carried along the years to Glengarry with one difference, the family home has disappeared, the need to accomplish success is no longer to be well liked(2329), money is no longer an acceptable goal, but the only goal, this is the point where America is business. Benedict Nightingale described the Mamets characters within Glengarry as Willy Loman at work in the 1980s just as vulnerable but even more driven, even more compromised and distorted by the pressures of commerce and the harshness of society (Nightingale, p89) The willy loman at work in the 80s could also represent the exploded mind of Willy existence; an un-natural existence where everything Willy once knew has now changed, the world that was changing is now reality in Glengarry Glen Ross. Mamet disregards everything that was once natural the garden, the family, the neighbours. Instead the new nature is that of human nature that has been developed to close and always be closing(Mamet, 1982). The men are only in two places, either the office or the restaurant by taking away the family scenes. Mamet has created a play beyond Loman, an existence where there isnt a real life or a proper existence, but an exploded mind, a mind full of expletives words, empty words that dont quite connect. This disintegration of language from the 1940s Death of a Salesman to the 1980s Glengarry Glen Ross is so well presented that it was referred to by the actors of the 1992 film adaptation as Death of a Fuckin Salesman(Harris, 2008), not even the language has been completed, it has only deteriorated to the point that the Salesman has to highlight his power by being that Fuckin Salesman. The characters themselves rarely complete a sentence, never mind completing it without profanity. They never complete a deal and the play does not complete itself. Figure one (to the left), shows a poster for a Death of Salesman; it can be assumed that the image is Willy. The image could connote the idea that Willy is no longer in the spot light; he is not the successful salesman. The character has his back turned, and is a shadow of a man. Willy is a man standing still in the shadows of a world constantly moving and so he continues using his own method, powers of persuasion, talk. Willys personal representations of the American Dream are his brother Ben and the salesman Dave Singleman, and he views the success of these two men as something to aim for, he does not accept that these symbols of success are also past. As Willy looks to Dave Singleman for success, what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four . . . and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people?(Miller, 1949, p2361) His admiration of Singlemans prolonged success illustrates his obsession with being well liked. He fathoms having people remember and love him as the ultimate satisfaction, because such warmth from business contacts would validate him in a way that his familys love does not. However, Willy Ignores, the fact that he was a single man still working at age eighty-four. Levene looks to Willy Loman as a Single-man figure, using similar tactics. Levene uses invention and improvise, he is the performative salesman, and like Willy he believes he can be successful in the future because he was successful in the past. When he performs the story of his successful sale with the Nyborgs, we actually hear Levine being referred to, as the Machine (Mamet, 1982) up to now he has been a failure; Levine believes he can sell like he could when he was still hot.(Mamet,1982) This is Levene fatal flaw, just like Willy, he has a tendency to believe what he wants to believe. There is no growth or resolution by any of the characters. Its contacts Charley, I got important contacts!(Miller, 1949, p2344) says Willy. Give me the leads!(Mamet, 1982) Says Levene. Willy dies the death of a salesman; Shelly says, I was born for a salesman Mamet, 1982, yet suffers the same fate as Willy. Levene is no longer conforming to the incontrovertible ideal but being murdered by it, the symbolic death of Levine the machine forces him to look back into the past like Loman, he depends of the glory of the past, but in this fast moving world the past doesnt exist. Levine has to try to cling on to identity talks to the end like Loman I I à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Mamet, 1982). The only resolution that appears is death, in Death of a Salesman it is the physical death of Willy, and in Glengarry, it is the ending of words, the ending of selling. Due to constant striving towards the American dream everyone seems unhappy in someway, they have not reached the incontrovertible ideal that acts a s some sort of substantial completion. As well as the American Dream, both the plays show the characters performing to another incontrovertible ideal, and that is masculinity. A man  IS  his job  and you are  fucked at yours (Mamet, 1982) Willy was his job, when his job was taken away from him, he ceased to exist. In Millers essay Tragedy of the Common Man, Miller identifies the tragic flaw of all common men as inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status.(Miller, 1949, p1) Willy defines himself as a salesman, and feels that he must succeed in the business world to define himself as an accomplished man. Mamet believes that the idea that Willy perceives as being successful is the ideal that makes up the masculine identity. Mamet describes Glengarry as a gang comedy about men, work, and unbridled competition (Kane, 1992, p. 256) merging the idea that masculinity is capitalism, work is money, money is success, success is m asculine. Mamets view shows a primitive connection to masculinity, it is a gang of unbridled competition a pack like resemblance and Willys inherent unwillingness to remain passive(Miller) means he steps out of place within the gang and therefore cast aside, the same can be said for Levene. Both plays represent the idea that all men are cogs in a working machine controlled by a higher power suggesting there are not only a gang at work but also a whole pack of wolves. As Shakespeare once claimed All the worlds a stage, and all the  men and women merely players (Shakespeare, 2001,p417). In Glengarry the players are the salesmen playing in the world of Mitch Murray, the world of capitalism has become so powerful that there is no access or communication with the boss. This is where we can see the main difference between the two plays. In Death of a Salesman Willy is still able to communicate with his boss, Howard, not only communicate but also converse with. A raisonneur character is one that appears to express the authors opinions towards the subject matter. In the Death of a Salesman and Glengarry, the raisonneur puts forward an argument against the idea that American culture is all about conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal and in someway bring some morals to the narratives. I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I dont want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am. (Miller, 1949) For the first time in this capitalistic culture we see a character fighting out against the American Dream. Biff claims he is, who he is and conforming to an incontrovertible ideal would only change him. Biff is confident explaining this to his father and goes on to explain that he comfortable with the fact that he is a dime a dozen,(Miller, 1949) accepting this allows Biff to escape the conformist culture, and escape from his fathers delusional lifestyle. Biff is now able to break away from the conventional. Biff goes on to tell his father You were never anything but a hard-working drummer who landed in the ash can like all the rest of them!(Miller, 1949) Biff wants his father to know that he was successful; he was a hard working man but a victim of the American Culture. Willy cannot understand any identity that goes beyond material success and a well liked status, all promised by the American Dream. By taking control of his own life with his own dreams, Biff is the real success. It is hard to find a raisonneur character in Glengarry however; it can be argued that the act of stealing the leads is a revulsion against the capitalist hierarchy. Originally the reader is lead to believe that the thief is Aaronow, one of the quieter characters. In conversation, faster talkers like Moss and Roma easily overpower Aaronow. His dependence on the others is apparent as he tends repeat what other people are saying to him. Like Levene, Aaronow is not on the board and is in danger of getting fired. When the reader finds out Aaronow has not stolen the leads, he is then represented as a raisonneur rejecting the act, and therefore the dream. On the hand, Moss, who set up the robbery, fights against Levene, the true thief Fuck the machine (Mamet, 1982) this outburst acts as a fight against the traditional salesman. When looking at these two plays one can see how the American culture adapts to performing to the single ideal through modernism aspect of Death of a Salesman though to the condition of postmodernism in Glengarry, the disappearance of history, the death of the human and possibly humanity, a circumstance of Capitalism. As the motion moves the eternal present only exists by the next sale, there is no time to stop. Theodor W. Adorno says, In America there is no difference between a man and his economic fate. A man is made by his assets, income, position and prospects. The economic mask coincides completely with a mans inner character (Adorno, 1999, p195) the Marx critic then goes on to explain, Everyone is worth what he earns and earns what he is worth(p195) product has become everything to prove yourself, produce and materials good have become an extension of ones self. The sales office in Glengarry represents a pure capitalist culture. Separating men by success, literally by a board, the top selling gets a Cadillac and to the other extreme the bottom man gets fired. In some way this environment is backward, cutting all relationships, every character must work for his own success as well as hope for or purposely intervene, into his co-workers failure; the system is brutal and compassionless. At the plays climax, Levene questions Williamson about his motives to report him to the police, Williamson response, Because I dont like you.(Mamet,1982) Williamson, a businessman himself, has been trained to fear and hate failure. Similarly, J. Ronald Oakley claims that American are consumed by desires for status, material goods, and acceptance, Americans apparently had lost the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, and craftsmanship that had characterized the nation (Oakley, 1960) Oakley goes on to express that this materialistic America is due to the aftermath of World War II and that it exacerbated the ethical shift as a consumer culture blossomed and Americans became preoccupied with material goods (Oakley). This has been Willys fate; his failure was already set as a man at that bottom of the capitalistic hierarchy. Willys whose world is represented in his house; it is an extension of him. Props in the play such as the refrigerator, trophy and table with three chairs(Miller, 1949), have intended to show the different modern lifestyles that Willy, as a salesman has been able to keep to. The trophy represents success and how it was in reach for the Lomans and how they were close to getting the American Dream that has resulted in Willys down fall, the main object to his fatal flaw. Miller goes as far to represent the sense of individuality, thrift, hard work, (Oakley) which Oakley speaks of. The author describes his setting as a Solid vault of an apartment houses around the small. Fragile-seeming home(Miller, 1949), a dramatic devise used by Miller to show Willys failure to be a success and also creates a very enclosed feeling, the pressure Willy is experiencing, in trying to meet the demands of work, his family and in trying to achieve ultimate success. Moreover, this failure and belief is what has carried on through to the nineteen-eighties, merging both plays together into one circular narrative, as long as Americans keep conforming to one single incontrovertible ideal the American dream will stay alive, and the stories of the salesmans death will be continued. Bibliography Adorno in Kane David Mamets Glengarry Glen Ross: text and performance. (Vol 8) Routledge, 1999 Coolidge in Fuess Calvin Coolidge The Man from Vermont,. Read Boook, 2007 Coolidge in Berg The Business of America, Harcourt, Brace World, 1968 Harris, Pacino Worldwide Movie Gallery 2008 http://www.pacinoworldwide.com/pacinoworldwidemoviegallery/id37.html Visited: 7/03/2010 Jefferson, in Bernstien Thomas Jefferson: The Revolution of Ideas. Oxford University Press US, 2004 Kane, Brass Balls: Masculine Communication and the Discourse of Capitalism in David Mamets  Glengarry Glen Ross in The Journal of Mens Studies(Vol 8) http://mensstudies.metapress.com/content/n72577l755jk307j/ Viewed 07/03/2009 Mamet, Glengarry Glen Ross (1982) in The Norton Anthology: American Literature (vol E 7th ed) Baym W.W Norton company, 2007 (3042-3074) Miller, Tragedy and the common man. Department of English, [University of California at Berkeley], 1949 Miller, Death of a Salesman (1949) in The Norton Anthology: American Literature (vol E 7th ed) Baym W.W Norton company, 2007 (2327-2389) Nightingale in Christopher Bigsby (ed) Cambridge Companion to David Mamet P89 Oakley,  Gods Country: America in the Fifties, Yale University Press, 1960 Richards, America on stage: ten great plays of American history. University of Michigan, 1976 Shakespeare, As you like it in A New Varioum Edition of Shakespeare Series Works,  Classic Books Company, 2001

Side Effects, Directed by Steven Soderbergh Essay -- Movie Film Analys

The film, Side Effects, is quite twisted and unnerving as it begins with the impression of the female lead, Emily Taylor, walking through pools of blood and leaving her blood stained footprints on the wood floors. Later we learn this is the murder scene. The film flashed back 3 months time. Emily was visiting her husband, Martin, who was convicted of insider trading. He was finishing his 4-year sentence and was soon to be released. Emily and her mother-in-law arrived to bring Martin home. After his release, he explains to his wife a social worker stopped by to speak with him and had given him a pamphlet on reintegrating into the community. As Martin attempted to settle back into his normal life he learned his wife had her own struggles. Martin learned Emily was severely depressed with suicidal ideation. Emily was leaving for work one morning and was driving her vehicle through the parking structure of their apartment home. She drove her vehicle into a cement wall at high speeds. She was rushed to the emergency room where it was determined this was an intentional act. She was assigned a psychiatrist, Dr. Banks. Dr. Banks learned she had dealt with depression in the past and wrote her a prescription for an anti-depressant. She pled her case to not be admitted into the psych-ward, primarily because her husband was just released from prison and does not have employment. Dr. Banks accommodates her request after she promised to take the medication as prescribed and meet with him at his office for counseling. Martin saw the suffering Emily was experiencing and told her he had a friend he met â€Å"inside† who was very intelligent and wanted to start a business when he was released. He re-assured Emily h... ...search project with Ablixa. He however, fought back in a different way than that of Emily and Dr. Siebert. Although he had to do the harder right thing, he chose to remain a conformist and refused to attain his goals through illegitimate means. As in most movies there is a happy ending and in this case the conformist wins. In the real world however, the majority of society falls into conformity and very few move out of their subculture or move up in social class. Works Cited Cole, G., & Smith, C. (2011). Criminal Justice in America. Belmont, CA, United States of America: Wadsworth Cengage Learnig. Jezak, J. a. (n.d.). David Emile Durkheim Exploration of Durkheim's "Suicide" . Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://edurkheim.tripod.com/id19.html Siegel, L. (2011). Criminology The Core. Belmont, CA, United States of America: Wadsowrth Cengage Learning.

The Benefits of Our Government Essay -- Governmental Politics Economic

The Benefits of Our Government The monstrous nature of government is evident to the everyday citizen. It is monstrous to oppress the poor and minorities and it is certainly monstrous to declare war on another country and inflict pain and suffering on its people. Yet it is also obvious to the every day citizen that government is necessary to preserve order. Without law or law enforcement, criminals would roam the streets and wreak havoc. Without a military, other countries would invade us violently. Thus, government is a monstrous institution that preserves order in a potentially horrific manner. Government has a tendency to become monstrous in two ways. One is that it needs to maintain order within the country, which often comes at the expense of the environment and the lower classes. The other way that government has a tendency to act monstrously is toward other governments in a struggle for world power. The desire for world power is a form of mimetic desire that causes countries to commit monstrous acts toward each other in order to gain or preserve status in the world. Monsters of myths are chaotic, yet necessary for order. An analysis of them in myths such as Enumu elish reveals that the monsters symbolize the monstrous nature that governments take on to fulfill their duty to preserve order. Without chaos monsters to sacrifice, order would never prevail over chaos. Similarly, without government to order society and protect its citizens from chaos, there would be war as a result of selfish desires. Thus, we are faced with the inevitability of living under a corrupt and monstrous government. Ritual serves as a reminder that the monster exists, and ritual sacrifice reminds us that monsters are quite freq... ... monstrous government, and it is up to us as individuals to reap those benefits and create a better world. It is absolutely necessary that people understand the nature of a monstrous government. It does have a tendency to become too monstrous by becoming overly aggressive in the process of preserving power. However, the order it provides is essential to the development of a sound community. It also provides the opportunity for citizens to take the world into their own hands. The more people volunteer in their community and support human rights groups such as Amnesty International, the less harm our benefits of monstrous government causes for others. Therefore, out of appreciation for receiving the benefits of our monstrous government, I encourage every individual to strive to make a difference in the world. Amnesty International Website: www.amnesty.org/

In present time Essay

In present time, women have obtained more freedom to express their thoughts  and more privileges to achieve their goals. Their social status had a qualitative leap in the United States compare with the last couple of centuries; this subversion will continue lead women to enter a world which their talent and ability can be completely recognized. Different from today’s value, women who lived in previous centuries do not have the rights to do things the way they prefer. Social morality and family obligation force them to obey others and renounce independent. This inveterate principle stifled generations of women and their freedom. Both works include The Revolt of â€Å"Mother† and A New England Nun by Mary Wilkins Freeman showcased that in order for a woman to regain the pleasures in her life, she has to be intrepid and determined under certain social pressure. By descripting both characters Louisa and Sarah’s detailed inner world such as their characteristics and other social aspects such as other’s judgments, Mary Freeman provided the reader with vivid sense of equality that led the society into deep consideration and introspection of why feminism is necessary. Bothworksservedasimilarpurpose,tospreadtheconceptoffeminism,but with different approaches due to different social status of both characters in The Revolt of â€Å"Mother† and A New England Nun. Mary Freeman’s Puritan way of living had a huge impact on how she considers the world differently. In The Revolt of â€Å"Mother†, Mary Freeman portrayed a married woman, Sarah Peen, who has been serving for the 1 Sun family for forty years without any complain, had an emotional outburst about the new farm that her husband was building. Her husband, Adoniram, promised Sarah that he would build her a house when they are financially improved. Instead of building her the dream house, he planed to build another farm without informing her. She then decided to move into the new barn to live when her husband had gone out. (Freeman) In Freeman’s other work, A New England Nun, she depicted Louisa Ellis, a woman who waited for her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s returning from Australia for fifteen years, had decided to end the relationship with him after she hears that he has no love to her. (Freeman) This may be an excuse for her to escape from the relationship that will eventually force her to ingratiate others and put her own needs second. However, Louisa made up her own mind and went the way she preferred. By observing the behaviors of these two characters, it is certain that both of them have their own belief and rule of life that is beyond reach. Sarah Peen wants changes in her life, changes that can overturn her current life. As the story begins, Sarah provides service for her family everyday hoping to move into a new house like her husband promised her to. (Freeman 666) Moreover, She is a woman with ideas and goals. Freeman writes, â€Å" ‘There ain’t no use talkin’, Mr. Hersey,’ says she. ‘ I’ve thought it all over an’ over, an’ I believe I’m doin’ what’s right. I’ve made it the subject of prayer, an’ it’s betwixt me an’ the Lord an’ Adoniram. There ain’t no call for nobody else to worry about it.’† (670) This is what Sarah replied to the minister when he came to convince Sarah not to disobey her husband. After 2 Sun forty years of waiting, Sarah decides that she is strong enough to take a stand for the change. She is surprisingly independent and rebellious. Her rebellion does not only exist for against her husband, but also for against the social role that she is suppose to play as a submissive wife. Even though she accepts her responsibilities as a wife and a mother, her determination and resistance to the power of tradition was never stifled. As a wife whose husband often ignores, she opposes her husband’s male dominance over hers and remains integrity, courage, and privation overall. However, Louisa Ellis from A New England Nun had an opposite lifestyle with Sarah has but the same perception of individualism. LouisaEllis,unlikeSarah,isafraidofchangesandunknowns,butshestill forwards her life regarding what others would think. Her engagement with Joe Dagget is full of uncertain. Freeman did not deliver Louisa’s remorse of engagement directly. Instead, she implied some details to inform her readers that Louisa is satisfied with her own life by enlarging her trivial acts such as using china. Freeman writes, â€Å"Louisa used china everyday – something which none of her neighbors did. They whispered about it among themselves.† (654) This indicates that Louisa lives her own quiet life and enjoys her own pleasure. All of sudden, Joe Dagget shattered Louisa’s peace, the peace that only belongs to her. Freeman writes, â€Å"He remained about an hour longer, then rose to take leave. Going out, he stumbled over a rug, and trying to recover himself, hit Louisa’s work-basket on the table, and knocked it on the floor.† (654) All his acts reminded Louisa that she has to put herself at second after their marriage and 3 Sun renounce her independent. She then realized that she wants to be who she is, not to be a wife of a man who she has less love with. She is mainly descripted as a dainty and methodical woman; she pays most of her attention to details and perfections. Therefore, after she overheard that Joe has no love to her either, she quickly made her decision that she is not going to marry Joe because she desires for remaining alone. (Freeman 661) Even though both Sarah and Louisa have similar lives, they have different characteristics. Both women have comparable lives. Louisa and Sarah both reside at rural area where men do most of the working, and women do most of the housework. (Freeman 654, 662) This is one of the reasons why both characters chose to make astonishing decisions of their own. Initially, they must identify themselves, and then make decisions regarding tradition that has been persisted for centuries. Both women are also conflicted with men in a relationship that lasted a long period of time. Louisa waited her fiancà © for fifteen years while Sarah waited forty years to move forward of her life. Eventually, they both have achieved their goals and won the victories. However, in A New England Nun, the social influence is less conscious. There is less portrayal of judgments made by other members in the society. Instead, Freeman inserted implicit approach such as Louisa’s pet, Caesar, to display how the community would tie her up in a promise of engagement. (Freeman658) Different from Louisa, the community that Sarah lived in for forty years does not allow her to determine her own life. Her husband and son ignore her by not answering her questions; the minister 4 Sun came to her house to criticize her â€Å"inappropriate† conduct; people in her community also talks about her rebellion against her husband. Freeman displayed how they treat Sarah like a woman who should not have equal rights and dignity with a straightforward picture. Consequently, the two characters Sarah Peen and Louisa Ellis in both Freeman’s work The Revolt of â€Å"Mother and A New England Nun overcame dilemmas effectively. Both stories are relevant to the concept of feminism, which is equal justice between both sexes. The endings are similar: Sarah moved to the new barn while Louisa lived her own stilled life. Their encounters influenced and united generations of women to go forward together and break rules and instructions in order to live in freedom. Works Cited Freeman, Mary. A New England Nun. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2013. 653-661. Print Freeman, Mary. The Revolt of â€Å"Mother†. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2013. 662- 672. Print 5

European Coffee Industry

Research Paper –Europe Coffee Industry Assignment 5-2 Prepared for Professor Harold Bashor MBA 727-F3FF International Business Management October 24th, 2012 Prepared by IRELAND Coffee is a very important product in Ireland. Specialty coffee shops such as Starbucks and other local companies such as Insomnia have helped create strong growth in the industry. From a competition standpoint, Nestle’ continues to dominate the industry in Ireland with a 42% market share in 2011 (www. Euromonitor. om, 2012). â€Å"Nestle’ has managed to maintain its leadership due to its exposure within the fast growing coffee pods area and its widespread offering of price and volume promotions (www. Euromonitor. com, 2012)†. The two domestic players in the industry are Bewley’s and Robert Roberts. Both increased sales shares in 2011, 9% and 5% respectively. The primary market for each of these companies is fresh coffee. The economic downturn in 2008 has hurt the industry as consumers have cut back spending.A 40% increase in the composite price of coffee from the International Coffee Organization in 2011 also hurt demand. The price increases are similar to those seen in many commodity prices. Coffee in particular is facing an increasing demand while supply in 2011 was slowed by a poor Colombian harvest, heavy rains, and issues in Brazil. As you can see from the chart below, the coffee industry in Ireland is very dependent on imports with nearly 90% of it coming from other European countries.This table illustrates the high percentage finished coffee imports into Ireland. Expressed in green coffee equivalent, 2010 green coffee imports were only 42% of the volume of the finished product imports (roasted + soluble). Total coffee imports of all forms into Ireland increased from 8. 746 tons green coffee equivalent in 2009 to 9. 780 tons in 20109 (+11,8%). The vast majority of Ireland’s soluble coffee imports (almost 88% in 2010) came from the United K ingdom.The Netherlands (6,7%) and Poland (2,8) supplied most of the remainder. In 2010 the UK represented 68% of Ireland’s roasted coffee imports. The second largest supplier – at a considerable distance – was Germany (20% in 2010). COFFEE CONSUMPTION Reference List Hill, C. (2011). International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, pg. 49. World Coffee Trade Chart. Retrieved 10/20/12 from http://www. ico. org/trade_e. asp Coffee in Ireland. Retrieved 10/21/12 from http://www. euromonitor. com/coffee-in-ireland/report

Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Stakeholders - Essay Example Goodjik (2003) point out to the fact that management needs to build relationships with different stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers, and society at large. This is only possible with increased transparency and accountability in practices on the part of the organizations and increased involvement or participation of the stakeholders in management decisions. The need to mobilize a sense of responsibility among stakeholders could help create an organizational context for participation and involvement and stakeholder arguments and opinions could be used to shift the balance of decisions in the interest of stakeholders. Active stakeholder participation is thus useful for any management perspective as considering stakeholder opinions and arguments could help create and strengthen partnerships between stakeholders and management at the corporate level. The stakeholder model assumes constructive partnership and dialogue between the management and the stakeholders includ ing the employees and is thus useful for promoting a beneficial relationship at the corporate level. This discussion focuses on the contributions of the stakeholders in business success and business performance of companies and emphasizes on the beneficial relationship between stakeholders ... The Role of Stakeholders: Stakeholders play an important role in an organization and affect corporate social performance and financial performance and Neville et al (2005) point out that a company's reputation could determine the corporate social performance and financial performance or CSP-FP relationships. Corporate social performance is related the stakeholders' resource allocation to an organization and how much stakeholders are ready to invest in or trust a company would in turn determine the performance and success of a company. In this context the stakeholder would trust or invest in a company based on the existing reputation of a company thus company reputation would determine stakeholder assessments and would also be relative to stakeholder expectations. Neville (2005) thus suggests that reputation of a company plays a key role in determining the CSP-FP relationship. Strategic management principles and competitiveness also change the CSP-FP relationship. Considering that corporate branding and reputa tion are important in achieving stakeholder trust, the role of marketing could be important for strategic advantages of any company as it helps build brand reputation. Maintaining stakeholder interests and stakeholder benefits is the major concern of companies and forms a major part of corporate social responsibility or CSR. Whitehouse (2006) used qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with representatives of 16 UK companies from different sectors and traced CSR policy development from identifying the meaning attributed to CSR to factors that help to implement CSR agenda. CSR objectives and policies are

What Happened to the Mayan Civilization The Mistery of A Great Essay

What Happened to the Mayan Civilization The Mistery of A Great Civilization - Essay Example The most famous theories of the collapse of the Mayan civilization are as under however there is no consensus of opinion among the researchers: 1. The Disaster Theory: The researchers of Maya civilization believed that there was surely a catastrophic event which doomed the Mayans. The event may be an earthquake, an epidemic disease, flood or the volcanic eruption. Such a disastrous event can be the only explanation behind the immediate downfall of civilizations. It is reasonable that a large number of people can be killed or displaced only if a sudden hazard takes place. It can at once kill people and destroy cities. The theory is widely celebrated for the reason of the fall of the Mayan civilization (Thompson, p96). The theory matches with religious explanations of the causes of the falls of the nations. This theory as regards the Mayan civilization was however rejected because the history shows that Mayan civilization took about 200 years for its downfall; it was not sudden. Some o f the cities declined while many flourished for quite a reasonable part of the time. Had there been an earthquake, flood, disease or volcanic eruption, each and everything would have simultaneously been removed of the surface of the earth. As this was not the situation, the theory was rejected by a large faction of researchers. 2. The Warfare Theory: The Mayans were a peaceful civilization. But their later history reveals that they were a warring people always busy in wars among in between and against others. Their historical record tells of the fact that they always discovered newer methods of warfare. The stone-carvings deciphered recently openly tell that Mayans fought frequently among themselves. Cities went to battles quite often worth mentioning of which are Tikal, Copan and Dos Pilas. In 760 A.D, Dos Piloas was destroyed after ruthless invasion. The theory is quite an interesting and reasonable explanation of the causes of the downfall of the Mayan civilization. History has a lways told that mutual war-fares and misunderstandings have caused the nations to drown in the seas of obscurity. The researchers have only one query here; whether they fought enough to bring their downfall? This is quite reasonable that war brings with it human sufferings, financial crisis and collateral damage. They warred with each other and the cities of the Mayan civilization caught the fire of distrust and discontent sufficient enough to disbelieve them their culture (Miller, p18). 3. The Famine Theory: In the periods of history between 1000 B.C. and 300 A.D, the basic occupation of the Mayans remained the Agriculture. They practiced in it and earned their livelihood. Agriculture was so largely practiced that even small family-plots were not left uncultivated. Corns, beans and squash were their main plantations. On seas and riversides as well as in lakes, they carried out fishing for their food needs. With their advancement in many fields, the cities grew and their population increased. Their progress attracted people from other civilizations as well. They came and penetrated them. A moment came when their population grew to the extent their resources could not bear any more. The local production was far less than their required limits. They were however an advanced civilization and learnt to upgrade their resources. They improved their agricultural procedures and equipments. They improved their trade. However the penetration of the outsiders and the increase in local population were the issues which

Class Size And The Improvement Of Academic Performance Essay

Class Size And The Improvement Of Academic Performance - Essay Example Data availed from the National Assessment of Educational Progress proves that evidence is to the contrary. To illustrate, it was found that there was no significant improvement in the knowledge of students in reading, mathematics, and science through the class size fell by 27% between 1969 and 1997 (cited in The influence of class size on academic achievement). In addition, there was a decline in certain subject areas like science. However, it is not possible to totally believe these results. This is so because, in small classes, the dropout rate will be much lower as compared to big classes (ibid). In fact, dropout often results in higher class-average test scores as the dropouts are often the low-scoring pupils. When small classes are formed, teachers and school authorities take care to avoid student dropout. Thus, the low-scoring ones take the test along with other students and result in reduced class-average test scores. However, though rational, this claim is limited by the fact that there is no empirical evidence to prove the case. In fact, it becomes difficult to gather accurate data in this connection because the academic performance of students is influenced by a large number of factors other than class size. Some such factors are family background, language, and financial status. In order to make an effective analysis of the impact of class size on academic performance, all other factors need to be kept static. The only study that tried to do so was the STAR study (Ehrenberg, R.G. et al 2001). The study took efforts to keep other factors like the quality of teaching static throughout the study. Then, it was found that there was an improvement of 0.2 standard deviations or more (ibid). Other studies like the California study and the SAGE study too provided similar results.

Comparison of 3-Dimensional Radiotherapy with IMRT for nasopharyngeal Dissertation

Comparison of 3-Dimensional Radiotherapy with IMRT for nasopharyngeal cancer - Dissertation Example The treatment modality therefore, revolves around successful and complete removal of the tumour mass without damage to the vital organs around the tumour (Tham and Lu, 2010). Most of the critical analysis presented in this research is based on findings that have been carried out on patients of Eastern Asian origin. This is because nasopharyngeal carcinomas are prevalent in this population group. On the same note, some of the most significant research results and tabulations have been obtained from studies carried out in these geographical areas. One of the most significant facts about NPC is that these are diagnosed in later stages of cancer (Afqir, Ismaili and Errihani, 2009, pp 3). The close proximity of different regions leads to many problems after treatment is carried out. Adverse effects to the pituatory, thyroid and hypothalamic glands are commonly seen post treatment (Stevens et al, 1998). Soft tissue fibrosis leading to trismus and necrosis of the eye structures is also comm only seen (Stevens et al, 1998). Surgical treatment options are somewhat reserved due to the complex location of the tumour. Studies researching the efficacy of surgical treatment have shown higher tissue destruction, and increased chances in recurrence and metastasis, which are reflected in high mortality rates, with five year survival rates falling in the range of 33-57% only (Leu and Lee, 2009, pp 103). A similar study assessed the effects of salvage surgery on patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation therapy. The study selected 38 patients with recurrence in NPC who underwent surgery (Chang et al, 2004, pp 499). The results showed a 3 year survival rate and local control rate of 69 and 72.8% respectively. Local control rates at the intracranial and skull base levels were 83.3%, and the overall morbidity rates were below 14% (Chang et al, 2004, pp 500). Morbidity rates with radiotherapy treatment alone fall between 40 To 50%, whereas combined radio and che motherapy provide survival rates of 55 to 80% respectively (Paulino and Louis, 2010). However, this study has very limited number of participants, making it difficult to state that the results are significant. However, when viewed in comparison to many other studies on the efficacy of combined radiotherapy, the results bear some significance. Another important consideration is that surgery can still become an option in cancers which are of larger size, in order to help reduce the severity and duration of the chemoradiation therapy. Very large cancers can be removed with the help of fine surgical instruments, after which pockets of tumour can be removed through radiation and chemotherapy. Surgical treatments however, have been largely replaced by the newer and more sophisticated technology of irradiation. However, chemotherapy is another major contender for treatments of NPC. Many drugs have been introduced, but so far, trials and researches have gathered evidence for cisplatin and 5 -florucil respectively. Trials of use of cisplatin combined with radiotherapy for NPC have shown an overall survival rate of 76% at two to three years, which is comparatively better than therapy from any one of the methods alone. Another trial on 130 patients showed a 46% rate of survival with combined chemotherapy compared to 25% of it when treatment was done with radiation alone at five years (Siewert, Salama and Vokes, 2006, pp 168 and 169). Other drugs that are being used or considered for combined

The concept of Emily Grierson as a trapped individual Essay

The concept of Emily Grierson as a trapped individual - Essay Example Emily Grierson was strongly attached to her father and it was her father who brought her up. Her mother had passed away and she did not have any other close relatives. This aspect of her life led her to live a life of solitude and her life was based upon her relationship with her father. Her father was a proud man who considered him to be superior to all the other people who resided in the town. He kept a distance for the other people and did not intermingle in the social gatherings with people. He instilled similar feelings in his daughter and she was also not very social and restricted to her life within the house. Her father considered all the men who offered to marry Emily not to be up to the mark and rejected all these proposals. This behaviour of the Griersons is portrayed by Faulkner in these words, â€Å"People in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were. None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such.† Thus her upbringing by her father pushed her into solitude and led her to lead a trapped life. Emily’s father was the most important figure in her life and the death of her father shattered her. She became hysteric and was not ready to accept the death of her father. She did not take the condolences of the people and sent them away. It was only by force that her father’s body was buried. This great loss pushed her more into entrapment and she was left alone in her life. The next major character that entered her life was an outsider, Homer Barron who came to visit the town. Emily became greatly attached to him owing to her solitude and loneliness but Barron opted not to marry Emily. She took a drastic step of poisoning Homer Barron and kept his body in her house. The reaction of the people of the town and their criticism for her can also be held accountable for her trapped li fe. The people in the town talked about her behind her back and only visited her out of curiosity to see what was going inside her house. This social alienation served to further prevent Emily from leading a normal life. Emily became totally isolated and did not believe in societal laws and regulations. She developed these believes owing to her entrapped life. She did not consider herself to be a member of the society. She did not allow for the installation of a mail box at her house as she did not want to be linked to the outside world. She also denied paying the taxes in the town and responded to the officials from the city by saying, "I received a paper, yes," Miss Emily said. "Perhaps he considers himself the sheriff . . . I have no taxes in Jefferson." It has been portrayed that the life of Emily Grierson starts â€Å"decaying† in her home in solitude. She began to decay physically, mentally as well as socially. She started losing her looks and was totally cut off from t he social environment of the town. She did not mingle with anyone and thus her life depicted a theme of decaying. She also lost her sanity as she went as far as to kill Homer Barron so that she could keep his body with her. The death of her father is the initiation of her psychiatric issues. This can be seen when she denies that her

Be Happier by Consuming Less Essay Example for Free

Be Happier by Consuming Less Essay Consumerist is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever greater amounts. In the American consumption, people do not know how much is enough, do we really need all we buy? Or we just buy it because everyone else has it? Does it make us any happier? In the article â€Å"The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More That They Need† Juliet Schor shares with us her point of view about American Consumption. In Schor’s article says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Also that â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). Finally she believes that â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. Much of what we purchase is not essential for our survival or even basic human comfort but is based on impulse, a momentary desire, and there is a hidden price that we, and future generations will pay for it too. The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods, not better health care, education, housing, transportation, but to provide more stuff to consumers. First, in Schor’s article she says, â€Å"The average American now finds it harder to achieve a satisfying standard of living than 25 years ago† (411). Nowadays people have to work longer hours than 25 year ago, to be able to pay all their desires. Having more and newer things each year has become not just something we want but something we need. The idea of more, ever increasing wealth has become the center of our identity, and this looks like an addiction. For example, my aunt Maria works 5 days a week to be able to pay all her bills and sometimes does overtime. She might have a lot of new and cool things, but she doesn’t even have time to enjoy all these things because she has to be working just to pay all she has. My aunt has a salary of $9. 25 per hour and getting a check of $740 biweekly which she have to use to pay her car $200, plus her phone $85, personal stuff $150, and the list keep going. I have worked 40 hours a week, going to classes full-time with little satisfaction. Without working that long, I am less stressed, and I prefer to learn how to spend less money, than spending more, and live stressed all the time. People should take more responsibility for themselves and their families and think outside of the box when it comes to life. Working less hours and buying fewer products is a good way to start. Also, Schor says, â€Å"The competitive consumption, the idea that spending is in large part driven by a comparative or competitive process in which individuals try to keep up with the norms of the social group with which they identify as a reference group† (412). People try to be in the same level that everyone else; if they see that somebody bought something, they will try to have that, just because that person has it. An example is the iPhones people are obsessed with them. The first iPhone was the 3G, then 3GS, 4, 4S, and the 5 that is the last one that just came out. All of these iPhones do almost the same functions; they just changed the size, and some other little things. People spend a lot of money buying the iPhones; the prices are between $300 and $500. The point is that people want to keep up with the newest things, just because other people will have it. For example, my cousin Heysus who is 23 years old, have been buying all the iPhones, because all his friends have them, and whenever came a new iPhone, he ordered it immediately to keep up with what his friends have. Another point is that people with less income, tend to watch more TV, in Schor’s article says, â€Å"Low income children are more likely to be exposed to commercials at school, as well as home† (413). Television and marketing are a big influence of how people spend their money. We watched an example of it in the movie of Super-Size Me, of how the companies spend a lot of their money on marketing, because they know that people is going to buy their products. We need to make people conscious about the problem that we all have as a society. Without our consumer impulse to buy the newest, coolest things on the market, there would be no market. People should think more about what they buy, and should not do unnecessary purchases I think that some people keep worrying more about what they can buy, and how they can have better and newest things instead of be worrying about how they can live happier, and less stressed. An individual does not necessarily have to live as a rich person to be happy. The thought of shorter hours working is a wealth of opportunity and adventure that no Disneyland or Las Vegas vacation can offer. It is actually stress-free and can help us to have time to more valuable parts of our life, like having more time to spend with our family and friends. Finally, as a student that works and studies at the same time, I have to be a smart consumer. I ask myself what I need and what I really don’t. Why do I need a car? Is it necessary to have a laptop when we have a library full of computers? We all need to learn that how to spend our money in a better way, and know that we do not need to have the newest and coolest things that the market offer us to be happy.

Effectiveness of Health Management Program

Effectiveness of Health Management Program Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine if the SoonerCare health management program and its associated practice management program, in a rural family practice setting, is an effective program to decrease hospital admission, improve patient care, and is a financially viable system. Data was obtained through chart review of two clinics in Durant, Oklahoma. Durant is a town of just over 15,000 as of the 2010 census. Both clinics are considered rural family medicine clinics. Out of the 170 patients enrolled in the health management program 115 patients were included in the study. The Data showed that over a period of seven months there was a significant reduction of patients going to the hospital for admission. A reduction of 50% was demonstrated with a significant p-value of 0.025896. There was no significant reduction in the office visit rates seen over the same time period. Emergency room visits did decrease by seven percent over this time period, but this was not found to be statistically significant. This reduction correlates to a savings of $551 per patient per year enrolled in the program. The study concurs with the Pacific Health Policy Group that shows a significant cost savings to the state due to the SoonerCare health management program and with practice facilitation. With the decrease in hospital admissions and subsequently the cost savings to the state of Oklahoma this program is an efficient means to provide good health care to the SoonerCare population. Background The cost of health care to the nation, private and public, in 2013 was 2.8 trillion dollars (1). This constituted 18% of the GDP (1). The average cost of health care was 9.5% of GDP for industrialized countries (1). This puts the average cost per capita in the United States at $8,508 in 2013 (1). This is two and a half times the world average of $3,322 per capita in the industrialized world (1). Add to this the projected growth of health care to increase by 5.8% each year until 2022 (2). Total health care costs, in the United States, are expected to grow to 19.9% of the GDP by 2022(1). This could be tolerable if the outcomes correlated with cost but they don’t. The United States is currently ranked twenty sixth out of thirty four in the world for life expectancy, twelfth out of thirty two in heart attack fatalities, and twenty seventh out of twenty eight for unmanaged asthma(3). With the continued increase in health care costs and diminishing return on health care dollars the state of Oklahoma has instituted a health management program and included in this program is a practice management program. The practice management program consists of an in office nurse that is a personal health coach for patients qualified for the program. My concern for this program is whether the benefit of the program outweighs the administrative costs. The purpose of this study is to determine that in a rural family practice patient population does the use of a health coach improve the care of my patients and by extension decrease hospital admissions. My hypothesis is that the use of an in office health coach allows for better care, decreased hospital visits, and at the same time saves money for the state. Methods A 14 month chart review was performed over the 7 months after the installation of a health coach in both the Gastorf Family Clinic and Durant Family Medicine Clinic. The same time a year ago, in the involved clinics, the charts were also reviewed to take out seasonal bias. Charts were reviewed in office and at the local hospital for office visits, hospital admissions, and emergency department visits. No data were obtained regarding the reasons for the office visits, emergency room visits, or for the admitting diagnosis. Data and Results The total enrollment of patients in both the Gastorf Family Clinic and the Durant Family Medicine Clinic was 170 patients. Total of 55 patients were eliminated from the study. Of the 55 patients, 31 patients were eliminated from the study due to not being established with Durant Family Medicine Clinic prior to August 2012 or no longer a patient of the involved clinics after the start of the study. Another 22 patient were eliminated from the study due to not being established with Gastorf Family Clinic prior to August 2012 or no longer being a patient after the start of the study. 2 patients enrolled in the health management system did not have any records in either of the clinics. Total patients used for the study was 115 patients. The average age of patients was 42.8. The distribution of patients in the study was 30.4% male and 69.6 % female. The Durant Family Medicine Clinic had 44 patients or 38.3% of the participants in the study. Gastorf Family Clinic had 71 patients or 61.7% of the participants in the study. The study evaluated inpatient and outpatient data from August 2012 through February 2013 and August 2013 through February 2014. These dates were determined due to the start of the practice management program was in August 2013. The August 2012 to February 2013 dates were used for comparison, in an attempt to negate seasonal admission changes. Data was obtained from a chart review at both involved clinics. Upon discovery of those patients who qualified, with continued care through the study time period, a hospital chart analysis was performed. Data was obtained from the local regional medical center in regards to emergency room visits, hospital admits, and total hospital days. Office Visits Emergency Visits Hospital Admits Pre-study 605 81 14 Study 617 75 7 p-value 0.371 0.317 0.026 Analysis of the data showed a 50% reduction in the number of individuals who were admitted to the hospital at least once in the same time period over 7 months. A one-tail paired t-test was performed and demonstrated a significant result with a p-value of p=0.026. The International Federation of Health Plans 2013 Comparative Price report shows that the average cost per hospital day in the United States is $4,293 (4). Based on evaluation of emergency room visits and hospital costs per day, this program saved about $63,387 over a seven month period for a total of 115 patients enrolled in the study. That is a savings of $551 over a years’ time per patient. Study did not show any significance with regards to a decrease in office visits and emergency room visits. There was an absolute difference of 6 emergency department visits or decrease of 7.4%. Discussion What are the cost savings if we extrapolated the results to the entire SoonerCare population? The current enrollment of Oklahoma SoonerCare as of the end of December 2013 was 555,436 (5). The annual budget of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is over 5.3 billion dollars with 4.7 billion going towards Medicaid payments (6). If you use the results of the study with the total SoonerCare enrollment the savings would be $306 million dollars. The value of $306 million is overstated due to may issue. The extrapolation this number is unfair and inaccurate. The program as stated is for those patients with chronic conditions that are at risk, or potentially at high risk. This is but a minority portion of the SoonerCare population, which I will discuss below. The other issue is the population size of the study. This study included less than 0.03% of the total SoonerCare population. To extrapolate any data from that small sample size is fraught with inaccuracies. That being said, this study did show a significant decrease in hospital stays for the population involved in the study. Why is there so much focus on reducing cost associated with patients with chronic conditions? A 2010 report by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality found that the top 1 percent of patients ranked based on health care expenses amassed 21.4 percent of the total health care cost (7). The annual cost for these patients was estimated to be $87,570 per year per person (7). They also found that the top 50% of health associated expenders correlated to 97.2% of all health care dollars (7). Further analysis of this study also showed that those patients with four or more chronic conditions are responsible for 29.7% of health care expenditures (7). Who is enrolled in the SoonerCare health management program? Those members with, or at risk for developing chronic disease and are high risk for adverse outcomes and increase likelihood of a health care crisis. By addressing those with multiple chronic medical conditions you are addressing the most concentrated cost centers and will get the best return on investment of health care expenditures. This has been shown through analysis of the SoonerCare health management program. Currently there is over five thousand patients enrolled in the program (8). What is the cost of the program in relations to the cost savings? Study done by the Pacific Health Policy Group has shown that the SoonerCare health management program had an aggregated savings of $214 million for the 2013 fiscal year (9). The Practice facilitation component was shown to decrease the cost per patient from $678 down to $634 including the administrative costs of the program (9). In the same study it was found that the total cost of the program and administrative costs was $32 million (9). When taken from the overall medical savings it showed a return on investment of 562% (9). The SoonerCare health management program saved $5.62 for every dollar spent on the program. So what about patient care? The Study from the Pacific Health Policy Group did show of the 21 clinical performance measures 16 showed increased compliance with standards and of those 11 were statistically significant (9). This study showed the most significant improvements in the area of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension (9). So do clinical performance measures correlate with patient outcome improvement? First health care professionals need information on performance to develop quality care that is also efficient (10). This is where the diagnostic specific measures fit in. The new PQRS standards for Medicare for 2014 there are 287 separate diagnostic measures over 25 groups. The scope of this research was not to address the specific patient care outcomes, but in a retrospective review of each of the clinic’s clinical performance measures before and after the institution of this program did show increase compliance with c linical performance measures being studied in the clinics. So what is the practice management program? It involves a health coach, which is a RN, to assist primary care practices in building a high quality care delivery processes through evaluation and coaching patients with chronic medical conditions, to oversee data capture to identify gaps in care delivery, implement and teach quality improvement methods to close gaps and improve the practice’s ability to effectively manage its patients population through data analysis and process design. Through the SoonerCare health management program patient receive the following services in table 1 (11). Through the practice facilitation portion of the program the patients receive the following services in table 2 (12). Conclusions There were many limitations to this study. As mentioned above, this study was a very small population compared to the affected group. The study only reviewed seven months before and seven months after the start of the program. As with any study group local effect must be accounted for. A larger study with multiple clinics in different locations throughout the state would give a more reliable result. An example of this study was performed by the Pacific Health Policy Group, which showed similar results to this study. In conclusion, in the practices involved in the study, it was shown that there was a significant decrease in hospital visits with the use of an in office health coach and the SoonerCare health management program. A significant financial benefit for the state with the SoonerCare health management program was also seen with a cost savings of $551 per patient per year. This study did not address specific diagnostic measures, but with decreased hospital admissions an assumption can be made in regards to improved patient care. Also in retrospective review of clinical outcome measures did show improvement in both clinics after the institution of the SoonerCare health management program.